How Zoey Met Loki and How Zoey Met Harry

Beginning of the Summer

Zoey was in the local studio. Her black leggings were tight, but comfortable against her skin. Instead of her typical baggy t-shirt, she had decided to practice some of her more traditional dances. So she decided it was more suitable to wear a tank-top. Unfortunately, it showed her sports bra, but she could deal. After doing a quick warm up, she pressed the on button on the stereo and pressed shuffle. She then placed her CD, mixed with different tracks of the songs she thought suited the different forms of dances she wanted to practice, in the CD slot and pressed play. She waited in the middle of the room, facing the mirror and stared at her reflection, until the music decided to finish shuffling and played a song.

Her hair wasn't dyed completely, as she normally dyed it. Her brown locks were still visible, however she did have strips of it dyed red and teal and neon green and purple and pink. She had a set of ballet shoes on and once the violins filled the air, she started off. Twisting and turning and leaping into the air. Spinning and spinning and imagining the perfect partner with her. Holding her up and slowly dipping her to the ground. She imagined herself as the black swan and the white swan, she imagined herself as the nutcracker and the list went on and on, until suddenly she stopped.

She didn't know why but suddenly she saw a flash of green and orange from the corner of her eye, and felt her inner Celtic rise within her. It probably didn't help that the music behind her shifted to a steady drumming. Her shoes instantly shifted to river dance shoes. Suddenly she was stomping intricate patterns onto the hardwood floor. Becoming intimate with the hardwood beneath her feet and placing her hands straight against her sides. As the drums began to quicken, she accommodated by quickening the pace of her dance. Faster and faster her feet flew, busting moves that would put Michael Flatley to shame. Suddenly the music ended and she stopped, panting for air.

Quickly taking a swig of water, she resumed her position in the middle of the room, before the next track could begin. She sighed as she recognized her warm down song. Pon de Replay by Rihanna. Suddenly her sneakers were on her feet and she grabbed the black hat she had brought to use as a prop. Quickly she went through the steps she assigned the song and she was suddenly met with a resounding silence. She twitched slightly when she heard the soft click that said the stereo had spat out her CD.

She waited a little while, raising herself from her lowered position on the floor. She went over to the stereo and took her CD and then she drank her bottle of water dry. Lying back on the wood floor she waited for three thirty to roll around, that way she could "run into" Liam and coax him to accompany her to the used book store.

She remembered when she had first met him. She remembered when she had first met Harry, and unfortunately, the events that lead up to that meeting.

Flashback

It was a cold and rainy day. Isn't it always a cold and rainy day when something tragic happens? It wasn't long after my mother had died. I don't really remember her now. I have a picture of her sewed safely in between the upper layers of the sole of my shoe. It's worn and old and I've had Harry place many charms on it to cease its weathering, but it wasn't before it had faded severely. We share many of the similar qualities, my mother and I that is. Same brown hair, same brown eyes, same short stature. To be honest, I like to think I'm a mini her, only more artistic, more devious and a much better dancer. I know it sounds a little heartless, but I like to think I will not lie to myself. So I don't. I do have one memory of her.

I was sitting in her lap and she was painting on a canvas. She was painting a red haired man who had green hazel eyes. I remember his eyes the most, because they were filled with such a look of mischief and devilishness. I remember asking my mom who he was, and she said he was a very important man and that she'd tell me more when I was older… I know cliché right?

Anyway, it was a rainy day and it was gray. The building that is. Cornelia's House for Young Girls. The orphanage. And before you go asking, no. I am not an orphan.

My "father" had been grief stricken. My mother had just died weeks before this day. It was raining then too. I really don't know why he lied and gave me up. Was it because I looked too much like my mother? Acted too much like her? I thought so. But I've come to not care about it anymore. He was never what you call, a loving person. When he looked at me he saw my artistic abilities and signed me up for painting lessons so that I may get better and "share my art with the world". I knew it was because he wanted to sell my artwork. I will not lie; I am a very good artist. I am more talented then most people, but I am no Thomas Kinkade. I was getting there, though, with the help of the lessons. My mother was the person why I still draw and paint today. She is where I get my talent from. She was an amazing painter, and although I don't paint as much as I was forced to, I still paint something once and a while for her.

