Reagan screamed as terror coursed through every fibre of her being. Flashes of blinding white and red light cut through the pitch-black darkness that engulfed her, accompanied by the ghastly sounds of inhuman screams, distant and coming from somewhere in the darkness. Her ankles and wrists were shackled, stretching her limbs out so far that her joints sung with pain. All over her body things grabbed at her, clawing, crushing, twisting. Her entire frame was bruised and battered. Sharp instruments pierced into her with no warning causing her to scream. She couldn't struggle, couldn't so much as twist away. Her throat was raw from hours of screaming. Exhaustion overwhelmed her. How long had she endured this now without rest or reprieve? Days? Weeks? She desperately tried to inhale but it was as if there was no oxygen in the atmosphere around her. Boiling heat rose up inside of her, in her chest, up her spine, inside her head. It wasn't like her fire which she'd come to find comfort in, no, this heat was unbearable, acidic, trying to eat her from the inside out. And yet her extremities were impossibly cold. Alone. Afraid. She couldn't beg for help, she couldn't ask them to stop. She knew it would only make it worse. Cruel laughter sounded around her and a sob escaped her lips, knowing that this was just the beginning. No help was coming for her. Not a soul in the universe knew she was there.
Reagan shot up in her bed gasping desperately for air. She gulped in deep breaths and tried to calm herself. Tremors wracked through her body and she climbed onto her knees, clutching at the mattress and quilts beneath her to try and ground herself - to try and convince herself she was safe, that it had all just been a dream. As her breathing began to subside, her deep gasps turned into sobs and she realised her face was wet with tears. She raised a trembling hand to brush her hair from her sweat-soaked brow and squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the horrible images the nightmare had left flashing through her mind.
Only, the images wouldn't relent. She saw them still, just as vibrant, just as awful, as they had been when she was dreaming. She could all but feel the pain, her head was still filled with the terror - with her screams.
No, she realised, not her screams. His.
Her heart was still pounding as she forced her mind down the link and found that it was wide open. Loki's nightmare was pouring freely into her mind, dousing her in the horrors he was experiencing while unconscious.
She couldn't stand it.
Loki, she called to him, gently. Loki, wake up.
His anguished screams rang through her mind again and she flinched away from them. She'd never heard a sound so awful - raw, visceral.
Loki, you have to wake up. Her pleas grew a little more urgent. You're okay, everything is alright. It's a nightmare, it's not real.
Overwhelming fear flooded down the link, sinking deep into Reagan's bones.
Loki! Loki, please wake up!
Let it stop. Let it be over, she heard him groan.
It's okay, Loki, just please wake up!
Instantly, as if a switch had been flicked, the images snapped out of her mind and left in their wake was pooling confusion and disorientation. She sat there, still trying to catch her breath as she waited for him to come back to a state of full consciousness.
Are you alright? She asked, unable to stop herself.
His focus suddenly snapped to the connection between the two of them. Though he didn't answer her, his focus on her was so intense that it swept the air out of her lungs.
What the hell was that? She asked him.
Without answer, Loki's icy mental barricade came crashing down between them and suddenly Reagan was alone again. She loosed a low, shuddering breath and slumped back against her pillows as her heartbeat, at last, began to slow down. She lay there, playing the images over in her mind, now that she could separate herself from the all-consuming terror that had come along with them. She'd never felt fear like that before, not even when she'd caught fire for the first time in Norway. It had all felt so real, unlike any dream she'd ever experienced. Was that how Asgardian dreams felt? Or... had those images been more than just a dream? Had those things happened to Loki? Had she just witnessed not a nightmare, but a memory?
As she turned these thoughts over in her head she began to realise there was more than just the images of the nightmare that lingered in her mind. There were whispers of him there, footprints, snapshots of other memories, not so horrible. She focused on the ghostly remnants of him in her mind and slowly pieced together images of him sitting by his mother's side. He was younger, much younger, and Frigga smiled warmly at him as she opened up her hand and produced tiny glowing fireworks in her palm. His tiny hand rested upon her knee as he leaned in to get a closer look, awestruck. There were flashes - frames - of Loki alone in a room lined with books and adorned with decor of golds and deep greens; his bedroom, Reagan supposed. She could see him running along with other children, all calling for Thor's attention, for Thor to play on their team. She could see Odin, gazing proudly at his golden-haired son.
