*grins* And now we come to the…meat…of the story, although this is the "lite" version.  I haven't written the actual lemon scenes yet, but when I do, which will be soon, I will post them elsewhere, and you will all be directed to where you can read them. ^_~

Now on with the show!

Loki's Plan part 10

The ensuing week was very difficult for Loki.  Mayura's nightmares only increased in intensity, although she still couldn't remember them, and Loki hardly allowed himself to sleep at night, for fear of not waking in time to pull her out of them.  Consequently, he ended up sleeping in the day when Mayura was off at school.  He walked her there, and walked her back, and was constantly around her but couldn't allow himself to touch her any more than was absolutely necessary.  It was pure torture, but he grit his teeth and bore it.  He had to keep reminding himself that this was more than just one of the Norns' sick jokes.

On the tenth night after Odin's attack, Mayura's nightmare was worse than ever.  She went from peaceful sleep to screaming with no warning at all, and when Loki rushed to her room she was sitting up in bed with wide, unseeing eyes.

"You let go of my babies, you monster!" she screamed in rage, tears streaming down her face. "Run!  Run away from him!  . . . No!  Loki~~!"

Just as her screams turned to wracking sobs, Loki pushed through the wards and into her room.  He gently gathered her into his arms, hardly aware of Fenrir as he hopped down from the bed and closed the door behind him as he left the room.

"I'm here Sigyn, don't cry, I'm here." he said soothingly.

Mayura looked up at him, and he couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep.

"Why did he take my babies?  Why did he hurt them?  Why, Loki?" she asked, hiccupping.

Loki closed his eyes to hide his pain and clenched his hands into tight fists against her back.  The helpless pleading in her voice was almost more than his heart could stand.

"I'm sorry Sigyn, I just don't know." he said, his voice choked with emotion. "I've never understood that part of the prophecies myself."  He shook his head.  "Come now Sigyn, it hasn't truly happened, you yet sleep and dream.  You must wake." he said firmly.

She blinked, then Mayura was looking out of her own eyes once again, but unlike all the other nights he could see the knowledge of her dream shining from those tear-bright eyes at him.

She buried her face in his chest, sobbing afresh, and he rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry Mayura, I'm sorry you had to see that." he said gently.

"But why?" she asked plaintively.

"It is a part of the wyrd laid out for us.  It doesn't make sense to me either." he explained sorrowfully.

Eventually her sobs trailed into hiccups, and she slipped into the sleep of the emotionally exhausted.  Very gently Loki rearranged her so that he could recline in the bed, her head pillowed on his chest.  He wouldn't sleep himself, but there was no way he was leaving her alone in this state.  She wasn't going to school tomorrow either, he was going to insist on that.  She was going to stay right here with him, and they were going to have a little talk with the Norns about these dreams.

Loki hadn't meant to fall asleep, or even thought he could with everything that was running through his head, but his lack of sleep combined with Mayura's soft breathing had conspired to send him into a deep, healing rest.  He woke with his arms tangled around Mayura, and hers around him, feeling better than he had in days.  He gently disentangled himself from her without waking her and went to get breakfast.

He was back in the room by the time she woke up, although not on the bed.  He had brought in a comfortable chair and a book, and was reading.  He had already called the Norns, and was expecting them within the half-hour. 

"Mmm..." Mayura mumbled, slowly waking, "What time is it?"

"Ten in the morning." Loki informed her, looking up from his book.

"Kyaaa!!  I'm so late!" she squeaked, almost falling out of bed in her hurry.

"You aren't late, you aren't going to school today, I've already called in for you.  We're going to talk to the Norns about that dream you had last night," he said firmly.

"I don't want to remember it." Mayura whispered.

"Oh sweet, I know you don't want to, but remember, everything can have its own interpretation, and not all visions of the future are accurate or even literal.  Sometimes we have to look at the deeper metaphorical meaning." Loki said comfortingly.

"That's true, but it doesn't make it any less horrible." Mayura said.

