Crona's Quest

by bigbook29

Many years had passed since the Kishin's awakening and resealing, and the world is now broken. The demon swordsman wanders freely now, searching for the six concepts that gave all life to everything that exist. Each in the form of a special gem. But while his goal may be pure, the journey for such power might cause the boy to become a mad titan. *post-manga & X-over Marvel's Thanos

5. POWER (p2)

Time as gone by for the pair that enter this village.

In that time, they had learned what they could about it. They learn that the cave seemed to run on its own clock. The ground itself taking in the light for such time, before it becomes too much and cask it aside, simulating night time.

Crona had become interested in this, though his talks with the farmer had not gone well. The old Ant just telling him it was something that happened since before his time and leaving it at that. Ragnarok couldn't careless as he just thought of it mainly as an annoyance, especially during their work with how sudden it is.

They had done what the Ma'tnota had told them. They assisted with the farmer in rebuilding his land as best they could. A very tedious work in Ragnarok's opinion. But it seems that a certain someone was enjoying themselves. "Ragnarok, what are you doing?"

The demon sword stops himself from planting another misshaped seed into the ground, taking a moment to take a deep breath and shake off the dirt that was on his shovel-shaped hand before he spoke. "I'm planting a seed, you know…for the eighth hundredth time." He says bitterly as he turns his head to see Crona, who was currently using an old makeshift garden hoe get rid of the remains of the ruin plants and weeds that laid along the field. The Demon Sword tries not to roll his eyes as he sees Crona had placed the tool on the ground and was about to start annoying him again.

"You're just tossing them into the hole and throwing dirt on it." He says while giving an annoyed glare at the black blood copy of himself. "That's how plants work. What, you want me to tuck it in and read it a bedtime story?" This time Ragnarok did give a roll of his 'X' pupils. He thought it best to just ignore Crona as he shifts through the large bag of seeds he was forced to carry around.

Before he could continue working Crona stops him, having walked up and grab his arm. "No, I just want you to take it a bit more seriously. "Hijana told us that we need to embed the seed into the dirt, not just place it on it and throw more dirt on top of it!" Ragnarok turns his head slightly to the side, staring off at the village not too far from the field as he takes another deep breath.

"What does it fucking matter? It's the same dirt, it's not like it changes much with how it's covered!" He turns his head up and sees Crona was seeming more flustered with his face turning a bit gray. "Ugh, weren't you paying attention, he explained all of this to you!" He says as he crouches down to meet Ragnarok's eye-level with the Demon sword taking this chance to hit him with his shovel shaped hand. "I fell asleep due to his boring ass and you know it!"

"Ah-…Fine." Crona cries out as he grips the top of his head. Seeming angrier with being hit than it actually being hurt, of course. He places a hand on Ragnarok's chest and nudges himself away slightly. "Move, you can take the job of cleaning up the field and I'll plant the seeds instead."

Not needed to be told twice, Ragnarok had pick himself up and walked to the Garden Hoe that Crona left on the ground. "Fine then, but don't get prickly with me JUST because I accidentally left a microscopic bit of a leaf behind!"

"They don't even have leaves-" "You know what I meant!"

This had quickly become the norm between the two, both would decide a job to do in the morning with Ragnarok not preforming well enough to Crona's standards, and them ending up changing the jobs mid-way through. They had done much work as the field was half-way seeded, though it was easy to see that tension was easily ranging on for the two through these few days. Crona's mindset was that he wanted to truly earn the Ma'tnota's trust and gain the Infinity Gem as quickly as possible while Ragnarok was just wishing for them to leave this place.

When it became dark once more, the two would go inside the small house that was their current 'home'. The place looked as if to be a traditional farm home, with the main thing that stood out about it being the large ant that lived within it.

Hijana was the old ant's name, and it was currently inside the home, making food for them. It had been injured during the attack that happened at the village by the Red Pha'sens some time ago. Losing three of its limbs during it.

Since then it could only do so much work before it would need to rest for the day. It was not ungrateful for the two, offering to instead be the one to prepare meals for them and to teach some wisdom of the land. Crona took to it rather easily, absorbing all the Ant will tell him like a sponge, seeming to enjoy the work and looking forward to always do more, if asks he would say he find it relaxing somehow. Something Ragnarok did not agree with, as anyone can see.

Having to plow the field 'the oldest fashion way possible' had already killed any enthusiasm the black blood creature would ever have for the work. Which was close to none. Pair that with his usual attitude towards hard work, and anyone could guess he was no happy with what they needed to do.

It should not have come to the surprise of Crona when he hears Ragnarok throw down the garden hoe and shouts. "Fuck this, I'm taking a break!" The teen stops his own work, dropping his make-shift shovel as he looks behind and sees his partner was walking back to the house. "W-wait, what are you doing?!"

"Taking a break, we've been going at it non-stop for probably days now and when we do stop its to either eat, sleep, or shit. I'm tired…and I need a break." The Demon Sword says as he steps along the house's porch and takes a seat on it while giving out a loud sigh. Crona picking himself off the ground and walks up to his partner.

"B-but, the work is still gonna be here when you are off your break. You can rest when we need to sleep later." He tries to be reasonable, only for the Demon sword to grab him by the front of his 'new' cloak and pull him down to his eye-level.

The silhouette of teen just glared right at him with his inhuman eyes "…Crona…I'm tired, I want to rest…you can either join me…or fuck off." He made it as clear as possible what was gonna happen, so with much reluctance, Crona gives out a sigh and takes a seat right next to his partner.

They both would look out to their work, seeing that they had most of the field now planted with the seeds for new life. The village, not being far away, allowed them to see the other insects preforming their usual tasks that the two saw them do.

Some would play with their children, some would speak to each other, some would be either fixing the homes they lived in or making another. Some of them would see the two working and give a friendly wave, just like now. It was one with its child, both being ladybugs. The smaller of the two gave an excited wave at them. Cheering to its mother about seeing the two 'travelers'.

Crona gives a small awkward wave back, while Ragnarok proceeds to 'flip the bird' at them. His excuse always being that 'it wasn't like they knew what it meant', and it was just funnier to do so. When the two ladybugs left their sight, Ragnarok lends his head back and groans out. "God, I feel like I'm gonna melt."

"It's just the humidity getting to you." Crona tells him, noticing that the Ragnarok was reaching into nearby bag, something that the farmer left for them. "With the desert on top of us, and with little to no wind at all down here, it just feels like its way hotter than it actually is."

"No shit." Ragnarok mumbles as he pulls out their drinks, of all the things to survive the world many endings events in the last two thousand years, plastic jars were apparently one of them. Something Ragnarok would comment as a 'suck it Hippies' for whatever reason Crona couldn't make sense of. It was not like the container matter; the problem was with what was inside.

Each jar held murky water inside, found from the steam that ran on the other side of town.

The water was obviously dirty, and was awful to the taste, but it was better than not having anything at all. Ragnarok chugged his down without any hesitation, making Crona wonder once more if he really did have any taste buds at all. "How long you think it'll be before we could be done?" Ragnarok says while putting his jar back into the bag.

Crona takes a much calmer sip from his own as he tries to think. Forcing himself to shallow down the awful taste it had. He was thankful for his strong immune system that prevented him from being sick, but it did not help with the taste "Ugh…gross…Maybe after three more times, if we don't take another brea-" He pauses mid-explanation as he sees Ragnarok was giving him a certain look. Telling Crona they were gonna be taking a lot breaks now. "…four or five more at most."

