'To steal the Sun'
Please note that Old Norse is an ancient language, and translations can vary based on context and interpretation. Chapter Titles are also in lower case, as the language did not have capital letters, something that was introduced later in time.
'Feeling high.'
'Running low, running low, so I need a kick.'
'She don't know, she don't know I'm a lunatic.'
'Walk me home.'
'What a night, what a night but the mood is bad.'
'All alone now.'
'It's a lie, it's a lie, it's all in my head.'
'It feels right but it's criminal, our love is criminal, oh, oh.'
'Why you gotta be so beautiful, so beautiful?'
'Baby, you know that I love you to death.'
'But I'm never gonna see you again.'
'Baby, you know that I love you to death.'
'Yeah, I'm never gonna see you again.'
Ted Bundy - Theory of a Deadman
Malfoy Manor
The Grand Library
Night of Samhain - 31st of October 1969
In the heart of Malfoy Manor, nestled amongst the opulent draperies and overstuffed bookshelves, a quiet corner of the grand library held the enchanting secrets of the Malfoy lineage, along with their link with the very Dark Itself.
On this particular evening however, while the air was alive with the whispers of ancient tales and forgotten secrets, two young siblings sat at their mother's feet, eyes wide with a curiosity that only children held as they waited none to patiently for the elder witch to speak.
Helena Malfoy, the twins' mother - and very same elderly witch - was a woman of ethereal beauty and grace. Her soft brown curls hung about her shoulders like a halo, and her caramel-brown eyes held the wisdom of ages passed. She wore a regal gown, woven with (what the children believed to be) the very threads of starlight, as she prepared to tell her tale; one that was like no other, and would reveal the hidden truths of their heritage.
The very room itself seemed to hold its breath, as if in reverence for the moment that was about to unfold. The candles that lined the walls flickered in a synchronised dance, casting shadows across the pages and covers of ancient tomes and First Editions that littered every surface around them. It was a night where secrets and truths would finally be dragged into the light, of when the Fates would align the stars and set two lost souls upon their paths to redemption, and of where the very magic of the manor felt as though it were waiting for the tale about to fall from Helena Malfoy's lips.
"Mother, what is it you wish to tell us?" Lucius Malfoy questioned, the ten-year-old's voice barely more than a whisper; as if he even feared to be the one to break the spell that seemed to hang so heavily in the air.
His mother's smile was warm, eyes filled with both an unconditional love as well as a soul-deep sadness. "My dear ones," she begun, reaching forwards to ruffle her son's platinum locks (of which only earned her a glare from Lucius as he batted the limb away) and smiled at her daughter. "It's time you learned of the legacy that flows through your veins - the legacy of Sol and Mani; the Gods of the Sun and the Moon."
"Gods, Mother?" Helia questioned, whiskey-brown eyes sparkling with eager anticipation. "Like in those stories?"
Helena nodded at the girl who was but a spitting image of her younger self. "Yes, my precious one. But this is not just any old story, Hel. This is the ancient truths of our lineage. You see, long ago, when the world was still young and the skies were but a canvas waiting to be painted, there were two celestial beings."
The twins leaned in closer towards their mother as she begun to weave her tale, their young minds eager to soak in each and every word that passed her lips.
"Sol," Helena explained, her voice carrying a melody of reverence as she revealed the secrets of the Malfoy heritage - just like Abraxas' mother had done to her so long ago when she had been married into the family. "She was the Goddess of the Sun. A radiant figure who rode upon a golden chariot, and of whose hair was akin to the very sun She did pull. She had eyes that beheld the brilliance of a hundred, thousand stars, for it was She who brought warmth and light to the world, driving away the darkness that had once been the 'Eternal Night'."
Lucius' gaze was fixed upon his mother, captivated by the image she did produce of the Sun Goddess in his mind.
