Well I'm glad that some of my faithful viewers are still keeping watch over this fic. Really warms my heart how loyal some can be.
This chapter we have a show for Ingrid, first part of how she's been since leaving Asgard and then up to the point of where Loki fell and likely her discovering him on Midgard. I can't say all chapters will be as long as the last one, but I'll do my best to make them as long as possible. As a bonus though, Ingrid is going to learn more about what's to come before anything happens. I decided to mix it up a bit instead of prolonging it.
Also same tags still apply:
Sif being a bitch
Thor is clueless though that will change
Odin not winning daddy of the year
Frigga conflicted by her two younger children
I don't own the Marvel characters.
Enjoy!
200 years later, Alfheim castle:
"Lady Ingrid, the queen has requested you meet her in the gardens."
"Thank you Mira." Ingrid dismissed the maid that came to her door. Queen Alva wished to see her, perhaps it was of importance.
Two hundred years had passed since Ingrid ran away from Asgard, and in those two long centuries she never once stopped thinking of Loki. She missed him terribly, not being there when he needed her or when she needed him. The days were a struggle, but the positive outcome of being away gave her the chance to control her powers and learn more spells of magic.
When she first arrived on Alfheim the royals welcomed her with open arms, and they gave her a home. She lived in the castle, in a nice little room with a great view of the mountainside and the large lake that flowed in front of it. The beautiful crystalline waters shined and glistened in the sunlight, it was calming to her and she had wished Loki could see it.
One would likely call her obsessed with Loki, but she wasn't. She loved him more than anything, and she would've done all she could to get him away from Asgard with her. Unfortunately fate had not been kind to them, but at the very least it gave them hope.
"Ingrid dear." Ingrid made her way into the royal gardens to be greeted by the beautiful elven queen. The woman had milky white skin and beautiful platinum hair, and her lovely silver eyes shined like diamonds in the sun's rays.
"My lady." she bowed.
"Come with me to the fountain, we must talk." she followed the woman as such. Queen Alva was like a mother to Ingrid, more of a mother than Frigga had been. Frigga was a good queen and yes a good mother, but in some ways she made Ingrid feel insecure and unconfident about herself. Granted Frigga wanted her to be herself, but herself involved being close to Loki and that didn't always sit well with others.
She had watched as Asgard looked for her for days, and there was nothing. When Behur had thrown a childish fit about how Ingrid humiliated him at the altar it brought light to Odin's eyes for once. King Freyr apologized of course, and promised Odin no war would come since Freyr respected Frigga and even Loki. Odin and Frigga had a long talk about how they shouldn't have been so blind to Behur's true self, and Loki didn't let them forget it but she still wouldn't return. Loki sent her signals every now and again, and it just made her miss him more.
Thor missed her too she could see that, but he was back to his old self in no time after the Vanir left. Loki had been forced to be around him more than usual, but it was either that or remain in his room since Ingrid wasn't there anymore.
"What is it you wish to speak to me about?" they sat down on a stone bench near a beautiful white fountain with elk statues.
"My dear child, you know I hate seeing you so withdrawn, and I understand why." Ingrid looked away.
"He is gone milady." she began to remember the last time she'd looked into the mirror and saw Loki, when he fought against Thor…and then fell from the Bifrost.
Flashback:
"Why have you done this?!" Thor stared at Loki as they stood in the gatekeeper's tower, just next to the opening of the Bifrost where a frozen tree stood. As it began to grow it started destroying Jotunheim, the gate was being left open too long.
"To prove to father that I am a worthy son! When he awakes I will have saved his life, and I will have destroyed that race of monsters and true heir to the throne."
"You can't kill an entire race." Thor pleaded with him.
"And why not, what's this newfound love for the Jotuns?" Loki walked down from the stand. "You could've killed them all yourself."
"I've changed."
"Oh really?" Loki stared him down. "Well so have I!" he hit Thor with the end of Gugnir's staff. Thor fell across the floor but stood.
"I won't fight you brother!"
"I'm not your brother, I never was."
"This is madness Loki!" Thor waved Mjolnir, not wanting to fight.
"Is it madness? Is it? Is it?" the tears in Loki's eyes betrayed his voice. "What's turned the Mighty Thor so soft? Don't tell me it was that Midgardian woman?" that struck a nerve in Thor. "Oh it was, well maybe when we're finished here I'll pay her a visit myself!"
"RAAAHH!" Thor charged at Loki and the fight began. They scuffled and dragged along the Bifrost, one trying to harm or disarm the other. Loki used his magic to clone himself a few times, but Thor got through and managed to pin him down with Mjolnir.
