Thor could hear them out in the big hallways, the yells and shouts; the coronation had been canceled and the confusion was of course immense.
No one had been told why the sudden cancellation had happened, in fact the official statement was that it was being postponed until further notice.
Thor had returned to his chambers, he was sitting at his work desk with closed eyes, leaning his elbows on the desk folding his hands as he tried to concentrate on his breathing, trying to stay calm.
He suppressed the urge to find some strong alcohol, he knew that if he gave into the temptation he would lose control of himself, he could not allow it to happen.
Then suddenly, the door to Thor's chambers slammed open.
Thor looked up and in the doorway he saw a young god of mischief standing with his arms spread out as he had just pushed the door wide open.
Loki was seething, his green eyes seemed almost electric, his teeth gritting as a strand of his black hair fell down his forehead, nearly making him look like a wild, angry animal.
Thor looked up, not really that moved by Loki's clear anger. The only thing Thor really felt was a slight tug in his heart at the sight of his younger brother who had been through so much suffering. "Good afternoon," he finally spoke. "Brother."
Loki stepped inside, fury burned into his face as the door slammed shut behind him, probably pushed shut with magic, then a click sounded as the door locked by itself.
Thor glanced at the locked door, then up at Loki's angry face.
"Where," Loki seethed, "is… Thor!"
Thor blinked as he looked at his brother. "I'm sorry?" he asked.
Loki slammed his hands down on Thor's desk, causing papers to fly up. "YOU'RE NOT THOR!" he shouted. "Where is he!?"
Thor's eyes widened, his chest tightening as he swallowed. "I... I do not understand. What do you mean by that, Loki?"
"Listen to me!" Loki seethed grabbing the front of Thor's armor pulling him forward. "Thor is mine to defeat!" he stated. "It is I who shall humiliate him, take everything from him he prides himself on! Then everyone will see who is the mightier Odinson, you shall not take that away from me, impostor!"
Thor looked at Loki's raging eyes… Okay, Thor had still been just a little convinced that he and Loki had had a good relationship at this point in time… Clearly not. Clearly he had turned a blind eye to more than a few things.
"Isn't that… taking things a bit far?" Thor asked. "Everything I pride myself on?"
"Do not play games with me," Loki seethed, not letting go. "I am Loki Liesmith, I know when I am being lied to! Furthermore… I am that oaf's brother," he seethed. "I know Thor! His cocky walk, his inability to speak quietly, his way of handling any issues… with a big brutal hammer! His favorite food and the way he sleeps, the sounds he makes asleep or awake… His way of talking, every habit he has. I even know how he thinks... What he thinks. And what he doesn't want other people to know he thinks. His desires and the fears he is always trying to hide, everything! I know Thor Odinson, and you…are not him!"
Then he finally let go and Thor fell back into his seat.
Thor looked up, Loki was clearly burning with anger, the magic all around him.
"You know… If you weren't my brother, that would seem a little bit obsessive," Thor commented. "Actually you might want to be careful, it seems rather obsessive regardless."
"NO GAMES!" Loki roared as a burst of magic was released from his body and items flew everywhere.
Thor looked around himself at the mess, then up at Loki. "Are you… going to clean that up again?" he asked.
Loki's eyes narrowed, then he seethed. "Fine," he stated. "I'll figure it out myself," he said as he stepped forward, reaching a hand towards Thor's head.
Though the second before Loki's long, white, and slender fingers touched Thor's forehead, Thor shot his hand up and grabbed Loki's wrist, then he glanced up meeting Loki's eyes. "You don't want to do that," he stated. "Trust me… You really don't."
Loki narrowed his eyes, only for his other hand to shoot forward, though Thor grabbed that too. Finally Thor stood up, holding both of Loki's hands in a firm grip as he looked sternly into Loki's raging eyes. "I don't want to hurt you Loki," he informed his brother.
Loki seethed. "What are you talking about?!" he asked.
"You were planning to let Jotunns into Asgard! Doing the coronation!" Thor exclaimed.
That made Loki's eyes widen as suddenly he grew pale. "What?" he asked.
"Did you even think?!" Thor asked. "Letting enemies inside is an act of treason! What about the guards whom would lose their lives to satisfy your need for disruption?! Those guards have families too! What were you thinking you would gain by it? Were you even thinking at all?!"
Loki's eyes narrowed in deep seeded hatred, his mouth forming into a sneer.
Then Thor let go of Loki's wrists and grabbed his shoulders instead as they moved into the room. "It doesn't have to be like that Loki! Talk to me instead! Let us figure it out! Together! As brothers!"
Loki slapped Thor's hands away from his shoulders. "Even if you were Thor, why should I listen to you?" he asked in a snort. "No Jotunns have been let inside of Asgard, you have no proof."
