98. Screech Owl's Eyes

QUADWRANGLE MANOR, THE FLUFFY HEAVY SLOW-MOTION UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD

Nidhogg strode into the cavernous foyer of the manor, taking a good look around at the crimson walls, the suits of armor, and the double staircases.

With a loud and obnoxious pop, Discord appeared in the center of the room, flanked by Metis and Mirage, who regarded Nidhogg with curiosity and apparently hunger, respectively.

"Welcome home!" Discord cried. "We've been expecting you."

"Finally," Mirage purred. "Our little slacker is out from the basement of the tree of life and actually doing something with his life."

"Enough," Nidhogg sighed. "Just…show me where my quarters are."

...

SVARTALFHEIM

Hesperia, Aegle, Arethusa, and Erytheia led Jack, Thorgil, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity, with Vetch still hitchhiking on Thorgil's shoulder and the bodies of Malekith and Algrim floating eerily alongside, through a long cavern with a low roof. The trek was long, but the travelers were confident that the Hesperides knew the way. Soon, light pierced through the end of the passage, proclaiming that the group had arrived at their destination in Svartalfheim.

"We leave you here," Erytheia said.

"Thank you for everything," Twilight replied.

"Your actions earned our guidance," Erytheia reminded her before she and her sisters turned back to the path from which they had come and made their way back toward the garden.

"Well, let's see how the others are doing in the fight," Jack said nervously.

Thorgil hoisted her new spear up above her shoulder, keeping it ready in case it was needed.

The eight plus falcon strode forward, taking the Dark Elves' bodies with them, and once they got in range of the realm's borders, the six ponies transitioned into humans once again. They emerged from the cave to find themselves on a ledge atop a high mountain from which the battlefield was visible. Already it was apparent that the tide was turning.

After Nuada, Nuala, and Velma had fled, and Malekith, Algrim, and Ingway had taken the trip to Mimir's Well, that left only Yffi, Onyx, and the shadows. And Yffi and Onyx had already been taken care of by sheep and slime. At the behest of Mjolnir, thunderbolts struck the shadows en masse, clearing a large percentage of the field.

"GO THOR!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

Swords, spears, and bows were all put to work clearing out the rest. The percentage of the field that was cloaked in shadow was diminishing. "I think we're winning!" Rainbow Dash observed. "Come on! Let's go!" She led the group down off the ridge, picking out a path they could walk down the mountainside.

As they made their way to the battlefield, Volstagg sliced a shadow in half at the waist.

Hogun cleaved one in two from the top down.

Fandral ran one through the heart.

Frigga decapitated a circle of them.

Oswald charged, driving his sword through a shadowy chest.

Sif stabbed one through the back.

Velvet slammed both ends of her meteor hammer into one.

Cornelius slashed a shadow diagonally three ways.

Gwendolyn speared two at once.

Odin quickly dispatched ten with only a few spear-strokes.

Loki eradicated a cluster in a burst of radiant blue magic.

Thor sent Mjolnir flying into a nearby shadow, causing a domino effect with the ones behind hit.

The shadows and their pieces sank back to the ground, congealing, retreating. Without their summoner or their master on the field, and with the odds stacked so heavily against them, they saw no worth in seeing the battle through. As each one was defeated, it regrouped its parts and slithered away. They knew when they had lost.

It took the combined armies of the living a moment to figure out there were no longer any fighting foes among them. It was Thor who took it in first, raising Mjolnir to the sky. "WE HAVE WON THIS DAY!" he cried, inspiring a great cheer from the other warriors.

Gwendolyn spotted the missing eight of her traveling companions approaching the edge of the field. "Look!" She called out, first pointing them out and then running to them.

All the soldiers on the field looked to the smaller group; most had noticed that the bodies of Malekith and Algrim were suspended in the air alongside them, and this, to many, was more interesting than Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Thorgil, Applejack, Fluttershy, Jack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity themselves. Baromett recognized his owner immediately, bounding toward Fluttershy; she caught him and lifted him up into a gentle embrace. Thor, Loki, Gwendolyn, Oswald, Velvet, Cornelius, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg made their way to the front of the crowd to face their friends directly.

"What happened?" Thor asked, noticing first that the Equestrians were dressed in robes and not armor. Then his eyes alit upon the two levitating bodies. "Are they…"

"Yes," Twilight answered somberly, slowly maneuvering Malekith and Algrim to lay on the ground before her. "They're…they're gone."

"But how?" Thor asked.

"We saw that they'd captured Jack and Thorgil and were ready to Apparate out," Twilight began to explain. "We all grabbed onto them quickly to follow them, and when our shift across the walls that rise between the realms was complete…" She was suddenly aware of the very nature of the words she spoke changing. "…we found ourselves in that paradisical garden where Yggdrassil rises as a fortress of life at the heart: a sight that cannot be retold in words, but directly impresses the soul."

"Why's Twilight talking all fancy?" Pinkie Pie whispered in suspicion. "Did we bring a Changeling back?"

"It's the song-mead," Jack explained. "It's helping her to tell the story. It sort of…takes the things you think and feel and makes it easier to turn into words."

"While making the whole thing take twice as long to tell," Thorgil added.

Twilight regaled the crowd with the tale of the confrontation at Yggdrassil: the appearance of Nidhogg, the arrival of the Hesperides, the disappearance of Ingway. She was not able to explain exactly where Ingway's crossbow had come from, but Oswald seemed to react with surprise at the mention of it. She spoke of how Malekith had been killed at the well, and Algrim by Nidhogg. "…and at the end of the cavern, the Hesperides parted ways from us to return to their realm of endless beauty," she concluded, "and we re-emerged upon the war we had departed from to see that it had been won. And…that's what happened."

Pinkie Pie clapped heartily once the story was done.

"The effect of the song-mead is apparent on you," Odin remarked.

