Authoress Note: SPOILERS!!!!!! Have a nice day.
Happy Birthday Mayura
Lots of things happen as you grow up. Things change within your life,
you learn new things, and you adapt to these things over time. It's the
nature of all human beings . . . and other creatures. As time
progresses one learns to adjust or they would never survive. Conquer or
be conquered. Just as someone can be expected to learn to live life, one
can be expected to learn to deal with truths about their life that they
themselves did not even know could exist. On a persons birthday, some things
quite commonly occur that they reminisce about their past. They think of
their present state, and they wonder about the uncertainty of what the
future will bring to them and those they love.
This girl, woman really, was no exception. Even though it had only been
her birthday for only fifteen minutes. Sleep was eluding her. She had been
tossing and turning most of the night to the point that her now shortened
peach hair was messed and spread about on her pillows. It was no wonder
really that she gave up on ignoring the clock, it was not doing her any
good anyways. She was nineteen years old. An adult. For seventeen full
minutes. The thought did more than frighten her slightly. But then again,
one would realize she had matured not only physically but mentally as well
and she knew it too.
Who would have thought that it was possible that the young mystery absent
young teen would have such a full life at such a young age ? It had only
really truly started back three years previous. 'When I met Loki,' she
thought to herself with the smile she only got when she thought about him.
She was then only sixteen, and the younger boy was ten or really looked
to be ten. Who would have guessed at the strength of the bond that would
develop between them ? Mayura herself would have been the first to have
told you that it would be impossible. That yes they where friends, but
anything closer than the basic friend was so very unlikely. What with the
distance that Loki forcefully put between them, as well with the age difference
too.
But then again, age does not really matter now does it . . .
The distance though was another thing all together. That was the major
reason that when Mayura started to develop feelings stronger than the run
of the mill friendship she believed and was saddened that there could never
ever be a chance for furthering the relationship in anyway. But as time
progressed, and she discovered more about him, her developing feelings
could not be stopped not whit the rate that it was reaching. Loki was not
that much of a help either. It seemed the more and more she started to
like him, and wanted to get to know him, that more of his personality would
shine through. And at times, she would swear that he liked her too.
But, just because Mayura was getting to see more sides of Loki did not
mean that this did not come with a price. He seemed to shut himself off
more and tried to distance himself even further from her and every one
else but especially her. The exact same time she would notice that he seemed
to care for her, he would become sadder and more emotionally withdrawn
again. It was no wonder that his protective barriers where reinforced strongly
in such a short amount of time. Mayura worried that something was truly
wrong with Loki, that he was far too young to be that depressed. That someone
that age should not have to experience such an emotional rollercoaster.
Though Loki always seemed older than he really was. The night though when
he used his powers not knowing that she witnessed them caused her to be
so frightened. She had spent a great deal of time questioning how well
she truly knew him and who he really was.
The moment that she saw his eyes . . . she feared that she lost her
Loki forever and was slightly frightened of what he might truly be capable
of. Afraid that so much was changing so quickly around her, that the boy
who she felt extremely close to was not just a boy. That the person she
found herself loving, was not who she thought him to be. This fear was
so strong that no matter what, she could not even dear to ask him about
it. Even when he clearly said she could ask him about anything. Making
Mayura believe that Loki might possibly have known that she was in turmoil
over him. Still, though she could never ask him.
Mistake number one . . .
'When he was yelling at me that day in the study, I could feel my heart
shattering and my world crashing around me,' she thought back with a frown,
sitting up in bed. Clutching both hands over her heart in remembrance,
she did not notice the blankets falling down off of her arms. 'I thought
my life was going to end because he was going to go away, I did not know
how or why I knew that he was leaving but I did. I thought that I was going
to loose him forever.' She glanced at the clock again, twelve twenty.
When Loki disappeared, she had searched franticly for him, desperately.
To no avail . . . but somehow or another he came back, oh how she cried
on his shoulder that night. Loki, just let her. Speaking to her quietly
comforting her, he was able slowly to get her to move into the house. She
had woken up the next morning still next to Loki, head on his shoulder,
sitting on one of the chesterfields in his study with a warm blanket placed
over the two of them. The blanket was not there the night before, proving
that Yamino had came in the middle of the night to make sure both where
taken care of, because both her and Loki had been up till very late getting
through the emotional turmoil that both had went though the days before.
