That night the palace was silent, a pen drop could be heard in the Great Hall. Odin sat up on his Thorne looking down at the marble flooring below. He was all alone except for the guards he only wanted his thoughts as his company. He glanced over at an exceedingly large crack that now ran up the side of the hall. Through a painting he had done of the family, the crack went perfectly between Odin and the others separating him from his family.

Was this a sign he thought. Could this attack be caused by his judgment on Loki? How? There was no way to know these answers. He knew Loki had never met the attackers before. He put his hand to his beard rubbing it intently trying to think on what had just happened with in the last day. The only voice he could hear was Thor's yelling out to him "Why won't you listen to him?" Odin sadly looked down he had no reason not to believe Loki. He only had his pasted to rely on.
Odin knew he should have said something sooner to Loki about his past, he just didn't know how to say it. All those stories of Frost Giants and how they killed innocent lives. The memory crept up of Thor, Loki and him in the weapons vault when they were just 10 or 11 years old.

"Do the Frost Giants still exist, father?" Loki asked with wide eyes.

"uhuh" Odin nodded.

"When I am King I will hunt them down and slay them all" Thor said swinging his arm around like a sword.

"A wise king never goes looking for a fight, but he must always be ready for one." Odin said proudly as he walked down the hall of the weapons vault.

A loud slam of a door snapped Odin back to reality making him realize that all those years ago he was lying to his son. That night Odin realized many things he had done wrong in his past. He had never sat down and truly thought about it until this day, a day when Thor threaten that Odin would have no son's.
Odin leaned over to rest his chin on his hand again as he thought back to a time when the boys were playing out in the field. The three of them together Balder, Thor and Loki he smiled to himself remembering those days. The boys have sticks in their hands pretending they were swords waving them about. Loki would pretend to shoot something from his hand at Balder. Balder would come at him with his pretend sword. Thor would always jump in front of Loki to protect him.

"I will protect you brother." Thor would say holding his stick up ready to fight.

Balder would pretend to kill Thor. Thor would fall to ground trying to act dead. Loki and Balder would tackle Thor laughing, having fun as brothers should.

Thinking of this time brought a tear to Odin's eye, he wished keep this memory with him. Than a sea of sadness washed over him as another memory came up. A table lined with white long laced fringe, held a body dressed in burgundy. The body was that of an older teenage Balder. The tears of many in the room filled Odin's ears as Thor placed a hand on his deceased brother. A loud slam of doors were heard down the aisle from Thor. It was Loki running in to see Balder. Loki's shocked look at the situation at hand was almost shameful to his family.

"Wha…. What happened?" Loki stammered

"You dare lie to us brother, you did this. It is your fault he is dead." Thor roared out at Loki.

Loki took a step back in fear of his brother, never hearing this kind of anger from him before. He looked down at Balder confused and sad all at once.

"I don't understand, I wasn't in town Balder was with you brother." Loki tried to defend himself

"You told your brother if he followed you, you would kill him." Odin snapped at Loki pointing at Balder's body.

"Yes, but I didn't mean it …. " Loki said as he was cut off

"He is dead now because of you… I hope your happy, Loki." Thor turned away from Loki

Not another word was spoken as Loki ran out of the room angered that he was accused of his brother Balder's death. That night Loki went back to his brother's body trying to keep quiet. Odin was hiding in the shadows thanks to Hiemdell informing him about Loki's whereabouts.
Loki took something small out of a leather satchel cupping it in both hands. Odin watched Loki carefully set the item down in Balder's hand. He uttered softly to him while holding his hand.

"I will always love you brother, slay those frost giants in Valhalla and save some for Thor and I."

He stepped down to turn and walk away, stricken with sadness Loki couldn't even cry. He only walked down the aisle to the doors leaving the room as silently as he entered. Odin walked over to Balder's hand seeing the solid gold dragon figure that Loki left for him. Odin knew of this figure, Loki had asked for money to buy it many times before. He knew the day before all this happened that he was excited to go to the town where this figure was being sold. Was it to buy for Balder? Or was it for himself?
Odin shook his head trying to shake the memory from his mind. He knew if he kept dwelling on the past as he was he would only bring more bad memories to the surface. Maybe this is what was needed maybe this was how it was to be a parent. Odin sighed realizing now that accusing before knowing was the worst he could have ever done. Yes Loki had a temper and an attitude, but it was well deserved for the way people have treated him.

The night had grown late and he needed his rest, stepping down off the throne he noticed Sif walking up to him with haste in her step.

"What can I do for you dear child?" He asked standing at the bottom of the steps of his Thorne.

"Allfather, I can't find Hogun anywhere. I fear he's gone after Loki." Sif kneeled to him worried she might be punished.

Odin sighed and looked out between the pillars of the Great Hall. He thought for a few moments not wanting to be too hasty.

"Take Loki his armor, no other help is allowed to be given. Understood?" He waved his finger at her making sure she heard him.

"Of course Allfather." She smiled and bowed deeply to him

Watching Sif run off he could only hope what he just did was right. Only time would tell and being on Loki's side for once was where he needed to be. The things that happened on Midgard might not have been Loki's fault. But he still did them and this punishment was showing Loki's true colors.

That night after Frigga had left the shack Loki laid back on the lounge with a very large smile. He tossed popper nickels in his mouth (like kettle corn) looking at Seren playing with another Potion.

"You like working on those don't you?" He smiled at her

"Oh yes, they give me great pleasure when I know I completed one after many trail and errors."

