Windstar: Thank you so much to my fantastic reviewers. If you're not trying to figure out how to break Loki's curse, than you're certainly finding interest in the mythology that I'm playing with. Hearing your excitement makes my day and it just makes posting this that much more special. Thank you once again, and I hope that this chapter exceeds your expectations. There's going to be a lot of mythology thrown at you in this one, if it gets too complicated or overloaded, let me know.

Also, as in the first story, there is going to be use of this word: Vörðr - (pronounced vur-thur). Once again, it refers to: a wraith like spirit that is a shadow of the soul. Occasionally this spirit can appear while you are still alive, but it is more common after death. The Old Norse equivalent to a ghost. Literally translates to "guard."

Disclaimer: Please see the first chapter.

Chapter:

Many people believed that Vali died that day, after he'd torn Narfi to shreds and let his brother's intestines be used for chains on their father. Gods and goddesses alike all thought that the young son of Loki had been killed as well. The truth was far less satisfying. Driven mad by his actions towards his brother, the newly transformed child roamed the earth baying at the moon and begging for forgiveness he would never achieve.

Narfi's Vörðr did what Loki had threatened Thor his would do so many years ago. It haunted Vali every night and day. Vali could go nowhere without being yelled at by his crying brother that asked him why over and over again. Vörðr were not the most intelligent things, and they were only a specter, a shade of the original life form. Narfi was a child when he had been killed and so the mental capacity of his Vörðr was lessened than a full grown adult. Vali would never be free from his madness; he would always be left crying and weeping for his loss, and Narfi's spirit form would never let him forget his wrong doings.

Loki was one of the few beings in the nine realms who could successfully track and locate his wolf like son without pause or dilemma. The form that Odin cursed Vali to take was a throwback to Fenrir, and Loki had never hated anyone more than his father after he'd learned of what had happened to his children.

Sleipnir had been a gift. Loki had not known what to do with his first born, and he had anxiously paced the fields around the city until he finally decided that Sleipnir would do well with other horses and with a kind master. Loki had never truly felt bad about bringing Sleipnir to the castle.

Fenrir, Jorgummund, and Hela were all different. When Loki had first brought Fenrir home – everyone had thought he was a pet. He'd patiently tried explaining the situation, but no one really wanted to listen. Odin regarded him with extreme embarrassment, and Frigg only partially understood.

Thor thought it was a great deal of fun, and enjoyed spending his time playing with the young pup. When Jorgummund came, the wolf and the great serpent entertained themselves. But Hela was the one that truly broke the camel's proverbial back. The others were animals, creatures – like Sleipnir. They could be ignored and considered wild.

Hela…Hela looked like a child, but one half of her was rotting and dead and the other half was alive and well. It was too much for them to comprehend. They argued adamantly for Loki to remove his children from the court, and Loki argued adamantly on keeping them there.

It was many years of fierce shouting and yelling before finally the children themselves requested to leave. They had been tortured and bullied and humiliated for far too long to wish to stay. Loki had looked at his children and been torn. He never had wanted them to go anywhere, but they truly were unhappy at court. So they all settled on a middle ground. The children wouldn't associate with court and they'd be free to do whatever they wanted to do around Asgard - without ever needing to engage contact with anyone else. Everyone won. It was around this point in time, when Sigyn bore Vali…and soon Narfi after that. Two perfect Asgardian children. They were normal, and Loki gave a breath of relief as he looked them over at first.

The four older siblings all adored their young brothers, but what broke Loki's heart the most, was when they continued to state in glee that the boys would not be tormented as they were. They were whole and complete and there was nothing 'wrong' with them.

But good things never lasted. Despite trying so hard to keep the balancing act of having his family safe and happy, and still maintaining some form of life in court - things still went wrong. Loki had returned home one evening, to find Hela crying hysterically in her room – Sigyn trying desperately to calm her. His daughter, now a woman, was bleeding badly- the dead side of her looking like someone had torn into her flesh and ripped it apart, while the living side was cut and bruised. Fenrir had been stabbed with a sword, and someone had stomped and slashed repeatedly on Jorgummund to the point where the snake's spine was disrupted in several parts and whole chunks of flesh and scales were missing.

It had taken him four hours to calm them all and heal them with all the magic he possessed. He was drawn and exhausted from the effort, but his mind was still sharp and calculating. He was infuriated. His children had finally been able to tell him what had happened. They had been enjoying the summer sun in the field outside the castle with Sleipnir. Their older brother had been carrying Hela happily as the others ran (slithered) and tussled with one another.

