Chapter 15: Two Worlds Collide

*******Where We Left Off*******

Heimdall stood there a moment observing the assembled arrivals. He knew the potential for violence was there with their arrival. However, he knew that Atali cared deeply for some of them. The two groups would have to learn to co-exist. His eyes focused on the leader, the one bonded the most to their princess. Not even death would stop this one from seeking to protect. It was bred into her essence. She would be a worthy ally.

Finally, he nodded and pointed. "You will find what you seek through those doors. Remember, Asgard is a friend and protector to earth. We are not your enemy," he said. Then he turned back and walked back to his post.

Buffy frowned after the strange man. His penetrating gaze had seemed to look inside of them. She dismissed him and led the group across the crystal bridge. When they got inside, two guards tried to stopped them. Buffy took one and Illyria the other. Shortly, both soldiers were knocked out. They proceeded forward until they made it to the throne room.

The door opening served to announce their arrival. Thor was still in the throne room talking to his father. When he saw the guests, he smiled and walked toward them. Xander quickened his pace, determined to give the god a piece of his mind.

"Friends!" Thor exclaimed with a happy smile and open arms.

His friendly greeting served to enrage Xander. Xander walked up to Thor and instead of yelling, Xander slugged him. It was like hitting a brick wall. "Ow!" he moaned as he immediately clutched his now throbbing hand. He had to settle for glaring at the blonde demi-god.

Thor frowned. "Yoyr sister is safe. I'm sorry for worrying you," he said apologetically.

Buffy moved forward and pulled Xander back. Wordlessly, she looked at the too perfect looking Asgardian. Thor's stance spoke of confidence and power and entitlement. It was that entitlement that enraged her. He thought nothing of taking her sister to another freakin' planet! He thought he was above them and could do whatever the hell he pleased. Buffy was convinced of this as she looked at him. For the first time in a long time, she allowed all her rage to fuel her as she swung her fist and hit him with all her ample strength.

Thor looked more than surprised when Dawn's tiny human sister hit him. The fact that her blow was so strong it knocked him off his feet took him off guard. He hit the ground with such force that Mjolnir was knocked off his belt and skidded away from him.

Xander wasn't sure what compelled him to quickly move forward to grab the hammer. He knew he was the weakest one present. He was used to that, but it didn't make things easier. He didn't want to feel weak, especially when the woman he loved was threatened. Xander thought the hammer would be like the troll hammer Buffy used to beat Glory to death—too heavy for him to pick up. However, something pushed him to bend down and pick it up. It was so light it didn't feel real. He was so focused on his actions he didn't notice the four warriors that entered or hear their surprised gasp as they saw him hold something he should not be able to. For one brief moment in time, Xander felt like he could do anything.

"Xander!" Buffy called out. She held out her hand. Effortlessly, Xander tossed the hammer to Buffy, who easily caught it. Buffy tossed her scythe to Kennedy as she did so.

The power that filled Buffy as her hand clasped the handle of the hammer caused her to gasp in surprise. It was similar to the effect the scythe had but different. There was no sense of ownership, however. This was not hers. She knew that. But she wasn't above teaching this arrogant prince a lesson in manners.

Thor was stunned as the one-eyed human picked up his hammer. Even more so when the human tossed it to Atali's sister, who caught it like it weighed nothing. He glanced at his father as he got to his feet. "You should not be able to do that!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Buffy stalked him. "Yeah, there's a lot of things I shouldn't be able to do. Eat six hot dogs in a row, French braid my own hair, come back from the dead, and kick your arrogant ass," she said, swinging the hammer at his head. It was only instinct that caused him to duck.

Odin watched the new arrivals with curious eyes. These were people who loved his Atali; he knew this. The girl so effortlessly yielding his son's weapon was a surprise. Odin was curious and didn't stop the confrontation. He did, however, hold up his hand and call the hammer to him. No sense in anyone getting seriously hurt.

Sif, Fandal, Hogun, and Volstagg were never far from Thor when he was in Asgard. Word of his arrival from earth had reached them. They were on their way to greet him when they saw two fallen guards outside the throne room. Although the guards were alive, they approached the room with weapons ready. Seeing a small group of humans armed for battle surprised them. However, seeing their leader and friend on his back with another person—a woman at that—wielding his hammer unnerved them. The woman had caught the hammer as another human threw it to her. How was this possible?

