A Shadow

Thor retrospectively looking at memories Loki's taunts and actions have brought back to the surface.


You remember a shadow? Shall I tell you what I remember, Brother?


"Brothers are very special things, my son," Frigga told the little boy holding her hand. "They are a precious gift we must always watch over."

"Yes, Mama," he said, grinning at her.

Frigga smiled back and scooped up her body. "Come, let's find your father, Thor."

He giggled and wrapped his small arms around her neck.

Now that she was no longer held back by his tiny legs, Frigga easily walked the halls of the palace. She knew where Odin was with their new son and it didn't take her long to get to him. Even if she hadn't known, she could have easily followed the cries of their newest family member.

They got louder as she opened the door and Thor shifted against her to look. Odin was seated on a long bench with the setting sun shining in behind him. In his arms, wrapped in a green blanket threaded with gold, was their new son. She could just make out the dark hair covering his head, but that changed as she got closer. It also got harder to hold onto her first born as he began squirming in her arms.

"Be easy, Thor," she admonished gently. "Your brother is scared enough as it is."

"Try hungry, but he refuses to eat," Odin sighed. "I think all of this was too much for the poor boy."

Frigga sat beside him, keeping Thor in her lap even as he leaned over to look at his brother. "I had hoped you would have more luck than I," she sighed, eying the full bottle of milk in her husband's hand. She had taken the baby when Odin had returned home, caring for him as the Allfather had gotten his wounds tended. But the little boy had not taken to her any more than Odin.

His green eyes were intelligent even for one so young and she wondered if somehow he knew he was different from them. Odin had already told her of his hopes for the boy and she had agreed with him. To a degree. She didn't like the thought of lying to him as he grew, but she would love him as dearly as her Thor so he would never doubt his place in their family. He was their son now and nothing would change that.

"Mama, why cry?" Thor asked, looking up at her.

"It's what babies do, my love. Especially when they are hungry or upset."

Thor frowned at her before looking at the baby again. "Who you?" he asked.

"His name is Loki," Odin said quietly.

Bright blue eyes blinked at him before looking at his brother. He reached out to gently pat him. "It okay, Oki," he said, smiling as the baby looked at him. "No cry."

Both adults were startled when Loki hiccupped, staring at Thor's smiling face. Their surprise increased when the baby gurgled at Thor and chubby hands reached for him.

"Oki ikes me!" he said, grinning excitedly.

"So he does, Thor," Frigga said, smiling. "Why don't you try feeding him?"

Thor took the bottle and giggled as Loki began eating.

"You must always remember to look out for Loki, Thor," Odin told him. "You are an older brother now and it is a very important job."

"Yes, Papa."

"There will be times when you fight, as all brothers do, but never forget that you are family. That is more important than any squabble you could have. If you love one another, you will be the greatest of allies each can have and will be unstoppable."

Thor nodded. "Oki my brother," he said. "My ony brother Oki."

Frigga smiled as Loki latched onto Thor's shirt with one chubby hand, his emerald gaze never once leaving his brother as he drained the bottle. Never forget this, my son, she thought. Your brother trusts you, and only you, already. Love and honour each other and there will be nothing you cannot accomplish.


A shadow? We were raised together. We played together. We fought together. Why do you remember none of that?


"Thor, I can't do that," Loki sighed.

Throwing a frown at his brother, Thor caught Mjolnir as it came back to him. "Why not? Your magic is the greatest in all the realms."

"Father has forbidden it," he said, looking up from his book. "We are only to use the Bifrost to traverse the realms."

"But they can track us when we do that."

Loki studied him, his gaze always too knowing. "You want to go back to Midgard," he accused. "We've already been there three times in as many weeks, Thor. What could honestly be there that would demand your presence so often?"

Thor simply grinned at him.

He stared for a moment before rolling his eyes. "No," he said firmly. "I am not risking Father's wrath so you can chase a few mortal maids around."

"Loki, I promised I would return. Hilda will be distraught if I don't."

"Hilda?" Loki repeated. "You actually know her name? I'm impressed."

Thor glared at him and lightly threw Mjolnir at him. He nearly panicked and called it back when Loki made no move to duck. He growled instead as the hammer ripped through the illusion. "Brother! Where have you hidden yourself?" he demanded.

"I've hidden nowhere, Brother," Loki's voice said from a tree. "I was here before you arrived."

Mjolnir settled in his palm as he glared up at the foliage. "Why did you remain there and send the image when I called for you?"

