Time had stopped.  He could feel it.  The very stillness of everything beyond him.  There was no sound, no breath, nothing to indicate anything beyond the awful silence humming in his ears as he finally pried his eyes open, feeling utterly empty and completely overwhelmed at the same time.  Pressing his trembling fingers to his face, Daehyun felt tears staining his cheeks as he registered a paralyzing ache in his bare chest.

                Directly in front of him was the Draconus Orb, held in place by Himchan and Jongup’s hands.  A burdened look to either side showed both his brothers just watching him, gazes filled with the same emotions he was struggling to overcome.  They knew everything; about him… about each other.

                Daehyun knew the orb had managed to merge the homunculus body with Vali’s, thus restoring him, but he also knew all of his own memories since their birth.  Every facet of his life was accessible to him in minute detail which was what had destroyed him to begin with.  No longer was such knowledge sealed away beyond his reach.

                Now though, he knew everything about himself… and his brothers.  Unlike when the seal on his memories had shattered the first time, the Draconus Orb had mitigated the backlash, absorbing the annihilating, destructive force that should have ripped his brothers apart, and linked them all together, exposing each to every facet of their siblings, both as Valkyrs and as mortals.  Caught in the bubble they’d somehow commanded in their distress, he didn’t know what he should feel.

                Jongup was simply hurt by everything that neither of them had told him.  Hurt but somewhat accepting as well.  They had never meant to cause him pain; to make him suffer.  But Himchan…  Their older brother was wracked with guilt and self-loathing.  More than either Daehyun or Jongup, Himchan had been Odin’s Dark Valkyr; the messenger of his displeasure and the executor of his will.  So much death… so much destruction… and so much that he had tried to do to protect his brothers that had only caused more pain.

                “Channie,” Daehyun whispered, stepping close to wrap his arms around his elder brother, hugging him tight even as he shivered from the cool feel of metal pressing against his bare skin.

                Trembling, he felt Himchan embrace him in return, holding on as if he might disappear if he but let go again.  Jongup gave a wordless cry and flung himself at them both, clinging to them awkwardly with the orb still held in his hand.  The circle broken, power shattered around them, breaking the sphere of timelessness they were in and ing them into the midst of temporary madness.

                “It’s too strong!” Youngjae finished screaming, briefly confused when his hand was no longer in contact with Jongup’s shoulder, though the scepter was still held out like it had been during the casting of the spell.

                “Take the orb!” Dara shrieked, already reaching for it while Seunghyun moved to intercept her, left hand reaching for where the orb had been and the scepter held in front, just past where Himchan was standing.

                “Don’t you dare,” Seunghyun growled, finishing his movement to grab her wrist and neck in the same instant while Zelo just yelled frantically nearby, completely at a loss with all the magical energy that was racing around.

                Uncomfortable silence descended as all eyes turned towards the huddled trio in the middle, mutely clinging to each other.  “It worked!” Zelo shouted, jumping in place excitedly.

                “Yah!” Youngjae flailed, looking between the Valkyrs and then Seunghyun with his hands around Dara’s throat and wrist.

                Daehyun ignored all of them for the moment as he clung to his brothers, memorizing their warmth and the way they felt, before he finally stepped back and placed a hand against Himchan’s cheek, his other sliding up to rest against Jongup’s.  “We’re together again,” he reminded them in a firm, soft tone.

                Himchan wiped at his teary eyes with the back of his fist and nodded, taking a shaky, steadying breath as he gripped Daehyun’s wrist reassuringly.  “Ne,” Jongup hiccupped, curling the orb close in one arm while his other pressed against his brother’s waist.

                “We have to go,” Daehyun explained, focusing on Himchan, searching the dark eyes before him.

                “Right.  Ragnarok,” he coughed, swallowing hard as he shook himself.

                “Uppie,” Daehyun urged, turning to face his younger brother.  “Take the orb.  Keep it safe,” he stated, pressing both hands to the artifact and against Jongup’s chest, nodding in satisfaction when it shimmered and was absorbed into his body.

                “What about you?” Jongup asked, bottom lip trembling as he searched Daehyun’s face.

                “I have to get Yongguk,” he explained with a smile that bordered on radiant.  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, summoning his armor with a thought, wings extending in an explosion of white feathers, forcing Seunghyun and Dara apart.

                “Ack!” Dara coughed as she rubbed , glaring at the Lord of the Undead before she stared at the restored Daehyun and then turned to glare at the taller male again.  “What in Nifleheim was that for?!” she shrilled, swinging her scepter at him ineffectively.