"Why bring back Malekith and Algrim's bodies to us?" Partholon asked.

"We wanted to give them a decent burial in the land they fought for," Jack explained. "We thought they deserved that at least."

"They deserve to be incinerated in the fires of Muspelheim," Partholon stated somberly.

"No…I am glad they have returned them," Thor argued. "I wish to pay respects."

"To Malekith?" Loki was taken aback.

"No," Thor replied, and Loki understood.

...

The two Dark Elves were laid to rest in another cavern inside the mountain, placed side by side upon the stone.

"May this be the last of the grief Malekith gives us," Odin snarled.

Thor alone stepped forward to stand before Algrim's body, looking down upon him. "Algrim, I shall admit I was devastated to learn of your betrayal," he said. "It is impossible for any of us not to think of you, in some way, as Malekith's lieutenant and a warrior of destruction. Yet I still remember the kindness you showed me when I was young. Once, I called you friend, and I do not believe our bond was false. And so I shall remember you as a destroyer, but also as a friend. It pains me that you could not attain the happiness you sought, and that it had to end this way. I only hope that in the lands beyond, you may find fulfillment at last." He bowed his head in silence.

After some time, Twilight approached him. "We have to go," she said.

"Aye," Thor agreed softly. He followed her out of the cave, and the others present emptied out, returning to the field.

Malekith and Algrim were to lay to rest for a great many years, but eventually, the hand of chaos, or something similar – perhaps one of its roommates – would spin the wheel just so, realigning their paths so that a curious astrophysicist would stumble upon them and, simultaneously, a peculiar object tied to reality itself. An object that Malekith had a long history with. Once you touch the essence of Reality, an imprint of it sleeps within you, no matter how long it takes to resurface. It is powerful enough to wake the dead, which is exactly what it would do.

...

Yffi and Onyx were both slapped in magic-resistant chains, taken as the only two prisoners of war from the battle. Gwendolyn and Brunhilde herded them into line.

"We have defeated a great threat to all of our kingdoms this day!" Odin announced to all present. "Though thou art more than welcome to return to thine own realms, this is an occasion that should be celebrated with no less than the finest of feasts. The palace of Ragnanival shall host, and all are welcome to attend as we eat and drink to the continued safety of our realms!"

This was met with cheering and approval across the field. Elves, fin-folk, hobgoblins, and Vanlandi alike all wished to take part in the celebration.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie approached Odin. "If it's all right with ya," Applejack proposed, "we'd like to help out with makin' the food. Y'all're gonna need a lot in order to feed this crowd."

"I've already out-baked fire," Pinkie Pie stated casually. "I need a REAL challenge."

"They are more than skilled at it, Father," Loki backed up.

"It shall be allowed," Odin relented.

Loki turned to address the crowds. "You shall all be provided the finest of feasts," he announced, "made in part by none other than two of the heroes of Yggdrassil: Pinkie Pie and Napplejack!"

"Wha – NO!" Applejack cried as the armies sent up more cheering, so much that it obscured all her attempts to yell, "That is not my name. That is NOT my name!" Defeated, she turned to Loki. "You just had to, didn't you."

Loki replied by laughing, and Pinkie Pie couldn't help but join in.

...

NEBULAPOLIS, RAGNANIVAL, ASGARD

The Valkyries were in charge of locking Yffi and Onyx away in their prison cells in the dark depths of the palace. The prisoners' cuffs were removed, but the cell walls could have survived the impact of a charging dragon. Onyx could take on whatever form he liked; he wouldn't be breaking out anytime soon.

Brunhilde was in charge of bringing Onyx himself to his cell, unlocking his cuffs just as she shoved him into the small, austere room whose transparent walls looked out into the adjacent hallway.

"You've a strong touch," Onyx told Brunhilde, turning to face her. "And a beautiful face as well."

He was going to continue, but Brunhilde would have none of it. Her fist slammed into Onyx' face, knocking him to the ground.

When Onyx got his bearings, the Valkyries had left. The only company he had, if it counted, was Yffi, who could be seen in the transparent cell just across the hall, storming about and kicking the walls in rage.

...

The largest hall of the palace was filled with tables that were laden with every kind of food known to Asgard. Steaming roasts made up the centerpiece of each segment of table, while fruits, vegetables, bread, and ornate desserts were sprinkled in around them. The handiwork of Applejack and Pinkie Pie was evident when apple tarts and neon-frosted cupcakes topped with marshmallows were produced. Any dessert that appeared with marshmallows became an instant hit with all present; most had never seen a marshmallow before and found its texture and sweetness quite delightful. Tureens held soups and stews. Alcoholic brews, sweet fruit juices, and ice-cold water were passed about.

Since the armies of four realms attended, this was not even enough to feed and seat all, so more tables had to be set up, spilling out of the hall and into the corridor for quite a ways. The celebrating warriors also mingled; elves and hobgoblins decided to attempt peacemaking and settled into rational conversation, mostly free of mudslinging. Vanlandi and fin-folk exchanged cultural details. For the most part, however, friends managed to sit together.

"I absolutely insist upon it!" The Bugaboo slammed his fist onto the table. "You were the most courageous of our army on the battlefield, and I demand you receive an honorary medal for your brave deed!"

"I don't want a medal for saving your life!" the Nemesis groaned. "Do you really think I want to wear a giant shiny piece of jewelry that lets everyone who sees it think I actually care about you?"

Sitting with her back to the two hobgoblins, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but overhear. "Heh," she remarked. "Those two haven't changed." She looked to her right, where Twilight was seated. Twilight had brought out the branch she'd picked up from Yggdrassil and was running her fingers over it. It was a thick, tall, and smooth branch, free of extraneous twigs or leaves: almost perfectly proportioned to match the staff Twilight had given away to Rumplestiltskin. "So…you gonna keep that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I think I am," Twilight admitted. "I know this sounds strange, but I feel like…like I'm supposed to have it."