Hela loved Sleipnir, and he loved her in turn. The eldest of the group always tended to the girl, who would hug his great legs and pet him as best as she could. She could never walk or run as easily as a 'norma' child, and so Sleipnir made it easy for her. He freely offered to take here wherever she pleased. She was the apple of everyone's eye, and she laughed with such delight that it was almost easy to forget that physically – half of her was skeletal and deformed.

Almost.

Some of the Asgardians had decided to go out for a hunt that day, and they came across the group in the yard. They had taken to tormenting them, shouting and yelling at them – calling them monsters and demons. One of them, a rather handsome young man that Hela had been fond, of had started to say such cruel things to her that she'd begun to cry, and Sleipnir saw that enough was enough. He'd started to head back to the castle, when someone had trodden their horse clear over Jorgummund's body. The snake had hissed in pain and anger, and Fenrir had attacked.

He'd killed the mount that the god was riding, and was immediately stabbed for his efforts. Soon, horses were everywhere and a full-scale battle was waging. Hela had fallen from Sleipnir's back as the horse tried to stop the scuffle, and she'd been trampled by one of the god's steeds. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed before everyone had cleared out. Heimdal had stepped in, after seeing the catastrophe from his spot on the bridge.

He'd ordered the ruffians apprehended, but they had all scattered as soon as they saw trouble coming. Heimdal grudgingly brought all of Loki's children back to the castle –only Sleipnir stayed behind in the stables despite clearly wishing to travel indoors with his siblings.

Loki's anger reached a breaking point, and he stormed from the bedroom. Sigyn was left to care for her stepchildren all of whom were now convinced that their father was angry with them. She tried to tell them that that wasn't the case, but all three were too upset to listen. Fenrir wanted blood, Jorgummund wanted peace, and Hela just wished for someone to treat her normally. None of those were easily achieved.

Loki, for his part, had marched into the dinner. He'd been prepared to simply pull Odin aside and speak to him privately, but then someone had made a comment about his children and the All Father had laughed along with it. Loki had seen red. He's temper reached a point where it could no longer be denied and he had proceeded to say anything and everything.

He'd wanted to see them all torn to shreds; he wanted them to suffer. Years of secrets that he had been keeping inside of himself poured out. He revealed them all. Every bad thing that every person had done in their lives. He spoke about Volstagg, and Fandral, and Hogun, and Sif, he spoke about Tyr, and Baldor, and Freya, he spoke about each and every one of them. He even shared secrets that Odin and Frigg had given him, and it was at that point that Odin finally started to show his fury.

Thor strode in just then, and Odin demanded that he get a handle on his brother. Thor had just arrived from the stables where Sleipnir had been angrily attacking anyone who came near him. It had taken him this long just to calm the horse, and even longer to drag the story about what had happened out of everyone. When he finally managed to make it to the dinner, it had been after first checking on his niece and nephews and hearing Sigyn whisper where Loki had gone.

"Brother…you cannot continue, I understand your anger but you are doing this wrong." Thor had slowly managed to coax his brother into leaving, but Loki had done enough damage. He'd shared secrets that no one was meant to hear, and he had needed to be punished.

Turning Vali into a wolf had been Odin's way of illegitimating the potential throne claim from Loki's eldest "normal" child. No one had anticipated that doing so had stripped Vali of all his memories and given him only the instinct to attack. He hadn't eaten anything since his father had been dragged from their family by an armed guard, and he had been so hungry by the time Odin had come for him. It had been instinctual – go after the weakest target.

No one had been prepared for the reaction, and they'd all been too late to stop him before Narfi had been killed. Binding Loki to that stone in his son's organs had been the only way to keep him there – Narfi's natural magic counteracting his father's. It was also a reminder that this was what his actions had caused. This was what he'd done.

Fenrir was bound in chains shortly thereafter, Jorgummund was thrown into Midgard, and Hela was sent to Helheim where she could never return. The only child of Loki still in Asgard's territory that was "free" was Vali, who roamed the countryside in mourning for the child he had killed. Moments after Narfi's blood soaked into his teeth…Vali's memories returned. Another side effect, Odin just happened to not realize could happen.

But Vali moved predictably, and Loki had been able to find him easily within moments of looking for the boy. Narfi's spirit saw him and immediately went to him, hugging him tightly and saying only "daddy, daddy" over and over again. It was moments like this that had always kept Loki away from Vali…he could not bear to see his son's Vörðr and his other son's torment.