When the Norns arrived, Mayura was up and dressed and they were both sitting in the living room.  Urda, Verdandi and Skuld bowed politely before they sat down.

"Before you get into a long explanation of why you called us, we have news you should hear." Urda said, holding up her hand as Loki began to speak.

"We were curious, after we left last time, how it was that one of the Aesir could have been born of mortal parents so we did a little investigating." Verdandi explained.

"What do you remember about your mother, Mayura-chan?" Skuld asked.

"Mama?  Not very much.  I was only four when she died.  I remember she was pretty, with light brown hair although I don't really remember her face, and she smelled good and had a soft, kind voice.  Mostly I remember that I didn't want her to die and she did.  I prayed every day for her to stay with me." she said softly, looking down.

"Mayura, when we told you your wyrd you told us that both your parents were mortal.  That was not the truth, although there was no way you could know that." Urda said with a secretive smile.  She turned to Loki.  "Do you remember, Loki, some years ago Frigg disappeared for a time?"

Loki gave the Norns a look, then looked at Mayura and laughed.  "So many more things make sense now." he said.

Mayura searched her new memories to figure out who they were talking about, and when she did, she gasped in shock. "You're telling me Mama isn't dead?" she asked, "Why did she pretend to get so sick and leave us then?"

"She likely was sick, and had to leave." Loki explained, squeezing her hand, "None of the Aesir can go for too long without Idun's apples, and since nobody here knew her true nature she couldn't exactly go and return."

"Besides, if Odin had found out..." Skuld shivered.  "He's always expected her to be faithful, even when he has more by-blows than she has children.  She hid you well, we all just assumed she was down here to hide Baldur away and avert his death."

Loki chuckled at that.  "I don't even need to guess where she hid him; I've been suspicious of 'Koutaro' from the moment I met him, and his reaction to Hel clinched it for me."

Urda's eyes widened.  "So that was who he was asking about!" she realized.

"Yes, they corresponded for years, ever since not long after Hel was sent to Niflheim." Loki explained.

"You mean Koutaro-kun is my brother." Mayura exclaimed, shocked.

"He is, but he probably doesn't remember." Urda cautioned her.

"He should soon, though.  He's reached his seventeenth birthday, the age of Majority.  It wouldn't surprise me if he's already starting to remember." Verdandi mused.

"He's such a flirt, now I'm really glad he never flirted with me." Mayura said with a slightly sick expression.

Skuld couldn't help but laugh out loud.  "I can't believe that's the first thing you thought of."

"Well I'm glad he never flirted with you too." Loki told her, kissing her sweetly.

Skuld's expression darkened, but she knew there was nothing she could do to sooth the hurt she felt.

"Now that you've heard our news, why was it that you called upon us?" Verdandi asked.

"Mayura has been having nightmares.  I had suspected that they were about our wyrd since she only reacted to being called Sigyn and spoken to in Old Norse.  Up until now she has always forgotten them, but last night when I woke her she remembered."

Mayura looked almost on the verge of crying just from being reminded of the dream, so Verdandi went and sat next to her and put her hand on Mayura's shoulder.

"You don't need to tell us out loud what the dream was, we can see it in your memory if you will allow us to." she reassured her.

"I... I think that might be better." Mayura agreed.

The Norns gathered around her and their power swirled around her and them.  When they pulled back, they all had melancholy expressions on their faces.

"Be reassured, it will not come to pass for some time." Urda said softly, taking one of Mayura's hands.

"And it may not be exactly as you have seen it." Skuld added.

"And there is some good news." Verdandi said with a smile, "You are ready now to eat your first apple, if you wish."

Both Loki and Mayura broke out in smiles at that news.

"We'll leave you to discuss it between the two of you." Urda winked, then led her sisters away, "We'll see ourselves out."

After the Norns left, Mayura and Loki sat for about ten minutes just staring at each other, before they both broke out in massive grins.

"So..." Loki started

"So..." Mayura said at the same time.

They both started laughing.  Loki gestured to Mayura to go first.

