Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Marvel Universe or Disney, The Amazing Stan Lee and Joss Whedon, or anyone else involved with the movies or comics are the ones who do. I am not making any profits from this writing, it is all for the purposes of fun and creative writing

Chapter 19

" I was a fool for not seeing that you were struggling. I'm so sorry brother." Loki let out a small sigh and nodded in acceptance of these words, sending a wan smile across to Thor. The way Thor was gazing at him with such regret and apology in his clear blue eyes, it made something in Loki twinge painfully.

" Thor, I hid this from you, from everyone." Thor shook his head.

" You were in such pain, crying in your room right across from mine, while I just slept. You needed me and I wasn't there... yet again." Thor bowed his head low and let out a pained sigh. Loki shook his head as he reached out and gripped Thor's wrist tightly.

The two Princes of Asgard were sitting side by side on a stone bench in one of the many atriums high up in the palace. It was a quiet and secluded place, but the view from the many arches was gorgeous, overlooking the main city, with the Bifrost glittering in the distance. In front of them, Njord lay on his front with his head resting on Loki's left foot, while at one of the arched windows, Jarl stood on his hind legs with his paws braced against the sill, the soft breeze lightly ruffling his pure white fur as he gazed out at the view with interest, his soft white tail waving lightly behind him.

The brothers had just come from their father's personal study, making a quick stop at Loki's room to get their two four-legged companions before they had walked the palace and ended up in their current location. Thor had sat by Loki's side while the latter had still been sleeping, while Odin had made a rather hasty exit with a last, lingering look at his sleeping youngest. The Allfather had left Loki in Thor's care and had all but fled, Thor knowing full well that their father would go to the queen's chambers within the palace and seek Frigga. No doubt Odin went to fall apart as much as the Allfather could fall apart, but within the arms of his most trusted friend and advisor, his loving wife.

When Loki had woken up from his much-needed respite, he instantly knew that Thor was aware of what had transpired between himself and their father. His brother looked completely heartbroken. Loki had smiled brightly non-the-less and greeted Thor happily. The two had shared a quick embrace before Thor had asked if they could go and take a walk, perhaps find a quiet spot so that they could now speak.

Knowing that there was no way he was going to be able to get around it, if the determined set to Thor's jaw was anything to go by, Loki had acquiesced. Now the two brother sat side by side with Asagard bathed in the golden-amber light of the setting sun. With a small sigh, Loki spoke.

" Brother, I am the one who tried to hide the fact that I was feeling overwhelmed. You have made it a habit to be glued to my side, but you are not supposed to know everything that's going on."

" I should have known this. I am in no way doubting that you are strong, after all, we were all made witness to just what you are capable of. I am lauded for being so mighty, but I can say with certainty that I doubt I would have survived had I been in your stead brother. I would not have had the strength."

Thor looked Loki firmly in the eye as he covered the hand his brother had around his gauntlet covered wrist with his own as he said this. Loki's eyes widened at Thor's heartfelt words, and he had to duck his head for a moment before he shook his head.

" I would have it so that you never go through what I went through Thor. It is something I would not wish on even my most hated enemy." Thor nodded sadly at these words, and then both brothers turned their gazes back to the city for a moment, each taking a moment to gather his whits about him before Thor turned back to face Loki as he spoke, still keeping Loki's hand under his own.

" Forgive me for eavesdropping on the words you shared with father. I had just returned from the errands I had been tasked with and landed on the balcony with the intent to barge in an tell father when I heard you talking. I was going to leave you to your privacy but then I heard what you were saying and it all just froze me where I stood." Thor paused here a moment, remembering everything he had heard before he continued.

" I was so horrible to you, I don't know why you didn't wash your hands of me entirely." He said quietly, his still slightly reddened eyes growing bright once more as he gazed sadly at Loki.

" Brother please, do not say such things, you were not so bad to garner such a harshness punishment. You were not the best, but you definitely were not the worst either. Despite your arrogance and brashness, I always thought your heart was good. Besides, you're different now, you've had a chance to grow up and understand things."

" You are my brother Loki, and in the days past I always took for granted that you were always there to pull me back from whatever disaster I dragged us into. I was that stupid." Thor looked away at that, and Loki felt pained by his brother's harsh words towards himself. Shaking his head, Loki spoke to try to get the frown off of Thor's face.