There was no way to stop the Bifrost, not without Heimdall's help. Thor took the chance, and it was a hard one; he used Mjolnir's powerful blows to force the bridge to crack.
"What…what're you doing?!" Loki couldn't believe it, but Thor didn't stop. "If you destroy the bridge you'll never see her again!" Thor held the hammer up one more time.
"Forgive me Jane." and with one final blow the bridge smashed all together. The cracks spread fast and there wasn't enough time for the brothers to make it to safety before they started to fall. In a rush of it all, Odin showed up at the last minute and caught Thor's foot and Thor caught Gugnir's staff which Loki held onto for dear life. Loki looked up at Odin with a hopeful expression.
"I could've done it Father! I could've done it!" he shouted to him. "For you, for all of us!" he had a begging look in his eyes, but Odin could only look down at him with an unreadable emotion.
"No Loki." those words were all it took for Loki's eyes to tear up, and for his grip on the staff to let go.
"Loki no…" Thor begged but it was too late. "NOOOO!" Thor held out his hand as if trying to reach Loki, but all he could do was watch as his brother fell into the abyss.
End flashback.
"His eyes…that's all I can remember. His beautiful eyes, so sad…" Alva put her hand on Ingrid's.
"My sweet child, I understand." After Thor's coronation was disrupted by three Jotuns breaking into the weapons' vault he and his stupid friends and Loki had gone onto Jotunheim against Odin's rules. Heimdall knew Loki had been the one, but he let them go anyway. They started a fight with Laufey and his men, and Odin showed up at the last moment to stop it and only found a newly started war.
As a result of his vanity and stupidity Thor was banished to Midgard, stripped of his powers and unable to return to Asgard until he could prove himself worthy again. He met a mortal scientist Jane Foster, and while she had made him see wrong, he hadn't completely changed.
To top it all off Odin had betrayed Loki, he made him think he was his son when truly he was the abandoned child of Laufey. He let him live a lie all these years, no hints to the truth and he stood by as Loki was bullied and hurt by everyone. After discovering the truth by accident Odin had soon fallen into the Odinsleep and Loki took the throne. His plan was fine, protect the Allfather and get rid of Laufey, but all that changed when Thor's stupid friends went to Earth instead of staying behind to help guard Odin.
Loki sent the Destroyer to keep them busy, and it helped Thor get his power back. Laufey and a few of his men made it into Asgard, but none made it out alive. After that everything fell apart, and Loki was gone.
Ingrid mourned for days, crying every night and holding herself back as to not storm Asgard and make Thor and Odin pay for what they'd done. Unfortunately at the time she also fell ill, and was unable to travel until she'd gotten well some after.
"I can't remain here any longer milady, I have to go elsewhere and start anew." as lovely as this place was, she needed a new change of scenery.
"Perhaps you do, but not without knowing that Loki lives." Ingrid's head snapped to the queen. "It's true dear Ingrid, your love and brother is alive."
"What?! How? Where…it can't be he fell into the void!" Alva put a finger to her lips.
"True he did fall, and you couldn't sense him but he lives. He is hurt though, so you must do what you can to help him." Ingrid stopped, she suddenly remember the obvious fact that Alva was a seer. She saw everything that happened before it did, and she used it only to help those who needed it.
"How can you see him?" Alva frowned.
"I have seen…what's been done to him. He is not the same boy you loved, but he still yearns for you." that made Ingrid's heart soar. "He has fallen into the realm of the Mad Titan, he has become their slave." Ingrid paled.
"T-Thanos…he's real?" she'd heard stories long ago about the Mad Titan, but in Asgard he was deemed a complete myth made up to scare children.
"He is, and he has an army of horrible creatures known as the Chitauri. They are fearless, ruthless, monsters that care not if they live or die as long as they serve him. He seeks great power, great enough to woo Lady Death into his arms but she is not pleased with him."
"What type of power exactly?" Alva's face turned serious.
"He seeks the power of the infinite six." Ingrid's blue eyes widened in horror. "He has with him already the mind stone and he's giving it to Loki to use. He has your brother under his spell, but it's not enough to make him into a complete puppet."
"So there is hope? I can go save him!" she moved to get up.
"No Ingrid!" Alva gripped her wrist. "As powerful as you have become these last few centuries even you are not strong enough to take on the titan by yourself. Your storms would not kill him, only force him to sleep as he has more power than likely the Allfather."
"Then what can I do? I have to help Loki!"
