After their little talk, Ratatoskr ran to the top of the world-tree Yggdrasil and met the Eagle there. She was on the top of everything, able to see the whole Norse creation. Her eyes so noble, calm and serious, were able to see even beyond the great void Ginnungagap, outside the world-tree Yggdrasil. She quickly paid attention to her only regular visitor as soon as he arrived.

Ratatoskr climbed on a side branch so he could speak with the Eagle face to face and below her beak. Ratatoskr hated when she made him feel like he was “below” her.

Without any delay he delivered the Dragon’s Nithhogg answer and message to Hraesvelgr, the Eagle. She was pleased with the dragon’s response and opened her wings out of joy. As she and Nithhogg always disagree, this outcome would be beneficial for her. In her mind, she did not have the “upper hand” on the Ragnarok’s outcome. Only thing she needed to figure out was the life and destiny of Jormungandr, since lately Nithhoggs was very attached and fond of him. 

The Eagle was always in favor of the gods, the Aesir and the Vanir. But lately she could not take their side as Nithhogg really hated them and every outcome they had already tried, with the gods ending up victorious, had failed in both the Eagle’s and the Dragon’s eyes.

But the latest Ragnarok, with an only giant to be the sole fate of the reconstruction of the modern world, was not at all the Eagle’s choice. She had to disagree with this ending, since it served too many of Nidhogg’s interests and desires!

Thankfully for her, Nithhogg asked her, via Ratatoskr, for her suggestion, so she explained her plan to Ratatoskr so he could deliver the message to Nithhogg as always.

“So, my plan is to mix the bloods… giants and gods together as one!”

Ratatoskr seemed confused but he did not express any interest so he stood silent waiting for the Eagle to continue…

“Ragnarok will not take place in its right time as planned. It will happen before many, many events…”

Still Ratatoskr waited patiently for the Eagle to finish…

“We will make the archrival of the gods, the mischievous trickster, to grow up differently, giving him a chance to have an alter personality from the one he always had.”

Ratatoskr’s mind started throwing thoughts about Hraesvelgr sayings, but still he did not talk…

“We will change Farbauti!”

“Wait what?!” 

He couldn’t hold it any more and Ratatoskr started asking questions as he grew kind of curious with this whole situation. It has never been his business in the first place. What Hraesvelr and Nithhogg are planning with the fate of the ones living inside the realms of the World-Tree. It was the natural order. He was just the messenger of these two. Only now has something changed. He was actually curious and interested on how the story would end up for those who live inside his Tree.

“Jormungandr’s grandfather? Loki’s father?! He was supposed to be a great warrior, famous and all, but he always disappeared as he was never interested in the stories… I call that bad writing on your part, but anyways… What made you think he could change something?”

The Eagle lowered her head, looked at the squirrel’s eyes… His interest was pure and not some kind of a joke. The Eagle took a deep breath and explained his plan only with the term that he would not speak of this to Nithhogg! A off the record conversation, and Ratatoskr agreed. 

“Loki never got to experience fatherhood, not even motherhood to be clear as he lost his mother very young and his father was none existent in his life. So, he became a god and lived in Asgard as a sworn-brother to Odin by a blood pact. A Giant’s son to be considered a God. Maybe his blood made him so mischievous, maybe the fact that he never felt welcomed in Asgard as a fellow God. His ways were always “the different”, the “abnormal solutions”. What if we gave him a chance to be raised as a God, but at the same time accepting his heritage as a Giant!”

“How would that be possible?” 

“I see things you cannot, Ratatoskr. I see things from up here no one in the Ashen tree Yggdrasil can! We are not alone in this void. I saw a pantheon much older than ours burned in flames and chaos, but with no rebirth to follow up! There is no say on how many times we can rewrite our history Ratatoskr. We have to end this…

I realize that. It is not in my nature to agree with Nithhogg as we are opposite beings, but we have to end it. Gods and Giants together, they are the solution, both of them! From that pantheon I witnessed their war. All of it! I saw someone who experienced pain, hatred and… war! I believe in our Yggdrasil he could find redemption and teach us new ways! He could be our Farbauti! Teach Loki new things, and in his turn teach Jormungandr, Fenrir and Hel.

“What makes you think he will not be the destruction of our world too?”

