To Hel and Back
The Fated Apple Universe
Chapter Five: The Arrival
Warnings: Mature Content ((ONLY 18+)) I am not going to get specific on warnings because I don't want to spoil certain things so enter at your own risk. Nothing too dark I promise, mostly smut and language.
A/N: Thanks again for sticking with me and this story, love you all 💚
The Fated Apple Universe
To Hel and Back: Chapter One: The Vacuum
To Hel and Back Chapter Two: The Jump
To Hel and Back Chapter Three: The Forest
To Hel and Back Chapter Four: The Other Side
“You must wake! Asgardian!”
Your eyes shoot open and you see Bastian’s yellow eyes staring down at you. “What?..”
“They have found us, your child and the Prince are holding them off. You must rise!”, Bastian gives you one last look and then runs out of the tent.
You quickly stand and follow after him, only to find your small camp in chaos. Mina is on your left and it looks like she’s fighting a…ghost. You look over to the right and see Thor surrounded by a few of the same looking spirits, he’s throwing punches, but going right through them. Straight ahead of you, you see Bastian using his large claws to rip through them but his blows seem to be having more of an effect. Every time his paw makes contact, the spirit makes a terrible screech and disappears in a puff of smoke.
Bastian must notice Thor is struggling, “you cannot punch them you fool! Use your magic!”
Thor looks over to Bastian and then to Mina and sees his niece whipping her magic at the spirits, the young girl clearly having more success than he is. He refocuses his attention to the spirits around him and reaches for Mjolnir. As soon as he grips the handle and calls to his lightning, he sends out a wave of it that makes the spirits around him disappear.
You were so focused on watching your family that when a spirit appeared behind you and wrapped its arms around your torso all you could do was let out a yelp of surprise. It was enough to catch Mina’s attention, “Mom!”. But before Mina could make a move to save you, Bastian had already beaten her to it. Somehow making his way unnoticed by the spirit that was holding you hostage. One swipe from Bastian’s claw and just like the others, the spirits disappeared.
“Oh I can’t punch anything but you can scratch them to death?!”, Thor yells to Bastian.
“I am magic you fool!”, Bastian defends.
“Shh!..something is happening..”, Mina interrupts Bastian’s and Thor’s bickering.
Everything stilled for a moment, the remaining spirits stopped there attack and just stayed standing perfectly still. Mina and Thor take the opportunity to move to your side, Bastian moves to stand in front of the three of you.
“What is this?”, Thor asks, holding Mjolnir up in defense.
“They are the ones I spoke of earlier, the others that came here seeking out the Norns. They are now spirits that have not yet crossed over, but they are not usually violent. Something is controlling them.”, Bastian explains.
“After all of these years Bastian, I would think you would be tired of pretending to play guardian of this place.”, a voice says from everywhere and nowhere.
You, Thor and Mina whip your heads around trying to find the source of the voice. But all they see are trees and the group of spirits that now surround them.
“No…it cannot be…you..you are supposed to be…”
“Dead? Yes. I’d expect the hags would want everyone to believe that I had met my demise but alas..here…I…stand.” At that last word, the spirits directly in front of us abruptly part and a figure in a long gray, worn cloak stands before us. His skin as white as a sheet, his face was marred with scarring but it was his eyes that gave you the most pause. The glowing orange sending chills of fear down your spine.
Bastian takes a defensive stand and bares his dangerous teeth, “what are you doing here Gorr? What have you done to the Norn’s?”
“Only what they deserve.”, Gorr responds with a sick smile.
“It was you…you cut my father’s thread.”, Mina steps in front of you before you could move to grab her hand to pull her back to your side.
Gorr’s orange eyes snap dangerously to your baby girl, “well aren’t you a brave one…and who is your father pray tell.”
Mina straightens her spine and looks Gorr right in creepy eyes, “Loki. Rightful King of Jotunheim, Prince of Asgard, God of Mischief and Lies.”
