Imagine, if you will, a time (perhaps now, perhaps in the future, perhaps in the past), wherein all the Realms were aware of one another and engaged in diplomacy.

Imagine that astrophysicists doubled as diplomats.

Imagine an 18 year old Jane Foster, orphan, impressionable, passionate, desirous to see the Realm Eternal where her foster father Erik would escape to…and her "Uncle" as she termed him, hesitant to comply.

"But I want to go, Uncle Erik. I'm 18! Come on. What's the worst that could happen?"

"The worst? Don't even get me started."

"But I'm gonna be an astrophysicist too, and this would be a great learning experience for me!" she protested.

"No."

The small flat in London was nice enough, and Jane would have friends and such over while Erik was gone for the week in Asgard. But it wasn't enough. She wanted to go.

"But…" and she took the pop tart out of the toaster.

"No buts, Jane. You don't know this Realm, these people…"

"Don't be like that. They're just people…"

"That's where you're wrong."

And on it would go, a back and forth…until finally his protests abated, and he agreed.

He was always rather soft when it came to Jane.

The Bifrost had a large queue in front of it…

The dignitaries lined up in irritated wait.

And a sound sprang from the sky, a bounce, a tantrum…and they were all sucked up into the porthole…

Jane squeezed against her false uncle, as every breath was stolen from her lungs.

Her mid registered nothing, her eyes a blur of color…sound compressing around her ears…

Until it didn't, and they stopped.

The throng was tossed in front of Heimdall, his tower hovering over them all with what appeared to be a scowl.

"Greetings, visitors from Midgard. Welcome to the Realm Eternal."

And they all stood from the floor.

Jane looked around at the crowd, watching their faces…

Some appeared to be amused.

Others appeared to be nervous.

But most looked as though they were going to be sick.

"Come on, Janie. We go this way…"

And Jane followed Erik and the other 20 or so diplomats to the palace.

She felt so small in the vast palace. The ceilings vaulted over 50 feet in the air, she was sure of it.

She hurried along in chase of her uncle, off to the visitor's wing of the palace.

"Jane, I need to go to a meeting with Odin and the other diplomats…"

"Ok," she called in from the balcony (although it was modest enough, it was utterly enthralling for an 18 year old Midgardian).

"So…if you want to walk about, don't go beyond that garden below?"

"Mmmhmm," she murmured.

What a lovely place Asgard was!

The air was so crisp, yet heavy with life.

She thought that she could stay here always…

About an hour later she decided to take a walk outside to fully enjoy the place.

And she did…and breathed and sighed and felt warm and content.

Jane smelled the flowers, their blooms fully virgin to her eyes.

She touched the grass, soft and supple and velveteen in feel.

Some birds were singing their song, and she thought that this entire scene could have been drawn from a fairy tale.

And twilight was falling, covering the scene in a cool, low, and steady glow.

"You are rather young to be a diplomat," came a man's voice behind her.

Jane turned to see a very tall, very pale, very dark man standing about 10 feet from where she stood.

"I'm not a diplomat. My Uncle is," returned she.

"Your Uncle."

"That's right."

"And you are from Midgard?" and the man walked a bit toward her, touching some of the blooms with his fingertips.

"Yes," never taking her eyes off of him.

He nodded. He looked to the sky. "And what do you think of Asgard, young mortal?"

"It's beautiful," she sighed. "Have you been to Midgard?"

He smiled as he looked to her. "I have. Many times."

She nodded. "So…I'm guessing you're from Asgard."

"How very astute for a young mortal."

She smiled. "Does that mean you're insanely old?"

The man folded his arms in front of him. "I am 500 years old."

"Wow."

"How old are you?"

"18."

He laughed.

"What?"

"18…it is rather young to be traversing the Bifrost."

"I'm fine."

"Indeed."

"What is your name?"

The man hesitated a moment, as if contemplating her question. "Loki," he said.

"I'm Jane," she responded.

"And do you, Jane, enjoy the stars?"

"Yeah…they've always interested me."

Loki walked out into a more open area of the garden, obtaining a more clear view of the sky. "There is the warrior…he holds his staff fast…and when he appears in the northern aspect of the sky, it usually means that a battle is forthcoming."

"Where?" and Jane walked over to him.

He directed her gaze.

"But not really…I mean…that's not an actual thing that happens…?" She looked at him suspiciously.

He ignored this. "And there…the fox…see how he bends? It means that Asgard will enjoy harmony for the season…"

"Pfft. What a bunch of nonsense."

"Nonsense?" and he looked at her. "The sky holds energy. Energy pulls us…guides us…we are particle matter, the same stuff which holds the light in the night sky binds our own cells together. We are star dust, and are beholden to the actions of the energy."

"Yeah, but you're talking about fate, here. Nothing is predetermined. We choose…."

"How can you be certain?"

"Well, I guess…" and she paused. She couldn't be certain, as he put it. "It just doesn't make sense. I mean…what 's the point of doing anything if it all is already set out for us?"

He smirked. "To live, Jane. That's the point," and he turned from her.

"I'm gonna prove you wrong, you know."

"Is that right? How?"

