Chapter 12: Whatever normal was

Aaaaaahhhhh! Why does everybody want to go to Hawaii? Every time I see or hear something about vacations or traveling everybody's wanting to go to Hawaii! IT SUCKS OVER HERE! ITS SO FRAKING BORING! Once you see everything there's nothing left to do! Basically IM STUCK ON A ROCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!

Ery body want ta come ta Hawaii… I WANNA GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!

Too much sugar... I dipped into the Halloween candy. I told myself not to but it was like a sirens sweet call. I couldn't resist just taking one. And once I took one I NEEDED another. I need more self control... -_-' *Sits in corner sulking*

Aaaanyway, moving on…

Disclaimer: I still don't own PPG or Norse Mythology. But I do own lot if candy right now and the little voice in my head telling me to eat the candy!

Must resist… *Stares at candy jar* whimper...

•••000•••

Idiots! These two were complete and total IDIOTS! Seriously, how can anyone be stupid enough to just stand there and let themselves be crushed?

Then again it was a relief that they were unconscious. It would be such a pain in the ass if they were awake and complaining again. Because, once again, how can someone be so stupid that they would stand around arguing when there's a rampaging dino standing over them?

On a totally different subject, why in the name of jewels save them. If they were dumb enough to just stand there in the first place why rescue them at all.

'Wait. Now I remember.' It was those familiars. Why Volnus had taken a liking to them would forever be a mystery, but whatever.

They must have heard the footsteps because the Erie Raptors came charging out of a side cavern then. Running over, the male skidded to a stop and immediately began picking at the redheaded girl like a fussing mother. The female lizard doing the same for the boy.

'They were worried.'

"No, really? I never would have guessed."

'Don't get snippy with me.'

"Oww! Ok, ok."

•••***•••

Stagnant air hung warm and depressing in the cavern. Large though it may be, there was never much ventilation underground. Pillars of glowing crystal and precious gems seemed to hold the ceiling in place some twenty to thirty feet up. The walls were coated in varying arrays of weapons, shields, and armor. Everything from small hand knives to colossus axes littered the floors. In each corner where wall met floor were heaps of bones and hides of all shapes and sizes.

At the fore front of the cavern was an enormous furnace, so large even a jotunn could fit in it. A few feet above that was a short tunnel with a large door attached.

At the far back of the cavern was a large cot of sorts piled high with furs and skins. Though most of those were shoved off onto the floors to make room for it's newest occupants.

Here was where the two redheaded teens wound up. Their Erie Raptors, now stripped of gear, were curled at their feet on the floor. The two familiars on the other hand were perched high above them on the handle of one of the many axes hanging on the wall.

'At least their quiet.'

"Until they wake up."

Seated before the large furnace was a dark figure. A long sleeved, cropped hoodie covered the upper half of the slim, muscular build. Pitch black pants cloaked the lower. Emerald green orbs shone brightly beneath the hood, locks of ebony hair peeking out the sides.

Clasped in one hand was a large hammer, the other gripped a short tongs. Directly in front of the person was an enormous billhook, firmly pressed over an anvil with the tongs. The axe end of the weapon glowed a bright cherry red as it was pounded repeatedly with the hammer. Small sparks flew in every direction, the loud boom of the impact echoing like thunder through the cavern.

'You just jinxed it. I think their waking up.'

"They are." The billhook was left on the anvil, both hammer and tongs placed on the ground beside it.

Getting up, the hooded figure walked over to the sleeping teens. A quiet chuckle came from beneath the hood.

The redhead boy was sprawled across the cot, snoring like he hadn't slept in ages. He was trying to roll over but the girl beside him had a foot shoved against his side, preventing him from moving any closer. Said girl was virtually pressed against the wall as far from the boy as she could get, as if he had some sort of disease. Yet somehow she still looked quite graceful despite the torn clothing and matted hair. He must have been pretty uncomfortable where he was though, because a moment later the boy had rolled right over the females leg and curled against her side. This seemed to tick her off as she tried to shove him away. He in turn latched on, pulling her closer.

Soft pink eyes fluttered open irately. She quickly shoved against the male trying to pry him off, completely oblivious to their silent spectator. It took her a few moments before she realized she wasn't alone. When she did, she visibly froze, body ridged as stone.

The pink of her eyes darkened noticeably as it locked onto the emerald orbs watching her. She didn't move an inch, just watched. Not even reacting when the boy shifted closer, squeezing her against him.