As one, they moved forward and attacked. Angel and Spike found themselves battling Fandal, while Steve and Clint engaged Hogun. Kennedy battled Sif while Volstagg engaged Illyria. All four warriors were more than a little surprised to discover their foes able to fight them so readily.

Volstagg rubbed his jaw as the weird-looking blue woman knocked him back. "That's no way to make friends!" Volstagg said with a grin.

"I have no need of friends," Illyria said haughtily.

"If we're not friends, we're enemies," Volstagg said as he moved to engage her again. They exchanged fierce blows. Illyria was quickly delighted to discover that the Asgard was not frail but a real challenge. She exerted herself as she had not since the demon hordes had invaded Los Angeles.

Willow and Xander had moved to stand by Buffy. Willow watched as the old man on the throne somehow pulled Thor's hammer from Buffy's grasp. She eyed the one-eyed old man, sensing power—an incredible amount of power. This must be the All-Father she'd heard about. His gaze met hers. Willow's eyes widened as she felt his mental brush. Quickly, she threw up mental defenses, but she realized it was for naught. He saw too much. For the first time in a very long time, Willow was shaken by someone else's power. She broke off her gaze and looked at Buffy, her concern on her face.

Thor got angrily to his feet. He didn't know how they were able to wield his hammer. He resented his father's interference but knew that if the All-Father had his weapon, he would keep it until he wanted to give it back to Thor. So Thor faced the two angry humans.

"Where is Dawn?" Buffy bit out. "Tell me now or Willow will tear apart this realm until you cough her up!"

Thor looked at the redheaded witch unconcerned. No one could challenge the All-Father. "You won't find Asgard so easily conquered," he said. "As for Dawn, she is Atali, my sister, and she is with my mother."

"Bring her to me now before I kick your ass like it's never been kicked before!" Buffy threatened, ignoring his absurd claim. The man was obviously delusional.

Thor no longer found the petite warrior amusing; his anger grew. He clenched his fists in growing irritation as he faced her. However, he was distracted by the sounds of battle and saw Sif and his Warriors Three fighting his Avenger friends. He called out. "Hogun! Stop! Those are my friends!"

Hogun grinned at Thor. "But I'm having fun!"

Clint shook his head. These Asgards were so unlike humans. Hogun had been trying to kill both him and Steve. The two Avengers had been hard pressed to defend themselves. One word from Thor and the Asgardian stepped back with a grin. "Sorry!" he called.

Not too far away, Frigga had been showing Dawn around. She wanted to immediately take her to Loki but had refrained, knowing it wasn't yet time for that. She couldn't resist taking Dawn to her own quarters where a picture of Atali hung. Dawn was a bit freaked to see a painting of a woman that was her but not.

"That is you. You were about a few years younger than you are now. You hadn't reached maturity yet. The boys were so young then," Frigga said, smiling at her favorite picture. The painting showed Atali smiling down at her two brothers, who were only five in the picture. Atali had been sixteen when the painting had been made.

Dawn could recognize Thor in the blonde boy. He was confident and smiled proudly. The other had dark hair and a shy smile that somehow touched Dawn even though she knew that particular boy had grown up to be evil. Loki had unleashed death and destruction on earth. The woman in the photo had Dawn's eyes but her hair was lighter in color, a golden honey colored. Her face was shaped a bit different. It was more than a little disconcerting.

Sounds of fighting, though, drew their attention. "What's going on?" Dawn asked.

"I do not know," Frigga said with a frown. The two left her quarters, heading toward the noise. They spotted two prone guards. Frigga checked them and discovered they were just unconscious. "Be careful," she said to Dawn as they approached the entrance.

Dawn and Frigga walked into the throne, taking in the scene. Dawn realized her sister had arrived and called out, "Buffy!"

Her cry served to stop the various fights. Illyria took advantage of Volstagg's distraction and hit him so hard he went airborne. She watched with satisfaction as he crashed hard into a pillar. Dawn ran by her and embraced her sister.

"Are you hurt?" Buffy asked, examining her for injuries.

