Guys, I am so sorry, I haven't posted in a month, but I can explain! *Thinks deeply for ten minutes* Okay, no I can't. Normally I would make up some sort of lousy excuse, but I actually had plenty of opportunities to update in the past, I just wasn't feeling up to it. Please don't kill me. I gave you an extra long chapter to make up for it! Chapter 4!

Disclaimer: I don't even know who does own Marvel, so it's safe to say I don't. And I don't own Doctor Who either.

Loki led me through the castle again, though for a much shorter distance this time. We arrived at a simple wooden door, which opened to a luxurious living quarter, presumably Loki's, judging by the color scheme, books, and the fact that he didn't knock. He had lots of books. Nothing compared to the library, but still a fair number, estimating to about 50 or 60. He walked straight over to his desk, cleared off a small section of it, and put down his book and leather. He always did everything with a purpose, I observed. Never once did I see him confused or uncertain; I supposed it was he planned everything out ahead of time. I wish I could do that.

Loki flipped the book back open to the marked page, and scanned it over and over, before taking the leather, placing it before him, and mutter/chanting under his breath. The piece of leather shimmered green for a moment, before returning to normal. Loki sat back and admired his work, before turning to me. He waved his hand, and the strip of leather fashioned itself into a collar, and gently wrapped itself around my neck. I watched in fascination as it seemed to mold itself to fit me perfectly. Wow, I thought. I jerked up in surprise when I heard my voice echo in the room. Loki grinned.

"You can now speak telepathically to anyone you wish."

Anyone? I thought, testing it out.

"Anyone. The collar is programmed for Allspeak, and will automatically translate your thoughts, and the words of the people you speak to."

Something occurred to me then.

What about thoughts that I would rather keep hidden?

Loki smirked.

"You are quite intelligent for an animal. All you must do is think about speaking the thought you wish other people to hear, and the collar will project it for you. If you do not want to say something aloud, the collar will know. Essentially, it is connected to you now."

I nodded and smiled. Sort of. It's hard to make a smile look pleasant when you don't really have lips. Telepathy, I thought without saying. My mind drifted to a quote I remembered from Doctor Who, a show I had watched back on Earth: "A door once opened may be stepped through in either direction." The Madame de Pompadour, reading the Doctor's mind as he's reading hers. Since everyone I talked to was technically reading my mind, I started to wonder.
Worth a shot, right? I asked myself. I stared at Loki, right in the eye, and tried to see his thoughts. Nothing happened. Oh, well. It occurred to me that, as a scholar and a magician, he would probably know how to guard his mind, so I decided that my theory wasn't completely out of the question. I just had to wait for the right moment to try again. My thoughts switched back to the present.

Now what? I asked, getting rather bored of sitting silently in the middle of Loki's floor. My question was answered before Loki even had a chance to speak. There was a knock on the door.

"Enter," Loki responded.

A servant cracked open the door.

"My lord, the All-father requests your presence at breakfast."

"Ah, thank you. You may tell him I will be down in a moment."

The servant bowed and backed out, closing the door behind him. Loki turned to me again.

"Hungry?" he asked, then he stood and strode out the door, me following closely behind, so as not to get lost. We walked for awhile, but we got to the dining area eventually, and saw the other members of the royal family sitting around a large table. Everyone looked up at our arrival. Thor and Frigga smiled, and Odin gave his equivalent of a warm look (a poker face). Frigga noticed me first.

"I see you have a new companion." she said, reaching down to stroke my back. I would never get used to that. Loki smiled and took his seat.

"Her name is Kira," Thor broke in. And Loki's brow furrowed.

"I forgot to ask. Is that really your name?" he said, looking down at me. I shook my head.

No, but it's fine. I didn't really think that "Alison" would make a very good name for a cat.

Everyone's heads jerked towards me.

"She can talk?!" Thor exclaimed. Loki hid a smirk.

"Her collar is enchanted. She can communicate her thoughts through it." He explained

Frigga nodded, as if she had expected nothing less of her youngest son, Odin's eye twitched, but otherwise he showed no other signs of emotion, and Thor looked very impressed.

It was Frigga, again, who broke the silence.

"Well I suppose Kira must have something to eat too. Jari?" A servant rushed over.

"Yes m'lady?"

"Prepare some fish for this cat."

"Yes m'lady." Jari ran off to the kitchens.

I was worried now. It's not that I mind fish, or anything, it's just, if that's what they were going serve me every meal, I would be sick before the next day. Though my body had changed into that of a cat, my mind was the same, and so were my taste buds. I didn't really want to draw attention to myself as the only cat who didn't eat fish, because that might seem suspicious, but I didn't want to eat it three times a day either. I decided that I would eat it this time, and privately confront Loki about it later.

The servant returned with my food. I picked at it, carefully avoiding the bones, even if that was weird for a cat. As I ate, I listened in to their dinner conversation.

"Thor, your mother and I have discussed this together, and have come to the conclusion that you are indeed ready to be king," Odin said.

That got my attention. It seemed we were closer to the events of Thor than I had originally thought.

Thor bowed his head, and I could practically feel the excitement radiating off of him.

"Thank you, Father. I am honored." he said, barely managing to keep his voice under control. Odin nodded.

"As you should be. Now, your coronation will be sometime within the next year. In the meantime, you will pay close attention to your studies, and learn everything you can. Remember, being king is not just an honor, it is a responsibility."

"Yes, Father."

I heard the sound of a chair scraping the floor, and looked up to see Loki. His face was blank, but I knew he was inwardly seething. I remembered what happened on Thor's coronation day, and I could practically see the gears turning inside Loki's head, planning, plotting.

"Loki?" Frigga asked, concerned.

"Excuse me. I am going to my room."

And for the second time that day, he turned on his heel and left without a second glance.

A/N Yay! I hope you liked this chapter. Again, I'm sorry for being so late, I really hope I made it up to you. I appreciate all of the reviews and feedback I've been getting, and more comments are always welcome! I will try to update soon. ~I.A.