A Hero's Origins
By TheAlienBrony22

Trial by Valkyrie

Somewhere in Iceland, workers are operating a small rig to clear some land for a few new tourist attractions. The foreman looks on with a clipboard in hand, and suddenly feels the ground start to shake and crack open. "Something's wrong." He barely uttered out.

The machinery suddenly begins to crack, and an earthquake alerts them of the danger they are in. The ground breaks up while the tower falls below, crumbling at their feet. "Run!!" The foreman cried out in a panic.

The workers narrowly outrun the ground crumbling, while behind them, the newly made pit erupts with a large tornado comprised of fire, rocks and lightning. As the workers look on in terror and amazement, the flaming tornado soon reaches high into the skies, and reveals an ancient helmet, made from an ancient piece of leather, lined and trimmed with hacksilver, with clean, pristine white wings adorned on top of the sides, and a small spike jutting out from the middle of the top.

The helmet slowly fell to the ground, right before their very eyes, and they slowly approached it.

Several hours later, the trio find themselves in Iceland, ordering food from an Icelandic restaurant, hoping to get a quick meal before they get back on the road. "All I'm saying is that if this is called Iceland, then why'd some dipshit name one of the coldest areas on Earth fuckin' Greenland, of all things!? Was it to be funny, an absolute prick to pompous travelers, I don't get it!" Chance stated.

Sunset sighed, rubbing her eyes out of frustration. "Because it was plenty green and lush with plants more than two-point-five million years ago, and the guy who named it that way wanted to attract settlers! You don't do a lot of listening when it comes to history, do you?" Sunset questioned.

Chance frowned. "I listen, I just don't have any good moments to put that shit to practical use." Chance rebutted.

Soon enough, a waitress came by with the food they ordered, and the trio start to dig in. "Man, for something that's described as a fermented Shark, this isn't bad!" Chance stated.

Sunset nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this veggie burger with soy cheese is actually pretty fantastic, just wish I had some extra ketchup." Sunset stated.

Luna smiled, indulging in her fruit salad. "Nice to know you two are enjoying yourselves. It's a shame mister Rook and miss Zuchi didn't want to travel with us, but I suppose everyone has to go their own way at some point." Luna remarked.

Chance and Sunset nodded, silently stuffing their faces with the food on their plates. As the trio finished their meals, Luna's phone starts going off, playing some kind of alarm. Luna pulls her phone out of her pocket and pays for the meal, then sees what the issue is that she has an alarm for it.

Luna's eyes widened, to the point where both teenagers thought her eyes would pop out of her skull. "You two, we need to go back to the RV. Now!" Luna stated, her tone becoming more serious.

The teens looked at each other, and followed Luna back to the RV, leaving the rest of the patrons wondering how strange Americans can be sometimes.

Back at the RV, Luna sits in the driver's seat, with Chance and Sunset standing up front as she presses a series of buttons. Soon enough, the cupboards behind them open up to reveal a monitor, and another screen flips up underneath the unused ash tray. As the monitor lit up, Luna was shocked, as well as in awe. "No." Luna could barely say.

"Miss Luna, are you okay? What is it?" Chance asked.

Luna didn't even hesitate to speak her mind. "The Helm of Freyja," Luna slowly turns the screen to her students, showing the same thing that appeared at the work site. "It's the key to ancient Nordic magic that once supposedly belonged to the leader of the Valkyries, the Norse Goddess of War, Freyja." Luna explained, her tone was grave, focused and determined.

The two teens looked at each other, a sense of intrigue and curiosity, mixed with a hint of uncertainty stirred within them as Luna started the RV. The determination in her eyes rubbed the two teenagers the wrong way, but they didn't say a word.

As soon as the trio got back on the main lands, Luna started driving like she was on a mission. Every time she turned the wheel, put her foot to the gas or pumped the brakes, it always felt intense, but this was something different. It was like something in Luna finally kicked into gear, and she was focused on one thing, getting that helmet.

As Luna drives down the road, passing a sign with the state map of Texas on it. Inside the RV, the dashboard has projected a holographic display with a red dot marker on it, something Sunset recognized when Luna was tracking the Omnitrix when Chance fought Reinrassic II not too long ago. "Uh, remind me, what's so special about this helmet, who's Freyja, and what the hell is a Valkyrie?" Chance asked.

Luna cleared her throat. "In Norse mythology, a Valkyrie is a female warrior who chooses which fallen soldiers are worthy of a place in Valhalla, the Norse afterlife, something me and my family are well-educated and well-versed in. Freyja is the Norse Goddess of War, and she was the leader of the Valkyries." Luna explained.

"What about the helmet?" Sunset asked.

Luna didn't seem too responsive to that question, but she kept explaining what she knew about Freyja. "Freyja was known as the god of many things. Love, fertility, beauty, sex, death, gold, magic, but she was always associated as the Norse Goddess of War. Legends once described that she rode in a chariot pulled by two cats, she rode a boar, and she used a magic cloak. She had a necklace known by few as "The Necklace of Brisings", which used to be a fertility symbol associated with her status as a goddess." Luna explained.

Chance nodded his head. "Honestly, sounds pretty metal, and she sounds like a strong lady, but what about her helmet? What's so important about it?" Chance asked.

Again, Luna didn't seem too responsive to that question. Chance and Sunset were starting to get a bit suspicious, as well as a bit concerned. Luna seemed to be picking up on their concerns, and decided to explain. "The Helm of Freyja was spoken of back during my early enrollment as a Plumber operative. I brought up the helm to my family, and we worked tirelessly to figure out what made it so incredible, and we finally cracked it before I retired," Luna pressed a button on the dash, and showed a picture of Freyja herself. "It was once believed by those now called "Heretics" that Freyja was once a mortal woman, until Odin, the All-Father, blessed a helmet with his divine power, and by donning the helmet, the wearer is granted the powers of a Norse deity. Some say that Freyja died sometime after a war, during the war, or killed herself after out of guilt, while very few still believe that she lives. One thing's for certain, her helmet wasn't buried with her. Some say that Freyja's helmet will always seek out a path to Freyja herself, to continue granting divine power to the Norse Goddess of War, or for those who find it, will be guided to ancient Norse treasures." Luna explained.

The two teenagers took in the information and slowly let it all sink in. "Almost sounds like something Sunset could use, but then again, I don't wanna run the risk of the Charm Incident happening again. No offense, Sunset, but I'm a bit hesitant around magic stuff." Chance stated.

Sunset nodded her head. "Hey, none taken. I'm in the same boat as you, something as powerful as that needs to stay hidden, and out of the hands of crazy people." Sunset reassured.

Chance was about to say something, but soon enough, the RV stopped, showing that they arrived at their location. A building in the desert, surrounded by oil rigs and heavily-armed security guards. "Hoo boy, I'm guessing the helmet's in there?" Chance guessed.

Luna nodded her head. "Bet they're keeping it in the basement, it's a smart enough hiding place, but not safe enough," Luna looked towards Chance. "Chance, you go alien and sneak in. Once you're inside, open the side door for us." Luna told him.

Chance unbuckled his seat belt and started dialing in the alien he'd need, but something didn't feel right about this. "Uhh, miss Luna, are you sure this is what we need to do?" Chance asked, a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

Luna was starting to get a bit impatient. "Mister Marsten, I haven't time to explain how important it is for us to get that helm. Now, can I count on you or not?" Luna asked, her tone became stern and strict.

Chance flinched, he didn't know why, but he didn't even know why she was asking him that question. "Y-You know you can always count on me, miss Luna, Sunset knows that too. I'll get in and unlock the door before you know it, just needed a bit of confirmation.." Chance stated earnestly, dialing in Nitrofrost's icon.

