Hey everyone! Guess what! I finally read Stardust! Talk about things that make you go Awwwwwwww. I have to say it was a strange experience to read a Fairytale and come across a sex scene and the word 'Fuck'.

I also wanted to take a moment to thank yifrodit sooooo much for making me some absolutely amazing banners to use for this story! They're just fantastic! She's got loads of links on her profile too to the ones she's made for her own stories and everyone one is more gorgeous than the next. Seriously, check them out!

I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, I can't thank you enough for the beautiful reviews you've left me, and even for stopping by to read it at all! You all mean the world to me! Thank you.

Karnilla hadn't lied when she'd told Loki about the screams. Oh, how Rosa had screamed. A deep, dark coldness had overcome her as the Oracle had smiled at her. She had stood slowly from her chair and inched towards Rosa as if they'd had all the time in the world.

She had wanted to turn away, she had wanted to run. But she couldn't. The coldness had taken over. Her limbs had grown heavy – slow, as if frozen. She could do nothing but watch as the old woman had come towards her with outstretched hands.

A scream of horror had ripped from her throat as soon as the Oracle had touched her. Her flesh had been white hot and when Rosa looked down at her old, wrinkled hands she had felt pure terror to discover their skin had melded together. As if they were one. As if they had always been one.

She could not tell where one ended and the other begun and even as she had attempted to pull away she had known it had been a useless effort.

She felt something pulsing within her under the Oracle's touch, pumping it's way into her and coursing through her veins.

Rosa gritted her teeth and called forth all the power she could possibly muster. Her magic tingled beneath her skin and she pushed against the Oracle's efforts, willing herself to cleanse the evil from her body. To her dismay, her magic merely trickled passed the Oracle's force, as if it hadn't even noticed it was there.

Rosa looked up at the Oracle in horror.

There is no point in your efforts, my sweet… The voice surrounded her, consumed her. It slowly dawned upon her that the voice came from within her own head.

The Oracle's power flowed into her, deeper and deeper, consuming her.

Sheer terror overcame Rosa as suddenly she felt detached… shapeless. She had tried to look around but she found herself unable to move. She just kept staring down at the limp body of the Oracle who had fallen dead at her feet. Suddenly, and against her will, she turned to face a dirty cracked mirror tucked in the corner of the room and inspected herself with a tilted head. Cold dread was all she felt as she realised what had happened.

She was no longer in control of her body. She was a prisoner.

Suddenly the world around her blurred.

Footsteps echoed around Rosa as she strolled through the grand and shining halls of the Royal Palace. Disdain filled her as she inspected her surroundings; so this was how their great and powerful King lived? The thought occurred to her that a single golden brick from the wall in this corridor would be enough to feed one of the Villages of the outskirts for near to a decade. It confused her as to why she would feel the way she did – the contempt – she had walked these hallways a thousand times, and she knew Odin to be just and compassionate to his people.

For a moment she caught sight of herself in the reflection of a pane of glass and she understood. She was experiencing a memory. She was the Oracle. She was Karnilla. Her features were sharp, and her eyes unforgiving. Dark hair framed her face and cascaded down her back, moving hypnotically against her shoulders as she strode towards the Throne Room.

There was pride in her step, she walked as if she belonged there… as if it were to be hers.

The two Asgardians standing at attention outside of the King's Throne Room seemed to tense when they saw her approach, though it seemed out of nervousness as opposed to fear. As she had neared them, Karnilla slowed down and offered them ach a sultry smile.

"Boys," she whispered and green mist, seemingly unseen by either of them – ghosted out from between her lips and soon filled each of their noses. Each gave an involuntary shudder as their eyes glazed over and they leaned in towards her.

"Are you going to let me in to see the old man?" She pouted at them and they moved aside eagerly for her, pushing open the heavy doors to allow her access to the King.

As she stepped through they watched her with equally longing gazes and followed her with sluggish, dreary steps – as if they were sleepwalking.

Odin turned at the sound of the doors being pushed open, his jaw set.

"Karnilla," he greeted her calmly, "what might I do for you?"

"Death. I want only your death."

What followed was chaos. Odin had been prepared for Karnilla to attack, but not that of his guards. They were upon him before he had time to react, pinning him to the ground. A blade pierced his side and he cried out in pain. They guards smiled and each individually proclaimed their actions to be in the name of the woman who had bewitched them to love her.

Karnilla watched the events unfold calmly, and from a distance. She was so arrogant in her actions that she had no fear whatsoever of being unsuccessful. The King was a tired, old fool. She was so much more than him.

But then Odin let out a blood curdling cry as he thrust his staff skyward. With all the might he was capable of he conjured power; dark, unforgiving power and as he felt himself slipping into the edges of unconsciousness he sent the mass of power forth.

