Chapter 12: Asgard
Leo screamed.
He felt like he was falling, rising, and being pulled to both sides at the same time. It didn't quite hurt, but it felt strange. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled his insides, running up and down his skin and tickling his shell. All around him was light, of every color and contrast, the entire rainbow of the spectrum flashing before his eyes in a whirlwind.
Where am I? he thought.
He was vaguely aware of Thor holding him by the wrist, gently but firmly. He glanced up to see the Norse god of thunder, who didn't seem affected by the feelings Leo was experiencing. His gaze was steady, focused only on the space in front of him as he flew, carrying Leo in one hand and his war hammer in the other. The trace of a smile was on his lips, and his left arm was outstretched, his hammer in hand, as if it were pulling him along. His red cape flapped behind him, though there was no wind. At least, Leo didn't feel any wind.
Donnie was flying through the air behind them, screaming louder than Leo. His arms and legs waved wildly in the air, in stark contrast to Thor's. The expression on his face was a mix of sheer terror and a hint of awe at his surroundings.
Suddenly the light went from color to white, a blinding flash. When Leo opened his eyes again, he was sprawled on a smooth golden metal floor, staring up at a domed ceiling. He felt a little tingly, and his stomach didn't feel too good.
Thor had landed on one knee, and now stood up, hammer still in hand. He strode to the center of the room, where on a raised podium stood a tall, dark-skinned man with golden armor, a large sword, and eyes blazing like liquid gold.
"Heimdall," Thor said, extending his hand. The man took it, and they shook hands before fist-bumping and then hugging each other in some kind of secret handshake. "It feels like an eternity since I last saw you."
Heimdall's expression remained serious. "If not for the impending attack, you might have stayed away longer. The war with the Chitauri drags on in the Sanctuary." He paused, glancing at Leo, who waved awkwardly. "Who is this? A pet from your adventures?"
Leo bristled, and Thor suppressed a chuckle. "Far from it, my dear Heimdall," he said, extending a hand to Leo and helping the blue turtle to his feet. "This is the one Father sent me for."
Heimdall stared at Leo with respect. "My apologies, O great warrior," he said. Glancing around, he asked, "But where is the second one?"
A flash of light came from the back of the room, as the swirling rainbow portal began emitting streaks of lightning. Still screaming, Donnie was shot through the portal at lightning speed. He retracted into his shell as he flew, and he ricocheted off the walls of the dome before sliding to a spinning stop close to the center of the room.
Donnie's head extended slowly from his shell. "Ughh," he moaned softly. "I don't feel so good." Then his eyes grew wide, and he promptly vomited all over the smooth metal floor.
Great first impression, Leo thought.
Heimdall did not flinch, extending a hand and helping Donnie to his feet as soon as he was done throwing up. "It seems you have a touch of what we Asgardians call the 'Bifrost Bowels,'" he said. "It happens often to mortals who are not accustomed to travel between realms. The good news is, it gets better the more you travel."
"Thanks," Donnie mumbled. He glanced around, become aware of his surroundings, and his jaw slowly dropped.
"May I be the first to welcome you to the realm of Asgard," Heimdall continued. "I trust the journey via the Bifrost Bridge was to your liking?"
Leo's head was still spinning. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said. "Asgard? Bifrost Bridge? Where are we? What's going on?"
"This-" Thor gestured at the swirling portal behind them "-is the entrance to the Bifrost Bridge. A dimensional energy which allows instantaneous travel to anywhere between the Nine Realms. We Asgardians have harnessed its energy to travel to and protect the worlds beyond ours."
"It's exactly like an Einstein-Rosen bridge," Donnie gasped. "A wormhole!"
"Huh?" Leo asked.
Donnie moved towards the swirling rainbow portal. "Think of it as a tunnel with two ends, each at separate points in spacetime. By stepping in on one end, you can easily traverse immeasurable distances in mere minutes. In fact, we may even be on a different time scale on this side of the universe!"
"Oh, yes," said Thor, "I neglected to mention that time progresses slower here than on Earth. You may spend but a few minutes in Asgard; to the Earthlings it is the same as if you had spent days here."
"Then let's get our business finished here and return to Earth as soon as we can," Leo said firmly. Splinter and his brothers would be worried sick about them, and he didn't want to make them wait any longer than they had to.
