This is my humble translation of Polish story titled Na szerokie wody mnie weź by Ellena (oEllenao on ao3). I'm not a native speaker but I always do my best, swear - of course feel free to correct me :-) I would be very grateful for that as well as for each kind of feedback. Ellena has written that story after watching Ragnarok's trailers and before watching Ragnarok ;-) By the way she prefers the first idea of movie makers I mean: Hela as just another villain but more dangerous (not Odin's daughter and not related in any other ways with royal family).

For centuries Asgard, the golden kingdom, has been home to the warriors of the sun. For centuries Asgard has been a power guarding the peace in the Universe, in the Nine Realms placed in the arms of Yggdrasil. For centuries the warriors of the sun have thought that their home, their golden kingdom, would last forever - like an immortal star. For centuries their hearts have been fed by faith and hope. For centuries. Until this day. Only to this day.
Asgard. Home. Eternal kingdom surrounded by the sea…

„Father! Father!".
„Yes, Loki?".
„Can I and Thor get on the Bifrost?".
„What caprise is this, Loki?".
„Father...".
„Speak. Quickly!".
„Father, we want to see the sea. And to watch the stars reflected in it".
„If memory serves me correctly, there are windows in your chamber".
„But… but...".
„I am listening to you, Silvertongue".
„It would be more comfortable to look down to the sea than look up to the sky! The necks would hurt us less, besides...".
„The necks would hurt you less, ahh!".
„ Besides… the sea must be great...".
„It is. It is great, Loki. But not as great as my sons. As Thor and you, little storyteller".
„Father, I just wanted...".
„You will not enter the Bifrost. Not without me".
„Do you...".
„You have to hold my hands firmly, understood?".
„Yes, fath… yes, dad!".
„All right, all right! Let's go get your brother".
„Can't you bring him here by your magic? It will be faster, we will faster see the sea. Do you know how long it takes Thor to put on shoes?!".
„You are impossible, my little son".
„But that's true! Thor...".
„Both of you are".

Their kingdom. His kingdom. No longer eternal, no longer powerful, no longer safe. And soon not theirs, not his but Hela's. The one who brings death. The one before whom bows down even the ruler of fire demons, the ruler of Muspelheim. The one who gives birth to fear and sows it in the others, even in him – Loki, son of Odin.
„You are playing with fire, my little son". - Frigga, the mother whom he rejected for a terrible while and whom his green eyes are now looking for at the sky – among the stars of the faraway Valhalla – always said so. Always then when as a little boy he was too much devoted to magic; when he too often did a mischief to his father and to everybody around; when he too much lost himself in a war dance...

„Thor! Thor, look! Look how one day I'll defend you from the enemies, brother!".

...throwing up in the air his daggers (wooden at his childhood time) as if they were one of his falcons.

„Mom! Mom! Loki promised he would teach me how to talk with falcons! We will be releasing them into the Universe, mom! We will be admiring their flight, we will be watching them crossing the sea and later we will be… We will sit on the roof and wait there for them. You know, mom, they will bring us news from the other worlds! Loki said so".

„You are playing with fire, my little son". - Frigga always said so, even then when he was no longer a little boy. No. Especially then.

„You are playing with death, son of Laufey. But this time you won't cheat it". - The voice of Hela, the goddess of hell which was earlier strange to them – Asgardians, still rings ominously in Loki's mind. Witch. She called him son of Laufey as if that were the truth. Yes, he also calls himself like that, sometimes, only sometimes, when he is forced to play or when he practices his talent by using it on himself.

„Thor, regret that you were not with us! Our beloved wizard managed to cheat Heimdall himself!".
„Nobody can cheat Heimdall, Sif".
„Loki could. Oh, Thor, say: are you not impressed? We are!".
„I am. By Sleipnir's hoofs, of course that I am! My little clever fox. Come on, foxy, let your bear hug you!".

But this is the end now. „The end of fun" - that's what Loki decided, that's what he thought looking at Hela – a bloody psychopath wanting to destroy the world, his world. His home. The end.
The fun was truly great when he was successful at giving Thor a hard time…

„Father, father! Loki's just eaten the grapes and washed them down with milk! I beg you, father, say that nothing will happen to him, that his bowels won't be twisted!".

And at giving Odin a hard time…

„Where the hell is my eye-patch?! Loki! My little son!".

And at the whole Asgardian society. He had even better fun playing with the minions of Thanos, though Thanos himself isn't the best of memories.

