Thor spars with his sons.
Thor had woken up feeling better than he had in the last two years. His sons were here, He would save them, and perhaps even truly make up for how he treated them instead of just trying to be a better parent when all he had was his little Thrudie. But now he had to see how they fought He knew they wouldn't be able to beat the Ghost of Sparta but he had to make sure that they were truly ready for what they could face.
But would any of that even really matter If he still didn't know how Ragnarok happens?
'Gjallarhorn must have had something to do with those realm travel gates opening, but where did they get an army from all the other realms? Wait, Ragnarok It's supposed to lead to the destruction of all realms then why was it only us against all of them? Wait my sons were supposed to survive too. Then was any of that damn prophecy true?'
Thor looked over his shoulder to see Sif sleeping.
'Damnit, I have to figure something about this prophecy out. I have to test my sons, I have to make sure they are ready for this journey. They are grown men, but they face someone who destroyed his entire pantheon and defeated their nigh-unstoppable uncles, Sigrun the Valkyrie Queen, and me.'
Thor began to silently cry.
'Jarnsa I don't know if you can ever forgive me for what I've done, but our kids will survive this time. I promise I won't send them to their deaths.' [1] He could never forget Jarnsaxa, even if she were in his life so briefly.
He brushed the tears from his eyes got up from the side of the bed and walked towards a dresser he put on a clean set of clothes it was a set of leather armor similar to what he usually wore, but this time he decided to wear some protection for his chest. If he had to fight the Ghost of Sparta it would make sense to have a little bit more protection. [2]
He left their bedroom, but not before he got Mjolnir from where it was stored over the bed to go out toward the main hall, he was almost tempted to go knock on his sons' doors but decided not to. He continued to the main hall and there he saw them eating braised goat. Thor realized his appearance had drawn some murmurs, but ignored them to go sit with his sons.
"Father." Magni was the first to speak with a small smile.
"We weren't planning on eating too much." Modi looked panicky, almost frightful.
"Neither of you will be able to put up a fight, with nothing in your stomach. This is more than some sparing session I want to see you at your most serious."
"Father, why are you so concerned? We both fought in the Long War." Thor knew that all too well, he remembered the first time he saw them after a battle, that look in their eyes. Yes, they were warriors but taking your first life was never easy.
"Yes, but I feel this giant is a truly formidable warrior. Your uncle can be sloppy because he can afford it, but few people can stop him, I am one of those few. You two, don't have that luxury. I want you at your best" His sons seem to nod, Modi a bit more hesitantly than Magni.
Modi seemed to want to ask something but stopped, Thor noticed this.
"Is anything wrong Modi?"
"Can we really believe Uncle Baldur needs help?"
"Modi." His brother hissed so as to not draw attention.
"Yeah he needs it, he might not like it, but it would help."
'I've heard people talk about him, and I don't like it one bit. He's irritable and moody, but it's not his fault. Damn it, Frigg. I get it, but did you have to take away his ability to feel.' Even if Thor understood that a parent would do anything for their child, but to go that far.
"Yes, Father." Modi's reply brought him out of those thoughts.
"I'll meet you two out near Tyr's old temple." Thor recalled they hadn't destroyed it yet. [3]
Thor walked out of the Longhouse to Gladshiem, taking one look up at the sky Thor jumped before, harnessing his innate affinity for lightning to go fly.
'You seem different are you okay?' It was Mjolnir.
Thor flew over Hrymthir's wall only to see a lone figure standing atop.
It was Heimdall, Thor had landed in front of him only to see him slightly smirking.
"You seem happy this morning." Thor remarked, hiding any nervousness, considering his brother's promise
"Oh, nothing much brother, just that the All-Father wants to watch this little training session between you and your sons."
'So he did tell Father.'
"Do you really think he will believe I have any use outside of fighting?"
"I wouldn't be this pleased if he ignored me."
"You know I have no idea how this damn prophecy happens. All I know is someone kills my sons and Baldur.
"And Me." Heimdall still felt disturbed thinking about that. "But there was an army here? How could they even make it through to Asgard, we have control over how Tyr's old temple works here."
"All I remember is some horn blast and then all of the realm travel gates opening at once."
Heimdall's violet eyes widened.
"That is what this does. It must have opened up all of those realm travel gates around the Temple, but that means someone got it off my corpse. How did they get an army, why would they invade?"
"I don't know, all 'Father' told me about was helping get this mask. He didn't seem to know a war was coming."
Heimdall just sighed in frustration. "None of this adds up, how is this boy, this 'Loki' you were journeying with even remotely play a role in this madness?"
"I don't know."
"So he's the son of this 'Giant' Baldur and your sons are going after, but what would the All-Father want with him, and after his father kills our family? Heimdall kicked a nearby rock "Damn this foresight, I hate seeing things when they don't make sense. So now what?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Thor's voice boomed like his namesake. "Sorry."
