Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own anything from Marvel Universe. Phoenix, Ember, and Bade are my original characters and any relation to a real or fictional person is strictly coincidental. Also, I am aware of the role the Fire Giants actually play in Thor's Universe; however, I have re-invented their role in this story. They are still not mine; I just made them good instead of evil…if that makes sense.

This is my first story so don't be too mean ok?

Phoenix is referred to as "Phoe" which is pronounced "Fee", in case that is unclear.

Chapter 1: The Banquet

"Phoe, come on!"

I rolled my eyes to myself in the mirror.

"Be right there, Em!" I yelled at my little sister who was bounding around the palace like she was on fire, which isn't out of the question.

See, our father, Surtr, is king of the Fire Giants, and yes, we are "giants", but usually choose to walk around at normal height. I am his oldest, Phoenix, but I prefer Phoe, and Ember is my younger sister. We are similar, but mostly very different, which will become evident in the coming minutes.

"Phoe, father's getting angry! Come on!"

I sighed and reluctantly left the palace. I hated banquets, especially this one; it was to celebrate Thor Odinson's coronation, something I did not agree with. My father mounts his pale horse, looking at me sternly.

"Phoenix", he said in a voice that sounded like crackling flames, only deeper.

"I know, father. I'm sorry. I'm just anxious; my own coronation is nearing", I said as I mounted my black horse.

"Maybe you shouldn't—"

"Don't start with me, Em. I'm not in the mood", I warned.

She was constantly trying to get my father to ignore that I was the eldest, and therefore next in line for the thrown.

We rode to the Bifrost, and dismounted, walking into the big dome. I dreaded going to Asgard; my little sister was the star of the show here in Musphel, and that was consistent in Asgard. I felt the familiar surge forward as the three of us rocketed toward Asgard's Bifrost. We are greeted by a stern looking Heimdall, the Bifrost Keeper of Asgard. There were more horses waiting for us on the other side, and I started to mount the one next to my father.

"Wait! I want that one!" Ember's voice was becoming increasingly abrasive to my ears.

"To bad", I sneered, but then frowned, knowing what was coming, as my father turned to me.

"Phoenix, a leader must cooperate; give your sister the horse."

"Fine", I said, mounting the other one.

The thing about my father was that he constantly was "teaching" me etiquette on how to be a good king, or queen in my case, but when I confronted him directly on my being the future queen of Musphel, he avoided answering.

We rode into Asgard. As much as I disliked most of the company at Asgard, I couldn't deny its beauty. Musphel, meaning "The Home of Fire", was beautiful too, but Asgard had a certain shimmery quality. As we dismounted, we morphed into our dress for the banquet. Mine was a simple, but form-fitting orange gown that hit my bust and waist tightly and fell in silky waves down to my ankles. A light bronze tiara formed on my head, nestled amongst my long, chestnut hair. I looked over at my sister as we walked through the huge Asgardian palace doors. Her slightly darker hair was now pulled up into a tight bun. She wore a dark yellow dress with one sleeve that crossed over her small bust. I suddenly felt really exposed in my sleeveless dress but it was too late to change, for at that moment we were greeted loudly by Odin AllFather.

"Ah, Surtr, my friend!" Odin rose from his huge, golden throne at the far end of the banquet hall, his.

The massive hall was made entirely out of sculpted gold. I recognized Musphelian fire sculpting when I see it.

"Odin", my father smiled and bowed slightly as he greeted his friend, "you remember my daughters, Ember and Phoenix."

I flinched as he said my name second; Odin noticed. Odin was one of the people I could stand to see from Asgard. He treated me like the next ruler of Musphel, more than my own father did. Plus, he was kind to me; my father may be king of the Fire Giants, but he is as cold as a Frost Giant when it comes to affection, at least for me.

"Of course, Phoenix, my dear, wonderful to see you again!" He said putting his hands on the sides of my face, his one eye looking at me, his eye patch covering where his other one had once been.

