Loki looks exactly like the Frost Giants they just escaped from, though smaller. Bloom doesn't say anything, doesn't make another noise, but he can see the shock written on her face as she stares at him.
Well, at least it isn't fear or horror…
He quickly turns his thoughts from his shocked little sister to Odin, not wanting to think what her reaction will be when she unfreezes. When Loki asks if the casket was the only thing that was taken from Jotunheim, so many centuries ago, Odin admits that he took a Jotun baby, one that was small for a giant's child: Loki. Laufey's child.
When Loki asks why, Odin tries to say it was because he was innocent of the whole war, but Loki isn't buying it. Not only was he knee-deep in Jotun blood, Odin always has a purpose or reason even if it only makes sense to him - he forbade anyone from telling Bloom she's adopted so she'd never feel different, after all. That may well be why Frigga never told him - now the arguments he's accidentally overheard make much more sense. He screams for Odin to tell him, and Odin says he meant to make a permanent peace through Loki - but thanks to Thor, those plans are scrapped.
I wonder why those plans no longer matter, he only reignited a long-dead war!
"So, so I'm nothing more than another stolen relic, locked up until you might have use of me?"
"Why do you twist my words?"
Loki starts going through every memory he has, every experience where he wasn't like Thor - now, those times are cast in a whole new light. Why he's never been bothered by the cold, why he always got sick and weak during Asgard's horrendous heat waves, it goes on and on. "You could've told me what I was from the beginning, why didn't you?!"
"Your my son, I wanted only to protect you from the truth."
"What, because I-I-I'm the monster parents tell their children about at night?" Loki barely hears Bloom talking, more focused on not being sick all over his boots - he might actually be sick, really. When he came down here, he didn't think the answers to his questions would be...this. That he's an adopted Frost Giant, that his family isn't really his family. Thor isn't really his brother, Frigga his mother...all of it. "It all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all these years! Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!"
He only snaps out of his angry, hurt rage when arms circle around his torso from behind - Bloom's arms. Loki freezes right then, not even daring to touch her arms so he doesn't accidentally freeze her arm through like that Jotun he killed. And then he hears her quietly say "Your not a monster, Loki. Your my brother." Her arms tighten around him, and Loki comes to a rather startling conclusion right then. Bloom doesn't care. She doesn't care that he's actually a Frost Giant, doesn't care that his father ordered them to be killed mere hours ago. Doesn't care that a single touch from him could freeze her through if he's not careful. Doesn't suddenly see a monster when she looks at him. It makes his head spin even more than it already was.
Then he notices Odin.
The Allfather's on his back, with his eyes closed and breathing steadily - he collapsed into the Odinsleep, sometime when Loki was near-hysterically yelling at him. When that happened, Loki honestly doesn't have a clue - he didn't even see Odin while he was yelling, his mind was focusing on everything he's ever heard about Frost Giants. And now he doesn't hardly dare even touch Odin, in case he freezes the man like the Frost Giants on Jotunheim know how to do. When he does touch his wrist and nothing happens, he's almost dizzy with relief - but also with fear for Odin, the Allfather doesn't just collapse like this for no reason! And the Odinsleep usually has warning signs, he doesn't just fall asleep like this! He yells "Guards! Guards please! Help!"
When they rush in, Boom and Loki both stand back as they lift Odin up and get him back to his chambers. Once Odin has been taken to his chambers, Loki sends Bloom to hers to rest - she's still exhausted, he can tell - and he goes with Frigga to sit with Odin.
Loki stares at Odin's sleeping face, then asks "Why did he lie?" Because Frigga said she wanted to tell him the truth when he was old enough to understand it, she just told him as much.
Frigga sighs, then says "He kept the truth from you so you would never feel different."
When Loki asks why they haven't told Bloom that she is also adopted, now knowing firsthand just how painful it is to find out everything you thought you knew about yourself was a lie, she says "As much as I want to, we have no answers for her. Telling her would just upset her." Also, Odin forbade it once again.
