Chapter Nineteen: Reunion

Alphonse clapped his hands to his ears in an attempt to ward off the most mind-shredding sound he had ever heard. Finally, he knew of a sound more awful than Hugin's lecturing or the screams of panicking crowds. Somehow, it was the shriek of ecstatic girl-friends. Seriously, he thought with his eyes screwed shut, how can we even still hear something this high-pitched?

Said women, Anna and the Coronan princess Rapunzel, were competing as to who could crush each other tighter. Kristoff and the Coronan consort (Eugene, he thought) had simply bumped fists, apparently unaffected by their wives squeals of joy. Both women broke apart at Elsa's approach, but the Snow Queen quickly melted into the joyous reunion (though, thankfully, at a much lower volume). Alphonse quickly checked his ear for blood and thankfully found none.

With a quick check to make sure Elsa was distracted, the mage tried to stand from his infirmary bed. He yelped as he was forced back down by said queen, a steely look in her eyes almost daring him to disobey. With his cheeks tinted pink (both in embarrassment and just a little reverence), Alphonse settled back against the pillows. His embarrassment only grew at the sight of Anna and Rapunzel trying, and utterly failing, to mask their giggles. Eugene mimed a whip cracking, complete with sound effect. Alphonse may have been raised in the woods by supernatural birds, but even he knew what that meant.

"Alphonse," Elsa said, tone just-too-innocent, "this is Princess Rapunzel of Corona and her husband, Eugene Fitzherbert." Rapunzel waved with a beaming smile and Eugene also waved, though much more subtly.

"So is this the sorcerer you wrote about?" Rapunzel asked, tactful as always. Even with Elsa's nod of confirmation, the lost-and-found princess had a little trouble seeing it. Maybe if he was standing and dressed in the cloak like Elsa had described (her letter had been far less formal and far more descriptive than the copy sent to Fredric) instead of laying in a hospital bed?

As if reading her mind, Alphonse lifted a hand, the air above it flaring with blue fire that disappeared as he closed his fingers. But more than that, the look in his eyes spoke of eldritch power and unflinching determination, not to mention the cold of Elsa's hardest ice. Yep, now she could see it.

Even as Rapunzel and Eugene examined him, he was doing the same to them. Their names echoed in the back of his mind, flaring on the list of Residuum, elves, dwarves, trolls, and countless other entities that seemed to be repeating on an endless loop in those dark depths. And not only their real names, but whom they had been Before. He focused, covering his blue eye, and Saw them. The goddess Sunna and a distorted form of Baldr, like looking through a sheet of choppy water.

"So how'd you guys get here?" Anna asked. Rapunzel and Eugene's smiles faded into matching masks of solemnity as they glanced at each other, their gazes speaking volumes. Eugene sighed and held up a hand, as if beckoning his wife forward. Rapunzel cleared her throat and looked at all of them in turn.

"It's ... kind of a long story," she began.

It was a long story.

Anna had covered her mouth at the part of Hodr's death, while Elsa and Kristoff wore matching expressions of focus, eyes narrowed and faces revealing nothing. Alphonse felt a flash of sorrow at the passing of Hodr (he was, after all, a son of Odin) and began to compose exactly how he would explain all of this.

Alphonse wasn't a fool. He had heard rumors (and experienced more than one Dream) of the Coronan princess gifted with sun-magic, a form of cosmic magic similar to and yet very different from Elsa's. He snickered inside at Fate's sense of humor, given who her Remnant was.

"So you two are like us?" Anna asked. At Rapunzel's nod of confirmation, Anna squealed again and embraced her cousin. Alphonse, having somehow seen this coming (maybe he was finally adjusting to Anna's special form of crazy) had preemptively covered his ears again.

"So who's your Other?" Anna asked. Rapunzel hesitated before answering.

"I think Hodr called me-"

"Sunna," Alphonse finished. "Or Sol, to some. The dwarves called her 'Dvallin's deluder', the elves called her 'lovely wheel', and the jotun called her 'everglow'. To gods she was 'sunshine' and to Aesir she was 'all-shining'. And to men, she was simply 'the sun'." Wow, he thought idly, when they say "all names of all the gods", they weren't kidding. He had barely realized he was speaking!

"Okay," Eugene said dryly, "that explains that." Alphonse's reply was a level gaze, one that had Eugene shifting a little after a few moments. The mage snickered in success before continuing.

