A God Among Ponies

Present Time.

Celestia sat by herself in the big red armchair, letting Twilight and her friends explore her little private museum. Pinkie Pie had insisted on getting snacks before they continued the tale, and to be honest, Celestia could use the time to compose herself.

She was not proud of not telling Luna that the faith in their husband had simply faded with age, that the times had changed a lot, and Luna knew that. Still, she could understand her shock when she finally understood. What could she tell her? That she had failed to think of letting historians write books about him? To build him a statue so ponies would remember?

Still, 9.000 years and Luna never noticed the stories they told, and the songs that they sang slowly vanishing?

Celestia knew her own faults, and it shamed her, but ultimately, it was time that had killed his faith. However, it was not like some of his traditions had not lingered in the minds and homes of her ponies. Their origin might be forgotten, but some of the things he brought them were still very present in Equestria today.

"There must be artifacts in here worth a lifetime of studying!" Twilight's excited voice boomed from the other end of the hall. She stepped over to a section filled with much bigger mementos, and came across a very old fishing boat. The wood was not in the best condition, only kept from rotting by the help of special oils used for museum pieces. "Now, what is this doing here?"

"Ah yes!" Luna said and approached. "Our husband did enjoy his fishing trips, he loved going to the great ocean to catch some Leviathans!"

Twilight looked to Luna, not understanding. "Leviathans? I have never heard of that species of fish.."

"No, I guess you wouldn't have.." Luna said with a small sigh. "They were great sea beasts, bodies like serpents, heads as big as ships. They made traveling the oceans quite dangerous as they could pull you under within seconds." Twilight gulped, but still listened with fierce intensity. "So, he set out to rid our oceans of the beasts." She chuckled. "He thought it was a great sport. Though, he always said he was looking for his.. Oh.." Luna paused, reaching far back in her memory. Then after a few seconds, she smiled. "He always said that the beast he caught were nothing, that he was still looking for his own Jörmungandr."

"Uhm, his what?" Rainbow asked, having walked in on their conversation. "Jorrd-mongendar?

Luna flinched at Rainbow's butchered pronunciation of the name. Even Twilight seemed to twitch slightly. "No, Jörmungandr." Luna repeated. "It was an old legend in his home world, about a sea beast, so great, and so long, it could circle the world and bite it's own tail."

Rainbow Dash whistled. "Wow, did he ever find Johmund-something-something?"

"No." Luna replied, shaking her head. "But there were enough monsters for him to fight. Not to mention to keep a certain mischief maker in check."

Discord rolled his eyes. "Typical, history seems to have painted me the villain, instead the bringer of fun and big hats, not to mention biscuits for tea."

"That was hardly the only thing you brought." Luna said, almost growling.

"Say Discord, what is your feud with this Thor fella anyway?" Applejack asked, coming out from behind one of the bookshelves.

Discord crossed his arms. "He had a nasty habit of ruining any fun and joy I spread around. He was a drunkard, a brutish fighter, and yet ponies celebrated him as a hero." He turned away from them, holding his head high. "It seems the princesses forget that he nearly started three wars with the yaks, and nearly killed off a town with unicorns, not to mention all that bloody thunder!"

Luna was about to say something back, but Celestia cut in before she got a chance. "Discord.." She said calmly. "We are not blind to the mistakes or faults of our husband. But, like with most, you are able to look past the bad, and see what good lies within them, and love them for who they are deep within. Surely you of all creatures can relate to that?"

Discord did not answer, but Fluttershy smiled, putting a hoof on Discord to show he was well liked, and he did have friends. He sighed. "I suppose it was not all bad.. I guess we did have our share of fun.."

Celestia smiled. "You were certainly an odd pair, but I guess that's what made you friends."

"We were not friends." Discord said. "We simply could tolerate each other's company, at times.. Now, if you will excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to. I am going to teach bears how to sing, and make sunflowers scream, ta ta."

And with a poof, he was gone. Some of them shared worried looks, but Fluttershy simply smiled. "Don't worry, he's just pouting a bit.. He'll be back.."

"You will have to forgive Discord, it is true he and our husband have a... Strained, relationship." Celestia sighed.

Twilight walked closer, as did the others. "But why, princess?"

Luna sat down on the soft chair next to Celestia. "Discord was a mischief maker, our husband, while sometimes making a mess, he was a god of justice, of order."

