Sooooo this one was a lot of fun to write! I hope you all enjoy it :) it makes me sad to think I've finished this story. It's taken me a long time but I've really, really had fun writing it.

Thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with this story and to those who have reviewed it. Thank you so much for your patience and support and beautiful, beautiful reviews. If it weren't for you I don't know if I ever would have finished this story at all. So thank you all so much, really. I love you all. This chapter is for you.

12/03/14

Final edit in author's note below.

Once upon a time… in a world of magic and wonder, there stood a Mighty Kingdom. The people of the Kingdom were once a happy and kind folk, and they were ruled by a great King whose joy and love of life had been, at a time, utterly infectious. But the years had been cruel to those who lived in the Kingdom and over time laughter had faded to tears, colours had dulled and an awful darkness had consumed them all.

The people hoped for reprieve from the cold darkness that overcame their Kingdom. They turned to their King and Queen, pleading to be saved from the sorrow the darkness had carried with it… but the King and Queen too were losing hope.

As the years past and the darkness hung over them, slowly the people of the Kingdom found their limbs growing heavy. They found it difficult to move. It became increasingly difficult to smile… slowly each member of the once great Kingdom was turning to stone.

The people accepted this fate, having long forgotten a time when happiness had reigned supreme. They just went about their days, slowly growing heavier and sleepier and slower…

Until… late one night, the Royal Prince chanced to look out of his bedroom window. What he saw changed him, awakened him from he thought-consuming gloom.

He saw a star fall from the Heavens.

It was the brightest, most vibrant thing he had ever witnessed in his life. Never before could he have ever imagined that something so beautiful could exist in a world that held nothing else but darkness and misery. All night he stared out over the tree tops to where he could see the faint glow of the fallen star.

For two days he thought of nothing else. Only the star's light. It's beauty. Each night he returned to his window and each night he spotted the glow of the fallen star.

On the third night, the Prince crept from his chambers and set out into the woods. He travelled night and day without rest towards the light of the star. With every step the Prince took the light seemed all the more vibrant. He pressed on in spite of his hunger and thirst, in spite of his aching bones and joints, in spite of his desire to sleep. He had to see the star. He had to bask in it's light. He had to find it… or rather, her.

The Prince could barely believe his eyes when at last he found the source of the heavenly glow. It was not an orb of light or a crystal as he had suspected he might find. It was a woman. A beautiful woman. The moment he lay eyes upon her, he knew that it was her – her light – that he had followed all along, and he could not bear to tear his eyes from her.

He watched her, utterly enchanted by her. She wondered about the trees, touching each of them gently. Life seemed to explode from them as she neared them. They leaned into her, longing to be near her just as the Prince did.

When he woke all he knew was darkness. He could not move, he could not see, he could not speak. He felt his chest rise and fall as his took slow and even breaths, but could do nothing more. He felt hazy, heavy…

Months passed before at last a thought formed;

Where was he?

How did he get there?

For a year he contemplated just that until one day in the darkness, a new thought dawned upon him… who was he?

His mind was sluggish, he could not seem to pull himself from the edge of unconsciousness. He couldn't think… he couldn't remember.

There was a presence in the darkness, though he knew nothing more of it. Just that it was there. Something comforting. Someone, perhaps? Whatever – whoever – was there, it pleased him. It made him unafraid. He felt at peace so long as the presence was nearby.

Something within him told him this presence, this… woman… she was there for him. Somehow he knew that, though he knew nothing else, he knew she was by his side for a reason…

He needed to get up, he thought at last. For whatever reason, it was important that she knew he was awake. If she left, then nothing else mattered. But why? If only he could remember…

Finally, after watching her for a day and a night, the Prince revealed himself to the star. She seemed frightened by him, having never spoken to a human before but when the Prince fell to his knees and told her of his dying Kingdom her resolve softened. He confessed her to be the loveliest thing in existence. He was sure that if she returned with him and let her light shine over his people, she could save them from their dreadful fate. The Prince promised her all manner of riches and comforts. Beyond her wildest dreams, he assured her.

