Thor had done his best to make it a short shower, and just quickly trim his beard as Loki had asked. Clearly though Loki didn't think even that was fast enough.

So much so that when Thor reached for the brush to carefully fix some of the knots in his hair, Loki snorted as he just grabbed the brush and pulled it through Thor's hair, hard. Thor was so surprised that he let out a slight yelp in shock.

"Oh grow up," Loki snorted. "We can also just cut it off, it'll take three seconds. I'll do it for you."

"NO!" Thor gasped. "Not the hair."

"It's just hair Thor. It'll grow out," Loki pointed out, giving another pull making Thor shriek. "Oh, do grow up," Loki snorted again as Thor looked at him, mouth agape, then he glanced up and realized Loki's hair was currently short.

It was mostly fashionable in Asgard to have long hair, both for men and women. Loki though was the kind of person whom would mix things up frequently just because he could; he did pride himself on being unpredictable and ever changing.

Also Loki was a sorcerer… and a natural shape shifter. He could make his hair grow or shorten at will with just a thought.

A little sadly Thor reflected that Loki had learned all his tricks of illusions from their mother, that shape shifting, though, was unique to him. No one else in the family had it, and it had just come naturally to him, even now Loki was in a form which was different from the form he was born in… He just didn't even know it.

… How on earth was Thor supposed to tell him that? Should he even tell him? Would it just do more harm than good at this point? Then he noticed, Loki had become quiet as he was fixing Thor's hair to make him presentable.

"Loki… You sure are very accepting of all of this," Thor commented.

Loki sighed deeply. "I am still not entirely convinced everything I saw was real," he admitted. "The pain..." Loki's voice betrayed him, there with a slight tremor, quickly though the younger god shoveled it aside as he continued. "However, one thing is for sure… It is real to you. And there can only be two explanations for that."

"Oh?" Thor asked.

"Either some extremely powerful sorcerer has invaded and hexed your mind, in which case we are in danger. Such strong magic, able to manipulate the mind so much, and to a god no less. A pretty mighty one, even…. None of us would stand a chance," Loki stated.

"And the other option?" Thor asked.

"It's real," Loki breathed. "And the fact you knew I was planning to let Jotunns into Asgard lends credit to that theory. As do many of your behaviors now that I have had time to analyze it... You have acted like Thor and yet not like Thor. Like a... different version of him," Loki halted, then he bit together as he continued. "Knowledge could be implanted but, not so precisely. You knew because in your original timeline..."

"Your plan succeeded," Thor finished for him. "The Jotunns got inside in the midst of the coronation, I had a fit. I raged like you wouldn't believe it... Just like you predicted."

Loki nodded thoughtfully, pulling harshly at another knot, making Thor hiss.

"I can't recall either of us having been in contact with such a sorcerer powerful enough to plant such a memory in your head," Loki murmured. "Out of the two only possibilities, only the time travel one holds up... I would be foolish not to take it seriously."

Thor smirked. "And if there's something you're not, it's foolish," he commented.

Loki pulled at Thor's hair again, and Thor hissed in pain, and then there was silence.

"In your memory..." Loki hesitated. "It didn't look like father was killed, he just… died naturally."

Thor exhaled deeply. "Aye."

Loki was quiet.

"He may not die just as fast this time," Thor informed. "The last thing that happened to him, it… It was a strain on him and his body. Though… just the last straw, so to speak. Father is..." he halted. "He has already lived for far longer than what is normal, even for an Asgardian. The Odinsleep keeps him alive, eases all the wounds he sustained in battles fought long since past, but… he is nearing his end. And there is nothing to do... It's worse than that, his mind has started to slip. Right now he is hiding it well, but in two years time... He won't be able to keep pretending anymore. And I fear nothing is to be done about that. My coronation was rushed, this is for certain. The reason though is clear; Odin knows it… his time grows short."

Thor could feel the unease in Loki behind him, he did remember Loki expressing many times he didn't like this situation. And his reactions currently showed that.

Thor sighed deeply, back then… Before his coronation, everything had seemed like a game. Both to him and Loki… Things weren't to be taken that seriously.

Nothing was a game anymore though, Thor knew this… And it seemed like Loki was slowly starting to realize that, though the trickster didn't like it. Didn't like it at all.

Thor couldn't blame him…. Things had dire consequences, they could lose and lose heavily, people could die. They were destined to lose something, and he felt his eyes stinging again.

Things were not going to just stay the same, no matter what he did… Loki had yet to accept that entirely but… he had to.

"Okay, that has to be enough." Loki threw the brush away on the table. "Come on then!" he just grabbed Thor's arm and pulled him out. Clearly eager to just dismiss this entire conversation.


The moment they reached the dining hall, Loki let go of Thor and promptly went to the table with food, picking up a plate. Apparently he hadn't been joking when he said he was hungry, only then as Loki had finished putting pieces of bread and fruit on his plate, as well as finding a cup of tea, did he turn and send Thor a glare.

The glare said everything. "What? Am I supposed to feed you, too?"

