The Existence of Hellfire

by TheDaringFlower01

*AU,1st story, 'fix-it' kinda, Loki-leaning* A woman with unique abilities is recruited by Director Fury to join the Avengers. While on the outside she seems calm and collected, inside her mind is utter chaos which she is struggling to control. Facing danger, the Avengers, and other obstacles she is left to decide whether she can be a hero or succumb to what is trapped inside.

14. 14: Reality is Pain

Aria gritted her teeth as she fell on her back. She quickly threw her legs out to hit her target but missed when he stepped back. She pushed energy into her right arm and pushed herself up into a crouch. However, she had to throw herself to the right in order to dodge his hammer that came down on the spot she just was at. She saw him smile wickedly before he turned his thrust into her direction, laughing as the hammer hit her side and vaulted her across the meadow. Aria grunted as she fell to the floor in a roll, her side blaring with pain.

"That was cheap Thor!" She yelled out as she got her bearings, "we said no weapons and you summon Mjolnir the moment you start to lose."

"I am a sore loser my Lady. And honestly, I love being able to wield my hammer against someone who is able to handle a blow from the weapon. Most others would crumble from such a thing but not you."

Aria breathed out angrily but couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face. She sighed and put her hand out to him, his large hand enveloping her own and pulling her up. She landed into him and breathlessly gasped at the harsh contact as she collided with his unmoving frame. Thor and her had gotten much closer in the time she'd spent here on Asgard, which was now counting off at three, four months. Despite her mingling with others (such as her father, Frigga, and of course Loki even when they weren't training) Aria found that most of her time free time was spent with Thor and the Warrior Three. Once her father lied to Odin that her seal was intact, her personal guards seized watching over her and she had her freedom. He had granted her more time in Asgard under the guise that it would be wise to keep her close, to ensure that Ragnarok wouldn't commence. She was complacent in his ruling for it allowed her relationship with her father to begin improving and allowed for her training to continue with Loki. He had upped the pace of what she learned and it was beginning to show with how well she was able to control her energy and conjur spells. Small spells for the most part but useful in a lot of situations.

Her mind snapped back to the present as she realized Thor still had her against him, lavender and a hint of metallic invading her senses when he pressed closer. It also gave time for Aria to train with Thor and get much closer to him as well. While it scared her to get close to anyone after years of isolation, she felt she was better in control of her powers and had a much better relationship with Hati that it now seemed possible to make meaningful connections. And with those here on Asgard it seemed plenty easy to do so. Still pushed against the God, Aria backed off him quickly before smirking at him as she dusted herself off. "So it's true! You do bathe with lavender. I can smell it even through all the sweat," she teased as she bent down to redo her laces.

"Lavender is a fine herb. Much to do with such a tiny plant," he laughed out while walking towards the city.

Aria smiled and caught up to him quickly. She managed to almost memorize the entirety of the city as well as the castle, so she didn't get lost as often as when she first started running about. Thor and her father helped her by showing her around when either weren't busy going around the realms or helping rebuild their fancy bridge respectively. She knew how to get to her father's cottage, to her room in the main palace, and to the restaurant that she frequented with her father and Fjor. Everything in-between was quite easily placed in her mind and for once, she felt comfortable.

Even though Aria was getting along better with her father, she still held tightly onto her anger. It was getting less noticeable now, only flaring up here and there. He was patient and kind; understanding that the span of a decade and a half could not be healed in such short time. Fjor on the other hand she'd gotten along much better with. They fought once, with Aria being the victor, and since then have respected each other and moved on. It still slightly hurt Aria to be around him alone due to his close relationship to their father, but he was her brother through and through. She even saw snippets of Huskon in his eyes and personality. He also held the same kind heart as her late brother, shown as Fjor tried to help ease the mending of the relationship between Aria and their father as well. He shared stories of them two together and even went as far as trying to include her in them by saying how she could have helped or how her being there would have altered the outcomes.

Thor sighed and threw his arm around her catching Aria by surprise. One thing that Aria was having trouble adjusting to was Thor's tendency to be overtly affectionate in the physical sense. He always seemed to be touching her in one way or another. Never for too long unless it was a hug of some sort, but always within contact. She hadn't been around a love like that in a long time and while it scared her, it was also pleasant. Being enjoyed enough to have someone wanting to constantly touch her for no reason at all gave Aria a sense of comfort she didn't know she wanted nor needed.

They reached the main castle entrance and parted ways to their own rooms. She opened her doors with a shove and slunk into it before pushing the door closed behind her. She undressed quickly, her clothes falling to the floor in an ungracious lump. She sighed as she was freed from the skintight clothes. Aria was still not used to the style of clothing Asgard had to offer, though the material was comfortable and breathable she'd never worn something so fitting on a constant basis before.

Walking into the conjoined bathroom she turned the water on for a bath. Steam began to fog the space and Aria turned to the sink countertop to grab the jars of herbs there. She looked at the lavender-labeled jar for a small moment before smiling and grabbing it as well. She threw in a handful of the flower, along with other herbs. Rose petals, peppermint, sage, and other native herbs she didn't know by name were thrown in as well. Aria learned from her mother that these types of baths had their many benefits outside of smelling nicely. She was glad that even on Asgard that there could be a small reminder of home. Or at least of her mother.

Home is not always a place.

You made it sound like it was.

I too was influenced by the spell Aria. You and I are one, I feel the same pains you feel. Physical and otherwise.

That I didn't know…why?

Why do you think your control of the energy inside goes rampant when faced with emotional stresses? It is because of my influence as well since I feel things tenfold. Anguish, sorrow, happiness...I have no answer to why it is such, but it has followed with each vessel.

Aria moaned as she sank into the bath, the hot water sloshing against her bare skin. She sighed and sank further down into it, the bath big enough to where her shoulders could be submerged comfortably. Aria closed her eyes in bliss as the aroma filled her senses. She reached up and released her hair from the braid it was in, now fully leaning against the wall of the bath. Her lips pulled into a sad smile as she thought of the last time she took a bath such as this one.

"Now calm down Aria, a bathe of this nature requires little excitement and much idleness."

"This type of bath is so weird Mom," Aria giggled out as she watched her mother throw in various flowers.

She reached into the water and retreated it quickly from the heat. Her mother laughed before getting up from her knees. She put the basket in hand next to the door and turned to look at Aria.

"Now undress and get in. Call me once you've done so," Her mother said before closing the door as she stepped out.

Aria smiled before undressing quickly and practically jumping into the bath. "OW! Hot, hot, hot!"

Aria giggled before spreading her legs out as far as she could, her toes barely reaching the end of the tub. She ran her hands under the water and watched excitedly as the flowers moved with the movement. She nodded her head as the words her mom spoke came into her head before taking a breath and relaxing her body. She laid back and closed her eyes before calling out to her mom. When the door began to open, Aria opened one eye to see her mom walking in with a small smile on her face.

"So, mom, why do we take baths like this?"

"It is just as much to liven our body as it is to liven our soul. Plus whom doesn't like a fancy bath from time to time?"

"I don't ever see you take these baths!"

"Ah it is because I do so once you and Huskon have fallen asleep, for when would I be able to rest with such devious children running amok?" Her mother teased as she bent down to tap her nose.

They both laughed with each other before her mom began to wash her hair. As she did, she began to hum the song she always did with just Aria. Aria never knew what it meant but enjoyed the song either way. Closing her eyes at the warm feeling and the feeling of her mother's hands massaging her head, Aria smiled as she began to hum along with her.

The memory played behind Aria's closed eyes infinitely. Lost in the joy of it all. Memories such as these were her home in the end, and she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness that she only had such small moments of these to replay. However, she banished the feelings away and just enjoyed the happiness from them, not wanting to taint the picture of her life before even more.

She stayed in the bath until much later as a knock at her door broke her from her trance. She lazily opened her eyes towards the direction of the sound, the now cold water becoming apparent against her skin. The knocking persisted and Aria groaned before getting up and reaching for a towel. Wrapping herself to decency, she stalked out of the bathroom and to the front door. She opened to find Thor behind it with a smile plastered on his face.

He blinked twice before looking her up and down, the smile turning sheepish. He turned his head to the side and coughed before bringing his hand to rub at his neck, "there is mayhem within the realms m'lady and I thought it wise to bring you with me…once you're ready of course."

"I'll be ready in five minutes Thor," she said while tilting her head, "are you embarrassed to see me in just a towel?"

"Ahhh no Aria. It's just…impolite. I will wait for you at the staircase before we go!" He sputtered out before practically running away.

Aria laughed before closing the door and getting ready. A fight would be good for her about now. She needed a reason to release the pent-up energy and this would be a great outlet for her. She walked over to her closet and opened it wide, eyeing the various pieces of clothing hung up inside. She still wasn't completely sold on the Asgardian dress however; it made her feel such prowess with the clothes on. She didn't have to be stealthy all the time anymore, she could now express herself a little through the clothes she wore to save people. Black was mistrustful it seemed, no matter how much more functional, and people seemed to be more forgiving when she wasn't clad in all black.

She ran her hands along the fine Asgardian threads, humming the tune her mother used to sing. She stopped on a red outfit and grabbed it out to put it on. The dress-like top ran down to her knees, the bottom of the shirt cut into three flaps. One flap covered her private area and the other two her backside but left her thighs exposed. The top portion was like a turtleneck, hugging her throat up until the middle of it. The dark red garment was sleeveless, and the seams and ends embroidered with a dark black hem. She slid on black spandex to go under before sneaking her hands into the elbow-length black leather gloves. The gloves only covered her palms and a small portion of her fingers, otherwise they were fingerless.

She put her combat boots on, noting that she would have to find another pair with how beaten up they were now. She strapped on her thigh holsters and slung her knife pack across her hip, beginning to fill up the pack and holsters with throwing knives and daggers. She picked up her special daggers from her dresser before shoving them into her boots. Grabbing her small sword, she threw the strapped weapon over her head before heading to the door. Stopping suddenly, she reached up to her neck, before trudging back to the restroom to grab her necklace. Snapping it on, she looked in the mirror to see someone she began to like looking back at her.