But this needed to be done, and sooner rather than later. Loki approached Vali who lay on the ground, submitting completely to his father. Reaching a slow hand out, he touched his son's matted fur, frowning at the knotted hair and the bloody paws. There were fleas and grubs that were living on his son's misshapen body – eating away at his flesh and killing him slower than his natural blood was healing him. He was suffering badly, and Loki sadly stroked the wolf's hair.

Narfi was clinging to his back, and Loki had one hand around his son's wrists – acknowledging the hold that he was giving him, while at the same time keeping him still. He waved his hand, letting his magic pour through him and passed his fingertips. Vali's injuries dissipated and the vermin were killed instantly. Then, he summoned all the power that was within him, all the power that the casket he still possessed would give him, and he set to work dispelling what he'd always been incapable of in the past.

Narfi was shouting confusion in his ear, he didn't understand what was happening and Loki did not have the time or patience to explain it to his dead and mindless child. Instead, he let the energy within him turn back the folds of the spell Odin had cast years before.

Vali's wolfish body slowly began to mutate, his paws and hindquarters became humanoid and his arched spine straightened. His protruding snout fell back into the face of an Asgardian child. Older now, than he had been when he had the spell cast upon him – Vali was on the cusp of manhood. Seventeen years old, Loki's mind helpfully supplied.

Loki reached out and lightly touched his son's skin. He was weary, and he didn't have the energy to do too much more. A light spell – summoning clothing to dress the boy, was all he really could manage at this point. Narfi had fallen silent, staring at his brother's body in wonder.

Vali, for his part, simply stared up at Loki. His dirty face was just as angelic as Loki remembered it being, and he took a deep breath as he focused on the sadness he felt at looking at his child's body. Then, Vali's green eyes turned to look at Narfi, and he let out a rough and tortured cry of mourning. His hands crashed to his face and he wept badly. Loki reached out with a hand and he summoned all the remaining power that he had within him – the last tendrils of magical strength that he possessed.

He sent a wave of his will into the child before him, and like Sigyn before him – Vali's mind was wiped clean. The boy's eyes slipped closed and his body fell limp. Loki slowly reached out, and pulled the boy to his chest. Physical strength had never been his forte, but he was willing this time to handle the burden of his load. Narfi was shouting, accusing him of all kinds of things, but Loki was more than willing to ignore his youngest child's ranting.

Reaching around Vali's still body, Loki heaved him upwards, and began the long and torturous walk back to Asgard. Narfi accompanied them, and Loki sighed as he struggled with his load. He would not drop Vali even if it killed him, but he was weakened and sore and his muscles screamed and ripped in protest.

When he approached the gates of the city, it took what little strength he had left to wrap a spell of concealment around them all. He choked and struggled to breathe as his vision spotted black. Each step sent pain rocketing through him. He didn't care, to him, he deserved it and that was al there was to be said about the topic.

Finally, after three hours of walking – he managed to enter his room. Narfi had fallen silent – his childish eyes stared at everything around them in amazement. Loki didn't have time to consider just what his young son was thinking or doing, instead – he stumbled forwards and placed Vali down on his bed. The boy fell from his arms and lay still on the little used mattress. Loki breathed heavily, and his legs collapsed from underneath him.

He leaned against the bed and shook from exertion. Tears filled his eyes, even as he laughed loudly against the bedding. His body shook and he was in hysterics as he laughed and wept at the same time. He couldn't possibly have been happy, but he was filled with both joy and sadness at the same time.

He had broken the All Father's spell on his son, and if he could do that – he could break the spell against his own personage. Surtr wasn't as strong as Odin, and so there had to be a way.

Breaking the All Father's spell had been difficult, but he'd found the way around it. It lay in the basic method to cast in the first place. Odin's magic was clumsier than Loki's, and yet it was extraordinarily powerful. Loki doubted heavily that a lesser god could have accomplished as he had.

But there was always around everything. For every spell, there was a counter-spell…or at the very least a way to exhaust the spell to the point of nothingness. He could do this. He knew he could. He simply had to work out the way…

And rest. His body ached badly, his brain felt like it was about to burst, and his powers were groaning from over use. His skin felt as though thousands of insects were crawling over him, and he was desperate for something to stop the feeling. He looked up at Vali, and then over to Narfi who was staring at him in such confusion. If he physically felt well again, then he wouldn't be able to enjoy them. He wouldn't be able to bask in the glory that was this victory. He smiled slightly. He could deal with the pain and the torment if it meant that for this moment – he could feel the full weight of his accomplishment.