" Thor, I never thought that you were stupid, you just made decisions that were not the best, but I always took you for someone who could figure things out if he put his mind to it. I mean, even with everything that Menkos did, he could not fell you in the end because you figured out how to prove yourself worthy, you got Mjolnir to return to you. You got banished sure, but you were able to learn from Midgard and proved yourself worthy and you went on to help save Midgard, Jotunheim, and Asgard from complete destruction, you also found friends in some truly amazing people with the Avengers, so some really good things came out of this."

Thor smiled at Loki's words of praise, but then a light frown marred his brow. Releasing Loki's hand at his wrist that he was still covering with his bigger palm, Thor reached up and gently cupped the side of Loki's neck, as he was so often fond of doing. Making sure that Loki was looking him directly in the eye, Thor spoke with quiet conviction.

" Those were not the only good things that came out of everything horrible that happened. Something far greater came out of it, or rather someone."

Loki felt his breath catch in his lungs for a moment at Thor's words and what they implied. Deeply touched by Thor's words, Loki gave his golden-haired older brother a shaky, lopsided grin as he leaned into the hand Thor had at his neck as he spoke.

" Thank you."

Thor grinned, and then a mischievous glint filled his eye. It was time to lighten the heavy mood.

" You're welcome brother, now give us a kiss." After saying this Thor went further and puckered his lips as far as they could go, looking absolutely ridiculous as he tried to pull Loki towards him to carry out his intent.

Loki let out a small squawk and then laughed out loud, putting up a mock struggle and chuckling as Thor kept his lips puckered but also crossed his eyes and looked even more garishly ludicrous.

" Get off me you great big oaf!" Loki laughed as he reached out and placed his hand to Thor's face, gently but firmly pushing back at his big brother, squishing his face up in the process.

As he playfully roughhoused with Thor, Loki was suddenly struck with a wonderful idea. Thor thought he could throw down the gauntlet for mischief and not expect Loki to answer? With an impish grin, Loki spoke.

" Hehe, you want a kiss? Well brother, you are in luck for I happen to know someone who's got plenty, JARL!"

" Loki wha!"

Thor had enough time to half-ask a question before Loki let go of him and ducked out the way as a blur of white shot past him with a loud, happy howl and barreled right into Thor, albeit with not too much force.

" Woah!" Thor cried out loudly as he was knocked backwards clean off his seat on the bench, his arms full of happy and rather heavy ice-wolf as Jarl tackled him.

" Oof!" Thor groaned when he hit the floor, but he was quickly laughing loudly as he found his face being thoroughly bathed in warm, wet wolf-kisses from Jarl who was all but resting on top of him.

" You too Njord." Loki said with a laugh as rose from the bench and gave the remaining wolf a gentle pat on the head.

With a happy bark, Njord gracefully jumped over the bench and sought out one of Thor's flailing arms, seizing it between his great paws and proceeding to playfully nibble on the Thunderer's fingers. Thor used his remaining arm to steady Mjolnir where it was tied to his belt, easing it to rest on the floor with a low thud but nothing more, the last thing he wanted was to end up putting a hole in the palace floor. Mother would kill him.

This went on for several minutes with Thor at the complete mercy of Njord and Jarl, getting a thorough tongue-bathing as Loki cackled hard at his brother's expense. By the end of it Thor breathlessly called out to his brother, his gut aching from laughing to hard.

" Loki... Ha Ha, hey, Jarl don't chew on my hair, AH! Loki, Brother please call them off!"

" Alright, you've suffered enough, boys let him up!"

At the stern tone of Loki's voice, both wolves immediately sprang away from their impromptu living toy and trotted off to allow Loki to step forward and help a thoroughly drenched Thor to his feet. Still chuckling, Loki cast a quick spell over Thor with a flick of his wrist, the wolf-spit vanishing from his face, hair, and hand leaving him dry and clean. Thor grinned widely at this as he ran a hand through his blond locks.

" Thank you brother, I won't need to take a second bath." Loki simply quirked one dark eyebrow and smirked lightly.

" You sure about that?"