"So you called me in sick from school?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Loki laughed.  "I did indeed.  And I think it would be a perfect time for Yamino and Fenrir to go visit their sister.  Sleipnir did offer to take them, after all, and I believe we might want to have the house to ourselves." he winked.

Mayura blushed brightly, but she smiled as well.

Heimdall had been having an interesting week.  Freyr had been appropriately shocked at his appearance, then congratulated him on regaining his true form and gone about as though nothing had really changed.  For Heimdall, though, everything had.  He still lacked his eye, and wanted to go after Loki for taking it and get it back, but right now his mind was taken up with thoughts of Freya.  He knew she wasn't the least bit interested in him, but he couldn't help imagining what it would be like to be with her.  No doubt she was still pining over Loki.  Every time he thought of that it only served to make him angry with Loki.  How could he have ignored such a beautiful, vibrant woman? ...

Heimdall finally made up his mind that same morning of Mayura's nightmare.

"I'm going out for a bit." he called to Freyr as he left the house in kakusei form, "Don't bother waiting up, I may be a little while."

"Fine then, don't eat the dinner I'm cooking for you." Freyr pouted.

Heimdall just rolled his eyes and shut the door.

As he walked toward Freya's house, he tried very hard not to think about the ways this could go wrong.

'It's just dinner.' he reminded himself, 'A chance for both of you to get out of the house, nothing more.'

He tried not to let his nervousness show as he knocked on her door.  He saw "Reiya's" face through the window, but it was Freya who opened the door.

"To what do I owe the honour?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Freyr's cooking again, and I wondered if you'd like to go to dinner with me," he said.  "Not that I'm saying Freyr can't cook, of course..."

Freya laughed.  "That's okay, I know all about his cooking." she reassured Heimdall. "It's very predictable, ne?  I would love to go out for dinner," she said with a smile, "just give me a minute to make myself presentable.  Come on in."

Heimdall stood slightly uncomfortably in the front hall, holding his hands together and trying not to fidget.  When Freya came back she was positively radiant, and she had a big smile on her face.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"We are going to a nice little place I found the other day which actually does a decent job of reproducing French cuisine." Heimdall said with a smile, "How does that sound?"

"That sounds lovely." Freya agreed.

After the boys had been sent away, all three grinning like fools, Loki leaned over to kiss Mayura where she was sitting on the couch still.

"I'll go fetch the apples, and I'll be right back." he said affectionately.

"I'll be right here." Mayura smiled up at him.

When he returned with the basket containing the three apples Idun had sent him, Loki observed Mayura where she lay reclining on the couch.  She was humming something he didn't recognize and her mind was obviously elsewhere.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked, sitting down by her feet.

She turned to him with a smile.  "I'll be becoming part of one of the biggest mysteries ever, won't I!" she laughed. "Yes, I'm sure I'm ready Loki, I really am."

He pulled her into his lap and handed her the first apple.  "It might burn a little on the way down," he cautioned her, "but you need to eat all of it except for the core."

Mayura was proud of the way her hand barely shook as she raised the fruit to her lips.  She'd told Loki she was ready, and she was, really, but this was an awfully big step.  She bit into the apple and her mouth was flooded with a honey-sweet flavour.  It reminded her somehow of being very young and biting into a fresh apple for the very first time.  As she swallowed, it heated up, warming her stomach the way her father's ceremonial saké had that time she'd snuck some when she was twelve.  Loki's arms tightened around her as she continued to eat, and she couldn't quite tell anymore whether the heat radiating from her middle was due to the apple or him.

Loki watched in awe as Mayura's aura changed before his eyes, making her shine from within.  As she finished the last of the edible parts of the apple, he took the core and incinerated it with a puff of flame so hot that not even ashes were left.  Better safe than sorry with something as powerful as Idun's apples, he thought, he wouldn't want them to fall into the wrong hands.

Mayura turned to look up at Loki, and he leaned down until their noses were touching.

"Now I can make you mine forever." he whispered, and picked her up in his arms as he kissed her and headed for his room, carrying the basket with the two remaining apples as well.

