When I woke up that morning, Loki wasn't beside me as he usually was. His half of our king sized bed was left empty, neatly made up as if he had never slept there in the first place. I slid out of bed sleepily, slipped on a decent set of clothing, grabbed Svanhild and walked outside into the hallways, casually searching for the mischievous god.

"Loki," I called, my voice bouncing off the tall walls as I sauntered down the hall. "I swear I'll kill you if you don't show up this instant."

Obeying my command, he did show up. But not in the way I expected. I found him lying motionless on the cold floor, a puddle of blood surrounding his body like a scarlet aura. In his right hand he held small dagger coated in the red liquid and there were several stab wounds in his chest and stomach, a deep cut carved across his neck like a necklace.

"This isn't funny, Loki," I said angrily, suspecting the "corpse" to be an illusion. "Loki!"

No answer.

I knelt beside his body, set down Svanhild and touched his motionless fingers. That's when I knew. Loki never let me get this close to his illusions without cackling loudly from behind a pillar or wall. We also had a tacit agreement: if I ever touched his illusions, he had to give up his trick, disintegrate the illusion and reveal his real self to me.

"This is your last chance, Loki."

No reply.

I gently removed the dagger from his hand and wrapped my slender fingers around his.

"You could have at least left me something," I whispered, not seeing a note or letter anywhere.

Our grand palace suddenly seemed very, very empty.

….

"We warned you, Assssgardian," the Chitauri leader hissed, his mouth uncomfortably close to Loki's ear. "Now you sssssee that our threatsss aren't empty."

Loki said nothing.

"Now I'm sure you wissssh that you had taken us ssseriously. Now you see that Midgardian ssssuffer because of your failure."

The prisoner closed his eyes, showing no signs of pain or remorse.

"It'll be a thousand yearssss before we let you out, and by that time," the mysterious alien forced the Asgardian's eyes open with his blue fingers. "she'll be long dead. And all you can do iss watccchh."

…

Ironically, the sun shone brightly in the Asgardian sky on the day of Loki's funeral. I suppose it suited him nicely as he was always one to do things differently than the rest of the universe. It was unfortunately too hot for my nice black gown, so I stood behind the coffin wearing a plain black summer dress when a group approached me: the Avengers, of all people.

"What are you doing here?"

Stark stepped forward. "You see, Thor forc-"

Steve Rogers pushed him aside. "We're here to pay our respects, Ms. Stone. I'm very sorry for your loss."

I looked away. "Um… yeah…"

"He was a good brother," Thor mumbled, great sorrow in his voice.

"Hey, I got the feeling when I met him that deep down inside, he was a good guy," Dr. Banner soothed.

I nodded, following slowly behind the pallbearers as they carried Loki to his final resting place. I tried my best not to cry as I began to hear Thor sniffling behind me, and then a group behind us started to bawl. A few minutes later, I swore that the whole universe was sobbing, including me.

….

Loki pulled at the unbreakable chains, ascertained that their indestructible quality had not disappeared and leaned his head back against the cold stone chair, energy drained. He had not been able to escape the binds of the chains for even an instant in the months that the Chitauri held him prisoner on their planet, punishment for failing to capture Midgard. But the worst part of their torture was watching. From his chair, he had the perfect view of their surveillance methods. And he saw Lasca, the girl who did not cry, sobbing while following behind his coffin. He opened his mouth to call out to her.

"It's alright, Lasca," he whispered soothingly. "I'm here. Don't cry."

Of course, she did not hear him. He closed his mouth, a bitter taste on his tongue. The Chitauri were right. He wished with all his body for something sweeter.

….

"Life is foolish," Loki spat.

"Why?" I sipped from my glass of wine, glad to finally have time to relax in our new palace.

"Because it's an endless struggle for nothing. A curse. You are always chasing after the impossible notion of happiness. But you will never attain it. You are running after a mere illusion."

"Oh, give me a break. Life is just life. It's honestly just instinct that keeps a person alive. The instinct that survival is absolutely necessary. But, that's okay because that instinct came from somewhere. Someone or something must've known that nothing good comes out of death."

"Everything good comes out of death."

"You don't plan on…" my voice trailed off.

"No. Because I do not want to leave you alone in this huge universe. And you are slowly convincing me every day that life is worth living."

"All right. Promise?"

