It was early morning when Fenris blipped back from Helheim to the Gravnemeta. There was a nip in the air, but the weak post-dawn sunlight was beginning to warm things up. Fenris had chosen to blip to the Gravnemeta first, because he knew it was Wendy and Dipper's turn to take the day shift, and he wanted to talk to Dipper privately about his conversation with Cernunnos, Arden, and Hel, before breaking the news to Mabel.

He scanned the clearing, and spotted Dipper and Wendy, standing shoulder to shoulder, staring down at something on the ground. He trotted toward them.

"Hey, Dipper, I need to talk to you about something," he said as he reached the couple. Then he saw what they were staring at, and he gasped. Mabel was lying motionless in the dew-covered grass, dressed in her leather armor, and holding her glaive. Her skin was unnaturally pale, with a gray tinge to it.

"Mabel!" he cried, his throat tightening around her name.

Dipper and Wendy whirled around to face him. "Don't panic, Fen," said Dipper, holding his hands out. "It's not what it looks like."

"Yeah, dude, no need to go Super Saiyan," added Wendy. Her attempt to lighten the mood failed, and she took a step away from Fenris. There was fire behind his eyes.

Fenris felt embers flaring to life in his chest. He pushed past Dipper and knelt next to Mabel. "What is it, then?" he asked, his voice low. He touched Mabel's cheek with the back of his hand. She was ice cold, but her chest rose and fell steadily. He ran the pad of his thumb gently over her lips, and Mabel let out a soft sigh.

Satisfied that Mabel was neither dead, nor dying, Fenris rose to his feet, and turned back toward Dipper and Wendy. He crossed his arms.

"Well?"

"She was like this when we got here a little while ago to relieve the Stans," said Dipper, carefully. "Apparently she was out here all night, doing drills with her glaive. Grunkle Stan said he and Ford accidentally fell asleep, or they would have stopped her sooner. They woke up just before dawn, and she was still going. Stan said when he tried to talk to her, she collapsed, and fell asleep."

"They told us not to wake her," added Wendy. "Just to leave her be."

Fenris frowned. "Couldn't you have at least conjured her a blanket, Dipper? She's freezing."

Dipper had the decency to look ashamed. "I didn't even think of that. Wow. I'm an idiot." He awkwardly knelt down next to Mabel, and a large, heavy down comforter appeared folded in his arms. He draped it gently over his sleeping twin before standing back up.

"Now what was it that you needed to talk to me about?" asked Dipper. "Did you and Antlers find Arden? Or her soul, I guess?"

Fenris nodded. "I need to talk with you privately, Dipper."

"Privately? That can't be good!" joked Dipper, grinning. His grin faded when Fenris didn't show any sign of humor.

"Walk with me." Fenris reached out and placed a hand Dipper's shoulder, steering him toward the treeline.

"Okay, cool, I guess I'll just hang out here with Sleeping Beauty," Wendy called out toward their backs. She heaved a sigh, and flopped down on the grass next to Mabel.

Once they were under the cover of the trees, Fenris sat on a fallen log, and indicated for Dipper to do the same. Dipper folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. Fenris's serious demeanor was beginning to make him uneasy. He leaned back against a tree trunk, and stared down his nose at his friend.

"Okay, doggo, out with it. What's wrong. You're acting like someone died."

Fenris cocked his head to the side, looking very like his old canine self for a moment. "Someone...did...die? Arden?"

"Oh, right," muttered Dipper. "But you found her ghost, right? So that's good!"

Fenris sighed. "Dipper, remember when you died and met my sister?"

Dipper snorted. "Uh yeah, she's not an easy one to forget," he said, patting the left side of his face and grimacing.

Fenris nodded. "Right. So, before she sent you back up into your body, what did she say to you?"

"Um," said Dipper. "She said she might want me to perform a favor for her some day, and asked me to promise that I would, in exchange for sending me back."

Fenris's nostrils flared, and he frowned. "You didn't think that making a deal with the Norse goddess of death is maybe something you should have mentioned to me when you got back into your body?"

Dipper shifted his weight from hoof to hoof, and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Honestly, no. I was just happy to be not-dead. I didn't think too much of it."

"Okay," said Fenris slowly, "since you didn't think much of it, I'm assuming you didn't bother to tell Wendy about this deal of yours?"

Dipper swallowed hard, anxiety beginning to build up in the pit of his stomach. "No."

"Well, you get to tell her now. Hel's calling in the favor."

Dipper's face lost all color, and he slid down the trunk of the tree he was leaning against, until he was sitting at the base.

"Shit," he muttered. "I honestly thought the promise was a formality—or at least not something she'd need me to fulfill so soon after making it. What's the favor?"

