The Legend of Hati Hróðvitnisson and Skӧll, based off the Hati and Skӧll from The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda.
"Today begins the first ever team RWBY and team JNPR combined study session!" Ruby declared, the excited 15 year old throwing her fist into the air.
Ten friends sat in a large circle on the lawn in front of the famous Beacon Academy. Books and pencils in hand each member, sans one, had just left Professor Oobleck's class and decided that thanks to the calm and moderate weather, they would meet to discuss their most recent assignment.
"So let me get this straight, this professor of yours wants you to write a report on children stories?" the young and inquisitive monkey Faunus among them asked.
"Ugh, it's not just that. We are supposed to find folklore and mythology, preferably related to our own cultural backgrounds, and write a report on any story of our choice as to how it relates to the trials of beginning a hunter", a young woman in white responded.
"That's not necessarily true Weiss. He said we could pick any legend, any piece of mythology, and even children stories to write about. He wants us to tell it or summarize it and examine it on the criteria of if they story explains a phenomenon early humanity could not understand; if the story was a parable, or how it entertained."
"Oh, so you were paying attention Yang."
Said blond rolled her eyes as she threw he head back into the grass, unable to come up with a retort to the heiress, instead opting to mumble her complaints.
"Which is why we are all out here, to brainstorm ideas about what we'll write about." Sun turned his attention to the cat Faunus across from him, studying her as she was once again buried in another book.
"Brainstorm about how they relate to being a hunter! Why else would he assign this?"
"Alright, share one with me Blakey", Sun teased, ignoring Weiss' rant and earning another set of angry mumbles from the blond to Blake's right.
"I don't have one", she plainly replied, throwing a quick slap to Yang's side to hush her. The girl responded by turning to her side.
"So, does anyone else have a story to share?" Yang asked, obviously annoyed, as hinted in the tone of her voice.
"I think Nora has a story already." Half the group turned to face Ren as he spoke. "Right Nora?"
"What? Huh? How'd you know?"
The young man in green chuckled. "You've been writing non-stop ever since we sat down."
"Ha, oh yeah; guess you're right Ren", she replied returning a sheepish grin.
"It isn't often that Nora is quiet. So it's got to be a good one!" Ruby blurted out in excitement.
"Well Nora since you seemed to have jumped ahead of us in the assignment, why don't you share your story with us", Pyrrha spoke.
"Well alright." Clearing her throat and narrowing her eyes Nora began her monologue, quickly settling into a narrator's voice. "Prepare to be amazed…"
"Good grief", Weiss remarked.
"…At the heroic tales of my people and the gods of Remnant."
"Seriously?"
"I will tell you one of the most famous stories. The story of two great divine powers…"
"Just get on with it." Weiss was met with a sharp elbow to her side, her partner whisper for the heiress to be quiet, as the younger huntress wanted to hear Nora without interruptions.
"...And of Hati Hróðvitnisson and Skӧll, giant wolves of the Iron Forest..."
Once long, long ago, in the beginning of time, live a man named Mundilfari, who had two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. The man Mundilfari named his male child Sun, because his short hair and tanned skin shined like bright lights and through his eyes were as green as the evergreen forest, the man could see fire dancing in the boy's eyes. His daughter, who he wed to a rich man called Glenr, was named Moon, her fair skin as soothing as ocean waves and her as long as waterfalls but as black as night, her amber eyes reminding her father of the not so deadly creatures of the dark.
The god Odin, the all-father was witness to the children's birth, and was delighted to see such radiant humans. "Man knows neither the hour nor the day, and must always count or pray use gods send up the sun and the moon. Let us give them time."
Odin, the all-father decided to take the brother and sister, and set them up in the heavens. He instructed Sun to drive those horses that drew the chariot of the sun, to illuminate the world from glowing materials which flew out of Múspellheim. Odin then set Moon to steer the course of the moon in her chariot, after her brother. From earth he took two more children called Bil and Hjúki to be the stars that followed her at night.
Odin was pleased with his work, but soon discovered that giving Sun and Moon the celestial powers that controlled time was a big mistake. Sun liked to watch the ocean wave's crash on the shore, and the human below him work. By mistake he would hold the sun for hours close to the earth as he played games with the children of farmers, turning the land into hot savannas and deserts. People who worked near Sun grew to have dark or tanned skin like Sun so that they may survive the heat, but the abundance of sunlight in one place caused the farmers to grow poor crops, for there was hardly any rain, and the rest of the world was dark and cold.
Moon liked to rest near the deep forests, and often tied her horses down for hours on end. The silence was pacifying, as it allowed her peace from the chaos her brother usually started; she spent her time reading and playing with the night dwellers. Without the sun, snow found it easier to fall, and some of Moon's favorite places were also snowy hill and mountains.