"I thought he was the god of thunder?" Rainbow Dash said, confused.

"Gods can represent many different things to different groups of ponies. While he is the god of thunder, some saw him as a champion for good, farmers often saw him as a god of agriculture, fertility, and hallowing." Luna said, glancing at Applejack as she explained. "Others saw him as a god of war.."

"At any rate." Celestia smiled slightly. "Discord was still very young, like us. He liked to do tricks, and he thrived in the chaos around. Thor, well, he was not that easy to play tricks on. Discord's magic did not work on him, and Thor could quite simply hold Discord so tightly, that usual escapes and tricks did not work. To put it more simply, Thor was the counter weight to Discord, keeping the balance of the world, so to speak."

Twilight wished she had gone and brought a scroll and a quill, but for now, she was satisfied just hearing the story as told. At that moment, Pinkie Pie burst open the door, pushing a cart with all sorts of snacks carried on top of it. "I'm baaack!" She stopped next to the study area where they were all sitting. "I brought sandwiches, lots to drink, cupcakes and cookies, aaaand~!" She then passed on some paper and a quill to Twilight. "Something for Twilight to be anti-social with!"

Twilight frowned. "Uhm, thank you, Pinkie?"

"You're welcome!" She said cheerfully and sat down on the couch between Applejack and Rarity.

With all back and ready, Cadance looked to her aunt. "So, please continue the story." She said with foal like excitement. "I want to hear how you got to know your husband."

Luna smiled. "Well, after Thor saved us on the road, we continued our journey home."

10.000 Years Ago.

Luna could hardly take her eyes off this man, she sat near the open window, her eyes scanning his muscular body over and over again. Never in her life had she seen such a creature, never seen such strength from someone his size. She tried to spot anything familiar to the orcs, trolls and giants they had seen. But, other than the shape and height, he shared none of their qualities.

His ears were round, not pointy, his teeth were covered by his lips, not sticking out like long fangs or tusks. He had no claws to speak off, no green or blue skin that smelled of blood and gore. His eyes were stern, but not filled with malice as she would expect from an orc.

He walked beside them, holding the reins of his massive goats and in the other hand he held his hammer. It was no ordinary weapon, that much had been clear from the battle she and her sister had witnessed.

She wondered what powerful enchantments could make such a thing so deadly. Other than it's size, which seemed impractical, she had seen it be thrown, and then like it had its own will, it returned to the hand of it's master. But more amazingly, she had seen it summon a lightning bolt, a powerful force of nature that had been so precise it ruled out any possibility of chance or pure luck! No, this hammer, this weapon, had been the one to summon the lightning, he, this man, Thor, he had summoned it.. But who was he?

Could he really be a god as he claimed? Seemed a little far fetched, but then again, she had never seen anyone like him, or with the powers he seemed to possess. Only time would tell if he was truly what he claimed.

"Where did you come from..?" Luna finally asked, earning a glance from him.

He let out a deep sigh and rolled his shoulders. "It's a long story, but I was born far away, in another world. A world that is far different from your own.." He didn't really seem interested in talking about this subject, but surely he knew questions like this were bound to come up often.

So she tried something else. "Your hammer, what is it?"

This time he seemed more interested, and he held it up a bit so she could get a better look at it. "It's called Mjölnir, the lightning bringer. It was gifted to me by the gods at my request, along with my belt, my goats and my wagon."

Now Celestia seemed to listen in a bit more, she leaned towards the window and looked at the tall man. "Your belt?"

Thor tapped the thick leather belt around his waist. "Indeed, it's called Megingjörð, it means power-belt. When I put it on, it doubles my already enormous strength. I could have asked for some iron gloves to go with my hammer, but I figured I didn't want to limit myself."

It didn't make a whole lot of sense to Luna, what did he mean by limiting himself to iron gloves, what did that mean? "You said you asked the gods for these things?" Celestia asked.

Thor nodded. "I did. It was the part of the deal we made before they sent me here. But, we can talk more about that once we get back to your home, and I get something to eat."

Luna didn't want the conversation to end, so she tried to ask more. "But how do you know of us? Why did they send you? What deal are you talking about?"

"All in good time.." He sighed, but didn't seem annoyed, just cryptic, which seemed to amuse him somewhat.