                Seunghyun caught it with one hand and ignored her as he focused on Jongup, “I’m coming with you.”

                “Right,” Himchan nodded begrudgingly, answering before his youngest sibling could.  “We still have business to discuss, but-”

                “Now is not the time,” Seunghyun conceded with an amused nod.

                “Definitely not,” Daehyun exhaled, shaking his hands out.  It was strange to be alive again, back in a body that wasn’t just a puppet for him to see through but not actually use.  Not that it mattered right now.  His connection to his brothers had shown him that Yongguk was in Nifleheim and that Ragnarok was upon them.  There was no time, but he would not abandon Yongguk again.  “Youngjae.  Zelo,” he snapped, grabbing their attention immediately.

                “Ne?” they asked at the same time, looking at each other and then back at the Valkyr, completely at attention and ready.

                “Go with Himchan.  Help him any way you can,” he directed, nodding at his elder brother before he clapped him on the shoulder.

                “You can’t expect me to let you go alone,” he snorted with a half-smile.

                “You will because we both know Nifleheim will be empty and your skills are needed elsewhere,” Daehyun reminded him, not unkindly.  He was well aware of how much Himchan did not like that side of himself, though he had heeded it for centuries under Odin’s orders.

                “Stupid,” Himchan grumbled, summoning his black wings in irritation.

                “According to you,” he laughed once, eyeing Dara with disdain.  The memories of Himchan and Jongup had told him what they knew of the mage as well and other than her hand in bringing him back, he wasn’t inclined to like her.  He pointed at her, about to say something, but the creepy, covetous look in her eyes made him fall silent and he dragged his gaze away with a shake of his head.

                “How are you going to get there?” Jongup asked, blinking in confusion while he watched Daehyun intently.

                “I’ve remembered the path.  It won’t take me long,” he promised them solemnly, reaching out to grab both their forearms.  “I don’t know what we can do, but we all know Ragnarok won’t just effect Asgard.”

                “We know,” Himchan assured him, waving Zelo and Youngjae close.  “You’re riding with me this time,” he told them firmly, glaring at both of them so they wouldn’t argue.

                Mutely, Daehyun stepped over to Zelo, snagging Rune’s Fate easily from his belt with a smile.  “I know someone who could use this,” he smirked, drawing it into himself for storage.

                “Good luck,” Zelo grinned, breathless with excitement and anticipation.  Daehyun knew the feeling.  The time was now and they were finally going to be doing something.

                “I’m coming with you,” Dara announced, her attention focused on Daehyun.

                He frowned back at her, looking her up and down.  “No.”

                “Yes I-” her retort was silenced when Himchan snagged her arm and yanked her close, drawing the other Einherjar into himself with an imperious wave of his hand.

                “Get going, Hyunnie.  We’ll see you on the field,” Himchan nodded once, dragging Dara after him though she complained loudly against it as they headed for the stairs that led up.

                “Be careful,” Jongup breathed, running forward to hug Daehyun fiercely, trembling with emotion.

                “You too, Uppie.  Take care of him, Seunghyun,” he stated firmly with a long look at the Lord of the Undead.

                “I will,” Seunghyun promised solemnly, placing both hands against Jongup’s waist to draw him back gently.  “Let’s go.  Battle awaits us,” he smirked ironically, using the same statement Himchan used to say before most encounters.

                Daehyun watched them go with a heavy feeling in his .  He didn’t know any better than they did how things were going to turn out, but all they could do was try.  First though…  His gaze settled on the rest of the homunculi that lined the wall, all bearing resemblances to him.  Drawing his sword, he quickly destroyed each tube, releasing the constructs from their eternal stasis.  “And now they are free,” he whispered, exhaling once with a satisfied nod as he replaced his weapon.

                Wasting no more time, the Valkyr bolted up the stairs and out the front door, recognizing belatedly that Jongup had already shattered the seal that had been in place.  Loki had set it up.  And he’d been behind so much of what had happened already.  He would make the god pay for his transgressions if no one else did, but first he had an Einherjar to find.

                White wings beat fiercely, projecting him through the air at a dizzying speed.  If he didn’t know better, he’d say he was faster than before, but he wasn’t about to complain.  Overhead, it sounded like a storm was present, matching the cloudy skies, though no lightning or thunder clashed in Midgard.  The battle raged in Asgard, but this realm was relatively unaffected: for now.  Mimir had foretold the final days of the gods, but his prophecy had been wreathed in fire and death for more than just one race and Daehyun did not intend to be among them.