Reagan's eyes eventually grew heavy, and she slipped into a deep sleep. And while he was no longer invading her mind, her dreams were still filled with Loki.
When Reagan woke again the next morning, Loki's barrier was still firmly in place.
Loki? She prodded at it cautiously - experimentally - but received no reaction.
Relief washed over her that she'd slept through the rest of the night without the dark-haired man nosing through her thoughts and memories, though she couldn't help the small pool of concern that settled in her stomach as her mind wandered back to the nightmare once more.
Retreating back into her own mind, she stretched and twisted her joints, relieved to find that the aches and pains she'd amounted from the battle against the Chitauri were starting to ease. After the events of the night before, Reagan strongly suspected that Loki wouldn't be invading her mind that morning, so she took the opportunity to make her way into the washroom and run a bath.
As the water ran and the room filled with steam, Reagan poured in a variety of sweetly scented oils, and bubbles began to form in the tub. She shed her nightgown and climbed into the scalding hot water. Settling back into the tub she closed her eyes and breathed out a long, slow sigh of relief, happy to feel alone at last for the first time in days.
As her fingers and toes began to prune and the water began to cool, Reagan summoned forth her fire and reheated the bathwater, more than content to stay there, relaxing for the remainder of the day.
When Reagan woke once again the next morning to Loki's barrier, she determined that Loki had no intention of interacting with her again any time soon. His mental shield hadn't budged since she'd woken him, not even throughout the night when she'd got up to use the bathroom or to drink some water. Vaguely, she wondered if he was intentionally avoiding sleep so that she wouldn't be granted accidental access to his mind again. Whatever the reason was, she was glad for it and left the barrier alone, worried she might antagonise him into tormenting her again.
After having spent the past few days either curled up in bed moping or soaking in dramatically over-perfumed bathwater, Reagan decided it was time to leave her room and explore the realm of Asgard. It was, after all, three days since she'd arrived there and she'd only seen from the Rainbow Bridge to the Throne room. She wanted to explore.
Soon a knock sounded at her door and a maid entered, carrying a breakfast tray. Reagan felt a little guilty when it then occurred to her that she hadn't made much of an effort to talk to the woman. She had just been so wrapped up in the mental turmoil Loki was inflicting upon her that she hadn't really paid any attention to the other woman's coming and going.
The maid smiled at her as she set the tray down. "Good morning, my lady."
"Hi," she responded. "I'm Reagan, by the way."
"Malin, my lady."
Reagan approached her, twisting her nightgown in her hands, awkwardly. "I just wanted to apologise, you know, for burning the sheets the other night and the general rudeness and bad moods over the past few days. I've just- I've just been having a rough time." She offered her an apologetic smile.
"That's quite alright, my lady. It's completely understandable given the circumstances-" Malin caught herself and suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Reagan pulled a face somewhere between a grimace and a smile. "Ah, so you've heard about the soulmate thing then, I guess? Not going to lie to you, it freaking sucks."
Malin laughed just a little at that and dipped her head, uncertain of what to say.
"So, I was thinking about exploring at little today," Reagan said, shifting the subject. "Any suggestions on where to start?"
Malin nodded. "The Queen's gardens are one of the most beautiful sights to behold in all of Asgard."
Reagan was a little surprised by that. She'd figured Asgard would have something a little more exciting to offer. "Seriously, a garden? I thought maybe-"
"Oh, it's not what you're expecting. It's filled with plants that Queen Frigga enchanted herself. It's really more of a forest than a garden. It's wonderful."
"Alright, I'll trust you," Reagan said with a shrug. "I've never seen a magic flower before, let alone a whole garden full of them."
