Disclaimer: I don't own the Ragnarok or Norse Mythology in general.
A/N: I am so sorry to anyone who liked this story that it took me a year to update. See, I have finally discovered that school is evil and I have to actually try now . . . well kind of . . . not really. Fine, that I do need to pay attention occasionally. Anyway, I hope someone is still going to read this because I tried very hard.
Here are my replies for my most wonderful reviewers. :)...except you Kevin, you're not that wonderful. (Kidding!)
TellyBellyChan: Y'know, I didn't update for a year and you didn't do anything, so empty threats my friend, empty threats. By the way, where would you get yuri wallpaper (which I would burn if you hung that in my room)? The ship of toenails would be made up by the same genius (lunatic) that made the rest of the original myth up.
Kevin: I know you didn't read the story.
UniqueS: Thank you for another review! Shame about your book, but at least it still has pretty pictures. :) For example, animal crackers give small children false information, like a lion is as tall as a giraffe. But people still eat animal crackers . . . Nagil Nagel Nail. That's so cool! I learn something new every day! I'm glad you like my story, though some stuff might be a little off now because I've been mythology repressed for a year. I'm really happy that you read my stories and I hope you'll tell me when you don't like something or if something is incorrect so that I can fix it. Oh, and I hope that my referring to Loki as the God of Mischief and Trickery doesn't bother you too much, for me, it just kind of flows now . . .
Iridescent Mists: Thanks so much for the review. As for Loki's personality, it might have changed a bit after a year, tell me if you notice . . .
Anyway, enjoy chapter 4 . . .
"It's such a beautiful day.", Loki remarked brightly.
Fenris glanced back casually and then eyed Loki strangely. As the threesome moved onward, they left a trail of destruction. Trees were uprooted and on fire, and black poison gathered in puddles from Jormundgand's fangs. Since it was still pitch black, Fenris wondered how Loki could even tell that it was day time. Fenris settled with a simple "You are so deluded.".
Loki patted Fenris on the neck as one would normally do with a horse, "You wound me." he said dryly.
Jormundgand's tail knocked down a row of trees as he raised his head higher, "Someone's coming."
As they rounded a bend on their merry stroll, a ship came suddenly into view. It was magnificent. The ship towered high into the clouds and was a pale off-white color. Icicles hung from the masts.
"Hrym!" Loki cried joyfully as he saw who the ship belonged to.
Frost giants, an entire army of them. They were large, ugly and smelled bad. Hrym was probably the most horrid of them all. Scars had mangled the flesh on his face and mutilated an eye, he had long white hair and a large beard and gray skin.
"Well-met Trickster." Hrym greeted seriously and nodded to Loki's sons.
Loki smirked, "Well, well, aren't you looking ugly today.". Fenris sighed in exasperation, but Hrym just ignored the comment. "You are joining the battle?" he asked casually.
The frost giant's lips twisted into a gruesome mockery of a smile, "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Odin gazed steadily over the chosen battlefield. Vigrid was flat and stretched far, and it was ideal for war. He breathed in deeply and glanced at his battle-ready army behind him.
He turned to them to deliver a final speech, "All this time, we have been fighting with these evil beings, I believe that today we will defeat them for good. We will win this battle and bring back the sunlight and life to the world!". His army cheered and Odin smiled grimly for he knew the outcome of this battle.
The cheering was interrupted by a terrible noise, a rough call of a rust red rooster. Then came a sound like thunder that mingled with the scream-like noise of the bird and a crack formed under it. The crack spider-webbed and soon formed a fissure.
A figure flickered into existence and hovered over the fissure. It was a woman, half dead and half alive, half old and half young.
"Hel." Frey whispered with dread.
Hel watched her enemies' eyes flash with fear for a second and she smiled, this was the hour of revenge and she loved it. There was a bark and paws scrapped at the rim of the fissure. The hell hound Garm pulled himself up and snarled at the Aesir. Little did they know that Garm was just heralding the coming of another creature . . .
A roar ripped through the air and yellow claws shot through the fissure to leave long gouges in the earth. The ground bulged and a black form burst through the ground spraying chunks of dirt everywhere. There, in all his glory, stood the dragon Nidhogg. Nidhogg snapped at the Gods, showing wicked decayed teeth, and pieces of root and bark from a once great tree fell out.
The Valkyries whispered to each other in horror, "The Yggdrasil is in pieces? How could the Nidhogg devour the great tree?"
Suddenly, a ship appeared on the horizon and it plowed through the earth to rest next to the black dragon. It was a rotting ship made of nails, Nagilfar. The most horrible souls to have ever walked any of the nine worlds made their way into view from the ship. The sound of flesh against fragile bone could be heard as the dead dragged unresponsive limbs over the nails. Their horrible moans could be heard as they tried to speak but were unable to due to deteriorated lungs and larynx.
One of the Valkyries approached Odin, "All-father, we are to fight the dead as well?"
Odin looked toward the direction from where the ship had come, "I believe that more are arriving."
As swift as lightening, a form shot through the plains of Vigrid and towered over everyone present. The serpent Jormundgand hissed in displeasure upon seeing the Aesir and venom spurted out to land in the middle of the battlefield.
Thor's hand tightened on his hammer at the obvious challenge but Odin raised a hand to stop him.
A wolf bounded up to join his brother. Tyr's eyes widened as he realized that both Loki and Fenris had been freed from their restraints, restraints that were suppose to be unbreakable.
Fenris snarled angrily, aimed particularly at Odin and Tyr, his teeth were bared violently and his fur bristled to make an image to be feared. Loki, on the other hand, was still calm and cheerful. The God of Mischief slid off the wolf's back gracefully, and shot a mock salute, complete with annoying smirk to Odin.
"Perhaps we should slaughter these ones first before reinforcements arrive." Thor suggested with a glare toward Loki, who promptly stuck his tongue out at the Thunder God.
But before Odin could have a chance to consider the idea, Fenris let out a howl. The wolf's song was beautiful, yet terrible; so much like a Requiem.
As the song was fading, a second ship pulled up beside Nagilfar. This one was frosty white and the Gods could feel the icy air it emitted from across Vigrid. Hyrm and his frost giants made their way noisily off the ship. They were soon joined by Surt and his Jotuns. Their dark hair and tan skin contrasting with the colorlessness of the frost giants.
Odin turned to see Thor on one side and Heimdall on the other, the rest of the Gods, Valkyries and Einheriar were well in formation behind them. He turned to them, "Let the battle commence."
On the other side of Sigrid, the Trickster God stood surrounded by his children and the giants and the dead gathered messily behind them. His black eyes shone with a certain manic contempt and his grin portrayed a creepiness that replaced his usual casual smiling, "We have smelt their fear, now, let us taste their blood as we hear them scream in defeat."
Heimdall's horn rang out to announce the commencement of the battle. Loki unsheathed his sword and pointed it straight toward the opposing army in one smooth motion.
"Come" Loki said solidly and clearly.
The two armies charged at each other . . .
...And the Ragnarok began.
A/N: Ho-k, well it may be a little short, but I kind of used this small part before the battle to try and get back into the writing mood. I spent the school year writing angst and tragedy (am I the only one who fells as if this story got really serious?), I have to get back into the whole action/adventure thing. Also, I need to get back into Loki's character, but I fear it may have been lost forever: (. I hope to have the continued support of the readers. Really. I was trying to get the whole myth sorted out in my mind by checking up a few sites on the Internet, but now I am thoroughly confused myself because of the information contradicting itself. So, please, continue to read and review, and TELL ME if something is wrong.
Thank You.