Hello everyone, good morning/afternoon/evening to you all! Well, here it is, my very first Marvel fanfiction and I have to say I am excited and also very nervous about this. This idea has been in my head for a while, I know it's been done before but I figured that I would give it a try, just to see how it goes. Now, I'm doing something completely different here, so this is important! This will be the first in several stories/parts and I already have close to three typed up and ready to go. I have suffered for the longest time a severe writer's block for my Harry Potter stories, and during the period of many unfortunate events going on within the last year, I started working on this on the side. I just want to give forewarning, while i do have plenty of this story already written, my HP stories come first and foremost! So any extra time that I finally managed to get, will be committed to helping my HP stories move further along to finish, which is why for this story, there will be bi-weekly updates/postings.

Now, just as a forewarning, while I absolutely LOVE Marvel, I am not a hardcore expert, nowhere near it. My main source of knowledge comes from the MCU, and whatever information I can research online, so when it comes to small details or specific background/lore that may not be known unless you read the comics, then more than likely it won't show up here since I'm not a comic book person. If there are any mistakes or something is interpreted incorrectly, just let me know and if I can adjust it so it can still work with my story i will, but if not, then I do apologize, because I'm mainly going off of what is seen/based from the movies in the MCU.

My original goal here is to have seven or eight parts in this series (it may end up being more or less down the line, you never know what can happen in the future). This is the first chapter of the first story, "Guardian Angels: Hope" and I really hope that you all find it at least satisfactory. So, without further adieu, I present to you all "Guardian Angels: Hope." Please leave a review, tell me what you think, if there could be improvements, the usual. To any of you coming across this who have followed/favorite me in the past, you guys are the absolute best ever, and no words can describe how much your patience and support has inspired me to do so much more when it comes to this passion of mine. I really do hope that you all enjoy this story! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All things that are in, associated with, or based off of Marvel in any way are NOT mine!

Chapter One: The Fallen Star

LokiPOV

"Thor, wait for me!"

"Come on Loki, hurry up!"

The young, dark haired boy could only groan quietly to himself as he quickened his pace to keep up with his older brother as the two of them hastily, yet quietly, scurried down the hall, which was brilliantly lit with many torches and candles, making it harder for them to stick to the shadows. Thankfully, the halls were practically deserted, as almost everyone was currently attending the festivities down in the main dining hall or in the courtyards. Once in a while, the two boys would come across the occasional maid or servant, and they had to duck behind one of the columns or pillars to avoid being seen. As soon as the coast was clear, Thor would gesture for Loki to continue following him until they finally reached their destination in the west wing of the grand palace they called their home. Loki and Thor eventually rounded a corner until they came upon a large, burgundy red curtain that was draped over the entrance onto an equally large balcony. Making sure no one was coming, the brothers darted out from behind the pillars and pushed their way through the curtain, with Loki instantly shivering as the cold night air struck his cheeks. Dressed only in his nighttime clothing, it didn't do too much to keep out the chilly wind, although Thor didn't seem too troubled by it since he immediately went over towards the smooth, marble railing and leaned up against it, peering down below, where they could hear the sounds of cheerful chatter and boisterous laughing.

"We're not supposed to be out here," Loki reminded him for what had to be the hundredth time.

"Where's your sense of fun?" Thor asked, throwing a grin over his shoulder.

"Mother and Father expect us to be in bed," Loki said. "They said we're not old enough yet."

"Yes, they said we're not old enough to attend the festival. They didn't say anything about us watching it," Thor corrected, his grin growing even wider. "Come on, you know you want to."

As the seconds ticked on, the slight frown that settled upon Loki's face disappeared and he couldn't help but smile almost sheepishly, not being able to deny he really wanted to observe what was happening down below in the courtyards. Soon enough and walked over to stand beside Thor at the railing and tried to peer over it. However, he wasn't very tall and had difficulty getting a proper view, even when he tried standing on his tiptoes. Seeing this, Thor simply rolled his eyes at his little brother and bent down a little beside him.

"Get on my back," he offered.

"I can do it on my own," Loki said.

