93. Loki'd!

NOTLAND, 616TH MIDGARD

The eighteen perpetrators and their sheep had been rounded up, cuffed so that they couldn't use magical means of escape, and locked in the dungeon of the Notland castle. What weapons could be found on them and actually picked up were confiscated and added haphazardly to the Shoney's hoard in the audience chamber.

As the fin-folk lord arranged the spears of Gwendolyn and Loki in a pleasing manner, he was interrupted by Wharl storming into the room. My lord, Wharl said briskly. What is your plan for the prisoners?

I am surprised you even ask, the Shoney replied casually.

You would offer Odinsons and Friggadaughters for sacrifice? Wharl asked, taken aback.

His holiness would be more than pleased to receive such a powerful offering, the Shoney replied. It is better than any of our own or any mortal we could give.

But… Wharl sputtered.

But what? the Shoney pressed.

For one thing, it was clearly the fault of the trickster god, Wharl pointed out. The others are innocent.

They were his allies, the Shoney insisted.

But they did not know – Wharl cut himself off. That does not matter to you, does it? You…you are glad they stole from you. Because it gives you an excuse to collect a sacrifice.

I have not had anything to give in the name of our lord in a long time, the Shoney relented. It was a stroke of good fortune that ones deserving of punishment came our way. Do not look at me that way, Wharl. I am not so barbaric that I would willingly give away ones who had committed no crime.

Yet, Wharl argued. Though all of the worshippers…eventually they become consumed by bloodlust. You know this. You are not that barbarian now. You will become that barbarian.

Is this talk of treason I hear? the Shoney asked in a warning tone.

Wharl sighed. Think of our political situation, he begged. If you murder so many friends and family of Odin…no, if you kill even one…the Asgardian troops will march upon our borders, not Jötunheim. Furthermore, I assume you intend to make this a public display?

As it should be, the Shoney confirmed.

You know that there are those…many of those…who do not follow this path, Wharl pointed out. A move this great, this controversial…you would surely invite civil war into your own kingdom.

I do not shy away from war, the Shoney reminded Wharl. After all, is that not his will? That one day, we shall be inundated in bloodshed? That we should serve him by killing and warring until he shows us the better way to do so in the coming age where we may grasp power from the edges of our blades and let our weapons decide who is truly deserving to lead? That should we remain faithful to him, when he awakens, he shall bring us true freedom and joy?

Wharl wanted to call the Shoney mad, then. After all, the Shoney already was king; what did he need a hierarchy for where he could claim power through violence? Instead, he tried to use more reason: I do not believe he wishes to give us such an age for our benefit. I do not believe he cares for us at all. He merely wishes to see chaos reign, for he sees no purpose in order. Just like the rest of them. That is what you see as freedom.

You utterly misunderstand, the Shoney nearly sighed.

If it is freedom through war you so desperately crave, Wharl pointed out, you could have easily had that with Odin. Shair Shair informed me of what you had said to them. You wanted to raze Jötunheim. You could have had that in Odin's war. Let his sons live, and you may yet have that.

The Shoney was silent a moment, thinking that over. Wharl braced himself, wondering if he'd opened himself up to the king's anger. However, when the Shoney finally did give his opinion, it was thus: You make an excellent point.

Then what is your decision? Wharl asked.

I do not believe I shall merely let them go, the Shoney stated. However…there may be a more traditional method of punishment for thieves that will tell me which war I am going to participate in: one with Odin, one against Odin, or one against my own people.

What are you talking about? Wharl asked sharply.

You shall see, the Shoney assured him as he placed upon his head a tall tiara wrought from a metal only found underwater, one carved in the shape of several fin-folk wound together in a strange dance. As the king of the fin-folk moved toward the door, he glanced back at Wharl and uttered two words: Cthulhu fhtagn.

Wharl made no response, though he knew full well what he should have said was those exact words back to the Shoney.

The Shoney took his leave without another word.

...

The holding cell was of a deep green color. The bars were carved from the same substance as the wall, giving the prisoners the impression that they were in a dank sea cave. The cell was unfurnished, leaving only the eighteen prisoners and their sheep to sit or stand around, still bound by chains that restricted any and all magical abilities to nothing.

"Why would you DO that?" Rainbow Dash screamed at Loki. "One of the first things anypony TOLD you was that the Shoney would notice if his stuff got taken!"

"I believe you've answered your own question," Loki pointed out. "With a warning like that, it was simply begging to be done."

"This is all just some stupid prank to you, isn't it?" Rainbow Dash snapped.

Loki shrugged. "I got a laugh from it. The looks on your faces when they emptied your pockets!"

"Brother," Thor said mournfully, "one of these days, your mischief will land us in true danger."

"Well, that's an understatement," Twilight muttered under her breath.

"That's if we are not already," Oswald pointed out.

"There is not much worse they can do than imprison us," Thor stated. "For them to do even that is a grave insult to Asgard. When we have been released, you can be sure Father will hear of this."

"But even Father would know that Loki was the first one to offend," Gwendolyn pointed out.

"And if we snitch on the Shoney for lockin' us up," Applejack added, "I think we can say goodbye to havin' any alliance with the fin-folk."

"That's if we get out of here at all," Jack added. "I don't think they'd just arrest us only to let us go a few minutes later."

"If we are gone too long, Father will surely send out a search party for us," Thor pointed out. "It will not take them long to learn what has become of us and free us from this prison."

"Somepony's coming," Twilight announced when she heard footsteps approaching.

A host of the Shoney's guard appeared on the other side of the bars. One produced a key and began to unlock the door.

"So thou hast seen the error of thy ways," Thor commented. "You shall not get away with this. Father shall hear of what you have done!"

Odin shall hear nothing more from you ever again, the captain of the guard replied.

"OF WHAT TREASON DO YOU SPEAK?" Thor bellowed.

Your sentence, the captain explained. You are to be burned and your souls offered to our lord who lies dreaming.

Cthulhu fhtagn, the rest of the fin-men chorused, and the chant sent chills down the spines of all present who were not fin.

"You cannot DO this!" Thor raged. "We are GODS!"

Not our gods, the captain rebutted. Now move along.

"Father will stop you," Thor argued.

Odin will not know until it is too late, the captain replied.

"Then he shall make you pay for this!"

The fin-man laughed in clicks. It shall be the Shoney's honor to challenge Odin, then, he said.

"This isn't fair!" Twilight yelled. "You're going to KILL us just because we stole something? Well, ONE of us stole something, anyway."

"YEAH!" Pinkie Pie added. "Nopony does THAT! …Unless you're from Corona, where they actually used to do that a lot before Rapunzel – "

"We gave it back," Twilight interrupted. "We can apologize. We can work something out. We can leave, and you won't ever have to see us in Notland again."

The Shoney does not want that, the captain emphasized. We do not want that. What we want is blood.

Twilight felt chilled. "Did…did it even matter that we stole things at all? Did you want to do this to us if we messed up, no matter what?"

She got her answer when the entire guard gave the clicking laugh.

Do not tarry further, the captain urged. The fin-men filed into the cell, roughly grasping the prisoners by the arms to guide them along, down the hall and up out of the dungeon. One even scooped up Baromett, clutching him tightly.

"And here I was thinking it was too much to ask that we cross realms without causing a diplomatic incident," Oswald growled. "It seems I now need to lower my expectations. It will be a good day when we enter a new realm and are not offered up as living sacrifices to the Old Ones."

...

The prisoners were herded out through the dark, sea-mite-lit night to the town square. Along the way, Thor, Rainbow Dash, Sif, Applejack, Cornelius, and Thorgil had each attempted to either squirm away, break the cuffs, or knock down the fin-men. However, the host of guards was large, and each man strong. The cuffs held tightly, and it slowly began to sink in that this time, there might not be an escape.

"We've gotten out of worse than this before," Twilight muttered to herself. "We can think of a way out. I just…need to think…of how…"

"Wh…what are you going to do to Baromett?" Fluttershy asked cautiously.

Your little sheep? the captain laughed. We have no reason to give him to our lord who lies dreaming. Nor would he make a proper sacrifice. He would barely make a proper meal…but still, I do not think the Shoney would be opposed to the idea of a roast lamb.

