Greetings again. I'm glad to see that people are loving this story as much as I am loving writing it. With summer closing in, I will have more time to write and post more frequently. I just have two finals to get through, and I should be free to write this and my other stories. I do appreciate your patience on this and hope you enjoy.
I own Vielae. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.
Vielae was taken to the infirmary, where Odin, Thor, and – much to Vielae's surprise – a human girl were waiting. The girl was lying on a table while a projection of her hovered above her, observed by the healers. Something was nagging at the back of Vielae's mind, a presence that felt oddly familiar. Upon closer inspection, there was something flowing through the projection of the girl's body.
"We've brought her, my King," Vielae heard Sif say. Her eyes shifted back to Odin, who looked at her.
"Thank you," Odin said. He then pointed to the shackles. "Those won't be necessary." With a nod, the guard unlocked the shackles from around Vielae's wrists. "Leave us." Sif and the guards saluted, and left, but not before Sif gave Vielae a poisonous glare. Vielae, however, was glued to the projection above the human girl. The presence in the back of her mind was becoming clearer, and Vielae didn't like the sound that she was hearing.
"I take it you know what this is, then?" Odin said. Barely aware of what he was saying, Vielae approached the table and nodded slightly. The presence was now clear as day, and she looked at the human lying on the table.
"How came you by this, Midgardian?" she asked, frowning. "This was locked away years ago."
"I don't know. I got pulled through a portal, ended up somewhere, and the next thing I knew, this thing was inside of me," she replied. "I'm Jane Foster, by the way." Vielae looked at the human. Her skin was slightly tanned and her hair was chestnut brown. She had a slender build and her clothes were hugging her body, showing a womanly but strong figure.
"Vielae of Svartalfheim," she replied.
"So, you do know what this is, right?" Jane asked, sounding a little confused. Vielae nodded this time.
"This is the Aether, a force powerful enough to wipe out the nine realms." Thor and Jane looked confused, but when Vielae and Odin locked gazes, she saw determination, and a bit of disbelief.
"I was afraid of that," he murmured.
"Father, what is the Aether?" Thor asked. Odin beckoned him to follow. Jane and Vielae also followed, and Vielae started to explain.
"The Aether has existed since before the birth of the nine realms," she said. "It has never been completely understood, but the most important thing to remember is that it is sentient. It behaves like a living thing. This fact brought us to the conclusion that it is, indeed, alive. Has anyone been hurt that you didn't mean to?" she asked Jane, who nodded.
"A police officer in London, and a few guards here," Jane replied.
"The Aether perceived them as a threat, and defended you as it's host," Vielae said.
"One dark elf once tried to destroy the nine realms with the Aether," Odin said as they entered a room in the library. He opened up a specific book and the pictures began to move slowly. Vielae recognized the scene all too well.
"Malekith," she whispered. Odin looked at her, and nodded.
"Yes, Lord Malekith the Accursed. He tried to use the Aether during the last Convergence. My father stopped him and hid the Aether away. Malekith, in a desperate attempt, killed off most of his army and disappeared. He's most likely dead, along with the rest of his people." Odin moved away from the book. Vielae looked at him and cleared her throat.
"The rest of his people?" she repeated. "Something you failed to mention, Allfather, is that your father captured me to signal the next convergence. The Convergence would be the time when Malekith would try again. The Aether calls to him, and I can hear it as well. Malekith may have been cruel, but he was determined and resourceful. I wouldn't count him out yet." Everyone looked at her. She then looked at Jane. "We need to remove the Aether from you. Along with being sentient, it is also a parasite. If we do not remove it soon, it will begin to consume you. You're doing remarkably well for a mortal, but I do not hold much hope. The longer you remain bound to it, the worse you're going to get."
"Okay," Jane said quietly. "Scared now."
"You said you can hear the call. Can you remove it from her?" Thor asked Vielae, who looked uncertain.
