Chapter 12

Hermes' current mood status: not a happy bunny.

Oh, he had been a happy bunny just ten minutes ago, bouncing joyfully up and down on Sigyn along with all the children, who were also happy bunnies (let's call them happy kits, because as we all know baby rabbits are known as kittens. And in a completely unnecessary addition, it should also be noted that in the Asgardian language kittens – not baby cats, by the way – are known as "sharks" and sharks are called "bunnies". As you can imagine it makes the children's songs Sleeping Bunnies and Baby Shark confusing for the average Asgardian, as well as annoying, but everyone in the galaxy feels that way about Sleeping Bunnies and Baby Shark) but then Sigyn had complained that she was tired and wanted to revert to her Krylorian form so everyone should get off immediately.

There was a scramble for shoes, boots, and sandals. There were arguments and small scuffles as footwear was mixed up, along with cries of, 'I can't find my shoe!' and with the answering exasperated sigh from the nearest adult, 'Did you put them together? You need to try looking for it yourself.' This was just the first round of the chaos, followed quickly by round two: 'I can't tie my laces! Help me!' 'Just try, sweetheart. You need to practise.' 'But I can't do it!'

Above all this hubbub came Hermes' high pitched shriek, 'MY SANDALS! THEY'RE GONE!'

'Yes, dear,' said Isis, distractedly, as she patiently helped Anansi the Spider with his many shoes: eight. 'Where did you leave them?'

'Here! They were right here! What could have happened to them?'

'They flew away?'

'No! No, they did not! Well, possibly...but they wouldn't have left me!'

Now, normally, Hermes has the reputation of being rather laid back and "cool", nothing causing him to become flustered. He was flustered now and attracting a lot of attention to himself as he shuffled around on his hands and knees, throwing odd shoes, boots, sandals over his shoulder.

'Do you mind?' Anansi huffed indignantly. 'You getting all of my shoes all mixed up!'

It was an odd sight to see the Messenger stumbling around and it was clear that he was much less graceful on the ground than he was in the air. He had not gone bare foot since the day he had loaned his sandals to the hero Perseus that he might defeat the evil Medusa.

Sigyn lent against the dessert table, bowl of trifle in hand, and smirked.

'Have you found them yet?' she asked, innocence dribbling from her mouth like honey.

Hermes was too upset to be suspicious. Zeus had given him those winged sandals the day he had been born. It had also been the day that he had stolen his brother Apollo's cattle and invented the lyre, it had been a busy first day of life.

'No. One of the children must have taken them by mistake.'

'Yes. By mistake.'

Sigyn very slowly and deliberately licked her spoon clean, staring hard at Hermes. His eyes widened, then he stood up, wobbled, and nodded.

'You're right. They were stolen. And I know who the likely culprits are. I want all the Tricksters in attendance to gather in the Denouement Room.'

Sigyn raised a purple eyebrow. 'The what?'

'Dionysus originally planned a Murder Mystery, but he abandoned the idea.'

'Oh, and what was the plot?'

'On planet Earth a human inventor, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist gets into a huge argument with his best friend, a resurrected soldier. The fight is huge, even their mutual friends become divided. Then Tony Stark is found dead -'

'I think I've heard of him. Yes, he's a friend of Thor's. Why would you -'

'We're Olympians. We play with human lives. Doesn't matter! Just help me gather all the suspects would you? Including, and most of all, Loki.'

Sigyn tossed the bowl and spoon aside. 'It would be my pleasure.'

Loki's current mood status: bored and lonely.

If there was one thing Loki was certain of it was that she was born to be a leader and a ruler. It was her destiny and birthright.

And if there was one thing that Loki was not certain of it was that perhaps – just maybe – during her brief time on the throne she had not been the perfect king she had envisioned herself to be. Not that she hadn't been a great and mighty ruler; after all she had brought Asgard into a golden age, and when you factor in that Asgard had already been the most prosperous kingdom in the galaxy, proved it to be a remarkable feat, and she introduced the community theatre programme, revitalising Asgard's stagnant cultural life. But, Loki could not shake the thought that she had been a little smarter and prepared then Hela would not have had set foot on Asgard, or killed the Warriors Three and near enough the whole army.

It was a pointless feeling, feeling guilt over something in which she had no say. Ragnarök was always destined to happen, but it was Fate who had decided that it should happen during her reign and now she was left to deal with the fall out, traipsing around the galaxy in a decommissioned cruise ship and comforting the traumatised survivors.

'Did I ever tell you about the time Volstagg tried to put up a tapestry using his axe?'

Loki sighed as if the boredom was crushing the very breath of life from her lungs and took another sip of wine.

Yes, life was unfair and Fate was cruel. After the hug Hildegung had taken it as a sign that she could share tedious anecdotes about her family, but because Loki was a great ruler and leader she allowed to Hildegung to talk. She deserved a statue.

'Volstagg used his axe for everything,' she said slowly as the words were reluctantly pushed out of her mouth.

'Yes, dear, but I've not told you this story.'

The worst, most humiliating part of the situation was that Hildegung was just as bored as Loki was. Loki could see it in her tapping fingers and frequent inquires into where Thor was. It made Loki's face flush to think that not only Hildegung pitted her and was trying to keep her entertained as best as she could, but that she was bored by Loki. That was not possible, was it?

'Well, one day I was trying to hang the new tapestry, the one with our family tree on it, you've seen it. And Volstagg comes in and puts his hands on his hips and laughs heartily, telling me that he could do it so much faster than me.'

Loki sighed a bored sigh again, and stared into her glass of wine, transfixed by the bubbles as Hildegung desperately rabbited on.

