This is a sequel. If you have not read the first fic to this story 'When I first met you' please turn back and do so. :D
Chapter 1
No war can be considered easy, but the war in Jotunheim had been over in less than 24hours. The shortest war known to Asgard. The Jotuns allies, whomever they had been, failed to come to their aide. The frost giant's numbers had been decimated to but a few thousand or so. A great toll on the race itself. Jotunheim hadn't been the only people to lose something important to them. War was never easy.
The allfather stood on one of the many balconies of Asgard overlooking the city in the dead of night. His blond hair brushed by the breeze. Thor stood with his fists settled down on the foundation wall of the balcony in deep thought. His father had perished in the battle, but not before he delivered his greatest apology to Loki. The apology didn't come in words, but in the form of a small swaddled baby whose eyes were a deep green and a tuft of dark hair atop his head. Odin's own cloak wrapped around him to keep him warm.
Odin had many grievous wounds and before they could get him to Asgard he passed on. He died an honourable death. His body brought back with the many others to be burned upon the lakes of Asgard, Cephera among them. Thor had no words to express to his brother over the loss, but Loki seemed to take it in stride. The baby he carried in his arms was a reason for him to keep going and so he did.
Thor had been thinking about everything that had occurred in the past 12 years. For the most part life had been quiet and peaceful. Himself and Jane had parted ways. With everything that had been happening they just didn't find the time to be together and for Thor time felt different than for Jane. The years passed and she felt abandoned while for him it was merely a jest of time. Their lives were just too different. Thor had to find it within him to move on as Jane had.
Thor, however, did not rule alone. At his side was his brother. His insights and his consul were unrivalled. As for a queen Thor was in no hurry to find his. In time he would love someone and he could only hope that love went as deep as Loki's had for Cephera. Loki may not have spoken of his love for her, but Thor noticed Loki's disinterest in the other sex since her departure from the world. His heart still remained broken and empty even 12 years later. Thor suspected his children were the only anchors keeping Loki on the right path still.
Thor sighed and moved back within his room. As he did so he missed the odd occurrence that began off in the distance over the lake.
XxX
In the dead of night on the shores of Asgards great lake, two figures stood cloaked in the shadows. From their mouths chanted dark words of a dark spell. Combining their power and creating a black dust storm over the oceans surface. The dust spiralled up until it caved in on itself and a form fell from the sky and into the water. One of the figures moved into the waters and retrieved the unconscious being. There were muttered words exchanged between the two before a portal opened and they disappeared.
(Frigga)
It was all black and screams in her dream. Lights appearing every so often revealing objects she couldn't see clearly. There was blood and death. There were also familiar voices echoed in warning she couldn't understand. Frigga woke violently her body shaking and sweat soaking the sheets.
She turned instinctively to look beside her and as it had been for 12 years the bed beside her was empty. Odin was gone. She felt her heart tremble in sadness as she tried to steady her breathing. Unlike most dreams this one's effects or memory was not fading. This was not a dream as most would think them to be. This was a warning. Something was coming and it would affect everyone she knew.
Frigga climbed off the vast bed and moved along the floor to the balcony. She stepped out into the cooler night air. She might have enjoyed that air, but in the distance over the lake was a dark cloud of magic and she watched as it closed up just as something fell from it. She couldn't see the water in the darkness, but a bad feeling crawled across her skin. Whatever was happening at the lake it no doubt had something to do with her dream. Frigga was between sending guards to check out the lake or leaving it be. In the end she left it alone for now. She suspected the guards would find nothing anyhow.
(Diana)
"Ow. Diana stop being so harsh!" Devian said to his sister holding his wounded arm. He was bleeding. He hated these early morning duels. The suns had started shining brightly above them and he was sweating while his sister seemed to be taking a relaxing vacation.
"Don't be such a pussy!" She said in return swinging at him again. "Do you think our enemies will take it easy on you?" She said nearly cutting him across his hip.
"You're not my enemy you're my sister." He insisted barely dodging.
"In this arena I am not your sister," She said narrowing her eyes and swinging again. Devian cried out, but not from the blade making contact, but from a high-pitched sound that vibrated off the walls of the arena. The sky lit up a white so bright it blinded them both.
"What the hell?" Diana said shielding her eyes and shouting over the strange sound.
"An attack?" Devian asked her squinting away from the sheer brightness above them. The white light dimmed and Diana took off as a stream of lights rushed over the sky above. Devian was right on her heels. When they reached the gardens they continued to run after the lights. They were not the only ones curious. From across the gardens they could see Thor emerging from the palace and Loki not far behind him.
