This story is a continuation of my story "Loki to the Rescue," which you can read here: Loki to the Rescue Chapter 1, an avengers fanfic | FanFiction. If you don't want to or have the time to read that story, that's okay! I wrote this story in a way that you shouldn't have to read that one to understand this one. The only difference you need to know from the original movie is that Frigga is still alive, she simply left Asgard after she thought Loki died.
Hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I had fun writing it.
After five years of being away from Asgard, when Thor stepped foot back into his home with the power of the tesseract, he was shocked to see a massive statue of Loki standing before him.
"What in the world?" he asked himself as he looked up at the monstrosity. Loki was decked out in full armor, arms outstretched, and his horned helmet prominent. Thor missed his brother of course, and he knew his parents did as well, but a statue more than a 100 feet tall in his memory? That was excessive.
Thor traversed the city and made his way to the palace. Inside the dining room, he saw his father draped in loungewear and eating a massive feast. Several of the fairest maidens in all Asgard joined him around the table.
"Father," he said harshly, knowing Odin would never behave in such a manner.
Odin nearly fell out of his seat but quickly composed himself. "My son! Thor! You have returned! Welcome home, my boy."
The women all clapped and turned their attention to him. Suspicious at his Father's lack of strictness, Thor said, "I see all is well in Asgard while the rest of the nine realms are ready for war."
"Not all of them," Odin corrected, "Vanaheim and Alfheim are keeping to themselves for once."
"Wonderful," Thor snarked.
"Do not sass me, young man!" Odin bellowed.
For a moment Thor wondered if this truly was his father, but there was still a slight hesitation in his voice. This couldn't be Loki, could it? Thor remembered watching him die in his father's arms, feeling his blood leak onto his hands, and holding back tears during his entire funeral service. Could Loki be alive?
Thor said, "Forgive me Father, where is Mother?" He glanced at all the women continuing the feast.
"Last time I sat upon my throne to see her, she was traversing Alfheim," he answered calmly, "Loki's unfortunate and untimely death hurt her so. She cannot bear to be within Asgard at this time."
Thor nodded. "I understand her sentiment," he said, "I see you have no trouble." He watched his father hesitate. Thor knew if it were Loki is disguise he wouldn't say anything disparaging for himself, but they all knew Thor was the favored son of Odin. What would he say?
"While Loki enjoyed stirring up drama in this household, he was still my son," he replied, "I'm sad to see him gone so soon." His voice cracked, as if it were genuine.
Thor wasn't convinced, but he knew if it were Loki, he would talk circles around him for hours. "I'm still sad he's gone," he said, "I'll search for Mother on Alfheim, if I may." Seeking permission to sit on the throne was bold, but he knew he had to search for his mother and show her what he discovered. If anyone could break Loki's illusion, it was her. If this truly was Odin simply acting out of character, Thor was sure he would be happy to see her again anyway.
As Thor walked away from the dining area, Odin said, "Go ahead and tell her to enjoy herself."
Not even an hour had passed when Loki as Odin, had finally finished eating, when the doors to the dining hall burst open. Frigga stood before him, fully enraged and ready for a fight. Odin turned to the women around the table and said, "Pardon me ladies, I must depart."
"Don't you dare!" Frigga shouted, "Get back here!"
Loki transformed into a hawk and flew outside by the balcony and away from the palace. She transformed into a larger hawk, and went after him. While he flew fast, she flew faster, and caught up with him by the time they reached the valley beyond the city. As she pushed him down to the ground, he transformed back into his true self. Frigga turned into a brown bear, pinned him down at the shoulders, and roared in his face.
Loki turned away and shouted, "Alright! You caught me!"
Frigga transformed into herself and pulled him back onto his feet. "Loki I've missed you so much!" She hugged him tight.
"I can feel that," he snarked. He couldn't help but hug her back. "But I've missed you too, Mother."
"Do you enjoy hurting me!?" she demanded, pushing him away, "Did you find joy in seeing my heart get torn up in real time? I've been mourning you, and crying over your death for years, Loki! It pained me so much to prepare and attend your funeral! How could you do this to me? To your brother? To your people?"
Loki insisted, "I had no wish to hurt you, Mother, honest."
