Atreus dreamed often. He dreamed vividly. He never could distinguish his dreams from his visions, because theyād always felt real to him on either end. Of things that had happened before and things that would still come to pass, he had a full routine and was well-practiced in it.
The setting was familiar to him now, Jotunheim, though it wasnāt a place he dreamed about often. Normally it was home, Midgard, or something to do with Vallo in the last few years. Jotunheim to him was a home he would never really know, not with the giants long gone. But the warmth of the sun hit his face as he slowly walks up the steps towards the temple that heād now visited several times. The walls were adorned with him, his story, as told by his mother and the Giants.
Each and every time heād been here since scattering her ashes, heād been alone. Now a tall figure stood before him, and Atreus felt his breath catch in his throat. āMother?ā He almost didnāt want to ask the question, worried that he was getting his hopes up over nothing, that he would be let down, but bravery won over in the end.
It had been many years since Faye had laid eyes on her homeland in person. Sheād seen it in the eye of prophecy, but not like this. Not lit by the sun and peaceful. She knew whatever this was, it was temporary. An illusion. But she was stubborn and capable of looking at the bigger picture, always. And she felt real enough, her auburn hair in a long braid over shoulder and the warmth of the sun on her skin. That made it easy to smile at the picturesque view and turned towards the sound of a manās voice.
Sheād āseenā him like this too. But it was still something else to lay eyes on her grown son, healthy and strong, and practically a stranger were it not for the familiar softness of his eyes and everything about him that reminded her of Kratos. āAtreus,ā she murmured warmly. āLook at you. All grown.ā She stepped closer and lifted a hand to press it over his heart, but froze in uncertainty. Her son no doubt knew all she had kept from him by now. āI donāt know what this is, but it is good to see you.ā
Atreus immediately brought his hand up to grasp hers, and he held it there, firm, as if trying to convince himself it was real despite knowing it was a dream.
But then, just because it was a dream didnāt make it less real, he knew that. He just wanted more time, always more time. āMother,ā His voice cracked this time as if he was barely a teenager again, emotional and discontent. He thought about her daily but it had been a long time since he dwelled there beyond happier memories. Now it was so raw and on the surface again, and all of the things heād wanted to say to her and ask her over the years were lost in the void somewhere.
āI- Itās a dream. My dream, I think?ā He took a deep, steadying breath. āI miss you. Everyday. I wasnāt- I wasnāt ready for you to be gone.ā
"Oh..." Faye blinked back the tears that threatened and moved forward to wrap her son in a hug. "I think it is a dream. I'm sorry. I wish I could stay. I wish I could've stayed with you always, Atreus."
She didn't particularly have regrets; she'd known what was coming and done her best to give Atreus a chance to weather it all. But there had probably been better ways. She wasn't infallible. Just a traumatized mother who'd experienced the worst that could happen to her people. She pulled back enough to press his face between her hands.
"Will you tell me about your life?" Her smirk was gentle. "Or would you like to interrogate me first?"
āI know,ā His words were muffled into her neck as he found himself pulled into the embrace, and it was without complaint. He squeezed her tighter than a hug ever had before, because even though he knew this was a dream, a part of him didnāt want to let her go, even if he knew he would have to eventually. Heād thought he came to terms with it when theyād released her ashes, but no part of him would ever really be okay with losing her so early.
āI-ā Oh Gods, where to even start. Though he did want to interrogate. āWell- pretty much everything back home you know? At least so far itās come true, with Fimbulwinter and Ragnarok and all of that. But what wasnāt on your prophecy was getting transported to an unknown realm called Vallo. Thatās where father and I have been for the last few years.ā
Faye frowned and dropped her hands from Atreus's face, squeezing his arm as she lowered them to her sides. "Thatā¦is unexpected. I've never even heard of this Vallo. Are you well there? Safe?"
She didn't want to talk about Fimbulwitner and Ragnarok but she supposed that was unavoidable too. Her gaze dropped away, not quite nervous but close. She was a stubborn woman, and held tightly to the things closest to her heart. Even when they happened to be a god. "Your father, is heā¦.How is he?"
āI know, right?ā Atreus to to grin a little at the confirmation his mother didnāt know about Vallo. It made him feel a little better, as a relative newbie in terms of seeing the future, when his mother hadnāt picked up on it. āItās good though, relatively peaceful and thereās no Odin.ā Thor was another matter, but not one he wanted to go into during this talk.
It gave him leave to go a little more serious with the question about Father. He nodded. āHeās-- father. But heās good.ā Atreus swallowed, not quite prepared to ask this question but he didnāt stop himself. āIs that why you never said anything about-- us? Where you come from? I donāt know if father knows Iāve seen the mural, but I have.ā
No Odin was very good news. Faye breathed some relief at that. This Vallo place might have just been a temporary deviation from the future she saw or it might be a new path altogether, but she could hope for the best. There was little else she could do now. She smiled softly, apologetically, at his question.
