"Devour the sun–"

"Consume the moon–"

The young women stood back to back. One glimmered in gold, posing with her battle axe, while the other was a pale silver shadow, clinging to a huge scythe with a wicked blade.

"Celestial Swallower Skoll!"

"Celestial Swallower Hati!"

"We'll usher in the wolf age and bring you to justice!" they chorused.

"And cut!"

Celestial Swallower Hati breathed a sigh of relief and let her scythe clatter to the ground.

"This doesn't make any sense," she mumbled. "The production value is great, but the script makes no sense."

"Who cares? You're pulling in a pretty nice check, right?" Skoll fanned herself with a hand. "Although this show's niche does seem unusually small."

"The venn diagram of Norse mythology nerds and magical girl fans is like..." Hati drew two circles in the air with her fingers, keeping her arms spread widely. "Who's in the center? The writer and director?"

"Speak of the devil." Skoll pointed at the woman approaching them.

"That's a wrap for today." The director smiled. "I know the call sheet says 9 AM, but I'd really appreciate it if you could show up by 8:30. I want to go over a few things before you get into costume."

"Sounds good," Skoll agreed.

Hati shrugged. "I'll see what I can do."

"Well..." The director ran a hand through her hair while the two actors handed their weapons over the production assistants. "Get some rest, okay? We're doing the scene where Odin gives the girls their power crystals and Iris has been on my ass about how it's the lynchpin of the episode. In fact, if you want to take a look at the props we're using–"

"We'll see them tomorrow," Hati said. "It's fine. 8:30, right?"

The director smiled. "Please."

"Then, excuse me." Hati headed off at a brisk pace. With sympathy in her eyes, Skoll shrugged at the director, then followed after her co-star.

Another set of production assistants, this time from the costuming department, helped them out of their costumes and left them to dress themselves. Cast and crew alike filtered out of the studio, committing to their evening routines but still immersed in the production, which lingered behind them like a ghost.

More than that, Hati swore she could hear a specter following her with skittish footsteps that sounded almost bestial.

"Just a squirrel, huh..." She watched the creature with relief, even as it stood between her and her car.

"Ratatosk." A masculine voice retorted. "Not just a squirrel. You'd do well to remember my name, wolf-touched."

Hati pinched herself. "Don't tell me I fell asleep in the dressing room."

"You're still awake." The squirrel stood up straighter. "Come on, look alive. Let's go back inside. We have to get the crystal before the fell Fenrir arrives."

"Whoever's practicing their ventriloquism–"

"Will you shut your mouth and believe?" The squirrel wrinkled his nose. "No wonder so much evil survives in your world, if all of those with potential can't follow simple directions."

"Potential?" Hati found herself asking despite herself.

"I'll explain as we go. Follow me."

Ratatosk waved with a small arm and led the way back to the studio. Fortunately, nobody had locked the door yet, so the pair was able to make it all the way to the elevator before stopping awkwardly in front of it.

"What are we waiting for?" Hati asked.

"Press the button for me," he instructed.

"Humble little guy, aren't you." She rolled her eyes, but complied nonetheless.

"I am not a little guy."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Sure."

The two bickered as they rode the elevator up, and even as Ratatosk made haste to the props room.

"Why are you here, anyway?"

"I deliver messages. It's what I do. And you, wolf-touched, are in need of a message."

Hati shook her head. "I still can't–"

"Is anyone there?" Another voice rang out as the speaker flipped the lights on. "Ah, Hati! Who are you talking to?"

The actor glared at the squirrel, as if daring him to continue speaking. "Just talking to myself."

"I decided to take a look at those crystal props anyway." Skoll looked embarrassed. "We're gonna be playing around with them for a while if the show gets picked up."

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"You do want the show to get picked up, don't you?"

"Of course," Hati insisted.

Skoll frowned. "You're always acting like someone's raining on your parade. You okay?"

"No." Hati shook her head. "I've been talking to a squirrel."

"Don't screw around with me. I'm trying to be a concerned costar."

