HARD CHOICES
ANNA LOWERED her arm as the bright light diminished, her gasping as she looked on in awe at the god of Thunder standing a few feet up ahead. Lightning surged through Thor's hammer as he took in his surroundings, looking at Erhard and Zhu Rong and recognizing Sethos and Lamia who were bound by the powerful Norn Stones.
Elsa and the others recuperated from the sudden flash of light, realizing the god had arrived. "I-is that Thor?" Elsa squinted.
"I thought he was a myth." Anna said.
"Oh, there's a lot more to that myth." Jack got to his feet.
"Well, I'll be …" North smiled slightly.
"Leave now, I will handle this." Thor spun Mjolnir and fired a bolt of lightning into the sky!
An intense cold quickly swept in as the weather drastically changed, dark clouds amassing above Thor as heavy rain began to pour! Sethos' fires and Lamia's ice was quickly washed away by the storm and Thor paced around Erhard and Zhu Rong, charging lightning through his hammer!
"Wait, wait, wait, what's a god doing here?" Anna asked. "And why'd it rain all of a sudden?"
"I don't think this's the right time to sit around asking questions." Jack looked to the sky, seeing lightning streak across violently above.
"You, wizard, how did you acquire those Norn Stones?" Thor demanded.
"I have my ways." Erhard watched him carefully. "I had not anticipated your arrival, Odinson."
"There's a lot you hadn't accounted for here, Erhard." Zhu Rong huffed. "I guess I'll have to handle this myself." He opened a large portal behind Sethos and Lamia!
"Stop right there!" Thor flew toward Zhu Rong, only to clash with Erhard who got in his way.
"You're not going to get in our way." Erhard said, glancing back and seeing Zhu Rong vanish with the demons.
"Heimdall had requested I be lenient so we can ask questions later, but if you must resist." Thor's eyes burst with energy! "Then I won't hold back!"
Thor smacked Erhard's arm aside and swung at him with his hammer, clashing with a light shield as the wizard quickly blocked the attack! The god's attack overpowered him instantly however, knocking him several meters back, leaving behind a sonic boom and hurtling him into the far off mountains! Spinning Mjolnir, the Asgardian flew off, blowing back Elsa and the others who nearly fell over!
"Well, shit." Merida said, jerking back as lightning struck nearby!
ERHARD PUSHED a rock aside and wheezed as his body was covered in cuts, looking up and seeing Thor coming down in a wave of lightning. The mage teleported into the air and threw up three hand signs, creating a magical seal and firing magical chains at the god. Reacting quickly, Thor smacked the shackles aside, lunging at him!
Erhard swerved out of the way, letting Thor crash to the ground with a swing of his hammer, breaking up the rocks and causing a volcano to explode nearby! Erhard frowned as he saw this while hovering, looking downward and seeing lightning surging through the Thunder god who slowly rose to his feet.
"Gods, demons and hordes of villains – I've been fighting day and night to keep the earth safe since the Convergence and just when I can catch a break, you bastards try and summon all-powerful demons to destroy everything." Thor turned to him. "I'll show you what happens when you anger a god!"
Erhard looked around as the rain intensified, realizing that the storm was covering the entire planet! He sifted his mind when it hit him, bringing a wide grin to his face as he looked back at Thor. "It seems restraint is not an option here, is it." The wizard eyes glowed red and he slammed his hands together, summoning a massive magic circle before him. "Ersyx!"
A dark mist burst out of the magic circle and shrouded Erhard, creating a dark cloud around him that spread out rapidly! Thor readied himself as this happened, squinting in confusion as he heard beastly roars coming from the haze! Erhard cut through the darkness with a newly fashioned black blade, revealing an army of mist dragons behind him!
"Parlor tricks won't faze me, human." Thor mocked.
"Oh, it's more than mere trickery, Asgardian." Erhard smirked. "Let me show you why I'm called the god of Dragons!" He pointed his blade forward, sending the dragons charging at him!
Thor collided with the beasts that swarmed over him like a wave, smacking them aside one after another with his weapon as the surrounded him! Kicking a beast away, the god twirled his hammer and chucked it up ahead, smashing through a mist lizard like butter! Mjolnir charged onwards on its own, mowing down enemies and spinning around Thor, creating a circle of lightning around him!
