Disclaimer: Don't own them

Prose 15

The next day, class started bright and early, the season now a crisp Autumn, as if Zeus decided to go full reversal on the seasons. Yui was speaking with Apollo who really let his enthusiasm over the Winter Solstice take over the conversation. The Norse gods were the last to enter and the classroom fell in a dull hush.

Loki had a bandage around his head, fiery red locks sticking out at odd ways. His lip was clearly split, and there was bruising underneath his eye. Thor too had a band-aid at the base of his hairline, another tight bandage around his knuckles. Balder, however, looked unscathed, though silent and a bit perturbed, seeming to be just as confused about his friends' appearances as the others.

Yui gasped, "What happened?"

"Nyah…a double boobie trap I forgot about," Loki explained a little too casually, creaking into his seat. "Poor Thor got quite a wallop too."

Thor didn't seem to be as eager to recite this "trap" story and he silently took his seat.

Takeru meanwhile shook his head, "Nah, man, that's damage someone gets when they get their ass pummeled by someone. What happened guys? Have a fight with a bulldozer?"

"Takeru!" Yui hissed, glaring at the sea god, who just shrugged. Neither could hear Loki murmur something under his breath, "Something like that."

Thoth entered in all his ruffled feathered glory, slamming his book down on his desk, staring dead at the class and they all took their seats. Normally, Thoth would've said something condescending, but was cut short upon seeing Loki's beat up face.

"By the Eye of Ra, you look like a disaster."

Loki gave a mock smile in return, "What a coincidence I was going to say the exact same about you too."

"What did you do this time...?" Thoth's eyes scanned the room, flitting briefly in Balder's direction. Loki saw the glance and spoke up.

"As I told them. Just a stupid prank. Can we get a move on?"

Thoth spoke through tight lips, "Fine. Open your books to page 394 where we talk about Modern Literature…"

Loki tilted his head back with a sigh, ignoring Thoth's lecture.

Balder sat, thinking. Not about the lecture, but about his friends. He remembered waking up this morning his head pounding. It could've been a hangover. There was a lot of drinking going on during break, especially on his part.

Regardless, he was very much upset to find his best friends patched up as if they recovered from a fight with a violent Jötunn. They told him two different stories. Loki said that it was just a trap gone wrong, as he always said when Balder found his damaged and bloodied. Thor said he slipped on some ice Hödr accidentally left, but then he changed his story later to inexplicably match Loki's.

Balder got the uneasy sense that both his friends were lying to him.

After class had ended, Yui scurried to the hallway to catch up with Loki and Thor. The Student Council had a few duties to do, so Balder reluctantly went with Apollo and Tsukito to their usual meeting place.

"Hey, you two," she called as she approached them, noticing the two gods going particularly rigid at the sight of her.

"What is it?" Loki said hastily, leaning against the wall of the hallway.

"I was just going to say that you guys should really really go to the infirmary. Especially you Loki," she scolded, not hiding her horror as it was quite evident that Loki was struggling to stand.

Loki heard this last night, as Thor did his best to tend to his wounds.

Thor gingerly moved the unconscious Balder off of Loki, his red-headed friend struggling to stay conscious. It didn't take much for Thor to realize that whatever he did to heal Loki wouldn't be enough.

"Loki, we need to take you to the hospital wing. It's bad," he said frankly, noticing the streak of blood that ran down the wall to where Loki lay.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I trust your haphazard healing arts," the red-head slurred. He clearly had a concussion, if not full head damage.

"I can force you, you know."

"But you won't," Loki's voice grew dark, his one unswollen grey eye glaring at Thor. "Just get the bandages from the bathroom and get on with it."

Thor obeyed, carrying Balder to his bed and removing his bloody clothes from his body before hurrying to aid Loki, who was miraculously still conscious.

As he did his best to stitch a few gashes, he asked, "So what the hell happened? What set him off this time? Or was he set off at all?"

"Yeah. Partially my fault. I kissed Yui in front of him and you know he likes her."

Thor's eyes widened for a moment before murmuring, "And they call Balder the moron."

"He's not a moron!" Loki hissed before giving out a weak cough. "He's special. Leave his intelligence out of this."

Thor unwrapped the surgical tape, "You know this can't go on much longer, so stop making excuses for him. It's only a matter of time before he kills-"

"I got it. I got it," Loki waved Thor away. "Trust me this one time. I got it."

Thor's jaw quivered as he said flatly, "I told him the exact same thing." He glared at his injured friend, "What a surprise, he doesn't listen."

Yui gave a small smile, "Surprise indeed."

Loki pouted. Then Yui leaned over closer to them, her voice a small hush, as she cast a wary glance over in the direction of where the Student Council left, "Is he responsible for this?"

"Fuck no," Loki responded without a pause. He regretted telling Yui about Balder.

"Tell me the truth."

Loki managed to push himself away from the wall, keeping his balance although he struggled to compose himself against the vertigo he was feeling, "You need to mind your own business. That's the truth. Come on Thor."

With that the friends left, leaving Yui behind.

Things only got worse. Balder tried to be engaging and back to his old self, especially once Loki fully healed, but he had been plagued with nightmares. Nightmares of him doing horrible things, of Loki doing horrible things, of Thor regressing to his angry self. He also became caught up in dreams that he was sure were actually memories.