She folded her arms in front of her. "I'm going to university this fall and I'm going to be studying the stars, and I'll prove to you that they are only bunches of fire, burning their energy until they die out. There's nothing predetermined about it."

"I'm pretty certain that you just agreed with me," and he turned and left.

What an infuriating man.

She went back into the palace and up to the room.


Jane stood at the balcony and watched the moon wax on the horizon when Erik came back in.

"Enjoy yourself, dear heart?"

"Yeah…just taking in the atmosphere…"

"There's to be a party in a few nights. Wanna go?"

Jane looked at him with an amazed expression. "Do I want to go?! Um….yeah?" she clapped her hands together.

He nodded.

And she would go.

Jane was pacing about in the room the night of the party.

They were going back to earth in the morning.

She put some makeup on.

She put on her best dress (the only one she owned - green).

And Jane followed Uncle Erik to the ball room.

The music seemed to reach a crescendo as she entered, and she glowed her excitement.

Erik went about the business of introducing her to various people, though Jane was full young, and these people were all much older.

She was bored, meeting new people was nice enough, but Jane wanted to explore, to dance…

She was over by the bar, and a large man crept up beside her.

"Some wine, young lass?" his voice, though low, was a boom.

"Ah…I probably shouldn't…I'm 18….though, since I'll be at university this fall…"

"Nonsense! Have one glass," and he handed her one.

She nervously accepted the beverage, and sipped anxiously, but eagerly. She laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing…my uncle would have a fit."

"Your uncle…?"

"Just there…" she nodded in Erik's direction.

He followed her gaze. "I'm Thor."

"Jane," and she smiled.

"Well, Jane…care to dance?"

She downed the rest, and followed him to the floor.

…and she spun and spun…whirled around…the wine making her delirious, brash…

Until she didn't…and she was twirled by the prodigious man into a corner…

She was breathless and flush. Where did he go?

"Are you well, young Jane?"

She turned abruptly.

And she smiled.

"Hi! I haven't seen you all week."

"No…I have been busy seeing to…business," and Loki looked out onto the floor. "You were just dancing with Thor."

"Yeah," she returned, smiling.

"And how did you find that?"

"It was great. So…"

"Exhilarating?"

"Sure."

He nodded. "And will you be returning when the dignitaries come back annually to confer?"

Jane smiled. "I dunno…"

"Would it be your wish to do so?"

She smiled. "Yeah…that'd be a wonderful thing. But my uncle, I'm not sure if he'd be all that happy about it."

Loki stepped into the light a bit, closer to Jane. "Perhaps your uncle might have things to say at the outset about your zest for travel to the Realm Eternal, but once a few years or so have passed, surely not."

She observed him quizzically. "No. I guess not…"

"Jane?"

She turned to see the uncle just mentioned. "Hey, Uncle Erik."

But Erik was looking at Loki. "Hello, Prince Loki."

And the Prince nodded. "Forgive me, I was merely seeing to Jane's entertainment…it is an odd thing, having so young a mortal amongst the aged Aesir," he paused. "Especially a mortal child."

"I'm not a child," Jane was affronted.

But Loki smiled, winked, and walked away.

"Jane," began Erik. She turned to him. "Mind yourself…" and he left her there.

Mind herself, indeed.


The next year Jane didn't particularly wish to travel to Asgard for the conference. Being 19, and a student at a university makes things which were once so enthralling decidedly less so.


When she was 20, she wanted to go, and Uncle Erik allowed it.

She was fully prepared for the travel of the Bifrost.

And when she landed in Asgard, she was excited, almost as much as she had been two years previous.

Jane followed her Uncle and made her way to the palace…

Thor was there to greet the mortals from Midgard; he saw Jane, and he smiled.

"Our young mortal has returned!" he took her hands. "And how much she's matured!"

Jane blushed.

She had filled out, her feminine shape fully formed…

Though she was embarrassed a bit at it.

"Hi Thor," and she smiled.

The Thunderer returned her grin and began, "Will you be here for the entire week?"

"Yeah," and she followed him upstairs. "Will there be another party?"

"Always, Miss Foster," he kissed her hand and left.

And Jane swallowed and went into her room.

Uncle Erik's room was adjacent…she mused he had arranged it such.

Jane walked to the balcony and sighed…it was good to be back.

On the last night there, she was invited to the party.

She had enjoyed her time over the week…exploring the palace, wandering the gardens, speaking with the diplomats, blushing in front of the Aesir.

And it wasn't until she arrived at the party that she thought about Loki.

She hadn't seen him at all that week, and wondered about it.

"Thor…" she began. "Where is Prince Loki?"

"Loki is away on business concerning Jutenheim. I don't expect him to return for at least a month…"

Jane nodded.

She had, upon first arriving home two years previous, thought about the Prince, much more than Thor…she thought something captivating about him. But it wasn't until just then that she realized that she missed his presence that week. There was something forbidding about him that captivated her young adult mind.

"Oh," she replied.

And she went about the hall a bit lost, a bit spellbound, and a lot confused…

Later that evening, she was out on the terrace alone, and she could have sworn she was being watched….