Mysterious Woman, Reasoning, and Recruitment

Odin POV:

Mightily satisfied with the traitorous Norn's reaction to the destruction of the Loom of the Fates, I grin smugly at them full of confidence. That is until my wife magically disappears from all of our sights, leaving us all bewildered.

After a second of her not returning I once more did the only logical thing, and shouted at the Norns, for their audacity. "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" After all, if my wife is not in Asgard, I will not be able to enjoy the finer pleasures of our very long-lived lives.

When they refuse to answer, whether because they are astonished or just willful, I could not care less, I start charging my Gungnir with the entirety of the trinkets, Space Gem, and my full might, holding back nothing.

Just before I release Gungnir in the direction of the Norns, a very mysterious and alluring woman appeared in our midst. This woman was by far the most beautiful my eyes had ever beheld. Even more so than my own wife! For myself to admit such a thing, this woman, nay, this Goddess, must needs possess unmatched beauty.

Her silver hair shone like the purest Uru in the glow of Gungnir, while her skin just from looking at it I could tell had a quality no other women, whose touch I had known, could ever come close to. Up until this moment all was well. That all came to change however, when I had at long last seen her face.

Not her features that were oh, so similar to my wife, not her poise, nor grandeur, nor even the clearly magical aura that surrounded her very being. No, none of these things truly gave me pause except, the symbols etched on her forehead, and the form her eyes had taken.

Unable to recognize such symbols and forms emanating such overwhelming pressure and might, as anything but an overly mighty advancement of the rune charms many an asgardian magician could produce, I was left in a stupor.

Left stunned and unresponsive, the glow of Gungnir started to die down, as the Norns were brought ever deeper into their own confusion. That is until the woman spoke.

"Well, hello dear, I have missed you as well." She said with a smile, and it was in this moment I had come to recognize the woman as my wife.

"My love, how did you manage to change so much in so little time? And what are those? Rune charms?" I asked my wife, though I knew full well. That those were NOT charms, and a completely different form of magical might altogether.

Staring at me in slight confusion she conjured more of these rune charms, or maybe just runes? And then a reflective glass magically appeared in front of her. Her surprised expression did not go unnoticed, as she took in her changes and seemed satisfied with them, before once more turning to me, again in confusion.

Until realization dawned in her eyes and my wife confirmed my suspicions saying, "Oh, dear, I had forgotten. You had not done the sacrifice yet, thus know nothing about true rune magic." She finished with a smile so alluring I could have sworn she had infused magic into it.

Awaking from my moment of reverie, I asked her. "Frigga my queen, what do you mean with true rune magic?"

She smiled at me once again, before saying, "You shall soon learn anyway, I will explain later." After which she turned to the still overwhelmed Norns and spoke once more.

"Your corrupters are dead, and their souls have been taken by Lady Death herself. Now only we and your lost queen remain."

Taking advantage of my wife's pause, Urd of the past hurriedly spoke. "That should be impossible, and what queen do you speak of? As we recognize no one but our Lords over us."

With a hearty grin I am proud of, my wife answered Urd's inquiry.

"Those Who Sit Above in Shadow are created and empowered by the imagination of all Asgardians. Whereas the Abstract Lords are created from the concepts they embody, and the omniverse, multiverse, and universe's will itself, as well as the will of the only actual omnipotent being in our omniverse. Comparing the two, it really is little wonder whether the multiversal Abstract Lady of Death itself, can deal with and permanently cut off the universally created Those Who Sit Above in Shadow and their influence from the mortal realms."

Urd tried to contend against my wife using words. "But that should be impossible, they are outside time, space, universe, and-"

Cutting her off in impatience my wife resumed. "Now you are just denying the truth right in front of you. Sure, they might be outside OUR normal time and space, but still fall under the universal scope of things as every universe with asgardians has their own Those Who Sit Above in Shadow group, or as a very wise and beloved man once said. Larry, Larry, Larry, Ralph, and Larry."

Everyone was left astonished, especially myself. 'Who is this wise and beloved man and is he seducing my wife!'

[A/N: Rest in peace, Stan Lee.]

In I presume amusement at our reactions, my wife continued. "Besides that, your lost queen, is named Karnilla, and if she is found and educated well, she could be a very valuable asset to Asgard, especially as the Queen of Nornheim.

All of that, however, is not the matter at hand, and can be discussed later. The real reason you are all so dependent on these Larry's and Ralph is that they have corrupted you and conditioned you to be dependent on them from too early. Thus, limiting your potential, powers, and abilities, otherwise there would exist few if any more potent seers throughout the universe than you three.

After all, at least two different pantheons regularly rely on you or other versions of you across the multiverse." 