A scream of rage echoed out as Karnilla's consciousness was ripped from her body. Odin fell backward, gasping for breath as his guard slowly came to. Realisation dawned upon them as it became apparent to them just what they had done at they ran to their King's aid.

Cold, horrible dread consumed Rosa. Karnilla wanted revenge. She wanted Odin dead, but not before she made him suffer.

And Rosa was the only reason that it would be possible for her to do so.

Rosa had had seconds, mere seconds, to reach out to Loki. She had seen what Karnilla had intended, she had seen the damage and destruction that she was eager to cause. She could not let it happen, she knew that no matter what, Karnilla had to be stopped.

Rosa had been careful to push her panic and fear right out to the surface of her thoughts. She let it be loud and thought-consuming, allowing it to drown out anything else she might be planning from Karnilla's notice. She just had to wait, wait for the opportune moment to arise in which she could send him a message.

It was sheer torture to have to stand and watch Loki suffer under Karnilla's efforts. Time and time again Karnilla came at him, causing him pain and anguish. But he just allowed it, for there was nothing he could do – would do – to stop her if it meant harming Rosa.

That fact alone caused Karnilla more pleasure than was even measurable.

So when she had finally become overconfident within herself, when she had wanted to make Loki suffer just that little bit more… she had given Rosa control. For just those few precious seconds Rosa was Rosa again.

She had screamed her warning out, knowing she would not be given long. Karnilla had expected her to weep, to beg him to save her. She would not give her that satisfaction. In those few precious seconds, her declaration had been enough to distract Karnilla from her true intent. She had pushed, more forcefully than she ever had, reaching out to Loki with all the magical strength that she possessed. She latched onto him just before she felt all consuming rage take over and just like that she was once again nothing more than an extra consciousness inside the body that Karnilla had claimed as her own.

Karnilla took a few moments to calm herself.

At last she gave a laugh. She turned to face Loki with a twisted smile, totally oblivious to the fact that Rosa had succeeded in communicating with him.

"Yes," she sighed. "I plan to kill the King. I can't exactly just allow him to live if I intend to take possession of this realm, can I?"

Loki stared up at Karnilla with a clenched jaw. Rosa was still in there, there was still hope. Something could be done. All was not yet lost.

Rosa, can you fight her hold over you at all?

No… no, I've tried. She's so strong, Loki. There's nothing I can do.

Karnilla wandered about the room, suddenly off in her own imaginings.

"I have plans, Loki. Such plans… I'll change things, everything. I'll be feared or loved all throughout the Universe… or both, or neither. It doesn't really bother me if I'm being honest. So long as I'm know.n And they'll know me, Loki. Every being in the nine realms will know to respect my name.

"But this mess," Karnilla sighed, holding out her arm and inspecting the ugly tendrils of burns. "This simply won't do."

The burns quivered disturbingly for a moment before they seemed to dissolve, disappearing into nothingness and leaving behind skin as smooth as it had ever been. She looked it over with a smile of satisfaction. "That's better isn't it?"

She prowled towards Loki and kneeled down in front of him, taking hold of his chin, forcing him to meet her eye. "It's time. Time to claim what is mine. To do what you were to cowardly to do, Laufeyson."

She thrust his face away from her and stood, walking once more around the room before casting him a final glance.

"And you know what I'll do, Loki, when Asgard is mine?" She looked back at him with an evil grin. "I'll burn it to the ground."

Karnilla raised her hand and before her the entire wall of the hut crumbled away, she approached it calmly as the remaining structure around it began to bow and creak. It disintegrated beneath her touch as if it were made of nothing more than ash. Soon the rest of it would fall too. Loki, still crouched over, looked up to watch as Karnilla gracefully made her way over the rubble and out into the open pathways of the village.

Loki!

Loki hauled himself to his feet, every muscle crying out in protest. He felt blood trickle from a gash in his brow and he wiped at his with his sleeve. That action along – lifting his arm to his face – sent pain shooting throughout his body.

He made his way out of the ruins that had once been the Oracle's hut and stared around, his stomach twisting. All around him, the village had been destroyed. Homes turned to dust and rubble, people screaming and running in panic. There were bodies lying unconscious, scattered along the pathway – those who had gotten in Karnilla's way.

Chaos, total chaos. She was burning her way through Asgard on her way to take the Throne.

As Karnilla made her way up the golden stairs of the Royal Palace the King's Guards made way towards her, weapons at the ready. Her path of blood, screams and destruction had not gone unnoticed. Karnilla smiled at the brave men who had foolishly come to lay down their lives at her feet for their precious King. Their deaths would not be honourable, they were nothing more than fools. It took no more than a twitch of her hand to simultaneously snap all twenty of their necks.

She strode past them as they expelled their death rattles.

