Thor: The King of Everything.
Summary: "(A sequel to "The King of Nothing") One month after Loki's sudden, inexplicable disappearance and the cryptic message he left behind, Thor desperately tries to hold everything- and everyone- together. But now, facing the cruel reality that his brother before him couldn't bear, failed to overcome and ultimately left to him alone to face, a war that Asgard has no chance of winning; too many people who refuse to see that terrifying truth, and even loosing the one last person he fights for, the God of Thunder knows he has got to make a stand before it's too late. His quest for victory- and to finally end all the suffering around him- will lead him into a long since forgotten, forbidden place, and reintroduce him to the cruel world he never realized he knew existed. But, with the help of his friends, and someone else who may or may not really be there at all anymore, Thor might just end up saving not only himself, Jane, his people, and his home from certain doom, but someone else who no one knew needed saving in the first place."
Warning: "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of some blood, violence, angst, some language, a character death or two, and other adult situations. So, to be on the safe side, we'll be going with Rated T. I have watched both Thor movies and the Avenger's movie, but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know about, and I'm bound to forget or misuse something. So, with that, please forgive me if I screw up, and just enjoy the story."
Disclaimer: "I do not own Thor. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."
A/N: "This story is dedicated to Adamzgal."
N._.s._.S
Chapter Two: The One Left Behind II.
"It's hard being the one to go, but it's even harder to be the one who stays."
- Audrey Niffenegger.
It took Thor a long time to remember what had happened after he woke up.
Everything up to before he fell through the ice; even his conversation with Loki right before his brother disappeared, was hazy- Thor could only remember some of the things that were said. There was no way he could remember how he'd ended up ashore; let alone what had truly happened to Loki after that.
All he remembered was his brother turning away.
Of course, when he did remember, hours after he woke, he rushed back down to the courtyard, despite the warnings of his father, Jane, and the Head Medic, Sanat Eir, and of course, found that Loki was still gone.
That he was, again, too late.
And with his fury, with his pain, came the thunder.
They just stood back, all of them, and watched, mercifully letting him be.
The God of Thunder made his way up the golden steps that lead back up to the large field where he and Jane, just a month ago, were married. He remembered the happy hours that the day had brought, how Loki had helped make it so, consenting to be his best man despite being so uncomfortable with the gesture.
How could you refuse?
How could you ask?
Despite what had happened with the space dragon and the Vael, that day had been one of the best, rivaling only that night he and Jane spent together under the stars on Earth.
You're out of your mind.
Don't be so dramatic.
In fact, the only thing that gave away the fact that his brother had been touched by the ceremony at all, was the smile on his face when it was over, and what he said when Thor thanked him.
It was an honor, brother.
Above him, the sky was dark and angry, as it had been ever since the night Loki disappeared.
Odin had told Thor in an undertone that powerful snowstorms often followed the deaths of Jotun, especially ones with a strong bloodline like Loki's, because their powers often dissipated into the world around them instead of merely dying with them.
That meant, of course, that they should expect a storm soon.
Curious about this new information, Thor ended up asking Sanat Eir about it. The Medic, who knew much more about Frost Giants and their culture than anyone alive, having studied under them for many years under the Borrhiem, told him that Odin was right, and also mentioned that amongst other names, the Jotun called the process "immortalization," because often, when it happened, some of the snow (or rain, in some cases) was saved by the family in remembrance of the deceased.
I had the chance to watch one of those, once. It was a beautiful, quiet thing, Eir had added, kindly, I was thinking of doing that for Loki, but your father told me that it was unnecessary.
'Loki is an Asgardian,' he said, 'And will be treated as such even in death.'
As Thor closed the gate to the Courtyard and replaced the magical protection on it, he heard light footsteps rushing toward him, and, already knowing who it was, waited for the last moment before turning quickly on his heels and enfolding her into his arms.
"You saw me?" Jane laughed as she returned his embrace.
"Of course."
She smiled at him and winked as they set off together.
"Feeling better?" She asked, hopefully, glancing over at him as a worried look crossed over her sharp features, "You've been coming out here every day since…"
Since Loki died.
Disappeared.
Or whatever it was people were saying about him this week.
For whatever reason, it seemed that more people were keener to speak ill of the God of Mischief when they knew he wasn't around anymore to counter their harsh words-
But it wasn't like he ever really did, anyway.
His brother had always ignored all the half-veiled glares and threats with his head held high, even years and years ago, when, for whatever reason, people looked down on him.
But that never stopped the God of Mischief from laughing or snickering at them behind their backs when his tormentors failed to get a reaction out of him.
Those fools aren't worth it, Loki had once told Thor, when he'd asked why he never bothered to retaliate, Why should a lion bow his head to the words of a few sheep?
"I will be in time," Thor answered, "Loki was…"
His brother.
And perhaps to this day, despite everything, his best friend.
"You two must have gotten along when you were kids," Jane continued, after a long moment of silence, "Did you guys ever get into trouble?"
"Actually, Loki was always getting me out of it."
"Really?"
"Yes. Once, I accidentally broke one of our mother's favorite vases," Thor answered, smiling despite himself, "I bribed him into repairing it for me."
"You bribed him?" Jane was still laughing, "With what?"
"I promised I'd play a game of chess with him."
"Chess?"
"Yes. I hated playing that game with him, and he knew the only way to get me to play with him was something like that," Thor answered with a short nod, "He always beat me in less than ten moves."
"So it wasn't just a rivalry, was it?"
"I didn't even know Loki felt that it was until he told me."
"You couldn't tell?" Jane answered, "He obviously had issues."
"Back before I met you, I wasn't concerned with anyone but myself," Thor told her, kindly, "I wasn't thinking about Loki. No one was, and that's probably what set him off."
"What do you mean?"
"Right before I was sent to Earth, Loki ended up finding out he was adopted."
So that wasn't the whole truth.
Not by a long shot.
"He didn't know before?"
"No one did, except our father and mother."
"And they didn't bother telling him?"
"I don't think that our father thought Loki would take it so hard, and nor did he think he would ever find out in the first place," Thor answered, "It was by my actions that he did."
"But you said you didn't know."
"I didn't. But it was my idea to go into the Jotunheim in the first place."
"What were you doing there? I thought it was forbidden?"
"It was, to the highest degree," Thor answered, "But I didn't care."
"Why not?"
He explained to her, then, what he had done. He told her about how he'd convinced Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, and Loki (whom, he later found out, had told one of the soldiers to warn Odin, which is how the All-Father got to them on time to save their lives) to come with him to the Jotunheim-
And why.
He had never told her the full story of how he was thrown to Earth in the first place, and as he expected, he saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by something else- something he couldn't identify on time before it, too, disappeared.
"No wonder he was so angry," she finally replied, gently.
"Yes; no wonder."
N._.s._.S
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