„Loki… Is that true what the Guardians have told?".
„Which Guardians this time?".
„Of Galaxy. Is that true?".
„Is the true… what, brother?".
„Is the true that… then when you were in New York and Chitauri were with you… When you threw yourself out of the Bifrost and you came to… Thanos tortured you. Right? Because of him you had blue eyes, I remember! But that's not all, is it? Brother, I know you didn't want to, I know you. I know you. And Gamora knows Thanos, she has told Fury what Thanos can do to those who oppose him, to those in whom he senses a trickery. What pain Thanos brings, what tortures await for such like you. Loki… Loki, brother. Little brother...".
„I have no idea what you are talking about, Thor".
„Loki...".
„I really have no idea, I am sorry".
„You are sorry? You?! We, all of us, were believing that you… I am sorry, Loki. Do you hear? Loki?".
„Just let it go, Thor".
„No, I will never let it go and do not let me give it up. It will be fine, Loki. I swear! I swear that I will hurt all those who hurt you".
„And what? You and Odin will commit a seppuku?".
„Stop, brother. Stop joking with your own pain".

It was nice to do a mischief to all of Asgard, even nicer – to do it to the minions of Thanos, and the nicest… Oh yes, killing Laufey was the best fun. And it's not because Laufey had the nerve to turn out to be Loki's parent, no, not quite, Loki knows now that he needed to know, to know who he is, who he feels inside himself, who he would follow. He had to know if the new truth changes anything. He killed Laufey, he could kill him on and on – just to keep Odin safe, just to let Odin know. He killed Laufey so he loved Odin. He loves, he never stopped.
„The truth did not change anything" - thought Loki not so long ago, looking at Hela, at destroyed Asgard, destroyed throne, the throne of Odin. The truth wasn't that bad. Thanks to it he understood a lot, thanks to it he appreciates Asgard even more, he appreciates his loved ones, he loves them more and more. Thanks to the truth? Or maybe thanks to Hela and the vision of destruction? Hela destroys Asgard and when Loki looks from afar, from the edge of Asgard by the great sea…

„Loki. Loki, look! How many stars there are floating in the sea!".
„Be careful, Thor and hold father's hand firmly. I don't want you to fall into the sea".
„I will not fall, Loki. Worry about yourself, my slip of a boy".
„I am not a slip of a boy".
„No, you are not. You are my tiny feather so be careful not to be blown away by the wind".
„I am not a feather, Thor!".
„I know, I know. You are my elf, Loki, small, slender, beautiful elf and I won't let anyone take you – not even the wind! Come on, I'll be holding your hand. Father, please, I want to hold Loki!".

...at the kingdom, at his house in ruin, at the vision of loss, only then he fully realizes how much that all means to him.

„Son of Odin" - that's how he responded to that black menace when she repeated, when she insisted that he is the son of Laufey. - „Should I send someone for the family tree?". The laughter of the goddess of death didn't resemble laughter at all. It was as rough as Hela herself, equally cruel, painful – Loki was strongly convinced that laughter must be painful for Hela, that every word she says must hurt her. Hela is a pain. The end of fun. „You're such a lovely worm" - she answered. - „Thanos was right". Thanos? Thanos and Hela? Cruelty and death? A perfect combination. But not for him, not for Asgard.

„Are you afraid?" - she mocked him. - „Oh, the prodigal son of Odin...". She was wrong. The witch was wrong. Yes, it took him a long time to understand that a father is the one who raises you up, though… Odin gave him a life in some way. Yes, Laufey could have procreated him but it was Odin, son of Bor, who saved Loki from death. He gave him a chance, a name and a home. He gave him his heart and principles. And he, Loki, broke everything. In the name of what?
„Don't be afraid" - said Hela pretending to be sweet. - „Don't. I will take you with myself. I will give you all what you have always wanted: an army, a power, an eternal glory… If you are a good boy, black prince, if you are a good boy...". „Thank you for your offer but I am not interested". „Oh, Loki. Don't you want it? Don't you want to be taken care of by Hela and Thanos? To become their precious sweet foster child?". „Well… No". „You should be with us" - she started to growl, her gaze became icy, icy and ghostly; even Laufey hadn't such. - „You are a monster, Loki. And the monsters should stick together".
„My brother is not a monster!". Thor. Thor always comes unexpectedly. In the past Loki was always irritated by that, Thor's arrivals always ruined Loki's plans but at that moment Loki breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to thank the fate for not leaving him entirely. When Thor comes, Loki regains hope – that's how it used to be and how it will always be.
„Well, well, look who is here… Thor The Thunderer! Betray him" - hissed Hela right into Loki's ear. - „Betray him while you can". Then Loki looked at his brother. He still remembers well that Thor's gaze full of thunderstorm. „But the day will come when one of you will have to defend that peace…". - Odin was right, this day has just come.
No. No. This time Thor was not angry but devastated. „One resurrection too much" - thought Loki. He knew that he crossed a boundary, that he failed: Thor, their mother, all Asgardians. He cheated everyone playing the role of Allfather. And Allfather himself… By grandfather Bor! If they manage to get out of these ruins by some miracle, they must find Odin. He cheated them, he cheated Thor – inexcusably this time.