Deciding to let the matter go for now, Luna sat back in the carriage and decided to wait for them to return home. Thankfully she would not have to wait too long, because soon enough the trees became smaller and fewer, right until they were out, and back in the open.

The sky was clearing, the sun bathed the landscape in it's warm light, making the green of the fields stand out more. From here you could see Canterlot mountain in the distance, and one could also see the big river that seemed to snake it's way through the landscape.

Celestia smiled, stuck her head out to feel the gentle morning wind brush against her mane. "Welcome Thor, this is our father's lands.. Our home."

Thor took a moment to look over the land before him. They were lush and green, large grass fields stretching as far as the eye could see. Small farms scattered around, working the land, tending to their different fields like the golden wheat that swayed so beautifully in the wind. Thor could also see forest areas, some small, some bigger, but what completed the picture was the town right in the center of it all.

The farms were placed on the outside, separated by small dirt roads that divided the fields and farms. The town itself seemed to have a wall surrounding it, small watch towers, and in the far end of the town, a castle. It was not big, but it did indeed dwarf whatever building was near it. It seemed to consist of whitewashed stone walls and yellow and purple roof tiles.

Thor was silent for a few seconds, taking it all in, and then he said. "Looks like you have a lot to defend, a lot to lose.."

Celestia frowned. He was not wrong, they all had something valuable to protect, a beautiful home, and a peaceful place for ponies to live out their lives. But it sounded dark, like it was more of a warning than an actual statement. "Yes.." She then agreed, looking back over the landscape. "We do, and we will do anything to protect it.."

"Good.." Was his only answer.

The group started to move again, and the closer they got to the town, the more restless Luna became. They were finally home and out of that dreadful forest. Since the danger was over, she saw no harm in opening the door and getting out.

"Luna." Celestia tried, but she was already out, walking ahead a little with some of the guards. Even if her little sister was a little immature at times, she was still happy she managed to get along with the common pony. Luna always had a more personal touch than Celestia did, even to the point she claimed she could feel the dreams of the ponies calling to her. Celestia wouldn't go that far, but it was a nice thought.

"She seems cheerful.." Thor said from beside the carriage.

Celestia did not count on him speaking, and so took a few seconds before she registered it. "Hm? Oh yes, Luna has always been more cheerful at home. Perhaps because it is so peaceful here, unlike other places.."

She knew full well how lucky they were, they were still far from the lands the orcs called home, still far from any major threat, but her father was right in saying it was only a matter of time. The band of raiders they encountered on the road was only a prelude to the war bands that would probably follow.

Moving a little closer to the window, she noticed him still carrying the large hammer. "Maybe it would be better if you didn't carry that around.. Ponies might get nervous.."

Celestia expected him to protest, but instead, he simply looked at it and nodded. He held it in his hand, not doing anything, and when Celestia was about to ask if something was wrong, she saw the hammer shrink. She stared in disbelief as the huge hammer shrank down to the size of an amulet, an amulet he moved up to the silver necklace around his neck, and attached it to it like they belonged together.

"That is amazing.." Celestia exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the hammer now around Thor's neck.

He smirked a little. "It's useful, though I would much rather want it hanging from my belt, but in this case, this would probably be better.." Thor admitted as they started to pass their first few farmers.

They bowed in respect to their lord's daughters, but froze up when they saw Thor and the massive goats. Like Celestia and Luna, they had never seen anything like this before. Thor could already hear the whispers from the ponies they passed, calling him anything from a pale orc to a naked monkey.

Though it kinda annoyed him, he shrugged it off, reminding himself that they would soon enough learn who he was, and what he was.

They came to the walls and the town gate, the guards standing there all seemed apprehensive about allowing him to enter the town. But Luna seemed to convince them to let them pass, and who they were bringing back in Thor's wagon. Their expression was easy to read, regret, sorrow, and anger. All tools Thor could work with if he was going to purge this world from the evil that had invaded it.

Of course, anger was just one of many tools, but simply looking at them Thor could tell they would never stand a chance against the giants. First things first however, he needed to find out what they were up against, and what it would take to turn the tides of this war.

His deal with the gods was clear, which meant Celestia and her sister Luna had a big part to play...

The guards finally allowed them to enter the town, and so they were on their way once again. While walking, Thor had plenty of time to look around. They traveled via the main road, leading them past a lot of small shops and even the great market.