She looked at the tan skin littered with scars, proud of each nick and slice. Her pink hair was intricately braided back with small wisps of hair misplaced. The outfit made her seem out of place, being used to wearing black shirts and black pants. It was a change she still hadn't gotten used to. But it looked good. She blinked twice to snap out of her trance before rushing out the door.

xXOOXx

"You said-" Aria grunted out before twisting her body around and slamming her fist into the side of a bandit to send him flying a couple yards away, "this was going to be easy!"

"I said no such thing!" Thor replied as he threw his hammer out before punching an unfortunate soul in the face, knocking him cold. "I didn't realize they would have this great of numbers."

"It is six of us against an army Thor! Preparation is a must for the will-be king of Asgard!" Sif yelled as she vaulted herself over Fandral into a larger man, knocking him to the ground. Pinning him from above, she struck three harsh blows to his head and moved on once his eyes rolled.

"And who said it was I who will be throned?" He laughed aloud while punching one of the enemy soldiers, "what if it is you who is crowned? My father fancies you quite a bit!"

Aria huffed out indignantly before grabbing her daggers, throwing them at the advancing enemies and calling them back just as fast. One throw after another she continued pushing further, not bothering to count the bodies dropping around her. She scanned the area before a roar ripped through the field and the fighting seemed to cease for a moment. With dread plaguing her, Aria watched as winged beasts flew over their heads. They looked bat-like, but bigger than a human and much uglier than a normal bat.

"And what the hell are those?!" She snapped as she recalled her daggers from their slaughter.

"That is a…a…I'm not sure but I do know they will try to kill us!" He said back as his hammer returned to his hand. He began to twirl it and bend down, sending a smirk over to her, "I will deal with those in the air, I trust you'll deal with their foot soldiers?"

Without giving her a moment to respond he flew out and began to strike at the beasts with his lighting. Aria shook her head before turning to the now active army. She cracked her neck and sighed before pooling energy into her right arm. Reeling it back, she yelled out and struck at the ground with all of its force. She snapped her head up and watched as fear sunk into the eyes of the closest few before they were engulfed by the now destroyed earth around them. She pushed up from her kneeled stance and attacked the ones still standing. It was a dance of evade and attack, for every punch or kick there was a bend or a roll to not be hit.

Ahhhh the rush of the fight. Let me be of service to you and lend you some of my energy.

I don't need it for a fight like this Hati. They just have numbers over us. Quality vs quantity is what's going on here.

But think how much more quickly it would be done with if it was our energy and not just yours.

Hush. I need to focus.

Hati growled in her head as she ducked to avoid being stabbed in the chest. She sent a burst of energy from her fist, but her punch fell short. She was surprised to find that even though her fist didn't connect, the enemy still was somehow hit and flew back. She didn't have time to speculate before having to evade another attack by rolling away. She continued on, trying her best not to overly enjoy the battle. It had been awhile since she was able to expel this much energy from her body without needing Hati as a backup. Challenging enough just for her without her resorting to the wolf's energy. She jumped into the air after directing energy into her legs and was caught by surprise when one of the winged beasts snatched her from her descent.

She yelled out in pain as its claws sunk into her upper arms. The beast roared before flinging her higher into the air. Aria tried her best to not flail but didn't have much time to think before another of the wretched things grabbed her by her ankles. She grunted as she was flung about upside down, the breath being knocked from her lungs. Specks of blood splattered against her cheeks from the swing, the throbbing in her upper arm stopped her from fully catching her breath. The beast began to fly straight and away from the battlefield which gave Aria time to adjust being upside down. She gritted her teeth before looking up at the oversized bat. She weighed the options she had and decided her best course of action was to try and attack it with her energy the same way she had that man. She rushed energy into her arm, pulled herself up with her left hand holding her leg, and then struck her right arm out to the animal's abdomen without thinking. Again, her fist didn't hit but somehow the animal was struck and unlatched itself from her body as it flew back with a screech.

She watched it fly back amazed before realizing she was also flying down. Turning her body around, she stretched her arms and legs out waiting for the right time to ball up and send energy into her legs. Déjà vu hit her for a moment before Loki's face whipped before her eyes, back to the first mission she had working with the Avengers. She blinked rapidly and shook her head free of the thoughts before pushing her legs down under her, energy rushing to blanket her from the fall. However, she didn't land where she expected to land.

The first thing she noticed was the cold, wet air around her. She landed harshly and off balanced due to the sudden change, rolling with the force of the impact. She stopped and breathed out heavily as she was at the edge of what seemed to be a stone bridge. With wide eyes she looked down at the abyss she almost fell to, her breathing coming in and out quickly. Panicked, she pushed herself up with her arms and jumped to her feet before calling her daggers to her hands. Wincing at the pain from her fresh wounds, she scanned with her eyes around as much as she could in the dark but found that she was seemingly alone. Still on guard, she kneeled down and began to bandage the few injuries she could before she ran out of bandages. Standing once finished, she walked forward as silently as possible. That's when she noticed a faint red gleam further down the bridge.

Oh what you've stumbled upon Aria…fascinating…

What is it?

You know what it is. You can feel it.

Aria grimaced as she looked ahead. He was right, the pull in her stomach and the goosebumps over her whole body pointed to only one thing: an infinity stone. She hesitantly walked forward towards the red gleam, her skin crawling as she got closer. She could hear the humming of the stone in her ears and feel the pull between it and her strengthen with every step. She was surprised to see the light coming from between two large stones, engravings etched onto the big pieces of rock. She stood at full height and shoved her daggers away.

She tilted her head in attempt to see the stone better but was surprised that the light seemed to be moving. Curious as to what was causing that, Aria ventured closer to the boxes of stones and realized they were floating on top of one another with enough room between them that her hand could fit in the space. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as she ran her hand over the top of the bottom stone cube. The humming in her head began to scream and her skin was all but melting off her as close as she was to the stone, but for the life of her she couldn't see a stone. Just light that seemed to move on its own. Then quite quickly she found out why.

A rope of dark red energy bound itself around her wrist and yanked her hand in-between the cubes, pulling the rest of her harshly against the cold mystical cubes. She yelled out in pain as the energy burned what it touched, and Aria could only watch in horror as it began to run its way up her arm through her veins. Pain erupted through her whole body once the energy hit her shoulder and Aria screamed in reaction to it. She struggled to separate herself but was stuck with her arm in the space of the cubes, the burning pain encompassing her whole body now. She screamed again and pushed energy into her left arm but before she could hit either of the cubes a red energy blasted her away and the cubes collapsed against each other.

She collided with a wall and rolled a couple times but couldn't feel it over the agony her body was going through. She clawed at her neck, suddenly without the ability to breath, and did her best to gasp in small pockets of air. She was too occupied by the searing agony that she failed to realize that the scenery around her had changed; she was back on the field of where she was taken. She rolled into a ball and choked out in pain. Everything was in pain.

HATI WHAT IS GOING ON?!

The stone…broken…remnants of what used to be!

Tears rolled hotly down Aria's cheeks and she hissed when she felt something touch her. Through the blurry vision she saw someone standing over her before the edges of her vision began to darken. She tried to call for help but only a whimper managed to trudge its way past her lips. And then her eyes rolled their way into nothing. Blissful, without pain, nothingness.

oOXXOo

Thor looked down at Aria with worry. Her skin glistened with sweat, and she groaned out in pain even being that she was out cold. He didn't dare touch her, his eyes slipping to see Fandral nursing his head after being blasted away from her upon touching her shoulder. His focus came back to Aria when he heard her groan again, his eyes catching sight of something red glowing under her skin. He narrowed his eyes and when he saw nothing again chalked it up to being illusions. His worry for her was playing tricks on him.

"Thor, we should return to Asgard and have our healers see her once we touch the soil. She is unwell and injured." Sif said as she crouched down next to her, careful not to touch the sleeping woman.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come back my liege?" Hogunn asked from behind him.

Thor sighed and stood up, before looking around at the damage. They had caused a bit of it from what he could see, various houses on fire and chunks of the ground were upheaved due to his lovely companion. However, they were successful in calming the storm that raged in Vanaheim for now. He nodded his head and looked to the heavens, "No my friend. Your people need you here now more than we need you back on Asgard. Heimdall bring us home."

A beacon of light shot down at them from the sky, enveloping then in an array of different colors. Within seconds they were transported to the golden globe, Heimdall turning the large sword as they appeared on what Thor called the landing.

"Heimdall, call healers for Aria quickly," he stated as he bent down to be next to her while Sif got up to get their friends out of there. "I will stay with Lady Aria until healers get here."

"Of course," Heimdall responded as he walked away. Sif and the others followed closely behind.

Thor looked down at Aria, his mouth settling into a grim thin line. He gently cupped her cheek with his hand and his eyes widened when he saw the red glow from under her skin. She groaned and moved her head further into his hand before her eyes fluttered open. His breath caught in his throat when she did so, now realizing the slightly compromising position he'd put himself in. He froze as her emerald eyes slid over to him, a confused and questioning glint blossoming within them. He felt like she could stare into his soul with such eyes but was cut from his trance when she coughed.

"Where are we?"

"We're back in Asgard. Healers have been called for your aide, but we must wait here for them. I figure it best not to move you…there's something wrong."

"I know…I was in contact with something foreign and I believe it's caught a ride," she said annoyed before trying to sit up.

"No Aria wait-" Thor started as he pushed his now free hand against her shoulder before being blasted away from her by a strange force.

His back hit the wall of the Observatory with a grunt forcing its way from his chest. He slid down and looked at Aria to see panic covering her features. He then knew she wasn't the cause of it. Thoughts of the creature inside her causing it floated to mind, but he dismissed them just as quickly as they came. If the wolf would've wanted to do him harm, it would've done so already between the time Aria and him had trained. Whatever it was that infected her was also protecting her. She looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing with no words uttered.

"It is not you, Aria. It is whatever you encountered," Thor grunted out as he slowly got up, "it is a magic I don't know of…maybe my father knows. After the healers look at you, I say we ask him. What can you tell me of this foreign force?"

"I…I don't know what it is, but everything burns."

"Where did you encounter this force?"

"I'm not sure but it wasn't on Vanaheim...I somehow teleported there when I fell from those winged creature's claws."