                The ground flashed beneath him in a dizzying blur of color, rumbling telling him it shook though his eyes did not track the upset for his speed.  No.  Instead, he approached the sea, shooting over the white tipped waves that reached for the sky, crashing hard against the surface as it surged towards the land before he spied an island in the distance.  Southwest.  That was where the mouth of Nifleheim lay.  Over the sea and through the dead man’s cave…

                “I’m coming, Gukkie,” Daehyun breathed as he spied the mouth of the yawning cavern that appeared in his sight, a dread chill emanating from within.  He ignored the sensation and sent himself hurtling straight into it, arms braced in front of him lest he run into something.  Too late to stop, he became aware of the presence of a powerful barrier, spanning the entirety of the entrance, so he ducked his head and growled through clenched teeth, fists balled tightly as he flapped himself hard into the surface.

                For an instant, his entire body reverberated with the shock before it defied the barrier almost violently.  Roaring in his struggle, Daehyun felt ageless power well up within him to challenge the might of the seal in place, matching and overpowering it with the strength of centuries that surged through his form, crashing beyond the invisible wall as it shattered before him.  Unprepared for the disappearance of the seal, Daehyun yelped in surprise and tumbled erratically through the air, belatedly catching himself with frantic wing beats as he righted himself.

                Panting slightly, the Valkyr got his first good look at the cold, dark realm of Nifleheim, chilled by the very stillness of it.  “Daehyun?” he was surprised to hear someone call from below him.  Looking around in confusion, the Valkyr glanced down and noticed a god standing at the former entrance.

                “Baldr?” he asked in confusion, dropping out of the air to land before the other man.

                “How did you…?” he trailed off, pointing at where the barrier had been in place.

                Daehyun knew that even a god should have had a hard time breaking through that barrier without Hel’s permission but he didn’t have time to even begin to try and explain it.  “It doesn’t matter,” he shook his head, approaching Baldr as he placed both hands on the taller male’s shoulders.  “Have you seen a young man named Yongguk anywhere nearby?  He’s an Einherjar.  About this tall,” he motioned to indicate his height, “with dark blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and newly arrived.  He’s probably already-”

                “He headed for the roots of Yggdrasil when Hel moved out,” Baldr interrupted him, pointing towards the spire of stone and the root that sank into the ground near it.

                “You’ve met him?!” Daehyun gasped with desperate hope, grabbing tight to the god’s shoulders.

                “Ne!  He was looking for a way to get back to you,” he laughed in amazement, a dazzling smile lighting his face.

                “And you didn’t go with him?” the Valkyr shook his head in confusion.

                “You know it’s not my time yet,” Baldr admitted with a shake of his head.

                Daehyun snorted derisively at the statement and curled his lip in disgust.  “You can wait for whatever it is you think is coming, but Ragnarok affects of all.  I care not whether Mimir has spoken at all of my future.  Life or death.  It doesn’t matter,” he admitted caustically.  “Only that one tries,” he hissed, stepping away and launching himself back into the air.  He knew what he needed to know.  “You can have your fate!” he called back, hearing a vague response from Baldr as he flew out of range.

                He really could care less about prophecies or who was supposed to live or die where.  That was what had gotten them in this mess in the first place.  Mimir had told of Fenrir’s danger but the gods refused to kill him for their pride.  So had he foretold the imprisonment of Loki would herald the end, and they had done so anyway.  That didn’t mean Daehyun was just going to accept it idly like Baldr was.

                “Yongguk!” he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice.  The sound faded away without an echo and he glared into the resulting gloom in irritation.  “Bang Yongguk!” he tried again, putting everything he had into the cry.  His body tensed immediately and his eyes grew wide when he heard a faint blip of sound in the distance.

                In an instant, he was flying again, powering himself through the cold air in the direction he knew he’d heard it.  Straining his eyes in the gloom, he tried to see through the snow that covered the ground; to make out a lone figure amidst the whitewashed backdrop.  Where was he?  The Valkyr knew he would not have gone with Hel’s forces even if he was running after them.

                “Yongguk!” he tried again, straining his voice as he tried to find him.

                His eyes roamed the landscape, back and forth, sweeping from side to side, looking for something.  “Here!” came the distant, weak cry.

