Guys, I wrestled the plot bunnies. I'm not sure how I survived. This is what they let me write to sort of tie up tie up the loose ends of the last chapter

Last time...

"I know. It's okay. I know." He assured her. "I had a meeting with the Goblin King, and wow that was a sentence I never thought I'd say."

"Really? How did that go?" Hera asked, trying to wipe her tears away with her sleeves.

"I punched him in the face." Tony replied unrepentant, causing her to giggle. "Other than that, everything went fine. We got to watch parts of your adventure via some kind of magic viewing screen in an office of Gringotts."

They swapped stories about what had happened or what they'd seen. Hera still didn't understand Tony's fascination with her telling him stories like this, and she still wasn't sure what a Dungeon Master was, but she found that she loved sharing these things with him almost as much as he loved hearing about them. Her favorite part of Tony's stories on what he'd seen was Thor's dip in the Bog of Eternal Stench, and Professor Snape's offer of future contributions. It scared her, the anger she held for Thor, the anger she held for Dumbledore; that anger had ruled over her once, in the life she tried not to think of as her own, and she didn't want to make that mistake again. Tony, perhaps recognizing her need for distraction, began telling stories of his best friend Rhodey, and all the crazy things they got into over the years; embarrassing nicknames included.

Chapter 50

Before the quest's end...

When next Thor returned home, he was going to give that book another look through. He didn't remember reading about tiny flying creatures that got mad at you when your head didn't come off like theirs apparently did. He also didn't remember reading about giant piles of garbage, or the wall of hands. The places those hands had touched as they…Thor blushed just thinking of it now, shaking his head to rid his mind of such things. It was all over now, at least.

He'd done it. He'd made it through the Labyrinth in time to save the Lady Hera from the fate he'd dealt her, though he was covered in grim and a little worse for wear. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do that would ever make up for what he'd done. Hopefully, she would find it within herself to forgive him, but Thor very much doubted that. In that regard, Lady Hera reminded him quite strongly of his little brother. She would not forgive him easily, and he did not deserve it regardless.

"Release Lady Hera." Thor demanded, upon seeing the Goblin King. Why did the foul cretin act as if nothing was wrong? He'd been defeated!

"I don't think I shall." The Goblin King denied lazily, amused, raising his hand when Thor went to object. "Beware, Prince Thor. You have made designs to trespass upon my lands with thoughts to take what was never yours. I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel."

"Generous?" Thor asked, incredulous. "What have you done that's generous?"

"Everything!" The Goblin King shouted, angry at him now. "Everything that you wanted, I have done. You wanted Lady Hera taken. I took her. You cowered before me. I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?"

"It wasn't what I wanted." Thor objected.

"No, but it is what you wished for, so it's what you were given." The Goblin King reminded him. Thor lowered his head in shame once more. This was something else Loki often harped on him about, being careful with ones words.

…but he couldn't just leave it like this…

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City." Thor declared, making his way up the steps. He had to try. He had to save her. "For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great, and…and…Damn it all, what was that last line?"

"It won't matter. You've already failed." The Goblin King stated confidently. "She's already one of us!"

How could the man know that? He hadn't yet failed. He hadn't! All he wanted was to save his friend! Surely that was not too much to wish for? He didn't care about the sword anymore. He just wanted his friend back!

So focused on the Goblin King, and trying to remember the words that would free his friend, Thor almost missed the nervous look the man had gotten. Was this some new distraction method? Thor thought not, not with the clouds coming in, and the thunder that rolled. He turned to see just what it was that the Goblin King was looking at, and saw…Mjölnir was in his hand before he'd finished the thought, the power of it coursing through his veins as it harmonized with his own, and for once Thor knew exactly what to say.

"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great." Thor spoke, his words rumbling like thunder around them, as he twirled the hammer. "You have no power over me."

Thor let it go, knowing it would strike true. He was not expecting a shout of defiance, or for Lady Hera to come rushing out to them. He most definitely did not expect her to quickly cast a shield charm so strong that it physically stopped Mjölnir; the sound of the collision reverberating throughout the area. Thor called the weapon back to him, not wanting to hurt his friend, but he did not understand what was going on. What had happened that she would defend the one that had stole her away?