"A bard's staff comes to him by fate," Jack reminded her from across the table. "Or to her, I guess. St. Columba's came to me. I wasn't looking for it. And before that, my first staff was a branch I'd accidentally found in Jötunheim and burned in its fires."

"It worked as a staff back at Yggdrassil," Twilight recalled. "It doesn't have as much magic in it as the one I gave up by a long shot. I don't even know if it can channel my magic. I think it's just tied to the life force. But maybe that's what I really need: to get closer to the worlds I'm on, and to get better at using my own magic with my other conduits. I still have all the power Kyubey gave me, even if he didn't intend for me to survive it. I just have to figure out how to channel it through my acacia wand."

"It is a sign of great power that Yggdrassil let you have one of its own branches as your staff," Thor pointed out from his seat two down from Jack. "Much like Mjolnir, only the worthy can wield it."

"What about you, Thorgil?" Rainbow Dash turned to her left to see Thorgil regarding her own branch. Vetch regarded it with interest from his perch on her shoulder.

"I guess I'm worthy too!" Thorgil beamed. "I'm keeping this and bringing it back to the school. I'll probably have to chop off the spear point, though – "

"You would most likely be better served by sharpening it," Vetch interrupted, though the others at the table only heard it as a warble.

"Sharpen it?" Thorgil was taken aback.

"You're no ordinary bard," Vetch reminded her. "You have a way with words, and a strong connection to the life force. But you are also a warrior. I think it's fitting that your staff is also a spear. It shows me all you can be."

"I like the sound of that!" Thorgil practically laughed. "But will they let me keep it at the school?"

"They will," Vetch reassured her. "Trust me."

A blonde woman in a flowing purple gown approached the table. "Excuse me," she said, "but might I have a word with the Odinsons and Friggadaughters who were responsible for turning the tide against Malekith?"

"What sort of word?" Loki asked.

"I'd rather hoped to speak to you in private." She put her hands behind her back, the picture of demureness.

"Whatever you have to say," Thor encouraged, "you can say here, in front of our friends."

Loki coughed loudly. "Brother, I believe this GLAMOUROUS young woman would be better served with a private discussion between you, me, Gwendolyn, Velvet, and herself." He stared the woman directly in the eye. "Am I not right?"

For a moment, the woman appeared miffed. Then her expression lightened. After all, she should have expected Loki would see right through her. This was Loki's trick in the first place. "I believe you know exactly what I need," she confirmed.

Thor, Gwendolyn, and Velvet got the gist; Velvet was outright stunned. The three of them and Loki rose to follow the woman out of the feasting hall and down the corridor to seek a place for private conversation.

"What was THAT all about?" Twilight asked, confused.

Cornelius had caught on. He whispered it into Twilight's ear, and she understood.

...

Thor, Loki, Gwendolyn, Velvet, and the violet-clad woman arrived in one of the back hallways. Once "she" was sure the group was alone, the woman let her glamour fade away, revealing his true face.

"I should have known that Loki would not be fooled," Ingway stated.

"Ingway," Velvet began, "why have you come back?"

Before he could answer, two sets of footsteps were heard coming down the hallway. "The marshmallows are going like hot cakes!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed, carrying a tray of small pastries garnished with miniature marshmallows. "ESPECIALLY the marshmallow hot cakes!"

Applejack's hands were covered in thick oven mitts so she could hold onto a large and very hot pot of curried napple and carroteer soup. "I'm just – " She and Pinkie stopped in their tracks when they saw the five who had gathered, particularly Ingway. "Uh…we didn't mean to interrupt," she said quickly. "We just thought it would be faster to take this way, since the main hall was all crowded, an' – "

"They won't tell anyone that they saw you," Gwendolyn told Ingway. "They're some of the most trustworthy people I know."

"I suppose it's all right," Ingway decided. He then got a better look at Pinkie and Applejack. "Wait. You were there, at Yggdrassil. But you were – "

"Ponies?" Pinkie Pie filled in. "Yeah, we kinda switch back and forth."

"I suppose it would do little harm if the others who were there in that garden heard of this," Ingway relented. "Or Oswald or Cornelius. But Odin must not know I was here. I'm no fool. I know there is a price on my head in Asgard."

"Father did offer a reward for anyone who could apprehend any of Malekith's last associates," Thor admitted. "And that includes you, Brother. However, you are an Odinson, and Twilight Sparkle has told me of your actions against Nidhogg. I could speak to Father, and he would – "

"Never change his mind," Ingway insisted. "Thor…one day you shall learn. It is best that he and I never again cross paths. I have simply come to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Pinkie repeated sadly. "But you're one of the good guys now! We couldn't have beaten that dragon guy without you! You can't – "

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack whispered sternly. "Ya gotta let them all talk this one out."

"I do not like the idea of goodbye either," Velvet said coldly. "We've only just learned that you are alive."

"And since I was granted a return life," Ingway reminded her, "I have done very little but cause harm. My mind has been changed. I've been made aware of…circumstances I did not know of before. I am no longer an enemy of life, or of you. You needn't worry anymore about me killing for you, Velvet. The inhabitants of the Nine Realms of Yggdrassil are safe from me." His expression hardened. "Though if another Malekith presented himself, perhaps I would make an exception. My memories of you, my brothers and sisters, are actually quite fond, even though I have known most of you for only moments. I see in you…hope that I never saw in Odin. And I hope you use it wisely, for this is your place. To take his mantle and to rule in and fight for Asgard. However…it is not mine."

"Asgard is a realm of great size," Gwendolyn reminded him. "There must be some part of it where you can belong."

"I am afraid that is not possible," Ingway said solemnly. "Too long have I worked against it, and it against me. Asgard and I have never meshed. I have traveled its breadth, from Valentine to Ringford and Ragnanival. There is no place here that is not the site of either a wrong committed against me or a wrong I committed."

