We're finally here! One of the longest taken to finish, but I've finally done it.

Hope you like it!


Chapter 18: A Way Home

A cold wind blew by, knocking Ciara's hair around her face as she shivered. She leaned on the railings of one of the balconies, looking out into the distance.

At long last, almost a year after arriving on Asgard, the Bifrost was finally repaired. Almost immediately Thor had led an army out to quell rebellions on other worlds, leaving Ciara without her teachers. It was almost funny to her, that she'd not wanted to even start learning how to fight, and now without the ones teaching her, she was bored senseless.

Ciara gave a quiet sigh, watching the massive dome in the distance. Only minutes ago, a massive beam of rainbow light burst from it, sending more troops out to Nidavellir. That same light could take her back. The thought had been on her mind from the moment she'd heard that it was finally finished being rebuilt.

For most of her life, Ciara had not had a problem just leaving. After escaping the lab where she'd spent a chunk of her childhood, Ciara had been on the run to avoid her father and anyone he sent to retrieve her. The longest she'd stayed somewhere had been in her late teens, living in New York, but even then she hadn't had much of a problem leaving.

Yet, as she looked out at her way back to Earth, she hesitated.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" she looked around, pulled from her thoughts, as Frigga approached with a warm smile. Ciara relaxed a little, having grown fond of the Queen. "I never tire of it, even when it's sending my family away," she told Ciara, standing beside the shorter woman.

"That sounds hard. Watching them go off to fight," Ciara said quietly. Frigga gave the quietest of sighs.

"In a way, yes," she allowed herself to admit. "I'm surprised to see that you have not approached it yet. I thought you found Asgard to be a cell," Frigga accused, not looking at Ciara. Instead, she looked out at the Bifrost, which seemed to shimmer in the light of the setting sun.

"I thought it might be rude to just run off the second that it was fixed," Ciara shrugged, but it was a weak lie.

"There's no shame in wishing to stay for longer. Asgard is not meant to be a prison," Frigga told her softly. Ciara was quiet, her mind a rush of thoughts.

"I'm sure the Allfather is eager to be rid of me," she said, despite her thoughts to the contrary. She was a little surprised that he hadn't immediately sent for her to tell her that she was to stay.

"My husband is many things, but he is not a tyrant," Frigga smiled. "Nor would he force you to stay here, simply because of what the Norns told you," she added, seeming to understand Ciara's thoughts. Ciara immediately put a hand to her head, wary that the woman was reading her mind. After all, she was a powerful magical practitioner, and she still remembered how easily Loki forced his way into her mind to force her to relive an old memory. "I'm not reading your mind," Frigga chuckled, putting a hand on her shoulder. Unlike the first time, Ciara didn't flinch from the contact.

"Telling me that when I'm thinking it doesn't help," Ciara told her lightly, earning another laugh. "I guess...I have kinda warmed up to this place. But...I'm still...mortal," she hated the word, but it was the only way to state it. "I know I can't stay here forever. I don't belong here," she shook her head, and was surprised when Frigga scoffed.

"You belong wherever you want to belong," she told her, and Ciara frowned.

"Odin - the Allfather," Ciara corrected herself, trying to sound respectful. "I told him, the day I met him, that I saw Asgard as a prison. Thor and his friends. And you, you were all so nice to me. Especially after this crap with the Tesseract. I'm not...dammit!" she screamed out into the expanse in front of her. "When I developed my powers, I was treated like dirt, like an expendable lab rat. When I escaped, the closest thing I had to a family, I - I never had this whole warm and friendly shit," she whirled around. Frigga watched patiently, her expression betraying nothing. "Is it fucked up of me to be ready at any second for it to turn on me? To be told that I'm to stay here just because of that stupid thing? To be tossed into a cell and hidden away? Pretending I don't exist?" Ciara asked the thought that had been on her mind for months, leaving her stomach churning with a need to get back to Earth.