Thor looked around and counted the dragons around him, not looking at Erhard who slashed down at him with his sword! The god blocked the attack with his bare arm, knocking the blade aside and grabbing the wizard by the neck, driving him into the earth! Summoning lightning from the sky, the Asgardian threw a punch at the mage who barely blocked, still getting smashed through the rock and sent crashing into the underground!
The god unleashed a barrage of lightning infused punches on the mage who struggled to block them all, flipping the two over and slashing him downward with his blade! Burrowing through hundreds of rocks, the god smashed through the roof of an underground cave and crashed onto the waters below! Erhard descended into the cave, looking below and seeing bubbles on the surface of the river.
Thor rose from the depths and coughed out blood, sitting on the surface like it was solid ground and seeing a gash across his chest. Erhard smiled upon seeing this, descending and standing on the water. "So, gods do bleed."
Thor laughed. "Wouldn't be the first time." He rose to his feet, cocking his neck. "Let's try that again." He loosened his fists and took a fighting stance. "Come at me."
Raising his bow, Erhard sliced the air before him, sending out a wave of dark energy that cut through the water! Thor dodged the attack and ran toward him at immense speeds, landing a powerful right hook that nearly knocked Erhard over! Catching himself, the wizard retaliated with a series of swings, barely missing the god who avoided each of them deftly.
Thor blocked a swing of the blade and pushed it aside, punching Erhard three times in the chest and gave him a swift uppercut to the jaw, sending him flying back! The wizard toppled over on the water and slid to his feet, grunting as blood filled his mouth. Enraged, Erhard raised his hand, conjuring six dark doppelgangers around Thor.
Thor scoffed. "More parlor tricks."
Thor wove his arms slowly in a circle before him and parted them, sending lightning into the river around him! The water shifted violently and large bubbles rose into the air, being shaped by the electricity that swirled around them! Forging several spikes, the god flung his arms forward, impaling all the clones at once and destroying them instantly!
"Ha, what else do you got?" Thor turned to Erhard only to get stabbed in the shoulder as the mage charged at him, digging him to the wall of the cave!
Erhard grabbed the god's face and pinned him down, piercing the blade further into his flesh! "I've trained myself to kill gods for centuries, Asgardian!" Erhard growled, spurting out large wings that spread from his back. "You think a little lightning is enough to defeat me?"
Erhard summoned four magic circles behind him, ready to go for the kill when he heard a loud thunderclap from above that halted him, turning around to see Mjolnir come crashing through the roof of the cave! The weapon flew into Thor's hand and he sprung to life, grabbing Erhard by the neck and dislodging the blade from his shoulder, tossing him aside.
"All-Fathers, give me strength!" Thor proclaimed, summoning lightning from above that tore through the roof of the cave like paper!
Erhard rose to his feet and looked to the sky, gasping as an immense light aurora shone in the skies above and the clouds gathered in a circle. Seeing electricity surge through the waters around him, the mage frowned. "Seems our battle will have to end here." He summoned a portal behind him and vanished with it!
Thor's eyes dilated as he saw this, dismissing the lightning and looking around. "Heimdall, where is he?"
"I can't see him anywhere." Heimdall said.
"What do you mean you can't see him?"
"I watched your battle closely Odinson." The Watcher said. "He's gone."
"Bastard!" Thor yelled in anger.
ELSA, ANNA, Merida and the Guardians roamed around the palace throne room as the recuperated, North speaking to Sandy near the doorway and Tooth treating Jack's wounds. "Are you sure you're okay?" The fairy weaved particles of light over a cut on his forehead, stitching it shut.
"I told you, I'm alright. Thanks." He said, gaining a small smile from her.
Nodding to Sandman, North returned to the others. "Sandy's searched the entire city; the Red Lotus' leaders are nowhere to be seen."
"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me." Elsa frowned.
"Well, at least we stopped their plans." Anna said.
"Yeah, I guess."
"But, what about Erhard?" Merida asked.
"He left the known universe." Thor said as he appeared before them, walking toward the two sisters who sat by the throne.
"Wait, you didn't defeat him?" North said.
"No, friend Nick." Thor said.
"Well, we need to find him now." Jack stood up.
