Chapter 4: Hold on Tight

After that enlightening conversation Elysia was more bound and determined than ever to get control over the power she now contained. It was clear that the stone would not reverse what had been done and there wasn't anything that Elysia could do about it. At this point the only thing she truly wanted was to be able to be released from her imprisonment and allowed physical touch with others.

That was the worst thing about it all, that she could only touch what was provided in the room. Elysia had never been a particularly clingy child, occasional she would hang onto her brothers when something frightened her but beyond that she was very self-reliant. However she knew that as soon as she was "free" she would grab ahold of them and never let go.

People needed touch, it was a vital thing that many took for granted. To be deprived of it was serving to make her go mad. She never knew that there could be such an intense longing for a simple hand to hold, or the slightest brush of her fingertips against another's. Every time Thor and Loki would come to visit her the three of them would sit on the floor, separated by that awful barrier, and place their hands together as if they were actually touching. She appreciated the gesture, but there was a hollow ache in her heart every time they did it.

She had just finished her lesson for the day with her mother, they were practicing her holding objects without absorbing their energy, when her brothers came barreling into the waiting section. "Elysia you will never guess what father has just decreed!" Thor's cheeks were a bright rosy red, indicating that the boys had run all the way down here after their own lessons.

Frigga chuckled as she watched her children. How wonderful it would be to be young again and able to find joy within the smallest of things. Watching them as they were now, it was almost easy for Frigga to forget where they were exactly and why they were here.

Elysia walked closer to the barrier and took her place, hands raised and fingers splayed out as her brothers mirrored her actions without a second thought. "I have not seen you this excited for quite some time Thor, what did father do?"

Thor looked down at Loki, noticing him bouncing up and down on his heels in his excitement. "Loki, would you like to do the honors?" The blinding smile that overtook his younger brother's face let him know that he had made the correct decision.

"Father has decreed that the naming ceremony shall only occur once you are able to attend!"

Elysia's breath caught in the back of her throat. She didn't dare to believe it at first, surely she was not this lucky. A million thoughts raced through her head as she tried to comprehend what this meant for her.

"Well everyone has already chosen, but our ceremony will only be held when you're better." Thor felt the need to clarify slightly, hoping that the first part of his news would not cause her grief. While Odin had indeed postponed their ceremony, he had chosen not to change the date of the simple one where the other children would choose their titles during lessons.

The only reason for an actual naming ceremony was when it involved the royal children.

Elysia's eyes were soft when she gazed at both boys, and they felt immediate relief. If she had started to cry that would have complicated things, seeing as how they could not comfort her in the way that they wanted to. She had been gaining more control and Eir had been hopeful that she would be able to be released in the coming weeks.

Elysia had wanted to lay down and cry it all out, maybe even pretend that the whole thing was just a long nightmare, but she knew that the longer she wallowed in self-pity the longer she would remain isolated. Frigga had sensed the conflict within her daughter and had given her a push in the right direction, something Elysia was extremely grateful for.

"I know that it hurts at the moment and that you must want to look for a way out, but darling as much as I hate to tell you this Eir has not found a cure and is not likely to. You must move on with life because life will move on without you. So let it hurt, let it rage and let it burn, then let it go."

Without her mother's words she might not have had the will to pick herself back up. However it was only after her conversation with the stone that she was truly willing to begin to let this wound heal. Elysia didn't want to be destined for anything, so she was determined to live her life the way she wanted, without dwelling on what was apparently fated.

"Yes, your father and I spoke about it at great lengths and determined that it would be wholly unfair to hold the ceremony when not all of you could be in attendance." It had been surprisingly easy for Frigga to talk her husband into the idea, knowing that he held a soft spot for the child he called daughter. "And now this gives you more time to choose which title you would like to possess." Frigga sent a sly wink to her children upon seeing their shocked faces, letting them know that mothers know all.

Elysia's face heated up and she quickly changed the subject by asking her brothers about their day. The three of them got lost in their own world as they talked about what they had learned during lessons and the tales that had been told about their history.

"Speaking of tales," Elysia looked over at their mother in anticipation, "would you tell us a story please?"

Loki and Thor's faces brightened but they tried to damper it slightly, wanting to seem like they were too old to ask for stories even though they loved them just as much as their younger sister. Frigga knew better but tried to humor them anyway. "What story would you like to hear today my darling?"

There was a slight pause and Elysia glanced down at her hands, debating whether or not to ask. "...Can you tell us about the story of the girl with starlight in her veins?"

Frigga glanced over at her daughter in surprise. That was a story that she herself had heard when she was a child, she hadn't thought that her children would have known about it, but she supposed that children spoke amongst themselves and that they had heard rumors. "I suppose that it would make for a good story, but it has been awhile since I've heard it, so I might have forgotten some of it."