“I do not! That is the fun part! We will bring a God, marry him to a Giant giving birth to a Part God, Part Giant Loki! He would be our champion and our ambassador of the new world!”

“You are crazy!!!

“We cannot do this forever Ratatoskr… It has to end. And if it doesn’t work.. Well, we will rewrite Ragnarok from the start once again! Until it burns us all! Now, go give my message to Nithhogg and let us begin!”

*

After his confrontation with Hraesvelgr, Ratatoskr was climbing down towards the roots of Yggdrasil. He was murmuring to himself, cursing as usual. This time he was pissed off by the ignorance of the Eagle and the way he treated him. He was so mad, he thought to give Nithhogg a different message from the one the Eagle told him to send. Although, he remembered, the last time he acted like that, things went terribly wrong. Yggdrasil was shaking from the misunderstood drama and conflict that Ratatoskr intentionally created. It was a different time then, different Ratatoskr. He was younger and didn’t care much. He laughed at this situation, while Hraesvelgr and Nithhogg were trying to solve it.

This time though, he erased the thought off of his mind immediately. Mainly because he grew a little compassionate towards Jormungandr and what he had been through. He agreed with the Eagle on one thing. it was time to put an end, not only to Jormungandr’s story, but to Ragnarok too! He feared that constant rewrites of the fate of the World-Tree would make it rot and fall into the dark void. Even though he was furious with the way Hraesvelgr was thinking, he decided to support her idea.

Maybe someone from a different world would actually be the solution and finally put an end to the constant resets of Ragnarok’s history.

Ratatoskr arrived in Niflheim and stood by the well of Nithhogg. This time the corpse-eating dragon arises from the waters and his sleep, before Ratatoskr starts yelling at him again. Waking her up

“So, what does the Eagle suggest?” 

asked the Dragon, with Ratatoskr narrating him exactly word by word , what Hraesvelgr had told him… At some point the dragon started laughing… He laughed with so much passion he opened his wings and rose them above the waters of the well. She moved her body, she stood above the freezing cold waters. From her mouth some dead corpses started falling. They must have been stuck between her teeth when she was eating them; or maybe she was too bored to even swallow them, no one knows… The sight was disgusting for Ratatoskr as he yelled at the Dragon!

“Sit down you slimy worm! You discord the waters and the root of the world-tree!”

But Ratatoskr’s attention was quickly overcome by a different sight. He was watching at Nithhogg’s belly!

“Ahh… I am sorry my tiny furry friend. It’s just… Your message really caught me off guard… Are these really the exact words from the Eagle? Or is this some kind of prank you are pulling to make yourself laugh? Like the old times.”

Ratatoskr denied her accusations and nodded to the fact that this was actually Hraesvelgr’s message and proposition.

That time Nithhogg yelled again out of excitement!

“Oh, the old bird grew some spark in her imagination!!! This will really mix-up the events like no time before!”

She had a little pause, acting like she was thinking about it, but she really couldn’t hide her excitement and wonder, about what change, bringing a different Farbauti will do.

“I love it! When do we start?

“As soon as possible… But Nithhogg, may I ask you something? Are you…”

“Yes I am, Ratatoskr!”

“You will become a mother… but how?”

“Yes I will!”

What Ratatoskr had noticed was the size of Nidhogg’s belly. Usually his first thought would have been that she was eating more than usual. But instincts spoiled him that Nithhogg was actually pregnant, expecting her offspring somehow…

*

Ratatoskr had a lot to plan out. With constantly running up and down the World-Tree delivering messages from the Eagle to the Dragon and from the Dragon to the Eagle. 

Lately he was taking part in those conversations as he was the one who was preparing for the journey across the World-Tree.

Hraesvelgr was giving him instructions on how and where to go. As well as careful things he must pay attention to in order for him to be able to return!

But Ratatoskr’s mind was thinking multiple things at once! He was interested in Nithhogg’s condition. How they should prepare for her offspring and what that would mean for the Yggdrasil. 

He was worrying for Jormungandr as he was as lonely as ever. He totally needed some company. Ratatoskr wanted to go visit him, talk to him, comfort him… But his duties were keeping him from doing so. He tried giving quick glimpses at Midgard to see how he was doing, every time he was passing through the realm…

Everything was settled and ready for his departure