"No," Frigga's quiet word was simple, and threw Ciara enough to settle her bubbling frustrations. She must have looked baffled, because the Queen laughed. "I would have been amazed, if you were comfortable with us enough to let your guard down. And, I confess, I may have believed that you were not quite the stray that you claim to be, if you were able to get comfortable with such luxuries," she added, and Ciara went red.

"I'm sorry. You didn't need to hear all that," she turned away, embarrassed that she'd let it explode in front of her.

"Yet I heard it all the same. Do not fear, I will not share your outburst with anyone," Frigga told her, still amused that she'd finally gotten something out of the speedster that was very real. She wasn't only guarded in letting anyone close enough to be considered a friend, she also hid her true self behind snarky comments and taunts.

"Thanks," Ciara muttered, leaning on the railing again. She suddenly felt tired. "I guess I'm still confused that even after what happened on Earth, I wasn't really punished for it. Even before I touched the Tesseract, I was just left to my own devices," she stated, before shrugging. "Not that things would have changed too much on Earth, no way SHIELD could have caught me," Ciara said, a touch arrogant.

"You said it yourself Ciara. Asgard was your cell. And you are not of Asgard, nor were your crimes against Asgard. Why would the Allfather punish you for crimes of your own world?" Frigga asked. Ciara's brow furrowed.

"Because I helped Loki?" she asked, a little confused.

"You also helped Thor, when he was exiled," Frigga told her, and Ciara scoffed.

"Getting into a fistfight with an old friend isn't the same," she replied.

"If you're so desperate for a cell, I see now why you have taken to visiting the dungeons," Ciara went rigid at Frigga's light words, and slowly turned to her. Frigga was smiling, entertained.

"I don't know what you mean," she said, and winced at how poor a lie it was. Loki was right, she was a terrible liar.

"Oh, don't worry. I can hardly tell my husband without giving away that I've been down there too," Frigga soothed lightly, and Ciara's eyes widened. "It's rare I get anything other than sarcastic comments, but he's still my son. Not that he's ever mentioned you either, but I can always feel that lingering magic of yours," Frigga told her.

"Why are you telling me this?" Ciara asked, confused. Frigga just gave a mysterious smile, and Ciara huffed. The two then turned when a guard approached, eyes on the Queen.

"My moment of peace is over," Frigga straightened and turned, walking over to him. When he started to walk away, she didn't follow straight away. "If you decide to go, at least say goodbye first," Frigga told her.

"Yeah...thanks," Ciara nodded, watching her leave. She then sighed, turning back to lean on the balcony again. "She knew, huh?" she murmured, shaking her head. "Not my fault he's more interesting than most of these battle-hungry idiots," she complained, finally straightening up. She vanished in a ripple of blue light, and reappeared in her quarters.

Books were scattered across her table, some left open where she'd abandoned them. However, she ignored them, instead lifting her cloak that had been left across the chair. She found that she'd been wearing it less and less, only really using it when she was annoying Loki, and couldn't help but smile a little. She had definitely gotten way too settled in.

Ciara clipped her cloak back on, leaving the hood down as she looked around the room. She took it in for a long moment, before leaving, intending to make her way out of the palace and towards the Bifrost.

It didn't take her long to get there with her speed, trying not to pay much heed to the shimmering bridge under her feet that felt far too fragile, yet incredibly strong at the same time. The Bifrost was much more imposing up close; as tall as a building and golden in colour, shimmering in the late afternoon sun.

"So, we meet at last," the deep voice made Ciara jump as she stepped inside of the massive creation. It was as grand inside as it was outside, but Ciara didn't notice as she stared up at the massive man looking down at her from the raised platform in the centre.

"You're Heimdall, aren't you?" Ciara found her voice, realising who the man was. He wore heavy golden armour that made him seem even more imposing, but Ciara found his bright orange eyes to be the spookiest part of him. They seemed to look right through her.

"Indeed," he stepped down from the platform, but Ciara still had to crane her neck to look up at him. "And you are Ciara Ellis, the first mortal to step onto Asgard in a very long time," the Gatekeeper said. "I had wondered when you would come here," Heimdall confessed, not taking his eyes off her. Ciara shrugged.