The boys had been intrigued, this was a story they hadn't heard before, and such a thing was rare. When your parents were the Allfather and Queen there was no shortage of bedtime stories full of excitement and adventure at their disposal. Frigga began to spin the story, trying her best to remember it the way her mother had told it to her.

The story was about a girl who was chosen to become the universe's champion, and she was loved by all those she saved. But one day a creature of immeasurable strength appeared, as they always do in stories, and the girl found she could not win. So she prayed to the gods for a favor, to give her the strength required to win and protect the people. But the gods required a sacrifice, one that would prove to them just how far she was willing to go to save the universe.

The children sat in rapt attention as their mother waved her hands around during the battle scenes and plastered on a look of utter defeat when relaying the loss the girl had suffered. Frigga's hands lit up green as she used her magic as an example to show them that the gods gifted the girl with starlight so that she could win against the monster. None of them payed any attention to the look of contemplation that arose on Elysia's face as the Frigga described the starlight.

"The girl made a sacrifice, the biggest one a person could make, and in the end she was rewarded for her bravery and everything she lost was returned to her and more. The universe wanted to see if she would make such a sacrifice, and she proved herself worthy. But the moral of the story was that even though the girl had saved the people she was still just a girl, who had many dreams and many failings. And the starlight in her veins that made her so special was not given to her, she unknowingly put it there herself. The story goes that if we are brave then we all carry a piece of that starlight in our veins as well." Frigga sat back as she finished her story, proud that she had remembered as much as she did.

'Mother, I do not think that it is just a story,' Elysia thought looking down at her now softly glowing hands. 'Fore this seems to bear a strong resemblance to starlight.'

It was another month before Elysia was finally permitted to leave her isolation and regain contact with others. She had never mentioned her suspicions about the story to Frigga in fear that it would end up with her being locked in the room longer for more tests to be run. Elysia had never been a liar before, but right about now she was willing to do anything to go back home.

Eir and her family stood on the opposite side of the barrier as they prepared to lift it and let her pass through. The children's eyes were locked on each other and all three were practically bouncing on their feet as they waited for the moment that they could be reunited. The adults laughed fondly at the sight.

As soon as Eir swiped at the screen and the shimmering barrier dissipated she launched herself into Thor and Loki's arms.

There were no words that could describe how it felt to grasp ahold of them again.

Tears fell from her eyes like a river and her irises lit up while her emotions went haywire. Over the time in her isolation she had gained enough control that the adults were not concerned when her eyes changed to golden anymore. Every part where her skin touched theirs felt like a lightning bolt was racing across in her blood.

The strange colors returned as she cried, her mother's green and her father's blue still reaching out and swirling around each other. Loki's color remained firmly planted within him, much like herself, but Thor's soft yellow hue trailed off out of the room as if it were in search of something. She still didn't know what the colors meant, but they seemed only to appear when her emotions ran high.

Her brother's arms were wrapped around her like steel bands, refusing to let go. The last time they had been able to touch her was when they were running her down to the healer's rooms, they had been unable to hold her and reassure themselves that she was truly okay afterwards.

Eventually Frigga could hold herself back no longer and she fell to her knees to wrap her arms around all of her children, feeling as though everything was finally right in her world again. To not hold her child proved to be torture for Frigga. Odin walked over to them and placed a hand upon Elysia's shoulder in silent support, not allowing the others in the room to see just how much this moment was affecting him.

By the time that the small family had loosened their hold on each other Elysia had fallen asleep on her brothers, the relief she felt from being in their presence proved to be soothing and for the first time in two months she slept peacefully.

Odin reached down in preparation to lift her in his arms but was stopped when his sons refused to let go. Thor looked up at him, "There is no need father, Loki and I shall take it from here." Eir let loose a chuckle from the back of the room as the eldest prince lifted his small sleeping sister in his arms, Loki refusing to relinquish her hand from his grip as he stood next to his siblings.

The boys turned and walked back to their quarters with Elysia, knowing that all three of them would be sleeping in the same room tonight. Frigga watched them go with happy tears in her eyes. She had never been more grateful that fate had gifted her with children who loved one another so deeply.

A flash of dark hair hit her and she remembered a familiar young woman sent hurling towards Hel to be trapped there as she cried in outrage. No matter how much time passed Frigga would never forget the sight of her thrashing and yelling obscenities as she promised retribution. A tear ran unchecked down her cheek at the onslaught of memories she wished to forget.

Fate had blessed almost all of her children.

Elysia woke up in a panic during the middle of the night, firmly convinced that the previous day has been nothing more than a dream. Yet there were two bodies that were intertwined with hers, one head resting upon her stomach and the other right above her own head that proved her wrong. Arms were strewn across different bodies as the three children laid so close that had anyone seen them it would have been hard to tell where one began and the other stopped.