So yeah, it's depressing, really, if you look at it in the right light. Young girl, spitting image of her mother, forced to paint so her father may make some more money so that he may hire more prostitutes, not that Mother ever realized. I never told her either, I wanted to spare her heart the pain. Then she died. It was a sickness that I still don't understand even today.

Either way, somehow, my father became grief stricken. I think it was in her final days that he finally realized what he was going to be missing. He finally came back to loving her. I think that is the only part of my father that I liked. In my mother's final moments, she was able to see the man she had once fallen in love with again. That fact and the one that says I inherited my elemental abilities from him AND my Celtic/Irish heritage from him. Yes, along with my painting lessons he showed me how to control my element. But only so that it wouldn't go haywire on me in public.

So me being a constant reminder of what he had lost finally made him loose it, I guess. He had decided to act as my poor uncle, who would "love to take care of his niece in her time of need, but was currently homeless and couldn't be there for her properly, like she deserved". Yes I can still remember what he had said even after all of these years. I was six at the time, and I was defiantly not a stupid child. In fact my painting instructor once said that she was surprised to hear how old I was, because I sounded like I was almost three times my age at times.

Anyways….. so yeah he dropped me off at the orphanage and he left. That was it, he left and I have never seen him again. Although, I do know that he is looking for me. I never want to see him again, so I've kept myself hidden pretty well. He won't find me anytime soon.

I stayed at the orphanage for seven months, before I ran away. The caretaker, or headmistress or whatever the call the people in charge of orphanages, wasn't a nice person. If anything she deserves to burn in hell for what she made the children in her "loving care" do. She made us work for our food and board. Only her favorites were able to eat with some sort of decency. The rest of us were forced to pay for our bed and our food and for time in the toilet. It was miserable.

And for me being what I am, it was even worse. Most of the time, kids would group up and help each other out. Me? I couldn't get into a group. Because "weird things would happen around me". Lights would flicker when I got overly excited or really angry.

Yes I know I said that my father taught me how to control my ability, but he did it only to an extent. I wasn't going to create random lightning storms when I started to get excited, and I wasn't going to shoot lightning from my fingers when I got angry. But it's hard for a six year old to completely get a hold on her emotions so I don't feel overly guilty for the accidents that happened to the people who tried to rape me or tried to kill me. If anything it kept me alive.

But like I said I had it worse off than most of the others because I was on my own. So after two years of torture and starvation, I left.

It was already dark and it was windy and I was in a nightgown I had retrieved from a dumpster a while back. I obviously didn't plan very far ahead.

I was walking through the alleys and was trying to find a decent hiding spot from some gangsters who wanted some fun. It eventually started to rain and I hid in a cardboard box. Yeah I know it sounds cliché, yet again, but it's the truth. I don't know if it was the rain or if it was the stress or it was because I was cold and wet and hungry and I just wanted my mom. Maybe it was a mix of all of it, but I started to cry. I remember there was a bright light and suddenly I felt warm strong arms wrap around me.

I still don't know why, but instead of running and screaming "Pervert! Child Molester!" I cried into that warm chest. The person was defiantly a man, and I buried my face into his big chest and continued to cry. Eventually I stopped and looked up at the man. He seemed so tall and big; it made me feel so much smaller and tiny. He had red shaggy hair and his eyes were the mischievous and devilish green hazel eyes I remember my mother painting. Only this time, they were filled with kindness and understanding. His hands wiped away the tears from my face. They had a soft roughness to them. Like a man who worked with his hands, but whose hands became soft with kindness. He had pulled me into his lap and had once again wrapped his strong arms around me. That's when I noticed he was wearing one of those white shirts that you see pirates wear or someone from the medieval times wear. And it was wet.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered, looking down.

"Why are you apologizing?" he questioned. His voice was soft and light.

"I got your shirt wet."

He chuckled in response. It was a deep chuckle and it vibrated through his chest and tickled my cheek. "You need not apologies for that. It will dry soon enough," his voice resounded in his chest.

I nodded pitifully. "My name's Alice," I mumbled. I felt that I needed to fill the silence.

"I know, you were named after your grandmother. Do you remember me?" he asked softly.

