2. Imagination of Children
The day after Cerys' eighth Name Day, the palace was buzzing with cheer and commotion from last night's festivities. Since her birth, the realm came to adore the little princess. She looked very much like Thor; her wavy hair was a light blonde, nearly silver, and her eyes were blue like the sky. Her adorable, cheerful smile and high-pitched giggle would cause anyone to coo. With supple, pink lips and round, rosy cheeks, Cerys looked every bit a princess.
However, she felt out of place with two siblings being boys. She would often be found without a formal dress on, running around in her underclothes, which consisted of tan leggings and a tunic. The queen would never consent to it, but Cerys asked that her long, pale hair be cut into a bob. She reasoned that her long locks were a nuisance to maintain and only hindered her in "battle" with her brothers. So, the compromise was to weave it in a long braid and pulled up around her head to be worn like a crown.
Thor and Loki were both the tender age of ten, though Thor would correct you by stating "ten and a half year"—andwas regarded as the eldest. Years ago, they had teased their little sister for having to be a lady—to wear skirts, to not play-fight, and forced to stay behind when they went on adventures. When the king or queen forbid her from accompanying her brothers when they explored the kingdom's mysteries, Cerys would sob uncontrollably for hours. Eventually, their parents could not deny her any longer, and allowed her to roam the kingdom with the boys. Cerys was outspoken like Thor, but often moody like Loki—they were her best friends, so she tried to fit in by defying her gender role. It was a subject of concern for their mother, Frigga, as she constantly admonished the importance of behaving as a lady. Nevertheless, the little princess found contentment in being included.
"No, no… you must hold the hilt like this!" Young Thor corrected his siblings as they practiced with their wooden swords. He gripped his sword firmly, demonstrating how to hold it as he swung. He wore a red tailored pupil's outfit with silver trimmings. In contrast, Loki was sporting a green and gold combination. Cerys on the other hand, borrowed a pair of Loki's black trousers and wore her own lavender bodice over a white tunic.
A natural leader, Thor commanded the attention of all when he spoke. Loki was much more reserved, though he craved the same praise that was given to his older brother. Cerys always seemed to be in the spotlight for reasons she did not care for—being the princess. She would much prefer recognition for talents over her title, but it rarely came. Loki, being more sensitive to her feelings, would often compliment her in ways he knew she needed.
"Cerys, you have an excellent strategy in your attack with the sword. With more practice, you should manage to handle the heavier ones we use." A soft-spoken Loki smiled at her. Thor nodded with a wide grin on his cheerful face, feeling like an accomplished teacher. Their sister giggled bashfully.
"Well, thank you, brother. I have been practicing really, really hard, you know." Cerys exclaimed exuberantly. The trio played for hours in the courtyard after spending all day in tutoring. As royals, the children had few friends to interact with, and often had to entertain each other.
"Young masters! It is about to rain, please come back inside!" Beckoned the elderly handmaid, Ulda. She had raised them when the king and queen were absent, which was fairly often as their duties required such. The siblings looked up above into the wondrous sky and witnessed thick, dark clouds rolling in from the east. Like all children, their love for adventure and the unknown drew them in. A devious smirk came over Loki's delicate, pale face as an idea sparked in his head. Looking to his brother, it was merely a second before Thor was sharing the thought.
"Ulda, we will be back in time for supper! Do not worry!" Thor called back to the old woman and took off across the courtyard. Loki felt the excitement rush over him and grabbed Cerys' hand, pulling her as he ran after Thor.
"But there is a storm coming! Oh, drat!" Ulda huffed dejectedly, watching them dart down the steps of the palace. As the children grew older, their stubborn wills were harder to reign in. She shook her head and scurried back inside.
Thor led the way as they ran as fast as their legs would take them. Cerys screamed with enthusiasm as a strong wind hit them. Their collective imagination was fueled by the harsh weather approaching.
"Quickly! The frost giants are coming! We must stop them before they destroy Asgard!" Thor commanded as they made way for the meadow. A loud boom of thunder echoed in the sky.
