-Chapter 283-

Ragnarok

"You hear that, Tundra?! Three of your Frozen Four are dead! You've lost your Ragnium, your captives, and now, your army!" Akhlut smiled his signature demonic grin, his psystone flashing once more. "And you're next!"

The last sentence echoed as the world began to fall and distort…

Valhalla

Tundra woke up in a cold sweat, clutching his chest and breathing heavily. He looked around and found himself in his throne room.

"A dream…" he let out a growl. "Damn that orca! Don't I get enough of him during the day?"

"Master Tundra!"

Tundra looked up to see Boreas descend from a Bifrost Rift that opened in the ceiling.

"Boreas?"

Boreas landed before him. "Master, we have a situation..."

"What is it this time?"

"Helheim has fallen."

Tundra perked. "What?"

"Helheim has fallen, sir, and Nidavellir is in the middle of a rebellion. Ivaldi and Grinder have gone rogue, and Firn and Glacia are dead."

Tundra scowled. "It's bad enough that useless coward Frazil died, but Firn and Glacia too?"

"I fear there's more, sir. A Bifrost gate opened up not too long ago."

"To where?"

"Here. Sonic the Hedgehog and his allies are in Valhalla, sir. As well as...the boy."

Tundra flipped a table in rage. "The centers of our operations have been overthrown… my soldiers are being defeated in droves… and three of my generals are dead at the hands of a group of weak, Southerner children!?"

"So it would seem. How do you wish to handle it?"

Tundra growled before clutching his head. He panted heavily, falling to his knees.

"Sir?" Boreas questioned. "Master Tundra?" He hesitated for a moment. "Sher-?"

"Boreas..." Tundra piped up, looking up. "What's our current supply of Ragnium look like?"

Boreas blinked for a moment. "Umm... we have some reserves remaining, but most of the transports were destroyed in the mine explosion."

"How much do we have on hand?"

"About three thousand kilograms."

"That will do." Tundra rose to his feet. "Send word to the troops. We're making one last stand."

"Sir, you don't mean...?"

"I do. Activate the Leifthrasir Contingency."

Boreas' eyes widened with shock. "Sir… Are... are you sure?"

"I am."

"You do realize that if this fails..."

"I am, Boreas." Now go."

Boreas nodded. "As you command, Master."

With that, he opened another portal, flying off.

"I will not be stopped," Tundra swore. "No matter what happens… Win or lose… I will purify this world."

Meanwhile…

Sonic, Rotor, Guntiver, and Beauregard appeared in a dark area, all of them landing in a heap

"Whoa..." Sonic shook his head. "That was trippy."

"And I thought them Warp Rings were a mess to the head," Beau muttered.

They all looked around.

"So, this is Valhalla?" Sonic asked. "Pretty dark and dreary. Kinda figured a place named after the glorious Viking afterlife would be more lively."

"Honestly, this place feels more like the actual Helheim than anything…" Gunt muttered.

"Guys, don't forget why we're here," Rotor cut in. "We need to find the Master Control Unit and shut it down."

"Right!" Sonic declared. "So, where do you think it…is?"

Sonic and the group stopped and gazed in awe at the sight of a colossal, metal spire in the distance. The spire glowed with a soft, rainbow light and was covered in icy branches that reached toward the heavens, giving it the appearance of a great tree.

"Hoooo-wee!" Beau whistled. "That is one hell of a tree."

"That's the Master Control Unit," Rotor realized. "The heart of the Einherjar's operations! The Egg-Drasil…"

Flashback…

Sonic blinked in confusion. "Egg...Drasil? What the heck is a drasil?"

"Not Egg Drasil," Eggatha corrected. "Egg-Drasil. It's a pun on Yggdrasil."

"Which is...?"

"The World Tree," Skeeter explained. "A massive ash tree that exists in the space between the Nine Realms, connecting and supporting them all in its mighty branches."

"Whoa…" Rotor blinked. "Skeeter, how did...?"

