Another Side

God of War and all associated characters and interpretations are property of Sony Santa Monica. Kingdom Hearts and all associated characters are property of Disney and Square Enix.

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"Kratos….Kratos…" a soft, soothing voice called. The Greek god groaned, his vision swimming in darkness. He tried to open his eyes, only to instantly shut them tighter. "Easy now. Don't push yourself," the voice said. He appreciated the concern, but his last memory was being blasted through the air into a cliff. If there was ever a time to push oneself, it would be after that.

He slowly sat up and slowly rubbed his temples. He opened his eyes to find Freya, expression twisted in exasperated amusement. "Stubborn boar," she said fondly as she held up a cup with some sort of steaming liquid. "Here."

Kratos downed the drink in one gulp. Instantly, his headache vanished. He took a deep breath, eyes roaming the modest room they were in, and the bed he currently lay on. "Where are we?"

"Skjoldr's home." Freya answered. "He offered it up for you to recover."

Kratos nodded—he thought he recognized that carving of a deer on the nightstand.

"How long have I been out?"

"A few hours."

Not as bad as it could have been, then. "Is everyone safe? Those from the festival grounds?"

"None of the revelers were injured—and those that wore the jewelry Sora gave them staved off the cold very well, from what I've been told. They've since been escorted back to their homes."

"And those of us caught in the blast?"

Freya grew silent for a moment. "Atreus was launched into Tyr's temple and landed in the water. He's fine!" Freya assured when Kratos nearly leapt from the bed. "Jörmungandr saved him from drowning, and I worked on him while the other Shield Maidens searched for you." Kratos let out relieved breath and readily relaxed. "Mimir was rattled after crashing into that cliff with you, but well. Sora…" Her lips twisted into a frown. "We haven't found any trace of him. Or Sinmara."

"None at all?" Kratos asked. When Freya shook her head, he grunted. "I doubt they were vaporized by the blast. Both are highly durable."

"Well, I certainly hope Sora's still alive." She sighed. "We can't return the World Tree back to normal without him." Ah, yes. Without the Keyblade, Muspelheim and Niflheim would remain untethered from the other Realms, no longer supplying vital heat and cold to them.

She pursed her lips. "Also, regarding Sora. What do you know about that…shadowy form he took? That…Darkness?"

"Has Mimir not told you anything?" Kratos frowned. "He would know more about the Darkness Sora can wield than I. I know Sora's expanded on the topic for him."

"Mimir is not a warrior." She held up a hand when Kratos made to retort. "And Atreus lacks your experience regarding…otherworldly matters."

Immediately, Kratos knew where she was leading the conversation. "You believe him to be a danger?"

"Anyone that can make a Primordial Being scream in terror is a danger, yes." He had to admit, she had a point.

Kratos sighed and laid his arms across his lap. "While he had certainly grown more…feral, Sora had control of his faculties. He freed Atreus, Mimir and me before truly engaging Sinmara. I do not know if the attack he performed before destroying the device on her chest could have also harmed us, but we were far enough away to not be affected by it. Perhaps by design."

Freya considered his words. "Alright then," she finally said. "We'll inform that if Sora's shaded entirely in black and smoking, he's…nonhostile." Kratos snorted in amusement.

She rose, offering a hand to help him up. "C'mon. Let's greet the others."

Kratos accepted the hand, enjoying the momentary contact. An anchor in the ever-churning storm that was his life.

"How is Sindri?" he asked. "He has been stuck in Niflheim all this time."

Freya frowned as she led him out the room and through the house. "He's…malnourished, and far too cold, even after the potions I've given him. But alive. And asking for you."

"Why?"

"He wants to know what your plan is for stopping Sinmara."

"He presumes I have a plan?"

Freya smirked. "You are the only one here with experience regarding facing Primordial Beings."

Kratos paused at the door, turning to face Freya. "This is one being I would rather not fight."

Her expression grew somber. "I know." She reached up and laid a hand on his shoulder. "But based on what Sindri's saying, you may not have a choice." Kratos grimaced at the truth in her words, but without anything else to say, simply opened the door leading outside.

Kratos stepped outside to find Skjoldr's village operating as normal—that is to say, the Midgardians walked about and performed their various chores and duties. But there was an unmistakable undercurrent of fear in their movements. He briefly saw Skjöldr leading a group of men and women—mages, Kratos recognized—across the village grounds, gesticulating wildly as he spoke in hushed whispers. Their eyes met, and Kratos could practically feel the young mortal's relief rise. But all he did was nod in Kratos's direction as he continued talking.

Kratos saw Atreus, Mimir, Sigrún, Lúnda, and Sindri conversing around the village's central bonfire. Atreus—seated as far away from Sindri as possible—noticed Kratos first. "Father!" he called out, bringing the others' conversation to a halt. "You're okay?"

"Of course." He replied, nodding at Freya. As if she would allow for anything less. He turned to Sindri. "Sindri. You are…well?"