"In the Time Before, Sunna was literally the sun, a powerful goddess that rode above the Nine Realms to bring light, heat, and life to them. She and her brother, Mani, were pursued by Fenrir's oldest sons, Hati and Skoll, who strove to eat them. They would, eventually, during Ragnarok. But not before Sunna gave birth to a daughter," he pointed out the window to the setting sun, "who would take up the mantle for After the End."

Rapunzel, after a moment of stunned silence (she wasn't used to Alphonse's exposition speeches) started to giggle, which devolved into outright laughter. After a few moments, she sobered up and explained.

"I would be the rebirth of the sun," she said, gesturing to her chocolate-brown locks. Eugene chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair, adoration in his gaze. Rapunzel leaned into the contact, then her eyes widened as if she had a crazy idea. She looked down at Alphonse and approached, placing a hand on the side of his neck and the other on his stomach, and began to sing.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine," her palms began to shine with golden light, her hair turning golden-blonde, "make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt, change the Fates' design," Alphonse felt warmth filling his wounds, soothing the pain away, "save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine~" Her voice seemed to grow richer with that last drawn-out note, and her hair returned to its previous state.

Alphonse removed her hands and tore (or more accurately, magically burned) off the bandages surrounding his neck. He lunged for a mirror and checked for the ragged gash, finding only a smooth, thin scar. Removing the bandages from around his stomach revealed a faint, circular scar where his other wound had been.

Alphonse stood and felt no pain, then collapsed to the floor with a grunt. Anna rushed to help him, but he waved her off. "I'm fine, just-" he gave a faint hiss, "pin and needles." Alphonse stamped his foot, grimacing all the while, and shook it off.

"You can still heal people?" Anna asked/demanded, whirling back to Rapunzel. The princess only shrugged.

"Don't ask me. I thought my powers were lost when my hair was cut."

"Not lost," Alphonse corrected, "dormant. The power was always inside you; your hair was just the most convenient way to channel it." At the group's blank looks, Alphonse chuckled and pressed on. "When you were born, your body had to find a way to rid itself of the excess magic that built up in your body, which it found in your hair. Your hair looked blonde because of the continual release of sun magic.

"As you grew up, your body adjusted, but your hair continued to act as a conduit. When it was cut, that conduit was severed and your magic was fully internalized. You just needed the right push to get it flowing again." He gestured at himself, at his new scars.

Before anyone could respond, a guardsman burst through the door, panting as if he had run all the way there and a frightened look in his eyes. "Your majesty," he addressed Elsa, "please come with me. Something has happened that my captain believes you should see."

Elsa stared at the body that lay before her, only the tenseness of her jaw betraying the anxiety and fury that warred beneath the surface. Anna and Rapunzel were openly horrified at the pale corpse, a gaping hole in its lower chest. Eugene held his wife close, his fingers opening and closing in a nervous habit, while Kristoff did the same with Anna, eye faintly twitching. Only Alphonse seemed unaffected as the physician elaborated on the body's condition with cool professionalism.

"The guardsmen found the body earlier this evening, and several more just like it. He, and the others, appear to have died from blood loss rather than drowning - not surprising given the, uh …" he gestured at the hole. "His ribcage was shattered, but all of his remaining organs are intact. The only thing missing was his-"

"Liver," Alphonse said at the same time. The doctor looked at him in surprise.

"How did you know?" he asked. Alphonse closed his fingers in suppressed fury, the knuckles audibly popping.

"Because I have a feeling I know what did this." He approached the corpse and lifted it head. "But just to be sure …" Alphonse began whispering in that strange, incomprehensible way and his eyes flashed. Not a heartbeat later, the corpse stiffened and drew a rattling breath, its eyes blue and gold to match the mage's. Everyone in the room drew back, Rapunzel actually squeaking in surprise.

"Who are you?" the corpse asked in a harsh whisper. "Where am I? I saw a bright light and I felt something grab me and pull me down." The corpse gasped in mortal terror. "Is this … hell?" Alphonse chuckled reassuringly.

"No, it's not hell. You'll be back on your way soon enough. I just need to ask a few questions." The corpse looked around unseeingly and sighed before nodding. "What do you last remember?" The corpse didn't hesitate.