I started to feel guilty. Other than the painting I don't think I have ever met this man. But I felt safe around him so I didn't question my actions around him.

"I would understand if you didn't. I first met you when you were just a newborn. If memory serves me correctly, you were sleeping at the time, but sometimes the children of my children can remember me even when they sleep."

"No, I'm sorry I can't remember," I whispered. "What do you mean children of my children? How do you know my momma and me?" I inquired, looking back up to his face.

His eyes seemed to glow once again with love and adoration, when he looked at me. It made me feel good on the inside.

"I am Loki, god of Mischief, Fire and Chaos. Your mother and mother's mother and your ancestors before her have been my disciples for many generations. I consider them my children. When my children give birth to a child of their own, they introduce them to me as a sign of good will. Which is what your mother did when she gave birth to you," he explained.

"Do you remember her?" I hesitated before asking the question. If he had many followers, why would he remember my mother?

"Yes I do," he replied, his eyes growing soft. "She was a very wonderful woman. Very talented with the gifts I gave her, even though she stopped using them when she married."

"She had gifts? Like mine?" I asked, thinking about my affinity for electricity.

"No, different from your talent. She was able to shift forms from animal to mortal," he corrected.

"Oh," I said softly, I was a little disappointed.

"Do not be disappointed, dear one, your mother was an amazing woman, and I am sorry I ignored her in her final years," he murmured. "Fear not, child, I will ignore you no longer. I know your mother died before she could teach you about me so here is what I will grant you. Gather four rocks from rivers of your homes and one of mine and I will consider you my disciple and thus you shall become my child. You shall no longer struggle on your own. Alice Montenegro, you shall be no longer. I name you Zoey, full of life as you are. Live in chaos and cause mischief where ever you shall be. We shall see each other again once you fulfill my task," he said determinedly. He took my face in his hand and softly kissed my forehead, his red goatee tickled my face.

And with that he was gone. And I was sad. He was so nice and he was warm and I felt so safe with him. And then he was gone. Just like that.

It wasn't raining as hard as it was, but it was still raining. I placed a hand on my forehead. It was still warm. And just like that I knew that I had to do what he said. Four rocks from four rivers from four homes. My old home had a river behind it. It had taken me four days to get there and select a small smooth red rock. I had acquired a military like messenger bag. It wasn't big, well it was if you compared it to me, but I was able to fit a small blanket and some food inside of it. I nabbed it out of a good will bin in a town outside of Waterville. I zipped it up in the inside pocket and untied the jacket from my waist. Pulling the black hoodie over my head I headed into Waterville and hopped on a train. And when I mean hopped on I mean it literally. How was I supposed to buy a ticket?

One rock down… three more to go.

I had decided to take a stone from each of my parents' home states, for my next two stones. My father was born in Ireland, but he grew up in Massachusetts, so I decided that would be my next stop. California was where my mother was born, so that would have to wait. Last on my list would be Norway, which is Loki's homeland. It took me awhile but I was finally able to get a nice bright green stone from a river my father said he used to play in when he was younger, one the off chances he decided to be fatherly towards me.

Two rocks down… two to go.

From there, it took me about a full year to get to California. The cops almost caught me a couple times, but I gave them the slip. Unfortunately they did catch me once; it was in Cuba City New Mexico. It took me awhile before I could make my escape. Fortunately, I was able to get some more fitting clothes and was able to stuff more food in the military messenger bag I had grown attached to.

When I made my escape I was about seven and a half or so. My mother said she grew up in a small town by Knightsferry. So that's where I headed. I found the most brilliant blue river rock there. It had some parts of it a dark blue and some parts of it were light blue. It was December and it was cold and rainy. It was when I was in Palo Alto that I met him.

It was raining and I was hiding in a box shivering. Again. I was soon moping and sniffling. I had my three rocks, but how was I supposed to get to Norway? I couldn't fly there. No money. I didn't know any wind elementals and I couldn't apparate. Not that they could help me. I was a halfer. Half elemental, half wizard. Although my wizarding skills weren't as good as my elemental skills.