Sindri, huddled under a wool blanket and as close to the fire as possible, scoffed. "Oh yeah, just swell. Being trapped in Niflheim with only an insane anthropomorphic force of nature for company is a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it!" He glared up at Kratos, before wincing and shaking his head. "Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to snap."

Kratos held up a hand as Lúnda laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You have been through quite the ordeal. Anger is expected. However, I was informed that you wished to speak with me."

The dwarf sighed. "Well, I already told these guys, but I'm pretty sure Sinmara's still alive."

"I believe so as well. Do you know where she is?"

"Since no one has come screaming about freak blizzards in the Realms, it's a safe bet she was sent back to Niflheim."

"Aye," Mimir chimed in. "I believe you were about to explain that before Kratos and milady came over."

Sindri nodded, pulling the blanket tighter over his shoulders. "Think of the method I used to bypass the World Tree's divisions as…a stretching out a spring. And the harness was a pair of clamps that forced it to be that way. When Sora destroyed the harness, the spring snapped back into place. Returning to its original state."

"Sending Sinmara to her home Realm, as if she had not evaded the World Tree's partitions," Kratos concluded.

"Precisely!" Sindri grimaced. "It sent her back to where she belongs. But…I've got no idea what that means for Sora."

Kratos hummed, before turning to Sigrún. "Who is searching for Sora?"

"All my sisters save for Hildr and Göndul, and Thrúd—though she's close to exhaustion, after the trick she pulled with the storm." She answered. "Tyr will join, once he and the mages he brought from Vanaheim finished defrosting what's left from the blizzard's aftermath. I took the liberty of sending Olrun to your home to gather his blanket, pillow, and whatever hairs they can find to use for tracking spells." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Though based on Sindri's explanation, I don't have a clue where to even begin. And her majesty can only cast the spells so many times before the effects diminish to nothing." She hesitated for a moment. "And…Sora is—"

Kratos cut her off with a grunt. "Even if he is in that shadowy form, he shall not harm you." The Shield Maiden's wings slumped in relief.

"My mind keeps turning to a dreadful thought," Mimir said with a grimace. "If Sinmara was 'returned to her original state', then could that mean that Sora was sent back to his own World?" They all grew alarmed at the idea—though Sindri just grew confused at the wording. "I mean, Sindir's device is already bypassing the World Tree's barriers. Considering Sora's…everything, it might have possibly taken it a step further."

"Why did you have to say that!" Freya glowered at the talking head.

"I'm an advisor!" Mimir defended himself. "Advice isn't always positive!"

"Why don't we just ask the World Tree?" Atreus spoke up before Freya could lay into Mimir. "It, of anything, would know exactly where Sora is. Especially if he did end up passing through its barriers."

"If that's true, hopefully it didn't take the chance to kill the lad," Mimir said with a grim chuckle. Sindri's eye widened in alarm as he stared questioningly at them all—Lúnda took the chance to whisper into his ear, both easing and compounding his confusion.

Kratos nodded, turning to his son as he collected Mimir and placed him on his belt. "Atreus, are you well enough to come with me?" His son nodded, rising to his feet. "Then we shall be off to see Ratatoskr." It would be an excellent excuse to check on his progress with the World Tree's salve.

"Wait." Sindri rose on unsteady feet. "Are you going…to my old home?"

"Yes."

"Have you been…using it?"

Kratos's expression softened. "All is as you've left it. At most I believe Ratatoskr dusts everything."

Sindri nodded, his face twisting between relief and grief. "Good. That means all my equipment is still there. I've got some ideas that might even the odds against Sinmara." His image flickered, before he let out a low groan. "Dammit. Guess I gotta take the long way."

"Idiot." Lúnda scoffed as she wrapped an arm around him in support. "If you could barely make it here what made you think you could travel to the World Tree itself?" Sindri huffed, weakly waving her off.

Atreus nervously cleared his throat. "Uh…do you need a lift to the nearest Mystic Gateway?" Sindri and Lúnda stared at him—the former's stare like stone. "I mean…time is of the essence."

Lúnda shrugged and turned to Sindri. Their old friend grimaced, shutting his eyes as he debated with himself. Eventually, he sighed. "As long as you don't turn into a bear."

Atreus shifted guilty. "Er, of course. Just…make sure you hold on tight, alright? I'm gonna be moving real fast." He rolled his neck and shifted his form into a deer.

Sindri stared. "….I know I'm really skinny right now, but I'm still a dwarf. We're pretty compact." Atreus snorted, shaking his body before it lit up with Flowmotion. "…Pretty," Sindri snarked, but he did climb atop Atreus. He held onto Atreus's neck shifting to get comfortable. "Lúnda, get there ahead of us and get the forge going." Lúnda nodded and vanished from sight seconds later.

"You need to hold on tighter than that," Mimir said as Atreus pawed the ground. Sindri arched a brow but did tighten his grip. He opened his mouth, but whatever he had to say was lost to the wind—and his own screams—as Atreus leapt high into the air, bounding across rooftops before launching into the woods.