After his near disappearance, the enforced distance created by Loki
was quickly lowered. The two became closer and shared everything. They
laughed together, not the normal laughing she had come to expect from her
young friend, but full out and out laughter about everything. They both
yelled at each other, mostly over the stupidest things which by the end
of their spat where forgotten. They comforted each other through everything;
soon Loki was speaking openly to Mayura about his deepest fears. So as
time progressed, she learned the truth from him about being a god. At first
it was the most basic form of the truth, to try and not frighten her completely.
When Loki told her the basics, she didn't run, scream bloody Mary at him,
or over react in any way shape or form. In fact she smiled slowly.
"So that was you . . . ?" she had simply asked. "You where the man who
was in your study when I was looking for you ?"
Over the next year Mayura studied deeply into the mythology with Loki,
finding out everything she could surrounding Loki and his family. As always,
he encouraged her on by filling in the blanks, fixing mistakes and generally
just answering any of her inquiring questions. Of course when she learned
that Yamino and Fenrir where his kids, she was very happy as well knowing
that they had each other. She also was glad that she could have talks to
both brothers about matters involving their father, just that she would
need someone, like Yamino, to translate Fenrir for her. Both enjoyed the
time together, and while Mayura learned more about his past, Loki learned
more about her. The two became closer, and closer. Eventually leading to
when Loki finally owed up to the fact that, if he was not in love with
her than
he was falling so deeply beyond the point of love that he ever thought
possible. Mayura was overjoyed at his heart filled speech, and quickly
stated that she felt same for him. 'Truly proving that age does not really
matter, Loki being thousands off years older than me.' She smiled
thinking back. School continued on for Mayura and she did well, better
than she had done before. Loki had helped her with that too. When she had
graduated from high school Mayura was in the top ten of her class in marks,
getting a scholarship to a university in the area. Mayura decided to study
mythology for life, not just as a pastime activity with Loki after finding
it so
interesting.
When Mayura studied more she was saddened to learn of Loki's losses
and sad life. Not just in being banished from Asgard and forced into a
child's body, but the emotional upset that he when through with Odin as
well. Back when Loki was young and first taken to the main assembly hall
in Asgard by his mother Odin had taken a great interest in the young fire
god. Shortly there after, Loki was forcefully made into Odin's lover. As
time progressed, Odin felt that he needed to prove his position with the
other gods again. So he returned to his wife Frigg, reluctantly arranging
a marriage for Loki to distance himself from him. A short few centuries
later, Loki lost his first wife Glut and daughters Eisa and Einmyria. Even
if it was an arranged marriage when he was still young and confused the
loss was still affecting him, you could see the pain in his eyes whenever
he spoke of them. This was mostly his own fault; Loki was trying to save
them by letting Odin take him as a lover again. Once again, Odin eventually
became bored with him. Loki took the opportunity to leave Asgard, and ended
up in Jotunheim the land of his birth. There among the frost giants he
met his next future wife. Unfortunately, before the birth of their children
Loki had to return to Asgard on orders from the Allfather for a meeting,
where Odin declared him his blood brother. Wile he was Asgard, his second
wife Angrboda was killed shortly after the births of Fenrir, Hel, and Yamino.
In a pit of despair, Loki found solace in a friends arms, Heimdall. Both
Loki and Heimdall where close while they where in their younger years.
Back originally when Loki was
his fathers' lover, Heimdall often would comfort a sobbing Loki. Just
because you where his lover never meant you where treated well by Odin,
especially if you where an unwilling one. Loki had learned this the hard
way. Unfortunately, while the relationship between the friends was developing
Odin did the one thing that could ruin it forever. He did not like the
fact that his son was with his favorite on and off lover. One night, Odin
called Loki to meat him giving him strict orders to carry out. If he failed,
Loki was informed that he would regret ever setting foot in Asgard. Latter
that night, Loki presented Odin with a new treasure his own son's eye.