Fluttershy gasped in horror. Then a wave of anger came over her: "You're going to put him down and let him go, NOW!"

Startled, the fin-man holding onto Baromett dropped the sheep, and the small animal ran away, baa-ing into the horizon.

What did you do that for, you clumsy oaf? the captain snarled.

I do not know, the guard replied in bewilderment. It was as if some force came over me that I could not resist.

Twilight gasped. "Fluttershy…your wish! To help the people you felt bad for! Maybe it can get us out of this situation!"

Fluttershy nodded. "And now, you're going to let the rest of my friends go, too!"

This was met with another chorus of laughter.

Whatever power you have, it is not so strong as that, the captain chuckled. However…while a sacrifice must properly be burned, it does seem…inappropriate to let you suffer so long. For you, pink-haired one…we shall shoot you all in the heart with arrows before the flames can reach you. Your end will be swift and painless. All except for the trickster god who initiated the theft. He shall burn until the last.

"And that's the best we're getting from Kyubey," Twilight grunted. "I guess that's technically helping."

"And now I know which of us Fluttershy feels no remorse for," Loki huffed, miffed.

"I don't want you to burn OR be shot!" Fluttershy gasped. "I'm just…well, I'm upset, all right?"

"How was I supposed to know they'd kill us in the name of their insane god?" Loki snapped. "It wasn't exactly obvious they were going to do that!"

Twilight could see the square in the distance. A great bonfire had been set before – no, around the pillar, engulfing its base. A rhythmic screaming was heard, though the words were unintelligible. Not wanting to look at that, Twilight glanced to the homes they passed en route, observing a peculiar phenomenon. Wherever the party passed, the clamshell-shaped shutters of several houses in the area would suddenly slam shut. There were fin-folk in there, Twilight realized, fin-folk who wanted absolutely no part in the grisly ritual about to take place. She found herself angry that none were rushing forth to attempt to stop it from happening, but at the time, she knew that fear was even more effective than magic-proofed handcuffs at restraining even powerful beings.

The square came into full view. And so did the screaming. It then became apparent what the fin-folk gathered around the monument were crying out repeatedly: the same strange syllabic combination uttered by the guards in the dungeon. CTHULHU FHTAGN! CTHULHU FHTAGN! CTHUHLU FHTAGN!

At least twenty of the fin-folk were engrossed in a wild dance, leaping around the flames that had been set at the base of the pillar, keeping no time, flailing all limbs, working into a frenzy. At the edges of the square was the throng of chanters, putting webbed fists into the air. The pillar itself had been altered. Wide metal ladders had been placed against its sides so that a guard could take a prisoner up it to the fixture that had been installed to the upper part of the pillar. That fixture was more shackles. Nine pair ran the circumference of the pillar. It was clear that the intent was to burn nine, make the other nine watch their friends' demise, then go back for the rest.

Wait here, the captain ordered the other guards. I shall speak to the archers about the arrows that shall be needed. With that, he walked off.

"So this is where we meet our demise," Gwendolyn stated somberly.

"It is not worthy of Valhalla," Fandral mourned.

"It is not worthy of the CHILDREN OF ODIN!" Thor raged.

"I suppose now is far too late to regret that theft," Loki offered.

"Better late than never," Pinkie Pie replied, looking to Loki and putting on her best fake smile. Though she was very frightened, and she knew Loki was to blame, the thought of him burning saddened and sickened her, and she wondered if there were any way to lighten his mood at least.

He smiled back at her. She was a connoisseur of smiles. She knew that he, too, was faking.

The Shoney stormed up the thoroughfare, toward the fire, the pillar, and the revelers. They were all expecting him to preside, he knew, and if any of them in their excitement got it into their heads to kill one of the prisoners before he arrived, the dissenter would be added to the sacrifices. For the Shoney, taking Wharl's words into consideration, had a new plan, and he intended to put it into action.

He was halted when his wife stepped out in front of him, glaring into his eyes. You monster, she growled. I wanted them to marry to the young ones. They were all so beautiful! Now look what you've gone and done! They'll never make husbands or wives to any of the merfolk if they're dead!

Now is not the time, the Shoney urged. Stand aside.

I shall not let you pass, Shair Shair insisted.

If you let me pass, the Shoney told her, you may yet see the beautiful gods and humans survive to wed the children.

Shair Shair was taken aback. The Shoney explained his new plan as quickly as possible, all the while keeping a worried eye on the pillar. He could see where the prisoners were grouped. He was relieved that he could count all eighteen. The sheep was nowhere to be seen, but the Shoney knew that none of his subjects would attempt to sacrifice a sheep.

After hearing her husband out, Shair Shair replied, I see.

Let me pass, the Shoney insisted again.

Hurry, Shair Shair urged, stepping out of the way. Stop them before they burn them all!

The Shoney broke into an undignified run. He trusted his captain of the guard as far as he could throw a blue whale.

The captain had returned to the prisoners. The archers have their assignment, he related. We may begin.

But the Shoney…one of the others argued.

Is late, the captain pointed out. And our lord craves blood. THEY crave blood.

He indicated the chanters, who had not ceased repeating the same two words: CTHULHU FHTAGN!

"So you're just gonna kill us without waitin' for the king to show up and give y'all the go-ahead?" Applejack snapped. "THAT seems like a betrayal to me."

We know this is his will, the captain argued. He turned to the other guards: BRING THE FIRST NINE!

Applejack, Twilight, Jack, Thorgil, Sif, Hogun, Gwendolyn, Oswald, and Thor were seized. The dancers parted enough to let the guards and their charges through. The nine unlucky chosen ones were brought through the lines, right up to the fire, to the bases of the ladders.

Each saw it as an opportunity. Each was only led by one guard. If they could physically overpower that one guard for just a moment, they could run. Then the problem would become getting past the throng of dancers and chanters, who would most certainly fence them in. However, this plan of action was cemented firmly into each head the moment they were led to the bases of the ladders. Twilight looked to Sif, who nodded. Sif caught Gwendolyn's eye, and she gave a short nod. Jack's nervous eyes met Twilight's, and Twilight sent a nod his way, hardening his resolve.

But before any of them could make a move, the Shoney charged into the square, screaming out, STOP!

At the sight of the king in full regalia uttering such an urgent command, the fin-folk all ceased what they were doing, falling silent. Dancers stopped dancing; chanters stopped chanting. The guards halted, not bothering to force their charges up the ladders. Twilight, Sif, Jack, Thorgil, Hogun, Oswald, Applejack, Thor, and Gwendolyn all knew it was best to put the escape maneuver on hold until they'd heard what the Shoney had to say; after all, he had just ordered his subjects to stop trying to kill them.

I hereby withdraw my sentence that the offenders are to be sacrificed to the dreaming lord, the Shoney announced, and serve to them a new sentence.

This elicited a lot of bewildered murmuring from the crowd.

As you all know, the Shoney went on, to sacrifice children of Odin would bring a war with Asgard to us. This is a war I know you would all gladly fight. After all, Odin is not invincible. However, what you do not know is that before the theft, Thor Odinson proposed to me an alliance in a different war: that we join Asgard in a march against Jötunheim. This war would be stacked far more in our favor.

The murmuring grew louder, and most of the crowd nodded, seeing the sense in what the Shoney was saying.

Therefore, the Shoney announced, I want to let fate and skill decide. We shall not burn the offenders. Instead, they shall be given the traditional punishment of being thrown to the eel. They will not be bound, and they will be free to use their own strength and their magic, but no weapons. Should they die, they die in the name of our lord, and their deaths offered to him. We shall face whatever comes after that, as we had planned. Should the Asgardians die but the others survive, the others shall be kept here, to eventually be wed to the merfolk.

He shot a backward glance at Shair Shair, who was lumbering up the thoroughfare, as though to ask her in a disgruntled manner if she was happy now.

However, the Shoney picked up, should any of the Asgardians survive, they are not to speak of what has happened to them in this land. Should they bring Odin's wrath upon us when we had decided not to incur it, they shall lose our loyalty and our forces. Yet, if they keep silent, we shall take their survival as a sign of which conflict we are to truly join and which deaths we are truly to offer. We shall join the Asgardians in their endeavor and reduce Jötunheim to rubble. This is what I decree.