"Where do you believe you belong?" Velvet asked.

"I do not know," Ingway admitted. "Vanaheim seems too near to Asgard. I've little desire to mingle with Midgardians. I have put Svartalfheim firmly behind me. That does leave a few realms. Though perhaps…perhaps I must leave the Nine Realms to discover where it is I truly am meant to be. The thought of leaving Yggdrassil is…unpleasant. But she told me to move on…"

"She?" Loki repeated.

"When you touched the tree," Applejack realized. "Somethin' happened. You didn't just come out with that fancy crossbow by accident."

"Indeed not," Ingway confirmed. "I spoke with Mercedes."

"The fallen Ringfordian queen?" Thor clarified.

"She and Yggdrassil are one now," Ingway informed him. "She is here, even though you cannot see her. We parted ways for the last time. She is what changed my mind. I cannot be her enemy. Were it up to me, I would rather not leave her at all. I would remain only in places where she could see me, and I would know she was beside me. It almost feels like a betrayal to consider otherwise. But perhaps…perhaps I must know the true scope of the cosmos outside of the Nine Realms to know where I truly belong. I am a wielder of Dark magic, a dispossessed bastard son of a god, returned from what should have been a permanent death, carrying the last psypher known to the Nine Realms. It does not seem as though I should belong."

"If you're happier far away from here," Applejack pointed out, "and Mercedes really loves ya, I think she'll get it. I don't think she'll feel like you betrayed her at all."

"No matter the case," Ingway concluded, "I must leave." He looked again on the faces of the two gods, the Valkyrie, and the Pooka. "I truly…truly wish nothing but the best for all of you. You have not wasted the chances I have. I have done nothing but take you for granted. Especially you, Velvet."

"Ingway…" Velvet found herself unsure what to say.

"I shall not change my mind," Ingway insisted.

"We don't expect you to," Velvet replied.

"But – " Thor attempted.

"Thor," Velvet chided. "It is his choice. We cannot stop him."

"Thor…I feel your naïveté will bring about your end." Ingway allowed himself a smile. "And yet…were it you in my place from the very beginning, you would not have assumed the worst of Ariel's prophecies, nor would you have resorted to the trickery I stooped to. I suppose there is no use in dragging it out any longer. I shall take my leave. Farewell…my brothers and sisters." He looked each of them in the eye: Thor, Loki, Gwendolyn, then Velvet.

"Farewell, Ingway," Velvet replied.

"Farewell," said Gwendolyn.

"Farewell," Loki said with a nod.

"I bid thee farewell," Thor said, "and I hope you find that which you seek."

"I thank you all." Ingway turned away, facing Applejack and Pinkie Pie. "And I thank you for protecting her."

"Wasn't nothin'," Applejack replied. "Couldn't let the source of the life force die out, now, could we?"

"Wasn't NOTHING?" Pinkie repeated incredulously. "It sure WAS something! It was a giant battle with a dragon and a Dark Elf that got the Fates and the Hesperides involved – "

"Anyway," Applejack said before Pinkie could get too carried away, "I hope you find what you're lookin' for too."

"Maybe we'll even see each other again!" Pinkie chirped happily.

Ingway shook his head. "I doubt it. But perhaps."

There remained nothing to be said. Applejack and Pinkie Pie parted to let Ingway through the hall, and he resumed the guise of the woman in violet, striding briskly away. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Gwendolyn, Loki, Thor, and Velvet watched him go until he turned the corner and left sight.

Applejack knew that getting heavy-hooved was a risky endeavor. Yet she felt that to leave the moment untouched would be a disservice. "Y'know…" She turned back to the four children of Odin. "Times like this always make me think I should make the most out of the time I have with my own family. Never know when we could lose somepony. Not that it's any good to always be afraid of it. Ya just gotta appreciate who ya got when ya got 'em." When had she stopped talking about Loki and started talking about her parents? Perhaps it didn't matter.

"Aye," Thor agreed. "We must remain strong together."

"We are rather a force to be reckoned with," Loki pointed out, and absolutely no one was allowed to argue.

"Soup's gonna get cold if we don't take it out now," Applejack said then, and the group of six turned to move out and bring food to the feast. As they rejoined the crowd of revelers, their mood lightened remarkably.

...

The traveling party of eighteen assembled one last time: Thor, Loki, Sif, Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral, Gwendolyn, Oswald, Cornelius, Velvet, Thorgil, Jack, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. Accompanying them was not only Baromett the sheep but Vetch the falcon. They set out across the Bifrost, headed toward the great chamber where Heimdall would activate the portal that sent half of the group back to the Islands of the Blessed.

"Can the Bifrost even go there?" Jack had worried. "It isn't an ordinary realm."

"I do not believe it can," Thor had replied solemnly.

But after a skirl from Vetch, Thorgil argued, "Vetch says it can. He just has to be there when it opens."

The group had decided just to trust the falcon's judgment. Just before the spherical chamber, the party split. The six Equestrians, Jack, Thorgil, Baromett, and Vetch stood closer to the transport mechanism while the Asgardian contingent held back.

"Um…goodbye," Fluttershy told Hogun. "I hope we can see each other again."

"And I thee," Hogun replied.

"Fare thee well, my lady." Fandral took up and politely kissed Rarity's right hand. "And all the best on your journey."

Rarity gasped, putting her other hand over her now wildly beating heart, and a mad smile overtook her face.

"Oh, brother." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Well, it was nice to meet ya, Lady Sif!"

"You were a worthy ally," Sif replied contentedly. "May we one day stand on the same side of the battlefield again."

"It was real nice to meet y'all," Applejack added.

"And it was our pleasure to meet you," Velvet responded.

"I'm glad we were able to work together," said Jack. "I…am sorry for how I acted when I first arrived. I…"

"Think nothing of it!" Volstagg laughed, clapping Jack on the shoulder so hard the young bard nearly fell over. "All is forgiven!"