"You're too small Loki, let me help, otherwise you'll miss everything," Thor said to him. Loki set his jaw, trying to hoist himself up further on the railing, but it was in vain. Letting out a quiet huff, Loki had to admit to himself that he really would need Thor's help, even though he didn't like the idea of having to depend on him. It took a couple of tires until Thor finally had a good enough grip on Loki's legs so he can straighten up, allowing them both to have a decent look at what was going on, and Loki's eyes widened in delight at the fun that was taking place.

Down below in one of the main courtyards of the palace, he could see a huge cluster of people gathered around, eating, drinking, laughing and raising their goblets together in what could only be defined as true merriment. The scent of the delicious food that was spread out on the tables made it's way up to them, making Loki's mouth water even though he had eaten not too long ago before he and Thor were sent to bed for the night. Men were gulping down fine ale as well as dancing with pretty women, and there was even some singing going on around scattered bonfires. It looked as though everyone was having a grand time, and Loki couldn't help but feel envious that he wasn't allowed to attend the festival yet. However, he was happy that he was able to spend the beginning of it with his family, happy that he was able to honor his mother in the way that she deserved.

Tonight was the first night of a festival called Jul, which was the celebration of the new Norse Year, and it stretched out over a course of twelve nights. It was probably both Loki and Thor's favorite, because from the palace they could see Ingvi Freyr, a good friend of their father's, ride across the night sky on his shining boar. They also could see their father Odin, prepare for the Wild Hunt from their windows, however, this first night was devoted to their mother, Frigga, along with female ancestors whose time has come and gone. This night was specifically named Mother's Night, and earlier on when the sun had first set, Thor and Loki presented gifts to their mother, and she accepted them graciously, rewarding them both with a tight hug and tender kiss to their cheeks. While Thor pretended to be embarrassed and wiped his cheek afterwards, Loki reveled in the affection from his mother, happy that she seemed content with her gifts. The feast in her honor had started soon afterwards, and then it wasn't long before Thor and Loki had been sent off to bed. Although, it wasn't long before Thor had snuck into his room, practically pulling him out of bed and dragging him along so they could have a peek at all the fun they were missing out on.

"Do you see Mother and Father?" Thor asked.

"No, they must still be in the Hall," Loki replied.

"I can't wait until the day I can join Father on the Wild Hunt," Thor said eagerly, shifting Loki higher up on his back.

"You're just excited to journey close to Midgard," Loki stated.

"Of course, Father has amazing stories about his visits there, and Heimdall tells me the incredible things he sees there, like the fight between the noble natives on an island against invaders who wanted their gold."

"Is fighting all you can think about?" Loki asked, rolling his eyes. "It's no wonder you can't concentrate on your studies."

"Just you wait, I'm going to be the greatest warrior in the universe," Thor said smugly. "I bet I can take down any being on Midgard, just like Father."

Loki simply rolled his eyes again but chose not to say anything. Thor almost always had his head in the clouds, never focused on anything except making himself stronger so he could be the best, wanting nothing more than to accompany Father and their other warriors of Asgard into battle and fight bravely. Sometimes Thor seemed a little too confident in his abilities that he still has yet to perfect, but Loki personally chose a more quiet, intelligent approach to things. There were times when he would be even more mischievous than Thor, so whenever they would get into trouble, he was the one more than likely to slink away. The two brothers continued to watch the festival for a little while longer until the cold wind and Loki's weight on Thor's back started to become too much, at which point Loki suggested they head back to their rooms before they were caught. Thor seemed to agree with this as he carefully set Loki back down on his feet, and the younger boy started heading back over towards the curtain, gently moving it aside so he can poke his head through, looking up and down the hall to make sure that there was no one coming.

"Okay, the coast is clear," he muttered. "Let's go, Thor."

However, Loki received no response, making him furrow his eyebrows as he looked over his shoulder, calling Thor's name again. He saw that Thor was not looking at him, in fact, his didn't make any indication that he had heard him at all. Just as Loki was about to call his name once more, his words died in his throat as he turned his gaze up to the sky, where Thor was currently staring at. High up in the heavens above their heads were millions upon millions of bright, twinkling stars that were scattered across the black cloak of night, the only source of light at this time of day. Standing out against this cluster of stars, there was one that outshone then all-Sepora, the only other star besides Polaris that was constant in the sky, never moving and a crucial guide for many travelers in all the nine realms. Also, it was home to a great civilization as well, known as Algorine, home of the Stellarians, a powerful race that Loki and Thor had been taught about in one of their many lessons. Algorine was a peaceful world, where it settled in Sepora like a shining beacon.

