Title: Capturing Starlight

Author: Shi-koi

Fandom: Avengers / Thor

Rating: T+ (older teens and upwards)

Characters/Pairings: Loki, Thor, Avengers.

Warnings: Isolation, mental torture. Personality/Character reconstruction.

Summary: What makes a truth; belief, or knowledge? Is Loki a monster because he believes it, or is he one because others believe his race is? Aka: the story where Thor proves his love for his brother, and ropes the Avengers into helping him fix Loki. Also, Odin gets his just desserts.

Notes: Post Avengers movie.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

«´¨`•° Capturing Starlight °•´¨`»

*´'`°¤¸¸.•'´*`'•.¸¸¤°´'`*

¨'°ºO cнapтёґ тщо Oº°'¨

=»«=

"You do not understand! You must speak with him!"

Thor disentangles Frigga's long fingers from his cape, gazing down at her tear-filled eyes regretfully. "Mother, you know I cannot. Brot- no, Loki deserves punishment, and Father is wise. Loki must learn, as I did, what is acceptable; and what is not."

Frigga clenches her fingers tighter, the red material bunching in her grasp. "No Thor, you do not understand what the All-Father has planned for your brother-"

Thor sighs. "Mother. Come now, it has only been a handful of weeks since Loki's imprisonment. I am sure that father is deliberating very carefully on the punishment Loki deserves. Father is not rash, there will be time to speak with him once he has made up his mind on the best course of action."

Frigga swallows slowly, her throat dry. "Oh Thor, my son, my child...you know not what you condemn your brother to," she whispers, her fingers releasing the fabric of Thor's cloak.

"If things are so dire, why do you not speak to Father?" Thor tilts his head, watching with mild discomfort as his mother's gaze becomes anguished.

"I have tried. Oh my son, how I have tried!" Frigga stops and takes in a deep breath. "I am forbidden to speak of Loki's punishment to any, and your Father will not heed my warnings. Please Thor, please, help me."

The newly built Bifrost Bridge gate is only steps ahead. Thor pauses before the open entrance and turns to grasp his mother's hands. "Mother, seek me out when Father issues forth Loki's punishment. I will be there to ensure it is fair and carried out correctly," he soothes, ignoring the tears that slowly slide down Frigga's cheeks. He hardens his heart, knowing that his mother has always been soft where his brother was concerned, and this time, Loki had done too much, gone too far. He needed a suitable and appropriately harsh punishment.

"Thor..."

"Now, Midgard awaits, and I have much to do there. Fare thee well Mother," he says softly, keeping his gaze fixed on the lights as Heimdall opens the Bifrost to Earth. "I will return Mother, and do not fret, Father will not condemn Loki to death," he consoles gently as he steps into the gateway and disappears.

"No," Frigga whispers as Heimdall closes the gate. "No my son, that is exactly what I fear."

(¯`*•¤°¨'°ºO Oº°'¨°¤•*´¯)

A month passes on Midgard, then another, and another. Thor has forgotten about Loki's punishment, insofar as he knows he will be summoned at the needed time, and so he spends his time split between the Avengers, and Jane Foster. Both relationships are proceeding well, and Thor is happy.

Six months pass, and still Thor hears no more from Asgard. This is not all that unusual, he thinks when he remembers about Loki's situation. The All-Father is wise and just, and if he believes he needs the time to carefully deliberate on Loki's fate, then Thor is all too happy to wait.

With the Avengers, Thor helps defeat many an enemy, although the one they call Dr Doom most reminds Thor of Loki. They have the same kind of genius cunning, and slowly, Thor begins to miss his brother.

When he is with Jane, his worries seem to pass him by, and he lives for the days he sees her. There is something like immortality in his Jane, Thor thinks, when he watches her work. She thinks not of gaining prizes, but of simply explaining the understanding all humans have of the universe. Thor will miss her when she is gone.

Nearly a year after Thor's return to Midgard, he knows he cannot put things off any longer. Even though there has been no word from his mother, and no decree from his father, Thor knows things must be brewing, and without him there, he fears for Loki's continued well-being. So, he says goodbye to Jane and the Avengers – promising to return – and calls Heimdall to transport him to Asgard.

Asgard has not changed, neither has Heimdall.

Except...

"Heimdall, how fares my brother?" Thor calls out when the gate closes and quietens behind him.

The other man does not blink, but the confusion is apparent on his face. "Brother?" he questions, his voice deep and bland.

Thor frowns. "Loki, my brother," he enunciates slowly, "how does he fare?"

"Thor, my prince, you have no brother."

Thor's frown deepens. He knew Heimdall held no fondness for Loki, but this blatant disregard was unsettling. He clenches his jaw and flies back to the main palace, heading straight for his mother's chambers.