Luna leave the RV, single-minded in her goals, all while Chance watches her leave. Sunset notices the look on her friend's face, and can clearly tell he was off-set by Luna's behavior. "Hey, you okay bud? You seem a bit shook up, that's never happened before." Sunset asked.

Chance slowly shook his head, almost hesitantly, and continued with using the Omnitrix. In a flash of green light, Chance was replaced by the frozen cold hero, and dispersed himself into a cloud of mist, traveling up into a gutter that was connected to the building.

Sunset steps outside, seeing Luna leaning against the RV, watching the building intently with a steely gaze she's never seen on the vice principal before. "Uh, miss Luna?" Luna doesn't immediately look towards her student, but she shifts her gaze to look her in the eye without moving her head. "Look, I'm just saying that he was just asking a question. Was it really necessary to talk to him like that? Don't you think you were a little--"

Luna sighs. "You're just kids. Well, you're teenagers, but still. I don't expect you to understand, not completely." Luna said, focusing on the side door of the building.

Sunset sighed. "Just cut him some slack, okay? I don't think he's entirely there after what happened at the wind farm, and whatever happened when he vanished. J-Just cut him some slack, will ya? He's trying his best." Sunset suggested.

Inside the building, Nitrofrost moves up through a drain inside the building's bathroom, noticing gum stuck on his head. "Ugh, disgusting. Who spits gum into a sink!?" Nitrofrost whispered.

Nitrofrost fully manifests in the bathroom, and takes note of two guard dogs that are growling at him. Nitrofrost feels a bit bad for what he's about to do, but he freezes the two dogs in place, and locks them into one of the empty stalls. The two dogs had their legs encased in ice, basically rendered incapable of moving.

Nitrofrost shuddered and went to go unlock the side door, feeling utterly horrible about this.

On the other side of the side door, the sound of a lock being undone could be heard, with Chance, now turned back into his human form, opening the basement door for them. As he does, however, Luna pushes past him, seeming more impatient than she did earlier. "It's about time." Luna remarked.

Chance felt like he got hit by a serious case of whiplash. Sunset steps in, and looks at Chance for a moment. "What's wrong?" Sunset asked.

Chance grimaced and shuddered. "I don't wanna talk about it... C'mon, she's probably getting too far ahead without us." Chance stated, walking forward.

As the two close the basement doors behind them, with Chance re-locking them from the inside, a car pulls up unseen.

As the duo catch up to Luna, the trio walk through the basement hallways. Luna leads the way, straightforward and staying silent. The tension was becoming a bit thick, to the point where the two teens could barely control their breathing. The two decide to lag behind a bit, and talk about the situation. "Have you ever seen Luna this serious?" Chance asked.

Sunset shook her head. "I've never seen anyone this serious, not even back home during times of crisis." Sunset commented.

As they keep walking, Sunset notices the concern and hesitation in her friend's eyes, it almost looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Hey, are you doing alright? You don't look too well." Sunset asked.

Chance shook his head. "I'm worried, something about this doesn't feel right. I- I don't know how to describe what I'm feeling right now, but I know it's nothing good." Chance stated.

As the two catch up to Luna, they finally reach the end of the corridor. They open a door and find a room with a safe in it. "The helmet has to be in there. Miss Shimmer, you've shown your way around a few padlocks during your darker days, can you handle this?" Luna inquired.

Sunset cringed at that prospect, but she stepped forward, hesitantly putting her ear up as she twisted the rotator, inputting the combination the best she could. It took a few minutes, but she eventually got it, giving Luna a thumbs up. "Good job, Sunset." Chance assured.

Luna opens the safe, revealing The Helm of Freyja. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Luna asks.

The pair look at the helmet themselves, and ironically enough, they're not that impressed. "Looked better in the photos you showed us, to be honest." Chance remarked.

Luna carefully holds the helmet and looks at it, almost entranced by it. "Over several long years of searching and now, finally, you're-" Before Luna could finish her sentence, the sound of robes dragging across the ground could be heard, along with footsteps. The trio turn around, seeing several individuals dressed in black, gray, and maroon robes, each one colored and trimmed with gold and jewels.

The woman that they followed wore a deep blue robe with the same gold and jewels adoring it, only she also had a silver Kitsune mask over her face, an infinity sign placed over an infinity sign, making it look like some form of infinite clover. The woman smiled in a creepy manner behind that mask, eyeing Luna from head-to-toe. "Here I thought you retired from the plumbing business, Ms. Equinox. Or may I call you, Luna?" The woman spoke.

Chance and Sunset were dumbfounded. "Okay, I give the fuck up. Who the hell are these wackos?!" Chance questioned.

The woman looked over at the teenager and giggled, which left him thoroughly uncomfortable. Luna stepped in front of the two teens, a silent rage burned in her eyes. "I'm not sure who you are, or how you know me, but you're not getting the helm of Freyja!" Luna yelled.

The woman scoffed. "Aren't we the feisty sewer rat? I'd love to chat about old times, but we're already a tad late for holding the world at my mercy," The woman outstretched her hand, expecting Luna to hand over the helmet. "So, I'll be taking that helmet now, Luna, if you don't mind." The woman stated calmly, yet her tone was venomous.

Luna gritted her teeth. "Over my dead body." Luna gritted.

The woman smirked, though it couldn't be seen behind the mask she wore. "My my, what an excellent suggestion! Gentlemen? Relieve Equinox of the he-" The woman was then met by a sudden punch to the face, causing the woman to actually crash into the wall. The sound of silver cracking could be heard, and Luna shook her hand. "Should've known not to do that. You two, follow me and run!!" Luna exclaimed.

Sunset sweep kicks a couple of the robed attackers, and Chance smashes another couple figures' heads together, letting them slump to the ground as he followed Sunset and Luna.

The robed figures pick themselves up and aide their leader, who starts going another direction, rather than going the same way as the trio did. As they did so, a security guard just came onto the scene, and saw one of the robed men and the open safe. He activated his radio and spoke into it. "We've got burglars in robes. Seal the exits!" The security guard called out.

Alarms blare as the trio run to escape. They come to an exit but see a guard stationed there, blocking their way. "Wrong way," Luna turns the two teens around and cut a corner, only to then be met by a grappling gun from behind, latching onto the helmet and yanking it from Luna's grasp. "No!" Luna gritted.

The woman in blue robes, now with a fractured and broken silver kitsune mask, holds the helmet with a smug grin on her ruby red lips. "How unfortunate, but your loss is my gain." The woman taunted, running away.

Luna was about to run after her, but the sound of closing gates had her worried. She looks to the teens. "Run, I'm right behind you!" Luna ordered.

As Luna decides to stay with Chance and Sunset, instead of going back after the helmet, they run down the hallways and manage to slide underneath the closing gates in the nick of time. Soon enough, the trio manage to get out of the building and back into the RV, only to buckle up and immediately speed after the unknown assailants.

Up ahead, the woman in blue is in the backseat of the car, laughing in amusement as she stares at the helmet in awe. "Yes, ultimate power and riches, all for me, and my cult." The woman tells herself.

The driver then sees the RV in the side mirror, with Luna at the wheel. "Boss, we might have a problem." The driver informed.

Luna is pushing the gas pedal to the floor as she activates the built in Plumber tech for the front bumper. She accelerates the RV to ram into the cultist's car, but then the cultist's car activates a saw blade that comes from the trunk in retaliation, forcing Luna to revert the front bumper back. Meanwhile, Chance is trying to get the Omnitrix to work, while Sunset readies her own magic, summoning her energy tendrils. "Come on, Chance, what's it gonna be this time? Vitaguar? Excavole? Tallahoss?" Sunset guessed.

