A deep chill ran up his spine as Thor stood on the balcony, looking out at the night sky with a shining city standing tall and beautiful underneath it. He gazed up at the stars and watched the twinkling lights blaze next to the colorful galaxy's that painted the sky of Asgard. Many a people had said that there was no other sky that could compete to Asgards. Its nights were truly something to behold, drawing people far and wide just to witness one glorious night underneath the famous view.
He frowned. The night sky was something Thor had always taken for granted just like many other things in his life. Growing up as royalty makes one blind to the evils and hardships of the world, making it so that once grown the harsh reality of life seems even crueler. Having everything he had ever wanted handed to him literally on a silver platter had made Thor happy, but also made him ignorant of reality.
Recently Thor had learned that you can't have everything you want and many others have even less then him.
He turned his gaze down to the golden city and thought of the many people living inside of it. Asgard was a place of great prosperity and riches but even then there were still people who struggled on a daily bases whether it be through poverty, sickness, or oppression. While the great city was still a symbol of power and wealth to all the Nine Realms it was definitely lacking in other areas.
Asgardians were famous for the stubbornness they presented and being stuck in their ways. While this was once something to help preserve their civilization Thor began to wonder if it was not now holding them back. Midgard was a prime example of the opposite. Just look at them in the past one hundred years, they had come so far because they welcomed change whereas Asgard turned its back on it like the plague. Because of this not only was the city suffering but so were its people.
Being different wasn't exactly an excepted thing in Thor's home. While he himself wasn't so close minded towards originality, after all one of his best friends is a female warrior, the rest of his people turned their backs on anyone that didn't fit into their perfect little world.
But of course he never saw this. Always blind, he was, even if it happened right in front of him. In hindsight, Thor couldn't understand how he didn't notice the oppression that happened to so many people. But now that he was thinking about it he began to wonder if he truly didn't see it or he just ignored it. He remembered one girl when he was younger and how badly she was treated by her fellow Asgardians. Thor and his friends had befriended her but none of them did anything to stop how badly she was treated by others. In fact at times they even mistreated her. But she wasn't the only one. His brother was also like her.
Loki was always different but Thor never paid much mind to that. Yes he teased him from time to time because of it, which probably didn't help things, but he always loved him. Loki was his brother, why wouldn't he love him? Why wouldn't everybody love him? Yes he preferred magic to swords but Loki had always been the kinder, gentler prince.
Thor remembered as they were children how Loki always had this look about him as if each new thing he came across or learned was a treasure. That was another difference between the two; royalty never seemed to affect Loki. He was able to see the beauty in the tiniest things and never took anything for granted and one of these things just so happened to be the night sky.
Loki loved the stars when they were young and would oftentimes wake Thor up in the middle of the night just to look at them. He would always wake up in a foul mood and complain about the late hour but occasionally he would stay up with his younger brother and keep him company as the two told stories all night and dreamed of traveling to the furthest star. Yet another thing Thor took for granted.
He never truly cherished the peaceful time spent with his brother while Loki seemed to relish in each moment he got to spend in the presence of him. But how was he supposed to know that one day his baby brother would turn bitter and have as much hate for his older brother as the love he once held?
It broke his heart. If he had done things differently then maybe he wouldn't be standing there alone and thinking about how badly things had turned out. Maybe instead he'd be standing next to not only his brother but Jane as well. Yet another person Thor loved who admired the stars.
With a small smile Thor wondered how she would react to seeing Asgard's stars. She'd squeal with delight no doubt. He gave a small chuckle. She'd probably ask him a million questions about them too, all of which he'd have no answer too. No, that would have been Loki who had all the answers. They probably would have spent hours talking about the different constellations and got no sleep while he would have stayed up all night with them, not knowing what they were saying but being perfectly content in watching two of the people he cared for most.
Sadness washed over him once more for all of this was not to be. Loki was in prison and Jane was still on Midgard. And Thor was standing there, on a balcony, alone, with no way of getting back to his love and no way of helping his brother.
"You think you can think a little quieter? I could practically hear you all the way down the hall."
Thor turned around to find Sif standing in the doorway fully dressed in her armor with her arms crossed over her chest. He gave a small smile at his friend.
"Sif. What are you doing here?"
She began to walk towards him, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Well I was heading to the training room but then I saw the door open and found you here, thinking. You know that can be awfully dangerous when it comes to you."