I couldn't think of any way I could get to Norway, and that meant I couldn't become a child of Loki. He was so nice and he was a safe person and I wanted to be his disciple. I wanted to be apart of him and his family so badly. He was the only other person to make me feel loved, apart from my mother of course.

It was then that I heard footsteps in the alley I was hiding in. I immediately shut the hell up. If it was a cop, I couldn't afford to get caught. If it was a gangster, I couldn't afford to get hurt. I couldn't afford anything. I froze in fear when the flap of the box was lifted and I was met with the most brightest pair of green eyes I had ever seen. They were old eyes and yet they were curious. His wet black hair was dripping rain onto my face, as I looked up at him with fear.

"Don't be scared, I'm here now," he murmured.

For a second I thought he was Loki, with the way he had said that. But he couldn't be Loki. Loki was a red head, and he was much older. This boy was eight or so, not much older than me.

He reached into my box and lifted me out. I don't know why, but I felt that I could trust this boy. It was similar to the feeling that I had when I first met Loki. He set me on the ground in front of him, just staring at me, as if he knew what he needed to do, but didn't at the same time. Rain soaked my brown hair, mingling and washing away the tears I had cried.

"I'm Harry," he stated, after examining my attire. I was in a big dirty and torn t-shirt and in jeans that were too big for me and had gaping rips at the knees. My sneakers had holes in them and were falling apart.

"My name's Zoey now," I whispered back to him. Wondering what this boy was going to do.

"I had a dream about you and a green eyed fox. The fox told me that we would become a family if I gave you a chance and helped you out. He said that if I did that, then you would help me in more ways than I could count in the future," he blurted bluntly, a doubtful and disbelieving look entered his eyes.

"I need to go to Norway and find Loki so that I can become his disciple," I replied, just as bluntly.

"Loki is supposed to be a god," he cautiously said.

"My mother and my mother's mother and her ancestors before her were children of Loki and I wish to be one as well," I said dryly, despite being soaked.

He nodded once and then turned his back, crouching a little and lifting his arms a little. He looked back at me and sternly said, "Climb on. I'm going to get you cleaned up before we sort this out. We'll only catch a cold if we stand out here any longer."

I climbed onto his back, after I grabbed my messenger bag. He hooked his arms under my knees and set out at a steady pace. I wrapped my arms around his neck, so not to choke him, but to secure myself from falling down. I leaned my cheek on the back of his shoulder. He was warm like Loki was, when I first met him. I could hear his heart beat too. It was hard and steady. Loud and strong, I thought. It quickly put me to sleep.

When I woke, I was in front of a fire on a couch, a thick blanket covering me. Immediately I sat up and tried to remember where I was. Harry, right, he wanted me to get cleaned up. Where's my pack?

It was set at the foot of the couch. I didn't have time to look around; Harry was by my side immediately.

"You're awake," he stated.

"Obviously," I snapped. A bit disturbed that I could just fall asleep on the back of a stranger so easily.

He chuckled, a weird sound coming from an eight year old. "Ohh, touchy," he teased.

"Well, Sherlock, you would be too, if you suddenly woke up in a strange house," I growled back, glaring at him softly.

His eyes hardened quickly. "Sorry, I get it. Like I said earlier, I'm Harry. This place is called Encontrado," he said, sweeping his arm around the room. "It's Spanish for-"

"Found," I interrupted. I may have been seven, but like I said, I was way smarter that I should have been. "You said that you could help me?"

"I had a dream about you and a fox-"

"I know that, but will you help me?" I asked, both demanding and pleading with my eyes. He seemed to be weighing his options, I didn't know why though.

"I have a friend here. She's been raising me and teaching me magic-"

"Can she teach me when we get back?" I interrupted again. He didn't seem to mind, although I saw a hint of annoyance sweep through his eyes.

"Only if you're-"

"I'm a halfer," I explained. At his confused look I explained further. "My father was an elemental and my mother was a squib. Although Loki granted her some powers. I have lightning elemental abilities and can perform a little magic. But my lightning is better."

"Well, Sparkey, I'll think about it. I barely know you, and my friend doesn't really know you're here yet," he hedged.

"Ok. When do we leave?" I asked, wanting to get to Norway as soon as we could. I wanted to see Loki and show him what I had been able to do.