"I actually paid attention to Dad's old stories, Boomer, remember?"

"...Right."

"So why not call it Egg Yggdrasil?" Sonic asked.

"Because it sounds weird. Now..." Eggatha brought up a schematic detailing Egg-Drasil's schematics. "While the Egg-Drasil's name is odd, it's very fitting. It's the heart of Tundra's entire operation. It opens and directs the portals for the Bifrost Network, protects their base from intruders, and most of all, it's what's generating the blizzard that's freezing Station Square. Take it out and the Einherjar will be crippled for good."

"Sounds good," Sonic remarked. "How do we do it?"

"By cutting off its power source." Eggatha brought up the Egg-Drasil's reactor. "The Egg-Drasil creates the Bifrost portals by using the unstable energy of the Ragnium mined from Ginnunga Gap to rip holes in space. However, the amount of energy used generates ungodly levels of heat. Enough to melt the tower - which is made of pure Megatal, by the way - into a puddle of molten slag in minutes. Unless it had a strong enough cooling source..."

Rotor perked. "The Ice Diamond! That's why Boreas took it!"

Eggatha nodded. "Exactly."

"So all we gotta do is rip out the ice rock and bounce?" Sonic mused. "Sounds easy."

"Too easy." Gunt cut in.

"Yeah," Beau agreed. "I'm no science whizz, but I get the feelin' that plus-size X-Mas tree's got more than that gussied-up ice cube runnin' it."

"You would be right," Eggatha confirmed. "There are three things keeping you from shutting down the Egg-Drasil." First, it has seven Ice Diamonds powering it, which are located in a hidden reactor room that isn't listed in the blueprints."

Everyone looked on in shock.

"Seven!?" The Freedom Fighters exclaimed.

"Where did he get seven Ice Diamonds!?" Sally screamed.

"I have no idea," Eggatha replied. "Second, Valhalla is located underwater."

Sonic winced. "That's gonna make things tricky."

"Understatement of the century. The tower surrounds the base in an impenetrable ice dome. It's tough enough to withstand our strongest drills and missiles. And even if we do break it, it just repairs itself."

"Can your Warp Ring things get us in?" Gunt asked.

"No," Sonic shook his head. "You have to have been somewhere first before they can work. If you don't have a clear picture of where you want to go in your mind, things can get... messy."

"Your only option is to steal a Bifrost Stone from one of the Einherjar, hack into it, and use it to warp there," Eggatha said. "And even then, you have to deal with number three… Valhalla is crawling with Einherjar, and it's where Tundra's personal headquarters is located."

That gave everyone pause.

"It doesn't change anything," Rotor cut in. "We have to stop him, and a confrontation with him is inevitable. Now, how do we get a Bifrost Stone?"

"All Einherjar are required to carry one. The issue is going to be hacking into their systems."

"Leave that bit ta me," Beau declared, tipping his hat. "I'll jist convince one of them ta open it fer us."

"As for where you can get one..." Eggatha's Egg Pad went off. "Ah! There's a group heading right for a village in the Cool Edge Zone!"

"I'll head that group," Sonic said. "Beau, you with me?

Beau nodded. "Let's see what Jules' son can do."

"Then let's move." Gunt declared. "Rotor?"

Rotor nodded. "Way ahead of you..."

Rotor looked at the Egg Pad, then threw the ring. They prepared to head through the portal.

"Rotor!" Eggatha called. "One last thing!"

Rotor stopped. "Yeah, what is it?"

"I just want you to know..." Eggatha mulled over her words.

"What?"

"N-Nothing... Good luck."

Rotor paused, wondering what was going on. However, he put those thoughts aside, as there were more urgent matters, and jumped through the portal with the others. Eggatha winced.

"Aggie, what's wrong?" Hope asked.

"It's nothing, Hope." Eggatha turned away, whispering to herself, "Nothing..."

Though she could tell her cousin was hiding something, Hope knew they didn't have time to press. So, she reluctantly turned away to join her team. Eggatha watched as the teams all got ready, letting out a long, mournful sigh.