"That Flowmotions of yours is still bizarre," Sigrún remarked as they watch Atreus vanish towards Tyr's temple. Kratos just snorted, before leaping up after his son.

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Kratos landed on the bridge of Tyr's temple to find his son hovering over Sindri as the dwarf leaned against a pillar, panting heavily. "Fuck." The dwarf groaned. "Shave of the rest of my years, why don't you?"

"I did warn you," Atreus replied.

"You didn't mention that you could fly through the air without wings!"

"It's not flying, it's Flowmotion."

"The hell is that?"

"A special kind of magic Sora taught Father, Mimir, and me." Atreus shrugged. "It's…complicated."

Sindri rolled his eyes as Kratos walked past them and opened the door into the temple. There were more Vanir and Aesir guards than normal, Hildr and Göndul directing people from the center room. Kratos ignored them, though Atreus and Mimir made up for it.

After keying the Mystic Gateway for Sindri's old home, the dwarf let out a sigh. "I haven't been back since…" The atmosphere fell at the reminder of Brok's death at Odin's hands. It was almost funny. That one act, of all the evils Odin had performed—of all the strife he'd tried to sow between Kratos, Atreus, and their allies—killing Brok was the final drop that overflowed the bucket.

The Mystic Gateway formed, and Kratos opened the door, revealing one of the World Tree's branches and the Realm it physically lived in.

"Woah," Sindri gasped as he stared out into the distance.

"What is it?" Atreus asked.

Sindri was silent for a moment. "I've spent the last couple weeks working primarily with Primordial Energy from the Spark of the World. Shaping it, converting it—learning all its ins and outs. I'm just…seeing how it all connects, here." Sindri snorted. "I can already see improvements to the device I made Sinmara."

"That's fascinating!" Mimir said in awe. "You know, not even Odin was able to completely bypass the World Tree. The best he could do was—"

"Mimir, shut up." Sindri scowled as the exit gateway formed before them. "The last thing I ever, ever want to hear about is Odin."

Mimir coughed awkwardly. "Er, right. Sorry." Sindri just rolled his eyes, entering the gateway. Kratos and Atreus exchanged a look, before following after.

They passed through the portal, and for the first time in months, Kratos found himself before Brok and Sindri's old home. Matter of fact, around now—the anniversaries of Brok's death and funeral—was the time Kratos would make a visit. The other time he made a dedicated visit was the first time he met the dwarf in Midgard.

Atreus, based on the sorrowful look on his face, had not been here in years. Perhaps since he first left the Realms.

They were alone in the courtyard, Sindri standing limply just ahead of them. With each passing second, Sindri's breaths grew more labored, sweat forming on the back of his neck.

Atreus stepped forward, but stopped himself, and looked to Kratos. Kratos nodded and stepped up beside the dwarf. "Take all the time you need," he said gently.

Sindri shuddered, before shaking his head. "I…Thanks, but I can't. Every second I waste is a second that could be spent working. Besides—" he gestured to the candlelight through the windows—"don't want to keep Lúnda waiting. We'll find our back in Midgard when we're done." With a deep breath, Sindri walked towards the house, just shy of dragging himself forward. His arms trembled as he grabbed the door handles, but he shoved them open regardless, and disappeared inside.

Kratos let out a breath, glad on his friend's behalf. Maybe now, Sindri could truly begin to heal. With that done, he and Atreus walked towards the chime that could summon Ratatoskr.

"Do you think he'll even answer?" Atreus asked. "Given how important that salve is, I doubt he'll want to leave it alone."

"At the very least, he'll send one of his aspects," Mimir replied. "Preferably one of the agreeable ones." Kratos grunted dismissively as he unhooked his ax form his back and aimed at the chime. The last thing he needed was to deal with one of Ratatoskr's manifest emotions, even Perfection.

After he threw the ax, the chime twinkling from the impact, he reconsidered his previous thought. Perfection would be preferable to even the true Ratatoskr at this time. At any time, even.

Seconds later, Ratatoskr—the original one—clambered up to greet them. He wore a brown smock over his usual outfit, which was covered in dry, purple sap. "Ah, Master Kratos! And Atreus! How wonderful, I was about to send Perfection to find you. The salve will be ready by tonight." He cleared his throat and clasped his paws behind his back. "Obviously, the sooner Sora can repair the World Tree, the better. So, I believe that the crack of dawn tomoroow should be good, hm?"

Atreus stepped forward. "Sora's actually the reason we're here. See…he's gone missing."

"…What?"

"Yeah." Atreus rubbed the back of his neck. "See, Sinmara managed to escape Niflheim, and there was this huge fight. It ended with Sora destroying the device, and both of them vanished."

Ratatoskr's face pinched in confusion. "Sinmara? Is not the whole reason why I've spent the last week slaving away over a pot of sap because Sora damaged the World Tree to trap her in her home realm of Niflheim?"

