The events in this chapter are synced with events in the movie Thor: Dark World
'Today has been so crazy. I need a NAP.'
The happiness of getting to see with her own eyes that Loki still lived, hear his voice, feel the energy of his soul brush against hers, was dizzying. She floated through the halls with a new sense of peace, alone as Sif had needed to peel away and tend to some other duties, but alone suited her just fine.
Her thoughts clouded a bit as she thought on some of the things she'd seen, the things he'd hinted at, the things she knew he wasn't saying.
She had been filled in on Loki's actions after falling from the bifrost, and she was certainly not pleased to hear of the devastation he'd wrought on Earth, but she'd found several things suspect.
Namely his supposed desire to rule Earth. He'd always said he didn't like Earth very much, so why choose that place out of all the random planets in the universe? Especially as there was very little chance he'd fallen into that void and come out the other side near the right solar system. Who knows how far he'd had to travel to get to Earth of all places. And then there had been the lingering shadows in his aura, ones that were different to the shadows that had haunted him his last days ruling as Asgard's king. They had a different feel all together, like they'd been inflicted from the outside, not the inside, and her instincts wanted to respond, to protect, to eliminate the threat.
And she'd learned to trust her instincts well. If they said there was a threat...
No, she wasn't looking for excuses for him, but she did want the whole story, especially if hidden parts of it had caused harm to someone she loved.
She shook herself from her thoughts, they were darker than she appreciated right now, when she just wanted to cling to the happiness she'd just found. She took a look around and found herself in the portrait hall. It was a place she'd spent quite a bit of time once she'd gotten to a place where she could leave her room, so she wasn't surprised her feet had carried her here. Not only was this a place where she could look at several portraits of Loki and the rest of the family, but it's where a larger version of their wedding portrait hung on display, and while she treasured her little locket the held the same one, it was comforting to see Loki more life-sized, pretend for a minute he was still there, like he might step out of the painting and be there again, like it had all been an illusion.
She was a little shocked to find she was not there alone, it wasn't a super popular corner of the palace, but surprisingly in front of her wedding portrait stood Jane, no Thor in sight, staring intently with a small frown on her face.
She walked up beside her slowly and stared as well, eyes roving over the likeness of their faces, remembering that very moment in time and the happiness and pride she'd felt from her new husband, and how happy and proud it made her to stand next to him. Her melancholy sigh broke Jane's trance.
"This is not how he looked when I saw him on the news."
"This is what he usually looks like. This is our wedding portrait."
She felt Jane's gaze shift, felt her confusion, felt the questions she didn't have the energy to try and answer, so she kept her attention on the portrait, and kept a firm hold on the memories of peace it brought.
"I don't understand. These clothes you're wearing, they don't look like the clothes in all the other portraits, or the ones everyone else is wearing. They almost look like-"
"Like Kimono?"
She finally broke away from the portrait, meeting the confusion swirling in Jane's eyes with a soft, sad smile.
"That's because they are. I'm not from around here."
She gasped as the lightbulb of realization flickered on.
"Oh my god, you're-"
"A human? Yes. At least, I was one when I was born... I think..."
"But if you came here from earth too, why was Odin so pissy about me being here?"
"I came here under very different circumstances a very long time ago. I was a homeless wanderer and Odin would have turned me away if not for Frigga. I've been here, what, almost 500 years? Maybe more? I've lost count."
She could see the wheels in Jane's mind spinning rapidly, attempting to calculate all this new information into something she could stuff into the boxes of knowledge she had in her brain, boxes that didn't quite include Magic and jewels made of people's souls.
"How can you be that old? Humans don't live that long. Does it have something to do with being here?"
The hope in her eyes made Kagome a little sad. She knew what unspoken question she was asking.
'Could I live here with Thor forever?'
"No. It's not Asgard. It's a very long story, but my humanity was stripped away before I came here. There aren't a lot of safe ways to extend a human life, I'm afraid, not without a lot of consequences that you don't-"
A distant explosion rumbled below their feet, shaking the floors, windows and walls.
Kagome braced herself against the wall and grabbed Jane's shoulder to stop the girl from tumbling to the ground.
"Wh-What was that."
"I don't know... hold on." Kagome answered, closing her eyes and sending waves of her awareness out to see what she could find. Strange auras with dark intent were making their way up toward them and the rest of the castle. It was a foreign aura, but one she recognized for some reason. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she cast her mind back, flitting through background knowledge, comparing puzzle pieces until two clicked together.
A prisoner.
Stationed near Loki.
She'd just been down there.
She felt no tell tale signatures of Loki's magic, none of his smug excitement to watch a plan unfold, which meant he had nothing to do with this.