"Thor!"

Thor smiles as his mother rises and embraces him warmly. "Mother," he greets affectionately, holding her close for the span of a few minutes before releasing her.

Frigga waves away her handmaidens and invites Thor to sit beside her. He does, with a heavy heart and an equally heavy body. He takes her hands in his.

"Mother, how fares Loki?" he asks intently.

Frigga laughs, her eyes showing no recognition of Loki's name. "Who? Is this some friend you have gained on Midgard?"

Thor frowns deeply. "Loki, my brother, adopted by you and Father," he states uncomfortably, "where is he?"

Frigga blinks rapidly, showing confusion. "Brother?" she questions. "Thor, you have only ever been my only son." She holds up a hand to his forehead, gently pressing. "Do you feel feverish?" she asks worriedly.

Thor stands. "Where is Father?"

"He is in Alfheim, brokering a treaty." Frigga stands, and casts her worried gaze over her son. "Come, eat and rest, speak to your friends, I know they have missed thee dearly. They would welcome your company."

There's a knot of tension and fear building in Thor's belly, and a sudden dread falls over him. "I will eat and drink once I have seen my friends; do you know where they might be?"

Frigga nods. "They have been seen daily in the training fields," she informs him, her smile widening. "Go then, see your friends."

Thor hurries away, trying to seem eager to meet his friends, but all he can feel is the cold fingers of dread digging under his skin.

"Ho! My friends!" Thor calls out when he nears the ring the others are fighting in. Sif and Fandral stand to one side as Volstagg and Hogun battle in the dusty ring.

"Thor!" Sif is the first to react, running to meet him. He claps her on the shoulder, his face split in a wide grin as the others make their way over.

"It is good to see you, my friends," Thor proclaims.

"And you," Fandral smiles brightly, his eyes raking in Thor's image from head to toe. "You look good. I take it Midgard has treated you well?"

"Very," Thor replies, teeth glinting.

"The Lady Jane seems good for you," Sif says slyly, her lips curving.

"And the food?" Volstagg asks, looking Thor over as though he expects Thor to have shrunk in size.

"The fights?" Hogun continues, head cocked to the side.

Thor laughs, lost in the moment. "Ah, my friends, how I have missed thee!"

There's a roar and Volstagg pounces, embracing the blond, with Fandral sighing but joining the hug, and Sif dragging Hogun in to join them.

"So," Sif starts as they come apart, hands lingering, "what brings you back to Asgard?"

"Not that we are not glad to see your face!" Volstagg rumbles.

Fandral crosses his arms, face split in a beaming smile. "Aye, it is good to see you, but were you not living with your lady love?"

Hogun raises a brow, looking content at the others asking the questions, and Thor cannot help but laugh at the familiar motion.

"My friends, the Lady Jane has welcomed me into her heart and her home, and my work with Midgard's heroes has been very fulfilling, however," Thor pauses, his face becoming serious, "I am concerned about my brother."

"Brother?" The warriors three and Sif exchange looks, and Thor feels his heart drop to his stomach.

"Aye, you remember him? Loki, Trickster and Liar, full of menace and madness and fun and folly?" Thor questions.

"Thor...you have no brother," Fandral starts, trailing off as Thor's face darkens.

"Do none of you remember him?" Thor turns to Sif. "Remember how he cut off your glorious golden locks and replaced them with black?" To Hogun he asks, "Do you not remember how he enchanted the halls outside your chambers to lead you in circles for an entire day?" At Volstagg he points out, "Remember how he kept changing your wine to milk?" And with Fandral, "Do you not remember how he kept changing himself into different maidens to tease you?"

The others simply shake their heads.

"Thor, I chose to have my hair changed," Sif says slowly, as though remembering something that happened in the past, something Thor knows could not have happened.

"Aye," Volstagg nods, "and I remember my wine being exchanged to milk by a flirty maiden, hoping for my attention."

"I do not get lost," is all Hogun says.

"Fair maidens?" Fandral laughs, "Thor, every maiden I have met has been fair and a maiden, none have been enchanted or disguised!"

"Do you really believe this?" Thor asks, his voice lowering until it is but a loud whisper.

"Perhaps you have lived through a dream of some sort on Midgard," Fandral offers, looking hopeful, as though Thor is moments away from madness.

"No," Thor clenches his fists. "Excuse me please."

The halls are mostly empty as Thor strides fast and fearfully to his chambers. There is no dust, so the room has been cleaned regularly in his absence, but otherwise his room is untouched. He searches his wardrobe for the small dagger Loki once gave him when they were youngsters, learning the art of war. The dagger is small, sharp, and bound in green dyed leather, and Thor finds it easily, smiling as he remembers the day it was gifted to him by his little brother.