"Relax. If I wanted you dead I would have let you get crushed earlier."

The pink of her eyes lightened a bit but there was no other reaction. The male raptor woke up then, raising his scaly head to the dark clothed figure. He nudged black gloved hands until he received the scratching he requested. This helped quite a bit as the redhead calmed, relaxing almost completely as if a switch had gone off.

"So, might I ask a name."

The girl remained silent before finally her quiet voice came out. It had a ring to it like the crystal in the caves when they crashed together. "…Blossom. Glacie Regina Blossom."

"Mmm. Odd, but ok." Shoulder length ebony locks fell as the hood was pulled back. The front of the jacket was pulled open as well to reveal a dark green cropped tank top. "Ventus Trax Buttercup."

"So you saved us?" it sounded more a statement than a question. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. You should be thanking those two." Buttercup pointed skyward at the two birds perched above. "If Volnus hadn't taken a liking to them I wouldn't even have known you existed."

"Volnus?" Blossom sounded honestly confused then as her pink eyes flashed around seeking the object of her query.

'At least this ones smart.' Volnus quietly hissed against Buttercup's ear. 'She knows I'm a familiar just by name.'

"Yah I guess your right." Buttercup replied gaining another confused look from the other girl. "Hehe. Sorry, this is Volnus."

Buttercup heard a soft intake of breath from Blossom as she turned around. Almost unnoticeable against her dark locks was a large black gecko. It was practically tangled into the short strands as it clung to the back of her head. Buttercup shrugged it off, she and Volnus had always been oddballs. They never were normal, whatever normal was.

"So Volnus is a gecko."

"Gecko?" Buttercup parroted.

"It is a… gecko right?" Blossom asked throughly confused.

"Oh my gosh! Are you serious?" Buttercup jumped, spinning around to face Blossom. She reached up to feel at the familiar on the back of her head. "Your a gecko?"

'Yes I'm a gecko you idiot!' Volnus hissed indignantly. 'What did you think I was a fly!'

"No! I thought you were a bat!" She tugged her hands away just before Volnus could swipe at them. "This explains soo much."

It was then that Buttercup remembered the presence of the other teens. Blossom, who probably forgot about the boy, was once again trying to pry him off of her body. He was obviously reluctant to let go, squeezing tighter each time she pushed against him.

"What's up with him?" Green orbs flashed with amusement as Blossom froze again with a deer-in-headlights look. As soon as it appeared it was gone though, replaced by a calm demeanor. 'Girls good at hiding emotions.'

"Bricks just being an idiot." Blossom monotoned. Buttercup was getting the impression that this was a regular occurrence.

"Isn't it normal for a guy to stay close to his girlfriend?" Buttercup tilted her head to the side. She almost burst out laughing then as Blossom turned several shades of pink before she could stop herself.

"I am NOT his girlfriend!" Blossom stated in an almost horrified tone. The look on her face didn't help though. She just looked embarrassed instead.

"Really? Could have fooled me. I mean I did find the two of you together." Buttercup couldn't resist poking a little fun at the girl. She just looked so flustered. "You practically look identical and you guys were bickering like an old married couple. I just assumed you were a couple of Muspell hotheads on your honeymoon or something."

"I'm not from Muspell either."

"Ok now your just lying through your teeth."

"I am not his girlfriend and I am not from Muspell." Blossom stated once more. "I'm from Niflheim."

"Yah right. Like I'm gonna believe that one." Green eyes rolled as Buttercup scoffed at the other female. "People from Niflheim don't have red hair OR pink eyes. There all so freaking white they blend in with the snow. Sure your skin could pass, barley I might add, but your hair and eyes? No way."

Blossom didn't answer her this time and Buttercup was certain she had won the argument. Glancing at the other girl, her jaw dropped, she was certainly at a loss for words. Blossom had managed to wriggle her way out of the boys arms just enough to sit up. Her hand was stretched out towards the other girl palm up. The air around her shimmered with bright energy as ice crystals formed, tiny snowflakes falling. In the center of her hand was a large chunk of ice. Like water the redhead moulded the ice shaping it into various forms before turning it into a perfect, fist sized sphere.

She tossed the globe to Buttercup. The girl was at a loss for words. It really was ice, and only those born from Niflheim could produce ice. It didn't matter if you could control water or wind, you needed a perfect balance of both for ice to form.