But something was wrong… terribly wrong. Being one of, if not the brightest star in the sky, Sepora glimmered brilliantly in the sky every night, appearing as a glowing, pure white pearl. Yet as Loki looked up past the dark clouds, he saw that the star was no longer white, but had somehow turned into a scarlet red color that made his mouth drop open in surprise. He went back over to stand next to Thor, who looked just as stunned as he was, and the brothers contained to watch as Sepora brimmed with a visible energy even from where they stood on their balcony. In the back of his mind, Loki noticed that the noise from the festival below had turned down some. Had others seen the drastic change in the star as well? Before he could think about it further, something happened that made his eyes widen in shock, and a gasp made its way past his lips. The red dot that was Sepora suddenly and chaotically burst, exploding in a giant fiery inferno. He could hear a couple exclamations of horror and fright from the courtyard, and Loki shared a dumbstruck look with Thor. The light that came from Sepora's sudden destruction seemed to illuminate the sky for a moment, and then Loki saw that clusters of light were shooting off in different directions, pelting through the air. On any other night, Loki would have assumed it was just a show of shooting stars, but he knew this wasn't the case-these were fragments of Sepora, shattered like glass and scattering its remains all throughout the galaxy.

"This can't be," Thor murmured from beside him. "Father said Sepora is one of the most powerful and well-armed places in existence. How could it have been destroyed?"

Loki honestly didn't have an answer for him, and the two princes could do nothing but watch as what was left of Sepora streaked over their heads. The minutes ticked on as they stood there, staring up at the scene with similar expressions of shock. It wasn't long before Loki realized that one of the clusters of light seemed a lot clearer and closer than the others, moving at a much faster pace… and it was heading straight towards Asgard. Loki could hear the startled shouts from the guests in the courtyards, with some telling to fetch the king while others were ordering to take cover. All the while, the beam of light became closer, and closer, shining so bright it was nearly blinding, and Loki had to shield his eyes just as Thor grabbed him and brought him to the ground, partially covering him. Even from behind his closed eyelids, the young boy could see the light come right towards them, and within seconds, it crash landed somewhere close by, if the violent tremors and quivering ground were anything to go by. Shouts of panic and confusion could be heard as the entire world seemed to tremble, with Loki and Thor clutching each other to keep steady as the balcony shifted back and forth, and the strong waves of energy nearly knocked them on their backs. The ordeal only lasted for another minute or so before the tremors finally stopped, and the balcony ceased moving. The light was quickly dimming down as well, and one Thor made sure that Loki was all right, he raced over towards the railing and leaned over so far he could have easily fallen over. Loki hurried to join him, and from what he could see with his limited vision, there was something like a crater in the far west corner of the palace gardens, which must have been where the fragment of Seproa had landed. Loki could see a speck of light coming from inside the crater, and—after sharing one more look with Thor—he and his brother instantly set off to head for the gardens.

It didn't take them long at all for them to reach the patio that led out into the entrance to the gardens, where they sped underneath the green archway that was littered with their mother's favorite roses, and past the smooth marble statues and water fountains. They padded hastily along the luscious grass in their bare feet, wanting to take a look at the fragment of the fallen star for themselves. It took a few minutes, at least, to maneuver their way through the hedges and past the golden apple trees until they came upon the area they were looking for. It was in the very far corner of the grounds, where there was a large water fountain that was usually filled with water lilies, however, when Loki and Thor rounded the bed to enter to usually peaceful clearing, they stopped dead in their tracks and Loki couldn't help but gasp.

The area looked disastrous, with many of the surrounding bushes and flower beds singed, with cracks forming along the paved stone ground that went around the fountain. A good portion of the pristine fountain was destroyed, with the center piece broken completely in half, and there was a large crack along the sides leading up to a fairly big hole where some of the water was escaping, and the fountain itself had sunken into the ground a bit, along with a couple of the statues that had been standing on the perimeter that had collapse over. Although, it wasn't the amount of destruction that drew Loki and Thor's attention, but rather what had crash-landed inside the fountain, and it was definitely something the young princes were not expecting.