"And you, AllFather", I said smoothly, bowing my head once he moved his hands.

"Hi AllFather!"

I rolled my eyes and glared at my little sister, who greeted him so casually. My father did favorite Ember, but even he shot her a look of warning.

"I mean, nice to see you again, AllFather", she corrected, mimicking my bow.

"Ember", Odin smiled. "Now everyone is here! Let the banquet begin!" Odin's voice echoed of the gold walls.

The ladies and gentlemen of Asgard cheered as they approached the massive banquet table.

I kept my head down as everyone ate, focusing intently on eating instead of talking. This was easier due to the fact that Ember was a little chatterbox. She never shut up, and she was painfully egotistic. I looked up when I heard my name.

"Phoenix? You remember my sons, Thor and Loki."

I nodded. "Yes, AllFather" I smiled falsely at Thor, who I actually disliked; he is much like my sister: arrogant, pompous, and rash. I turned my attention to Odin's younger son, Loki. I had very mixed feelings for the mischievous man. We had what mortals call an "unstable relationship" and a long distance one mind you. I admire almost everything about him, physically and mentally. He is the exact opposite of his brother, from his short black hair and green eyes, to his intelligence and humbleness. We had gotten together and called it off numerous times, all in secret.

"Hello again, Phoenix" his voice was smooth and made my skin tingle.

He is known for his "silver tongue". I already know way too much about that, though.

I nodded slightly. "Loki", I acknowledged, my voice sounding weaker than usual.

He could tell, and he smirked at this. I had dropped my eyes to my soup again when I felt a tug on my bare shoulder.

"Phoe", Ember whispered, as if we couldn't talk to each other, "isn't Thor cute?"

She asked me this every time she could, even though she knew I disliked him. I didn't really hate him, I couldn't; I barely knew him. I just disliked his attitude and the fact that he was going to be the next King of Asgard; like me, he is the eldest, so he got dibs on the throne. Unlike me, he doesn't deserve it.

I saw Loki glare at my sister out of the corner of my eye.

Still the over- protective, possessive boy, I see.

"No", I replied, matching her useless whisper; anyone paying attention could hear us, which thankfully was really only Loki.

She scowled, like always. "You have no taste."

I frowned at my soup, and then smirked as she gasped. Her soup had gone up in flames, nearly singeing her nose off, although she was a fire giant, so it would grow back anyhow.

I heard Loki laugh; now everyone was looking, including father.

"You tell him and I tell Thor." I breathed to my angry sister.

I know Thor knew about my sister's crush on him, but he also assumed I liked him, much to his brother's annoyance. She still frowned, but nodded.

"Girls?" Father looked at us sternly, and suspiciously.

"Sorry, father", Ember said, "it was an accident…I…uh"

"She sneezed", I said flatly, and everyone laughed.

Ember glared at me, but didn't protest.

The rest of the banquet went fine; it was mind-numbingly boring, until Loki started kicking me under the table. He smiled widely at my seemingly angry stare, knowing damn well I was trying not to crack a smile.

"Now", Odin said, standing from his place at the head of the table, "time for food is over, let the game begin", he smiled, and everyone cheered.

The game he referred to is simply a time to show your skills; the person with the best ones, unanimously chosen, wins. I never bothered participating, despite Odin's pushing, because I'd just be humiliated when Sif or Thor won out of popularity.

Everyone stood and the table, food, and chairs disappeared. We were suddenly all seated around the large empty space. There were several uniformed warriors standing at attention in the center. They aren't real warriors; they were created specifically for this sport. The weapons they carried are real, however.

"Who shall go first?" Odin asked with a smile.

Thor of course immediately stood up. "I will, father!"

"No", Odin held a hand up to his surprised son, who awkwardly sat back down, "Our guests will go first", he said turning to the group of visitors, us included. "One of the Musphelian girls", he said, staring at Ember and I.