He laughed. Yes, they all knew how when he began thinking he got all of them into trouble. One of his bright ideas was what had gotten them all into their latest problem and landed his brother in jail. "You don't have to tell me."
He frowned again and turned back to the sky. This did not go unnoticed by Sif who was watching her friend closely. She turned towards the view too and the two stood there in silence before Sif spoke again.
"Is it the mortal woman or your brother that troubles you so? Or both?"
Thor turned back towards Sif, startled that she could so easily read his mind. His mother often times told him that he was an open book, wearing his heart on his sleeve from an early age while Loki kept every emotion bottled up inside.
"Am I really that easy to read?" he asked.
"You're kidding right?" she laughed. "Even Fandral and Volstagg can tell what you're thinking half the time."
Thor furrowed his brow and turned back to the sky. "That's not a good thing for a future king."
Sif sighed; she did not want to upset Thor again. She only meant it in jest but obviously in the state he was in such simple jabs would not work.
"No I suppose not. But at least you have emotions."
She did not have to say Loki for him to know who she was referring to. But Thor knew that was not true. Just because he hid his emotions well didn't mean he had none. No, that would probably be better because then he wouldn't have acted so rashly in his rage and hatred.
"Come on," Sif motioned towards the door with her head, "Let's go train. You shouldn't be up here all alone, brooding over things that aren't your fault or are out of your control."
He sighed. She was right. It was doing him no good staying up here all alone. So he conceded and began to walk with her. They got as far as half way down the hall before they heard rapped footsteps hurriedly coming from behind them. They turned to find a guard rushing up to them and stopping in front of them before bowing.
"Your highness," gasped out the guard as he straightened up before the two.
"What is it?" asked Thor. He looked at the guard and noticed that his hands were shaking and he looked pale. Something was wrong.
"Your father, he requests your presence with the prisoner immediately."
Thor and Sif looked at each other and froze. The Prisoner. Loki. What could possibly have happened that caused this guard to look so startled and make Odin demand for his immediate presence?
Without another word the two swiftly strode off down the hall, leaving the guard in their dust. Perhaps Loki was trying to escape or maybe he had somehow attacked one of his guards. Thor's heart fell into his stomach as he wondered if his brother had decided to give up instead, seeing no other way out he decided to do the unthinkable.
No, he must not think that way. While Loki was not Asgardian by blood, he was just as stubborn as any other and Thor knew his brother would not take that route.
Soon the two found themselves in front of the entrance to the dungeons deep underneath the castle where they met Odin, Frigga, and a couple other guards. Stopping in front of the king and queen they could tell that something was definitely wrong. Frigga looked near tears while even Odin couldn't completely hold back his emotions by the harsh furrow of his brow and the white knuckled grip he had on Gungnir.
"Mother, Father. What is it?"
"It's your brother," spoke Frigga, "he…he is having problems."
Thor frowned. He was confused. Of course his brother was having problems. That is why he was down here and not off somewhere in the castle.
"What do you mean?"
"He won't stop screaming," said Odin. "He acts as if he is in pain."
Thor could see the hurt in his eyes as he said this. Even if Loki was now a criminal, he still is Odin's son and what father isn't pained when they see their child hurting?
"We have tried talking to him but nothing works. He acts as if we are not there and he can't hear us. Which in all honesty that is a probability, if he's in as much pain as he looks." Odin turned his sorrowful gaze to the doors behind him, probably watching his son in his prison cell.
"But that doesn't make any sense," Sif finally spoke up. "No one has been to see him, how could he be in pain?"
"That's something that I would like to know too, Lady Sif," Odin looked almost menacing at this. The anger was clearly plastered across his face at the mere thought of someone harming his youngest son.
Thor agreed with his father but at this he was still confused. "But why am I here?"
Frigga's eyes softened at his confused look. She walked up to him and placed her hand upon his cheek. "Oh Thor. If anyone will be able to reach him and get a response out of him it is you." She gave him a sad looking smile.
Thor thought about what his mother had said and disagreed with that statement. Yes, Loki would probably respond most to him out of anyone in Asgard currently, mainly because of the hatred Loki held for his brother, but he was only the second best person for this job. No, the first was nowhere to be found and hadn't been seen for centuries.
Shaking his head to get those thoughts out of his head, Thor looked down at his mother. "You're right. I'll do it."
She nodded her head and turned to her husband who silently opened the doors to the dungeons below. The four walked through the doors with the guards following close behind. As they went deeper and deeper Thor could hear the faint sounds of screams of pain making its way up to him. Sif and Thor gave each other a worried and unsure look at this.