Each nightmare of him unleashing unspeakable destruction felt more like déjà-vu rather than some horrid subconscious. Balder became increasingly aware of Loki's lies. And it began to really irritate him, more so than usual.

Balder pressed Loki for more information on what happened the night the Solstice guests left and Loki time and again came up with the exact same excuse. It was becoming more and more irritating. He felt that Loki was avoiding him as well as Yui. He could see her furtive glances in his direction, as if she expected him to do something.

In truth, Yui became highly aware of when Balder became moody. She still had suspicions that Balder was the cause of Loki's thrashing. As such she subconsciously tried to avoid him. Obviously, it wasn't completely possible, as he was a part of the student council. Even then she noticed that he gradually tried to force himself to participate. Something else was on his mind. Did he know?

Thor held his tongue for all these years. He was quiet, so it wasn't hard. But he was born and bred to be a defender. If it would protect others he would shout from the mountaintops the danger that resided with them. But this was different. Balder wasn't really some bloke from the North Woods destroying everything in his path every waking day. His bouts of unpredictability were sparse but nonetheless threatening. Add into that, Balder was his kin. They were close. He was the shining Prince of Asgard, more than likely destined to hold Odin's throne, if the worst were to befall the Allfather.

But that was not to be the case. Not what the Fates had in store for the God of Light. And Balder's fate was tied into something terrible. Whether the outcome, there would be no happy ending. Odin had told Thor so in confidence.

"All that he is, must be between us, Thor. I do not yet know how to make this better. He lives, all will be destroyed. He dies, all will suffer a terrible darkness."

He could tell Balder was getting more and more agitated, mostly in regards to Loki, who refused to tell him what really happened that fateful night. Balder wasn't the smartest god in the world, but he was sensitive and could tell when something or somebody was acting strange.

Loki's refusal to tell the truth and the wariness from Yui wore at Balder's patience. Thor had walked in after class one day to find Loki on the ground, Balder straddling on top of him, holding Loki's shoulders down so that the smaller god couldn't wriggle free.

Normally, Thor would've gathered that they were just play wrestling. But this time, instincts took. He hurtled himself after Balder, dragging him off yelling, "HEY! What do you think you're doing!?"

"Hey, hey! Get off, Thor!" Balder replied in annoyance, staring back at Thor in shock.

Loki leaned up and glared at Thor, "It's fine Thor, jeesh. Balder just can't let bygones be bygones."

It was then that Thor noticed that Loki wasn't injured, nor did he seem to be in a large amount of distress. Just a little miffed. Thor released Balder with a hoarse apology. Balder stared at him with anxious eyes. Those eyes, so youthful and bright, now were hardened and ancient, looking every year of his some thousand-year existence. Thor hoped that everything would resolve out soon.

Soon, the other students began to notice a change in Balder. Balder wasn't a huge talker, but he spoke enough to not be considered quiet. But in class and in Student Council meetings Apollo and Tsukito found him to be eerily silent.

One day during a meeting, Apollo asked quite plainly, "Hey, Bal-Bal, you okay? You look kind of ill."

Balder's eyes flicked towards him, the blue looking particularly bright and icy against his shadowed sockets.

"I'm fine," he said, his voice gravelly and he cleared his throat before repeating again.

Apollo warily left it at that. Yui was also going to suggest that Balder went home to get some rest, but the meeting was coming to a close anyway and if Balder wasn't really feeling too well he could skip the after-meeting tea time.

"Man, oh, man," Apollo said after they had finished the meeting. "I love the arts. I can't wait until we do our little Arts Festival. It'd be fun to see those pretty letters you paint Tsuki-Tsuki."

"You mean calligraphy?" Yui asked.

Apollo winked, "Yup, that's it! I myself am trying to decide between sculpting the perfect male specimen, or vase painting. I think Hades would prefer vase painting though. What about you Bal-Bal? Bal-Bal?"

Balder was sitting on the love seat, listless, staring onward as if deeply lost in thought. Apollo snapped his fingers to break him out of his trance, "Hey Bal-Bal!"

He jerked violently out of his trance and stared back at his friends. "Huh?"

"What are you thinking of doing for the Arts Festival, Bal-Bal?" Apollo repeated.

Balder shook his head, "Oh…uh…woodcarving I guess."

"Woodcarving?" Apollo for a moment sounded skeptical, before beaming, "Awesome! Miss Fairy told me you guys do practical rustic art. Sounds great!"

Tsukito poured the tea commenting lightly that it may help Balder feel better. Even he noticed that Balder was despondent, perhaps because Tsukito was used to being the most despondent person in the room.

The tea was set and everyone was setting to drink. Except Balder, who sat back, arms crossed over his chest, once again not really paying much attention to his surroundings.

"You're going to drink anything Balder?" Yui asked. "Balder?"

Balder took a wary glance at her, before slowly reaching over towards his teacup. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed taking the tea and saucer with him to the floor with a clatter.

Immediately, Apollo sprang up and cried, "Bal-Bal!"

All three jumped to Balder's aid.

A/N: A short chapter, more because it was the perfect time to end the chapter. One or two chapters left for the first part. And then on to Draumer Edda : Ragnarok.

You know the drill.