"Metal..."

"Agatha?" Metal asked.

"When this is all over, remind me to send Rotor a gift basket," Eggatha removed her glasses with a solemn expression. "A big gift basket."

Metal nodded. "Of course."

Flashback Over

Valhalla

Rotor looked at the tower in grim determination. "This is it…Dad's there."

"Feeling alright, Rotor?" Gunt asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"You sure?" Sonic questioned.

Rotor nodded. "I'm sure, Sonic. Seeing Dad again after all these years was literally my worst nightmare come true. It's going to take a lot to shake…me…"

As they rounded a corner, Rotor stopped in his tracks.

"Rotor? Sonic stopped and checked on his friend. Rotor was staring, looking stunned, horrified, and sick all at once. "Rote? Rote, are you okay!?"

"No…" Gunt was staring with a similar expression. "No, he's not."

"What are you guys...?" Sonic froze. "Whoa..."

The group was standing amidst the ruins of a city made almost entirely out of carved ice. The shattered remains of buildings lie all around them.

"What the..." Sonic managed. "What is this?'

Skeletons littered the ground, their large teeth identifying them as walruses, and there was a shattered sign just a ways off, covered in frost.

"It... can't be…" Beau hopped over to the sign, brushing away the frost. When he finished, Beau gasped, seeing it read "Welcome to Iceborough".

"Oh my goddess..." Beau managed.

"It's Iceborough… It's home..." Rotor fell to his knees. "My home…"'

"Our home…" Gunt chimed in.

"I... " Rotor looked around at the destruction and death. "I..."

Rotor started hyperventilating as horrific images flooded his mind. Images of countless people being dragged down to the bottom of the ocean as their city literally shattered around them, screams and cries of horror and pain turning to gurgling shrieks.

"What have I done...?" Rotor curled into a ball and clutched his head. "Odin almighty...what have I done!?"

"Hey," Sonic rushed over, gripping Rotor's arms. "Hey, look at me. Rote, look at me!"

"All those people..." Rotor babbled. "All of them… dead… because I..."

"Stop it!" Sonic yelled. "This is not your fault!"

"Can you truly say that?"

The group perked, looking up to see Boreas flying overhead before touching down.

"Boreas..." Rotor managed.

"Hello, Rotor, Narfi," Boreas greeted. "Welcome home."

Beau put himself between the owl and the walrus, glaring at the former. "Git away from them."

"Calm yourself, Beauregard. I come in peace. For now..." Boreas turned to see Sonic, who spared him a glance as he held Rotor. "Ahhh...Disciple of Longclaw. Good to see you again."

"You have the worst timing," Sonic spat.

"Well, there are those in Artika who consider my people bringers of ill omen."

"I take it you're about to prove the tales true?" Gunt questioned.

"In due time, Narfi. In due time."

Gunt let out a growl, bearing his teeth. "Quit calling me that. My name is Guntiver."

"Enough. We ain't got time fer this hoo-ha." Beauregard turned to Boreas. "The hell are you doin' here, Boreas? If you ain't here to fight, then why come all this way to greet us?"

"I'm here to deliver a message from Master Tundra," Boreas replied. "He's learned of the fall of our bases and the deaths of his generals."

"Them kids did it," Beau nodded. "Good."

Sonic chuckled, thumbing his nose. "Not bad for a bunch of soft, pathetic weaklings, eh gruesome?"

"I wouldn't celebrate if I were you, hedgehog."

"Why not? " Sonic crossed his arms, tapping his foot. "We've kicked your frostbitten butts all day, and you and your boss are next."

Boreas nodded. "It's true. You've dealt the Einherjar a devastating blow, one from which we will never truly recover. However, you don't seem to understand how we Artikans fight."

That made both Rotor and Gunt go pale.

"No…" Gunt let out.

"You don't mean...?" Rotor managed.

"Rote, Gunt, what's going on?" Sonic asked.

