Before leaving the library for the banquet Thor made Loki wonder what was going to happen tonight.

"Brother, it seems not right to me that I have held your weapon but you haven't held Mjolnir," Thor commented seriously.

Loki frowned.

"Thor, you know that, without magic, I am not brawny enough to lift it," Loki replied.

"Please trust me Loki. You won't need any spells," Thor asked gently.

His eyes were so pleading Loki relented. He braced himself and then tugged on Mjolnir. To his surprise, he easily picked up the hammer. It was as light as his staff. He sensed magic.

"Did you have a lightening spell cast on it for me?"

"It is not a lightening spell, but please do not think of it now brother. Just know that, if need be, Mjolnir would work for you," Thor replied.

Being able to hold Mjolnir had been another dream of Loki's. Now that he had his staff he had not needed the dream fulfilled: he had his own weapon, one which reflected himself, so he didn't need to be able to hold Thor's. Still, holding the hammer felt nice. He was intrigued by the magic he felt, but Thor reached for the hammer and Loki gave it back.

"Please, brother, let it rest for now. Please trust me on that, and whatever else happens tonight," Thor requested.

"Thor I trust you, but you are not known for plotting."

"That is your strength, but I have had to learn something of it. Loki, please, I need you to have…what was it I heard Tony speak of Rhodes having had in regards to you?"

Loki frowned.

"You mean plausible deniability? You need me to not know what is going on?"

"It is necessary or people will think you engineered it," Thor revealed.

"Thor people always, not in a complimentary way, think I know what is going on."

"Please, brother, trust me."

Whatever he is planning could easily blow up in my face. Still, how can I resist that blasted look? If I said no I'd feel like I was kicking a puppy.

"Very well," Loki said resignedly.

Thor put his hands on Loki's shoulders.

"Thank you brother. Things will go as I planned or I will fix it. There is nothing for you to do but just be yourself."

Loki was curious but followed Thor's desire that he not think about it. He walked with Thor to the guest quarters and they met up with Steve, Natasha, Coulson and Hawkeye. He saw Thor give them a look which Thor thought was subtle but Loki easily saw. He still needs work but he's trying. That dedication once he has a purpose is so typically my brother. I hope whatever you've planned works for everyone's sake.

They arrived at the banquet hall and took seats near Frigga and Odin. Loki prepared himself to endure the boisterousness and annoyance of a typical banquet in addition to whatever Thor had planned. True to form, the Aesir attacked the food and drink with voraciousness. This soon led to loud calls for tales. Loki gave Captain America a look. It had been decided that Captain America would be the one to tell the tale of the battle with contributions from the others as needed. Coulson, Natasha and Hawkeye were too used to the restrained manner of giving reports to feel at ease telling stories in the larger than life manner the Aesir favored. Loki had experience with it, but the scorn he had received made him reluctant to speak.

"We didn't get along well at first. I was arguing with one of my teammates which was aggravating a third teammate. Then Loki reminded us that the enemy should be the aliens who wanted to harm our homes. He helped us to see we could be a great war band and fight together instead of against each other.

He was brave and went off to fight the leader of the army by himself. I can't speak for his action since that would be his story to tell. As for the rest of us, we just stepped in. I was throwing my shield and knocking out as many of the Chitauri as I could get. Natasha ran off and retrieved Hawkeye and he joined us. Together, we knocked down wave after wave of Chitauri. More kept coming, but we kept on fighting. We had to hold them back or they would spread to take over everything. Coulson kept blowing up any that tried to set up a fighting point at the Bifrost. Loki said you guys might send help and had Coulson do that so you wouldn't get ambushed. It was the right course of action because Thor, the Warriors and Sif came."

Loki appreciated Steve's attempts to get Loki noticed but he could have warned Steve it was a thankless task. The Aesir didn't cheer at Loki's name, but how they did at Thor's. Loki wanted to go home.

"They joined the fight and we could see Loki was fighting hard too. We knew Loki would defeat the leader and the rest of us could handle the Chitauri. Unfortunately, some other people didn't see the promise in us that Loki did. They sent a weapon, that if it exploded above us, would not only kill the aliens but also us and potentially harm thousands of civilians. Tony Stark, Iron Man, knew how powerful such weapons could be. He grabbed the weapon and flew it into the other side of the portal. It exploded there and the Chitauri here all fell."

The room cheered. Steve held up a hand for silence and it gradually filled the hall.

"Tony was hurt though and fell through the portal. After he did, it closed. He was unconscious but Thor caught him."

More cheering and a toast went up to Thor. Thor acknowledged it but he seemed bothered. Loki realized he was bothered Loki wasn't getting cheered and Loki just squeezed his hand under the table and shook his head.

"The story isn't over! You can't forget the sorcerer. He was powerful and if no one stopped him could endanger the whole planet on his own. He also had a weapon which could turn anyone into his puppet so he was an especially dangerous threat. Loki defeated him alone and then the battle was truly won. Earth wouldn't have been saved without him," Steve added.