He crawled into the bed beside his son, and then motioned for Narfi to join them. The Vörðr looked at him curiously, but did as he was told. Loki felt his body shout in protest as the specter wrapped his arms around him and pressed his head to his side. The pain was blinding, and every instinct he had was telling him to repel the child off of him. He didn't, though.

He lay there, between his newly returned boy and his dead child, and he closed his eyes. He let sleep wash over him, and he celebrated the only way he could –

With sadness, loneliness, pain, and the knowledge that once his powers returned and the pain stopped – he would never have this opportunity again.


Loki stepped away from Sleipnir. His eyes looked over the lands of Helheim and he took a deep breath. Within his palm was his golden staff and he was grateful for its presence. It had been a nightmare trying to get it, and now that he had it – he knew what to do. He knew just how to proceed. He was still weak from his journey, his steps were slow and faltering. He was using all of his strength simply to stay upright, but right now that didn't matter. All that mattered was the plan.

He walked slowly through Hel and he waited, within moments the path before him opened wider and he stood before his daughter. Hela was a grown woman now, her body had grown to be voluptuous and wicked. Through her own magic she had taken the parts of her that was rotted and dead and had transmuted them so that the decay was in a different location.

Now, the darkness and evil of her form was restricted to her hair – it sprang from her head in all directions looking every bit as menacing and threatening as the decay had appeared when it had taken over half her body. Her eyes remained hidden in shadow, and only the barest bits of white could be seen. But as for her body…it was fleshy and curvy and hidden only slightly modestly by a near see-through gown.

She was radiant, and Loki tipped his head in acknowledgement to her. She was a Queen here, and he was merely an adopted Prince of Asgard. Long had it been since Hela had run to his arms and begged to be held. As a Queen she was regal and pious and she held herself with dignity and grace.

"My Queen." He said, stressing the 'my,' as he always did. She smiled ever so slightly. Her steps were carefully measured and she approached him with little fear. Her gaze fell to Sleipnir who happily rubbed against her palm as she held it out for him.

"You are a long way from home…father." She changed the polite greeting, and he fairly burst with laughter at the thought of it. Her wit and mind were as cunning as ever, and her good-natured heart had clearly not been diminished. Hel was not as it had been described in Christian doctrine. Hela's Hel was a place of rest and respect. The dead were well cared for and their spirits cherished. She made a family out of each of them, and her loving nature showed on the landscape.

It was well tended to and luminescent in its gentle nature and tones. Blue and silver and white shone everywhere and the land of Helheim glowed from care. No one minded that Hela appeared half-dead, because they all were fully dead. She was treated well, and of all his children: Loki feared the least about her well-being.

"I have a gift for you…but I also have a request."

"A request, father? And is it a gift, or a bribe?" She saw through the fancy language of his words, and he accepted that she would. She was brilliant, and she saw through him easier than any other had ever done.

"Both, my lamb."

"I am a Queen father, such titles do not benefit me any." He apologized; both knew he didn't mean it. She hadn't in the first place. "What do you require of me, father?"

He told her, and she looked at him as though he had lost his very mind. She scowled at him and questioned his motivations, but he shook his head and raised a hand to explain. Hela listened to him as he spoke, and when he had finished, she had slowly nodded her head in understanding.

"And in return for this egregious request?" Loki held up his staff, and she looked at it in confusion. And then he told her what the staff did. "Do you mean this truly, father?"

"Yes, my pet."

"Then you have a deal." And she reached for the staff. He didn't hand it to her. Instead, he raised a single eyebrow. Rolling her eyes at the display, she summoned a great book before her.

Opening it up to the correct page with one flick of the wrist, she took hold of the pen of Hel, and she aimed it directly towards where one name was written: Loki Laufeyson. She lifted her eyes to meet her father's, and she held out her hand. He held out the staff, and she reached a hand to take it. They met each other's eyes once more. Then with all the power of Hel behind her, she struck the name from the book, eliminating it entirely. The moment the name was struck out, Loki immediately fell to the ground, all power and energy leaving his body completely. Hela still held the staff in her hands from where Loki's last grip had failed him.

But for all intents and purposes, Loki Laufeyson was dead to the world.