Odin finally stood. "Enough!" he called out. His voice was like a whip, muscles moved to obey without conscious thought. The newcomers beheld him with awe. Illyria frowned and faced the king. She knew Odin would be the real threat, so she approached the slayer and her sister, standing guard.

Frigga slowly walked through the now parted groups. She stood below the throne. "Please, don't fight," she said to the group. Dawn had spoken with her about her human life as Frigga showed her around. She knew that her daughter loved the humans on earth.

"It's okay, Buffy. They didn't hurt me. They think I'm their daughter," Dawn revealed. She hugged Xander, who was relieved to find her unhurt.

"What? Your daughter?" Buffy asked, looking up at the Agards. Thor's claim that she was his sister Atali had seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Now, however, Dawn was confirming his words.

"We are sorry for causing you such undue concern," Frigga said easily. She gave them a friendly smile. She looked at Dawn. "Please, introduce your friends to us."

Dawn looked and realized Angel and Spike were both there. "Hey!" she said happy to see them both. She moved to hug Spike then Angel. "How did you guys get here?" she asked them.

"Your sister called us. Illyria can open portals," Angel said.

"Red couldn't manage it," Spike said with a snicker.

"She would've eventually," Kennedy said confidently.

"You were Thor-napped, so we came to rescue you," Spike said with a grin.

Dawn laughed. "Thor-napped? Well, I guess that's true!" she said. She looked at the Asgards. "These are my friends. This is Angel, Spike, and Kennedy." She frowned at Illyria, never having officially met her.

"I am Illyria," she said haughtily. "I was once a god. Now I'm a shell of my former glory."

"You were never a god," Odin said with a knowing frown. "You were a demon. You ruled a demon realm. Demons are not allowed on Asgard, so you should be glad you are in your human form now."

Illyria gave the All-Father an angry glare. "I was never a mere demon! I was an Old One, a shaper of things. Ruler of the primordium!"

"Yet in your core, a demon," Odin replied knowingly. Then he dismissed her, eying Angel and Spike. "Why do I sense demons in your friends?" He looked at Dawn for an answer.

"They are vampires, but they have souls. They are not evil," she said hurriedly. "They are champions for mankind."

Odin peered at them, reading their thoughts, learning their essence. "Hmmm. One received his soul as punishment, the other fought for his. Both are driven by the love for the same women. The cursed one, however, is the one with the destiny," he voiced absently. Then he nodded thoughtfully. "Fine. You may stay."

Spike and Angel looked uncomfortable at both the man's words and his gaze that stripped them down. Spike didn't appreciate his comment, however. "I have a destiny!" he protested to the king. "I'm not just some whipping boy!"

"You are my whipping boy," Illyria said with a smile.

Spike glared at her. Before he could speak further, Odin nodded. "You have given your life for mankind, have you not?" he asked.

Spike nodded. "The one time. I was brought back," he said without explaining.

Odin nodded. "Yes. You earned another life. Would you like the burden of your demon stripped away?" Odin asked.

"You could do that?" Spike asked incredulously.

"There is nothing the All-Father cannot do!" Fandal boasted.

Spike shook his head. "My demon gives me my power, my immortality," he said. He would never let himself be weak again. William had been a joke. Spike was feared.

"It is not the only way, but that is fine," Odin said, dismissing him.

Thor stepped forward. "This is Steve and Clint, known as Captain America and the Hawk. They are my friends. They helped me defeat Loki and the Chitauri," Thor introduced.

"Welcome to Asgard. I hope Earth has recovered from the actions of my wayward son," Odin said.

"For the most part," Steve said.

Odin looked at the three that surrounded Atali. Dawn was holding the hand of the one who had been able to pick up Thor's hammer. Dawn saw his gaze and said, "This is my family. That's Willow. Buffy is my sister. And this is Xander." She paused and looked uncertainly at Buffy when she added, "My boyfriend."

"You will not be mated with a human," Odin said dismissively. "However, this human was able to wield Mjorlin. No easy feat."

"How could he, Father?" Thor inquired. "None but I should be able to."

"No. Remember, I spelled it when you were banished to earth. Only those that were worthy to call on the power of Thor can wield it," Odin explained as he examined Xander and Buffy. "The boy is perfectly human but has a pure, warrior's heart. The hammer recognized this. Strength or power has nothing to do with it." He gazed at Buffy and smiled. "You, my child, are extraordinary."