Boreas tilted his head to the side. "Tell me, Hedgehog, do you believe in fate?"

"No," Sonic shook his head. "There's no fate but what we make for ourselves. Everyone chooses their own path."

"I see. Well, those of us who follow the old ways do. We believe that the death of every living thing is predetermined, the threads of their lives woven by the Norns upon their great, cosmic spinning wheels. Accepting one's destined end without fear is considered a mark of strength by our people. Furthermore, it encourages us to spend our time attaining great deeds and honor to our names, and by extension, those of our clans and families."

"Get to the point," Sonic snapped. "I didn't come here for a lecture on Norse beliefs."

"The point, Disciple of Longclaw, is that we do not fear death the way you Southerners do," Boreas replied. "So when we feel our time is drawing near… We make sure we go out in a blaze of glory."

Suddenly, a loud humming noise fills the area. The Egg-Drasil's glow began to grow increasingly brighter.

"What the heck!?" Sonic let out.

"What's goin' on!?" Beau demanded.

"It's begun," Boreas replied.

"That maniac…" Rotor got to his feet. "How much does he have, Boreas?"

"Three thousand kilograms."

"Oh fugg…" Gunt gasped.

"What, what's going on!?" Sonic demanded.

"He's overclocked the thing!" Rotor cried. "He dumped their entire Ragnium supply into the tower's reactor! The blizzard hitting Station Square… It's gonna spread all over the world! We'll be sent into a third Ice Age!"

"Nothing that drastic, Rotor." Boreas corrected. "The resulting blizzards will be massive, but only 60% of the world will freeze. 70 at most."

"Killing just as many people!" Gunt snapped. "If not from the initial storm, then from the aftermath! Crops will be destroyed! Disease will spread! Society will completely collapse! You're destroying the world!"

"And from the snow will rise a new world. A stronger world. One free from the rot and decadence of old."

"And devoid of freedom and joy. A world of nothing but bleakness and cold," Sonic spat, beginning to spark. "A world I refuse to let come to pass."

"Then fight, hedgehog." Boreas ordered "Our might against your freedom. Let the victor decide what is right!"

"Rotor," Sonic turned to him. "Take Guntiver and Beau. Shut that thing down."

"But what about you?" Rotor asked.

"I'll be fine," Sonic flashed the walrus a grin. "There's no way I'm losing to this old feather duster again."

Rotor looked at Sonic, then nodded. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Right!" As Rotor and Guntiver raced off, Beauregard took one last look at Sonic.

"Whup his ass, Speedy."

"Watch their backs, old man."

Beau nodded before racing off. Surprisingly, Boreas didn't go after them.

"He's stronger than he once was," the old owl said quietly. "Let us hope it is enough."

"I'm surprised you aren't going after them." Sonic mused.

"And dishonor your willingness to fight? Besides, Master Tundra is more than capable of defeating all three of them."

Sonic paled

"Now..." Boreas' eyes glowed icy blue. "Let us see who the Norns smile upon… HEDGEHOG!"

Boreas erupted with icy blue energy as Sonic surrounded himself with an electrical aura.

"Bring it on, Frosty!"

The two charged at each other.

-X-

Meanwhile, Rotor, Guntiver, and Beauregard were running through the city.

"C'mon, we gotta move!" Beau yelled.

"Dammit, I knew Tundra was crazy, but I never thought he'd try something like this!" Gunt cursed. "Rotor, how much time do you think we have!?"

Despite running, Rotor's mind looked like it was in another place entirely.

"Rotor?" Gunt turned to him. "Rotor, can you hear me!?"

"It's all my fault..." Rotor managed.

"Rotor?"

"All those people..." The city… Now the whole world is going to freeze..."

"Fugg…" Beau cursed. "He's in a spiral!"

Gunt darted in front of Rotor, grabbing his shoulders.

"Rotor, listen to me! Look at me!" He waited until Rotor did so before going on. "None of this is your fault. You had no idea any of this was going to happen! Nobody did!"