"I'll be sure to write a great poem about this adventure!" Thorgil gushed.

"Um…could you maybe leave the Elements of Harmony out of it?" Twilight asked. "Maybe turn us into 'mysterious warriors.'"

"But why?" Thorgil was perplexed.

"Let's just say it's a little important that we don't leave many traces here," Twilight answered.

"You should do as she says, Thorgil," Jack insisted. He was beginning to wonder about the nature of the Equestrians and time. The idea of someone having experienced things that hadn't happened yet before things that already had was foreign to him, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that that was exactly what was going on ever since the discussion between Twilight and the Hesperides. "This" was after "that," and Twilight hadn't known that. He made a mental note to tell Thorgil this later, when the six Element bearers had left.

"Well, everyone does like a mysterious, unnamed hero!" Thorgil settled. "But the rest of you?"

"Feel free to write as you wish about us." Oswald spoke for all the Asgardians present. "I look forward to hearing what may come of it."

"Do you think poems by a Midgardian will be told in Asgard?" Jack wondered out loud.

"Perhaps," Thor speculated. "Strange things have come to pass."

Pinkie Pie gave Loki one last, very tight hug, which he returned. "I'm going to miss you a whole lot," she said mournfully.

"I shall remember thee fondly," Loki promised. "Perhaps we may even scheme together again."

Pinkie decided to just let him believe that.

"Well…it looks like this is goodbye," Twilight told Thor.

"I am grateful for all the help you have brought us in our desperate hour," Thor told her. "But even more, I am grateful for thy friendship."

"And thank you for all you did for us," Twilight responded. "And for being our friend, too."

"I bid thee a safe journey."

"Don't get in TOO much trouble." Twilight winked.

They knew the time had come, and the split had to be made. The Asgardians turned and made their way back toward Ragnanival. The Equestrians, Jack, Thorgil, Baromett, and Vetch continued on, into the dome.

"Where shall I take thee?" Heimdall asked.

"Ask him to open the Bifrost, but not to anywhere in particular," Vetch advised Thorgil. "I shall handle the rest."

"Just trust us," Thorgil relayed. "Open the Bifrost, but not anywhere specific. It'll end up going where we want to go."

"If you please," Rarity added.

"As you wish." Heimdall activated the sphere, sending the familiar charge of lightning through the mechanism. A portal opened, and though he gave no sign of it, Heimdall was genuinely surprised. "It leads to the Islands of the Blessed," he informed the group. "I did not think that was possible."

"I better go last," Thorgil suggested. "Or Vetch should, anyway."

"Thank you for everything, Heimdall," Rarity said sincerely. She then stepped into the portal.

"Looks like this'll be the last run for a while," Pinkie Pie deduced. "Better make it count!" She took a running jump into the colorful tunnel, screaming the loudest "WHEEEEEEEE!" yet.

One by one, the others all entered the portal, paying their thank-yous to Heimdall. When Thorgil and Vetch entered, the last to do so, the portal whisked them away, then closed. Experimentally, Heimdall attempted just one more time to open a path back to the Islands of the Blessed, but found it impossible as usual.

...

THE ISLANDS OF THE BLESSED

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Baromett, Jack, Thorgil, and Vetch landed on the grassy hillside, halfway up the path to the School of Bards, bathed in the light of dusk. "We're home," Jack said with relief. He surprised himself then; it was the first time he'd really thought of the school as home.

"I hope Taliesin hasn't been too worried about where we've gone!" Fluttershy said nervously.

"I'm sure he knows what happened," Applejack told her.

"C'mon!" Pinkie Pie cried. "Let's go back up and see what everypony's been up to while we were gone!"

"Just one minute," Thorgil said teasingly. "I believe I owe Jack…THIS!"

She set her spear-staff on the grass, and Vetch took off, transplanting himself to Fluttershy's shoulder, as Thorgil reached down, grabbed Jack around the waist, and hoisted him upward.

"What are you doing?" Jack laughed.

"Throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you off!" Thorgil replied. She fumbled, and both she and Jack ended up falling over backward and rolling down the hill, laughing all the way.

Pinkie Pie bounced up and down, composing on the spot: "Jack and Jill went up the hill to get to the School of Bards! Jill picked up Jack, but they both rolled back, and both of them fell down hard!"

When Jack and Thorgil ran out of momentum, coming to a halt at last, it took them a while to get all the laughter out of their system. When they did, Jack leaned over toward Thorgil, and when she gave him a knowing nod, he kissed her.

"I KNEW IT!" Rarity cried triumphantly.

"D'you two lovebirds just wanna stay down there while the rest of us go up?" Applejack called down.

"We're coming!" Blushing, Jack stood, and Thorgil soon after; they ran to catch back up, Thorgil taking up her spear-staff once more.

The party climbed the rest of the way up to the school grounds, where they saw a befuddling sight: Taliesin running around, flapping his arms, and screaming in high-pitched falsetto. Every now and again, he would attempt to jump into the air, then fall down hard and make a squawk of anger about it.

"Taliesin?" Fluttershy gasped nervously. "Are you okay?"

Vetch gave a short burble that Thorgil heard as "I will be in a moment."

The falcon flew over toward the agitated bard, perching on his shoulder. The body of Taliesin attempted to swat it away before both became immersed in a sort of trance. The falcon then took off in a huff, screaming to the sky, and Taliesin stood calmly before the group, dusting himself off.

"You…you were VETCH!" Twilight realized.

"I am sorry for the deception," Taliesin told her, "but I couldn't have my name said with Malekith or Nidhogg around. Malekith had besieged the Islands in your absence, taking Fair Lamenting with him. I was only able to escape him and travel across the realms by swapping my mind out with a nearby falcon. I did not know exactly what Malekith wanted, but I had a feeling that he would go for the tree itself. He had already declared war on life itself when he invaded the Islands and killed some of our own."

