The story of Thor and Loki didn't begin with Loki's betrayal of his people, the story has a deeper beginning than that. While Loki has always lived in Thor's shadow, one straw was one too many.
When the brothers were mere children, a fellow Asgardian, a noble, had fallen in love with a human, and while humans and Agardians had relationships in the past, none had ever resulted in a child. A cross-breed of the two races, and they were shunned from the realm. The parents were killed in a torrent of fights between the Asgardians, and the child, lost. It wasn't until Thor and Loki grew up that the woman was found, and it seemed that she was needed in Asgard.
This is that story.
Wars were waging throughout Asgard and the other realms, and it seemed peace was not in the horizon. However, the gatekeeper saw a hope in the stars, she had a special kind of power, and it was just what they needed for peace. She was on Earth, innocently living, unknowing of her beginnings. Odin cast Thor into the realm of Earth, to find the woman and bring her back to Asgard. Mary was just driving home from her dead end job, thinking of the bills that needed paying and the run-down apartment she needed to fix up, when all of the sudden, the sky lit up and lightening struck ground right in front of her car, she screamed and swerved off the road. Looking up she saw a man, a gorgeous man with blonde hair, and all she could feel was pure terror as she felt him lift her and lost consciousness. She awakened with a start, she saw a huge room colored in gold and vibrant reds, in a huge bed with pillows and drapes over an impossibly large window. She stood, head aching, she walked towards the window, her hand trembled as she opened the drapery. What she saw when she looked outside was something she could never imagine, a huge golden city overlooking the stars, it was the most incredible sight she had ever witnessed, and she was terrified. A group of strangely dressed men entered the room and one spoke, "Dear child," he began, "we have been looking for you for a very long time, I am Odin, king of Asgard, and I welcome you to our realm, we have a great need of you."
She looked, wide eyed at the men, "Me?" She asked quietly, trying desperately to speak up. "I think you have the wrong person." Odin smiled a magnificent smile, "No, my dear, I'm quite sure that you are the one I seek." Another man said something that she couldn't hear, and Odin turned his head sharply towards the man who spoke, "Hold your tongue, Loki." He shouted. The man named Loki looked at her with what she took as disgust, and he laughed, "Father, I am only saying what all the rest of you are thinking," he looked at his father, "You all hated the abomination before, and now that you have need of her you treat her as a Goddess, it's quite pathetic." Mary was even more confused now, and she wasn't sure why this Loki character seemed to dislike her so. Odin seemed furious at his son, and tried to ignore the comment, "Mary," he began, "My son is not completely wrong in his accusation, our people treated your parents cruelly, but now we have a great need to make amends." She looked at the men standing before her, "My parents?" she asked. "They were, from this place?" Odin seemed a bit uncomfortable at the question, "Your father was, but we will discuss that more later, right now we need to discuss the war." Mary was then taken into a huge throne room and shown a map of the realms, Odin instructed her in the carnage and told her the Ice Giants were the cause of most of this turmoil and that she needed to put an end to it. Mary tried to explain time and time again that she couldn't possibly help him with this and that she was just a normal girl from Earth, but the words fell upon deaf ears. She looked around her at all the words swirling around her and nobody listening to her, and all that confusion and fright came out in a huge burst and she screamed, "Stop!" However, this was not a normal scream, this scream caused the walls to shake and a fiery split came up through the floor of the room. Mary, who was in total shock at herself, looked up to the amazed gazes of all the men around her and the very curious face of the man called Loki. The man who had taken her from her planet spoke now, and he seemed to be a warrior, "This is proof enough Father, let us destroy the Ice Giants now." Odin, who was obviously a very powerful leader, told his son no, that they must investigate this new power first. The man who she found was called Thor, seemed very annoyed with this news and promptly went to another part of this insanely large palace. Odin, who now spoke to her alone, told her of her parents history and the cruel injustices they faced in this world. He told her that the Ice Giants would destroy all the realms if they were not stopped and he nearly begged her for her help. She was soon left alone for awhile, after asking for a few moments to herself. Mary looked out the window into the world that her father knew as home, she wondered why he turned his back on his whole way of life, his family, and friends for one woman, and one baby. She thought how much he must have loved them and she knew in her heart that he would want her to help these people, who had no chance, according to Odin, without her. She wondered how she could possibly help though, because she was not strong, she was not a fighter, in fact she hated violence, and so she couldn't imagine causing harm to another creature. "Well, I'm sure this is different than what you are accustomed to." She turned and saw Loki, standing next to her, looking out the window as well. She gulped, "Yes, very different." She looked at Loki, and tried, timidly, to start a conversation, "So, um, your father is the King here?" Loki's face seemed to change back into a hard mask, "Yes, and your father is the dead traitor?" Mary knew in that moment that she didn't like this Loki. "So it seems." She answered, and promptly walked away, Loki looked after her, and she stopped, turned and looked him dead in the eye. "Thank you so much for making this easier on me," she said, "You must be very brave to talk to women in such a way." She left, leaving a furious Loki to collect his thoughts. She was obviously very stupid to talk to him in such a way and think she could get away with it. He would make her pay for her insolence, that was for certain.