"She wants you to protect me—" began Fenris.

"Oh, that's not so bad!" interrupted Dipper. "I thought you were going to say she wanted me to kill someone!"

Fenris sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Sorry, it's not that easy, Dip. Hel wants you to protect me, and prevent me from dying during Ragnarok, as was foretold. And Ragnarok has already been set in motion."

Dipper's jaw gaped. Fenris went on to explain what he'd learned from Hel, Cernunnos, and Arden—about how Ragnarok was actually cyclical, and had happened many times before, and how it was the only way to shift the realms back into their proper places, ensuring Mabel's safety.

"I want Mabel to be safe, so I'm going to help destroy the pocket Midgard and the other Norse realms," Fenris said. "But I'm supposed to die during Ragnarok. I don't want to do that to Mabel—or to myself, to be honest. If I die and am reborn, I won't remember her...you...any of you. Hel thinks that because this Ragnarok cycle is already irregular, maybe we can actually change the outcome in such a way that I live. And that's why Hel wants you to come with me and protect me. Ragnarok has to happen, but hopefully I don't have to die."

Dipper stared at Fenris silently, taking everything in. Finally he took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll do it. I mean, willingly. It's not like I have a choice, since I made that stupid open-ended promise to Hel—but I am also in favor of you not dying. You're my best friend, and Mabel loves you. I'll do my best to keep you safe."

Fenris looked down at his hands and sniffed, wiping at his cheek. This cycle was different. According to myth, never before had the Great Wolf had friends.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Dipper stood, and held a hand out to Fenris, helping him up from the log. He gave Fen's hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"So when do we have to go, uh, do… Ragnarok?" he asked, as they began walking back toward the Gravnemeta. "I'm guessing soon."

Fenris nodded. "Enjoy your day with Wendy. We'll leave for the Norse realm tomorrow morning."

/

Mabel shifted groggily. She felt like she was floating. She decided she was having a lucid dream, and tried to empty her mind, so she would once again fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. Dreaming was bad. Fenris was in her dreams, always in danger, and reaching out to her. Mabel let out a small sob, and whispered his name.

"Shh, it's okay," came the soft reply. "I'm here."

Warm lips gently touched Mabel's forehead. This was too real to even be a lucid dream. Mabel's eyes shot open, and immediately filled with tears. She was cradled in Fenris's arms, and he was smiling down at her.

"Fen—you came back," she managed to choke out. She threw her arms around him, pressed her face against his chest, and wept silently, her tears quickly soaking his shirt.

Fenris kissed the top of her head, and rocked her. He bit his lip and fought against the tears that were threatening to seep from his eyes. Seeing her like this tore his heart to shreds, and now he was about to destroy her world all over again by telling her that he and Dipper would be leaving for the Norse realms tomorrow.

Finally Mabel cried herself out. She sniffed and lifted her head, glancing around curiously. "We're in my room," she observed. Fenris was sitting on her bed with his back against the wall. "I don't remember how I got here."

"I blipped you here." Fenris smiled and shifted Mabel so that she was leaning against her pillows, with her legs draped over his lap. "You apparently wore yourself out last night practicing with your glaive at the Gravnemeta, and fell asleep there."

Mabel blushed. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to do some drills. I might have overdone it..."

Fenris cocked an eyebrow at her. "There's no 'might have' about it. You weren't even supposed to be there. Sirona told you to take a couple days off after your run in with Loki, remember?"

"Yeah, well," mumbled Mabel. "I might have been freaking out a little, with Arden dead, and you yanked away with no notice." Her voice shook as she continued. "I thought maybe you'd decide to just never come back here, since the plan was to make Loki think you don't care about me."

Fenris sighed. He took Mabel's hand in his, and laced their fingers together. "Plans have changed," he said. "I still can't stay—I have to leave again tomorrow—but hopefully when I come back, it will be permanently."

Mabel swallowed, trying to fight the lump of anxiety rising in her chest. "What's changed?" she asked.

"Well, you know how I wanted to avoid doing the whole Ragnarok thing and destroying the world?"

Mabel nodded.

"It turns out it isn't the Mundane that will be destroyed, but a small 'pocket' Midgard in the Norse Realms," continued Fenris. "I have to play my part in destroying it, as well as the rest of the Norse Realms. It's the only way I can keep you safe."

Fenris moved Mabel's legs from his lap, and lay down on his side, next to her. She turned as well, so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"I don't understand," she said, reaching out to run her hand over his shoulder. "How will Ragnarok keep me safe? And aren't you supposed to die during the battle?" Her chin quivered.