Seren was always in a chipper mood, never really feeling down about her life she always looked at it in a different way than others. Loki just looked around at all the potions still up on her shelves that Frigga didn't buy.

"So these are all the ones that worked after so many failures?" He asked.

She nodded to him pouring the juice of a root in the kettle.

"I think of it as never giving up hope. I never want to give up on something I have so much passion for. You must have passion for something. What is it?"

Though it was a simple question Loki didn't know the answer, at least he thought he didn't. The silence took them over as Loki thought back for a few moments thinking what his passion was. He could only remember one time he ever said the word Passion. When he was a young boy, he was in his chambers and Thor came in and started poking at his sides. He made Loki laugh but soon stopped as he saw Loki drawing and writing something.

"Brother, what's that?" Thor asked.

"It's a new system I came up with to keep Asgard safe. I don't want anyone coming in that we don't invite here." Loki tried to explain

"Safe? From who?" Thor was confused.

"Anyone, brother. I'm sure we have many enemies out there. If people do get in, we want to make sure our people can get out without have to use the bifrost." Pointing to the areas on the map.

"Brother, you are a bit strange sometimes." Thor chuckled to him.

"No Thor, I have a passion to keep our family and people safe. Don't you want the same thing?" Loki asked his brother.

As Loki came back to reality he looked at Seren with a shallow smile and a soft sigh.

"I had a passion to keep Asgard safe from evil…. Like me….." He trailed of quietly

Turning over on his side he let out a small sigh again, he knew what he did was wrong to Asgard. He didn't understand how he let his hate and anger consume in so much. Maybe it was part of who or what he was.
The next morning Loki woke up before Seren having a small bite to eat he walked outside to see to his son Sleipnir who was still grazing on the hillside. A husky voice came from behind him that made him turn quickly in shock.

"You thought you could hide from me?" Hogun growled

As Loki turned Hogun's fist met Loki's jaw with a sharp punch taking Loki to the ground. He rubbed his jaw trying to get the feeling back as he laughed looking up at him.

"You fool, you really think I was trying to hide?" Loki jumped to his feet.

"You know nothing about me, just like everyone else. Your brain is in your biceps not your head."

Hogun swung his sword at Loki ready to strike him down. He dodged ever swing that Hogun could muster up at him. Swinging again Loki caught the sword in his hand watching his skin turn a blue tent freezing the sword. Hogun quickly released it as Loki flung it over to a nearby tree watching it shatter into a million pieces. Hogun's rage was still in full gear he lunged at him again as Loki put his palms out to hit Hogun in the chest pushing him back to the ground. Loki changed back to his normal Asgardian self, standing over Hogun he looked down at him.

"Go on. Kill me." Hogun said holding himself in pain.

"I wasn't going to kill you, I never wanted you dead. No Hogun, go back to the palace and leave me be." Loki stepped over Hogun walking away with Sleipnir close behind him.

He had no idea that Sif saw the whole thing unfold before her. Was this really Loki, did he just let Hogun live? Even after asking herself these questions she still couldn't believe her own eyes. The old Loki would have killed Hogun if he was on the ground like that. Or he wouldn't have ever had the strength to match Hogun in the first place.

After helping Hogun, Sif found Loki near a lake watching the water. She thought it was odd, he never showed interest in doing things that were calming like that before. She stayed back not wanting to upset him more than Hogun already had.

"You don't have to stand back there, Sif." Loki said with a smile.

"How did you know it was I?"

Loki kept his smile while watching the water. His shoulders shrugged slowly knowing his answer would scare her or she would call him a liar like all the others.

"I guessed." He said

"I pretty good guess." She replied walking up to him

He chuckled under his breath not wanting to give too much away. Glancing at her he noticed she had a pack on. He could only think she was going on a trip or hick somewhere.

"Where are you going?"

She remembered the Armor she carried on her back, taking the pack off she pulled out his armor.

"Odin wanted me to give you this in case Hogun came by. I don't think you need it now, though you could use it for other things later." Loki smiled at the gesture and took the pack from her with a bow in his head.

"Thank you, I don't think I'll need it, but you're right. You can never tell what the future brings." He smiled and closed the pack.

Silence fell between them neither of them knew how to keep a conversation going anymore. Loki with his spiteful sarcasm and Sif with her witty come backs, finally Sif spoke up with a soft tone in her voice.

"Thank you, for saving my life yesterday. I don't think I would be here now if it weren't for you."

It took a moment for Loki to talk he wanted to be a jerk to be the way he used to be. Something told him not to at this time.

"Sif, if…. If I would have had time to think about my actions I probably wouldn't have done it and I would have hated myself for the rest of my life. I reacted and it came from the heart, for that I'm grateful, you're still here and Thor was there to grab my hand when I needed him most." He chuckled softly.

"Why wouldn't you have done it if you thought about it?" She asked being a bit confused.

"Ever since I was younger I've had to live up to a certain expectation. The humans call it 'the boy who cried wolf'. Though I never cried wolf, my family thought I did. I was a joker and loved to play games like any other child, maybe a bit more than other children. I guess it was a bit more then I should have. When I got older they thought everything I said was a lie even my own brother's death. Instead of always fighting against them and trying to convince them I was good I chose to give into what they believed. To be this liar and joker all the time, I just got in over my head."

Loki told Sif as he played with the straps of the pack. Sif looked rather amazed that he would even tell her this, but it made since now. All this time his pranks and calls for attention weren't for nothing, they meant something to him.