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Title: Face the Shadows

Author:Noelwing

Email: noelwing

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of the Marvel universe.

Summary: When the nephew of elf royalty is kidnapped by Malekith, Frey goes to Asgard for help. For Loki, the incident ignites long buried memories of the pain and anguish he suffered at the hands of the Dark Elf. Will Thor be able to help Loki confront his painful experiences and save the kidnapped elf child?

Warnings: Rated M for sexual content-Loki/Thor. This story contains rape, torture and Mpreg

Author's note: I have tried to proof read this but I apologize for any errors that are left.

Chapter 7: A Mother's Thoughts

Friga's eyes stared listlessly back at from her reflection in the mirror. She was sitting on a cushioned bench before a grand gilded mirror brushing her hair. It was her normal, nightly routine. However, this night had been anything but normal. She tried once more to relax and continue brushing her hair only to have her hands drop back into her lap.

"My love, are you alright?" Friga looked to see her husband, standing behind her, reflected in the mirror. She scooted over so that he could sit on the bench beside her. Friga leaned into her husband's arms and she breathed deeply his scent.

"I am so troubled. I know that somewhere right now, there is a mother who is missing her child. My heart goes out to her for I know how she feels. Even so, it is my own child I fear for."

Odin held her tighter. "Thor is looking after Loki. He will come to us if need be."

"I know," She whispered softly. She hummed when she felt Odin stroke his fingers through her hair. "I wonder how Loki is doing right now. What happened at dinner was nothing like I had ever seen before."

"I know my darling. The healer did say she could find nothing physically wrong with him though. He just needs rest." Odin said no more on the healer's opinion. Both he and his wife knew that the real problem was not of a physical nature. Odin could only imagine the ghastly memories conjured for Loki by this recent string of events.

Husband and wife held each other tightly as memories of their own surfaced.

Heimdall was the first to inform Odin when Loki had disappeared. For the guardian of realms, it was quite literal. The young prince had suddenly and completely vanished from his eyes.

Odin and Friga wasted no time in traveling to Alfheim. Upon their arrival, they were met by a very distressed Frey. Odin demanded to know what had happened to Loki. Why was it that Heimdall could not see him?

They listened as Frey told them all that he knew. Though his sorcerers could not trace it to a location, their magic was able to detect life force of the Malekith, the dark elf. Frey believed fully that Malekith had left his imprint, very much like a footprint, behind deliberately to strike up fear.

When he said the name Malekith both the king and queen felt their hearts sink. They had heard of the infamous dark elf but believed him trapped in his own dark realm of Svartalfheim. Apparently that was not true.

It was with heavy words that Frey explained that Malekith was in possession of magic that had long baffled the sorcerers of Alfheim. Worse still, this was not the first time he had done something like this.

Frey knew not for certain why Malekith occasionally kidnapped children. He suspected that he took children of magical aptitude to learn what he could from them to further benefit his own magical arsenal.

Friga grabbed Odin's hand. He squeezed her hand in return, both trying to comfort each other in the face of such terrible knowledge. Loki was just a boy, what could Malekith possibly be able to learn from him?

Frey continued on. He said that those taken by the dark elf were never seen again. Many believed Malekith kidnapped ones so young with the intention of corrupting them to his cause. Others speculated that once the evil elf had obtained what he needed from his prisoners, he disposed of them.

At this, Friga cried out in a mix of emotional pain and hopelessness. Loki was her precious little boy, more precious than most probably realized. She loved both of her sons deeply but she felt a special bond with Loki.

Odin and Thor were to have a bond all their own. Friga had known that from the day of Thor's birth. He was the heir and as such, he would feel and experience things that only Odin would be able to understand and guide him through.

Friga had known that and accepted that the future may hold times where she would possibly feel left out and even lonely. Then Loki came along. As the boys grew, it was clear that Thor was most like his father and as such, gravitated more towards developing his prowess in battle and establishing his place among the warrior class.

Loki however, developed more in mind and enjoyed trying to master things through study and understanding them rather than through bruit force. It came as no surprise to Friga that Loki developed an interest in art. It was the bond that those interests enabled her to have with him that stole her heart.

Friga would work on her weaving while Loki sat with her studying his books or practicing his music. When Loki began to develop his interest and skill in sorcery, both mother and son had another avenue to explore.

Friga had a garden full of varied species of plants, many of which could be used in the art of sorcery. She and Loki could spend hours cataloging different plants and documenting their magical properties.

But as Loki got a little older, Friga began to notice a melancholy to her younger son. As gifted and talented as Loki was, there was no way around it, Asgard was warrior realm and therefore, Loki was often eclipsed by Thor.

It was not just Thor's outgoing personality that shadowed Loki's more introverted one, it was the bond and favor from their father that Thor enjoyed proportionally more than Loki.