They would work from the moment the lights turned off, to when it was off. The hardest part of plowing the field was already done, which took much time due to relying on simple sticks they found on the ground and fixing any mistakes they could have made, as well as when the Farmer would tell them they messed up somehow.

"Yeah, that's what I thought I heard." Ragnarok told him, seeming satisfied that he could still somewhat make Crona do what he wanted, before his attention turns to behind them at the house they were sitting in front of. He smells the air for a bit, noticing a faint aroma coming from inside. "…old guy is making that soup again, fucking awesome. Who knew ants knew how to cook?" His tone turned from bitter, to…pleased. Something Crona noticed, but he just placed that as Ragnarok's love of food.

"I don't think anyone did. They were just…bugs after all." He says, taking another sip of his jar and having to force down another amount of dirt flavored water. "Well they are badasses, that is for sure." Ragnarok chuckles out, before he looks back ahead of them. The top of his 'X' suddenly becoming more horizontal as he asks. "…he's gonna be fine, right?"

Seeing the confuse look Crona held on his face, Ragnarok groans through is teeth. "Err…The old bastard, I'm asking you if he's gonna be fine after we finish all this shit." He asks, annoyed as he has too clarified what I meant. Giving a small 'ohhh' sound of realization, Crona gives a small cough as he looks off to the side. "…I don't know, I don't really know a lot about bugs."

Ragnarok moves a hand up to smack at the back of Crona's head. "Oh for fuck sakes, I am just asking-" But before he could even touch the pink haired teen, Crona spoke in the most honest tone he had. "Probably is gonna die soon."

The small sentence was more than enough to make Ragnarok pause. Something Crona noticed very easily as he glanced over to look at Ragnarok's reaction. "He's gonna die, very soon. Maybe before we leave too." He watches as the black blood version of himself looked completely taken-a-back before he turns to look back into the house where the old ant was inside.

"…are you serious?" Concern showed in his voice, a tone that Crona knew Ragnarok would usual try his best to hide. "Well…yeah, I mean…he's old and weak, and if the village's enemy's attack his crops again, especially seeing that the village is trying to replant what they lost, they are gonna kill the farmer for sure this time. Most likely by severing all his limbs just to be cruel." Crona leans away slightly and dodges a punch that was aimed for his face.

But that also didn't stop Ragnarok from leaning closer and still slapping his shoulder as hard as he could. "Can you fucking not say shit like that! My god man, that is fucked up." Of course, the hit was little more than a light breeze than an actual punch, but the fact he still would hit him, for as much as he knows, no reason bothered the teen. After all, Ragnarok stopped doing such a thing ever since he could form his own body.

"I am only being factual. Hijana told us that the Red Pha'sens are sadistic creatures with a horrible sense of humor. It would be fitting of their nature to do such a thing after he survived their last attack." He said, while shrugging slightly. Looking baffled by the anger look Ragnarok was directing at him.

"Yeah, but you don't fucking say it out loud like that!" Ragnarok groans out as he rolls the 'X' that form his pupils and places a hand over his face. "I'm…sorry…why are you getting upset?" Crona asks, with Ragnarok pulling his hand away as it was his turn to look confuse now. "Why am I…why aren't you? Aren't you supposed to be the nice one, you look like you don't give a rat's ass what happens to him."

Being slightly familiar with Ragnarok's referring a rat's backside, Crona just tries to answer him as best he could. "It's not that I don't care for him-" "You fucking sound like you don't!" The teen just gives a sigh at Ragnarok's outburst. He moves gauntlet hand up to grip his arm. "It's just…I am just being realistic. They are gonna attack again in some time, and Hijana would either be killed by them or already be dead because of his existing injury. It is just gonna happen. Probably many other villagers would die to during the attack. Depending on which direction of the village they wish to attack from, personally I would c-"

An open palm slamming upside his head had silence him. "Fuck sakes man. I can't believe 'I' have to be the one to explain to you, why that is kinda fucked up!" Ragnarok shouts as he stands up from his rage and runs a hand through his along what made up his 'hair'. Grumbling something under his breath that Crona couldn't make out as he walked away from the porch, as if trying to cool himself off by moving.

He was pacing himself back and forth along the front of the house as Crona calls out to him, beginning to seem annoy with his partners sudden attitude towards him. "Ragnarok, why are you getting so mad? It's…it's not like any of them matter."

That causes the black blood creature to pause mid-step before he slowly turns back to face Crona, with an almost horrified look on his face, not from fear but from pure disdain. "What did you just say?" Ragnarok spoke out, as he slowly walks back to Crona. As if to make sure he heard the teen clearly.

"None of them matter. They're all just gonna die out soon as it is. Say the Red Pha'sens' attack right after we leave…Ma'tnota is one of the beings that does not fully understand his Infinity Gem, he doesn't know its full power, as far as he knows it's just a glorified flashlight on his head, if he didn't think that then he wouldn't be so willing to give it to us! And once he does give it to us, he'll most likely be powerless to stop the Red Pha'sens and will be killed along with the rest of the villagers. Or they would be sent running from their home and would die in the desert outside the cave."

The black blood version of himself, steps up in front of him, waving his hands around each other as if it were to help visualize a certain thought. "…and you do not find the idea of taking, pretty much, their only defense away from them…" He says before throwing his arms out to the air while proclaiming. "…kinda messed up?!"

Crona stands up from his seat on the porch and stares down at his silhouette. "That is THEIR problem. Not ours." He spoke so coldly, with such a cruel tone that Ragnarok had to take a step back in shock. He takes a moment to look over Crona, looking along his body for a moment as if trying to recognize who he was talking too.

The clothing was different, as he still wore the pants that Erika gave him and was now wearing an old cloak that covered his torso and a bit of his arms, and he may have gotten taller with longer hair now reaching a bit pass his chin, but it was still the shy kid he always knew that was horrified by killing a simple rabbit. Yet hearing those words were really unlike him.

It wasn't the first time he started acting strangely, but that was with Kid and Eruka, those who tried to kill him. The Demon Sword figured that maybe when he was apparently in his long nap that Crona finally grew that 'backbone'. But this, worried him. "…Unfucking believable. I seriously can't believe I am hearing this, from YOU of all people! My god, are you even listening to yourself!?" Ragnarok questions as he looks back up to Crona, wondering what was going on in the pink haired teen's head.

"What do you want me to do? We need that gem! I am doing a lot by staying here and doing this. The Gems are out there and…if this 'God Slayer' told the Ma'tnota about me…then there is a large chance he told the other wielders as well." Crona tried to be honest, trying again to use logic on his side. He knew exactly what someone can do with enough prep time, especially in the cases where they had Infinity Gems of their own.

And for those that knew how to wield them.

He worried what would happen if they are given enough time to master them. But it seems Ragnarok does not have those worries. "You said that you knew the location of all of them!" He shouts, while poking a finger at Crona's chest. "And I do! But…that doesn't help me with some of them. I…I only know a bit about some of the wielders but the one I know plenty of is…dangerous. We need to have the Power Gem if we want a chance to-"

Crona braces himself, right before Ragnarok shoves him as hard as he could, resulting in the Demon Sword actually pushing himself back a bit instead. "Bullshit! News flash…you don't need the 'Power'…you told me that one of these things controlled all 'Time', right?! That's the one we should be worrying about! Time is EVERYTHING we should worry about. Didn't you say that they hold infinite power!? I'm pretty sure with that, we get back to our time and…I don't fucking know, stab Medusa before she can make us awaken that three-eye asshole! BOOM, no more need for the rest! We can get back to our normal lives." Ragnarok shouts as he childishly gesturing his hands the whole time.

