SMST: The Avenging Moon! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST, DC/Marvel Comics and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 8
The days and weeks roll by. Between the threat caused by the rogue Time Lord, known as "The Master" and the disbandment of the Avengers, Usagi was busy playing her role as "Sailor Moon" with the Justice League of America, among other challenges in her personal life. But for the most part, she was depressed, since the Nine Realms of Yggsdrasil were no more. Thor, in his quest to grant his people the freedom for self-determination, mastered the Runes, consulted with the Norns, and petitioned the Almighty to be granted his people freedom. The Great Maker granted his petition, provided that he defeated the machinations of "Those-Who-Live-Above-in-Shadow". These were the archetypes of the gods, which represented the Thunderer, the Trickster, the War-God, the Matriarch and the Intellectual. These archetypes were consistent themes amongst the pantheons across the Universe. However, they were directly responsible for initiating the Ragnorak of the gods, and typically used the likes of Loki to initiate it. However, if Thor could defeat them at their own game, the cycle of life, death and rebirth would end for the Norse gods, and thus be able to achieve self-determination. Needless to say, when Loki decided to initiate Ragnorak, starting with the murder of Balder, Thor enacted his counter-measures. Unfortunately, although Thor defeated the Those-Who-Live-In-Shadows, the Nine Realms ceased to exist. Only the Norns, Wotan, Tarene and Ran survived Ragnorak. In fact, Ran was the last to see Thor, before he went on to defeat his foes, as he fled Asgard with the Norns, Wotan and Tarene in tow, as it was engulfed by fire. The effort of returning to Midgard rendered all of them powerless, and mortal. Urd had the hardest time to adjust, since she was not used to doing ordinary labor…
These days, the small family live in Nekomi, Japan, with Usagi and Ranma living with the Norns at their home. Meanwhile, Usagi and Ranma, when he is not living with his new bride Akane Tendo, took care of Wotan, the son of Thor and Sif, as they helped Tarene adjust to life as a mortal teenager. Tarene, like her parents Ran and Thordis before her, was reborn from the guise of a mortal. Regardless, Usagi took the lost the hardest, since she blamed herself for not being at her brother's side. But, as Ranma would tell her, it was time to move. Intellectually, Usagi understood this, but the realization of loneliness was almost to much for her to bare at times.
However, the tales of the Norse were far from over, which began anew with a thunderous roar…
"Are you okay, Usagi?" Bell said, as she continues to clean the dishes. She was glad that she had already been adjusted to mortal life, long before becoming mortal.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Usagi, as she stared into the night sky. "I'm just thing about the fabled lands of Asgard…"
"Well, GOOD for you," Urd said, as she enters the kitchen, after completing another shift at a local café. "Meanwhile, someone around here has to pay the bills."
Usagi turns around.
"You mean, YOU have to pay YOUR bills," Usagi said with a smirk.
"Fine. But in the mean time, YOU get to go off on those little adventures of yours."
"They are not JUST adventures, you know," Ranma said, as he and Keiichi enters the kitchen. Technically, both were students at the Nekomi Institute of Technology, with Keiichi being the upperclassman.
"Bell, do you need help with anything?" Keiichi asked, as he pulls out a beer from the refrigerator.
"Oh, I'm fine-"
"Well, I'm not," Skuld said, as she goes to the refrigerator to pull out a juice box.
"See?" Urd said. "I'm not the ONLY one to complain about our predicament!"
"Well, it is something to get used to," Tarene said, as she carried her "baby brother" Wotan with her into the kitchen. She was watching him for Usagi, while Usagi took care of personal business.
"Goo!" Wotan said.
"Well," Usagi said, as she takes Wotan off Tarene's hands. "That is correct. But at least we have each other-"
TING!
"Oh!" Bell said, as she nearly faints, only to be caught by Keiichi.
"Bell!" Keiichi said, as he helps his wife back to his feet. "Are you okay-"
"I'm fine, Keiichi," Bell said. "I…think I'm more than fine."
"…"
"Look!" Skuld said, as she points to Bell. "Your markings!"
"Let me see!" Urd said, as she goes to her younger sister side.
Sure enough, Bell's goddess markings were returning, though faint.
TING!
TING!
"Oh!" Urd and Skuld say in unison, as they nearly fall to the floor.
"I got you two," Ranma said, as he rushed to grab Urd and her youngest sister.
"Hey, watch the hands unless you're being serious about your intentions," Urd said.
"Feh! Like I want to deal with YOUR attitudes all the time…"
"Your marks are coming back," Tarene said.
"Weird, huh?" Skuld replied, as she felt her forehead.
Ranma examines this situation, before an idea comes to him.
"Hold on, guys," Ranma said, as he leaves the kitchen.
"I wonder what he's doing?" Skuld asked.
"Huh!" Urd said, as she waved her hands.
"Are you alright?" Keiichi asked.
"I'm trying to see if I have my powers back," Urd replied.
Moments later, Ranma returns with a small, leather bag. He opens it and takes out Thunderstrike. Since the fall of the Norse, its power had been rendered inert. However, it appears to be that the war mace was re-powering itself, since the runes on it were glowing.
Usagi looks at it.
"Ranma, what does this mean?" Usagi asked.
"I-"
BOOM!
The ground shook a bit, as something landed hard unto the ground.
"Ah!" Skuld screamed.
"Is everyone okay?" Keiichi asked.
"Looks like that's the case," Tarene said. "Whatever it is, it came from outside."
However, instinctively, Usagi knew what it was.
