SO IN A STRANGE TURN OF EVENTS, THIS APPEARS TO BE THE LAST CHAPTER. I DON'T THINK I INTENDED IT TO BE, BUT AFTER A WHILE IT SEEMED BETTER TO ADD EVERYTHING IN AND WRAP IT UP.

Chapter 26

Dark Raven

The knife was the first weapon to reach him and seemed to bounce off an invisible shield surrounding Malekith. It was propelled a few feet in front of him and fell to the floor with a clang, unheard due to the others attempts. Thor's thunder struck him at the same time as Stark's energy. Both had the same effect, shocking Malekith and temporarily petrifying him in place. As Malekith shot off random sparks of energy, most of them hitting nothing but thin air, Steve deflected a few back at him with his shield, whenever they went his way.

Natasha and Clint could only listen as the sound of thunder emerged out of the cloud filling up the courtyard and as sparks of light shone through, momentarily blinding them. Banner stood off to the side, watching on as the others tried to contain Malekith. Bruce on the other hand had a much bigger task ahead of him; trying to control himself. The hulk may be useful against giant mechanical ships, but against someone who has the power to possibly control him, it was too much of a risk to the others if anything for him to contribute to their efforts.

While Thor and Tony kept him occupied, Loki began chanting under his breath, holding his hands in front of himself and keeping his eyes open despite the bright light emitted from Thor's hammer. Malekith scrunched his eyes shut in pain and began to yell as he started to shake on the spot, still being struck by Thor and Tony. Steve watched on, still every so often deflecting random sparks of energy. As Loki was still calmly chanting, Malekith suddenly went silent and opened his eyes. Thor and Tony frowned as they kept firing at him, knowing that they were reaching their limits. Unfortunately for Steve, their containment failed and a shower of sparks hit Steve squarely in the chest, propelling him off his feet and back several feet, slumping him face down on the floor. Just as Loki was about to finalise his chant, Malekith brought his hands up and a bright light left his fingers and washed over the four of them, throwing them off balance and casting them across the courtyard.

Volund swiftly got to his feet and went to Thor's side as Loki threw Iron man off him since he'd landed on top of him. By the time Loki had gotten up, Tony was still on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. He opened his faceplate to get more air as Volund spoke to Thor in an eerily calm voice.

"It has to be now Thor. You know it does." Thor looked up at him as he leaned over, supporting himself on his knees. He looked around the courtyard and saw Loki with Tony and Malekith advancing towards them. He watched as he hovered his hands over Tony, and with a small flash of light, the suit slumped to the ground. When the suit hit the concrete, the headpiece came loose from the rest of the suit and rolled around slightly before settling near Loki's feet. He heard Loki's snide comment as he lunged for him with a knife. Stupid move and he knew it. He knew Loki knew it and that he didn't care.

As Loki raised his arm high above his head, ready to plunge it into his chest, Malekith waved his hand and arched his brows and Loki flew back and hit the wall, still clutching the knife as he fell to the floor once more.

Thor closed his eyes and breathed heavily for a second before looking back up at Volund and said, "Do it."

Volund ran straight for Malekith as he straightened up and tilted his head back, smiling. Volund reached into his belt and held a knife firmly between his fingers as he spun just in front of Malekith and plunged the blade into his chest. Malekith kept laughing as Volund rammed the iron knife in deeper, his breathing fast but his face calm and undeterred from Malekith's lack of pain.

"You have failed, traitor. You didn't really think one iron knife would be enough, did you? You are very gullible and stupid. I will win, and you shall be my first trophy from this battle." Malekith spat his words in Volund's face as he laughed and grinned wildly at him.

Volund held tightly onto Malekith's shoulder, digging his nails in to maintain his grip. He locked eyes with him and spoke quietly and slowly into his ear. "You will not be the death of me, but my death will be the cause of yours." This time he smiled and turned his head towards Loki who regained his balance and finished his chant, hands moving in front of him and smoke swirling towards Volund and Malekith.