"She's not lying." Ratatosk seized the chance, running up onto one of the counters so he could look at the actors from a greater height.

"Yikes!" Skoll yelled.

"I'm glad you're here, too," he said. "I was worried when I didn't see you outside, but I needed to move fast."

"Hati, why is the squirrel talking?"

"My name is Ratatosk, not the squirrel, and I am talking because nobody else was willing to visit this backwards realm to speak with you. By the branches of Yggdrasil, you two are dense! Do you not know the beginning of a saga when you see it – when you are living it?"

Before the actors could break their stunned silence, a dark shadow drifted across the wall, pointy-eared and sharp-nosed, clearly monstrous. Ratatosk grabbed his tail and stroked it nervously.

"The crystals!" he said.

Quite suddenly, the shadow leapt off the wall and towards Hati and Skoll, pouncing with enough force to knock Skoll off her feet. The woman struggled beneath the intangible mass, thrusting her hands out as if to force an open muzzle away from her throat.

Seized by an illogical urge, Hati darted over to the table and grabbed the silver crystal wand. Someone had etched a snowflake pattern into its handle – and it was cold, too, just like ice.

"Consume the moon!" she yelled. "Consume the moon, consume the–"

But there was no need to continue screaming; it had worked the first time. From the moment the words left her mouth, the chill she felt seemed to spread out across the entire room.

Hati was aware of her body becoming lighter, beginning to levitate. It shone iridescently, as if her pale skin was illuminated from within. Her clothes metamorphosed into a new outfit, a combination of leather and metal armor that looked every bit like the costume that she'd worn a mere hour earlier. Even her shoes stretched upwards, turning into elegant boots.

"Holy shit." Inspired, Skoll summoned up strength she didn't know she had to push the shadow away. She made a mad dash for the table to grab the gold wand, calling out her transformation phrase in the instant her fingers stretched out towards it. "Devour the sun!"

The shadow growled and slunk towards the door.

"No way!" Hati decreed, pointing her wand at the shadow. "Tell us what you want with us."

The shadow rippled, as if it was laughing at her. A voice seemed to whisper in their minds, rather than out loud. Although you have awakened, you are weak. Your rebellion will not last. I will bring you to heel in time for Ragnarok.

It lunged for Hati this time, claws outstretched. She blocked its blow with her arm, screaming as jagged scratches opened up.

Skoll was quicker to remember her lines. "Sunspot! Stare into it and be dazzled!"

From her wand, she unleashed her first special attack, a series of orange-tinted white-hot spheres. One of them sizzled against the shadow.

"Far side!" Hati called out. "Fall into darkness and freeze!"

Dark icicles flew from her own wand, piercing the shadow and pinning it to the floor.

"Now!" Ratatosk peered out from behind his tail. "Finish him now!"

You won't. The shadow coughed and thrashed. Your shallow hunger cannot hope to win any battles, let alone this war. Enjoy playing your little games, for they will not last. I will be back and I will return you to the darkness.

In that instant, a thunderclap rocked the building, knocking the icicles that bound the shadow loose. It skittered immediately towards a vent near the ceiling, disappearing from sight.

"What does he mean, return us to the darkness?" Hati asked Ratatosk, who had barely begun to regain his composure.

"Didn't you read ahead in your scripts?" Ratatosk shook his head. "I shouldn't have expected anything from amateurs. The crystal hearts of the wolves were purified by Odin himself. Rather than killing your namesakes before they could fulfill their prophecies, he chose to rehabilitate them, enlisting their spirits to help in his own fight."

"Are you trying to say that we used to be the bad guys?" Skoll asked.

"No. You aren't really the celestial wolves, just the containers that receive their spirits."

"Who are you calling a container?" Hati huffed.

"Listen to me, and listen well, o wolf-touched." Ratatosk was as serious as ever. "My message for you is this. Life imitates art, and art imitates life. Odin asks that you read your scripts carefully. As long as you follow the path of justice, this saga will be sung for centuries to come. Celestial Devourers, go forth and feed on the evil that plagues this world!"