Tearing Off the Shadows

\"Where is Narukami-kun when you need him?\" Loki growled, taking a swipe at a monster. It wasn\'t looking good for them. There were just so many!

A sudden bright flash suddenly came out and the monsters were blasted away, not coming back. Odin staggered towards them, clutching his head as tears streaked his face. \"Loki...Heimdall...\" he whispered softly before falling to his knees.

\"Odin!\" Loki knelt next to his blood-brother, Heimdall on his other side. Both helped the All Father sit in one of the nearby chairs.

Panting softly as he trembled, Odin gazed at them both in sorrow. \"I couldn\'t stop him. He slipped something into one of the Idun’s apples and when I ate it, I couldn\'t stop.\" He whispered in regret.

\"It\'s all right, Father.\" Heimdall soothed his father, frowning. How could Baldur have contaminated one of Idun\'s apples?

\"It is not! I did such horrible things to you, my son! And my brother!\" Odin cried, covering his face miserably. \"And now Baldur seeks to cause Ragnarok, but with another to start it. With the death of Mayura-san and the godlings she carried within her, the passage was opened. As long as you are here, Midgard is in danger.\"

\"Then we must return. But why does he wish Ragnarok?\" Loki frowned, and then helped Heimdall bring Odin to his feet. \"We can\'t let you stay here alone either. You\'re coming with us.\"

\"No. I must try and find Frigg. He took her when she found out what had happened.\" Odin whispered, shaking as he held tightly to their hands. He closed his eyes, and then glowed. His hair shifted to the side and two weapons were brought forth. \"Take these. Not everything is at it seems. Trust no one.\" The All Father warned softly as the weapons floated to the two.

Taking the weapons, the two looked them over with interest. Loki still held Laevatein, but it had changed drastically.

It was now silver in color, with different colored stones on the curved end. Instead of being made of wood, it was now made of metal. But even so, it was as light as a feather, and the end held a sharp blade.

Heimdall held the wickedest looking flail he\'d ever seen. He swung it around a bit, testing the weight. Like Loki\'s, it was fairly light, but he knew it would impale a man in seconds if thrown properly.

Nodding in approval, Odin clasped their arms. \"Go safely.\" He whispered softly, eyes sad.

\"You as well, father.\" Heimdall said, and then hugged his father before walking away.

Loki watched Heimdall for a moment, and then clasped his blood-brother\'s hand. \"Be safe as well, brother. We shall see you soon.\"

Nodding with a soft smile, Odin returned the grasp before sitting back wearily in his chair. He just needed to rest...

As they left, his eyes closed slowly and he slouched in the chair, his breath leaving him on one last puff.

Loki looked back, frowning. He didn\'t feel right about leaving Odin here alone. He sighed, following Heimdall out of Valhalla. Once outside, they made their way to Bifrost Bridge and Midgard.

A shadow swirled on the bridge and coalesced into a form. Another form came into being next to it as the two newcomers blocked Loki and Heimdall\'s path.

\"Oh please! You don\'t really expect to block me off my own bridge do you?!\" Heimdall growled, swinging his flail experimentally. He wasn\'t about to let anyone near his bridge!

\"Would you fight us then, Heimdall-kun?\" The voice was soft as the mists lifted revealing the figures.

Thor smirked at the two as did Freyr, both holding their own weapons.

\"Freyr! Thor!\" Loki blinked, surprised. He took a step back, then shook his head and grinned. \"Better late than never, I suppose.\"

Heimdall rolled his eyes, and then smacked his brother on the arm. \"BAKA!! What kept you?!\"

Thor gazed dispassionately at Heimdall, and then slammed his fist in Heimdall\'s face, sending him flying. Freyr whirled and slammed his foot into Loki\'s chest, sending him soaring as well.

Crying out, Heimdall fell flat on his back. He looked over at Thor, staring at him disbelievingly. \"What are you doing?!

\"Freyr! You great ninny!\" Loki groaned, sitting up. He looked at them, frowning. Thor didn\'t seem like his old self and Freyr was too...intense.

