"Keep the wound wrapped, and rub this ointment on it for three days. Your burns and small cuts will heal nicely," smiled the elderly medicine man, dressed in robes of white and hair that matched.

I took the little container from him, scrunching my nose at the pungent smell that lingered. "Thank you," I sincerely smiled, grateful that I wouldn't be marred for life.

He nodded, his lurid gaze softened. "I do wish you would have come to see me about this marking on your face, but it shouldn't leave more than a faded scar."

Instinctively I brought my fingertip to the healed wound on my cheek. It felt dry and flaked at the touch. I withdrew my hand, thanking him again for all his help. The elderly man shook his head, insistent that it was his job to treat the injured no matter their race.

"Besides," he winked, "burns are simple to heal. I have had plenty of practice due to one little prince who was fixated on learning magic." He smiled fondly. "Once he burnt his eyebrows clean off."

"You tell that story far too often old man."

The Asgardian healer and I turned at the sound of Loki's voice. He leaned against the frame of the door, his virid gaze locked on me. His robes were casual, a dark green that trimmed in gold. His stark hair curled at the back of his neck, slicked back in its usual fashion. I searched for any signs of damage that Karnilla might have caused but the wounds he had acquired healed.

I breathed a sigh in relief. The doctor returned to wrapping my arm with a thick, eggshell-white cloth. His friendly smile was firmly placed on his weathered face. "I have plenty more," he chuckled to himself, but that one is one of my favorites."

I looked back to Loki, pursing my lips together. His face was deadpan, despite the glimmer in his eye. "Have you almost finished? I would like to speak to Hayden alone."

The healer scoffed, pinning the wrap closed. "You cannot rush these things," he sternly told Loki, patting the top of my knees, "though yes, we are finished."

He held out his hand to help me slide off the table I sat on. I quietly thanked him as Loki placed his hand on the small of my back. He led me through the halls, steering me around fallen debris and rubble.

Servants worked to pick up the mess, bowing to Loki as we passed. He ignored them, keeping his gaze forward. I inhaled deeply, rubbing the fabric on my arm back and forth. It was hard to believe everything that happened was only hours ago.

With Karnilla's death came the relinquished hold of Asgard. Those that she cursed to do her bidding were free from her spell. From what I had gathered no one remembered anything from their time under Karnilla's control. I couldn't help but feel relief toward them all. Knowing what you were doing, but unable to stop it was something I wish I could forget as well.

I knew though that it would haunt me for the rest of my life. Which, was why I knew I had to do what I could to right those wrongs. Even though I had no control over my actions, people still got hurt because of it.

What a disaster all of it could have ended up to be. What if Loki had followed Karnilla's plan from the start? What if the Warriors Three had thought of me as just a pest in need of being squashed? Loki would be King allied with Karnilla and I would be dead. There was no questioning that.

"I never did thank you," Loki spoke, breaking our silence.

I kept my gaze on the long hallway before us. What little morning light there was seeped through the broken glass and poured onto the floor. It was all so surreal, as though none of Karnilla's terror ever existed despite the proof that littered Asgard.

Loki ceased walking. He put his hands on my shoulder and spun me around to face him. His lips were a crooked line, pulled into an uneven frown and his thick brows came together at the bridge of his nose. He moved his gaze to the wounds on my arm, then to my face, sighing heavily.

"I know words are empty but truly Hayden, thank you." He reached forward brushing a strand of hair out of my face. "You could have stayed on Midgard under the protection of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers yet you came back."

I cast my gaze to my feet, unsure of how to respond. There was so much I wanted and needed to say to Loki. I was angry with him for so many things but the words refused to form. I couldn't find the courage to yell at him, to tell him how hurt he had left me but it almost seemed pointless to say. That my words in the end would mean little.

"It isn't like I really did anything," I quietly told him, absently picking at the bandage on my arm. "If Heimdall hadn't brought me to Asgard and Tony Stark hadn't saved me from Baleor I would have been killed before I even returned."