"WE'RE SAVED!" Rainbow Dash cried.

"Not yet," Velvet emphasized.

"Aw, come on!" Rainbow Dash replied. "There hasn't been a challenge yet that we haven't won! This is gonna be a breeze!"

Bring them to the arena at once! the Shoney commanded.

The prisoners were rounded up and herded down the road at the other side of the square.

Shair Shair sidled up next to the Shoney. Thank you, she told him.

On the way out of the square, Twilight looked up at the houses again. Now that the group was being led away from the great bonfire, the shutters were actually opening, the fin-folk looking out in interest. They were bewildered that the Shoney hadn't outright killed those whom he'd marked for death. They wondered what it meant. Some even dared hope against hope that it meant the beginning of the end times for the cult of Cthulhu.

Silently, several of them slipped out of their abodes and made way down the street behind the crowd.

...

The prisoners were taken to a great arena, pearl-white, and shoved down basement corridors to a holding room that wasn't much different in furnishing from the dungeon cell of earlier. They were ordered to relinquish their weapons. Thor reluctantly walked Mjolnir to the adjacent room himself, being the only one present who could carry it, and set it down on the floor. Swords, spears, chains, staffs: all were given up. The Equestrians handed over their wands. Then they were left alone in the holding room while their combatants were readied.

"Too bad they didn't know about THESE," Rainbow Dash said mischievously as her great blade appeared in her hand.

Twilight shook her head. "We can't use those in the field."

Rainbow Dash was stunned. "Why not? It's not like THEY'VE been playing fair!"

"But after we get out of the ring," Twilight pointed out, "they are NOT going to be happy that we smuggled in weapons. We could lose the alliance, or worse, be brought right back to the fire!"

"But…" Rainbow Dash's confidence in their ability to win the fight was suddenly lowered. She'd counted heavily on being able to use her sword and the power that came with it.

"You speak as though an alliance with these monsters is worth anything to us," Thor growled. "Father WILL hear of what they have done to us, no matter what!"

"We will need their assistance if we are to take on Jötunheim," Gwendolyn reminded him.

"Fighting alongside them is as dangerous as fighting the Jötunns!" Thor pointed out.

"I think we have discovered that offending them is the true danger," Velvet rebutted. "I fear that they may do more than withdraw their military reinforcements if we do not bow to their request. Silence may be a small price to pay for our lives."

"Besides," Twilight brought up, "there might be some of the others in their full army."

"Others?" Jack asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Not all of the fin-folk would come to the square to where the fire was," Twilight revealed. "I was looking around at the houses. A lot of them were locked up inside. I think they were scared…and I think they weren't comfortable with what the Shoney was doing. And earlier, when we took the tour, I noticed a lot of them avoiding the spot where the monument was altogether. I think there are actually a LOT of fin-folk here who don't want anything to do with Cl…Ctl…Clat…Ch…" She gave up on trying to wrap her tongue around the strange syllables. "That other god. And I don't think they wanted to see us get burned, either."

"I do find it rather hard to believe that Wharl would," Rarity added.

"There's a whole other side to Notland that we haven't seen yet," Twilight concluded, "and I think it's possible that some of them could end up being in the army that joins us marching to Jötunheim."

"I wouldn't put too much stock in it," Jack grunted. "There's more than one reason they could have been holed up."

"I guess I can't blame you for being cynical NOW," Twilight sighed, "seeing where we are."

"Without Mjolnir," Thor pointed out, "we do not even have the advantage of thunder. My powers depend on it."

"Good thing some of us actually have our abilities as gods no matter what weapon we do or don't have," Loki taunted with a grin.

"Then you'd better work extra hard to get us outta this mess," Applejack growled, "seein' as you're the one who got us into it."

"They were looking for an excuse!" Loki protested.

"And you gave them one when they didn't have one earlier!" Applejack retorted.

"This is NOT the time to be fighting with each other!" Fluttershy snapped. "We need to focus on working together against what's out there!"

"It's just gonna be eel," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "I was expecting something a little worse than eel."

"I think we're looking at something a little more dangerous than Xerxes," Twilight muttered.

...

Eventually, a host of fin-folk appeared to herd the unarmed prisoners down another hallway and out a large double door. On the other side of the door, the arena spread out a mile wide or more, gleaming white with a slight rainbow sheen reminiscent of abalone. The walls were riddled with more doors, larger, barred with metal. Above that, bleachers, blocked off from the arena by glassy walls, stretched backward, and there was not a single seat that was not filled with fin-man, fin-wife, merman, or mermaid. And over half of them were cheering; the sound hit the group from the moment they entered the field. Many of the cheers were inaudible, but every now and again, a distinct CTHULHU FHTAGN was heard.

"I really wish they'd stop with that one," Rainbow Dash grunted.

Twilight, still concerned with her theory about the fin-folk, searched the audience with her eyes. She picked out more than a few who sat stock-still in their seats, making no movement, presumably making no noise – the way their voices sounded without their lips moving, it was difficult to tell – and staring intently at the field.

Her attention was diverted back to the field itself once she saw the fin-men who'd brought the eighteen out swimming toward three of the large gates and removing the bars that held them in place. They ceremoniously opened the doors, and the cheering grew louder. Then the fin-men darted away, into smaller doors that they locked behind them, as quickly as arrows shot from bows.

The three open gates gave way solely to blackness at first. Then, from one, there came a stirring. Something massive lumbered forth, something twenty feet tall and only slightly less wide. It squirmed its way out into the arena, jaws snapping: a brilliant green eel of monstrous proportions.

From the open gates on both sides, two more eel joined it. When all three eel had entered the arena, the gates slammed shut behind them. The giant sea creatures turned to fix their eyes upon the eighteen challengers that had been thrown to them.

"Our fight begins now," Thor muttered.

The three eel slid forward.

"GO!" Twilight screamed, running at one of them with Gwendolyn, Sif, Volstagg, Velvet, and Rainbow Dash in tow.

"YAAAAAAGH!" Thor gave a wild yell before rushing another eel; Hogun, Cornelius, Jack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity followed him.

"THEN I SUPPOSE WE'LL TAKE THIS ONE!" Loki called out, leading Fandral, Oswald, Thorgil, Fluttershy, and Applejack into the last charge.

Rainbow Dash vaulted up into the watery air, speeding around the head of her chosen eel; its eyes followed her, and it attempted to snap, its jaws closing on where she had been only seconds before. While it was distracted, Twilight conjured several rings of magenta magic around its body, pinning it down to the ground. Twilight's eyes shut as she concentrated; recognizing Twilight's need to be uninterrupted in order to hold the magic where it was, Velvet rushed to stand in front of Twilight, ready to guard or warn her.

"What is your plan?" Sif asked Gwendolyn as the pair rushed the pinned eel.

"If we both try to knock it out from the top of the head," Gwendolyn answered, "we should be able to do something."

The two women vaulted onto the eel's back, running up the length of it.

The eel struggled hard; Twilight strained to hold the bands she'd conjured in place. Without the use of her staff, however, she soon tired, and the eel shattered the bonds. Twilight's eyes snapped open. She changed tactics, putting her energy into firing repeated plasma bolts at the eel's face, hoping one of them would knock it unconscious.

As the eel's body shifted, Gwendolyn and Sif found it difficult to maintain balance. They wobbled. Sif nearly toppled, but Gwendolyn deftly caught her by the wrist, hauling her back atop the creature. Seeing this, Volstagg rushed to the eel's tail, clamping it in a tight grip. This held the creature slightly more still.

The cheering that had been so prevalent died down then, but the arena did not become silent. An entirely different set of yells and whoops went up. Twilight realized that these cheers were for her group, for the success they'd had so far in stymying the eel. These cheers were from the others, those who had sat stone-still while their fellows bellowed chants to the Old One.

Gwendolyn and Sif were then able to reach the eel's head, preparing to leap and stomp in unison.

In the meantime, Jack and Pinkie Pie called up a massive fire to encircle their predator. The eel could see its foes through the wall of fire, and attempted to barge through it, but recoiled at the touch of the extreme heat. Rarity, Cornelius, and Hogun took advantage of this; as they had no Rainbow Dash, they had to become the next best thing in terms of distraction. They rushed the perimeter, and Cornelius and Rarity made a point of making as much obnoxious noise as possible:

"Oh, I'm over heeeeere!"