„I love Thor more dearly than any of you".

He was unable to defend his own kingdom, his own home. „One of you will have to defend that peace" - the words of Odin. Loki couldn't give up. Asgardians, the warriors of the sun, always fight till the last drop of blood. He had to, he wanted to obey his bonds. „You were right, father" - he thought. - „I will defend the peace". He looked again at his elder brother. „Together with Thor. Because you see, father… you were a little mistaken. Or maybe not? After all, you are the one who said that both of us were the born kings".
„Hurry up, little worm" - growled Hela. „No. That's you who should hurry up from here!" - Loki also growled, staring back at her with cold eyes, and he put a dagger in her stomach. And then all hell broke loose. „You'd better not say anything" - said Thor just after Hela destroyed his beloved hammer. „Don't say anything" - he repeated to Loki when the fire of Hela reached them.

Witch. She sent Thor… somewhere, into the Universe, who knows where. She also wanted to get rid of Loki but he used his magic in time. He disappeared. Or rather he hid from her on the outskirts of Asgard where chaos has not come yet. But it will – the fires of Hela are creeping up closer and closer. And he? What is the king of Asgard doing? What is the usurper doing? Instead of helping Sif and the others he is still standing and watching. He can't, he has lost faith in himself again. The only thing he can afford now is stucking by the sea shore and sighing worthy of the stupid sentimental… He has to. Heimdall will replace him. Loki will ask him. Loki must find Thor. Thor and Odin. But first Thor – without him there is no sense.

„Thor, brother. You are a synonym of sense, really".
„A sononym? I know what a "son" is but what is that "onym"? Mom, what is Loki talking about?".
„Sweetheart, your brother has just said that you are his whole world".

„But where are you, Thor?" - asks Loki quietly, focusing on the waves' movement. - „Where are you?". Suddenly he thinks he can hear Frigga's voice. How is it possible? „Arena" - whispers his mother, invisible to his eyes. - „Grandmaster". Loki can't believe it. How? „Hurry up, son. Do not play with fire". Loki grins. He knows well where the arena is, after all he knows the whole Universe.
He easily targets Grandmaster and - also easily, he is still in a good shape - convinces him to help Thor. Hulk will also help, Loki has no doubt.
Thor enters the arena. Loki is sitting on the same sofa as Grandmaster but Thor can't see him. Nobody can. Only magic and cleverness are all what he has got now and only thanks to them he can save his brother. Thor lights up at the sight of Hulk. „He's a friend from work!" - he screams joyfully and Loki can't help but smile. That's all Thor. Joyful for them both.

„Loki, brother, you could smile more often. I just adore your laughter, you know?".

May the plan succeed. Loki is waiting, more pale than usual, with concern in his eyes. „Thor, don't do anything stupid, please". His brother looks around the crowd. He looks at Grandmaster, at... Loki. That's impossible but that's how it is. It's as if Thor sensed him, as if they were twins or at least the born brothers. They are. They are born brothers because there is a born bond between them; powerful, more powerful than Loki's magic and than anything else. Does Thor see him? Loki doesn't know that. But he feels so, especially when Thor looks straight at him and then smiles with his smile full of understanding. Thor doesn't say anything, doesn't shout, just looks at him - he has sparks in his eyes. Loki knows that kind of Thor's gaze, he knows that Thor lets him know that he is waiting, that he is ready, that he trusts him as usual.

Soon Loki stands face to face with his brother. He sees desired approval in Thor's eyes, he feels it when Thor puts hand on Loki's neck, when whispers: „I knew you wouldn't betray", when says louder: „You've finally understood". And later Thor explodes with his wild and refreshing joy and screams across the arena: „I love you, brother". Then Loki starts to feel happiness together with Thor. „It will be fine" - he thinks. - „We will see the glory of Asgard again, Thor. We will stand by the sea and count all the stars. You will see, brother".

Thank you for reading! :-) I hope you enjoyed! If you have some words for the author (Ellena - oEllenao on ao3) or for me please let me know :-) I know I've got problem with using English tenses so... I'd be very grateful for your help :-)