"Thor could have done it," a drunk warrior called. Loki gritted his teeth. No discretion and no dignity! This is why I hate banquets!

"Could I," Thor asked seriously. A shocked silence fell over the hall. Thor squeezed Loki's hand under the table and then looked at Loki.

"Brother, what do you know of Malekith?"

"Malekith is the foremost sorcerer of the dark elves. He is very powerful and has centuries of experience."

"How does one defend oneself against such a sorcerer, or any user of magic," Thor inquired.

"One way is blunt power. The downside is that using blunt power alone quickly drains energy. All an opponent has to do is evade and keep firing until the defender has no more energy. The other tactic is to have prepared for such a battle by having studied the tactics of your opponent. Then you can block their spells like one sword against another," Loki instructed.

"Loki, I have faced magicians before and emerged unscathed. Surely I could have this time."

Loki couldn't help a betrayed look. He thought Thor had understood what Loki had done for him! Thor's hand grasped his and he gave Loki a warm look.

"Ah, but I am committing a mistake no warrior should: I am not accounting for all the aspects which can affect a battle. Let us do so: myself, Asgard's most powerful warrior of traditional battle, against the foremost of the dark elves. As a sorcerer, how would I win that battle Loki?"

"You would have to use blunt power."

The hall cheered. Thor kept hold of Loki's hand.

"Yet you said that was too unreliable brother."

"He has done magicians before! Thor can defeat anyone," called another warrior. The hall filled with cheers.

"We come back to that point. I say again that I feel as if I am not accounting for all that I should. What did I have in previous battles against magic users? Myself and the skills of battle I possess. The mighty hammer Mjolnir which has defeated many an enemy. Still, how would those be enough to defeat those magicians, if as my brother says, a sorcerer could just step back and keep harming me until I fell," Thor asked the hall.

"He had the help of Sif and the Warriors Three!"

"His opponents were cowards! Of course they lost!"

"They didn't know how to fight!"

"No one can defeat Thor!"

"I am honored by your compliments, and for many years I thought they were the only explanations. I have learned, however, that a skilled warrior needs to look over any battle, victory or defeat, to look for ways they can improve. I have done so, and do you know what I found my friends?"

Silence hung over the hall. Even Loki was held by his brother's words. Hope was stirring inside of him.

"My knowledge of battle does not extend to magic beyond what I have learned sparring with my brother. As I did not take his skills seriously I did not learn much from this. Mjolnir is a powerful weapon but I never figured out how to use it against sorcerers except to hit them with it," Thor told everyone.

"That all they need. Magicians are-"

"I disagree warriors. If a magician uses their powers to evade Mjolnir then I cannot hit them with it. That makes Mjolnir useless. That leaves the other things you suggested. Sif and the Warriors Three are mighty, but they do not know magic either."

"It is too much strength for some cowardly magician to overcome!"

"Perhaps, but why overcome it if they just could evade us and tire us out," Thor asked the hall.

"They are cowards and do not know how to fight," a warrior called out anticipating Thor bringing up those thoughts.

"Thank you, but if I could not get to them, and the others could not, would those things truly matter? Something else must be responsible for my victory my friends. Something else that has not been listed tonight."

Loki was a contrary creature sometimes. He was called the god of lies but sometimes truth made him speak it.

"You have defeated many enemies with blunt power and…your own form of strategy brother."

"Loki, my brother, that is true but is that how I defeated all of them? Alone? With Mjolnir? With the help of the Warriors Three? Did I not have something, or someone, else helping me brother?"

The hall's lack of respect for Loki's part in the battles was nudging at sore wounds. He couldn't help but respond.

"Why are you asking me? It well known that I stood off to the side or in the back during battles."

"You were often not in the midst of things as much as I or the others that is true. This brings me back to my original thought fellow warriors of Asgard. There was a factor of battle that I have not accounted for my success in battle. A factor that, while all of the others have their use, should not be ignored. A factor that saved my life and that of my friends many times. We have said that the other way to defeat sorcerers is through experience.

My brother is very experienced. You showed me just a little of the many things you studied Loki. The reason you stood off to the side, or the back, was because that was where you had to attack because myself and the others always just rushed in. You were also being more thoughtful in how to attack foes. A sorcerer, or any kind of foe, cannot run away from blunt strength if guile has them otherwise occupied. Blunt strength is not defeated if it is being kept safe by experience. You are the factor I did not account for in battle brother. Your experience made it so the magicians I rushed had to face me. Your experience helped keep me safe from their attacks. I apologize for not giving you your fair share of glory. It is overdue. If I were to fight Malekith I would not be able to do so on my own. You were able to do so alone and that shows how powerful a warrior you are," Thor declared.

Loki dared to look from Thor's intent eyes to the rest of the hall. Some people looked thoughtful but most of them were grumbling doubtfully and some outright mutinously. Thor frowned and continued his argument.