"It doesn't matter, until we get more information this might as well be nonsense. But tell me, what do you plan to do here, overthrow the All-Father?"
"I don't know that either, all I want more than anything is to keep all of you alive and keep my home safe."
"But at what cost? Keeping Baldur safe was all Frigg could think about after she went to visit the Norns, and look at what she did to him. Would you keep Asgard around even if it meant it was in chaos without the All-Father? You know, I sometimes wonder if I could have stopped that mad traitor from doing what she did to our brother. But I won't let this happen either, even if it means I have to fight you too."
The two brothers glared at one another, but before anything else could happen a flock of ravens appeared before them, and from it Odin, Magni, Modi, and Thrud.
'Thrudie!'
"What are you two doing, Thor I thought you said you wanted to train and test these two." Odin put his hands on each one of his grandson's shoulders. "Not face down Heimdall. Anyway, I brought a guest." Odin gestured to his granddaughter.
"I am ready when you are, father." Magni offered his challenge.
"As am I."
All right then, Hugin!"
Another swarm of Ravens surrounded them and they were all transported to the plains of Idunn right outside of Tyr's Temple
"All right, Modi, Magni. I won't hold back." Thor slightly shivered at those words.
'Are you ready?' [4]
"Yeah." Thor mumbled to his weapon. Why did Moljnir have to speak to him now?
Thor readied Mjolnir and waited. Striking now could set him up to get attacked by both of them and if it's one thing Thor knew his sons could be formidable when they worked together, if they worked together. His sons did not move yet.
Thor threw Mjolnir which had flown fight past Magni and in seconds Thor was right behind Magni and gave him a quick kick to the back. Thor planned on capitalizing but Modi rushed in to attack with a strike of his mace only for Thor to parry his hammer. Using his size and strength Thor unleashed a series of uncharged hammer blows against Magni's shield forcing him on the defensive before Magni recovered and charged back into the battle.
Lightning flowed into Magni's weapon and he readied his weapon to attack. The sword was an odd choice it was really large, almost as Magni's leg, Thor had to 'thank' Tyr for that choice. As odd as it was it gave Magni good striking distance and it was a slashing weapon perfect to put his strength behind.
'Why couldn't he have stuck to an ax? Oh right like me and Mjolnir, it was the only weapon that didn't break too quickly on him.' Magni's attacks were swift but wide strikes that forced Thor to keep his distance.
'Magni still relies on his powers, and that sword. Yeah, we both channel our power through those weapons, but I know how to fight without Mjolnir, and I have better control with my weapon and it has less risk.'
Thor noticed Modi moving in to strike and turned to face him, at least Modi had something sensible like a weapon you could carry a shield with. Modi quickly threw out a ball of lightning from his mace.
"Really, lightning against the God of Thunder? How did you plan on beating me, boring me to death?" Looking back on it Modi was just cautious perhaps too cautious, not a coward. He wished he recognized it earlier.
Thor, saw several more blasts of lightning erupt forth from Modi's weapon, but Thor noticed they didn't travel that far, but were annoying enough to force him to keep moving.
Both of his sons closed in to attack him, Modi seemed to stop as, Magni had come back into the fight with a series of wild strikes, but Thor noticed they seemed a bit more purpose behind them, they weren't hitting him, but they weren't supposed to. Thor only had a second to focus on the rushing footsteps coming from his slide.
Modi had put all of his strength behind his shield and charged into Thor which threw him off guard, but Thor was almost thrown to the ground, but he lost his grip on Mjolnir.
"You might as well give up now, father you're unarmed."
"You really I'm beaten without Mjolnir, we had the same problems with weapons remember?" Thor readied himself. Taking on his sons with just his fists was foolish, he certainly wasn't Baldur, their hits if he wasn't careful could hurt him.
He'd have to be smart about this. He charged right in the direction of Modi who held his ground expecting his father to charge into him. Instead, Thor stepped off to the side, with Modi trying to bash him with it with pushing back with his hands. Grabbing the edges of his son's shield, the God of Thunder mustered all of his strength and threw Modi, forcing him to let go of his shield.
Thor turned to see Magni, and threw the shield sideways, which forced him to dodge. Thor turned back to Modi and charged at him pushing him down before delivering a powerful punch, which landed with force.
"Father, you have to believe me, I didn't leave Magni to die. You have to believe me, Please, stop." It was Modi's voice from what would just be two days into the future [4].
Thor threw another punch it was half as strong.
"Dad, please stop it." This time it was Thrud.
The next punch stopped halfway, Thor's hands were trembling.
"Thor what are you doing to our son!" Thor remembered it was Sif, but maybe he swore it was Jarnsaxa too.
A fist connected with Thor's abdomen, it was Modi.
"You deserve it, you're a destroyer nothing more." It was his father, a younger voice from so long ago.
