Summary: Tony's road trip doesn't go as expected, and nobody really understands what Loki is attempting to do anyway.
Chapter XII—Tell You What She Saw
Fate (noun): the development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermines by a supernatural power.
The training grounds were thronged with Aesir. Most were men, but Loki could see some women from where he'd come to stand on the balcony. Just like the men, the Asynjur stood tall and proud, in gear from head to toe. The arms resembled a sea of metal and leather that clanked instead of whispering like the waves would when they caressed the shore.
Thor was standing at the front on the balcony, hands resting on the balustrade. He couldn't have heard Loki's soundless footsteps, yet he turned after only a few long breaths had passed.
It was maddening that a certain connection persisted between them despite Loki's previous attempts at severing it.
"Brother—" Thor started, then pressed his lips together. "Loki."
Perhaps he was capable of learning after all. Who would have thought?
"Thor," he replied.
"I heard Fandrall decided to fight by your side."
"For purely selfish reasons, I assure you."
Thor traced the edge of the balustrade with his fingers. His gaze returned to the field below.
"Are you certain you don't require more warriors?"
"It is not a job for a group."
"No. It is not."
Thor turned and made a step towards Loki, then stopped as if he had remembered something. "Are you sure about…?"
No.
"Yes."
"You're dealing with the Tesseract. The knowledge of how to use it has been all but lost to us."
"I have enough." At least he had to believe so. If stopped, if he let himself doubt…
"Be careful, Loki."
Loki frowned. "I have no intention of getting harmed." Why did that oaf keep worrying about him? Why did he insist on showing affection? Why did he care at all?
Why could Loki not stop caring about him?
"Please."
Thor closed the distance between them, hand coming up towards Loki's neck in a gesture that was so familiar to them both, but stopped in midair.
(Why? Why did he care?)
Loki's fingers twitched and he reached out.
(He hated.)
On an impulse, he grasped Thor's forearm.
(He cared. He cared, he cared, cared he cared caredcaredcared…)
"Lead them well," he said. "So there will be stories to tell for eternity."
"Perhaps the triumph should be yours."
His lips curved into a smile as he shook his head. "It is not for me, Thor. Never for me."
Their gazes met. "You may be the one to save the Realms."
"Perhaps."
He didn't say that once, together with Tony, he already had been.
~*oO*o*Oo*~
Wind ruffled Hlin's hair as she pressed her lips together. Parted them again.
"Idun grows the golden apples."
Tony resisted an eyeroll. "We don't need the apples right now."
Yet another few seconds passed before Hlin replied. "They are the most powerful medicine in existence."
Huh. That was news.
"Aren't they just for longevity? Making you near immortal?"
Hlin shook her head. "They have wonderful healing properties. Their juice is one of the ingredients for healing stones."
Tony had absolutely no idea what healing stones were, but at least it wasn't hard to guess what they were for. Jane seemed to be familiar with them, though; she nodded, humming in affirmation.
He leaned towards her. "You've seen that woo-woo?"
"Mm-hmm. One of the healers showed me."
"Well, what does it look like?"
Jane gave him a strange look. "Like a stone?"
"Oh. I thought they'd be more...magicy."
"Sorry to disappoint. Why are you asking me all this?" She glanced towards Hlin, who was observing them with a shadow of a smile on her lips. As if Tony didn't know the goddess would know more about Aesir medicine. She couldn't describe it from an outsider's point of view, though.
"I don't understand something," he said, and this time it was directed at Hlin. "I get how medicine would be useful on a battlefield, but if these healing stones are in the palace, why are we going to Idun?"
"Only her apples can cure a dying man."
Tony waited for her to elaborate, but there was nothing, only wind cooling his skin and the near-darkness all around them.
"Don't you have the same apples in the palace?"
Hlin nodded but turned away. A remark died on Tony's lips when he saw she steered the flying boat thingie into a different direction, though how she knew when to do it, he had no idea; the grounds beneath them were covered with forest that spread like an endless blanket without distinguishing patterns.
"There is one difference, though," Hlin said as she turned back to Tony, apparently satisfied with the boat's course. "Idun has… a connection with nature, with the essence of nature. A special kind of magic that she can imbue the apples with—"
"But it's not permanent?" Tony cut in.