"Do you not see that the what-ifs matter little to what happened?"

I sighed, drifting my stare from the fabric wrapped around my forearm to back to Loki and frowned. "The smallest thing could have changed the outcome of every thi-"

"Is that not life, Hayden?" he asked, his lips tightened into a straight, thin line. "I will say it one last time: thank you." I puffed hot air from my cheeks and nodded. Loki shook his head and a crooked smile glazed over his features, "come now, you saved Asgard."

"Correction," I laughed, shoving my finger against his firm chest, "you saved Asgard." I shrugged, tucking my hair behind my ears, "all I did was toss you a sword."

Loki stepped in closer and his hand caught the back of my head. His thumb rested on my blazing hot cheeks while his fingers intertwined in my hair. I felt my heart still, preparing myself for the monologue I had practiced.

His head bowed down, inches from my lips. On cue I exhaled slowly and turned my chin toward my shoulder. "Loki," I whispered lifting my hands to his arms to push myself away.

I gazed up at him, his eyes bore down into my stare. The blush across my face began to spread like melted butter. "Everything is dif-"

Before I could start the speech I had practiced over and over in my head while the Asgardian healer treated my wounds, Loki claimed my lips. I told myself countless times as the old man's shaking fingers rubbed odd-smelling creams on every cut and knick that if Loki tried to kiss me I had to pull back. No matter how his soft lips felt against my chapped skin, I had to stop him. It had been much easier to do in my head.

There was a familiar hunger that stirred inside me. He tasted of sweat and blood and even after a fight to the death smelled of faint spices. I knew it was a scent I would be able to recognize anywhere.

A tear fell onto my cheek. Surprised, I opened my eyes to see a trail upon Loki's ashen face. His lids were closed, beads of water clung to the tips of his long lashes. Loki's lips had stopped moving, resting gently against my own. He tilted his head, placing his forehead onto mine, his thumb carefully caressing the side of my face.

"Stay on Asgard." His voice was smaller than it had ever been, barely a whisper. "I cannot protect you on Midgard."

My head began to spin. I swallowed hard, pushing past the lump that was forming. "Loki," I protested though it might have only been inside my head.

His grip tightened. "Hayden, do not make me beg," he pleaded, snapping open his eyes.

"I won't make you beg," I promised catching his thumb in my grasp. Slowly I pulled his hand away from my face ignoring the stabbing pain in my lungs, "but I can't stay on Asgard with you."

His face crinkled and my heart cried out. This is not what was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to actually care.

"Hayden," he whispered reaching out to touch my cheek. His hand hovered inches from my face before he pulled away, curling his fingers into a loose fist. "I cannot protect you if you are not at my side. I've thought to have lost you once. I cannot bare to loose you again."

I swallowed, catching my breath between the lump that refused to move. "I don't belong here. I'm not a Goddess, or a warrior or any of those things. I'm not magical, or brave or-"

"You are the bravest creature that I have known." I exhaled loudly, uncertain how to respond. "I speak the truth." A smile fluttered across his lips and he added, "After all, not many woman dare to call a Prince of Asgard stupid. It takes a lot of strength to not fear a god."

My heart pounded hard. Loki had absolutely no idea how terrified he made me. No one else held as much power over me as he did. He had the ability to turn my tears into a smile and to break my heart with just a stare. I would be the stupid one not to fear that sort of magic.

I put my hands to my hips, frowning. "Karnilla had no problem standing up to you."

Loki's eyes darkened. "Karnilla was far from brave. She was a fool to bring harm to those that I care for. She was a fool to bring harm to you."

"Loki, please don't," I breathed, my words were heavy like lead pushing down my tongue. "After everything that has happened and..." I turned my gaze to my trembling hands, knotting my fingers together to cease the shaking. Exhaling heavily I continued, "After all that I have learned I have to do what I can to..."

