Chapter 2: Ljós

The twin suns of Asgard feels nicely on his skin.

Thor smiles, excited for a new adventure surly his brother would like to go this time. After all it was summer, and the best time for hunting sport that usually hid away during the colder seasons. With his mother visiting in Vanaheim and his father preoccupied in the throne room, there was not a single reason why nothing could go wrong.

He should've known it would though.

"Loki, come on brother! It is a beautiful day! We should be out there in the forest searching for game instead you rather be lock up in your chambers reading books!"

Loki did not even glance up, instead flip the page nonchalantly. He sits on his desk, away from the sunlight streaming in.

He should've known then something was different.

"Thor one of us has to be resourceful, I hardly suspect you will be since you have not even done your homework. The tutors will not like it and tell on you. You know how Mother reacts."

Thor laughs, launching himself. "Come Loki! Where is your sense of adventure, brother? It is like you are allergic to the sun!"

Loki scoffs, now raising his head to look at Thor. "I am not allergic you oaf! I just don't find the need to be all sweaty! Now let me be! Go find Frandral or Sif if you are so dire in need to kill an animal."

Thor lays silently for a moment; he looks up at his kid brother. "What if I say I will give you permission to play tricks on them, would that make you come too?"

Loki laughs setting his book aside, "Wow, what a deal. Tell me why do you want me to go so desperately? You know I am no use during hunting."

"I juuuust want your compaaaany." He says smiling brightly.

The younger smiles back, rolling his emerald eyes.

"Mmhm I will give you zero point for originality brother, you tried this tactic last time we went swimming in Vanaheim and came back with leaches on our backs. No, not this time. Go on you oaf! I will still be here when you return."

Thor gets up, heading to the door. He looks back for a second. "You promise right, we will do something together."

"Of course, now go! You are interrupting my study."

"….Loki….are you a draugr?"

"Thor get out now!"

"I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on up again"

"Wait, hold up there buddy, you want to do what now?"

"And go where?"

Thor frowns, surly he explained what the wizard had said to him to the Rabbit correctly.

"I merely asked if you and your companions would like to help me find the realm of magic—Lumenheim—the light world. A forgotten small realm within Yddgrasil."

"And why would we help you find this Lum-Luh-whatever you just said," comments the human with dirty blonde hair, Peter Quill, if he isn't mistaken.

"Look buddy, I just met you like an hour ago…again 'cause we found you, you know, before this whole Thanos wiping civilization act, you were unconscious in space, okay…and while its cool adventure we got our own mission."

They were all reunited in the new safehouse Stark had before the Avengers base on the outskirts of New York. Most of the Avengers (those without a home actually) had camped out. Thor came swiftly through a portal after speaking privately to Dr. Strange.

Thor nods, "I understand, friend Quill, you are after your love?"

Peter perks his lips, "Y-yeah, something like that…but still we can't help you."

"Okay, first of all," said the Rabbit uhh..Rocket, "This guy right here helped me when all of you combusted alright. I owe him some. Besides we can handle this side job easily, we can find 2014 Gamora, cause that's who she is, Quill and go to this other realm thingy."

He turns to Thor, "Why are we going to this realm thingy?"

Thor debates tell him, if Strange was correct, the less people who knows about the realm and its powers the better. But these were Avengers, right? They help defeat Thanos.

Granted he has not known then others as well as the Rabbit, but this was his family.

And Thor respects family.

Better not reveal all the cards, he thinks and chuckles. This is certainly something Loki would do.

"I cannot say exactly why, friend, though I will be ever in your debt. Besides it's an adventure, as guardians, I would think you are all up for it."

"Hey," Peter said, hands on his hips, "You didn't have to take it that far. Okay, fine who here wants to help out fellow Thunder god here?"

The Rabbit swiftly raised his hand (paw, perhaps). Followed by the small but no means fragile antennas girl he learned called Mantis. Thor nod his thanks to her.

"Drax?"

The better built muddy grey-colored man with scars running through his torso eyed the Thunder god for a second before nodding yes.

Nebula nods swiftly before darting back into the ship.