Loki left the Allfathers presence in tears. Shortly latter, his children
taken from him wile they where still very little. His despair because he
could never get to Hel that her domain was unreachable for him, how he
searched for centuries to find Yamino because the other gods never thought
he had the right or need to know his exact whereabouts, and how he was
forbidden from seeing Fenrir even though he knew exactly where he was bound.
Also how he never could get close to Sleipnir, the horse child he bore
himself. Sleipnir was after all raised from birth by Odin, after feeling
misused and mistreated by him Loki was not going to try and be hurt
further.
Loki very happily informed her about Narfi and Vali, the almost identical
twins and his youngest sons. The boys both looked exactly like him, with
the exception that Vali had his fathers green eyes and Narfi had his mothers
ice blue orbs. Both boys acted exactly like their father as well. Loki
could almost say with absolute certainty where still in Asgard safe, at
least he hoped they still were. They would not be harmed or touched until
just before Ragnarok, that is if Odin had any sense of kindness in his
age torn body. The one thing though stood out to her in all of this thought
with all the pain and happy memories Loki informed her about every detail
no matter how upsetting it was. But with all of this, was the fact that
the location and out come of Sigyn, his third and most recent wife, was
unknown to Loki. This puzzled Mayura, but when ever she would mention Sigyn
or ask about details of their life together, Loki would clam up saying
that 'Sigyn was my past, tough I love her, my feelings for you are so much
stronger. You Mayura are my future; forget about Sigyn . . . we all have
had to.' But the only things that Mayura could learn about Sigyn where
through Yamino. He spoke that Sigyn and Loki where barely married before
himself, his brother and his sister where forcefully removed from them.
Yamino also knew that Sigyn was sent out on a mission for her older brother
almost a century previous. The only reason that he knew this was because,
Loki had discovered him by then and would keep him informed on the goings
on that his father knew about. Even though Loki repeatedly told her to
forget about Sigyn, Mayura still felt drawn to her, she wanted, no needed
to know what had happened to her. Only then could she really be at ease
with her relationship with Loki and with it's progression to the point
where marriage seemed likely. But Sigyn and Loki, they where still technically
married. She needed to know, and some
part of her would not let that go.
Mistake number two . . .
'Well, I am not certain I would call it a mistake . . . at least it
was not a Bad mistake.' She thought to herself with a sigh, twirling a
strand of her waved hair without even thinking. Glancing at the clock,
thirty-two minutes of birthday and she had already thought back over being
sixteen and seventeen. 'Eighteen was difficult to say the least.'
In being as drawn to finding out more about a goddess who is not very
well known or studied locally, internationally, or other wise, is just
more than a little difficult, even with the façade that it was her
choice in thesis. This is also especially when you do not want that goddesses
husband to know that you what to learn more after being told numerous times
to drop it, and he also happens to be your best friend and the one you
love. Mayura had to ask the only people she could for information, the
other gods and goddesses. Never learning much; they all would just tell
her about things she already knew about. Also as her search continued physical
problems started to interfere. Whenever she inquired, either by talking
or reading too much about Sigyn, she would black out or faint. This caused
great worry from each of the gods in their own special way. On more than
one occasion Loki had to be called somewhere to get Mayura, luckily each
god or goddess had the sense not to tell Loki the reasoning behind her
visit. She tried to avoid asking Narugami, Thor she reminded herself, and
Heimdall both of whom would only skirt the issue always saying he had no
right to talk about his Aunt because it was not his business or right to
talk about her, even after these short talks Mayura would collapse to the
ground beneath them. She never asked Yamino or Fenrir, she knew what Yamino
knew, and Fenrir would not know much probably less than his brother it
was a delicate subject for him, more of one than it was with Thor or Heimdall.