"You know, been busy," she said, but he didn't look like he believed her.

"You make it hard to monitor, Ciara. Both with that speed, and the magic of your relic," Ciara's eyes widened a little at the use of the word 'relic'. "Yet it has been easier to see you of late. Your control over the power of the Tesseract is improving quickly," he told her, and Ciara flushed. She hadn't told anyone that she was learning how to use her power, but she hadn't exactly been hiding it either.

"Thanks," Ciara shrugged, a little embarrassed by his words.

"So. You wish to use the Bifrost to return to Midgard?" Heimdall got straight to business. Ciara raised an eyebrow.

"You gonna tell me I can't?" she asked, defensive. She was used to having to fight for what she wanted, except on Asgard, which threw her. And even after a year on Asgard, she wasn't entirely used to it. Heimdall seemed amused by her question.

"Not at all. Why, the Allfather himself gave permission for you to use the Bifrost. If you so wish," Ciara's eyes widened, and she tilted her head, confused.

"Really?" she couldn't help but ask, confused. The Gatekeeper chuckled.

"Of course. Asgard is no prison," he said, and Ciara rolled her eyes. "You are free to return to Midgard and resume the life you had...prior to your arrival here," Heimdall told her. Ciara looked across the room, over to the massive archway. Curious, she walked over slowly, gazing out into the vast expanse.

Back. She could go back to Earth. She could go back to her life prior to when the Tesseract had dragged her along to Asgard. Ciara had wanted nothing more for a year.

But now...she hesitated. Her life before had been a mess, with SHIELD constantly haunting her steps to arrest her for breaking into their classified files. And that was before she'd helped Loki steal Iridium on Earth to build the portal that had unleashed the Chitauri on New York. A faint smirk shadowed her features. If they found out about her new...ability...they might send in bigger guns to stop her. Now that did sound fun.

Taking a deep breath, Ciara turned away from the expanse, and back over to Heimdall, who waited patiently, his eerie eyes on her. She then looked out the way she'd come from. In the distance, the palace towered over the rest of Asgard.

"You know what?" Ciara looked up at the mountain of a man. "I'm good for now," she decided.

"Very well," Heimdall nodded, and offered a faint smile. "And welcome to Asgard," he told her. Ciara couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks," with that, she vanished in a gust of wind, racing back down the path.

When Ciara returned to the palace, chewing on a bun that she'd robbed from a stand in town - some habits she hadn't quite kicked yet - she slowed her pace until she stopped, aware of the tugging in her stomach. With a curse, she rippled blue and vanished, only to reappear in the Relic Room. "Honestly, if you wanted me to be your Guardian, why only let me use some power?" she complained as she walked over to the glowing cube on one of the stands.

It wasn't long after she had first touched the Tesseract and awakened the power to teleport. Ciara had been practicing using the power, slowly able to move further and further away on command, and she'd only managed to teleport once in her sleep. But she found that the power didn't feel as effective, or strong, and eventually she couldn't draw enough power to teleport.

At first she was happy, thinking that she wasn't really a Guardian. That it had all been some stupid lie. But then she felt the pull of the Tesseract again, and she hadn't fought it this time, too curious, and to her relief, when she'd touched the Cube again, it hadn't knocked her out for several days, instead recharging the power within her.

It did the same this time, as Ciara brushed her fingers against the cold, solid sides of the Tesseract. The blue light spread out, wrapping around her fingers like tendrils, and Ciara could feel the dwindling power returning. She gave a sigh, finding herself relaxing and the pull of the Cosmic Cube fading. Once she opened her eyes, Ciara glared at the thing in front of her. "I'm not staying because of you, okay?" she told it, as if she expected the Tesseract to reply. Instead, it just continued to glow with a faint hum. She glared for a moment longer, before turning and vanishing in a flash of blue.


Boredom was Loki's most frequent companion now, and not even the stacks of books that Frigga slipped him could keep him entertained for long. So, now, he found himself staring at the ceiling, deep in thought.

