//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 "The Trickster" // Story: Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 8 "Hammer of Thunder" // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Chapter 4 “The Trickster” Perspective: Thor CRASH! Went another vase to the wall. I cannot believe Baldur had such thoughts and never told me! Is the word “brother” just something you throw around nowadays? My room is definitely a warrior’s room. Armor stands displaying fine Cloud Kingdom works of smithing, and the walls displaying weapons, and trophies from various confrontations. One would not think that Sif would like feminine things, but the vases were her idea. I walked around my room and sighed as I looked at the mirror at myself. This, just shouldn’t be happening. Where did I go wrong Father? Mother? I tried to raise Baldur as best I could but, in the end he comes up with the idea to kill himself without telling me. I guess he was always right, I was a far better warrior than a brother. “Brother?” I turned to see Baldur standing in the doorway, he tried to keep his good cheer as he said, “I know you never liked frivolity, but you shouldn’t take your anger out on any vase nearby.” “Baldur,” I said, looking away. “I’m, glad to see you well.” Baldur’s smile turned into a frown, “Thor, we’ve known each other for more than one and a half centuries, I can tell when something’s on your mind.” My own face frowned and I sighed, “I trust Private has told you about what Frezil said.” “He did,” Baldur answered, and shook his head. “I cannot believe Frezil would do such a thing.” “When were you going to tell me that you felt such sorrow?” I inquired. “Brother?” “You didn’t tell me about the fact you were depressed over losing your friends?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice from growing too strong. “You should have told me, you can confide in Frezil about how you feel but not your own brother?” “Thor you aren’t listening!” Baldur yelled. “I wasn’t the one who asked for that Mistletoe!” “But yet you still kept the fact you were in pain!” I yelled. “If you had simply talked to me about it th-” “Thor shut up for two minutes!” Baldur yelled. I, did as he asked. “I’m not a child anymore!” He declared. “Gone are the days when we were foals back in Asgard City. The reason I didn’t tell you was because I wanted to face this on my own. I wanted to get over it myself without worrying you.” My face softened at that and I said, “Baldur, I…” “In truth, there is more sorrow I feel than ever. None of my friends survived the cataclysm.” Baldur said, his voice laced with pain. “You had Sif, to spend all those centuries with. I had nopony, just you. I wanted you to be happy Thor. A relationship goes both ways, I couldn’t have me hold you back anymore.” “Baldur, I.” There were no words I could say that would make it all better. Here was Baldur, who I was convinced was happy all his life, and now he tells me just how much pain I’ve put him in. I had no idea that he felt so alone… Baldur simply smiled, “Say no more brother. I’m glad both of our feelings have come out.” “You are sure you will be alright?” I asked, concerned. “I will be fine,” Baldur said. “I’ll visit Frezil and we’ll sort this mess out.” “Just know you aren’t alone brother,” I said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “We both lost so many after the destruction. I would hate for us to lose each other.” Baldur put his hoof on my shoulder and said, “Like Father always said, there is no greater honor than looking after another you love.” “Aye,” I affirmed. Baldur then turned to walk out the door, I was left smiling, but no less pained at this. He has grown up so much, become a stallion, and I didn’t even realize it… Maybe this is why Voidera sent that detective...the dragon boy was always a bit of a knave. ____________________________________________________________ Perspective: Private Eye Where in the hoary horseradished HAY am I now?! Okay, well yeah, it’s a hallway, obviously. Flagstone floor, stone and mortar walls, typical old-style castle. Why didn’t I get a map? Seriously? I thought Canterlot Castle was bad, but at least if you follow the statues, and stained glass windows, you can usually find your way. What is with the featureless hallways? I sighed as I made what had to have been the twentieth trek past the portrait of a one eyed alicorn. Man, if Twilight ever gets a castle I swear I’m going to make her install signs for ponies like me who keep getting lost! I walked past a wooden door when I heard a crash. I looked over and tried to pull it open. The door was locked, I reached into my trench coat to pull out my old lockpicking tools and the door opened. Out of it fell a very familiar looking mare… Frezil… Mare looked like she’d been in there for days, without food, or water. Her blonde mane was a