"People died because we weren't here?" Fluttershy was aghast.

"Do not look at it that way," Taliesin asked of her. "Every realm was in danger. You went where you were needed most. Fate directed you to where you were supposed to be. Without you, all realms of Yggdrassil would have been lost. We shall mourn those who were lost here, but these are the Islands of the Blessed: not a place that truly belongs to the living in the first place. They shall be along soon enough."

"So if you die and you belong here," Twilight attempted to translate, "you just…come back?"

"It is not easy to explain," Taliesin informed her. "But in the general sense, that is correct. Now…I'm sure a lot has gone on while we were gone. Why don't we see what we've missed?"

...

The Bard was waiting in the main hall, speaking to a handful of white-robed teachers. Upon the return of Taliesin and arrival of his companions, he sighed, "Well, THERE you are! Did that annoying bird leave? I can't guarantee it didn't eat a few mice while it was in your body."

"It's you!" Jack cried happily.

"Jack!" the Bard replied. "Thorgil! I can only suppose the two of you have been up to a lot. It only recently feels as though a great turbulence subsided, and I'm guessing you all have something to do with that."

"It was amazing!" Thorgil gushed. "We battled evil in a war of the gods! We protected Yggdrassil itself from Nidhogg! I fought Nidhogg with my own spear, which came from Yggdrassil's lower branches! I'll have a poem written about it all soon enough, but if you want the whole story, you'll have to ask Twilight. She has drunk from Mimir's Well too, after all…and for some reason, she's insisting I leave her name out of my story."

"I can hazard a guess," the Bard said, looking to Twilight. Somehow, Twilight knew that he'd figured out the exact reason and knew she and her friends had experienced the events of 616th Midgard a little out of order.

"You were right, by the way," Twilight told him. She looked at Taliesin; "You too. I was relying too much on my staff, and I ended up having to give it away to help my friends. I have a better one now." She summoned the branch to her side, levitating it through her horn. "It fell off Yggdrassil, right next to Thorgil's."

"That is impressive!" Taliesin nodded.

"I should have guessed!" The Bard shook his head. "It's only every so often that Yggdrassil gives them out, and it's not to any ordinary bard! I think it's about time we heard the tale of how you came upon those branches."

"Can we move somewhere more comfortable first?" Applejack requested.

"Follow me," Taliesin commanded; the six Equestrians, Jack, Thorgil, the Bard, and Baromett trailed behind him into the staff lounge.

"Well, it started out in the hazel wood," Applejack began.

...

Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Thorgil, and Jack took turns telling the story, with the Bard and Taliesin contributing a little to the parts that concerned their appearances. At last, all was told, and the Bard gave a satisfied nod. "Well, it's good we've got all THAT behind us." He practically sighed with relief.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Taliesin mused.

"We got plenty of that up in Asgard," Applejack informed him.

"An entire feast!" Thorgil confirmed. "What matters is that we're back home now, and we can all go back to studying!"

"Uh…not all of us," Applejack stated, somewhat solemnly.

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Thorgil was taken aback, and an edge crept into her voice.

"Well, it's just that…we saved the realms," Applejack reminded her. "I think we done did everything we came here to do. There's a lot more worlds out there that need us…an' we ain't seen our own home in ages. It'd take us years to stay here and train."

"But…you can't just LEAVE!" Thorgil growled.

"We'll miss y'all too," Applejack told her.

"And we better hear your epic poem about us someday," Rainbow Dash added.

Thorgil crossed her arms, determined to do nothing but sulk over the situation.

"And I suppose you're just going to stew instead of making the most of your last moments with your new friends," the Bard chided.

"Actually…if it's okay with you," Twilight admitted, "there's one more lesson I wanted to try learning here before we left."

"If you have the time," Taliesin informed her, "so do we."

"Well…" Twilight admitted, "I kinda wanted to see if I could switch my mind out with one of the animals on the Islands."

"The final exam?" The Bard was taken aback.

"She is quite advanced already," Taliesin reminded him. "I don't see the harm."

"I do!" the Bard pointed out. "I can just see her now getting stuck inside the body of a squirrel, forgetting completely who she is, and ending up storing nuts here for the winter!"

"I wouldn't pick a SQUIRREL!" Twilight groaned.

"And she won't forget who she is," Taliesin insisted. "I have a lot of faith in her."

"Well, you do what you want." Thorgil stood, ready to stomp angrily off to her quarters. "I don't care."

"Thorgil…I was hoping you could help me," Twilight said quickly.

"Why?" Thorgil snapped at her. "What do you need ME for?"

"I want to try and become an owl," Twilight stated. "Would you help me call one?"

"Why should I?" Thorgil sat back down.

"Because I know no one could bring one around faster than you could," Twilight answered.

"That's not true," Rainbow Dash argued. "Fl – "

Fluttershy hastily put a hoof over Rainbow Dash's mouth before she could say any more. She knew she could get an owl to approach, but she also knew what Twilight was going for. "I wouldn't know how to call one out of nowhere," Fluttershy said plainly.

"Fine," Thorgil huffed. "I'll call your stupid owl. Let's just get this over with."

...

They moved out to a plain behind the school, looking at the edge of the wood. Somehow, it had become night; it seemed all too soon for the travelers to be looking at clear, starry skies and a full, pearly moon. Thorgil stomped out across the grass to the head of the crowd, looking directly at the forest ahead. She halted, then cupped both hands to her mouth, giving out a loud trill very similar to the call of a screech owl. At the sound's end, Thorgil paused, then trilled once more for good measure.

By the time her second call had ended, a winged shape flapped its way out of the tree line and flew low over the plain. Thorgil put out an arm, and the bird clawed onto her wrist. It was a small owl, dappled gray, with wide eyes that seemed almost bewildered as it took in the scene.