Finally, the day came, the day of war. Thor seemed to be ready for anything, and his soldiers were all ready to destroy the ice giants for a final time. Loki was off to himself , he always looked, to Mary, like he wanted to kill everyone. Odin gave a long speech to the people of Asgard, and the soldiers were sent to the edge of the rainbow bridge. Mary was told to 'use her power' and she still had no idea how her powers worked, or even what they were. In the blink of an eye they were on the frozen tundra of Yodenhiem.
Mary could see her breath in front of her as the group moved forward, slowly, icicles fell as they pushed through frozen trees, and large caves were seen in the distance. A huge blue creature with red eyes stood up and Mary's heart began to race, there was no way they could win. They were all going to die, and she knew it. The Ice Giant King basically told them what she already thought, that they would die, and the war began. Slashing, stabbing, and beating, ice giants and Asgardians alike were being slung around like ragdolls. An Ice Giant approached Mary with a quick step and she stumbled backwards, tripping on a rock, she fell upon her back. The creature laughed at her, "Quite the warrior aren't you?" He lifted a huge rock and threw it down at her, but before it hit, someone stopped it. She opened her eyes and saw Loki holding it above her, he tossed it aside, and began his fight with the Giant. Mary look onward in total shock, mostly because Loki had saved her, and secondly because he was a brutal fighter. This, however, was not the time for awe, she stood up and ran for the Giant King, he was fighting with Thor, and it looked like Thor would lose this one. She ran, using the palace steps for leverage and put all of her strength and power into her knife, the knife caught fire, and she stabbed the King without rationalizing it or even thinking it through. The fire seemed to radiate throughout him and he fell, hitting the frozen ground with an enormous thud. All fighting stopped. All eyes fell on Mary and the corpse of the fallen Ice King. Her breath was ragged as she looked around at the faces of the warriors around her. "Look what this war has brought you!" She yelled, "Violence and death is the only life you all know, but this is wrong, this war is over, but look at the cost." She closed her eyes, and fire glowed in her fingertips, "I found my power, but you all used me to do this, to end this, and it's done. I'm done." She walked back the way she came, and a single teardrop froze to her cheek.
As the days passed, several realms spoke of a powerful warrior who defeated the fierce Ice King and was to be revered by all. Meanwhile, the warrior was trying hard to get passed the act that haunted her now, and simply longed for the land she called home. Knowing she would never fit in there now. She had a hard time controlling the power now that she had found it. Mary was called into the throne room one morning, and she found a grand party had been thrown in her honor, in honor of the Giant killer. All Mary could feel was shame, she felt as though she had lost herself and that she would forever be known as a killer. What she found here would prove to be the biggest shock of her life. Odin stood, addressing his loyal subjects and the room hushed, "We are all proud of this day, we have defeated the giants, and though someday they might rise again, the new King is very frightened of our newest Warrior, Mary." Odin smiled, "And I can see no better way to mend our realm than by arranging a marriage between our two best heros, Mary, and my own son, Thor." Thor smiled appreciatively, and Mary exclaimed, "What?!" loudly. "Yes, my dear, you will be my new daughter." Odin regarded her with so much love, and Thor seemed pleased as well. Mary looked, unintentionally, at Loki, who looked just as surprised. He also looked hurt, to her, and she realized that his father had inadvertently put him down by naming Thor as the best warrior.