"But She could not rid the world of the dark alone. Mani," the witch continued, a smile lifting the corner of her lips as her tone took on a dream-like wonder. "He was the God of the Moon and brother of Sol. He was a vision of serenity, an unmovable force whose hair was said to be as dark as the night itself, and of whom had eyes that held the very secrets of the cosmos within their depths. It was He who graced the night with His gentle glow, casting out His silvery gleam upon the world and offered light where we had once only known darkness."
Helia exchanged a knowing, excited glance with her brother, the pair recognising the two celestial beings from their studies and bedtime stories. Though, and as their mother's gaze turned solemn, their features turned to confused curiosity.
"Yet, my darlings," Helena continued, placating their expressions with a soft, yet warm smile. "With great power comes great responsibility. Sol and Mani were not just the Gods of the Sun and the Moon; they were the keepers of balance within the world. It was Their presence which ensured that neither Light nor Dark Magic would ever overwhelm the other."
"Light and Dark Magic?" Lucius questioned with furrowing pale brows.
"Like in our studies," Helia interjected, a thoughtful expression having stolen its way across her face. "When we learnt about the moon and the tides," she elaborated when Lucius' expression didn't change, their mother watching the interaction with proud eyes. "The phases of the moon control the tides; fuller the moon, larger the tide. That's why Sol couldn't do it alone, right Mother? She needed Mani to help Her during the night while She was resting?" the girl continued, turning to Helena to ask her questions.
"Exactly," Helena agreed readily, her smile growing with her approval. "The magic of our world is deeply connected to the balance of Light and Dark. It is the essence of our very existence. Yet, with great power also comes great temptation, and there were some Gods who sought to seize the power of Sol and Mani for themselves."
Helia's brown eyes widened with sudden realisation. "The wolves!" she all but shouted, earning herself a glare and a jab in the side from her brother - which went completely ignored as she continued, too caught up in their mother's tale to care. "The ones who chased the Sun and the Moon; Hati and Sköll Hróðvitnisson!"
Helena could do nothing but smile at her daughter's insight (and want to roll her eyes at her son's grumbling about Helia always needing to show off). "Yes, my clever one," she agreed, deciding to just ignore Lucius for the moment. She was certain as she continued with her tale that he would soon forget his grudge and move on, his clear thirst for knowledge being in par with his sister's. "Sköll, the golden wolf, chased Mani with the hope of stealing His gentle light for Herself. While Her brother Hati, the wolf of shadows, did chase Sol, seeking to devour the Sun and plunge the world back into the throws of the Eternal Darkness."
Both twins shuddered at the thought of such malevolent creatures, despite already reading all they could about these wolves. Yet, and again to their surprise, their mother's expression (if at all possible) grew more sombre, and curiosity had the two ten-year-old's inching ever so closer to her seated form.
"It was in a time of great turmoil and conflict, my loves," Helena explained, seeing the change in their body language; the curiosity that sparkled within their eyes. Again she wanted to roll her eyes at her son, already knowing his grudge had been forgotten. She just hoped it would stay that way. "The All-Father, Odin, had just finished chaining the great beast Fenrisúlfr within the bowls of the earth, had already sealed away the daughter of the Trickster God, and threw his second son over Asɡärd's very walls; imprisoning the great serpent within the darkest depths of the deepest seas. The countdown to Ragnarök had begun, and the balance of the cosmos was so very fragile."
"It was not long after the imprisonment of Red-Loki's children, however, did the Gods get a glimpse of just what Ragnarök would rain down upon them. They called it the 'Day of Eternal Night'; a day wherein Mani would pass His sister Sol within the sunlit firmament for the very first time - and cause both to vanish from the skies. It was to be the first ever solar eclipse, but also the first time of which the Gods of the Sun and the Moon would disappear from the mortal plane - and their brother to be released amongst the stars."