She realised then that she was no longer annoyed that Thor had the been the first to figure out that Surtur needed to destroy Asgard. It was destiny and destiny had always been Thor's best friend. Thor put all his trust in fate and destiny and so they smiled on him all his life and always would. Thor and Fate were tight.

'And that's when the whole wall collapsed.'

But not so for Loki. Fate would always be unkind, a bully. She had no friends.

Loki gulped down the last of the wine, but summoned the nearby cherub to bring her another glass. And then another.

Fate had also been unkind to Hildegung, to all of the Aesir. That wasn't fair either. None of it was fair.

'Why so sad, princess?'

It took a little effort for Loki to raise her head off her arms and slump back in her chair. The struggle made her look like a newborn giraffe attempting to lift up its overly long neck for the very first time. And like a newborn Loki found herself blinking rapidly in awe at the owner of the voice.

Sigyn was standing before her and smiling sweetly.

Loki had recognised her voice of course, and now she recognised Sigyn's face, but the Krylorian looked so different. At first she thought the change her appearance was due to the garish disco lights turning her pink hair to blue, then green, and red, or maybe it was because she was viewing her through the haze of the cheap wine, but then, finally, Loki's addled brain realised that it was none of those things, but the truth was that Sigyn had never looked so self-assured and at ease in her own flesh body before. There was no hint of anxiety on her face, only a look of...Loki stared, trying to understand that expression on her face, to read the slight smile on her lips and the interpret the light in her eyes.

'Loki, would you like me to take you away from here?'

Sigyn was kneeling beside her now and looking up with eyes shining bright as stars, pleading and hopeful and devastatingly beautiful.

Loki's heart began to beat faster. She now understood the light in Sigyn's eyes, it was love. It had to be love. Please let it be love.

'I should give you two some space,' Hildegung quietly announced and scraped her chair one inch to the left.

'I-I brought you gift,' Sigyn said, confidence faltering ever so slightly, and reaching into her pockets to slowly draw out the winged sandals. She stood up to place them on the table before Loki. They fluttered a little, lights causing them to glimmer and flash, and drifted here and there over the table cloth.

Sigyn took a small step backwards and waited with clenched hands for Loki's reaction.

'Those are Hermes' sandals,' Loki said in a quiet voice.

It had not been a question, but Sigyn still heard herself say, 'Yes.'

'The very sandals that Zeus crafted with his own hands out of air and wind and cloud and light for Hermes and Hermes alone.'

'Yes.'

'The sandals which allow Hermes to fly through any realm, any dimension, in the blink of an eye.'

'Yes, Loki, that is exactly what they are.'

'And you stole them?' Loki's voice was hoarse, eyes dark.

'Yes, I did. I did it for -'

Loki's voice become stronger, louder, and not so unlike her father's shaming voice.'You stole them in spite of the knowledge that relations between the Olympians and the Aesir is tenuous at best, and in our weakened and vulnerable state we wish to only to strengthen our ties, and that we should at all costs avoid doing anything that which might severe those ties?'

Sigyn bowed her head, thoroughly shamed. What had she done?

With her gaze fixed rigidly on the floor, Sigyn suddenly felt so alone and unsure of herself, as though her shame had broken Dionysus' confidence charm. Perhaps it had. Perhaps this was a punishment for wanting something more than she truly deserved.

But then she felt Loki's strong arms wrap her body, pulling her close, and everything felt right again. She could feel Loki's coolness, feel her heart beating against her own skin, and smell the sweet scent in her hair. Sigyn closed her eyes, savouring just how wonderful it was to be able to feel, to experience sensations that could never arise in her trolley form.

'You've taken a great risk by stealing something so precious and just to please me?,' Loki whispered into her ear. 'No one has ever done that for me before. Thank you.'

Sigyn held onto her tightly, placing a hand on her head. Now that Loki's body was pressed to hers she did not want to let go.

'Sigyn?'

'Yes?'

With a little effort, Loki pulled away from her, allowing her hand to fall back to her side.

'It's just that...,' she said in a small voice, eyes looking to the ceiling. 'I have to tell you that I am not worth such a risk.'

It hurt Sigyn to feel the loss of Loki's gaze, so boldly she took hold of Loki's hands. 'You are to me.'

Loki smirked, but that smirk quickly melted in a much more tender look as she moved forward to press her lips to Sigyn's. Sigyn pressed herself to Loki, with her arms wrapped around her neck and her whole body feeling so alive.

'When did you become so self-assured?' Loki whispered after the kiss had ended.

Sigyn hesitated before saying, 'Dionysus gave me a confidence enchantment.'

Loki placed a hand on her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes and saw the tell-tale glimmer there.

'I hope you won't regret this tomorrow. It will wear off eventually.'

'I won't! Never!' Sigyn began moving her hand lightly back and forth over Loki's chest, over the exposed skin, just enough to tickle her. 'Let's make the most of it.'

Loki shivered under her touch.

'Y-yes,' she moaned.

Sigyn beamed, enchanted eyes glittering.

'I mean, no! No!' Loki yelped, hating herself. She sat herself back down, arms folded tightly across her chest and legs crossed.

'Loki!'

'No, I'm sorry, Sigyn, but we will wait – I can't believe I'm saying this – until the enchantment has worn off. And only then if you truly want to. I don't like myself any more.'

The Krylorian sat down heavily next to her, fuming.

'This is the real me, Loki,' she said. 'All Dionysus did was take away my anxieties.'

'And I'm happy for you. Let's have a game of chess.'

Sigyn rolled her eyes.

'Thor's coming,' Hildegung warned.

'Thank goodness,' Loki breathed, but Sigyn suddenly looked panicked.

'Loki, the sandals! Quick! Stuff them in your dress!'

'There's no room. And they smell! Sigyn, don't – Your hands are so hot!'

Update on Loki's mood status: happy.

AN: Thank you for reading!