"I have never lied to you Hayden." I brought my gaze back to Loki, taken aback by the desperation that laced his voice. His brows pointed inward, his lips parted from one another as he inhaled sharply. "I admit, my intentions from the start were less than honorable-"

"Less than honorable?" I repeated. The words were thick in my mouth like molasses that refused to wash away. "You were supposed to make me fall in love with you so that I could drink from this voodoo spring that only curses mortals under loves influence. You tricked me into caring about you so that you could help Karnilla steal that stone."

The tears stung at my face, but I didn't care. "You tricked me," I cried out weakly, my voice smaller than I was used to. "I cared about you despite telling myself that you are nothing more than a manipulative, conniving jerk and I still-" the words stuck to my throat like cellophane.

"Hayden, I-"

"No!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the halls. "No. Everything from the moment I met you was a lie. And the sad thing is I don't even know how much of a lie everything is. For all I know Karnilla could have planted the idea to Fury to hire me at S.H.I.E.L.D."

Loki looked away. My chest dropped to the floor, shattering at my feet as though it were made of cheap porcelain. I knew it. I always knew that I wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D. material, that they had to have chosen me as a mistake.

"Karnilla chose me for this task, didn't she?" Loki carefully dragged his gaze back to mine. His brows furrowed, crinkling his forehead. He said nothing, but he didn't have to. His face said enough. "Why?" I demanded though my voice came out like a kitten mewling to its mother. "Why me?"

"Your knowledge of Norse Mythology gave Karnilla viable reasons," he firmly explained, his voice emotionless. "She had Baleor take the form of something small to spy on you months in advanced before S.H.I.E.L.D. came to you. And, she continued to watch you through his eyes until you came to Asgard."

I wrapped my arms feeling an incredible violation stir within me. It explained the open windows, and Coulson's persistence despite my lack of training in the field. I remenbered even suggesting that I could be a consultant but he insisted that I join. Of course it was all planted from the beginning. I was never meant for adventures outside of my books.

"I will not apologize for my part in agreeing to aide Karnilla," he firmly testified, "if I had not I would have never met...you..."

The tears flowed freely now. I couldn't stop them. It all felt like a lie, everything I believed in myself shattered. "I was just a puppet to you," I choked, pushing myself against the cold bricks of the broken wall. "How can I believe anything that you say?"

"Because I have not lied to you."

"Not telling me the truth is just as bad as lying," I cried, "you let me believe that you cared about me when all you wanted was to get your powers back."

"And where is my magic now!?" he shouted, his voice thundered through the halls. "I could have everything I lost but it meant losing you in the end. Look at what I have chosen, Hayden. Look at what it is that I have given up to protect you."

He took a step forward. "I was not at the spring. You know this, Hayden, you know that I did not trick you-"

"If you care so much about me then why did you leave me after I told you that I loved you? After we-" the words stopped short as I was flooded with memories. Our bodies tangled in the sheets, his hands wrapped around my body pushing his lips onto mine. I closed my eyes, letting the tear trickle down my cheek, "Why would you do that?"

"Love is far from selfless, it is the most selfish thing there is. I was selfish." He closed the space between us, grabbing onto my hands. "My magic is all I know, and until I realized what I needed to do my magic was all I ever wanted."

"What did you realize you needed to do?" I asked, swallowing hard.

"I needed to protect you from Karnilla." Loki sighed heavily, casting his gaze to the floor. "I let my selfishness cloud what I truly wanted." He flashed his stare to mine. "Allow me to fix what I have wronged as you cleaned up a mess that wasn't even yours. This is my disaster, let me pick up the pieces."

What did I say to that?

"Everything I have said to you was naught but the truth," he whispered, rubbing his long fingers along my knuckles.

"So you find me naive and incompetent and annoying and-"

"Insufferable," he supplied, carefully bringing my hand to his lips. He placed a small kiss the the knuckle of my pointer finger. "and above all the most stunning creature."