Thor sent Loki a dirty look before he lashed out, seizing Loki by the collar and yanking him forward. Loki had enough time to let out a small cry of surprise before he found himself effectively trapped in a firm yet surprisingly gentle headlock. Loki laughed and put up a half-hearted struggle trying to pry himself loose, but he really didn't mind being trapped this way. After a few moments of this light roughhousing, Thor released Loki from the headlock, but only so that he could pull his brother into one of his signature bear-hugs. Loki chuckled and returned the hug, at first being composed about it as he wrapped his arms around Thor's broad shoulders. When Thor didn't let him go so quickly, Loki sobered and allowed Thor to tighten the hold he had around him. Taking a quick glance around for his own sake, feeling just a little bit embarrassed, Loki lowered his head and rested his cheek against his older brother's shoulder with a sad little smile as he spoke.

" I'll be alright Thor, don't worry." Thor just gave a small huff as he patted Loki's shoulder.

" You do realize that you're asking for the impossible, right?" Loki let out a small breath of laughter that had Thor grinning brightly as well before he grew serious yet again.

" Loki, I just want you to know that if you ever start to feel as you did these last few days, that you can always come to me too. It pleases me greatly that you and father talked, I just wanted you to know that I'm here too." Loki chuckled at that as he and Thor finally drew apart.

" Oh I know you are, you're hardly ever not." Thor chuckled deeply at that as he and Loki started walking out of the atrium with Njord and Jarl flanking them.

" Come, let us go for that walk in the grounds, you did promise these two after all." Loki grinned and nodded.

As the two Princes walked away down the hall with there two four legged companions, they did not notice the warm blue-green eyes that watched them until they disappeared around a corner.

Frigga let out a small sigh as she watched her boys leave, having hidden herself around another corner close to the atrium where Loki and Thor had talked, the Queen of Asgard felt her heart swell with pride. With a sad but warm smile, Frigga turned to the white hair figure who had hid with her.

" He'll be alright my king, he just needs time and space. We can give him that much at least." Beside her Odin nodded his head and met his wife's warm, slightly reddened eyes.

" Yes my wife, I just wish we could do more." Frigga reached out and took Odin's weathered hands into her own.

" We cannot just chase this away no matter how much we would like to, what happened to our son was heinous my king, it will always be there. The wounds Loki carries are the trickiest kind, ones that cannot be treated with a spell or poultice yet can fester all the same, what we must do is keep that from happening by being there for him, by letting him know that he can always come to us should he feel as overwhelmed by everything he had gone through. You did that today my king, and I am most grateful." Odin sighed at this, bringing one of Frigga's hands to his lips, pressing a light kiss to it before he spoke.

" I should have done it before, maybe then I would have seen through Menkos's lie. After hearing him speak, I realize just how badly he had been misjudged by us all. He did not want the throne then, he does not want it now. Because I let us drift apart, it was so easy for Menkos to manipulate us all into believing Loki to be so petty, murderous, and yes even mad for power, all of these which he had proven himself to never have been. I let that happen, I allowed myself to failed to maintain the relationship with Loki that would have allowed me to always know his heart. Today was a revelation of just how much I did not know him my queen." Frigga reached out and cupped one of her husband's cheeks, shaking her head.

" We both failed to remember what the truth of Loki's heart is, and our child suffered horrendously for it. But we and Thor all made our solemn vows to the Norns themselves, we declared our promises to Loki before our people, we cannot falter now and today was a good start for you and he. He came to you and told you of his struggles where as before he would have either come to me or Thor and only told us half-truths, or kept it all inside feeling there was no one to turn to. It was because he felt there was no one to turn to that he had no hope that any of us would come to his aid when he was fighting for his very life in Nifelheim, he actually believed that we would not come and save him had we known where he was. That very thought just sickens me my King. We must make sure he never feels that way again, that he knows that he truly matters to us, but it will take time and patience to achieve that." Odin met Frigga's gaze, allowing the wisdom of her words wash over him as he nodded.

" Then achieve it we shall my love, for despite our failings we have been given a second chance to be as we should have been to that boy all his life, as he so deserved." Hand in hand, Odin and Frigga began to walk along the corridor, following in the wake of their two sons. Frigga sighed, but smiled as her mind undoubtedly went to her beloved boys.

" Let us hope that we do not make too many mistakes this time around, after all, we are far from perfect." Odin looked to Frigga beside him and gazed upon his Queen warmly.