"I didn't say I was going to help you!" he exclaimed.

I could feel my face drop. If he wasn't going to help then me who would? "But-But you said you had a dream! You said that Loki told you that if you helped me that I would help me in more ways than you could count in the future! You have to help me!"

"I said that a green eyed fox told me that, yes, but it was just a dream!" he defended.

"But you found me and you brought me here!"

"Well, I wasn't going to just leave you out in the rain!"

"You fucking JERK!" I yelled at him, pushing him away from me. I heard a loud ZAP and when I looked at Harry his face was filled with shock (pun not intended) and his shaggy hair was standing on end. I didn't really care though; I wanted to punch him and beat him up and then shock the lights out of him. How could he just string me along like that?

Tears blurred my eyes. I tried to wipe them away, but as soon as I wiped them away fresh ones took their place. "He said I wouldn't struggle alone anymore! He said I wouldn't be alone! But he left and said I had to get some stones first! And I can't get the last stone, 'cause it's in Norway, and I can't apparate and I can't buy a plane ticket and I don't have a boat and the elementals won't help me because I'm a halfer and and and, I just want to be his child! I'm tired of being alone and he makes me feel warm and loved and I just want a damn river rock so that I can be with him," I sobbed. I must have looked pitiful. A girl trying to wipe her tears away with her big shirt and big pants and sneakers that were falling apart.

"Hey, don't cry," Harry murmured to me, but I wasn't paying attention to him. I was on an emotional rant.

"And I just want to be with him, because my momma died and Father left me at the orphanage pretending he wasn't my father and Momma died because she got sick and Father left me because I'm so much like Momma and no one would group up with me because weird things would happen around me because I haven't gone through any real training yet and things happen and I miss her and Father just wanted to use me to sell paintings and I'm tired of being alone and I just want to be with Loki and Momma!"

Harry was suddenly helping me wipe away my tears with kind eyes and a small smile. I stopped talking and watched him as he wiped my tears away with his soft hands, hiccupping softly. My tears had stopped, but my hiccupping wouldn't cease.

"I'll help you," he whispered to me, butting his forehead against mine. I nodded weakly. "But first, you are going to take a bath and get into some clean and warmer clothes. Then we will eat and we'll wait until you're all rested up, and then I'll sneak us into Norway. We'll take it from there."

And that's what we did. It was a few days before we left. I had my messenger bag with me, and Harry had a big military backpack. He had it filled with spare clothes and food and other stuff. It took us two weeks to find an appropriate river. My last stone was almost orange looking. It was small and smooth just like the rest of them.

We didn't know what to do after that so we set up a little camp and we started a fire and before we knew it we were asleep.

When we "awoke" we were in a large cavern like cave. Loki was sitting on top of a big stone throne like seat. He was smiling hugely at me. I ran into his out stretched arms.

"Oh, Zoey, my child! I knew you could do it!" he exclaimed as he lifted me up and twirled me around a bit. Again I felt warm and loved and happy and safe!

He set me down and knelt down in front of me, so I wouldn't have to look up so high. He was a very tall man. As to be expected from a son of two giants. "You have all four stones?" he asked knowingly, as a father might ask a child.

"Yup, Harry helped me get the last one!" I chattered, as I opened my pack and searched for the stones. Setting them down on the floor in front of me as I took them out. Loki started to talk to Harry, but I wasn't paying attention. "Here!" I exclaimed, as I set the last one down in front of my feet. Red, blue, lime green, and orange stood out on the black stone floor. I looked up at Loki expectantly.

"Very good my child. I'm sorry for what you had to go through to get these, but it's the rules of Odin that a disciple must do something or other before a god may grant them a boon," he said. I wasn't really paying attention. I was preening under the praise he had given me.

He took the orange one and took a piece of metal from no where in particular and carved a symbol into it. It looked like a sideways arrow without the line. "Zoey Montenegro, formally Alice Montenegro, I, Loki, god of Chaos, Fire and Mischief, give you this rune, Kenaz, to fortify your vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, and technical ability. But mostly your creativity to cause chaos. This represents your power to create your own reality, the power of light. And your passion, and future sexual love," his voice boomed.

