I'm not very good with fight scenes but I think I might have don't a decent job here. Took a whole lot of changing and editing but I'm happy with the end result. Hope you guys enjoy... Just two more chapters after today!
Loki's dreamer: well things won't have changed as the magic residue left behind by Seria's jump would have frozen time for six months so Cephera should arrive back and time will unfreeze right where they left off. :p I'm sure if that what you meant by change but if it wasn't my bad. But yes exciting stuff below enjoy the outcome of her travel back.
Sydney loves fiction: Cephera is generally easy to get a long with because of her soft nature and though Loki won't love her in every reality they exist in together they do have potential to get along. I wouldn't go so far as to say soulmates for every reality. If she were to jump to somewhere where he was already in love and married the likelihood of him just dumping his current love would be very unlikely. :p I kind of like to look at all fan fiction as another reality. :p
Elliza Avalon: haha I do not have a sequel planned regarding the other worlds Loki and Cephera. But I cannot say for certain I may not one day be tempted myself. Right now I am working on two stories. My one to come after this and the alternate ending to my other Loki/Cephera fic called Loyal Servant. And Cephera's circumstances for birth never changes. She will never be just a normal Midgardian. I just can't picture Loki with a normal human in my fics though I have read some really good ones where he is. But it's not my thing to write about them. So sadly no version like that will happen but there are still plenty of ideas or realities I have in my mind regarding Loki and Cephera.
Doctor Loki love: yeah I thought about that and decided it was best not to complicated things with a pregnancy that was questionable. I saw this Loki as having the potential to be a good man. At one point I had almost gone a different way with this fic and almost had her time travel and this was actually her own reality changing the whole dynamic of her future all together but that got complicated even in my own head and I avoided the idea completely. Lol. And you may stop squirming now :p
Poodle warriors: yeah I needed them to get along somehow. When I decided to do this jump I needed a way for her to get home without the angels help as they are complicated and can't always save their asses. :p my next story goes into more depth regarding the angels of Valhalla. :D
Chapter 98: Ending it
When the world around her became normal she was stood in a familiar hallway and she could hear Kat's voice yelling angrily.
"Where did they go?!"
"Good girl." Cephera encouraged her daughter quickly. "Seria stay here." She said and detached herself from her daughters hand. She approached the room head high and ready. She had five months to come to terms with Kat's betrayal and she was ready to end it.
"Katarina!" She said her voice stern. Kat turned and look bewildered at Cephera. Everything was how she had left them. Her twins still off to the side looking just as confused. Loki at Kat's feet. Thor face down on the table. "This ends now. But I have questions." She said. The things she had time to think about while she was gone she could finally ask.
"What the..." Kat sputtered a moment. Cephera must have looked quite the sight to make even Kat speechless. "No matter. As you'll all be dead soon I'll answer your silly questions." Kat quickly bent with the knife to grab Loki by the hair. "Make a move while I'm in my generous mood and I will slit his throat." She threatened.
"The beach, years ago. Did you manipulate Celo or was your drugging of me just convenient for him?" Cephera felt she had it all figured out now but Kat seemed fond of boasting about her misdeeds and so it gave Cephera a chance to see if she was right.
"Celo...he liked you. Really liked you. His mind was easily manipulated from afar. Much like that servant girls. He didn't know why he was doing what he was doing. I was having a little fun." Kat winked and smiled.
"And Cally. Was she just your scapegoat." Cephera stayed as still as possible. Afraid that one twitch might set her off.
"Oh when that woman came to Asgard she just made it too easy to get away with more things and not be discovered. She made a great scapegoat even when I wasn't intentionally making her so." Kat was laughing.
"You sent the dreams to Cally and me?"
"I sent them to Cally first to incapacitate her. Made it easier to rid myself of her when the time came. I had to cover my tracks. I couldn't have them figuring it out. Sending you the nightmares were suppose to weaken you for today as well but the damned holy buzzards had to go and fuck it up so I decided maybe to take out Diana instead before she became a problem. That was a fail but you know what they say, if you want something done right." Kat lovingly stroked the blade over Loki's throat.
"Where is Cally and Celo?" Cephera asked sternly.
"Dead. Tying up loose ends is messy but necessary. Making Cally disappear after her servant was made to attack your daughter was genius if you ask me. Then the turmoil it put the happy couple through was priceless. It couldn't have gone better." Kat's gloating was making her distracted and the knife wasn't as tensely pressed to Loki. "Is that it then. Is that all you wanted to know?" Cephera nodding unable to think of anything else. Kat yanked Loki's head back again. "Your going to get to watch your children die now." She sneered at him but Devian and Diana seemed to have a different idea and had clearly been brainstorming. They quickly vanished.
Kat cried out when Diana grabbed her by her short blond locks and pulled her back from her father. Devian didn't reappear. Kat fell backwards knocking Diana down with her.
Cephera couldn't run very well and she watched Diana and Kat struggle against one another. Diana was pretty spry at fighting. Kat's eyes looked wild and her fingers sparked with energy. The irony on what Cephera planned to do to Kat was not lost on her.
Diana cried out and was on her back vines restraining her movements. Kat now held a diamond dagger in her hand and was swiping it downward toward her daughter. Cephera took a deep breath and teleported herself behind Kat. She grabbed her by the flesh on the back of her neck and tapped into her energy.