Reagan then glanced down at the nightgown she'd been wearing for the past few days, then looked up at Malin, uncertain of how to ask if there was anything else available for her to wear. Malin caught on immediately and guided Reagan into the adjoining room.
"The queen already had us arrange some garments for you, my lady," Malin told her.
"Please, call me Reagan," she said as she followed Malin towards the wardrobe.
Malin pulled open two large doors, revealing a selection of twenty or so dresses, all of the Asgardian style. The colours ranged from deep earthy tones to rich blues and purples. Reagan couldn't help but notice that there were also more than a few that were dark shades of green adorned with black and gold accents. Loki's colours. She intended to avoid those at all costs.
"These are so beautiful," Reagan breathed, moving forward and running her fingers over the fabrics. She could instantly feel the quality of the fabrics were far above anything she'd ever worn on Earth.
Malin helped Reagan change into a beautiful sky-blue dress that was decorated with gold trimmings, and layers of soft and silky fabrics. Malin wrapped the materials around Reagan's torso and pinned them in place, before draping the long, sweeping fabrics gracefully from her shoulders in a way that truly flattered her collar bones. When Reagan looked in her mirror, she hardly recognised herself. She looked graceful, beautiful even, and it had been a long time since Reagan had allowed herself to feel that way. She smoothed her hands over the dress as she stared at her reflection.
"Wow," she breathed.
"It looks lovely on you," Malin said, and Reagan turned to smile at her just in time to see the way Malin's gaze fell upon Reagan's forearm.
Reagan glanced down at the Mark of Sjelevii and covered it self-consciously with her hand. She could feel her cheeks staining red, uneasy at the thought of parading it around Asgard for all to see.
"Perhaps you'd like me to add some sleeves?" Malin suggested carefully.
"Yes," Reagan nodded resolutely. "I'd appreciate that, thank you."
Malin guided Reagan to sit in a nearby chair and set to work fashioning her some sleeves from the fabrics which draped from her shoulders. Reagan watched her work, mesmerised as Malin magicked flawless stitching into place.
"How are you doing that?" Reagan asked.
"Many Asgardians are taught small feats of magic," Malin explained. "Small feats such as this take time to learn and it's the most that the majority of us are able to achieve. There are a few who possess a far greater affinity for magic, they can do a great deal more wonderful things." Malin hesitated before she added, "sometimes terrible things too."
Reagan's mind inevitably wandered to Loki. It was so strange to think about the events of the past few days, about how dramatically her life had shifted in such a short period of time all because of a stupid glowing cube and that raven-haired maniac.
"What do you know about him?" Reagan asked as she watched Malin magic another seem into place. "About Loki."
Malin paused for a moment, weighing her words. "I haven't interacted much with him myself but..."
"But what?"
"In the past, he's liked to play tricks on the maids. He once vanished all the door handles in the entire palace so we couldn't get in and out of rooms to do our duties until the Queen ordered him to fix it. Some of the guards were actually forced to barge some doors down. One summer there was an infestation of crickets - though we can't prove whether or not Prince Loki was to blame for that - but he started making them invisible so they would chirp but you had no hope of finding them. We lost many nights' rest due to all the noise. Another time at a banquet, he transformed all the wine into ink and, well, a great many of the noble people were forced to walk around with bright blue teeth for weeks."
Reagan nodded pensively, forcing herself to suppress a smirk at the idea of it. She was quietly confident that Malin wouldn't appreciate Reagan finding those stories amusing, and even if he wasn't in her head anymore, she hated the idea of giving Loki the satisfaction of finding anything he did funny.
"Okay..." Reagan said. "So in the past, he wasn't so much evil as he was a massive pain in the ass. I mean, how do you go from invisible crickets to trying to invade a planet?"
Malin glanced up at Reagan and then returned to the sleeve she was finishing. "He once also set assassins loose in the palace to try to kill the King. This was only a few years ago, right before he disappeared."
"Wow, okay. So he really switched gears there," Reagan replied quietly. Her eyes fell on the Mark once more, which Malin was just in the process of covering up. "It has to be wrong..."
