Loki was sitting with Lin. She did not know what had happened to her mother. She only knew that Leiyah was so sick that she was not able to leave the bed and Lin could not visit.

"Is momma going to be ok?" Even Lin's shine had diminished. She looked so small. The same could be said for Loki. He hugged her close.

"Yes. She will be fine. She just needs rest and the proper medication."

"Ok." Like Loki, Lin was able to feel when something was wrong or a lie. She could not tell them apart properly and she was confused. But she knew something was wrong with her mother.

Loki watched her pick up a book to look at. It was a moving picture book. It had been Leiyah's once. Loki could not believe what had happened. He could not believe they had not been able to find a cure. Now they were racing against time. She was being feed by seidr and medical devices, the babies were growing slower but were still healthier. Leiyah was now in Junia's own medical room. She was under constant watch. Frigga had tried to help, but Loki wanted her close to Lin, when he was not with her.

Loki was running towards his chambers, pushing aside the people walking around the halls. He felt something wrong the closer he came to their door. When he entered their bedchamber he halted. She looked like she was sleeping. But her breathing was so low, so deep. He took hold of her hand, like ice, no movement of seidr.

"My love? Wake up. Please, Leiyah. Please."

No response.

Mechel was behind him now. Glowing hands roaming over her sleeping body. No response.

Marielle was holding onto Calia, both sobbing. Vidal had tears in his eyes. Loki was stunned. No this was not real. He was dreaming. He gently pushed her. No response. Junia was there now too, running tests for the twins.

"Wake her up."

Everyone looked at him.

He turned to Junia and Mechel, "Wake her up."

Mechel said, "I am afraid… I can't."

"Wake Her UP!"

Calia reached out "Loki, please…"

"No, this is not real. This is a trick. She needs to wake up. She can't… She can't leave me."

Junia answered "She is not dead. She is in a coma. Her body shut down to protect her."

Mechel continued "Yes, with this her seidr can't continue to push against her barriers. She will rest. It will give us time to find a cure."

Loki looked back to his wife. He had watched her sleep so many times, but it was different this time.

"How much time?"

They all looked at each other until Mechel answered "I am not sure."

That had been two weeks ago. Mechel had tried so many things. So many spells, potions, incantations. Nothing worked. It was maddening. No word had come from Thor. No news from Vanaheim. Kaylina had sent over more books and healers to help. But they could not leave Vanaheim at this present moment. Loki feared something was in the works.

"Dada, will you read to me?"

He looked at the book she had brought, the story of the people in the house. Leiyah's favorite. He nodded and started. Lin fell asleep soon after and he let her nanny watch her, while he went to Mechel. Consulting about what they had found and trying something new hopefully.

"I do not have anything new right now Loki. I thought I did but it was just the same. I am sorry."

Loki knew the right thing would be to tell him it was alright, but it was not. He left again. He did not know where to. Their chambers seemed empty without Leiyah. The library was full of people. Lin was sleeping. He just walked to the gardens, careful to avoid their alcove, but sitting in one of his mother's flower gardens. His mind was racing.

"Do you need anything, my prince?"

It was that insufferable maid. "No."

"Perhaps some company?"

He wished for company, just not hers. "No."

She narrowed her eyes. The news of the princess had been kept quiet. No one knew. But she did. As did Amora. They had timed it, after all.

"Is the princess feeling better?"

"What?" He looked up. Not a soul knew.

"The last time I saw her she was feverish. I was wondering if she was better."

"Ah, no, I am afraid not."

Tani was quiet, then started walking and said "May the Heavens wake her."

Loki looked at her, but she was just a maid. A stupid maid. Loki continued to just sit. There was nothing he could do. Nothing. The library was too crowded now. He needed to wait until nightfall to visit. He looked in the general direction of the Bifrost. Thor would not rest until he found a cure. He would try to remain cheerful. But he was not Thor. He was going to find a cure, but unlike Thor he would rip apart the universe to find it. Nothing was more important than his wife and children.

Frigga was walking up to him "My darling son, is there nothing I can do for you?"

"Can you figure out a way to wake her back up?"

She looked down, sadness laced in her eyes, "No. But I know you will."

"I don't know how anymore. I tried everything."

She gave him a small smile "We both know that is not true. There are so many things you have not tried yet. Many things other would not try."

Loki looked into the warm eyes of his mother, he thought he understood.

"Thank you, mother." He stood and gave her his arm, walking her back to the castle before he went to his private resting place. He opened his pocket- dimension and pulled out books. Books no one was supposed to have. Books, Odin thought, had been destroyed. Amora's secrets spell books. Books holding the most dark and secretive magic in all the realms. At least as far as he knew. He needed to be sure to be completely alone. Even Mechel might try to persuade him to not try it. It was dangerous after all. But he had to try.

Five days later he had still not found anything. He was giving up hope. Loki was sitting beside Leiyah, telling her of Aelinnea and what she was doing. Junia had told him talking to Leiyah would be helpful. Leiyah might be able to hear them. She had not stopped glowing but her skin was so pale and sunken now. He missed the glowing stars in her eyes. He put a hand over her stomach, just to try to feel the twins, but there was no movement. Were it not for the image above her showing the twins he would have believed they were gone too. So many questions were in his head. The main one was what if Leiyah did not wake up? What if she died? Would the babies die? Would he have to raise Lin and the twins alone? Lin would never be the same again. Neither would he. He did not know if he could stay here. He was scared and angry. Scared of losing Leiyah. Angry at everything else. Why had this happened? The twins moved. Towards each other. Leiyah needed to meet their twins. His eyes widened. The twins. Of course.