"Guys, wait right here," Usagi said, as she goes outside.
"Wait up," Ranma said.
"But-"
"Just a precaution, hon."
"Shrugging, Usagi and Ranma went to the Temple's courtyard…
In the middle of a small crater, lies the Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.
"Unbelievable," Usagi said. "I thought it to be lost…"
"It's his alright," Ranma replied. "And it's active."
For a long moment, the couple stares at it…
"I'm going for it," Usagi said, as she reaches for the hammer.
"But-"
"I was Thor's equivalent, from a previous cycle, remember?"
"Okay, but the moment something happens…"
"I know, hon," Usagi said, as she touches Ranma's face. "But this has to be done."
With caution thrown to the wind, Usagi grabs the Mjolnir.
ZAAARRRRRK-!
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!" Usagi screamed, as she was bathed in the energies that empowered the weapon.
"Usagi!" Ranma said, as he tried to grab her. However, some invisible force kept him at bay.
Meanwhile, Usagi felt her body and mind expand. All the previous gods named Thor, or the equivalent, from the previous cycles of Ragnorak, flowed within her. However, one voice could be heard in the cacophony of thunderous voices.
YOU ARE THOR NOW, MY SISTER. LIVE WITH HONOR, AS YOU BRING A NEW AGE TO THE NINE REALMS OF YGGSDRASIL AND OUR PEOPLE. FAREWELL…
Usagi shed a tear, knowing that she had found HER Thor, and was able to at last say her goodbyes…
FWOOM!
"Usagi?" Ranma said, as he could finally see. Instead of seeing his wife, he saw a statuesque Amazon who bore the airs of a Valkyrie…
"Yes, and more," said the woman before him. "I am Princess Serena Thordis Odinsdotter, Norse Goddess of Thunder, but you may call simply call me The Mighty Thordis…or just Thordis, if you prefer."
"…"
"Oh, my," Belldandy said, as she and the others step outside.
"Wow, look out strong Usagi has become," said Keiichi. "But…what does it mean?"
"It means that a new age has come," Skuld said with a smile.
"No, it REALLY means that we will be Norns again," Urd said with a smile.
"So, in other words, you don't have to be a waitress anymore," Tarene said with a smirk, as she held Wotan. Their god marks had returned as well.
"Precisely."
"Thordis, what should we do now?" Ranma asked.
"We must rebuild the Nine Realms, and bring back the Norse, of course," Thordis said. "Not to mention dealing with the troubles that are going on back in America."
"Yeah, no kidding," Ranma said, thinking about the incident involving a major prison break that had allowed dozens of the worst supervillains to escape. Iron Man and Captain America were reforming a new Avengers team, as a result of the prison break, and had offered him and Usagi a spot on the team.
"But first…"
Thordis picks up Ranma into her powerful arms.
"Hey!"
"I seek to get to know my new body, again," Thordis said with a smile.
"What's with you and…THAT?" Ranma asked.
"Consider this a victory of sorts, and that I wish to celebrate properly."
"Huh."
With that, the couple goes back inside the temple for some privacy.
"Well, just make sure that you lock the DOOR this time," Keiichi said. "I don't want to be embarrassed by seeing that."
"It's because of your lack of virility?" Urd offered jokingly.
"What do you think?"
"Heh."
And thus, the start of a new age began, though not without any difficulties.
For a while, life had returned to normal. Ranma, as "Ronin", and Thordis rejoined the Avengers team, after creating New Asgard in Minnesota. Unfortunately, due a superhero mishap involving the deaths of school children, their involvement with the Avengers was short lived. Iron Man, out of a sense of guilt, teamed up with SHIELD to force the enactment of the so-called Superhero Registration Act, which would force many superheroes to reveal their true identities to the government. Naturally, this meant neutralizing those who could be a problem, starting with the forced exile of both the Hulk and Ronin. Upon Ronin's return, leaving the Hulk behind to enjoy the peace he always sought, the revelation of Iron Man actions forced a number of heroes, including Thordis and Captain America, to openly fight against Iron Man, his allies and SHIELD in what would be called "The Civil War". Worse, Iron Man, who convinced Dr. Reed "Mister Fantastic" Richards to side with him, had created a contingency plan: "Clor". Clor was the clone of the original Thor, and was used to specifically neutralize Thordis.
Needless to say, Thordis was NOT amused, especially after the mockery had murdered a dear friend…
BAM!
A bloodlust burned within Thordis, as she pummeled the clone of Thor. Iron Man did not take into account of the fact that that Thordis was a lot stronger now that she ever was before. So when Clor had murdered Giant Man (II), Thordis responded in kind.
SPLURCH!
Thordis lifted her Mjolnir, after using it to bash Clor's head into pulp. She then turns towards Iron Man's allies.
"Go home," Thordis said quietly.
"Yes, ma'am," said one of the superheroes, as they all scattered rather quickly.
Ronin came to her side.
"Are you-?" Ronin began to ask.
"I just need some time to think," Thordis said, as she walked away.
"Take your time, hon," Ronin replied, as the skies cried tears.
Eventually, Thordis and Ronin would end up running into Iron Man and his SHIELD partner Agent Maria Hill. However, in spite of the anger Thordis and Ronin had against them, they simply humiliated them to the point of ending the Civil War, by suspending the enforcement of the Superhero Registration Act, but the damage was done…
And the worst was yet to come.
Tbc.
Author's Note: One more chapter to go! Hard to believe that I got an entire story done within a week. I think a set a new record. Until next time...