Story of Seasons: Fire and Ice

Ice Goddess

The feast was a grand success. The celebration went on well into the night, with gods and goddesses alike enjoying food and drink, some in excess. Balder danced the night away, making more rotations around the dance floor than he could ever hope to count. Thor eventually joined in the fun as well, getting roped into a drinking contest with Tyr. Naturally, the contest ended in a brawl, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the hall. Gods and goddesses gathered around to watch the fight, Balder shaking his head at his brother's antics. It was a rare occasion to see the emotionless god let loose, but when it happened, it was always a sight for the ages.

Among the shenanigans, one god in particular remained passive through the merriment. Loki, god of fire and mischief, remained solitary; watching the events unfold from a spot toward the back of the hall. After Yuna had fled the scene, he found himself oddly distracted. Images of the past few days dominated his thoughts. Yuna's nervous expression. Runa's discolored paws. Balder's pale fingers dusted pink. The pieces were insignificant on their own but put together, they painted a perfect picture.

If you're that eager, you should come with me.

He had said the words to Runa that night in his cottage, just before covering her hilariously with pink powder. The same powder that had covered every inch of her body from her ears to her paws. Yuna had arrived at the feast, doing little more than watching him from different corners of the room. Her hands had been covered with pink dust as well. That dust had rubbed on Balder's hand when he held it. All of the evidence pointed in one very obvious direction, although he was a little surprised to admit it.

He came to his conclusion with a determined grin, resolving himself to find their furry friend. He was absolutely certain that they were one in the same. Loki just had to prove it. After committing to doing so, the mischievous god decided to have some fun of his own in the meantime. He wasn't going to be finding her that night, so he figured he may as well enjoy himself for the rest of the evening.

Thus, Loki amused himself at the expense of other attendees. After turning half of the partygoer's tongues purple, startling a multitude of goddesses, and covering Hodr in neon green confetti, Loki finally fled the scene. While he had been nearly in tears, laughing at the unfortunate victims, the rest of the gods didn't share in his amusement. Sensing the rising tension in the atmosphere, the god of fire beat a hasty retreat. As he wandered through the city streets on his way home, he glanced upward at the moon. It was full tonight.

Smiling up at the large white orb, he couldn't help but wonder if Yuna was out there, looking up at the same night sky.

. . .

Loki spent the next two days trying to locate the goddess, now determined to speak with her and confirm his suspicions. He had all of the evidence. He was just missing a suspect. His searches were uneventful and his howling call did nothing to summon her. Once again, she had disappeared. Giving up for the time being, he decided to instead go about his business. At this point, Loki had learned that the best way to find Runa was not to look for her at all.

Sure enough, his opportunity came days later in the form of a chance meeting. Returning home, hare in hand, Loki caught sight of movement within the trees. Considering that nothing came charging after him in the seconds that followed, he knew who the culprit must be. Unsurprisingly, it seemed that she was following him once again. A pastime that the hidden goddess seemed to particularly enjoy.

For a few moments, the god indulged her, strolling along as though he hadn't noticed a thing. Soft rustling in the trees alerted him that she was still watching him. Loki had to give her credit. She truly was a talented predator. She had mastered the art of timing her footsteps with the breeze, masking her movements with the billowing of the leaves. Unfortunately, Runa hadn't accounted for one thing. Loki was a god of mischief. He had mastered the art of stealth as well.