Hi, Lunchies! Warning! TORTURE! CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT! MOUNTAINS OF ANGST! ABUSE OF A MINOR! VIOLENCE! MEMORY WIPING! STRONG LANGUAGE! Please, Lunchies. If any of these things could trigger you, please take care of yourselves. I'll give you a summary of what happened at the end of the chapter, because this is the nastiest chapter in Downwards. Thank you. You're all amazing.

Punch my face, do it, 'cause I like the pain

Every time you curse my name, I know you want the satisfaction,

It's not gonna happen.

Boy in the Bubble, Alec Benjamin

The guards forced Loki into a kneeling position before the throne. The room was quiet and grim, every eye glaring disdainfully down at him. Loki scanned the crowds for Sigyn, but didn't see her. Probably for the best.

What is?

Loki almost jumped twelve feet in the air. The link! It was still intact! Sigyn could feel his emotions, still, and unless he'd be able to touch her, again, to dissolve it, she'd feel his pain when the ax came down. This was not good. You're not here. I wouldn't want you to witness the execution.

Something tells me there won't be one. Sigyn answered. Your father's already lost two children, he won't kill another.

Fair point. Loki agreed. But he may disown me. And then kill me.

Sigyn sent a wave of frustration at him. Stop being such a pessimist! Just for that, I'm coming.

Loki grit his teeth. Stubborn elf... well, if she wished to see the fun, there wasn't much Loki could do to stop her.

"Loki Odinson." Odin spake. "I have only two things to say to you. Firstly, stop having conversations inside your head while you're on trial." Loki couldn't help a smirk at that.

You have a very expressive face, Loki. Sigyn reminded him. Stop making it so obvious that you're not the only one inside your mind.

"Second, the crimes you have committed are unforgivable. This trial is not to prove your innocence, but to decide how much mercy I shall grant you. As the Liesmith, you are obviously not going to taint this hearing with your falsehoods, so you will not be permitted to defend yourself. Leave that to your betters."

Loki reared back, shocked. He wasn't even able to... well, he was certainly going to die. I'm so sorry, Melleth.

Sigyn mentally rolled her eyes at him. You're not going to die, you overly dramatic dunderhead.

I like that title. Loki smiled bitterly as Odin called Hela as a witness. That is my new name. Prince Loki, the Overly Dramatic Dunderhead. Put it on my tombstone.

"I, Hela Odindotir, hereby testify on the behalf of the defendant." Hela began. "In my opinion, the incident of yesterday was either entirely by accident, or already paid for in full. Loki Odinson exhibited obvious remorse in his actions, moments after they were completed, and being forced to watch two of his brothers perish before his very eyes is punishment enough. We can be sure, Loki will never repeat the action, as he has experienced firsthand the pain such crimes cause to everyone around him. Therefore, I state that Loki Odinson is worthy of gratuitous mercy, so much so that it would be considered error to punish him at all. Thank you." With that, she stepped back from beside the throne, and the council and audience clapped politely.

"As the only other surviving witness to the incident, I call my firstborn son, Thor, to testify." Odin smiled at Thor as he clumped onto the podium.

Thor glowered at Loki for a long while. "I, Thor Odinson, hereby testify on behalf of the people." He bit out. Loki's eyes widened.

"Loki Odinson is dangerous, and he is a menace to our society. He slaughtered his own brothers, and has been poisoning Asgard with his lies long enough, and if I were on the throne, I would show him no mercy." Thor finished in a shout, and thunder boomed ominously outside. "Thank you."

The council burst into wild applause, and Thor was given a standing ovation.

Hela stepped forward. "Thor, you know not what you say!"

"Silence!" Odin boomed. "You have both finished your testimonies, and I, Odin Borson, hereby sentence Loki to death."

I want my last recorded words to be, "I told you so". Loki ground into Sigyn's mind.

"To-to death?" Thor gasped. "I thought you'd imprison him! I didn't mean..."

Hela leapt forward, weapons blazing. "Odin Borson! You are a tyrant, and a cruel man! You are not worthy of the throne, and I call all Asgard's warriors to arms against you! Who stands with me to end the rule of the man willing to murder his own son?!"