Loki really started to notice that something was up with Mayura. He
had not brought the subject up because he knew how curious Mayura could
get, and secretive she could be. But suddenly when in one of their discussions
she all of a sudden had her eyes roll up into her head and collapse. He
became really worried, and asked what was wrong. Upon getting a "nothing"
response, he gave her the 'I know your lying' look that all fathers are
so good at. When she caved in and told him, that the passing out would
always happened when she was researching Sigyn. Loki, did not take this
very well. Considering how many times he made it clear to drop the subject,
he felt as though he was lied to. So, he snapped and yelled at her. Not
in Japanese, or even English, but Old Norse. A curse he had long forgotten
that he even knew and had saved it for very special circumstances. When
Mayura did not respond in a confused stair or a baffled look, but an equally
good retort to his
curse that he had not heard in an equally long time also spat in Old
Norse. Both stopped after the two curses where flung and stared at each
other. Loki did not even have enough time to apologize to the girl or even
question the occurrence before Mayura dropped to the floor clutching her
head as if she where in pure agony.
Loki ran to help her, holding her as much as he physically could. Panic
was evident upon both their faces. Neither knew what was going on and it
scared them. All Mayura knew was that it felt as though her head was splitting,
and she passed out due to the pain in his arms. Even thought Loki could
at times transform into his natural form it was exhausting to do so for
long. To carry Mayura to the guest room in his transformed state would
completely wear him out. Luckily, his twelve year old body had recently
gone through a growth spurt so it was now just large enough now to be able
to support her weight up the stairs. Calling out to his sons, he got them
to take turns looking after the sleeping Mayura while he tried to think
through what was happening. Loki ended up realizing he needed more information
about each occurrence. He began calling up the other gods and ordering
them to his home. The Norns, where the first to arrive, then Freyja, Freyr
and Heimdall all came together, Narugami was the last having to get someone
to cover his shift at his work. All gathered in his study for a talk none
of them wanted to happen.
Loki started by yelling at all of them for not telling him exactly what
had happened, switching between old Norse, Japanese, Modern and old English,
German, Russian, Danish, Sweetish, and Gaelic. Whenever Yamino tried to
give him his cup of tea, it got thrown at another god just missing them
each time. Once a cup would just miss them, that god would explain all
the occurrences as calmly as possible. Eventually he slowly calmed, Loki
was finally able to take the cup of tea that his son was offering, without
trying to lodge it into any of the guests. Heimdall, was actually cowering.
Freyr was passive looking at his feet. Freyja was trying to hide behind
Fenrir by holding him above her face. Urd and Verdandi where comforting
a bawling Skuld. It had been a long time since any had heard Loki so angry,
or
act so violently against other gods. Thor though, was standing still
facing him waiting for his uncle to continue with the lecture. But it did
not continue.
"Tell me what really happened to Sigyn." he said after taking a long
gulp of his tea and laying the cup down and staring at each god individually,
eyes resting upon Narugami last.
Everyone present looked at one another. This included Fenrir and Yamino,
not because they knew what had happened to her, but because of the frankness
of
their father concerning a very emotional subject. Both had often wondered
what had happened to their fun loving step-mom who always treated them
like her own children. Neither had asked too worried about what the response
would be. The gods murmured among themselves after a moment that it was
forbidden to speak about Sigyn in Asgard. That the events of the night
that Sigyn was asked to go to Valaskjalf, were not what Loki had been told.
Sigyn was told that she needed to visit her brother in his favorite hall
Valaskjalf, a rear thing being that this hall was usually reserved for
only for him and his wife, she was not asked to perform a mission but instead
she was grabbed shackled and dragged to the gods' main meeting hall. All
gods where forced under threat of severe punishment to be present wile
Loki wass excluded, and latter tricked into believing she was sent on a
mission. Odin was on a power hunt, trying to prove that he was superior
to every other god. Sigyn was placed in the center of the hall and hit
constantly, yelled at, and threatened. The goddess of foresight was repeatedly
question about her husband, and his connection to Ragnarok. Trying anything
to incriminate Loki in anyway; Every time she was asked any question, her
response was exactly the same 'I do not know what will happen. My husband
is a good man.' Each time she would be slapped for this. 'Loki will not
do anything that he is not supposed to do . . . ' she would say after that.