Thor scrunched his brows as he tried to reason through what she was saying. He walked over to her and offered his hand.

She shook her head before getting up by herself, "I don't want to hurt you…"

"I don't believe you ever could."

They walked silently together across the bridge, their steps echoing alongside the sounds of waves hitting below them. Eventually the downpour of hooves caught their attention and Thor slid his eyes off Aria to see a group on horseback striding towards them. He quickened his steps and put his hands up, waving them as he did so.

"No one may touch Lady Aria. I'm fearful of what may happen."

xXOOXx

"There are relics that predate the universe itself. What lies within her appears to be one of them." Odin said as they walked into a room littered with trees that flowed different colors, "The nine realms are not eternal. They had a dawn as they will have a dust."

Aria looked up in wonder, turning slightly as they walked along. Hues of red, blue, yellow, green, and more surrounded them. The trees were the only dark thing in the room, contrasting against the colors they emitted somehow. She looked forward before a pain in her stomach caused her to wince, Thor softly grabbing her arm in response. She sent him a small smile as her hand came to hold his, hoping to calm his unease. She doubted it. They reached a small table surrounded by full bookshelves. Odin reached for one and dropped it onto said table, opening the book to which both Aria and Thor peered at.

"But before that dawn, the dark forces…the Dark Elves reigned absolute. Unchallenged."

"Born of eternal night, the Dark Elves come to steal away the light," Thor breathed out as he walked forward towards his father, "I know these stories. Mother told them to us as children."

Aria watched silently as Odin smiled before looking back at the book. He pointed out something she couldn't quite see, so she slowly walked to be at his left side. The pain was now just a small throbbing, mostly uncomfortable. She looked at the book without seeing anything, suddenly her mind fixated on Hati. Or lack of talk from the beast.

Hati? What's going on?

"Their leader Malekith made a weapon out of that darkness, and it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appear as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever changing. It changes matter into dark matter. It seeks out host bodies to which it draws strength from their life force. This fact makes me wonder what it is doing to Lady Aria for it may be taking strength from both her and the trapped demon…making it that much stronger and unpredictable. I assume that's why it's protecting you so intensely Lady Aria."

Aria bit her bottom lip at what Odin said and at the lack of response she got from Hati. She looked up to see both men staring at her and she just shook her head. If it changed matter to dark matter…what was happening to Hati?

Where are you?

"Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness," Odin continued on after a small moment, "but after eternities of bloodshed, my father Bor finally triumphed ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years."

"He killed all of them?" Aria questioned.

Odin nodded but Thor looked unconvinced. "Are you certain Father? The Aether was said to have been destroyed with them and yet here it is."

"The Dark Elves are dead." Odin responded pointedly.

"Or they're hiding…" Aria interjected as she placed her hand on the book, "is there any mention on how to remove it from its host? I know we all are afraid of what it's doing to my counterpart more so than what it's doing to me. It can take much more from him than me. The sooner we can remove it, the better."

"No. It does not." Odin declared before slapping the book closed and turning to walk away.

Aria looked at Thor as concern ran through her veins. His eyes were dripping with the same feeling. She sighed again and hugged herself. The pain was coming back again full force and Aria bit the inside of her cheek to calm herself. Thor seemed to have noticed since he walked towards her and threw his arm over her shoulders. Squeezing her upper arm, Aria sighed before she nudged herself against his side. He let out a long breath before a chuckle escaped his chest. She looked up at him confused at what he found humorous in the situation.

"I just find it remarkable that you can't seem to go a day without trouble finding you Aria," he said softly, "we will figure a way to set you free from that abomination. Soon."

"Thor I'm worried about what this Aether is doing to Hati…I've called for him but have received no answer. It's just…emptiness."

oOXXOo

Aria watched as Frigga danced around the room, grabbing various items from the pantry before dropping said items into what she could only call a cauldron. The concoction was boiling, and Aria enjoyed the pleasant odor emitting from it. From what the woman had told her, she was brewing a tea to help calm the pain. She didn't seem to know much of the Aether and when Aria brought it up to her, she said she thought it had been destroyed just like Odin said. So while Thor and his father were rummaging through folklore to figure out how to separate the Aether from Aria, Frigga whisked her to the kitchen hall to make her something to drink. And whatever it was smelled heavenly.

After a couple more moments, a teacup was gently placed in her hands. She thanked Frigga silently before sipping on the dark brown liquid. Despite its sweet smell, the tea was very bitter and made Aria's nose wrinkle. She fought through the urge to spill it and drank it quickly as if it were some disgusting medicine. After all Asgard did not have a handy supply of pain killers, so this was the next best thing. Frigga giggled at her before humming a song. A song Aria knew.

"What is that tune?"

"I'm sorry?"

"My mother…she also sang that to me…but I don't know what it means. Loki had told me a vague meaning but...what is it?" Aria questioned quietly, her fingers running along the teacups edge.

"Ah, it is a song I used to sing to Loki and Thor when they were children. Kom alle væsner…I believe it fits you quite well with the beast you carry."

"What does it mean?"

To come into your power.

Hati?! Where have you been? I've been trying-

I have not much time. I need you to come to me. I haven't the energy to bring you to our mindspace, but you must come at once. I can no longer fight.

What? Fight the Aether? What is it doing?

Aria was met with silence and panic bubbled in her chest. His voice sounded sickly, a raspiness that was never there now prominent. She bit her lip as her eyes stared at nothing. She gripped the teacup tightly unknowingly, until she came back to reality and loosened her vice grip. She sat up quickly from the chair and looked at Frigga pleadingly. The only other person who could potentially throw her in her own mind was a certain prisoner of Asgard. A throb began to blossom in Aria's head, almost akin to the start of a very harsh headache.

"I need to see Loki right now."

Frigga nodded her head mutely and both women walked out of the kitchen and to the stairs that lead to the cells. Pain blasted around Aria's head so much that it blurred her vision. Aria gasped and grabbed at the nearest wall, pushing all her weight against it to keep herself upright. It felt as if fireworks bursted through her whole being, a burning sensation crawling under her skin throughout her whole body. She groaned and slid down. Frigga's shadow loomed over her, and she pusher her hand out to stop any advance from the woman to help her.

"No…it might..." she coughed and tasted metal, "attack you. I'm okay."

She pushed herself up and tried to mold energy to wrap around herself to start healing whatever was plaguing her. She screamed a moment later due to the pain it brought on, falling to her knees. Aria heard Frigga drop to hers as well but waved the woman away. She looked up with heavy eyes, seeing that they were almost at the door leading to the stairs of the dungeon. Aria could feel Frigga's stare, but they couldn't afford more stops. So, she pushed on while stumbling to her feet and pushing the door open. Each step dowm pulled a large breath out of her. Once at the bottom of the steps Aria looked around with urgency. Trying to find Loki through the haze of pain and discomfort was close to impossible. She groaned in pain again and clutched at her chest, the burning sensation focused there at the moment. Frigga shot out to the left and so Aria followed her to find that they were now at the edge of his cell. She pushed herself through the barrier separating them, more like fell through it, and landed with a thud and a groan.

"Send me…to Hati. He needs me...he needs help." Aria gritted out before closing her eyes.

When she next opened them, she found herself in the field as before except this time it was enveloped with blackish red flames. The sky was overcast with what looked like a storm but instead of being grey, it was all red. The flames reminded her of those demons Hati and her had fought for the rock trolls except the feeling these gave her was...sinister. She looked around just to see that the fires were everywhere. She bent down and put her hand out next to one of the flickering flames.

No heat? Hati what is this?

The Aether…and it's effort in consuming us.

Aria looked up to see Hati in the smaller wolf form of his, cuts and gashes littered along his body. His blue energy swirled around him in a crazed manner and Aria couldn't help but notice that it seemed dimmer than usual. She put her hand up for him as tears welled in her eyes at his state. She'd never seen him like this before, hell she didn't even know he could get hurt like this while being inside her. His snout nudged against her hand before he fell down with a snort

Thank you. I need time to recharge. I've done my best to face it but…it is strong. Even with the integration of the other stones, my ability to fight the impurities this stone has is feeble. I believe it was damaged, broken. The stone is now behaving wildly different compared to the others. Its energy feels vile, more than mine.

More than yours? Aren't you created by it?

Indeed but it is damaged. I believe that someone tried to destroy the stone but the stones cannot be fully destroyed. So now it is…unpredictable with its power.

What can I do?

It is coating everything of ours with its corruption. Memories are being targeted and I've done my best to keep them intact to their true self. Trade places with me just for a moment to catch my breath.

Our memories? Why would it target that? And I have no idea what I need to do.

Fight it. In our mind it is tangible because we've willed it so. It's attacking our memories in order to corrupt the host; you.

Aria nodded her head and stood up, facing the direction where Hati had come from. She breathed in and out deeply before walking forward. She wasn't sure where she was going, but within seconds she was somehow in some house. She looked around quietly before her eyes took in the scene around her, the very familiar scene. She raked her eyes over everything, before a small silent gasp left her lips. She was home.

She walked through the house quietly, trying her best to listen for something. Anything. There was an eerie silence to the place down to what should have been squeaking floorboards. She stepped around cautiously, her eyes and ears straining for the slightest telltale of what she would be facing. A young girl's cry caught her attention from upstairs: her own. Making her way towards it she found it was coming from her old room. She opened the door slowly and walked in the small room, the drawings that used to hang there. However, it looked like someone had smudged her artistry with her being unable to tell what she had drawn. She blinked back the memories threatening to surface and looked around. Suddenly she thought about where she used to hide as a young girl, her body turning towards the closet.

"Aria?" She called out as she walked to the closet, "it isn't safe here. We've got to leave."

Her hand barely touched the closet handle before it exploded open, throwing her back into the parallel wall. She slid down and groaned at the dull ache where her back met the wall before looking up. Her younger self stood menacingly above her, a soft red glow devouring her smaller body.

"You are correct," her distorted voice echoed, "it isn't safe here…for you."

oOXXOo

"What is going on?!" Loki yelled as he knelt beside the seizure ridden woman.