"Oh, it is. She merely chooses not to do it."
"Why not?" Jane asked.
"It's quite a story. But we have time, and perhaps you should know of it. Idun is… inherently connected to Asgard, to its nature and magic. Some say the land listens when she whispers to it, and there are even rumours the essence of her spirit is one with Asgard. I have not heard Idun confirm or deny that. What I do know is that she is old and powerful in ways where Odin is perhaps less so, and we need her. Our medicine greatly relies on her apples, but only those she offers imbued with her own magic can cure a dying man. She was willing to share such apples long ago until she withdrew from the city. She accepts the company of but a few these days."
"Why did she leave?"
"There is no official answer. We leave her alone lest she withdraw the apples she still gifts us with."
Perhaps she got tired of Asgard's obsession with muscles and killing, Tony thought as he leaned against the side of the boat and glanced overboard.
"And the unofficial version?" he asked.
"She had a fight with Odin." Hlin turned the rudder (or whatever it was called on space boats) again. "Her contribution is greatly undervalued. Allegedly, she said until Odin publicly apologised for taking her for granted, the Aesir would not see her life-giving apples again. If somebody asks, you have not heard this from me."
"Of course," Tony said as Jane nodded. "We heard nothing."
~*oO*o*Oo*~
After a while—Tony would have guessed about two hours in which he was very thankful for the suit keeping him warm and becoming increasingly curious about some strange dark shape looming on the horizon—Hlin directed the flier towards the ground. The roar of falling water reached Tony's ears as they descended. Hlin led the flyer between the trees until they finally parted, making way for a clearing, and there, in the middle, grew the largest tree Tony had ever seen (and that was saying something considering he'd driven through that sequoia trunk with his Audi).
"We're here," Hlin said.
"Really?" Was this a Disney cartoon or something? "Idun lives in a tree?"
Ignoring him, Hlin strode to the trunk, becoming a dark shadow on an almost as dark background. Tony glanced towards Jane. He couldn't see her expression, but he could tell she was looking at him, too.
"Shall we?" she asked, wrapping her cloak tighter around her body.
He nodded. "Has Thor ever mentioned the apples to you? In a non-healing way?"
"No." She sounded thoughtful. "Has Loki?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"Nothing." He paused. "Would you choose to stay behind and let everybody go?" Please. Is it worth it?
"I don't know." Jane's voice was soft. "Would you?"
He shook his head. "I don't know, either. Forever is a long time. Perhaps too long."
"I hope Hlin didn't bring us here to decide."
Tony breathed a sigh of relief; at least he was not alone in his confusion. "You and me both. Shall we?"
Nodding, Jane took his hand. He couldn't feel her grip through the armour, nor her warmth, but he held on as they walked to the tree.
~*oO*o*Oo*~
Loki stood in the shadows, alone. Blue light was casting shadows over his face, hands hovering above it. He remembered another time, distant as if it had been ages ago, standing in front of a different glowing box, about to seal his fate. His hands had trembled then; they were trembling now.
The Tesseract.
As keen as he'd been to possess it on Earth, he would have preferred to stay far away now. It was too powerful, too closely connected to Thanos…
He shook his head. Thanos didn't matter now. Loki didn't have to surrender to the power of Tesseract; he could control it, keep it from devouring his mind.
It would be nothing like Thanos' torture.
Nothing.
He swallowed and moved his hands through the air in a sweeping motion so they crossed in the air. One moment, the Tesseract was there, the next it was tucked away in his pocket of space.
A sigh escaped him. The last time he'd been in the vault, he'd lost his family. Against his will, his gaze wandered to the pedestal that held the Casket of Ancient Winters. He could feel it hum, sing to his blood; it had been silent when he'd first touched it, but he must have tuned into it in some way when he'd been keeping it in his pocket of space. It felt familiar now, although a part of him still hated it with all its might.
Slowly, he walked across the vault, closer to the source of the call. His magic stirred in response, and he found himself reaching out, fingertips brushing the smooth surface, and a strange surge of feelings washed over him even as blue bled over his skin.
This was his. His birthright. His possession.
His curse.
And perhaps… Perhaps his duty. Perhaps he could use this power for something other than destruction…
He pulled his hand away from the glowing box. He had a job to do.