Leaning up against what remained of the center piece of the fountain, easily becoming soaked from the water that was filled up to his waist and the steady spurts that came from the sides, was a man. This man looked to be young, much younger than Odin himself, but not to a point where he would be considered someone who just blossomed from childhood. He was wearing clothing that Loki thought looked to be similar to what the nobles of Asgard usually wore, with the fabric a soft ocean blue color with silver threading and buttons, along with a dark blue cloak that covered almost one half of his body. The man was slightly hunched over, his breathing heavy as he grasped the broken center piece, and it was then that Loki realized he was hurt. There was a trickle of blood that ran down his hand, and Loki could see a dark stain that was at the man's side, turning the water around him a terrible shade of red. Despite being obviously wounded, there was a strange, faint glow that was coming from the man himself, although it kept fading in and out, like the flickering flame of a dying candle. Loki was stunned into silence, understanding what was going on instantly.

He's Stellarian. He came from Algorine. Loki was brought out of his thoughts as he noticed that Thor took a step forward and was slowly making his way over towards the fountain.

"What are you doing?" Loki hissed, latching onto Thor's arm in fear.

"Loki, he's hurt, and he needs help," Thor said. "We can't just leave him here."

"He may be dangerous," Loki said, trying to reason with his older brother as he started to pull him back towards the direction of the palace. "We should go get Mother and Father, they will know what to do."

"Don't be so scared, Loki."

"I'm not-"

"Karthe...plea, karthe..."

The soft, quiet voice caused the boys to cease in their movements as they looked over towards the man, who had lifted his head upon hearing them and Loki saw that his face was bruised, with a bleeding lip and his shoulder-length, damp, golden rod hair plastered to his cheeks. He slowly pushed himself away from the center of the fountain, his face scrunched up in agonizing pain as he practically crawled over towards the edge if the fountain with one hand, as the other was tucked underneath his cloak. When he finally did reach the edge, he tried to push himself out of the water, only to let out a grunt before sliding back down, putting all of his weight onto his arm as he hunched over, his breathing ragged. Sucking in a deep breath, he looked over towards Loki and Thor with an imploring expression, gesturing for them to come over, speaking in a language that Loki couldn't understand. He really wasn't too sure about this, but seeing as this man was already injured, he couldn't hurt them now, right?

With that in mind, he stuck behind Thor as the two of them walked forward and stepped down the slightly steep drop that had them slide directly in front of the edge of the fountain where the man was slouched against. Moving carefully, the man pushed his cloak aside with his free hand to reveal his other one underneath, which was clutching onto a bundle of blankets for dear life, holding it tightly against his chest. Loki was stunned to see that something was moving inside the bundle, something that was letting out soft whimpers and sharp cries. The injured man adjusted the bundle in both his hands before he held it out to Loki, obviously wanting him to take it. At first Loki was going to shake his head no, but seeing the pleading, helpless look in the man's eyes was enough to make him change his mind and put on a brave face as he accepted the bundle, carefully taking it into his outstretched arms.

"Be careful," Thor cautioned, moving closer to his younger brother. "It may be some sort of weapon."

"I don't think weapons can cry, Thor," Loki pointed out quietly as the man before him helped to arrange the bundle so it was supported by Loki's elbow. When he looked down into the bundle to finally get a good look at it, he was astonished to find that inside was not a weapon, but it was actually a small baby. A baby that was squirming slightly in his grasp, a couple tears falling down its face as it cried, more than likely from discomfort since the blanket it was wrapped in was wet. The man hoisted himself up as best he could so he could lean over the crying child, gently shushing it and once again speaking softly in that strange language as he ran his fingers over the small tuft of dark hair on top of the baby's head. The infant seemed to calm down slightly at the sound of his voice, whimpering more than anything now and shifting its head towards him. Loki thought it was safe to assume that the man was the baby's father, given how he seemed to be gazing at it the same way his mother would look at him and Thor often, with nothing but deep, unconditional love. The man's breathing was becoming a bit less ragged than before and it was coming out much slower. As the seconds passed, Loki noticed that the light that was coming from the man's body was growing steadily dimmer, and the blonde in his hair was fading away to turn into a mixture of pure white and soft gray…like the color of starlight. Not sure what was going on, Loki looked over desperately at Thor.