"Your father said she has encountered the Aether," Frigga said in a low tone, worry lacing every word, "I had made her a tea to stave the effects of it before she requested your audience. She then began to show signs of anguish and pain. That is about all I can offer for explanation my son."

"Is there not a spell or incantation to help her?" Desperation was all he heard in his voice, but he cared not as Aria was in trouble and her last words were to help her.

He pulled her body on its side and let his magic fly out to bring a pillow off the bed. Lifting her convulsing head, he slid the pillow under her before resting it gently against the soft cushion. His eyes slid up and down her body, searching for absolutely any hint of what he can do. His head pulled back in shock as he watched a red gleam dance right underneath her skin. The Aether was told to be destroyed, not hidden away. But now it was burrowing through her veins and wreaking havoc that only the Norns knew. If only there was a way he could see what was going on in that mind of hers. He stopped breathing for a second at the thought, his mind racing with an idea.

"Astral projection," he whispered mostly to himself.

"Excuse me?"

"If I project my astral form into her mind, I may just be able to help her."

"Loki…I wish to help her as much as you do but that can cause havoc to you as well son. This is the Aether, not some spell or hex. It is much more potent, much stronger. You are also at a disadvantage in this cell, it is to block magic." He watched her hands motion towards the cell in front of her, the magic separating them.

He huffed before sitting up and crossing his legs. His black trousers ruffled with the movement, and he nudged his knee against her stomach, "Let us hope I am stronger than either. Do not let us be moved but go gather healers."

He closed his eyes and tapped into the deep well of his magic. Though it was much harder within the cell, Loki had been successful in accessing his magic. Small victories at first which rolled into him being able to shape shift again. He was fairly confident he could project his astral form. It wouldn't hurt to try, especially if it was concerning Aria. He whispered the incantation and felt the swell of magic push through and out of him.

He opened his eyes and found himself in front of a house. He looked around what seemed like a meadow on fire with Aria no where in sight. A light emanating from a window above caught his attention and he made his way inside quickly. The house resembled much more of a small cottage that he could find on Asgard, but with an added level above. He took to the stairs quickly, his heart beating loudly in his head.

A scream stopped him at the top of the stairs. He looked around in a panic, the thump of his heart reverberated through his whole body now. The red glow under a door caught his attention and he shoved himself into the room. His eyes took in the situation quickly; Aria pinned down to the ground by a younger child surrounded in the unnatural power of what he assumed was the Aether. Instinctively, he conjured magic into his hands and threw it out towards the girl. It barreled into her and unhooked her from Aria, the woman gasping for air as she pushed herself up on her legs.

"RUN!" She yelled as she ran towards him. He turned quickly and fled down the stairs.

Once outside he turned to find Aria still inside the house. He stalked back to her, his eyes wildly moving from her face to behind her.

"What are you doing?!" He seethed between closed teeth, "we need to leave now!"

"I can't," she raised her fist and hit an invisble wall between them.

"Of course it would trap you." Loki rasped out as he ran a hand through his hair, thinking of anything he could do.

"How…how are you here? Did I unconsciously make you up from memory? "

"I'm no memory Aria."

She stared at him, her eyes looking him up and down, "what do you mean you're not a memory?"

"There's no time to explain but we must figure out how to release you. I will not retreat until your safe back with me." Loki stressed while his eyes glanced to the window of the room above, the red lights he'd seen blaring back to life.

"I will be safe, just go. I'm not sure how you're here but you've got to leave, I'll figure it out." Her head turned to look behind her before those emerald eyes were back on him; he could feel his heartbeat run faster and not from panic.

"Seemed like you had it figured out when I got here." He bit back, ignoring the feeling.

"Shut it. I had a plan."

"Exactly, the keyword is had," he paused slightly before continuing, "I will not leave you here alone. Your mind is in havoc and your body is not doing well. You're convulsing as we speak." Loki hated how meek he sounded when confessing the truth to her. Loki knew himself to be a lot of things but meek was not one.

"Shit that's not good," her hand came up to run through her hair as she bit her bottom lip, "I don't know how to fight this. I need you to go find Hati and see if he's healed. That's how you can help me right now, he's much better at this whole mind-fight shit than I am. I'll keep her busy on me. I don't have much of a choice anyways since I'm stuck in here. I left him somewhere behind you." Her hand banged what should have been nothing for emphasis.

He hated the idea of leaving her but instead of voicing it, he nodded his head and turned around. He had not the slightest clue of where to go but standing around wouldn't help. He could stay and help her fight but if she was trapped within the cottage there was only so much he could do. And he hated it. It was times like this where he envied his brother; seemingly always finding a solution even in the gravest of situations.

Why should I care if she lives? She's insignificant and stubborn beyond measure. Loki mused to himself, knowing that everything he had just thought was a lie. Deep down he knew what plagued him but he refused to accept it. Instead he turned his attention to the task at hand. How hard could it be to find a wolf the size of mountains?

oOXXOo

Aria watched Loki as he retreated away. If he was able to enter her mind so easily, then that meant her guard was completely down. Whatever the Aether was doing to her was no good news at all. She turned around at the sound of a creak and looked up the stairs to see her younger self at the top. The nasty energy surrounding her sprawled everywhere and left small wisps of the flames she'd seen outside.

"Stop this!" She yelled while sending energy into her arms, "You will not corrupt me, and I will do anything necessary to stop you."

"I guess it's a good thing I cannot be hurt." Its voice sounded like a mash between hers and something demonic.

"Then I shouldn't feel too bad then." Aria said under her breath before focusing the energy into a ball and throwing it towards her counterpart.

It hit her chest and she caved before a sick laugh came from her small frame, "Was that your best? How weak. No wonder you can never save anyone. How much of the blood on your hands is from those you couldn't save hmm?"

Aria bit the inside of her cheek at the low blow, her mind suddenly stopping at the comment. Without warning, the images of faces flurried through her head. Her mother, brother and various others ghosted over her eyes. She stepped back as their faces began to shift to the way they died, the way she'd last seen them. Her back hit a wall and she stared forward as her lips trembled. She caught the movement of her younger self stalking down the stairs and with a panic, threw herself into a run for the kitchen. She crashed into objects, sending many things clattering into the ground. When she caught herself against the edge of the doorway leading to the kitchen, she gasped at the blood covering her arms in abundance.

Looking down past her hands, the floorboards were also filling with blood. It was rising steadily and now just shy of her ankle. She closed her eyes as the images returned with a vengeance. She gritted her teeth before channeling energy into her arms. At once, Aria turned and yelled out as she projected the energy out of her palms towards her younger self and gawked as her younger self melted. Her skin gleamed red before becoming a pool of red and black particles. It twisted and turned before reshaping itself as her, but instead of being younger was an exact copy of her.

"I am here to soothe your pain," it called out with its mixed voice, "for I am the harbinger of the dark and evil. I am destined to court those doomed to hell and you my love are my greatest fascination!"

Aria stepped back away from her twin and fell, before looking up to see the copycat looming over her. With a sick smile it ran its hands over her head before sliding them down to cup her face.

"I've had many a host but you dear...so much fear...so much pain..." the copycat licked their lips as a hunger settled within its eyes, "you just might be the best of the crop."

Aria pulled her face away from its grasp and kicked her leg up to hit the copycat. What happened next was not what she thought could happen. The Aether warped back into itself, wrapping around her leg slowly. She watched with wide eyes as it seemed to melt into her skin. A burning sensation enveloped her leg, and she couldn't help the scream that rushed from her throat. Thrashing about on the floor, she helplessly tried to punch at her leg. Suddenly, her body went frigid before contorting around in painful positions. She could hear the sound of bones cracking as her body moved in ways she didn't know possible. One last scream forced its way out of her throat before her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

I am coming for what is mine.

OOXXOo

Aria sat up with a pained gasp. She looked around the cell and relief hit her as she realized she was in Loki's cell. His ragged breathing caught her attention and when she looked at him, she could see a sheen of sweat on his face. Aria looked around before rushing to look at her leg, remembering how the Aether had wrapped itself around it. She found no evidence of it having been there. She checked for any other injuries and found none. There was no burning sensation anymore either.

The sound of running footsteps brought her attention to the end of the hall. Various Asgardian healers were rushing towards them, Frigga standing by the cell with a worried gaze. Aria pushed herself up to her feet before walking out of the cell to stand next to her. She turned to look at Loki, him unmoved from sitting position.

"Did you find him?" She asked hesitantly.

"No."

Within moments the healers had reached them and whisked Aria away before she could press further. And within seconds she was laying down on a table within the infirmary. Healers bustled around her quickly, an older lady stepping up towards the table before waving her hands up and down her body. Right below the woman's hands orange particles sprung to life. They made a wisping sound before orange particles rose from her body. The nurse clicked her tongue before a gasp came from her.

"What-what is this? What's wrong?" Aria blurted out as she grabbed the woman's shaking wrist. Aria's eyes however were busy watching as a red smoke-like substance was swirling through the orange particles that resembled her body.

"I...I'm not sure. The energy within you is surging to vast amounts." She answered with a fascinated tone.

"You are lying on what we call a soul forge; a device that transfers molecular energy from one place to another." Upon hearing Thor, Aria let her grip on the womans wrist go.

"And the red... that's the Aether, isn't it?" Aria asked him before sitting up and turning towards him.

"I believe you're right in your assumptions." He nodded towards the nurses, and they all dropped what they were doing to leave. "What happened?"

"I'm not even sure I know how to explain it but...Hati is definitely under attack. The Aether is...very-"

"Powerful indeed." Thor's father walked in from the other doorway, guards accompanying him.

"Father we must find a way to help her. All the searching I've done has come without any merit. I hope yours has gone better."

"I am afraid not, my son. Until we manage to secure a way to separate the Aether from her, I am insisting she be carefully monitored." He nodded his head towards the guards, and they moved past him surrounding her.

"I don't need a babysitter," Aria grunted out as she slid her legs off the side. Just then, an alarm began to scream its warning.

"The prisons." Thor said.

"Go my son, I will follow once I ensure that Lady Aria is safe." Odin ordered as his lone eye stared at her.