"Doubtful," she said in a disappointed tone, "I am in no mood for your lies, my dear boy. No tricks, no deceit, no dawdling, Loki, only the truth. Quickly. Where! Is! Your! Father!"
He answered, "He's alive! Don't worry! He's alive and well, I promise. I merely sent him to Midgard. He's fine! I apologize for messing with your heart, Mother, truly. I only faked my death because outside of you, of course, I was sure no one on Asgard cared about me."
"Your father forbid even speaking your name while you were exiled," she explained, "but even so, people wondered about you all the time."
He asked, "Did Thor? Did anyone else?"
Frigga started, "Your people-"
"They're not my people," he interrupted, "they never were. That's very clear to me now."
"Who raised you?" she asked calmly, "Who gave you a home? Where else do you belong, Loki, if not here with me on Asgard? Hm?" She paused as he remained silent. "That's what I thought. We shall go to the palace, rejoice in your return, and go down to Midgard to retrieve your father at once." She took his hand and attempted to pull him along behind her, but he stood still.
He confessed, "I can't go back." He squeezed her hand.
Frigga said, "Loki, there is no discussion here, we're going."
"I can't," he said, hanging his head in shame, "I can't face everyone, not like this."
She said gently, "My dear, you've made some poor choices but you have nothing to be ashamed of."
He exclaimed, "I have nothing to be proud of! Every piece of me is a lie, Mother. The truth is I'm a thrown away prince, stolen from a foreign land, waltzing around with a fake face and no real claim to any throne! Nothing about me is real."
Frigga gave him a brokenhearted look and said, "Listen to me carefully. My love for you as your mother is real, and it always has been. Our family is real. Everything you've done, good and bad, is real. You are the one who decided to dedicate yourself to mastering the art of magic, Loki. That is no easy task. That in it of itself is something to be proud of." She caressed his face.
"Still," he hesitated, "my appearance is a lie, kept as a shameful secret. Clearly Father did not want anyone to know I'm his malformed Frost Giant son."
Saddened, she said, "Don't speak of yourself in such a manner!"
He interjected, "It's the truth, is it not?"
She hugged him again; this time he didn't reciprocate. "I'm sorry," she said, "I can't make claims to know what your father thinks of you, Loki. However, I want you to know I am not ashamed of you, whether you look like this, or like a Frost Giant." She activated his glamour spell and revealed his true skin, a rich blue color.
Loki closed his eyes and turned away, not wanting to look.
"Open your eyes," she prodded.
He finally looked down at her and at his blue hands. He reactivated his glamour and said, "You speak sweet words, Mother, but I still can't go back and face the rest of Asgard as a fraud."
Frigga transformed her son into a raven. "Fine then," she replied, "but we'll meet Thor at the Bifrost and together the three of us will rescue your father from Midgard." She transformed into a raven herself and lead the way back.
The three of them met at the end of the rainbow bridge where the Bifrost was half rebuilt, and still under construction.
"I knew it!" Thor shouted as Loki and Frigga landed and transformed in front of him, "I knew it from the moment I saw that massive statue of you. Loki, I can't believe you faked your death!"
"Spare me your dramatics," he said, "as if you missed me."
"I did!" he answered seriously. He meant it too. How could his brother pretend to be dead and reappear as if nothing happened? As if being gone forever meant nothing?
Frigga prepared herself, and dressed in a long formal dress and updo, ready to go to Midgard. Loki transformed into an all black three piece suit, while Thor wore loose fitting jeans, three shirts, and a jean jacket riddled in holes.
"Well," Frigga said, "lets take a look." She turned around to see her sons and tried not to look outwardly disappointed in their choices.
Thor asked gently, "Mother, don't you think you're a bit overdressed?"
She replied, "Not at all."
Thor looked his brother over and said, "You look like you're about to attend a funeral."
"I'm mourning the life I had before you showed up and ruined everything," he snarked, crossing his arms defensively, "you look like a homeless person."
His jaw dropped in offense. "You know this is what modern mortals wear!"
"That's enough out of both of you!" Frigga said, "Thor, you could spruce up a bit." She tapped his arm and to transform his clothing to a mix-matched gray and navy blazer and dress pants. His hair was combed into a man-bun. "Loki," she turned to him, "you do look a bit dreary." She tapped his arm and his all black suit gained specs of green and touches of gold along the edges. His hair was suddenly slicked back into a high ponytail, the end tickling the back of his neck. He waited until she turned around before rolling his eyes. Thor couldn't help but snicker at his pretty boy appearance.