Crona holds his gauntlet hand to his face, grinding his teeth together as he tries to hold his frustration back. "I can't do that Ragnarok…there is just som-" He couldn't finish as Ragnarok grabs him by the front of his cloak and pulls him closer. "…Can't or won't?! Cause to me, it sounds like you got a taste of that fucking jewel in your arm, and you just can't help but be a selfish little fuck!"

That single comment managed to make Crona pause for a moment, his jaw hanging slightly as he takes in what was said. "I…I'm not selfish." He tries to plead before Ragnarok just tosses him to the side off the house's porch, throwing Crona's balance off slightly but not enough for him to fall to the floor.

"YES, YOU ARE! You've always been! You get a little taste of something you like, and you don't give a damn about anything else. Just like when you decided to bend over and let the DWMA keep us in that damn cage." Crona stands himself up straight…and slowly turns to face Ragnarok again. He knew exactly the direction this argument was headed.

It was one they had done, over and over for days when Crona had first join the DWMA. "…we are seriously having this argument, again!?"

With a simple toss of his arms out in the air and a large tooth-filled grin forming on his face, Ragnarok snarls out. "Why not!? It's two thousand years overdue at this point!"

"You cannot be mad over me wanting to have a better life!" Crona begins to shout back, matching Ragnarok's in volume now. He was already tired of their current argument, bringing up an older one did nothing to help. But Ragnarok would not let up, his voice raised even further, sounding to become higher in both volume and pitch. "And who the fuck said I was, then again who the fuck cares about what I think!? Oh right, NO ONE CARES WHAT RAGNAROK THINKS! But as soon as Crona gets a little weepy-eye, suddenly everyone listens! Newsflash dickwad, I didn't want to work with the DWMA, I didn't want to stop working for Medusa, I didn't want to stop eating human souls, and I swear to any fucking god left on this shitheap of a planet…that even though I was probably either just as mindfuck-y crazy as you were…I DIDN'T WANT TO BE SEAL IN THE GOD-DAMN MOON!"

Crona takes a step back as the black blood version of himself let out every bit of his rage at the end, being forced to cover his ears as Ragnarok's sheer voice had picked up to the screaming tone only used in his weapon form. The loud piercing sound easily is heard and the insects of the village all stop their usual tasks as they all begin to see the two travelers were arguing with each other.

Neither of the two seem to notice them, Crona having to keep his hands cover his after the sudden rush of pain through them and Ragnarok was still wanting to scream more, as he felt that it was time to 'set the record straight' about exactly how things were for him. "But it's never about what I want. It's always you. You're the one they made friends with, you're the one they all pity, you're the one that they thought could be an actual human being…but I know the real you! You are selfish…you're pathetic…and you never gave a shit about anyone but yourself." Ragnarok stomps forward and presses a finger right to the side of Crona's head. His voice was dripping with venom as he spoke. "I know that fucked up head of yours better than anyone…so much so, I can say that the reason you want so badly to go back to her…is not because you 'miss her' or some puke filling lovey douvy shit like that. The real reason why, is because you can't deal with the idea of just moving on with your life!"

He shoves the side of Crona's head and makes the teen stagger back again, his tone changing from sheer rage to just annoyance. "Boo-hoo…everyone feel bad for me. My mommy hurt me, brainwashed me, tortured me, wind-me-up like a little toy, and made me into a near unstoppable killing machine." He steps toward Crona and leans as close he could to the teens face and says in a low harsh tone. "…Cry…me…a…fucking river."

With that, Ragnarok pushes past Crona and walks back to retrieve the garden hoe he had thrown on the ground earlier. With Crona not immediately reacting due to Ragnarok's words having struck him in ways far worse than any punch he could have thrown. Though his ears did ring a bit, all of Ragnarok's words still rang through. Shaking his head to get rid of the pain, he calls out to his partner. "…You're right. About a lot of it." Crona said in a somber tone, his eyes were looking downward to the ground. Having started to do so at the beginning of Ragnarok's rant. He could only hear the Demon Sword give out a scoff as he picks back up the garden tool and continues to work.

Turning around to look at him, Crona continues to speak out. "No Ragnarok. I mean it. I…I am selfish. But…No. I need these gems, all of them. You are right, I didn't think about what you want…but I'm sure that you don't want THIS world. We…I…need to make sure it doesn't happen again. The Infinity Well…showed me that after we were sealed away…a…a lot of bad stuff started to happen. That what I did…didn't matter. Cause everything would have died anyway." Crona closes his eyes for a moment as he remembers what he saw, who he saw in the well and how her life was ended in such a grim fashion.

"…Maka died…everyone was dying…i-if…if I have all the gems, I can make it so that none of THIS…could ever happen…I could end everyone's suffering with just a simple snap of my fingers! I could be a…with that much power I will be a…I will be God." As he spoke, he lost more of his tempted voice, sound more assure of himself with each word said.

But when he opens his eyes sees Ragnarok had turn back to look at him. Any self-assurance he had seemed to crumble back from where it came from as he saw the look the black blood version of himself had.

Even with little to no movement on his face, Crona could see what the look Ragnarok gave him implied. It was utter disbelief at what he was hearing. At what he had said. The Demon Sword look generally lost for words. He turns his head…looking to the grown field, then back to Crona…then to the villagers that gathered to see them, then back to Crona…but even as time passed…no words came.

Without a single word, Ragnarok continued to work. The villagers returned to their home, loud mumbling being heard among the crowd upon seeing the two travelers get into such a heated argument. Crona stayed by the porch, shocked at…Ragnarok's lack of a response.

He always had something to say. Even just babbling words…it was something. A rude comment, a random dirty word, or an insult. But to respond with nothing…that is what got to the teen. Not knowing what to do…Crona did the same as Ragnarok. He walked back to where he left the bag of seeds and shovel…and began planting again.

The only sound coming from the field just being their tools hitting the ground for a long while, till the light around them disappeared and they were called back inside by the Hijana. By then Crona expected something, anything to be said back to him…but even then Ragnarok didn't say a word to him as they walked inside.

Not even turning to look at him.

Stepping into what was once a living room, now made into a makeshift kitchen, Hijana, the old ant, was trying to pull a large pot from fireplace that looked just one shove away from falling off the metal hook that hanged it over the fire.

Without a word, Ragnarok helped him, easily pulling it aside and allowing the old ant to not burn himself on accident. "Ah, thank you my friend. Hope you are eager for-"

"Not hungry. I'm going to bed early." Crona's eyes widen at that. Two words he never thought he hear Ragnarok say together was just casually thrown out right in front of him. His fears became worst, watching as the Demon sword just ignore an entire pot of warm fresh food and instead walk down the hall to an isolate door that lead to their shared room, and slamming it shut behind him.

Crona slowly raises his non-covered gauntlet fist up and begins to enviously mumble into it as to what could be happening to Ragnarok. If what he said had really offended the Black blood creature. He thought if anything Ragnarok would love the new mindset he had, that he would be happy Crona was trying to get away from this village as quickly as possible.

He had no idea how to deal with this sudden change and was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't noise the old ant limping to his side…and uses one of the burning pieces of wood from the fireplace to poke him. "AH!" Crona cries out, while hopping a bit from some shock as a he felt the sudden jolt of pain at his side and then sees it was the ant's doing, with it giving him a disappointed look.

"Alright, fess up. What did you do?" He asks with such a knowing tone, that just made Crona want to hide back in the corner like he used to. "I didn't…well…I may have…made him upset." Crona tells him as he takes the burning piece of wood from the old ant and toss it into the fire. He could already tell that this was not gonna go well for him as he hears the old ant give a few clicking noises as it walks back to the pot and struggles to pick it up.

