Well, this is it. I'm sorry, everyone, for making this fic so short, but I feel like I did an okay job with it. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed! You kept this small idea blooming into something that I would venture to say turned out great. It's been a lot of fun. So, hope you like the final chapter! Disclaimer and final farewells at the bottom!

IvyLinkin: I sure hope that this ending is as good as you expected! :D The reactions of the family weren't terribly hard, but this chapter was a challenge to come up with. Tell me what you think!

elizabeth14: Thanks!

Talk Bubble: Sif doesn't seem to appreciate the "game" they're playing in jumping through time. Glad you liked it!

AaylaKitofNiflheim: I lament over Loki all the time. The things I do to him in my writing. :/

Cassy27: I know, right! Frigga is amazing and I love to make her the one person in the Nine Realms that Loki can trust and feel a sense of affection for. Odin is…well…Odin. That kingly figure that puts his duty before his family. I'm glad that you enjoy this and hopefully it's a strong ending.

Vana Jedi: Aren't they adorable? I love writing the kid versions of everyone. It's so touching.

Oomara13: Yay! :D

skydancer2ooo: Yeah, getting all deep like a boss! I have a general plan that involves myself writing stuff down and readers reading it and all that happy stuff. Can't reveal the plan. Gotta read it yourself. :)

Fallen Maiar: You've got one of my ideas down in your review. You'll see which one soon. ;)

Pastel Winter: You're very welcome! :D Sorry the update took so long. I finally did find some inspiration, though it was inspiration to end the story. I love yours, by the way, and hope you update soon!

"I have reached my decision," Odin said at last, "and none of you are going to like it." He sighed. "I have been given no choice, however, and it is for the sake of the past, present, and future." He lifted Gungnir and addressed the future Loki. "I would like you to hold the Orb of Time for me, please."

Future Loki, thinking that this was the All-Father's means of transporting him back, took the artifact without question and held it out with his chained hands. "Why—?"

"Do not question. Just know that everything I am doing now is in the best interest of everyone."

Thor gazed uncertainly at his father. "What are you going to do?"

Odin gazed at them sadly and placed the tip of Gungnir upon the Orb. It lit up a brilliant blue and then flashed so brightly that everyone in the room was nearly blinded by its light. Then, they were falling…

When Loki opened his eyes, he was in the cage on Asgard. What did the All-Father in the past do? he wondered. It seemed as if nothing had really changed since his arrival on Asgard, except that little Loki was not there. Wait! Where's the past Loki? He looked around, then realized that he must have been transported forward to his own time. What of my counterpart, then? Is he just going about business as usual? Does he even remember what happened? So many questions swirled around in Loki's mind that his head hurt.

Before he could consider this further, Thor walked in and faced him, his expression severe. "Loki, the All-Father—"

"Thor!" Loki pressed his chained hands against the edge of the containment unit. "I can explain—"

"Explain what? Your actions on Midgard?" Thor's voice was filled with contempt. "The time for explaining has passed, brother, but I'm willing to listen if you have anything to say for yourself."

"Wait—didn't you notice I was gone?" Loki asked, confused.

Thor shook his head. "You were here the whole time."

"Do not try to tell me that I imagined it!" Loki spat. "My counterpart and I were sitting right here in this room and then he accidentally took me back into time, and—"

"Your counterpart, Loki?" Thor's tone was skeptical.

"Yes," Loki said flippantly, "the ten-year-old version of myself. Surely you remember?"

Thor stared at his brother as if he had gone completely insane. "No," he said slowly. "Loki, you haven't even been here a day and you are already losing your mind from solitary confinement? Where in the Nine Realms did you get the idea that you travelled in time and met a younger version of yourself?"

Understanding dawned on Loki. The All-Father from the past must have done something to make everything return to normal, as if the meeting had never occurred. If that was the case, then did the younger Loki forget what had happened? And why did he still remember it clearly? It didn't make sense why Thor would forget, but if he did, then it must have happened to everyone. It definitely wasn't a figment of Loki's imagination. He refused to admit himself crazy.

"Thor," he said carefully, "what do you remember of your childhood?"

Thor frowned, taken aback by the question. "I remember fighting and playing with Sif and the Warriors Three," he said evenly. "I remember your pranks and mischief and the fun times we had. Mother and Father were always wonderful parents to us and rulers to the realm." He tilted his head to one side. "Why?"

Loki didn't reply. He couldn't stop thinking about the exchange between the younger versions of Thor and himself. I don't want to fight you. They wanted to avoid what happened to the older Loki and Thor. No wonder Odin had said that they would not like the outcome. They would end up fighting each other anyway because they wouldn't remember the conversation they had as kids! They wouldn't remember learning about the future, so they wouldn't remember their promise to each other that they would not fight.

"Loki?" Thor was beginning to grow concerned.

Loki shook his head vigorously. "I…sorry, what were you saying?"

Thor's frown deepened. "I was wondering why you would inquire about my childhood. You were there."