"Guntiver...I..."

"No! None of that! We're in the heart of enemy territory, the enemy you believe you created, and we're about to make things right again. What happened here will never happen again, but we can't do that while you're like this! You've come too far just to give up now!"

"I... I don't know if I-"

"What's the hesitation, boy?" came a familiar voice. "You destroyed the city once already. Why balk at doing it again?"

They all froze, looking ahead to see Tundra sitting in the middle of the city square looking grim.

"Tundra..." Gunt let out.

"Sherm..." Beau said.

"Dad..." Rotor gasped.

"So..." Tundra began, "You actually did it. You actually managed to crush my hold over Artika. Mere children..." he snorted, "and a washed-up relic."

"Sherm, I know you ain't exactly in a good place right now but are outta yer mind!?" Beau demanded.

"You have devastated my army beyond repair. Murdered my generals. If I am to win this war and honor their deaths… I must be willing to go all out."

"Even if it means destroying the entire world?" Rotor demanded.

"I lost my world long ago," Tundra rose to his feet. "Even should it prove my fate to die, I will not simply roll over. I will fight and die with honor."

"I'm not here to kill you," Rotor insisted. "I'm here to save you."

"Then you have come in vain. Sherman Walrus died long ago. There is only Tundra."

Rotor shook his head. "You're wrong… Sherman Walrus is still in there. I saw it back in the stadium!"

"Enough!" The area shook at Tundra's bellow. " The time for talking is over Rotor. If you wish to save Station Square and stop the Yggdrasil, you will fight me with all of your resolve, or you will die. One of us will die here today. Who that will be is your decision."

Beau closed his eyes, his expression steeling as he reached for his gun. "Then I guess we're done talking."

"Hold it." Rotor cut in. "Mr. Rabbot… Guntiver… stay back..."

Gunt turned to him. "Rotor?"

"I told you guys… this is my fight." Rotor clenched his fists. "I've run from this long enough. I'm not running from this one."

"Rotor, are you crazy!?" Gunt demanded. "Tundra is an Egg Boss! The strongest Egg Boss! You can't beat him on your own!"

Rotor shook his head. "I don't care. This is my mess. I'm done running from my problems. It's time to face this."

Tundra chuckled, nodding in approval. "Good. You're finally acting like a man."

"Good luck, son," Beau grabbed Gunt. "Let's move!"

"Hold it." Rotor handed Beau his multitool. "If I don't make it… tell Skeeter I love him."

Beau looked at the tool. "Tell him yerself, when you win."

Beau and Guntiver raced off. Rotor took a moment to watch them leave, then faced Tundra.

"Hope you've made your peace, boy, because I'm sending you to join your mother."

Rotor glared at him before pulling the Iron Rotor chestplate out of his pocket.

"Tundra..." he hissed as he slapped it on his chest, the suit forming around him. "Do us both a favor… and shut up."

As the visor slammed down and the suit powered up, Tundra scoffed. "Again with your feeble technology. If it was powerless against me before, what do you really expect to do now?"

"Why don't you find out?"

"Very well then… I will grind your bones into dust, Rotor!"

Father and son charged at each other, each letting out a war cry. Their fists met, releasing a shockwave that could be felt throughout the entirety of the ruined city.

Meanwhile…

Sonic and Boreas clashed. Sonic sprang at him with a Homing Attack, only for the owl to block it with his wings. Sonic attempted two more charges but failed to break Boreas' guard.

"Is that the best you can do?" Boreas questioned.

"I'm just getting started!" Sonic charged up a Spin Dash before plowing into Boreas. While he did manage to push him back a foot, the owl managed to catch him with his claw. Sonic lashed out with his Insta-Shield, breaking Boreas' hold on him before letting loose with a kick that the owl quickly blocked. Sonic was able to quickly and smoothly attempt another kick, followed by several, though Boreas blocked each one.