Scourge stood at his new post, put the Bifrost sword into the machine, and set their course for Midgard. After traveling through the cosmic rainbow, the scene changed to a nursing home in the countryside of Norway.
"You sent him here?" Thor asked, horrified.
"Yes, and I took all his memories of his life on Asgard, so he'll have no idea who we are," Loki answered. He began to step backwards away from the the entrance, but his mother grabbed his arm and Thor came up from behind him to push him forward.
Frigga said, "Now, now, lead the way. This is your mess, Loki, you're going to clean it up."
Loki went through the automated doors first, his mother and brother right behind him. Once the receptionist finally looked up, she was startled to see three people suddenly standing before her. "Can I help you?"
"Hello madam, we're here to visit the resident Oliver Bjornson," he hesitated, "we're distant relatives of his."
"Yes," Frigga said, having trouble hiding the anger in her voice, "we've been searching everywhere for him for years."
"Oh," the woman said awkwardly, "all this time he's been telling us his entire family died in the battle of New York." She paused and looked at Thor closely. "Are you-?"
He said, "I'm merely here to see my distant cousin, Oliver. Where is he?"
She answered, "Last I checked he was in the community room couch watching the price is right with the a few of the other residents." She lead them down a hallway to a large room where Odin sat on a couch, staring blankly at a tv.
"Mr. Bjornson," she said cheerfully, "it looks like you have a few visitors today."
Thor pushed Loki to the very front of the three of them so he would get the first view of his father sitting disheveled on the couch, as the receptionist walked back over to her desk.
Before Loki could say anything, Odin looked up at him and exclaimed, "If it isn't my family! Loki, my dear son, you're here!" He pulled him in close and gave him in an awkward sitting/standing hug.
"You remember us?" he asked, confused.
"I do now!" he replied, "Your spell was a powerful one, I'll give you that! Took a few years for me to untangle my own brain from what was real and what wasn't. You've become such a powerful sorcerer!" He pulled Loki down to sit down next to him on the couch. He continued, "You're just like me, my son. I'm proud of you."
Loki couldn't help but blush and beam in pride. He asked, "You hold no anger towards me, Father?"
"I did at first," he confessed, "once I remembered everything, I was beyond angry. I had no power to return to Asgard, so I carried on here as if nothing had changed. Let me tell you, my son, anger is a secondary emotion to disguise either fear or shame. I asked myself, what do I fear? Nothing! What did I have to be ashamed of? Perhaps realizing my son could best me with my own magic, but that's an easy fix! Instead of shame, I'm proud you have accomplished such a high level of magic and skill." He patted him on the head.
Loki got off the couch and stood in stunned silence. He was sure after all this time, even if his father managed to break the spell, he would be angrier than ever. Perhaps Loki wouldn't merely be banished to Midgard this time around, but to someplace far worse. This turn of events was so unexpected he didn't know what to do or say.
Odin turned to their mother and said, "Look at this! My lovely wife, Frigga, has come to see me as well! It's so good to see you again!" He pulled her in close and she fell into his lap gracefully. As they hugged and kissed on each other, Loki turned away and Thor gagged.
"Odin, my dear, I've missed you!" she replied happily.
"Can you save all that for when we're back on Asgard and you two are alone?" Thor asked.
After they had their moment together, Odin stood up and said, "Loki, hand over gungrir at once." He conjured the staff and restored his powers before he handed it over to his father. Only then did he transform from the sullen old man Oliver back into Odin, the Allfather of the nine realms. The entire room lit up, but most of the residents were still too enthralled with the TV to notice anything. Only the workers came out to see what all the commotion is about.
"What is going on?" a young woman asked, "Oliver?"
"Mary," he replied, "you're a lovely woman and an amazing worker. I hope your heart stays warm as the years go on." His tone suddenly shifted as an older worker entered. "You! Alice! On the other hand, need to find another place of employment. The way your treat these people has been deplorable from the very beginning! You have no heart!" He bashed his staff down and wind suddenly kicked out from it, nearly knocking her over.
Even with all the magic going on around them, the residents didn't notice.