She looked back up at Jane with alarm and determination.
"We have to go. Now." She wrapped a firm hand around her wrist and tugged her along as she ran back toward the center courtyard where they'd first spoke earlier. With the wars to reclaim the Nine realms, they'd expanded the training grounds and it was the closest place to grab a weapon.
They raced up the halls, dodging down empty corridors for extra distance as Kagome could feel the auras of the intruders coming closer. In one wall she found a niche which housed a large vase and made quick work of pulling it out and stuffing Jane in to crouch behind it.
"Stay!" She pushed the vase back as well as she was able and then placed a strong barrier in front of it.
"I mean it. Stay here."
Not waiting for any argument or confirmation, Kagome turned and ran again, close now to the courtyard where she could sense the mayhem of soldiers and guards making ready for an invasion. Frigga ran toward her, yanking the sword from a passing guard.
"Kagome, where is Jane?"
"Safe. I've hidden her."
She sagged in relief and then glanced back around behind her.
"They must be here for the Aether. I will keep them off her trail."
Worry took root in her heart, and Kagome found the strength to push down her anger in favor of the love she felt instead. She grabbed Frigga's hand and met her eyes urgently.
"Be safe. Please be safe."
With a sweet smile and a motherly pat to her fingers, Frigga shooed her on.
"I will always work to keep you and all those who rely on me safe. Now go. It is dangerous to dawdle."
Taking just one more moment, Kagome kissed her cheek, and then hiked up her skirts and tucked the extra length into her belt. She took off toward the open center of the courtyard where the training grounds had been extended and vaulted over the side down onto the dusty, hard packed floor. Most weapons had been grabbed up for use at first sign of trouble but enough lay scattered about that she soon had a bow and a sufficient quiver. An immense and concerning flash of power washed across her senses and the atmosphere of urgency quickly changed to one of panic.
'That... was not good. I need to get outside. Now.'
She changed her course, bypassing the gathering guards and ducking away from any eyes that might see her and wish to halt her progress. She was not far from the ground floor, so she made her way to the old training grounds, pushing her legs to carry her farther, faster, ignoring the burning of her muscles.
'It's dangerous to go alone.'
Heimdall's cryptic warning whispered in the back of her mind, but she ignored it as well, snatching up a few more stray arrows as she crossed the sparring floor and burst through to the target yard. Then she turned back to face the castle and sent out a massive surge of reiki, guiding it to quickly but carefully circle the castle and gather up, up up and around in a giant barrier. She'd practiced this many times, but it had been a strain on her to make a barrier this large and strong enough to prevent anyone from breaking through.
But she would do it this time. That castle housed the people she held most dear, and she would not fail to protect them.
She felt a faint, distant pull on her reservoir of power, signaling that Heimdall had triggered the charm Loki had helped her make that would place a barrier around the bifrost without her there. She took it as a signal that trouble was imminent and sent another strong pulse of reiki out, willing her barrier into faster existence. She could see approaching ships sailing quickly in their direction, dwarfed by the colossal craft that floated slowly behind them. She had no idea where those ships came from, or who was on them, but it was apparent that they didn't mean anything good.
Quelling her panic, Kagome pointed all of her concentration to the task at hand, closing her eyes and centering herself, yanking more and more reiki from the inner well that resided deep in her soul and strictly ignoring everything else. The barrier continued to inch up and she mentally cheered that she could feel the edges growing closer, eager to meet.
Outside of her awareness, another ship unrelated to the attacking host phased into view. A woman who's skin matched the color of new spring growth stepped down quietly on the hard dirt, watching for a moment behind a large target, as her target remained completely unaware. The sight of the woman's power on full display was an encouragement. Perhaps her father had been right, and they were certainly blessed to come in unnoticed thanks to an unexpected invasion.
She skimmed forward silently, removing a weapon designed to only incapacitate, and when she was in range, she flipped the trigger on her weapon and it sprang, wrapping tightly around the woman's body. She gasped, turning fearful blue eyes on her abductor, helpless to do anything but be dragged along as her bindings rendered her completely paralyzed.
As they boarded the unseen ship, Kagome tried to scream, but every muscle in her body had seemingly turned to stone. She watched in horror as the door closed behind them, blocking her view of Asgard and the palace she called home. Her last sight was that of her barrier falling and the oncoming ships touching down.
Panic seized her and were it not for her inability to move at all, tears would be wetting her face.
"Nebula, it's Gamora." She heard from behind her and all of her thoughts screamed for her family, her friends, her loved ones...
For Loki. She'd just got him back. 'No, please... not now, not again.'
"Yeah I got her, I'm coming back up. Open the ship."
'No...'
A.N.: Listen... don't shoot me.