"Yeah. He ended up trapping Sindri too by sheer accident. She forced him to make her a device that was able to bypass the barriers separating the Realms."

Ratatoskr froze. He might have even stopped breathing. Then, the magical squirrel shuddered and fixed Atreus with a too wide smile. "I'm sorry, I blacked out for a second. What was that last part?"

"Sindri…" Atreus took a bracing breath. "He developed a way to bypass the World Tree and travel the Realms without it."

"…I'm sorry, I think I blacked out again." Ratatoskr chuckled, edging towards hysteria. "I mean, I must have. Because otherwise I heard you say that it's now possible to travel the Realms without the World Tree." He clapped his hands and wrung them together. "W-Which is utter blasphemy! You can't traverse the Realms without the World Tree. The World Tree is why the Realms exist to begin with. Without the World Tree there is no Realm travel. You can't Realm Travel without the World Tree. It's utter madness. A Sheer impossibility! I mean, you might as well give birth to a horse! I can't—"

"Enough!" Kratos bellowed, stomping forward with a glare. Ratatoskr wisely clamped his mouth shut. "Sora, the only one capable of repairing the Realms, has vanished. The World Tree can clearly sense him while he is within Realms, at least. Does it know where he currently is?"

Ratatoskr blinked, before lightly slapping his cheeks. "Right, right. Forgive me, all of you." He looked down into the foggy void below. "Yggdrasil is currently…asleep, I suppose you could call it, in preparation of the healing process. I'll ask, but don't expect a concrete answer."

"Simply inform us if Sora is still within these Realms." If he wasn't, they would have much bigger issues. Ratatoskr nodded and traveled down the World Tree.

"Father," Atreus began slowly. "What do we do if Sora isn't within the Realms—or has left this World entirely? I mean…eventually being cut off from Niflheim and Muspelheim is going to cause real problems."

"You could stand to think positively, lad," Mimir good-naturedly chided him. Atreus just shrugged, a pensive look on his face.

Kratos took a deep breath. "Even if Sora is not within the Realms, I have full confidence that Freya's spells can track him anywhere within this World."

"And if he's not here?" Atreus pressed.

Kratos arched a brow at his son's pessimism. Still, he answered, "We shall find a way."

"How?" Mimir asked. "We have no ways of traversing other Worlds. Unless you can remember how you did so during your prior adventures."

"I…do not," Kratos admitted. "But Sindri's recent breakthroughs with Primordial Energy may provide an answer."

"Very true," Mimir replied. He would have said more, but Ratatoskr returned, a pensive look on his face.

The talking squirrel cleared his throat. "Well, the World Tree's slumber is a deep one, but I did manage to wake it momentarily. It confirmed that Sora is still within the Realms but is unable to determine where. Apparently, there is some great manner of interference of energy messing with its senses."

"Sindri's device exploding," Atreus inferred.

"I have no idea what you're referring to," Ratatoskr hastily stated. "Regardless, Sora lives. I pray you find him soon." With that said, he bowed, and scurried back down the tree.

"Well, that's good news!" Mimir happily declared. "No chance of Freya's spells failing now."

"Yeah, about that." Atreus said as they walked back to the gateway. "I think I've got a better idea."

"A better idea?" Kratos asked as his son keyed the gateway to Jotunheim. What could possibly be— "Ah." Kratos grunted. "Fenrir."

Atreus nodded. "I didn't want to say anything on the chance that Sora was outside the Realms—since Fenrir can't warp outside them. But now that it's confirmed he's still here, Fenrir can find him."

"Rather clever. And Freya's already gathering Sora's effects, so that saves a little time."

Atreus nodded as he pushed opened the gateway. "I'll meet you back at the village." Kratos nodded, waiting for his son to vanish before using the gateway himself.

Thankfully, Freya had not started her tracking spells by the time Kratos returned to Skjöldr's village.

"It certainly saves me some effort," she said as she sat down on a bench, setting the pillow and blanket Sora had been using beside her. "Did Sindri tell you what he and Lúnda were going to make?"

"I don't think Sindri's too sure himself," Mimir replied. "But I trust him to pull through."

"He always does, in the end," Kratos intoned. Though in the past, they took him, and Brok, for granted.

"Can Fenrir truly track people across different realms?" Olrun asked.

"Of course!" Mimir stated. "It's what made Garm such a terrifying threat, back then. Once he caught scent of something appealing, he just tore open holes through reality and snatched it up in his jaws."

Freya let out a breath. "It makes my skin crawl to admit, but Odin imprisoning Garm and leaving it alone was a good call." Olrun commiserated, the Shield Maiden shuddering in solidarity.

A green portal tore open beside them, and Fenrir, Atreus atop him, strode out of it. A fair few Midgardians stared askance at the sudden intrusion, but the sight of Atreus quickly calmed them.