"Itā¦is a heavy burden, knowing the future. It's an even heavier one, knowing your loved ones will suffer. That you won't be there to help." She sighed and took his hand, warming it between her palms. "I thought about telling you many times. But I didn't want you to bear that same burden. And I worried that you'd focus so much on changing things that you wouldn't live any of your life for yourself. That you wouldn't become the man I knew you could be if you were weighed down your whole life by prophecy." She patted his hand. "I don't know if that was the right choice. I just know I love you and I wanted to protect you until I couldn't anymore."
āMother--ā Atreus sucked in a breath, and he lurched forward to hug her again. He couldnāt resist, not when they were on borrowed time, even if this felt different. āI love you.ā He squeezed again, not ready to let go despite sounding muffled. āI became the person I am today because of you, trust me.ā His father had that impact as well, given how heād needed the guidance after her passing, but his mother had been what shaped him to start.
It was where heād learned so much that he would never forget. āCan--ā He finally pulled away and looked around, at this world he had been to dozens of times but still didnāt know. āCan I change things? Itās not so much a focus as it is just-- curiosity. I have visions too, but I donāt always know whatās going to come true and what I can change, but I wasnāt sure if some things are more open to that.ā
Faye hugged back, just as reluctant to let go. It hurt to know she wouldnāt get the chance to appreciate her son as the man he was now, but it soothed the ache to see the evidence that his heart was still strong and kind after everything heād been through. She blinked back tears as he pulled back.
āIā¦I didnāt think anyone could. In our pastāā The memory of what happened to her people - their people - flared strong and sharp for a moment. She willed it back and focused on Atreus. āPeople that try to change fate usually just end up bringing about the very destiny theyāre rebelling against. But the fact that youāre somewhere else when I got no hint of that means something has to have changed. It could mean more change is possible. Did you see anything that warned you of this Vallo?ā Would it matter if he had? She wasnāt sure. Prophecy was a complicated thing and people didn't all see the same way.
āNot of Vallo, no.ā It was complicated to try and explain what they knew when that could always change. āNothing is set in stone there, and even the people that have far more honed abilities than I do canāt see a lot of things coming. But lives have been changed there, though itās not guaranteed forever.ā
Which was always going to be a worry in the back of his mind, for as long as Vallo was unstable. It made him think of his friends, and-- Loves. Lovers. Boyfriends. Lance, whatever that was building into. Atreus looked back up at her, not wanting to make himself sad or doubt when this was good right now. āYou told me so many of the stories of Jotunheim when I thought they were just legends and myth. Will you tell me them now from your side? Talking about family? Iād like to hear about them.ā
It was somehow both alarming and a relief to hear the soothsayers of Vallo couldnāt perfectly predict the future. Whatever magic had brought Fayeās family here, it had to be strong enough to shake the very foundations of the world she knew. And there was nothing she could do about it. She resisted the urge to sigh and pinch her nose between her fingers, as she often did when they faced a headache of a situation. She smiled instead and tucked her arm through Atreusās to walk him towards a glen nearby.
āI will tell you about your family. Your grandparents. This land that comforted me through my youth.ā Faye gestured at their surroundings. āAnd if this place between worlds extends far enough, I will show you some of the places I always wanted to show you when you were a child. Thereās a rock we need to carve your name into.ā She rested her cheek against his shoulder. He was so tall now. She could make herself taller if she wanted, up to her giant size, but this was nice. āI am glad you are somewhere you can carve your own path, Atreus. I hope it treats you kinder than home ever has.ā
Atreus sucked in a breath and let himself relax against his mother. Her comforting presence alone was enough to make this whole world around them feel better, more like home even though it never was. āPlease, yes. And if we have time, Iāll tell you about the place I made home, and about your grandchildren.ā
To a normal parent that statement mightāve been alarming, but he knew full well that his mother had met at least one of her grandchildren already thanks to the wonders of time travel. āJƶrmie says hi, by the way. Or would if he knew I was here and I had a half hour.ā
Faye laughed, a bright sound that she hadn't had much reason to make in recent days. This magic might have been temporary but at least it gave her that. A little stolen time with her son and a joyful memory to hold onto at the end of things.
"Give him a kiss for me," she smirked, picturing Atreus and a full sized Jƶrmungandr. It was true that she didn't hardly blink - both because she's met the giant serpent and seen enough of Atreus's future to know Jƶrmungandr's personal significance. "And tell me about the others while we walk. I'm holding your stories hostage until I least have the names of my grandchildren. Maybe even sketches."