He then moved onto the next finger, kissing the skin even softer than before. "You are so very beautiful," he kissed the next finger and my breath caught in my chest, "and you have an incredible mind," he continued. I blushed, trying to tug my hand away but Loki held on firmly, planting a small kiss on the rough, dirty skin of my palm. "I need to keep you safe. I cannot lose you. I refuse."

"Karnilla is dead," I pointed out as he closed his fingers around mine, "no one else cares to harm me. Besides, Fury is going to fire me the second I go home so I'll probably go back to California and find a teaching job. Nothing will harm-"

"There are gun shootings and car accidents and drug deals gone wrong," he carried on and I crinkled my brows. "It was all on that awful box that Midgardians seem to enjoy."

"I promise I'll avoid buying crack in a shady neighborhood," I smiled, earning an exasperated sigh from Loki. "You can't always protect me, you know. Besides, whose being the naive one now?"

Loki took a small step back, letting my hand drop from his hold to my side and reached into his pocket. Very slowly he pulled out a twine necklace with what appeared to be the tooth of some sort of animal dangling from it. He held it out, gesturing toward my neck.

I stared at the necklace. "I don't want your gifts, Loki." I want you to understand how much pain you put me through, I silently cried to myself. "You can't just expect everything to go back to normal." I scoffed, pushing the tears from falling again. "Hell, I don't even know what is considered normal." You know, since everything felt like a lie!

Loki enclosed the space between us once more. "It is not a peace offering," he explained, holding it up into the morning light. "Please, Hayden."

I swallowed hard, uncertain if I could trust him again. But, he was right, he hadn't been completely untrustworthy. He had protected me on numerous occasions, despite his intentions on using me to get what he wanted.

He could have let the guy at the bar talk to me the way he did but Loki wouldn't have it. He could have ignored the girl at the ice skating rink and he stood up for me. Albeit neither were outcomes that ended well, but he tried to keep me safe. Didn't that account for something?

I inhaled sharply watching the tooth dangle from Loki's fingers. "You were the wolf in the woods that attacked Fandral...weren't you?"

Loki cocked a small smile and shrugged. "If you had drank from the spring then Karnilla would have had her way. I wasn't ready..." he cast his gaze to the ground for a few moments before looking back to me. His mouth opened slightly as he inhaled sharply. "Hayden, I know that you have read the stories, you know of the wrongs I have done. Out of everything I did, hurting you is the thing I deeply regret."

I eyed him shrewdly. "So, taking your own brother to be killed by an ice giant or trying to take over Midgard isn't high on your list?" It was a petty stab, and I thought it would make me feel better.

Loki's brows crinkled together. The guilt flooded over me. I didn't mean to reopen old wounds but he made me so mad, so hurt that I wanted to hurt him back. Swallowing hard I instantly wished I had kept my mouth shut.

"Sorry," I muttered hastily, "that wasn't fair of me to say. I-"

Loki held up his other hand and shook his head. "I have a lot to amend for." He titled his head, adding, "in my defense I knew Thor would win that fight...and I only did it because he thought it would be humorous to let the Enchantress curse me." I felt both my eyebrows fling into my nest of hair. "I am certain you will read about it in one of your books."

Exasperated, I sighed, shaking my head to keep from smiling. I didn't want to laugh. He cocked his head, hiding the gloating spark in his gaze.

Loki pushed the necklace forward, "if I may?"

Licking my lips, I exhaled, briefly closing my eyes as I made the decision to believe in the best. It was my father's greatest weakness, and he claimed it to be my strength. It had gotten me into trouble before but if I didn't believe in Loki then Karnilla would still be wrecking havoc.

Carefully I grabbed my dirty, knotted hair and lifted it off my shoulders allowing Loki to lock the necklace in place. I dropped my hair letting it fall down my back as my fingers brushed against the smooth curves of the tooth.

"Should you ever feel in danger just call my name. I will not hesitate to be there." I nodded, unable to speak, afraid my words would fail me. "Or should you ever find that you are lonely and vie for company that only I can sustain."

I laughed though it sounded more like a weak choke. "I will," I vowed, letting the tooth fall against the bone of my chest. "What do we do now?"