"I swear on all the nine realms."

I leaned against Loki's tall grave marker.

"You did a great job keeping your promise," I said to him sarcastically.

The wind blew my brown curls into my eyes. Leaves and small white flower petals rustled past in the light breeze.

"I can't help but think that you aren't dead," I thought aloud. "I know that you are a man of your word. You wouldn't do that to me. You're better than that."

A flower landed in my lap. I took that as a yes.

….

"I need a map," I demanded.

The Asgardian king stared down at me. "Of what?"

"The nine realms, what else?"

Thor watched me, confused. "Why?"

I sighed in frustration. "To look for him."

"Whom?"

What a fool. "Loki!"

The god frowned. "But he's dead."

"He's not dead. I just know it."

"Are you sure that it's not just wishful thinking you are experiencing, Midgardian? You are welcome to stay here, Lady Stone, until you have handled your grief."

"I'm not that weak. I've killed two hundred people in my life; I'm not going to be overcome with grief over one person. Especially if he's not dead." I held out my hand. "Now, a map, if you would please."

….

I trudged through the icy terrain of Jotunheim, struggling to hold even my sword, Svanhild, finally reaching the frost giant throne room.

"What do you want, Midgardian?" the new king of Jotunheim snarled.

"I am looking for Loki, son of Laufey."

The giant let out a curt laugh. "That traitor? The son of Odin, he called himself."

"He has gone missing. I mean nothing but peace in this realm. I only wish to find him." I bowed my head low.

"Well, he is not here, Midgardian. You have run out of luck."

"Oh… Very well, then."

The giant did not reply.

I heard crackling as the king formed an ice weapon in his right hand, ready to kill me. I raised up Svanhild to block right at the last moment, his ice weapon smashing against the flat of the blade, pushing me backward with the force. I was tired. This was the third realm I had visited in my search for my lost lover. I had not slept in days. Maybe even weeks. I could not fight. Especially not frost giants. More of the huge blue creatures seemingly formed themselves out of the darkness, all approaching me with malicious looks on their faces and weapons in their hands. One thought made its way above all others: run. I took off in the other direction, tripping over chips of frozen water and slipping on the ice. All the same, I got right back up, urging my legs forward as fast as I could move them. The frost giants were not far behind. I could tell they were hungry for my blood. I ran faster and faster, avoiding any more slippery patches of snow and lifting my feet up high so that I would not trip. One error would cost me my life. Faster, Lasca, faster! My feet felt like lead under me, and Svanhild and my arms felt like they weighed a few tons. I couldn't give up now. Not until I found him. I finally reached the point where the newly built Asgardian bifrost had launched me to.

"Heimdall!" I screamed up towards the sky. "HEIMDALL!"

I watched as a rainbow of colors enveloped me. The last thing I remember was collapsing on the other side of the bifrost, feeling ready to die.

….

Loki floundered about but the chains just kept restricting him, their grasp tighter and tighter until he could hardly breathe. He didn't care.

"Let me go!" he screamed angrily. "I'll do anything you ask, just let me return to her!"

The Chitauri leader smiled evilly under his hood. "You want to be free? There isss a priccce that comesss with it."

"What is it? Anything!"

"We kill her."

"Then I decline."

Loki settled back into the uncomfortable stone chair, watching with pain in his eyes as he saw Lasca collapse on the Asgardian side of the bifrost. He was relieved that Asgard treated her as one of its own, letting her use the bifrost to her heart's content and providing her with safe housing and food. He knew it was just out of pity; they believed she was just going insane with grief over her lost lover. But no matter, she had a place to return to where they cared for her, so that was all that mattered. However, it brought great pain to the god's heart to see his beloved tirelessly search the universe to find him. He knew her body was growing very weak and if she continued at the rate she was going at, she would die of exhaustion. Damn, the Asgardian thought as he clenched his fists. The Chitauri certainly were masters of punishment.

….

I opened my eyes slowly to see a servant standing over me.

"You're awake," she told me.

"I know. How long have I been asleep?"

"A week."

"What?!" I sat up immediately. "No way. I need to get going. I have five more realms to search!"

"No. You need your rest. Lord Thor has forbidden you from using the bifrost until you have fully recovered."

"Damn! How long will that take?"