Most of the audience leapt to their feet, pulling out weapons, despite the lack of enthusiasm for her earlier speech. Odin snapped his fingers, and the walls of the throne room slid down, opening the enclosure to the torrential rain that was now pouring down from outside. Through the sheets of falling water, the Valkeries burst into the room, and began hurling weapons at Hela. Hela easily dodged them, and sent a maelstrom of daggers flying into their midst. Thousands dropped dead, their bodies falling to the floor, blood staining the marble tiles. Only a few escaped. Hela spun around on her heel, facing Odin, seething and practically smoking out of the ears.

"I'm far stronger than you, Borson. And I tire of your-" Odin shoved her backwards into a portal, and thumped his spear on the floor, sending a wave of golden Odinforce throughout the realm.

From that day onward, there was no such thing as Princess Hela, not in the records, nor in the memories of the people.

Sigyn? Loki could tell something had changed with the blast, inside his mind, but he didn't know what. Are you there?

No answer. The Odinforce had knocked the link out of their head. Probably for the better. Now she wouldn't feel his pain.

Loki glanced at the Allfather, who sat back on the throne wearily. "Loki Odinson." He sighed. "I sentence you to have your lies silenced, and to be chained to a stone, as snake venom drips onto your face, until such a time as Sigyn discovers your whereabouts. At that point, you may return to Asgard, and have your words restored to you."

Silenced? How? Loki looked around, wondering why there were so many dead bodies in the throne room. Were those... Valkeries? A servant stepped forward, holding a needle and a leather cord. Loki didn't understand, until the Einherjar to his right gripped his jaw, holding it in place.

"Wha- No! Please!" Loki gasped, trying to squirm away from the man's iron grip. "I'm sorry, Please, don't! I'm so sorry, truly, I am!"

"Hush, Loki." Odin glared. "Struggle less, and the deed will be done faster."

The guard threaded the needle, and poised it in front of Loki's face, and the whole court erupted in laughter. Loki gazed up at the man's face in terror. He-he knew this man. His name was Hvaldi Drogirson, and he had a beautiful wife, and four adorable children. He was fantastic at hand-to-hand combat, but couldn't handle a bow for anything. And he was trying to stitch Loki's face shut. Loki could see regret, and yet, a sense of duty in his eyes.

"Please... Hvaldi..." Loki whimpered. It was to no avail. Hvaldi stabbed the needle into Loki's lower lip, and pulled the leather cord through. Then Loki knew pain. Blinding, burning searing pain, and it wouldn't stop. It just kept going, kept pulling through his lip and oh, Norns, why couldn't it stop? Then it happened again, stabbing, ripping through his upper lip, and pulling the two together, Loki heard someone screaming, and realized it was himself. He struggled desperately against the Einherjar's hand, against the chains, against the floor, but nothing made anything any better for him.

Halfway done. Four stitches, stretching the cord halfway across his mouth. His whole mouth was filled with blood, and he could feel it dripping off his chin, and mingling with Balder's dried blood on his tunic. Loki gasped and screamed and struggled, but Hvaldi kept going. He just kept going, and Allfathers, it hurt so damn badly... Loki's head was spinning by the time there were seven holes through his face. Everyone was laughing. The muffled screams of the Snake Prince brought them so much amusement, Loki wanted to be sick, and not just from the burning agony. He was being completely and utterly humiliated. Tears were streaming down his face, dripping off his chin along with the blood, and finally, after another burning, piercing pain, it was over.

The Silvertongue was silenced.

Hvaldi finally let go of Loki's chin, and he dropped to the floor, weeping in pain and shame and grief. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and the whispered phrase, "Nothing personal, Captain. No hard feelings?" It was the same thing they always said when they whipped him. Loki gagged on his own blood.

Just as they were lugging him to his feet to be taken to the nearest serpent, the doors burst open, and Sigyn ran into the room, tears streaming down her face. "Stop!" She screamed. "Let him go, please!"

They paid her no heed, and continued walking towards the door. Loki twisted in their grip, to catch one glimpse of her before he left. At the sight of the state of his face, her features twisted into an expression of horror, and she fell to her knees, retching. Loki closed his eyes in defeat, and let them take him.