"I could-…er…have told you that, what I ask was…ehe…what did you do?" Hijana asks as he takes the pot and slowly carries it to the other side of the room to let it hang off a hook it had suspended from the ceiling. Crona doesn't answer it at first, instead choosing to watch the old ant as he had taken a seat by the fire with his knees pressed up against his chest.

It limped along the room, showing its age and how the loss of several limbs cost its mobility. Moving around its own home with little grace and so weakly that a strong enough breeze would knock it over.

This was all the farmer could do for them really. During the first 'days' they were here, the ant would come out with them and direct exactly what they needed to do. Sometimes even stopping them from working so that it could 'show them how it was supposed to be done'. But it became obvious that it couldn't do more than a few minutes of work, at best, without seeming to almost fall over on itself.

Crona couldn't help but realize a pattern he didn't focus on before, the last few 'days' they were here. With how Ragnarok had been acting, mainly towards the old ant. He remembers back to when it would come outside and get tired, Ragnarok would then start to shout at it to go back inside, or in one case even picking up the small creature and carrying back within the home so it could rest.

He remembers asking him, why would he do such a thing and Ragnarok's reasoning was that he didn't want to spend longer here having to bury the old bug. Now he wasn't sure. It was just so unlike him to be so…

'Caring'.

Before Crona could think further on this, he felt another poke at his side. This time it was Hijana handing him a bowl, filled with the soup it spent all day making. Crona tries to reach for it, but the old ant quickly pulls the bowl away as it says. "Come on…I ask you a question, it is only fair you answer."

Giving a sigh Crona looks back to the floor. "…we got into an argument." He admitted bitterly, annoyed that this simple thing was causing such unneeded drama. "Was it how to pronoun our names again?" Hijana asks, with a tilt of its head. Having already seen how often the two would bicker at one another by now to the point that it believes they didn't know any other way to speak to each other.

With Crona giving a firm 'No', Hijana lets out more clicking as it hands him the bowl and goes to pour its own. "Then what was it child? Certainly, must have been something to make your partner not wish to eat with us. Usually I have to keep him from eating it all." He says as he fills his own bowl…or rather not his own as the old ant was limping towards the door that Ragnarok went into.

"He's not gonna take it." Crona tries to tell him, but the old Ant just ignored him as it opens the door to the room and places the bowl on the floor by the doorway. "I spent too long making this, the least you can do is at least look at it." The old ant calls inside, before closing the door behind him and walking back to Crona's side, slowly lowering itself to its own sitting position by the teen. "I am still waiting for an answer child."

Crona was shocked at how casual the ant acted, and when questioned the teen couldn't help but look to the floor fearfully. He did not know how the ant would react with the topic he and Ragnarok fought over, telling it the whole truth could only lead to disaster due to him having to explain the Infinity Gem that was their only defense from their enemy.

He would have to settle for how the conversation started then, rather than the whole thing. But even then Crona was a bit reluctant to do so, especially seeing as how Ragnarok reacted. But the old ant was easily breaking him down with the disappointing look. So Crona answers him, with his voice barely above a whisper. "I told him that you were gonna die soon."

It was loud enough for Hijana to hear, and the old ant reacted…

Differently then Crona would expect.

"…and…you're point?" It asks while tilting its head slightly, seeming confused by the statement rather angered as Crona thought he would be.

"S-see! That's what I don't understand, I was just stating the obvious but…he would…just…" Crona stops as he brings his hands up to both sides of his head and gives a low sigh of frustration. "It's weird to see him act like this, and I don't get it…he never cared before. What is so different now?" He mumbles at the end while moving to gauntlet over his right arm and grips it.

A habit that Hijana had known him to do a lot by now.

The old ant raises one of its legs up to its head, as if to mimic the teen. "I'm sorry, but I do not have the answer to that. You've known him longer than I have, right?" It asks, removing it's leg from its head as Crona removes his hands from his own.

"…pretty much…my whole life." Crona tells him, in an honest tone. Remembering back to the day the two first met, with him being at such a young age that he couldn't even remember what it felt like to have his back burst open for the first time. To suddenly met some creature that lived in his body.

His mind wanders for a bit as he recalls the small bit of peace he had at the DWMA, whenever Ragnarok would form out of different places, how startled others would be. One time he spooked poor Tsubaki by exploding out of his chest and hissing like some reptile monster.

They would think it was strange how if the black blood creature could form out of any place of his body. Arms, his legs, even from the top of his head. The back was just the most comfortable, and easier for Crona to carry the sudden change of weight. None of them would understand.

Even his Hope thought it was weird. For Crona though, it was just how he lived his whole life.

The fact the teen could no longer always hear the Demon Sword's voice in his head or feel him shifting around in his body is the actual strange thing he still hasn't gotten use to. Now the creature, his partner, was in the other room. Being separated from him.

Crona didn't know how to deal such a lack of 'weight' at times.

"I see…well, from what I've seen of him…he is a childish, loud, and somewhat irritating person to be around. He likes my cooking though, and he seems to still be by your side even after all you two seemed to have been through." Hijana spoke, pausing for a moment to watch how Crona would react.

It sees the teen lightly blow on his soup to cool it a bit, while also pausing to speak. "A lot of that wasn't by choice." When the pinked hair boy thought the soup was cold enough, he began to drink it. Though he was doing it very slowly. Even with the chopped bits of fruits that were in the bowl, he would just use his hands to hold them up and take little bits of them.

Either he was trying to savor the taste, or he was not used to eating alot. Something that did concern the old ant, as he knew he feed the teen well enough, or at least hoped so. There was also another thing.

He was easily distracted, as his eyes would wander back to the room his partner was in. With a concern look in his eyes speaking in much louder volumes then his voice.

"Nevertheless, he stayed. Why would the idea of my death drive this much of a stake between you both?" Hijana asks, just as Crona finishes a third of the bowls content. He pulls himself back a bit as Crona roughly places the bowl down and he stands up to his feet. "Because Ragnarok just doesn't get what we need to do, what I need to do…I…I have a chance to fix what is broken, but he just won't let me…like he thinks he knows better, but he doesn't!"

Crona shouts, a part of him knew there was no point to do so, but the teen just wanted to shout at this point. Remembering back to the look Ragnarok gave him was just…sickening for him. "We have been through a lot together…so much and yet…he doesn't trust me. What is wrong with him?!" At the end, Crona begins up both his hands and clutches at his head in frustration again. "I-It is because I am not good enough, i-is it b-because he…h-he knows me 'too' well? Am I wrong!? I-I…I-"

His voice begins to dissolve into a mess of stutters and mumbles, as his eyes become widen with fear and paranoia. His whole body starts to shake as sweat shows on his brow. The boy was taking quick pace breaths and seemed close to falling to his knees from pure panic going through his body. Only when he feels a touch on his arm does he stop…and notices that Hijana was trying to comfort him by placing one of its legs onto him.

"Trust is a difficult thing, that much I know. The Ma'tnota saw fit to give much to both of you to help me replant this field. And I give it to you with my lessons, while I am forced to stay in here. But…it's not easily given by others. Do you have a history of misusing that trust?"

The old ant had not known what it asked of him, if it had, it would have known that was a poor question to ask.

It sees Crona's face twist from panic to terror, as the teen remembers back to exactly a certain night where he had broken the trust of his hope her and friends. His breathing becomes sharpen as his eyes glare at the floor. His fingers dig into the side of his head, with the Soul Gem on the gauntlet beginning to glow in responds.