"Hush child, and listen to me. There is a big war coming up in the quest for power, Thanos wants control of all the nine realms but he can only have it if he acquires the infinite six. For now the pieces are scattered, but they will soon begin gathering the rest. You know what they are do you not?" Ingrid nodded.
"The tesseract, the orb, the aether, and the mind stone…but only those four are known by name the last two are not."
"Because no one has ever dared to bring them all together, if they are then it shall bring destruction upon us all. They must never be brought together, and it will all end unless something is done."
"Explain, please." Ingrid leaned in.
"They will use Loki to get the tesseract which lies on Midgard, and the mortals have discovered the use of its power. They intend to use it to make weapons, ones that can wipe out their entire existence…but that shall be prevented if you are able to obtain it."
"Me? How can I…?"
"You will be the only one able to touch it without harm, because you possess a special ability that has not been seen since your grandmother Bestla's days. You will not be able to control the cube, or any of the other stones, but you can shield your mind from their powers."
"Milady…are you telling me that unless I am able to get Loki back and also bring the tesseract and the mind stone away from the titan's grasp…that we'll all be doomed?" Alva nodded.
"In a manner of speaking, the war will bring about the worst in all the nine, but if you are able to contrast Thanos' power you can stop him. You and Loki…you have both suffered greatly over the years and he will use that to his advantage."
"I still don't understand…you say that Loki is involved already and that I too shall be, but what can we do? You just told me I am not strong enough to take on that monster."
"Not on your own you aren't, to defeat him you will need Loki's help. You will also need help from Asgard, and that includes your brother Thor." oh great, she'd have to involve the great blonde oaf.
"I can't…"
"You feel angered that he has always ignored you, that's understandable. However you will have to set your pride aside and get his help along with the rest of Asgard, and even Midgard's mightiest heroes to destroy Thanos."
"Queen Alva…" it began to make sense. Thanos was real, and he was using Loki as a tool to get the tesseract and would likely use him again to gain the rest of the stones. Ingrid would have to save Loki herself, but in order to prevent a war she and Loki would have to get Thor's help to defeat the titan. Her main concern however, was if she and Loki would have the time to be with each other and survive the battle.
"Fret not my child, there is still time before this happens." Ingrid looked up.
"How much time?"
"A year I would guess, if not a year and a half but that is my best guess. You will help take the tesseract back to Asgard, and you will also encounter the soul stone along the way."
"What about Loki?" Alva frowned again.
"He is at the moment very weak, but he has enough energy to do the deed." blue eyes narrowed.
"What deed?"
"He has agreed to use the Chitauri army to conquer Midgard, but he is under their control. They need the cube to create a hole, a passageway for them onto the realm. If you get there in time you can stop it, but the humans will not let the cube go so easily."
"So I must save Loki first, and I will take the cube and send it back with Thor." Ingrid stood up.
"Exactly, but along the way try to keep out of trouble." Ingrid sighed.
"That won't be easy, I can be as troublesome as Loki you know that. When do I leave?"
"You will leave tonight my child, you will arrive maybe a day after Loki by the time the humans will have him imprisoned. However, there is something else you must know."
"What is it?"
"He already has two humans under his control, by the names of Clint Barton and Erik Selvig. You must free them from the spell they're under and take the spear before anyone else goes under their hold."
"No problem." Ingrid's hands turned into fists and covered in ice gauntlets. "Wait…" she paused. "Milady, everything you have told me so far…it's not the entire truth is it?" Alva shook her head.
"No dear, but you will learn more when you return here. Loki will need our help to heal, but you can give him enough to evade the mortals until then." Ingrid understood.
"I've been to Midgard before, I can handle the mortals."
"The mortals have advanced since you last went child, but I shall give you this." Alva tapped her finger on Ingrid's forehead, and Ingrid felt a warm sensation overcome her mind. "My shared vision, it will assist you."
"You're…you're giving me part of your gift?"
"Yes, but it's only enough to help you see how the mortals have grown. You will know things, and this will also help you track those mortals and Loki."
"But I can sense his magic…" hold it, if she hadn't been able to sense him before did that mean she couldn't sense him still?
"The power the Chitauri have over him will cloud his senses and yours, my powers shall prevent that."
"Lady Alva, answer me one more question please?"
"Yes child?"
"If I am able to find Loki…and save him…will we finally have our future together?" Alva smiled and touched Ingrid's cheek.
"Sweetheart, that's something only you and he can make. Now you have to prepare for the journey, but take your mirror with you."
"I shall." Ingrid nodded, bowed, and left to her room again. She started thinking back to the conversation, and it slowly played over in her head.
