The Unveiling, Part Two ThorxLoki

Part Two

Rated:  PG

Thor glared into endless miles of snow covered plains in the distant, he could see the golden gleam of Asgard's far away spires.  

He roared into the boundless area, Loki staring at him silently, completely indignant by the change in environment.

Thor turned on him, grabbing him by the collar.
" This is all your fault! Everything that has happened is your fault! Why couldn't you just learn your place!? Why can't you just release this dream of rule?! Why do you feel as if no one loves you!? Let go of this poisonous dream before it completely consumes you!"

Loki smiled skeptically as if he was saying that no one did love him.
Thor read the smile.
" Everyone loved you!" Thor shook Loki shouting, "Even after you hurt us!...hurt me! They still love you." Loki's face remained indifferent.
Thor threw his brother with his smug grin off into the distance as the snow continued to billow his face.

Loki stared up from the snow his hands no longer shackled.

" I still do..."
A loose tear burned down Thor's cheek.

Thor began trekking forward toward the Golden City, for his hammer was back in Asgard, he would be flightless for a while. .

Loki looked around, he had seen the wild tear fall from Thor's cheek to be lost among the snow. He stood and and began following him.

–
It was four days before they made it back to Asgard. The duration of the journey Thor hadn't said a word to Loki since their bout. Loki said nothing either, as if he could've if he wanted to, each evening staring quietly into the fire Thor made, never making eye contact.

When they got back to the city, Odin was happy to see his sons but could see that the division between they had only augmented, much to his disappointment.  Later on that day, Odin sentenced Loki to prison, where he would remain until his head had cleared.
–
Loki sat in a dank cell, the faint whispers of the wind flitting through the barred windows the only sound present. Thinking of a time when it was dark like this, but there had been light.
–
"Hurry up Loki!" Thor shouted as he ran ducking through another bush wall. " Thor! You're running too fast. It's not fair, your legs are stronger than mine! "  Loki yelled back through his pants. " Thor! Slow down!"

It was night their father had shown them the armory. Now they were running through the palace gardens, one last game of tag before bed.
Thor zipped around a tree and tripped falling into an uprooted trees ditch. Loki, not hearing his brother's footfalls anymore, searched worriedly for him. " Thor? Thor?!  Where are you?"  Losing his footing over an exposed root, he fell into the hole.
"Ow!" Opening his eyes and realizing he was surrounded by darkness, Loki was overtaken by fear. " Thor?" he peeped out Loki bringing his knees to his chest.
" Right beside you, have heart." Even in the darkness, he could feel Thor's smile. "What are we gonna do Thor? It's too high to climb out. "  Loki wanted to cry, he was afraid and it was dark. " What if we get stuck down here forever?!"
Thor  stood, wiping his nose with this sleeve and dusting off his shorts, he looked up, trying to see how high it was out of the hole. " I know! I'll lift you up and out and you can go get a guard, okay?"
" I can't leave you, I won't!" he whimpered.
"You have to Loki, its just for a little while." Loki sniffled and nodded. " Okay..."
Thor grabbed his brother's lower legs and hoisted him out. Loki turned around and peered down the hole. " I'll come right back, I promise!"
Thor smiled. " I know brother, and I'll be right here waiting."  Loki remembered running and running toward the palace, worried about his brother, in the dark hole stuck forever,  all alone...
–
Loki snapped back to reality.
He heard footsteps approaching. " It would seem I have a visitor on Thor's celebratory evening."

He heard a raspy sigh and the lock to his cell being disengaged as the heavy metal door slowly creaked open.

" Loki? I am disturbing you?" It was his..."father"
Loki was still unable to speak, his voice still spellbound.

Odin entered.

"I'm sure you have much to say Loki. But I'll admit my heart too broken and mended to hear what spite you may wish to invoke up my ears. Despite what you believe, I've missed you my son, and I do love you. I love you and your brother equally."
Loki looked away, biting back the emotion threatening to well inside him. He felt the tears were childish, if he shed them, they would demean his manliness, and his royalty.

"Now, I am ready to hear you."'Odin rasped. With a wave of his hand, Loki felt his voice return. Odin sat in the small dark cell as close to Loki as he dared, his breathing heavy as he set down.

" I could have done it father... I could have made Asgard safe by getting rid of the Jotuns. Is that not what you wanted?"
Odin sighed and peered into the darkness.

"Loki, just as I'm sure as you've experienced turmoil in your heart, it is so in the galaxy, there will always be good and bad, powerful forces, and weaker ones... But I fear I missed an important teaching to both you and Thor when you were young. One must never go looking for war...
Loki shouted. " I was not looking for war Odin! I was going to annihilate the Jotuns so the threat to our people would be diminished. Gone forever!"
Odin sighed, he was weary. " -Only to be replaced by another foe...Loki, conflict is like the tide, it rises and falls, and washes away what was, it is inevitable... Conflict, and what results from it is left open to mind by the survivors, but for all, it is a tragedy.  Conflict can sometimes be accidental or purposeful, but one should never seek it, for war cannot spawn peace. Though both of you had different strategies, you both attempted to accomplish the same thing. Asgard needs Jotunheim, just as the Jotuns need us. We balance one another, and perhaps one day, we may figure that we are not so different, our races. It is what I hoped to accomplish with you, with your brother, by raising you together... Do you not love your brother as such, as it was all he's ever known you as? Do you no longer love the man who has only ever known and thought you as his son?"

Loki scoffed, but inside his heart was breaking. Thoughts of revenge swirled in his head, but thoughts of how useless it would be to try and fight the forces of "good" circulated. "What would he do now? Could he go back? Could he learn to forgive? Who could he be now?"

Odin sighed again looking at Loki's stern face and began to stand. " I just want you to know, that I never to you did I raise out of spite of or obligation to Laufey. -..Or to enhance your brothers glory.  I had no ulterior motive other than that you were an infant, who needed me. To leave you on the fields of battle the day I found you, your bones would've been lost among the masses. Children are innocent and have no understanding of war, they needn't suffer the fate of someone else's battle. As I held you in my arms and you looked into my one good eye, you showed me hope and redemption, a chance at finally unifying our worlds as one... That although our history is plagued by warPerhaps one day you'll understand this dream, I am just sorry it took so long for me to teach you, but I figured with all your innate wit that you'd known. "

" Father, I- I am sorry... for everything. You must think me a monster." Odin clasped the door handle. " I do not think you a monster Loki, I think you are hurt and confused... and I think you need your brother more than you think..."
Odin walked out of the door, shutting it soundly behind him. " And he needs you too.."

Loki looked down at his hands, recalling his dream.
–
When he had finally found a palace guard he rushed back to the spot Thor waited, his legs so tired but his love for Thor giving him strength. When they got back into the palace and in bed, he had hugged and hugged Thor. " Don't ever do anything that stupid again! Not ever, ever, ever, ever!" Loki assertively cried. " I mean it!"
Thor smiled and hugged him back. " Okay Loki. I won't."
–