Chance was met by the red color, and the sound of the device powering down to recharge. "I'm on my own this time, unfortunately." Chance remarked woefully.

Luna presses a button where the RV's horn should be, and a digital voice speaks out. "Auto-Pilot engaged." Luna gets up and heads towards the bathroom door in the back of the RV, which confused and shocked the two teens even more. "This looks like a job for a Plumber." Luna states, closing the door behind her.

Chance facepalms and balls his hands into fists. "This'll have to do, because apparently this RV has an Autopilot! Who the fuck thought to make that a feature!" Chance exclaimed.

Up ahead, More cultists are climbing out of the sunroof of their car, and jump onto the RV. Meanwhile, on the inside, the helmet seems to glow and show a glowing trail of golden light in front of the woman. "Oh my, so that's where you're hiding~." The woman commented.

Inside the RV, Chance tries one more time to get the Omnitrix to work, but unfortunately, he wasn't able to make any progress. The two hear the bathroom door open, showing off Luna in a slim pristine black and white suit with a big red badge on her upper chest. "Well, good thing Rarity's not here, she'd be flipping her lid at the sight of that suit." Sunset commented.

Chance nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and we'd be in more trouble than we're already chin-deep in!" Chance added.

Luna walked forward, going towards the front door and kicks it open without a moment's hesitation. "Watch and learn, both of you. Consider this your first Plumber-mandated mission." Luna stated, wasting no time to jump onto the cultists' car. At first, she seemed like she was about to fall off, but she managed to attach herself to it with a couple magnetic grips.

Sunset and Chance watch on in awe and amazement. "Okay, we really need to have a chat with her when this is all said and done." Sunset remarked.

Looking down through the sunroof, Luna sees the helmet, but the woman in blue loads a pistol and fires bullets into the roof to protect it, trying to hit Luna through the car's roofing. Luna was lucky enough to let a couple bullets hit her suit with little to no damage being taken, but she suddenly starts slipping off from the top of the car after avoiding getting bombarded by bullets.

Chance panics, trying desperately to dial in an alien that can help. "That's if she lives long enough to tell the tale!" Chance screeches.

As the two teens try to figure out how to help their vice principal, Luna's boots skid on the road, but she manages to get herself back up onto the vehicle. She hears the clicking of a gun, signaling to the Plumber that her foes just ran out of ammo, and starts to climb towards the sunroof again.

As the two look on at Luna climbing on the other car, Sunset and Chance are attacked from inside the RV, while the woman's henchmen begin smashing the roof with a large curved sword, as well as a mace. One drops through the open door to go after them, but are soon met by energy tendrils ensnaring them, and lobbing them back out, causing them to roll and skid across the road as the vehicles speed away.

Sunset looks over to Chance, who is trying to fend off another cultist that cut its way in through the roof. Chance manages to land a couple hits, but the cultist was unnaturally fast. Chance continued to try and land another hit, but it was starting to become rather tedious and borderline impossible as the cultist weaved and dodged with perfect timing.

Chance was getting frustrated, and the moment he went in for a punch, the cultist dodged, but was soon met by the teen's foot in their face, knocking their head against the counter top. "Yeah, didn't see that one coming, didja!?" Chance dragged the cultist towards the door and readied himself to toss it out of the RV. "Looks like this is your stop! Buh-bye!!" Chance exclaimed angrily.

The cultist flew out of the RV, and screamed as they fell off a bridge, landing into the water below. "And good riddance!!" Chance exclaimed.

Sunset was surprised, but then again, it was more surprising anything could still surprise her at this point. "You just threw a man out of a moving vehicle, and off the side a bridge!" Sunset exclaimed.

Chance gave the girl a deadpanned expression. "Are you honestly telling me that out of all of this stuff happening as we speak, that's what surprises you?" Chance questioned.

Sunset thought about it for a moment, and she did feel a bit silly, but even then, she was concerned. Sure, these guys were clearly cultists, but Sunset never thought she'd ever want to kill someone, but the man sounded like they landed in water, so her worries were lessened, but not by much. "Just warn me next time you do something like that, that was unnecessary!" Sunset cautioned.

As Luna climbs around to the side of the car, she punches the window and shatters the glass. The woman in blue grits her teeth as she discards the unloaded pistol and gets ready to use her hands. Luna climbs into the back of the car and immediately starts to wrestle with the cultist leader. The two pull each other's hair, scratch at each other's faces, punching, kicking, even choking, it was like watching a fight to the death unfold in the backseat of a Cadillac.

Eventually, Luna eases up and smashes the woman's face into the other window, and grabs the helmet as she aims it at the RV's opened doorway. "Marsten!!" Chance stood in view as Luna reeled her arm back, the same one with the helmet clasped in her grip. "Catch!!" Luna exclaimed.

Luna threw the helmet as hard as she could, and the helmet collided with Chance's chest, knocking a bit of wind out of his chest and causing him to collide with the fridge, wincing from the pain. Chance clutched the helmet in his hands and gave a thumbs up, handing the helmet to Sunset. "Okay... that hurt more than I'd like to admit..." Chance wheezed, slumping to the ground.

Luna quickly gets up and makes the jump to the RV, leaving the woman in blue to groan in frustration. As Luna closes the door behind her, she quickly takes the helmet from Sunset's hands and sets it in the front seat, barely even acknowledging the two teenagers that fended off a couple cultists, as she went directly for the helm. As Luna gets in the driver's seat, she panics as a truck starts coming their way, its horn was blaring.

Luna quickly fastens her seatbelt and turns the autopilot off, regaining control. "You two better hold on, it's gonna be close!" Luna called out.

Without much of an option, the two teens ducked underneath the booth's table and braced themselves for the impact. Luna turns on the rocket thrusters, boosting the RV forward as its speed increased. The two teens scream as the truck comes barreling towards the RV, bracing each other for the coming crash.

At the last second, Luna narrowly manages to avoid the truck, scratching the side of the RV a tad bit in the process. Luna takes note that the cultists are still behind her, and she presses a button on the dash, releasing a bunch of tire spikes onto the road behind them. The cultists' car sputters as its tires pop and burst beyond repair, all while the RV drives away, leaving the woman and her cultists in the dust.

The woman in blue grits her teeth and pulls out a small radio. "Send in the bird. I want to get to that location before they do." The woman hisses.

Luna looks back at the two teenagers, who barely manage to pull themselves out from underneath the table. "My life flashed before my eyes, and it all sucked the second time!!" Chance exclaimed.

Sunset was clearly rattled, breathing rather heavily as she held her chest. Chance pulled her into a hug, trying to reassure her that they were okay, that they were still alive, anything to calm her down and help her de-stress. But, soon enough, the rockets deactivate, and the RV's fault light starts to light up, much to Luna's frustration.

Under the harsh sun, the trio are stopped in the desert due to the RV's breakdown. Luna is currently trying to fix the RV's main issue, but she gets frustrated and tosses a wrench out from underneath the vehicle. "No wonder that damn thing isn't working, it's metric! Sunset, I told you to get me a half inch wrench!" Luna remarked sternly.

Sunset, who was sitting right next to the working lady, flinched for a moment as she sat with her head in her hands. "I-I'm sorry, Luna, it was an honest mistake," Sunset looked over at Chance, who was trying to figure out how to work the helmet without putting it on. "I'll be right back, your toolbox is on your right, so you can find the wrench yourself." Sunset stated, getting up and walking towards her friend.

As Chance continues to examine the helm, he notices Sunset's crestfallen expression. "Luna's giving you a hard time, isn't she?" Chance asked.

Sunset nodded. "You would know, she seemed pretty impatient when you were questioning her plan about breaking into the building. What exactly happened, anyway? You seemed a bit shook up when we got inside." Sunset questioned.