Taking up the red stone he carved another rune into its surface. "Zoey Montenegro, formally Alice Montenegro, I, Loki, god of Chaos, Fire and Mischief, give you this rune, Uruz, to fortify your Physical strength and speed, untamed potential, your freedom, energy, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, and wisdom. This represents a time of great energy and health for you and the shaping of your power and pattern, formulation of yourself,"

Again he began, "Zoey Montenegro, formally Alice Montenegro, I, Loki, god of Chaos, fire and Mischief-"

"Do you have to do that every time?" I asked. I was just curious.

"Yes it is a formality, I hate it too," he said in a stage whisper. "Now, where was I? oh yes, " taking the lime green stone he said, "Zoey Montenegro, formally Alice Montenegro, I, Loki, god of Chaos, Fire and Mischief, give you this rune, Kehu, to represent possessions won or earned, earned income, and luck. It is a sign of hope and plenty, success and happiness. It shall fortify your energy, foresight, fertility, creation and destruction."

Finally, taking up the last stone he said, one last time, "Zoey Montenegro, formally Alice Montenegro, I, Loki, god of Chaos, Fire and Mischief, give you this rune, Algiz, to represent your connection with the gods, their awakening, and any higher life. It is a fortification of my protection, a shield, over your life. It will fortify the protective urge to shelter yourself in the face of danger and or others in the face of danger. Use it in defense, a shield in warding off of evil, in my name as your guardian."

Setting the newly carved runes in Zoey's hands, he stood to his full height. "I, Loki, god of Chaos, Fire and Mischief, call forth from death, Clair Montenegro, so that she may continue the ritual of bestowment."

I gasped when I saw my mother. She was wearing a white sundress. I know it sounds, yet again, cliché, but it's the truth. She also had a slight glow to herself. I was in shock until she smiled at me. That was when I ran into her arms and hugged her with all of my tiny might.

Her thin arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders. Then she pulled me back and said in a kind soft voice, "My lord can only keep me here for so long. Let us finish the ritual."

She stepped back and took a silver chain off of her neck. Suddenly she took two stones out of no where and slipped them onto the chain. One was a greenish blue that reminded me of a teal color. The other was a yellowish stone that had streaks of purple running around it. "I, Clair Montenegro, daughter of Alice Montenegro, loyal servant of Loki, god of Chaos, Fire and Mischief, present you, Zoey Montenegro, formally Alice Montenegro, with the first runes presented to our forefathers and foremothers by our Lord Loki.

"Wunjo, to fortify our Joy, comfort, pleasure, our fellowship, harmony, prosperity, ecstasy, glory, and spiritual reward. It represents our general success and recognition of worth in the eyes of Loki. The rune Laguz is Flow, water, sea, and a fertility source, the healing power of renewal, our Life energy and organic growth. It represents Imagination and psychic matters, Dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld, and Success in travel or acquisition, but with the possibility of loss. These are the runes given to us graciously by our Lord Loki, and have been handed down from Mother to daughter and from Father to son. I present my Lord with the runes he has selected for our family from generations back, so that he may grant my daughter, Alice Montenegro, named again Zoey Montenegro, by your liege, these gifts and complete the ceremony," she said as she bowed before Loki, her face was facing the floor and her arms out stretched, palms up and presenting Loki with the chain and runes.

His big hands took them and then placed the stones I had spent so long working for, on the chain. How they got on, I had no flipping clue. Then he leaned down and placed the chain around my neck, the stones or runes, I should say, clinked softly together. They were warm against my chest. I lifted one of the runes in my hand and I felt warmth fill my heart and made me gasp in surprise. I looked up at Loki, my eyes wide.

"I present you, Zoey Montenegro, these runes, a gift of my acknowledgement as my child," he said, his eyes filled with warmth. "As my child, I give you the gift of summoning my shadows. Call for their help and they will answer in my name."

I didn't realize until he wiped them away, but I had tears running from my cheeks.