“Ah! The Norn’s precious fated ones! Is that why you have come to my realm?”
“Your realm?”, Bastian interrupts.
“Well whose would it be?”
“What have you done to the Norns?”, Bastian presses.
Gorr’s sadistic smile turns into a dark frown, “what they deserved. They took everything from me. It was time someone returned the favor.”
“You did not answer my niece. Did you cut my brother’s thread?”
Gorr looks over at Thor, “so arrogant. You Asgardian’s believe yourselves to be so powerful. Isn’t it funny that all it took was a snap of a thread to remove one of you from existence.”
“Why? Why did you kill him?”, you speak out, finally finding your voice. But you immediately regret it because his unsettling stare moves over to you.
“Because sweet one…because I could..”, he breaks his stare from you and moves it back to Bastian. “Leave here beast. There is nothing any of you can do that will change what is coming. Leave now, go home to your people. Embrace the ones you hold the most dear. Because I am coming to take them all.”
Gorr, along with the rest of his spirits suddenly disappear, leaving the four of you standing staring at nothing but the dark ominous trees of this never ending forest.
“Who was that?”, you ask Bastian.
“Gorr. He is a troubled soul. Infested with the ideas of vengeance.”
“Against who?”, Thor asks.
“Anyone who would dare call themself a God…long ago he made a vow to kill all of the gods after they refused to help his ailing village. His entire family…but most importantly his child..all perished.”
“That’s so sad..”, Mina says quietly.
“You feel sympathy for it?”, Bastian asks, surprise in his voice.
“I’ve only just felt the loss of my father, I can only imagine what it would be like to lose my entire family..”
“I would save your sympathies child, especially if you wish to be successful in defeating him.”
“How can we defeat that?”, you ask, suddenly feeling nauseous.
“We must reach Yggdrasil. We must find where he is keeping the Norn’s.”
“You believe them to be alive?”, Thor asks.
Bastian nods, “I do. They are still tied to this place, if they die so does the forest, it wouldn’t be dying it would be dead. Gorr has them subdued but he hasn’t killed them..yet. We need to reach Yggdrasil and find them, they will know how to stop him.”
Bastian looks directly to you, “are you alright to keep moving?”
You nod, “yea..”
“Mom are you sure? We can rest a little while longer.”, Mina asks you with concern.
You shake your head and place your hand on your belly, “no. The sooner this is over the sooner we get home.”
Mina nods, waves her arm and removes all traces of them being there. Mina calls to her orbs of light and once again you all make your way towards the tree of life.
——————————————————————————————————
“Y/N was furious with me.”, Loki says proudly with a smile on his face.
“Well I don’t blame her My Prince, how long was her hair blue?”, Idunn asked between giggles.
“Only a week. But I forgot that we had dignitaries from Vanaheim arriving that week for father's council, she made me change my own hair color as well.”
“Ha! And how did the council meetings go”, Idunn asked with a smile.
“Terrible. Thor kept on getting distracted, father banned me from the rest of the council meetings for the rest of their visit.”
“And Mina? How did she feel about your little prank?”
“She demanded I turn her hair blue as well.”, he said with a smile. The memory of you and Mina walking around the palace with matching blue hair is a sweet memory that he hopes he takes with him to Valhalla when he finally gets to leave this place and cross over.
They walked in silence for a little while, but once again Idunn couldn’t help but notice Yggdrasil was not getting any closer. Before she could voice her frustration, the air around them seemed to still. The bright blue sky grew dark and gray, the sound of rolling thunder in the distance.
“Idunn.”
That voice. It sent a chill down her spine. “Gorr.”
She turns around and sees his ghostly figure a few feet away from her a Loki. “What are you doing here Gorr?”
“I always said this day would come Idunn. Did I not?”
“It’s been you. All of this time I could not commune with the Norns..what have you done?”