Fenris touched her lips gently with a finger, and kissed her forehead. "Don't be scared, love" he whispered. "Hel thinks that we may be able to avoid my death during this cycle." He explained the cyclical nature of Ragnarok, and how it could shift the realms back into their proper places.

"And I think I stand a good chance of surviving this Ragnarok," he said finally, "because your brother will be coming with me to watch my back."

Fenris bit his lower lip and waited for Mabel's response. She closed her eyes, but not before a single tear slid down her cheek.

"So, if this all goes badly wrong," she said, her voice strained, "I could lose both of you?"

Fenris mentally kicked himself. He hadn't even thought of that possible outcome. He reached out and pulled Mabel to him, and she curled up against his chest. Her eyes were still closed, her fists were clenched, and she was breathing rapidly.

"No, Mabel, I will do everything in my power to make sure Dipper comes back to you. I will protect him just as he protects me, and I will also make him swear that if I am slain, he will immediately blip out of danger and come home." Fenris held Mabel close, and stroked her hair. She was trembling.

"I'm sorry, Fen," she said, her voice muffled against his shirt. "I know I'm acting like a baby. This is all so much, and I'm just one insignificant mortal." She laughed wetly. "I don't think mortal minds are built to handle this kind of god-level drama all the time."

"Hey, now," Fenris said sternly. He pulled back from Mabel, tucked a finger under her chin, and made her look up at him. "You may be mortal, but never ever think you're insignificant, Mabel. You are the sun, and the moon. You are the softness of flowers, and the fierceness of a cutting winter wind. You are power, and fury, and you are the most beautiful, most precious person to me in all the realms. Your brother taught me that I am capable of making friends, but it was you who taught me that I am worthy of having friends. You may not be a goddess, but you are my goddess, and I am sworn to you."

Fenris stopped talking, and realized he was breathing heavily. He had been speaking more forcefully than he meant to, carried away by his emotions. He had yet to break eye contact with Mabel. Her deep brown eyes were wide, and her lips were slightly parted in surprise.

Without saying anything, Mabel reached up, and slowly guided his face down toward hers. She pressed her warm lips gently against his, kissing him softly at first. Their kisses grew deeper and more passionate, and Fenris groaned softly as Mabel ran her hands through his hair, making a fist and tugging it gently, pulling him more firmly against her.

"You better come back to me, Fen," she whispered into his mouth. "I love you."

/

"YOU'RE GOING WHERE?!"

The scream echoed from the Gravnemeta, spooking woodland creatures, and causing a flock of birds to rise from the trees and flee the area.

Dipper shrank back from Wendy. She stood in the shade of the giant oak, her arms crossed over her chest, tapping a single foot angrily.

"I'm sorry, Wendy," Dipper said, looking down at his hooves. "I would have said something sooner if I'd known about it, but Fenris just told me. That's why he pulled me aside to talk privately."

Wendy huffed. "Couldn't you have at least told me about making an open-ended promise to Hel?"

"Wendy, she sprang that on me when I was dead, and desperate to get back to you." Dipper put his hands on his hips, and cocked his head at her. "Besides, would you rather I'd said no, and stayed dead?"

Wendy gritted her teeth. "No, I just—ugh. I'm sorry for yelling at you, dude." She strode forward and pulled Dipper into a hug. "So when are we leaving tomorrow?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dipper said, stepping back. "We? No, Wendy. You're not coming with us."

Wendy shot him a dangerous look. "What was that, Pines? For a second there I thought you told me I couldn't go with you."

Dipper turned away and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He approached one of the standing stones of the henge, and gently banged his forehead against it. He had to figure out how to word his thoughts in a way that wouldn't imply that he thought Wendy was too fragile or weak to keep up with him and Fenris.

"Look," said Dipper with a sigh, turning back to face Wendy. "You're a goddess. You're strong and capable. If you truly insist on coming with me and Fenris, I won't stop you."

Wendy smiled smugly.

"However," continued Dipper, causing Wendy's smile to flicker. "I would really prefer you to stay here. Not for me. I mean, I want you safe, and Ragnarok doesn't sound safe—but the main reason I want you to stay behind is to support Mabel."

"Oh, pshaw," said Wendy, flapping a hand. "If that's all you're worried about, Puck, Sirona, and my mom are all more than capable of watching over her. Plus, she's got all our human friends and family as well."

Dipper shook his head. "That's not what I mean by 'support.' Wendy, you know how Mabel reacted just from Fenris getting pulled away with no notice. She did glaive drills last night until she literally dropped from exhaustion. I'm worried about her. She's having a really hard time handling everything that's going on. And now her...boyfriend? I guess? And brother are going to the Norse Realms to bring about Ragnarok. She needs a friend. Someone to support her—and who understands what she's going through."