He could almost hear his mother's voice speak to him, calling out to him. Much like it did that night when she suddenly appeared and made one small request that crumbled any control he had…

"Ah…that you do." Hijana called out, unflinching as the glow of the infinity gem shines at its face. It didn't care for the unknown power that was being shown…all it saw was a young child looking regretful for what he had done. With what strength it had, the old ant grabs Crona's gauntlet hand and tries to pry metal covered hand off teen's head so that he didn't hurt himself.

The Infinity Gem also seemed to glow even brighter at that…and suddenly it was as if something came to the old ant's mind. "…she still trusted you in the end." It spoke without control, before staggering back a bit as it felt a rush go through its body, that was unlike anything the insect had felt before.

It was barely able to catch himself, were it not for Crona's hand almost instantly grabbing at the leg that was previously touching him earlier. Though the gesture seemed from kindness, the grip told a different story, as the old ant had to hold itself from grunting in pain at the teen's tight hold.

"…what did you just say?" Crona asks with his voice almost changing instantly to one that should not belong to a boy like him. Not the one that eagerly listen to the old ant's lessons, who turned gray with embarrassed by the jokes his partner would give. That was shared with the soft touch he would usually have.

This voice was one was not the of the same person. It was one that fitted with the golden gauntlet the child wore on his arm. Cold, firm, and unmerciful.

Hijana looks up to its captives' blue eyes that stared directly back at it, causing such a feeling of fear to creep in the old ant that it didn't know it could feel. Though he remembers clearly how it had felt to be on the floor, of his ruined field, having his limbs ripped off him by brutal Red Pha'sens, that old fear seemed to be dwarfed by this new one.

Like it was staring back at a creature of death unlike anything it had seen before.

The ant did not understand what it had done to cause this change in the teen but tries to answer as best it could. "I don't know…felt like I needed to say that. Please, release me…you're hurting me, my child." Crona leans close to the ant's face, with his eyes seeming to grow more spiteful. "I…am…NOT your child." Though he talked low, his voice was clear with how displeased he was. "I am nothing to you…just as you are nothing to me."

No glance of mercy was shown, not a hint of comfort. Hijana tries to pull itself free, but it was as if it were pinned under a mountain. The amount of strain it felt was enough to make it think the time had come for it to lose another limb.

"Yes, I apologize, I didn't mean to upset you." It cries out as it stops pulling, its body beginning to shake as it sees Crona's eyes narrow at it and bared his teeth in disgust. For a moment it thought Crona would take its limb as payment for angering him…only for the teen to shove the limb aside and release his grip. "Take steps to make sure you don't do so again." Crona tells it as he turns to stare at the fireplace once more.

Hijana did not know what to make of what just happened. The usual gentle child displayed such a turn that the old ant didn't know what exactly it did to anger him. But it did know not to do so again. Fearfully, it looked to the limb that Crona held so tightly. It saw that just with his raw strength alone the child was able to creak and bend the exoskeleton that covered the leg. A feat only managed by the Red Pha'sens' weapons and the Ma'tnota itself.

It remembers back to what its leader had told it, about Crona's nature. The teen was truly troubled. Anger was held deeply within him, not one of fire but one that was cold. Distant, and spiteful. The most fearful kind of rage, that is born from pain and much regret.

The old ant's mandibles give a low clicking noise as he pulls himself away from the teen as best it could while nursing its arm. "I…am sorry, so sorry, Crona…I had not thought this topic was so…sensitive for you." It hated itself for allowing fear to be heard in its voice, it didn't want to fear Crona. It wanted to tell him, it was genuinely sorry for making him remember what he had done. It sees that Crona didn't even bother to look back to it as the ant spoke. Just slowly nodding his head. "You…must have deep regret for your past, and I am truly sorry for bringing it up."

A low scuff escapes the teen's lips. "Regret…yes, that is something I have more than plenty of. Every single moment I spend in my thoughts, I feel it haunt me." Crona says in a low whisper as he drifts back into his memories again to the last time he saw her, to the last time he felt her touch, heard her voice, felt her soul. She trusted him. She had placed her hope in him. Just as she would come back to him, that he would wait for her.

But she never came.

Because he was not there to protect her.

Taking a deep breath, Crona sits back down and picks up his bowl to continue eating from it. Not even caring to look back to the old ant that he had harmed as his mind just continued to rummage through memories of better times.

The soup was made with ingredients such as the dirty water that he previous drank, but not it was given some things to help the taste and made it more barrable, such as chopped up old vegetation that floated in the bowl.

Though he ate his food at a steady pace, it seemed obvious that his attention was elsewhere. He would sometimes pause mid-chew and just stare at the bowl for a few moments before resuming as if nothing happened.

Hijana could see this very easily, and though it was harmed by the teen in such a crude fashion, it could not bring itself to hate him for that. What was there, was a feeling of sympathy for the poor child.

"About what you and your partner spoke of…I'm old, beaten, and quite frankly…tired. Of course, the fact that I'm gonna die soon is obvious. But there are many that do not wish to think of that. You are young still. You shouldn't be thinking of such a thing as death. It's not like you can see such a thing coming…it could happen at any moment. You need to find peace with yourself before that time."

It slowly turns and begins to leave back to its own room, wanting nothing more than to leave before it would anger the teen again. As it reaches the doorway, it passes one last glance at Crona. Seeing he was still sitting in the same spot as he took another small sip of his soup.

"I beg you to get some rest, we have much work that needs to be done. They will be ripe for consumption tomorrow." He says referring to the plants outside the house, before he goes inside his room. Leaving Crona alone with the fire that was beginning to go out on its own.

Crona places the bowl down on the floor, and just continues to stare at the small flames for a little while longer as he began to think. Ideas were surfacing in his mind, about the power he wielded with that of a soul. The power to manipulate all that lives.

All that breaths. All that grows.

Crona raises his gauntlet hand up, and his eye briefly turn to green Infinity Gem in the middle of it. Watching as it began to glow with power once more. He turns it so that his palm was facing him…and looks back at the fire as he closes his hand to a fist.

…and the flames grow, bringing light to the entire room once more as if the flames never began to dull.

And then Crona slowly opens his hand, allowing the flames to shrink back down, to the point of becoming just mere embers. "Most…do not have the power of infinity to tell them how long someone has till they die." He mumbles as he recalls what Hijana had told him, before he stands up and snaps his gauntlet fingers.

Snuffing the embers…and leaving him in total darkness.

The next 'morning' came with the Crona being the first one to leave the house as he resumes his task to plant the seeds for the field, working twice as he usually as best he could. He was soon joined by both Ragnarok and Hijana, the two seeming to be in a middle of a conversation with Ragnarok just waving off whatever was told to him in his usual offhanded style.

When the Demon sword looked to Crona, all he could give out was a low annoyed groan, before continuing to ignore the teen. Hijana tells them that the corn-like plant, called 'Bonto'no', was ripe and ready to be eaten but try as it might, the old ant was not able to pick much of the newly fresh vegetation alone without nearly falling over due weak body.

Ragnarok was quick to help it though, easily able to pull the plants down so that that the old ant could pluck the strange vegetables loose and place them in a large bucket in Demon Sword's grip. Crona had held back a comment of making sure Ragnarok didn't try to hoard it all for himself.

There was no need for it, as Ragnarok made no move to even grab some for himself while Hijana wasn't looking. He was keeping himself behaved, more than Crona ever saw him act before. It almost…

It almost annoyed Crona how different his partner was acting towards the old ant. He wonders just what it was about the old ant that made Ragnarok act so differently. So much different than what he used to be towards the teen his whole life.