"Come and get me, you great slimy beast!"

"Bet you can't catch me!"

Thrice more the eel burned itself, once going for Rarity, once going for Cornelius, and once going for Hogun. In all the commotion, it didn't notice Thor soaring up over the flames and behind it until the thunder god grasped the creature by the throat, ready to slam its head into the ground hard.

Loki had opted for a more traditional means of distraction. Nine identical illusions of him appeared on the field, giving the appearance of ten total Lokis. His team stepped back momentarily to let him do his work. The Lokis scattered, and the eel twisted to snap its jaws at one. That one turned out to be a fake, and as soon as it dissipated, three more replaced it, popping up in random locations. The eel lunged again and again; a plethora of Lokis winked in and out of existence, thoroughly diverting its attention from the others.

"NOW!" Applejack yelled. "GET 'IM!"

She, Fluttershy, Fandral, Oswald, and Thorgil all leapt on the eel's back, clutching it tightly.

"All right, we've got him!" Fandral cried. "Now what do we do with him?"

But before Sif and Gwendolyn could make their leap, before Thor could knock the head of his opponent, before the third team could even decide what to do, the first eel's body lit completely up with crackling electricity. There was a great "OHHHHH" from the crowd as Volstagg, Sif, and Gwendolyn were knocked back in pain. The first eel inspired its siblings; Thor was shocked away by his opponent, and the third team flew off the third eel's back when it lit up.

All eighteen hastily regrouped by the entry door. "Is everypony okay?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

"We'll be all right," Gwendolyn said with a nod.

"The thunder god," Loki groaned, "shaken off by electricity?"

"I did not have Mjolnir," Thor said through gritted teeth, "and it surprised me."

"We better think of a new plan," Twilight said worriedly. The flames on the field had died down, and the eels were eyeing their opponents hungrily.

...

A pair of fin-men were keeping a strict guard on the weapons storeroom. They had been posted outside the only door, making sure no one and nothing got in until the match was decided.

That was why it startled them to hear the noise coming from within the room.

They flung open the door to see the intruders there. One intruder had a hand on Mjolnir's handle, gingerly tugging, then outright picking up the godly hammer just as the door was opened and their presence revealed.

Who are YOU? one of the fin-men demanded.

One of the intruders laughed. "Only someone who has more pools of endless water than he knows what to do with." He held out his hands; within them were many, many mirrors of varying sizes and shapes, bound by frames of different materials with various carvings. "Most of which are magical, and none of which I seem to need. If you catch my…" He put a hand up into the atmosphere, stirring the watery air. "Drift!"

The fin-men looked to one another. At last, one of them said, We do.

He reached out and collected the mirrors, taking them into his arms, marveling at how they all sparkled, astonished to see his face reflected so many times. But what shall we say if we are asked where the hammer of the Odinson is? he asked.

"Hmmmm…" The intruder put on the appearance of thinking it over. It was quite obvious, however, that he knew the answer from the beginning. "Say the trolls did it. Took it right to Jötunheim. That ought to tell them everything they need to know."

"But – " the other attempted to interrupt, appearing to be unsure about the whole situation.

"But we're not technically LYING," the first concluded. "And speaking of which, we'd best be getting back there before any Jötunns decide to stick their noses where they don't belong! Now." He turned back to the fin-men. "What do we say if we're asked where the hammer is?"

It was taken to Jötunheim, the fin-man answered, still enraptured by his myriad reflections. By the Jötunns.

"Good fishie!" the intruder chirped before both vanished into thin air, taking Mjolnir with them.

...

"I know what we need to do!" Pinkie Pie realized. "What would ANY trickster do with snakes?"

"Uh…" Twilight took a stab in the dark. "Put them in a can, then give it to somepony else and tell them it's food?"

Loki shook his head. "Tie them together."

"Of COURSE!" Twilight realized. "That has to be our new attack plan! Get their attention, then run them around each other! Everypony got it?"

"AYE!" the others chorused.

"GO!" Twilight yelled; they dispersed just as all three eel's heads rushed past where they'd been standing and bonked against the near wall.

"We're off to a good start already!" Pinkie Pie laughed as she witnessed the giant monsters' pratfall. "Okay, everypony! Time to take this three dimensional!" With a flip, she leapt up into the air and began to swim.

One of the eel turned to pursue her. As it was about to catch up to her, Rainbow Dash zipped past it from the upper left, calling out, "BETCHA CAN'T CATCH ME!" The eel turned to see her touch the ground briefly before lifting off again; Thorgil took off running from almost the exact same spot, inciting the eel to chase her. As it did, Thor led the second eel over its back, careening through the air. His path was intercepted by Gwendolyn, who swam upward, leading the eel to wrap around the body of its third companion. The third was having a rather hard time chasing Lokis: as soon as it thought it had the trickster god in its sights, the illusion would vanish, then reappear slightly farther away, leading it along.

"OVER HERE!" Twilight yelled, pulling the second eel in one direction.

Jack vaulted over the back of the third, letting the first follow him that way.

Hogun sailed through a loop formed by the second and first eel; the third, fed up with trying to capture the various Loki illusions, followed him and threaded the needle.

Soon, Fluttershy found it was her turn to lead one of the eel; she panicked, never having been athletic. She swam as hard as she could, but she was aware the eel was gaining on her. The great jaws snapped, and her heart rate increased. The snapping sound grew closer, closer –

Then the distance between Fluttershy and the eel's head expanded drastically. She looked back. The eel had been pulled up short. Fluttershy went higher, near the ceiling of the arena, to see that the job had been done. All three eels were wound into a nearly impossible knot. They struggled, but all they could do was roll as one in a ball until they hit a wall.

This collision jolted the audience, startling the fin-folk. Then there rose a raucous cheer, a shower of applause and screaming, and not one Cthulhu Fhtagn to be heard.

The eighteen regrouped at the farthest wall from the ball of eel, catching their breath. "I believe we just may have thwarted their challenge," Loki pointed out.

In the stands, the Shoney stood, and when he did, all fell silent. The fin-folk king's ethereal form of voice echoed throughout the entire arena: You have done well and proven yourselves the better of the eel. Our decision has been made. You shall all return to Asgard, and my military forces shall join yours. Reclaim your weapons and leave at your leisure.

The Shoney sat down, and the gate through which the eighteen had been forced when they were prisoners opened back up. They eagerly rushed toward it, back down the hall toward the weapons storage room.

The way, however, was blocked by several fin-folk, all staring in disbelief at the group. "Uh…is there a problem?" Twilight asked, growing nervous.

Wharl made his way to the front of the group, clutching a familiar small, furry creature.

"BAROMETT!" Fluttershy cried happily. The sheep squirmed from Wharl's arms and leapt into Fluttershy's, nearly knocking her over.

We wished to congratulate you on your victory, Wharl stated. We had all hoped you would not only survive, but overcome. Not all of Notland favors the bloodthirsty god of the Shoney, but those who do have considerable power over the rest of us.

"I KNEW it!" Twilight cried.

Though I must apologize further, Wharl said somberly.

"What for?" Thor asked.

It was I who reminded the Shoney that your survival would give him a chance to march upon and raze Jötunheim, Odinson, Wharl admitted. It was the only argument I could use to convince him. He is no less bloodthirsty than before, and I fear I may have only agitated the war.

"A war that was to take place in the beginning," Sif asserted. "If it truly was you who convinced the Shoney to give us a chance, then you have saved all of our lives."

Throwing you to the eel was his idea, Wharl explained. It is a traditional punishment for criminals.

"I remember being threatened with that last time we were here!" Thorgil recalled, grinning.

"You're far too happy about that," Jack muttered.

"I was to tell Father of the strange worship that goes on here and how it nearly led to our demise," Thor told Wharl, "but it now seems to me that may not be the wise course of action. Will you and any of your fellows who are not a part of it be fighting alongside us?"

Of course, Wharl answered. I will be part of the legion that marches upon Jötunheim. After all, Rán is my goddes, and Asgard is one of her domains. That is who we all pay our worship to: Rán. And we shall protect what is hers in her name…even alongside those who seek to attain false freedom through bloodshed. But we should hinder you no longer. We simply wished to give you our support. To see you best the eel was a victory for Rán.

