Warnings: OOCness, OCs, lack of spellcheck, fluff, etc.
Notes: This is one of my favorite chapters, too! There's a new oneshot I've just posted, my 50th fic, that continues on with this story.
All Out Assassin Attack
Chapter 20:
Freedom
"Midgardsormr, I'd like you to meet my new wife and your stepmother, Sigyn." Loki said, leaning over the cliff. The large snake rose from the water, startling Sigyn before her eyes softened at the serpent.
"Hello!" Sigyn said, reaching a hand out. "Could I touch you, Midgardsormr...?"
As usual, the snake didn't answer. Loki had never once heard Midgardsormr speak. Fenrir talked often and Hel was known to have conversations, but Midgardsormr was always silent. Loki knew nothing of his interests or hopes or anything. It was a little heartbreaking.
Midgardsormr bowed his head to the short goddess, allowing her to touch his scales.
Sigyn did so, smiling at the odd sensation. "Alright, Midgardsormr! I'm going to make you a homecooked meal!"
Loki and his son both blinked in surprise at this. Sigyn was going to do WHAT?
"It'll be the most delicious, wonderful meal ever!" Sigyn announced, before pausing. "Gosh, what do giant snakes eat?"
Loki sighed. "Sigyn..."
Midgardsormr watched the goddess with interest, amazed that she would actually be willing to do something for him. He wasn't used to such interaction. Sure, Loki visited occasionally but...
"I'll be back tomorrow! I'm going to read to you." Sigyn added as Loki waved goodbye, dragging Sigyn back to Asgard. "We're going to read lots of mystery novels, like Sherlock Holmes--"
X
"Loki, you are banished." Odin said, eyes glowing in a way they hadn't before.
"No! You can't--what about Sigyn? What about the twins? You can't force me to abandon Narfi and Vali like you forced me to abandon my other children! You just can't! Why, Odin? What have I done?" Loki asked, tearing up.
"You killed Baldur." Odin answered, red eyes not meeting Loki's green gaze.
"It was self-defense! No, you can't do this to me!" Loki said as he was flung from Asgard.
He landed on Midgard, his powers still remaining for now. He tried to think of his options. He didn't know how to return to Asgard, and Sigyn couldn't help him. He was alone.
"Just like your children."
Something inside him whispered.
"The children you abandoned."
Loki gripped his head, feeling utterly miserable and helpless. He should have never let Odin take his children; he should have freed them centuries ago. Everything was so wrong.
Consumed by his guilt, he tried to think of a solution. "Go to Midgard until you can find a way back. You can use your remaining magic to build a home and you'll still have enough to defend yourself if he sends assassins. That one Midgard country with all the fish seems like a good option."
That voice had to be his brain, he decided."But won't it be lonely?"
He felt his heart breaking again."No Sigyn, no Narfi, no Vali, no Fenrir, no Hel, no Midgardsormr...you'll be all alone in a world you don't know." His brain reminded him.
He felt his heart beating rapidly. He had enough power to bring one of them with him. But Sigyn and the twins were still in Asgard, and he was already on Midgard. Hel was deep beneath him, guarding the afterlife. Odin would never harm her because her job was so precious. Fenrir also could defend himself easily--he had, after all, eaten Tyr's hand already.
But Midgardsormr...? He was a giant snake, but he was also quiet and peaceful. Loki often felt that he had done worse to Midgardsormr than his other children because Midgardsormr was in the middle. Loki and Angrboda's attention had always fallen to the other siblings.
He also couldn't be held and he didn't talk. He was the least fortunate of Loki's children.
Determined, Loki got to his feet and focused on transporting himself to Midgardsormr's location.
X
He finally reached the cliff overlooking the ocean. The giant snake rose to meet him, sadness in his eyes. Even Midgardsormr had heard of Loki's banishment.
"Midgardsormr, would you like to take a journey with me?" Loki asked.
The snake was again surprised. A journey with his father? His father had chosen him over Fenrir, Hel, Sleipnir, and the twins? Why? Maybe the others were hiding behind his father? The snake glanced around but was unable to see anyone else nearby.
"Please? I've been banished, but I don't want to be alone. I'm going to Midgard--to a nice country by the sea. I know you know the feeling of loneliness, and I want to make it up to you. Please, Midgardsormr." The god of fire said, lowering his head. "Let me free you and come with me."