Malekith turned to watch Loki and then back to Volund, scoffing. "Even with Loki's magic, I'll still be king, both Svartalfheim and of Midgard!"

The smoke enveloped Malekith and Volund, the wind picked up and lifted them into the air. Malekith began laughing again at the look of rage in Thor's eyes as he swung Mjolnir round, brought it up to the sky then aimed it straight for him. After he had finished screaming and convulsing in pain, Malekith spoke into Volund's ear through laboured breaths. "Still, not, enough."

Volund glanced behind Malekith's head as a speck of light appeared near the far wall and grew bigger and brighter. Volund looked back to him as he gripped his shoulder tighter and yelled in his ear. "There is only one king of Svartalfheim, and it isn't you!"

As he shouted, the source of light vanished, leaving the figure of a giant in its wake. As Loki and Thor's vision cleared, they saw the figure plunge a long blade into Malekith back. The figure then nodded to Volund over Malekith's shoulder as if he wasn't there. "Volund, good to see you again."

Volund smiled at him. "You too Vasad. Oh sorry, my king."

Malekith thrashed against them but couldn't break free so he shouted at the top of his lungs. "There is only one king. I am the ruler of Svartalfheim, Vasad is not. He is rightfully dead. It was told to me!"

Volund tilted his head to the side and spoke to him in a mocking tone. "And who told you that?"

Malekith only responded by letting his mouth gape open as Thor and Loki's attention was caught by two other figures appearing out of the same entrance as Vasad.

Suttungr stood off to the side while Gangr plunged his dagger into Malekith's stomach while holding onto his shoulder, next to Volund. Malekith gasped but didn't scream as all three of them held on tightly to him with one hand and pushed their knives in further with the other. While his thrashing grew less violent, Thor and Loki looked on as Vasad and Suttungr gradually let go, leaving their knives imbedded in his flesh and moved away as Volund continued to hold on. Loki furrowed his brows in confusion as Volund's gaze became less forgiving as they rose further into the sky and the area around them began to blacken unnaturally.

Loki turned his confused gaze to Thor as he watched on, breathing uneasily but his expression wasn't as lost as Loki's. He turned back to the two of them as they began to spin in mid air, Malekith's screams getting louder as a funnel of air encased them and went up into the sky.

Thor began to swirl Mjolnir round as their images became blurred within the air around them. Loki, almost breathless from the fight ran over to Thor and put his hand on his arm and shouted over the noise. "What are you doing? You'll kill Volund!"

Thor slowed his momentum but kept swinging Mjolnir by his side. "I know. Loki, this was the plan. This was always the plan. We decided, together. This is the only way and you know it."

Thor stared at his brother while his features went form soft and innocent, to hard and determined. He stood a fair distance away from Thor and walked round the circle of air pulling Volund and Malekith further away from them. He held his hands out at arms length, a green glow reaching out and engulfing them and glowing brighter by the second. Volund looked over at Loki while still spinning uncontrollably, gripping onto Malekith and still holding his knife firmly in his chest, the others still embedded in his side. He closed his eyes as the familiar clap of thunder sounded off in the distance and gradually got closer as Thor swung Mjolnir above his head. His whole body began to glow, a plentiful spectrum of golds and silvers lighting up the dark, dusty air they were held within. The last thing they saw before Loki added his own green magic to the blinding array of gold and silver, was the courtyard light up, impossibly bright so they all shielded they faces and turned away. As they covered their eyes, the last thing they heard was an eerie shriek before the sound of air hurtling past them at terrific speed, before silence claimed the courtyard.

They all stood still, backs turned away as they breathed heavily through their mouths, shaking with the anticipation and adrenaline. Loki was the first to turn around, gulping as he looked at the spot in the sky they once occupied, now empty except for small particles of black dust and what appeared to be steam, disappearing into the clouds slowly moving to reveal the sun, beaming down on the courtyard.