Thor ran out of the infirmary before his father even finished his sentence. Aria jumped off the table and was pushed forward to where Odin had come in from. She winced at the contact; it hurt more than it should have. She walked quickly between the guards as Odin marched off in front of the group. As they crossed an intersection of hallway, Aria could hear the smashing of metal against metal. Her skin prickled at the noise but after a few more strides she couldn't hear nothing at all.

"One of you will go assemble a squadron to guard the weapons vault as well as send squads to the prisons. Our priority is to protect the vault and maintain the prisons. Not a single prisoner is to step above the dungeon. Go now!"

"Odin!"

"Frigga," Aria couldn't believe the softness of the king's voice as he answered his queen, "it is but a skirmish. Nothing to fear."

"You've never been a very good liar," Frigga countered as her eyes fell upon Aria.

"Take Lady Aria to your chambers. I'll come for you once it is deemed safe."

"You take care, my King."

"Despite all I have survived, my Queen still worries over me," Odin smiled softly and reached his hand to her cheek, his thumb caressing it.

Frigga grabbed his hand and softly smiled, "It is only because I've worried that you have survived."

Aria watched the loving encounter between them bittersweetly. Though she still hadn't come to liking Odin, there was a side to him that only Frigga seemed to coax. It was as if there was a whole other God standing before Aria. She knew that he loved her deeply, for his façade of Allfather fell to pieces when around her. The king in front of her was the true Odin Borson. She turned her head to offer some privacy before she felt a hand grip her arm tightly. She looked back to see Frigga's eyes boring into hers. All sense of sweetness were wiped from the womans eyes replaced with an urgency.

They walked briskly and Frigga reached for a soldier's sword as he passed by before turning towards her, her voice hushed as she spoke, "You must do as I say and do it quickly. When we get to my quarters, your father will be there. There is a spell waiting for you within him, one that will keep you safe."

Aria nodded her head silently before focusing her gaze to the Queen's face. Alarm and caution were plaguing her features and as if she felt the stare from Aria, she offered one of her motherly smiles. This time however, it did not bring Aria any comfort. When they entered her room, her father was in there just as she had said. He was at a table next to her bed, jars of herbs and various other things littering the surface. A gold bowl sat at the center and sigils made of what looked like salt surrounded the bowl. She watched as he threw in herb after herb with a rush. He didn't bother looking up at their entrance, nor as they stood before him.

"It is almost ready my Queen," he spoke out gruffly. Aria then noticed he was geared from head to toe, the fact he was wearing such outfit sending alarms in her head.

"Okay I've been silent this whole time but what the fuck is going on?" Aria shoved herself away from Frigga's grasp as anger flooded through her. She hadn't been okay after what had happened in her mindscape and the eerie silence in her mind calmed her in no way. As long as she could remember she wished she could have a silent mind again but now that she had it, she hated it. "Why are you wearing gear for battle? Yes, I get that something broke out in the prison but is this all necessary?"

"Aria my child," Frigga softly said, "that is but a mere distraction. My husband while wise at most times, was unwise this. They are here for you."

"Me? Who's here for me?"

"The Dark Elves." Vidar answered as he began to mix the ingredients in the bowl, "Malekith is more than likely the one leading them. My grandfather's father had been present in the wars waged against them and the books here lie of their true defeat. Malekith had escaped and instead of allowing chaos in the wake of his escape, Bor had decided to claim his death. The Aether was locked away and everyone who had survived were sworn to secrecy. It is a tale cautioned in my family for the return of the Dark Elves was destined. I never thought it would be you to make it true, but alas we all cannot decide our fate. I need you to drink this Aria, it will conceal the Aether's power."

He shoved a goblet with a scarlet liquid towards her. She looked at her father blankly as she processed the information presented. Here she stood with the Aether making home in her body as people were being put in danger. All because of the stupid broken stone. All because she had it. She took a step back as a harsh realization hit her; there was only one goblet with this magic potion.

"And what of you two?"

The silence was suffocating. Instead of speaking, her father beckoned the goblet towards her again. Aria stared at the drink offended before her eyes slid to her fathers.

"It has been my honor to have a chance at correcting my wrongs with you, my daughter. And what better atonement than protecting you," a sad smile graced his lips as his eyes flickered between hers, "you are just as beautiful as your mother."

"Why does that sound like a goodbye?" Aria grabbed the goblet as a pit formed in her stomach.

"Drink, we haven't much time." Frigga interjected and Aria obeyed as the pit grew even deeper, "Now I will cast an illusion of you while veiling your true form away. It is vital you make no sound and that you don't move from where I put you. Come forth."

"Again, what about you two?" Aria argued helplessly as she allowed the Queen to push her towards the other side of the bed, "you will be using your magic to veil the both of you right?"

"My child do not fear. Fate cannot be determined by us alone; it is woven from forces far from our control. Your safety, however, is something both of us can manage." She gave Aria the same sad smile that was on her father's face and it made her stomach twist, "I entrust that you will watch over my boys." Her last words were barely above a whisper, said so faintly that Aria almost didn't catch it.

Before she could question further, the woman began to speak in a language unknown to her. A moment later an exact copy of her blinked into existence, sitting down on a small step in front of the Queen's bed. It was an exact match to even what clothes she was wearing at the moment. Aria's attention was brought to the sound of a sword being unsheathed, finding that her father had actually taken the axe out of its hilt on his back. He also whispered something foreign and the table in front of him disappeared in a swirl of smoke. Vidar looked at Frigga before nodding his head. His gaze slid to where Aria was, and she swore she could see tears forming in his eyes.

The door Aria and Frigga had come in through was opened, a tall man-like being walking in. Silver armor decorated the thing's black robes which made his skin appear even paler. But as she looked closer at it, its skin was the color of a winter's first snow. It walked forward confidently, and Frigga matched its every step.

"Stand down creature," she hissed as she slashed the sword in front of her menacingly. Aria's illusion rushed to her father's side with urgency, however careful not to touch him.

"I am Malekith," his voiced oozed out as he came to a stop a few feet from Frigga, "And I would have what is mine."

Both their gazes turned towards the fake Aria. When Malekith began to walk towards the fake, Frigga turned and slashed the blade upwards effectively stopping his pursuit. He brandished a sword of his own and the two began to dance around each other, the sounds of their weapons the only thing heard. Aria watched the prowess of the Queen's attacks, proud of her initial thoughts of her being not just a Queen, when she saw Frigga pin Malekith against a pillar with her sword at his throat.

"Nothing here is yours to take." She spit out.

Aria then heard clomping footsteps coming from behind the doors to Frigga's room. Her father walked forward just as a creature made of what seemed to be igneous rock entered. It towered over him by at least a foot, holding no weapon at all. Despite his age, her father moved quickly and went to strike at the creature. However, her father's quick swing of his axe was caught by the creature's hand. It struggled with him for a second before ripping away the weapon and tossing it aside. Her father took a few steps back before turning his head to look at her illusion, his desperate eyes making contact with her real ones for a split second. Yet the message was clear.

'I'm sorry. I love you.'

His head whipped back around before a battle cry left his lips and he rushed the creature. Aria began to send energy to her arms but found she couldn't mold her energy at all. She tried to move but something was weighing her in place. So, she watched helplessly as her father collided with the creature. Tears sprang to her eyes as the creature's hands wrapped around his waist and hoisted her father up without even flinching only to smash him into the ground. Malekith also moved in that moment, using Frigga's distraction against her and disarming the sword from her person. All Aria was able to do was be an unwilling audience to the events happening, no matter how much she struggled against the invisible forces stopping her. She couldn't move.

I can help! Why are they doing this?!

The creature stepped down into the small crater her father had made from the impact, raising him up by his throat. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched him helplessly fight against the chokehold, his fists pounding uselessly against the creatures grasp. She could have been helping them fight these bastards. She struggled even harder but to no avail she couldn't move.

HATI! I NEED YOU PLEASE.

Silence answered her and she held in the sob that trembled through her whole body. A chill ran down her back as she watched Malekith put a blade to Frigga's neck and the creature's small head tilt as it choked her father harder. It snarled demonically before its hand twisted and a loud snap could be heard. The snap seemed to echo around Aria and her fake yelled.

"FATHER!" Her voice echoed and she envied the glamour for being able to voice her sorrow.

His body fell limply to the floor. Tears cascaded down Aria's cheeks, her eyes trained on her father's slouched form on the ground. She searched for any movement, any telltale that he was actually playing dead and waiting for a right time to surprise their enemy. There was no way that her father died to that. He was renowned for his battle expertise. The stories he told her echoed through her head as he replayed his greatest triumphs. Many called him a cat due to the number of times he'd faced death and came back victorious. This was all a ploy of course and it would be another story under his belt he could tell until his pink hair greyed.

NOOOO HATI PLEASE! You can't be...move father please. Show me it's just a ploy; just a trick.

But his body never moved. Nothing twitched. The creature kicked his body for good measure before striding over to Frigga and Malekith, her father's body rolling to a stop with his face visible to Aria. Vidar Tifeldig, her father, was truly dead. She stared into his lifeless eyes as a wave of agony crashed into her, her legs turning to mush. If it hadn't been for the forces holding her, Aria knew she would have fallen to her knees. Her gaze slid back to Frigga as she watched the creature grab hold of her, its retched hands wrapping around Frigga's throat in the same fashion it had done to her father. Anger began to replace the anguish and Aria began to struggle once more.

Malekith walked towards her fake menacingly, his small steps sounding heavier. She watched him, burning every inch of his face to her memory. Aria would make him suffer for what he'd done, right after she destroyed the hulking pile of rock.

"You have taken something child. Give it back," Malekith spoke softly as he extended his hand. The illusion stepped back until she hit the wall, her face looking everywhere but at the elf.

Malekith walked closer and tilted his head upwards, studying the fakes face intently. Slowly, the illusion turned to look at him as a smirk rose to her face. His hand reached up to touch her and the glamour faded in a bright light of green. His hand balled into a fist as he stared at the spot the mirage was before turning on his heel with a snarl directed towards Frigga.

"Witch!" Malekith bellowed as he strode towards her, a smirk gracing her face, "where is the Aether?!"

"No where you can reach," she calmly stated and the creature tightened its hold on her neck.