One occasion that Friga swore to never forget was a time when Odin took Thor and group of favored soldiers out on a hunting party. Thor was very excited for the hunting grounds were well beyond Asgard's walls, a place that, for Thor, was mostly unexplored.

Loki wished to go along to but Odin turned him down. His reason for doing so was that, in his opinion, Loki was still too young (he had just turned twelve and Thor was well into his fourteenth year) and too small. So Loki was left behind.

Friga was loathe to agree with her husband and was proud of the way Loki handled himself while watching the group ride away. He didn't whine or cry but Friga could see in Loki's eyes just how utterly crushed he was.

When that day faded into evening, she found Loki in room crying. She did not bother to ask what was wrong; she knew why Loki was so upset. She sat with him on his bed while he cried with his head in her lap.

She tried to soothe him and told him that as soon as his father deemed him old enough, he too would be allowed to go on such hunting trips.

"But mama, what if I never get big enough? What if I am always different from Thor?"

His words affected her so deeply and showed that even though Loki was still so young, he was very perceptive. Maybe he did not have the words but he already knew in his heart that he was second to his older brother. And incidents like this one only reinforced that he was not Thor's equal.

"Loki, you will not always be as you are now. Everyone, big or small, has the opportunity to be special, to do something extraordinary. One day, that opportunity will come for you.

"You think so?" He whispered as his tears came to an end.

"I know so. I'm having my opportunity right now."

Loki sat up and looked at his mother, the clouds of depression dissipating from his emerald green eyes. It was by the wisdom of a queen and the love of a mother that the young prince found that he could smile again.

Whenever Loki were hurt or upset, always he would go to his mother. Loki knew that no matter what, she would always be there for him and he could tell her anything. Loki gave Friga that very special place all mother's hope to have in the hearts of their sons.

Now, Loki was somewhere beyond her reach and her arms ached to hold him. The fear of not knowing where he was or what was happening to him was tearing bleeding fissures in her heart. As much as she wanted to cry and give in to her fear she knew that this was her time to be strong for her son.

Odin angrily demanded why he was never told of Malekith. If there was such an enemy about he should have been told before releasing his son into the care of the elves.

Frey apologized, meaningless as it was, and told Odin that he did not think Malekith would be so bold. He honestly believed that Loki was not in danger of being targeted let alone taken, by the dark elf.

"The most dreadful mistake anyone can make about an enemy is believing that they are completely safe from them." Odin stated coldly. The only enemy anyone was ever safe from was a dead enemy.

As much as Odin wanted to chastise the elf for his failure, he knew they had wasted enough time already. Finding Loki was what he wanted to put his energy into. The prospects however, were not encouraging.

Loki's room had been scoured by the elf sorcerers for any evidence of how Malekith had abducted him. When that turned up nothing, they turned their attentions to the academy grounds: still nothing.

It was nearly dusk when Odin and Frey started questioning the other students at the academy. They hoped that perhaps one of them had seen or heard something, anything that might help.

Friga found herself in Loki's room. Though not a sorcerer, the queen had an understanding of magic and used her abilities to communicate with Heimdall. The guardian of realms was quickly becoming her only hope.

Yet even that flicker of light was quickly dying. Heimdall still could not see Loki though he promised her he would keep trying. Friga knew that but they were up against a very powerful foe.

Loki had only lived in this room a month but he had made it his. Everywhere, Friga could both see and feel echoes of his presence. From the types of books and kinds of plants to the organization of the furniture; it all spoke of Loki.

When she found the collection of poems and stories she had herself given Loki, sitting on the nightstand by the bed, the warrior queen finally allowed her heart to break completely.

She sat down on the bed and clutched the book to her chest. She had done what she could but it was not enough and the not knowing where her son was mixed with the pain of having nothing to do but wait was maddening.

Were her son's basic needs, at least, being met? Did Loki have food, adequate shelter or a place to sleep? Who could say? Her only comfort was that Loki was a clever boy. Surely he would be trying to find a way out on his own.

Still, Friga wanted to find him. She would search the lowest cave, the highest mountain and would even tear through every forest with her bare hands if she had to. Any price she would have to pay would be well worth it to hold Loki again.

A tear rolled down her cheek and Odin gently wiped it away. It brought her back into reality. It was a reality of having both of her sons home and safe. Her motherly heart went out to Vali's family. She knew his family was feeling now what she had then and it was heartbreaking.

They had loaned the assistance of Heimdall to Frey but that was only a temporary remedy. She had no doubt that the dark magic Malekith had used to hide Loki would serve him now just as well as it had then.

"Are we to do nothing else?" She whispered to her husband.

Odin kissed her on the head. "I cannot explain it but I feel as though there are unseen forces that will soon lend us their aid. Loki is the only one who can decipher them. Once he does, I believe he will know what to do."

Friga sighed. Even after all these centuries of being a king, her husband's optimism never failed to astound her.

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