"Oh no, that was their footsteps! Cerys, get on!" Loki crouched down to carry his sister on his back. She jumped up on him and he took off again. Though Cerys loved both her brothers, she held a special place in her heart for Loki. Because he was raven-haired, he was the opposite in appearance from her and Thor. He was also opposite in mannerism to the older brother—where Thor was loud and assertive, Loki was quiet and passive; thus, often alienated by other fair-haired Asgardian children. When they role-played, Loki would always be her protector, her knight, even if she preferred to fight, too. Thor was always the king or leader in the battle.
Upon reaching the open meadow from their cobblestone path, they looked up and watched the menacing clouds begin to cover half the sky. Breathing heavily, they continued to run toward the woodland across the grassy field. The flowers and weeds moved uniformly as the wind swept to and fro.
They were heading for a large tree that harbored their secret battle station. A few years ago, Loki and Thor discovered the reclusive spot and collected scrap materials to build a tree fort. For a long time, it was only a perch in the tree, though as years passed they added walls, and this summer, a roof. To the untrained eye, it was a shack in a tree, but to the children, it was their greatest accomplishment, their sanctuary of adventure.
Once they were at the base of the tree, Thor waved his arms at them to go up before him.
"Hurry! We do not have much time!" He felt the first droplets of rain pelt his little nose. Loki turned to the side and let Cerys leap from his back to the tree. After he ensured that she was safely inside the makeshift building, he made his way up and crawled through the hole in the floor. Thor was close behind and scrambled through the opening.
"Cover!" Thor ordered as Cerys was ready with the board to lay over the hole.
"Excellent. Loki, north window and Cerys, east window, now! I have the south and west positions." Thor moved to the other side of the little room and looked out the south window, which was really a square opening in the wall. Loki and Cerys took their spots as the rain began to pour down. A bolt of lightning lit up the dim meadow, eliciting awe from the children. Then, a crashing thunder shook their station as the rain fell heavier.
"Loki, I am frightened. What if the frost giants attack our base? I do not think it can withstand it." Cerys' mind created a fearful situation as the wind howled and made the structure creak. Loki took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.
"It can and it will. Thor and I built this with our own hands—it can withstand anything." Loki said with conviction. Cerys smiled as her bright blue eyes filled with hope.
"Brother, we may need your powers to shield us. I do not like the look of the storm." Thor said calmly, sounding serious now.
"What?!" Cerys' eyes widened as the wind seemed to blow harder and rustled everyone's hair wildly. Loki dropped her hand and brought his up with the other in front of him. He closed his eyes and a green aura took form, hovering at his fingertips. Cerys watched as his thin body weaved against the wind's assault. The green aura grew and stretched out like a bubble, becoming the size of the room. As his magic sealed the structure, effectively shielding them from the storm, Cerys screamed. Breaking his concentration, Loki ceased the spell and the wind continued to rush around them. Thor and Loki turned to the east window where their sister looked out of and froze in fear.
In the distance, a fiery red plume of smoke trailed a ball of raging fire that was falling from the sky. An asteroid, an attack from an enemy, or an illusion—it mattered not, for the terror that it instilled in the children caused them to stare helplessly. Cerys gripped Loki's arm tightly as she trembled. Thor clenched his fists and turned to the cover of the entrance.
"We have to warn the palace!" Thor yelled, trying to raise his voice above the storm. Loki shook his head and held his shoulder.
"No, brother, it is too dangerous to go out there! You could be killed!" Loki advised loudly and Thor grimaced.
"We cannot just stand here and let everyone else die!" Thor's eyes began to well up with tears. At the sight of him, Cerys began to sob, rarely having seen Thor so upset.
"Stay here, protect Cerys! If one of us must go, let it be me for I am faster than you!" Loki yelled and pushed his sister to the oldest brother. She hugged herself to Thor while crying.
"Please don't go, Loki! Stay with us!" Cerys begged, afraid for him. Loki flashed her a comforting smirk.
"Do not worry about me, dear sister—I have a shield!" With those words, he crawled out and down the tree. Thor and Cerys watched Loki dart off with his arm raised over his head to block the rain. She began to cry harder as Loki disappeared in the distance of the meadow, its view diminished by the rain.
"Be strong, sister. He will be alright, Loki will protect himself. I need you to be brave for me, okay?" His blue eyes met hers as she nodded her head.