Fenrir stopped before Kratos, bending his head down and panting excitedly. Kratos rolled his eyes but did indulge the overgrown mutt by scratching his chin. The resulting tail wag shook the ground.

Atreus leapt off Fenrir, looking at Freya. "Got the stuff?" She gestured to the pillow and blanket. "Great!" He picked them up and walked in front of Fenrir.

"Hey boy!" he said as Kratos stepped back—prompting a whine from Fenrir. "I need you to find Sora." He held up the item to Fenrir's snout. "You know him, right?" Fenrir yipped excitedly, and eagerly sniffed the items.

Fenrir huffed, lifting his head up and taking deep breathes through his nose as he looked around. Kratos saw a light shine in his eyes as he found the scent. Only for that light to immediately vanish. Fenrir whimpered, and plopped down, covering his eyes with his paws.

"What was that?" Mimir inquired as Kratos unhooked him from his belt and held him up to show him Fenrir. Kratos had no idea what happened, but Atreus, who grew stricken and a touch pale, most certainly did.

"Atreus." Freya cautiously began. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, well." He sucked in breath through his teeth. "See, a few years back me and Angrboda really tested Fenrir's warping abilities. Put him through the wringer. He can get almost anywhere—limited solely by his size. But there's one place that he will never go back to. Because its sole inhabitant threatened to kill him if he ever opened a portal into it again."

A pit formed in Kratos's stomach. "Helheim," he concluded, prompting a slow nod from his son. "Sora is in Helheim."

"Helheim." Freya deadpanned. "How can Sora be there, of all places?" As soon as she finished her statement, she shook her head. "You know what, no. I don't care." She turned to Olrun. "Olrun, please bring Sora here." The shield-maiden nodded, rising in the air before making way for Tyr's temple.

They watched Olrun leave, before Fenrir whined loudly.

Atreus clicked his tongue. "Oh, sorry boy. You did good." He scratched him behind his ear. "Go on back to Angrboda." Fenrir licked Atreus, before quietly clawing a portal in the air and slipping into it.

"How did Sora end up in Helheim?" Mimir pondered. "Of all the Realms."

"Maybe it's the closest to Niflheim in a…spiritual sense?" Atreus offered. "I mean, it's the coldest Realms next to it, right?"

"Ah, but remember lad, Helheim's only so cold because of Hræsvelgr's wing beats and general presence. Certainly, it's never been a particularly temperate realm, but the chill is her doing. Plus, if we're assuming some kind of proximity thing, then why not just land within Niflheim alongside Sinmara?" Mimir hummed. "Maybe there's something about Sindri's device he failed to mention."

"He just said it was made to two things; give Sinmara her full power and let her slip around the World Tree." Atreus shrugged. "And considering the circumstances of its creation, I doubt he put anything else in it."

Kratos rolled his eyes and handed Mimir to his son. As the pair debated, he walked over to Freya, sitting down beside her and crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're doing alright?" she asked, looking him over.

"Yes. Do not fret. You are an excellent healer."

Ferya snorted and bumped her shoulder against his—he allowed the 'blow' to jostle him. "I don't need you telling me that." They exchanged grins, allowing themselves a moment to relax.

A moment that ended as quickly as it began when Olrun returned empty-handed.

She landed before them, nervous and stricken, even through her face-covering helmet.

"Olrun," Freya slowly began. "Please tell me that Sora's either right behind your or is deceptively heavy and you needed an extra set of hands to carry him."

The Shield Maiden sighed. "…I thought it would be simple to find Sora. A living soul should shine like a beacon, after all. But I couldn't find him. There's no trace of Sora at all."

Before anyone could question her statement, Mimir gasped. "Oh, I've got it!" He chuckled. "Sora's died!"

"What?" Freya asked flatly.

"Well, not currently—at least, I hope not." Mimir sniffed. "Sora's died before. Multiple times, in fact. That's why he's in Helheim. Sindri said that his device breaking was akin to a spring returning to its original shape, sending Sinmara to Niflheim, where she belongs. Well, Sora was not born in any of these Realms, was he? But his resurrected soul could 'belong' in the one Realm the dead roam." He frowned. "I wonder what would happen were the same thing to happen to a native Aesir."

"But Sora's soul never presented itself as deceased and then resurrected," Olrun countered. "Granted, it's not something I personally searched for, but it's obvious once you know the signs." She made a point to stare at Mimir and Kratos.

"Well, if he's been sucked into Helheim's grasp, perhaps the Realm wanted to do a little balancing of the cosmic scales." Mimir replied. "I certainly feel a rather terrifying pull whenever I enter the realm."

Freya groaned and pinched her nose. "It's never simple, is it?" She rose to her feet, "Olrun, I'll go with you to speak with Hræsvelgr. She should be able to sniff him out."

Olrun hesitantly held up a finger. "That's actually another issue. See, I would have just asked the Hel bird for help myself. But when I was in Helheim, I saw her far off in the distance attacking…something."

