An Apology and an Explanation:

"[THREAD TITLE]" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread started on [IRL DATE] and finished on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
Akkey: *takes place moments before Stonegit wakes up*
One foot in front of the other, it was an endless cycle. She’d been walking for hours (or days? Time was irrelevant in Purgatory), and still it was darkness, rocky walls and stale air. Her clothes had already dried, and each movement was an effort. Purgatory did that to you… it sapped your energy,…
Stonegit: To her utter shock, Stonegit exploded out of the water, flying into her and sending them both tumbling. Stonegit shook his head looking around. Purgatory? Why was he hear? Was Hel tricking him? "No," he figured. "This just must be a transition, I can already feel myself starting to move on…there’s a pull." He turned his head, and his jaw dropped. “Akkey!” he exclaimed, running over and helping her up. “What are you doing here!?”
Akkey: She was beyond surprised.
She was expecting to be pulled in, but she didn’t expect someone to come out, much less… 
"Stonegit?!" she gawked, too shocked to help as he pulled her up. “I’m… I got pulled in… what are you doing here? You… you were unconscious! After you and Haddock fought, after you kicked my…”
She remembered the last thing he did to her, and her hand involuntarily twitched under his. She wished it didn’t.
Stonegit: Stonegit dropped to his knees, grabbing her hands and pressing his forehead to hers. “When I last spoke to you, your mind was not your own. When you last spoke to me, my soul was literally missing, but you’re hear and now I can finally say Chief Akkey…I am so, so sorry for the heinous actions I committed against you at the lake.”
"I was confused about how I felt, I was desperate to do my job right, and I was scared, I was so scared I was going to loose Haddock that I…" he shook his head. "But it wasn’t right, the thought never leaves my mind, I need, I need you to know just how badly I want your forginess."  
Akkey: "Don’t…"
It confused her… it messed with her thoughts.
She wished he didn’t say it… wished he didn’t apologize. He didn’t have to. It wasn’t his fault. They were just doing their jobs. They signed up for it. It was expected of them.
And in the process they had wronged each other.
But still… somewhere buried deep, deep in her heart, she was angry. He had threatened her, almost killed her, all in the worst ways ever… she hadn’t realized how terrified she now was.
She stepped back, breathing heavily, “Don’t… apologize! We were doing it… for Haddock. That was all! We’re not supposed to apologize to each other! We… don’t! Because if you do… I’ll be angry… I can’t… there shouldn’t be anything to apologize for!”
"Not anymore…" her mind flashed back to Dust, her stomach churning over, Damn it… not this again.
"You tried to kill me." she whispered.
Stonegit: Stonegit’s eyes lowered to the ground, his fists curling. “For Haddock? Maybe so…but there is still every good reason for me to apologize. Akkey…you never, ever wronged me. Not once…” he gulped. “Yes…I was ready to kill you, I just wish there were some way I could make this right.”
Akkey: "I…" she stopped. He was mistaken, she had wronged him. “No… I have. To stop you… trying to destroy camp, I thought of… killing you. To save everyone…”
She laughed weakly, a tremor in her voice, “This is all messed up. Here I am, refusing to let you make amends, while that’s what I’ve been doing all this time. I’m just… so tired of the word sorry. I’m exhausted, I’m scared. I don’t even know if anything in this Rebellion will ever be made right. I wish everything would go back to normal. Haddock, you, my father— just…”
"I’m so tired," she petered out, burying her face in her hands, "Sorry…"
Stonegit: She felt Stonegit’s hands gently rest on either side of her head. He carefully made her look up at him. “You are too many that are apologizing for things that are not their faults. You tried to stop me from attacking a place full of innocent people, and children. There is nothing more noble. Before that you were possessed. Akkey…no more.” He pressed his lips together, and then continued to speak gently. “You have served this place loyally. You are no more guilty than I am when it comes to trying to hurt the rebellion.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Leave that word sorry behind you. And whether you forgive me or now, I swear I will do whatever it takes to keep it from haunting you again.” 
Akkey: Her words got caught in her throat when he hugged her. She felt an odd mixture of fear, guilt and gratitude; fear that he would lose himself again, and thankful for his kind words. But also guilt… because she was still afraid. She hid her face on his shoulder, and he felt his shirt dampen.
"Okay…" she said in a muffled voice, "Okay… thanks."
Stonegit: Stonegit slowly pulled away, smiling, and then sighed with relief. “Gods I’ve waited so long to say all that. Now…about you being here…”
"Yes about that…" Hel said casually, her presence becoming known in the dry land. "This does not concern the bodyguard, however rest assured you are safe and will returned in good time. In the time being…" Hel’s attention turned to Stonegit. “Scram.”