All over you could hear ponies yelling things like. "Carrots! Get your carrots right here!!" Or. "Fresh bread, made by hoof just an hour ago, is still warm!" There were even some griffons, though they did not have permanent stalls like some of the other vendors, instead they had set up stalls near their wagon, which meant they were probably traveling merchants.

All that happened to see Thor and his goats, which were pretty much everyone, stared at him with attempts to hide their fears. Some pulled their foals closer, most backed away. Thor ignored them all, and Celestia seemed to be doing the same. Smiling politely whenever they passed someone close by in hopes of putting the town ponies at ease.

The castle came into view, and as they approached the gates, the guards once again stepped forward, holding out their spears and glancing towards Thor. The group stopped, and now Celestia got out of the carriage, trotting up to her sister who was already talking to the guards.

"He is no danger." Luna assured the captain. "He saved us in the forest from a giant and his orcs."

Thor waited patiently behind with his goats, even though his patience was running thin. Celestia came up to her sister, smiled at the captain. "What my sister says is true, we would not have arrived safely if it was not for our companion. Please, let him pass with us."

Unlike the previous guards, these ones didn't budge. "I'm sorry my lady, but we cannot let this.." He looked at Thor for a moment, then returned to Celestia. "Creature, into the castle. We can let you in, but he has to wait outside until lord Quill says otherwise."

Finally, Thor had enough, he knew he could burst his way through them, but if he was being forced to wait out here, then at least their comrade should be able to go in and be prepared for whatever came next. Going behind his wagon, he carefully lifted the dead guard out. He made sure the blanket was still wrapped around him, not exposing him on full view to whoever might be passing by.

The castle guards watched him as he made his way towards them, and they seemed to become a little more tense as they realized what he was carrying in his arms. Both Celestia and Luna frowned, as did the guards that had known him. Thor went straight to the pony who had denied him access, and got down on one knee so they could look more eye to eye, but Thor was still taller.

He held out the body of the guard. "Then will you let one of you pass for now? At least allow this so his kin can be informed, and his funeral prepared.."

The captain looked from Thor to the body, and then from the body back to Thor. Finally after a few seconds, he relented. "Fine.." He waved over two other guards, and they were quick to move over and retrieve the body from Thor.

Once done, he stood back up to his full height, towering over the captain, but he didn't move an inch, staring directly at Thor. Their eyes locked for a tense few seconds, and finally Thor nodded, and moved back to the wagon. Anyone, or pony, that would not back down from him deserved some respect, and so, Thor would do as asked and wait outside.

"You go ladies, I'll wait out here." He sighed, and gave one of his goats a pat on the back. "But, could my goats at least get some fucking water?"

The captain sighed, but nodded. "I'll see to it.." He then stepped aside, letting Celestia and Luna pass along with their guards. Before going, Celestia sent him a look that told him she would get this sorted out as fast as she could, but Thor waved her off, letting her know he was going to be okay.

And so, the waiting game began...

The gate that had been open before they arrived, funnily enough closed when Celestia and her sister entered, and the guards seemed to double outside of it, keeping a close eye on Thor. If not for the fact he was here to save these creatures, then he would have simply smashed through the gate using his hammer.

But, he reminded himself of the deal he had made, and the rules that applied to that deal. At some point a small door, built into the gate itself, opened, and a unicorn mare stepped out, levitating a one bucket using her magic, and carried another one with her mouth.

At first she seemed scared of him, but then as she saw the mighty goats her fear turned into fascination. Thor found it amusing, and could not help but recognize that trait from himself back when he was simply human. She placed the two buckets in front of the goats, they growled and dipped their muzzles into the deep buckets, causing the water to splash around as they drank every drop.

The pony stood still, watching them like a little kid who was too amazed to move away. Thor smiled slightly, turning to her. "They're impressive, are they not?"

The pony servant nodded, still watching the goats drink their fill. "They are amazing.. Do they have names?"

Thor nodded. "Snarler and Grinder"."

"I've never seen goats so big and strong before.. They are the size of a Yak, and their horns as long as spears..." The unicorn said, looking over the goats thick black fur and their long horns.

Walking over, Thor put his big hand on Teeth Grinder's back. "Do you like animals?"

The servant smiled sheepishly, looking at the ground. "I do.. I think they are beautiful.."

