A/N: So, this is a bit shorter, I apologize. Grab a box of tissues. You have been warned.

Lifa burst into her throne room, startling guards to attention. She had, perhaps, underestimated her brother's offspring. The boy raised as Odin's youngest son had set a chill even within her with his reaction this his brother's supposed death. Weapons hung all around the throne, mostly for show, but a few might be worth something if he were as brave or as angry to enter this room. The sound of screams echoed through the icy halls and a guard flew through the door opening, dead before he hit the ground.

The queen's red eyes turned to see Loki standing in the entrance, all the anger seeming to manifest in his magic. Winds whipped around him, tearing at everything it their path. Snow was kicked up and ice flew from its place to lodge into unsuspecting guards that, at this point, were merely trying to escape with their lives. All of his own injuries seemed to be ignored or forgotten in his fit of rage.

His magic restored, he shifted back into his usual prince's outfit of Asgard. "Are you not impressed? Is this not what you secretly desired? To see what the power of Jotunheim might have been if Laufey could have kept his kingdom? What might have been if the Asgardians had not tried to tame me with heart?" Loki raged. He unleashed a wave that sent more ice flying like daggers and rocks to shudder and tumble from their standing places. "Sentiment!" Loki snarled. "Perhaps it has its uses after all."

Lifa's gaze slid almost unwillingly to the throne itself. Loki turned to look and the next wave he unleashed was accompanied by a scream so fierce Lifa had to cover her ears. Draped across the throne was the cloak of Thor. Loki had not forgotten how it had been taken from him.

The roof of the palace began to come down around them, the walls shaking horribly under the strain the bursts of magic put them under. One icy pillar fell, knocking the queen to the ground and pinning her there. With no opposition, Loki moved towards the throne with a glazed sort of look in his eyes and one blue hand reached for it. As fingers entangled themselves in the fabric - somehow still so warm amongst the ice - they began to turn pale once more and he slowly shifted into the prince of Asgard once again. He grasped the crimson cape to him, pulling it around his thin shoulders and burring his nose in it. The blood on his hands - some his own, some the Frost Giants' - matched the color of the cloak and he felt a new wave of anguish take hold of him.

The collapsing palace had blocked the wide entry and Thor cursed under his breath and drove Mjolnir against it in frustration. "Go get the others." he said to Sif.

She hesitated only for a moment, resting her fingertips against the side of his face before racing away towards the Warriors Three. Thor was silently thankful she knew him well enough to know he would not be stopped. He had heard the screams from within; he knew his brother lived and that his brother was angry. One was good, the other was not, but both were preferred over what he thought he might find. He drove the hammer into the stone again and it shifted dangerously. "Loki. I am coming, Loki." he growled.

Finally he opened an entrance into the half-destroyed palace and ducked inside. It had gone quiet and Jotuns lay strewn all around, some still groaning and others in pieces. He found himself in a large room. Perhaps it was the throne room, but any lights they had been kept there had since been snuffed by the rush of power that had hit it. Thor took a steadying breath, looking around with squinted eyes. He could still see, but the corners held shadows. He saw movement and bright color to the side and whirled.

Thor knew he should feel fear but the first notion that occurred to him was awe. Loki was absolutely and perfectly awe-inspiring in a terrifying manner. His brother stood on what had been a raised platform, drawn to full height, skin the blue of the Jotuns and eyes a deeper red than Thor had ever seen. Magic crackled around the younger god, threatening power and judgment in an instant. He might have even thought his brother lost to this side of himself if it had not been for the sight of his Asgardian clothes and the even stranger sight of his own cloak clutched to Loki's shoulder and furling out behind him.

"Get out! Will you have me destroy everything for the sake of one last terrible, cruel illusion?" Loki screamed. The frost giant within him could not be contained and he had again surrendered to it upon the sight of his brother standing in the closed off throne room, looking up at him with wide blue eyes, blood marring the handsome face.

Thor was lost for words, feeling a rush of everything all at once. He wanted to embrace his brother, cry over him, and never allow anyone to harm him again. He wanted to be his protector just as he had been when they were young, but... But Loki didn't need that now. The destruction that he had caused proved just that. He no longer needed his bigger, stronger brother to make sure the blows did not land where they were meant to go. "Brother," the thunder god found himself whispering, pain lacing his voice.