"Which brings up the question-why did you bring us here?" Donnie asked.
"That my father will tell you," Thor said. He strode for the doorway of the dome. "We must make haste to the palace."
The city of Asgard was a collection of elaborate buildings and intricate spires. Seemingly built into the rock, large structures with sweeping terraces topped many of the cliffs. Gleaming pyramids, statues, and columns surrounded a many-tiered structure resembling a towering pipe organ at the center of the city. The rainbow-colored bridge they stood on led directly to it, and they followed Thor as he walked quickly down the bridge.
It took less time than Leo thought to reach the foot of the palace. Out front, two armored guards stood with pikes, menacingly guarding the set of double doors inside. One look at Thor and they parted, casting suspicious glances at the turtles as they did, and the doors swung open. Leo could feel the warmth of the hall on his face.
They entered the throne room, which was as large and grand as any palace on Earth. Colorful ceremonial banners of the Nine Realms adorned the vast chamber. A raised throne sat at the far end of the room, flanked by armored warriors. The man on the throne was old, with white shoulder-length hair and a beard. He wore a red cape and dark ornately decorated armor. A golden spear was propped up on the throne at his side. His right eye was covered by a metal patch, and his left eye was blue. It felt like the man's eye was staring right through Leo.
As Thor and the turtles approached, the man stood up, grabbing his spear and descending the stairs of his throne towards them. "May I present Odin Allfather," Thor said. "King of Asgard, protector of the Nine Realms, and my father."
"Welcome home, son," Odin said, embracing Thor. He looked at the turtles. "Are these the warriors of earth we were told of?"
"Aye," Thor said. "Leonardo and Donatello."
"Your Majesty," Donnie said, taking a bow towards Odin. Leo did the same.
"It is I who should bow to you, Donatello," Odin said.
"If you please, sir," Leo began, "Thor told us that we needed to come here to help you fight a war."
"Yes, Leonardo," Odin said. "I will explain. Walk with me, both of you. Thor, the army needs further training."
"I shall see you turtles again soon, I hope," Thor said. With a whirl of his hammer, he sped out of the hall and out of sight.
Leo and Donnie followed Odin as they walked out to a terrace of the palace. From here, the entire city of Asgard was splayed out before them, like a city of shimmering light.
"Warriors of Earth, last night I had a dream," Odin began. "In my dream, I was standing before Yggdrasil, the World Tree. I could see the branches and the roots, binding the Nine Realms together. I took a walk on one of its branches, and a woman approached me, a slender woman with dark almond-shaped eyes and two antennae on her forehead. She told me that my renegade son, Loki, would soon lead an army of all the realm's most evil creatures against Asgard, and that it would fall. She also told me that I had to seek out the mutant warriors of Earth named Leonardo and Donatello, that the two of you were the key to the safety of all nine realms."
"Wait a second, sir," Donnie stammered. "You must have the wrong guys! We're just a couple of teenage mutants with ninjutsu abilities. We have no knowledge of the way your realm works, or how we're supposed to help."
"I know how we're supposed to help," Leo said quietly. Donnie turned and stared at him, and he began to explain. "I had a vision too, before we left. In the dojo. The same woman that appeared to Odin appeared to me. She told me that we would soon be taken to a world beyond ours, so that we might spare our own."
Suddenly it clicked. It felt like the top of Leo's head had blown off.
Karai had warned the turtles of an impending danger coming from space that Shredder knew about. They had been taken to Asgard to defend the Bifrost Bridge, the wormhole that connected this world to Earth. If the invading army defeated Asgard, they would have access to any place in this dimension. That was why the turtles needed to help stop them. To protect realm travel from their enemies, and to save Earth yet again.
"We've got to stop the army that's headed our way from getting access to the Bifrost," Donnie realized.
"Aye," Odin said. "If they gain access to the Bifrost, they can spread their conquest to any of the Nine Realms. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance."
Leo looked up at the king. "Tell us what to do, your Majesty."
They met Thor on the palace training grounds, where dozens of soldiers cleaned their weapons, polished their armor, or sparred with one another in preparation for the upcoming battle. The Asgardian soldiers practiced swordsmanship, archery, and unit tactics, formations and rotations being repeated over and over again. This training was maintained by a hard, but not overly harsh or unreasonable, discipline, from what Leo could see.