"Fast, strong, relentless..." Boreas mused. "And more importantly, your attacks flow into each other almost seamlessly. A lesser foe would be easily overwhelmed. Unfortunately, I'm not 'lesser.'"

Boreas focused before grabbing Sonic by the ankles, spinning around before throwing him into a wall. He smashed through the ice, skidding a bit before stopping.

"What...just happ...?"

A loud "SKREE!" reached his ears. Sonic looked up just in time to see Boreas flying at him with blinding speed, eyes glowing and talons outstretched. Boreas talked him to the ground, sinking his claws into his shoulder. With a scream of pain and effort, Sonic planted his sneaker into Boreas' face and push-kicked him off. He sprang to his feet, a hand going to his bleeding shoulder.

"Ever hear of toenail clippers?" Sonic winced. "Seriously...no wonder you don't wear shoes."

"Ah yes," Boreas mused. "The witty banter portion of the fight."

"What can I say…" Sonic winced with each word. "It keeps things interesting."

"Personally, I don't care for such distractions. If you're going to fight someone, fight them. Don't waste time talking. Case in point..." Boreas suddenly vanished.

"What!?"

As a shadow fell over him, Sonic turned around in time to see Boreas' hand talons going for his skull. He narrowly ducked, the talons grazing the top of his head and trimming off a few quills. Sonic dashed away, but Boreas gave chase, flying after him.

"Damn!" he let out as he ran. "He's old, but he's still got it! He hasn't even used those crazy ice powers he had back at the school! Just who is he!?"

"I told you… I am Boreas the Snow Owl of the Frozen Four," Boreas manifested right next to Sonic, swiping at him. Sonic narrowly jumped back in time to avoid getting sliced.

"Too close…"

Sonic's quills perked. He looked down to see Boreas making a second, rising talon swipe.

"Not again!" Sonic let out a pained shout as Boreas' talons caught him across the chest.

"I told you… I am Boreas the Snow Owl of the Frozen Four," Boreas manifested right next to Sonic, swiping at him. Sonic narrowly jumped back in time to avoid getting sliced.

"And if it's ice powers you want, I will be happy to oblige!"

Boreas' eyes began to glow icy blue. He flapped his wings, unleashing a strong gust of arctic wind at Sonic, blowing him away. Fortunately, Sonic managed to dig his heels into the ice before he could fly too far.

"Is that... the best... you got?" he gritted out as he tried to keep steady.

Boreas' response was to flap his wings again, redoubling the force of the gale and launching Sonic off his feet and high up in a nearby building. He then waved his arm, sending sharp shards of ice at the hedgehog, pinning him to the wall by his clothing.

"Dammit…" Sonic cursed. "I had to ask…"

Before he could continue, Sonic saw Boreas fly up toward him; his glows glowing. The owl opened up his beak, causing ice particles and glowing energy to gather in his mouth.

"Oh fugg!" Sonic cried out. "He's charging something! I gotta break free!"

He tried to rip his clothes free from the shards, but the ice had spread over his limbs, rendering that impossible.

"Dammit!" He thought for a moment, and then inspiration struck. "I got it!"

Sonic took a breath as his body began to vibrate rapidly, the air around him shimmering and filling with a low-pitched humming noise.

"C'mon, molecules, work your magic!"

Another humming noise greeted Sonic's ears, prompting him to open his eyes and flinch in fear.

Boreas' attack was almost fully charged. A large ball of cold energy had gathered in his beak; wispy trails of ice billowing out of his mouth.

"C'mon, c'mon, hurry up and thaw already!" he rushed. Fortunately, the ice began to steam a little bit. "That's it, just a little more…"

Suddenly, an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the ruined city. Sonic turned toward Boreas again and was just in time to see him fire a large beam of ice from his mouth. But right as the beam was fired, Sonic heard a cracking noise. He looked down and saw that his bonds had shattered.

"Yes!"

With nothing left to hold him to the wall, Sonic fell to the ground below, revving into a Spin Dash right as he landed and blasting forward toward one of the toppled buildings; which he used as a ramp to launch himself at Boreas, ramming the owl in the back.