Odin, finally tired of this had threatened her and picked her up by her
hair and yelled that she would look to Ragnarok right then in front of
the
assembly. Sigyn, they explained, looked like she was looking through
those in front of her. The true sign that Sigyn was using her abilities
of foresight, after a short amount of time she had slumped forward. Odin
had violently yanked her from the floor, and began questioning her again.
'My husband is a good man. Loki will not do anything that he is not supposed
to do . . . ' was all she would mummer. By the end of the questioning the
Allfather, banished Sigyn in a fit of rage against her, but not the way
he banished all the other gods. He killed her on his spear Gungnir, throwing
her body off of the rainbow bridge. He never specified when or where she
might come back and he did not care. To Odin, he never had a sister
and if she was never to come to life again that would be fine. All who
where present where told that if they mentioned her name, that they would
experience a worse fate. Sigyn was dead.
Thor and Heimdall continued that what had happened caused a great rift
between the Allfathers family, his authority was silently questioned among
them and the entire pantheon. Young Sigyn was the favorite among their
fathers' siblings, she was closer in age to them and Odin's other children
than anyone else in the family. She was the reliable one who you could
always go to for anything, and would do anything to help you out, she was
really just like an older protetective sister. Narugami and Heimdall both
had their heads lowered by the end of their explanation. The loss of Sigyn,
Odin's youngest sibling, was hard on them both. They had to stand by and
watch her death by their own fathers hands, and then they where never allowed
to speak of her. Everyone present knew how much Sigyn loved Loki;
she died being faithful to him. Loki though, took the news better than
they believed possible, remaining quiet while his both sons started to
get angry. He stood up, took Fenrir out of Freyjas arms, holding him tight.
Then he proceeded over to Yamino, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
Both calmed down, after seeing their fathers reaction and comforting touch.
Loki looked to the doorway with a small smile, "Mayura must have
sensed it." He calmly said. "She is from a family of Mikos. She probably
is growing into her ability now."
"So that's why I was drawn to her. I knew something needed to be found
out." Mayura said from the doorway where she had been leaning against the
frame for most of the later part of the discussion, and walked into the
study. After that one god after another excused themselves from the room,
all offering apologies to the family. Thor was the last to leave. He walked
up to Loki, asking if he remembered when Sif had left. In getting a positive
response from Loki he started explaining quietly that Sif was so saddened
at her best friends' death that she had screamed Sigyn's name in Odin's
face. That, he explained was the real reason why Sif had left. His head
dropped as he quickly left tears fresh in his eyes. After learning the
truth Mayura did not collapse or black out again. Though that was when
the dreams started.
All of the gods tried to avoid seeing Loki or his children for a few
months after that. Only after they noticed that Loki was in fact, dealing
well enough they where sure that he was not going to start Ragnarok to
get back at the world for what had happened to his beloved third wife,
that they then slowly re-entered his life. It was a trying time for everyone,
remembering a past that no one should have had. Opening up old wounds of
remembrance. Every one of the gods experienced such hardships and sadness.
And most of these occurrences could be traced back to Odin. In his quest
for knowledge, and his obsession over Ragnarok, the casualties were numerous.
As the year progressed both Loki and Mayura could not help but get closer
within their relationship. Mayura was there over the months of privet grief
that Loki, Fenrir and Yamino experienced. She tried her best to help them
all through the sadness. This only brought Loki and her together on an
emotional level that they never reached before, within time marriage was
brought up in conversations. This seemed like something that would be difficult
to achieve at the present because if Loki's apparent age. Mayura was at
the age that she legally could marry, but Loki only looked to be twelve.
In looking into how it might be possible for a marriage between them however
impossible it might be. Legally it could be possible if legal guardians
of both consented to the union, even though Mayura was legal. This
was an unlikely occurrence considering that Mayura's father never liked
Loki, and his opinion of him only worsened when he had learned that he
really was the god Loki. He believed that Loki could never change from
the evil god of myth. Even if there was no opposition from Mayura's father,
there really was not any real guardian for Loki, except maybe his own son
Yamino. So Mayura decided to take measures into her own hands to prove
to her father how serous she was. She moved into the mansion. The room
that Loki gave her was on the same floor as the other family members had
theirs. Three rooms down from Loki's master bedroom, and two up from Yamino's.