"What's your name?" Thor asked.

She looked up at him, some of her nervousness returning. "Uhm, Cornflower, sir..."

Cornflower was a mint green unicorn with a dark purple mane and tail. He noticed something on her flank, a pot, pouring water over a single flower. Strange, but not any more strange than what he had seen already.

"Well then Cornflower, if I am ever let in as a guest, would you mind looking after my goats, making sure they are fed?"

She seemed to perk up at the prospect of taking care of animals so big and mighty. "Y-yes sir, I mean, no sir, I wouldn't mind at all!"

Thor smiled, but before he could say anymore, the captain made a sound. "Ahem.. Back to your duties.." The unicorn blushed, but sent Thor a small smile before she took the empty buckets and walked back inside behind the walls.

Once again, Thor was by himself, only accompanied by his goats, and the tense looks he got from the guards. For a brief moment he wondered if he should just start something to test the guard's metal, or to give them an excuse to try and kill him with those spears of theirs. If nothing else, it would at least keep Thor entertained while he waited.

But alas, he once again reminded himself of the rules of the contract...

An hour easily passed, then two, and when it seemed they were going to hit the three hour mark, Thor was starting to lose his patience. He was hungry, tired, thirsty, and he was so fucking bored. He let out a small groan and looked at the captain. "How long is this going to take? I'm bloody hungry!"

The captain ignored him, which only served to annoy Thor even more. Before he had a chance to argue anymore, the gates opened, and out stepped Celestia and Luna, both looking relieved and just a bit exhausted.

"Sir Thor.." Celestia said with a small smile. "Our father has agreed to see you, and." She glanced at the captain. "Treat you as a guest under his roof."

Thor sighed, resisting the urge to remind them of the time it took them, and how long he had been standing out here. Since they were clearly already aware of how long it had taken them, he let it slide, and instead took the reins of his goats and led them through the gate.

They came into a big courtyard, and it was then that Thor realized this wasn't so much as a fortification, but more a palace. Besides the walls, the castle was clearly built for comfort rather than protection. It had grand windows and the architecture was meant to show off splendor instead of offering a strategic advantage and refuge.

At least the town had a wall, that was something at least..

Looking around, he spotted Cornflower talking with another servant mare. "Cornflower!" He called, and she jumped a little as she heard his booming voice call out for her. "Take them to the stable and feed them."

"O-oh, yes sir!" Cornflower hurried over and took the reins into her mouth.

"Don't be afraid to be stern, if you just show them who's in charge, you won't have any problems. Understood?" She nodded, and Thor then left her in charge of his animals.

Celestia seemed slightly amused. "Bossing our servants around?"

Thor simply shrugged. "She's not afraid of them, so I rather leave them in her care than someone who will shit themselves each time they go near."

"We must apologize.." Luna sighed, sounding almost as annoyed as Thor. "It took us ages to convince our father to let you in.."

"You must forgive him." Celestia put in quickly. "This war has taken its toll on our father, these are dark times, and he fears for the safety of his citizens.. And us.."

As much as Thor hated having to wait out there, he could hardly argue with a ruler who simply didn't let an unknown creature waltz right into his home. Still, he just hoped he could get some food and finally some rest.

"It's fine.." Thor grumbled a little, but tried not to.

The guards let them pass through a huge door that led into the mane building of the castle. As he expected, the hallways were a testimony to the wealth of the lord of the castle itself. Expensive carpets laid on the floor, a lot of plants and paintings, vases and other ornaments.

They passed what few guards were posted, and some of the servants, all trying hard not to glance at Thor, but he could feel their eyes upon him. He didn't care, in fact, the prospect of getting a hot meal and finally talking to the lord of this land was more than enough motivation to behave.

They passed through another huge door, and entered what looked like to be a large hall. A lot of tables were spread around, and in the center of the hall was a large fire pit. At the end of a hall was a stone platform, on it was another long table, but more extravagant chairs, the one in the middle was the biggest, and it was pretty clear that this was the feast hall of the castle.

Thor felt his stomach growl in anticipation. Luna noticed, and couldn't help but giggle a little. He ignored it, because he finally spotted two stallions standing at the foot of the stone stage, both having a serious look on their faces.