Crona shakes his head to try and get rid of the childish emotion. Of all things he could be jealous by, Ragnarok kindness shouldn't be one of them.

With the bucket being filled to the brim with the strange vegetables, Hijana left to spread word to the Ma'tnota on their harvest. When the old ant was out of sight, Ragnarok gave a sigh and walked back to where he had placed the garden hoe the day before. Crona opens his mouth to say something for a moment, to maybe make a joke about him stealing the food.

But thought against it. It was more than obvious that Ragnarok was still angry at him, joking about something could only make it worst. "Probably wouldn't even be that funny." He mumbles quietly under his breath as he begins to dig up another hole with his make-shift trowel, he thought to use his gauntlet for such a task…

But then quickly realized that getting dirt on the gem that holds the power of infinity would be a poor idea on his part. He wonders for a moment just how much more he could use it. He learned a lot about souls, thanks to both Medusa's teachings and his short time as a student in the DWMA.

But in truth they knew next to nothing.

The Soul Gem on the other hand, was a much better teacher. Taught him things that probably no one, save maybe a reaper, would know about souls. Crona takes one of the strange seeds he is supposed to plant and looks at it as his Soul Gem begin to glow in a low light.

There was a soul there. It was tiny, barely anything of significant. Looking at it is like that of the dreaded saying, 'a needle in a haystack'.

Unbelievability difficult, but not completely impossible. Especially when given the tool to help locate it.

The Soul Gem had the power to do much, even with so little.

Making it very possible to give something strength, to give it the ability to grow. He had the means to do such a thing, he just needed a little more time to learn how. The flames were…simpler. They wanted to grow, to consume more. But a plant is much harder, more complex. It'll take him longer to-

"…Be God huh…pfft." Crona's thoughts were stop upon hearing the Demon Sword's voice directed at him. He turns around and sees Ragnarok was not too far behind him, using the garden hoe the teen made to removes some old roots in the ground. "You have something to say to that?" Crona asks him as he stands up from the ground, the Soul Gem glow dying down to normal as he spoke. He knew Ragnarok was referring to the last conversation they had, and he also knew that it might end just as bad as it did before.

The idea of 'getting it over it' seem the best thing to do right now.

Ragnarok shakes his head a bit as he was chuckling under his breath. "Heh…plenty, just don't know where to start." He says before he stabs the garden hoe into the dirt and turns to face his partner, while running a hand downward over his face and resting it on his chin. He looked to be in thought about something. "…You know what my name translates too, Crona?" His tone seemed somber, sounding subdue then he normally would.

"…the beginning of the end." Crona answers, remembering what Medusa had told him about his partner when they first met. The name being one of the only questions she would answer about him. "Not exactly, I mean, you're kinda close." Ragnarok admits, while removing his hand from his chin and giving a dismissive wave with it. "And I can get why people would think it means something like that. But the actual translation is…and I quote 'the doom of the Gods'."

He gives out a scoff as he lets go of the garden hoe and crosses his arms. Though he was a bit reluctant to stop working again, Crona was more than happy to let them have another 'break' if it meant they were talking again.

"See, believe it or not…I've met gods, plenty of them. This was…shit, years…like…seriously, fucking years ago. I'm talking like…hundreds of thousands of years…shit maybe more, it's kinda hard to keep track of it." Ragnarok says, picking up a hand and knocking it on his head while his eyes looked off to the side as he tries to recount all the time passed.

"What do you mean?" Crona asks as he grips his arm with his gauntlet hand. Watching as Ragnarok gave a low hum as he continues to think back. "Ehhh…Look, I've been agreeing to help out with this shit…with these gems of infinity… and all the stuff we've seen…all the things we've been through and I never…I never really explain just who I am to you. Hell, I barely know how to explain it…" He mumbles as he begins to rub at his temples with both his hands. Crona tries to tell him that he didn't need to tell him anything, but before he could, Ragnarok blurs out. "Guess the easiest way to do so is with the true; it's fucking pointless what you're doing."

Before Crona could even question that, Ragnarok had quickly thrown his hands up right in front of him in a defensive way. "Hear me out before you start talking my ear off with your usual crap. Okay so…I've lived a long time. Or maybe I've been living very long…in like a loop-AH! See, even I don't really fucking know." In frustration Ragnarok turns around and begins to roughly run his hands along his head.

Crona holds a bewildered face as he tries to understand what Ragnarok was saying. With him apparently being very old, with it somehow involving a loop. There were some obvious holes that needed filling. As if knowing how confuse the teen must be, Ragnarok turns back around to face Crona again and says. "Look, I…I think I'm over complicating it. Let me take it from the top." He takes a deep breath and begins to 'properly explain'.

Crona wouldn't lie, this was strange for him. Ragnarok never spoke about his past, at all. And if he did, it would only be small hints of it, like a random reference to something or just little bits that mean nothing. Like his ability to speak the Nordic.

He never even told the Crona his age.

"Long ago…like…probably thousands of years or more, I can't really fucking tell, there was Odin, Thor, Balder, all those fuckers. They were the Norse pantheon. See there was this…way of time they had, it's…hard to describe, at least for me, so I'll try to be as blunt as possible here-"

"You usually are." Crona mumbles as lowly as he could, though it was still enough for Ragnarok to hear and give a quick 'Shut it' in response, before continuing. "There was this…big event, that supposed to tell about the end of the gods…not even, the end of everything."

"…how fitting." Crona mumbles again, this time while giving a roll of his eyes. He could see Ragnarok had the same mindset of him as the Demon Sword pinches the middle of his 'X' in annoyance. "Yeah, I know, just follow me on this."

With a small nod, Crona keeps silent as Ragnarok speaks. "There was gonna be all kinds of shit, the battle with all the gods fighting all of the damned, something so intense that nothing will survive it. We are talking a giant serpent that is big enough to wrap around the earth, a wolf that eats the very sun, Odin himself would unleash a sword so powerful that it would wipe out all life…just by taking it out of its sheath."

Now he had truly captured Crona attention, making the teen's eyes widen. Ragnarok notices the look and scuffs out. "Yeah…real fucking over-the-top." The black blood version of the teen would then hold both his hands up and points to himself with his thumbs. "So of course, with such a blockbuster of an event…guess what or who that sword was…here's a hint, he's got two thumbs…and is pointing at himself like a jackass."

"…You?" Crona questions, still confuse on what was said and was becoming very skeptical if it were even true. The way Ragnarok was telling him it was 'off'. He spoke about it without any grandeur or any real importance. It was just in his usual annoyed tone. "Yep…and guess what ALWAYS happened as soon as it was over." Ragnarok tells him right before casually snaps fingers. "Boom…redo."

"Wait what?"

Ragnarok lets his hand fall back down as he rolls the small 'X's' that made up his pupils. "Right at the end of everything, after the dust would settle…It would all happen, again. The gods would come back and restart everything all over again…and then they would die again, humanity and all life would be fucked, wolves eats sun and moon, lather-rinse-repeat."

"…that…doesn't make any sense. How is that possible?" Crona asks him, wondering for a moment if this was Ragnarok just trying to distract him by coming up with such a ridiculous thing. He will admit, when it came to him learning, History was never his strong suit.

Especially in terms of 'Before Death' or 'B.D' as he remembers his Hope telling him.