Ember stood up. Of course. I rolled my eyes.

She walked to the center of the floor, her party dress melting into her armor. She drew the flaming sword my father had given her for her last birthday. A gong sounded, as Odin sat down, and the warriors charged my sister. She swung the flaming sword, which was almost as big as her; we didn't take on our giant forms when we fought unless needed. She hit two of them and they burst into a thin, brick-colored powder. Three more appeared out of thin air. She jumped, looking similar to a skinny ape, and landed a few feet away. The large audience applauded as she was almost hit by a warriors spear. I looked over to my father, who was scowling at the close call. She took another few minutes of graceless swings until, almost purely by luck, she took the last one down. The audience stood and cheered and whooped. She sauntered back over to me.

"Beat that", she sneered, melting back into her dress.

"Don't ask for things you don't truly desire", I shot back.

"I'll go now!" Sif stood. Her purple armor didn't flatter her at all. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail and she drew her spear.

Odin didn't protest as she bounded into the ring.

"Go, Sif!" my sister yelled. Sif grinned at her friend as the gong sounded.

Sif is much more skilled than my sister, but her methods are similar. Sticking her spear in the air violently, her only grace found in the many flips she preformed. She sat back down as the audience cheered again.

"Loki", Odin said, "Go."

Both sons of Odin looked surprised, but Loki stood up. There were some claps, but not nearly as much as there had been for the two before him. One of the many things we have in common. He walked calmly to the ring, his dark green cape flowing behind him. His large gold helmet formed on his head as he broke through the circle of spectators. The long, curved horns bending upward from the temples glinted in the torchlight. I noticed with a smile that he drew no weapon.

Another thing we have in common.

I scowled as I recalled everything we did have in common, which was considerably much. He stood motionless as the warriors raised their weapons, charging him. He flung a flurry of glowing, green orbs at the approaching attackers, taking out six. Then he spun as one buried its spear in him. Everyone gasped, but then cheered when they saw he had used magic. The copy of him with the spear in it disappeared, and the real Loki emerged smiling as he struck the surprised guard with another bolt of glowing green energy. He had showed me, when we had first met, how he created the decoys; he saw I had an interest in sorcery. He moved swiftly and fluidly across the floor striking down guard after guard until there was none left. The audience, fond of him or not, loved a good fight, so they hollered as they always did. I was thinking about Loki and our past when I jumped at the sound of my name.

"Phoenix, you go next", Odin says, as he always does. As I mentioned, usually I refuse, much to my father's disapproval.

"No thank you, AllFather", I say, ignoring the obnoxiously loud disapproval I got from the audience.

"Phoenix, your sister always goes. Why don't you?"

Everyone was silent, waiting for my answer. I normally would just make an excuse, but I was in a bad mood. I was tired of being treated like I was nothing when in reality I was going to be queen of my realm soon.

"Because", I stand, "It is not a test of skills but one of popularity."

Everyone gasped at the blasphemy, but knew I was right. Loki grinned at my boldness, and I blushed, my cheeks turning orange.

Odin smiles, and I see my father put his face in his hand out of the corner of my eye.

"You are wise, Phoenix." The AllFather paused, smiling at me, like he saw something in me the others didn't. "I assure you, that if you participate, the winner will be picked solely on skill."

I sighed. Everyone was still silent. Well, I might as well. At least I'll prove my point when someone like my sister wins. Cheering erupted from the audience as I reluctantly made my way down to the ring; my orange and bronzed armor replacing my dress.

"Where's your weapon, Phoenix?!" Sif yelled at me in a taunting voice.

I turned to her, and smirked.

"Some of us like to use our minds, Sif, not just our muscles."

She pouted as the audience laughed.