" I would not say you are that far from perfect my Queen." Frigga met Odin's warm, one-eyed gaze and let out a silvery laugh as she and the Allfather turned the corner. With a warm, knowing smile she spoke.

" You still have your charm my king, just buried it under a white beard and far too many kingly duties." Odin bestowed on Frigga his full unrestrained grin, the one he never showed to anyone but her. He was Allfather after all, he had an image to uphold.

With a soft chuckle, Frigga turned to face the Allfather and leaned in, going up onto her toes as she pressed her lips to his. Odin reached up to graze his knuckles over his wife's cheek as they enjoyed a lingering peck before drawing away. Smiling at each other, and which Frigga linking her arm with Odin's, the King and Queen of Asgard continued to walk down the corridor, heading downward towards the palace grounds at a leisurely pace, with the light from the Asgardian sunset streaming in through the arched windows.

A short while later...

Thor and Loki both laughed heartily watched Njord and Jarl dash about the grass of one of the palace's sprawling lawns, both chasing after a pair swirling orbs of light that Loki had conjured for them to play with. The beautiful animals ran and leaped, snapping their powerful jaws at their respective orb, which always remained just out of reach, showing of their gracefulness to the Princes and to any passerby. Thor leaned back so that he was sitting with his hands pressed to the grass beneath him, Loki sitting Indian style beside him as they watched the wolves in their frolicking.

" I heard what you said about Sif, Hogun, Volstaag, and Fandral." Loki looked to Thor at that and shrugged lightly.

" Well it is the truth, you do miss them." Thor frowned but nodded.

" You're right I do miss them, and I will be forever grateful for the assistance they gave us in helping me and the Avengers find you, but I will not look upon them with such favor ever again." Loki ducked his head for a moment before he looked back up to meet Thor's gaze.

" But they're you friends Thor." Thor looked back at Loki sadly and shook his head.

" No Loki, they were my friends but not anymore. When I thought you lost to me forever, I despaired and in my despair I thought back on our life together. Before, when we were children, we were the best of friends, inseparable really. Then as we got older our interests changed, I had weapons training, you had your books and your lessons in seidr. Instead of respecting you for your choice in what you wanted to learn, I just brushed it aside as something lower than what I was doing. I jeered at you for the path you chose, and those four followed my example sure, but they committed their own wrongs against you without my help. It is a mistake among the many that I will regret for the rest of my life because I should have figured out what I know now back then."

There was a beat of silence where Thor and Loki simply gazed at each other, the Thunderer's gaze blue and completely ernest while Loki had to swallow the small lump that had formed in his throat. Clearing his throat lightly, Loki spoke.

" What... What is it you know now that you didn't back then?

" That there is more than one path a person can take to becoming a warrior. That while I chose the sword, you chose your mind and seidr, and that never made you any less a warrior than I. I have learned much from the warriors of Midgard brother, much that even they themselves have no idea they taught me." Loki smiled at the mention of the Avengers, but also inclined his head in askance.

" What do you mean brother?" Thor sent Loki a sad smile as he explained.

" By our standards, many would not have looked upon the Avengers as being true warriors. They would have looked down on them and the skills they possess. In the beginning even I thought them small and petty. Bartonson has his bow, Lady Romanov her cunning, Tony Stark his suit of armor which he designed and built all on his own, and Bruce Banner who can turn into the Hulk, but otherwise is a scholar much like Stark. Many in Asgard would have seen Steve Rogers as a warrior because he's so tall and strong, but when he's not fighting, Rogers is a quiet man who prefers to bury his head in a book rather than preen to the crowds. What I mean to say is that the warriors of Midgard earned my respect and Asgard's because of who they are, not because of who everyone thought they should be. The Avengers and I were only able to defeat Menkos and his invasion because while we were all different, we came together as a team when it mattered the most, and it was the same when we were searching for you on Muspelheim. We only succeeded because we each brought something unique to the battle. Having thought about it, I realize that you are much like them, the warriors of Midgard I mean." Loki blinked at this but remained silent otherwise, a faint blush starting to form over his cheeks as Thor continued.

" You succeeded in surviving the trials the Norns put you through because you have never fit into any typical mold. You made it through the wolves and the dishonored because you were just who you are with your seidr that you learned by being Asgardian, and the strength of your own body that you have by being Jotun." At the mention of his heritage, Loki averted his gaze, a sadness filling his features. Thor was having none of that and he shifted closer and firmly gripped his brother should, waiting for Loki to reluctantly look up and meet his gaze with his pained green eyes. With a warm, if saddened smile of his own, Thor spoke.