He couldn't tell if Ragnarok was making it all up on the spot or just was genuinely being honest with him. It was either Ragnarok was more imaginative then he gave him credit for, or the Demon Sword was telling the truth. And seeing that Ragnarok's vocabulary was half spent on the use of swear words, the latter actually seem more possible.

"Doesn't make sense- YEAH, I NOTICED. Especially seeing as where we are right now, helping a giant ant with his farming, but trust me Crona…I was the only thing that would survive this shit, and I would be force to watch it all happen again and again." Ragnarok groans out as he runs his hand over his face again. "I have…no idea how it happened, or how they managed to do this…but the Norse…did 'something' with time. They…made it…loop. Every time something happened that caused the death of all life…it would be called 'Ragnarök', I come out of my sheath for about a second and then…poof, everyone dies and comes back later…redo, cycle starts all over again. Life always comes back, gods come around, humanity comes to life, and then huge fight, everyone dies, lather…rinse and…repeat."

As Ragnarok spoke, his voice raised in volume. "T-that…but…that is…it's…that's…" Crona was starting to become frustrated by the lack of sense this had. "Why did it keep happening? Was there some cause for this event?" He asks, hoping that maybe there could be something to help him understand with what had happened to this world. If it was true, then there might be some connection.

Of course, that would be too easy though.

Ragnarok just places a hand behind his neck as he tries to remember back to how the gods would repeatedly met their end. It was all one massive blur if he were being honest. One can only go through the same thing so many times after all before it would dull their senses. "I don't know…I think it happened when Baldur died thanks to Loki being a dick…or maybe it was something else like with Jörmungandr starting shit with Thor, god I hated that serpent. Even though he would always lose, the fucker kept picking fights with the damn thunder god! You think he'd learn after the eighth hundredth time."Ragnarok then falls to a sitting position on the ground with his face pressed against his knuckles. Mumbling something to himself under his breath as he rubs along his eyes.

"…you know what, there has been so many events, I can barely list how even a tenth of them started. It always ended the same. I get pulled out of my sheath and well…you know the rest by now." He says while flicking his hands out, his tone changing to become more tired now.

Crona remained standing as he tries to piece together all Ragnarok told him. "You were never that strong before, unless I need to get a sheath-" Ragnarok interrupts him by giving a loud sigh. "Yeah, I'm getting to that." He slaps his hands onto his lap as the top of his 'X' becoming a horizontal along his eyes, while his pupils look to the floor. He even began to speak in a more awkward tone now, showing that he was not comfortable about revealing this part of himself. "I wasn't always like this, as in…walking and talking. I used to be just a…well not just a sword, but I was something else. I was gonna replace my…'brother', Mjölnir. Thor may have loved the hammer, but he needed a weapon with power that he could properly wield with two hands…Loki kinda fucked up the design on Mjölnir's handle so he could only hold it with one hand and-…that's a story in of itself."

He stops himself, while giving a wave of his hand. Crona moves down to sit in front of him as he asks. "You have a brother?" Crona had never thought the possibility of Ragnarok having his own family, let alone ever daring to think of him as a tool of the old gods. He always thought if anything Ragnarok was just some ordinary rude person before he…

…'met' Medusa.

"HAD a 'brother', if you would call it that. It was just a hammer. And like I said that is a story in of itself. What I am trying to get at is that I was made…but there was a problem, a BIG problem. I was supposed to be the most powerful weapon, ever made in all the realms; better than any other. More grand, more graceful, more shinier, all that kind of stuff." He tells him as he waves his hand dismissively as he spoke.

"You weren't good enough?" Crona asks before he leans back as Ragnarok lets out a loud 'HA', as if Crona made a joke. "Nope…the opposite. I was TOO strong. Made from things from different places that shouldn't have been put together. When I was…done, I…practically wasn't even a sword anymore. Just a big bomb waiting to go off…and take everything with me, including myself." He pauses to give another sigh, this one seeming to be filled with, of all things, regret. "Didn't stop that one-eye asshat from still using me though."

"Who?" Crona asks as Ragnarok moves to pick himself up. "His name was Odin…the king of Asgard, and pretty much the main holder of the world biggest shitbag award. And that really says something considering all the people I've met, including your mother." Ragnarok tells him as he offers his hand to Crona.

Holding back the urge to roll his eyes at that comment, Crona takes Ragnarok's hand and pulls himself up alongside him.

"See there is one thing, that was ALWAYS consistent about Odin, no matter how many times the reset button was pushed. He always wanted to make it so Ragnarök, the event, doesn't happen anymore. To break the cycle and…do whatever comes after that." Ragnarok throws his arms out in a shrug. "Well he did it…by using me again, but not like he usually would by pulling me free of my sheath. No, this one time he decided to do something different. In his…godly mindset of a ruler and of his 'infinite' wisdom…jackass decided the best idea…was to break me apart."

Crona's eyes blink in shock, only able to mumble a soft 'what?' before Ragnarok continued on.

"Needless to say, there is not enough words in the human language to describe how DUMB of an idea that was on his part! On one hand, good news, he succeeded. The doom of the gods they continued to face would never happen again…problem is, when you have a sword or hell, anything, THAT powerful…you don't fucking break it!"

The Demon Sword shouts as he jerks himself away from Crona and kicks up some of the dirt by his feet in frustration. "I understand power enough, that without control, it will bite you on the ass and never let go! When Odin broke me, the resulting backlash pretty much wiped out most of the Norse pantheon in a blink of an eye. One part of myself fell down to earth, and the other part…a.k.a me…fell right into Helheim, the realm of the dead. The cesspool of all the other places where pretty much everyone like to throw their garbage."

Crona just continued to stare at him silently for a bit longer, imagining how it all must have happened for him. "…I'm sorry." He says, trying to sound as sincere as he could. Knowing that it must have been horrible for his partner to go through that.

It almost made the teen feel lucky, at least Ragnarok was with him when he came to this ruin world. If he didn't have Ragnarok, then things would be entirely different for the teen.

"Yeah, well there is nothing for you to be sorry about expect for acting like a pussy all your life. If anyone got something to be angst-y about, it's me! While I was in the realm of the dead, that other part of myself ended up doing god knows what when he landed with the humans. Lot of our power was lost, and the asshole took most of what was left when we broke, last I heard of him was that he was with some king, and being called the 'Legendary Blade'…ugh…" Ragnarok turns back to face Crona while giving a very strange disgust and annoyed look on his face. "I swear if I ever see him, I'm gonna shove his stupid hat and cane right up his…well he doesn't really have an ass…forget it."

Ragnarok stops himself again, while shaking his head for a moment, as if to get rid of the thought. "When I fell to the realm of the dead, I…changed. I used to be just be a tool, but…I don't know. Maybe it was being broken or hanging around with all those souls and…other things. What I'm trying to get at is, I changed." He holds up one of his hands, which began to reform itself. Changing into that of a blade.

The same one as his weapon form. "Got myself an actual body too, one that didn't look…anything like this." He mumbles while gesturing to himself with his other hand. "After a while, I was out and just…traveling. Seeing the world that I destroyed over, and over, and over again."

"Got a reputation as 'Demon Sword' as the years went by…heh…Hehehehe…" He pauses, as he starts to chuckle. No doubt reminiscing about all the things he did. Before he his life was forced into a different change. "Well in the end…I was just minding my own business, trying to eat a fucking Gyro. Norse and Greek's never really go along. Kinda a way to say fuck you to Odin in one of the best ways possible, that and saying Zeus was a better king…next thing I know…some blonde bitch decided ruin my day…melt me down…and well, here we are."