Loki was silently sleeping as he rested on her stomach, trying his best to cuddle closer in his unconscious state. Thor was loudly snoring as he kept his back towards the door, always insisting that if someone were to break in that he be first target. Even in his sleep he was protecting them.

Elysia felt like her heart would burst from the love that she held for them, thanking the Allfathers for their place in her life. She pulled both of them closer as she drifted back towards her dreams, unaware that both Loki and Thor had woken several times before to ensure that she was still there with them.

A faint glow encased the children, soothing them back to sleep whenever one would wake and search for the others fearing that they had been separated once again.

Going back to lessons after the incident had been a very intriguing experience. No one had been informed of what she could now do, Odin had not wanted a mass panic on his hands nor for word to get out of Asgard of what the young girl now possessed.

For Elysia it was hard to be there, but she had Thor and Loki to help her get through the days. She was constantly worried that she could slip up and injure someone.

Except Alvilda perhaps.

If there was anyone that Elysia would not have minded disintegrating it would have been Alvilda. That girl had been a continual thorn in Elysia's side, constantly reminding her that Odin and Frigga were in fact not her birth parents and that her title of princess was not tied to blood. It had been hard but Elysia dealt with it because she could not dispute the truth in those statements. But it was only when the girl had insinuated that Thor and Loki did not love her due to their lack of familial ties that Elysia had cried her heart out.

It had taken quite a while for Elysia to finally come clean with her brothers over what was said and once she did it had taken her an entire day to talk them both out of wringing that girl's neck. After that she was showered in high words of love and neither left her alone with the spoiled little girl.

"Would you look at that, Princess Elysia has finally graced us with her presence."

Elysia practically deflated as she heard Alvilda's voice ring out among the room. She had been standing with Loki and Sif while they discussed the obviously large topic at hand between them. Elysia had practically begged Frigga to stay at the palace and continue their practice in place of going to their lessons, but unfortunately that's not how life worked.

Elysia tried to ignore her, but the grating sound of her voice rung clear like a bell and was inescapable. Slowly the spectacle had gathered the attention of the other children and she could see Thor making his way over from the corner of her eye.

"Oh wait, you're not actually a princess are you? The Allfather just took you in because he felt sorry for you." Alvilda sneered at Elysia, trying to see how far she would have to go to push her over the edge. She couldn't help it, everything about the so-called princess rubbed her the wrong way. Why was it that this orphan girl got to be princess of the nine realms? The two months without her had been wonderful, she had assumed that by now Elysia had decided to quit coming to lessons because she realized she was not wanted here.

Elysia could feel herself becoming upset and she fought to control her reaction, knowing that it was Odin's wish for her to keep the energy a secret. The dark look upon Loki's face was a clear indication that he was about to do something that their parent's surely would not approve of.

There was a feeling deep within her that urged her to protect herself, the feeling was so strong that Elysia let it take control. Before she knew what was happening her mouth was moving, "And yet I am more of a princess than you'll ever be Alvilda."

A hush fell over the room at her soft spoken reply. Elysia had never stood up for herself before and the thought of her talking back to Alvilda had previously seemed impossible. Thor, who had just come up to the rest of them, grinned broadly as he took in the look of shock on the little girl's face. He knew that since he was a prince he was supposed to take a personal interest in every citizen of Asgard, but Alvilda was a whole different case.

If it were up to him and Loki they would have chucked her off the Rainbow Bridge a long time ago.

Alvilda's face turned a nasty shade of red and it looked like she was going to make her way closer to Elysia. Loki had officially had enough of the quivering little girl and subtly flicked his fingers in the direction of one of the chairs, shifting it so that she collided with it and fell to the floor in front of the entire throng of children.

The attention shifted from Elysia onto Alvilda, who was sprawled out across the floor, and loud laughter flooded the room. Elysia wanted to feel bad for her, and she supposed that somewhere deep down she did, but for the moment she was just grateful that her brother had handled the situation.

Odin had said that Elysia was not to use her magic, but he never said anything about Loki using his.

During their mid-day break the three siblings had decided to branch off, they weren't ready to part with each other quite yet and did not want others to invade on their time together. They made their way to the inner garden of the palace, laid down on the grass and gazed up at the sky, knowing that there were thousands of worlds out there just waiting for them.

The silence was nice, but there was a more pressing matter that weighted on her mind. "Thor, you and Sif..." she searched for words that would get her point across while still being sensitive to the subject at hand. "Are you planning on doing something about that?"

"What would I possibly do?" She couldn't see his face but she could hear the confusion in his voice.

This time it was Loki who interjected, "She is your soulmate..."