" Hey, none of that. You yourself said that you were Jotun by blood and Aesir by heart, and I would not change that in any way." Then Thor sighed and was about to say more when another voice, warm and familiar sounded above them.

" Nor would I." Both princes looked up to see Frigga standing between then, gazing down at her sons with warm blue-green eyes.

" Mother." Loki said as he moved to stand when Frigga shook her head and gracefully took a seat on the grass with her sons.

Frigga smiled as she leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss to Loki's cheek, watching with a happy heart as he ducked his head and smiled shyly. She gave Thor a kiss on the cheek too, for which he grinned ear to ear. Not ones to me left out, Njord and Jarl gave up chasing the orbs Loki had conjured, allowing them to dissipate as the two wolves trotted over to the three royals and laid down before Frigga, each receiving gently pats on the head. Jarl laid his head down over his paws while Njord took it upon himself to groom his brother, lightly licking at Jarl's ears. Mother and sons shared a quiet moment before Frigga turned her gaze to Loki and spoke.

" Your brother is right you know, about what he was telling you before. It is because you are unique that you were able to survive your ordeal and gain the favor of the Sisters of Fate. They saw in you what we should have seen in the beginning, that you are extraordinary in your own right, just as you are." Frigga's eyes went to Loki's hand for a moment, eying the gorgeous ring of three oval jewels that encompassed her son's ring finger and glittered softly in the light. She then looked back up at Loki and smiled widely.

Now Loki made no attempt to hide how red his face got. Running a hand through his loose black hair, Loki shook his head.

" T-Thank you mother, but really, even though I have accepted my heritage and you have, what about the rest of Asgard?" To this Frigga sighed but nodded in understanding.

" I cannot speak for all of Asgard my son, all I can say is that after witnessing both how hard you fought to return to us, and also how King Hellblindi and his people conducted themselves when they had come for what they thought was your funeral, many in Asgard were humbled, and their opinions changed. When word got out that Thor was going to Jotunheim to prove your innocence to them, many were appalled and fearful that your brother would not return alive. Thor went regardless and the Jotuns surprised many in that they were willing to listen and accepted the truth of your innocence." Frigga sent a proud smile Thor's way, and it was then the Thunderer's turn to have his face redden at his mother's praise. Loki smiled warmly at the sight before both boys turned back to their mother as she continued, reached out to gently take a strand of Loki's hair between her elegant fingers.

" On top of that, there was also how Hellblindi spoke to Queen Hela in outrage when she would not give us a straight answer regarding where you were. We all bore witness to how the people of Jotunheim are not the savages that they have been portrayed as, that we allowed them to be portrayed as. Hellblindi and his delegation even spoke in our favor when you father, brother, and I were kneeling before the Norns, asking for a chance to have you back. I do not mean to say that the change of opnions will be swift, but that the doorway has been opened." Thor then remembered how he and Hellblindi had parted before Loki had been found. Looking just a little hesitant.

" Quite literally I might add, before he and his delegation left Asgard Hellblindi extended an invitation to Jotunheim to us brother. If you are ever desirous, we can go visit them." The slightly sour look on Thor's face was not lost to Loki, who smile despite the pang that went through him at Thor's words.

" Afraid they'll steal me away the moment we set foot on Jotunheim?" Thor shook his head.

" No, of course not." Frigga and Loki shared a smile, Thor wasn't fooling anyone. Loki decided to put Thor at ease anyway.

" Don't fret, I am yours always Brother." Thor let out a happy laugh at that, trying to make it all come across as a joke, but Loki caught the truly grateful look. Growing somber, Loki spoke.

" How bad was the destruction to their realm brother?" Thor grew solemn as well as he remember what he saw.

" Devastating, had the Bifrost beam gone on for a few seconds longer it would have been too late. We thought Jotunheim was desolate before, now it is almost barren really, yet its people endure still, slowly but surely, they are rebuilding. Hellblindi leads them well, but it could be many centuries before they even get back to what they had before Menkos unleashed the Bifrost on them. While I offered them my aid when I went to show them you were innocent, they were gracious in their refusal. Despite the destruction, they have surety in themselves."