"Icarus was the middle child of Fenrisúlfr Hróðvitnisson, and of whom did dwell within the In-Between; a place where nothing is said to exist. There were no Gods that He did have to bow before; Icarus being a wolf that was born not of the Light, and not of the Dark, but one of whom did as he pleased. He was as grey as they came, his only role within the universe being to remind all that even in the darkest of times, when there is no sun to warm the day, and no moon to guide the way, there was always something to be grateful for; that even though the Gods may disappear from the cosmos - if but momentarily - there was still beauty to be found with their loss as He did frolic and dance amidst the stars."
"Yet living within the In-Between; with no Gods, no sun, no moon - not even the very stars that did glitter within the firmament, it truly was a lonely existence. One of which Icarus had unknowingly come to hate. He had grown jealous as He waited within the realm between worlds, knowing that His siblings (despite Their roles practically being never-ending) were doing Their duty and chasing the orbs that did light the skies - orbs which Icarus had never had the pleasure to lay His silver eyes upon."
The young girl seated before her mother felt her heart clench in sympathy for the wolf, unbelieving that someone could be forced to live such a lonely existence.
"Icarus grew more and more bitter towards his siblings with each passing of the sun and moon in the sky," Helena continued, her voice heavy and eyes distant; as if she herself were reliving the events within her tale. "Trapped within His lonely realm, He yearned to see the beauty of the sun and moon, to bask within Their ethereal radiance. But, you see, my dears, Icarus was bound to the In-Between, and no being, not even the All-Father Himself, could break those binds."
"What happened to him, Mother?" Lucius questioned, the boy leaning forwards eagerly in the hopes to learn more. "How did Icarus escape?"
Helena could do nothing but smile at her son's clear eagerness to learn, a twinkle appearing in her caramel eyes despite the saddened tale she was telling. "Despite His isolation, His loneliness, Icarus had found a semblance of peace within the land of dreams. It was there He could imagine the impossible, to envision that what He so did so wish to do. But it was also there where He dreamt of Her; a Goddess unlike any other, and of whom possessed an unimaginable beauty; golden tresses shining like silk under the very Sun Herself."
"It was also within His dreams where Icarus grew to learn temptation, to have tasted but the slightest freedom that His siblings did possess. And upon this Day of Eternal Night, the first solar eclipse to ever occur over our world; just as Mani and Sol were about to disappear from the skies and cast the world into the darkness They had fought so hard to hold back, Icarus struck. For you see, with the solar eclipse came a weakening within the barriers between the Realms, and Icarus, feeling this, did seize the opportunity He felt had been gifted to Him."
The witch watched on as her daughter's eyebrows furrowed, her son's face scrunching up in confusion. "So, Icarus," her ten-year-old daughter begun to ask, clearly unsure as to why Icarus would want to escape the In-Between when He was about to be let free. It really didn't make much sense to her. "He escaped the In-Between and went... where?"
"Icarus' role, his one and only true duty, was to fill the void left by the absence of Mani and Sol within the firmament. He was the Guardian of the In-Between, a wolf born of balance and harmony. He was to dance amongst the stars, embrace the beauty of the Dark, yet guide lost souls from Its labyrinthine embrace and bring solace to those who'd been left behind in the Dark's eternal abyss."
"But on this fateful day, this 'Day of Eternal Night' and when the first time Mani was to overtake His sister within the skies, casting the world into a temporary darkness as They disappeared from the realm, Icarus took His chance. He leaped from the In-Between and raced across the darkening midday skies. And just as He saw that Sol was about to be eclipsed by Her brother, the two Gods about to disappear from the dimming realm, Icarus reached out and grabbed the reins of Sol's chariot."
Whiskey-brown eyes widened in astonishment; Helia unable to believe what she was hearing. The tale had once been oh so familiar to the young witch, though now she found to be twisting into something that almost felt akin to a horror story. "But, Mother," she interjected before Helena could continue, a frown continuing to pull at her lips. "I thought you said that Icarus was meant to bring balance and harmony." The ten-year-old cocked her head to the side, clearly confused. "Why would He try and steal the sun?"