With that, Ragnarok looks directly back at Crona with an almost expressionless look on his face, as his 'X' just moved to a natural position. His blade changes back to hand, and he crosses his arms over his chest.

Almost as if he was waiting for something.

"Why…are you telling me this?" It was an obvious question. After all, he had known Ragnarok his entire life. And not once told so much as a detail about it. Yet just now, he had finished unloading it all out for him. It just didn't make sense for the teen.

Ragnarok takes a deep breath and sighs out. "Because there is something to learn from this…what this is…whatever it is we are going through. For all I know…someone else took the wheel after all those other gods left it when they died. This could be…probably the 'new Ragnarök'. As stupid as that sounds. Another loop, another opportunity for a reset."

He was talking in a low but understanding tone. Trying to be frank with the teen, as if he just realized it the more he spoke. "That's…no, that's insane. You don't know that." Crona tells him, though sounds unsure himself as he looks at his gauntlet with worry.

"And what do you know?" Ragnarok asks back as he steps closer to Crona. "Come on man, look what Norse's shit was all about. Giants, cosmos destroying weaponry, need I remind you of the giant wolves that fucking eat the moon and sun! Suddenly aliens, zombies, hell opening up, tornados, and bug-people don't seem that far off." Ragnarok rolls his pupils as he continued talking. "Gods are the type of beings that like pulling strings without being found out, what the hell do you think the whole 'fate' and 'destiny' stuff is all about."

As Ragnarok spoke, Crona just began to mumble under his own breath. He couldn't believe such a thing could happen, with so many lives being lose. With what had happened to Kid, and the gems themselves. He raised the Infinity Gauntlet closer to his face, as the Soul Gem begins to faintly glow in response.

Ragnarok sees the glow, and imminently tries to snap Crona out of whatever trance he could be put under by grabbing the teen's arm. "Crona…there is another listen to my bullshit here." He cries out, with Crona's eyes snapping back to him. "Maybe I am just talking shit but remember what I just told you…I used to be powerful enough to wipe out ALL life on this planet…and trust me as dumb as Odin was, especially near the end. The guy was ruler for a reason. He was powerful. But…power at the end was not the solution, it was the fucking problem!" Ragnarok yells as he grabs Crona's other arm and forces down the gauntlet to make sure the teen was focused directly at him. "Power is gonna make you think you'll be able to do anything. That you can force anything to happen if you use just enough of it."

Ragnarok lets go of Crona's gauntlet arm and holds up a single finger in front of teen's face.

"Odin wanted to stop, one thing…ONE THING from happening with power that was way beyond him so that he could stop ONE shit-show from happing. And here you are, trying to assemble a fucking glove filled with six gems that are…way beyond ANYTHING ever thought possible, because it's fucking infinity…and you're trying to change not one but like…fifty different shit-shows at the same time from what that frog bitch told us!" Ragnarok slowly let's go of Crona, as the 'X' on his face becomes more widen. He moves to back away as the realization hits him of just what position he was in.

"All this talk of cycles…and I'm seeing it again, with someone just about to fuck everything up even more than imaginable…just because they don't like how things went. What the hell makes you think you are better than a fucking god!?"

Ragnarok shouts, the look on his face, the tone of his voice, the feel of his soul. It told Crona just how frighten the Demon Sword really was. A broken tool of gods was asking him a simple question. But it held a lot meaning behind it. It showed that Crona's fear was true, that Ragnarok did not have faith in him.

So Crona told him his answer, speaking in that cold tone.

"Nothing does…but I have to do it. I see a chance, Ragnarok and honestly…I have to take it, no matter what. No matter what is said, or how you try to strive me from this path. It is mine to take, regardless of what you have to say." With that, Crona just turns around and walks back to where he was originally working.

Back to planting the seeds as he was intruded, like the conversation never happened.

Leaving Ragnarok to blankly stare at him in silence as he took Crona's words to heart. "…I bare my soul to you…and that's what you throw back at me." He mumbles quietly to himself as he turns his back to the teen.

He places his hand over his face and gives out a muffled growl, before he goes back to working his own job, kicking side the make-shift Garden hoe and instead changes the shape of his arm, into his own version of it.

Crona didn't seem to care, not even acknowledging the old roots or bits of rock that were obviously thrown at him by the demon sword. No more words were shared between the two, even as Hijana returned bringing news that they had enough of the strange vegetation left over for a special meal.

"Geez, a different kind of soup, thanks." Ragnarok would say, with Crona giving a low chuckle. But that would really be the only interaction they had for a while, even as the lights within the cave went dark and they retreated back into the house. The old Ant saw how they were acting but made no move against it.

No longer wishing to be 'in the middle of their drama', as Ragnarok would put it, and remembering how the last conversation went with one of them. All it did was congratulate them on doing their task so well, and with Crona having finish planting the seeds and Ragnarok clearing the ground of anything that will hinder the plants growth much faster than it thought they would, all they will need is time and they will be able to gain the trust of the Ma'tnota and then be on their way.

After finishing their meal Ragnarok volunteer to help Hijana to its bed, the old ant still being exhausted after the long walk through the village. Its frail body was barely able to stand after it had sat down to eat. "…Something tells me you two did not reconcile while I was away." The Old Ant clicks as Ragnarok opens the door to its room, having one of its legs slumped over his shoulder. "What gave that away, the mass awkward silence we had while eating?"

Ragnarok just scuffs as he helps the old ant reach the bundle of rags that made up his bed. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Just get some rest, okay?" As he places Hijana down, the old ant looks to him and speaks in a humorous tone. "I like to, but I'm afraid if I don't than you two are gonna lose any motivation. How am I gonna inspire you two to work harder?" Ragnarok gives a soft chuckle. "By not dying seems like a good idea." Hijana began to give out a loud clicking noise, as it rolls its head back and clicks its mandibles together.

"Hopefully not for a while my friend." Hijana laughs out as Ragnarok leaves the room with a dismissive wave of his hand and a low 'good night' as he closes the door behind him.

Try as he might, Ragnarok couldn't help but give out a worried sigh as he remembers what he and Crona talked of. He knew the ant was very old and was becoming weaker as time went by. Still, it didn't mean he wanted the old ant to die.

He didn't mean for everything to get out of hand as much as it did with their arguments but Crona's attitude just bothered him to no end. Just continuing to push the black blood creature, to the point he wanted to punch the teen in his teeth.

As Ragnarok walks back to the living room of the house, he finds Crona was sitting by the fire looking to be deep in thought about something as usual. For a moment he thinks that maybe he could try again, try to get him to understand exactly what was wrong…

But decides against it. Like Crona had told him, nothing he could say to him would change his mind. So maybe it would be best to not talk to him after all, and instead someone else.

Someone else that held the power of infinity.

As quietly as he could, Ragnarok walks passed Crona and out the house front door. This was a horrible idea, he knew it was. But he also knew that what Crona was doing was wrong. For some reason he just can't let it happen again.

Maybe it was thinking back to his past that brought up these old feelings, maybe it was just seeing Crona becoming dishearten and colder to it all. Maybe it could be as simple as him just liking the old ant. Whichever the reason, he could not stand by and see something like this again.

His thoughts turn to the village insects. And further back to the days he was a simple tool. What was always forgotten was how when event of Ragnarök came, the humans had little to no idea what it was before it would be too late.

If they are gonna die, they at least have the right to know why and have some way to defend themselves.

"This is gonna bite me in the ass." Ragnarok groans out softly as he walks off towards the village, not noticing that the ground he was stepping over, where he and Crona had spent their 'days' in this cave planting seeds had begun to glow low hue of green just underneath the surface.