"Odin, my dear," Frigga said, "shall we depart?"
"We shall," he replied.
With magic, he transformed the nursing home into a building much more stylish and colorful. Once they stepped outside, they called for the Bifrost to send them home.
Back on Asgard, Odin brought his entire family back into the palace and stood before a large painting in the grand hallway. It was an older one, made when Thor and Loki were little. Loki was held in his mother's arms while Thor stood tall, not even the length of his father's legs.
"Loki," Odin said, "watching your illusion bleed out in my arms was among the worst things I have ever experienced." He paused to see Loki avert his eyes. "You must have had a reason to do such a thing-and don't tell me it was merely to have the throne."
"I was sure no one would miss me," he answered, looking at the floor, "after all, no one seemed to when I was banished to Midgard. I certainly didn't mind everyone believing I had died a hero for Asgard."
Frigga asked, "You honestly believe I didn't miss you?"
He answered, "I knew you did, Mother. I wasn't sure of anyone else."
"Not even I?" Thor asked, incredulous, "Loki, we've had our differences in recent years, but we're brothers. Of course I missed you."
"All this pain and trouble caused by a secret," Odin said. He turned to Loki, who refused to look at him. "Frigga," he added, "you've been correct all these years. A family shouldn't have secrets. Look at what one nearly did to us."
She said, "It tore us apart." She held each of her son's hands, Loki to her right and Thor on her left.
Odin continued, "On this day I declare there will be no more secrets among us. Do the two of you remember the story of Hela?"
Loki nodded silently.
Thor answered, "Yes. Millennia's ago Asgard was in a never-ending war with Vanaheim, and in order to create everlasting peace, you had a daughter with their queen. She's your true firstborn, Hela, the Goddess of death. She died bravely in battle long ago."
"I lied," Odin confessed, "she lives."
"What?" Thor asked, his mouth gaping open.
Loki merely stared at him. He glanced at his mother who nodded, acknowledging she's always known the truth.
Thor asked, "Where is she now?"
"She's banished," he answered sadly, "her bloodthirsty appetite was much too strong. She was heartbroken when I told her she was always meant to take Vanaheim's throne, not Asgard's. She went on a rampage, murdered thousands, and attempted to take the throne for herself. I couldn't bear the thought of killing her, so I exiled her to Niflheim instead, without her powers."
Loki said, still in shock, "You claimed she died 2,600 years ago now."
Odin answered, "That's when I banished her."
"You-" Thor didn't know what to say, "What? We have a living older sister you've kept hidden from us?"
Loki corrected, "Your half-sister, my adoptive half-sister."
"Her mind is unwavering even now after all this time," Odin explained, "I've given both of you the chance to redeem yourselves when you've made poor choices. Thor, I sent your hammer down to Midgard when I cast you out with the hopes you'd learn humility, and you did. Loki, I made you feel true fear, so you'd gain remorse for what you did to Midgard. Although I don't believe you've fully learned your lesson, you did save your mother's life and ensured our victory against the dark elves. Those are redeeming qualities in it of themselves. If Hela ever redeems herself, I'll welcome her back as well. For now, I visit her every once and a while, and she has an unchanged mind."
Still in shock, Thor asked, "Why did you keep her a secret from us, from the entire nine realms?"
Odin explained, "I didn't want anyone to go after her. Look at the two of you!" He gestured to Thor first. "You attacked all of Jotunheim when a few giants broke into my vault." He turned to Loki. "And you were ready to take over all of Midgard just to get my attention. Both of you were going down the same path as Hela if I didn't intervene. If the three of you got together at your worsts, you would all have become warmongering maniacs leaving nothing behind but blood and ash! That's hardly the impact I wish for Asgard's throne to have across the universe."
Loki muttered to himself under his breath, "There's a common denominator here."
"Speak up, my dear!" Frigga demanded, having heard every word, "Your father didn't hear you."
"I was silent, Mother," he lied, "didn't utter a word."
"Enough of this idle chatter," Odin said, "Where is Heimdall?" Everyone turned to Loki.
He said sheepishly, "I banished him. I have no idea where he is."
"I'll send some guards to search for him now that the Bifrost is more than half finished," Odin said, "for now, we begin a celebration for Loki being alive and well."