Author's Note: Thanks to Sakura Kamitsu for the favourite/follow.

Sleipnir

Loki shook his head with a chuckle as he crouched over Thor. The now half-slush, half-rain covered beige cobble-stone path gleamed in the slowly fading lightning. 'I didn't think that he would actually black out.'

Sleipnir's hand covered Thor's whole shoulder as he gently shook the blond. At the sound of movement from the library, he looked up. Mother partially covered in ash limped out of the library with Fandral supporting her. Fandral had taken a fire-sword through the shoulder and Grundsol had plenty of dried blood in his incredibly-pale blond-hair.

Mother gasped, "Oh, Sleipnir !" when she saw Sleipnir and started towards them. Thor suddenly brushed a hand over his welt causing him to look down. Before he pulled Thor up, blue-eyes blinked up at him in amazement. Thor obviously hadn't expected him to return so soon.

Loki replied, "I wanted you to meet him, it was just a coincidence that there happened to be an attack." 'Damn that eldjotun, now I have to repair Blodbita. I'll never be able to restore it back to the sharpness at which it started.'

Flashback

He shoved Sleipnir down and the fire-sword crackled above their heads. Before he jumped at the eldjotun, he covered his hands in ice. Even so, the eldjotun's skin burned as they collided and slammed into the bridge. Before he could recover, the eldjotun slapped a hand on Blodbita pinning the knife to the bridge. With gritted teeth, trying to ignore the crushing weight and the budding embers, he bucked trying to use his greater strength to throw him off. It didn't work as the eldjotun hung on anyway.

The sword was laid across his chest, fresh flames blazed as the eldjotun pressed down on it hard. It felt like the fire had climbed to his throat, the heat was suffocating him and agony raced through his body. Sleipnir's foot slammed into the eldjotun's head throwing it away. As the eldjotun's body arched through the air, Father hit it with an ice-stream from Ymir's Casket. Said eldjotun froze solid before it landed and shattered on the bridge.

Coughing and gasping as he drew in gulps of air and raindrops the burning disappeared. Slowly, he rolled onto his hands and knees, his chest ached dully. When he saw what the eldjotun had done to Blodbita, he slammed a fist into the bridge - a stream of ice appeared on the bridge and icicles shot out of it to sparkle in the rain.

'Hey, I did it !'

Sleipnir helped him up and Father called, "Loki, Sleipnir, Ennsturm, Hailsturm come. Thor needs our help."

Father walked past himself and Sleipnir, they fell into step. Hailfalla who'd just killed a rebel trying to slice Issflod's back open, twisted to look at them. Ennsturm and Hailsturm already stood at the end of the Bifrost bridge waiting. 'They really know how Father thinks don't they ?'

Hailfalla broke in, "Your Majesty, I wish to continue accompanying His Majesty the Crown Prince. Issflod does as well."

Father gave his short approval, then took the knife from him to inspect it as they walked. Father murmured, "Your Grandfather used Blodbita to save Blodflod from a rampaging mikilbjorn that would have killed him. A waste of good ice Blodflod was, damn the fire-lover."

More people, civillians armed with hastily made halberds of hunting-knives lashed to metal poles, ran towards them. In a second, he'd retaken his Asgardian-form and stopped. Said civillians stopped when he did, they didn't know what to do.

Loki took Blodbita back from Father, lit the tip with the frost-fire of Jotunheim and waved it.

Loki stated, "We are your allies and they," Here he waved at the oncoming Eldjotnar, "are the enemy." He threw Blodbita, the green-fire blazed as it slammed into the first eldjotun's chest. It half-surprised him when the frost-fire, just like the Casket, froze the eldjotun solid.

After, he and Father froze the rest, then Sleipnir shifted into horse-form and shattered the Eldjotnar. When he retrieved Blodbita, he returned to his real form and they continued toward the library. In the distance, the light of a huge fire was visible on the horizion. 'We're coming, just hold on, we'll be there soon.'

End Flashback

Mother leaned up hug Sleipnir and his son returned the hug. Mother stroked Sleipnir's cheek before she said, "It's so good to see you. Even better we don't need Loki to translate everything now. Oh, look at you, Sleipnir, such a handsome boy just like your mother."

As Grundsol and Fandral walked up, the darker-blond wondered, "Am I the only one who thinks that sounds odd ? I mean, Loki birthed Sleipnir, yes, but he's male now. If Sleipnir has children how is he going to explain it ?"

Sleipnir countered, "I will tell them what Father told me, Uncle Fandral. Heh, right, Mother ?"

Slowly, Sleipnir released Mother and stood up. That was when Mother hugged himself and Thor, they hugged her back.

"Either way, you are talking about me. We don't need to mention that horse-shaped thing until they are old enough to understand it. For all we know, you may be able to shift sex as well."

Off to the side, by the oak railing, Sandr blurted, "What are we going to do about Daell ?"

'Daell ? What has happened to him ? He and Sleipnir got along quite well, despite Daell's not knowing the truth.'

Sleipnir turned to look at the red-haired man. His son angrily rumbled, "What happened to little Daell ? Did an eldjotun take him ?"

Sandr and Sif explained to himself, Father, Hailfalla and the others that Surtur himself had kidnapped Daell and stormed the throne room with his guards. Since Surtur had Daell, Father that was Odin, and the Einherjar hadn't been able to retaliate without fear of harming him too.

It was agreed that Hailsturm and Ennsturm would guard the library so that the near-by injured would have a safe place. Fandral and Mother would also be staying behind. So, she, at least, would be safe if they failed. With Father that was Laufey, Hailfalla, Issflod, himself and Sleipnir plus Sif, Thor and Grundsol it didn't seem likely. Especially, since they had Ymir's Casket.

'Byleistr, Helblindi and Mother wanted Sleipnir to stay home. Now, if we free Daell it'll help to have not just Sandr, but Sleipnir as well to calm him down.'

While they walked through Asgard, he took out Blodbita and repaired it before sliding Blodbita back into it's sheathe. In front of them, Sleipnir, Hailfalla and Issflod were staring about themselves in amazment still.

Issflod asked, "Does it look different now, Sleipnir ?"

Sleipnir replied, "It certainly looks a lot smaller and I can trip more easily now. Hailfalla, have you seen anything like this before ?"

"No, I've never even been to Niflheim, much less any place warmer like Asgard. I like this rain though, it makes nice ice."

Thunder rumbled once more over head before the storm finally died. It seemed that most of the Eldjotnar and rebels had surrendered and were being led toward the dungeons. If not, they lay dead on the streets among the rubble with all the other bodies whether honourable or dishonourable.

Sleipnir was accepting a new knife from Father, unlike Blodbita, Sleipnir's first knife had been completely melted by an eldjotun's fire.

Thor, who was staring at Sleipnir, wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Thor's lips brushed against his cheek and murmured, "Thank-you for coming to introduce him to me personally. I wonder what young Daell will think of Sleipnir's jotun-self."

That made Loki chuckle, "You're welcome and Daell will not care. Now, like himself and Mother, Sleipnir and his young friend will actually be able to understand each other. It is more how amazed will our Father be ?"

Everyone else fell silent and drifted back to let himself and Thor take the lead. Thor let go of him as they approached the palace doors. The Einherjar led by Olaf who stood outside looked wary and weary both as they approached. Einherjar Olaf and the others bowed to Thor before letting them pass inside.

One of Father's hands landed on his shoulder and ice swept over his chest, cooling him and healing his wounds. In the sconces, the fires flared near to the ceiling and it was still far too hot even with Father's ice. To compound it all, besides the sound of their footsteps, the flames were magically silenced and the palace was eerily quiet.