The animals, people, and the gods themselves didn't know when to wake and when to sleep because Sun and Moon never kept time. They traveled as the pleased, even when Odin asked them to drive their chariots. So Odin called all the gods of Asgard to dinner and proposed an idea.
"Children and friends, Sun and Moon, who I placed in the sky to help us tell time and move days, have forgotten their duty. I struggle to use my might to make them work so I can upon your help." With a snap of his fingers, divine servants emerged with large stone tablets, one for each member in attendance.
"Each of you has a desire that you cannot fulfil on you own, but with my help could be done. Write your one greatest wish on these tablets, anything you want, aside from the death of another god or the life of a man who has long since passed from the earth. Then go forth and make Sun and Moon ride across the skies. Should you be successful, then whatever you want that is written on my tablet, I will not deny you of."
The gods were thrilled. While they could not bring back the dead or kill an enemy, they would not pass up Odin's generosity. Each god ate roast meat and drank cool wine; then once he or she wrote on Odin's tablet, they set off to confront Sun and Moon.
Each god tried as they might but failed. Many offered riches beyond a simple man's wildest dreams.
"Why would we want riches when we are more valuable than all the gold in the world; when we shine brighter than any jewel?" said Sun.
Some offered the rarest of pleasure no one else could get.
"We take our pleasures from the earth; my brother watches the ocean and plays with children and I read my books and dance with creatures of the night. You can offer us nothing we do not already have', Moon retorted.
Some, like Thor, even threatened to use physical violence to move them.
"Harm us and you will surely destroy these celestial bodies, for we always keep the sun and the moon close by. Do you want to incite your father's wrath?" they mocked.
The gods, all of them, had failed to help Odin in his time of need. Except, there was one god that did not try yet and instead watched each one before him falter.
His name was Loki, a mischievous god, son of Fárbauti and Laufey; father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. As the only divine being who did not immediately go out to help Odin, he instead watched the gods struggle with their conquest and thought, 'If even Thor cannot do the task, then I must be very clever if I am to receive a prize from Odin. I shall take note of each failure and watch Sun and Moon to see how I can make them run the skies.'
And so for many nights Loki watched the brother and sister to gather information to form his plan. From his observations he learned many things. From Sun he learned that the boy loved men more than beast, but was always causing humans trouble. He hated the forest, was afraid of wolves, and loved his sister dearly, so much so he was in love with her. Was he not already married he would have wed her himself.
From Moon Loki learned she loved beast more than men, and went so far as to shun human contact. But she loved the forests and took care of all living creatures that lived in them, beast and human alike. She was not happily married as she enjoyed being alone more than anything, or playing with the creatures of the night. She took her job more seriously than her brother and always did her duty to keep the moon safe.
None of this information helped Loki until he one day watched Moon dance among lions and wolves in the Iron Forest, a place of giants and trees as strong as steel. From a distance he could see two giant wolves watching the festival from a cave in the mountains. One was sleeping, but the other was jumping and smiling, howling as Moon twisted and turned and sang. It was then that Loki got an idea.
Loki returned to Odin and borrowed his magic dust crystals and sweet herbs, in exchange for fine ram horns. He then returned to the Iron Forest and with his bow killed two of the largest deer he could find. After roasting the meat he approached the cave of the giant wolves and called out for them to meet him.
Slowly, the larger of the two wolves emerged and Loki almost fell to his knees. The wolf was huge, his eyes lite red like blood, his fur a strange bright blond color mixed with red and orange streaks of fur, his belly brown like the wood of oak trees. The wolf, in his anger spoke, "Who call upon Hati Hróðvitnisson and his brother Skӧll, threating dominion over us?!"
"It is I, Loki, son of Fárbauti and Laufey, father the wolf Fenrir. I bring an offering for you both." At Hati's paws he laid both roasted deer. Without warning Hati's brother flashed out of the cave, at a speed Loki could not follow with his eyes. Skӧll was smaller than his brother, and much less threating. His fur was black, also with streaks of red; his eyes silver.
Without words both wolves ate the offering Loki presented; when they finished they demand more but the god refused, saying they must now listen to a request. Hati's hair flared in anger like fire as he changed at Loki, using his strength to tackle the god to the ground.
Placing his paw to the god's neck, Hati snarled, "How dare you trick us into owing you a favor?! Foolish god, you may be our father's father, but we will waste no time in laying you to eternal rest! Plead your case now before I end you!"
Displacing his fear, Loki responded, "I know what it is you seek Hati. You want the affections of Moon and you hope that one day you will brave enough to come before her. Let me live and I can help you."
Immediately Hati's red eyes drained in color revealing calm lilac hues as he released Loki from under his paws. "I do love her so. How do you intend to help me?" he asked with confusion in his voice.