Malin looked up at her again, a look of sympathy on her features. "For your sake, my lady, I hope so."
Whatever Reagan had been expecting Asgard to be, her wildest imaginings paled in comparison. The entire city gleamed in the sunlight. Gorgeous terraces were built into cliff faces, overseeing buildings of stone, marble and gold. Everywhere she turned, Reagan saw greenery, intricate craftworks carved into marble walls, awe-inspiring statues and artworks more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen on Earth.
A sweet scent hung in the air, and children ran around laughing as they chased after flying toys.
Seven moons hung in the sky overhead and a dusting of stars could be seen on the horizon just past the snow-capped mountains.
As she moved through the city, Reagan noticed that all of the people of Asgardian were dressed in the finest clothing, their hair pulled back into elegant styles. They were all immaculate, not a hair out of place, and Reagan wondered vaguely what they thought of her wandering around with her hair falling freely around her shoulders.
It wasn't long before Reagan started to pick up on the strange glances that were being thrown her way, and she soon began to suspect it had little to do with her hair. Since Norway, she'd grown accustomed to staring, and people whispering about her. She'd been naive to think it wouldn't happen here too. She was, after all, still an oddity even here. She grew increasing grateful for the sleeve that hid the Mark from view as she heard broken snippets of the things people whispered as she passed.
"-the girl from Midgard-"
"-she bears the Mark-"
"-impossible-"
"-strange-"
"-belongs to Loki-"
The last one made her flinch and she picked up her pace, following Malin's directions to the Queen's garden, desperately hoping they were, in fact, a boring sight to see, and therefore rather deserted.
When she finally reached the gardens, she was relieved to find that they were a lot quieter than the sections of the city she had just passed through. A few Asgardians still glanced her way when she entered, but they kept their distance, and any whispering they might have been doing was out of her earshot. Reagan gazed around the garden and let out a low breath, she couldn't help but smile. It was beautiful. Ancient. Tranquil. Calm water trickled down a stream that laced its way throughout the garden. Huge hanging trees interrupted the sunlight, giving a serene feel to the atmosphere. There were gorgeous flowers of every colour, right up to the pebbled pathways. Songbirds sang out from their hiding places amongst the tree branches. The air was filled with a calming mix of floral scents along with something that reminded her of baked cookies.
Reagan crouched down to get a closer look at a nearby plant that was bursting with unusual flowers of different shades of purple, she watched as they danced in the gentle breeze, glistening like diamonds. She reached out carefully and ran a fingertip along one of the petals with a feather-light touch.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Came a voice from behind her. Reagan shot to her feet and turned to find a tall man with long, blonde, braided hair approaching her, smiling widely. He was handsome, though Reagan had quickly come to realise that just about every person in all of Asgard was. He approached her with his hands clasped behind his back. "Queen Frigga enchanted them herself so that the petals will change colour each day to match her attire. She spends a great deal of her time in these gardens."
Unsure of what to say, Reagan just turned back to look at the flowers once more.
"I'm Reagan," she told him, glancing back at him again.
"I've heard," he replied, still smiling. "Your arrival in Asgard has drummed up quite a bit of gossip."
Reagan cringed at that. "Yeah, to be honest, I was hoping I was just imagining all the stares. I suppose not."
"All due to your beauty, I'm sure." He beamed at her and barked out a short, incredulous laugh.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure that's it."
The man laughed at that. "In any case, it's a pleasure to meet you, lady Reagan. I am Halvor."
Halvor took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He bowed low and pressed a kiss to her knuckles then smiled up at her, her hand still clasped in his.
Reagan offered a tight-lipped smile in return, uncomfortable with the gesture. She slowly retrieved her hand back from him, hoping she'd waited long enough to not appear rude.
"Might I interest you in a tour?" He offered.
Reagan hesitated for a moment. There was something about him that felt a little forced, in his loud, projecting voice and the way he carried himself. A strange, off-putting sort of confidence. But then she supposed that Thor had been a little odd to interact with at first too, and Loki-
Don't think about Loki, she chided herself.