"It is up to you. Your body will take about two weeks to recover. However, you will not be able to access the bifrost until you have overcome your grief as well."

"What? I don't have that much time! He could be dying or hurt! I have to find him!"

The servant put her hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Ms. Stone, but remember? Loki is already dead. He died two months ago."

"He's not dead! Not yet. Now let me the hell out of here! I have to find him!"

I jumped out of bed and pushed the servant aside. I grabbed my sword and strode through Valhalla on my way to the bifrost when Thor stopped me.

"You are forbidden to leave Valhalla until you have recovered," he stated, his hands on my shoulders, stopping me from moving forward.

"Let me go! I'm going to find Loki."

"Loki is dead. You must accept that."

"You people are crazy for believing that Loki would actually commit suicide!"

"He tried once before."

"Well he told me he would never again! He promised!"

"Loki was a skilled liar."

"Damn it! Just let me go!"

He looked me in the eye and called on the guards. "I'm sorry, Lady Stone. But you cannot leave. Not until you have recovered. You'll die of exhaustion if you keep looking for someone who is already dead."

I felt my hands being bound behind my back. "Damn you, Thor! Damn everyone!" I shook my head as the guards hauled me back to my room.

They cast a spell on the door so that it was impossible to escape no matter what I did. I sighed. Loki, if you're out there, if you see me, please, come back to me. I can't do this much longer.

….

I drummed my fingers on the nightstand in boredom. I wasn't that good of an actress, but I knew what I had to do: pretend I had gotten over my grief so that I could get out and look for him more.

A knock on the door. "Ms. Stone? Breakfast."

"Enter." I sat up.

The servant came in, carrying a tray of pancakes and eggs. My favorite. She set it on my lap.

"Thank you." I looked down at it hungrily. "You guys have really been too kind to me. You've really helped me through this hard time."

"Oh, it was all Lord Thor's doing."

"I'd like to thank him myself. I think I'm ready to return to Midgard."

"Oh, well I'll let him know."

"Thank you."

The small servant scurried out as I devoured the delicious pancakes.

She came back an hour later. "Lord Thor is ready to see you now."

By that time, I had gotten dressed and brushed my hair and put on the small golden wreath that Loki had given me as a sort of crown. I was escorted by the servant to the throne room where Thor sat patiently.

"So you say you are ready to return to Midgard," Thor declared.

"Yes."

"Loki will not be found there."

"I know. Loki is dead." I looked down, forcing a mournful expression onto my face.

"So you have accepted that."

"Yes."

"Then you are free to go wherever you please. And remember, you are always welcome here on Asgard."

I bowed. "Thank you." I turned my back to him and strode out of Valhalla triumphantly. Mission accomplished.

…..

Loki had actually been able to fall asleep, if only for a few minutes. The second he closed his eyes, he saw her. She was walking proudly walking to her throne back in Muspellsheim, Svanhild in hand, her back facing him. Her green cape billowed about her in slow motion. Every step she took was applauded by crowds lining the sides, kneeling to their new queen. Any person who dared obstruct her way was slain in an instant, his blood dripping down the tip of her sword. It was a glorious moment as she stepped up to the golden throne which awaited her. Right before she turned to sit and face her subjects, the Chitauri appeared, their arms wrapping around her body and seizing her sword. That's when she turned. Her eyes showed panic for the first time in her life. She was screaming, her mouth moving, but no sound coming out.

"Loki!" He saw her mouth form his name. "Loki! Loki!"

The six-fingered Chitauri leader covered her mouth with his fat hand. Loki readied his scepter and launched himself at them, desperate to free Lasca. The moment before the golden blade of his scepter plunged through the Chitauri leader's head, the scene changed, and Loki landed in a meadow of grass, with no one to be seen. He looked around in confusion.

"It's too late, Assssgardian," a familiar voice hissed.

Then thousands of hands yanked him into a pitch black abyss.

Loki's eyes flew open. He had always been cursed with bad dreams. He looked onto the screen. Lasca was nowhere to be seen. That could only mean one thing: she was dead. Loki shook his head in disbelief. He could not have missed her death in his sleep. There was no way. But he did not see her anywhere.

"No," he whispered.

Maybe the voice in his dream was not a dream after all.

….