Chance paused for a moment and shuddered. "There were two guard dogs, and in order to keep them from drawing attention, I froze their legs in ice so they couldn't chase after us, and I locked them in a stall... I'm not proud of that, and shame doesn't begin to cover what I still feel about that. Breaking in was one thing, but I don't like hurting animals or causing discomfort unto them, I didn't have a choice, and Luna left me with very little options on sneaking my way in." Chance explained.

Sunset winced at the visual image, but Chance seemed rather repulsed by what he'd done. Chance looked at the helmet, and a look of anger and disgust formed on his face. "This helmet has brought nothing but trouble, I highly doubt if anyone puts this crusty thing on, all their gonna get is lice." Chance bitterly remarked.

Without a moment of hesitation, Chance attempted to put the helmet on, but just as he did, the entire helm began to glow. Chance panicked and immediately pulled the helmet off, but the helm continued to glow. "Hey, Luna!? The helmet we just stole is glowing!" Chance exclaimed.

Luna didn't hesitate to pull herself out from under the RV and break into a full sprint towards the two teenagers. Luna came to a sudden halt as he looked at the glowing helm. Soon enough, a glowing golden beam fired from the tip of the spike that sat on top of the helm, and it seemed to be creating a trail. Chance averted his eyes. "Man, it's a miracle we can even see this in the sun's light. What's this thing doing now?!" Sunset questioned.

Luna gasped, looking on in awe. "It's locating Freyja's body, trying to find its way back to the Goddess. We need to make sure we get there before those cultists do." Luna explained.

Chance frowned. "And how are we gonna do that? The RV's currently like the ice cream machine at the burger shack. Out of order!" Chance remarked.

Luna looked at him for a moment, then her gaze fell on the Omnitrix. "I wouldn't say we're completely out of options." Luna said.

Atop the jungle and its treeline, Fumesquito is flying fast through the air, though they were struggling to carry Luna, along with Sunset on his back. The alien mosquito continued to flutter its wings as Luna held the helm, leading the trio along its shining golden path of light.

Luna looks up at the mosquito, and can see that the bug is looking exhausted as sweat poured down the bug's face, he was basically running on fumes, ironically enough. "Marsten, can you try flying a bit faster?" Luna called out.

Fumesquito groaned. "I'm going as fast I can, miss Luna!! I'm not used to flying this much with passengers!" The alien mosquito focuses its compounded eyes forward, taking note of how the golden light was ending at what looked like an ancient temple. "We're almost there, we must be getting close!" Soon enough, the Omnitrix starts beeping, which worries the trio. "Bad timing! Hang on!!" Fumesquito exclaimed.

Fumesquito starts flying much lower to the ground, and as Sunset and Luna hop off, a red flash of light bursts out and Chance is turned back to normal. Chance groans and picks himself up, cracking his back. "I'm getting better at handling emergency landings, though, that's a plus." Chance commented, trying to find a silver lining.

Luna continues to walk forward with the helmet in her hands, leaving the two teenagers behind without her knowledge. "Sheesh, she is hyperfixated on this!" Sunset remarked.

Chance groaned and walked forward, with Sunset following close behind. By this point, the two teenagers were starting to reach their limits with this nordic helmet business, and were becoming increasingly concerned with Luna's almost compulsive and obsessed behavior.

As the trio arrive at an ancient pyramid on foot, they crouch down and see through the bushes, only to see the woman in blue, along with a few more of her cult members are already at the site. The trio watch as they attempt to open the pyramid's doors with explosive charges, but the stone doors seem a lot stronger than the cultists, or the trio, could even hope to imagine.

"Fire in the hole!" One of the cultists exclaim, running away from the charges.

There was an explosion, but as the cultists peek out to see the results, the doors are still standing, with barely a scorch mark being present where the charges were planted. The woman in blue was clearly frustrated. "Still not open. Use a bigger charge this time, you idiots." The woman reprimanded.

Chance nodded his head. "Wow, for a dusty ass temple, this place already has much better security than the place we broke into today," The trio carefully sneak to the side, and head another way to the other side of the pyramid. "So, what is this place anyway?" Chance asked.

Luna looked to Chance and sighed. "It's the temple of Ek Chuaj, home to the Mayan god of death and the underworld, Ah Puch. Ah Puch essentially guards an ancient weapon known as the sword of Ek Chuaj, a long since destroyed weapon of unfathomable power," The two teens look at each other with concern, but soon take note that Luna seems frustrated. "Not that it matters. I'm curious, though, why would this helmet lead us here, to a Mayan temple? As far as I know, Ah Puch never had any significant role or legend in Norse mythology, let alone a connection to any Mayan god/goddess named Freyja... I'm curious, and yet, I'm hesitant to wonder what we'll find inside." Luna explained, seeming enamored by the possibilities that filled her head.

Chance frowned. "I don't like this, not one bit." Chance remarked, shuddering as he looked around.

Luna ignores Chance's concerns and feels around the stone wall. "Now, there's always a secret entrance to these temples, it's just a pain to find when time is of the essence," Chance, by this point, was nearing his breaking point, and took the helmet from Luna, placing it on his head without a second thought. Luna was not pleased with the boy's decision. "Chance Marsten, take that off this instant!" Luna angrily stated.

Chance rolls his eyes, but just as he reaches for the helmet, his arms suddenly stop. The helmet's golden glow starts to envelop his entire body, and before Chance knows what happened, his eyes started glowing entirely red. Chance saw images of things he couldn't dare describe, but his body seemed to move on its own, and he felt one specific spot on the wall. A loose brick moves, and a whole new passageway opens up for the trio, allowing them to enter the tomb.

As the trio are about to move forward, Chance manages to wrestle control back over his body, and scream in abject horror as he threw the helmet off his head, and slammed it to the ground. The golden glow dissipates, and Chance's eyes return to normal, a sharp gasp for air escapes the teenager as he falls back on his ass, scrambling to back away from the helmet.

Chance cried out in abject terror, breathing heavily as he leaned onto the floor. The teen's eyes were filled with tears, a sense of fear loomed over him, all while Sunset tried to help him back to his feet. "Hey, hey! You're okay, you're alive, you're not in danger! Are you alright? What happened? Did you see anything?" Sunset asked.

Chance shuddered, shaking in his friend's arms. "I saw things I can't begin to describe... Death, rot, destruction, greed was their folly, and their lust for power was what sealed their fates. The only word that comes to mind in relation to what I saw... is Eldritch. For a moment, I had no mouth, and I had to scream. I had no eyes, yet I was forced to see things I didn't want to look at! This is fucked, with a capital 'F'!" Sunset reached out to use her geode to see for herself, but Chance swatted her hand back, a look of sheer terror on his face. "Sunset, trust me... you don't wanna see what I've been forced to. Trust me, it's not worth it." Chance warned, his tone softer, yet gravely serious in its warning.

Sunset eventually manages to get Chance back on his feet, and the pair notice Luna waiting on them, seeming more impatient than ever before. The two teenagers begrudgingly got up, and Sunset picked up the helmet as they walked inside. "If my math is correct, Freyja's body should be on the lowest floor, along with the body of Ah Puch. There should be some stairs nearby." Luna stated.

Chance was reaching the cusp of his limitations, and sighed. "Stairs, of course it had to be stairs. Why not, because everything hasn't been sucky enough today. Where's the Mayan or Norse god of elevators when you need one, for fuck's sake." Chance commented under his breath.

Luna grabs a torch nearby as the interior reaches pitch black, but the blinding light comes too late, which leads to Sunset beginning to fall into a very deep pit. "Woa-aahh!!" Sunset cried out.