"At least come with us to collect our weapons and to see us off," Gwendolyn urged.

"Besides," Rarity broke in, "there is one more matter we have yet to discuss. A while back, I lost – "

"Why, Rarity, it seems to me you're feeling much better," Loki hastily interrupted. "You walked all the way here without swooning!"

"Loki, what are you – " Rarity halted midsentence. The arena was much farther than 100 meters away from the castle, and yet she was alive. She wanted to question it, but she was certain Loki knew the answer, and he obviously didn't want her speaking aloud in front of the fin-folk.

The much larger group made their way down the hall to the weapons storage chamber. "Where did you find Baromett?" Fluttershy asked.

Wandering the plains, one of the fin-wives explained. I knew he looked far too hairy to be a capricorn. When I brought him to the city limits to try and find out what he was, I found the Shoney and his followers headed down the thoroughfare toward the arena…and friends of mine who I knew through our worship of Rán close behind.

They approached the door to the storage room, and the fin-men who guarded it casually opened the door, letting the delegation of eighteen enter and pick up the weapons that had been stripped from them on the battlefield. The missing article was noticed immediately.

"Mjolnir is not here," Thor stated, confused. "How can it be so? None of you could have moved it…"

Oh…that, the guard remarked. There was an incident while you were in the arena. Jötunns broke in and stole the hammer.

A gasp went up through the crowd of fin-folk.

"Will they stop at NOTHING!" Thor roared. "They KNOW that without it, I've no control over thunder! This is how they mean to keep us from winning the war!"

"So they broke in here," Twilight reiterated, "somehow didn't hurt anything in the arena or get noticed, and took JUST the hammer?" She eyed the guards suspiciously. "That doesn't add up."

More likely, the Jötunns walked right in and bribed them to take it, Wharl offered, giving the guards a nasty look of his own. There are several around here who would sell their own children for a pool of endless water.

"JUST Mjolnir?" Twilight repeated.

"They know quite well that it is the weapon that contains the most power," Thor growled. "The other weapons are useless in comparison. It would have been all they came for."

"So how DID they pick it up?" Twilight pressed.

"I do not know," Thor admitted. "But this is most certainly their handiwork!" He gave a sigh. "I…I cannot return to Asgard without Mjolnir. We cannot march upon Jötunheim without that power."

"What are you saying?" Sif asked. "That we storm Jötunheim ourselves to take it back? There is no way we could do it without the support of the army. And to enter it by the Bifrost would attract attention."

"We could sneak in!" Cornelius suggested. "After all, there are secret pathways between all realms!"

"I…I know a way," Jack offered. "There's a pathway from Midgard to Jötunheim nearby, through the Valley of Yggdrassil. Thorgil and I crossed it on our first adventure."

"The Jötunns would be able to tell if we crossed their borders," Oswald said, shaking his head.

"Not if we were disguised well enough…" Loki grinned. "Jack may be on to something. I've got an idea."

"It had better not be the idea you used last time we were in trouble," Thor grunted.

"So…we're gonna do this?" Applejack asked. "Just…just run on over to Jötunheim, sneak in, and steal the hammer back? It don't seem right!"

"Actually," Twilight realized, "it might be EXACTLY the right thing to do!"

Everyone else stared at her in bewilderment.

"It might be what we should have done from the beginning," Twilight urged. "If we can get in there with some sort of disguise, we can get some actual information. Things haven't been adding up from the beginning. And now, we actually have a reason to go to Jötunheim ourselves. We can take a look around. See who's talking about raids. See if it's just a small group, or the king and queen. Try and figure out how those Dark elf twins are involved!"

"And apparently steal a god's weapon," Applejack pointed out.

Loki shook his head. "If all goes according to plan, all we'll have to do is ask for it, and they'll give Mjolnir right to us."

"I get the feeling this IS the same idea," Fandral groaned.

"One question," Rainbow Dash broke in. "How are we supposed to GET to the crossing to Jötunheim? We can't use the Bifrost, and we sent our ride back where we came from!"

If it is transport you need across the sea, Wharl stated, we may be able to offer some assistance.

...

THE WATERS OF 616TH MIDGARD

The fin-men and fin-wives who had celebrated the victory of Thor and his companions had rounded up a barge large enough to carry thirty, lining up on the sides to pole their way through the waters. Wharl stood at the prow, looking out for obstacles as the vessel made its way out of Notland and toward the pathway to Jötunheim. Thor, Loki, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Cornelius, Velvet, Gwendolyn, Oswald, Thorgil, Jack, Baromett, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Fluttershy were ordered to simply sit back and relax in a group of chairs brought aboard the center of the barge.

The latter six had opted to change clothing for the voyage, dressing themselves in their white robes from the Islands of the Blessed and folding up and packing their tunics and armor.

Why must you wear that? Wharl had asked.

"Because we're about to have a makeover once we cross the border," Rarity answered.

Over the side of the barge, fish were visible wriggling near the surface of the waters every now and again. The further along the boat went, the more fish were seen. "Look," Fluttershy observed, pointing out at the water.

"The life force is stronger where the realms cross," Jack informed her. "So there's just a lot more…life."

The fish practically became a throng, splashing and surging. "We're about to cross," Jack announced. The split would have been otherwise invisible; it seemed as though it was the ocean of the same realm continuing on through the cold North. However, the fish marked the crossing point, speeding toward the line of energy from both sides. That was how the six Equestrians knew to brace themselves when the boat neared.

...

THE PARADISE GARDEN

The fin-folk turned to stare in awe when they saw that six of the women onboard had changed completely from humans to ponies. Is this what you truly are? Wharl asked.

"Yeah," Twilight replied.

Wharl was sent into a bout of clicking laughter. I would like to see Shair Shair try to marry the merfolk off to you now! he chuckled.

"Just goes to show things aren't always what they look like," Rainbow Dash remarked, knocking her shoulder up against Jack's. "Right, Jack?"

Jack sighed. "I get your point."

That sent Wharl into another bout of laughter.

The fin-folk poled the boat until they saw shore, then beached. The beach itself was a striking contrast to the cold northern waters the boat had rowed through. Its sand was golden, the air warm. It gave way to a green forest partway up. It also imbued all who stood upon it with a sense of peace and a feeling that awe was somewhere nearby, though no one could put into words exactly why.

This is where we leave you, Wharl stated as bards, Asgardians, ponies, and sheep disembarked.

"Thank you once again for everything," Rarity told him, staring directly into his fishy eyes. "I don't know WHAT we would have done without you."

It was a pleasure, my lady. Wharl gave a short, playful bow. I wish you good health and hope your condition does not relapse.

"And I wish you good luck in dealing with the Shoney and the others back home," Rarity replied, suddenly feeling somewhat worried to send her allies back to the dread cult of Cthulhu.

Do not worry for us, Wharl reassured her. We know how to handle the Shoney and his followers. Now hurry on and reclaim Mjolnir. We shall see you in Asgard before we enter the battlefield.

The barge pulled away from the beach, and the fin-folk poled it into the route back to Notland. The adventurers watched it go before Loki spoke:

"And to think, they didn't even figure out that I managed to steal one jewel all the way out of Notland."

His companions all turned angrily on him.

"You. Did. WHAT?" Twilight screamed.

"We have offended the fin-folk enough!" Gwendolyn asserted. "Was your joke so important to you that you wanted to risk even more?"

"Will you at least hear me out?" Loki argued.

"I want to hear what he has to say for himself," Fluttershy stated sternly.

"When they searched all of you," Loki explained, "they were easily able to find the stolen jewels I had placed in your pockets. However, when they searched me, I used a glamour on the one treasure I had managed to steal for myself." He removed from his pocket what appeared to be a torn, dirty rag. "The Shoney shall probably realize it is missing, but be unable to place where it has gone in all the commotion. After all, they were certain they retrieved all of the stolen articles from us. And so they will never figure out that I managed to take away – " He ran his hand over the rag, and the glamour fell away, revealing the necklace for what it was. "This."

Rarity gasped. "MY AMULET!"

"I believe this belongs to you." Loki lightly tossed the purple gem toward Rarity, who caught it eagerly and fastened it around her neck.