"I guess that does it." Peter smiles, "We are going to whatever way you pronounce that and find Gamora."

~ Earlier~

Strange led Thor through the portal in front of the New York Sanctorum. "Come in" he says opening the door opened but Thor looks attentively at him, "What?"

"Last time I was here, the whole rooms shifted. Can we go in as normal people?"

Strange chuckles, "Alright, though being Asgardian I thought you were used to magic."

They both enter through the door, Strange closing it behind him. He then swiftly walks up the staircase heading for the library.
"Yes and no," Thor comments following closely behind. "Seiðr wasn't always the first line of usage in Asgard, apart from the Healing Chambers, my mother, All-Mother herself and perhaps my father, it was only called upon when needed. Then again, we were mostly raised to be warriors, not sorcerers."

Strange nods heading towards a particular section of the library, "Is that why your brother was outcasted?" He asks casually.

Thor froze. His blue eye glances dangerous at the wizard. "Careful in what you say, Strange."

"Oh, sorry, but frankly you said it yourself. Sorcery isn't accepted as a noble profession—ah, here it is"-he gently levitates a brown bonded book from the higher self.

"If anything, it seems to be a women's duty to learn if what I read about Asgard and its inhabitants is correct. I'm sure your brother learning, the second prince no less, wasn't acceptable."

Thor breaths in heavily, ready to defend his home's customs but stops short. What Strange is saying its correct. Magic- wielding was always frown up for males, ergi was the world constantly use for them. Thor himself sometimes joined in on bully those men practicing some form of magic even at his brother.

If Thor is being honest, how many times himself had he said to Loki "why you are learning a women's art?" and scorn him for using seiðr during battles (when in truth many would not have been won without it). What did he say?

Gimmicks and tricks

You were a lousy brother

Strange looks up to him from the book, noticing his words had affected the god. "How much do you know, Thor? You have some magic in you, I admit not as strong as your brother's but it's there."

Thor moves closer settling Storm-breaker, now an umbrella, down on the stand.

"I am afraid not much. I never really had the need to study, finding I am much more suited for swordmanship and battle though my mother did teach me alongside my brother. He always had an apt for learning about it than I. I just learn how to channel it through Mjolnir. After… Ragnarök, I was able to channel it through my own senses instead, but other than summoning lighting, and perhaps controlling a storm or two, there is nothing else I can do."

"mmhm", Strange comments thumbing through his dark-brown book.

"Loki-"

Thor swallows a sudden lump that always creeps up after his brother's name.

"Loki was the one who took it to heart. He is-was a fast learner, a natural at wielding magic. By the time he was five hundred, huh Midgardian three-years old, he could shapeshift."

Thor laughs lightly, "There was once Mother screamed from his chamber and I went out scared and panic, but all I found was Loki as a small snake, curled up on the pillow it gave her such a fright!" He continues, "Then later he could cast solid illusions and at time went on, I don't know what he did or where he learned, he could teleport without help of the Bifrost, and wield energy that moved like an extension of himself, he could summon what seems like a thousand daggers from nowhere and he—" Thor pauses realizing Strange looking at him with a small sad smile.

Thor clears his throat, "Sorry, I did not mean to keep talking…"

"It's fine, Thor. No matter what he had done, and he has done plenty... he was still your brother," he comes closer with the book in hand. "And you miss him."

The Thunder God nods slowly.

Missing does not being to describe the absolute ache in his heart even after five years, the ache has never left since the Stateman.

So much have remained unsaid, connections that were laying dormant brought to the surface during those few months on the Stateman. Loki had become his brother once again, the brother he knew and grew up and dreamed with. And all was stolen in a mere second.

He never got the change to say I love you.

Come to think about it, when was the last time he has spoken those words.

When they were young, unafraid, simply living peacefully oblivious to their fates.

"Ah, here we are."

Thor snaps back from his internal turmoil as Strange smacks a book down right in front of him.

The pages show of a great meadow, filled with different creatures and people, at the center a Citadel of some sort standing tall.

