Upon their return from the moon, Nex Loki and the Valkyrie were met with another emergency.
Alarms blared across Asgard Tower, as black vines shot from the ground and ensnared the structure, pulling at the tower with a vice grip.
"What the fresh hell is this?" Fen demanded as she stood on one if the balconies, looking at the mass of vine that were wrapped so tightly their thorns dug into the stone facade.
Suddenly, the entire tower trembled as a voice boomed through the vines.
[NEX LOKI! YOU WILL STAND AND ANSWER FOR YOUR ACTIONS ON THE MOON!]
"That's the Administrator's voice," Yggdrasil said, "She's trying to pull the whole damn tower into her domain."
"Can she do that?" Fen questioned
"I'm fighting her on it," Yggdrasil said, her voice strained with unseen effort, "but Asgard wasn't designed to withstand a tug-of-war between higher beings like this. Structural integrity will fail if this keeps up."
"Can we bifrost away?" Thor asked
"We could, but it would only be a few moments before she finds us again and this situation repeats itself." Yggdrasil said, turning to Loki, "what do we do?"
"Let her win," Loki said, "let her pull is in."
Yggdrasil looked unsure, but then she relaxed. Seconds later, the mass of vines violently pulled the entirety of Asgard Tower down to the Faery Realm, the heart of the Metaphysical Plane.
The trip was neither instant, nor smooth. It felt like an earthquake, but the tower was resilient.
When the rumbling stopped, Petra and Tetra, who had been cowering their quarters, were instructed to meet up with the rest of the Valkyrie in the grand atrium, where a few unfortunate adventurers now found themselves trapped.
"Take care of them, keep then calm," Loki ordered the twins, "Yggdrasil will remain here, but the rest of us are going out there."
"Is that wise?" Petra asked
"No, but what else can we do?" Fen replied,
* * *
Loki, Fen, and Thor then stepped out of the grand entrance into a grove of spirit trees.
Before them were the gathered World Pillars, about a dozen faeries phantasmal beings. A large green tiger stepped forwards, it's three red eyes glaring at them.
"I am General Strohm, the sacred thunder tiger. Vice-commander of the World Pillars."
"Wow, you're such a fluffy kitty," Fen cooed mockingly,
The thunder tiger snarled at her, lightning crackling from its eyes, "Silence, twice cursed, before I smite your diseased carcass where you stand."
"Hey! No one insults Flag-face but me," Thor sneered
"And you," General Strohm glared towards her, "What even are you? Some sort of elf-golem hybrid?"
"Alright," Loki said, clapping his hands together, "so, where's your boss?"
[DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH ME, MAKER OF WONDERS.] The administrator boomed from every tree around them,
"Right, about that." Loki said pulling something from his inventory, presenting the head of Saint Silver.
The gathered World Pillars gasped at the reveal, crying out in outrage.
"First you release the usurper, and now this?"
"First of all, I want to make this perfectly clear; I did not do this." Loki clarified, "it's killer was another titan, who was hiding out on the moon."
"Preposterous." General Strohm scoffed, "We would have known of the presence of another titan on this planet."
"Like he said, Arkannon was in hiding on the moon," Fen emphasized, "and whether or not you could detect his presence, I know for a fact you all sensed his shattering."
[YES.] the administrator acquiesce, [EARLIER, A TREMENDOUS SURGE OF ANIMA WAS DETECTED, ORIGINATING FROM THE MOON. MANY HERE ASSUMED IT WAS PROOF OF YOUR... CESSATION. THE FACT OF YOUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE LENDS FURTHER CREDENCE TO YOUR CLAIM.]
Loki grinned, at least someone was willing to think rationally.
"Well, even if this Arkannon was indeed the culprit, as a representative of your kind you must answer for his crimes."
Loki laughed, "I'm not a 'representative of my kind' you overgrown fuzzball. I'm a fallen titan, banished from our realm."
"Watch your tone, fallen one," General Strohm growled
"Or what?" Loki folded his arms, "Saint Silver was the closest thing here to a threat against me, and you know it."
General Strohm growled, lightning crackling across his body, around him, the other World Pillars began to gather their power to bring down on the Valkyrie. But with the snap of Loki's finger, each and every one of them had a green energy blade resting by their throats, daring the World Pillar to try anything.
[ENOUGH.] the administrator said, [THERE IS NO FURTHER POINT TO PURSUING THIS MATTER. YOUR IMMATURE WORLD TREE HAS ALREADY VERIFIED EVENTS TO ME.]
Strohm protested, "B-but my lady, the usurper cannot be trusted. She seeks to replace you."
[THE ONE NAMED YGGDRASIL HAS NO AMBITIONS FOR MY POSITION, SHE HAD ALREADY FOUND A PLACE FOR HERSELF WITH THE FALLEN ONE.]
Loki let the energy blade dissipate, "so can we move on?"
[YES. THE NEWS OF THIS 'MOONLIT MOTHER' IS OF GREATER CONCERN.]
Loki proceeded to convey his encounter with the fledgling celestial, including her message for the administrator.
[HMM, I LOOK FORWARD TO COOPERATING WITH THIS NEW OVERSEER. TOO LONG HAS THE MOON BEEN NEGLECTED BY THE FAERIE.]
"Administrator, if I may?" Fen stepped forwards, "Events on the moon have enlightened us to other matters that warrant concern. Arkannon's death rattle will undoubtedly be sensed by other entities, entities that may likely take interest in the planet where a titan met its end."
[YES, THIS IS QUITE POSSIBLE. LAST TIME THIS WORLD FACED EXISTENTIAL THREAT, WE WERE ILL-EQUIPPED TO DEFEND AGAINST IT, AS PAINED AS I AM TO ADMIT.] the administrator said, [BUT IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE PAST CALAMITY WAS THE UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCE OF A TREASONOUS PLOT BY PREVIOUS WORLD PILLARS TO BRING DOWN THE MASTER OF ASGARD AND HIS FORCES.]
This caused a wave of unease across the assembled World Pillars.
"We couldn't help last time, for unavoidable reasons," Loki said, "but this time, let the forces of Asgard lend you our aid in defending this world."
[YOUR OFFER IS... APPEALING, MAKER OF WONDERS. WE WILL DISCUSS THE MATTER FURTHER ONCE WE HAVE REACHED A CONSENSUS.]
"Thank you," Loki said with a bow, "So, will you be returning Asgard to the Physical Plane?"
[YES, WELL I BELIEVE YOUR TOWER IS CAPABLE OF RELOCATING ITSELF, I'M CONFIDENT YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT YOURSELF.] the administrator said, before muttering to herself, [AND HERE I THOUGHT I FINALLY HAD AN EXCUSE TO DESTROY THAT UGLY MONSTROSITY.]