Chance rushes forward and grabs her arm, while Luna grabs her shirt. The two pull with all their might to get Sunset back to the ledge, and while they pull it off, the helmet is dropped to the floor. Chance cradles Sunset away from the edge, while Luna does the same. "Phew, that was close," Luna lets the teens go and grabs the mask, hooking it to the side of her plumber suit. "Almost lost the helmet, that could've been a grave situation. Pick yourselves up, we need to keep going." Luna ordered, walking in one direction.

Sunset and Chance are floored, left in disbelief that what they just witnessed, actually happened. "Are you fucking serious!?" Chance exclaimed angrily, his rage was starting to reach a fever pitch.

Sunset got up and pulled her friend back to his feet. "Okay, we can easily assume she's obsessed, right?" Sunset asked.

Chance looked at Sunset, a look of uncertainty, rage, and various conflicting emotions were seen clear as day on his face, and he didn't know how to feel about this situation, by this point, he's letting his emotions out one way or another. "Let's answer that question with another question. Once she gets what she's looking for, she'll be back to her normal self again, right?" Chance questioned.

Sunset shrugged her shoulders, and the two stayed close to each other, both equally concerned for their own safety as Luna runs head-first into danger. As they walk down some wooden platforms, they manage to catch up with Luna, who was clearly not happy with waiting on her students. "Stay sharp, you two. The ancient Mayans were notorious for setting--"

A snapping sound could be heard, and Chance recoiled in fear as he looked down at his feet, seeing a broken piece of wood under his shoe. "...Booby traps. Sure, why not!" Chance exclaimed hysterically.

The trio feel a rumbling sensation throughout the temple, and then see boulders start to come down from above, breaking their path in all directions. "Chance, now's the time to go hero!" Sunset yelled out in a panic.

"Both of you, move!" Luna exclaimed.

The two teens jump over to the next platform, barely making it as they run alongside Luna. The trio rush down the crumbing stairs, all while Chance tries to dial in an alien, only to be met by the red color, and the sound of the device not having enough power. "Come on, Omnitrix, this fool's errand is running a risk on our lives already, give me somebody! Anybody!!" Chance cried out desperately.

From behind the trio, a rock smashes the stairs behind them, following them as they run. The trio barely manage to make it, but it's becoming rather clear that they're running out of places to go. Luna looks to the walls, and motions to the teens to come to her. "Grab on, hurry!!" Luna yells out.

As the rocks finally destroy the stairs, leaving the trio on one singular platform that barely stood in the air as everything was crumbling, Luna manages to use a grappling hook from her suit to get them to safety. Chance and Sunset clung onto her as they swung through the air, barely dodging any falling debris. They both cried out in terror, but the trio manages to make it to a stone floor, thudding against the ground. Chance and Sunset get to their knees as they catch their breath, relieved that they survived, for the moment.

Sunset sighed. "That was terrifying. Thanks, miss Luna," The two look around, noticing that Luna wasn't with them. "Luna?" Sunset called out.

"Are you two coming, or what?" Luna called out.

The pair looked up ahead, watching in utter confusion as Luna walked down a flight of stairs without them. "Remember when the summer started, and this hero stuff was actually kinda fun?" Chance asked.

Sunset nodded. "Yeah?" Sunset answered.

Chance and Sunset walked down the flight of stairs, begrudgingly following their vice principal's lead. "I miss the old Luna. Don't get me wrong, I was kinda excited to see what a Plumber mission would be like, but if it's like this... maybe I should start re-thinking things before the summer ends." Chance commented, feeling a bit sick to his stomach as he said those words.

Sunset nodded. "I agree, I'd eat whatever she considers 'Living off the Land' for a whole week if it meant we could get her back." Sunset commented.

As the two teens catch up to Luna, they see her eyeing a socket for some kind of artifact. "I knew it wouldn't be easy, if only I had that mask, it'd be much easier." Luna told herself.

Before Luna can think up a solution, some kind of work around to get further in, it's not long before she hears a feminine squeal, and a muffled grunt from behind her. Luna turns around, noticing immediately that Chance and Sunset couldn't be seen.

Luna grits her teeth and pulls out a small pistol-like weapon and aims it at the shadows, until a feminine laugh echoes out. The woman in blue stands in front of her, igniting a torch, and revealing that they now had Chance and Sunset held hostage. Something in Luna stirred, and it seemed to be conflicting with her current goals. "Who says you can't get a Plumber when you need one? They're always so handy~, without you clearing the back entrance of its traps and what-not, we wouldn't have been able to get inside the great chamber. Oh, but what a shame, miss Equinox," The woman in blue smirks as she pulls out a mask that fits the shape and size of the socket. "It's a shame you didn't bother looking further in that safe room. To think, the Helm of Freyja, and the Mask of Ah Puch, in the same room, it's deliciously phenomenal." the woman stated.

Luna didn't back down, but her hand was shaking a bit. "Who are you, how do you even know me?!" Luna exclaimed, enraged by the woman's words.

The woman chuckled, which evolved into a pompous and self-entitled guffaw of laughter. "You seriously haven't figured it out, Vice Principal Luna?!" The woman took off her hood, and removed the remains of her mask to reveal a familiar face, one that the entire trio are shocked to even recognize. The woman had a squared jawline, a mole on her face, and a pair of glasses that rested on the tip of her nose. She had her hair tied up in a bun, but the sick sense of satisfaction, combined with her maniacal grin, was all they needed to see. "After all, it's only fair that I make you pay for what you, and your meddlesome students pulled at last year's Friendship Games!" The woman exclaimed in a psychotic manner, smiling from ear to ear.

"Abacus Cinch!?" The trio exclaimed in shock.

Luna was absolutely confused, almost to the point to where she didn't want to shoot her weapon. "I... I-I don't understand, you joined a cult and came after us!? All because of last year's Friendship Games?!" Luna questioned, as if she was unsure of what Cinch just told them.

Cinch smiled crazily. "That's right. After I lost my job as principal to that girl known as Cadenza, my reputation was sullied by the soil that Canterlot High rested on. I wanted to take revenge, but simply going after those seven girls who ruined everything that day, it wouldn't be enough. So, I got into contact with an old acquaintance, and decided to take him up on his offer. It took a few months of hard work, but now I'm one of the top echelons of our organization, and it's all led up to this. My acquaintance was willing to get me some dirt on you, a reward for my efforts," Luna gritted her teeth, her hand was becoming more and more unsteady. "I never figured you were the type to be a part of some space police force, but I should've known that when it comes to Canterlot High, anything can happen. He also told me that you were quite the fighter, but I'm surprised someone like you can still move the way you used to all that time ago. Now, hand over the Helm of Freyja, and drop your weapon, or these two are going to end up with the rest of the dead." Cinch commanded.

Luna aims the gun at Cinch, but then she looks over at Chance and Sunset, worrying about their safety more than some Norse goddess' helmet. Through a show of weakness, Luna drops the gun and holds her hands up as Cinch takes the helm from her.

Cinch looks at her reflection in the helm, and smirks. "Good choice. Unfortunately, I can't have you three running back to Canterlot City, risking you telling your little friends what happened here today, that simply won't do. Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe it's time to toss the rubbish." Cinch called out.

After the door is opened up by the cult, Cinch and the other cultists have the trio stand with their hands up, and their backs facing a large, wide, deep, dark open hole in the ground. "Legend has it that the eternal pit of despair is bottomless," Cinch struts up to Chance, smirking wildly as Chance scowls at her. "Let's test that theory." Cinch comments.

Cinch shoves Chance back as he falls into the hole, yelling out as he flails in the air. "Chance!!" Luna calls out.