In the distance over the lake the lights came together with a clap like thunder and below the waters erupted up into waves. From above the convergence of lights fell a figure from the sky. It's wings clearly visible, but nothing more discernible as it fell and hit the waters below. Diana was first to make it onto the beach her shoes slipping in the sands as it slowed her down. The waves seemed to be bringing the body ashore.
The body stopped just at the shoreline and white wings faced them both as they skidded next to the figure. Diana reached out to turn the angel and upon touch the wings instantly turned to grey ash and blew out track into the water. Left behind was a naked woman. Her long brown hair sticking wet to her soft pale skin. Diana drew in a sharp breath both her hands coming up to cover her mouth as Devian finally rolled the form to face them.
Unconscious, but breathing lay their mother. Dead now for a little over a decade. "An illusion?" Diana asked reaching out to touch her. The footsteps behind them were unheard by either twin as every emotion imaginable flooded them. Loki fell to his knees on the opposite side of Cephera. He pulled off his coat and put it over her naked body his eyes looking just as curious and wide as his children's.
(Loki)
Loki had woken that morning when a soft knock sounded on his room door. When he opened it he found his mother on the other side. "I must speak with you," She said. Loki allowed her in. "Oh Loki, again?" She commented stopping and looking to his bed. In it slept his youngest child. The child Cephera had given birth to before perishing. He was 12 now and grew just as his twins had. His human blood accelerating his growth.
Loki knew he spoiled him. He often felt so lonely in his bed without Cephera he allowed his little boy to sleep with him. "He sleeps better this way." Loki insisted and looked back to his mother. "What's wrong?" Loki asked knowing something was bothering her. Frigga continued by telling Loki about what she had seen outside the night before and about her dream.
"I was hoping you would have a look along the shores and see what you might find." Frigga's request was no surprise considering what she had seen.
"I will do so midday when the suns are at the highest." Loki replied.
"Thank you," Frigga said reaching out and squeezed his arm lovingly. "I'll see you shortly for breakfast." He nodded and she left. Loki hadn't had the chance to search the lakes shores when Cephera had dropped mysteriously from the sky. He didn't doubt the two occurrences had some relation. Frigga had said something fell from the sky the night before and Loki wondered if it was also a person or even a thing.
Loki watched his children gather around the bed they had placed Cephera in within the healing rooms. She had been looked at by the healer and right now they could deduce she was in good health, but her slumber seemed like it wouldn't end. "She doesn't look like her pictures." Loki's twelve year old son Karr said touching her hair. Karr was the baby Cephera had given birth to in that cold cell before she died. The son she had never met.
"She looks just as I remember her." Diana told him.
"She had pink hair in the pictures." He insisted.
"She had pink streaks, but yeah those seem to be gone," Devian said touching his mother's hair next to Karr.
"Think she'll like me." Karr asked looking back to his father. Loki smiled at his youngest.
"She will adore you." Loki told him shuffling his son black hair in his hand. Karr turned out to look like Loki. He was all Loki in looks, but he reminded him more of Cephera than either of the twins. It had been a little over 12 years since she had passed away. Her body burned and ashes blew out over the very lake she had been resurrected in. A decade to Loki was quick to go by and only a mere blink of time. However, it hadn't helped him feel less empty every day he woke without her there and remembering she never would be in his arms again.
He had not moved on past his feelings toward Cephera. To have her back now was a miracle and too good to be true. He was weary about allowing himself to be too happy for this miracle. People didn't just come back from the dead. There was something dark and sinister happening and Cephera was part of it in some fashion. Ripped from her divine slumber back into the world of the living. Loki was worried.
Such magics used for reawakening the dead usually came with price. Loki feared she might not be the woman he remembered. Diana had said she fell like an angel. White wings spread along her back. Loki had seen it from a distance. Had she been sent back from the afterlife by those who rule it? And, if so for what purpose? Surely it was not some charity. Loki knew magic just as well if not better not than Frigga. Even Frigga felt worried. Loki's children weren't concerned. They couldn't wait for her to wake. No doubt they envisioned a happy life of smiling and laughter, but Loki knew it wouldn't be that way. There were other forces working in their world and Loki only wished he knew what or who they were and what they wanted.
Back and forth Diana and Devian were telling Karr things that were clearly exciting him. Karr couldn't wait for her to wake with each passing moment. "She'll sing for me?!" He asked eyes wide and hopeful. The twins had brought him to Midgard on his last birthday to share with him videos created and left in their old home long before Loki had known they all existed. Karr may have never met his mother in the flesh, but he had plenty of things to get to know her with. Technology was a wonderful thing on Midgard and Loki was glad his son had such opportunities open to him. He could only hope that the Cephera who woke would be the same who left this world behind.
A/N: Friendly reminder that I will from now on be posting on Mondays and Thursdays only. The second chapter will be posted on Monday Dec. 23rd. See you guys then. :D