"You will go home," he softly answered pulling at a small strand of my hair, "and I will make amends where I can." He shrugged, watching my hair slip from his fingers.

I nodded, rubbing my lips together so that I could feel my teeth. "And then?"

"Do you care for a day by day plan?" he teased. I rolled my eyes, trying not to snap a retort. He cocked a familiar smile, "and then when you are ready I will come to you."

I inhaled sharply, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "You are still a wanted war criminal on Earth, remember?"

Loki shrugged, a fire sparked to life in his virid gaze. "Hayden, do not underestimate me."

I smiled, blinking the tears away. "I never could."

"Hayden, my friend!"

I beamed at Thor, holding out my hand. His grasp swallowed my outstretched fingers as he pulled me into him. He engulfed me tightly, lifting me off the ground with ease. I gasped for air at the shock of his hold.

He quickly put me down onto my feet. "I apologize," he boomed, placing his hand on my shoulder, "for all that I have done and-"

I held up my hands to stop him from continuing. "Thor you've already apologized several times. I told you, it wasn't your fault."

His eyes darkened and his mouth firmly closed. Thor squeezed my shoulder, nodding. "I shall continue to apologize until the day comes that I can accept what I have done to you my friend."

He looked to my bandaged arm, his lips twisting to a frown. "Oh no," I muttered, moving my arm behind my back. "Karnilla did that."

"That witch," he spat, "I should have killed her years ago. She is lucky to have had Loki handle her first. My punishment would have been far less swift as I tore her-"

"I don't need to hear the details," I cringed, putting my hands to my ear. He grinned at me and I pulled my hands down to my side. "Who would have thought Loki to be the kinder one."

Thor's grin spread though his eyes softened. "You know just as well as I that there is more to Loki." I inhaled unevenly, deciding words would only fail me. Thor squeezed my shoulder once more before pulling his hand away. "You may not see it but you are a hero in many ways. I will never thank you enough for all that you have done."

And so beauty tamed the beast. I blinked at the familiar words of one of the many stories my father read to me as a child. He would have been proud too, right? I dug my teeth into my bottom lip refusing to cry. It could wait.

"So, what happened to the stone that Karnilla worked so hard to get?"

"It's far too dangerous to remain on Asgard," replied Thor and we both shared a quiet silence at the implications of his words, "I intend to return it to Fury with a full explanation of what had happened. I will not let you take any fall for what Karnilla had done."

"Tony said that they didn't know the true power of the stone and what it did. Is it really safe to leave that on Midga-earth?"

Thor shook his head. "The man of iron knows more than he tends to lead on." I frowned. Great, I thought, more half-truths that left me in the dark. "Do not fret my friend," he grinned, "you worry far too much. Sometimes you have to learn to let the pain go and accept what is set in front of you." I pulled my eyebrows together, uncertain of what Thor was really talking about.

"My Lady Hayden!"

I turned my head to look over my shoulder. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif strolled down the Bifrost to where Thor and I stood. Fandral swooped dramatically low and placed a kiss on my hand.

"We feared we would miss saying our goodbyes to you," he told me standing tall, still holding onto my hand.

I smiled at the brave Asgardian warriors. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't say goodbye?" I tugged my hand free and wrapped my arms tightly around him. "Try to stay out of trouble," I teased, releasing our hug and kissing his cheek.

He grinned his most charming smile. With a wink he bowed, "I always do."

I pursed my lips tightly together turning to Volstagg. He sniffed and before I could speak he threw his large arms around me in a lung crushing embrace. His bushy beard tickled at my face. Volstagg squeezed a couple of times before setting me down without any notice to my gasping for air.

"Take care my friend," he gruffed, clearing his throat as he continued, "may the wine of Valhalla flow freely from the skies upon you."

I resisted the urge to chuckle, then smiled as I tried to fix the wrinkles in my tunic. "Thank you Volstagg."