Though, it was not that which convinced the star to journey back with him. It was his love for his Kingdom. She supposed him to be a great and kind man to have travelled all that way to find her, if only to help his people.

The star agreed to help the young Prince, but she confessed that she had no desire for his treasures. She asked only that he guaranteed her freedom. She could not stay, she explained, for a star that falls never does so on purpose. If she did not return soon to her place amongst her sisters, her light would fade and she would die. The Prince, though saddened by the thought, promised the star that he would do everything he could to help her return home.

The pair journeyed back together, though they made far slower progress than the Prince had upon his initial journey. He stopped many a time to ensure that the star was rested and fed. He did not wish for her to feel the ache and fatigue that he had. He wanted no harm to come to her ever, though in truth he could not really understand why.

As they travelled along together, the pair exchanged stories and musings. They fell into comfortable silences and laughed at one another's jokes. Each secretly shivered as their fingers would accidentally brush together as they walked and subtle, secret glances soon became lingering stares.

For ten years he lay there unable to do so much as blink. He tried desperately to communicate with her, to let her know that he was there and he was fighting. He thought he might go mad, with his efforts unsuccessful and he determined that if she were to give up, if she were to leave… he would stop trying. It wouldn't matter anymore.

But that thought – the thought of this woman leaving his side – it proved unbearable. He strained and tensed and roared internally, begging the fates for help until one day, at long last he did it.

He managed to move…

His eyelids slid open for but a moment before falling shut once again and once again he was frozen. But it had been enough. Somewhere beside him he heard a soft gasp, followed by gentle, hesitant footsteps. He sensed her leaning over him, could feel the heat of body radiating over his skin. He tried desperately to open his eyes again – to know her face – but he could not, again he was too weak.

"Strange..." She murmured to herself and reached out to brush her fingers along his brow. "I thought for sure I saw..."

Her touch sparked something in him. Something bright and wonderful. Something he wanted – needed – to experience again. He had to make her come back to him.

For the next ten years he strained against the prison of his broken body. He worked for a decade without sleep, putting everything he could into opening his eyes again. He hadn't seen her face. If he had, he thought to himself, perhaps it would be enough. Perhaps he'd know who he was.

When they stopped for rest, the Prince found that he could no longer sleep. Instead, he watched the star. He watched over her, protected her, ensured that nothing happened to her. The Prince slowly realised that he was falling in love with the star. The thought filled him with happiness for only a moment before he remembered his promise to her. She could not stay… she would soon be leaving him…

The Prince felt his fingers begin to grow heavy and slow… he too was turning to stone.

When at last the Prince and the star reached the gloomy Kingdom, a great crowd was gathered waiting for them. Word had travelled that their Prince was bringing them a star that would light up the darkness and they had rejoiced in the notion. The moment they spotted her, they cried out in joy, worshipping her as a saviour – a blessing from the Gods.

She smiled at the crowd graciously and with a glance back at the Prince she allowed her light to burst out over them. Everything her light touched exploded with life. Flowers bloomed up from the dust. The grass became a vibrant green that most who looked upon the colour realised they'd forgotten existed. The dark clouds evaporated and let through the sun. Brilliant coloured birds awakened and began to sing... And tears of joy streamed down the faces of the people whose stone cheeks returned to flesh.

All… but the Prince. For as he watched his Kingdom come alive, slowly the stars light began to dim. She did not have long left and he moved towards her with his heavy stone limbs in order to bid her farewell, knowing he would never see her again.

He worked relentlessly, her touch giving him hope, fuelling him on though in truth his efforts seemed hopeless.

Until one day, at long last, he felt his finger twitch. He tried again, the movement a little smoother this time. And when he tried again, the finger beside it moved too. Over and over, he flexed his fingers until eventually he was able to make a fist, then curl his wrist around, then bend his arm at the elbow. Slowly, the control returned to him. He could twist his toes and turn his neck. He could open his eyes and take deeper breaths. And soon enough, after much effort he was sitting up.

He turned his head to look around him, his movements still stiff and slow. He was in a bare cavern, candles hovering over his head. He had no memory of the place, but then, he had no memory of anything.