Loki nods, then says "And, with the new things her magic is doing…" He's honestly afraid of what would happen to his beloved sister, should she lose it and have a meltdown completely.
A few more minutes of talking, with Frigga admitting she's no idea when or even if Odin will ever awaken again, since he's put it off for a long time for Thor's Coronation, and Loki asks "Mother, do you have any idea how powerful Bloom is? Any at all?" He thought he had at least a rough idea of how powerful his sister is, until Jotunheim where something almost seemed to be unleashed within her. Now? Now he's no idea how powerful Bloom might be, and its worrying him like nothing else.
Loki gets up to leave and check on Bloom, but when he opens the door, a line of guards are waiting. They kneel before him, and Odin's advisor holds the royal staff out to him. When he looks back at Frigga she says "With Thor gone, and Odin in Odinsleep, the throne falls to you, my son."
Looks like checking on Bloom will have to wait, Loki just hopes she's resting.
Later that evening, after a long day of trying to keep Asgard from falling into utter chaos over Thor's banishment, the war with Jotunheim being reignited, and Odin almost immediately falling into the Odinsleep unexpectedly, Loki's sitting on the throne and thinking - trying to find a way out of the mess Thor got them into - when Sif and the Warriors Three come in looking for Odin.
Sif says "All-Father, we must speak with you urgently." Then they all see Loki sitting on the throne with the staff - and all of them get wary, uncertain looks on their faces.
Rubbing a hand across his face, already feeling a migraine building even though nobody's said anything yet, he says "My friends."
Sif asks "Where is Odin?"
Keeping his voice calm, instead of snapping at Sif for her disrespect after a long and trying day, Loki says "Father has fallen into the Odinsleep. Mother fears he may never awaken."
"We would speak with her."
Loki shakes his head at once, saying "She has refused to leave my father's bedside. Bloom is currently with her, and the only others she's permitted entry are myself and her maidservant. You can bring your urgent business to me - your king."
Dammit, why exactly did Thor ever want this? And how did the old man do it for so long? One day, he's going to get Thor back for this mess!
They kneel, though warily, and then Sif says "My king, we would ask that you end Thor's banishment."
Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, and says "Let me be straight with you, Sif. All four of you. I cannot bring Thor back, for a number of reasons. The first being that, should the Jotuns learn he's back, they will undoubtedly attempt to invade Asgard without hesitation. The second is that, if I bring him back, his presence would more than likely be required at any attempts to reestablish peace - and that oaf I call my brother couldn't control himself when we were clearly outnumbered and trespassing on their realm. What do you think he'd do on the brink of war, hm? Third, Odin stripped Thor of his power before he banished him - at the moment, he may as well actually be a mortal. And about as good as one in a fight with Frost Giants, to boot. Fourth, I haven't got a clue where, exactly, he landed on Midgard. It could take days, or even weeks to find him, restore his powers with Mjolnir, and bring him back - and that, if you haven't noticed, is time we don't have. Fifth, as petty as its going to sound, Thor's an arrogant, thick-headed oaf that needs to learn some humility and restraint, and the way I see it this is the only way he'll ever learn it. Or, if not the only way, the least painful way."
Sif glares at him, asking "How dare-"
Loki all but roars at her "YOU DIDN'T SEE HIM!" Sif and the Warriors Three stare at him in shock, and Loki yells "You didn't see him after you left! He's a petulant, arrogant child in the body of a man, one with a thirst for blood and a desire to spread fear to those he considers inferior to him! You didn't hear him call Odin an old fool, didn't hear him say the Jotuns had to learn to fear him! We all tried to talk him out of that foolish quest of his, yet he didn't listen. He never even noticed that his own sister caught FIRE on a planet of ice, snow, and bitter cold, or that she was passed out in the Bifrost! I doubt he noticed Fandral getting impaled by those ice spikes, seeing as I'm the one that killed the Jotun that was coming to finish you off!"