Thor turned round in time to see Loki take his first hesitant step forwards, edging his way to the ground Malekith and Volund had once stood on, now void of any dust caused by the ferocity of the wind that had now disappeared completely. Loki stood on the exact spot they had once been on and turned round with a look of deep sadness etched into his pale face. His eyes seemed brighter than ever again his soot black hair, now swept over to one side with fly aways sticking to his sweaty face. Thor looked down at Mjolnir, turning it in his hands before glancing over his shoulder at the window where Natasha and Clint were looking out from. He could have easily called up to them but decided against it when he turned back to Loki, his features still portraying a mixture of confusion and mourning. No one paid attention as Vasad, Suttungr and Gangr quietly walked over to the far wall and faded as they exited the courtyard through the portal.

Thor's eyes were drawn back to the window as he heard the scraping of heels and the clanging of metal as Clint and Natasha collected their things and made their way down to the courtyard. Loki remained motionless on the spot while Thor raised his hand to his ear and tilted his head down as he heard a welcome and familiar voice. "Did we win? Please tell me you won. Is my suit ok? He didn't destroy it did he?"

Thor smiled at Tony's snappy and cheery tone as he watched Loki turn his back on him and face the wall. "Victory is ours Stark. Your suit is intact. It only sustained minor damage when you were transported."

"Haha. Must have thought I was too much of a threat for him." Thor smirked at his cocky tone. "So, I'm ok, my suit is ok, but what about you lot?"

Thor hesitated for a minute as he had a feeling Loki was listening intently, still facing away from him, his body motionless. "Me, Loki, Natasha, Clint, Banner and the captain are well."

The pause between Thor's sentence and Tony's felt like a year. The silence was broken by Tony's soft and doleful tone. "And Volund?"

Another pause as he saw Loki's head tilt up, as if he could hear every word Tony said. "He fell during battle. A warrior's death indeed. Fit for a king."

He heard Tony breath deeply, the sound ranging as if he held the earpiece away from him, then moved closer to it as he said, "Sorry to hear that. Fury sends his condolences to you and your brother. He calls back the others but says you two may leave now if you wish."

Thor gulped as he watched Loki's head bow low. He then turned around, struggling to hold back his emotions but holding an almost blank but determined expression.

"I, I think we will..." He was interrupted by Loki speaking timidly. "I want to return home." He dragged out his words as he held out his hand before saying, "Join me brother, come home."

Tony must have heard him since he spoke down the earpiece before Thor could say anything. "Go. Return home. No doubt your family will be worried about the both of you. We'll be fine here."

Thor looked as Loki kept his hand out stretched. He walked towards him and grasped his hand firmly before replying. "Very well Stark. May we meet again under better circumstances."

With that, Thor and Loki both disappeared through the portal just as Natasha and Clint entered the courtyard, a look of confusion and annoyance as they were greeted by an equally confused Steve and Banner.

FIVE DAYS LATER

After Vasad had retaken his throne, Loki and Thor decided to hold a small ceremony for Volund, in honor of their fond memories of him as children. They had both grown up with him, and he had almost become a second father to them, for Loki more so.

They walked along the Bifrost bridge and stopped a few meters away from the observatory and looked over the edge at the vastness of space. Since every trace of Volund had vanished, they had nothing to bury, nothing to burn, just precious memories to hold onto and knowledge that they would never forget. They both looked out at the bright, colourful stars against the black sky and listened to the calming sound of the waves falling over the side of the cliff under the bridge. Loki sat down and dangled his legs over the side while Thor stood tall next to him.

After a while, Thor looked down at Loki who kept starring out at the picturesque scenery as he spoke. "Is there anything else you want to do?"

Loki waited a while before replying, still focused on the vibrant and distant stars. "Always remember to maintain pureness of heart, by helping those who otherwise cannot. Make sure your existence sweetens their lives and above all, always keep your heart pure and your mind strong."