He turned until his eyes fell upon her – the woman who had touched his brow. At the sight of her there was a stirring inside his chest, though he did not know what it was. It felt… warm… good. With slow, controlled movements, he pulled himself up from the stone slab he had lay upon for centuries and moved towards the woman as if in a trance. He dared not take his eyes from her, he dared not even blink.

Why was she so important? He wondered as he studied her.

The dress she wore would have once been beautiful, finely made with vibrant, silver silk. But time had faded it, frayed it. It now looked dusty, old and dull. She leaned against the wall of the cavern, her small hands rested in her lap. It seemed that his efforts had not disturbed her at all. She was not sleeping, but it appeared that she had been accustomed to remaining stationary for great lengths of time. Whoever she was, she had been there for an eternity.

"Who are you?" He asked, unsure of what else to say. His voice sounded smoother than he had expected, he thought time might have dried it out, covered it in dust.

The woman turned her head slowly towards him, her dull eyes meeting his, igniting a spark within him. "Oh, you are awake..." she murmured calmly as she turned back towards the wall. "I thought I saw you move a little while ago."

He moved a little closer to her, tilting his head to study her face. Her eyes seemed glazed over, distant – as if her mind were gone. "How long have we been down here?" he asked gently, craving nothing more than to hear her voice again.

"I'm not sure... As long as I can remember, I suppose." She replied absently, in a voice a little louder that a whisper.

"Are we locked in?" He moved closer still, willing her to meet his eye. The woman seemed to be caught somewhere between sleep and consciousness. She had been there for quite some time… oh, and how he wanted her to wake now.

She stared at him for a time, her brow furrowing slightly in thought and then turned towards the door, studying it with a titled head, almost as if she had never noticed that it was there before. "I don't know..." her eyes slid back to him, her voice still dreamy and distant. "I never thought to check."

He stared at her, only inches separated them now. His fingers itched to touch her but he refrained.

"I know your face," he whispered. After staring at her a moment longer, he moved towards the door, running his hands over the smooth surface. Looking upward at it, the man pushed against it and felt it slide forward easily with his efforts. Dust and dried out webs fell as the door creaked open slowly. He stared out into the dark corridor he now had access to. He was free to go, free of the tomb he had been locked in for endless years. He need only step forward through the threshold and he would see the wonders of the world – perhaps then his memories would return to him.

He turned away from the opening, with no intention of leaving. Whatever was out there somehow didn't matter… she was in here. For whatever reason, that meant he had no need to leave.

Who was she?

Her identity was important than his own, he realised. He had no notion of who he was, why he was there. Yet this woman – the woman waiting by his side – she mattered more. He needed to know who she was, why she was there. If he could have that then the rest could come later.

As soon as he reached out to her, she turned towards him with a sad smile. She did not want to leave her Prince and the thought caused her light to dim all the more. Before either of them could make such a confession, a panic broke out amongst the people. They saw the light fading from within the star and feared the worst – feared it meant they would return to stone.

They could not bear to lose their new found happiness and so they rushed forward, clutching, grabbing, tearing at the star, willing her to shine for them again.

The Prince, with an arm and a leg completely turned to stone rushed to her aid. He had to save her, it was all that mattered. Nothing more… With a stone fist he beat her captors off of her and with all the strength he could muster he threw her skyward. She used the last of her light to soar up toward the Heaven's, and as she glanced over her shoulder, she watched in horror as her Prince turned completely to stone.

She could feel her heart breaking into pieces as she stared down at her Prince… her love… now frozen, like a statue reaching up toward her. A tear fell from her eye, plummeting down to earth and landing upon the stone face of the man that she loved and wept for.

She returned to her rightful place in the sky among her sisters. And though they had watched the whole affair unfold, they could not comprehend her grief. For none of them had ever left their place in the sky, so they had never known loss, or sacrifice… or love. And so they shone beside her, unable to offer her anything but their light.