"He's really hurt," he said. "We need to get help."

"You're right," Thor agreed, backing up a step. "Loki stay here, watch over him and keep holding the baby, I'll fetch Father."

"Please hurry," Loki said as his brother scrambled back up the steep slope and then dashed off to go find someone. The Asgardian prince swallowed hard, honestly not knowing what to do, and he was startled when the man spoke to him.

"H-Help," the man said, looking unsure of himself, as though he wasn't positive he was saying the right thing. "Help…"

"Don't worry sir, help is coming," Loki said, trying his best to reassure the injured man in front of him even though he knew more than likely he couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Her," the man continued, looking down at the baby. "Help her."

So, the baby was a girl? Loki could tell that he was very worried for his daughter, and in an attempt to calm her, the young boy bounced her lightly, like he had seen women do with other small children.

"Help her," Loki repeated, nodding to show the man that he understood. He was rewarded with a small, tired and grateful smile and, moving slowly, the man tenderly kissed the top of the little girl's head.

"Cephina," he whispered lovingly. "Cephina…"

Then, the man lowered himself to the edge of the fountain and his figure went limp as he drew out his last breath, the light diminishing from his body and disappearing into the darkness. For a moment there was nothing but silence except for the running water and the sound of the baby's—Cephina's—whimpers. Loki's mouth hung open, his eyes wide at the sight of the motionless Stellarian before him. A part of him wanted to believe that the man had only fainted from exhaustion and the pain from his injuries, but the more logical side of him feared that wasn't the case. He was brought out of his thought from the tiny shiver that went through his body at having the wet, cold blankets pressed against his chest for so long. Please Thor, hurry up and find help! After about a minute, Cephina opened her eyes a little, and Loki was momentarily distracted by how bright they were even in the surrounding nighttime, a dazzling shade of hazelnut that complimented the small dark curls on her forehead. Loki barely had any sort of interaction with babies and he was quite unsure of how to handle this one. Wanting to make her more at ease with him, Loki spoke to her in a quiet and-–hopefully—soothing voice.

"Hello, Cephina," he said. "My name is Loki."

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"She's rather small, isn't she?"

"All babies are small, Thor."

"But she just seems extremely small, doesn't she?"

"Mother believes she hasn't even reached half a year of life yet."

"Do you think she can understand us?"

"Of course not."

"She looks like she does."

"Maybe she finds your face offensive and ugly."

Loki's grin at his joke fell away when Thor reached over and smacked him sharply on the arm, causing the younger boy to yelp in slight pain before hitting him back. At that moment there was a quiet giggle that came from below and Loki looked down to see Cephina actually smiling up at them from her place in the cradle, two of her fingers in her mouth and looking amused at their antics.

"I think she likes that," Thor observed with a smile of his own. "Maybe she will like it if we did 'Get Help.'"

"We are not doing 'Get Help,'" Loki stated with a glare towards his brother.

"You're no fun at all," Thor said. Loki just rolled his eyes at him before drawing his attention back to the child lying down beneath them. They were currently in Odin and Frigga's chambers, where they had been sitting and watching over Cephina for some time, now. It was only a little over an hour ago that Loki had brought Cephina to the palace along with Thor and their Father. When Thor had found Odin and brought him to the destroyed fountain, the Asgardian king had gone down next to the fallen Stellarian and for a moment he hung his head, grasping the man's shoulder and his face very grave. He appeared as though he were mourning a friend and it was a few minutes before he lifted his head to look over and see what it was that Loki was holding, When the boys explained they believed the baby was the man's daughter, Odin quickly relieved Loki of his burden and then started making his way back to the palace with them, giving orders to the members of his hunting party to take the Stellarian inside. Odin had taken all the children to where Frigga was waiting anxiously for them, and after she had squeezed both of her sons into a crushing hug, she took one look at the child in Odin's arms, and her instincts seemed to kick in ten-fold. She took the infant into her embrace and then set to work with her handmaidens to make sure that no harm had come to Cephina during her journey to Asgard and made quick work with getting her dried off, and into warm clothes.