"Your bravery will not ease your pain."

"I've survived worse."

Hati, I know you're there somewhere. I could use your help; I can't dispel whatever Frigga did. My father is...Frigga needs our help please...She begged internally, hoping for a miracle.

At that moment the doors to the room flew open and Odin strode in, Gungir clasped tightly in his hands, "Release her!"

Malekith slowly turned to face the King, a sinister smile appearing on his face, "I presume you the new king?"

Odin didn't answer with words, raising his spear instead. Malekith's eyes narrowed at the display before widening as he looked between Frigga and Odin, "Is this your new Queen then?"

Odin stepped forward slowly, his lone eye seemingly trained on Malekith, "If it is revenge against Asgard that you seek-"

"Revenge?! Do you truly believe that I care about Asgard?"

"It Twas my father who put an end to your kind."

"Is that what he told you?" A chuckle snaked its way from Malekith's throat as if Odin had joked.

"I said...Release. Her. Elf."

"You know what I want! Give it to me, or...watch your Queen die."

Aria stopped struggling at his vile words, tears clouding her vision. She watched as Frigga and Odin shared a look with one another; a small nod and a grimace coming from them respectively. Any hope Aria had was squashed in that moment because she now knew that both her father and Frigga had come to accept the outcomes. They would die so long as she could live, protecting both her and the Aether from this horrible being.

"You must ask yourself...as I did once...what are you prepared to sacrifice for what you believe?"

"Kill them," Frigga whispered with pleading eyes, "Kill them."

Odin hesitated before his shoulders slouched, Gungir slowly tipping to aim at the ground. Aria's heart felt as if it shattered completely now at his display of surrender. This was the famous Odin, a coward in wolf clothes. She thought back to their earlier display of love and disgust riddled her. His lust for power outweighed his love for his Queen, the clang of Gungir to the floor cementing the thought forever for Aria.

"Kill her." Malekith ordered.

Aria closed her eyes tightly and turned her face to the side at his words. Though stopping herself from seeing it, she could hear the plunge of a sword through skin. The drops of blood seemed to echo in the same way that her father's snapping neck did. And even through tightly closed eyes, tears fell down her face uncontrollably. The sound of her body hitting the floor made her flinch, her mind replaying the torturing sound over and over again. The sound of lighting striking snapped her eyes open; hearing Thor's pained scream pierced her chest in ways she didn't think possible anymore. She watched the creature grab Malekith and run to the balcony and Thor's hammer flew towards them, hitting the beast's shoulder that tossed them off the edge. A ship flying out from beneath confirmed them alive and this time when Aria tried moving forward, she could.

She ran to her father's side. Falling to her knee's, she cradled his head into her lap. "Dad? Please no... I-I didn't have enough time. We didn't have enough time. Please."

Her whispers did nothing to wake him. Tears fell from her eyes to his face, rolling down his cheeks as if he were crying too. Her body began to tremble as the sobs she had held back finally burst through as if a dam was broken by the flood of the season. She curled over him and wept, tightening her hold ever more so. One hand came to cup the side of his face, the smile he had given her flashing through her mind. Now his face was frozen in time with nothing but a blank stare looking up at her. It only made her cry that much harder. He was truly gone. She ran her fingers over his eyes before bending down so their foreheads could touch. She was now truly orphaned.

oOXXOo

The send-off of all the soldiers and citizens lost that day was held the next night. Aria stood alongside Thor and Fjor as everyone gathered watched the Queen's body float out on the water. Aria's eyes were no longer wet, her tears had long since dried. She watched the burning arrow land on the wooden plank carrying the Queen to the edge, the rest of the soldiers also getting their own burning arrows to send them off. She heard the thunk of Odin's spear hitting stone and the Queen's boat floated out past the edge, whimsical lights flurrying around her body before shooting up into the sky. Her eyes followed the lights until they bled into the aurora above; the same happened to the rest of the perished.

She gripped the black cloak around her tighter before spinning on her heel. She heard Thor call her, but she didn't listen to him. Aria needed to get away and go somewhere else. Small balls of light began to rise to the sky but she didn't stop to look. Death was not a beautiful thing; it was horrendous and unavoidable. Why try to make it beautiful?

"Aria?" A voice halted her escape and she turned to see her brother.

"Fjor."

"You were with father when he...why?" He asked quietly as he looked at the ground.

"He was protecting me."

"And you couldn't protect him?"

"No. I was bound to my spot by magic. I tried to dispel it but I'm still only learning."

"Why does it seem that everywhere you go, death follows so closely?!" He yelled as his rage filled eyes rose to bore into hers.

Aria flinched back at his yell. She sighed as his words echoed around her mind. "I don't know."

"When Father told me you were here, he had asked me to accept you. I agreed. But now your presence has taken him away and I can no longer keep my word."

"That is fine. Renounce me all you want but I was the one who had to watch him die, helplessly. You only have to mourn him as he flies off the edge of this place in some fucking mist of magic. I had to watch him die all for me to be safe. And I could do nothing but watch. That is the last memory I have of our father and it is something I will have to live with for rest of my life. Now my album of memories is complete; I have seen almost every single person of my family die while I could do nothing. Maybe it's better you don't call me your sister, after all it seems I have an angel of death over the ones I call my family."

Aria sniffled as hot tears worked their way down her cheeks. It was seemingly true though what he had said, everyone around her that she loved ended up dying. Fjor looked at her and his features softened, and Aria hated that it did. She wanted him mad at her; she wanted him to loathe her. It would be easier to cut him off if he did. She was planning to do so once she figured out to separate the Aether from herself in order to protect him but a better idea presented itself. Cause he was right. He would die and she would live on to mourn him and after everything they've built up between them, she felt she couldn't afford another person on the roster of her sorrows. Especially not another little brother.

He took a step towards her and another. Aria was about to turn away and leave before his hand caught her arm and spun her back around. His arms enveloped her into a hug, his chest shaking as he let out his own sobs. Aria, despite wanting to leave, wrapped her arms around her brother for one last time and cried with him silently.

"I'm sorry...please forgive me for my words." His voice came out brokenly between sobs and it tore at Aria's heart. She wished she could be a better big sister, but she had to protect him.

"No... forgive me," Aria said as she lifted her hands to his head.

"You?" Fjor questioned as he pulled away, his eyes looking down at her questioning.

Aria smiled sadly before whispering the word sleep. His eyes widened in alarm before rolling to the back of his head. She caught his falling body and slowly placed him on the ground. She softly laid his head on the floor and placed her hand on his cheek shakingly. Aria willed her mind to remember every little detail of his face, seeing just how similar Huskon and Fjor were despite not being related at all. Or maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her. She closed her eyes and sucked in a shaking breath before putting her hand on his forehead. She thought about the spell Loki had taught her of erasing a person's memory, trying to picture all the memories they had shared together in the last few months. And slowly taking herself out of the picture, but leaving the memories that included their father and him only. Standing up from her crouch when she finished, she turned and continued walking away. All the while trying to convince herself she had done the right thing.

She trudged her way back to the palace, briskly walking through the halls absentmindedly until she found the prison door. Each step was taken automatically with no thought, her mind blank. She found herself in front of Loki's cell and only dared to look at his feet. He hadn't been allowed to go to the funeral procession. She didn't even know if Loki knew what had happened to his mother, which saddened her even more. If he couldn't go to the funeral, then she would have to bring it to him.

"What's wrong? A little death has you casted so grimly? I believed you two the best of friends," Loki jested as the flip of a page sounded.

"Death is an enemy of mine for who it has taken as prize, you should feel the same sentiment."

"Ahh has it graced my father's door?"

"Not yours but of mine." She paused and swallowed thickly at what she was about to say next, "It had also paid it's visit to your mother's door. The ceremony is happening now, but I can't..."

Silence. The slamming of objects brought her eyes up, the cell room now in disarray. Everything was toppled over including the heavy bookcase, its contents thrown around. His face was contorted with pain and anger, sadness also plaguing his teary eyes. His hands were open at his sides and Aria could see a faint shimmer of green wrapped around them.

"Did...did she suffer?"

She took a breath in, refusing to answer, and stepped through the barrier. She walked close to him before raising a hand to his shoulder. His head turned to look at her resting hand as if appalled. She offered a small smile before raising her left hand to his temple, closing her eyes in concentration. She focused on the ceremony she witnessed and willed it to be almost tangible, so she could throw it to his mind like one would throw a blanket over their sleeping loved one. She forced energy up to her head to aid what she wanted to do, hoping that it would work.

When she opened her eyes, the tears falling silently from his own closed eyes told her she had succeeded. She was glad that it did because no one deserved to not have the closure of seeing their mother off, not even Loki. A small thrum of pain echoed through her head at manipulating her energy, but it was a small price willingly paid so her friend could see his mother's funeral as if he had been there.

Loki's eyes slowly opened after a while and in them she found gratitude. She nodded her head silently and was surprised to find herself being engulfed by the taller man. After realizing that he was indeed hugging her, she slowly wrapped her arms around him as tears sprung to her eyes without warning. Her heart felt like it was bleeding and falling to pieces, yet everything was held in place by this one hug. Aria buried her face in his shoulder and a sob broke through; others followed. She was feeling the entirety of her emotions and could tell by his shallow breaths that he was as well. She felt something wet slide down her forehead and brought him into her tighter. Together they silently cried for those they lost.

The thundering of steps coming down to the prison almost made Aria jump out of her skin. She had lost sense of time of how long they were standing there with one another. From his grip, she could tell he wasn't so keen on letting go and she couldn't say she had wanted him to. However, the footsteps she heard coming down the stairs made her nervous. It seemed that any time there were more than a pair of footsteps coming in her direction it meant that she was about to be taken under Odin's orders. Annoyingly enough, she was right as she saw a group of the Einherjar marching straight to Loki's cell.

She pushed herself away from his body, the warmth slowly inching its way back to her body after embracing for so long. Aria never paid attention to how cold Loki felt until that moment. She sent an inquisitive look towards Loki, who answered with a shrug, and she walked out the way she entered. She wiped at her face discreetly as she phased through the cell.