Inhaling deeply I looked to Hogun. His face remained deadpan, as was expected. He stood tall with his hands held firmly in front of him, clasped together. His lips were a perfect line, his dark eyes unwavered.

I started to speak when very slowly Hogun bowed. His back was kept straight as though an invisible board was tied to him. I recalled that he had bowed the same way to Lady Frigga.

Licking my lips and reminding myself not to cry, I inhaled deeply. Blowing out a puff of air from my cheeks I stepped forward. I cold feel the heat rush to my face as my arms awkwardly wrapped around Hogun's neck. I was about to hastily pull away when he hugged me in return, stiffly patting my back.

I laughed airly, pulling away from his arms. With a gloved hand he wiped at my cheek. "This is not goodbye," he told me holding the tear in front of my face, "this is not how a warrior of Asgard leaves."

I sniffed, blinking back the tears and nodding to myself. "I'll do my best to remember that," I promised.

Smiling I turned to Sif. Her long brown hair that she normally kept in a tight ponytail flowed freely around her bare shoulders. A couple of bruises and small cuts lacerated along her brows and chin. It wouldn't be much longer until the proof of Karnilla's terror would be left to memory. Sif regarded me with her deep brown gaze, then smiled faintly.

"There are many kinds of brave, Hayden." She slowly bowed her head, tugging at the folds of her simple gown. "Songs will be sang of your bravery, of the hero that you have become."

Through the tears I looked to the gazes of Thor and the Asgardian Warriors. Simultaneously they each placed closed fists firmly against their chest. They stood like that until I placed my small fist against my beating heart.

Sif turned sharply on her heel, starting her journey down the bridge that connected Asgard to the Bifrost. Volstagg and Hogun followed after with silent nods of goodbye. Fandral swooped low one last time, with one final wink before he took off to catch up with the others. Thor and I watched them until they were nothing more than specks against the towering buildings of Asgard's glorious city.

That would be the last time I would ever see them again. The last time I would stare at Asgard's city with the starry sky and three moons casting their pale light over me. It would be the last time my feet touched the Bifrost, and the last time I would watch the brick turn from green to pink to blue to yellow in quick, water-like motions.

"Hayden," sounded Thor's voice amidst the silence, "you are a friend to Asgard. Do not hesitate to call upon us should you ever be in need." I pursed my lips in a small smile, nodding at his words knowing that my own would just fail me. "Stay safe," he continued, "and do not forget us."

I laughed, sniffing hard. "I never could."

"I know," he chuckled though it was far from his usual jubilee, "we are rather unforgettable."

I nodded in agreement. "Don't forget me either," I tried to tease but the words caught in my throat.

The lines in Thor's face ironed out and he pulled me in for one last hug. "Never."

A woman clearing her throat interrupted and we broke apart. Lady Frigga stood before us, clad in a plain white gown trimmed in silver beading at the neckline. Her long, curly blonde hair piled behind her back in a thick braid. Her eyes were almost as blue as Thor's, the pale void I had grown accustomed to nearly faded.

"Thor, do you mind if I speak to the Mid...to Hayden?"

"Of course not Mother," he beamed at Lady Frigga, then to me, "Hayden do take care."

I nodded and he walked off, kissing his mother's cheek as he passed. She remained still, smiling at his touch though her gaze never wavered from where I stood. I felt so small under her stare.

"I never cared for change," she told me once Thor was too far to overhear, "I like tradition. Odin's death," she inhaled sharply and continued, "my husband's death brought a lot of change. Some for the worst," her eyes bared into me and I felt myself flush, "but some of it for the best."

I tilted my head. "Your highness?"

"The change you have brought not only saved Asgard but my sons as well. All three of them. And for that you will always have my gratitude." My mouth dropped open and I tried to thank her but she held up her hand to silence me. "Fare thee well Lady Hayden."

I watched her leave, silently bidding her farewell when Heimdall's booming voice spoke behind me, "are you prepared to travel the Bifrost?"

