Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than Mani, Sunna, and Nott
Chapter Nine: Sometimes Sacrifices Have To Be Made
Set had soon been set free under the permission of Odin, and was escorted back to the Land of Ma'at. He didn't go unpunished though. Ra took care of that perfectly, sending Set to Midgard for a month to sweep the sands of Egypt with a broom day and night. He definitely got strange looks from the occasional passing camel, but it could have definitely been worse.
Back in Asgard, things weren't going so well. Ever since word had gotten out that Zeus' lightning bolt had been taken back by the Olympians, things were getting heated. Women scared for their children's lives, men wishing to go off to war to protect their home and families (or in attempt to impress some ladies with some battle scars from an actual war). Either way, stress was becoming an average occurrence with the Asgardian Court.
Currently, Nott and Loki were in the library, and Nott was freaking out. Not just a little. A lot.
"Odin's beard, Odin's beard," she said over and over, wringing her hands in her hair as she paced back and forth, and when Loki looked over from the seat he sat in, a book in hand, it looked as if she would soon be creating a trough in the floors just from pacing so much.
Loki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please stop repeating the mention of my father's facial hair."
"Loki," Nott said in a warning tone, shooting him a glare, "I'm seriously stressing out here! Everyone's panicking! How the hell are we supposed to deal with it?"
"By not panicking ourselves," Loki said in an annoyed tone, shooting Nott a 'no duh' look.
"Oh shut it," Nott said angrily, stopping to face him, crossing her arms over her chest, "I have reason to panic."
"And somehow you have more reason to panic more than the rest of us?" Loki questioned, closing up his book, figuring he wouldn't be able to get back to it anytime soon.
"Yes!" Nott exclaimed, "I've only been in the court for two years! Two years, LokI! I'm not exactly as experienced as yourself and Thor!"
"So?"
"So, I'm more vulnerable, and when we go off to battle and one of us dies, it will most likely be me!"
"Really? Now you decide to start fearing death?" Loki asked, sounding slightly amused, standing up from his seat, "Come now, if any one of us is going to die, it'll probably be Sunna. She isn't exactly made for battle."
Nott frowned, and looked at the floor and grumbled, "That's still not a good thing, Loki."
Loki sighed, and walked over to Nott, tilting her head up towards his with a finger. "Nott, you need to stop worrying."
"I can't," Nott whispered sadly, "Our attack is in a week, Loki. I just can't."
"No, it's that you won't," Loki said, gritting his teeth, "If you don't stop worrying about something as silly as this, you will die."
"This is silly to you?!" Nott exclaimed angrily, moving back from him a step, "This is a war, Loki! A type of thing people die in!"
"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made to fix things!" Loki growled.
"Oh yeah? What if that sacrifice is Thor? Or Sunna? Or what about me, Loki?" Nott asked.
Loki glared at her, not answering her question. But somehow, Nott felt she knew the answer.
Sometimes sacrifices have to be made.
Nott huffed angrily, spinning around and walking away. Then, she disappeared into the darkness.
"Sister, what is it?" Sunna asked as Nott stormed into her chambers. Sunna, apparently, had let herself in, which wasn't exactly surprising.
"Just a bit pissed off," Nott ground out, slamming the door behind her as she walked towards her dresser, beginning to get changed into different clothes. She didn't like wearing the same thing for too long. Especially since this particular had been the one she wore with her argument with Loki.
Sunna looked concerned. "Nott, I've never seen you like this before. What's wrong?"
"It's not your business, Sunna," Nott said irritably.
Sunna frowned. "It is actually. We're family. Family's tell each other everything."
Nott glared at Sunna, and then sighed in defeat, looking at the ground as she continued to change. "Loki and I had an argument."
Sunna looked surprised. "But… you two never fight!"
"Well, I guess we do now," Nott muttered.
Sunna sighed. "What happened, exactly?"
"Let's just say I was stressing about how people will die in this battle, and he replied with that sacrifices must be made," Nott said softly, clutching her used dress in her hand, "And then I mentioned how I may die, and he didn't answer. But I know what his reply would have been. I saw it in his eyes."
Sunna looked worried. "Nott, you didn't go dark, did you?"
Nott sighed. "Sunna, it's just a prophecy."
"A prophecy I'm afraid of coming true," Sunna said.
"Oh how so? Don't want to be related to this big bad monster everyone fears at night?" Nott spat.
Sunna looked hurt. "No. I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want to lose you to the darkness, Nott. Ever."
Okay, Nott was touched. Maybe a bit more than touched… it was actually what she needed to hear. Someone's concern for her going away. Changing. Being someone else. Just someone being concerned for her at all made her feel better.
Nott walked over to Sunna, once she was changed of course, and hugged her, Sunna hugging back.
"Thanks Sunna."
"You're welcome, Nott."
"Hey Nott," Mani said, walking up next to her. Currently, Nott was walking through the gardens where Loki and herself had met in their childhood, despite the fact she was trying to forget about their fight.
Nott smiled a bit. "Hey Mani."
"You're looking a bit glum," Mani said.