"I will not let you harm my king!" Hera shouted, enraged, shocking him into silence before he could speak. He must have still made to open his mouth, at the very least, but she raised her hand to halt his words. "NO! For once in your bloody life, Thor, think before you open your big mouth!"

Not thinking before he 'opened his big mouth', as she put it, is what had gotten them into this mess. Thinking they could have grand adventures together, that she would follow in his boundless enthusiasm as so many others often did, is what had lead them here. He had thought if they went on this grand adventure together, that she would forget her anger towards him. He'd not expected them to be separated, no matter what the story said, had not realized he would be alone in his quest. She had told him, but he'd disregarded her words, thinking them nothing more than the warnings of one who worried far too much.

"Lady Hera-"

"You almost cost me my brother, you arse!" She shouted, cutting him off. "We'd just found each other! Hadn't even known before. And you! You! In your eagerness for a grand adventure you could brag about to your friends, or whatever woman you fancied a good fuck out of, wished me away for a bloody sword! And you really thought I was going to just sit around and wait for you to rescue me?! As if!"

When put like that, it sounded quite bad, and he grimaced. He'd hoped she would be overjoyed to see him, even though he was the reason she'd been trapped here. He would rescue her, and they would go on the quest for the sword together, and all would be well. It would be a grand adventure they could tell their friends once they'd returned victorious. But as he went through the dangers and hardships the book had warned him existed, and a few that it had not, he'd come to realize that this was not going to be one of those moments.

"'Tis true I did not think of what my actions would wrought, and I should have listened when you warned me I did not understand the power words can have." Thor admitted, humbled in this moment. "But we can leave now. I made it here in time, and we can go back home. We can leave, just us. I no longer care for the sword. I did not even before Mjölnir found me worthy. Your friendship is all that matters, Lady Hera. Please, you need not stay here, held by the Goblin King against your will."

"I'm not leaving with you, Thor." Hera stated, shaking her head. There was something in the way she spoke those words that sent a chill of dread through him, as if he were already too late.

"But I made it in time! I fought through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered to reach the castle beyond the Goblin City!" Thor objected. Surely it was not too late? "To save you!"

"And did you not think for one bloody second that I might have a problem with that?" She demanded, pulling him up short. "Why would I wait around for you to save me, when you're the one that got me into this mess in the first place?"

"The Wisher is to make the Run. I know I read that part correctly." Thor argued. "The book said nothing of the Wished Away rescuing themselves. I admit I did not consider it a possibility because of this."

"It is not often done, because the one wished away is not usually old enough for the choice to be offered." The Goblin King stated, reminding Thor that he was still there.

"If you stay here, you'll be a goblin, Lady Hera." Thor insisted, ignoring the king for now. Clearly he had some kind of mental hold over her that Thor was powerless to break, but that did not mean he couldn't try. "Come away with me. Please?"

"Did you or did you not encounter more than just goblins while here?" Hera reminded him, crossing her arms. He had, but hadn't the book… "I'm not leaving with you, Thor."

"But if you stay, I'll never be able to see you again!" Thor objected, sensing that perhaps he was not going to win after all. "Mother will be devastated!"

"Where does it say that?" Hera snorted, leveling him with an unimpressed look on her face. "Just because I refuse to leave with you, doesn't mean I can't leave at all. It made no mention that I was to be trapped here in any way, just that I would be one of them. Such a pity."

"But…"

"Go home, Thor," Hera demanded, before wrinkling her nose and an unpleasant expression crossed her face. "and take a bath. You reek."

The full-length mirror was suddenly on the platform with them, and Thor could see the library he'd left from. Loki was even there searching for him!

"Brother!" Thor exclaimed, before realizing that Loki most likely could not hear him. A thought came to him, and he turned to Lady Hera. "You did not wait for me to rescue you, yet you are still one of them. You defended the Goblin King, the one who took you away. I do not understand."