"So that's why Rarity was able to stay with us after we got so far away from the castle!" Twilight realized. She looked to Loki; "Is that why you did it in the first place? To get her amulet back?" She felt regret for thinking so ill of him. After all, these were the days before his fall. He was a much more noble god, and one who was obviously putting his intelligence to good use.

Then Loki shook his head. "Oh, I was always planning on relieving the Shoney of a few of his prized possessions. Heide's revelation of the amulet's location just gave me one more reason to do so."

Much of the newfound respect Twilight had gained for Loki dissipated.

"Now tell me, brother," Thor pleaded, "what is your method of entering Jötunheim unnoticed?"

"You know as well as I do," Loki replied, smirking, "that the Jötunns would not turn eighteen unarmed Midgardian women away from their door, should eighteen such people become lost in the cold."

"I KNEW it!" Fandral groaned. "Your plan is ALWAYS to dress as women or use a glamour to become women!"

"Has it failed us so far?" Loki asked.

There was silence.

"That's what I thought," Loki remarked, the smirk returning. "Cross-dressing to infiltrate and undermine troll civilization is a time-honored tradition that I'm sure will continue for centuries to come."

"So you've done this before," Twilight said.

"Many, many times," Thor sighed. "When he tricked us into betting Freya's hand in marriage to a builder with a magical horse, Father ordered him to sabotage the horse somehow so that Freya would not have to pay the price. Loki's idea was to transform into a female horse and seduce the beast."

"And that is how Sleipnir was born," Fandral laughed.

Loki just nodded to affirm the story was true. Twilight and Pinkie exchanged looks, recalling how he had used – or, more accurately, would later use – the same ruse on Sombra.

"Speaking of which," Volstagg laughed, "seeing those six young women in their TRUE forms must be simply driving you mad with lust, Loki!"

"Humorous," Loki replied, deadpan, "and yet inaccurate."

"Then, when Mjolnir was stolen by the Jötunns in the Lands of Legend, he suggested we sneak into Jötunheim the same way," Thor went on. "I was to specifically dress as Freya."

"That was one of Thorgil's favorite stories on Olaf's ship," Jack recalled. "Thorgil, I'm sure Thor would simply LOVE to see your impression of him pretending to be Freya."

"I know I would," Fandral muttered.

"I know what you're trying to do," Thorgil snapped back. "And I'm sure Thor knows exactly how he sounded! He wouldn't be offended, because he knows he sounded like…OOH, THE ONLY REASON I FEEL SO HOT TO THE TOUCH IS BECAUSE I WAS SO HOT FOR YOUUUUU!" The last was said in an exaggerated falsetto.

As Thorgil had predicted, Thor was not offended; he laughed heartily, and so did the others present. "That is EXACTLY how he sounded!" Loki guffawed.

"Wait!" Twilight realized. "So this happened in another cycle? You know how this ends, then!"

"What other cycle?" Jack was confused.

"Long story," Applejack told him.

"About one quarter of a chapter's worth," Pinkie Pie added. "You don't need to worry about it."

"Aye, this is more than likely the same tale," Thor affirmed, "but those Jötunns are long gone with the Lands of Legend. Back then, it was a giant named Thrym who held Mjolnir captive, and now it is King Laufey and Queen Glamdis. We cannot expect it to play out in the same manner as once it did. After all, if we were to send anyone disguised as Freya, it would incite war on the spot. Hence Loki's idea that we should become Midgardian women."

"It is a little more complex than that," Loki explained. "All of the men present shall have to become women. Women are not suspect in the eyes of Laufey. The Pookas shall have to become human in order not to arouse suspicion. Sif and Gwendolyn's faces shall have to be changed so they are not recognized as Asgardians, and while Thorgil is otherwise obscure enough that she will not be noticed (this statement soured Thorgil's expression), she can't walk into an enemy realm wearing the clothing and hair of a warrior. I assume that when our six pony friends cross the border into Jötunheim, they shall regain human form. If not, I have that much more glamour to do. No matter what, a change of clothing would be due for you too."

"But the Jötunns can read thoughts," Jack realized. "Thorgil and I could keep nothing secret. How are we supposed to lie to them if they can pull the truth out of our minds?"

"You underestimate my skill with glamour," Loki replied. "I can even create an illusion to cover the thoughts in our mind. Each of us will have an enchantment laid over us so that to anyone attempting to enter our thoughts, we will appear to be thinking a set list of mundane observations about our surroundings. Beneath that, we have the freedom to think as we please. Bear in mind that particular glamour would easily be seen by an accomplished user of magic, but we shall encounter none of those in Jötunheim. We shall be able to enter completely innocuously."

"Let us hope so," Sif growled. "I hope you understand the severity of this mission, Loki. If you decide to give us away at all for the sake of a prank…then I shall KILL you."

Loki nodded somberly. "Understood. Oh…and one more thing. I would encourage you all to think of alternate names for yourselves. It is far too dangerous to use our real names, and if I pick them for all of you, then you'll go forgetting them, which we can't have. Now…to start…" He slowly turned, making a graceful pirouette. When Loki turned back to face the group, he no longer had the appearance of a man; he was a woman of raven hair and crimson lips, clothed in a gown of interplaying light and dark greens, with flowing gold-edged sleeves, a golden belt with a green rope sash end that dangled over his skirt, and a golden necklace. "I believe I shall be…Eva," Loki thought out loud, his voice also changed to that of a woman's, low and sultry. "No…not Eva. This isn't the occasion for 'Eva.' That one needs to be saved for something less conspicuous. No, today…today I believe I am Ragnhild. Yes. I like the sound of that. You shall refer to me as Ragnhild."

"If you are done, Loki – " Thor interrupted.

Loki held up a golden-gloved hand and shook his head, intentionally making his long raven locks sweep dramatically over his shoulders.

Thor sighed. "RAGNHILD. Mightn't we get this over with?"

Loki nodded. "Of course." He raised a hand, then flicked it for effect. "There, brother. Or should I say 'sister'?"

Thor was taken aback when he looked at the image the glamour had given him. He too had taken on a female form, dressed in a gown of royal blue with billowing over-sleeves and a golden lace-up tunic as the uppermost layer. Though he couldn't see it on himself, the others all observed his flowing straight hair and a pair of clunky golden earrings Loki had seen fit to bestow upon him.

"Now, if Laufey asks, who are you?" Loki questioned.

"I…er…" Thor was at a loss. "I…do not know, brother."

Loki shook his head, clicking his tongue. "As I said before, if I have to pick your name for you, you'll go forgetting it."

"I shall not," Thor promised. "I don't devote my nights to coming up with women's names should I need to pose as one!"

"Though as Loki's brother, it might be a wise practice to start," Volstagg teased.

Loki sighed. "All right, then. You shall be Nora. That should be easy enough for you to remember. And it suits you well, Nora." He turned next to the Warriors Three. "Now. As for you…"

"HERE IT COMES!" Fandral cried in mock horror.

The glamour swept over all three, giving them the appearance of women. Fandral's blonde locks had grown out past his shoulders and down his back, down past his waist. He was clothed in a dark gown belted with silver; a gold chain hung about his neck. Volstagg's face was framed with bright red curls; his crimson gown was belted with leather an adorned with a rose pattern on the plunging neckline as well as decorative golden epaulets. Hogun's dark hair was swept up atop his head in a complex braided bun; his gown was of lavender and royal blue with draping over-sleeves and seed pearls sewn into the shouders, with belts of both silver and leather.

"Now, your names," Loki urged.

"Helga," Fandral said without missing a beat.

Volstagg laughed. "Was Helga not the last woman you brought home from that tavern – "

"She was memorable," Fandral replied, "and was that not the idea? To have a name that would not be forgotten?" He looked over his two companions. "And I'll have it be known," he laughed, "that I would not be opposed to buying either of you a drink if I saw you there!"

"Nor would I!" Volstagg laughed heartily. "Well, then, I suppose I shall be Sunniva."

"Kaja," Hogun replied with a stoic nod.

Loki turned next to his human brother-in-law: "And now you, Oswald."

Oswald took on the appearance of a pale, silver-haired woman in a black, short-sleeved gown with a flowing cape; a headband of pearls held his hair back.