She could feel Kat's magic waning as Kat screamed. It seemed Kat had been ready for it though. A blinding light cast Cephera backward and Kat was now shielded by this light. Testing it Cephera threw a ball of energy her way and it bounced off.
Diana had used the distraction to vanish again. She was now knelt next to her mother while Cephera sat on her sore ass. The baby was squirming inside her. "Mother be careful." Diana warned her nodding toward her belly.
"Easier said then done." She had managed to weaken Kat to some degree but Kat was still powerful and super angry. "I need you to keep her distracted. I need to free your father." Cephera whispered. Diana nodded and stood. She summoned a long staff and advanced on Kat.
Cephera watched. The shield did not stop the staff from piercing it. Kat jumped back and summoned her own weapon. Cephera waited till they were engaged in heavy combat before teleporting closer to her husband.
She rolled him over and yanked up his tunic to reveal the nasty looking wound. It was not healing because of the poison. Cephera leaned down and suck at the wound. The more poison she could remove the better. She spit out the mess that was his blood and poison and started again. She worked as fast as possible.
She kept her eyes up toward Kat and her eldest daughter. When the taste of his blood was no longer sour and bitter she healed the wound. He had already regained some movement. His hand had rested on her back. "Go." He whispered biting back a cough.
Cephera made to stand and noticed the poison knife on the floor. She picked it up. If she was forced to, she would kill Kat. She would protect her family.
Diana went flying to the floor and Cephera hurled the knife. It sliced Kat across the shoulder. Kat laughed. "You can't throw to save your life either." She mocked.
Cephera felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. Kat's eyes were wild as she spread her arms out. "Kat stop this." Cephera begged.
"I've had enough games! I'll take the whole palace down." The floor was breaking up as everything shook hard. Cephera stumbled with the quaking. Her footing hard to get under control. The floor began to widen into a fissure.
The low rumble of something very familiar hit her ears. She snapped her head sideways and saw Devian riding Shiaji's guardian form. Cephera was unsure how Devian had revived her lost pet but she was grateful for it.
Shiaji jumped the now large gap in the marble and landed near her. She noticed his life's energy was very weak. Cephera was sure he wouldn't last long.
"Get Loki to a safer place for now." She told Shiaji. He purred and went to nudge the prince to get up. Loki had gained better control of his motor skills but was still unable to effectively help.
She could tell he was not pleased to leave but he climbed onto her cat and Shiaji darted from the room. "I'll find him and kill him once I'm done with your children." Kat laughed.
The floor split under her. In her eagerness Kat wasn't being careful. She fell sideways. A long enough distraction to allow Cephera to grab hold of her once more. Kat struck out and caught Cephera in the side making her fall to one knee. The rumbling had stopped and Kat was laughing like crazy.
She stumbled backwards oddly and was knocked across the room by one of the statues that Devian had brought to life. The massive marble soldier attempted to crush her under his foot but Kat was quick and it exploded into small bits of stone.
Cephera watched her slowly drag herself to her feet clutching her arm looking fearful. It was then Cephera remembered the poison. Some residue must have been left on the knife when she'd thrown it. It didn't seem to be enough to put Kat down but it was enough to weaken her.
"I hate you!" Kat yelled from across the room. "Why are you given so much and I am left with nothing!"
"I worked for what I have." Cephera retorted. "Kat stop this." She attempted pleading once more. Cephera felt an invisible link clutch around her neck. With one pull from Kat's arm Cephera was pulled to her face against the floor. The magic disappeared fast when Cephera absorbed it.
"Bitch. I planned this out so perfectly. Why the fuck did you have to go and get pregnant again!" Kat sounded frustrated. She had expected Cephera to have been weak for this day. "I wonder if I cut into that belly and the baby should die now, would you be unable to handle magic afterward." Kat was holding another magic dagger and had launched herself across the room and grabbed Cephera by the hair.
It was Kat who screamed in pain when she was stabbed by several ice daggers that melted away after they penetrated her. Kat's grip on her hair released and Cephera turned to look at Loki who was looking as strong as ever. The menacing, hateful look on his face reminded her of the other Loki.
"You die today." He said to her.
"Screw you." Kat spit blood. Loki wasn't where he had been a moment before. He now had Kat by the neck. Her face was red and she gasped for air.
"You of all people should know I show no mercy." Cephera grabbed Loki's ankle. She didn't want Kat to die. He ignored her silent plea. Kat looked fearful for a moment before smiling.
A hole opened beneath Diana and Devian and they screamed as they fell in. Loki lost his grip on Kat as he instinctively turned to save them. Kat kicked Loki in the groin putting him to his knees in pain.
Cephera was already on her feet but Diana and Devian reappeared next to her calming her instantly. Thank the fates for Diana's talent for quick teleports. Cephera's attention was turned back to Kat who had screamed again. Shiaji had landed atop her knocking her down and had his powerful jaws across her face.
Blood rushed out from the wounds and Kat thrashed. Shiaji's light was dimming with the effort. "Shiaji stop!" Cephera yelled and her guardian let go. Kat survived Shiaji only to weakly get to her knees and Loki drove a long ice spear right through her.
Cephera closed her eyes and grabbed hold of her children. Kat's words came out a gurgle of blood and she fell sideways and stopped breathing. Silence surrounded them all for what seemed like forever.
Cephera found her feet and was helped up by her twins and Loki caught her up in his arms. "There was no other way." He told her as she cried.