"It is good to see you again, Turtle Warriors," Thor said. "I trust my father filled you in on your purpose here?"
"He did," Leo said. "We've got to help save your world to protect our own. Odin sent us here for some training."
"Then let me introduce you to my sparring partners," Thor said. Stepping aside, he gestured at a trio of men practice fighting. The men stopped at Thor's words, and one of the men, a blonde fellow with windswept hair and neatly trimmed moustache and goatee, sheathed his sword. A dark green cape attached at the shoulders by large spiked silver plating fell down his back, while the shoulder pads continued over his upper chest and ended in a green shirt with a fur collar. He wore green pants and had dark black boots.
"May I present Fandral the Dashing, one of the Warriors Three," Thor said. "He has a swift and agile fighting style, the best of us with the blade."
"And with women," Fandral added, prompting chuckles from the all. The second man, his mouth framed by a long dark moustache, didn't even crack a smile. He wore armored shoulder pads covered by a heavy, dark blue cloak, and a leather warrior skirt.
"This is Hogun the Grim," Thor said. "A serious and silent warrior, who seldom speaks and rarely smiles. His recognized wisdom and loyalty make for a precious ally."
Hogun whirled his mace and said nothing, prompting the third man, a sturdily built fellow with long orange hair and a braided beard that fell down to his chest, to say, "Can you not even show some teeth for the Warriors of Earth, Hogun?"
"Volstagg the Voluminous," Thor said.
"Which is just a nice way of saying Volstagg the Fat," Fandral chuckled, yanking Volstagg's golden feathered helmet down over his eyes.
Volstagg shoved his friend playfully before fixing his helmet. "Do not mistake my mass for anything but muscle," he retorted.
"Volstagg loves a good feast as equally as a good fight," Thor said. "He is very serious in battle,, ready to sacrifice himself at all times."
"A noble trait in a warrior, and one far lacking in our ranks," said a feminine voice. Leo turned to see a raven-haired woman of great beauty approach them. She wore a red leather dress that continued down her torso ending in a multi-paneled mini-skirt. Over her dress she wore silver armor plates that ended right under her neck. She also wore black pants under her dress and brown knee high boots decorated with silver metal which matched her armor, and carried a double-edged sword and shield.
"And last but not least, the fair Lady Sif," Thor said. "The dark-haired daughter of Asgard. She s widely feared and recognized for her powerful and versatile swordmanship in battle, which ranks her as one of Asgard's greatest warriors."
"Are you calling into question our bravery, Milady?" Fandral asked, feigning offense.
Sif smiled coyly at him. "I call into questions your desire to preserve that pretty face of yours."
"Well," Fandral grumbled, running a hand over his cheek, "it would be a shame if something happened to it."
Donnie looked over at Leo, who was staring blankly at Lady Sif. Elbowing his brother to snap him out of it, he glanced around at the rest of the army, busy training. "You seem very prepared for an attack," he said.
"Our battlefield tactics are a combination of masterful training with excellent communication and discipline in the chaos of combat," Thor said. "Our armies train for virtually every possibility, so when it occurs, they may react accordingly."
"No amount of training could prepare us for this," said Hogun. "Our forces number to five thousand, while all the prophecies put our enemies at fifteen thousand strong. I do not think this is a battle we can win. You cannot stop Ragnarok."
Thor grinned. "Hogun, old friend, you are aptly named Hogun the Grim. Have you learned nothing in our years of friendship? Numbers do not win a battle."
"No," Volstagg said, swallowing hard, "but I bet they help."
That night Leo and Donnie ate at the king's table after a day of training, with Odin and his wife Freya, Thor, and the Warrior's Three. Thor remarked that the king's cooks had excelled themselves in preparing this feast for the visitors, as course after course was brought to the table. Tender freshwater salmon garnished with cream and rose leaves, devilled barley pearls in acorn puree, apples and carrots, marinated cabbage stalks steeped in creamed white turnip with nutmeg, dishes of hazelnuts, cheeses, bread, cakes. Wreaths of aromatic steam drifted around the room with the arrival of six big trolleys bearing oxen baked to perfection.
They began eating right away. Donnie glanced over at Volstagg, who sat right next to him. The large man had a voracious appetite, and singlehandedly ate an entire ox, eight salmon, and all of the dainties that had been prepared for the women – not to mention the many barrels of mead he drank.