Mayura moaned as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.  She could still feel the apple's fire in her belly, but Loki was nothing if not adept at distraction, and before long she was feeling so much more than that warmth that she forgot all about it.

* *

Afterward, she lay with her head on his chest and he handed her the second apple.

"This one shouldn't burn so much." he reassured her as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Does that mean I don't get to be distracted?" Mayura pouted.

Loki laughed.  "Awfully demanding, aren't you?" he teased, then rolled her onto her back and propped himself up on his elbows above her. "Silly girl, of course you get to be 'distracted'.  If you don't hurry up and eat that apple I might just forget myself and start to 'distract' you right now!" he warned her, only half joking.

Mayura giggled and dutifully ate her second apple.  A little awkwardly since she was on her back, but she managed. 

When a dribble of juice escaped down her cheek, Loki caught it with one finger and directed it back toward her mouth.  "You mustn't miss any." he chided her gently.

She mock-glared and stuck her tongue out at him briefly before licking the apple juice off his finger.  That was almost too tempting, so he made an effort to find something else to think about.  He looked more closely at the girl he was sharing his bed with.  Her body was slowly beginning to change beneath him, becoming closer to the ideal of 'woman' without becoming any less 'Mayura'.  He thought about what the Norns had told him, today and before, about Mayura.  The fact that his Sigyn had been born human, in a place on the other side of the world from his home in the Norse lands and with a different name, was not something they had foreseen, nor had they known who her mother was.  It had taken Odin attacking her and him going to them about her to bring all this into the open.

"Mou... Loki, you're brooding again." Mayura's voice interrupted his thoughts.  "I'm finished my apple..."

"So you are." he smiled down at her, "And you're right, I was brooding.  How can I ever make it up to you?"

Mayura's giggle was cut short as Loki delved deeply into her mouth while he took the second apple core and burned it.

She hardly noticed the heat from the apple with the heat Loki was creating between them, but she did notice her senses were sharpening.  She wondered briefly if the increase in sensitivity was natural or if it came from the apple , but she couldn't spare the concentration to puzzle it out so she let it be for the moment and let herself simply enjoy it.

* *

Loki laughed as he rolled onto his back.  It wasn't a sarcastic laugh, or a mocking laugh, but the laugh of a man free and at peace for the first time in a long while.

"Mou!  What's so funny?" Mayura asked, rolling over and punching him lightly in the stomach. 

He pulled her on top of him and laughed again.  "Everything's funny... Life's funny... I love you, you know." he said with a smile.

"Loki..." Mayura said softly.

"It still surprises me sometimes.  I wasn't expecting to fall in love down here on Midgard, I thought I was just biding my time here, but here you are, and I loved you even before I knew you were supposed to be Sigyn... It's a good thing I decided to stay here, ne?"

"Loki, you have the weirdest sense of humour." Mayura pouted.

"Of course I do." he grinned unrepentantly up at her, "Now eat your last apple."

Mayura stuck her tongue out at him before lifting the third apple to her lips and beginning to eat.  As she ate she felt a growing sense of anticipation, and it wasn't until she was halfway through that she realized it wasn't all coming from her.

"Loki... I can feel you!" she said, stunned.

"Of course you can, you're lying on top of me." he smirked.

She glared at him.  "In here." she gestured to her head.  "I can feel your emotions."  She giggled helplessly.  "Mystery!  I'm turning psychic!"

Her giggles weren't helped by being able to feel Loki's amusement, she felt like it was tickling her brain from within.  "It's not funny." she said firmly, trying to suppress her hilarity.

"You're right, it's not.  You're going to need some training." Loki said more seriously, "Otherwise you'll go crazy from feeling everyone around you."

"I suppose so." Mayura agreed as she finished her last apple.

Loki looked deep into her eyes as he burned the last apple core, and she looked right back at him.

"So I'm a Goddess now?" she asked.

Loki grinned.  "That you are.  And I'm going to show you what I do to Asinjur who catch my fancy!" he growled in Old Norse and rolled her onto her back, knowing her body could handle a little rougher treatment now.

* *