'Looks like she got ya. She's really from Niflheim.'

Though Buttercup acknowledged the fact, there was no way she was about to admit she was wrong. Especially to someone she barley knew. Even if she did feel totally at ease around the other girl.

Buttercup picked up a soft growling sound then before Blossom let out a high pitched squeal. Faster than she could blink a wave of ice washed over the side of the cot, slamming into one of the many pillars in a torrential blast.

Buttercup was just about to ask what the hell she was doing when a loud groan caught her attention. Flicking her gaze to the side, she noticed a form under the mountain of ice. A kick to the pile caused a small avalanche. Beneath the ice was the boy that had been curled against Blossom.

'The idiot grabbed someplace he shouldn't have touched.' Volnus cackled loudly. 'By the way, she said his name earlier. You really should remember it.'

Looking back, Buttercup could see Blossom clutching her top tightly, cheeks blazing the same shade of red as her hair. Wow, that was the most emotion she'd seen yet.

"What the heck was that for Pink?" The boy, what was it… something to do with rocks right? And it started with a 'B'… Brock! That was it! …no…Brick! There we go. He was currently attempting to push the ice off of him without actually moving. After a moment he seemed to give up and the pile began to melt, steam rising around him.

"Well that's one way to steam dry clothes."

Buttercup really did laugh this time. Brick obviously hadn't noticed her standing beside him an panicked the second he heard her voice. He flopped over backwards scattering the cubes across the floor. Once there he scrambled to his feet only to slip on the half melted chunks, landing face first into the puddles.

For a moment Buttercup could feel anger emanating from the boy and prepared for an attack. A soft sound caught her attention but she didn't take her eyes off him. He on the other hand payed the utmost attention to the noise. Like a slap in the face, his anger quickly melted into obvious embarrassment.

All the tension in him disappeared instantly as he picked himself up, one finger scratching the side of his nose as he tried to hide his face. She could tell he was a little red, and not from the fall either. He glanced quickly at Blossom before turning away.

Blossom was covering her mouth with a hand, shoulders shaking softly. Buttercup figured she was just laughing at Brick. Since he no longer seemed hostile, Buttercup decided to just ignore him and made her way back to the hearth.

'Ahhh. Young love.'

"You sound like a granny."

'Shut up! I'm younger then you!'

"Then stop acting like an old person!"

"Ugh."

"'What!'" Buttercup shouted as Volnus shrieked. The raven haired girl spun around coming face to chest with Brick. 'Woah. Damn Jotunn bastards. Why they gotta be so tall?'

Redirecting her view up to his eyes, Buttercup glared at the teen. For some reason she didn't like him all that much. The fact that he was taller than her didn't help much either, she really needed to get over that height problem.

"Where are we?" He practically growled at her, obviously mad for being snapped at. His voice reminded her of the blazing flames in the hearth, and for some reason, she could swear he smelt of sulfur.

"Oh yah." Buttercup mumbled. She had forgotten that they were unconscious when she brought them here. Her talk with Blossom had only proved more of a distraction. "Wasn't that supposed to be your first question?" Glancing around Brick's shoulder, Buttercup directed her question to Blossom, ignoring the boy completely.

Buttercup saw the redhead look away sheepishly before Brick shifted, blocking her view of the girl. "Little over protective much?" she sneered.

He just continued to glare at her. The only proof that he had even heard the remark was a light dusting of pink on his face. "I don't want to ask again."

The two teens stared each other down. She had never backed down from a fight and she wasn't about to start now. Especially for some Muspell brat who really needed to be taken down a peg.

Whack!

"Oww!" Brick broke away first, covering the side of his head. "Damn it Pink! What was that for!"

"Learn some manners block head!" Blossom snapped, now standing beside the other teens. Her arms were crossed over her chest, foot tapping impatiently. She honestly looked like an irritated mother. "At the very least you should thank her for saving us."

Turning away from the two females, Brick folded his arms muttering under his breath.

"Don't mind him. He's just grumpy about being save by a girl…twice." Blossom rolled her eyes at the boys behavior, obviously used to it. The corners if her mouth twitched up as he growled quietly upon hearing her last comment. "Not that were ungrateful but it would be nice to know."

"Well I assume you already know your in Svartálfaheimr, correct?" Blossom nodded silently, waiting for Buttercup to continue. "Well I can't really tell you the location exactly, but were on the outskirts of Gold Rush and Silver Sickle."

