Day Two: Different Canons
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Every Midgardian told a different tale. Some came closer than others to the truth, but never quite close enough. In the end, they only told different versions of the same story.
In Midgard's ancient times, legends were told and written about them. They were all-powerful deities, figures of an elaborate mythology. Small children wondered at the might of Thor and Mjolnir and laughed at the mischief of the trickster Loki. They were characters in stories that attempted to explain the unknown. They were mysteries never to be truly understood.
But the views of the humble Midgardians changed the day Thor was banished to their land. They began to believe in magic and in worlds beyond their own. Their views were broadened as they marveled in awe at the presence of a god among men. And when Loki sent the Destroyer to wreak havoc on their land, the Midgardians found a new hero to defend them. No one really knew about the complicated history of two brothers both raised to be king of Asgard. They merely had a glimpse at the glory of one and never at the sorrow of the other.
The events in New York only exacerbated the Midgardian's limited knowledge. Finally introduced to Loki, they saw only the worst side of him, the results of the twisted darkness he had had to endure after falling into the void. And he showed them nothing else, gave them no reason to sympathize with him. So they feared and hated he who had once only striven to be loved. He decided that their fear was better than nothing.
Everything was Thor's to gain, after all. He had the love and gratitude of the peoples of the Nine Realms. He had his father's trust at last. And he had even gained some powerful new friends just as Loki gained even more people to despise him. The Avengers had had direct encounters with the trickster and not all of them had escaped these experiences unscathed. They had come the closest to learning about the complex nature of Thor and Loki's relationship. They certainly knew the most about Asgard. And yet, they still did not know enough. Like everyone else, they only saw light and shadow.
Loki had accepted that even after all this time, he and Thor were but characters in a story that people told to enthrall their children, to try and teach them right from wrong. And he had vital a role to play. Thor could not be a hero if he had no nemesis. Without conflict, there was no story. And Loki always enjoyed a good story.