“I just had this conversation with his annoying family, I do not wish to have to same one with you.”
“What have you done to my family?!”, Loki stands tall next to Idunn.
“Only issued out a warning….they are nothing but a nuisance for now..but if they keep pressing, I might not be so merciful.”
“If you touch them…”, Loki starts to threaten.
“You’ll what? Not much you can do now. Your daughter has a better chance at defeating me or maybe…your wife.”
Loki’s rage starts to spike at the mention of you and Mina.
“On second thought…I have been alone for quite some time…maybe I could use a new wife. I’ll have to do away with the child now growing inside of her to make way for my own to root and grow..maybe Mina will eventually call me….father..”
Loki moves to attack Gorr but before he could even take a step forward he is stopped by Idunn’s hand on his chest. “Enough of this Gorr. What are you doing here?”
“I simply wanted to let the newly deceased, former Prince of Asgard, King of nothing, God of no one know that his precious family would be joining him..very..very soon. Goodbye Idunn, the next time we meet I will have the full power of the Norns, be ready to meet your end.”
Before Idunn could respond, Gorr disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She looks to Loki who is looking at her with fury in his eyes. “What do we do”
“I don’t know Mr Prince. I don’t know.”, Idunn asks.
——————————————————————————————————
-Back on Asgard-
“Frigga. This is a disaster.”
“I am well aware husband.”
Odin looks to the healers in the room, “be sure Goddess Idunn is well taken care of Eir.”
Eir nods, “of course Allfather. My Queen..we should discuss the next steps for Prince Loki.”
Frigga looks to her, “next steps?”
“Yes my Queen, I believe it would be best to bring Prince Loki’s body here. If touching him was the last thing Idunn did before losing consciousness then he might be an answer to waking her.”
Frigga nods, “yes of course. Have your healers bring him here.”
Idunn nods to two of her ladies and she watches as they turn, give instruction to a few other healers and then leave the room to prepare. Leaving Odin and Frigga alone with Idunn. Heimdall was ordered to return to his post after Idunn was brought to the healing wing, with direction to send word of her family.
“Wife.”
Frigga looks to her husband.
“Have you rested?”, he asks her, walking over to her.
“I cannot. All of this is too much. There is too much to do..”
“There is nothing else to do my love but wait. We must wait until Idunn wakes and when Thor brings back y/n and Mina. You need your strength, for when they return we will have to send our son off to Valhalla…”
Frigga nods knowingly not needed to utter a word. But fate had other plans for the King and Queen of Asgard.
Knock Knock!
“Allmother!”, Heimdall shouts from the other side of their private chambers door.
Frigga looks to Odin with wide eyes, “Gods..what else could we be tested with..?” She rushes to the door and opens it, coming face to face with a distressed Heimdall. “Heimdall..what has happened..”
He takes a breath and looks to Odin and then back to Frigga…”the God Killer..he has returned..”
——————————————————————————————————
“Wait.”, Bastian commands.
The group does as they are told and stops in their tracks. They have reached the end of the road it seems. The pathway now being blocked off by a wall of thick trees and brush.
Bastian holds his head up and breathes in deeply, “wait here.” Without another word he walks forward into the deep brush.
“So what we just wait here for him?”, Thor asks.
“What else are we supposed to do?”, you ask.
“I don't know..how do we know he’s not setting us up for a trap?”
“Yea because he would help us get all of this way just to kill us.”, Mina responds.
“Well maybe that’s his plan. Did you ever think of that?”, Thor bites back.
“Stop it. Both of you. He has gotten us this far, we have to trust him.”
“I’m sorry Mom, you’re right. I’m sorry Uncle Thor.”
Thor walks over to Mina and gives her a tight hug, “I am also sorry Mina. I am anxious to get you and your mother home.”
“We need to move. Quietly.”, Bastian reappears suddenly from the brush. He backs up and disappears once again.
“Wait! How?!”, you call out to Bastian in a whisper.