"I don't want to see you fall, Loki!" Thor tried to reason. "I just… don't want you to commit treason in the first place! You are better than that. There's no reason to succumb to such actions for such petty reasons."
Loki snorted. "Petty?" he asked. "Oh, the way it would all turn out is so predictable. Thor would have lost his temper, he would rage and destroy everything. Then the people of Asgard might have finally seen what kind of person they had elected their king!" he rolled his eyes. "What am I talking about, probably not. They'd adore him like always, regardless though. He'd look foolish as he started destroying everything around him in a fit of rage. Then perhaps Odin would have finally realized, he isn't ready! Petty?" he asked. "Would you really call the future of Asgard itself pretty?"
"Well..." Thor hesitated, okay maybe not. Surely though there would have been a better way than bringing Jotunns inside. And that didn't even begin addressing what had happened on Earth when Loki had been controlling the Destroyer.
At that time, Thor had not known what Loki was capable of, he had still been denying it for a long time. Only after New York had Thor finally started to accept it, accept what Loki was capable of, what he could and would do… Thor remembered how he had willfully turned a blind eye to Loki's antics, ignored him… Not taken him seriously.
Loki though, hadn't done any of those things yet. No crimes had been committed, he had been stopped. There was still time.
He looked up at Loki again, who was burning with anger, anger directed straight towards him.
And Thor felt it again, his emotions overwhelming him, he tried to push them back, this was not the time for it, but… it was Loki. And he closed his eyes.
"How did you know about the Jotunns?" Loki finally asked. "Are you a Jotunn sorcerer perhaps? Did they tell you?!" he asked.
Thor smiled grimly at that, Loki calling him a Jotunn?! …
"ANSWER ME!" Loki demanded.
Then Thor looked up and he already knew, his eyes were filled with tears yet again.
"And stop with that pathetic display," Loki demanded. "That there, more than anything, is nothing like Thor."
And Thor looked down, it was true… He was supposed to be Thor the mighty thunder god, and yet he was unable to stop his own tears, he covered his eyes with his hand as a pathetic sob escaped his lips.
Loki snorted. "You must be joking."
"Loki I..." Thor tried. "Please, you have potential greater than anyone else!" he implored. "You can be better than… than everyone! You just have to stop this journey based on self satisfaction. You can do so much more than that!"
"What are you babbling about?!" Loki asked.
"I'm sorry!" Thor burst out in tears. "I'm sorry I always tried to show off in front of you and over shadow you! In my mind you were always so amazing, you were always so much smarter than me! I didn't want you to surpass me! So I showed off!"
"Huh?" Loki blinked.
"I'm sorry I never listened, and I got angry over the smallest things! Then acted really stupid and on emotions! Destroying everything! I'm sorry!" Thor continued moving closer to Loki, while tears streamed down his face.
"Wow-wow-wow!" Loki was now backing away holding up his hands. "Sta-STAY BACK!" he exclaimed.
"Something stupid happens, I get angry, I act, and I destroy everything!" Thor cried, then he fell to his knees in front of Loki. "People's praises, I let them get to my head! I allowed myself to believe I was flawless. I was stupid and arrogant, loud and brutish, just like you said! I am so sorry!"
Wide-eyed, Loki looked down at him, pure shock and horror painted on his face while Loki himself was pressed up against the wall unable to back away any further.
There was quiet, then slowly, a pair of white hands reached for Thor's head yet again, Thor though reached up, and yet again grabbed Loki's wrists.
"No," Thor whispered with a lowered head. "That's not a good idea…"
"I might be able to help you," Loki breathed.
"Help me," Thor asked, "by standing by me… Loki," he breathed as he looked up, showing his bright blue tear filled eyes. "I need help… I need you."
Again there was quiet as Thor was looking at Loki, tears quietly falling, his eyes and face pleading, and Loki... was still pressing himself up against the wall, looking like he desperately wanted to flee; he seemed confused... and scared.
"What happened to you?" Loki asked. "This is not like Thor… This is not anything like Thor," he was shaking lightly. "I don't like this… Where is the old Thor? Give him back!"
"I don't know where he is," Thor admitted. "It seems… You're stuck with me."
Loki shook his head as he stepped side-ways, the only way he could move, his hands slipping out of Thor's. "Something is wrong… it's messed up," he stated. "Things are not supposed to be like this… Events are out of order… You are not supposed to be here. This is wrong... This is so wrong."
Thor sniffed, what Loki was saying was right, he knew that.
"Go back where you came from," Loki demanded of Thor in a loud voice. "You don't belong here."
"Loki," Thor tried.
Loki, though, shook his head and then he vanished, leaving Thor alone in his chambers and he grabbed his face, he had done it again… He had messed up.