"I wasn't going to wait around for you to rescue me, Thor. For all I knew, you were going to go for the sword and leave me here, thinking I could just disappear out like always." Hera reminded him. He ducked his head down in a grimace once more, having thought that exact thing when she'd disappeared at first. "So I went on a quest of my own, got citizenship, and the ability to go home to my brother. If I have to chose between waiting around to be rescued like some damsel in distress, and finding my own way out, I'd rather just rescue my own self."

Thor nodded, and took a step towards the mirror, knowing that was where he needed to go. He'd stepped through a mirror to get to this land. It would stand to reason that he needed to step through a mirror to leave it. However, before he reached his destination, Thor paused. He couldn't leave things the way they were.

"There is no apology I could give you that would be great enough to cover what I've done, what I could have taken from you, Lady Hera." Thor stated, surprising her with the words, and didn't that just cut deep knowing that she hadn't expected him to apologize at all. "'Tis not enough for me to say the words and mean them, I know that now, but…Could you ever come to forgive me my folly?"

She looked away, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment, having hoped despite everything.

"It's too raw right now, Thor. I can't answer that as I am." She finally replied, still not looking at him. "Maybe some day, just…just not right now. Okay?"

Thor nodded, but hesitated at the mirror again.

"I'm not leaving with you, Thor." Hera insisted, as if sensing his final plea. "Go home. Take a bath. I wasn't kidding when I said you reek."

"Then I bid you farewell, Lady Hera, and hope to see you under better tidings." Thor said in parting, giving a deep bow, and a slight nod to the Goblin King, surprising the both of them. Without another word, he turned, and stepped through the mirror.

…

~Remember the lessons you have learned this day, Prince Thor, Do not make me repeat this~

…

"Thor! I knew you were shirking your responsibilities!" Loki scolded, finally catching sight of his older brother. Smelling something horrid, Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Where have you been? What have you been doing? You smell like you've rolled around in a bog."

Thor only gives a tired laugh. "'Tis not far off, Brother. Perhaps I will tell you the tale later. For now, I have been advised that a bath…or maybe several…may be in order."

"There's no time. Mother and Father wish us to dine with them this eve, and you know how Mother is about these things." Loki insisted, already pushing him towards the door.

"I think she would far rather I not make others run for the hills with my stench!" Thor objected, though he did not resist quite as much as he would have otherwise.

"Then you should have thought about that before somehow finding a bog to roll around in when you should have been studying." Loki shot back. "It took me ages to get Father to realize how lax you have been in your studies. If you think I am going to sit beside you and be your constant adviser, you and the AllFather have another thing coming."

"Really?" Thor wondered in surprise. He had thought his brother would always be by his side. "What do you plan on doing while I glory in being king?"

"I plan to travel the Nine, maybe even beyond, seeking knowledge." Loki insisted as they went. "I want to explore everything, see everything. I can not do that if I'm stuck by your side as a boring adviser. Have you seen them? Father's sleeps when he thinks the AllFather isn't looking! I will not allow that to become my lot in life."

"'Tis good you have dreams to chase, my son." Their mother commented, causing both boys to jump slightly, having not sensed her. A sort of pained expression crossed her face, however, her nose wrinkling as Loki's had. "What in all the realms is that foul odour?"

"T'would be me, Mother." Thor admitted with a grimace. "I…I found a book Loki had not left for me, a tale of adventure, and wished away the Lady Hera in order to go on a quest. In my quest to save her from my folly, I fell into something called the Bog of Eternal Stench. 'Tis most vexing."

"You keep speaking of a Lady Hera, and yet I have never met her." Loki wondered. Thor could practically hear the envy in Loki's voice, as Thor had spoken of both her might in battle and magics.

"Thor, you…You wished her away?" She asked in barely restrained anguish.

"I wanted us to go on a quest together for a sword! 'Tis not what I thought it would be, however, and I understand now why she tried to warn me away from such a venture." Thor reasoned. "The sword was not important. I should have never wished her away, but in my quest to free her, Mjölnir found me worthy; a small consolation when I consider what could have happened."

