"Takumi!?" Kaisa shrieked, throwing her hands up in the air as she stared at the Fire Giants incredulously. There was a stunned silence that settled on top of all of them, even momentarily forgetting of the fire that crackled above them. Kaisa scowled at them, her brown hair tumbled down her face and smeared with black ash. "You are mistaken! That is my sister from Vanaheim!"

The Fire Giants didn't even looked fazed, their fingers still pointed in Takumi's direction, flickering with a small ball of light at the end of their fingers. Their eyes grew a bit bigger, the darkness slitting their heads widening a bit as they stared. At first it was as though they were communicating with one another, as if to debate that they had accidently gotten the wrong girl. But then they shook their heads.

"Give her back." was the soft hiss. "She is ours. The one that was lost in her youth."

Takumi felt her heart plummet in her chest. She had never felt a more terrified feeling in her life. These things had barged into Asgard without detection, and had destroyed the throne room without a single tendril of effort. She could feel in her gut that they were powerful beings; extremely dangerous and cunning in nature. Her eyes flickered over to Thor and Loki, who were both frozen to their spots.

Before she could say a word to them, however, one of them stepped forwards, their bodies flawless and noiseless. It reached towards her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to them.

"NO!" Thor howled, suddenly jumping into action. "Do not touch her!"

Takumi screamed and froze as the thing clasped her arm tighter, bracing herself against the horrible burning pain of fire against her soft skin. But there was nothing.

There was no pain. Her skin wasn't turning black as her skin slowly burned away. Instead, there was nothing but her skin softly glowing itself- the tan color of her skin fading away.

To her horror, her arm was turning into the same color as the creature that was clutching her arm. Fire was twisting it's way into her limbs, snaking off of her body and twirling into the air. Takumi let out another scream as she felt the strange feeling spread to the rest of her body. It didn't hurt her, but she could almost see her own transformation. Her eyes turning into those strange slits and her body changing into pure fire, her arms and legs changing into the element. The white wedding dress she wore instantly caught on fire, burning into black lines that snaked up her chest, the fabric tearing.

Takumi screamed again, terrorized to the spot as she felt her entire body change. There was a loud popping noise; the hairpiece keeping her hair up cracking from the immense heat. Her hair fell, but they never hit her shoulders. Instead, it swirled above her hair like black smoke, billowing out into the air in tendrils of darkness.

"Takumi!?" she heard Kaisa scream.

Takumi wrenched herself from the daze that she was in, and roughly tugged her arm away from the creature that held onto her. She stumbled backwards a little bit, watching as fire swept off her arm and into the air. She turned towards her sister's voice and saw the horrified expression that Kaisa wore. Even worse; even Thor and Loki looked horrified. Their eyes were wide and they were all slowly backing up, as though sudden movement would antagonize her.

"Kaisa..." Takumi whimpered, feeling tears streak down her face as she reached out towards her. She was horrified when all of them shook their heads and backed up even further. Even Thor was staring at her with a complete expression of shock written on his face, his breath shallow.

"You are a Fire Giant." the blonde god breathed quietly. His hand reached out as though he was going to touch her, but he didn't move forwards. It as though the great and mighty Thor was glued to the floor, with a pale Loki by his side.

What...? No! No no no no!

Takumi clutched her head with her hands, a scream ripping from her throat. She didn't understand how this had even happened, or how this was even possible. Was this some kind of joke? Some kind of sick, twisted joke? She turned towards the three fire creature, her anger bubbling in her chest and making her glow bright.

She was going to kill them. She was going to rip apart their very being until they were nothing else but pathetic pieces of ash blowing in the wind. Takumi wanted to dump water on each and every one of them and watch them fizzle out, their embers slowly soaking in the clear water and drowning them in what they hated most.

Before she could lurch forwards to strangle them with her new orange hands, someone appeared in front of her and stopped her, her murderous movement haltered.

Odin.

The Asgardian King was standing in between her and the Fire creatures, with his staff gripped firmly in her hands and his mouth bent in a scowl. He was unflinching towards them, not showing a shred of fear.

"You are to leave." Odin said, in voice sounding like a roar in the hushed silence. Except for the fire crackling around them, none of them dared to speak. "You have shown up in my realm uninvited, and killed my people? Disturbed a royal wedding? I have half a mind to kill you where you stand! But I will allow you to leave with your lives. Leave, and do not return."