Loki started running, running towards Heimdall. "I need a message delivered immediately." He scribbled down instructions and had them sent off. Heimdall was watching him curiously. Leiyah was not clouded from him, but Heimdall had not had an answer for them either. He did not know what could help. Loki did not know why he had not thought of it sooner.

In Vanaheim the skies were dark, the royal family seldom seen anymore. Loki had contacted Kaylina, Arvid and Serelle as soon as Leiyah had fallen sick. Regiana had come back to the Royal City and tried to help. They had sent books and a skilled healer. Nothing had helped. Kaylina was still in bed when Arvid entered.

"Please, Lina, come with me. Let us get some air."

Kaylina had rarely left her bed. Arvid had rarely left the library and Serelle was in constant tears. Kaylina remembered the day Loki had sent the message that Leiyah had fallen into the coma.

"Mother, what do you think of this? I am sure the twins will love it." Kaylina looked over to her oldest daughter who was packing playthings for the twins.

"I am sure they will. I am looking through some of these patterns. I want to make them a formal Alfheimian frock, but without seeing them first I cannot decide on a pattern."

Serelle smiled and said, "I don't think you can go wrong with a dark blue or green."

"You are right. I can always make them more."

Arvid walked in smiling, he was holding a letter. "A letter from Loki."

They all assembled on the sofa and listened to Arvid

"Dearest family,

I need to inform you that Leiyah's condition has worsened. She has fallen into a coma. We are trying everything to get her to wake up. We are working all hours of the day. The twins are healthy and all three are being monitored constantly. I will send regular updates.

With love

Loki"

All three were quiet.

Serelle snatched the letter and read it over, once she looked up at her parent's faces, her mother let out a horrible scream. The walls shook. The ground trembled throughout the Vanaheim. Nobody had ever experienced anything like it. The people in the Royal City looked to the castle were the sky was darkening and the light seemed to vanish. Something must have happened. Something terrible.

"No, tell me this is not true. Tell me this is a lie." Serelle was sobbing, while Arvid was trying to hold his wife. He looked to the mirror and Serelle understood. It was connected to one in Leiyah's and Loki's chambers. She rubbed it and the image appeared. She said "Hello?"

It took a while but Calia appeared, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Oh princess Serelle. I apologize… I-"

Serelle interrupted her "Is it true? Is Leiyah…?"

Calia looked down and nodded, "I am afraid so. But we are working hard. We will not rest."

Serelle turned, the mirror faded.

"There is no use."

"My sweet, do not lose hope."

"Our youngest daughter might not awake. I have no hope left."

Arvid did not have enough power to argue anymore. He too was tired. He was crying every night. He had not seen his daughter in too long.

Serelle rushed into their chambers, a frantic look in her eyes. "Loki has written. He might have a way to help her. But it is difficult. And he needs your help."

Arvid stood, "Anything."

"He needs Freya and Frey."

Arvid's heart sank, but he nodded. "I will try. Harder than I ever have. This time I will not fail Leiyah."

It had been another two weeks. Loki had combed through every single book Amora had had stashed away. There were too many risks involved. Aelinnea was crying more. She demanded her mother. Loki could not give it to her. There had been no word from Vanaheim. None whatsoever. Frigga had tried different things once more, but nothing worked.

Mechel threw a glass against the wall "In all of my 2400 years I have never had a problem I could not fix. What is it? Why can't I figure this out?"

Loki looked up, he was too tired to argue.

"Have we tested another batch of her blood?"

"Yes. Nothing."

Loki sighed "It's been a month. How high are the chances that she will wake back up?"

"Do not think negatively Loki, try to assure yourself."

"How high?"

Mechel sighed "With every passing day it looks worse."

Loki thought back to the books, the spells he had learned. He was making preparations. He could not go back to Vanaheim, not where everything reminded him of Leiyah. He could also not stay in Asgard. Earth was out of the question. Jotunheim was not the biggest fan of his. He doubted Alfheim would let him stay undetected without alerting Vanaheim.

Mechel started pacing "I have never seen a sickness not leaving any kind of trace. It seems so unlikely. Something needs to show up. But nothing is. Nothing."

"Maybe a blockage. Like with me."

"No, I detected that. This… this is old. I have never seen it before. I have sent it to others. The symptoms, the bloodworks, not even they could see anything."

The clocks chimed 4 in the morning. The castle would start waking up soon.

"I better leave for my chambers. I want to be there when Lin awakes."

"Very well. I might rest for an hour or two. Then sign myself into the restricted area one more time. Perhaps I missed something."

"Perhaps I will join you."

Mechel gave a sad smile "Spend some time with your daughter. She needs you." Loki nodded and left. But he did not walk to his chambers. He had spent all of his resources. There was only one more person he could think of who might know something. It was the last thing he had wanted to do. Ask Amora if she knew anything. If she could help with anything. Even if he needed to create a bargain. Loki walked down the corridors slowly. The closer he got to the dungeons the less sure he was of himself. But he had no other choice. Vanaheim had never answered. Alfheim had no answers. Neither Odin nor Frigga knew what to do. Amora was the only thing left.

He was pulled to the side. A force keeping him from moving. He looked up. He looked into a beautiful face. Blonde glowing hair was falling softly, tan skin; glowing and sparkling in the soft light around them. A light, white, flowy dress accentuating her body. Her eyes. An icy white. Sparkling.

"Hello Loki, I have come to help."

He swallowed "Help who?"

"My family. My cousin. Family will always be able to help."

His eyes widened. He was looking at Freya.