Summary: It is said that if you believe in something wholeheartedly, it will come true. And it seems that in one aspect, it is correct. Earth used to have many gods, out of which only the Greek and Norse ones remain. Eris, the goddess of Discord had lived in Asgard for a decade as a proof of trust between the two cultures. Now, millenniums after, this part of her immortal life seems to have caught up with her as she meets Thor, chased by his brother, Loki.
Chapter 1 - Reposted
"Eris. You don't have to do this. I could speak with Zeus and Hera. They could reconsider..."
Not turning around to face the speaker, the little girl kept looking further and further into darkness of the Underworld.
"They will not, Uncle. You know this. To them, I am the best choice. The winning one."
Hades frowned, clenching his fists just a bit tighter. His posture rigid, torn between desires of the heart and mind.
"Eris... Let me do this. Please." pleaded the Lord. "I, I would not be able to forgive myself if I let you go without a fight."
This time, the girl's fragile frame shook, silent sob allowed to be seen by the person she wanted to hide it from.
"You can't. They will punish you, Uncle." With another sob, Eris turned, single tear sliding down her deathly pale cheek. "I don't want that. I don't want them to hurt you because of me." she cried, throwing herself at the tall man.
There was no hesitation in Hades' readiness to wrap his arms around her, squeezing her tightly to his robed chest and fearing this might be the last time he held her. His little light.
"Forgive me, child. Forgive me my weakness."
"What is your name, girl?" Seated on his golden throne, Odin's voice boomed through the palace, reminding the little goddess of her father.
"I am Eris, All-father."
There was a long silence as the elder man considered the sickly-looking form kneeling before him. Storm reflected in his eyes as his thoughts ran dark.
"Do you know why you are here, Eris?" he questioned, having caught a glimmer of keen mind the second she stepped into the room.
Her voice came out strong and determined. "I do. I am fully prepared to face what this life has in store for me."
"Thank you, Audun. That will be all for today, I am afraid."
Bowing, the man left the woman with his two young charges, sparing only a passing glance to a strangely dressed girl standing right outside the door.
"Mother!" cried one of the princes, his boredom already forgotten.
"Did something happen, Mother?" asked the other, always more perceptive than his brother.
Frigga smiled at the boys, petting their cheeks in loving manner, though her eyes lingered on the second just a bit longer than the first.
"I came because I wanted you to meet someone..."
Stepping to the side, she beckoned the girl inside with a gentle voice.
"Thor, Loki, this is Eris. She is going to be staying with us at the palace as a guest for a while."
"Eris? It's Loki and Thor. May we come in?"
With a slight widening of eyes, the goddess on the other side of the door snapped her fingers, making all of the incriminating evidence disappear from sight.
"Yes."
"Mother sent us to tell you we have swordsmanship training in the afternoon and that you are to attend with us."
Tilting her head to the side, the girl stared at the black-haired boy with curiosity.
"Why?"
Puzzled by the question, Loki merely looked at her, not understanding why she would ask something so obvious.
"You have not left your quarters ever since you arrived. I believe Mother is trying to get you to go out." Thor surmised, frowning at the girl with slight distaste. To him, she looked like death.
Lowering her gaze, Eris stared at her lap where only moments ago lay an ancient book she swiped from the palace library.
"Very well. I shall attend."
"Hold it more tightly, Loki. Yes, that's it." approved the swords master. He walked around the three of them, inspecting their stances one last time, before the end of the lesson.
"Excellent, Lady Eris. You have been taught well."
The little goddess scowled. "Sir, if I may, I prefer daggers and staffs to sword. Would it be possible for me to train with them instead?"
The man sized her up, wondering why someone who seemed to carry herself like a seasoned warrior would be so eager to leave. In the end, he nodded. "Certainly. Loki has already received his first lessons with the staff. Perhaps you could join him in his training."
"Keep your feet wider apart. Otherwise you'll be too unstable to fend off the frontal attacks."
Doing as the master said, Eris planted her feet firmly to the ground, gripping her staff tightly in both hands before her.
"Good. Now, Loki, if you would."
The prince nodded and lunged for her with his own staff in hands. Eris parried the attack, returning one of her own, which Loki stopped. He pushed into her, their staffs locked, forcing Eris to take a step back, when a thought came to her mind. Pushing back against her opponent, she made him use more force and then she tilted her staff to the right, removing her hand minutely to avoid getting injured as Loki's staff slid down. With quick reflexes, she attacked his unprotected back from the left, earning him a sharp smack across his shoulder blades and then used one side of the staff to trip him in the middle of his attempt to turn around to face her.
Pointing the wooden practice weapon at Loki, she waited for him to accept his defeat, showing no emotion.
Silence reigned until Loki slowly nodded and Eris grabbed her staff in one hand, offering her other to help him up with a smile. The first one she showed ever since she arrived in Asgard.
She woke up from her sleep, clutching her head. It hurt to even move. She hated this. Not being able to dream. Only to remember. And there was plenty she'd rather not remember at all. Ever.
It was times like these when she missed Hypnos. Just like she missed the others. Thanatos, Persephone, Charon, Eos... All of them gone and never to return. Her eyes became unfocused, glistening with fresh tears and old grief.
It has been over two millenniums and still she couldn't forget them. Her old friends.
Sitting up on her ridiculously expensive bed she shut her eyes and let the light of the rising sun bathe her and cleanse her thoughts enough to feel for what awoke her.
Eris could sense something ominous in the air, brewing, begging to be released. And though to her, it felt like a glass of fresh water, her mind was uneasy. It felt like too much of a coincidence that she felt the song of discord right then, the morning after the coronation of Thor.