The redhead noticeably paled at this. Buttercup didn't have to ask why, she already knew. Both towns were quite famous, even outside of Svartálfaheimr. And seeing as the only good that came from either town was their weaponry didn't make it any better.

"Aren't both those places, like criminal capital?" Brick questioned, looking right over Blossoms shoulder. "You know, Black Market, chain violence, gangs, gambling… and giant creatures that pop out of random peoples asses. Oof-"

The boys snickering was cut short as Blossom promptly elbowed him. "That explains the giant dino from earlier."

"Oh yah. Big Mama. Frankly I'm surprised you two lasted as long as you did." Buttercup attempted to high-five the slightly shorter girl, awkwardly drawing back when Blossom just stared blankly. "Yah- well anyway. Most souls unfortunate enough to stumble upon Big Mama usually get eaten. That old bats been hanging around for as long as I can remember. Some folks even started using her as a Boogyman."

"Got one hell of a bite, I can tell ya that." Brick murmured, absently rubbing his shoulder. "Hey, how'd these bandages get here?"

"Well I wasn't about to let you bleed all over my bed." Buttercup turned away again, this time making the rest of the way back to the hearth. She picked her tools back up and shifted the billhook into the fire.

She could hear the reds quietly bickering behind her as she reheated the metal.

'Their arguing over how to repay you for helping them.'

"…"

'What the heck is that?'

"What's, what?"

'That glowing thing over there.'

Buttercup turned just in time to see Blossom rushing over to the bags. A biohazard green light was spilling out of one of the pockets. Brick stepped in the way again just before Buttercup could see what it was. This boy was seriously getting on her nerves.

Since he was obviously gonna be an ass about it, Buttercup simply turned back to her billhook. Brick then made his way over to stand beside Blossom.

'It looks like a necklace.' Volnus hissed, watching the two teens. Brick obviously hadn't realized Volnus was watching while Buttercup's back was turned. 'By the way their arguing over it I'd have to say its pretty important.'

"When are they not arguing? I don't even know them and I can tell they bicker non stop." the billhook was placed back on the anvil as she whispered.

'Like you don't pick a fight with every guy you meet.'

"I do NOT!"

'Really…'

"…Ok maybe I do."

'Exactly. Now, back to the situation a-'

A loud banging on the door overhead had Buttercup jumping to her feet. She sprang up, grasping the handle and tugged the door open.

"Ventus! Aurum wants you NOW!" At the door was bulky man, maybe about five foot four. Far shorter than Buttercup's near six foot status. She recognized him from the local taverns as one of Aurum's lackeys. "Argentum's causing trouble in town again."

"Ugh! When will that guy learn?" Buttercup growed loudly. "Tell Aurum I'm coming."

With a quick nod the scruffy little man ran off. Slamming the door close, Buttercup stomped angrily over to her cot, kicking aside stray weapons. She flipped it over roughly, ignoring the startled protest of the reds and Raptors beside it.

There, beneath the frame lay a quarterstaff. The long weapon glowed brightly with it's many encrusted jewels. Unlike normal quarterstaffs Buttercup had used hides and bones in place of wood.

Making her way back to the door, she was surprised to see Blossom following her. "You do know I'm headed out to a fight, right?"

"Yep. Thought I'd come in case you needed any help."

'I highly doubt that.' Volnus murmured.

"I'm not gonna bail you out if you get in trouble again."

"I know."

"Suit yourself."

•••000•••

I had no idea how to end this chapter sooo… yah. BUTTERCUP FINALLY SHOWS UP! I was so conflicted on how to make her. I couldn't decide on wether I would make her with long hair or have her look more like the Anime version with short spiked hair. I was also conflicted on wether or not I would make her use a weapon. I decided on the weapon and then was torn between having her use a hammer or a staff. I've always thought it was pretty cool to see her carrying around this freaking huge ass hammer and swinging it around like it didn't weigh a thing. At the same time I wanted her to have a staff instead. It's always been cool to see people twirl around those long ass things and not get hurt. I tried it once and hit myself in the head… haha it hurt.

On another note I just realized I've been spelling 'Erie' wrong all this time…boy do I feel stupid… its supposed to be Eerie… I got used to the spelling already though so I'm not gonna change it.

Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried to make it longer since the last one was significantly shorter than my usual standard.

Please leave a review. Thank you! ^_^