Screams sound behind her as well as ahead of her, and all around her the Palace gave way and crumbled. The very sight of it all – Asgard falling beneath her might – filled her with energy. When at last she reached the Throne Room she thrust out a hand. The doors burst open and the guards who stood in her way burst into clouds of ash.

Within the Throne Room a great many people stood waiting for her. Some had run forth to warn the King of her approach and now the idiots stood before her, ready to protect him. As if they stood a chance.

Thor moved forward, Mjolnir in hand. Karnilla smiled at him, enjoying the panic in his eyes. She knew how fond he had come to be of the girl. How noble it was of the oaf to be the first to step forward – to attempt to make her see reason. They were really just too amusing at times, the airheaded people of Asgard.

"Rosa, what are you doing?" He asked, his stance guarded. "Stop this Rosa, you are not yourself."

"Oh, honey… you don't know the half of it."

A single touch of her finger to his brow was enough to have Thor screaming in agony. The sound was vibrance, sheer music to her ears. It excited her, spurred her on and once again the mighty structure that was the Royal Palace began to disintegrate. Echoing rumbles sounded out around them and ash and dust fell from the weakening ceiling.

"What is the meaning of this?" Odin's voice boomed throughout the Throne Room.

Karnilla smiled up at him, her hands clasped modestly behind her back, "Odin, darling. It's been too long, had it not?"

With but a blink of her eyes, those surrounding her were upon their knees, clutching their heads in agony. Even the Almighty King was at her mercy.

She watched with hungry eyes, lapping up every wave of pain the King suffered. His eyes were trained on her, foolishly attempting to fight back. She could see it, he knew exactly who it was he was staring at. He had defeated her once, but not this time. She had waited too long for this. He was at her mercy now. And she would watch as the life ebbed out of him slowly, until nothing was left.

It was then Loki burst into the Throne Room. His presence caused more panic throughout the Gods who thought him to be safely locked away. Karnilla turned towards the sound of chaos for a moment but then gave a mocking smile when she spotted Loki. She turned away from him, disregarding him entirely. He was no threat to her, he'd never risk harming his little squeeze.

He stalked towards her with a snarl on his face.

Loki held out a hand, scowling at her. Beads of sweat trickled from his temples. Magic sizzled within him as he focused on her. If he could freeze her, trap her somehow it would give him time to fix it all. He could overpower her, force her from Rosa's body. He just needed more time…

No sooner had Loki's magic touch her did Karnilla fling a hand his way without even glancing at him. Loki's body was flung into the air and he landed heavily at her feet with the tell-tale crack of his breaking ribs.

"It is useless, Loki. I'm too powerful for you. I've waited centuries for this! I will not let anything stand in my way. Certainly not a Jotun."

Loki… you have to do something. If she takes control of Asgard-

Just keep resisting, Rosa. I'll think of something. I'll strip her from you…

Loki, hurry. Hurry. She's going to kill them, she's going to kill them all…

Karnillla held out her hand and with but a flick of her wrist the Mighty Thor fell upon his stomach writhing in agony. She was burning him from the inside out. He had his Father both would soon be nothing but a memory.

All around Loki was destruction. The people screamed and the Palace walls merely crumbled beneath the force of Karnilla's power. Great gusts of wind gathered around them, tearing banners from walls and knocking those who tried to run off their feet.

He stood right behind her, watching it all unfold. Unable to stop her, unable to do anything. She allowed him to stand mockingly close to her, knowing that so long as she wore Rosa's skin he could do nothing. He wouldn't hurt her, he was totally helpless.

"Karnilla! Stop this before it is too late!"

That earned Loki a shrill laugh.

"What are you going to do, Frost Giant?" She sneered, cruelly. "Will you join your family? Or will you stand with me as I take this realm as my own? Come Loki, I may even reward you with some… intimate time with the body."

Karnilla curled her fingers into a claw and Odin and Frigga screamed in pain. Thor coughed up blood and looked up to meet Loki's eyes. They could not resist her, she had too much strength. After all those years of waiting, of planning, of storing her power… none of them had the strength to stop her.

Please, Loki don't let me do this, Rosa's voice in his mind suddenly drowned Karnilla out. He could hear her tears, her fear. You have to stop it, I'm begging you, love. I can't live with this – you have to stop her. Please. Don't let me hurt them!

It's not you, Rosa. It won't be your doing…

Loki, she's going to do it! She's going to kill them all! You have to stop her! Her voice on the edge of hysterics.

There's nothing I can do without-

I know that, Loki. And I'm asking you to stop her. Don't let her hurt anyone else.

Loki's insides near turned to ice and he immediately felt weak with dread at the very thought. He clenched his jaw resolutely. No, they'd figure something out. No Rosa, you can't ask that of me. I cannot do that-

Yes, you can, Loki. You have to save them, I need you to stop her!