Midgardsormr just nodded, though he wasn't sure what Loki's intentions were. It seemed too perfect--freedom? Real freedom from this hell?
"That's wonderful..." Loki said, incredibly relieved. "I hope this doesn't hurt. It'll only be like this until I find a solution." He used some of his magic to decrease the snake's size and break the prison. Picking up the now average-sized serpent, he headed to Midgard.
X
The old woman had died a natural death and her land was up for auction. There was no will or heirs.
The land wasn't expensive and the auction wasn't well-attended, so it was easy to conjure some yen and buy the large plot along the streets of Japan. The tall man with a snake on his shoulder stepped onto his newly purchased grounds and waved his hands, chanting something.
A neighbor living in a house down the street was surprised to find the next morning that a mansion had literally appeared overnight. A boy of about fourteen, with a snake on his shoulder, was nailing up a sign that said "Enjaku Detective Agency".
Loki sighed. "Midgardsormr, I'm becoming younger with the more magic I use. It's very odd...but hopefully with a detective agency, I'll be able to gather evil and gain my powers back. It shouldn't take long."
The snake just blinked.
"I can't leave you like this, though...I don't know what to do with you. I can't restore you to your normal size..." He entered the fully furnished mansion and fell onto a couch. "Any ideas?"
Midgardsormr glanced over at a bookshelf, remembering the books Sigyn had read to him. He slithered off Loki's shoulder and towards the shelf, knocking a book on the bottom row onto the floor.
Loki stood up and approached the book as the snake rolled on the pages, managing to flip them with his tail.
He finally reached the page in question and tapped his tail against it.
Loki picked the book and his son up, placing Midgardsormr on his shoulder, and began to read. "As soon as the princess kissed the frog, he became a handsome human man."
"You want to be human?" He asked, wondering if he had enough magic left. "Really?"
The snake hissed affirmatively.
The god sighed. "Okay, but it might hurt. You'll also have to learn speech, how to walk, how to--"
The snake put his tail in Loki's mouth and moved his head around, indicating that he understood what was necessary.
Loki placed Midgardsormr on the couch and stood up, moving away. "Okay, but no complaining later." As his son closed his eyes, ready for the worst, Loki tried to think of a spell.
He had never really considered turning his children into humans before because it seemed wrong to change who they were. After Odin imprisoned Fenrir and Midgardsormr, he feared that it would make Odin angry. After all, turning them into humans meant freeing them. Irritating his brother only meant pain for his children. Still, the situation called for it. Plus what could Odin do to them now? He had already been banished.
He made up the spell and invoked the ancient runes. He made sure to specify that clothes appear as well. His son began to tremble and make odd noises, hissing as his eyes spun around.
Loki watched in horror, wondering what he had done. Finally, a burst of light and smoke filled the room and a large THUMP met Loki's ears.
Loki blinked, glancing down at himself. He had become younger again. He had to be about nine now. He rolled up his sleeves and made his way through the smoke until he saw what he had done.
Midgardsormr had become a human man with long green hair. He was wearing a black suit thanks to the clothing specification Loki had added in on the spell. Midgardsormr was also on the floor, having rolled off the couch. Thus the thump.
As his son woke up, Loki found that Midgardsormr couldn't stand. "Are you feeling okay? It worked pretty well." Loki commented as the former snake became confused by his own hair.
The god in child form helped Midgardsormr up and smiled. "Now, as promised, I have to teach you how to talk and interact with humans. You'll need a name too."
The radio chimed in helpfully. "That's all we know about the strange string of robberies. Now here's Keiko Yamino with the weather."
A female voice replied. "Thank you, Ryusuke-san."
Loki and Midgardsormr exchanged glances. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all...
X X X
I really adore this chapter. I won't be describing more of the Yamino-becoming-human thing in this fic but I do have a oneshot I'm about to post (my 50th fic!) that goes into more detail. Please look at it!
After this chapter, we'll be headed back to our usual battling/assassin wonderfulness. Please stick with me! There are exactly ten more chapters, including the epilogue!
Next chapter at 111!! :0 That's such a great number. EDIT: I'm moving it to 113 since we're already at 110 and none of the regulars have reviewed yet (: I may post it at 111/112 anyway, but I'm only SURE that I'll update at 113...so you should review ;D
Poll: Which assassin do you think is coming next? I may have already said this, but test your memory!
Next chapter:
"Are you going to kill me?" "I'm a big believer in balance." "If you kill him, I certainly won't object."
end twenty