Many years then passed. The Kingdom rose up and lived in happiness and harmony, slowly they began to forget about the Prince who had saved them. They forgot that the statue in their main town square had once been alive. They forgot why they loved that statue so dearly. But they never forgot about the star that had saved them. And they supposed that was why they held the statue so dearly in their hearts, because he forever pointed up towards their guardian star.

For all those years, the star never once averted her gaze. She stared down upon her beloved, making sure to burn brightly, and radiantly over his Kingdom so that his sacrifice would never be in vain.

10 years passed.

And then another 10.

And then 100 more.

Yet the star refused to look away.

He was by her side once again and he watched her, waiting until her dreamlike gaze fell upon him once again. "You never once tried the door?" he whispered.

She was hazy. He watched her as she seemed to be struggling with a thought. The woman was waking up, her eyes seemed more alive the longer she studied his face with that furrowed, confused brow. At last, she shook her head slowly. "I didn't need to… I'm waiting for... something... I don't know why... I can't remember..." She met his eye. "I have dreams... I think they're dreams... I dream of a Prince, who turned to stone to save a star... I don't know what it means..."

A ghost of a smile graced her lips, yet still the thought confused her. As if it shouldn't make her happy at all and she did not understand why it would.

"It reminds me of a story I once read," he told her. He wasn't sure why he said it, but he felt as if it were true. It was important.

"It does?" she smiled again. He never wanted that smile to fade.

"Yes..."

They stared at each other for a long time, each taking in the other's features. At last the woman leaned forward, closing the distance between them. Their noses almost touching. He felt his heart begin to race, he never wanted to be further away from this woman again.

She tilted her head as she looked at him, her eyes roaming over every inch of his face. "You've been here since before I can remember..." She whispered. "But you've slept... Always you were sleeping... I don't think I've ever spoken to you... But I know your voice... It sounds so..."

She stared into his eyes and gently touched his cheek. Her fingers only whispered over his skin, barely making contact at all but still he exhaled at the touch and closed his eyes, savouring it.

"Don't do that," she whispered. "Please… you've had them closed for so long. What if you leave me again?"

His eyes shot open at that and she brought her hands up to grip onto him. There was a desperation in her eyes; she was trying to remember too.

"Again?" he repeated gently. "We've met before, then?"

"I don't know… We've been down here for a long time," she told him with a tired smile. "Dust has settled on those memories that came before."

He reached up and cupped her cheek, running his thumb over the corner of her lips. She watched him with trusting eyes. Her warm skin beneath his fingers felt so familiar… so right. He'd had this before. He'd touched her, held her…

"Rosa…" The word slipped from his lips without him quite realising.

And that devotion was at last rewarded. Because what the Star did not know was that her Prince was staring back. For the Prince was indeed stone, but he was very much alive. That single tear that the star had shed, that fell upon his face held within it so much of his Star's love that it had kept his heart beating for over 100 years. And the Prince had spent those hundred years putting all of his efforts into sending her a sign. A sign to show her that he was still alive.

At first he had tried screaming out to her, for decades he tried. But he concluded only that his lungs were not but solid rock. So then he had tried waving, nodding, reaching, kneeling, falling, a step, a kiss, a smile. And what was it that he managed? After more than a century of trying to signal his Love? He blinked. A single blink, of stone eyelids. It had taken him a century. But he had done it. And his Star had seen it.

She was filled with bliss and her light exploded out across the earth and galaxy, as she threw herself downward towards her love. The nearer she came, the more the Prince found himself able to move. He drew in his first breath in a century. His stone body returned to flesh. And finally, at long, long last, he held his love in his arms.

Her eyes lit up, "Rosa?" she repeated, "...that was my name... wasn't it?"

He stared at her, his heart beating faster than it had in centuries. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, the sensation sent shivers through him. He rested his hands upon her waist and pulled himself closer to her – to Rosa.

"You know me..." She whispered.

He didn't reply, he only watched her. The memories – his memories – they were trickling back to him now, slowing ebbing their way back into his mind. Whispers and echoes of memories he'd once held. The Library… flower buds… a jade necklace… the bridge… a prison cell… her touch, her eyes, her smile, her laugh… her blood… he'd saved her, she was alright… she was safe.