Fenrir technically had the bedroom between hers and his brothers but he
usually shared a room from night to night. He had explained it to Mayura,
one night as he entered her room, that he had been left alone in a cold
lonely place for such a long time that he tried to spend as much time with
others as earthly possible. When they both realized that she understood
him saying this Mayura had promised Fenrir that that little secret was
safe between them.
Latter that night Mayura had another dream. She had talked a little
about them with the boys before, and they thought that if she had any more
that she probably should talk to their father about it. Of course she agreed
with the decision, Loki just did not need to know about that yet.
Mistake number three . . .
These dreams where so life like, she never knew what to think. They
usually started with her facing an older man, who looked saddened. The
man would start to leave and she always needed to follow. Tonight was no
exception. He would always walk to a cliff never speaking just looking
like he was going to cry, as if he had been betrayed. Just as she made
it to standing beside him, there was always a shot of pain through the
chest and then she would fall . . . and fall into coldness. Little did
she know that this night, when she dreamt that she followed the man that
she got up out of bed sleepwalking out of the room. Fenrir though noticed
that she had gotten up and followed. Mayura slowly and calmly walked up
to the roof, Fenrir following closely behind. Then she fell. Fenrir luckily
grabbed hold of her long hair in his strong jaws. At that moment Mayura
awoke with a gasp, noticing her placement. She was smart enough not to
move while freaking out noticing that Fenrir was the only thing preventing
her from falling to the ground. So she called encouraging words up to him,
all the time thinking that there was no possible way that she could be
saved from this. The ruckus caused by Mayura and Fenrir up on the roof
was just enough to wake Yamino and Loki from the early stages of sleep.
Both looked outside their bedroom windows to find Mayura dangling by her
hair in the middle front of the house. Both ran to the study, the only
place where they would be able to get her in the house through the window.
Once they got her inside, Mayura could not help but start to cry. They
noticed that in the process of dangling by her hair, most the ends where
missing or destroyed. The next day after Mayura got her hair cut, Loki
and she had a long talk about the dreams. Once Mayura had mentioned the
older man, Loki made her stop and describe him carefully. "Why would he
be in the dream ?" He had said quietly to himself. Promising to inform
her about his theory once he talked it over with some others. 'That made
me so curious, I wanted to know who he was talking about, and I wanted
to know what he thought about the dream itself.' Mayura thought pulling
the blankets up around her with the sudden chill; the clock read twelve
forty and she could not even think about sleep yet.
Then when Mayuras father learned of his daughters near fall, his attitude
toward Loki and the boy's family changed. He reluctantly gave his consent
for the marriage, saying that he could see how much they all cared about
her. If they really where as evil as myth stated they would not have saved
her, he even agreed to perform the marriage ceremony. One evening as the
wedding was being planned, Mayura's father asked Loki to stay behind at
the temple to have a talk. Mayura was a little worried leaving him behind
with her father, but she did. Mayura's father took out some photo albums.
He laid Mayura's baby photos in front of Loki on the table between them.
Mayura, he explained, was a very special person. Loki agreed with this
immediately. But her father shook his head, explaining that she was special
in another way. He started by saying that him and his wife and him tried
for children for years. And finally when they learned that they where expecting.
They where
overjoyed. Unfortunately, when Mayura was born, she was not breathing.
Doctors tried to get the baby breathing, but all attempts failed and they
declared the baby still born. Ten full minutes passed before Mayura started
breathing. She was called a miracle child. He just wanted to make sure
that Loki knew how special he was, so he could treat her the way she needed
to be treated. Mayuras father informed him that he was doing a good job
so far, just insuring that he would continue to do so after the marriage.
Loki reassured him that he would never treat her with any less respect.
'The wedding was beautiful.' Mayura remembered tears in her eyes. 'Everyone
was there, even Hel made it. It was the happiest day of my life. Loki looked
so happy too. We both were surrounded by family and friends.' At this,
she played with her ring, a small gold band with ruins engraved upon it.
Both of their names where written in her husbands first tongue, something
to remind both of them of his origins.