"My friend is going to switch with you for just a minute," Thorgil told the owl. "You're going to get to be her for a while. And since she's leaving, feel free to roll around in the mud and muss her hair all you want."

The owl gave a trill, agreeing to the swap but not necessarily the sabotage.

"You can do it anytime," Thorgil relayed. "This one's actually switched out with a few before for final exams."

"All right." Twilight took in a deep breath. "So…how do I do it?"

"Reach out to it as you would to the life force of any world," Taliesin advised.

Twilight closed her eyes, projecting toward the owl's mind. She was still unsure as to quite how to proceed, but after some concentration, she felt as though she'd changed positions without moving at all. Opening her eyes, Twilight looked at her own body, blinking a couple times to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was. She opened her mouth to speak; it came out a trill.

"She says she did it," Thorgil translated.

Twilight took a moment to get her bearings. She was much smaller than she'd ever been, much more compact. It was the opposite of turning into a gangly human. Her wings stretched out experimentally. She wondered how she was able to keep so still perched upon Thorgil's wrist, but as soon as she called her balance into question, she lost it, tumbling backward. Thorgil nearly lost her morose composure, reaching out to quickly catch Twilight's fall, but before she could, Twilight caught the air with her outstretched wings, flapping hastily. So this was what it felt like when Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were just learning to fly. As the owl, Twilight went up, up, above all her friends, above the school and the plain and the wood.

Down below, the owl in Twilight's unicorn body just stared upward at the newly feathered Twilight before making a "lalalala" noise that was meant to be a trill.

Twilight let herself be amazed by the view for only a few moments. Then she winged her way over the forest. She could suddenly hear so much: the rush of the wind, the sounds of the flapping wings of other birds. Even the moon and stars seemed brighter. She wondered what it would be like to fly all the way up to the moon. A few aerial tricks were irresistible; she swooped, flipped, turned on a dime.

She then lowered herself into the trees, settling down on a branch. Even the hazel wood was more alive than usual to an owl. Mice rustled between the blades of grass and under fallen, crinkly leaves on the ground. Other owls conversed about their meals or their love lives. Despite the dark, visibility was clear. It took Twilight a while to realize that while she was perfectly able to see the movements of the forests' many inhabitants, it was with no color whatsoever. Thinking back, she even recalled seeing her own body in shades of gray rather than the lavender and pink she knew herself to be.

At last, she thought, she was home, and she'd certainly earned the rest. The realization that she was not at home at all hit her like a splash of cold water; that was the mentality of the owl creeping in. Twilight had been ready to settle into the hazel wood for the night, perhaps not to return to her friends. That was how she knew she had been the screech owl for too long. Taliesin might have been able to keep his mind intact in a falcon's body for quite a while, but Twilight did not have his talent. She rose up out of the forest, sailing back across night winds beneath a sky that was blacker than ever and a moon brighter than ever until she saw the plain where her body and friends were gathered. She landed neatly on the back of her own body; the owl inhabiting her form craned her head backward to look at Twilight in confusion. Then, in a mere moment, almost as a snap, the two were reversed. The owl took off once more on its own wings while Twilight stood on four hooves planted firmly on the ground.

"Well?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly. "How was it?"

"It was great!" Twilight gushed. "I guess I don't have to tell you how wonderful flying is, but everything just seems so much bigger and brighter when you're an owl. You can see and hear everything in the woods. Everything! Is this what life is like for Owlowiscious all the time, and I never even GUESSED?"

"By all standards," Taliesin reminded her, "you would have just graduated our school."

"If I come back," Twilight asked, "will you still let me learn here anyway?"

"There is always more to learn," Taliesin responded with a nod.

"Thank you so much for letting me do this," Twilight gushed.

"Thank YOU for not taking off into the night and never letting us see hide or feather of you again," the Bard sighed.

Twilight decided it was best not to inform him that her temporary state of consciousness had almost inspired her to do just that.

"Well, I guess that wraps it all up," Applejack said decisively. "We better pack up and get ready to sail out. Thanks again for everythin', Taliesin."

"You are most welcome," Taliesin responded.

"Jack…Thorgil…here's hopin' we run into each other again," Applejack continued, and the other five ponies backed her up with simultaneous nodding.

"You'd BETTER!" Thorgil burst out. "All right, I'll admit it! I'm going to miss you, and I wish you could stay! But I know you have to do what you have to do." She folded her arms. "I DID use to be a shield maiden on a berserker ship. I know what it means to sail."

"And we're going to have a lot more adventures of our own," Jack reminded her. "The two of us."

"I like the sound of that." Thorgil smiled.

"I hope we can see you again too," Jack told the six ponies.

"Then you can bet on it!" Rainbow Dash insisted.

...

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Baromett stood aboard the deck of the Starlight as it pulled away from the shore of the Islands, waving their front hooves. On the beach, Jack, Thorgil, Taliesin, and the Bard waved in return. The mists curled in around the ship, first translucent, then obscuring the view of both parties from one another entirely.

"They're gone," Jack realized as the mists began to dissipate.

"So what do we do now?" Thorgil asked.

"I don't know what you two will be doing," the Bard huffed, "but Fair Lamenting is still lost. I'm going to make sure it gets put back in the right hands."

"Then that's what we're doing, too!" Thorgil decided.

"We need to plan out what we'll need to bring, and where to go first," Jack pointed out.

"Why not just let fate guide us?" Thorgil suggested. "It always sends us in the right direction!"

...

THE SPACE BETWEEN

On the other side of the mists, the stars came out as the Starlight pulled away into the night sky, into the vastness of the cosmos.

"I suppose we had better get to work writing Celestia about what we've learned and experienced," Rarity suggested.

"Actually, I think we should wait to write her from home," Twilight rebutted. "I'm headed down to the control room right now to turn off the mist engine's guidance."