Thor blushed as he walked over there and found a bit of food for himself as well, before finally taking a seat next to Loki who didn't even look at him.

Just then a warrior maiden came running.

"THOR!" Sif gasped, her eyes shining. "There you are! I haven't seen you for days! Where were you?!"

Thor's cheeks burned as he glanced away. "I.."

"He caught the flu," Loki simply stated. "The big oaf has been laying in bed with a nose so stuffed that you could fill up buckets with the mucus."

Sif looked at Loki. "If that is all, why hasn't anyone just said so?" she asked.

"The big doofus was too embarrassed," Loki smoothly continued. "Said a great and mighty thunder god like him never gets sick, insisted in fact. And no one should hear of it."

"Right," Sif snorted.

Thor could feel his entire face burning hot as his eyes were fixed on his plate.

"What did you do, Loki?" Sif finally asked.

"ME?!" Loki shouted. "Why do you think I did something!" he exclaimed.

"I haven't seen you, either, for days," Sif commented. "And you seem to be on top of things. You were the one whom didn't want Thor to be crowned and you got it. Still don't know why though."

"I haven't done anything!" Loki exclaimed. "…..This time," he finally added.

Thor looked at Loki whom averted his eyes.

Sif rolled her eyes then turned to Thor. "Are you hale, Thor?" she asked. "Last time I saw you, you didn't seem..." she halted.

Thor smiled weakly. "I am hale," he assured. "It is as Loki said, I caught the flu. I apologize for having worried you."

Sif frowned slightly, clearly she wasn't buying it. "If that is the case..." she hesitated. "Then when is the coronation going to be?"

"There will be no coronation." Thor informed.

Sif blinked. "Why?" she asked.

"I am not worthy," Thor replied shortly.

Sif frowned, her eyes looking over Thor, then turned to Loki in deep suspicion.

"Don't look at me." Loki rolled his eyes.

Thor shook his head. "Loki didn't put that into my head, if he had, he wouldn't have been able to resist the urge to gloat."

Loki gaped. "That's not true!"

"Isn't it?" Thor asked casually. "You wouldn't be able to resist it, the urge to drop the hints. To stand around and talk me down while putting yourself up… Gloat."

Loki was looking at Thor, speechless, clearly not having expected to be called out like that.

"I know you. Brother," Thor reminded him in a slight smirk and Loki scoffed.

Then Thor realized Sif was looking at him in surprise as well.

"Do you disagree, Sif?" Thor asked.

"No," Sif admitted. "He would gloat…" she halted, nervously looking at Thor.

"What's wrong, Sif?" Thor asked.

"I..." Sif swallowed. "What I mean is… You… You always get mad when I say something," she looked nervous, odd for her. "Something… Well you know, negative about Loki. I don't mean to..."

Thor sucked in a breath and he did remember, Sif had tried to tell him, many times, that Loki was up to no good and Thor would always either dismiss her or get angry, take it as a personal insult as he would defend Loki's honor on principle.

"I… I'm sorry, Sif," Thor spoke softly.

Astonished, Sif looked up.

"From now on… Loki doesn't need me to defend his honor, he can defend his own honor. You can talk freely to me," Thor promised.

Sif gaped.

Then Thor turned to Loki. Loki frowned slightly.

"Any issues, Loki?" Thor asked.

"No," Loki informed. "I never wanted you to defend my honor for me. As if I can't even talk for myself, like I am a little babe who needs his big strong elder brother to do everything for him. I can indeed do it myself," he stated.

"Forgive me, Loki, I fear that no matter how you turn it, you are my little brother. I always desire to protect you," Thor admitted and Loki frowned. "Even if you don't actually need my protection."

For a moment Loki sat like that, looking at Thor with stern eyes, then he turned to his plate of food.

Thor smiled lightly, then suddenly he groaned, a sharp pain seemed to enter his head.

"Thor?" Sif asked.

"Forgive me," Thor blurred. "It seems that… that the flu I had is still lingering," he slurred.

Loki looked up at Thor.

Suddenly Thor felt sick. It was weird, it felt like he had been drinking six bottles of whiskey and it was now the day after, but he hadn't been drinking at all! He had deliberately avoided it. Thor stood up, only for the world to spin around him.

"Thor?" Loki asked and Thor shook his head to clear his foggy mind.

Then Loki stood up, and grabbed his arm with a firm grasp. "Thor, speak to me. What sensations are you feeling? Are you seeing things or hearing it?" he asked.

"I feel… sick," Thor admitted, holding his mouth.

"Is there a buzz? Like foreign magic?" Loki asked.

Thor shook his head.

"Do you hear something? Whispers?"

Again Thor shook his head. "I..." Thor fell down as he sat and he groaned, then turned his head, seeing Loki's green eyes, trying to keep them in place. "Loki," he breathed.

"HEY!" Loki shouted. "Come on, mighty Thunder god. This is no time for lazing around!" he shouted. "THOR!"

Thor couldn't fight it, though, as he drowned in darkness, he tried to keep his focus on Loki's green eyes but then they were gone too alongside Thor's consciousness.