A/N - THIS NEEDS SOME EXPLAINING!
On another site where I upload these chapters weekly, it just so happened that they were at chapter 31 before Halloween. Now, this is the chapter where Winter gets stabbed, and there's a bit of suspence because Winter was trying to switch her heart's side as a last minute thing. I thought, hey! Let's prank some people XD
So here's what's happened. This is a BONUS chapter, where Winter actually FAILS to move her heart, and dies. I just put it up, and tomorrow I'm going to explain the prank. Give it a bit of a look for a smile, Happy Halloween!
P.S, As if it weren't scary enough, I told them that this was the ending of the story, and the rest of the story would just be the movie Thor, except with more insight on why Loki hates Thor so suddenly / wants him dead. (Aside from the rest of the GREAT reasons that character has XD)
Arnkel staggered as the sturdy ground beneath his shifting boots suddenly lurched and fell entirely into the endless pit below. Deperately, Arnkel threw himself at the crevice separating himself from sturdy, albiet crackling ice upon the other side. The space, admittedly, appeared far smaller from a distance and the instant after his feet left the falling ice, he knew he would never make it. Regardless Arnkel flung his arms outwards, fingers clawed in hopes to clutch at the ice wall that quickly grew to loom over him.
The solid ice menaced over Arnkel's falling form, crunching with soft, entertained laughter as his body plummetted.
The ground far, far below shattered and destroyed every bone within his body with a sickening crack that echoed through the deep canyons, the sound bellowing into the open air in a mad grapple for freedom and recognition for a life once lived.
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The ice beneath Thor's boots began to shift and shake with a thunderous hatred, the large, weighted portion of spiked ruins that had once rested confidently above his head, plummeted to the ground with a demandingly destructive air. Thor turned his gaze from the battle for a single instant, observing the collapsing chunks of ice and debris as they plowed into the ground, shaking the clearing furiously. The falling ruins determinably cracking it apart deeply without a single effort.
Tearing his eyes upward, Thor dove and rolled to the side, a particularly large, heavy chunk of falling ice cleaving straight though the clearing where his feet had once rested, splintering the world at its touch.
Thoughtfully, Thor turned to survey those that had followed the prince to the frozen wastes.
Something was wrong.
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No, no, no..
No one was supposed to get hurt, no one was supposed to die. This wasn't supposed to happen. Loki thought numbly, sharply throwing knives into the chest of the frost giant that towered over Winter while his mind spun in turmoil and denial for his part in the entire event.
That guard was to tell Odin IMMEDIATELY! They shouldn't have made it to Jutonheim! Heimdall, at the very least, was to stop the rather suspicious travelling party at his gates!
Yet, here they stood.
And there was Winter, fading before his eyes.
This wasn't to HAPPEN! It's not my fault! Loki decided, footsteps echoing through the air as he darted through the clearing, the world fading of color and sound.
It's not my fault! I told them not to come, I told HER not to come. Odin was to interrupt this, Heimdall was to stop us!
Thor did shoved his way through it all. It's his fault we're here.
Thor killed Winter.
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Winter couldn't breathe, couldn't think.
And Well was being no help what so ever.
Rabbling this way and that, Well threw accusations, denial clad statements, and wild, regret dressed weepings. Which was rather odd, as the creature had only truly 'lived' a vast amount of a single day.
She recalled, with a mortal chill running down her spine, that she had left her Immortality Watch upon one of the many tables in her temporary bedroom within Asgard. So desperate had she been to relieve herself of the trappings of Asgard's formal wear, that she had tossed the trinket aside and neglected to return it within her pocket.
It wouldn't work without being beside her. It would never 'know' that she had perished, or needed a new body.
She died here.
Winter was terrified.
"You.." Winter spoke hoarsely, sinking onto the ground as the strength and will left her weary limbs. "I told you.. to.." Blackened blood bubbled down her spread lips, choking off any further words, much to her astonishment. Well regarded Winter's perishing mind with a selfish sadness, wondering what was to become of a stone that could speak and create the most wonderous things, if only it were held by the right one.
Well did not imagine much would come of the next few decades.
I told you, Well informed, It doesn't work that way.
Winter's lip quirked upwards for an instant at an unspoken, unheard thought as she observed Loki darting through the clearing towards her. She supposed wearily that she could linger until he stood before her, but as an eternal sleep over took her, she ignored her unspoken promise, her bodyfalling limp, her golden eyes resting upon a world no longer seen.
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The battle, for lack of a better world, stopped.
The entire world did.
The companions who had each known Winter in their own rights regarded the loss with a deep sorrow.
Thor held the most guilt, but Loki felt the most remorse.
It had been Thor's fault, Loki had accused loudly in wretched heart break, He had been the one to lead them to Jutonheim. It had been him to ask Winter if she would come.
He was the one closest. The one that, had he not been mad with violence, should have guarded the back of the merchant, as he did for every companion of his.
It didn't take long before much of Asgard shared this opinion.
Thor had led the retreat the moment Winter had fallen, retrieving her stilled body with a heavy heart. It had felt dishonest to hold the one who had met her demise by his own hand, but, he was one of the two present to know that her Asgardian form was not her own, and was thus, was untainted to find she had perished within her disused, Nightmare's flesh.
Thor had remained silent, with the rest of the group as they reentered Asgard, interrupting Odin in a mad dash to the Bifrost's gates.
The air was thick with lament at the announcement of the outcome of the events, and wails filled the night at the adored merchant's funeral.
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It was vile, Loki spat within his thoughts sharply, To have Winter burned as if she were one of us. To have her DISGUISED as one of us.
Had she been one of our own, Thor would have proven a better protector in times of need. He didn't fail once when Sif's neck was on the line, nor for any others of his company.
No, Loki decided with disgust, Thor had failed her, simply for what she was. At this sobering thought, Loki lifted his own arm to his appraising gaze, A feat, he will no doubt repeat once Asgard has forgiven his newest wrong doing.
If Odin won't demand payment for Winter's life, Loki threw his arm down at his side, mad anger flashing across his once illegible features. Then I will.
Let Thor be corrected.
Let Asgard burn.