She made her way belowdecks, and she heard five sets of large hooves and one set of small sheep hooves follow her. "We're really going back home?" Rainbow Dash asked, astonished.

"I think that would be best, just for a bit," Twilight replied. "After all, we should probably drop Fluttershy's new pet off at her house. We haven't seen our families for a while. I'm going to set our course for Fourth Equestria."

She entered the control room, manipulating the computer screen, entering the coordinates for the world from which it had first departed so long ago and overriding the mist engine. "When we're rested up," Twilight decided, "then we can go back out. But only if everypony agrees on when."

"I think that sounds like a good idea," Applejack concurred. "Let's go home."

As the ship steered onto course for Fourth Equestria, Pinkie Pie suggested, "Hey! You know what would be really fun? If we radioed back to the Avengers and told Thor that we finally saw him meet us for the first time!"

"That's a GREAT idea!" Rainbow Dash cried.

"Besides, I've got a few questions for him about how things turned out between now and then," Twilight added.

They surrounded the radio, turning it to the communication frequency that patched to 616th Earth. "Um…hello?" Twilight greeted. "This is Twilight Sparkle of the Starlight, hailing the Avengers."

A voice returned the greeting: "This is Captain Steve Rogers. Communication acknowledged."

"Hey, Steve!" Applejack cried. "How's it goin'?"

"Well, there's no rest for the wicked," a second male voice chimed in. "HYDRA's been rearing its ugly however-many-heads, so we've been busy trying to cut them off and make sure they STAY off."

"If anypony could do it, it'd be you, Tony," Twilight replied. "Hey…is Thor around?"

"Why?" Tony Stark asked. "Y'know, he is taken. I get that the two of you were close, but I don't think he's gonna dump Jane anytime within the next century."

That got a laugh out of Twilight. "No, it's not like that. We actually just had a bit of an adventure that I think he'd find interesting."

"I'll get him," Steve said, and the sounds of his footsteps leaving the room were heard.

"So…how long has it been since we left?" Twilight asked.

"Couple weeks," Tony replied. "How long were you gone?"

"A little less than that," Applejack related.

"Where'd you end up?" Tony asked. "Helping Cinderella pick out more sensible shoes? Going down the yellow brick road?"

"Try zapping through the Bifrost to all of the Nine Realms to stop Malekith from starting a war between all the realms," Rainbow Dash bragged.

Two sets of footsteps entered the room on the other end of the line. "Have I heard what I believe I heard?" Thor's voice asked.

"THOR!" the six ponies greeted at once.

"Oh, sure, YOU get that kind of reception," Tony teased. "I think we all know who's the favorite around here now."

"Well, if it's any consolation, you're my favorite," Steve told him.

"AAAAAAWWW!" Pinkie cried.

"You just met us for the first time, Thor," Rainbow Dash explained. "We showed up in Asgard with Jack and Thorgil, and we went through all of the Nine Realms trying to figure out what Malekith was up to!"

"Aye, I remember!" Thor said happily. "You saved not only the realms, but Yggdrassil itself."

"Do you mind answering a couple questions about what happened after we left?" Twilight asked.

"I do not," Thor replied. "What do you wish to know?"

"Velvet and Cornelius," Fluttershy began. "Did they ever break the curse?"

"It took quite a while," Thor informed the group, "but indeed they did. They collected every last coin minted by King Valentine, and they wished for their own humanity to return. Once they had done so, they took the throne of Titania, which is once more an independent nation. I have heard they were quite surprised to hear of the siege upon Ragnanival. Had they known of it further ahead of time, they would have come as reinforcements."

"That's wonderful!" Fluttershy said in excitement.

"What about Ingway, though?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Did you ever see him again?"

"I am afraid not," Thor replied solemnly. "He is missing to this day. I do not know if he found what he sought."
"You don't think he…" Twilight was filled with dread.

"I doubt he is dead," Thor said quickly to calm her worry. "He carried with him immense power, both in the form of the Darkova and in the psypher obtained from Yggdrassil. He is strong. I am sure he is finding his way."

"I hope so," Applejack said mournfully.

"Okay, mind explaining any of this to us?" Tony interrupted. "In actual English?"

"It sounds like there's quite a story to be told," Steve added.

"I think we've got time to clear a few things up," said Twilight.

"In fact," Thor told her, "a poem was written of our adventure, though its 'six heroines from lands beyond' remain ambiguous. It is also a bit bloodier than I remember events being. Yet it may be the perfect place to begin."

"I'd very much like to hear it!" Rarity emphasized.

"I guess it's poetry slam hour with Thor," Tony commented.

"Once upon the blessed shore," Thor began, "where only peace was known before. A traveling ship came through the mists, and its creaking prow the islands kissed…"

And all the while, the Starlight sailed onward, returning to its point of origin.

...

Chapter 98:

· GAvillain has dubbed Nidhogg "Dumbass Root Muncher." That is probably how he is to be referred to in A/Ns henceforth.

· I sort of bullshitted a huge excuse as to how Malekith and Algrim got from here to the beginning of Dark World, which happens between this storylet and the previous one. Just go with it.

· Some readers have expressed concern about Algrim's fate. I will say this much: while I haven't got his arc planned, he still qualifies for an evil resurrection if he is needed. There is plenty of chance for him to see the light if that should happen…and there are many return trips to 616th Earth planned in the future. ALGRIM WILL RETURN.

· INGWAY WILL ALSO RETURN…but not for a loooong while.

· I actually don't know the outcome of Jack and Thorgil's quest for Fair Lamenting. Maybe it will be an interlude. Maybe y'all will just have to use your imaginations to figure out how that one ends. It just seemed like a nice note to end them on for now: "And the Adventure Continues."

· Yes, we're making a brief stop at Fourth Equestria before the next world. Our heroines need to rest and catch up with family. Besides…there are some important plot threads hidden there.

· I'll see you in the next world. Hiatus should be shorter this time.