"Name?" Loki asked.

"Kjerstin," Oswald answered.

"How do these names come so easily to you?" Thor asked in bewilderment.

Loki then turned to Velvet and Cornelius. "Now, this should be fun," he remarked. "There are many here who have never seen what you looked like before your transformation. Shall we begin with that?"

The first glamour Loki cast gave Cornelius and Velvet the human appearances they had borne before the Pooka's Curse: Cornelius, a golden-haired prince clothed in a red tunic, black slacks, a short green cape, and white gloves, and Velvet, a woman of dishwater-blonde hair clothed in a red hood, a midriff-baring black top, and a crimson skirt that reached only partway down her thigh in front and down to her ankles in the back. Cornelius smiled as he looked over Velvet. "This does bring back memories," he remarked.

"Indeed it does," Velvet said with a nod.

"And now…for our prince to become a princess." Loki cast a different glamour on Cornelius. He appeared then as a golden-haired woman clothed in a gown of green with padded shoulders and sleeves of black, a cloth of gold draped over it all and a pearl necklace draped over Cornelius' neck. "And what would you like to be called?"

"Er…" Cornelius took a second. "Cornelia?"

"Cornelia," Loki repeated.

"I won't forget it!" Cornelius insisted.

"I believe you are missing the point of having a false identity," Loki sighed. "However, if 'Cornelia' is TRULY the best you can do, I can let it pass." He transferred his attention to Velvet. "Now, dear sister…you shall need a slightly different face."

At Loki's will, Velvet's face changed ever so slightly, just enough that it could no longer be identified as the illegitimate daughter of Odin and Ariel, the cheekbones and brow molding into different shapes.

"Now, you are no longer Velvet," Loki stated.

Velvet nodded in agreement. "I am Renate," she replied.

Loki couldn't suppress a slight laugh, for as he turned to Jack, he already knew the boy would react negatively. Jack flinched, taking a step back. "Oh, no," the boy groaned.

"You knew your time would come," Loki told him.

"I know," Jack grumbled. "Just do it. I just don't want anyone to laugh at me."

"I can't promise anything," Thorgil said in a singsong tone.

Jack became a young maiden clothed in a flowing white gown that billowed in the breeze, white gloves covering his now delicate hands. His elongated brunette hair was braided down his back. Thorgil had fully expected to find the sight laughable, but could find nothing humorous about the quality of Loki's glamour. "You look pretty," Thorgil stated.

Jack wasn't sure whether she meant it as an insult. "It's not like you're going to get to keep short hair and trousers either," he grumbled.

"And your name?" Loki pressed.

"I don't know," Jack groaned. "Jacqueline."

"Of the same school of thought that brought us 'Cornelia,' I see," Loki replied disapprovingly. "If one more of you chooses a name that's a dead giveaway, I'm going to have to reassign all of yours. However, as Jack said, Thorgil can't get away with walking into Jötunheim looking like THAT."

Thorgil's hair then flowed down to her waist, strands of it braided around the top of her head. Her gown was of a soft blue, with a darker blue tunic over top and a golden belt. Observing her new garb, Thorgil tossed her hair haughtily. "Well, it's only how a descendant of King Hengist should dress," she stated, "even if the hair is just going to get in my way."

"So what are YOU going to choose for your name?" Jack asked.

"I might as well be Jill," Thorgil replied. "After all…it is what I was born with, and nobody knows me by it anyway but you."

The last two left were Sif and Gwendolyn. Loki first adjusted their faces in the same way that he had done to Velvet; then he gave them each a new gown. Gwendolyn wore a deep blue skirt of many layers and ruffles and a lacy white bodice, similar to the wear she was used to in Ragnanival when not on duty; her hair flowed loose. Sif's hair was braided, and her gown was blood red, with a black rope sash, golden epaulets, and a black shell over top.

Sif looked over herself and Gwendolyn, pleased. "I think I shall go by Solveig," she announced.

"And I Hildegard," Gwendolyn decided.

"I must say, Lo – er, Ragnhild," Rarity said breathily, eyes wide, "you truly DO have an eye. All of these designs – simply GORGEOUS! Why, I'm very nearly jealous!"

Loki gave a teasing bow. "I thank thee. And you will get your own in time as soon as we cross the border."

"Which we should make our way toward," Thor insisted.

"Probably carefully," Rarity added, looking at everyone's flowing hems.

Loki shook his head. "The best part about glamour clothing is that it won't be sullied by anything in nature."

"Then let us go forth," Thor commanded, and the group of the glamourized and the ponies set out into the forest.

"I must ask," Rarity said, sliding in next to Loki in the arrangement, "where do you get the inspiration to design these gowns?"

"When it comes to glamour, one has to learn how to make things look and sound as different as possible," Loki answered. "Though there is in no small part an element of fun…"

...

"…no such thing as too many sapphires, in my opinion," Rarity said as the group moved into the heart of a deep valley.

"Did you not mean to say 'emeralds'?" Loki responded.

"How have they been talking about this for that long?" Sif whispered.

Jack flinched. "I don't like this route. This is where we met the dragon that killed Olaf."

"DRAGON?" Fluttershy practically screamed, picking a lush shrub and hiding behind it.

"We haven't yet met a dragon we couldn't handle!" Fandral reminded her.

"Though in all those cases, Thor still had Mjolnir," Sif pointed out. "We should be careful and take a more hidden path."

"This way," Gwendolyn suggested, detouring into a wooded area with no discernible path cut through it. "We'll have better cover, and it doesn't look like anyone's come this way before."

The group filed into the vegetation, and as Loki had promised, the clothing of their glamours was not sullied, though the ponies' white robes became muddied at the hems, and Twilight's was lightly torn by a stray branch; Rarity couldn't help but worry what was becoming of the outfits the others were truly wearing under Loki's layer of illusion and if they were still in fashionable condition. The route Gwendolyn had chosen led up out of the valley and onto higher ground, which relaxed Jack, and, in turn, Fluttershy.

"I believe I recognize where we are," Thor realized. "When we reach the end of this forest, those of you who have not been here before will have a sight to see indeed."

"It's the tree Yggdrassil, isn't it?" Twilight guessed.

"Aye," Thor confirmed, "but I do not think you can merely imagine its glory if you have not seen it before."

At last, the forest came to an end, and the party emerged onto higher ground. To say the view was breathtaking there was accurate, as Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all gasped in unison. Below them, the valley was spread out, its lush verdure almost glowing emerald. Wild creatures – birds, average sized mammals – ambled their way through the vegetation. In the distance, a plume of smoke was visible, giving away the location of the dread dragon. Over it all, a fair distance away, the tree towered, its branches spreading out and touching all nine realms, getting lost in the sky where they gave way. The tree itself seemed to be moving, an illusion caused by the glimpses gotten from far away of the various animals that climbed its trunk and its branches. Its leaves were of a green that surprisingly seemed to be without magical aura, a pure color of nature, and that in itself made it seem all the more enchanted. Its sheer size gave the impression that the tree itself was a god.

"That is Yggdrassil," Thor explained. "The tree that provides the life force to all nine realms."

"And grows apples of gold that make for quite good entertainment," Loki added, and all six ponies flinched.

"Everything we've seen on 616th Midgard…in Asgard…in Alfheim…and everything we're going to see in Jötunheim," Twilight said softly. "It all comes back here. To this tree. THIS is what we've been tapping into when we've been using bards' magic." She faltered for words then, awestruck.

"It is something not often seen by mortals," Thor confirmed. "Though there have been tales of many a bard who approached it."

"That was us!" Thorgil cried. "Well, we were two of them, anyway. We went right up to it and drank from the Well of Song!"

"What did you give?" Sif asked, curious.

"I gave away a Rune of Protection," Jack sighed. "Thorgil was about to sacrifice her own life, so I put it around her neck. I still wish I had it, especially after what we've been through."

"Runes of Protection are powerful things," Gwendolyn confirmed. "I have heard that those who possess them never stop wanting them. To give one up to someone else…you must have cared deeply for Thorgil's life."

The glamour worked in Jack's favor; the face Loki had assigned him supported all his expressions, but conveniently hid how much he was flushing.