They were from different worlds, she reminded herself, maybe their social cues were just a little out of alignment.
Plus, he's still better company than I've been saddled with for the past few days, she shot the bitter thought off-handedly in the direction of the icy barrier Loki was still holding in place. Even if the hand-kiss was a little creepy.
"Sure, why not?" Reagan said in response to his offer.
"Wonderful," he beamed at her.
Halvor offered Reagan her arm and she accepted it, falling into step behind him as he guided her deeper into the Queen's Garden.
A massive water feature soon came into view. It was made entirely of bronze, a huge dragon-like creature stretched its head skyward, jaws open to allow water to burst from its mouth, showering down into the small pond surrounding it. Reagan couldn't help but think that it looked rather out of place there. Halvor gestured towards it.
"This fountain was installed 600 years ago as a gift from Queen Frigga to King Odin on his Name Day."
Actually...
Dread instantly filled her as the now-familiar voice sounded in her mind for the first time in days.
Please no, Reagan cringed, willing it to have just been her imagination.
She was not so fortunate.
Odin gifted it to her because she was mad at him for having her beloved raven released into the wild when it defecated on his throne.
"Prince Thor and I used to play here when we were boys," Halvor told her, not having noticed the sudden change in her demeanour. "We used to race down the pathways, determined to outdo each other. So often we were neck and neck, I barely remember who the victor was most of the time."
What an odd thing to lie about, Loki mused inside her mind. Though I suppose he's only talking to you, he must realise mortals are easily impressed.
Would you go away? She hissed at him.
Beside her, Halvor was talking about competitions of strength he and Thor used to take part in as children, but she couldn't bring herself to focus on his words when once again, Loki was rooting around in her mind.
Is this truly the best company you can drum up in all of Asgard?
Reagan envisioned herself kicking Loki hard in the shin, hoping he might feel it, but it only earned her a low laugh from him.
I'll take that as a yes, he said.
"Reagan?" Halvor said, and she snapped her attention back to him. "You seem distracted. Did you hear what I said?"
Oh shit, she thought, what had he said?
Something about having an abnormally shaped head, I suspect, Loki remarked.
"I'm sorry, Halvor, I've just started to get the most annoying headache," she told him as she pulled her arm free of his, attempting once again to force Loki from her mind with a wince. "I think I might just go back to my room and rest for a while."
"Oh, yes, of course," Halvor replied, sounding a little disappointed. "Perhaps I could show you around another time?"
"I'd like that," she told him, attempting to smile while Loki poked and prodded around in her head. "I'm sorry, I really have to go."
She offered him a quick wave before retreating from the gardens and hurrying back towards her chambers, growing angrier with every footstep.
You're welcome, Loki said and Reagan could sense him smirking.
Her eyebrows shot toward her hairline. I'm welcome? Welcome for what? Did you do that on purpose?
Did I spare you from an afternoon in the company of that doldrum? Yes, I did do that on purpose. Again, you're welcome.
He wasn't a doldrum, he was being nice to me. Reagan shot back as she stormed down the palace hallways.
Please, the exact word you used was "creepy."
That was just- Reagan came to an abrupt halt. Wait, you heard that? I thought you had your ice walls up.
She felt sudden hesitance from him, and she sensed that he'd made a misstep. Reagan furrowed her eyebrows as she replayed the moment she'd had the thought. She'd felt spiteful and had thrown it in Loki's direction, assuming it would go unnoticed. The icy shield had stood firmly in place, she was certain of it. She tilted her head to the side as realisation slowly dawned on her.
Can you hear me if I talk to you? She asked him slowly.
Again, Loki remained silent.
You can, can't you? Even with the shield up. A grin began to tug at her features and excitement caused her heart to start racing.
When Loki didn't respond immediately she suspected that he was scrambling for some kind of excuse to undo what he had just given away. But it was too late, Reagan knew she was right, she could feel it - and she was absolutely elated. Finally, she had some leverage.
Teach me how to block you out of my head. She demanded then, filled with a new sense of confidence.
Loki barked out a surprised laugh. And why would I ever do something like that?