mess, her blue coat was matted in places. She really needed help, and I was so lost, I had no clue how to get her to any kind of doctor. I pushed her a little, “Hey, you awake?” I asked. Slowly her yellow eyes opened and she looked up at me, “Who, are you?” “Private Eye,” I said, deducing what was going on. “Are you Frezil?” “Yes,” She said, shaking her head and trying to get up. “But how do yo-” “No time to explain,” I said firmly. “If you’re here, then Baldur is in major trouble…” ________________________________________________________ Perspective: Thor I stood outside the room as Baldur spoke with Frezil. The poor lass was crying her eyes out before him. “Forgive me, Milord, I had no idea somepony was impersonating you,” Frezil said, her face in her hooves. “Do not fret Frezil,” Baldur said, wrapping a wing around her. “We’ll mourn the loss of our friends together.” “I just was only doing what you asked, had I known…” Frezil said, pressing herself into Baldur. “Hush now,” He said gently, trying to comfort her, despite his own pain. “Had I known…” Frezil continued. I turned to the guards and said, “Inform the other guards that funerals are to be held on the morrow.” They nodded and turned to walk away. I looked on the pair and smiled. Maybe, something more will come of this. It is not unfounded for mortals and alicorns to find love. Short lived love, but something to behold nonetheless… Suddenly, I saw Frezil...grin… “Had I known this would be so easy I wouldn’t have wasted time following that mongrel…” “What?” Baldur said in shock “What are yo-GAH!!” I watched in horror as something stabbed into my brother’s side. No...it was… A thorn of mistletoe…. “Frezil...why…?” Baldur said as he fell to the ground, his side bleeding from the wound. I roared at Frezil, “What is the meaning of this! What have you done?” “Oh? Care to join him milord…?” She said, her horn glowing. Suddenly a blast of magic hit her in the chest, sending her flying into the wall. I turned to see Private standing there, glaring at Frezil. “Who are you, really?” ________________________________________________________ Perspective: Private Eye “What is going on here?” Thor demanded. “The Frezil you see before you is an imposter,” I said firmly. “Truth is none of it made sense. Why would Baldur want to commit suicide? Truth is he didn’t, it was just a mask to hide the fact that Frezil was smuggling in mistletoe. This imposter swapped with Frezil somewhere within the last few days, captured the real Frezil and put her in a closet. Then, she overheard Baldur’s laments about his friends dying. Then it was a simple matter of convincing Spearhead and Morning Star to follow along.” “You, used my friends…” Baldur said, keeping a hoof on his bleeding wound. I guess it’s true that Mistletoe is the bane of Baldur… “Of course I did,” Frezil said, looking down on Baldur. “I needed to get your blood one way or another. Convincing your foolish mortal pets was unbelievably simple. To think that you place value on such fools.” “So tell me now,” I said firmly. “Are you a changeling?” Frezil laughed...a very masculine laugh… “Oh, I’m no insect...I’m something far more…” Thor’s eyes went wide and he said, “No, it cannot be…” “Oh but it is,” Frezil said with a grin as a magic aura came over her. “Brother…” She slowly transformed, growing taller, her eyes changing into the green ones of a Dark Magic user, her blue coat turned a sickly green, and she was no longer mare but an alicorn stallion. A horn spouted from his head, and blond curls turned into a black greasy locks. He smirked as he looked upon Thor, “What’s wrong, brother? No hug? No ‘so glad to see you’ cliched speech?” Thor’s expression turned from shock, to one of white rage. “LOKI!” “About what I was expecting to be honest,” He said, keeping his smirk. “Who the hell are you?” I said, my magic wrapping around Silver Wolf’s handle on my back. “Oh? Thor didn’t mention me?” Loki said with a laugh, “Once again, to be expected. Dear brother and I never did get along.” “Loki…” Baldur said, looking up at the green alicorn. “But, I thought…” “That I perished? Did you really think Thor could defeat me? Oh the lies you tell the ones you love.” Loki replied. “Why did you do this?” Thor yelled. “Do you realize you’re hurting you're own brother!” “You both were never my brother’s to begin with.” Loki said with absolute loathing. “I don’t know what’s going on here.” I said firmly. “But no way in hell am I going to let you get away with what you just did!” I then charged towards Loki, Silver Wolf drawn. I took a swing at Loki, only for him to dodge my attack and blast me in the stomach with a burst of dark magic. I flew into the wall, grunted from the pain, and slid down. Loki’s face was one of surprise. “That should’ve killed you…” I got to my hooves again and glared at Loki. “You apparently didn’t get