Thor tried to hold a massive bachelor party for Loki. Who was having
none if it, last time his nephew had thrown him a bachelor party he almost
missed the wedding . . . one week later. Though Mayura talked him
into it by the end, thinking about her bachelorette. During the girls'
party, Hel appeared smiling handing a gift to Mayura. Both where a little
on edge around each other, but both quickly got along great, opening the
present, Mayura found a beautiful sliver bangle with multi colored semiprecious
stones inlayed within it. Mayura thanked Hel repeatedly for the gift. At
the boys party however, Freyr tried to poison Loki's drink with a sleeping
draught. Thor noticed though and switched them without anyone noticing.
Loki wondered why Thor and Freyr both where smiling the entire night but
decided that he did not want to know.
At the wedding, Freyja and Skuld had put up a fuss pouting and crying
that it should be them marrying Loki. Hel had been the one to silence the
two goddesses, just by looking at them. Freyr, who had just barely woken
up in time, had yelled that no one should marry his Yamato Nadescio. He
was calmed by Heimdall who informed the blubbering god that Mayura was
definitely Loki's. And that was one thing that even he would not try to
take from his nemesis and uncle. Mayura's father was a little leery over
Hel's being there. She was in his daughters' dressing room before the service,
helping Mayura as she explained that she was able to stay for a week. Mayura's
father had proceeded to yell at his daughter's former captor. Hel in response
clung to Mayuras arm crying, asking why her new Granddaddy hated her so
much. This response was the last thing Mayura's father had expected, and
gaped. Mayura explained calmly to him that Hel was Loki's youngest
daughter, her so to be step daughter. Loki had heard his "little" girl's
tears and came barreling through the woman who tried to stop him from entering
Mayura's room. Only to be swiftly removed by Hel, who had calmed quickly
after her Granddaddy's honest apology. Other than those few problematic
things, everything went splendidly. Mayura cried, so did Freyja, Skuld,
Freyr, and Hel. Though Hel would never admit it even if it meant getting
out of her realm, well if it was permanently than yes, she would. Kei was
happy to be included in Mayura's happy day and even happier when he found
that Hel was there. Loki stumbled in a couple of different times within
the ceremony, but that did not bother Mayura.
It had only been three short months since the wedding. The adjustment
was done rather smoothly. Being called Okasan by Yamino took a bit of getting
used to for Mayura, but not as much though as being called Momma by Hel
or Mommy by Fenrir. Mayura was just glad that Loki's children liked her
so much, and thought of her so highly she only hoped that his other kids
would like her too. Loki was glad of it too, especially with Hel. It was
the unknown to him how she would react to Mayura now, or how Mayura would
react around seeing her again. He had not seen them together before the
service. But when he saw that Hel had opened up immediately to her new
Momma, saying that she was glad that there was someone else that could
be there for her. Mayura was also glad that she got to know Hel better
reassuring the girl that she would always be there for her. When
Hel was leaving both girls where in tears over the farewell, Mayura was
wearing the gift from Hel, and both had their arms wrapped around each
other. Once Loki noticed Mayura wearing the bangle, he stared questionably
at Hel. Hel just stared at her father with an innocent smile. After the
tear filled goodbye Loki turned to Mayura taking her arm that had the bracelet
on it. He smiled looking into her questioning eyes. "That bangle," He explained,
"was a gift to Hel when she was younger. She got it long ago when she was
being taken away. Sigyn was able to stop the others long enough to take
that bangle off and give it to Hel. Before that, Hel would always stare
at it. It was a well known object in all of Asgard, and who owned it. It
is a very significant gift, Hel must really love you."
The dreams though continued for Mayura again after the wedding, often
waking both Loki first and her self after it ended. Every time, Loki would
ask what the dream was about. And every time, it was the exact same dream,
with the older man and the falling. Loki was still trying to determine
the meanings, and talked to the Norns about it.
The night before Mayura turned nineteen started with the same dream.