Screams resounded out around them as several of the Asardians attempting an escape suddenly burst into ash.

You're all I have left…

Loki glanced over her shoulder and saw those he once called Family, gasping for breath and writhing in pain upon the ground; their lives slipping away before his eyes. All around them the people of Asgard screamed for help, frozen in their places by Karnilla's spell. Utterly helpless.

It was him. It was only Loki. He could stop her.

No… they're not worth it. They're not worth you.

Loki please... Her voice was so calm it was unnerving. She was accepting. Prepared. She knew exactly what it was she was asking. For me...

Rosa…

It's alright. The words sounded as if they were sobbed through a smile. I love you…do it.

Rosa...

Do it!

Every fibre of his being sung out in protestation and Loki screamed in anguish as he took hold of Karnilla from behind. He wrapped his hand around her throat and pulled her against him. Before she could do so much as cry out in shock Loki conjured an Asgardian blade and plunged it deep into Karnilla's chest… Rosa's chest…

It was done.

Ugly black smoke burst forth from the wound and swirled, angry and menacing towards the high ceilings of the Throne Room. Karnilla's screech of outrage rang out and faded almost into Rosa's cry of pain.

All around them Karnilla's spell was breaking. Thor, Frigga and Odin pulled themselves up, suddenly able to breathe once more, and the Asgardians unbound. Some ran, some came to the aid of the Royal Family, but most stood and watched in horrified awe as the black smoke built higher and larger and more ferocious above them.

Just when it seemed to consume the entire room, when all present supposed that certainly they were facing their final moments, the cloud dispersed into nothingness. Karnilla was gone, leaving only silence in her wake.

Rosa let out a small whimper of pain and her legs gave way beneath her.

Loki caught her around the middle as she fell back against him and he crumbled to the ground, holding her close to him. With one hand he took hold of her face and tilted it towards him.

At his touch her eyes opened slightly and she gazed up at him, though she seemed to have trouble focusing. She offered him weak smile. Overwhelming relief washed through Loki as he stared down at her. She was Rosa again, that one small smile was enough to prove it – Karnilla could never have managed a look so sincere. She was alive, there was still time.

Rosa reached up calmly and she stroked back his hair. "There you are..." She whispered, wincing a little in pain. "I knew you were still in there. I knew you were wrong, Loki… you were never a monster."

"Just hold on, my Star," Loki's voice quivered. "Just a moment more…"

Loki held a shaking palm out over the gaping wound. Every pulse beat seemed to soak more and more blood through to Rosa's garments, forcing her consciousness to slip further and further from him. Desperately, Loki called force his magic, he felt it coursing, sizzling through him towards that open palm. Towards Rosa.

Please, bring her back to me… he willed.

The light from the spell soon faded and Loki moved his hand to inspect the work, expecting to see Rosa's once again smoothed skin. His heart almost stopped, then and there, when his eyes fell upon the wound, ugly, open, and fresh as ever. His efforts had done nothing at all.

Karnilla's final curse. If she couldn't have Rosa, then no one could.

Loki sat there, frozen. He stared down at the wound. The one he had made. Another scar he had caused Rosa to suffer. This one was unfixable. He couldn't stop this… this time he was truly to lose her. Forever. His star... his Rosa... was going to die.

Rosa gave a small smile. "She would never have allowed it to be that simple… Let it be, Loki. It's alright."

"No… not you. Rosa, please… not you."

Loki felt cold… empty… unable to quite meet her eye in her final moments. Was he truly supposed to just sit and watch as she slowly slipped away from him into nothingness? He clutched her tighter. Maybe, just maybe, if he held her close enough she'd stay.

"Loki…" she murmured. "Loki, look at me."

Green eyes met blue. Tears brimmed in each of them.

Rosa smiled up at him and placed her hand upon his cheek. "Loki, we've made a great many mistakes… I know that… but I want you to know that this, this was right. You did the right thing… I love you… and I don't regret you, Loki… you are the best thing I've ever known and even this was worth it to have spent my days with you…"

"Please, don't leave me…"

"I wish I could stay," she gave a small sob. She glanced down at the wound and closed her eyes, she seemed to struggle to open them again. When she managed to look back up at him and speak, her voice was weak. She was fading. "Please, be kind to yourself, Loki. Please. You're too wonderful to fall into darkness again. Be who you truly are, who I know you to be."

"Rosa, please!"

"Loki…" her eyes fluttered shut and her head fell heavy against his chest.

She was gone.

Next chapter soon… not long to go now. It's almost over.

Please review! Even if you hate me for what I just did… I love to hear your thoughts. I'll be back with more soon, I swear. And if you review I might maybe just perhaps consider doing something nice for you next chapter... maybe.