Thor let his eyes wonder as he concentrated on his words, suddenly smiling and looking back at the stars. "Volund always brought out the best in people."

Loki sighed and got to his feet and turned to Thor, smoothing down his garments. "Yes."

Thor narrowed his eyes as Loki looked determined and started to walk towards the observatory. "Yes what?"

"Yes, there is something I wish to do. A persons life I wish to sweeten, for I believe he truly deserves it. I cannot ignore someone who helped so. I feel I took Volund for granted, as a child and now as I am, an adult. But this person still lives and I will not ignore my promise to Volund, not now that I know how precious life can be. How one moment can change a persons life completely; ruin it, or repair it."

At that, he turned and smiled before walking straight into the observatory, leaving Thor standing alone on the bridge, the bright lights of Asgard behind him showering the city in a warm glow as night set in. The sound of whirring engines and straining metal sounded and a flash of light filled the observatory and casted Thor's shadow behind him before he smiled and looked up to the sky. "You were never the most luminous of people, but as a conductor of light, you were and still are unbeatable."

Loki walked up to a small house with a low brick wall running in front of it. He saw the lights from the other houses beside it shine through their curtains while the one he was walking to didn't have them drawn so he could see inside through the windows. He wrapped his plain dark coat tighter around himself as the cold air whistled by as he made his way over the uneven paving slabs on the pathment. He approached the black metal gate and reached out to lift the latch and open it but hesitated when he saw a figure move past the window. He ducked before he was seen and waited until the figure had disappeared from the window. He gripped the top of the gate with both hands and concentrated for a second before standing up straight.

He spotted a cat sitting along the brick fence but the cat didn't see him. Loki was invisible as he opened the fence, closed it and walked up to the window. He stood in the long damp grass while he peered through the window at what appeared to be their living room, complete with a burning fire and someone seated in front of it. Even though his back was turned to him, Loki could tell who it was.

He watched as he wheeled himself around as the first figure returned and sat on the sofa beside him, offering him a mug with steam rising from it. David took it gratefully and sipped at the beverage, before placing it on a side table. Adrian cradled his own warm mug before leaning forwards and uniting his shoelaces. While he was bent over, David closed his eyes and sank into his wheelchair as Loki began to focus.

As Adrian turned his head, he saw David's foot move. Thinking he just imagined it, he stayed motionless, still bent over and saw his other foot twitch. He blinked before it happened again and stood up abruptly, almost tipping over the table with his drink on. David's eyes shot open as he saw his dad's alert expression.

"What?"

Adrian just pointed at his feet as they both began to twitch and David gasped as he gripped the armrests of his wheelchair in surprise as his feet continued to move. He took some deep breaths while his dad held out his hands in front of him. David took them shakily and gradually began to lift himself up, first moving his legs to the floor then attempting to stand.

Adrian and David's eyes both grew with anticipation as David stood up, still holding onto his arms. David looked up at his dad and nodded. Adrian let go hesitantly but just smiled as David stood in the living room by himself. He took a few deep breathes, before gingerly walking the length of the living room and back. As he took more steps, his legs straightened out and his strides became more even. As he turned to his dad, a look of shock and excitement etched onto his face, his vision blurred as tears filled in his eyes and graced his cheek. He embraced his dad, unbeknown that the cat outside screeched, jumped off the wall and ran down the street; seemingly frightened off as Loki disappeared from their garden, only to leave two footprints in the thick green grass.

SO, THE END. SAD TIMES. PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU FIND THE ENDING. I FEEL I COULD HAVE DONE ANOTHE SCENE WITH THE AVENGERS BUT I WANTED TO KEEP IT SIMPLE AND NOT DRAG IT OUT ANYMORE.

I AM WORKING ON ANOTHER STORY THAT SHOULD BE UP BY THE END OF THE MONTH; IT WON'T BE A FOLLOW UP OF THIS ONE HOWEVER. IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY LINE.