Fandral blinks, looking slightly embarrassed at the reminder. Its true, Loki was the one that saved him from getting killed by that Frost Giant - but surely Thor would have done so if he'd been closer.
Loki glares at them, even as he says "Even after Allfather saved us from getting torn to frostbitten shreds by a horde of angered Jotuns, all Thor could think about was battle, glory, etc. He didn't care whatsoever that we all nearly died, or that he'd just broken Allfather's truce with Laufey, or even that he ignited a long-dead war. No, all he could think about was the battle Odin dragged him away from! And all of this? His banishment, the war that's brewing, Odin falling into the Odinsleep suddenly, my taking the throne because there's nobody else aside from Bloom for the Regency to fall to since Mother is caring for Allfather, its all just another mess of his to be cleaned up! And before you say I planned this all along, that I secretly coveted the throne Thor was to inherit, do remember that we all tried to talk Thor out of his madcap quest for answers. We all tried to make him see reason, me first of all!"
Loki's about to continue his rant, continue to tell Sif and the Warriors Three - Thor's lackeys, as he privately calls them after all the trouble they've so willingly followed him into - exactly how royally Thor screwed up this time, no pun intended. Possibly finally make them understand just how not ready his brother is to be on the throne - he loves his brother, he truly does, but Thor drives him mad at times when he does things like this. Though, he's never done something this bad before, or this hard to clean up. Thor's usual adventures usually ended up with Loki healing him, or using his Silver tongue to talk Allfather down - he's never come close to banishment before, and Asgard loves its Golden boy so its not like it was ever that hard to pacify the people. Just before Loki can keep yelling at Sif and the Warriors Three, who apparently don't think beyond the tips of their weapons, one of the servants comes running in - looking like he's just gotten back from Muspelheim, for some reason. His clothes are singed, and there's soot on him - what happened?!
"My King…come quickly…" The man doubles over, trying to regain his breath - before Loki can question him, he senses something he's never sensed on Asgard before.
No, just on Jotunheim, about a day ago.
Cursing Thor's stupidity once more, Loki all but shoves the unwieldy spear that never left Odin's side into the servant's hands and says "And now, I have to go calm my sister before she accidentally blows up a wing of the palace. Hold onto this for me and let no others use it for anything." He's gone before any of the four can respond - and they don't even know what to say. Loki's never gone off like that, not in all his life. They don't doubt he's worried about Bloom, though - the two of them have been inseparable, and Loki's been wrapped around Bloom's little finger since he first laid eyes on her. If there was only ever two things they knew about Loki for sure, its that he's a Master of Magic and he adores his little sister.
Loki gets into the Royal Wing of the palace, and Frigga frantically says "Thank the Stars, Loki. Bloom, she…I don't know how, but she remembered. Her nightmares were memories, it seems. And one finally completed. She came in frantic, begging me to say it wasn't true, and…"
Loki hesitantly asks "And?"
Frigga sighs and looks towards Bloom's chambers, saying "And…she didn't take it well. Caught fire and then ran out."
Yes, he noticed the burned-in footprints just before Frigga found him. He follows them to Bloom's quarters, where he finds her…in the fireplace. Sitting in the lit fireplace, curled up in a ball with her arms around her knees while shaking like she's in an earthquake. He's got no doubt she's on fire once more, if she's in there.
Loki drops to his knees a few feet from the blazing fireplace, and gently says "Bloom, sister, come on out. That can't be particularly comfortable."
Bloom shakes her head at once, the flames burning even higher and brighter in her obvious distress, and says "No, I'm gonna burn you! First I black out and catch fire on Jotunheim, then I get another of those nightmares and wake up to find my bed on fire, then when I ask Mother about the nightmare she tells me I'm adopted and I catch fire again! I accidentally spewed fire at one of the servants! I didn't mean to do it, I just waved my hand and the fire came spitting out of it!"