"I was walking home after my shift at the castle when I heard something strange. It drew me into the woods and I realized it was music. Beautiful, enchanting music. I eventually came to the edge of the river and found a skinny young man playing a violin. Next thing I knew, I was weeping waist-deep in the river. The man grabbed me and dragged me down - I fought and thrashed, I felt my chest burst and burn with pain, and then the currents drew me away. I grew weaker and weaker, and …" The corpse looked at Alphonse with frightened eyes, lips trembling.

"Don't worry," Alphonse soothed, "I will find the thing that did this and make sure it never happens again." Alphonse asked his name and about his family, to which the corpse answered and begged for someone to look after his wife. Alphonse assured him that Elsa would take care of them. He placed his hand over the corpse's eyes and smoothed his eyes shut. A look of peace enveloped the undead man and he fell back down, once again completely dead.

Alphonse straightened and glanced at the group before him, all their mouths open in shock.

"When did you learn to do that?" Kristoff asked. Though his solemn expression never wavered, Alphonse could feel his cheeks turning red. Maybe he should have asked for privacy before doing that.

"Just now. One of the charms manifested. The skill to speak to the dead and learn their secrets." Alphonse cleared his throat and strode toward the door. "Now, if you will all excuse me, I have a job to do and a Nokken to catch."

Alphonse stood over his bed, organizing the tools he would need for this. He had "taken care of" a few Nokkens in his time and knew exactly what he needed. As he glanced over his small collection of knives, he felt a mix of nausea and gratification. Part of him loved killing these rouge Ashlanders, removing the monsters that would harm humans and the environment around them. Another part felt guilty that he enjoyed killing them at all.

Alphonse's musings were broken by a soft knock at his door. Even without looking, he knew who it was; his heart couldn't lie. The mage turned to find Elsa watching him. He gave a faint smile, one that mirrored her own, and approached to stand before her.

Elsa placed her hand against the side of his face, her thumb gently caressing as she just … looked at him. Alphonse leaned into the touch, the simple action like a balm to his tortured soul. Perhaps it was one to hers as well. Without thought, Alphonse placed his hands on her waist to draw her closer. They leaned in and rested against each other, foreheads gently touching.

Alphonse didn't know what to think about this. Never since his long-lost family had anyone ever made him feel so at peace.

Elsa shifted and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead. Alphonse smiled, a true smile and returned the gesture. As he turned to leave, Alphonse felt Elsa's grip on his wrist (when had she grabbed his wrist?) tighten.

"Stay," she whispered. Not a command; a heartfelt request. Alphonse turned to her, his resolve hardening. He had a job to do. But looking at Elsa, at the sadness in her eyes, he felt that resolve begin to fracture. As she drew him into a hug, her face resting against his chest, it crumbled to bits. And so he stayed with her, simply soaking in her very presence.

At the end of the hall, Anna and Rapunzel watched this all play out with warm smiles. Oh, those two were just so perfect for each other! Besides, Anna thought, it's time Alphonse lets us handle one of their own problems for once.

Out at the edge of the town, Kristoff stood with his back to a tree, reading over some entries copied from Alphonse's journal that Anna had given him. (How she got a hold of them was beyond him.) Anna had asked Kristoff to handle the Nokken, as he had the greatest knowledge of supernatural creatures aside from Alphonse. She didn't know it, but he had actually encountered a Fossegrim, an uncorrupted Nokken, when he was younger. It had been kind enough to teach him how to play his lute.

A rise of magic drew Kristoff's attention, his Fetch senses picking it up like a burst of sunbeams. He grinned as he saw what seemed to be golden nodes of light, like dust caught in the sunlight shining through a window, settle in the air of Arendelle. It seemed Anna had done as she promised and devised a counter to the Nokken's enchantment.

As if on cue, the ice harvester caught the first traces of the music wafting from the mountains. Kristoff stood and began walking, clutching the amulet Anna had given him that would, in her own words, mask his magical presage, the natural "scent" that all creatures of magic gave off. Not that it would need much; Elsa's presage was apparently so strong it could mask a small army of magicians.

Rather than fight the music, Kristoff let it guide him, his thoughts carefully shielded from the full effects. Kristoff grinned as he thought over his condensed mass-lesson with Thor, remembering his surprise that the Thunderer had taught him far more than fighting.