I stood very still. The warriors began to approach; I closed my eyes and focused my energy. My hands, which were at my sides, flew outward as my eyes, now very orange, opened. A huge plume of flame filled the space, narrowly missing the first ring of spectators. The crowd gasped; they had never seen my skills in battle. I spun gracefully on one leg like a ballerina bringing my hands up to my mouth as I did. Ten more warriors erupted into flames as I spun, a torrent of flaming coming from my hands as I blew into them. I heard more cheering and whistling. I grabbed one soldier that had gotten close, and flipped him into the wall behind the top ring of spectators. He burst into red powder and covered the people, who didn't seem to notice as they shouted with their fists flying in the air. I smirked as I took down three more guards, never touching them. Then everything was still, except the animalistic crowd. I started to depart from the arena when twelve more warriors appeared around me.

Oh, I see. I challenge this pointless game, and I get more guards, brilliant.

I look at Odin, who smiles.Then my eyes find Loki again who is leaned slightly forward in his seat next to his father, his wicked grin present once again.

"Of course", I breathe as I stop.

The figures charge me. I jump high in the air, one leg straight out underneath me, the other bent at the knee. I come down and landed gracefully crouched, with my hand on the cold floor. As I do, flame shoots out from all sides of me, like a flower with me at the center. All the figures disappear into columns of flame. I straighten up and look blankly at the stunned crowd around me. My armor morphs back into the sleeveless orange dress, the bronze tiara reforming in my hair. I take my seat next to my shocked sister. The crowd breaks their stunned silence with cheers of blood lust.

"Silence!" Odin said standing; he turned to his eldest son, who was still pouting like a child for having been told no. "Thor, my son, you will be our last entrant. Thor smiled his big toothy grin at his father.

"Yes, father!" his voice was deep like the thunder he controlled.

I didn't pay much attention to Thor's battle, but of course he defeated all of them. I looked curiously at Loki to see his reaction. It was, as I thought, one of distain.

"Now the winners!" Odin said, "Have we all decided?" He turned toward his royal panel. They nodded.

"The male winner is…my son, Thor!" The crowd cheered again as their champion re entered the ring. Thor ran a large hand through his shoulder length blonde hair. I looked at Loki again, who looks crushed, but like he had expected the outcome. I instinctively felt a pang of sadness for him.

"The female winner is…" Odin paused, "… Lady Sif!"

The audience paused in their cheering, a tone of surprised filled the hall, but then they cheered happily for their female champion, who didn't notice the delay in praise.

I left the room unnoticed and walked calmly into the dark hall outside it. The hall was lined with huge archways held up by equally large pillars, and a thick stone railing ran along the floor standing at waist height. I leaned against it, bracing myself with my hands. The stone heated up at my touch, I felt the familiar flames licking at the ends of my hair. This happened whenever I got angry enough.

I knew it.

It's not like I didn't expect it, and I certainly didn't care that I didn't win; it is just the principle. Loki is a much more diversely skilled fighter than his older brother. Plus, Odin had made such an ordeal about me competing and the judging being fair, but the same two people who always win, won again. It just infuriated me.

"You should have won."

I turned to see Loki standing across the dark hall, the screaming crowd still cheering for their winners. I smile at his dark figure as it moves towards me.

"You should've to", I whisper as he stops in front of me. The angry flames at the ends of my hair flicker out as I feel his cool breath on my face. He put his slender but strong hands on my bare shoulders. I watch with embarrassment as my pale shoulders turn a creamy orange color under his hands. This happens whenever I get agitated… or excited, in this case.

"Thor always wins", he said, his green eyes staring into my amber ones.

I nodded. "So does Sif. Like I said, it's a popularity contest."

He grinned. "That was quite bold of you, Phoe. No one has ever actually said it, even though everyone knows it's true."

I matched his grin. "I missed you", I said, changing the subject. His emerald eyes gleamed in the dim lighting.

"And I you", he cooed in a silky voice.