I had never been to the Chitauri's world before. To be honest, nervousness filled my body and mind. These were the deadly warriors who had almost destroyed all of New York City. Here there were thousands and thousands of them. And there was only one of me, a human with a single sword, exhausted from travelling across realms with no rest in days. I dragged my feet along the ground, hoping to avoid being noticed. But with my ride here being the bright and powerful, not to mention loud, bifrost, that was impossible. Hordes of Chitauri had come my way. I held up my sword.

"I mean peace," I stated calmly. "I am only looking for someone."

One of them sneered. "Loki, son of Laufey?"

"He is here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It is none of your concern. Now perish, human."

All at once, they fired at me, bright blue lights shooting at unimaginable speeds straight towards me. I spun around quickly, holding my sword up to deflect all their shots. Then I ran straight through them, shoving them aside and impaling them with Svanhild. There must have been hundreds. It seemed I was running for an endless time. Then I reached a clearing, a single throne awaited me, its back facing me. I approached it slowly.

"Um, excuse me?" I said cautiously, not knowing who sat upon it.

I heard chains jingling and dragging along the stone seat. "Lasca?"

My eyes widened. "Loki?" I gasped.

"You're alive."

"You thought I was dead?"

"Yes. I couldn't see you."

"You've been watching me?"

"As a part of my punishment."

"How is that punishment?"

"To see you suffer, to watch you travel all those realms looking for me… It pains me to see all this and not to be able to help you."

"I guess that makes sense." I snickered. "I thought you said sentiment is useless."

He let out a barely audible chuckle. "It is. Now I have found that out for myself."

I moved towards him, ready to free him.

"Don't," he stopped me. "You must leave."

"What? No. I didn't search all the nine realms just to leave you here."

"The Chitauri will kill both of us."

"We'll fight them off."

"An army of ten million? I don't think so."

"Um… Well…. We're running out of options here… I'm just going to go for it." I grasped the chains that fixed him to the cold seat and pulled at them sharply.

"No!"

His warning came too late. I felt something warm soak into my uniform and onto my skin underneath it and when I looked down, I saw a thin silver blade sticking out of my stomach, dark blood dripping off it. My blood.

"Damn…" I cursed.

The Chitauri behind me yanked his staff out of my body. Blood poured out of the wound. Then the world around me began to spin, my vision starting to blur. I stumbled forward, not believing that I had left myself so vulnerable. I fell into Loki's arms, the last thing I heard being his voice.

"That's my girl."

….

The last time Loki got angry was many years ago when Thor revealed his weakness for the human, Jane Foster. He found it ironic that the next time he would get enraged was over the injury of a human that he loved. She collapsed, unconscious, into his restricted arms, her frizzy hair fanning out on his lap. Red blossoms flowered on his clothes. He clenched his fists tightly at the sight of her spilled blood. He felt rage stirring deep within him, something he could not restrain or suppress. He wanted to strangle all the Chitauri with his bare hands and he felt a strong desire to cut the leader to pieces until nothing was left of him but microscopic particles and liters of purple blood. He furiously pulled at the slate gray chains, finding a sudden burst of strength filling his formerly tired body. With a single yank of his lean arms, the metal chain-links burst apart, scattering in all directions like a flock of startled birds. He gently laid the unconscious Lasca on the cold black ground, ripping off his green cape and using it to bandage her gushing stab wound. He stood shakily, using his leg muscles for the first time in months.

"You bastards!" he shouted lividly, holding out his open hand. "I hope," he mumbled to himself, "that I am finally worthy."

The Chitauri encircled him and his motionless queen. A group of three examined the inert woman, noticing that she was still breathing, however unsteady the breaths were. They nodded in consent, pulling out their sharp staffs. They raised their arms in unison, the blades glinting in the dim lighting.

"Don't touch her!"

Immediately, Loki's scepter flew into his hand, showing him that he was finally a worthy ruler. He grinned and pointed it at the Chitauri. Flashes of light blue shot them straight through their chests and they dropped to the ground, dead.

"I'll protect you, Lasca, don't worry. We'll get out of here. Your tireless searching will not be in vain."

...

I heard fire crackling around me as I blinked my eyes open, unsure of my location. I felt my way to my stomach, Loki's green cape wrapped around it. I moved my other hand to my cheek, finding a larger, familiar one already upon it. I smiled for the first time in months, falling back into a deep and content sleep.