"So you don't remember looking at me and saying 'I don't want to fight him. Ever. I love him too much.'"

"No, I can't say I do," Thor responded. "Loki, are you all right? I came in here to bring you before the All-Father, but if you are ill, I could—"

"No, I would like to see him, actually. Maybe he has the answers that I seek."

Thor cautiously opened the cage. "If you insist, brother, but I worry for your state of mind. You do not seem fit to go anywhere, but perhaps being out of the confines of this cage will help make things clearer to you. Father is most likely summoning you for a punishment, so be prepared for that." The thunder god's voice had become gentler now that he seemed to notice that Loki's mind was "unstable." He could think what he liked. Loki knew that he wasn't crazy.

Soon, they were in the Throne Room where Odin sat on his throne, talking to Queen Frigga. As soon as Loki's presence was noticed, everyone in the room—guards included—fell silent. The queen's eyes watered ever so slightly and her expression was sad. Odin's face was unreadable, but it was safe to say that every Asgardian in the room apart from the ones in authority expressed silent contempt for the visitor.

"Hello, father," Thor said, placing a fist over his heart and bowing.

Loki did not copy this respectful gesture, but he inclined his head in uncertain greeting.

Odin stood up. "Loki Laufeyson," he began. To Loki's surprise, the use of his true name stung. "I wish to speak with you alone. Guards, Thor, and Frigga—leave us, please."

Frigga nodded, seeming to already know that her husband intended to speak to their son alone. Thor looked surprised, but he did not argue as he walked out with the guards.

When they were alone, Odin gazed at Loki intently. "Tell me—what did you see when you went into the past?"

Loki gazed at the All-Father, stunned. How did he know? "What makes you think that I travelled into the past?" he asked evenly. "Thor thought me crazy for even suggesting that my future self was here."

"Tell me what you remember," Odin ordered.

"Why should I?" Loki scoffed.

"Because it could save you," the All-Father said simply.

This got Loki's attention. "How could it save me? What could it save me from?"

Odin met his gaze steadily. "Your punishment."

Loki thought this over. Would it really hurt if he told the king what he had seen? It might hurt his pride a little to admit the sentiment he had felt when little Thor and little Loki had agreed not to fight each other. At this point, he had nothing to lose but his dignity, which he had mostly lost when they chained and muzzled him. "All right," he said at last. "It mostly consisted of your past self debating on what course of action to take while I was with Thor, young Loki, the Warriors Three, and Sif."

"That's not good enough. What do you remember of the conversations you had?"

Loki stiffened. "Why do you insist on tormenting me? What matter is it to you that they loved each other too much to want to fight each other?" Suddenly, he felt like Odin wasn't in the room anymore. "Even after he learned the truth, he still listened to Thor when he said that he loved him too much to fight him. Why?"

"Because you still had innocence and kindness in your heart when you were that age," Odin said. "You were hurt, yes, but you were caring enough to forgive him. At that age, you did not experience the bitterness that you had to experience your entire life, in which you saw that Thor was favored by me. You were only just beginning to suspect it, so the fact that you are different did not seem as much of a revelation to you." He sighed. "This was my mistake. I should have told you from the beginning, but I did not."

"Well, it's too late now, obviously," Loki said coldly, though his voice held a note of uncertainty.

"What happened afterward?" Odin prompted.

"Your counterpart placed Gungnir on the orb, which was in my hands, and then I was falling. I woke up in the cage here. That is all I remember."

Odin nodded. "Did you wonder, when you woke up, why I—he—had you hold the Orb?"

Loki shrugged. "Not really. I figured that it was a means of getting me back to this time."

Odin shook his head. "Oh, Loki…you missed the true purpose. When I rested my spear upon the Orb of Time, I was establishing a connection. For the sake of the past, present, and future, I made everyone in said past, present, and future forget any and all contact that the time travel created, except myself." He paused. "And you."

Loki's frowned, confused. "Me? Why?" He had forgotten to keep his emotions guarded.

"Because I wanted you to remember what you heard yourself and Thor say as children. I knew that it had gotten to you, and I wanted you to have a chance at making the right decision."

"The right decision?" Loki wished that he didn't know exactly what the All-Father was talking about. Redemption.

Odin nodded. "Yes, Loki. You know what the right decision is."

Loki took a deep breath. "I do."

Both of you were born to be kings.

Loki turned these words over and over in his mind. He thought about them often growing up. He was ten years old now—old enough to have insight on the world around him. Old enough to notice little things like the way his father looked at his brother in a different way than he looked at him. Old enough to consider what it would mean to be King of Asgard.

But these things were not important now…

Disclaimer: For the last time, I do not own Thor or the Avengers or any characters involved in said movies.

AN: Pretty vague ending, but hey, I decided to leave this one up to the readers. Anywho, sorry for ending the story so quickly. I'm going to college in a matter of days, so I might not be an active FF writer until I get off on break. I had fun writing this story and am glad that it finished strong. Well, I'll leave that up to you guys. Farewell, my friends, and may we meet again when I decide to start a new story!