                Daehyun gasped at the sound, pulling up short to get a better look.  Where was he…?  Where?!  “Come on, Gukkie.  Let me see you,” he breathed, flapping in place with his heart racing in his chest.

                “I’m here!” the deep voice shouted again, drawing the Valkyr’s gaze to a snow drift where he saw a figure buried to his chest in the stuff, waving with both arms.

                “Gukkie!” Daehyun called, throwing himself towards the other man with all the haste he could muster.

                “Daehyun?” he heard Yongguk gasp with wide eyes before he plowed right into him, driving them both through the snow in an erratic tumble.

                With his arms wrapped firmly around Yongguk, Daehyun refused to let go, cradling their rush through the snow with his wings circling around both of them, savoring the feel of the other man in his arms.  “Gukkie,” he exhaled breathlessly when they finally came to rest enough that he could grab his face with both hands and kiss him firmly, resting on top of Yongguk but bracing the majority of his weight with his wings.

                Beneath him, Yongguk froze and stared at him as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing… what was happening in general.  He inhaled slightly when Daehyun broke the kiss to look down at him.  “Daehyun?” he asked in a tremulous whisper, reaching up to remove the helmet with his hands carefully, beaming in the next instant when he saw the Valkyr fully.

                Daehyun nodded and sank back down to kiss him again, whimpering softly when Yongguk finally responded, wrapping strong arms around and burying his fingers in his hair, dragging him close.  The armor was too restrictive but as much as he wanted to dispose of it, to just feel Yongguk’s warmth skin to skin, simply for the joy of being that close, now was not the time.  He remembered everything about their childhood together; what Yongguk had done to try and save him and how Daehyun had died as a mortal.  Now, more than anything, he wanted to make it up to him, but first they had to survive the end of the world as they knew it.

                “I found you,” he exhaled against the tender lips that pressed against his, fingers pressing hard against his scalp as he trembled with emotion.

                “I thought I was seeing things,” Yongguk admitted in a quiet whisper, marveling at the man on top of him, fingers and hands exploring his head and face in quiet wonderment.

                “Not this time,” Daehyun smiled, closing his eyes to kiss him again, savoring the affection as long as he could before he finally pulled away reluctantly.  “Come on,” he urged, easily pulling Yongguk to his feet as he stood up.

                “What…?” Yongguk murmured, still rather caught off guard.

                Daehyun stepped forward to hold him close, wrapping his arms around the warm chest as he rested his head against Yongguk’s shoulder.  “Ragnarok has come.  It’s time for us to fight, Gukkie.”

                Yongguk’s arms tightened around him perceptibly and he heard the husky voice whisper in his ear, “I’m with you, Daehyunnie.  Always.”

                “I know,” Daehyun smiled, closing his eyes tight as he held him closer, overwhelmed with joy in one of the most miserable of places.  “Come… my dearest,” he breathed, rather liking the way the words felt on his tongue, finally drawing back so that he could rest his fingertips against Yongguk’s face as he searched his eyes.  “My Einherjar,” he smiled, warning him with a gently bemused grin before he called Yongguk’s soul into his body without complaint.

                You couldn’t leave me if you tried, Yongguk promised with that bright, gummy grin Daehyun remembered so well.

                “I didn’t think so,” he chuckled in response, retrieving his helmet before he placed it atop his head firmly.  “But we do have to get you back to your body or you won’t be able to manifest in Asgard,” he explained, launching himself into the air while they flew towards the roots of Yggdrasil.  "Not with any power anyway."

                Oh… Yongguk hummed, uncomfortable with the idea.  Do you know where my body is?

                “Yep.  And I think we’ve got a couple of your friends to recruit too,” he grinned confidently, drawing close to the root and skimming the surface easily, close enough that he could drag his hand against the smooth bark if he chose to.

                Yes! Yongguk cheered, filling Daehyun with enthusiasm as well.

                Focusing his gaze on the tree, the Valkyr located one of the bolls that would allow him entrance and swooped into the large, circular structure, keeping his wings folded close to his body as they soared through darkness.  As always, the passage of time was meaningless before he burst into the heart of Yggdrasil, backtracking via another route the way Jongup had gone to Midgard.  Snapping his wings open, he scanned the interior but found the harts missing and shot upwards to the only open entrance which happened to be the one that led to Asgard as he recalled, folding his wings again when they made the opening.

                “Hold on, Gukkie,” he urged, staring straight ahead while he waited for the entrance to spit him out again.  “Yah!” he yelped when the cave of Frigg opened before them, cracking his wings open to stop their progress as everything felt wrong the moment he set foot down.  The very air crackled with the hint of combat, the acrid tang of smoke tickling the back of his throat.