There's nothing more for me, lead me away.

Or leave me lying here.

Sound the Bugle, Bryan Adams

Sigyn had no idea what a Asgardian funeral was supposed to be like. What she was supposed to do? Was she supposed to say something? Act a specific way? She decided to do whatever Thor did, figuring she'd be safe.

The next morning, She, Thor, and Nanna stood by the cliff side, as the Asgardians gathered below on the fjord. She watched as Odin himself shoved off the two boats, each carrying one of his sons. And... large amounts of heavy liquor to sustain their happiness in the afterlife. Sigyn didn't understand that tradition. The twins had been dressed in their finest armor, and they looked almost asleep as they floated out to sea. Thor had given the two of them glowing pale blue bubbles, that would float up into the sky without someone holding them down. The boats serenely drifted toward the waterfall at the edge of the realm, and two of the Einherjar shot flaming arrows at them. One arrow hit Balder's boat, and a small flame crept up the side, but the other arrow landed dead in the center of the liquor, and Hodir's entire ship suddenly burst into enormous leaping tongues of flame. Just as they reached the edge of the waterfall, Odin thumped his spear against the ground, and they floated on the air, a little ways beyond the drop.

Then, at first it appeared as a mist, but slowly, like stars, or perhaps fireflies, glowing orbs floated up from the flames of the two boats, blue from Balder's, and red from Hodir's.

"Their spirits." Thor explained, his face stoic. He released his bubble, and Sigyn and Nanna did the same, as the rest of Asgard sent theirs up below them. The glowing balls of light floated up around them, as the boats, no longer suspended by the souls of the twins, fell down into the void below.

Nanna fell to the ground, weeping in a broken heap. Sigyn knelt by her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Sigyn." Thor said in a low voice. "I would speak with you."

Sigyn stood up, took Thor's hand, and teleported them both to his room. "Yes?"

Thor looked around, blinking in astonishment. "How did you... Never mind..." He picked up a slip of paper, folded neatly into thirds from his mantle piece, and silently handed it to Sigyn.

There was a message written on the outside in Balder's loopy handwriting.

For Thor, Sigyn, and Loki. Please don't read until Loki returns.

Sigyn glanced up with wet eyes at her brother in law. "He... knew Loki would... be punished like this."

Thor nodded. "The question, at this point, is exactly how much he knew. Should we... Should we read it?"

"No." Sigyn declared, firmly placing the paper back on the mantle piece. "Loki will come back, and it's up to me to find him. Then we will."

Thor shook his head. "How do you know, Sigyn?"

She looked him dead in the eye. "Read the address. Balder said he is. I'm going to start looking."

"Looking where?" Thor asked. "All we know is that he's on a rock, and under a snake."

Sigyn stared at the floor, discouraged. "I know. But if Balder doesn't-didn't want us to read it until he's back, then he will be back. Better sooner than later, so I'm going to snoop out what I can find."

"Sigyn." Thor sighed. "This is... this is my fault. I should've... I should've defended him. It's my fault he's being punished, and nobody spoke up for him. I... I'm so sorry."

Sigyn sighed, seeming to collect herself. "Dwelling on that won't get him back. If you're truly sorry... I wasn't forbidden to have help."

Thor brightened a bit. "You-you'd let me help you? Find him?"

"If you're willing." Sigyn nodded.

Thor smiled at her gratefully. "Where do we start?"

Sigyn turned on her heel, and started marching out of the room. "Where all knowledge is found, of course!"

Thor groaned, trudging after her. "Does it have to be the library?"

Here is the summary of the things that happened in this chapter! 1) Hela was banished to Helheim, and she was erased from all memories and records in Asgard. 2) Loki's mouth was sewn shut, and he has been taken away to be tortured until Sigyn finds him. 3) Balder and Hodir's funeral. 4) Thor and Sigyn are looking for Loki's whereabouts.

Next time, we'll have the search for Loki!

A heart will let you go with Sigyn on her quest, a review will let you SMACK SOME SENSE INTO ODIN, because he honestly deserves it.

Actually sadistically, TheOnlyHuman.