"And when he put it on me," Thorgil picked up, "I stopped wanting to give my life in battle. And that meant I could no longer be a berserker." She paused. "I miss that rune too. Ethne has it now. Though I've stopped missing the idea of going to Valhalla."

"As have I," Gwendolyn said softly. "And there was a time when to die in battle was all I wanted."

Thorgil nearly laughed then. "You might be a Valkyrie, but you're also a princess of Asgard! What could have made YOU want to die?"

"My elder sister Griselda," Gwendolyn answered. She looked at Thor, Loki, and Velvet. "OUR elder sister Griselda. She perished in the Cauldron War before my eyes. I wanted little more than to follow her, but I won every battle I entered after that. And just as it was a rune given to you that made you change your mind, it was a ring given to me that made me change mine." She looked to Oswald. "A ring given out of love."

"I didn't give it to her out of - !" Jack sputtered, taking Gwendolyn's statement as an implication.

"Oh, REALLY," Rarity teased.

"I don't think we should bother him anymore," Fluttershy suggested, still enraptured by the tree. "Yggdrassil is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life."

Baromett gave a bleat of agreement.

"And yet we must leave it and continue on," Velvet insisted. "Perhaps one day, you shall return as Jack and Thorgil came here to drink from the well."

"I like the sound of that," Fluttershy decided.

"I KNOW we're going to come back here," Rainbow Dash resolved. "I wanna get to that well for myself!"

"And even if we leave it behind," Twilight pointed out, "so long as we're on one of the Nine Realms, it's still with us in the life force of these worlds."

With that in mind, the group turned and moved on across the grassy plains, through forests alive with the chatter of animals, and past shining lakes until all of these wonders began to give way to snow and ice, drifting in over the border between realms.

...

JOTUNHEIM

Jötunheim couldn't have been more of a contrast to the fertile, green lands that housed Yggdrassil. Its land was blanketed in thick snow, broken up only by the rising of a myriad of jagged mountains, giving the entire visible area of the realm a palette of white and gray. More snow fell still from deep gray clouds, flakes lightly drifting to the ground.

The six Equestrians found themselves transfigured into human bodies yet again. "Perfect," Loki remarked. "You're unknown here, so I won't have to change anything but your clothing and Rainbow Dash's hair."

Rainbow Dash clutched at her short locks. "What's wrong with my mane?"

"It isn't glamorous enough," Loki answered plainly. "I'm attempting to make a theme here."

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth.

"Also," Loki reminded them, "I trust you've all had enough time to come up with decent names for yourselves. Now, let's start with…"

Twilight's robe was transformed into a flowing gown of dark and light blue, with loose, open sleeves. Her hair was slightly lengthened as well, ponytailed and draping over one shoulder. "Wow," she remarked, looking down at the gown. "Uh…call me Twinkle."

Pinkie Pie was given a dress of pink with puffed sleeves and a light blue over-layer in front; her curls were also swept back into a ponytail. "My new name is gonna be SURPRISE!" she announced, shrieking the last word so loudly that Fluttershy darted behind Rainbow Dash, using her as a shield.

Rarity was given a diaphanous, bright pink gown with a low neckline, a ruby brooch, a golden belt, a red rope sash, and a white lining visible beneath her sleeves; her hair was gathered up into a bun at the back of her head, leaving a few stray curls undone in front. "Simply GORGEOUS!" she squealed, twirling and making the skirt billow. "Oh, and you may refer to me as Melody."

Rainbow Dash's hair was indeed lengthened so that it cascaded down her back, past her shoulders. Her gown was a deep violet, slit in the skirt and cut low at the neckline to reveal a solid teal undergarment beneath; it was capped off with a golden belt, golden epaulets, and black gloves. "Augh…" Rainbow Dash groaned at the gown's frilliness. "Eh, call me Firefly."

Fluttershy's hair was tied back with a jet-black ribbon while her ensemble was changed to a gown of deep green and accents the color of the grass that surrounded Yggdrassil; she was given a green rope sash. "Will 'Sky Skimmer' be okay with you?" she asked.

Applejack was the last, her gown consisting of a long-sleeved, plain brown base garment and a decorative green layer over top. Her ponytail curled a little more, but otherwise was no different. "Sheesh, I'm no good at this," she muttered. "Let's just go with…Apple Jewel."

"Apple Jewel?" Rarity repeated. "That sounds like the kind of name you'd pick if you were trying to mock me."

"I'm not," Applejack replied, "but I'll keep that in mind."

"That's everyone," Twilight stated. "Unless we need to give Baromett a makeover."

Jack turned and pointed toward the tallest visible mountain. "That's Glamdis' castle there," he identified.

"Then without further ado…" Loki flipped his hair one more time as he turned to walk the path toward the mountain. "Let us retrieve the hammer of Thor."

It truly was a pity, Rarity thought as she watched Loki take the lead of the group, that he would have to become their enemy in the end.

...

Chapter 93:

· Again, one of the few chapter titles I knew in advance. Props to Tom Hiddleston.

· I tried very hard not to make the August Derleth mistake of painting Cthulhu as a god of evil. Cthulhu is a god whose presence encourages war and sacrifice, but that's because he doesn't SEE things as good or evil. And that's what makes him evil. Make sense? Maybe? No? Well, what fun is there in making sense?

· The giant eel pit is actually mentioned in IotB, but we never actually see it. It was basically writer bait.

· For those who don't know, "Cthulhu fhtagn" roughly translates to "Cthulhu dreams," a reference to how he's "asleep" in R'lyeh.

· I apologize for retreading the "human sacrifice" ground AGAIN in this storylet. I sort of wrote myself into a corner in that regard. I tried to make up for it by making it atmospherically different from Alfheim.

· I also wanted to remind everyone that Fluttershy's wish is still in effect…but she can't use it to god-mod.

· The sacrifice ritual is based on one performed by humans in "The Call of Cthulhu."

· I discovered during my research that "electric eel" are actually knifefish. We're just going to ignore that for now.

· I chose sea goddess Ràn as the goddess of choice for those fin-folk not in the Cthulhu cult. She also has a history of killing people by siren-ing them to death against the rocks. But we are also going to ignore that one for now because it is VERY hard to find sea deities that are actually sane.

· It's kind of become one of my personal jokes that "dress as women" is Loki's go-to plan for everything. It does seem to turn up in a lot of myths (Sleipnir, the tale of Utgard-Loki, etc.).

· If you thought you saw a Boxtrolls reference when Loki was justifying why his plan was solid, that's because you probably did.

· The theft of Mjolnir was partially inspired by the Lay of Thrym, and is going to run partially along those mythological lines. However, I will be pulling from another Norse myth as well for it; you'll see more next chapter.

· Most of the "Norse drag names" were chosen just by me looking over a list of female Norse names and picking ones that sounded nice to me, and of course, "Jacqueline" and "Cornelia" are comedy bait, but some of these have significance, in particular "Ragnhild" and "Nora." "Ragnhild" is actually the name of a waitress I had at Walt Disney World; upon seeing her name tag and how pretty the name on it was, I just had to ask how it was pronounced. She told me. I tried to repeat it about three times and butchered it each time. (On the off chance that Ragnhild who works at Akershus in WDW or anyone who knows her is reading this, I am still VERY sorry for that.) But ever since then, it's been one of my favorite Norse names. It's just pretty to me. "Nora" is actually a reference to the web series RWBY, where a character named "Nora" is based on Thor – and, more specifically, the cross-dressing Thor from the Lay of Thrym. (For those of you wondering if I'm planning to include RWBY itself in this story eventually, the answer is yes.) And, as previously stated, "Jill" is Thorgil's canon birth name.

· As for the Mane Six's new names: "Twinkle" was a concept name for Twilight. "Firefly," "Surprise," "Sky Skimmer," and "Melody" all come from earlier gen ponies who were inspirations for either the design or personality of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. "Apple Jewel" is a name that AJ takes on in S4 when she takes on a persona that's a blatant caricature of Rarity in order to get back at her for Rarity's changing her personality to an offensive caricature of AJ to impress a guy. (A guy that I ship with Braeburn anyway.)

· AND HOPEFULLY THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST CHAPTER WHERE ANYONE USES THOUGHTSPEAK, SO I CAN STOP MANUALLY ITALICIZING EVERYTHING.