Because you can hear me and I have nothing better to do with my time than annoy you. And I will spend every waking moment doing exactly that unless you show me how to block my mind like you do.
She felt him sneer in her direction. Do your worst, mortal.
Oh, she intended to.
Talking non-stop proved a little harder than Reagan had expected seeing as she didn't really want to give Loki any more information about herself than he'd already taken from her against her will. Instead, she figured she'd speak about Thor, confident that Loki would loathe it. She quickly learned that she'd been very correct about that. She felt anger and annoyance ebbing from him as she rambled on about Thor's confidence, and how kind, determined and strong he was. She could feel Loki scowling when she gushed over the way Thor wielded Mjölnir and his ability to summon lightning. She was certain she had his blood absolutely boiling when she moved on to how attractive Thor was - his long golden hair, his gorgeous blue eyes, those unbelievably sculpted muscles.
The problem with this strategy, however, was that Reagan had only known Thor for a few days so she rapidly ran out of things to say about him, and found herself growing bored with the subject. So, from there she moved on to asking questions about Asgard. After all, she did have hundreds she was dying to ask. She'd even managed to goad Loki into a conversation once or twice with a few of the stranger ones.
Where does all the water go though? She asked. How does Asgard have any left?
After a moment Loki's voice echoed in her head, albeit sounding annoyed. What are you talking about?
Well, it just keeps spilling off the edges in all directions, right? So how hasn't it just drained away completely? Is there some kind of gigantic catchment system underneath us or something?
Of course not. It's magic.
What kind of magic though? Magic that makes new water? Or magic that returns the water back to Asgard after it's fallen?
I don't-
I mean, it seems a little wasteful if it's not the latter, right? And who put the magic there in the first place? Wait, did someone have to add the water? Was it just barren land before that?
Asgard is the mightiest kingdom in all the Nine Realms, you wretched fool, it has never been barren land.
Alright, calm down. It was just a question.
Eventually, Loki remembered himself and stopped engaging, and once again, Reagan grew bored. She disliked the beat of silence she had to leave after the questions to allow him to answer, especially when he stopped answering.
And that's how, hours later, Reagan found herself laying starfished on her bed, feeding herself grapes from a bowl she was balancing on her belly as she painstakingly explained to Loki the plot of every single book she could ever remember reading.
So then,she continued with one cheek stuffed full of grapes, Harry looks around expecting everyone to be like, "Way to go calming that snake down, man!" But instead, they all look completely freaked out. And Justin Flinch-Fletchly is like, "What are you playing at?!"
Would you PLEASE shut up?
Happily. She promised. Just teach me how to put the ice shield up.
She waited but was met with silence rather than a response.
Fine. Reagan moved the bowl and rolled onto her stomach, then propped up her chin on one fist. So Hermione and Ron drag Harry away and Ron goes, "Blimey 'arry! Why didn't you tell us you was a parseltongue, innit?" and Harry's like, "What's a ruddy parseltongue?"
She felt a pulse of annoyance from him. Could you at least spare me the accents?
Reagan, who had been trying her best to annoy him as much as possible feigned innocence. What? That's how they talk.
I sincerely doubt that.
Uh, I think I would know more about human accents than you would.
You are utterly woeful at them. It's completely embarrassing.
Oh, I'm the embarrassing one, am I? Reagan replied, incredulously. Remind me, was it you or me that forced a crowd of Germans onto their knees and then delivered their villain speech in the wrong language?
She actually felt a twist of embarrassment at that which she found deeply satisfying. When he spoke again so quickly she suspected it was an attempt to hide that fact from her.
How many of these books are there again?
Seven.
And where are we at now?
We're like a quarter of the way through the second one.
You can't be serious.
And they get longer. This is the second shortest one. But stop interrupting. I want to get through this cause next I'm going to teach you about rap music. You're going to hate it.
You are an absolute nightmare.
Right back at you, asshole.
Okay, that chapter was stupid-fun to write. I hope you enjoyed reading. Any reviews would be much appreciated :)