The Fire giants exchanged glances with one another, and then their eyes narrowed. The middle one spoke, it's voice sounding like it consisted of many. "Very well, All-Father. But be warned: war is on the horizon."

It didn't take very long for Takumi's transformation to fade and go back to her normal state: her orange fiery skin slowly dying down and turning back to her normal tan skin. Her hair floated back down around her shoulders, dirty and charred with ash. Takumi wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly freezing cold.

Everyone in the throne room had evacuated almost immediately, leaving behind Thor, Loki and Kaisa in the room with her. Odin had given her a pitiful look before moving to go and console his wife. Frigga was staring at her with that same pitiful expression, her hand clasped over her mouth. The royal King and Queen shuddered and made their leave, giving Takumi a lasting stare before the doors swung shut behind them. A little puff of dusty ash swirled as the doors closed.

Takumi choked, her throat tight.

"Takumi.." Thor said again, his voice soft. When he stepped forwards towards her, Takumi felt her face flush angrily. So why was he stepping towards her now? Because she wasn't some ugly Fire monster? Now she was presentable to come towards? It was enough to make her emotions swirl angrily in her chest, rising and pressing up against her heart.

"Get away." Takumi hissed angrily, tears blurring her vision. "Get away."

Her eyes darted over to Loki, who was still pale as a sheet and staring at her with huge emerald eyes, his mouth slightly hanging open as though he couldn't quite comprehend anything that just happened. Kaisa was right next to him, her white wedding dress completely smeared with black. With her hair down in front of her face, Takumi had almost thought she was crying.

Then Kaisa let out a small shriek that made Takumi cringe.

"How.. DARE you!?" Kaisa growled, wiping her dirty hair off her forehead. She was completely enraged, her brown eyes boiling with fury. "Why, Takumi? Why do you always do these things?"

"Do what?" Takumi hissed, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Something like this, Takumi." Kaisa snarled, her lips set in a stubborn scowl. "You had wished for no wedding, well, now you've got it! Always the selfish girl, aren't you? Always wanting your way, instead of allowing others to have their choices for once. I am so angry with you right now, I could explode!"

Takumi let out a muffled whimper, frustration jamming into her chest and slamming into her ribcage. "You think.. You think I wanted this!? To be some sort of freak?"

Thor had reached out and grabbed Kaisa's shoulders in an attempt to calm her down, but she jerked away from him violently, her eyes blazing with fury. "What's the bother with it! You've been one your entire life, so what is the difference now?"

"Kaisa!" The voice broke through the thick and tense silence, making them all jump in shock at the loud sound that had been quiet for so long. Takumi blinked through the tears she didn't even know she had, and then at the strange voice that had suddenly defended her.

Loki was staring at Kaisa with an expression full of rage, his emerald eyes darkening several shades until they were a dark green. He had been entirely silent until now, his face drained of color and all emotion whisked away from him. But now he was absolutely livid, his fists resting at his sides and his shoulders tense. Takumi shrank a little from her spot, thinking that he was angry with her. Not that she'd blame him this time.

But she was wrong.

"You will be silenced, you ignorant quim." Loki snarled, nearly spitting his words while speaking to Kaisa. Takumi watched as Kaisa's face twisted from shock to utter fury, her eyes growing wide at the insults. "I will not stand by and watch you belittle my fiancee any further than you already have. I have stood by in silence long enough, whilst you continue to slam her with hurtful words. Stand out of the way, sister, or I shall take action."

His words were stone cold. Harsh. And Takumi could feel Kaisa's utter humiliation rising from her sister, like steam waving off of hot tea.

"I will be in my chamber." Kaisa said curtly, turning and stomping off in the other direction, angrily kicking at a pile of ash and slamming the doors behind her.

"Brother.." Thor began, stepping forwards towards Loki, his hands outreached.

Loki shook his head and stood up straight, his expression still serious and tense. "No, Thor. Leave us be. There is much to discuss."

Takumi felt her heart drop into her chest, a dreadful scream of terror that welled through her veins and curled into her chest. He was going to punish her for this. Everyone was going to punish her for this, weren't they? She could feel her fear creep through her like ice, not fire. And she longed to turn back into her fire form, ferocious enough to defend herself, but she didn't know how.

She was stuck, helpless like a damsel in distress.

To her horror, Thor nodded and bowed his head before walking out behind Kaisa, leaving much quieter than her sister had.

Then it was just her and Loki.

In the ash and silence.

Oh... Damn, Loki. But do you have other sinister ideas in mind?

Please, review.