Master?
Loki stirred slightly, throwing an arm over his eyes groggily.
Are you awake?
Someone was… speaking into his mind? Who in the tower could do that?
Loki frowned, and cracked his eyes open to see a snake's head hovering a few feet above his own, tongue flicking out inquisitively. It was huge, about the size of one of Midgard's pythons, and he could feel its weight over his legs. Loki froze.
How did this serpent get into the tower? Was it going to bite him? Why in the world was it staring curiously into his face? And… why was it so familiar?
Master?
Loki blinked, startled. The snake was the one speaking into his mind. Don't make any sudden moves. Keep calm. It can probably smell fear, he told himself.
The snake pulled a back a little, the pain evident in its eyes. You don't remember me. It stated.
Loki shook his head silently. "Do… Am I supposed to?"
I suppose not… The snake admitted, slithering around Loki's shoulders in a gesture that seemed almost like a hug. I did miss you, though.
"You woke him?" Thor's amused voice spoke up from the doorway of the washroom. "I told you to let him sleep."
I was excited, can you blame me? The snake countered. Besides, the sun's been up for hours, anyway.
"You know the serpent, too, Thor?" Loki frowned in confusion, rubbing his eyes blearily as he sat up.
"Of course!" Thor smiled. "He's Jormungandir!"
The snake turned his golden eyes expectantly back to Loki, in hopes that he could recall anything. Remember? You rescued me, from Sleipnir.
Loki's eyes widened as he suddenly had a faint glimpse of a moment in time. Kneeling down in the straw, and gathering a tiny hatchling snake out from under the angry, stomping hooves of his father's stallion. The poor thing had been bruised, half-crushed, but still clinging to life.
Jormungandir, Loki had named him, and he'd been the prince's most loyal friend for the past two years, always an open confidant, with a hilarious level of snark, but not so much that he was rude or spiteful. Loki cupped Jormungandir's head in his hands, and pressed a kiss to the top of his scaly head. "How could I forget?" he smiled softly, as Jormungandir nuzzled him in exuberant joy.
Have you been well, Master? Jormungandir enquired gleefully, curling around Loki's neck like a necklace. Been staying out of trouble?
"Not exactly…" Loki smirked, remembering the previous day's events.
Did you at least not have too much fun without me? Jormungandir smirked, as Loki slipped out of bed, Jormungandir still curled around his shoulders and waist.
Loki walked into the communal floor, wrapped in a snake. Not a fake snake, or a feather boa, an actual, live snake. Wanda was the only person up, by then, and she stared at Loki, who seemed to be cheerfully conversing with the serpent, with wide, round eyes.
"Good morn, Wanda!" Loki noticed her, and sent her a wide beam, before skipping over to her. "This is my friend, Jormungandir!"
Wanda felt the blood drain from her face, as the reptile turned to look at her, his tongue flicking the air inquisitively. "It's… It's a snake…" She stammered, backing away slightly, arms outstretched before her.
"'It' is a he, Wanda." Loki gently corrected, as the snake dropped from his torso, onto the floor, and slithered closer to her. With a shriek, she leapt up onto the couch, clinging to the back in terror. "Whatever it is, get it away from me!" She howled, as the both of them tilted their head inquisitively, and with a slight air of amusement.
Not very friendly, is she?
Wanda blinked in surprise. The snake… the snake could talk…
Not strictly speaking, Jormungandir shook his head. In this form, I can only speak into people's minds.
Wanda's jaw fell open. "A magical snake." She stated in disbelief. "Loki, you have a magical snake."
Loki nodded cheerfully. "Would you like to introduce yourself?" He offered.
She mutely shook her head, her eyes never leaving the serpent, who had gone back to coiling around Loki's waist and shoulders.
To each their own, I suppose, Jormungandir mused. I don't want to force her to be friends with me. Some people just don't like snakes.
"You could change forms." Loki suggested, raising an eyebrow.
Jormungandir rolled his eyes. But I don't want to… He whined. It's so much fun being a snake!
"Well, naturally." Loki allowed. "I feel far more comfortable in my Jot- I mean… my original form, but I'd rather present myself.. differently." He glanced down at his pale hand nervously. "Perhaps you could simply show her you're not all that bad, even if you do look a little intimidating?" His green eyes flitted back to Wanda hopefully, who was watching the entire affair in a mix between disturb and fascination.
Very well, Jormungandir allowed, and his long, scaly body began glowing a lovely light blue color. When the light receded, there was a young man standing next to Loki.
One that looked exactly like Loki.
"Hello." The other Loki greeted, as the original snickered into his hand. "I'm Jormungandir, but right now, I'm Loki."
The young girl blinked incredulously. "…Wanda." She responded. "Nice to meet you? I think?"
Just at that moment, Tony walked in, hair mussed, and dark circles under his eyes. He went straight for the coffee machine, and, upon noticing he was not alone, stared at the three of them over the rim of his mug, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Am I drunk?" He pondered aloud.
"No, you're not." Both Lokis replied at the same time, then glanced at each other with mischievous grins.
Tony sluggishly lowered his coffee to the table. "Huh?" He enquired.
"I'm simply Loki, right now." The other Loki replied. "Well, he's technically Loki, but I'm Loki, too. We're both Loki, but he's the real one. Well, I suppose I am real, but…"
"It's complicated." The first Loki offered with a shrug.