"Did you not hear me?" Loki raged, the winds picking up around him once again. "I won't be taken in! I will destroy you all if that's what it takes!"

Slowly Thor took a step towards him, heedless of his instincts screaming of the dangers involved. "Loki?"

"Stay away!" Loki demanded, his outstretched hand flinging splinters of ice towards the approaching Thor.

Thor held up his arm to shield his face, the ice cutting into his skin but he paid it little heed. He spared a glance to where the frost queen had fallen and saw she was not moving. She drew breath, but it seemed that was all. He looked back at his brother and moved forward again, slowly. "Loki, it is me. I am no specter, no trick played against you." he said, reaching out a hand.

"No. No, I have had enough. Odin's sons are fallen. You are lost to him, to Asgard, to me. You are lost. I am lost." Loki muttered.

Thor reached the edge of the raised platform and took a deep breath. He and Loki had shared so many years and so many fights, fighting together and fighting each other that he had seen much of Loki's battle ability and it was truly impressive. His brother always had been an expert showman, but was also truly dangerous. Nothing in those years could have prepared him for this, the foundation of Loki's power. It was great and terrible, but Thor had hope. Thor had faith in his brother.

He had come too close for Loki's comfort and the long thin blade of ice stronger than steel grew in his hand, red eyes flashing. Thor slowly lowered himself to his knees, in acknowledgement of Loki's power. "You are not lost. You know I will always come for you. I am not lost. I know you will always come for me." Thor said.

With a cry Loki drew down the blade. Thor never took his eyes off his brother and just before the blade reached his throat Loki stayed his hand. Thor could feel the cold radiate from the blade and Loki's skin. "Loki?" he breathed.

His brother's breaths came in a choked, gasping sort of way and his face contorted as tears spilled. He dropped the spear and Thor had his arms around him instantly, pulling him close. Loki sank to the ground with him and Thor felt his brother warm slightly in his grasp. Long, thin arms wrap around his neck and the younger prince clung to the elder.

Finally Loki pulled back, green eyes staring up. "You're real? But that stupid helmet... Your blood. Thor?"

"A glancing blow," the elder assured him, kissing his brow.

Loki took Thor's arm in his hands. "I cut you."

Thor gave a lopsided shrug. "Our tutors would scold me for making the unwise decision of approaching an angry god." he said.

Loki tried to ineffectively wipe some of the blood away, unwilling to look Thor in the face. "And yet you made the unwise decision."

"The only kind of decision one can make when the life of one's brother is at stake." Thor said, gently pulling his arm from Loki's grasp and stilling the still too cold hands, despite Loki's return to Asgardian appearance. "Loki?"

Still Loki would not meet his gaze, only looking at his hands resting in Thor's, both bloodied. "So now you've seen."

"Seen what?"

"Seen the monster I really am."

Thor's eyebrows drew together and he shook his head. He slid his hand around Loki's neck, gently tugging until his brother looked at him. "Loki, you are no monster. You are magnificent."

The tears fell again and Loki pressed his face against Thor's shoulder, hugging his brother more tightly than he had in all their lives. Thor held him close and whispered against his hair until they both stopped trembling from the rush of battle and the fear of loss.

"We missed it!" Volstagg's voice suddenly echoed through the chamber.

Thor released his younger brother and Loki's lips twitched downward. "Oh. You brought... everyone."

"You wouldn't expect the king to come in alone, would you?" Sif demanded hotly.

"King?" Loki echoed, tilting his head to look at his brother.

"Father fell into the Odin Sleep after they took you. He didn't even make it back to the palace."

Loki brought a hand to his face, shoulders slumping. "I... I thought you would have come either before or after, not during! Did you not think?"

"There was no time!" Thor argued, voice a bit hurt by Loki's tone.

The trickster took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm himself. "We should go. Father will be angry as it is."

There was a pause as the younger brother turned to start for the exit. "It was worth it."

Loki stopped, sighing. "Thank you," he whispered, voice quiet so that only his brother might hear.