Another fist hit him, then another unopposed. The next fist was caught by a shaking hand that slowly steadied itself. Thor quickly countered with a punch of his own and tried to follow up only to receive several powerful shots to the back.
"That was underhanded." Thor said trying to get himself mentally back in the fight.
"If you're not fighting dirty."
"You're not fighting right?'
"Hah." Thor smiled that one could be mistaken to think he was enjoying the fight. 'Father was wrong. I could teach people things.'
Thor tapped into his power and slammed his fist into the ground, shaking the ground, and jumping away from his sons. Thor snapped his fingers and Moljnir came back into his hands.
'Show off.' Moljnir chirped in a tone only Thor could hear.
Lightning coursed through Thor's body, as Magni and Modi readied their weapons with lightning flowing through them as well as the sky started to slightly darken.
"That's enough." It was the voice of his father, quick, cold, and to the point.
"Aww, they were about to do something cool."
Odin put a small hand on Thrud's shoulder and chuckled. "I don't want them destroying the Temple, now." Odin's gaze became slightly more serious. "Your sons certainly seem capable, but I don't want to finalize things just yet, but I will inform you tomorrow."
"All-Father." It was Baldur with a tone that was respectful for once. It was rare for him to not call their father Odin, but his eyes were filled with simmering anger. "Will I really need their help?"
"If this one giant is stopping you, it might be good to have some extra help they seem to have done well against your older brother." Thor didn't know if that was supposed to be an insult. Now let's head back home."
A flock of Ravens surrounded them and transported them back in front of Gladshieim.
Odin, Heimdall, and Baldur walked into the town, while Thor was with his children.
"You two did well." Magni and Modi both had small grins on their faces, for at least a moment, a look of concern appeared on Modi's face.
"Are you alright Father? You look like you saw something horrible, was it from an old battle?" Thor looked away from his sons.
"Modi! Did you have to say that?"
"It's fine, it was something absurd anyway that will never happen." Thor quickly sputtered out.
"I still wanted to see you go all out." Thor just ruffled his daughter's hair
"Do you really think Grandfather would have been able to see through the snowblind if we did it, runt?"
"Heimdall would have. Even if he is a jerk." Thrud's remark drew a look from her dad. "Sorry, Dad."
Thor chuckled. "How do you put up with your brothers?"
"I tolerate them even if they are annoying."
"It's the same way I put up with mine." Thor smiled back at his kids.
"Was Heimdall ever nice to anyone?" Oddly enough. it was Magni who asked the question."
"Brother, why is there so much pain in your eyes whenever you talk to Father?"
"He was at times, it's hard to believe, but he can care in his own way."
"Me and Mags might head back to the main hall, what about you?" Modi asked of his father.
"I think I might head to Black Thunder to see your mother."
"Ew."
"If we do get a new sibling. They can't be any more annoying than you Thrud."
"Hey!"
Thor walked to his right toward the Black Thunder and entered, he saw Sif there drinking with some of the Einherjar. She looked at him and beckoned him over. He hated himself for this and walked on over.
[1] Jarnsaxa is a lover of Thor and the mother of Magni at least. Here I'm going with her being the mother of both Magni and Modi and from the way Sif talks about watching them play as children, She must have died when they were young. The only known children of Sif within God of War are Ullr, from an unnamed father, and Thrud. Ullr is mentioned in God of War as one of the few Aesir both Faye and Atreus like and someone who went on adventures with Tyr.
[2] I'm going with a reconciliation between the appearance of Thor in both games GOW 2018 Thor's style which has some of Ragnarok Thor's clothing just with armor above his stomach and a cloak.
[3] I'm working off the assumption Tyr's realm travel temple in Asgard was recently flooded. If only because after your second encounter with Baldur he races towards Tyr's temple and tells you to prepare to face the might of Asgard, so it must have been ruined in the aftermath of GOW 2018.
[4] While Thor does talk to his hammer, it is not known if the Hammer 'talks' back like Ingrid does to Atreus. But since a 'Drunk' Moljnir does fight Ingrid in the Black Thunder seemingly on its own. I'm going to assume it is.
I kind of apologize if it's both been a while and it seems like something of a short chapter as a payoff, writer's block, and a bunch of other projects had come up. But I will say to everyone who has read this story thanks. I'm kind of surprised that this story has blown up the way it has, especially for what is an AU.
I'm not really blessed with the biggest timeline for this story most takes place over a period of a few days and points where any Aseir meet with Kratos and Atreus might be either few and far between story wise or well things are going to change that they might play out differently.
So I'm trying to answer a question of what I can put in without it feeling really padded because there is still one more day before Kratos gets out of the light, and maybe one more day or and a half of the actual game give or take, considering it looks like it is at night when Kratos delivers Atreus to Freya and goes back to retrieve the Blades of Chaos and go to Helheiim. But don't worry when any intersection with the Game's main story happens I want it to have weight, and I don't want to skimp on the action either.