Once Cephina had been cleaned and deemed unharmed, Frigga had conjured a cradle with her magic and placed Cephina inside, tucking her into a nice, cozy blanket. During all of this, Odin had gone to meet with members of his high council and instructed both Loki and Thor to stay with their mother while he was gone. Frigga had asked the boys how they came across Cephina and as they told her, her face became greatly saddened.

"The poor dear," she had murmured, staring down at Cephina. "To lose her father in such a terrible way, and her home."

"Did Father know him?" Thor asked curiously. "He seemed like he did in the gardens."

"He did indeed," Frigga confirmed with a nod of her head. "That was King Thrandur of Algorine, he was a very good friend of your Father's, they had fought side by side together many times in the past. We had not seen him in some time, and his loss is more than likely weighing very heavily on your father's heart."

"I wonder what had happened to him," Thor mused. "And to Sepora."

"Your father and the council are probably discussing that right now," Frigga said. "Thrandur was a good, noble man, and I'm sure your father will want to find out what had happened. Until then, we must do our best to make sure Cephina is cared for."

"It's sad," Loki muttered. "She doesn't have a home or a family anymore."

"It is, my love," Frigga said solemnly as she placed a hand on his cheek. "As tragic as this is, we must give thanks that Cephina had survived, and for now she is safe here with us."

"I hope Father finds the monsters who did this to Cephina's home and family and grinds them into dust," Thor said fiercely with a frown on his face. Before anything else was said, the door to the room opened and Odin stood there, a heavy scowl on his face and grief clearly visible in his good eye.

"Frigga," he said, gesturing with his head. "I must speak with you for a moment."

"You two stay here, and watch over Cephina," Frigga said as she stood to her feet and then followed Odin out into the corridor outside the chamber, closing the door softly behind , Loki and Thor were keeping an eye on Cephina, who had been staring up at them in innocent, childlike wonder and curiosity. After a couple more minutes of simple staring, Cephina smiled again and reached out towards Loki with one hand, extending her fingers.

"What is she doing?" Loki wondered.

"I think she wants to take your hand," Thor said.

"Why would she want to do that?"

"I don't know, I don't understand how a baby thinks. Try it."

Loki carefully lowered his hand so it was within Cephina's reach and she grasped onto his pointer finger before bringing it closer, her hazel eyes widening as though it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She studied Loki's finger for a long moment, making gurgling noises as though trying to contemplate how it worked, and then she glanced over at Thor. She reached her free hand towards him as well, making another noise, clearly wanting his hand as well. Looking confused, Thor gave the tiny baby his hand and she clutched onto his finger just like she did with Loki, and she ended up smiling again, squealing with glee and pulling both of their fingers up and down, as if it were some great game. Instead of being annoyed, Loki found himself amused at her somewhat adorable display of fun and affection towards them. A kind of fondness settled in his stomach as she continued to play with them, and he had to admit to himself that she was rather cute.

"She's very smart," Loki noted.

"And strong, for a baby," Thor added with a grin. "She could be a great warrior someday."

"You know, Father said some Setllarians were blessed with magic," Loki said thoughtfully. "Maybe we can teach her."

"Yes, and with her father gone, we should look out for her," Thor concluded with an affirmative nod. At that moment, the boys looked over at each other and the same thought went through their minds, causing identical smiles to stretch across their faces. Loki himself usually didn't like to go along with any of Thor's schemes but this was something he could most definitely agree on. For the longest time, he had wondered what it would be like to have a younger sibling, someone who could look up to him and who he could watch over. He could feel the excitement build up between him and Thor, and it wasn't long before the door opened again, revealing both Frigga and Odin as they walked back inside the chamber. Loki and Thor whipped around and to face their parents and didn't give them a chance to say anything before they both spoke at the same time.

"Can we keep her?"

Well, what do you guys think? Please leave a review to tell me your thoughts/opinions, and the next chapter will be posted on 06/17/20. Love you all, stay safe!