Stonegit turned to Akkey hurriedly. “Akkey! I’ll tell them your missing! Don’t let her manip-!” with a bang Stonegit was blown into the darkness of the purgatory.
Hel huffed. “There…that’s better.” she noted the look on Akkey’s face and rolled her eyes. "Oh relax he’s better than ever now, I gave him his soul back and even did some touch up work on his eyeball so chill. I just needed to get him back top side."     
Akkey: "Stonegit!"
"You? Needed him back top… soul?!" she had grabbed at empty air when Stonegit vanished, and now she was alone with… Hel.
"That was his soul… are you telling me he was never there? When he threatened camp? When…" she placed a hand on a wall to steady herself, "Are you keeping me here? Why?”
Hel: "Going down the line of questions. Yes, yes, sort of, yes and I’ll explain in a minute.” Hel said, materializing a little, her black form looming over her. “Here’s the long and short of it Akkey. Your father…is wrapped around my little finger. He’s been helping me hustle souls from the very beginning. Oh he doesn’t know why or that it’s even me, but he’s doing it. All because I told him something special…that you where alive. You are going to work for me too, and when the combined efforts of you and your father come to fruition…I’ll tell you something special as well.”
Akkey: Akkey glared at her, furiously ignoring the suspicion that gnawed at her, “No… it’s not true. It can’t be…”
Hel: Hel clicked her tongue. "I never said I would tell you ‘how’ getting souls to come here so I can harvest them later would help. But it ‘will.’ Not that I’m trustworthy or anything. But still…" she folded her arms. “You’re going to do this. And when you do, you’ll get your sister back.”
Akkey: She froze. It was quiet for a long while, as she stared at the deity wide eyed.
"Ha… haha," she laughed in a flat tone, "Sorry, I think I’m going deaf. My sister?”
Hel: Hel marched up to her, grabbing her by the chin. Getting grabbed by a god is something that cannot really be describe. Akkey would not be able to exactly say what it was like, but it was something breath taking to be sure. “Yes.” Hel said flatly. “She’s, not, dead. I will keep her alive. You do this job. You will be blameless, guiltless, and you will have your sister. I may lie while testing people. But I never, NEVER, lie when making a deal or giving a job.” she let go, her eyes breaking away from Akkey’s. “So…are you in?”
Akkey: She couldn’t breathe as Hel’s eyes bored into hers. It was mesmerizing, it was terrifying, it was beautiful. She couldn’t quite place it. It was impossible. It delved deep into her mind, overturning every secret she kept, every emotion she had. It was like Dust again, but less painful, less shattering.
"My sister’s… alive?" she croaked out, falling on the floor when the deity let her go, "She’s alive… you’ll bring her back. If I get you all the souls in camp…"
She tried to wrap her head around it. Maya… she’d see Maya again. She’s alive. But at what expense? The souls of all her friends, her comrades. 
"I… I can’t sacrifice hundreds of souls for one person…" she gasped painfully. She couldn’t believe what she was saying. She was passing up this opportunity to see her sister again! "I want my sister. Please… you can’t… this is cruel…"
Hel: “Ugh!” Hel said. “It’s not like your getting off the hook. I get your soul too you know.” Hel pressed her hands together and brought them up to his lips, thinking. “Akkey, I need you to get this done. So I will tell you everything…well, mostly everything.”
“I have been hustling souls using various people, Pitch being the last. Because of this I have bolstered my army in preparation fro Ragnorok. I knew Stonegit and some others would find my loop hole and ‘escape’ thus setting the world off balance. This brought Ragnorok here faster, which is good because I wanted to skip those pesky three years of solid winter anyway. I need more men thought. If you want to survive the end of the world, or at least want a fighting chance, you’ll be on my side, and you’ll do whatever you can to get others to be on my side too. Other gods are going to want your souls, but newsflash, Odin and Thor don’t live through the war, surprise! Just like the legends said!”
“You are going to want to be on a winning side. My side, and in a way you are all sorta in good with me…now don’t be a fool, and say yes." 
Akkey: Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, unable to say anything.
This is bigger than we thought. It’s out of our hands… Oh gods, Ragnarok is coming. An army… the winning side… oh gods, oh gods. She turned away, rubbing her hand on her forehead. She started mumbling under her breath, "We did not sign up for this… this is too soon. My gods…”
She whirled around, her face knotted with worry, “I don’t want to trick them into coming, like what happened to Vox and Stonegit. They should know the truth…”
Category:BOTGD
Category:Season 3
Category:Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss
Category:Akkey Black
Category:Events
Category:Hel (deity)