Another lightning strike lit up the meadow and caused them both to flinch, followed by an overwhelming thunder above. Cerys screamed again, terrified of what was happening. Thor hugged her tight and watched the ball of fire descend to their world. He worried about Loki making it to the palace in time to tell father. Thor was hopeful that he might already know of the incoming disaster.
Another wave of hard wind and rain crashed against the little fort and it rattled. Thor's expression was one of panic. He knew they had to leave, too, or face their battle station fall out of the tree. Rubbing Cerys' shoulder to get her attention, he bent down to eye level.
"We must leave, sister! This fort may be swept away in the gusts of this storm!" Thor saw her nod before moving to the hole. He made his way down to the ground as the rain soaked him. He tried to look up at his sister but heard an explosion in the distance, causing him to look out.
"Thor! Look at the fire!" Cerys called to him from above. He saw her point her small finger at the giant fireball. Another explosion rumbled the ground under his feet as the sky lit up, swallowing all of the darkness. He covered his eyes with the back of his hand. The light engulfed everything, becoming a supernova. As suddenly as it began, it faded back. The wind stopped howling and the rain slowed to a sprinkle. Thor was awe-struck and stared off to the east—the fireball was no more. A hand on his shoulder startled him, causing him to turn.
"Brother! How did you get back so quickly?" Thor looked Loki up and down, inspecting him for injuries.
"I never made it—I saw the power of the Infinity Gauntlet shoot up through the air and hit the flaming asteroid! I came back this way once I knew father was protecting us." Loki said excitedly as he waved his hand overhead to simulate the beam of power he witnessed. When they looked up at the fort, Cerys jumped down from the ladder beside them.
"Loki! You are back!" she squealed and wrapped her arms around him. He chuckled and embraced her as Thor sniffed, feeling cold and wet.
"Did you see the explosion? And how about the light! It was so bright!" Thor shouted, still surprised. Loki's black hair was dripping and messy, falling around his face unceremoniously. Cerys' was not as drenched as her brothers, but the light rain was beginning to make her feel chilled.
"Yes, the explosion caused the light. I could see it well from the path. The Infinity Gauntlet's power disintegrated the massive thing." Loki replied, sounding spiteful. He and his siblings endured so much fear from the threat. Thor nodded and motioned for them to head back home.
"Loki, are you alright?" Cerys looked up to his emerald orbs and would not release him as they walked.
"I am perfectly well, dear sister. And yourself?" Loki smirked with one arm wrapped around her as they followed Thor to the cobblestone pathway.
"Promise me something, will you?" Her tiny voice was imploring. The raven-haired brother paused his gait and stared down at her. Her adorable, round face framed her sparkly blue eyes that conveyed a seriousness he could not brush off.
"Anything, little star. What is it?" Loki asked softly, using his special nickname for her. It originated two seasons ago, on a day when Loki was particularly depressed by a lecture the Allfather gave the boys about responsibility. Thor was, at times, forgetful and would not always fulfill his duties; Loki would often help Thor complete tasks or even do them himself. However, as the eldest, Thor was granted a bit more privilege than Loki—which left the darker prince to ponder on the unfairness. He confessed to his sister that it must be because he was different than them, for he was. Cerys, in her magnanimous wisdom, told Loki that he was like the night sky—that his black hair and magic made him special.
She said that Thor was like the Sun, powerful and made people believe it was better than the night sky, but it would not shine without it. A lofty comparison, though honest—Thor would not be as highly praised if it were not for Loki to aid him. For restoring his cheerful mood, he dubbed her his star—for she had hair so ashen, it was nearly silvery as a star. Cerys would never forget his words from that day: "You must be my star then, for the night sky is not nearly as special without them."
"Promise that you will never abandon me as you did earlier…" Cerys held out her pinky finger to him, waiting for him commit to the request. Loki furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to dispute the term "abandon," but thought better of it. Instead, he raised his slender hand and extended his pinky to hers.
"I promise to never abandon you." He said sincerely. As the two locked their little fingers together, Loki leaned in and kissed it, sealing the promise.
A/N: I had only written these two chapters, and I am currently finishing my first story on this site. If you enjoyed it, or if you thought it was boring, I would appreciate your feedback! If this continues, it will progress with a few chapters through their teen years and on before getting to the Thor movie again. Thanks for reading!