He peeks his head through once again, “it’s an illusion. Come. Quietly.”
Bastian disappears again and you look back to Mina and Thor, “come on..together.”
Mina takes your hand and nods, “together.”
Thor walks up to you both and wraps his arms around you both, “for Loki.”
The three of you look forward and walk through the brush.
——————————————————————————————————
“It’s no use! No matter how far we walk we remain in the same spot!”, Loki exclaims, frustrated they have not reached Yggdrasil.
“We must be missing something. But what?…”, Idunn mumbles to herself. She takes a look around but nothing has changed. They have been walking for hours but still, the small cabin in front of the massive tree of life has not gotten any closer.
“I don’t understand. We should’ve gotten there hours ago..if they get to Yggdrasil before us..”, Loki’s frustrations fueling his worry for his family.
“There has to be a way, something is preventing us from getting further..but what?”, Idunn continues to talk out loud.
Loki looks to the small cottage again and then closes his eyes in attempt to calm his racing heart. It was then when he heard them…
“Mina..”, Loki whispers.
Idunn turns toward Loki, “you can hear her again?”
Loki nods his head, eyes still closed. “And Thor…they’re..arguing.”
“Not surprising. Your child tends to take any opportunity she can to argue..”
Loki smiles, “only when she’s right..I..I think they’ve reached the cabin..I think..”
All of a sudden Loki and Idunn felt like they were being ripped from time and space, very similar to traveling through the Bifrost but instead of beautiful bright colors, it was just darkness, the sound of whipping air and intense pressure.
When Loki opened his eyes, he was standing in front of the cabin he has been chasing down for what felt like eternity. He looks to his side and he sees Idunn who is staring up at the massive tree standing tall behind the cabin. “Oh Gods. It’s true. Yggdrasil..it’s dying..”
He looks back up to Yggdrasil, to his eyes was still vibrant and full of life but Idunn clearly sees or maybe even feels something different. He looks back over to Idunn and sees she is now looking to him with tears in her eyes. He walks over to the broken goddess and places his hands on her shoulders. “Not if we have anything to say about it.”
——————————————————————————————————
When you get through the brush, the view before you takes your breath away. The grass is bright green and soft, the different trees around the grounds were all trimmed and brimming with life. Small animals were running around, hunting and foraging, as if beyond this barrier there isn’t a dying forest. There was a neat, well maintained trail that led to the small cottage in front of the tree, it’s an average looking thing but clearly it has been there for quite some time. Beautiful flowers and vines have wrapped themselves around the cottage, almost like the forest was giving it a loving embrace.
“Come..”, Bastian interrupts your amazement and starts to walk forward toward the cottage.
When you arrive at the foot of the steps of the cottage you take a moment to look up at Yggdrasil. The massive tree is much more impressive than you imagined and the idea of going home and painting a more accurate depiction of it brings you a small spark of excitement.
As soon as Bastian placed a paw on one of the steps the world exploded. The four of you were thrown back to the barrier you had just walked through, the wind gets knocked from your lungs.
“Mom!”, Mina rushes over to you, helping you sit up. “Are you ok?”, she asks you worriedly.
You nod, “yea..what the hell was that?”, you ask as Mina and Thor help you stand back up.
Bastian shakes his head, seemingly shaking off the blow, “I should’ve known Gorr would’ve placed a hex here..we have to find another way through..”
Mina looks at the cottage and then it hits her. She throws her pack over her shoulder and pulled out her dad’s book. She throws it open on the ground and starts flipping through the pages.
“Mina..what are you looking for?”, Tho asks.
“I don’t think this is Gorr. The Norn’s have set their own protection spells around this place..I just have to find the right one.”
——————————————————————————————————
Before Loki and Idunn walk up the cottage steps Loki felt a shudder in his chest so hard it almost knocked him off his feet. It was enough to make him take a few steps back away from the cottage.