"Attacking?" Kratos asked with a furrowed brow.

"She was making a lot of noise and diving down at something claws first." Olrun shrugged. "I couldn't see it, and frankly, I didn't want to."

"Yeah, that's fair." Atreus muttered nervously.

"Do you believe it to be Sinmara?" Kratos asked. Perhaps Sindri had been wrong about where he device dumped her.

"I didn't see any blizzards or hear any screaming." Olrun hummed. "Did see flashes of light, though."

Kratos closed his eyes and sighed. If it was not one thing, it was another. "Then let us be off." He rose to his feet. "There is no time to waste."

"You're coming as well?" Freya asked.

"Hræsvelgr is amenable to deals." Kratos replied. "If we offer to solve whatever issue is plaguing her, she is likely to find Sora in return." Assuming they did not just come across him as they traversed through Helheim. But none of them were that lucky.

Freya nodded, rolling her shoulders and summoning her wings. "Fine. Olrun, gather which of your sisters you can and bring them to Helheim." She lifted into the air. "I'll meet you all there."

As the pair of ex-Valkyries flew away, Atreus handed Mimir back to Kratos. "I hate Helheim," he groused.

"You do not have to come," Kratos said.

"Nah, it's fine. I can't just leave Sora there, you know?" He shrugged as they leapt into the air, bounding across rooftops, and then trees. "He'd do the same for any of us." Kratos nodded in agreement.

"Lads, a thought's occurring to me." Mimir chimed in. "Sora's ended up in realm of the dead, right? With a weapon in hand. And the realm of the dead is currently hosting what's left of Valhalla."

"Speak plainly," Kratos said tiredly, already dreading the conclusion of Mimir's thought.

Mimir hummed innocently. "I'm just saying, well, we all know our luck."

"Hræsvelgr's been tearing Valhalla apart though, right?" Atreus said, foolishly engaging Mimir as they neared Tyr's temple. "I'm sure it's been damaged enough that getting in and out will be a breeze." He grimaced. "I'm more worried about whatever she's attacking. The only thing I can think of that would have given her trouble would be Garm within Helheim itself."

"…She could be battling Sora," Mimir replied grimly. "He might be stuck in the shadowy form of his. And if he can do all that damage to Sinmara, well, Hræsvelgr's certainly not close to such raw might."

"Enough," Kratos barked as the landed on the bridge leading to Tyr's temple. "Such pessimism does not serve us. Focus on locating and retrieving Sora. Nothing else matters."

"Are you preaching that we don't assume the worst?" Mimir asked as they crossed the bridge, incredulous.

"I am telling you not to allow your imagination to run wild."

Atreus shrugged. "I don't know, Father. Mimir's got a point. Things don't just work out for us on the first go."

Kratos stopped just before he opened the door to Tyr's temple. He looked over his shoulder. "Would you prefer to stay behind?"

His son eyed him tiredly. "Can't I just gripe in peace?"

"Griping is a wasteful endeavor."

Atreus grunted. "I don't need to hear this right now. I'll meet you in Helheim." With that said, he changed forms into a deer, and glowing with Flowmotion, bound forward.

"I remember a time when he would have just grumbled to himself while staying in your blind spot," Mimir said with a chuckle.

Kratos huffed in amusement. "At least now I do not have to listen to his complaints."

/+/+/+/+/

Olrun undersold Hræsvelgr's aggression. The second Kratos crossed into Helheim, all he could hear were the sharp, echoing shrieks of the Hel bird. She was less diving towards something so much as throwing her entire weight onto whatever it was, hidden from view behind an icefloe.

As Kratos leapt through Helheim, Olrun caught up with him, along with Sigrún and Hildr. More Shield Maidens always were preferable, but counting Freya and Atreus they should be able to overcome whatever came their way.

They found Freya and Atreus. Atop the icefloe blocking whatever Hræsvelgr was attacking, a ward place around them that, once Kratos crossed it, blocked out Hræsvelgr's now deafening screeches. The two of them stared down in what appeared to be resignation. Kratos came up beside them and sighed when he saw the source of their melancholy.

"Uh-oh." Mimir hummed. "I recognize that sound. What's wrong." Wordlessly, Kratos unhooked him from his belt and pointed his forward. "…That's what's left of Valhalla, isn't it?"

"Yup." Freya said. "But it's…not like I've ever seen it." The Shield Maidens muttered in agreement. The only time Kratos had visited Valhalla, it was, from the outside, a craggy island surrounded by fog. Now, it was still an island, still covered in fog, but that fog swirled in a rainbow of colors, and an ethereal emblem in the shape of Sora's crown necklace hovering above it all.

Hræsvelgr attacked the emblem with a vengeance, but she was constantly rebuffed by a pulse of golden light.

"How in all the Realms can Sora usurp control of Valhalla within Helheim itself?" Freya asked, a tremor of trepidation in her voice. "Is it a power granted by the Keyblade?" At that, they all turned to Mimir.

