Author note: M'kay whoever is commenting (a guest) this is my reply to you: Ehehehe, yeah, sometimes the world likes to laugh in my face and stomp on my poor little dreams… *grins* it's ok though, I get instant satisfaction when I can post my stories right away this way – so, life!

So this chapter is gonna be a tad funky because, again, I know what I want to happen but there's so much that needs to happen I might have to have time go by and weird spaces and things like that so, bear with me!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it *pouty face*

Thor walked into the throne room with a whole speech prepared in his head about how he thought that Loki really, really, very desperately needed some help. Something wasn't right and he didn't know what it was and that wasn't sitting right with Thor. After Loki had fallen (or was it technically 'jumped off'?) the bifrost and Thor had found him alive on Midgard Thor had vowed that he would protect Loki at every turn and so far he wasn't doing too hot.

So, one would imagine, Thor looked a little ridiculous standing silently with his mouth wide open ready to deliver said speech only to be stopped in his tracks with the sight of Odin and 'The Mage' deep in discussion. The Mage was an old magician who was very powerful and had been the last teacher of Loki's before Loki had started teaching himself. The Mage lived deep in the woods outside of Asgard as far away from people as he could be because he knew that people just didn't understand the magic and would ridicule him as much as they did Loki.

"Yes, Thor?" Odin rumbled.

Luckily this snapped Thor out of his position. He cleared his throat and said, "Father…Have you…visited Loki yet?" He was beating around the bush and he knew it but he just couldn't say it outright. It was like Loki's pride of always being in control of himself had rubbed off on Thor and now Thor didn't want to let others know that Loki was slipping.

Odin sighed and leaned back in the throne, "Yes, that is why I have called in the Mage," Odin said as he gestured towards the Mage. Odin was quick and had obviously seen the differences in Loki also.

"What did you notice during your visit, Prince Thor?" The Mage asked in his rough voice. It was low and hollow sounding from its lack of use. His hair was as white as Odin's but despite his age he stood tall. He gripped a carved staff in front of him with both hands and looked curiously at Thor. "Please, don't withhold anything, remember: I was Loki's teacher for a long time. I know him just as well as you do."

"Well," Thor began as he walked closer to the pair. "He wasn't healthy. At all. But he didn't seem to mind. It was as if he were willingly starving himself and depriving himself of sleep. As we all know Loki doesn't eat that much in the first place but he would never do that to himself. You yourself, Mage, had taught him that his body was his sanctuary. He wouldn't do that to himself." It all had poured out of him before he realized and Thor stood there looking at his feet desperately hoping Loki really wasn't doing this to himself on purpose. Desperately hoping that Loki wasn't trying to starve himself to death.

Odin nodded in agreement and the Mage started pacing furiously. "I need more than this, All-Father," he said while he stopped and started tapping his staff impatiently. Thor could see thoughts and questions fly across the Mage's eyes as fast as light. He was a lot like Loki. Or was it that Loki was a lot like the Mage? "I need to know what is happening when he thinks he's not being observed."

Odin nodded again, "Bring a guard," he called to the guards outside of the hall.

^.^ ^.^ ^.^ ^.^ ^.^

(Kind of Odin's POV)

Odin watched as Thor fidgeted all around the throne room waiting for the guard. He would go from sitting on the stairs near Odin's feet to pacing furiously to and from the entrance and back again.

The Mage had told Odin that just asking for an oral report from the guard wouldn't suffice so he would just have to enter the guard's memories to see for himself. Odin had agreed as long as the Mage would project the memories to him as well. Odin could very well do it himself but he was near the Odin-sleep again and didn't want to use the energy.

Finally after four hours of waiting and fidgeting on their end and four hours of breakneck speed horseback riding on the guard's part the guard entered the hall. "Your Majesty," the guard said as he knelt down in front of the throne with his right fist over his heart in a sign of respect.

"Rise," Odin said calmly. He had to look very calm about the whole ordeal because very few people liked the idea of others in their minds and most even found it repulsive. Odin knew he could easily order the man's compliance but he really didn't like to have to order his subjects loyalty. This was one reason he was so loved by his people. "We need a full report on Prince Loki and his doings during his incarceration."

"Of course," The guard thought for a moment and opened his mouth to speak again before the Mage interrupted him.

"If you would be so willing it would be easier if I could just access the memories myself. If it would so help you, though, we can put you into a sleep so you won't have to witness it." The gentle jab at the guard's abilities was enough to make the man agree and not have to be put under. The Mage knew just how to play the guard into his hand just as Loki would have. "If you would sit down, then," the Mage said with a smile.

The Mage put one hand on the man's forehead and the other over his heart, not quite touching – just hovering. In the space in between a small persimmon glow appeared, revealing the Mage's magic. Seconds later the memories were projected to Odin as well.

The hall was completely dark except for the torch in his hands which he held in front of himself to make sure he didn't trip on any of the slightly uneven stones. He would walk down the hall to the cell every so often just to see the Prince and then he would pace back down the hall. No matter where he stood in the hall he could hear the fallen Prince's movements and mutterings.

The Prince paced back and forth throughout the cell without ceasing, continuously muttering broken sentences and shouts.

"Go…go…go away…!" the guard heard him say during one pass. The pacing never stopped.

All through the night the pacing never stopped even as the guard started slowing tiredly.

"I'm no use to you dead, am I?" he heard the Prince yell suddenly. Suddenly choking sounds and dreadful sounds of pain emanated from the Princes cell.

The guard sprinted towards the cell to find the Prince lying on his side curled in on himself clutching his head with blood forming eerie crescents under his nails.

"Prince?"

The prince jumped up with a terrible look in his eyes and hands forming fists at his sides. He slammed against the bars and snatched at the guards neck, catching his collar and pulling him close with angry force.

What happened next scared the guard more than the wails of pain, more than the deceptive strength in the skeletal limbs. The Prince pulled the guard close enough that his lips were brushing his ear and he whispered, "Just kill me now."

The guard jerked away and started backing down the hallway. The Prince's face was illuminated in the light of his torch and all he could see was the dirt smeared with tears that poured down his face in desperation. The Prince started reaching for him and screaming with wide eyes, "PLEEAASEEE!"

A new memory flooded Odin's senses before he could even react to the first…

The guards were all now stationed outside of the hall containing the Prince's cell but even then someone had to go and give the Prince his meals.

The guard walked down the hall and brought the food and picked up the other tray of food still untouched just like every tray before it. Not a single piece of food missing.

Later the guard was rushing down the hall after the continuous shrieks of pain started up. He found the Prince on his cot – asleep. He was tossing and turning and looked as if he were trying to ward something off of him. This was the first time the Prince had slept since they got there.

Odin was suddenly aware of his surroundings again and he looked up to see that the guard had indeed collapsed and the Mage was pacing around the room and spastic persimmon sparks jumped off his fingers as he thought.

"Mage?" Odin called.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! My version of a cliff hanger! Ok, so…as stated before I know exactly what's wrong with Loki and I feel like a vicious villain by not telling you guys yet – though some of you have probably guessed by now. Isn't this fun? This chapter was uber fun to write partly because it was basically writing itself and I was sitting there going, "Oh my Odin! Oh my Odin! What's he gonna do next?" So Loki is being pretty creepy o.O So what do you think: is he faking it all so he can escape or is something really wrong?

~ The Phantom ~