Cinch looks at both Sunset and Luna, her smirk never faltering. "Now now, don't weep for him, he won't be alone for long!~" Cinch shoves both Sunset and Luna down into the hole, hearing their screams as she turns to her fellow members. "Come, we have treasures and power to claim." Cinch commands.

Cinch and the cultists walk away from the hole, moving forward as they seek treasure and power, while the screams of the trio echo out from the hole.

The trio fall down the pit, and Chance is trying to dial in an alien he can use. Chance pops the core up and pushes it down, changing into Riptile. Riptile digs his claws into the wall and holds onto it, slowing his descent into the hole, and grabs Sunset in the nick of time. He notices Luna still falling, so he uses his prehensile tongue to grab her, and pull her up.

Riptile sighs and lets Sunset ride on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sunset was breathing erratically, and before Riptile can try calming her down, Sunset's eyes close and her breathing stops for a moment, causing her to slump and pass out on his back. Riptile grimaces and shudders, only to then glare down at the unconscious Luna in his hand. "Okay, this has gone on long enough, and I'm puttin' this crazy train back on the right track!" Riptile remarked.

Riptile starts hopping back up to the surface, bouncing from side to side of the large pit as he tried to get Sunset and Luna to safety.

Meanwhile, Cinch places the mask into place, and a flash from the door indicates its opening. The door slides open revealing an open room. There, a large pyramid shrine rests, where the sword of Ek Chuaj would be expected to sit, yet the blade was nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, Cinch was clearly satisfied with everything falling into place, and couldn't help but laugh. "Excellent, truly magnificent. Go, bring the sword to me, and I'll put the helmet on that poor excuse of a goddess." Cinch commands.

The cultists begin walking towards the sword, but are startled by two unsettling sounds echoing from behind them. One sounded like a snarl, and the other sounded like a twisted mockery of a bird's caw. Cinch looked around, but couldn't find the source of the sounds...

...that is, until a set of withered and rotting feathers suddenly appeared from above the cultists, and heavy footsteps could be heard from atop the pyramid's shrine.

Back at the pit, Riptile finally managed to get himself, along with Luna and Sunset back up to the surface. Riptile set Luna on the ground, and Riptile swaddled Sunset's body, trying to keep her head elevated. The sound of the Omnitrix timing out echoed across the interior of the chamber, but Chance didn't care about it at that moment.

A flash of red light was enough to bring Luna back to consciousness, and she looked over to see Chance trying to make sure Sunset was alright. Luna looked the other direction, and got herself back onto her feet, and started to go in the same direction that Cinch and her cult members went. "Luna stop, please! Sunset needs a few moments to wake up, you can't face what's in there on your own! Just have some patience and wait for us!" Chance pleaded.

Luna stopped and looked back at the teen, still trying to get Sunset to wake up. "I'm sorry, Marsten, but no can do. Cinch may already have the sword, and couple that blade's power with Freyja's helmet and the power it can provide, it may already be too late to stop her, and I'm the one who has to try." Luna proclaimed.

Chance was finally at his limit. Everything that happened today was driving him crazy. Luna's change in demeanor and attitude, the way she shrugged him and Sunset off, the way she cared more about some dirty ass helmet, rather than care about the well-being of her students, and she doesn't have the common decency to help one of her students regain consciousness.

Chance carefully laid Sunset on the ground, and stomped over towards Luna. Luna turned around, only to be met by Chance grabbing her arm, and backhanding her across the face, the impact of the slap rang out across the chamber, but he didn't care. "What you need to do is shut the fuck up, and for once today, listen to what I'm saying!!" Luna tore her arm out of Chance's grasp, but she didn't back away, she was just surprised by how much that backhand actually hurt. She was more surprised when Chance's eyes started to become redder in hue. "Ever since that damn alarm went off, that crusty, dirty, unwashed and unpolished helmet is all you think about! You didn't care that Sunset nearly fell to her death, you just gave a damn about that fuckin' hunk of metal! You're obsessed with that thing, and it isn't doing you, or those around you, any favors! You called this a Plumber mission, one of mine and Sunset's first, mind you, and if this is what being a Plumber is like, then to hell with the plumbers, and to hell with your fucking obsession! I want the old Luna back, Sunset wants the old Luna back, not this delusional, psychotic, and merciless mockery!!" Chance screamed out, clearly enraged by this point.

Chance felt like he was sweating all over, his body felt hot, like he was boiling alive, he felt like this back on Reinrassic's ship, and he could barely believe he was feeling this way towards Luna. Speaking of, Luna finally shook off the sting, and could hear Chance's anger and sheer vitriol echo through the chamber. Luna shook her head and scowled at the teen, but he didn't back down. "You two have to keep your eyes on the prize and remember what's important here, otherwise you're doing this for nothing." Luna reprimanded.

Chance scoffed. "That's fuckin' rich, coming from you. We always remembered what's important, it's you who forgot." Chance stated gravely.

Luna pauses for a moment, her expression softens up a lot as a look of hurt forms in her eyes. Before Luna can try to say anything, the sounds of snarling and a twisted mockery of a bird's caw echoes out from the room up ahead. Luna and Chance run forward to check it out, though it's clear that Luna has made a grave error on her part.

Within the neighboring chamber, Cinch and her cult members are being tossed aside by two giant creatures, one who's face resembles the mask Cinch had, and the other looked like a Skeletal figure with a set of rotting feathers clinging to huge boney wings, dressed in tattered robes and damaged pieces of armor, all while long flowing locks of blonde and crimson hair fly out, wielding the blade Ek Chuaj.

Luna and Chance watch on from behind a corner, both equally shocked and concerned for their own chances in this fight. Chance looks at the two creatures, and looks at them both with a curious expression. "Now why do they look so familiar?" Chance questioned sarcastically.

Luna sighed. "It must be Ah Puch, the Mayan god of death and the underworld, making meals out of the cultists. But Freyja, the Norse Goddess of War, she's... oh dear god, she's nothing but bones. She's also wielding the sword of Ek Chuaj, likely due to her position as a Valkyrie." Luna explained.

Chance didn't bother to respond, he looked at the Omnitrix, seeing that it was still recharging. "Then I'm going in there, and I'm putting a stop to this," Chance gets ready to go into the chamber, until Luna grabs his arm. Chance looks back, and sees that she's trembling. "If you're going to try and stop me, I-" Before Chance could finish his sentence, Luna pulled him into a tight hug. Chance didn't want to return the gesture, he was still pretty pissed off with her behavior all day, but he felt bad that he had to scream at her to get her to see reason. Against his better judgement, he returned the embrace. "Any reason why we're doing this? You know I'm still mad at you." Chance questioned.

Luna nods her head, but she doesn't let him go. She sniffs and looks the teenager in the eye. "I know you are, you and miss Shimmer have every right to be, after today. I... I just want you to know that I'm sorry, and while I can't excuse my behavior, I'm not asking you to forgive me... not now, at least," The two didn't let each other go yet, they didn't want to. "Mister Mar--... Chance, I didn't mean what I said to you, or miss Shimmer, I was just so focused, so... obsessed, about finding all of this, that I didn't bother taking your feelings and thoughts into consideration. I'm so, so, so sorry..." Luna whispered.

Chance gently patted her back, and she finally let him go. "Go, you handle Ah Puch and Freyja, I'll keep Cinch and her crazed cult distracted. Grab that helmet and get it onto Freyja's head, that should put her at ease." Luna instructed.

Chance nodded and walked towards the entrance, but then he looked back at Luna. "For what it's worth, it's good to have the real you back, just wish we got the real you back sooner." Chance remarked, running head first into the fight of his life.

On this day, Chance picks a fight with two gods, and he knows damn well he's going to do all he can to win, even if it means doing something particularly stupid.