"What I am is pissed," Buffy said, finally speaking, ignoring his compliment. The man held great power—she could sense that. However, he seemed to be taking this god-thing entirely too seriously. "One, stop calling my sister Atali. Her name is Dawn. Two, you have no say over who she can or cannot "mate" with (she said this with a grimace). Three, your idiot son dared to take my sister from me. You will let us all go now before I show all of you exactly how extraordinary I am!"

"And me," Willow said, speaking for the first time.

Odin examined Willow. "You are unusual for a human, are you not?" he asked her.

Dawn spoke for her. "Willow is a mega-powerful witch. You don't want to piss her off. I want to go home. Don't make this a fight," Dawn said.

Odin frowned. "You are my niece, Atali, a princess of Asgard, our adopted daughter, sister of Thor and Loki. Your friends are welcome here. But why would you leave?" he asked.

"Because I don't know you people. I can't be this Atali! I already have one set of false memories in my head. I don't need another!" Dawn said in distress.

"You know that your life as Dawn Summers is false, yet you would still seek to return to it?" Odin asked, puzzled.

"My memories are false but not my life. For the past nine years, I have been with them on earth. I love them. They love me. Buffy died for me. She's my family!" Dawn insisted.

"Why do you think she's Asgardian?" Willow asked curiously.

"Because she is. She has told me about being this key. However, that is not all she is," Odin said. He explained how she was Atali before she was the key and how she was taken from them. "So you see, she belongs here with us."

Buffy had listened to his tale with growing disbelief and dismay, as well as a tinge of fear. This was not a threat she had ever prepared for. "We are just supposed to take your word for it? She has no memory of being this Atali. Right now she is 100% human. Therefore, she belongs on Earth with her family."

"There's a simple solution," Odin said. He stepped down from the throne. "I will simply restore Atali." Without waiting for a reply, he pointed his staff at Dawn and white energy came from it, engulfing her completely.

Immediately, Willow reacted, knocking Odin with her own wave of power. Although it served to move him away from Dawn, it didn't serve to release Dawn from whatever it was he was doing to her. Whatever Odin had set in motion didn't seem to hurt her, however, since she wasn't crying out. In fact, the energy surrounding her was so thick, she couldn't be seen at all.

"What are you doing to her?" Buffy demanded.

"She will not be harmed," Odin assured her. "I am restoring her."

"To what?" Buffy demanded.

"She is Asgardian," he said simply as if that explained it.

Willow started chanting. Before she could do more, however, Frigga cast a spell of her own. A clear bubble surrounded Willow. She hit it with her hands. It was solid. She worked to break the wall.

"Tell your friend to calm down," Frigga said. "We would never hurt Dawn."

Willow succeeded in breaking through Frigga's clear cage. Now she was angry, her hair and eyes white. "Release her!" she ordered.

Odin knew the witch was extremely powerful and could cause much damage. He knew, too, that his niece loved her, so he could not harm her. Therefore, he did the only thing he could do. He pointed his spear, Gungnir, at her and released a wave of power that engulfed her, and she disappeared.

Xander and Buffy both cried out. "What did you do?" Buffy asked fearfully.

"Relax. She is unharmed. I simply sent her back to earth. She is too powerful and volatile. I wish not to harm her as she is dear to Atali," Odin explained.

"You teleported her to another galaxy?" Buffy asked, her mind unable to grasp a being with that much power.

"He is the All-Father, protector of the Nine Realms. His Odinforce can do much," Thor said proudly.

"Fear not. We mean you no harm," Frigga said, trying to keep the peace.

The others were equally dismayed at the king's display of power. Those that knew Willow and her power couldn't conceive of anyone being stronger than Willow. For the first time in a very long time, they were completely unnerved. Xander and Buffy exchanged worried glances. How could they win against gods?

******To Be Continued*******

I hope what I had Odin do wasn't a let down, but I couldn't actually see the god of wisdom hurting Willow or even try to. In my research I read that he could use his Odinfore to teleport entire populations to other planets, so...

More Asgard adventure in the next chapter! Thanks for reading and thanks for your enthusiasm!