"I can try, but it may not work. It is calling to Malekith, the most powerful of our race," she mused. "It may not want anything to do with me."
"Try, please," Jane said. She stood squarely in front of Vielae and met her eyes with a fire that Vielae had only seen in one other person: Loki.
"Are you sure?" Vielae asked.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Jane asked, grounding her stance.
"I could speed up the process and you could die," Vielae said, choosing to be frank. Jane's expression faltered for a moment, but she strengthened her resolve and locked eyes with Vielae again.
"Try anyway," she said. Vielae studied the girl's expression, looking for any sign of doubt or fear. Much to her surprise, she found none.
"Very well," Vielae said. She faced Jane, took a deep breath, and held her hand out. She began mentally calling to the Aether, willing it to leave the human's body and inhabit her. To her surprise, she felt a tug in response, making her pull harder. However, when the Aether began to offer resistance, Jane let out a cry of pain, and Vielae let go. Jane doubled over, breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry," Vielae said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She was immediately pulled away by Thor, who stood in front of her, protectively.
"What do you think you're doing?" Thor said, raising Mjolnir.
"What she asked me to, you fool," Vielae retorted. "I stopped when it began to hurt her. Obviously, the Aether does not accept me as it's host."
"Then why did you try?" shouted the prince of Asgard.
"Because I wanted to try every option," Jane responded from behind her protector. Odin stepped forward, beckoning to two guards.
"Take her back to her cell," he commanded. As Vielae was shackled again, Jane pushed past Thor.
"Wait, where are you taking her?" she demanded.
"She is a prisoner," Odin replied. Nodding to the two guards, and they started to lead Vielae away.
"A prisoner?" Jane repeated. "You let her help me, and you're going to just chuck her back in jail?"
"She may have helped you, but she is still a Dark Elf. Just one is dangerous," Odin said. Vielae looked at Jane, stunned. This woman was standing up to the Allfather, the most powerful being in the Nine Realms, and she didn't even flinch under his gaze.
"Take her home, my son," Odin ordered Thor, and walked away. "And take her back to prison," he added to the guards. As Vielae was taken away, Jane jumped in front of Vielae and embraced her.
"Thank you for trying," she whispered. Vielae was shocked. She didn't know what to say. She had failed, and yet Jane was still thanking her for trying.
"You...you're welcome," Vielae managed to say. Jane smiled, and moved away. As she was taken back to the prison, she was confused. A woman who didn't even know her had just embraced her and thanked her for failing. It wasn't until she heard Loki's voice that she realized where she was.
"Vielae?" Loki was calling.
"What?" Vielae asked, snapping from her stupor.
"What did they want?" he asked, slightly annoyed for having to ask again.
"Oh," Vielae replied. She gathered herself mentally and focused. "Forgive me, Loki. I was thinking."
"I can see that," Loki replied, grinning slightly.
"I was asked to help someone," Vielae answered. "A human. Somehow, she's been bonded with the Aether."
"The Aether?" Loki asked, stunned. "I thought that was locked away for good,somewhere that cannot be reached by anyone."
"The Convergence is upon us, Loki. There are little portals everywhere. It's entirely possible for one to have opened up that would lead to the Aether," Vielae explained. Loki nodded, accepting her explanation. He then sat down, and started thinking. Vielae could almost see his thoughts swirling in his head. "Loki, it doesn't matter what you're thinking," she said, as though answering his thoughts. "We're stuck in here. No amount of magic can get through these walls, and the Aether will not answer to you, either." Loki looked up at Vielae, and smiled his most charming smile. It made Vielae's heart melt. However, she also noticed the mischievous, dangerous light sparkling in his bright green eyes. For some reason, Vielae didn't care. She loved that light in his eyes, and she loved his smile. She didn't know why, but she adored it.
"Something you will learn about me, Vielae," Loki crooned. "I can make any situation work for me." Vielae didn't doubt him at all, but she did fear for him.