"That my friend, is Lumen or Lumenheim for your native tongue, a world of magic at its core. All magic from the universe, of course only this specific kind, does not simply disappear, it travels back here. Here, the magic is protected awaiting their rightful owners or to be reabsorbed into the universe. When your brother died, his magic must have expelled itself and traveled here."

Thor looks intensely at the pages, "I have never heard of this place before."

"You might not have actually. The Light World was created at the beginning of everything, and it has been hidden ever since."

Strange waves his hands rhythmically.

Orange magic fills the space above them highlighting a planet surrounded by three moons.

"This is the Light World, its occupants dedicate their lives to the Well, a vast pool that flows energy into space." Strange's energy transforms into a huge, adorn well, its center looks endless. Tall, lanky creatures hover above seeming to pour contents into the Well.

"Your brother's magic is contained here, awaiting to be claimed, if it's not, the residents will pour it into the Well to be reused."

Thor looks back at Strange in awe and confusion, "Wait you said…you said specific magic...what do you mean?

The illusions fade suddenly, and Strange waves his arms again.

"Magic, Mystic arts, Seiðr—different names for different energies. There is no linear path, no commonality or basic rules for magic. Dimensional magic works differently than Asgardian magic. It comes from connections to the universe itself."

"Yggdrasil," Thor whispers as the particles form the World Tree.

Stephen nods, "Yes, I suppose so. Now to get to the Lightworld is not an easy task. You must rely on your own senses, unfortunately you are not too in tune with your magic so this might be difficult. However, is it possible you know someone who could relate to Asgardian magic or similar to it?"

Thor nods slowly, "I might know of a person, but Strange, how—how would I even get my brother's seidr? Would it be possible?"

Stephen looks at Thor for a moment. "You will know once you are there, Thor. Just hurry, there has been some disturbances and I have the feeling whatever it is needs a whole lot of energy."

Strange waves his arms once more, the illusion stops entirely. "And whatever it is, it is blocking any tracking spell I know. I do not like that at all."

Thor nods, gripping the umbrella. He has absolutely no idea how to accomplish this but has the urge to do good by his brother. Even in this small way. Perhaps it is an opportunity to honor him truthfully.

For the first time.

"Alright listen up crew and uh, guest!" shouts Peter Quill as he spins on the captain's chair. Rocket growls going for his own seat. Little Root hands on his shoulder.

A few hours ago, the crew and its new guest have gone out into space.

The turmoil and sudden stargazing left Thor feeling confused.

Confused to the back that his hands had a slight tremor it didn't have before.

Confused for the way his throat tightens at the sight of space, and sudden hiccupping of his heart bouncing against his chest. It felt strange and wrong as if Quill forgot to vent the oxygen through the craft.

As if he could not breathe.

Stumbling, Thor ducks through a beam heading to the front of the ship where the rest of the Guardian are sitting, he spots the soft creature he has come to understand is Mantis. She looks at him with soft eyes making Thor frown slightly.

He turns his attention to Quill, "Friend Quill we are journeying to the realm, are we not?"

"What? Of course! Where else we gonna go huh? I mean if this signal can trace Gamora then I will for her, just to let you know."

Thor nods, selfishly hoping it would not be the case. He really needs to get to the Light World.

"Thor?"

A soft voice fills through, and Thor turns to look down at the young lady Mantis. Her big eyes look soft and sadden. She touched his bicep, not with the eagerness other maidens have in the past (and present) but with tenderness and love it reminded him of his mother.

"I- I sense create pain from you, a pain that has never sealed and continues to haunt your heart."

Thor breathes in deeply, smiling awry at her.

"It was not all in vain," she continues touching his cheek. "The sun will shine again"

Thor froze.

How?

She smiles lightly before moving on, leaving the Thunder God stun.

Bright

It is too bright

They couldn't understand why it was bright, it shouldn't be so.

No, they should not be able to—

Heat

It is warm, softly touching them.

How could they feel?

They were not supposed to feel

Right?

Short chapter but just setting up the story. I do apologize if the characteristics of the Guardians is a bit off...its the only MCU movie I haven't seen but I am planning to get to it. The characteristics comes from what I've seen during other movies.

Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!