"I have watched her and learned that she loves beast more than men; she would surly fall for you should you save her from bondage. Look up and you will see she is forced to drag the moon across the sky. The moon keeps her in slavery. If you destroy that celestial body, she will marry you."
Hati shook his head. "I cannot fly. I can't help her. Leave me in peace; I am sad now that I know I can never marry her."
Loki laughed. "Foolish wolf, I am a god. I have the power to make you travel the skies." From his pocket he relieved a clear crystal and instructed the wolf to eat it then leap into the air. Following Loki's instructions Hati ate the dust and jumped, finding he could float.
"Good, now remember you must never stop running until you eat the moon. The crystal will make sure you do not grow weary and that you will be able to fly forever."
Hati was delighted. Sending off his goodbyes to his brother, Hati waited until Moon rode across before he gave chase.
Seeing the huge wolf following her, Moon did not stop in the Iron Forest, nor did she stop in any other forest. Instead she ran across the sky, passing her brother Sun on the other side of the world. Fearful of his sister's life Sun gathered enough courage to follow Hati, intent on killing him.
"Loki!" Skӧll cried in fear at long last. "My brother is being chased by Sun and will surely be harmed. Give me a dust crystal so that I may chase Sun down and devour him!"
Loki smiled with delight; this was exactly what he wanted. Giving Skӧll a crystal the smaller wolf charged into the sky with speed unheard of and gave chase to Sun. This frightened the boy and ignoring his sister ran as fast as he could in his chariot.
It was by luck that the wolves chased after Sun and Moon such that the actual sun and moon spent twelve hours a day in the sky. Odin was amazed at what Loki had done and once again called him up to Asgard so that he could receive his reward.
By this time Nora was standing on her feet, entertaining the group of ten with all types of expressions and hand gestures. "During the summer time, Skӧll gets tired because his fur feels warm, so he slows down and the horses that draw the sun get to rest; but when winter arrives, Skӧll feels stronger and chases Sun faster than before, making the winter days much shorter than the summer days."
Reaching the end of her story Nora sat in the grass next to Ren, leaning back on her hands. "Hati and Skӧll will forever chase Sun and Moon, until the day of Ragnarök, which is like basically the end of the world. There'll be fire and natural disasters and then the world will drown in water because Hati will finally catch Moon and ask to marry her but she'll say no because she thinks Hati will kill her but Hati will get mad so he'll eat her and the moon anyway and then Sun will try to kill him but Skӧll will devour him and the sun so then their father will return and kill a bunch of gods but then—"
"Nora", Ren spoke interrupting her rambling speech.
"Yes Ren?"
"I think that's all they want to know about the story; that it doesn't have a happy ending."
The friends watched Nora rambled on about how they should know about the gods Odin, Thor, their enemy Fenrir and Ragnarök, very much amused so much thought was put into the stories that related to Nora's heritage.
"Wait, am I supposed to be Hati?" Yang whisper as she played with the Blake's hair.
"He does sound like you. Temperamental and somewhat gullible", she responded, swiping away Yang's hand.
"Hmm, well unlike Hati, I wouldn't devour you. At least not like that", she mocked. From the corner of her eyes Yang could see a slightly fuming Sun Wukong shifting in his seat across from them; the blond couldn't help but grin at his discomfort.
"So the sun and moon move across the sky because wolves chase them; cute, very cute" Sun huffed. "But there has got to be another story. One that isn't so predictable…"
The group remained quiet, thinking over the stories they were planning to write about in their reports when Pyrrha lifted her hand.
"Well, I'm not sure if I plan to write about this one, and it doesn't relate to my culture, but it is sort of another twist on Nora's tale. Maybe you'll like to hear it."
Note: According to the texts where Hati and Skӧll are mentioned, the wolves chase the sun Sol and the moon Mani until the end of the world, where once both are devoured their father Fenrir comes and [bleeps] stuff up before Odin's son kills him. Sol is driven in a chariot by a girl named Sun while her brother drives Mani.
Both The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda are very long with only a small section of of these documents talking about the wolves. It doesn't explain why they chase the sun and moon, just that they do because the sun and moon are needed to keep time and change seasons. That allowed me a pretty blank slate to write some back story and make it like a children's tale or popular folklore Nora knows. That said I hope to return to both documents for more stories.
What's funny is that at about the end of me writing this I discovered Hati's name means "He Who Hates" whereas Skӧll means "Treachery". That worked out pretty well for what I wrote; Skӧll being tricked into chasing Sun and Hati's irrational violence. It also works out for the character in RWBY represented in this story, at least for Hati I think. I am sure there are stories out there that does a better job than me, so if you find it, read it and let me know about it.
I hope you enjoyed.