Wendy sighed and hugged Dipper, laying her head on his shoulder. "Damn you, Pines. I was all prepared to be mad at you for treating me like a fragile little flower. But you're not. You're worried about your sister. I can't be mad at that."

"So... does that mean you're okay with staying behind?" asked Dipper hesitantly.

Wendy pulled back, keeping her hands on Dipper's shoulders, and looking him in the eye. "Not okay," she said. "I'd much rather be watching your back and making sure you get home in one piece. But I'll stay behind anyway. For Mabel."

Dipper smiled, and leaned in to kiss Wendy. "Thank you."

/

There was a soft knock on Mabel's door, and it opened with a creak.

"Since you didn't come down for breakfast or lunch, I figured I'd bring you up something to eat," said Melody cheerfully, as she bustled in carrying a tray. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Mabel lying in her bed next to Fenris. "Oh! Fenris, you're back! And Mabel… you're wearing your armor? Did I miss something?"

For the first time since she'd woken up in Fen's arms, Mabel glanced at what she was wearing. She hadn't even noticed that she was still armored. She caught a whiff of herself and wrinkled her nose.

"It's a long story, Melody," she said. "And Fen, why didn't you tell me I smelled gross?"

Fenris shrugged. "I love the way you smell."

"Ugh, well I don't," muttered Mabel, as she sat up and rose stiffly from the bed. "You can go ahead and eat. I'm going to grab a shower. Thanks for the food, Melody."

"You're welcome," replied the older woman. "I'll go bring up some more. I thought it was just you up here."

Mabel began loosening the laces on her armor as Melody clomped back down the stairs. She leaned over to pull at the laces of her greaves, and groaned.

"Everything hurts," she complained. "Remind me never to pull an all-night glaive practice ever again, m'kay?"

Fenris smiled up at Mabel, then slid from the bed and knelt next to her. "Noted," he said, as he began tugging at her greave laces. "Here, let me do that."

Fenris had Mabel's armor off in mere minutes, leaving her clad in the shorts and tank top she'd worn to bed the night before. Mabel plucked at the still sweat-soaked shirt, pulling it away from her skin with a grimace.

"Yikes," she muttered. "I'm getting that shower now. You should eat before the food gets cold." She grabbed clean clothes from a drawer, and sauntered from the room. Soon Fenris heard the clank of pipes as the shower cut on.

Fenris helped himself to some of the food, not even really noticing the flavor or texture of what he was chewing. He stared thoughtfully at Mabel's armor pieces scattered across the floor, as the beginnings of an idea formed in the back of his mind.

Dipper was constantly playing with his powers, doing all sorts of new magic on a daily basis. Granted, as a trickster, his powers were only limited by his imagination and his will—he could pretty much do anything he wanted if he practiced enough. Fenris wondered if, now that he was in human form and had discovered his destruction magic, he would be able to learn how to do more than just throw fireballs and spontaneously combust. Could he learn how to, say, enchant items with destruction magic?

He leaned over and picked up Mabel's gauntlets. Could he help protect her by giving her the power to destroy? How would he even do such a thing? He held the gauntlets to his chest and scrunched his eyes shut, imagining an aura of shimmering fire surrounding him, and engulfing the gauntlets. He pictured Mabel wearing the gauntlets, shooting gouts of flame at an enemy from her hands.

"Ahem," came a polite cough from the doorway. Fenris's eyes flew open and he blushed furiously, as Melody entered the room and sat another tray of food down. She nodded to the gauntlets he still clutched to his chest. "Whatcha doing?"

Fenris tossed the gauntlets aside with a shrug. "Just being stupid." He doubted his little visualization exercise had had any effect, anyway. He had no idea what he was doing.

Melody raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Okay, then. Eat up," she said, turning on her heel and leaving.

A moment later Mabel entered the room, dressed in clean shorts and a t-shirt, a towel wrapped around her hair.

"Ugh, I feel soooo much better," she said, flopping down on her bed. Then she sniffed. "What smells like burnt leather?"

/

By late afternoon, word had traveled amongst their family and friends that Dipper and Fenris would be going to the Norse Realm the following morning, and would be gone for an unspecified amount of time. Beithe had the idea to throw the boys a big farewell dinner that evening, so that Wendy and Mabel could send them off from the Gravnemeta tomorrow privately. The group was too big to fit in any of their houses, so Dipper conjured up a table and chairs at the Gravnemeta. As the sepia-toned evening fell, everyone trickled in, bearing dishes of their favorite foods to share. Even Pacifica showed up.