\"We asked you earlier if you would fight us.\" Freyr said softly, and then twirled his naganata around him.

Thor twirled his hammer before slamming it down, sending thunderbolts at them both.

\"Why would we fight you?! You\'re our friends!\" Loki protested, and then stopped. Or were they? Had Baldur gotten a hold of them as well?

Cruel smirks came to both their faces as the two newly arrived gods sauntered slowly towards them. \"You won\'t cross this bridge.\" Thor said as he swirled his hammer around him slowly.

\"Midgard falls even now. Nothing will stop Ragnarok.\" Freyr intoned softly, eyes flashing.

\"It may not stop it, but we\'ll sure as hell try.\" Heimdall said, picking himself up. \"Stand aside, Thor, Freyr....please.\" He looked at Freyr, remembering all the times they\'d spent together on Midgard. There had to be a way to reach them. Baldur\'s influence had to be broken somehow!

\"Make us.\" Thor said with a sneer before slamming his hammer down again and hitting them both with thunderbolts. Freyr swirled his own naganata, sending blazing blue fire at them.

Loki caught the lightning bolts on Laevatein. He remembered what Odin had said and frowned. Trust no one, was it?

Summoning his power, Loki closed his eyes. He pointed his staff at Thor, and then summoned his power. \"Vermonouche!\"

A plane of what appeared to be glass appeared, the encased Mjollner within.

Thor blinked and saw his weapon before him. He snarled, and then blinked again. Eyes going blank, he fell to the side, staring at nothing.

Freyr glanced at Thor disionsionately before resuming his attack on the two.

\"Okay, that\'s it.\" Heimdall shook his head, and then swung his flail. He attacked Freyr, though with no intention to hurt or kill. All he had to do was disarm his friend.

Freyr dodged the attack easily and split his naganata. He twirled the two bladed ends, then sent them careening into Heimdall and Loki, slashing them viciously.

Heimdall parried the moves, his flail knocking the blades aside. The flail seemed to glow briefly, then elongate. Throwing it, it crashed into one of the blades, shattering it.

Freyr snarled and twirled his weapon, slamming it into Heimdall. He then leapt to the attack against Loki. \"For my Nadesico!!\"

\"How dare you!\" Loki growled, raising his staff and meeting Freyr head on. \"Would Mayura want you to attack us?! She would be ashamed of you, Freyr!\"

\"She is dead because of you, Loki-san. My beautiful Nadesico...she was the light! And you spoiled her and depraved her beauty with your evil!!\" Freyr snarled as he attacked viciously.

\"I did nothing of the sort! I loved her, more than you can know!\" Loki retorted, meeting Freyr\'s vicious attack with one of his own.

Snorting as he held their weapons crossed, Freyr glared at Loki over their crossed staffs. \"You didn\'t love...you just seduced.\" He spat out venomously before snarling at slashing Loki and leaping back.

\"What would you know of it?\" Loki retorted, taking a step back. \"Were you there? Were you EVER there for her?\"

\"I was there when she came to me and cried.\" Freyr said, standing with sorrow in his eyes. \"She had cried so hard because you had pulled away from her.\" He straightened, his eyes flashing with hatred for them both. \"You killed her.\"

\"I did it to protect her. I didn\'t want her to be hurt in this battle.\" Loki said, and then bowed his head. He lowered his weapon, looking up at Freyr. \"But you\'re right. Kill me, Freyr. I deserve nothing less for hurting the woman I love.\"

Snarling, Freyr brought up his naganata and charged, then stopped suddenly as he stared at Loki. The soft outline of a figure protected Loki, gentle eyes pleading for Freyr to stop. He shuddered and stepped back, then fell to the ground.

\"What the...\" Loki frowned, kneeling next to Freyr. Heimdall was near Thor, seeing to his brother. They both frowned, looking at one another. They got up, leaving the two there for now. They had to return to Midgard immediately.