Thor propped himself up on his elbow and grinned at them, "Sif and I will remain good companions, and one day we shall ride into battle together and fight side by side just like great warriors do."

Loki and Elysia could only stare blankly at their emotionally stunted brother. They wondered how it was possible for someone to be so clueless about the matters of the heart. Elysia's head tilted to the side as she tried to figure out whether or not Thor was jesting with them. He had to be, because surely he did not think that his soulmate wanted nothing more than to be a battle companion.

"Have you spoken to Sif about that?"

Loki could only nod at his sister's question, showing his support in her line of thinking. While both their soulmates had yet to be born, Thor was currently going to primary lessons with his. In that way both siblings thought their eldest brother was certainly lucky to be so close to his soulmate, but now they could see that they should clearly pity Sif for being stuck with him.

"Some things you do not have to discuss little sister. When both of you meet your soulmates you'll realize that with them such silent arrangements are possible."

Elysia had seen the way her friend stared at her brother and knew there was no possible way in all the nine realms that Thor's opinion on both their thoughts was correct.

For everyone and their mother had seen Sif's face full of longing whenever the eldest prince had walked by.

Once Elysia was free to join the rest of society the naming ceremony had been put in motion and before she knew it Elysia would have her title come the next morning. The whole of Asgard was invited to the royal event where they would discover what their future Allfather and his siblings would be referred to as.

The only problem with the whole thing was that due to the incident Elysia had been too preoccupied to choose a name, and the stress was getting to her. At this point she would have to take Loki up on his previous offer and just share the title between the two of them.

Frigga came into the room, noting that the three of them were still sharing the room, and was surprised to see her daughter still awake. "Is something wrong my darling?" She kept her voice down so that her sons did not wake.

Elysia looked up at her mother, "I'm still seeing those colors again." It wasn't what she had originally wanted to talk about but she did not want to admit that she was still clueless as to her title. After seeing the colors for the second time she had talked to Frigga about it, who in turn had taken the matter up with Eir.

"Eir thinks that perhaps what you are seeing are souls themselves." Frigga could see the dawning panic within her daughter's eyes and quickly tried to quell it, "But only when they come into contact with their soulmates. That's what you saw with your father and I, as well as Thor with young Sif. My darling you are seeing the soulmate bond at it's very core."

Elysia did not want to believe it, but it made sense. Not only did she have to be the host of an infinity stone's energy but now she saw souls as well. She felt like throwing her hands up at the unfairness of the whole situation, the voice had not once told her anything about souls. In the back of her mind she realized that she must have seen Thor's soul reaching out for Sif's while they were back in Eir's rooms.

Frigga tried to talk more with Elysia about it but she could see that her daughter had closed up on the matter. So she bid her goodnight with the promise that she would be back in the morning to help her prepare for the ceremony.

Elysia eased back into her position between the boys as she pondered on what her mother had just revealed. Perhaps this would be in her favor. If she could see the physical ties between soulmates than she should be able to follow the color of her soul to her own mate. The thought made her giddy with joy, now all she had to do was wait for them to be born.

Before she could fully drift off, Elysia was struck with a brilliant idea. Her thoughts echoed in her head as she fell asleep with a small smile etched on her face.

Souls huh?

The next day found Elysia pacing up and down the hallway leading to the balcony where they would soon be presented. There were no words that could be spoken between them, seeing as Odin was already giving the speech that would end with their arrival in front of their people.

One of Odin's advisors ushered them into their place, standing side by side as a united front, for when the doors would open. The three grasped ahold of each other's hands, a bundle of excitement and nerves resting in the pit of their stomachs.

The doors swung open wide and all was silent as the three children stepped forward, past a proud looking Odin and Frigga to gaze upon the sea of Asgardians that had congregated for the ceremony. The advisor begun to speak, his voice carrying out for all to hear.

"Now presenting Prince Thor, The God of Thunder."

Her eldest brother practically beamed with pride as he puffed out his chest and tried to imitate their father's stance. All his friends from lessons were shooting him large grins as they tried to contain their cries of joy until the end of the ceremony. Meanwhile Sif was shyly smiling up at him, proud that her soulmate was so happy on such an important day.

"Prince Loki, The God of Mischief."

There were a few confused tilts of the head at his title, but any who knew him where smiling like they held a secret. Loki, who looked as though he could do no wrong, could very easily trick someone out of everything they owned. Needless to say, most thought his title was quite fitting.

Elysia opened her eyes to stare upon the people that she would one day help to lead. These people would look up to her in times of distress, and when the day came she wanted to be able to say she did her best in that role. With a deep breath she calmed her trembling hands and straightened her shoulders, waiting for her name to be called.

"And Princess Elysia, The Goddess of Souls."

The three children were hit with thunderous applause as their fates in Asgard were sealed.