"Jeez, you said the puppy became human," Mabel heard Pacifica mutter to Grenda from across the table, as they filled their plates, "but you failed to mention what a hottie he is!"

Mabel bit her lip, suddenly feeling insecure, and reached out to grab Fenris's hand. He squeezed it, then lifted it to his mouth and kissed it gently. The warm look in his eyes instantly melted any feelings of insecurity, and gave her a fluttery feeling in her stomach. Mabel needn't worry about Pacifica making a move on Fenris. He only had eyes for her.

"Yeah, I guess he is," Grenda grunted back at Pacifica, as if she hadn't really noticed before, "but he's also super in love with Mabel, and super devoted to her. Don't get any ideas, Blondie."

Mabel grinned and caught Grenda's eye. The larger girl winked at her, as she handed a small piece of food to Bork, who was sitting on her shoulder.

"You shouldn't feed the brownie," Harold called out to Grenda from his seat at the other end of the table, his tone exceedingly arrogant. "If anything, he should be serving us this meal. That is what they're for."

Grenda gritted her teeth, and clenched her fist so hard she warped the fork she was holding. The animated chatter at the table ceased, and the Gravnemeta fell into uncomfortable silence. Well, silence except for the low, rumbling growl emanating from Grenda's throat.

Bork hopped down from Grenda's shoulder and maneuvered around the dishes on the table, his small, reedy voice breaking the awkward silence.

"It's okay, everyone," he said, coming to a stop in front of the former Green Man. He reached for the serving spoon in the dish of mashed potatoes to his left. "Allow me to serve you one last time, sir." He levered the spoon back as far as he could, then let go. The contents of the spoon flew through the air and splattered directly in Harold's face.

Harold's bellow of rage was quickly cut off by Puck, who jumped to his feet at the end of the table, holding rolls aloft, and screaming "FOOD FIGHT!"

The previously civilized meal erupted into a battle-zone, as dinner began flying at faces. Dipper conjured a miniature trebuchet and loaded it with the contents of his plate, sending it hurtling at his Grunkles. There had not been any pies on the table, but Puck remedied that situation, and soon everyone was covered in lemon meringue and key lime shrapnel.

"Ew, it's in my HAIR!" Pacifica screeched, ducking under the table. The only other coward hiding under the table was a very grumpy, potato-faced Harold.

Beithe and Wendy began shooting leaves of lettuce at everyone, while the boys and Dan all wielded bottles of salad dressing, thoroughly saladifying their fellow diners. Soos simply stood still, his mouth open, eating whatever happened to come his way. Melody hid behind her bulky beau, ducking out now and then to hurl slices of garlic bread like ninja throwing stars at her friends. The Grunkles quickly recovered from Dipper's trebuchet attack, and began using a slingshot that Ford had presumably had on his person to fling olives and meatballs. Sirona used Cecil, who was draped over her shoulders, as a form of defense—whenever edible projectiles came her way, she swatted them away with Cecil's muscular tail. Grenda was using a baked brie as a shield, whilst sending fists of crudites flying in all directions. Bork retained his serving spoon, splattering mashed potatoes and gravy on those nearest him. Mabel and Fenris stood back to back, grabbing whatever food was within reach on the table, and lobbing it by the handful at anyone but each other.

/

Nobody noticed the unusually large, black bird perched ominously in the upper branches of the giant oak, watching the food fight unfold, a wicked gleam in its eyes.

Hel had told him that Fenris finally agreed to come home for Ragnarok, to participate in some murder and mayhem. She seemed to have been telling the truth, as before the tiny man started the food fight, Loki had heard bits and pieces of conversation revolving around 'the boys' leaving for the Norse Realm in the morning.

The boys. Yes, Hel had mentioned that Fenris insisted on bringing along his satyr-shaped trickster friend from the Green Realm. Loki didn't really care. It might even be useful to have another trickster on hand to help sow chaos. However, if he got in the way of Fenris doing his job, Loki would have no problem dispatching with the young god. He was going to, eventually, anyway. Maybe he could even convince Fenris to be the one to off his 'friend.'

Oh, and it would also be simply delicious if Fenris was the one to kill the girl who smelled of him. She would have to go. Gods of destruction shouldn't have girlfriends. Especially not mortal ones. Loki would leave her alone for now, to ensure his son's cooperation. By the time Ragnarok was complete, Loki was certain Fenris would be hardened up enough to kill her willingly, and without remorse.

Loki was going to make sure he and Fenris survived Ragnarok by any means. First Ragnarok—then he and his son would take over the Green Realm, and use it as a staging point from which to conquer and destroy all the other realms.

And nothing was going to stand in their way—especially not some silly mortal girl.