"I still remember her…You were successful then?" She asked, her eyes hopeful as they searched the library fleetingly.

"No. I was not." Thor admitted, saddened when his mother let out a small sound of pain. She looked confused when he cracked a small rueful smile. "She rescued herself."

"This sounds like a story to share over dinner." Their mother decided, guiding them both out. "I look forward to hearing it in its entirety, and then maybe we can do something about the smell."

…

Oðin had never been one to shy away from his eldest son, but as the smell hit him full force, he found himself doing just that. It was enough that even the servants could not maintain their decorum for long, some excusing themselves in short shifts to be able to breathe before returning. If Frigga had not whispered to him of Thor's folly, he would have thought this an overly enthusiastic prank of his youngest son. As it was, Loki glared at any of the servants that were a little more obvious about their displeasure at the stench, and he suspected many would feel the trickster's ire soon enough. According to Frigga, Thor had wished away a Lady Hera, and had gone on a quest to free her.

He'd heard of this Lady Hera from Frigga, of course. His wife was quite fond of the girl, and would oft speak of her. He knew quite well that Frigga would formally adopt the girl if she could get her to agree, but as of yet they'd not spoken on the matter. He himself had not yet met her, as the young one was hesitant to allow it. Frigga called her 'Lítit Auðit', had described the mark of Sowilo upon her brow, and it made him wonder why the girl refused to meet with him.

"The Goblin King?" Oðin inquired, having caught a particularly interesting strand in Thor's tale. "You went to what Miðgarðr calls The Underground?"

"I did not know the realm existed, and Lady Hera had tried to warn me against the quest. I was too eager." Thor nodded as he continued. "I had meant to go on a quest for a sword of goblin make."

"Did you find it?" Oðin questioned, knowing the sword Thor spoke of. He did not know, could not know, what it had been used for; but if he had stumbled upon the knowledge…Even Loki did not know, not after Fenrir had been taken away.

"No, sadly I did not. 'Twould have made a find addition to our armoury." Thor lamented. Oðin tried not to let his relief show, though Frigga frowned when she saw it, having not agreed with his decision in the first place. "As I was saying, Lady Hera rescued herself, not wishing to be parted from her newly discovered brother any longer than necessary. She is quite formidable."

"Let this be a lesson to you, Thor, never to take those around you for granted." Frigga warned. "Just because we are long lived does not mean malady and misfortune can not befall us."

"How did Lady Hera free herself?" Oðin wondered. He could see Loki and Frigga were equally curious about this as well.

"I do not know. She did not see fit to tell me, and was quite cross with me for endangering the growing bond between her and her newly discovered brother." Thor relayed. "She gets quite cross with me whenever she hears of how Loki is treated by our friends. I imagine her wish for a sibling aids her anger, and when she discovered she had a brother of her own, she did not wish to be parted from him."

"Your friends, Thor, not mine." Loki grumbled, though he looked confused as to why someone he did not know would defend him; the argument of their friends an old one.

"You could have gone with him, you know." Jareth stated, once Thor had gone.

"I know, but Fenrir is still being seen by your healers." Hera explained. "I wasn't about to leave him when I'd sworn to be here for him. I want to go back to Tony, but…"

"You honour your word." He noted with pride.

"I am loath to ever break it." She corrected. "I can not say I have never or will never break it, the chaotic circumstances of my life being what they are."

"'Tis more than most can claim." Jareth nodded to her. "When Fenrir is healed, the two of you will be able to leave the Underground in much the same way Thor did. In the meantime, what would you say to learning a bit of magic?"

"Tell me why you insist on wearing pants so tight you might as well sing soprano for the rest of your insanely long life, and I'll agree to learn whatever magic you want." She shot back, and he could not help but throw his head back and laugh at the bluntness of her words. "Seriously though, those crystal balls you play with aren't your actual balls…are they?"

AN: There are A LOT of Labyrinth quotes in this, so I just didn't put the little * beside them. So many