Thor, despite his appearance, was actually quite smart. He had taught Kristoff about the creatures of what he called the "Ashland community", creatures that had survived Ragnarok (it wasn't just humans; all races had had a few survivors) and built upon the lessons Kristoff had gotten from Grand Pabbie. He had taught him how to shield his mind from enchantment, to think strategically and tactically (not the same thing), and that some situations (though not many) required finesse rather than force.

As Kristoff drew closer to the river, he could feel the effects of the melody getting stronger. He breathed deep and focused on an image of Anna, of her soft strawberry hair, her adorable giggle (her adorable everything), and the kindness that had only grown stronger during this whole Residuum thing that had risen up.

After some time, Kristoff emerged into a clearing to find the Nokken. Unlike Fell the Fossegrim, who had brown hair and tanned skin, this Nokken had black hair and skin almost deadly pale, faint blue veins visible in part of it. He was dressed in navy clothes to camouflage with the water.

The Nokken glanced up as he continued playing, a little surprised that his prey had stopped moving. The creature grinned and ceased his music, lowering his violin to rest at his side. His gaze moved up and down Kristoff, his eyebrow raising in confusion.

"You are the echo of the All-Father?" Bornemann scoffed. "Why would he need me to whittle down these guards if this is the worst he's up against?" As the spoke, the Nokken failed to notice the winds beginning to strengthen, the power charging the air.

Kristoff kept his expression carefully neutral as he removed the dormant Mjolnir from his coat pocket, hidden in his closed hand. He silently willed thunderheads to begin rolling in, the skies heeding his call. Kristoff grinned, nothing kind in the look, and flicked the hammer to its true size, claps of thunder emanating from the darkened skies.

Bornemann turned blue in fear, realizing his mistake. This wasn't Odin; this was the dreaded Thor! Loki hadn't told him of this! Suddenly panicking, the water spirit dove for the protection of the river. He hadn't even touched the waters before he was blown back by a hail of lightning that vaporized the current, leaving a momentary hole in the waters.

Bornemann groaned as he tried to regain his bearings. He made it to his wobbling feet before he felt something grab hold of him and he was smashed against a tree. As his vision cleared, Bornemann barely stifled a shriek of fear at the sight of Kristoff's murderous glare.

"I have only one question," Kristoff said, almost too-quietly to hear. "Where is Hans?" Like Thor, Kristoff was far smarter than he looked. It hadn't taken him long to figure out why this creature was targeting Arendelle's guardsmen. Every dead guardsman left Arendelle just a little weaker, the royal family and the people they protected just a little more vulnerable. And it was foolish to think that a Nokken would risk the wrath of the Snow Queen on his own. This had to be Hans's work.

Bornemann's eyes narrowed, his fear giving away ever-so-slightly to confusion, before they widened in realization. "So that is his name now?" he asked. The Nokken grunted as Kristoff slammed him against the tree again.

"Tell me where he is …" Kristoff growled, holding up Bornemann's violin in his other hand, "or else." Kristoff dropped the violin and placed a foot on it, his weight causing the instrument to creak in protest. Bornemann' breath caught in his throat at the sight. The violin was an integral part of his kind; it was the way they claimed food, what they were born to use, it was their very niche in the world. He felt unshed tears burning in his eyes.

"I don't know," Bornemann answered. Kristoff applied more pressure. "I swear I don't know!" he cried. "Loki summoned me, he gave me this deal!" The tears began falling. "Please let me go; don't hurt my instrument! I'll leave and never return, I swear!" He was openly weeping now, his terror reaching a breaking point.

Kristoff sighed and stepped back, releasing the Nokken. "You will leave." It was a statement, not a question. "But not before you pay for the men you killed." With that, Kristoff stomped on the fiddle, smashing it to bits. Bornemann howled as he felt a bit of himself shatter along with it, collapsing into the grass to cradle his broken violin.

Bornemann looked up at Kristoff, hatred burning in his gaze. He grabbed a rock and lunged. And coughed up blood as he felt a searing wound in his back. The Nokken collapsed back into the grass, dead as a stone with a dagger in his back.

Kristoff stared at the dead Nokken, stunned by the sudden death. His surprise was broken by the sound of faint, dark chuckles emanating from the woods. And out of the shadows strode Hans himself.

"Good evening," Hans said easily.

Fell is a Norse name for "living in the mountains".

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