Suddenly he looked at Harry. "Harry James Potter. I am glad to see that you helped her. She isn't the small helpless girl you think her to be. She is one of the strongest of her kind, even if they will not recognize her. Zoey is one of the strongest children I have had in a long time. I hope to see that you will still be with her in the future. She will help you find the man you are looking for and will help you face the future the fates have woven for you," his voice resounded with a tone that reminded me of a father telling a boy that if he hurt his daughter, he'd come after him with a shot gun. A tone that said this is what you have; if you leave it… you will DIE! No I'm just kidding, it was more along the lines of here's what you got, I'd take it and treat it well. I didn't mind at the time that I was being talked about like I was an item. I was too filled up with joy.

Then he turned to me again. "I am truly sorry for ignoring you, Zoey. Should you ever call for my help in the future, and if you stick with Harry you will call for my help, I will do all that can to aid you. Remember what I say now, one of yours will die, but there will be nothing you can do about it. Save my promise for the greater battle. The boy will need your powers, so grow stronger. These runes will amplify your powers if you call upon them-"

"How do I do that?" I interrupted, he didn't seem to mind.

"They're like a give and take kind of thing. It's a rule Odin put out there- anyways, you'll have to call upon my name and sacrifice a little bit of your blood. I know it sounds morbid, but too many people were using our names to become stronger in the past, so Odin added a law for blood sacrifice to ward off most of them. It works wonders actually. But you don't have to cut off a finger or anything, just a little blood."

"I used to keep a knife on my person and prick my thumb with it when I call upon our lord," my mother interjected. She seemed to start to fade.

"Momma?" I asked I was a little panicked at her fading. How could I have forgotten my mother?

"It's all right baby. I'll always be with you. Algiz, connection to the gods. It also connects his children. I won't actually be there, but you'll feel me," she said starting to drift away like sand in the wind.

I wanted to yell and scream and fight for her to stay. But the look in her eyes made me stop. It wasn't like they were filled with defeat or something else slightly cliché. They were filled with a look of determination and resolution. No, this isn't slightly cliché, it's majorly cliché. In a way… Either way, I accepted it and moved on. Too many things were happening for me to keep up.

I smiled at her and nodded my head in understanding. Her face lit up and then she was gone. That was that. So then I looked up to Loki.

"Ummm…" I was trying to figure out how to ask him a question I thought would be a little rude.

He smiled amusedly. "What is it my child?" he asked.

"Do I have to call you lord?"

He burst out laughing, throwing back his head, his hair shaking. I scowled up at him.

"No you don't have to, but it is proper and most of my disciples make it a habit when they grow older," he chuckled, when he was able to take a breath without laughing.

"Lord Loki?" Harry made himself known again from behind me. Again I will admit it; I forgot he was there for a little while. He took an attentive step forward.

Loki looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes, Harry James Potter?"

Harry walked up beside me. He was a little in front of me, but stood casually. "What do we do now?" he asked.

Loki studied him. Harry lifted his chin slightly, as if he was challenging the god. Loki's eyes twinkled with mischief. "I don't know. What do you do, Liam?"

Harry paused. "Liam?" he pondered.

"It's a name that means determined guardian, unwavering protector, and warrior. You are a very brave child, to try to stand up to a god," Loki chuckled and leaned down so he could look Harry in the eyes. He studied him again. Harry's eyes looked defiant. "Hmmm. Indeed, I chose a worthy man to take care of my young Zoey," he said resolutely, as he stood up again.

Flashback end

And that's pretty much all the important stuff. We spent another hour or so just chatting with Loki. I call upon him sometimes, but not very often. I try to call him Lord Loki, when I am in the presence of other people, or other disciples, but when it's just Harry, Loki and I, I call him just that. Loki.

He's like a father at times. He'll call upon me and we'll chat with each other in his hall. Or he'll come down from the heavens or where ever it is he lives, and he'll visit me here. Sometimes though, he'll call upon several of his disciples and he'll have us go cause some more trouble. I've meet more than a few of his other disciples. I learned pretty quickly, he doesn't call very many "his children" even though he considers all of them his children. And I shall not lie, I am the strongest of the few he calls his children.

Other times he's like the awesomest uncle a person could ever ask for. Like an Uncle Dude!