                “You’re here,” a soft voice murmured in relief, drawing his attention to the goddess Frigg who was kneeling next to Yongguk’s body, hands clasped together before her as she trembled, obviously concentrating on something else at the same time.

                “Daehyun!” Soohyun and Minzy shouted at the same time, hopping to their feet, the latter with a strange, metal arm moving stiffly at his side.

                “Yongguk,” Daehyun called in a powerful tone, drawing his hand away from his chest as he directed the soul within him to return to his body.

                As Yongguk’s soul merged with his physical form, Frigg gasped and finally relaxed, slumping forward while something behind Daehyun snapped shut.

                “Yggdrasil?” Daehyun asked, eyeing the goddess before a glance back showed the entrance to the heart was closed.

                “It won’t last long at this rate,” she shook her head, brow slightly furrowed.

                “What is it?” the Valkyr asked, moving closer to Yongguk while Soohyun and Minzy clustered nearby, watching with rapt attention as color returned to his complexion.

                Frigg placed a dainty hand to her head and shook it lightly.  “I cannot see what lies ahead,” she admitted, mystified by the announcement.

                Daehyun’s brows rose almost to the edge of his helmet and he blinked in surprise, “You can’t see the future?”

                “No,” she reiterated, frowning in confusion.

                “Ack…” Yongguk groaned, face wincing in pain as feeling returned to him.

                “Then our fate is not set in stone,” Daehyun grinned when he reached down to help Yongguk sit up, bracing the man’s back with his arm as he ran his other hand against the side of his head tenderly.

                “It never has been,” he grumbled with a tense laugh, grabbing Daehyun’s hand while he held his gaze for a few seconds more before he looked up at Soohyun and Minzy who grinned back at him.

                “He’s alive!” Minzy shouted, jumping up with her hands shooting into the air.

                “Welcome back,” Soohyun smiled, patting Yongguk on the shoulder around Daehyun’s already supportive hold.

                Yongguk nodded though he was not alone when the sounds of battle reached their ears again, reminded more sharply by the tremors that traveled through the ground.  “The battle goes on,” Frigg murmured, eyes saddened by what she invariably saw happening in the short term.

                “Aye,” Daehyun nodded in agreement, hefting Yongguk to his feet again before he handed him Rune’s Fate once more.  “And we’ll see it through to the end,” he nodded, placing his hand against Yongguk’s chest warmly.

                “That we will,” Yongguk nodded in tender agreement, wrapping his free hand around Daehyun’s and holding firm as he looked into the Valkyr’s eyes.

                “You know,” Minzy inhaled with a determined nod.  “I think I can take a Jottun.”

                Soohyun flexed his new hand and nodded speculatively.  “I guess we’ll have to find out.”

                “Looks like we have a war to win,” Daehyun smiled with all the confidence he could muster, staring into Yongguk’s eyes, indescribably proud and happy when the other man didn’t even bat an eye.

                “That we do, Daehyunnie,” he agreed simply with a nod.  “That we do.”

(a/n: So nothing much to do with the battle in Asgard yet, but all of our players are recruited!  And the battle is underway so we should be getting right into the thick of it shortly.  ;)  And I'm just happy that Daehyun and Yongguk are back together!  *spazzes*  Yay!  In the case of Soohyun's arm, Frigg has had a lot of time on her hands.  Considering she knows the vast majority of the future, the results of Ragnarok not included (which there's a reason for  hehe), who's not to say she didn't know she wouldn't need a mechanical arm lying around somewhere.  lol  It's entirely possible the gods could have made one or commissioned the dwarves to do such a thing for her at any point in time.  I'm just saying.

Otherwise, I hope the orb has been better explained, though an actual definition wasn't forthcoming in this chapter as I had originally intended.  Suffice to say, it's more like a potential source of power with the potential to grant great strength or, like we saw most recently, counter great power.  It'll have a little more purpose coming up soon.  And Daehyun's breaking through Hel's barrier fairly easily... that'll be touched on soon too, if you didn't catch it this update.  ^_^

So you can expect lots of fighting the next update.  Maybe two, depending on things play out, but we have reached the final battle!  Huzzah!

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to shoot them my way and I hope you've enjoyed the latest installment.  We're definitely getting to the last little bit now so I'm really hoping you look forward to the next update!  Thank you for reading and have a great day!)