"Gotcha!" he cheered. "Not bad, eh Hooty?"

"I will give you this much, hedgehog," Boreas replied through gritted teeth. "Your persistence really is your greatest strength..." A smug grin crept over the owl's face. "...and the herald of your downfall."

"What are...?" Sonic parked as he heard the sound of water freezing, noticing a layer of ice spreading over both of them. "FUGG!"

"I set the Ragnium Boosters in my body to maximum power," Boreas explained. "In moments, we'll be completely encased in ice, and when we hit the ground...well, you can put two and two together."

"Are you crazy!?" Sonic demanded. "You'll die too!"

"I warned you, Disciple of Longclaw, I do not fear death the way you do."

Sonic looked around in a panic, scrambling for a plan. By now, the ice had covered all but his head and neck. He tried to vibrate his molecules again, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't feel any temperature change.

"That won't work," Boreas informed him. "The cold from my body will surpass any amount of heat you generate. It is over. Face your end like a true warrior."

Sonic, however, was not too keen on that, shutting his eyes and gritting his teeth as he frantically tried to break free.

"C'mon, it can't end like this! I won't lose again! People are depending on me!"

He began to spark with Chaos Lightning.

"Your Chaos Lightning won't save you. Already my aura is adjusting to match its power. You will not..." Boreas perked as Sonic began sparking and glowing, seemingly drawing in energy from all around them.

"What...what is this?" He perked as he noticed steam, seeing the ice beginning to recede. "Impossible! I have enough Ragnium in my body to cool a lava flow! Just who is this child!?

"I told you..." Sonic managed through clenched teeth. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog! Hero of Mobius! Freedom Fighter! I never give up! I never quit! And I. Never. LOSE!"

Sonic's body sparked even brighter, causing the ice to evaporate.

"Odin's beard!"

"You wanna go out in a blaze of glory, Boreas? Well, how's THIS!?"

Sonic grabbed Boreas and began spinning around with him. The two spun faster and faster as they fell, streaking through the frozen city ruins like a blue meteor, until they crashed into the dome, cracking it and leaving a massive crater. The two hung there for a moment, then fell to the ground. Sonic rose to his feet slowly, arcs of electricity in the air as he shook his head

"So... how do you like me now, Hooty?"

A groan was his response, the owl unmoving.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Take five, gruesome."

With that, Sonic gave him a mocking salute before turning and beginning to walk away.

"Not so fast..."

Sonic perked, slowly turning around to see Boreas rising to his feet, battered and bruised, but still conscious and ready to fight.

"No way..." he managed. "I put you through the Sonic Spin Cycle! How are you still conscious!?"

"I did not become second-in-command of the strongest Egg Army for nothing, Disciple of Longclaw. Your attack was powerful, but it will take more than that to vanquish me. Much...much more."

Sonic grimaced.

"Now..." Boreas assumed a combat stance as his body glowed again. "Let us continue..."

Boreas shifted his feet as he prepared to charge. Sonic braced himself for the attack, but before either side could do anything, Boreas' eyes widened and fell to his knees. He grunted, faltering before clutching his chest.

"Huh?" Sonic managed, blinking.

"No…" Boreas whispered. "Dammit… not now...!"

Sonic blinked in confusion. "You okay?"

Boreas stood up, his breathing labored.

"I'm fine… Now… Prepare to…" The owl gritted his teeth, closing his eyes as both hands went to his chest and he coughed. "By the Aesir, no!"

He doubled over, breathing heavily. Sonic's eyes widened in shock.

"H-Hey, what's wrong?!"

"It's...nothing...I...AGH!"

Sonic noticed that Boreas was clutching his chest where his heart was, realizing what was happening.

"By Aurora… you're having a fugging heart attack?!"

"I...am not… I..." With a pained screech, Boreas fell over, clutching his chest and breathing heavily as sweat began to pour down his face.

"Shit!"