As Luna ran and jump kicked one of the cultists, the others flocked to her like flies to rotten fruit. Chance ran forward, noticing that the Omnitrix finally finished recharging, glowing green as he activated it. "Hey, you colossal butt-uglies!! How's about you forget the dipshits for a moment, and fight someone that's worth your time instead!" Chance called out.

Freyja and Ah Puch roared out and descended down upon the teenager, but before they did, a flash of green light shined out, transforming Chance into Armethyst. The crystalline alien shot energy blasts at both of the gods, and managed to knock them back a fair bit, but not enough to take them out entirely. The crystal hero ran forward and delivered a few powerful punches to Ah Puch, but Freyja sliced at the hero with the sword of Ek Chuaj, sending a powerful golden light slashing in his direction.

Armethyst jumped right at the attack, letting his body absorb the energy as he readied himself to fire crystal shards at the pair of deities. He fired energy-infused crystal shards at Freyja and Ah Puch, and while they did do some significant damage, they were still charging at him. "Alright, let's get ready to rumble!!" Armethyst yelled out, forming his arms into blades as the two gods lunged at him.

Luna was keeping the cultists busy as she fought them off, occasionally dodging Cinch's attempts to cut into her with an old sword she found. It may not have been the blade of Ek Chuaj, but it could still do some damage if Luna wasn't careful. Luna grabbed one member and put them in a full-nelson, only to let them go and roll to the left when Cinch tried to stab her, only to stab one of her members instead. The man cried out in pain, holding their bleeding wound, but Cinch didn't help him, she ripped the blade from the man's stomach and left him to keep attacking Luna, essentially leaving the man to bleed out while the other cult members panicked.

Luna ducked and dodged the blade every chance she could, but Cinch was persistent, and very angry. "Everything was perfect, Crystal Prep was on top, and Canterlot High was where it should've stayed; On the bottom, grazing on a steady supply of defeat! Now, it'll be you who fails again, when I rip the blade of Ek Chuaj from Freyja's hands, and use its power in tandem with her very helmet, to crush you beneath my heel!" Cinch cried out, swinging the blade in her hands more in an erratic manner.

Luna managed to dodge one of the hits, and managed to land a couple hits on Cinch, causing her to get far more aggressive. Luna notices the helmet resting near one of the steps, and slowly leads Cinch over to it, all while avoiding her strikes. As they continued fighting, Armethyst was starting to lose his edge in the fight between him, Ah Puch and Freyja. Freyja managed to keep Armethyst still for long enough that Ah Puch could tear off Armethyst's arms, and then crushes them to dust in his hands. While it did hurt for the hero, the two gods were stunned to see him regenerate them and break free. "Not cool, man!" Armethyst yelled out, slugging Ah Puch in the face.

Armethyst slowly starts beating the Mayan god back with every hit he landed, but then Ah Puch grabbed Armethyst and started to gain an advantage of his own. Ah Puch charges into several pillars and other debris, knocking him through all of it as he used Armethyst like a battering ram. The hero's almost able to gain the upper hand when he slices Ah Puch across the face with one of his crystal blades, but the Mayan god of death breaks the blade off and knocks him back, sending him flying out of the chamber, and making him slide across the floor, eventually coming up on the still unconscious Sunset Shimmer.

Armethyst slowly gets back up, letting his wounds regenerate, but Ah Puch and Freyja start moving towards him, and the Omnitrix starts to time out. Armethyst groans as he transforms back into Chance, but the human was clearly not that excited to be met by a couple of feral gods. Chance looked back at the supposed bottomless pit, and gets an idea. Chance steps back, stepping closer and closer to the pit, and outstretches his arms, as if he was inviting the gods to strike him down.

Ah Puch made the attempt to lunge at the teen, only for Chance to roll underneath the Mayan god of death, and watches as Ah Puch dives head first into the pit, roaring out as he plummets into darkness. Chance looks up, noticing Freyja flapping her molting skeletal wings as she stares the human down. Chance puts his hands up and gets in a boxer's stance, readying himself for whatever's to come. However, Freyja doesn't seem to be attacking, which confused the alien hero more than it pissed him off.

Chance groans, growing impatient of when the goddess would attack. "What're you waiting for, ya meatless turkey! Throw a damn punch already!" Freyja let out a deafening caw in the human's face, but again, it didn't attack him. "So that's it, you're gonna scream in my face, and do literally nothing else?" Freyja didn't respond, not that he expected a response at all. Freyja let out its twisted caw again, but it was much tamer in its tone. "I think you're trying to talk, but I don't understand what your bird sounds mean! Can you speak any English, like at all, so I can understand?" Chance called out.

Freyja seemed to understand that, at least, and landed, letting her empty eye sockets stare into the human's eyes. "Þú, formbreytandi mannsins. Þú berst eins og nýgræðingur, en eldurinn í hjarta þínu brennur af hreinleika, hreinleika sem var einu sinni yfirgefin fyrir mörgum árum--"

Chance held his hand up and shook his head, interrupting the goddess' speech. "You're talking in another language that I don't understand. English, not... whatever you're speaking at this moment. I'm not trying to be rude, I genuinely don't understand the language." Chance explained.

Freyja nodded and began adjusting some of the bones around her face, even rearranging the structure of her spine. Eventually, she stopped and attempted to speak. "Can you understand now?" Freyja spoke, her voice raspy and hoarse, but at the same time, it sounded strong, yet comforting. Chance nodded, gesturing for the goddess to continue speaking. "Shape-changer of Man. You fight like a novice fledgling, but the fire in your heart burns with a purity, a purity that was once abandoned by you, years ago." Freyja stated.

Chance raised an eyebrow. "The hell's that supposed to mean!?" Chance questioned, feeling a bit offended.

Freyja ignored the human's question, and continued to speak. "Hear me, juvenile of the modern world, Ah Puch has grown bitter and bloodthirsty against mortals of all walks of life. I came here to soothe his soul and ease his rage, but in the end, it's now my soul that yearns for rest," Chance looked back down at the pit, noticing that he never heard the sound of an impact during this conversation, but he did hear the faint sound of climbing coming from below. "You wore my helmet. Normally, a fellow Valkyrie, or a female of strong warrior descent can see the memories I once held dear, but you, while you are a descendant of a strong warrior, you can't comprehend its power... but, by bestowing my Helm back to mine possession, you will put my soul to rest, and ensure that my power will not be misused by greedy, revenge-driven mortals, like Abacus Cinch." Freyja explained.

The sound of climbing becomes louder, and more erratic as Ah Puch roars out from the pit. "Put mine soul to rest, and leave this accursed place. No more innocence should die here, let it end with those impure occultists, who proved to be unworthy of mine power, knowledge, and treasure." Freyja requested.

Freyja leaned against the wall, falling to the ground as if she lost the strength to keep going. Chance picked up Sunset and put her on her back, making a run for the chamber to get that helmet. As Chance runs, Sunset starts to wake up. "Uhg... my head. Bud, what's goin' on? Where's Luna?" Sunset asked groggily, trying to snap out of her daze.

Chance sighed. "Explanations later when we're not in danger, right now, I need to get that helmet back to Freyja, and we need to get the fuck out of here!" Chance briefly explained.

Luna continued to keep evading Cinch's attacks, until a couple managed to slice through her shirt, and cut into her sides, making Luna stumble back as she started to bleed. Luna fell back, shielding the helmet with her body as Cinch raised her blade up, ready to deliver the final strike. "This is it for you, Luna Equinox, the end of your road. Any last words before whatever afterlife takes hold of your soul!?" Cinch asked.