"Aria Czen. You need to come with us," one of the soldiers who she remembered was named Tyr spoke aloud.

"Under what reason this time?" She retorted with a snarl, pushing down the feelings she had let out while with Loki. Anger remained and they would unfortunately be the ones to feel it.

"The reason being Odin." He answered while stopping a few feet from her, his hand coming to the side of his face before beckoning towards her. The other guards surrounded her, their grips of their swords tightening.

"Do you believe I'm a danger to you?" Aria speculated with a soft voice, "because you would be right...just not at this time."

The last guard took his place behind her. She let her senses out but hissed at the pain it caused her, doubling over as the pain worked its way through her body. One of the guard's hands touched her shoulder and suddenly Aria fell to her knees. She looked ahead unseeing to what was truly there because everything had turned blood red. She saw Asgard as if she was a bird flying above bathed in the red, smoke coming from everywhere. Even the rainbow bridge was sucked of its color and replaced with the blood red color. Whispers echoed around her head of one person before many joined and she grabbed at her temples. Just as quick as it had come, the red color drained towards her and she watched with sickening anxiety as it seemed to bleed into her. It was hard to catch her breath, all the fight in her gone so much so that she didn't even struggle against the soldiers dragging her away.

"Be gentle with her!" She heard Loki scream out while a resounding thud came, probably from him hitting the barrier.

She let her head droop, her mind still trying to make sense of what she saw. Asgard, the golden city, covered in blood and smoke was not something she'd ever thought she'd see.

oOXXOo

Aria sighed as she laid down in her bed, her head screaming at her. She closed her eyes and brought her hands to rub at her temples. She could feel the stares from the guards in front of her door, the mistrust palpable within the air.

Of course, they don't trust me…first I come harboring their devil and then I get the Aether hitching a ride. Fucking Thor and his wants to 'quell the realms'.

The silence in her mind was unnerving. Since her mind-battle, she hadn't heard Hati at all. Loki had never found him either, so she hoped that he was okay. It wasn't like him at all to be this quiet. No side remarks, no taunting, no jokes; just utter silence.

With that brought the time to think and with everything that has happened, she really didn't want to. But now that she was whisked away to her room and guarded by multiple Einherjar, it was all she could do. Her father was the most prevalent thing in her head, that last look before he was killed. It flashed before her eyes and she forced it away. Aria couldn't bear to think about him at least not for now. She would properly mourn later. Her brother was the next, his tear-ridden eyes flashing behind her closed ones. She felt guilty about erasing herself from his memory, but it was done to protect him. It was a necessary evil, but it still left her feeling hollow. She would mourn the loss of another brother later as well.

Right now, she had to escape her little prison. Malekith wasn't the type to give up, if his storm of Asgard was any indication. She assumed that he could feel the Aether as she could the stones. It wasn't a far-off assumption considering how choking their energy was with the vast amounts of it they gave off. Without knowing the potion her father made her drink to dilute the waves of energy, Malekith would be able to sense it. To sense her. He wanted to destroy the universe with the Aether, have it succumbed to darkness. Aria wouldn't let it happen especially since both Frigga and her father died to protect it. What she failed to know was how.

Her attention was brought to her door when the sounds of fighting echoed behind it. The guards inside tensed as well, their backs turned to her. Aria smirked at their mistake before jumping up to the back of the one on the left and smashing her fist against the side of his helmet. He choked on what she assumed was spit and started to spin wildly as her hits connected continuously. The other guard sputtered out noises, not sure what to do to help which let Aria have time to knockout the guard.

He began to slump, and Aria jumped off him to the floor in a crouch while slowly looking up to the other guard as his partners body fell to the ground. She sent him a smirk before lunging at him, knocking him into the dresser behind him. She stood up quickly and grabbed the man's shoulder before plunging her fist into his face. The urge to continuously punch him ran rampage over her and she stopped at the absurd thought. She looked at the guard who was already knocked out, relishing at the blood sliding down his nose. She began to send energy to her fist as excitement bubbled in her chest before she gasped and let go of the man. She released her hold on her energy and stepped back. Those thoughts hadn't been hers...at least not entirely. The door burst open then as Sif walked in while dusting her hands off as she surveyed the room. Aria looked up at her and calmed herself before stepping over the bodies. Aria felt there was no need to alarm Sif that anything was wrong. They walked together silently, stopping to let guards pass by undetected.

"Where's Thor?" Aria whispered as she eyed the guards walking past them.

"I'm taking you to him," Sif walked forward quickly to the next pillar, throwing her body against it and checking to see if they were clear, "we must hurry."

Aria nodded before following Sif's lead. They crept through the corridors until they finally reached where Thor was. To Aria's surprise Loki was there as well. He gave her his signature smirk as their eyes met and Aria felt a warmth cascade her body. She ignored it and sent him a nod of her head.

"He's out?" She questioned aloud, mostly to Thor.

"I have a plan," Thor said as he shrugged his shoulders, "Loki has his part as do you. We shall talk as we escape."

"Escape? I assume your plan isn't backed up by your father then."

"Not quite."

"You'd be spot on Aria, my brother has fallen from his golden boy façade," Loki joked as he walked up next to her, "decided that his father was insane. Something I've tried arguing with him in I don't know, a millennium?"

"Take care of how you speak about our father, Loki," Thor grated through clenched teeth, "he is still a wise king."

"Oh, so wise that you're risking treason for going against his orders?" Loki countered with a snark tone.

"Treason? Thor what do you plan to do?" Aria asked with wide eyes. She'd never thought Thor capable of going against his father, but the loss of his mother must've impacted him greatly.

Rightfully so considering his father didn't even try to save his mother from being murdered right in front of him. Even with her death accpeted, he still could've fought.

"He has asked me to navigate them off Asgard. As it seems, the keys to the Bifrost have been taken from my brother. However, there are other methods of travel in which we shall be seeing…not sure on the how exactly." Loki explained.

"Who is them?"

"Oh, he has the whole Warrior Three, or well Two, involved, not just Lady Sif. Misery does enjoy company does it not?"

Sif clicked her tongue before crossing her arms. The sound of multiple people running towards them made them all look towards the end of the corridor. Sif sighed before unsheathing her sword and stepping in front of them.

"Go, I will keep them at bay for as long as I may. It should buy you some time," she paused before looking at Aria, "Loki will betray Thor. Kill him once he does."

Aria gritted her teeth to bite back the words she wanted to say. Everyone saw Loki as this slimy thing and yet wondered why he never was on their side fully. He had to learn how to pick the side beneficial to his due to their negligence to him. They created the monster he was and yet put all the blame to him. His anger and mistrust were becoming much more understandable. Aria turned and walked with the brothers solemnly, though she enjoyed the other woman's company she didn't like her attitude towards Loki.

"Thor," she called out quietly, "I had a vision of Asgard…most likely due to the Aether but…it wasn't good. Asgard was bathed in blood and fire."

Both the brother's steps faltered but they continued on. The walk between them was deadly silent that their footsteps seemed to sound like giants walking along ice. Aria felt better to speak on the vision, but now she slightly regretted saying anything. The tension was thick and if her heart was racing, she could only imagine theirs. After all, she'd just dropped that she had seen their home destroyed.

"The vision must be what Malekith wants to do to not just Asgard, but the other realms as well. The convergence is happening quite soon, and I believe he will harness the energy to destroy the worlds as we know."

Aria looked at Loki before sliding her eyes to Thor. His whole demeanor seemed heavy now, his face quite blank. It unnerved Aria deeply. Thor had always been the one to find humor in the most depressing of situations, even wrangling her out of her lowest points and yet the person walking next to her seemed unable to do it for himself. She looked back at Loki and saw him also looking at his brother, his eyes sliding over to her as if he had felt her staring. He smirked at her before walking faster to get ahead and turning around.

"This is so unlike you, brother. So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?" Loki's smirk widened and Aria rolled her eyes at his antics to cheer his brother up. However, her heart warmed despite what she showed. Loki had seemingly saw what she had seen, and in his own way was trying to pry the Thor they both knew from this shell.

"If you keep speaking I just might," Thor grumbled.

"Fine. As you wish. I am not even here," with a flick of shimmering green hands Loki transformed into an Einherjar soldier, "Is this better?"

Thor's head turned to his brother and a huff of air escaped his mouth, "It is better company at least."

Aria was almost certain it was a means to stop a laugh from escaping. She watched as Loki transformed into various other people, curiosity of how it worked rising within her. If Loki could teach her how he accomplished that, maybe after this horror show she'd found herself in she could disappear. Truly disappear. The time spent in Nevada came to mind, but she dismissed it; no point in reliving the past at this moment. She had to focus on their escape right now.

Suddenly Thor grabbed Loki and shoved him against a pillar in front of them. Aria widened her eyes before they saw what Thor had seen and dashed behind the nearest pillar to her as well. Two Einherjar walked past them unsuspecting and once they were out of the way, Aria walked out towards the two brothers.

"Common sense would be to furnish me with a weapon," Loki spoke in a low voice, "that way I may be of help with the disposal of witnesses. My dagger or something at least!"

Thor sighed before reaching under his cloak. A mechanical whirl rang about, and Loki smiled until he pulled his hands to his face; there on his wrists were cuffs.

"And I thought you liked tricks," Thor laughed and turned to continue walking, "we are not killing our own Loki, we're not animals."

"And how is that a good idea?" Loki drawled.

"Do you just want them to hate you ever more Loki?" Aria interjected as she walked next to him.

"Oh, I believe that no matter what good I do, I will be hated just for breathing. They are unlike you," Loki mused quietly before Aria could see his body tense.

She looked up to where he was staring and saw a group of Einherjar stalking towards them. Thor dropped his hammer to the ground and looked back at them.

"No killing." He said gruffly before walking towards three of the guards. The fourth guard wrapped around and started stomping his way towards her.