He sometimes calls upon me specially to do the more tedious pranks that take the more skilled children to pull off. There were many a time I had to sneak into Valhalla or Asgard to pull the most awesome of awesome pranks on the fellow heroes and guards. And believe it or not, I've even been to Mount Olympus to coat Zeus's thunderbolt or lightning bolt, what ever the hell it is, with rubber. A very tedious task, I might add. And boy was Zeus mad at Loki! It was hilarious! Loki still had a scar on his ass from when Zeus hit him. Loki thought it would be a funny thing to moon him in front of Hera and Aphrodite.

I know you're probably thinking, it wasn't a good idea to mess with Zeus. You're a lightning elemental! Isn't he like the god of thunder and lightning? Can't he mess with your powers?

The answer is no. One god may not mess with another race's followers, unless they have full consent from the said patron's head honchos. Like if Loki wanted to mess with a follower of Zeus, he would have to get the permission from Chaos, Gaia, Nyx, Eros and Uranus. And possibly from the titans, depending who is alive at the time, because Uranus was killed by Cronus. However there is a universal rule, (the gods don't mention this because it's not common knowledge) that when a god/titan/higher power is killed one hundred years later, they come back to "life". Well not life life, but they come back to their godhoodlyness. Unless there is a specified date as to when they come back to life. Like with Loki, Odin got the votes to put a date on Loki's "rebirth", Ragnarok. So when Ragnarok, came, Loki was reborn. However those are only in special cases.

And you know how Ragnarok was supposed to be the end of time or whatever? Well it did happen. In, like, I don't remember when exactly, but it was around 14,000 B.C. or something. When the mammoths died or something, when the Ice age hit. It was something about mammoths and the Ice age, waaaaaay back then. There was nothing about Skoll eating the sun or about Hati pissing out the sun. The dead have sided with Loki, although it's not as gross or evil as it sounds. Fenrir's bounds did break, but Loki has trained him and now he's just one big playful ball of fluff. Unfortunately, Jormungand did break free, and now he serves Quetzalcoatl, although somehow he's shrunk. He can't wrap himself around the world to stick his tail in his mouth anymore. I think Loki did it when he converted. He and Harry get along pretty well, though, so he visits us often. Loki doesn't mind seeing him every once and a while.

Needless to say, Baldur's alive, Loki's back in power and I am the awesomest disciple Loki has so I get to pull of the best pranks. Like when I painted Thor's hammer with semi-permanent pink and purple paint. Or when I gave Huginn and Muninn marijuana! One of my favorite pranks is when I snuck into Odin's rooms and you know how he has one eye? Well on the other eyelid, the one that covers his missing eyes, I painted an actual eye on it. I made it look really bad. You should have seen the other gods' reactions. They didn't want to tell him in fear that he did it to make himself feel better, but at the same time they wanted to know if it was a prank. But they didn't want to offend him, ya know?

He went on like that for three days before Loki asked him, nonchalantly, I might add, if there was a reason why he painted an eye over his eye. Odin still doesn't know it was me and Loki! That was the night I snuck Huginn and Muninn marijuana, incase you're wondering why they hadn't whispered the answer to his ponderings over the situation.

I've had some pretty awesome times with Harry, who I call Liam now, because of Loki. It's one of those things where you hear it so often you start to use it too.

So yeah.

It's been about two years since I've meet Liam. When we decided what we were going to do, Liam brought me back to where he was living, with Jasmine. She and Kaden weren't really surprised that he picked up a stray like me and that I was the reason he had disappeared. It's been about three weeks since he's brought two more strays, Scarlet and Sarah, to "our" home. They're pretty cool I guess. Scarlet is an elemental, like me, only she's a full fledged fire starter. Her kind isn't as strict about their race's policy, like mine is, so she taught me a couple techniques. Mostly precision. Like I said, my lightning skills are really good, so there wasn't much that she could teach me. However, she did teach me a little more about elementals.

And that's that.

Zoey left the studio with her messenger bag, her clothes, and her CD, to go "run into" Liam, a little while after she brought herself back to reality. As she left, she thought she saw a flash of red hair disappear around a corner. When she investigated, nothing was there. She smiled softly, her fingers brushing her runes, filling her heart with warmth and love.

Swiftly, she turned around and skipped down the long hall. Anticipating the moment when Loki would call upon her to cause the gods some more mischief.