Loki was alive, but he was hurt and being kept prisoner by Thanos and his army. Thanos wants power, and he's using Loki to get it. A war was in the brewing but as of now only Ingrid and Alva knew of it, and no one else would believe them without proof. Ingrid had to free Loki and stop the attack before it came, but they would either be imprisoned or forced into exile again. It would be a while, but Midgard was unprepared for such a war and Asgard would not reach out to help with Odin still on the throne. Thor might but not the others.
"I have to help, but I need to save Loki first." Ingrid had to bring out her warrior side, her time on Alfheim was not just about training magic. She learned how to use a sword, and despite the weight difference between the elvish weapons and the Asgardian weapons Ingrid was a magnificent warrior. She threw daggers too, but only ice daggers formed by her own magic and a good result of watching Loki over the years. Archery was another good skill, but she had to practice on that.
'I shall arrive a day after Loki she said…so he's already on Midgard.' Ingrid took a moment and tapped into the power Alva lent her. She tried to picture Loki's face, and the vision that came was not one she'd fully expected.
Vision:
"Sir please, put down the spear." Loki had just come out of a wormhole portal activated by the tesseract. He was surrounded by some mortals all wearing strange clothing, including a tall man with a black eyepatch.
Loki looked terrible, he had circles around his eyes, his skin was pale and sickly looking, and despite the manic grin he wore he had a pained look in his eyes.
Loki took one glance down at the spear, and then used it to fire a blue blast at the one eyed man and the younger male next to him. He jumped and the mortals started firing their weapons at him, and he struck against a machine that exploded and threw some of them back onto the floor. Several were knocked unconscious, but Loki cornered the smaller man from before after he swung at him.
"You have heart." Loki took the spear and pointed it at the man's chest. His eyes turned solid black and then faded into a bright blue, the mind stone had him under Loki's control. The man in the eyepatch reached around as Loki took control of another, and he placed the glowing tesseract into a case and tried to leave. "Please don't." Loki's voice reached out. "I still need that."
"There's no need for this to get any messier." the man tried.
"Oh yes there is, I've come too far for anything else." the man turned around to face him. "I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."
"Loki…brother of Thor!" an elderly man stated as he bent over the body of a woman. That had to be Selvig, and the shorter man from earlier was Barton.
The rest of the vision carried on as the room lit up in a bluish glow, and it would soon cause the entire area to cave in. Barton shot the man in the eyepatch, and the men followed Loki after grabbing the case. Loki kept wincing and groaning, and then he limped the rest of the way before they managed to escape.
The vision changed to where Loki had been cornered in an area where he tried to kill an elderly man. Right before he could a man in a funny red, white and blue costume stopped him. Another man, a metal one flew down and joined in the fight, and it didn't take long before Loki surrendered. They took him into a machine, and then Thor showed up.
End vision:
'Not much to go on, but I can at least go to the place Barton is and he might tell me more.' that man wasn't her Loki, he was different. The stone she used to escape before could take her to the man called Barton, and after she freed him from the spell she could go for the tesseract and then for Loki.
'If I am to do this, then I must make sure none recognize me yet.' Ingrid closed her eyes again, and this time she tapped into her magic to shift her skin.
Along the way of controlling her ice powers, Ingrid discovered that she could take a second form that resembled her grandmother Bestla. From the stories she'd heard as a child Bestla was a bit different from most other Jotuns, like Loki but she was still large for Bor. She had pearly white hair, and lovely dark purple skin, and her eyes were pure silver coloring. Ingrid had the same form, but her skin was slightly lighter. Ingrid realized her powers must've come from Bestla, but from the stories Bestla was a wonderful queen so why did Odin and Frigga lock away her powers and try to hide the fact that she and Thor were part Jotun? It only made her angrier at Odin for his secrets and lies, the man was a damned hypocrite for all this.
"Alright, no time to waste." Ingrid donned a black suit similar to the midgardian's clothing from her visions. She grabbed her little hand mirror and shrunk it to fit in the pocket of her pants, and took one good look at her reflection. The image changed and she saw Loki's face, his expression was lost.
'Wait for me Loki, I'm coming for you.'
Hey sorry it's not as long as the last chapter but all chapters will be at least this long. Hope this helped out from Ingrid's point.
Next chapter we finally bring out the other avengers, and Ingrid and Loki are reunited but will it be a good one? Ingrid will show off her skills, and Thor will likely get a huge smack in the face. Expect a little gore here and there, but not enough for…death we'll say that.
R&R
Later!