I sighed heavily, staring at the golden city one last time. I looked to the castle, scanning the windows too far for me to see. My heart ached as I cast my gaze upward to the vast blanket of stars. They shined brilliantly above, reflecting onto the golden domes surface of the Bifrost.

I turned to face Heimdall, nodding. He held out his arm, and I walked inside the dome stepping off the rainbow bridge and onto the platform ready to face whatever awaited me on the other side. There was no reason to be afraid. I wouldn't let it cripple me.

A/N: Wow. Is it sad that I got teary-eyed writing this? Phew Anyways, I just wanted to take a short moment on this author's note to give a shout out to one of my favorite people in the world, Vicvic221 because it is her birthday today. If you haven't yet I strongly urge that you read her LokixOC fanfic, Fire and Rain ( s/8311824/1/Fire-Rain) because it is just asdfghjkl and asdfghjkl and sometimes I just ugh asdfghjkl. Just go read it. It's perfect. Anyways, happy birthday Vicki! Hope you're all sorts of spoiled today.

Also, there will be an epilogue. I am finishing it up now so if I don't post it at the end of the day it will be up tomorrow.

Kieeka: Good! Haha (: seriously though people are gonna be like I don't get this

Why Fireflies Flash: I am a fangirl of all of those (but Sherlock and only on the premise I haven't watched it yet but it is on my list.) Oh boy. I am a serious criminal when it comes to writing things and never finishing them. The amount of WIPs I have is horrifying.

Thank you. And so I am. I debated for a while if I was going to kill her or not. But in the end it just kind of wrote itself.

OrthoEllis: (8) glad you found it amusing! I am not generally funny in real life (unless I'm having a blonde moment or it was on accident) so I'm happy to know it comes across in my writing at least. Hope you enjoy the rest!

Obnoxious Unicorn: I absolutely adore the dedication some people have! I don't think I could finish a story online in a day because my eyes would just go bonkers. Though it could be that I'm just getting old :( Anyways, thank you so very much and I am happy to hear you enjoyed it enough to sacrifice your sight for a while. (:

Ryuno chu: Indeed he did!

Poodle warriors: Yep. As I told Why Fireflies Flash above, I actually debated on whether or not to have Loki go through with it. But, eventually it wrote itself so Karnilla's demise just kind of happened, but it's good. I don't think I could have written her into redemption.

vicvic221: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL PERSON THAT I LOVE AND ADORE SO MUCH. Ahem. Now that is over (and I think I've gotten you everywhere) your reviews are just the greatest. Even though we constantly talk back and forth about it there's always a sense of humbling gratitude but that's probably because I value your literary opinions so much.

Readingconundrum: Even so you didn't have to say that, so still, thank you! (: I feel so silly always saying thank you over and over but seriously I mean it to everyone. I am glad you enjoyed this chapter so much, and it's always a joy to hear that it played out like a movie in your head. Those are my favorite kind of books/writers so it's just very flattering to receive. Sorry about your feels.

Hayden: Oh, Hayden is a sensitive soul for sure, but Karnilla's reign was ruthless. Even she understood that what Loki did was for the best. And thank you. Sorry for the feels...but they're probably only worse now.

Simbelia: Thank you! And yes, I am dreadful with cliffhangers. It's always been a specialty and favorite of mine. I never realized how cruel they were though until after I started posting this story. At least with a book you could just move onto the next chapter. I am so glad to know that you've enjoyed the journey so far.

Music Box Physicist: Thank you! And, hopefully this was fast enough. Usually I try to update a little faster but I injured my writing hand the other day and it slowed everything down. But it's all good now! So hopefully the next and final piece will follow shortly.

Guest: Thank you, sorry for making you stop haha

Shibbielove: Yes! My goal is complete. I have successfully ruined someones life through the power of a story. Haha, joking aside thank you so very much. It's always a humbling honor when someone tells me how much they've enjoyed the story. I hope you are a big meal after and good luck on your test! (:

OhHaiSerah: You mean...holy shit! Lol