"I see…" Tony stared between the two of them. "Actually, I don't. What the hell is going on?"
Both Lokis dissolved into laughter. "We're Loki!" The second one repeated. "Both of us!"
Wanda furrowed her brow. "I think Loki's snake turned himself into a double of Loki…" She summed up.
Tony shook his head helplessly. "But… why?"
"For power!" The new Loki declared. "And glory! And because I'm way addicted to chaos, it's a serious thing." He shook his head sadly, and his counterpart patted him understandingly on the shoulder.
"There's certainly going to be chaos…" Tony noticed, before shuffling back to his lab.
"Brother?" Thor's voice spoke up behind him. "Why have you made a double of yourself?"
"Okay, this is just confusing…" Jormungandir face-palmed in exasperation. "I'm changing back."
"But I thought you were addicted to chaos…" Loki tapped his fingers on his chin mischievously.
Jormungandir shrugged. "To an extent, but if we're getting your brother involved, I'm out." With that, he transformed back into a snake, and looped around Loki's boots.
Thor trotted up, and wrapped Loki's thin frame in a warm hug. "Hello, Brother!" He greeted cheerfully, as Loki wrapped his arms around Thor's neck. "Bucky said you wished to speak with me about something?"
Loki furrowed his brow. "I don't remember this…"
Thor cracked a smile. "Exactly. It was about your memories."
"Ah, yes…" Loki sighed, stepped out of the coils of Jormungandir, and sat down on the couch. "I'd forgotten about that." Thor seated himself next to his little brother, his blue eyes clouded with worry. "Are you alright, Loki?" He asked nervously, taking Loki's smaller hands in his own rough, calloused ones.
Loki sighed, and glanced down at their hands. "I… I'm remembering things, now…" He admitted.
Thor's face split into a grin. "Why, that's wonderful!" He enthused.
"Is it?" Loki looked up nervously. "What if, as my memories return, my… my wickedness does, too? What if…" Loki choked up, and finished the rest of his sentence in a whisper, as a tear trailed down his cheek. "What if I try to kill you, again?"
Thor pulled his brother in for another hug, and tenderly wiped away the tear. "Oh, Loki…" he sighed. "Look at you. You're not evil, any longer. And if you try to kill me, I'll simply walk it off."
Loki sniffled, and sobbed quietly into Thor's shoulder as the Thunderer rubbed gentle circles on his back. "How do you know?" Loki whimpered shakily.
"Because you have a heart for good, Loki." Thor smiled. "You wish to do the right thing, so you have no desire to hurt people, anymore." He pulled his brother back to arms' length, and offered him a tissue. Loki accepted, and miserably blew his nose, his emerald green eyes still swimming.
"Now." Thor commanded, cupping Loki's neck in one hand. "Tell me what you've begun remembering."
Loki hiccupped softly, and nodded. "Well… The night you left, just before, I had a nightmare… and I think it was a memory." He laced his fingers together, and avoided Thor's gaze.
"Yes?" The Thunderer prompted gently.
"I dreamed that we were fighting, out on the balcony of Anthony's tower, and you wanted me to stop, but I couldn't. And then… Father told me I had done something, something awful, and that you had to fix it while I was in the dungeons. And… and then… then I think I got impaled." Loki glanced up at Thor's face worriedly. "Then, yesterday, I was speaking with Sam and Steve, while you were gone, and I fell over, and remembered… falling off the Bifrost."
Thor nodded. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Loki hiccupped, again, his eyes filling once more. "No… I don't want to remember. I want to go back to not knowing. I wish I couldn't recall the evil things I've done, but I do, and I hate it."
Thor wrapped an arm around Loki's shoulders, again, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "There, there, it's alright." Thor murmured. "It'll be fine."
Loki sniffled and leaned into his brother's embrace. "Will it, though?"
"Of course." Thor gave him a smile. "You know, no one here holds your actions against you."
"No one except me." Loki whispered dejectedly, wrapping his arms tightly around Thor.
Blue and black and red.
The three most hideous colors on the planet all on one repulsive creature.
Laufey stood before him, sneering down, with an ice dagger in his hand. Bleu skin, black nails and markings, red eyes. Loki almost wept, for this is what he also looked like, under the illusion. Under the lies, the deceit.
"Welcome to Asgard." He smirked in fake-confidence, and led him straight into Odin's chambers.
The killer became the killed.
The murderer was murdered.
The deadly beast was brutally slaughtered, with no hope, no chance of recompense, redemption, and it was by Loki's hand.
His pale, thin, false hands that, under the illusion, were the same as Laufey's. Laufey was dead… but Loki was no better.
He had murdered his own father.
The man… not man, beast? Whatever degenerate creature Laufey was, he had had ties to Loki. He was family, even if he'd abandoned him. Even if he was evil, vile, despicable… he had been of Loki's blood.
Now Loki was a kinslayer, a monster himself, and the blood of his father, the black blood that stained the wall next to Odin's bed, was on his hands.
Black blood, everywhere.
Sightless red eyes, staring up from Laufey's dead face, into Loki's.
But what tied the two together was their blue skin.
Blue and black and red.
They were the colors of monsters.
With a muffled scream, Loki shot upright in his bed, his face damp with tears.
He knew, now.
He had murdered his own father. He was a monster. Burying his face in his pillow, he wept his heart out, until he had no tears left to cry.
I is pleased with my nightmare abilities.
TheOnlyHuman.