Volstagg caught Donnie's eye and grinned. "You marvel at my appetite, Warrior of Earth?"
"No!" Donnie stammered quickly. "I've just never seen anyone besides Mikey eat so much in one sitting."
"There's a story behind my hunger," Volstagg said, taking a gulp of mead before starting his tale. "Hundreds of years ago, when we were all quite young and still unwashed behind the ears, we were fighting against all the hordes of Hel for forty days and nights."
"Ah, I forgot about the wars of Hel," Fandral sighed. "You were called Volstagg the Thin back then, if I recall."
Amid snickers, Volstagg retorted, "And you were called Fandral the Quite Plain." The snickers became full-blown laughs as Volstagg continued his story.
"Eventually Hogun was hurt and forced to retreat. Loki refused to follow us. I was stabbed and Thor had to defeat the horde by himself, while Loki tended to my wounds."
"After this battle and eighty days without food, Volstagg started eating as soon as he could," Thor said, as Volstagg paused in his story to scoop up a handful of hazelnuts.
"Never stopped since," Volstagg said, shoving an entire oxen leg into his mouth.
Amid the roars of laughter, Leo spotted Lady Sif slinking away from the table and heading to a balcony outside. He excused himself and followed.
The setting sun cast glimmers of light over Asgard, turning the city and the ocean beyond it to gold. Sif stood on the balcony, leaning heavily against the railing. She looked up as Leo approached.
"Leonardo," she said, startled. "To what to I owe the pleasure of a private audience with a Turtle Warrior from Earth?"
"Just wanted to make sure you're okay," Leo said, coming to the railing beside her. "You weren't very talkative at dinner."
"I am troubled," Sif admitted. "But it is a trouble that plagues none but Asgardians. I doubt you would understand."
"Try me," Leo said, shrugging.
After a slight silence, Sif sighed. "This battle does not bode well for Asgard. Ominous prophecies and dreams have long foretold the downfall of the cosmos and of its gods and goddesses along with it. The first of these prophecied events has come to pass. Balder the Brave, Thor's half-brother and my close friend, has been killed by Loki and consigned to the underworld. We have come to face the fact that Asgard can no longer escape its tragic destiny. We have been preparing as well as we can, and the Allfather has taken a great deal of time and care in selecting you, the ablest of Earth's warriors, to join us in the final battle against Loki's armies. But deep down, I fear that all of our desperate actions are in vain."
"I know how you feel," Leo said softly. He felt Sif's gaze as she turned to look at him. "I know what it feels like to try so desperately and then to fail all the same. My world was invaded by an alien race called the Kraang, and no matter how many times my brothers and I beat them back they manage to stay and fulfill their plans to terraform our planet."
"What do you do in those times, Leonardo?" Sif asked him. "When you have put in so much effort and it is all for naught?"
Leo paused, looking up at the setting sun. "There's nothing to do really. You just keep on trying. You don't give up. You just keep plugging away. That's what we all have to do, here in Asgard and back on Earth as well. You hang on to hope as tight as you can and don't let go. That glimmer of hope may be all you have, but there's a chance of it all working out."
"Thank you, Leonardo," Sif said. She smiled and reached out to brush the tails of his bandanna out of the way. "Your words of encouragement mean a lot."
The affection of the gesture pleased Leo as much as the confidence in her eyes. "No problem," he said. He leaned back against the balcony railing, feeling the setting sun's warmth against his neck.
The next morning Heimdall burst into Odin's throne room with grave news. "I spy a vast army of giants headed for Asgard, my liege," Heimdall said. "Among them are the fire demons of Surtur and Dark Elves of Svartalfheim. The ship Naglfar floats in their midst, with your son Loki at its helm flanked by Surtur, Amora the Enchantress, and Kurse."
Odin seemed strained. Usually he was cool and collected, even under pressure. Leo guessed it was because he was alarmed and despairing.
"Ragnarok is upon us," Odin said grimly. "Sound the Gjallerhorn. Rally our army. Call Asgard's warriors to arms."
"What's Ragnarok?" Leo asked Thor as he and Donnie followed the Norse god of thunder out of the hall.
"The end of times," was all Thor would say. Didn't sound too good.
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