~*oO*o*Oo*~
Idun...was not what Tony had expected. He figured somebody with access to the closest thing there was to eternal youth would look appropriately young. Not that she didn't. But she also looked old. There was something about her that would have made it impossible for Tony to guess her age, even if only the human equivalent of it. She wore a knee-length dress with leather leggings and boots underneath it, and although it framed her body nicely, there was no mistaking how perfectly the shape of the dress would allow movement if necessary. Her hair was white, contributing to the impression of old age, and fell brained over her left shoulder. The light spilling out from behind her was warm and welcoming.
"Lady Idun." Hlin bowed her head. Tony supposed he should do it, too, but obeying had never been his cup of tea, so he observed Idun instead; her eyes spoke of recognition, but no particular fondness.
"Lady Hlin," she returned. "I hope you did not come here for what I am unwilling to give."
"I did not. Lady Idun, these are Jane Foster and Anthony Stark of Midgard."
Eyes narrowing, she cocked her head in silence. Her gaze was intense in a way that wasn't entirely unlike the sharpness of Loki's eyes. Perhaps it was a cultural thing.
"Humans," she said at last, and if Tony wasn't mistaken, she was the first Ass to not call them mortals. Which was a nice change, really. Deserved a golden star. "It has been too long. Please, come in."
Entering a tree would have been on Tony's bucket list if he'd had one. Perhaps he should create it, because this was definitely an experience worth a few hours of freezing on a flying boat. There was a forest inside a freakin' tree! Plants growing everywhere, moss softening their steps, flowers blooming on the walls. Where the light was coming from, he had no idea, but it was warm and soft like a caress of a setting sun. A trunk (was there another tree in here?!) rose towards the ceiling made of intertwined branches and twigs, and a staircase wound around it. At least the furniture seemed to be made and not naturally grown.
"Incredible," Jane voiced his thoughts.
"Thank you. Please, sit." Idun gestured towards a small table at the side and the bank behind it, attached to the wall. She chose a chair on the opposite side. Hlin remained standing at the side, hands clasped behind her back. Why had she dragged them here? Idun's home was fascinating, but admiring the scenery sure as hell couldn't be the point of the visit.
"Anthony Stark."
His head jerked back to Idun.
"The human who opposed the Allfather and won. Impressive."
"Thank you." How had she heard about that?
"And Jane Foster, who captured the Prince's heart. Has Thor sent you here?"
Jane shook her head. "He's preparing for battle."
"Then why have you come?" Idun turned to Hlin. "To keep them safe?"
Gaze directed towards the floor, Hlin shook her head. "There might not be a safe place on Asgard or anywhere else when the morning comes."
"Aren't you a pessimist," Tony grumbled. "I'm sure Fabio can kill a few elves, Malekith included. No Malekith means no one to control the Aether, right?"
"This isn't about Thor," Hlins snapped back, then bit her lips. She opened her mouth once more, but nothing came out. Her brow furrowed in frustration, and she balled her fists. "I would ask you to make an exception, Lady Idun. All we need is one apple. For Stark's sake."
"Wait a second! I didn't come here for apples! I don't want the apples! Sure, Loki might have asked me to eat one, but that doesn't mean I find immortality any more appealing or that I'll do it. How do you even know about that? Were you spying on us?"
"I didn't—" Hlin started, but Idun raised a hand and the goddess fell silent.
"You don't find immortality alluring?"
Tony arched an eyebrow. "Alluring? Yes. Something I would want? No."
"And why is that?" Idun asked slowly, leaning towards him. Her gaze was unnerving.
"Maybe it's just my mortal mind speaking, but wouldn't immortality take the sense away from life? What makes us get up in the morning, what drives us, it's the knowledge that time will run out at some point. If we had an eternity, why even bother with anything when there would always be tomorrow? Surely things could wait then. Life would stagnate. And that's just generally speaking. Don't even get me started on watching everybody die and having to fake my own death every couple of decades or so."
"But you are considering prolonging your life?"
"Yeah."
"And you?" Idun looked at Jane.
"I don't know. It hasn't come up yet."
"Interesting." Idun clasped her hands on the table. Her gaze softened. "We may have to talk about this again."