"Silence! You doubt my words! I know how to prove it. We all remember the story of what happened after my brother left. How a situation happened which would never have happened if he was here and I was smart enough to listen to his counsel. I had much mead, a lot of you had much mead, and it led to a Mjolnir lifting contest. We all recall how displeased the Allfather was at this. No, say nothing! Be silent my friends and let the truth shine forth.

My brother was not here. He does not know what happened. That means he could do nothing to change what the Allfather did since even he would need to know what happened to amend the Allfather's magic. I told him to lift Mjolnir and he noticed magic did you not brother?"

"Yes, but you told me not to examine it. On my magic, and by the Allfather, I heeded that request," Loki answered. What was Thor doing? He definitely wanted to hear about that disastrous hammer contest…

"You have not examined my hammer otherwise have you? Seen and changed the spell?"

"By the same oath I gave before, I have not! My life does not revolve around that hammer. I have my own weapon!"

Loki waved his staff for emphasis. He saw people eying it. Thor grinned.

"It is a mighty weapon indeed. Someday we should spar, for the battle would be glorious indeed! For now, Loki, lift the hammer. Then I shall tell you what happened. I know you do not like not knowing things brother, but I ask that you please abide but a moment more," Thor requested.

Loki glowered, for Thor was right that he didn't like not knowing things. He had promised to trust Thor and it helped that he had been able to lift the hammer before. It showed him nothing, hopefully, was going to go wrong. Nothing like, for instance, not being able to lift the hammer and looking like an idiot in ways he wouldn't know because he didn't know what the Allfather had done to it. He didn't brace himself this time. He didn't even get up. If Thor was trying to prove something by Loki being able to lift the hammer then Loki was going to drive the point bluntly home. He would not only lift Mjolnir but show he could do so easily.

He reached over, wrapped his hand around the hammer and lifted it. Again, it lifted easily. A shocked silence filled the hall.

"The Allfather was most displeased for me allowing anyone and everyone to touch such a powerful weapon. He placed a spell on Mjolnir. I was not able to lift it for several days. I had to realize I had taken it for granted before I was worthy of it again. Just like I had to realize I had taken you for granted brother. Realizing I had taken you for granted was what sent me to the hall that night. It was not the best way to handle the situation. I think that, if you were not already gone, father might have exiled me for a time. That is not important at the moment. What is important is that you turn the other side of Mjolnir to face you brother. Read what it says. The whole court knows the inscription. Hopefully they will now know what fulfilling it says about you," Thor spoke confidently.

Loki turned the hammer around. What he saw made a feeling of vindication surge through him. He looked over at the court with a steely gaze and read,

"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, will possess the power of Thor."

Thor looked over the hall.

"My brother has lifted the hammer. What makes him able to do so? It has been established that it cannot be some trickery he has done. He must be worthy and being worthy shows there is value in how he fights. Being willing to save my life, and my friends, instead of seeking glory himself is part of that," he said seriously.

"I am no paragon of virtue brother. I don't want to fight the way you do," Loki put in.

"I hope we have just proved that you should not have to. You are intelligent, resourceful, strong and brave. You are Loki and let no one say you are not worthy of the respect due to a prince of Asgard and my equal," Thor's voice rang throughout the hall.

Loki had tried to get respect through his magic and taken revenge for lack of it through pranks. He also allowed himself to be filled, understandably, with bitterness and envy. He had protected Thor out of love but he had also started to hate his brother for what Loki was not given. Going to Midgard had allowed him to thrive and to choose to be the best person he could be. He protected out of genuine care and duty without bitterness and envy contaminating his efforts. He still pulled pranks, but he was more careful and would not step over some lines anymore. It was not just actions, like protecting Thor and others, which made him worthy. It was doing the right things for the right reasons. He was jolted from his thoughts by Frandal standing up.

"To Prince Loki," the debonair Aesir said and raised his goblet.

Volstagg and Hogun stood and raised their goblets to Loki as well. The moment hinged on an edge. Could Asgard really admit, Thor's words aside, that it had treated him ill? Loki kept his face blank. The hope stirring inside him trembled. He did not need to be recognized as worthy here. He had Earth, but he wanted respect here as well. He had grown up here, his brother was here and it would be pleasant to walk these halls without fighting off those painful thoughts.

Sif stood up. It was well known she did not like Loki. She even had some reason to given some of Loki's previous actions. Loki now felt he should not have gone that far, but he still had reason to dislike her. She had treated him ill. She looked at him.

"His ways are not mine, but they have a purpose. To Loki," she toasted.

The look in her eyes said she was doing this out of fairness and not for Thor. Loki found it in himself to stand and raise his goblet to her in return. Something about that, somehow, touched the rest of the hall. The resounding roar of "to Loki" caused his ears to ring. Usually, he found such boisterousness annoying, but he could make an exception. With theatricality, he handed Mjolnir to his brother and raised his staff. The hall let out a cheer of approval at the two of them standing with their weapons. As Loki looked at the cheering hall he decided that for once he was going to metaphorically let his hair down and actually enjoy a banquet…