He moved one of his cold hands to my face, and a patch of milky orange flowered from my cheek. He bent his head down, and pressed his lips against mine. I kissed him back, and he pulled me into him, wrapping his strong arms around my hips. We broke the kiss, but he still held me. I moved my hands up his armor-covered chest and up to his pale face. He closed his eyes and smiled, as his skin heated up underneath my hands. The cheering had stopped and I heard music from the hall I had just left.

"We should get back", I said, with a tone of regret. Even with the shakiness in our relationship, I still love him dearly.

He nodded as he opened his eyes. "I'll meet you in there."

Then he was gone; my arms still extended upward, my hands where his face had been a moment ago. He's always doing that. I smiled as I re-entered the golden hall.

Cheery music filled the air, and the once cleared floor, was flooded with dancing couples, swinging to and fro at a fast pace to the beat of the folk-like jig. I frowned inwardly as Odin stepped next to me.

"Phoenix, my dear, I hope you are not too angry about the panel's decision", he smiled warmly at me.

I shook my head and lied through my teeth, "Of course not; it's just a game. Besides, Sif is more of a…champion…then I am."

"Oh?"

"Well, her idea of what makes a champion is a more admired one than mine. She sees a champion as someone who should be praised constantly and adored by everyone. One that springs into war, instead of trying to avoid it", my words are tight and honest now.

"And you, Phoenix, what do see a champion as?" Odin questioned.

I sigh. "I see a champion as someone who is balanced between their strength and their intelligence; a person who doesn't run blindly into war or anything regarding their realm, for that matter. A champion is someone who makes the decisions that need to be made, and does the things that need to be done, regardless of the praise from others or lack thereof", I stop, and look at the floor, realizing I had said too much.

"You are wise", Odin repeated what he had said earlier, "and I believe Musphel has a prosperous future in your hands."

I look up. "Thank you, AllFather", I say with sincerity.

"You're father does too", he continued, "he is just reluctant to give up the throne, as am I", he admitted.

I was startled by this comment, but I nodded. "I hope you are right."

"Father", Loki said as he walked up to the two of us.

"Ah, my son."

Loki nodded at his father. "I've come to ask Phoenix to dance."

To hear him use my full name was strange, and I was shocked he requested this in front of his father. His father looked equally shocked, but then he smiled, walking away.

"Are you crazy?" I said as he held out his elbow for me to take, "what happened to keeping this a secret."

He laughed, "He doesn't know of us. He just saw his son, a prince, asking you, a princess, to dance. That's not at all out of the ordinary."

I pouted, because he was right, and I gave him my arm. We walked to the floor, dodging spinning couples. We danced a while to fast songs and slow songs, until I felt like my feet were going to fall off.

"C'mon", I said, taking his arm, "Let's go. I'm tired of dancing."

He flashed his infamous mischievous grin at me. We left the loud hall again, going unnoticed among the laughing and singing partygoers.

He pushed me up against one of the big stone pillars that formed the archways in the dark hall. I gasped, not expecting it, but then smiled as he held me gently against the stone. He pressed himself against me, and rested his face against the crook of my bare neck. His long fingers flit around me as he reminds himself of all my curves he has seen and felt many times. His hands dance across my orange dress. My skin is completely light orange now. I put my head back and breathe out, trying to control my racing heartbeat.

"The God of Mischief indeed", I breathe as I smiled up at the dark ceiling.

I felt him smile against my neck. "The Princess of Fire…does that include passion, I wonder?" His whisper is smooth and even.

He knew damn well it did. I have never taken pride in that, much preferring literal fire over that of the heart, but with him I felt significantly different.

I laughed and he brought his head up again, making eye contact with me.

"How long are you staying?"

I frowned, looking down at his gold and forest-colored armor.

"Not long. My father has business to discuss about Jotunheim."

He frowned, his green eyes sad. "We don't have much time."

I looked at him with a grin. "We should get started then."

His mischievous smile returned.

…

So that's the first chapter. Hope it was ok. I will be uploading more shortly, but some feedback would make the process a lot quicker. I'm open to criticism, but like I said, not to harsh, yeah?