Luna grimaced, but looked behind her attacker for a moment, before letting a smirk form on her face. "You mess with me, you mess with my kids, and they are not happy with either of us." Luna grunted.

Cinch raised an eyebrow at that remark, before a hand grabbed a fistful of her bun and pulled her back with an aggressive amount of force. Chance was carrying Sunset on his back, and Sunset was dragging Cinch away by her hair bun, and managed to put her hand onto Cinch's face. "Sleep!!" Sunset commanded.

Before Cinch could try and resist, she was out like a light, passing out and snoring on the ancient stone floor. Chance let Sunset get off his back, and the two ran over to Luna. "Hey, you alright? Ya got cut pretty bad." Chance asked.

Luna nodded, smiling a bit. "I'll live. I was almost certain you two wouldn't come back for me." Luna confessed.

Chance and Sunset sighed, both teens were drastically exhausted. "Just because we're pissed off at what you put us through today, doesn't mean we're leaving you to die. We'd be no better than Cinch, and I'm still surprised she went this far just to get revenge." Sunset admitted.

Chance nodded. "We can discuss that problem later, we need to get out of here before Ah Puch comes back. Managed to get him to jump into the pit, but he won't stay there for much longer. How do we heal her wounds without those senzu things, or a med kit, for that matter?" Chance questioned.

Sunset tore off both of her t-shirt's sleeves and pushed them into her wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. "This should work until we get a med kit. How do we get out of here?" Sunset questioned.

Chance looked at the Omnitrix, noticing that was still in the midst of recharging. He looked around, and saw the helmet on Luna's left. He grabbed it, and looked back at Freyja, who was still slumped against the wall. It was at that moment that Chance got an idea. "This might sound crazy, but I think our ticket out of here involves a bit of "Divine Intervention"." Chance remarked.

The temple started to shake, and the interior starts to crumble. "Hurry, you pick one shoulder, I got the other!" Sunset suggested.

Chance and Sunset quickly got under Sunset's arms and hoisted her over her shoulders, carrying her out of the chamber as they ran towards Freyja's body. "Hey, listen, thanks for not killing me and my friends, I appreciate it, but can you get us out of here? You save our lives one more time, and you get your helmet back, I promise!" Chance pleaded.

Ah Puch's roar echoed out as he finally started to climb out of the pit, regaining his footing. Chance, with no more options left, placed the helmet on Freyja, and the trio grabbed hold of the goddess' ribcage. In a flash of golden light, Freyja's skeleton flew past Ah Puch, who was shoulder checked back into the pit as the temple started collapsing.

On the outside, Freyja drops the trio to the ground, and returns to the interior of the temple. The trio watch as the temple falls and crumbles, all while the sounds of startled animals cry out from the jungle as they scatter. Luna looks dead on before turning to see the two teenagers. Luna removes the now ripped and bloodied sleeves from her wounds, to find that her wounds have been instantaneously healed. "Guess the Goddess Freyja was one of the merciful gods, otherwise, she could've ripped us apart after giving her back the helmet she cherished. How do you feel?" Sunset asked.

Luna smiled softly. "Like a million bucks, but I feel like I owe you both a lot more," Chance looked away, while Sunset gave Luna a hug. "I'm sorry for how I treated you both, it wasn't okay for me to act like that, no matter the circumstance. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, nor do I expect it, but--" Luna was nearly knocked back a bit as Chance charged at her, and squeezed her tightly, along with Sunset getting the brunt of the sudden embrace. "Chance, are you alright?!" Luna asked, taken aback by the sudden heel turn.

Chance gritted his teeth and didn't let them go, though Luna could feel her shirt getting wet, and heard muffled and stifled sobs. "No, I'm not!! Don't get me wrong, I am still mad and I need time to get my thoughts in order. But, I'm just glad that you're both not dead, or worse! Stop scaring the hell out of me like this, I hate it when you guys do that!!" Chance sobbed.

Sunset rubbed the boy's back, and after a bit of comforting each other and several more apologies, the trio look around until Chance suddenly realizes something. "Uh oh..." Chance muttered, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Sunset looked at her friend. "What's wrong now, bud?" Sunset asked.

Chance looked around, then back at the Omnitrix. "Without Fumesquito or Riptile to travel long distances with passengers, how are we getting back to the RV from here?" The trio look around for a couple moments, and soon take notice the cultists' helicopter hidden amongst the tree. "Luna, in all your years of being a Plumber, you wouldn't happen to know to actually fly one of these birds, do you?" Chance asked.

Luna smirked and walked towards the Helicopter. "Come on, you two, let's get back on the road." Luna said.

The Helicopter flies above the jungle and towards the horizon, with the two teens smiling, glad that they survived such an ordeal, though Chance is still trying to wrangle in his emotions about what happened prior, he is glad this little adventure gave him the kind of experience he never thought he'd get. Fighting two gods, and making an ally out of one of them.

"Y'know, I just realized we left Cinch and her cult down there with Ah Puch, and Freyja's spirit is at peace now, I think. Do you think they survived and escaped?" Chance asked.

Sunset's eyes widened. "Oh shoot! I completely forgot about that. Well, if she didn't already have a reason to want us dead, she'll have another one now if she survived. I mean, we barely got away with our lives, this time, who knows if she escaped!" Sunset commented.

Luna smiled. "If she and her cult did escape, we'll be ready for her next time. Wish we could take this helicopter with us, but we can't run the risk of them getting it back, or them tracking it to our next location," Luna looks back at Chance, who notices her gaze. "Mister Marsten, would you be capable of destroying it?" Luna asked.

Chance smiled. "It'll be my pleasure." Chance accepted, nodding to the vice principal.

Author's Note

And this was my version of 'Ultimate Weapon'. I figured I'd want to try tackling this episode for a multitude of reasons.

The first reason is that we're finally introduced to the Forever Knights of this universe. It also made sense to bring an Equestria Girls villain back that never showed up again (as far as I know), and give them a chance to take revenge. So, I chose Cinch, because she already seemed batshit crazy.

The second reason was that I wanted to implement the concept that certain mythological pantheons have some form of unrecorded history, knowing these gods and goddesses likely crossed each other's paths for one reason or another, it makes me feel a sense of satisfaction to lay this kind of ground work for future story ideas.

I also wanted to tackle how strained Chance and Sunset's relationship with Luna would be, in comparison to how strained Ben and Gwen's relationship with their grandfather, Max, was in the original episode.

When Luna snaps or gets impatient with Chance, it's resurfacing trauma from the past, indicating that Chance has had verbal fights with Jean and/or Moonshine in the past, and he doesn't like fighting with Luna in this manner, fearing that his opinion of her will sour as a result, so he goes along with it the best he can, until he finally breaks under the pressure.

When Luna doesn't take Sunset's concerns into consideration, it almost feels like she's not being taken seriously, which reminds her a lot of herself, when she didn't listen to a certain someone from her past. When Sunset passes out, that's the tipping point for both of these teenagers to realize that this helmet nonsense has driven Luna crazy with her obsession, and needs to be brought back to reality.

I also didn't change this episode a whole lot, just because I felt like I wanted to keep to the original script for this one. Sure, I included Norse Mythology into the mix and had a Mayan God interact with a Norse Goddess, that's cool and all, but it's still the same as the original episode's canon.

One thing I will admit, however, is that Chance and Sunset are starting to question what the plumbers actually did when they used to be active, and Luna's change in demeanor, behavior, and the way she talked to and treated them during this episode was not the best impression. I was focusing on that aspect a lot, and wanted it to matter, as the story keeps going forward.

It may seem like everything's fine at the end, but this will be important, especially later.

Hope you enjoyed, and sorry for the lengthy Author's note this time around, I had a bit more to say about this one, compared to others.