Nott raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Mani chuckled. "You don't exactly have a skip in your step right now like you usually do."
Nott frowned. "I do not have a 'skip' in my step."
Mani grinned mischievously. "Don't deny it, Nott."
Nott huffed, and Mani chuckled. "Nott, you know I'm joking, right?"
When she didn't answer, Mani frowned sadly. "Sorry, I didn't need to make you mad."
"No, it's fine. And I'm not mad," Nott said softly, "I'm just having a rough day."
"Am I allowed to know what made this a rough day?" Mani questioned with a raised eyebrow, and Nott looked at him with a frown. But then she sighed in defeat, and explained to him what happened concerning herself and Loki in the library.
Mani frowned. "How dare he say that?" he asked, sounding a tad bit angry.
"He's daring alright," Nott muttered.
Mani clenched his fists as they walked. "He had no right to hurt your feelings like that. You needed comfort, not a lecture."
"Apparently he didn't think so."
"Well he should know better, the bastard!" Mani exclaimed angrily, and Nott was slightly surprised. She'd never seen Mani so… angry, before.
"I mean, any man in their right mind knows better to lecture a woman who needs comforting!" Mani said frustratingly, "I dare say he isn't even a man to do something like that to you."
"Mani…" Nott said, a bit touched but slightly surprised.
Mani looked over at her, and his enraged eyes softened, and he sighed. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"No," Nott found herself saying, even to her own surprise, "No, it's fine. It's okay for you to express your opinion."
Mani sighed in relief, and looked at her with a small smile. "Yeah, but I did lose my temper."
Nott laughed. "Not the worst I've seen from a person, believe me," she said, and reached out to hold his hand in hers. Mani was a bit surprised, and held her hand back, seeming fairly happy with it.
"Nott, can I ask you something?" Mani asked, seeming a bit nervous.
"Yeah, what is it?" Nott asked, looking over at him curiously.
Mani chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. "I was wondering if, well you know, we could maybe… start something?"
Nott stared at him in shock. "You mean, courting?"
Mani smiled sheepishly. "Possibly. Yeah."
Nott thought about it a moment, contemplating, leaving the already nervous Mani to increase his worry of rejection. Then she sighed and smiled.
"Sure. Why not? My life, right?"
"WHAT?" Loki roared, Sunna wincing. They had been talking to each other in the court room, mainly discussing Nott. The fight between Loki and Nott had happened yesterday, and all of a sudden, Nott was courting? Without his permission?
"What exactly is your problem?" Sunna asked, "Nott can court who she wishes."
"NOT UNLESS I APPROVE OF HIM!"
"…. So do you approve of Mani?"
"OH, FOR ODIN'S SAKE SUNNA, OF COURSE NOT!" Loki yelled, pacing angrily around the room.
Sunna sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What's so bad about Mani?"
"He's courting Nott," Loki growled, glaring at Sunna.
Sunna facepalmed. "That's not a reason, Loki."
"And why is it not?"
"It's not like he forced her to court him," Sunna said in an annoyed tone, looking up at Loki.
"He could have! We just might not know that!"
"OH FOR ODIN'S SAKE, LOKI!" Sunna yelled, catching Loki off guard. Sunna never yelled. "LET NOTT HAVE A LIFE! LET HER EXPLORE! SHE IS IN CHARGE OF HER OWN LIFE! YOU DON'T OWN HER, SO YOU CAN'T TELL HER WHAT TO DO!"
Loki stared at Sunna for a moment, contemplating what she said. He sighed in defeat. "You're right," he said, "I apologize for my outburst."
Sunna huffed, glaring at Loki. "Just don't do it to Nott, and we'll be fine."
Loki sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "I will have a talk with her about this though," he said, and before Sunna could react, he was storming out of the room.
DON'T KILL ME FOR MAKING NOTT AND MANI COURT! *dodges thrown objects*
OKAY, IT WAS NEEDED TO BE DONE FOR THE SAKE OF THE PLOTLINE. ONLY REASON I'D HOOK THEM UP! THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS PERMANENT THOUGH *muhahahah*
ANYWAYS, I'M CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATING DISCONNECTING NIGHT AND MISCHIEF FROM BEYOND DEATH ITSELF, MAKING IT A NEW STORY ENTIRELY. PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS! :D
QUESTIONS OF THE CHAPTER!
How do you feel about Mani and Nott getting together?
How do you think the battle will play out during the attack?
Re-enter of Set at some point? (mainly because I love playing Set. He's like the Tony Stark of the Egyptian gods, except isn't exactly famous.)
How do you think the ending will be like? (which is a long ways away, don't worry)
Should I disconnect Night and Mischief from Beyond Death Itself and make it its own story?
LET ME KNOW! :D
ANYWAYS, PLEASE R&R SO I KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED OR WHAT YOU DIDN'T, SO I KNOW WHAT TO IMPROVE ON OR KEEP DOING! NO FLAMES THOUGH, FOR LOKI DOES NOT APPROVE OF THEM!
LOVE YOU ALL, YOU AWESOME HUMAN BEINGS! THANKS FOR READING! LOVE, SHANNON XD