the memo, I’m very hard to kill…” “No matter, I have no time to play with the mortal dog.” Loki said, his horn glowing and a portal appearing behind him. “I, have a date with Nidhogg.” “Loki no you can’t!” Thor yelled. “If you unleash Nidhogg, all will be destroyed!” “Funny, you say that as if it were a bad thing,” Loki said, stepping back through the portal. Thor lifted Mjolnir and threw it at Loki. But the portal closed before the hammer could hit Loki. Thor cursed under his breath and watched as a pair of guards came up. “Lord Thor, what’s happened?” Thor turned to his guards and ordered “An imposter has taken Frezil’s form! Get the healers for Baldur and search every square inch of this kingdom for her!” The guards didn’t question him and both ran off. Baldur got to his hooves and leaned against the wall, I ran over and saw that the wound was still bleeding. I levitated over sheets from the small bed and tried to press the wound. “Loki may have hit a small vessel, thank Celestia he didn’t hit an artery.” “Loki is...alive,” Baldur said weakly. “Not for long,” Thor said darkly, he lifted Mjolnir and said, “The goal was never to kill Baldur, only to take his blood.” “How do you know that?” I asked. “Could be Loki just missed Baldur’s heart.” “You don’t understand,” Thor said firmly. “If Loki has even a trickle of Baldur’s blood...we are all doomed.” “You mentioned Nidhogg before,” I said, “What is that?” Thor’s blue eyes turned fearful for a minute, and then no less determined. “It is death itself for alicorns.” Thor helped me get Baldur to a bed as some healers came by to help him. We both walked in the hallway as Thor ordered more guards “I want the palace defended should the worst happen!” “We will gather the army right away milord!” The guards said, giving a salute and then flying off. I turned to see Sif walking towards us, she looked about as cheerful as usual. “What in the name of Odin is going on here?” “Sif,” Thor said, looking to his mate, “Loki, has returned.” “LOKI!” Sif said, drawing her sword. “Where is that bastard I’ll kill him myself!” “He has Baldur’s blood,” Thor said firmly. “So there is only one place he will go.” Sif’s face turned from serious to scared in the space of an eye blink. “No, you cannot be serious.” “I would not jest about this, Sif,” Thor replied. “Loki plans to summon Nidhogg, probably as revenge against me.” “He is mad!” Sif shouted. “There is a reason why we used Baldur’s blood to seal the thing in the first place!” She then glared at me. “You’d better not to have had anything to do with this.” “I don’t even know what a Nidhogg is!” I shouted. “If I had known what this Loki guy was planning I would have stopped him by now!” “ENOUGH!” Thor shouted. “Arguing will get us nowhere! I will go to the gates, and stop Loki from opening them.” Sif shook her head and said, “No, it is too dangerous, I will go.” “Nidhogg doesn’t care which alicorn it devours,” Thor said gravely. “I’d rather I face Loki. It is, how it should be.” Sif, honestly looked like she was about to cry for the first time since I’ve known her. “I... could not lose you…” “You won’t, my love,” Thor said tenderly, giving her a nuzzle and kiss. “I will return, and you will not be alone Sif. I could never let you suffer like that.” Sif returned the kiss for a moment, then simply looked at him, words passing through her eyes and then finally saying, “Return...that is all I want…” Thor let her go gently, and I walked up to him. “I’m going too.” “You must be as mad as Loki if you think I’m leaving my mate alone with you!” Sif said, her earlier vulnerable nature gone. “Loki’s magic didn’t kill him,” Thor pointed out. “This lad has more tricks to him than we let on. I may need him.” “You know exactly what I will say against this!” Sif yelled. “He is a descendent of Olympus! There is a reason why his line is tainted by Dark Magic as well as protected from it’s effects!” “Look!” I yelled, glaring at Sif. “Somepony has got to stay here and make sure that whatever Nidhogg is doesn’t come to hurt the Cloud Kingdom! I’ve done nothing but try to fix this ever since I’ve arrived! So, do you really want to trust me with the whole of your army? Or with your mate? Because trust needs to be given before it can be earned Sif.” Sif simply glared at me and said, “Know where I stand and why.” With that, she turned away, flying to get ready for whatever was coming. Suddenly I felt Thor’s magic wrap around me and I plopped onto the mighty Alicorn’s back. He then opened a window with his magic and said, “Hang on mortal, it will be a long ride…” He then spread his massive wings and we both flew out of the palace. I hated to imagine what I was facing… But one thing’s for sure… Whatever Loki is planning...I’m going to stop it.. Because no pony who would wish to slay his own brother is good in my book…. Not by a long shot...