Until he felt a small flash of magic. He didn't like how familiar it was becoming to him. Loki didn't move straight away, instead giving a small sigh.

"Are you truly that bored that you insist on tormenting me? Or is one of the Allfather's ideas, to punish me with your constant irritation?" he asked, and heard a quiet laugh in response.

"Don't tell me that you don't enjoy our conversations," he finally sat up and looked over at Ciara, who was taking a seat in the nook on the outside of his cell in the shadows. Her face was partly obscured by the hood of the cloak, but she still had that annoying grin that she wore when talking to him. To prove she wasn't scared of him. Even when there wasn't a forcefield between them, she kept that smile.

"I didn't think I'd given any indication to the contrary," he replied, standing and walking over to the pile of books. He lifted the first one, as if hoping that pretending to read would deter her. It never did.

"The Bifrost is fixed," that certainly earned his attention, and Loki immediately tore his gaze from the book and looked up at Ciara. She was playing with some strands of her curling silver hair, watching him with her sharp blue eyes.

"Oh? Have you grown so sentimental that you've come to say goodbye to the prisoner?" Loki asked.

"Aw, would you want me to?" she taunted back, and Loki had to wonder again if she was there as a punishment. "I'm not going. Not yet at least. So you've got to put up with me for a while longer," she told him with a shrug, leaning back against the cold stone pillar.

"Great," Loki drawled, but was unable to deny that he was surprised by her decision.

"You'll find that while your cage is bigger than mine, you're as trapped as me," those were the words he'd said to her when she'd been stranded on Asgard, and it seemed that she'd taken them to heart. Yet here she was, with the cage door swung open, and she was staying put.

"I talked to Heimdall today," Ciara said lightly as Loki started to go back to his book. He made a non-committal noise in response. "Why can you see through my cloak's magic, but he can't?" she asked the question that had been on her mind for a while. Loki had never had an issue seeing through the cloaking spell, nor had Frigga. But Heimdall had even admitted to her that he couldn't see her. Loki was quiet for a moment, before meeting her gaze again.

"How do you see through my magic?" he asked, taking her by surprise. It wasn't him asking a question that threw her, but the question itself.

"What?" Ciara blinked rapidly, a little confused. "I...can't?" Her confusion was real. Rolling his eyes, Loki stood, and Ciara watched without moving. Her brow furrowed when his form blurred, and she blinked, resisting the impulse to rub her eyes. When she blinked again, she jumped, falling backwards, when Loki was suddenly in front of her.

"You can see through my illusions," he accused as Ciara bit back multiple curses.

"I wouldn't call it that," she said as she sat back down, tugging her hood forwards a little out of habit. "You go all...blurry. It's like…" Ciara trailed off as she thought about how best to describe it. "It's like I know it's an illusion, but my eyes don't want to believe it," she said as Loki sat back down. He didn't look appeased by her explanation.

"How?" he repeated. Ciara shrugged, giving a quiet laugh.

"How would I know? Not like the one thing I learned before I left was something as crazy as being able to ward my mind to-" Ciara stopped abruptly. "Huh," she folded her arms.

"Something finally spring to mind?" Loki asked, amazed by how slow she could be for someone so fast. Ciara looked at him, her brow furrowed as she was half tempted to leave him in the dark. But she was curious about Heimdall, and so elaborated.

"Well, illusions fool the eyes and mind, right? Well, telepaths have never been able to get a lock on my mind, I guess 'cause I process things a lot faster. I guess it's something to do with that," Ciara considered. Loki didn't answer, unsatisfied by the answer that seemed more of a guess than anything. Ciara didn't speak, seeming to be thinking about it herself.

"Heimdall can see and hear almost anything in the Nine Realms," Loki started, barely seeming to be paying attention. "But I learned long ago that it's easy to hide from that attention with magic," he said, almost dismissive, but he left out that it had taken him a long time to learn how to master keeping that invisibility, especially without him noticing.