"Did you not hear me, ice man, he left the known universe." Thor frowned. "There's no way of finding him that I know of."
"Well, now what?" Merida asked.
"Now, I'll have to take you down." Thor pointed his hammer at Anna. "Fire Demon."
"Huh?" Anna raised her brow in confusion.
"I'll have to consult my father on how we shall deal with the Dragon god and his cohort, but before then, I must ensure earth is safe from threats." Thor said. "And that includes you."
"Hold on, what are you talking about here?" Merida asked.
"That woman is a demon from Muspelheim." Thor looked to the Guardians. "I'm sure you have sensed that as well."
"I have, but she doesn't seem to pose a threat." North said.
"I cannot take that chance." Thor charged lighting through his hammer.
"Stop, there's a misunderstanding." Elsa moved up to him. "She's my sister, she's not dangerous."
"A Frost Giant is siblings with a Fire Demon? What's going on here?" Thor frowned.
"Our father was a Frost Giant and our mother was a Fire Demon, but they weren't a threat to the earth and neither are we." Elsa explained.
Thor studied the woman. "Alright." He put Mjolnir aside. "But she has to come with me; there's a dark power rising in her that we must purge and I'm sure Asgard's archives will have solution."
Elsa raised her brow and turned to Anna, sifting her mind.
ELSA, ANNA, Merida and the Guardians walked through the doors of Arendelle's palace a few days later after receiving a welcome from the kingdom's citizens, finding Easter Bunny, Eugene, Max and Balder waiting for them inside. "Balder!" Elsa smiled, running up to him.
"Elsa, you're alright!" He said, embracing her.
"I should be the one saying that." She held him tightly. "What happened?"
"We ran into members of the Nine Stars who attacked Rapunzel and Eugene and I got captured, but I'm fine now." Balder said.
"You sure they didn't do anything to you?" She pulled back.
"We took him to the healers and I did a few scans while he was out, there's nothing wrong with him." Bunny explained.
"Except for a couple strange tattoos on him." Eugene added.
"What?" Elsa raised her brow.
"They must've been placed by the Order when they tried to sacrifice me or something, but if Bunny says I'm fine, then I believe him."
Elsa frowned at him, unconvinced. "Well, since everything's fine, I'll go back to Dunbroch."
"Yeah, we'll have to return to our duties as well." Tooth said.
"Aw, already?" Anna turned to them.
"Yes, our assistance must end here." North said. "We have a job to protect the earth."
"Ah, well." Bunny stretched. "At least I won't miss this guy." He walked past Max who frowned at him.
"Well, we appreciate your aid." Balder said.
"We can't thank you enough." Elsa said.
"You can thank us by keeping your heads." Merida turned to them. "Don't wanna hear you got beheaded one of these days. If you die, I'll kill you myself."
"Okay, I think." Anna laughed uneasily.
"Use this to contact us if you need any help and we'll be here as soon as we can." North drew out a dial from his pocket and handed it to Elsa.
"We'll be seeing ya." Jack headed out the door.
Elsa smiled as Merida and the Guardians headed out the door, her smile fading as she, Kristoff, Anna, and Balder remained. "Man, how many times is this kinda thing gonna keep happening." Kristoff said, rubbing the back of his head. "I need a raise."
"But, you're the prince." Anna said.
"I don't know, maybe a new coat or something."
"Well." Anna smiled, moving up to him and whispering in his ear.
Kristoff's eye dilated as she spoke, clearing his throat. "Okay, that works." Anna giggled.
"What should we do, Anna?" Elsa asked.
"About what?" Anna turned to her. "Oh, that …"
"What're you talking about?" Kristoff asked.
"Thor the god of Thunder came to our aid and fought Erhard as he tried to absorb Lamia's power for himself and he sensed a dark power taking over Anna." Elsa began. "He said he'd help us get rid of it if we went with him to Asgard."
"Oh, okay …" Kristoff said, stunned at this. "Wait, what's taking over Anna?"
"He says that it's most likely a demon from Muspelheim." Elsa replied. "It must be what causes her to lose control from time to time."
"How long has this been going on?" Kristoff turned to Anna.
"I've been feeling this for a while now, but I didn't know what it was." Anna said.
"For how long would you be gone?" Balder asked.