The first one stood out like a sore thumb. He was a grey unicorn and had a huge wizard hat, and a cape to match. On them were golden bells, and sewn into the fabric was different stars and moons. He was somewhat aged, but still in his prime. A final thing to note about this unicorn was the large beard he was starting to grow . Funny, Thor didn't know ponies could grow beards..

The earth pony next to him was around the same age as the wizard, he was aged, but not out of his prime. His coat was white, and his mane and tail had a sort of silvery color. He wore a red cape, but no hat like the unicorn.

As the two alicorn sisters walked closer with Thor, the two stallions seemed to stiffen, both nervous, maybe the earth pony more nervous than the unicorn, who seemed more fascinated than scared. "Father." Celestia started, coming to a stop about two meters from them. "This is Thor, he is the one we spoke about."

The stallion did not move a muscle, nor did his eyes move from Thor, not even as Celestia spoke. Thor could not yet tell if he was glaring, or simply considering him like any ruler, or father would do. Finally, after the unicorn cleared his throat did the earth pony react.

He bowed his head. "You have my gratitude for saving my daughters.." His head rose. "I am Silver Quill, lord of the town of Everfree, these are my lands, and you are welcome here."

Thor inclined his head. "Thank you.."

"I am Starswirl." The unicorn said. "I am the adviser for lord Silver Quill, and the young ladies tutor."

Thor inclined his head again, and then crossed his arms. "You let me wait for quite a while out there."

"Yes well.." Silver Quill said. "You must understand, what my daughters were saying didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.."

Starswirl nodded. "Indeed.. You're clearly not an orc, nor a giant or troll.. The ladies say you claim to be a god?"

Thor nodded. "I am.."

Silver Quill's eyebrow rose in slight amusement. "You understand if we doubt such a lofty claim.. You're strong, but I wouldn't go around and claim you're a god, so who are you, really?"

Thor sighed, still wanting a hot meal, but he would probably not get far without telling them what had happened to him. "Once I was mortal, I was a human."

"A human..?" Starswirl echoed.

"Yes, beings looking like me, though in different sizes and forms, males and females. Just like you are of one race, but come in a lot of different forms." Starswirl nodded, listening intensely. "We were dreamers, thinking of new ways to improve life. We were builders, our world far more advanced than you can ever imagine. Moving carriages, requiring no one to pull or push them, flying machines, moving pictures, and weapons you could never even comprehend."

Thor had not spent a lot of time thinking about his home world, not since he got here anyway. But talking about it now, he would be lying if he said he did not still miss some aspect of that world. Like what he had left behind, or, who he had left behind..

"I was once one of those humans.." Thor continued. "Who I was back then is not important.. But what you should know is that I died, and well on my way to the afterlife. It was then that I met your wife, lord Quill."

The room instantly became silent, and very tense. Silver Quill's eyes narrowed. "Speak.." He commanded.

Thor was not threatened. "She offered me a deal, the details of which are not important, but the simple explanation is that her, and the gods of harmony have grown weak. They are no longer able to help you against the forces that now plagues your world.. She offered me to earn a place among them, to become a god. I was not the first one they offered this deal mind you, I was just foolish enough to accept. And so, they used the last bit of power they had left, granting the powers and the weapons of my choosing.."

"Weapons?" Starswirl asked, looking Thor over once again, but saw no weapons.

"Indeed." Thor moved his hand up, removing what looked like a hammer shaped amulet from a silver chain. His hand had not even lowered fully before the amulet grew into the hammer Celestia and Luna had become familiar with. Luna had however not seen him shrink it down, so she was just as surprised as Starswirl and her father when it suddenly grew into it's full size. "I took the name Thor as my own, and my task was simple.. To save your world from darkness. if I can do this, then I can celebrate my afterlife in the halls of the gods.."

Silver Quill glared. "You spoke of my wife, what do you know of her?" Celestia and Luna wanted to know this too.

Thor sighed. "Other than she drives a hard bargain? Well, her name is Faust, and she told me to tell you that... Urgh.." He closed his eyes, searching his memory. "Ah!" He looked at Silver Quill, who seemed to have a mind to throw Thor in the stocks, not that it would do anything. "That even in the darkest of nights, the light of the stars still shines. Even during the grayest of days the-"

"The sun shall shine..." Silver finished, his expression turning into shock and disbelief. How could Thor know that saying? It was what his wife used to say when times looked dim, when life became hard.