Soon they had reached their destination and all four stood outside a highly guarded door with strangled screams coming from behind it. Thor's breath hitched in his throat when he heard the noises. The sound of his brother in such pain, despite all the wrongs he had committed, was torture.
Taking a deep breath, Thor turned to his father and nodded, giving Odin the signal to open the door. The Allfather then slammed Gungnir on the floor, which caused the door to open to them.
Thor swallowed and stepped forward into the dimly lit room. The walls were completely bare, the only source of light coming through the doorway, casting small shadows on the opposite wall from his silhouette. He looked around the room to find only a small rickety bed to the left of him where a small heap was on top, shaking slightly with moans coming from it. Thor approached the bed and as he got closer, he could more distinctly make out the shape of his brother.
Loki's back was turned towards Thor while he clutched his knees to his chest with his left hand and dug his right into his head. Such force was put into his right hand that Thor could see small ringlets of blood protruding from where his brothers' nails dug into his skin and scalp. His eyes were tightly shut and his face was contorted in pain as he shook. Thor took a hesitant step closer to his brother, unsure of how to proceed and what to do.
Then suddenly Loki cried out in pain causing him to release his knees and turn over onto his back, arching up off the bed as the balls of his feet dug into the bed. Thor gasped and ran to his brothers' side in an attempt to comfort him.
"Brother, brother! It's alright, I'm here. It's Thor!"
But Loki didn't seem to have heard his brother or even register his presence as he thrashed left and right. His breathing was heavy and irregular and sweat clung to all parts of his body.
"Brother please, talk to me! What is the matter?" Thor was frantically trying to hold his brother down and get a response from him. But none came. Loki continued to scream and thrash about on his bed with his eyes tightly shut.
Then suddenly he stopped. Loki lay limp upon his bed as the last of his screams echoed out the room and down the hall. Thor held his breath, waiting for his brother to move. When he did nothing, the prince turned and looked at the startled eyes of his parents and Sif. Odin began to slowly move toward his sons before he kneeled down in front of the bed.
"My son- " and that's when he was cut off as Loki's eyes shot open. His face contorted into a mask of fear and anguish as his unseeing eyes gazed up to the ceiling. With his hands he frantically dug into the covers as he shook. Odin gently but forcefully unclasped his sons left hand and took it instead. Loki made no move to push it away but instead clutched onto it instead just as fiercely.
Thor sat on the bed not knowing what to do or how to help his baby brother. Unbeknownst to Thor and Odin, Frigga had come to their side as well to stare mournfully at her son. Sif stood back slightly so but still close enough to see the fallen prince in agony. She might have only held ill-will towards the man but at that moment she only felt pity.
Thor stared at Loki's face and then gasped when his eyes began to change.
"Look!" His eyes began to change from the sky blue that they had been to complete black, even the whites of his eyes. As this happened Loki struck his head back into his pillow, arching up off the bed once more, letting loose a high-pitched scream.
He then lay back on the bed after a second and went quiet, his eyes then turned into a deep green before rolling back into his head and losing consciousness.
"What happened Odin?" said Frigga in s shaky voice as she kneeled down beside her husband and took her sons hand away from him.
"Why did his eyes change color like that?"
"I do not know," said Odin, "But whatever has happened to him it cannot be good. Guard!"
One of the guards who was standing right outside the door stepped into the room albeit reluctantly and look at Odin.
"Yes your highness?"
"Take my son to the healing room and have him looked over while you and nine of your men stand guard over him."
The guard nodded his consent and ordered some of his men into the room to carry the prince to the healers. Thor and his parents stood back to allow them to do their job, all following out the doors as they left.
None said a word as they walked through the dungeons until the doors leading down closed behind them.
"Father, will he be alright?"
Odin came to a stop and turned towards Thor. The guards continued down the hallway with Frigga following close behind. Sif stood close by and watched the two concerned men.
"I do not know, Thor. But we must wish for the best for there is not much more we can do until we find out whom or what has done this to Loki."
Thor gave a small nod to his father before the Allfather turned around and continued down the hall after his son and wife.
Thor stood there in the middle of the hall as he watched his father turn the corner and vanish from sight.
"It'll be alright Thor. I hate to admit it but Loki is strong and will pull through whatever alignment plagues him whether it be through his willpower or magic." Sif clasped Thor's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze for support.
Thor, still staring down the hall, sighed. "I hope you are right Sif."