"So the guy who can see anything and hear anything in the universe, the guy who is like twice my height. His weakness is magic?" Ciara asked, almost sceptical at what she was hearing. She wasn't about to hide the fact that she had found the man intimidating. Of course, she found most Asgardians intimidating. She was tiny compared to any of them. Even the children seemed bigger than her.

"You'll find that many have a weakness to magic. Not everything can be solved with brute force," Loki replied, and Ciara tilted her head. She watched him, her face unreadable. It seemed her time on Asgard had helped her learn how to hide her emotions better than when he had first met her. He stared back, eyes hard. "Why did you stay on Asgard?" he asked, and cursed himself when he saw her silver eyebrows rise. Now he was just encouraging her.

"Eh, Asgard is still more fun than Earth. Especially now that I have a way back," Ciara shrugged, not commenting on it. "Besides, I doubt that SHIELD will be any less eager for my arrest, just because I literally vanished off the face of the earth for a year. I may as well enjoy not being on the run for a bit longer," she said, stretching as she seemed to make herself more comfortable.

The lies almost made Loki snort. Either she forgot constantly that he could always tell when she was lying, or she just didn't care. But this time, he didn't comment on it, and instead let her chatter away about whatever nonsense had caught her interest this time, barely paying attention. But at least it stopped the silence and relieved just a little of the boredom. For now, anyway.


"Whoa!" Ciara gasped, catching Astrid before the woman could fall. The two immediately burst into giggles as Astrid straightened up.

"You know, I'm starting to understand your preference for men's clothes," the Asgardian told her as they returned to the palace. Both were red in the face from drinking, and struggling a little to walk straight. Ciara had quickly found that, unlike on Earth where she couldn't get drunk due to her high-speed metabolism, Asgardian mead was far more potent. The night she'd gone drinking with Thor and the others had left her with her very first hangover.

"So why do you keep making me wear dresses?" Ciara asked as the two managed to compose themselves enough to pass the guards.

"Because you look pretty in them!" Astrid huffed. "You can't complain, I'm lucky to have you agree once a new moon," she grumbled. Ciara stuck her tongue out in response. "Well, I will see you bright and early tomorrow. And I'm bringing dresses," she stressed, turning down another hall towards the servants quarters.

"Joy," Ciara drawled, making her way back to her room. When she arrived, she kicked off her boots and flung herself onto her bed without changing, completely unbothered. A moan slipped free as she got comfortable, eyes already shut as she fell asleep.

It was dark, and Ciara could barely see anything in the eerie dark green light that surrounded her. She frowned, and her body seemed to move on her own accord. She looked down, seeing that she was on a crumbling stone platform.

"What the…?" she murmured as her body continued to move, and she looked up at the massive stone obelisk she was approaching. It towered over her, seeming as tall as a building, with odd carvings all along it. Something in her told her not to touch it. In fact, all of her survival instincts told her to get as far away from it as possible.

"You are not the only Guardian, Ciara Ellis," the familiar voices chorused, and Ciara realised why she found them familiar. The little girls - the Norns - who had visited Odin and told Ciara why she was drawn to the Tesseract. But when she tried to speak and make a snarky comment, she found she couldn't. "Your adventure has only just begun, so be ready," the voices echoed, and if she could have, Ciara would have rolled her eyes. Instead, she watched as her hand creeped out and brushed the edges of a gap in the obelisk, and there was a flash of red light.

Ciara sat up with a gasp, and immediately regretted it as her head swam. She groaned, putting a hand to her head and leaning forwards as her hair fell into her face.

"Seriously? It's not enough you expect me to babysit some stupid Cube?" she muttered, the dream as clear as day. She fell backwards, slumping into the pillows. After a moment of glaring up at the ceiling, she couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I guess things really are gonna get more interesting after all," Ciara laughed.


And that's this story finally finished! I can't believe how long it took me...

Thank you so much for reading! And for putting up with my horrific update times. I really appreciate it!

The next story, Whims of Fate, will be posted once I have a little more written for it.

Until then, I hope you liked it!

Please review!