Aria met him halfway and ducked under his swipe of his sword. She reached up and grabbed his arm before twisting it and following the momentum to swing behind him. He howled at the pain and Aria kicked his legs out so the guard was now on his knees. She summoned one of her daggers from thin air, a spell Loki had taught her that required very little energy since her daggers were always strapped somewhere on her body and faltered. She had wanted to only hit the guard with the blunt end of the dagger to knock him out but now...now she wanted to plunge her dagger in his throat and see his blood splutter out after she sliced into one of the arteries. Aria wanted him to suffer for challenging her, to make him example of what she could do. She looked down at the pained man and her body began to shake from the need of executing the thought. She brought the dagger upwards with the blade pointing down, the tip of it glistening as a ray of sun hit it just right.

As she allowed her arm to descend, another hand caught hers right as her dagger knicked the supple skin of the guard. The guards yell made her blink and the sudden mist over her disappeared. She breathed in and out heavily before tracing the arm holding her to see Loki staring at her softly. She let go of her dagger and pulled her arm away from Loki's grasp, sending her fist into the guard's head. He slumped over and hit the ground; effectively put to sleep and alive.

"Are you wanting so badly to take my title as the most hated on Asgard?" Loki said quietly, "You almost killed this guard."

"I know..." Aria breathlessly said, "I saw ahead of how I would kill him...and enjoyed the idea scarily enough. However, it wasn't my intention."

"The Aether...we need to get it out of you." Aria looked at her hands before looking back up to Loki, nodding her head.

"What happened?" Thor walked up to them then, his hammer back in his hand and the other guards resting on the ground.

"We need to go and quickly, brother. I believe the Aether is causing adverse effects to Aria's judgement." Loki stated as he walked past his brother.

Thor looked at Aria and she could see confusion in those ocean blue eyes. She shook her head before walking past him, not wanting to speak on what almost happened. Aria wouldn't know how she could explain it either. She was in full control and knew what she was about to do was wrong, but nothing was stopping her. The same had happened back in her room. Had Loki and Sif not interfered she would've surely killed the guards. The thing that had her scared the most is she would have enjoyed it when normally she hated taking a person's life. Aria stared ahead silently, absentmindedly following Loki.

Aria stopped walking as a sudden pain surged through her body. She grabbed at her stomach as she let out a hiss from the pain. She doubled over as the pain began to get more intense. Her skin felt like it was boiling, and her lungs burned with every breath in. The pain was akin to the trials her uncle would put her through, yet this pain was much more unbearable. Whereas her uncle focused the pain on certain parts of her body, the Aether slithered to every nook and cranny to which it burned on touching.

"Lady Aria, are you okay?" Thor's voice drifted around her.

"Obviously she is not okay brother, move aside." Sounds of m and suddenly the world began to spin. She could see the roof above her now or was that the floor?

A chill overcame her then, the boiling mess of her body coming to a stop. She drew in a breath and then another, glad for the pain to be gone with every intake. She blinked the unwelcome tears away before sitting up and looking down at her body. A red glow came from under her skin that startled her, no matter how many times she'd seen it. She looked up at the brothers and nodded her head. They needed to keep going.

"The spell will only last for a short time. Your body was burning so I lowered your natural body temperature," Loki explained as he helped her up, "it'll give the next time the Aether pushes."

"Thank you." Aria whispered and they continued on.

They walked into the great hall where a ship had crash landed in it. Volstagg was standing in front of the ship with his weapon held in his hand. Aria looked around and noticed many Einherjar knocked unconscious on the ground. Thor walked up to the Asgardian and offered him a hug, to which Volstagg returned.

"I bid thee the best of luck. There are more guards on the way, so best to see you along rather quickly. I shall do my best to thwart the Asgardians from your path." Volstagg said with pride laced in his voice.

"Your sacrifice will not go in vain my friend; we shall accomplish what we set out to do. I will come back and with my father seeing the good we've done, right the wrongs brought down on thee." Thor stated as he slammed a hand on the man's shoulder.

They walked began to board the ship before the sound of metal against metal stopped them. Aria looked back to see her brother fighting Volstagg. They locked eyes for a moment and time stood still. Aria hoped she could convey the sorry she felt. His eyes burned with questions but then time caught up and he was back to fighting Volstagg. The doors hissed closed and the trio was engulfed in darkness. Resounding bangs came from a few feet in front of her, Thor's grunts accompanying them.

"Maybe if you hit it harder it'll work," Loki teased from her left.

"I am trying my best, unlike you just standing there!" Thor shouted.

"I hear the guards overpowering Volstagg, brother. Whatever you're doing I suggest you do faster."

"Shut up Loki."

"You must have missed something," Loki mused before light flickered on around them, "ah at least you found the button for the lights. I hope you find the button to start the ship."

"I've pressed every button on this damn panel!"

"No, don't hit it. Just press them gently."

"I am pressing it gently! It's not working!" Thor stated as his hands slammed down on the console. Suddenly the ship came to life and Thor laughed as he looked at Loki and Aria. She offered a smile of encouragement as Loki rolled his eyes.

A screen of some sorts flashed in front of the console and Aria moved to have a better view. The ship began to rise and knocked them all unbalanced before whipping forwards, the sides hitting every column on its way out.

"I believe you missed a column," Loki teased as he pointed forward.

"Shut your mouth brother," Thor seethed as he tried his best to steer the ship.

"Look, why don't you let me take control? I am clearly the better pilot."

"Oh is that so brother? Then tell me, out of us two, which can actually fly?"

Aria rolled her eyes at their antics and looked forward. She couldn't lie and say she didn't feel slightly envious of their relationship. She thought back to her now severed relationship with her brother and a pang of sadness hit her then. She had done the right thing. Her eyes moved downward as the thought plagued her. When they had looked at each other as he fought Volstagg, she had seen a questioning glint in his eyes. Aria hoped that seeing her had not undone her handiwork. Her intention was to leave everything behind and hopefully spare her brother from the cruel clutches of death. He would die yes, but not after living a long and prosperous life far away from her. She knew that after defeating Malekith she would have to leave Asgard. The thought of leaving pained her as well and she looked back up at the arguing brothers. Had she done the right thing? The thought was dismissed as she watched Thor push Loki out of the ship.

Wait what?

"Let's go Aria," Thor stated as he went to pick his hammer up, "our true ride is here."

She followed Thor as he jumped out the ship, leaving behind all thoughts of her brother behind. They landed on a ship being steered by Fandral, his smug smile plastered on his face as he looked down at Loki.

"I see your time in the dungeons has made you no less graceful, Loki."

Thor laughed at the comment before looking up at the sky, Aria following his gaze to see that the Asgardian ships continued to follow and fire at Malekith's ship. Aria looked back down at Thor proud of how he handled everything thus far.

"You lied to me. I'm impressed," Loki jabbed as he sat up.

"I'm glad you are pleased. Now do as you promised and take us to your secret pathway." Thor requested as he gestured toward the ships steer control. Loki smiled and stood up to take control before Asgardian ships started to open fire on them. "Fandral!"

"Right," Fandral picked up a rope and stepped to the edge of the ship, "for you my friend and...for Asgard!"

Aria peered off the edge of their ship to see Fandral land on one of the Asgardian ships tailing them. He called out something before knocking the soldiers out cold. He then looked over to Thor and Aria, saluting them with a smile. He steered the Asgardian ship away bringing the other ships towards him instead of them.

"Thor...where are we going?" Aria questioned as she stood up from her perch.

"Svartalfheim, home of the Dark Elves. Instead of waiting for Malekith to attack and shed more of our soldiers' blood, we shall be taking the battle to him."

Aria nodded her head in agreement, already picturing how Odin would allow his soldiers to be killed in the fight all to protect the Aether. It wasn't even her that he had wanted to safeguard, it was the stone swirling within her.

"How can Malekith use the Aether?"

"We are coming upon a Convergence. A time where all nine realms are in perfect alignment and traversing through the realms is quite easy. I believe you found a pocket such as the one Loki is taking us to, hence why you were and weren't on Vanaheim when you found the Aether. Speaking of which, Loki why are you steering us straight into the mountains?!"

"If it were easy...everyone would do it."

"Are you mad?!"

"Possibly." Loki grinned as he pushed the ship faster forward, the mountain mere inches from the tip of the ship.

Thor grabbed ahold of Aria, and she prepared to endure a crash, closing her eyes. However, they hadn't crashed. They were speeding through the mountain and suddenly the ship met no resistance. Aria opened her eyes and she was greeted with a dull landscape. Cold air nipped at her nose as a rancid smell filled it.

"Ta-da, I present you Svartalfheim."

---

Annnnnnddddd here's another chapter :) Next will be focused on the battles between Malekith. I decided to void Jane Foster here because it made more sense for Aria to have the Aether in this story. At least it does in my mind but Jane and the crew will be making an appearance in the next chapter lol Aria's going through it though. First getting the Aether and having it fucking up everything in her, then losing her father and brother with the mind erasing. Just after finally feeling comfortable and being happy for a couple months. It's just a sad chapter. I'm such a cynical auther muahahahahha Anyways, it'll become more hopeful I promise! (I think heehhehehe)

So as far as timeline, we're here in Thor: The Dark World obviously. From what I looked at, Thor 2 happens at least seven months after Avengers. I was able to cut out 5 months of it from her staying on Asgard but I don't think I could stretch it much further so we here are a little ahead of Marvel timeline by a couple months. The next movie we'll be finding our heorine in will be CA: The Winter Soldier. But it won't be from the get go of the movie I think. I have an idea of where I wanna place her. Just as a heads up, I will be putting Aria in the events of most of the movies and there might be a disparity of time difference between them SO I am sorry about that. I will try to update the year and time within the story better so you readers can place in your head where things are at better.

I also don't want to write too much filler in this story. HOWEVER I have thought about also writing a sort of companion piece that while you don't have to read to get an understanding of the story, you can read to find out more about Aria. I put a poll up on my page so please go vote to let me know if you'd want that. I'm thinking as of right now, it'll be an expansion of her flashbacks and delving into the time jumps I will have throughout the story. (i.e. what happened in the months she was in Asgard that I ommitted from the story to not put too much filler).

Honestly, I feel like this chapter was so hard to write out. I went through like 4 drafts of it lol so I do hope you guys enjoyed this final draft. BIG thank you to those who have followed, favorited, and commented on this story. It really drives me to write as much as I can when I can knowing that people are enjoying my work. Even to the people who read through this! Just know it is very much appreciated :)

~Flower