Thor probably shouldn't be that surprised, the moment Thor and Loki made it back to Asgard they were summoned to the throne room…. Probably for a good scolding.

Thor sighed deeply, it was really weird being brought back to a time where he was still considered a bit of a child.

In his own timeline he had started to disobey Odin and act on his own a while back, acting as his own agent and he hadn't even seen Odin as he had been busy flying across all the realms.

Of course, Odin hadn't been Odin but Loki in disguise, but Thor had still been disobeying the real Odin and told him directly he was going to act on his own and then not returned to Asgard for some years, if he had, he would have discovered Loki's mischief much sooner.

Point was, he had outright told Odin he would act as his own person and Odin had in fact accepted it, if only reluctantly.

Now though they hadn't gotten that far, Thor had somewhat of a part to play, and there he and Loki were on their knees.

Odin sighed deeply. "Thor," he spoke. "First you refuse to take the throne, without offering any real explanation. Then you go gallivanting like a child?" he asked. "I allowed you to do that as a child, but now, you have responsibilities. Or should have."

"I needed this time," Thor simply stated as he finally stood up.

Odin glanced at him. "You do seem to be doing better," he admitted. "This pleases me."

"Thank you," Thor said. "I am indeed better."

Loki stood up next to Thor, his head bowed.

"Loki," Odin sighed.

"I did not talk Thor into going!" Loki defended himself. "He was the one asking me!"

"But only you can travel the branches and thus leave this realm without the Bifrost," Odin commented. "Loki, you are still free to do as you desire. The burden of a throne does not weigh on you. Thor though needn't follow such an example. He needs to realize where his duties lie."

Loki blinked. "So I should treat Thor like a child whom cannot leave this realm without your express permission?" he asked.

Thor smiled, feeling appreciation fill him.

Odin frowned, annoyed, and Loki shuffled back.

"Forgive me, I am just... a little confused," Loki admitted, his voice hesitant, nervous, but he spoke. "You said Thor was ready for the throne but he is not allowed to act on his own?" he asked, sounding honestly confused. His eyes though were still on the ground not daring to defy Odin anymore than he already had.

Odin did seem pretty angry by the defiance, but clearly he had no way to rebut Loki's question. It was a very accurate question.

"Father, it is the truth. I asked Loki to accompany me," Thor informed. "I needed this time, and Loki has been of immense help and support. A true brother."

Odin's one eye rested on him, then he nodded. "It does warm me to see you come together as brothers," he admitted. "Very well then, but let it not happen again. If you desire to leave, you must inform me," he stated as he stood up and finally walked out the throne room leaving Thor and Loki alone as they looked at each other.

"When we leave to get the other three Stones, we are not going to tell him, are we?" Loki asked.

"No, we're not," Thor replied.

"Huh." Loki turned back.

Thor looked at him. "Don't think I don't know, Loki, you do things the All Father doesn't know about, all the time," he pointed out.

"True, but you don't. At least not until now," Loki commented, glancing at Thor, then he looked up at the big paintings across the ceiling of the throne room, the history of Asgard, beautiful blue and golden, talking of a great people rising in prosperity and peace.

It told of a humble people coming to a humble land and building their own kingdom, talking to other realms as friends and building alliances due to talk and friendship, not a single drop of red paint was to be found.

Thor looked up as he swallowed. "It's… right under that," he breathed. "They painted it over. The true history, it's right there. But hidden beneath… that."

Loki stood still, he was shaking lightly.

"Loki?" Thor asked.

Then Loki raised his hands and suddenly, the outer layer seemed to vanish though it just turned invisible… The contrast was astounding, all the blues seemed to now be red and there it was. Wars, the image of Odin standing proud behind a horned woman wielding an ax as lords knelt before them.

Loki's eyes were transfixed on her.

"Aye, that's her… Our sister," Thor said.

Loki was shaking.

"Odin… he journeyed to conquer the realms, to make Asgard the mightiest realm of all. Forcing the others into submission. He brought his daughter to his side, and he made her… His own executioner. He asked her to execute those whom stood against him, and she did." Thor gestured at the paintings clearly showing it. "What Odin didn't count on was Hela truly developing a taste for blood, she adored killing, to her it was fun… And then, one day... Odin changed his ways, he saw the wrong in his ways and wished to change. But Hela did not want to change, she wanted to be allowed to continue. To kill. She even turned on her own, on Asgard! She massacred the Valkyries, killed her own people and she would not stop. So Odin locked her away, far away. And there she still is, to this very day."

Loki was shaking, his face looked so pale, his eyes misty.

"He made her what she is. His own daughter," Thor breathed. "And then, when he realized he had done wrong… She was locked away. And the day he dies, she will be released and she will look for her revenge. She will demand this throne, kill anyone who denies it to her and start her killing spree just because to her there is no greater pleasure than the death of others."

"Stop!" Loki hissed as he gestured with his hands and the paintings were covered back up. "I don't want to hear anymore!"

"Loki…. I..." Thor hesitated.

"Odin is just going to leave us with that crap!?" Loki asked. "If he wanted to start fresh, the least he could do would be to kill her himself! But then he just leaves it to us?!"

Thor felt the sadness in him, he knew he was soon going to break again, the tears would soon flow. What Loki said was was no way around it, Odin had left his own dirty work to them. And he hadn't even warned them about it.

"Odin said, he united the realms in peace! So that was all a lie. His big grand example was just... A big fat lie?" Loki asked.

Thor nodded. "Aye," he informed.

"If everything is a lie… Then what can I believe?" Loki asked, his voice breaking, his eyes looking so hopeless.

Thor reached out, taking Loki's shoulder. "Believe that we are on a mission, and that has nothing to do with this. Believe that you are Loki, and you do not need Odin's approval to do wonders."

Loki looked up, then he nodded.

As Thor finally reached his chambers he was just exhausted, he looked forward to a good long sleep. Though the moment he laid down he realized, he was alone in his room. Loki wasn't with him! And he shivered.

What if he shifted! What if he shifted and Loki wasn't there! And he came back here and Loki was suddenly gone?!

He knew it was irrational, he wanted to go to Loki's room even to just lay on the floor, it was stupid, it was silly. Hela's laughter once again rang in his skull, the images they had just seen but alive, real. The image of a burning Asgard and all the corpses.

Fandral... Volstagg... Hogun... Laying on the ground never to move again because they defied her. Thor was shivering, he curled together, he wanted the images to go away but they would not.

Then suddenly the door opened and in stepped Loki.

Wide-eyed, Thor looked up, Loki's head was lowered and his face blushing deeply, as if he was ashamed.

"Loki," Thor breathed.

"You always weep when you're sleeping!" Loki huffed. "It's pathetic, I can't leave you alone."

Thor blinked.

"I'm not scared!" Loki informed… He was shaking. "This is for you, not me!" he proclaimed trying to act tough… His eyes were wet.

Then Loki turned into a cat and jumped up into Thor's bed, rolling into a lump on top of the blankets. Clearly trying to pretend it wasn't a big deal.

Thor swallowed. "Thank you, Loki," he sniffled. "You're right, I did need this," he admitted. He hesitated but reached forward, finally allowing himself to pet Loki's cat form. Loki didn't react, but as Thor laid back, Loki moved closer, and was snuggling all the way up to Thor's side as if searching for protection.

Thor honestly was happy, it did allow him to relax and get some sleep.