Author's Note: Hello, fellow Marvel fans! I have been burdened with glorious purpose... my purpose is to share this story with you guys! During my life-consuming hype for Infinity War (Am I mad? Possibly), I suddenly got inspired to write this short story. I'm also giving credit to my best friend, who I will only name here as V, who helped me edit it to polish anything before publishing. This is my first Marvel fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it! (Before you read, having seen the movie Thor is required, and having seen Thor: The Dark World is highly recommended.)
Little Warriors of Asgard~ Part One
Somewhere deep in the universe, an entire realm away from ours, there sat the prestigious kingdom of Asgard, a kingdom filled with godlike warriors and powerful rulers of legend. Except unlike legends, they did in fact exist, their stories merely misinterpreted by our ancestors of Midgard. Now in Asgard, a veil of night studded with countless stars spread over the kingdom, as three pairs of eyes from a golden palace gazed upon the celestial bodies. And the people whom these eyes belonged to would someday be of very important legend indeed...
"Mother, look!" A child's tiny finger from a balcony pointed up towards the sky. His neck craned upward as his chin was just under the height of the balcony's railing.
Frigga, the mother whom the young boy was referring to, was reclining in a comfortable chair in the room adjoining the balcony. In her arms and lap rested a small toddler with a tuft of black hair and vibrant green eyes. These viridian gems were revealed as his eyelids fluttered open at the sudden motion of his mother rising from her seat. Frigga gently adjusted her younger son onto her hip as she slowly advanced towards the older on the balcony.
"Yes, Thor," she began. "That up there is the great expanse of the universe. Those stars are actually at the centers of many revolving planets, billions of them."
"Wow," Thor mused.
Frigga smiled down at the blond's glittering blue eyes and asked, "Would you like to hear a story?"
The toddler's head perked up at this question, any signs of his previous slumber ebbing away. He enjoyed his mother's stories, as did Thor, who exclaimed, "Yes!"
The queen looked upon her dark-haired son and said, "And Loki has awoken just in time." She turned her gaze towards the night sky and continued, "When the tree of the universe Yggdrasil formed, there was a reason for the certain number of stars that were created. Because Asgard was the realm that ruled above all the other realms, the creators of the cosmos decided to light the sky with stars that would honor the Asgardians. Every star up there represents a fallen great Asgardian, such as warriors and leaders. The stars stand for those who have passed on, and for those who one day will pass. They know the exact number of great people that there would have been by the end of time. They show us this so we won't lose hope of a better future. There have been many wonderful people in this realm's history, but not enough where each star above our heads has an owner. Because of this fact, we can rest assured that even throughout all of our hard times, there is always a bright hope that we can hold on to faithfully. ...Look. There," she pointed out a particularly bright star, "is the star that represents your grandfather Bor."
The two princes stared in awe at the miniscule pricks of light above them, pondering the fact that all of them belonged to a special Asgardian. Thor then questioned, "Will one of those stars belong to me?"
"If you prove yourself worthy, then I do not see why you or Loki would not deserve one," Frigga answered. "Only fate can decide in the end."
They eventually fell silent as they all took in the grand view of the kingdom. It was a peaceful night, free of any threats for the time being. As Loki peered down at the buildings occupied with sleeping Asgardians below, he made a silent vow. He promised himself that he would become a great and powerful man, one that would accomplish amazing feats. He felt that he was able to do this, but his only concern was…
"Will they like me?" He mumbled, his voice barely audible.
Frigga managed to hear this. "Hm?" Her eyes followed the direction Loki was looking in. "Oh, you mean our people. I believe they will love you for what you will do for them."
Loki nodded once, but he still felt somehow that his question did not receive a complete answer. Would he really be appreciated for who he is? Dwelling upon this thought soon grew tiring, and he eventually began to drift off again. He heard Frigga whisper, "Come now, 'tis time you go to bed. You as well, Thor."
Neither of the boys had any objections to this as Thor headed for his bedroom, and Loki fell asleep with his ear pressed against Frigga's shoulder, soothed by the rhythm of her mild heartbeat.
Many years later...
"Back, ye savage! Yield, I say!" A young voice bellowed.
Two wooden swords clashed against each other time and time again, the wielder of either weapon refusing to surrender the battle.
"I most certainly shall not!" Another child's voice spat back. Even though he was no taller than the waist of a palace guard who had passed by as he said this, his youth did not hinder his determination to defeat his rival who was over a head taller than him.
The sunlight shining through the windows of the golden palace beamed down on the head of the first combatant, making his swaying blond hair resemble a lick of fire. The light reflected off the other boy's eyes, illuminating in them the unbridled passion and even hints of underlying chaotic conflict as he fought fiercely. The two children traveled through the halls and into different rooms, never once turning away from each other during their duel.