"I don't have a damn clue," the talking head admitted.

All eyes turned to Kratos.

He rolled his eyes. "Nor do I. It does not matter. Atreus, call for Hræsvelgr." His son nodded, and Freya muttered a quick spell, the ward surrounding them vanishing, allowing Hræsvelgr's frustrated cries to assault their ears once more.

Atreus cupped his hands over his mouth and called out in the Jotun tongue. Hræsvelgr stopped mid dive, her head moving on a swivel. When she caught sight of them, her eyes narrowed into a glare, and she uttered guttural Jotun words in a low growl.

Atreus immediately held his hands up and waved them defensively. "It wasn't me this time!" Hræsvelgr huffed lowly but saw the truth in Atreus's words. She twisted in the air, all four of her wings flapping down towards the sea with the force of a hurricane. A massive spire of water rose from the sea, which then froze into a perch the Hel bird landed on to stare down at them. She barked out a command.

Atreus cleared his throat. "Right. So, did a guy get sent into Helheim through some kind of portal and land in, well, Valhalla, as it turns out? Spiky brown hair, covered in brown furs?" Hræsvelgr nodded. "Yeah, that's our friend. So, if we could just hop in there and get him out of here, that'd be great."

Hræsvelgr's response was a long, low croon of words.

Atreus shifted in place. "Uh…Mimir, you want to take over?"

The talking head grumbled but did so. "Aye, Hræsvelgr, understand that some unknown entity coming into your Realm and making a mess of it is the kind of thing you'd want to personally see to. But the fact of the matter is, whatever's going on there is some form of defense mechanism. Sora's never been to Helheim, and he just got out of a rather terrible fight."

Freya stepped forward. "Hræsvelgr. Remember that my Shield Maidens and I are still allowed special entry into Valhalla. We can be in an out in no time at all." Hræsvelgr scoffed out a reply.

Mimir winced. "She's saying that Valhalla currently exists in a sort of limbo and as such your previous privileges are now null." Another short reply, which made Mimir and Atreus pale. "And…she said she's tired of the resurrected simply waltzing in and out of her Realm." At that moment, Kratos could feel the Giant's eyes fall upon him in contempt.

Kratos stepped forward. "Sora is a Keyblade Wielder."

Hræsvelgr cawed.

"She doesn't know what that means," Atreus translated.

"All you need to know is that he bears incredible abilities. Are you aware of the current trouble facing the Realms? How Niflheim and Muspelheim are cut off from the World Tree?" Hræsvelgr nodded. "Sora is the only capable of fixing it." That he was the reason it needed to be fixed in the first place he wisely left unsaid.

Hræsvelgr growled wordlessly, her head twitching in thought. Finally, she levelled a harsh stare at Atreus, after a long moment, chirped out a reply.

"Wait, what?" Atreus stepped back in shock.

"What did she say?" Sigrún asked.

"She…She said that in order to be granted access to Valhalla, I'm going to bring her the next ruler of Hel to replace her."

"Now?" Kratos asked, irritation lacing his voice. They could not afford any distractions.

Hræsvelgr snorted, offering a short reply. Atreus's face scrunched in confusion. "No. It's more a statement of fact. I will bring her replacement. Sometime in the future."

Kratos eyed Hræsvelgr in distaste. Bearing an indefinite debt to a death god? He almost wanted to call this whole thing off. But not only was Sora vital to restoring the World Tree to normal, he was a friend. Still, that did not mean he was just going to let his son take this sour deal.

"May I accept this bargain on Atreus's behalf?" he asked. Atreus moved to protest but paused when Hræsvelgr laughed out a reply.

"She said…either one of us will do."

"Kratos, I'm getting a bad feeling about this." Freya muttered at his side. "Owing the Hel bird a favor…it can't end well."

"We don't really have a choice, m'lady," Mimir solemnly stated. "Crossing Hræsvelgr would create more trouble than its worth."

Kratos exchanged a look with his son. Atreus was nervous, rightly so, but it was well-hidden behind a layer of determination. As one, they turned to Hræsvelgr and declared, "We accept." Kratos's insides churned at the unnatural way Hræsvelgr's beak curved upwards into a grin. He prayed he did not come to regret this.

Hræsvelgr flapped all four of her wings, lifting into the air and summoning a whirlwind beneath her. The ice beneath her broke apart under the force of the wind, before swirling together into a jagged pathway leading down to Valhalla.

The remaining wind buffeted them, driving even Kratos back a few inches. Atreus and Freya were the most affected, however. Not only did the wind seem stronger against them, but their tattoos glowed green before fading with the wind.

Atreus glared up at Hræsvelgr as Freya's shield maidens formed a defensive circle around her. "What was that?" The Hel bird chirped out a reply. "Oh," Atreus looked down and flexed his fingers. "Makes sense."

"What did she do?" Freya asked.