The older man, if it was possible looked even sadder as they walked to
the cliff. This time though Mayura had found her voice, "Why . . . ?" was
all she could ask. The pain spread through her chest was stronger than
before, white hot searing pain. She was gasping as she was raised over
the cliff, just trying to continue breathing, living, looking into the
saddened two colored eyes. "Because you have betrayed me." He said, tossing
her away. As she fell, she continued to look to the cliff edge where the
older man turned his back to her calling out, "She betrayed us all. If
any think to betray me again remember her."
Once she fell into coldness, Mayura did not wake up like she usually
did. Instead, she found herself sitting face to face with a woman. The
woman smiled at Mayura. Her smile was comforting to the confused younger
woman. She looked elegant and refined to Mayura, with long white blond
hair that had the slightest wave to it and ice blue eyes that seemed to
see beyond her. The woman tilted her head to the side, still smiling. "So,
you're Mayura." She stated, not in Japanese but Mayura still understood
her and nodded. "I am glad of that." the other said. "You have questions
about your dream, anyone would. I would like to apologize, because you
see it is my fault that you are having them. My memories seem to have made
there way to you. For you see, that was my life." Mayura could not help
but notice the
sadness in the woman before her. "You will be fine though, the dreams
will continue. But they should not be that one again. Just know that it
was my life experiences, and that it is all in the past. Also know that
you being a priestess have it in you to have dreams of the future. They
will feel different than those that are my memories." At this point, Mayura
realized that the woman had never opened her mouth wile speaking. "That
is because between us, words do not have to be physically spoken." She
commented on Mayura's unspoken query. "I know you still have questions,
but Loki is waking us up and this is my only chance to talk to you, please
take care of him."
'And that was at eleven last night, this night,' Mayura thought. The
moment Loki had heard of the dreams, he had ran off to see the Norns. Telling
Mayura, while trying to stay calm, to try to get some more sleep. But once
he left, Mayura was too nervous and anxious. He had been gone now one hour
and fifty minutes. 'What is taking you so long Loki ?' Mayura thought to
herself. 'Could it really take that long to talk about two dreams ?' Just
then Mayura heard the front door open. 'Good he's back.' She could hear
him slowly making his way up to the room.
"Sorry I'm late," he said walking over and kissing her forehead. "But
the Norns came to the same conclusion as me." He paused smiling, climbing
up onto the bed. Having not changed out of his pajamas in his rushed excited
state, when leaving, he did not need to change.
"You're freezing cold Loki," Mayura said while standing up and retrieving
his previously discarded housecoat.
Loki's smile brightened, "Thanks," he kissed her cheek. "Like I was
saying, you're really not going to believe this. I thought that it was
the case for some time after all that has happened and all the similarities."
"Loki, Loki," Mayura said calmly interrupting the excited god. "You're
rambling."
"Right sorry, it's just such great news, and yet not . . ." He looked
at her smirk that rivaled one of his own. "Yes I know I'm rambling again.
But the thing is each of those dreams where memories from your past life,
you my dear wife have been reincarnated. The memories you had where of
your past life's death."
"My past life, what are you talking about Loki ? Do you mean . . . ?"
Mayura said with an inquiring look.
Loki nodded, "When you described the older man, I thought I knew who
it was. But once you described the woman I was positive, I just needed
to check with
the Norns and Narugami on the specifics. That was you coming face to
face with your past self, the older man was Odin. This just proves that
we need to be very careful. If, when he finds out . . ."
"I was Sigyn ?" Mayura asked interrupting him.
"Yes you where, but now your Mayura, my Mayura." Loki said kissing his
new wife on the lips this time. "Your not Sigyn, you are your own person
who I love so much more than I did Sigyn. Your personalities are similar
but yet I could never feel this way about her. But that is not very important
right now." He said glancing at the clock. "After all it is one in the
morning. So all that matters now is that this is your birthday and we can
take one day off from worrying about any trouble." Loki smiled again. "Happy
Birthday Mayura."
Authoress Note: I put a lot of research into this fic, and I
mean a lot so please review ! Any mythology questions, comments, etc, put
in review or e-mail me. Big thank you to my friend Epyon Zero for pre-reading/editing/helping.
Thank you for reading this.