" I may have hated them as the enemy of Asgard, but I never wanted them just completely wiped out like that. I didn't want to have anything to do with them if I were to be completely honest. But now that I know I share blood with their king, that it was my strength as a Jotun that helped me survive, I don't really know how to feel towards them." Frigga reached out at that, laying her hand over her youngest's dark head.

" You will work out your feelings for yourself as you always have. Just know that I for one am most grateful that you came to me from them." Loki sent his mother an appreciative look, and a glance at Thor made him know that Thor shared their mother's sentiment. Frigga let out a small sigh before she spoke, her eyes shifting to the rapidly darkening sky above them.

" Come my darlings, the sun has just about set."

Thor and Loki both rose and brushed away and stray grass that clung to them before they then held out their hands to Frigga, who smiled and took both before she pulled herself up onto her feet. With her pale blue gown flowing about her, the Queen of Asgard walked between her sons, her arms linked with one of theirs. Behind them Njord and Jarl walked calmly, with their heads held a bit higher than they would normally have them were it just Thor and Loki. They were in the presence of a Queen, may as well flaunt it as only a wolf can. From up above at a railing overlooking the grounds, Odin watched his wife and sons as they walked past him into the palace, an almost smile gracing his weathered features. He may not have heard what the conversation, but he was once more glad beyond measure for the woman who was his other half. With a lingering look at the sun as it finally disappeared beneath the horizon, Odin turned away from the railing and headed inside. It would be a few hours till dinner, and unfortunately for him there was always important paperwork to look over.

Once they were inside the palace, Frigga took leave of her sons with the knowledge that she would see them again at dinner. Thor and Loki headed back upstairs to freshen up in their respective rooms before Loki and the wolves joined Thor in his, the four of them lounging about in the older Prince's room.

" All I am saying is that it wouldn't hurt you to look up one of the old tomes every now an then, they are very informative." Thor rolled his eyes and snorted at that from where he was reclined over the sofa he kept by the fireplace. On the floor beside where Thor reclined, Njord reclined and nuzzled at Thor's hand whenever the prince would reach out for him. Loki sat across from Thor with Jarl resting his white head over the second prince's thigh.

" I honestly don't remember the last time a read a book. Once father deemed that I was done with such studies and could begin training, I never looked back." Loki smiled at that as his mind went to a certain petite brunette.

" Well, you never know, the next time you see Lady Jane, she might just take you to one of Midgard's many libraries, she is a wonderful scholar and woman of science after all." Loki laughed out loud as Thor sat bolt upright, a look of pure horror on his face.

" Do you think she would truly?" Loki gave a light chuckle and shook his head.

" You look like she'd be dragging you off to get tortured. It's not that bad."

" Easy for you to say, you've always liked reading." Thor quipped before he suddenly grew serious, sending Loki a contemplative look.

" I remember, you would go through book after book and look so content. I always brushed it off but now I ask you, why did you prefer to read so much?" Loki grew thoughtful at the inquiry and then gave a light shrug.

" I suppose at first I liked the books because Mother was the one who gave them to me, it is something we both enjoy doing still. She taught me much of the magic I know today, but she told me that there was also more I could learn by seeking out the many texts that contained spells and enchantments. For example the duplication illusion I like using so much, I learned it from a book of spells I found in one of the palace libraries. Also, since father is so busy, instead of bothering him I would always look for the books that described his battles and other achievements. It made me feel close to him even though we had drifted apart. Did you know that father actually brokered peace between Vanaheim and Alfheim by winning an axe-throwing competition?" Thor laughed and shook his head in disbelief.

" You're making that up." Loki sent Thor a smug look.

" No brother I most certainly am not, you can just ask father when we see him and if that is not enough I can also show you the book where I read the story." Thor me Loki's eyes with a determined stare of his own.

" Alright then, I most certainly will." The brothers stared at each other in a stand off of sorts before they broke down into hearty laughter.

About an hour later both princes went downstairs to join their parents for dinner, where Thor did indeed ask Odin about peace-brokering by axe-throwing. Odin had been most pleased to recount that particular triumph, and at Thor's look of astonishment while Loki looked on, grinning like the cat that ate the canary, the Allfather had simply shrugged and told Thor that he had to have gotten his throwing arm from somebody.