I should have attended, after all.
It had been a hard decision to make. Especially with Thor's personal insistence that she come join him in his triumph. But she didn't think she had the strength to come and smile. Not when he promised her a place of honor, a seat by his friends and family.
Lost in thought, she grabbed the communicator from her nightstand, knowing it would buzz any moment now.
Tiredly, the goddess stuffed the miniature device into her ear and proceeded to walk up to her wardrobe where she took hold of the first backpack she could find. After she made sure it was empty, she took it with her to her bathroom, where the hidden compartment behind her gigantic mirror opened by itself, revealing all kinds of daggers, short blades and throwing knives with a single uniquely shaped staff dominating them all.
With a loving look, she caressed the staff's intricate carvings before reaching for her favorite pair of daggers and placing them in the bag along with their sheaths and a case full of throwing knives.
There was no surprise in her eyes as she returned to her room, only to find a lean man staring at a painting above her bed.
Feeling her sad smile slipping, she glared at the back of his head.
"Hermes." she acknowledged with scorn.
"My, Eris. I thought you'd never come out of there."
Angry silence stretched between them, both remembering the last time they faced each other like this. The mutual hate grew and festered, chilling the room and dimming the light.
And then Eris smiled. A cold, mocking smile. "How's the business?" she asked in a sing-song voice.
Taken aback, Hermes frowned. "What's it to you? I thought you didn't like me smuggling guns."
She didn't. Not because she cared about him breaking law. She couldn't care less about that. Those were the human laws. Ones that didn't apply to them. No, they both knew it was because he was making her job harder for her.
"Never mind." she quipped, giving him a secretive smirk that said she knew something he didn't.
Scowling, the god of thieves and commerce decided to do what he was sent here for, before the woman drew him into whatever game she was playing. "Take this and don't lose it again." he growled and shoved a piece of red, pure crystal in her free hand.
One last disdainful look and he disappeared with a faint whisper of feathers.
There was a part of Eris that wanted to chase after him, strangle him, tear him apart. The other was already laughing, imagining his face when he found out his main base where he usually met with important clients was about to swarm with agents. And that it was her work.
How fun. I hope he gets shot. With a rifle. In the head.
She knew he would survive even that. But he'd have to play dead at least during the funeral and even after that, he'd have to change his appearance, name and start his business from scratch. If he didn't want to reveal his immortality, that is.
And he won't. Not with Zeus being so adamant to keep to the shadows as long as possible.
For a second, her father's face flashed in her mind, contorted with freezing anger and triumph, belittling her as she lay on the floor before him. With all her willpower, she pushed the image out of her head as she took slow, controlled breaths.
It took her quite a bit of time to clear her mind of the raging inferno of negative emotions inside and when she did, she heard a different voice calling her name. "Eris?"
Her gaze fell down to the crystal she kept clutching in her hand with enough force to draw blood. Letting go of the bag, she grabbed the hem of her nightgown and wiped it off, only to reveal Ares' fiery expression staring at her from inside.
"Ares. What is the matter? Why aren't you at the celebration?"
His face darkened further, red eyes contemplating. As if he came to a decision, he focused on her with intensity she was only used to seeing on battlefield.
"That's just the thing, aderfí. There's no celebration."
What is he talking about?
"Don't be ridiculous, adelfós. There's no way Thor wouldn't celebrate his own coronation. Taking over after his father is practically all he's dreamed about ever since he was born. He'll not let the day be ever forgotten."
Ares hesitated again. An action that worried Eris immensely. Her brother never hesitated. He was swift, ruthless.
The god of war sighed, this time showing pity. "Eris. Thor isn't the King."
"What?!" she hissed, her current auburn hair flashing to black before returning to its original color.
"The ceremony was interrupted. Some Frost Giants managed to break into the treasury."
Eris was concerned. She had never been allowed inside the room, but had read about it enough to know what stealing even a single relic would mean.
Chaos of the worst kind.
"They couldn't have taken anything important. Warning would be issued immediately if that were the case."
The projection of the man inside the red gem nodded in confirmation, but his expression stayed grave.
"Ares, why are you telling me this?"
"You are not going to like this, aderfi." Her brother shook his head. "Thor snapped and decided to pay Jotunheim in kind."
She was starting to see where this was going. And it explained the charged atmosphere.
"He broke the peace." she whispered with her mind already full of different possible scenarios.
If the war does occur, we will be called on. I will have to see them all again. It could take decades before it ends and all that time, we'd have to fight together.
"It gets worse. Odin stripped Thor of his powers and banished him. I hate to admit this, but by doing so, we lost one of the big players."
Banished? Thor? Odin banished his favorite son?
Her thoughts came in a slow torrent, bewilderment holding her back.
What should I do?
"I... understand. Try to persuade Zeus to activate the defense mechanism. I will keep an eye on the situation from my end. I'll inform you when the discord develops. We will be prepared."
"I will. Take care of yourself, Eris. We need you now more than ever." His voice was serious and earnest, which earned him a small sincere smile. One she didn't give easily. Not anymore.
There was no goodbye said. They both knew that was all.
Without thinking twice, Eris threw the crystal into the bag with the daggers and hurried to pack her work clothes. Taking out her black catsuit and leather belts with holsters that went along with it, she hesitated.
Change or pack?
She had a nagging feeling packing the clothing would be pointless so she instead changed into it and discarded her ruined nightgown. Grabbing her civilian garbs, she pulled them over her current outfit, disguising her uniform.
Then the call came.