As the days and months passed, Mary found that she grew very fond of Thor, and she fought the marriage less and less as time went by. Loki however, seemed to speak to her and Thor less and less and even fought with him from time to time. Eventually Loki went into the dungeon area and remained there for several weeks, seeing no one and nobody seemed to know why. His father and brother all said it was just his way to have bouts of anger and trickery. Mary thought his behavior strange and went to investigate one night. As she entered the prison area she found it empty except for Loki in one room, looking out a window into the night. "Loki?" She said, quietly. He stiffened at her voice and didn't move otherwise. "Loki, I don't know what's wrong but, I think it's time you come home." He laughed harshly, "What would YOU know of home?"
"I know enough." She replied, "Your family loves and misses you, and you are locking yourself in a dungeon like a child in his bedroom."
He turned and gave her the cruelest look she had ever received. "How dare you speak to me like that you sniveling, pathetic human. You are lower than the peasants here and an abomination to our people." He viciously stated. "You are unworthy of your standing in the palace and hated by the people." She looked him dead in the eye and said, "Are we talking about me or you, Loki." She could be just as mean as he could, and he deserved it. "I'm fairly certain that you feel lesser to your brother and that is the reason for your hard attitude. Here's a thought, get over it." Loki lifted his hand and slapped her across the face. She jerked her head around and sent him flying with a blast of fire. His eyes, somehow turned red, and his skin took on a blue tinge. It left as soon as it came and Mary knew he was an ice giant from his reaction to the fire. She backed up and screamed, "Who are you?!" She looked at his face and examined it. "What have you done with Loki?" He looked totally shocked and told her that she was insane, she called him a frozen monster and another fight ensued. Once they were exhausted, they finally tried to work out the confusion. "I've always been different, Mary. I enjoy chaos and power, and perhaps that makes me evil, but it's who I am." She thought that perhaps he was an Ice Giant after all, but maybe he was a different kind, she wasn't sure. "I don't want to judge you Loki, I know how cruel you can be," she answered, "But I also know that you can be heroic. I haven't forgotten how you saved my life, and I wont." She looked into those lovely blue eyes and saw something there that almost looked like affection. "You are my fellow warrior, I was doing my duty." He said quietly. She smiled, "Nonetheless, thank you."
Loki found himself thinking about this interesting creature more and more, she never ceased to amaze him. Really, she was the only one who ever regarded him as a good person and not a troublemaker. Time went on and he couldn't help himself from smiling at her and thinking nice thoughts about her, it made him almost sick. Mary, too was feeling oddly kind feelings for Loki, and while her relationship with Thor grew, her feelings for Loki did too. She shamed herself and tried to justify it in her mind. A few nights before the wedding Mary was in the palace ballroom alone, when she heard several female voices in the hall with Thor, he had been out to a drinking hall and had a reputation for being a ladies man. She found out very quickly that the rumors were true, and as the voices faded down the hall she felt very small and very alone. Then Loki's voice came from behind her, "Men and women have different rules here in Asgard." He stated, "Women are often homemakers and men can do whatever they want." She looked at him and then to the floor where she sat. "I'm going home then." She closed her eyes, "I cant live like this, with this guilt and these feelings and I know he doesn't love me." Her lips trembled. "I'm so afraid of this place, and of what it's doing to me." Loki felt very sorry for this woman, and he sank to the floor beside her. "It isn't easy to live in Thor's shadow, believe me, I know. But you are special. Unique. You deserve more than this." Mary's eyes lit up, and she looked into Loki's eyes. She leaned closer to him and he kissed her lips. Gently at first but then with a fierceness that rivaled all.
The next morning, Loki and Mary woke with a smile. They had made love the night before and it had given them a new perspective on how their lives could be. Mary went to speak with the queen about her arranged marriage. "Come in child." She said. Mary went to speak but was silenced before she could explain anything. "I am well aware of your predicament." She stated. "I too loved another when I was betrothed to the King. However. It ends now." Mary tried to cut in but the queen continued. "You are only human dear," She seemed condescending, "Thor needs a wife, and he needs an heir, see to it." She ended with a, "Thank you for coming in." Mary was then escorted out of the room.