There was a loud crashing sound and all eyes turned to a very angry Ice Queen. "Well then, I suppose I will kill a king instead of a prince."

"Oh good, we didn't miss all of it." Fandral said with a short laugh.

"She is not to be trifled with." Loki warned. "She is quick and vicious."

"So are we." Hogun said, sounding unconcerned.

Loki clenched his jaw, resentment flooding his veins. Limited. He would forever be limited by the presence of those who would not be so accepting of who -what- he was. He turned to see Mjolnir find its was to Thor's hand and he realized that he was not the only one who could give his secrets away. He could still lose to Lifa if she gave the truth of him up. Lifa stood, her power growing quickly and fiercely behind her. "Thor..." Loki called lowly.

"I said I would take my brother and go. I have no wish for your death, Queen."

She let out shriek of rage and ice flew at them in the form of daggers. Loki threw up a magical shield, still feeling several shards slice through. Sif looked ready to launch an attack and Thor grabbed her by the arm. "We are leaving." "But-"

"That is the order of your king." His voice left no room for argument, and Loki wondered if his elder brother might have, for once, caught on to what troubled him. He had shown himself a quicker learner these days than in their youth.

The goddess of war let a frustrated growl leave her throat and the six of them took to the exit. A flood of Frost Giants followed them, Lifa launching her attacks. They raced across the terrain towards the Bifrost site.

"I feel as if we've been here before," Fandral quipped as he dodged a rather large ice spear. Without warning the ground below them exploded upward, sending them in all directions.

Thor staggered but quickly pulled himself to his feet. He saw Volstagg reach out and grab Fandral's arm to keep him from sliding off the side of the suddenly-made drop and vanishing into nothing. The bearded warrior hauled the blond back and they both scrambled away from the edge. Hogun was near them, righting himself as well. His eyes fell on Sif, who had instinctively grabbed Loki's arm. The younger prince recoiled and jerked his arm away. Sif looked almost startled at his reaction. Thor could see the sleeve was ripped and he grit his teeth. "Go! It is close! We must keep moving!" he bellowed.

They ran and Thor backed his way towards the site, keeping his eyes and the aim of his hammer on the queen. "

Where do you think you are going? Do you think you can keep him safe forever? He is-"

Her shrieks were drowned out by the crash of lightning that engulfed Thor's hammer as he roared back at her, "Enough!"

Loki turned at his brother's cry and saw that Thor had opened himself to attack, which is what Lifa had been waiting for. Lifa let loose a spear of ice.

Loki jerked towards his brother. The magic gathered to him and he didn't give himself enough time to question. He had managed it on a small scale, surely he could on a larger one. Just once. That's all he needed to put enough space between them to get home. All he wanted to do was go home. Irony.

His fingers burned as a trail of fire collected behind them as he moved, motion so swift it was a blur. Thor would never be able to release his lighting before the ice spear pierced him, but Loki let loose such a burst of fire magic that it melted everything in its path. Several Frost Giants were caught in the attack and there would be nothing left of them afterward.

Thor's lightning fell a split second later. Lifa screamed as she was consumed by fire and lightning. The group had to shield their eyes from the light the double attack emanated and when it faded the ice queen had vanished. Thor stood and briefly wondered how much more trouble they would be in for the death of a realm ruler.

A terrible hissing noise filled the air. "What-" Thor managed to ask.

Loki's eyes widened. "I'm sorry." he murmured quickly.

As they felt the power of the Bifrost pull at them, a recoil of power split through the air with a deafening shriek, aimed at the one who had surrendered the power to begin with. Thor tried to move, but the magic was too quick for him and struck his brother even as Heimdall pulled them homeward.

TBC

A/N: Remember what I said about it being a bit of a game to try to one-up ourselves...? Yeah. Glad I have a warning about Loki-whump...

Oh, and also, I'm afraid there probably won't be an update tomorrow evening, and potentially not Saturday either... We'll see. I have a root canal tomorrow and those tend to put me out for at least a day and a half. Seriously, I'm useless. I hate that I lose a day of vacation from work and have to do this. Ugh. Lame.

So please don't hate me for the lack of updates for a couple days. I would much rather be writing and posting. Much, much rather.