A/N- Reviews!

TPAWC: Haha, we all love Loki. And we're FANGIRLS Leche! Your BF can suck it tf up!

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.

I stirred, groaning slightly and curling up into a tight ball. Why was I so cold? It felt like there was no heat left in the world.

"Miss," a voice cut through my thoughts, and I looked up to see an Asgardian soldier. "How did you get here? Where are Thor and the mortal?"

I shook my head, my throat felt raw and my skull was pounding. I felt too weak to move, which the soldier seemed to understand. I looked around weakly, finding a voice for the question that had to be heard. "Where's Loki?"

I had a dream, where he had been killed, along with most of the elves, by a raging fire. Based off the scorch marks around me, I could concur that this may not have just been a dream. This was only confirmed by the guard's sympathetic look. "He's dead."

The news hit me like a sledgehammer. Loki was dead. Loki was dead, and it was my fault. Loki was dead, and it was my fault because I killed him. I killed Loki Laufeyson. The words swirled around and around in my mind, repeating like a mantra. The rest of the world seemed to disappear, and everything went numb. It was just me, my guilt, and the cold.

(::)

I didn't speak. I barely ate. Barely moved, in fact. The guard had taken me back to Asgard, where I had somehow been able to stumble through the attendants cleaning me up and giving me nicer clothes to wear. I was escorted to the throne room. Odin stared down at me with his one good eye, passive face so worn it looked like a permanent scowl.

"Did you hear me?" His voice cut through my thoughts, which were still on the same loop since I had been given the devastating news.

I blinked and looked up to him. "Pardon?"

He sighed, clearly annoyed. "I inquired your name and your business on Svartalfheim."

I wrinkled my brow, trying to think. "My… my name is… Rachel, I think. Rachel… Thatcher." I paused, looking away. No. Yes. No. Rachel… That didn't feel right. I could remember being called that, my whole life. But it felt wrong. Like it was someone else's name. But… no… I'm pretty sure that was right. I think. Wait, there was something else. What was it? Oh, right, Odin asked something else… But what did he ask? I believe it had something to do with Svartalfheim… Oh, right. Why I was there. "Thor. He broke me out of prison. I… I went with him, and-" I cut myself off, the words dying in my throat. I couldn't say that name, I could hardly think it, "a-and we… we were fighting someone… I- I can't… I can't quite remember who…"

"Was it Malekith?" Odin asked, hot unkindly.

I tilted my head, thinking. "I… I think it was… Yes, that seems right. Malekith. He was the one. He took the Aether from Jane."

"But he didn't hurt you," Odin prodded.

I shook my head slowly. "No… I don't think he cared about me, honestly… Not until I was knocked unconscious."

"And what happened then?"

"I… I'm not entirely sure," I said. "It was like a dream. There was a big fire, and it killed so many. It killed the Kursed as well. But then it turned on Loki."

Odin nodded, listening closely. "Do you know why?"

Again I shook my head. "I'm not entirely sure. He had started running towards me. I don't think the fire liked that. I think it was trying to protect me. But… it didn't seem to be able to discern between friends and foes. It just attacked anything that moved towards me. But then I woke up. After everything was gone. I was cold. Like there was no heat left in the world. I'm still a bit chilly, to be honest. A nice guard was there, he woke me up. He seemed familiar." I smiled faintly. "I quite liked that guard. He felt very familiar. You feel a bit familiar, too."

Odin cleared his throat. "You've said why you were on Svartalfheim, and that Thor broke you out of the prisons. But why were you there to begin with?"

I paused for a moment. "I was with Loki. He was teaching me how to use my magic." I blinked and looked at Odin. "I have magic, you know. I woke up here about two months ago, in that cell with Loki. I don't know how. He choked me. It hurt when he did that, but I forgave him. It was then that I had magic. I didn't before then. Or at least I didn't know I did. But he helped me use it. It felt so mean. Like it wants me to use it to kill something. But I don't want to. But I think that that is what happened when I was asleep. I wasn't awake to stop my magic."

Odin was silent, pondering the information I had given him. After a moment, he spoke. "I suppose you don't have anywhere else to go. You may stay in the palace as long as you like."

I nodded. "Thank you."

Then, I was escorted out of the throne room, taken to a guest bedroom. Two maids helped me bathe, dressing me in a nightgown and laying me on the bed. I stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about everything and nothing, before sleep took a gentle hold on me. I didn't dream. I hoped never to again.

A/N- Only one or two more chapters. I'm not gonna post any more tonight, though. Then I start on rewriting HIBMW. I hope to rewrite that and write the sequel by Christmas, but don't hold me to that. It's just the hope.

Well, until next time, fave, follow, review, and PM me.