"No, no one's going anywhere." Kristoff said.
"Kristoff, c'mon." Anna turned to him.
"We just barely survived taking on the Red Lotus and you're gonna go off to who knows where?" Kristoff said. "How do you know it's safe?"
"Going to Asgard is probably the only way to free Anna from what's taking over her." Elsa said. "I think we should take the chance."
"But," Kristoff looked at the others, seeing Balder remaining silent. "Don't tell me you agree with this."
Balder tried to think.
MEANWHILE IN the Southern Isles, Hans entered the hall after having a meeting with his advisors, feeling the strains of hours of planning and discussion. His mind raced with thoughts over how the kingdom would recover from the attacks that transpired and how the insurrectionists and moles in his own government would be weeded out.
Trying to clear his mind, he headed into his room when he saw Ai standing by the window. "You …"
"It seems your kingdom's managed to recover after the Red Lotus attacked." Ai turned to him. "I'm sorry, for everything."
"You let me live when you attacked my ship." Hans realized. "Why?"
"I've made many mistakes and let other people dictate what my life should be, but no longer." Ai said.
"Well … what do you want with me?"
"I came to apologize, though I know it is not enough for the lives that I've taken." Ai said. "I have to make things right."
Hans thought this over, moving up to her. "Why not come with me? I can help you fix things without you being thrown in the dungeons." He offered. "You have the potential for good, you deserve a second chance."
"I'm sorry, I can't." She headed for the window when he held her hand, halting her.
"Why not try at least?" Hans said. "I can help you."
Ai looked into Hans' green eyes, getting lost in them as she felt his warmth and sincerity gleam through them. She moved in and kissed him deeply, caressing his face, and stepped away from him, entering the balcony. Looking back at him one last time, Ai leapt off the rail, shocking Hans who ran after her. He looked down into the street below and saw that she'd vanished, looking out into the kingdom and wondering where she went.
BALDER LOOKED at Thor curiously as he stood a few feet ahead in the valley. "Are you sure that's him?" He asked. "Thought he'd be gigantic."
"Yes, I'm sure." Elsa said. "He was quite powerful."
"Huh?" Balder nodded, unable to process it all.
Anna, who was a few feet behind the two, held Kristoff's hands shut as she gave him her locket. "Hang on to this for me till I get back, okay?" She looked up at him.
"Please, try to be safe, alright?" Kristoff said.
"I'll be fine." She smiled slightly. "I promise."
Kristoff nodded slightly, still unconvinced, and Anna pressed her lips against his, moving up to Elsa and Balder. "We'll be sure to visit if we can, so don't worry about us." Elsa said.
"I know you'll be alright, Elsa, I trust you." Balder smirked. "I'm a good trainer."
Elsa punched his shoulder, holding back a smile. "Just make sure you don't wreck the kingdom while I'm gone."
"Heh, please." Balder scoffed.
Elsa chuckled slightly and sighed. "Promise me you'll be alright, okay?"
"I will." Balder nodded.
Looking him in the eye, Elsa kissed Balder goodbye and looked to Thor, glancing to Anna who stood beside her. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. "Okay, let's go." The two walked on.
Balder watched as the two women met up with the god up ahead, disappearing into the Bifrost that nearly blinded him. He moved his arm down as he shielded his eyes, seeing his skin start to blacken! "What the …?"
YEARS AGO in 1946, Vandal Savage turned off a holographic monitor in a small windowless room and headed into the hallway, smiling as he saw Zhu Rong and Erhard approaching him from another room. "You've finally arrived." The large man extended his hand to the mage.
"Yes, everything went according to plan." Erhard shook his hand. "The demons Lamia and Sethos are in our custody and have been sealed away from all timelines."
"And the Mark of the Moon has taken hold of the Four Bending Nations." Zhu Rong said. "The Eternal Men has what it needs to move forward with our plans."
Vandal Savage grinned. "Excellent."
IN THE present, a dark cosmic being watched the three men speaking from a far off nebula in space, watching projected feeds from earth from different time periods. He watched for countless years as events progressed, as many worlds converged with the earth and many powerful beings took up positions of power.
"All this chaos, unending, seems to pile up on this one planet alone." The being lamented. "For the sake of all reality, I must annihilate the earth."
And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed the book.
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