"Yeah. Incredibly fascinating." He was so sick of everyone treating him like a rarity, conspiring behind his back, and not telling him anything. "How about you people stopped sounding smart, and spying on me, and damaging Loki even more?" Simply being in Asgard was doing something bad to the god, as if the mere air here was poisonous.
"I wasn't spying on you." Hlin finally managed to cut in. "I didn't know Loki offered the apples to you."
"Then why did you bring me here? Why do I need an apple?"
"I told you they were medicine."
"And?" He was so done with all this Aesir crap. "Can't you give me a straight answer?!"
"No! I can't!" He lips kept moving, but nothing came out at first. "Curse it, I can't."
"Oh, really? Well, that's just great." Tony pressed his palm against his forehead and caught Idun's expression from the corner of his eye, alert, thoughtful, but also full of realisation. "What?" he growled.
"She's the new Seeress," Iduns said and turned to Hlin. "Aren't you?"
The latter didn't speak, didn't nod, either, but her eyes gave everything away, and Tony felt cold spread through his insides. If Hlin wanted the apples for healing and for Tony's sake, then it was either him or Loki who was going to get hurt. It had to be.
He was on his feet before he knew it. "What did you see?"
Hlin shook her head.
"What did you see?!"
"Enough!"
Hands closer around his upper arms before he could really get into Hlin's face, and he was yanked back.
"Let me go," he hissed. "I promised some things to some people, and I want to keep my promises. I don't know if I get hurt in your little premonition or Loki, but either way, I intend to be where he is. Take me back, and maybe whatever caused the need for those damn apples in the first place won't happen."
Idun didn't let go yet. "Calm yourself."
"How about you stopped telling me what to do?"
"She can't tell you what she saw, you know."
"What do I care." He tried to yank his arm free again, and this time he succeeded. Idun's hand was soon replaced by Jane's, though, even if hers didn't quite hold him as much as it was only resting on the armour.
"Stark. I want to hear the plan." To Hlin she said, "You can't talk about the vision, but you can tell us what you want us to do. You owe us that, considering you brought us here as a way to bargain an apple from Idun since she doesn't give them to Aesir. Am I right?"
Well, she was smart.
Diverting her gaze, Hlin nodded and sighed. "Yes. I knew I couldn't get the apple I needed, but you two are… different. You were the only chance. We need the apple, and then we need to get back to the battlefield and use it for healing."
"That's it?" Tony asked. "Because I feel like I'm missing a little piece. I know you're supposed to be this protector, and maybe you don't hate Loki, and don't get me wrong, it's awesome you're trying to save him, but I can't help but think you'd be more useful in battle. You could probably heal more people than just one. So why? Is there really no way to tell us? Did you see Loki die?" (Please, please no.) "Do these visions always come true?"
"Mostly. There have been one or two exceptions…"
"Great." He covered his face with his hands for a moment and tried to swallow the knot in his throat. If Loki was to die… He had to do something. Even if he lost Loki, he had to try something; he'd never been one to accept he was defenceless against fate, and he wasn't about to start believing it now. And if changing the fate meant begging, he was willing to do so. "Can we get that apple please?" "Please?"
The few seconds of silence that followed were pure torture. At last, Idun nodded.
"I shall give you the apple."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Like, really. If you ever visit Earth and need a place to stay…"
"Wait here," Idun said, smiling softly, then disappeared up the stairs. She returned a bit later with a single golden apple in her hand. A soft glow surrounded the fruit. It made Tony's fingers itch to touch it, but Idun offered the apple to Hlin.
"She will know what to do with it," the goddess explained. "Guard it well."
"Now can we go?"
He had to move, he had to take action else he would go mad…
"It would be for the best if we could get a few hours of rest," Hlin replied.
"You really think I can sleep right now? You're practically telling me Loki will die if we don't get the apple to him, and you want me to—"
The last thing he saw were Idun's fingers reaching to his face, and then the world disappeared.
A/N: It's been ages, I know. I'm sorry. There are probably some five more chapters to go, and I will write them, but I can't tell you when. I'm trying to deal with some serious issues right now, and I understand waiting a few months for a chapter can be too long. Thank you all for reading so far. I hope some of you will still stick around.
I wish you all the best in the next year.
~shades