As my wife continues speaking, I think to myself. 'I am not amused with the direction this is going!'

She continues, this time with a gentle look on her face. "If I am being completely honest, I wanted to destroy you all the moment I was shown what you continually did to my husband and family for so long, yet Lord Spectre showed me that you are just as much victims as we were, at least in our universe apparently, but-"

At that I interrupt my wife, as I cannot comprehend what could possibly require this much information on themselves before an execution.

"STOP! did not that Spectre person, order us to annihilate them?"

Looking at me clearly unamused, my wife responded, "That is Lord Spectre, and yes, he did, yet he specifically said, and I quote, 'they are literally parasites,' but in the futures of Asgard he showed me. In the top ten best futures, at least half of them had all three Norns, and some even had the Norn Queen.

Let me explain myself, you see Lord Spectre once mentioned the Vishanti to me, and clearly, we know who they are, and I know he made a deal with them, from a passing comment about me getting more out of 'this deal' than even they did.

Now why is this important, well you see my husband, the Vishanti mostly focus on the protection of the Earth from dimensional threats, but are also the keepers of the Time Gem, according to the oracle I received from Lord Spectre and one of their Sorcerer Supremes fighting alongside-..., someone who you will know personally" 'And make' She said something extremely softly under her breath, to the point I could not understand it.

"I am presuming this deal had something to do with the timeline for Lord Spectre to grant them his blessing. Thus, meaning they will take care of most events happening on earth, but WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE WITH THOSE CAPABILITIES ON OUR SIDE! Besides myself now, yet I refuse to do everything, and while I am gone taking care of and raising our daughter, you will need someone to guide and help you. 

Thus, were the Norns come in, as their original, uncorrupted selves are kind, fierce protectors, and guardians of the ten realms.

Besides, while I received an oracle that, was based on specific timelines which will most definitely change, eventually making my information outdated, yet the Norns can regularly provide new information whenever we want or need."

At that I shut up, as clearly, even though I despised them, they had their worth.

Verdande said. "And what makes you think that we will follow you?!" she almost screamed.

With a gentle smile my wife responded. "Because of this."

And from her hand intertwining black and blue runes were instantly formed in the air. From the air the runes flew directly to the foreheads of the Norn hags, and then they all started screaming, as if their spirits were being torn from their mortal vessels.

As they calmed down, I noticed that they were decrepit old hags no more. 'Well age wise yes, but their bodies..., MOST DEFINITELY NOT! I mean they still do not even come close to being comparable to my wife, but...!' Suddenly I felt a chilling shiver running up my spine and I seized my thoughts in fear. 'I guess those embedded runes do more than just look mighty, huh.'

My wife, without changing her expression or looking at me, continues speaking to the Norns. "What I just did completely removed the corruption and limitations placed on you by them, as well as the conditionings. I also returned all of the progress and prepared you to surpass any limits you previously had, concerning the concepts you embody."

Looking at their faces, on each of their foreheads was a special alternating between black and blue colored rune. Urd's rune I presume meant past, Verdande's present, and Skuld's rune future.

Frigga once more continued, 'I am frankly surprised I have not yet become tired of her voice..., it is most definitely this rune magic.'

"So, you could gain forgiveness and further development of your powers by becoming Asgard's new three Royal Advisors and serving for the betterment of the ten realms. Similar to the Vishanti on earth, but on a much larger scale, or you can die." My wife finished with a smile that sent shivers, this time down my spine instead of upwards. 'It is at times like these, I remember she was the first Valkyrie, and still is the Valkyrie Queen.'

It seemed that after having all of their corruption and ugliness purged from them, being restored to their kind, fiercely protective selves, gifted the unbiased knowledge of what happened to them from an outside perspective, and the real threat my all new seemingly all-powerful wife announced, made them all fiercely loyal to Asgard as its three new Royal Advisors.

With nothing left to argue about, I just accepted it and moved on, "Hurry and leave, we have more things to get to!" I ordered the new Norns.

My wife though seemed to not have been done yet. "Wait, if you return now, you will probably be hunted and killed by the Valkyrie. Instead take this insignia, appear just outside the Bifrost, prostrate to the Royal Palace, and hold out the insignia. I have carved a rune that in the presence of Brynhildr will activate and inform her of our decision, and how to accommodate you. If she is not the one who finds you first, ask for her, and she should appear soon enough."

Slightly frustrated, the Norns in understanding bowed towards my wife, ONLY MY WIFE, and then disappeared...!!!

"WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE!?!?!?"

Smirking at me, my wife turned around and led me to the Well of Mimir, where I would find the place of my sacrifice.