Although he has long outgrown the need for a small blade, having long since earned Mjölnir, he has always been fond of it, and now he is glad for it, for he now has proof that Loki is not simply a construct of his mind, and so he attaches the dagger and sheath to his belt, opposite to Mjölnir and exits his room.

He walks slowly back to his mother's chambers. He cannot help but wonder if this is some plan of Loki's, to make all who would wish him dead to forget him, to escape their wrath and fear and hatred – but why then, he thinks – would Loki make Frigga forget him? Frigga who raised him, loved him, tended to him as a child and encouraged his interest in the magical arts?

It does not make sense to him.

Then again, much of what Loki has done of late has not made much sense to him.

Frigga is weaving quietly with only three of her handmaidens when Thor returns.

"Mother, I would speak with Father," he begins cautiously. "Can you tell me where in Alfheim he has gone?"

Frigga sighs and leaves her weaving. The brief glimpse Thor has of it makes his mind spin. It is sometimes hard to remember that his mother is a powerful goddess in her own right, weaving the truth of the universe on her loom, when she has always been so soft and approachable and kind to all within his sight.

"Odin speaks to the High Court. He seeks to draw a favour from the Queen," Frigga informs him quietly.

"I see," Thor does, he really does, but he cannot understand why his father has chosen now when their treaty with Alfheim has been suffering for centuries. "Mother, I will visit Father, please inform my friends should they search for me."

Frigga smiles, soft and slightly strained. "Of course my son," there's a pause, then, "be careful, your father has not been in a good mood as of late," she warns.

Thor nods, but does not say anything else. He waits until he is outside the palace before he flies back to Heimdall.

"I wish to see my Father on Alfheim," is all he says to Heimdall, forgoing all other greetings.

Heimdall's eyes stay carefully averted from Thor, and unease ripplies up Thor's spine.

"Very well."

When Heimdall opens the gate, Thor wastes no time in stepping through it, landing softly on Alfheim, in a lush green field. A city looms in the distance, beautiful, but nowhere near as extravagant as anything on Asgard.

The palace is the largest, most ornate and ostentagious structure in the sprawling city, and Thor heads for the front gate, wasting no time. When he lands, there is a contingent of guards dressed in blue and gold livery, their swords unsheathed and aimed threateningly at Thor.

"Who are thee?" asks one of them.

"I am Thor, Prince of Asgard," Thor booms. "I seek my Father!"

The swords are sheathed, and the guards fall into formation. The one who spoke stands before Thor. "Follow me," he says curtly.

It does not take long for Thor to find his father. Odin is resting in his guest chambers, alone.

"Father," Thor greets.

"Thor."

There's a long pause.

"Why did you come here Thor?" Odin asks, something dark in his gaze.

Thor straightens. "Father, there are strange happenings on Asgard," he begins.

"Strange happenings?"

"Aye Father. I returned to Asgard to seek answers about Loki, and yet, there are none who remember him."

Odin stares, his gaze unflinching. "Loki?"

Thor draws in a deep breath. "Loki, my brother. Your adopted son," Thor enunciates slowly, deliberately.

Odin frowns. "You are my only son."

"Is this a test?" Thor asks accusingly, his eyes darkening. "Have you decided to find out if any of us would miss my brother?" Thor's voice slowly rises. "I swore an oath to protect him, Father!"

"No, Thor, this is no test," Odin bites out coldly. "You have no brother. I have no son; other than you."

"Loki! My brother! The magician, trickster, liar and cunning warrior! I did not imagine him into being Father! When you locked him up and went to deliberate on his punishment, I stood aside, knowing I would be summoned when you decided on his sentence – but this madness! This! Father-"

"Stop!" Odin roars, hand up. He draws in one solid, deep breath, and visibly attempts to calm himself down. "I know of no Loki, I know of no brother, and if this...this person you have dreamed up needed punishment, delivered by me, then maybe you have a deeper issues to attend to. Go, see the palace healers."

"Father," Thor starts, then stops. He gazes pensively at Odin. Cocking his head to the side, Thor decides on a different route. "If you were to lock up a prisoner adept with magic, where would you place him?"

Odin clenches his jaw so hard Thor thinks he may crack his teeth. "Below the Palace, underneath the Vault."

Thor nods. "Then I shall leave you Father."

"Wait, Thor. Stop this madness. I know you have sworn to protect your younger brother, but you cannot protect what does not exist." Odin says, sighing deeply.

"Aye," Thor replies, and leaves.

He has much to do.

(¯`·._.·[tßÇ]·._.·´¯)