The expression that was marring her mother's face somehow grew even more sombre at the question, though still Helena continued with her tale.
"It is said that in His endless desire to experience the light of the Sun, to feel Sol's warmth and bask in Her radiance, it was so profound that even the All-Father, Odin, had been left speechless by His actions. It was the first time in the All-Father's immortal life did he truly fear what was to come, a vision of the end laying out before his single eye. Icarus betrayed them all with His attempt to steal Sol for Himself and plunge the world into eternal darkness once more - something of which the All-Father had been told would occur at the beginning at the end. Odin was surprised, however, that it was Icarus, with His selfish actions and short-sighted desires, that had come to threaten the very balance of the cosmos."
"What happened next?" the eldest of Helena's twins questioned, Lucius feeling something ache within his chest as he listened. "D-did Icarus succeed?"
"No, my child," the witch was quick to soothe. "As Icarus seized the reins of Sol's chariot, chaos erupted within the heavens. Sol struggled against the silver wolf, Their celestial forms clashing within the skies in a brilliant display of cosmic power. The very fabric of the universe trembled at the impending disaster."
"The Gods were able to stop Him, right?" Helia questioned with a quivering voice, one that was thick with concern as she reached out to grasp her brother's hand.
"The All-Father saw the catastrophe unfolding and knew that he had to act swiftly," Helena recounted, her eyes beginning to glisten as she spoke of the divine intervention that followed Icarus' actions. "He knew, had been warned by the very Norns Themselves that it was to be Red-Loki's children who would bring about the end of all; three children of whom he had already dealt with and imprisoned for all eternity. So, and with a single, might stroke of his enchanted spear, Gungnir, Odin severed Icarus' connection to the Sun."
"However, and without Icarus to guide it, Sol's chariot veered off course. It sped across the firmament, spiralling out of control. The sun's fiery radiance blazed brighter and hotter than ever before, threatening to consume everything in its path."
"What happened next?"
It was Lucius who had asked, his grey eyes wide as he waited none to patiently for an answer. And Helena could only once again smile softly at her son.
"Mani, sensing the imminent disaster, was able to intervene. He hurled Himself between His sister and the earth, shielding our world from Sol's unrelenting fury. The clash of Their celestial bodies unleashed a torrent of energy, and the first solar eclipse came to pass as They disappeared from the realm; Mani still struggling to regain control."
Lucius' eyes widened with awe. "What became of Icarus?" he questioned enthusiastically, wanting to know more; something of which his mother was just fine with allowing as she continued.
"The All-Father's intervention shattered Icarus' connection to Sol's chariot, and He fell from the heavens like a shooting star, His celestial form consumed by the flames of Sol's unrelenting fury. Though Icarus did not die, for Odin had decided on a far more befitting punishment in mind for the wolf who dared to try and steal the sun."
The twin siblings exchanged glances; curiosity clearly piqued.
"What did the All-Father do to Icarus?" Helia asked in an almost hushed anticipation.
Helena's grew distant as she continued to recount the tale, the fate of Icarus. "For his audacious attempt to steal the sun, He was cursed by the All-Father. Odin stripped Him of His celestial form and imprisoned Icarus within a mortal vessel; a man born of the very world He had so foolishly almost destroyed. By the day, He was to walk the world as a mortal, basking in Sol's light, yet never able to touch upon Her beauty."
"By night, however, Odin did gift back Icarus His celestial form. He would be able to turn back into the wolf He once was, though His mind was forever to be locked away from His beastly countenance. The All-Father had seen through Icarus' desire for the sun, and had decided to gift the wolf His most selfish of desires. Forever would Icarus be able to gaze upon Sol's radiant beauty, be able to bask within her warming light. Though forever She was also to be out of His reach. His immortal form, His wolf, was forever to be locked away from His mortal shell, forever tied to the cycle of the moon."
