"Can you bring Thor home?"

Loki looked at her for a moment, thinking to himself, "The sooner Thor gets home the sooner I can leave."

He looked at her, then the rest of them, and with a smile he said; "Alright."

Sif stared at him wide-eyed, as if she could not believe what he had just told them.

"Really?" She said, a smiling starting to make it way up on her face as her friends let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, I'll bring him back home if that is your wish." He said, looking at them seeing them smile, and could not help thinking if they would have requested his return if he had been banished. He dismissed the thoughts, seeing as it would not matter, as he was now intending to leave Asgard behind.

"But what happens if Thor takes the throne?" The thought came to mind, and he could not help but worry, for Odin had a reason for banishing Thor after all, and if he left Thor on the throne with Odin asleep, there was no telling what could happen.

Loki gnawed on his bottom lip; He had originally intended on keeping Thor on earth, ruling Asgard and earn his father's approval, but recent event had turned his plan upside-down. He could not leave the throne in Thor's care, it would be too risky, but at the same time he wanted to leave, and there was no telling when, or if Odin was going to awaken.

Loki sighed. Asgard was not his home, the people detested him, and when he finally sat upon the throne he realized what he should have done a long time ago. "If I leave now… Then Thor will start a war, and it will because of me." He thought to himself. Despite the fact that did not owe the people anything, he could not let this happen, even if Thor's friends would think of him as evil.

He cleared his throat, causing the company to halt their celebrating and looking at him, as if what he said had been a cruel joke.

"However." He began, already seeing Sif eye him with a suspicious eye.

"Thor was banished for a reason if you remember."

The company looked a little shocked, then slightly embarrassed, seeing as Thor had started a new war between Asgard and Joutenheim.

"If Thor is brought back… He will undoubtedly do something reckless, and Asgard will suffer from it."

The company stood silent, realizing what Loki said was true, for even though Thor was strong and kind, he was a reckless person.

"What would we do then?" Sif asked, looking at Loki who had silently observed them.

Loki inhaled a deep breath, released it and opened his mouth.

"I don't know." He said, staring out the window again and watched as the clouds drifted over the clear blue sky.

"If he is left on earth he might learn his lesson, but there is no telling if how long that will take."

The others mumbled in agreement, looking at each other for things to say.

Loki sighed again, pinching his nose and rubbing his eyes.

"The decision is yours." He said, turning around and facing them.

"Come back tomorrow and tell me if you wish Thor back or not." He said, and without leaving room for an argument he strode towards the exit, but before he left he turned his back and shot them a look and said; "Choose wisely, and put your personal feelings aside on the matter."

He then proceeded to walk out of the hall, leaving the company in silence as Thor's and Asgard's fate lay in their hands.

Loki walked through the halls, his mind filled to the brim with the ideas of his newfound quest, and before long he found himself walking past the royal library, filled with thousands of books containing massive information.

He had spent many an hour in there as a child, and he smiled to himself at the fond memories of walking through the library with Odin when he was a child.

He peeked inside, not really sure why, maybe a bit curious seeing as it had been a while since he last visited the library.

"Loki!" Loki almost jumped at the voice, and watched as the caretaker of the library, Alcarina walked up to him with a bright smile.

"Long time no see Loki!" She said, smiling brightly at him.

Loki smiled and replied; "Yes, I have been a bit… Occupied as of lately."

The old woman smiled and started walking into the library, prompting him to follow.

"Yes, I heard about Odin, such an unfortunate thing to happen, and now of all times! Is everything alright with you?" She asked looking at him, stopping in her tracks and turning towards him.

"I'm holding up" Loki said, giving her a small smile, though both knew it was a lie.

She sighed and looked up at him giving him a warm smile before she spoke;

"Well if you feel that you need to talk to somebody, or are in need of anything, feel free to stop by."

Loki smiled and thanked her, and as she was about to walk away he suddenly remembered something.

"Actually…" He said, seeing her turn back and look at him.

"Yes?" She said, smiling a little bit.

"You wouldn't happen to have some maps would you?" She looked a bit confused at first, but answered happily; "Of course! Just come with me and we'll have a look! Planning to travel somewhere?"

"Something like that" Loki answered, walking with Alcarina into the library, feeling a bit excited at the thoughts of where he would go.

Loki awoke the next morning by a guard knocking on his chambers door.

"Sire?"

Loki groaned and turned up in bed, scrolls and maps falling off of him. He yawned and looked around: His room was a complete mess, filled with tons of parchments and books showing the galaxy and cosmos outside Asgard.

"Yes?" He answered, yawning again as he stretched his muscles.

"Lady Sif and the rest are waiting for you in the throne room."

Loki cursed at himself; he had been so absorbed in the books that he had completely forgotten about them.

"Sire?" The guard asked again a bit timidly.

"I'll be there, just a moment!" Loki sighed and tried his best to wade his way through the scrolls on the floor to his door, and since he had slept with his clothes on he did not have to change. He opened his door and strode by the guard who was looking nervously at him.

He walked towards the hall, trying to fix his hair who had become a mess in the process.

He walked into the hall and found all of Thor's friends standing there, waiting for him. Loki walked up to throne and sat down, inhaled and looked at them; "Well then… What is your decision?" Loki looked at them without showing any signs of emotion, but truthfully he was a bit anxious; If they decided to leave Thor on earth, he was bound to stay in Asgard gods know how long, but if they want him back it could mean a full out war.

"Well?" He asked again, looking at them, seeing them silently standing anxiously about.

"Do you wish to see Thor return, knowing what the consequences, or let him earn his way back home?"

Loki paused, waiting for them to speak up, and after a little while Fandral strode forth and spoke; "We have decided… to have you bring him back."

Loki was about to protest, even though he secretly wanted to have Thro back now, he still felt that he had his duty to keep Asgard safe, and while Thor might have good intentions, a war is not something he would be able to handle, no matter how strong or liked by his people he was.

However, before he could speak Sif cut in; "We know that Thor can be reckless and sometimes… not thinking things through." The others nodded silently in agreement.

"We would therefore think of it as best if you sent us down to talk to him."

Loki raised an eyebrow at the suggestion; "Talk to him?" He asked, leaning forward and waiting for an explanation.

"We will speak with him, and make sure he promises to not do anything reckless when he is returned." Loki laughed, and looked at them, seeing them startled at the outburst.

"Talk to him? This is Thor were talking about Sif, he already went behinds father back to get his way, who's to say he won't do the same to you?"

Sif stared at him for a moment, before looking him right in the eye and said;

"Because we are his friends."

That hurt more that Loki would like to admit, and he knew it was true; Thor would always be by his friend, and he was loyal to them. He looked at them, suddenly feeling sad, knowing that his brother had the best friends anyone could ever ask for, and he probably didn't even notice it.

He stood up from the throne, grabbed the staff he had previously left the day before, and looked down on them, before speaking again.

"Are you sure that you can convince him to not do something we will all regret?"

Sif looked up at him and answered: "If we can't, we will leave him on earth."

While Loki did not think that they would abandon Thor, he nodded in agreement. "After all…" he thought to himself: "When Thor comes back I can leave and finally be free of this place." He walked down the throne, up to the company and stopped in front of them before he spoke.

"Then so it shall be."