“Are you alright?”
Loki looks down and presses his hands to his chest, feeling for a wound but felt nothing. He looks back up to Idunn and nods, his breathing heavy, “yes. It felt like I was just struck in the chest.”
Idunn’s eyes go wide, “the protection spells..how could I forget…it has been so long since I have had to worry about them..”
“I believe they just found out the hard way…”, Loki winces while still rubbing his chest, his breathing finally almost back to normal.
“My Prince, have you tried to reach Y/N and Mina again?”, Idunn asks.
“No I did not even think to try, I don’t even know how we managed it the first time.”, Loki admits.
“I believe if you can feel them through the other side, you might be able to assist them from this side..”
Loki concentrates for a moment, trying to see if he could sense you or Mina. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in, blocking everything out of his mind. He can feel his magic reach out around him, spreading around the grassy area around them searching for his other half. At first he felt nothing and then just as he was about to pull away he felt it.
You.
He felt your soul on the other side and his body moved on its own accord. He focuses a little harder and the closer he gets to you the stronger your presence becomes. He also feels Mina, but unlike you who is feeling anxious, Mina feels frustration. He gets down on his knees and places his hands in the dirt again, “y/n…come on baby…feel me..”
——————————————————————————————————
“Y/n…baby….y/n…feel me…”
You hear your name like an echo. You look around to see if you can tell where it was coming from. But the voice goes away..but then you hear it again..
“Y/n..y/n…I need you to focus…focus on my voice…y/n…”
“Loki?…”, you whisper out loud. The voice, starting to sound more and more like your husband’s.
Thor and Bastian’s attentions snap to you, while Mina was still flipping through pages.
“Sister?…y/n..are you alright?”, Thor asks.
Thor’s voice breaks through the echo and you look into his concerned blue eyes and nod, “uh..yea..I just..I thought I heard something..”
“Heard what?”, Bastian asks.
“Someone calling my name..it sounded like..like Loki..”
Mina paused her search and stands, she rushes up to you and places her hands on your face. “What is he saying Mom?”
You look at her confused.
“Mom, he’s trying to reach out again..”
“But I didn’t talk to him last time..”
“The connection might be stronger because we have reached the roots of Yggdrasil..your daughter is correct Asgardian..you must concentrate on your fated one’s voice.”
“Maybe do what you did before?..”, Thor asks. Everyone turns to look at him and it makes him start to pick at this fingers nervously. “What?..you know..when Bastian told you that you were pregnant and you dug your hands in the dirt and Mina put her hands in with yours and then Mina’s eyes got all weird..”
“He’s right! You’re a genius Uncle Thor!”, she runs over to her uncle and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Mina runs back to you and takes your hands in hers, “close your eyes and concentrate on Dad’s voice. We need to find where the connection is strongest.”
You nod and close your eyes, trying to focus on finding Loki’s connection. After a few heart beats you hear him again, very faint at first but as you turn your head a bit you could hear him a bit louder. “Loki..”
“Feel….me…y/n…my heart…reach..for..me..”
You move a few feet to your left and drop to your hands and knees.
“Girl, grab your father’s book.”, Bastian instructs Mina who follows suit.
As soon as your knees hit the ground you dig your hands deep into the soil. You close your eyes and call out to your fated, “Loki..Loki..I’m right here..”
You feel someone fall to their knees at your side but you don’t dare open your eyes. Not until you’re sure you have secured the connection.
Next to you Mina also falls to her knees, placing the book in front on her. She then places her hands in the dirt on top of yours and closes her eyes, hoping she could help you find her dad on the other side.
Thor and Bastian stand vigil behind you and Mina. The both of them making sure nothing will get through to either of you.
You take in another deep breath and then you feel it. You feel his touch on the other side of the soil just like how it was last time. But now when you opened your eyes you were met with the eyes of the man you love.
“Loki.”
“My heart.”
To be continued…
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