"She…blessed us, I suppose. Valhalla is still a place meant for the dead—even more than Helheim itself. Of everyone here, we're the only ones that haven't died in some way." Hræsvelgr crooned out one last time in the Jotun tongue before flying away. "And most of the magic of Valhalla's been stripped away. The only thing left is how it'll turn a person's memories into trials."

Freya looked down at her arms with a grimace. "Lovely." She sighed, summoning her wings and lifting into the air. "Well, no time to waste."

Kratos grunted, hooking Mimir back on his belt. "You alright, brother?" Mimir asked as the others flew down ahead of them. "I can't imagine being indebted to a god brings back good memories."

"It is necessary," he bit out. "I shall deal with the consequences as they come." With nothing more to say, he leapt down the pathway, sliding along it using Flowmotion.

The steps leading up to Valhalla were much like Kratos remembered. Though where there was once a massive stone door, there was now a swirling fog.

Atreus looked around; brows furrowed. "So, this is Valhalla, huh?"

"What's left of it," Hildr replied.

"Wait a minute." Olrun held up a hand. "If Hræsvelgr—the current goddess of Hel—couldn't get in, what hope do we have?"

"We're not trying to break in," Mimir offered. "Given Hræsvelgr's…aversion towards the resurrected, along with an understandable fear regarding portals sudden wrenching open to Helheim, she did act with immense hostility."

"You want us to just walk up and pass through that fog?" Sigrún asked.

"Unless someone else has any bright ideas." No one had anything to say.

With that, Kratos led the way forward, stopping just before the fog. It lacked the chill a fog that thick should have. It was almost soothing.

"How's this going to work?" Atreus asked. "Valhalla pulling from our memories, I mean."

Freya shrugged. "Before when groups of warriors would enter, Valhalla would craft trials from shared memories before splitting people off to form personal challenges."

"Ah, like what happened with me and Kratos," Mimir chimed in.

"Precisely." Freya stared into the fog. "But if it's been stripped down to just its basics, we shouldn't be split apart."

With a nod, he loosened the chains on his left and right arms. "Everyone hold on," he said as he held out the chains. "I will not risk losing anyone."

"I've always wondered how these things work," Olrun said as she stood behind Sigrún, and in front of Atreus. Freya and Hildr held onto the other chain. "I mean, these are bound to your flesh, right?"

"Magic."

"That's not a satisfactory answer."

Mimir snorted. "That's all you're going to get out of him. Believe, I've been trying." His statement brought chuckles out of the others, and even Kratos allowed himself a smile. It was with these positive thoughts that Kratos led them all into the mist.

/+/+/+/+/

Kratos could have walked for minutes or hours. As when he last traversed Valhalla, time held no meaning. Still, like last time, he felt a shift in the air, and entered the first location Valhalla wished to show.

He was expecting a number of different locations to end up in. Midgard, Vanaheim. Even Asgard, considering that all but himself and Atreus spent the majority of their lives there.

He most certainly did not to end up in a stark white, marble hallway. Grecian styled columns lined the walls, which bore flower, vines, and other plant iconography. The floor and ceiling mirrored each other, styled in diamonds surrounding long rectangles. At the end of the room was set of stairs that led further up.

"What is this place, Brother?" Mimir asked as everyone passed through the fog.

"I do not know," Kartos replied, spooling the chains back around his arms. "I have never been here before."

"I've never seen such architecture within the Realms," Freya said, Sigrún, Olrun, and Hildr nodding in agreement. As one, they all turned to Atreus.

"I'm as lost as you guys," the young god replied.

"Then what is this place?"

"You're within Castle Oblivion." A soft, young feminine voice echoed around them. "Well, a copy of it, at any rate."

They all whirled around, drawing their weapons—or, in the Shield Maiden's cases, . "Who's there?!" Freya bellowed.

"Castle Oblivion." Atreus repeated. "Isn't that that place where Sora lost his memories?"

"Awful thematic, considering what Valhalla does," Mimir said.

"Valhalla." The mysterious voice repeated. "Is that what this place is called?" It was no longer echoing around them. No, it was coming from the staircase, along with steady, light footsteps.

A young woman of an age with Sora leisurely walked down towards them. She had long, pale blonde hair and blue eyes a shade darker than Sora's. Her skin was pale, and paired with her pure white dress, she looked like a spirit. The only splash of color in her minimal outfit came from her light blue sandals.

Atreus narrowed his eyes at the young woman. "Wait…I've seen you before. Yeah, from Sora's Gummi Phone."

Mimir grunted at that. "Kratos, lift me up." Kratos did so. "Oh, you're right lad! You're, er, Naminé, aren't you?"

Naminé smiled softly. "You can call me that, sure."

/+/+/+/+/

A/N: Look, for the people that read this on Spacebattles, I said that I wasn't going to go through the Valhalla DLC, or have Sora enter Valhalla and go through it himself. Well…Sora's not traversing Valhalla, is he?