It takes a few minutes of coaxing, but Loki eventually manages to convince Bloom to crawl out of the fireplace - sure enough, she's on fire once more. Bright orange flames about the same color as her hair, dancing along her skin and reacting to her emotions - and powerful, extremely powerful, Loki can sense it clear as day. If he had to take a guess, she's at least as powerful as the Bifrost, the single most powerful artifact in all of Asgard. He gets them sitting in the corner Bloom usually goes to when she's upset, at the edge of her bed and out of sight of the door, and tucks her into his side while murmuring "Odin forbade anyone from telling you. Mother wanted to tell you from the beginning - both of us, actually. Chances are he kept her from telling me as well."
Bloom sniffles, rubbing her face with the back of her hand, and says "I'm terrified, Loki. I don't know what's going on with me, It wasn't just that nightmare I had, there were other parts to. The Bifrost blowing up, you falling into space, Thor trying to lift his hammer from where it was stuck in some rocks…" She glances up at Loki, and asks "How are you doing? About…everything?"
Loki runs his hand through Bloom's hair, saying "I've no idea how Allfather did it all these years. Running just one Realm is exhausting, and he ruled nine. Even if Midgard is unaware of that state of things, and we've mostly left Jotunheim and Muspelheim to themselves from what I can tell. Svartlfheim is dead, but that's still four Realms to manage on practically a minute-by-minute basis from what I understand."
"And…your own adoption? I'm kinda hoping for a hint as to how to deal with this."
Loki shrugs, and says "I haven't had a chance to think on it. As soon as I tried to leave to check on you, I was presented with the Regency."
"So…are you alright?"
"Define alright."
"Fair."
AN: Hey, everyone! I hope this comes across as realistic - because, seriously, the movies had a few plotholes. There's this scene that got deleted that I found on Youtube, where Loki gets PRESENTED with the throne - it literally gets handed to him, in the form of Odin's spear, rather than him taking it by force. Why that scene got cut, I'll never understand. Also, hilariously enough, Sif and the Warriors would've gotten a definite no from Odin about bringing Thor back early - Loki might've brought the Frost Giants to the palace, but now I see it as giving Thor the chance to prove just how ready he really was for the throne. Thor's the one that decided to go to Jotunheim, even with literally everyone in the room telling him it was a bad idea.
Loki: Thor, its madness.
Sif: Thor, of all the laws of Asgard, this one you must not break.
Fandral: This isn't a trip to earth, this is Jotunheim!
Volstagg: If the Frost Giants don't kill you, your Father will.
Hogun wasn't really one for words, but he still had to be convinced.
Yet...he still went to Jotunheim. Honestly, I know Loki's supposed to be this big villain in the comics...but, really, he doesn't come off that way to me in the movies. The entire movie just looks like Loki trying to prove Thor wasn't ready for the throne and it snowballed massively. No pun intended. Don't get me wrong, I like Thor's character...in the later part of the movie, when he stops being such an arrogant jerk. In the Coronation, though, he's a hotheaded jerk who wants to leap into another war to make the Jotuns fear him. He could've walked away on Jotunheim to, Loki was trying to get them out of there! But, no, he just HAD to react to Laufey's insult and start a war - yeah, Loki TOTALLY planned on Laufey taunting Thor as they were walking away. Or even Laufey giving them the opportunity to walk away in the first place.
...
Anyway, seems like my rant is done for now. Just bugs me how Thor is supposed to be the good guy when he was such a child through...most of the first movie. Seriously, it seems like his entire character growth for the whole movie is in...literally five minutes or so. When he can't lift the hammer and when Loki talks to him. Before that, he was still smashing things - hospital room, coffee mug - ordering people around - i need a horse! - and acting like everything would be handed to him on a silver platter.
Enjoy! More chapters coming soon! Hey, quick question...what if I combined the original cartoon with some of Fate?