"What you most certainly shall never do is defeat me, the best warrior and protector of Asgard!" Thor proclaimed.
Loki began to pant and sweat as Thor was gradually winning. He tried to make his older brother lose focus by asking, "Why must I always be the bad guy, anyway?"
Thor laughed aloud as he swung at Loki, the latter boy barely managing to dodge the blow. "Because, dear brother, I am the mighty Thor, son of Odin, and future king of Asgard!" He announced proudly.
As Loki brandished his weapon, he attempted to also retaliate with speech, "Well, I am the brilliant Loki, also son of Odin, and... and..." for once in his short life, he found himself at a loss for words. If Thor was to become the next ruler, what did that leave him? What was he entitled to? He let his thoughts delve deeper, the battle he was engaged in fading into his subconscious. He realized that he never felt quite as comfortable around others as he would have liked to feel. Where does he belong, truly? Why does he feel so out of place?
"Only fate can decide in the end."
Would fate really leave a star in the sky meant just for-
*CLONK*
The blade of Thor's sword made contact with the side of his brother's head, knocking him to the floor.
The older boy turned around to face an imaginary audience, thrusted his fists into the air and shouted, "Huzzah! Victory is mine at last!" He could practically hear the multitude of onlookers cheering and screaming his name. The enormous crowds were praising him and his valiant efforts. The only thing that eventually broke him out of this daydream was the sound of faint sniffling behind him. He turned back to face Loki, the smaller prince's eyes glassy with tears that he absolutely refused to shed, lest he lose his last shred of dignity remaining. He bit down on his lip to keep himself from crying out, and his hand covered the area on his head where the victor's sword made impact.
"What's the matter, brother?" Thor inquired. "Did I strike you down too hard?"
Loki's prideful spirit wouldn't allow him to answer this and make him appear weak, so instead he replied venomously, "You always win, Thor!" He punctuated this by letting go of his minor head wound to pound his fist on the floor.
"If you're so upset about it, I can just let you win next time," Thor offered.
The raven-haired prince shook his head and glared at who he saw as the biggest idiot in the Nine Realms. "I don't want you to let me win! Where is the fun and reward in that?!" He snapped back.
"Oh." Thor didn't think about that. Despite how much he loved to win their duels, he never realized how it made Loki feel. He didn't want to see his brother upset for who knows how long (Loki's grudges were a pain), so there was only one thing that he could do to repay him. Thor grinned and made another offer, "Will you feel better if I become your noble steed?"
The fury radiating from Loki's face soon dissipated as he considered this. He then smirked mischievously in return, saying, "But of course."
Thor lowered himself to his knees and bent over as he felt his brother clamber onto his back. They both shared a few giggles because they knew how utterly stupid yet incredibly fun this was. When they were secure, Thor rose to his feet and made his best impression of a whinnying horse, which didn't even sound close to a real horse. But they didn't care, because this only made the situation more comedic as they attempted and failed to suppress their laughter. The horse impersonator then took off and dashed throughout the palace, the rider clinging onto his steed's shoulders for dear life, yet he still laughed. Loki was enjoying himself too much now to continue thinking about whether or not he belonged in this place.
Unbeknownst to the princes, Frigga had been secretly observing the entire spectacle of that afternoon. She chuckled softly to herself, then she strode off elsewhere.
Evening was soon approaching when Loki's enthusiastic voice rang throughout the halls. "Please, Thor, faster!" He begged.
As Thor rounded the corner of the hall, he did the exact opposite of his brother's request. "No, we have been doing this for hours now. I'm starving and exhausted." He slowed to a stop and made Loki, who was grumbling disappointedly, detach himself from the older brother's sore back. Thor stalked off without looking back and stated, "I'm going to the kitchen in search of food."
Loki sighed in resignation as he stood alone in the hall. Now with nothing else to do, he supposed that he might as well find something to eat, too. But as he passed by his mother's room, he stopped when he heard his name being called. He turned and saw the queen beckoning him. Loki entered the room and was a couple of feet away from her when she suddenly vanished. He glanced around the room in shock and confusion, then he found her standing right behind him.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Frigga's lips as she said, "I have something to show you, Loki."
His emerald eyes glistened with intrigue in response.
Author's Note: This is the first part of my two-part story, so be sure to look out for the second part in a few days. Also, don't forget that Thor: Ragnarok came out on DVD today! Go get it now, it's awesome. That's actually the reason why I posted this story today... heh heh. And a friendly reminder that it's currently 52 days until Infinity War is unleashed! Obviously it will be less if you're reading this after the day I posted it, but you get the idea. Anyway, please drop a review if you like the story so far or if you simply have something non-flaming to say, and we shall reassemble soon! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim... nah, just kidding.