She was Rosa. She was his Rosa. He remembered her now. He thought he'd never see her again and yet here she was, waiting by his side. All the years that must have passed and yet there she was, waiting for him. He was sure in that moment his heart might explode.

"Do I… know you?" she asked gently, stirring him from his thoughts. Her eyes begged for answers.

He met her eyes, horrified that she might not come back to him. His hands were trembling where they were settled upon her hips.

"Rosa... Say my name..." he whispered, doing everything he could to remain calm. He did not want to frighten her but if she did not remember… if she left him now… he couldn't even bear to think of it.

She'd waited for him, all those years, she had to remember him. She had to. His grip on her tightened, he was certain that he suddenly looked manic, but she seemed so calm. She did not fear him, she wanted to understand.

"Please... The story of the Prince who saved a star... That was me, Rosa. That was us... It's why we met... It's why we're here..."

Rosa's brow furrowed as she watched him. She ran her fingers along his jaw line.

"Rosa, you must remember me... Why else would you have stayed all this time?" he closed his eyes as her touch feathered over his skin. Even if she didn't remember, even if it was lost to her forever… it wouldn't truly matter, he'd stay with her.

"Look at me..." She whispered, and once again their eyes met. Her gaze was intense; there was a spark there that hadn't been there before. "I know you..."

"Rosa." He whispered.

"...Loki." She smiled at last, tears welling in her eyes as she rested her hand over his heart. "I remember you..."

"Rosa…"

An overwhelming relief washed through him as her grip on him tightened. She pulled herself closer to him and buried her face in the crook of his neck as her tears fell onto his skin. Loki wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and showering her hair in kisses. He felt her shaking and as she lifted her head to look up at him again, he saw that she was laughing.

"I remember..."

"Rosa, I…"

"You came back to me, Loki." Rosa beamed at him through her tears. She'd never felt so happy. She'd never felt so alive.

"You waited..." Loki whispered, his forehead pressing against hers, still not believing it even as he said the words. She had stayed. She had waited for him.

"I love you." Rosa whispered and Loki's lips crashed against hers.

She pulled herself closer to him and allowed her tears to fall. She feared it was a dream… but as he held her tighter, as he ran his fingers through her hair and whispered to her how desperately he loved her, she knew that he was real. She finally had him back. It was over…

Rosa had had much time to contemplate the future… the past… what had come to be and what had not. She had no way of knowing what if was that waited for them outside of the carven. They may very well face death, spend eternity running, or hidden in the darkest corner of the Universe. They live in peace, she supposed. All those thoughts had filled her with such hope and fear and despair. She had no idea what they would face next. There was only one certainty.

She would never be without him again.

Whatever might come their way, they would face it together. She would be by his side, just as she always had. He would never be alone again.

Her Prince. Her Loki.

The pair left the Kingdom and lived a long and peaceful life together. The star dimmed her light just enough so that she might live out the length of the Prince's mortal life.

In the end they died, as all indeed do. But it is comforting to know that they went, as if falling asleep… happy… in love… together.

It occurred to me that I never actually included the entire story of the Fallen Star! The story that this whole story is about! Haha so I put it here. I hope you liked it, I think it works quite nicely!

Edit 12/03/14

So I know that I promised an epilogue and many people have been waiting to read it but I've very recently decided against it. I have tried and tried and tried to write it and no matter what, I can't seem to come up with an ending that I like more than this one. It was going to be a scene many years later where Loki was reading the "Fallen Star" book to their young daughter and his son complains of having heard it too many times. Something fluffy and happy after all the trauma I've put them through haha but I just couldn't make it work (If anyone else would like to have a crack at it, you have my permission! :P)

Instead, I have something even better *drum roll, please* I've come up with a concept for a sequel! I've started working on it and will be posting it relatively soon! I just need to wait for Thor 2 to come out on DVD because strange as it may seem, those events will actually be a part of the story. ...You'll see! In fact, if anyone is willing to let me bounce some ideas off them, please private message me! :)

Thank you all so much for reading, even now I read every single review. They mean so much to me! Thank you! xoxo