To Helheim and Back
Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.
Chapter Seven: Once More into the Breach
Well I wish I didn't care! I wish to God I didn't care about anything but my magic! But I do! I do. (The Last Unicorn)
Lara gripped Mjolnir as she advanced into Helheim. Just because Nalta had let her in didn't mean that Lara trusted the woman. A whoosh of air brought Lara around, weapon raised to strike.
"Moonstar!" The midnight stallion looked rather pleased with himself as the portal he'd jumped through closed behind him.
"How…" Lara started, before seeing something. A horn. A twisting, spiraling horn on Moonstar's forehead. "You're a unicorn!"
A pleased snort.
"Can…can you talk?"
A pause, then a flood of whinnies and whickers, followed by a mournful head shake.
Lara frowned. "What on earth are you doing here?"
Moonstar pranced to her shoulder and gave a smug sounding whicker.
"You aren't telling."
Head bob.
Lara sighed. Well it wasn't like she could really leave him behind for the thralls. "Alright then, come on."
Lara stopped short as she saw someone in the next chamber. A woman in a blue dress. "Mother?"
A surprised huff from the unicorn behind her.
Lara walked forward, confused by her mother's silence. "Mother, it's me. It's Lara."
Moonstar stilled as the scent of something long dead hit his muzzle. Lara was walking right toward a thrall. The thrall turned.
"No," Lara whispered, drawing back. "No, no, no. My mother's dead."
Moonstar screamed and lunged past Lara, hooves flashing as he reared. He hit the thrall dead on, the force of his blow knocking it over the ledge. Breathing hard, the unicorn turned, suddenly afraid. Death was still present, mixed with Narnian magic.
Lara screamed. "Alister!"
Moonstar pivoted, seeing the thrall in an instant. Just enough of Alister's appearance remained to identify him. No, no, no.
"Now, my little Star."
Who said that?
"Strike true."
Moonstar launched forward, head lowering as he charged. His horn caught the thrall right where its heart would have been. The unicorn's charge slammed the thrall into the wall, pinning it. Golden light engulfed them, blazing outward and bleaching the Eitr into a sickly gray.
"It is done, my child."
Aslan?
"You will know what to do, little Star."
Golden light faded. Moonstar drew back, letting the thrall fall. A sharp blow sent him spinning into the wall himself.
"You interfering miserable little unicorn!" a winged woman shrieked. She laughed. "But now you tread in MY realm little unicorn. The last of the unicorns. The last of Narnia."
Abruptly she turned away, stalking toward Lara, who had slid down on her knees, tears flowing freely.
"I've lived many times longer than your entire civilization and I've never seen such delicious irony. When I heard what happened to the wife of the great Richard Croft, I knew I could set him on desperate quest to find what I desired most. But then he betrayed me in Thailand and for that, I killed him myself. When you showed up with Thor's gauntlet, I knew I could send you off in your father's footsteps, confident that it would lead us to this very spot."
Traitor, Moonstar shrilled in his mind, struggling to rise. Movement caught his eye. A hand reaching out, shaking, as it took hold of a battered, red and gold hilt with a lion's head atop it.
Lara pushed herself up, hatred glittering in her eyes. "You seem to have forgotten what I would be carrying." She gripped Mjolnir, drawing it out to strike at her foe. Her evil twin grabbed the hammer and thrust it away, forcing Lara to drop it. In seconds she had Lara in a vice grip.
Moonstar squealed in outrage, still trying to rise. Nalta laughed. "Patience little unicorn. I'll deal with you soon enough." She turned back to Lara. "When I made this creature for Amanda, she had no idea that my true purpose was to have the means to destroy you at this very moment. The two of you never suspected that you were mere actors in my play."
The immortal turned, laughing. Metal scrapped against the ground as a trembling figure pushed himself up. Nalta never noticed as she continued gloating. "And so it ends. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a serpent to raise." She smirked and walked away.
Lara stamped on her twin's instep and knocked her away. Pulling out her guns, Lara fired several shots as the other dodged. The thing leapt, knocking Lara down and pinning her with a hand to the throat. Lara struggled wildly and Moonstar squealed, scrambling to rise. The red-head smirked as she drew back a hand to finish Lara off.
A blade sprouted from the woman's chest and she let out a cry as the panting, furious man behind her finally managed to speak. "Stay. Away. From. Lara!"
The creature sent her attacker flying and the sword dislodged. Before either the man or Lara could move, black smoke grabbed the thing's hand, lifting it off the ground. Black, edged with red, flared as a white haired woman grimly raised both hands. She thrust both hands forward and the creature went flying over the edge.
"Amanda?" Lara started, but then the man in the corner groaned and tried to rise.
"Alister!" Lara flew to her friend's side, as 'Amanda' gaped.
"Wait, I thought the Doppelganger killed him."
Moonstar finally managed to get up again and offered an extremely smug snort. Oh he knew he hadn't really done it but he had a feeling they were running out of time.
Amanda eyed him. "Lara?"
"Yes?" Lara asked, as she hefted Alister up.
"Where'd you find a unicorn?"
Alister broke in. "It's a rather long story actually, and if Nalta is really raising the Midgard Serpent, we don't have time for that." He limped forward, Lara still supporting him and awkwardly reached down and retrieved the gold and red blade. "Lara you have to hurry."
"He's right," Amanda broke in. "Trust me, I wanted to let that thing finish you off, but the Midgard Serpent will tear the world apart. And only Thor's Hammer can stop it."
All four whipped around as massive thralls began to advance. Amanda smirked. "Go! I'll hold them off."
"Lara get me up on Moonstar," Alister ordered. "I'll only slow you down."
Lara bit her lip but Moonstar was already beside her. She hefted Alister onto the unicorn. "Don't you dare die on me again Alister Fletcher."
With that, Lara Croft raced after Nalta as Moonstar, Alister, and Amanda faced off with the thralls.
A/N: I'm sure by now you all know what change I made. And for those wondering why Amelia couldn't be saved, I've left some clues in both this chapter and the last one. We are swiftly drawing to a close, so please, read and review.
