There weren't many things Loki wouldn't do. Admittedly, the list was much longer than in the past, but there wasn't that much he wouldn't do when the reward was erasure of his past crimes, the very existence of which compelling him to sin once more. And yes, in case you were wondering, he was well aware of the irony. Still, this was Loki, and Loki had a habit of doing things and achieving his goals Loki's way.
That day it involved doing battle with a Kitsune spirit.

"Huli Jing!" The fox-like creature protested and squirmed underneath one heavy boot.

"Ah, my apologies," the owner of the leg inside the boot said yet refrained from moving. If anything, he held the creature down with greater strength.

"It's the third time you got it wrong!"

Fourth, in fact, but Loki saw no point in sharing that particular detail.
"My sincere apologies, elder," the trickster hummed calmly and threw up a large, glowing gem before catching it. "Who better than I to know the import of names and titles, after all?"

"Your lies mean nothing. Unhand me, villain, and return my property!"

"But good spirit, I've laid not a finger on you," Loki retorted as he examined the gem. A light glowed inside and the rock emanated power. This was the treasure the All-Mother sent him to retrieve, and the belief that with this the job was over made him smile.
He really shouldn't have let his guard down.

"Insolent cur!" The spirit spat as all nine of its tails burst into flames. Loki let out a cry and jumped back, fingers tightly clutching the gem. In his other hand he held his blade, his eyes narrow as he stared at his revived opponent.

"I've defeated you one already, ancient one, I will gladly do so again."

The fox laughed, yet more so than amusement, the sound spoke of determination. The flames summoned danced around them both, seeking revenge on the trickster who wronged their master.
"I am aware of the difference in power, O fake-Odinson. One defeat is more than enough, but you're a fool if you think you will have the last laugh. I curse thee, trickster! By sunrise, you will be granted a most wonderful gift, one of your black heart's deepest desires-"

"Well, that actually sounds-"

The flames raged ever strongly, singing the edges of his coat and tips of his hair.

"But know this, dog of Asgardia!"

The fire danced around Loki, trapping in a blazing, swirling inferno. When it subsided, it left him surrounded by smoke and soot and all alone with the elder spirit's words to haunt him.

The thing you long for, for as sure as you grip onto what was mine, will slip out of your grasp and out of your reach...

"At least make it rhyme, old one," Loki mumbled and looked around him. The forest clearing was empty, the moonlight seeping through the treetops paling in comparison to the glow he held in his fist. He looked down at the stone before placing it inside one of his coat's inner pockets.
"That should make Mother happy, no doubt."

It wasn't quite that he wasn't concerned. He knew of the Huli Jing's powers and knew the one he angered was old and powerful even among its kind.

One of my heart's desires... His fists clenched at his sides. There were several of such wishes, precious, dear and disastrous all. To be given even one, only to have it snatched away...

"...ha!" Loki exclaimed into the darkness before turning tail and leaving. Oh, he was worried. Terrified, even, but there was little he could do against such an unknown threat. He chose instead to count his blessings, relished his victory, and began the long way back home.

-x-

The tunnel was long and dark, sprinkled with stardust over the aurora-built road. There was no resistance as he was hurled through the void, a lone entity made of green glow. It was peaceful, calm, even when he noticed the being coming right at him across the path. It was the most beautiful blue radiance he had ever laid eyes on, pure and bright and almost welcoming. His hand reached out, moved by an unexplained feeling of familiarity and fondness. He could tell even over the distance that the other's eyes were closed, an indication of their blissful unawareness of the situation. If only he could reach, he thought, but there was no time for that. They weren't only passing by each other, they were speeding right at each other, and so inevitably collided.

-x-

A gasp tore through the silence, indicating the dreamer had awoken. Loki blinked up at the ceiling through the darkness before a frown rose to his face. The dream wasn't unpleasant, per-se, but it left him feeling uneasy regardless. Who was that... person? Entity? It was a soul, if Loki knew anything about anything, that much was certain, but whose? Someone he knew? It felt like that, like if he stopped to think about it more he could place-
A yawn derailed that train of thought. It couldn't possibly have to do with the fox's curse, could it? It made no sense, after all... Feeling sufficiently reassured, he turned on his side to snuggle against the warm body lying in bed next to him.
Odin's beard, Loki swore under his breath and pushed himself up. The sudden movement made his bedding companion stir with a displeased sound.

"Bee...?" The stranger- or was he- uttered and half turned around to find an empty mattress as Loki had sprang up and out. The nightstand lamp was turned on, granting Loki with a view of his surroundings. Dim as the light was, Loki still recognized the place and a dull sense of urgency spread through him. And of course, that meant the person he woke up next to was-

"Bee, are you ok?"

The young man sitting up in bed and at least half naked was Teddy Altman, a fine looking, well mannered alien hybrid hailing from both Kree and Skrull dynasties. A super-strong, fast-healing shapeshifter with a tendency for violent bursts of possessiveness towards his boyfriend, a young man answering the name-

"Billy?"

Yes, that sounded about right, Loki thought and even without looking around knew there was no one in the room bar the two of them. Granted, the way Teddy was looking right at him, all worry and some confusion, helped him piece it together.

"Ah, sorry," Loki muttered and kept himself from wincing at the sound of his voice. "I just have to go. Why don't you go back to sleep, ok?" The trickster asked in what he hoped wasn't too velvety and sweet a voice. Teddy still looked at him uncertainly, so Loki leaned forward, fully intending to kiss that bit of suspicion away yet all his lips met was the blond's forehead, and by no fault of the changeling's. It seemed to help as Teddy brushed his hand over his side before giving him a light push towards the door.

"Just go already," he urged and Loki nodded before leaving the room. The door closed behind him and he let out a sigh of relief. This sort of thing wasn't good for his heart, he thought and hastily retreated into the bathroom which was thankfully equipped with a lock. The sound the turning key emitted promised privacy, but being alone offered no comfort, it simply meant that now Loki could spare his full attention to the various predicaments at hand. He chose to do so by turning towards the mirror to face his reflection. As he came to expect from the eerie circumstances of his waking and the short conversation with Teddy, it wasn't Loki the trickster found staring back at him. The young man in the mirror whose face was fastly twisting into disapproval at the situation was one Billy Kaplan, a young man whose age stood in contrast to his unimaginable powers, abilities that once upon a time not too long ago made him a target for Loki himself. A former victim, in short, and one of many Loki regretted wronging. Now, there were very many things Loki could and rightly should've thought of, but the first thing he noted was how if he was in Billy's body, there was one place Billy was likeliest to be in the meanwhile.

"Oh, bother."

Whoever's idea of a joke this was, Loki couldn't say he approved.