Sonic immediately rushed over, his hands sparking as he rubbed them together like defibrillator paddles.

"What…" Boreas wheezed. "What are you-?!"

"Just move your hand and lie still!"

Boreas slowly did so, allowing Sonic to place his palms on his chest and give him a jolt.

"Clear!"

The energy shot through his palms, making the owl jump with a cry. However, he was still in pain and struggling to breathe.

"One more!" Sonic sparked his hands again, then put them on Boreas' chest. "Clear!"

This time, the jolt was met with a loud gasp from Boreas, who collapsed back onto the ground as he was finally breathing right.

"Uuuugh… Odin's beard..." He still looked disoriented, but he managed to stabilize as he lay there, catching his breath.

"How do you feel, old timer?"

"Better..." He rolled his head to the side, giving Sonic a confused look. "Why... did you save my life? I've been trying to kill you this whole time."

Sonic just shrugged. "It's what I do. I help everyone. Even guys like you."

"Saved by my enemy's pity..." Boreas turned his head back to stare at the icy dome. "I truly have fallen..." he chuckled. "Well, if nothing else, I now know you're strong enough to defeat Tundra."

Sonic perked, "Hold the phone. You want me to beat Tundra?"

Boreas nodded. "I've waited for this for a long time, ever since I first enlisted. Someone strong enough to finally save Sherman from himself.

"You knew him?"

"We fought together in the past," Boreas replied, smiling wistfully. "I battled him and his tribe when he was a young man. Fought alongside him during the Great War… I suppose you could say I was something of a mentor to him."

"Wait, mentor?" Sonic's brow furrowed in confusion. "To Sherman? Just how old are you?"

"I have seen my ninety-seventh winter."

Sonic let out a whistle. "Aurora... no wonder you had a flipping heart attack."

"Yes… I'm old. Older than most Artikans who practice the old ways ever live. Old enough to see the old ways…" the owl almost seemed to deflate, "Become the old ways."

"So why shack up with Eggman?"

"To become Einherjar. To meet my fate and ascend to Asgard after dying in a glorious battle. But when I joined..."

"You realized that Tundra was an absolute maniac?"

"The old ways are cruel. Harsh. Violent. But this..." Boreas shook his head. "This was madness. And at the hands of someone I once called a friend. Artika's hero, twisted into something horrible."

"Yeah… But Sherman can still be saved. Rotor saw him fighting it back at the school."

"You truly think he can be saved?"

"I've seen the impossible happen before." Sonic leaned back, giving a small, hopeful smile. "And I have faith in Rotor."

Boreas paused, and then he too leaned back.

"Then let us see if the Norns smile on you and yours."

Suddenly, a loud explosion went off.

"What the…!?" Sonic cried out.

"That came from the square!" Boreas shouted. "Tundra is waiting there! Go!"

"Right!"

With that, Sonic sped off.

"Rotor!" he called out. "Rotor, are you…?"

When Sonic reached the square, he stopped dead in his tracks at the horror show that lay before him.

Tundra was panting heavily, his coat scuffed and scorched in places. His glasses were cracked, but he was smirking between his pants.

"Well, look who finally showed up," the Egg Boss said. "Finish playing with Boreas, hedgehog?"

Sonic didn't respond.

"Sorry, you missed the fight," Tundra continued, wiping his mouth to get rid of a small trickle of blood. "But don't worry…you didn't miss much."

Tundra raised his hand, holding up Rotor. Once again, the younger walrus' suit had been destroyed, allowing Sonic to see what his father had done to him.

His body was practically one, big bruise, and he had several large gashes. His left tusk had been chipped, while his right eye was swollen shut. But, most disturbingly of all, he wasn't moving.

"No…" Sonic whispered, his hands trembling. "NO! ROTORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Author's Note:

*Gasp!* Say it ain't so! Is this the end of Rotor?! Killed by his own father?!

Stay tuned to find out in the thrilling conclusion of the Einherjar arc.

Please R&R. Until next time!