"Quill." Thor said, bringing his attention back to him. "It goes without saying that she cares for you, misses you and your daughters very much." None of them said anything, none of them interrupted. "But your world is dying, and so I've been sent to give you one final chance.. So, how about we stop wasting time." Thor stepped forward, and for the first time, Silver Quill seemed truly nervous. The two locked eyes, and Thor seemed very serious as he said. "Can I finally, get some, fucking, food?"

Silver Quill blinked a few times in confusion, and then nodded a little. "O-of course, take a seat..."

Thor let out a satisfied sigh, then smiled and said. "Thank you." With nothing more to say, the tall man turned around, and sat down at a table near the still burning fire pit, leaving the group of ponies speechless and dumbfounded.

Celestia and Luna told their father they would look after their guest, which gave Silver Quill some time to recover from the strange encounter with this so-called god. Starswirl followed his lord into an empty hallway. "My lord, are you alright?"

Silver Quill sighed. "I do not know, Starswirl.. This creature, this human, can he truly be a god sent to aid us?"

"I.. I cannot say for certain.." Starswirl admitted. "But, we do know he's strong, and if what Celestia and Luna says is true, then he wields great power.. We can not afford to reject such an asset.."

"Wise words.." Silver nodded, but still not sounding convinced. "I let him stay, for now.. We can see how useful he is, hopefully he isn't bluffing.. But I do not trust him, not yet.." It was not that Silver Quill didn't want to believe, in fact, he wished every word this man said was true. Because it meant he had really talked to his beloved, which meant there was a chance he would see her again, one day.. But with the war, with all the horror unfolding across the land, he had a hard time believing such luck and fortune would find it's way to his door..

Celestia and Luna tried to accommodate Thor in the meantime, trying to make sure that his needs were tended to. But it seemed the food they had was not exactly what he was looking for.

He was fine with the wine and ale, fine with the vegetables, bread and fruits. His appetite however seemed to crave something else though, meat..

Now ponies were not strangers to meat, but very few consumed it. Thankfully they could acquire him freshly caught fish, bought from the griffons at the market. While they prepared it, Thor had insisted on using the fire pit to cook some of his own food. Confused and yet interested in what he was going to do, they agreed.

He left the hall, and about an hour later, he returned with the bloody body of one of his massive goats. It shocked the two sisters, how could he kill one of his goats? Thor seemed to take no notice of their shock, because he soon enough speared the large animal and hanged it over the fire pit.

The smell of cooking meat soon filled up the hall, Thor seemed delighted, but the smell was quite strong, and it was not something Celestia or Luna was used to. Having skinned the large goat, Thor spread out the skin on the floor next to his table while humming satisfied to himself.

It took a long time for the meat to be fully ready, and by the time it was ready, it was past lunch time. Thor seemed quite content, even if he had not eaten yet. Perhaps the promise of such a large meal put him at ease, but neither Celestia or Luna thought he could consume such a huge beast on his own. Both of them hoped he did not expect them to eat the same as he did.

As Thor tended to the cooking goat, the doors opened and in walked the servant from before, Cornflower. She looked like she had been crying, and even still seemed to sniffle a little. Thor smiled when he saw her.

"Ah. Cornflower!" He bellowed. "Thank you for tending to my goats, they seemed quite satisfied and calm when I came for Snarler."

She looked distraught. "But sir, how could you butcher your own animal?"

"Hm?" Thor looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You looked so proud, so happy to have them by your side, so why? Why did you kill one of them?" Her voice was shaking, and her eyes were on the verge of tears. Celestia considered stepping in, but before she had a chance, Thor burst out laughing, shocking both her and her sister, and the poor servant.

When his laughter died down, he placed a hand on the little pony's head. "Do not fret my little pony.. He'll get used to it." He picked up his hammer from the floor and gestured to the skin. "I will gather all of the bones here, and tomorrow, when the sun is rising I shall go out and swing my hammer over the skin and bones. Then Snarler will rise again." The pony looked upon him in disbelief, and so, his smile became more gentle. He got down on one knee, making himself smaller so he would not seem so large and intimidating. "If you don't believe me, then come and see for yourself in the courtyard at sunrise. Then you shall see.."

