Havoc and Retribution

Ascend, Descend

Verdandi keeps them safe in space from the collapse of Yggdrasil, moving them away to watch as the entire construct submits to entropy.

Watching the World Tree fall is both devastating and revelatory, like witnessing a solar collapse or the birth of a world. The branches shiver and crack, leaves pinwheeling through the stars. Motes of what look like silver pixie dust puff from the trunk in miniature eruptions. What these particles are in reality is too much for the mind to handle, cells of the tree are... souls? The depth of space with its lace of nebulae and pearly stars provides the backdrop for a glittering set of explosions as Yggdrasil falls.

The Avengers, the Vanir resistance, the trickster god and the Norns watch as the metaphysical representation of the life of a soul shivers and begins its waterfall rush towards an inevitable ending. No one dares to speak. The faces of the Norns are grave, tears flowing down Neona's rosy cheeks, angry, sad lines carving their way down Verdandi's forehead and jaw.

Clint Barton has eyes on Athronei though. Beyond her, in their ragtag line of survivors, Loki is looking at the Norn of Death as well and his eyes briefly meet Clint's.

Athronei's hopeful gaze is searching, her lips parted.

"Did we lose?" Steve whispers in a soft, vulnerable voice.

Crystalline bark rains down in shards around them as Heimdall portals as many people away from the falling Yggdrasil as he can. Leaves from the World Tree, leaves probably as big as cities or countries in the cosmos, twirl past with razor edges pinwheeling light in prismatic flashes. The sound is like a sigh, an exhalation before a glass shatters on the floor.

Next to him, Natasha shades her eyes against the brilliance. "They... they reunited," Romanoff says, although that is a poor description for the amalgamation of three souls into one cosmic being. "But I don't see them."

"Without them, how do we stop Yggdrasil from falling?" Thor asks.

"We don't," Tony says grimly, eyes scanning the destruction before them, searching.

"What do you suggest?" Steve asks acidly as souls rain down around them. "Prayer?"

Tony looks at him and it stops the rest of the Avengers in place. "No," Tony says solemnly. He meets Loki's green eyes, somehow the first one to understand. "We listen for their song."

Then, amid the falling Tree, there is a greater roar, a throaty roar that bellows across the stars.

Athronei smiles as the branches of the Yggdrasil explode in the shock wave of rainbow light.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Verdandi glances sideways at Athronei. "You always knew, didn't you?" she asks, the beginnings of a long lost smile forming on her face.

Athronei hugs her, surprising stoic Verdandi, who stumbles, arms out before she hesitantly hugs her sister back. "I know you missed her most," Athronei whispers in her sister's ear. "She's your antithesis and partner in crime after all."

She pulls back from her sister with tears shining in her eyes. Athronei trails one fond hand down Verdandi's face, feeling answering tears on her sisters face. "Now it is time to sing."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

How they can hear the roar in space is beyond comprehension. Maybe they are hearing it some other way. Not auditory,...., but deeper, soul vibrations

When they open their eyes, still speckled with after images, the stars are brighter, nebulas filled with colors and it seems a miniature sun blazes in front of them.