Cornflower nodded a little, still sad to see such an amazing animal hanging from a spear, but she didn't speak any more of the matter. Instead, she left to attend to her other duties. It was then Celestia and Luna decided to join him at the table, they both observed as he was cutting the meat, his mouth almost watering as he fixed himself a large piece of the goat.

Once done, he sat down at the table, which was filled with all kinds of food. "Finally.." He sighed satisfied, and without waiting, or any manners for that matter, he started to eat.

Celestia and Luna could only look on in utter fascination as Thor consumed whatever food was in front of him. Truly none of them had seen one creature eat and drink so much, so fast. The servants were taken off guard, and kept running back and forth from the kitchen and back to the hall.

Soon enough Thor had consumed four large fish, three baskets of bread, two barrels with ale, and the entire goat whose existence could only be confirmed thanks to the naked skeleton that now laid on the skin beside him.

Luna's mouth hung open, and it took some time for her to realize the show was over. "That was..." She began, but could not finish whatever she was going to say.

Celestia picked it up however. "Quite a spectacle.."

Thor grinned, wiping his mouth with his large arm. "Nothing beats a good meal.."

"Meals.." Luna corrected mostly in a state of shock. Thor let out a laugh, and gave Luna a pat on the back.

"That too!" He grinned and stood up. "Well, I shall see you tomorrow.."

Celestia stood up. "Don't you want to see the castle, or talk more with our father?"

"No, that can wait.. I've been looking for the two of you for three stinking days. I need some rest.. Do you have a room?"

Celestia was a bit baffled at his boldness. Normally when they had guests they would ask politely, Thor however seemed to expect both food and shelter, but then again, it was not like they were going to deny him, he was just more straightforward than what she was used to.

"Uhm, yes.. Luna?"

Luna looked at her sister, then realized she had been spacing out at the war zone the table had become. "Yes, a room.. Uhm, let us take you to the guest room then."

Thor nodded and grabbed his hammer in one hand, and the skin with all the bones in the other. The two sisters stood up as well, guiding the man through the more private parts of the castle. None of them spoke, which Luna was not really used to. Normally when they were escorting some important guest, Celestia would be the good older daughter and explain everything about anything they passed in the hallway.

This time however, Celestia didn't seem to know what to say, perhaps because she knew Thor couldn't care less about some vase or tapestry. Luna however did want to talk about something, something she had a mind to ask him about ever since he mentioned it to their father.

"Did you really meet our mother?" She suddenly asked.

Thor looked down at her, and Celestia seemed to tense up a bit. Luna knew however that was something Celestia wanted to know as well. Luna held his gaze, and after a few seconds he sighed and looked forward again. "I did.."

"What... What was she like..?" Luna asked, almost timidly.

Thor thought for a moment, trying to give serious thought into the serious answer she was expecting. "Hmm... Calm.." He knew she wanted to know more, but Thor hardly had anything to say about the matter. He hadn't exactly spent too much time with her, and to be fair, there were a ton of other things going on in his mind during that meeting. "She seemed, at peace.. All knowing, wise.. A bit cheeky if you want my opinion.. Wasn't afraid to be firm with me.."

Celestia giggled, seeming to recognize some of the traits he described. "Well, here we are.. This will be your chambers."

Thor nodded, and opened the door. "Thanks.." Before he went in however, he looked to them both. "She said.." He hesitated, but seeing their eyes fixed on him he pushed on. "She said she loved you both, that I should find you.. I think she will always love you, even though you are not together.."

Celestia smiled, and so did Luna, but she, who had not known her mother for a long as Celestia, teared up a little. "Thank you, Thor.." She said and bowed her head.

"Not a problem, good night, Celestia, Luna." He nodded to them both, and they in turn said their good nights to him. He closed the door behind him, placed the skin with the bones on the floor, and walked to the bed.

It was not big enough for him, but it would do for tonight. Looking outside, he could see the sun was still high in the air. He didn't care, he was tired, and he was going to sleep until morning. Placing his hammer beside the bed, he laid down, letting out a deep and long sigh.

Today has been long, interesting, but long...

He knew if he was going to get the cooperation of the lord, he needed to prove himself to him. Even though it was bothersome, he knew it had to be done. The faster he could turn things around for them, the faster he could end this war.

But, that was for tomorrow. The gods were sleeping, and so should he. After a nice meal, there was nothing better than a good night's rest. Who knew what tomorrow would bring though... Who knew indeed...