"Practise. As you train with Mjolnir, or you're supposed to, so too must I practise with my magic or I will lose it." Loki paused. "I could stop if you like, but the next time you need my help I won't be able to."

Thor frowned. "You are not just a master of magic, Brother," he said. "Your silver tongue has a way with words that is unrivalled in the realms."

Loki dropped from the tree with cat-like grace, a grin on his face. "I truly had you fooled," he said, pleased with himself.

His frown changed to a grin. "I'm not sure I will ever be able to tell the difference," he admitted.

"And if you can't tell, no one can."

For no one knew his brother better than him. "Now, Loki, about opening a portal to Midgard-"

"Thor, no," Loki repeated, shaking his head. "Odin has forbidden use of the other pathways between the worlds. I knew I never should have told you about them."

"Come now, Brother, think of the poor maidens who are expecting us!"

"You, Thor," Loki corrected. "Poor maidens are hardly waiting for me when you are there."

"Nonsense! Hilda's sister was greatly enamoured with you on our last visit."

"The redhead? I doubt that, Thor."

"Brother, I have never lied to you," Thor said solemnly. "And I wouldn't think to do it about something as serious as a maid's heart."

Loki still looked unsure and Thor felt bad. His brother was not as comfortable around women as himself or the Warriors Three. It was a shame because the worship of a mortal woman was something every unwed male of Asgard needed to experience. Frequently. "Ygrid spoke highly and often of my brother and we both know I only have you as one."

Loki frowned at looked away.

"Just this once, Brother," Thor continued. "It will just be us, the sons of Odin, to receive all of the glory the mortals can bestow."

Loki sighed deeply. "With you, Thor, I have learned it is never just once."

"Is that a yes?" Thor asked, grinning slowly.

"If Father finds out, I'm blaming you. Now, come on and be quiet. I will kill you if we get caught."


Did we mourn? How could you ask that? We all did. And he is still your father and we your family no matter what you think.


Staring at the sky, Thor tried to let his thoughts wander but there were too many there. So much had happened in so little time. How could a man, even a god, hope to understand everything that had occurred?

Being denied the throne after the Frost Giant attack.

Disobeying the Allfather and the failed attack on Jotunheim.

Banishment and humiliation on Midgard.

Despair at never coming home and finally understand what was truly important.

Returning home to find his closest ally embittered and now an unwanted enemy.

Destroying the Bifrost and losing not only that connection to the realms, but Jane and….

He closed his eyes. No. It was too soon. He couldn't admit that Loki was actually….

Of all the things that had happened, that was what tore at his heart he most. His brother. His only brother dead? No, it couldn't be true. Surely, Loki was only pulling one of his mischiefs. A mean, horrible one, but after so long he couldn't believe that his brother could be gone.

"Loki," he said softly, shaking his head.

"I never wanted the throne! I only ever wanted to be your equal!"

Where had that come from? There had been so many things Loki had hidden from him. It killed him to think that he hadn't felt like he could talk to his own brother about any of it Why hadn't he done just that?

Thor knew that some Asgardians didn't value Odin's second son as much as the first and he had never understood it. Loki had been just as important as Thor because he had been the only one who could even hope to contain his brother's wild ways. He had been the knowledge and wisdom to temper the brash foolishness of his old ways. It had not mattered who had done it, to slander his brother was to court the wrath of Thor.

And yet, Thor had been the one to slight his brother more than anyone.

"I didn't know," he said softly. "Forgive me, Brother, but I never knew."

He was brought out of his thoughts by someone coming up next to him. "Your brother is on my mind as well," Odin said quietly.

"I'm not your brother! I never was!"

Thor frowned at the memory. "Father, Loki said many things before…."

Odin sighed. "There are many things that happened to both of you that I wish had not."

A bad feeling filled Thor at that.

"When you went to Jotunheim, Loki learned of his true heritage in a way I never wanted."

Thor stared at him. "What are you saying, Father?"

"After that battle long ago, I was in their temple and I found a baby. A small boy left to die in the cold."

"Loki?" Thor whispered.

"Yes. Loki is Laufey's son by birth and I brought him back to Asgard. I had hoped that through you and him there could be a permanent peace between our peoples. We raised you as brothers so you would already have that alliance and loyalty. But it is lost now."

"You never told him?" Thor said in disbelief. That explained why Odin had once told them that they were both born to be kings but only one would sit on the throne. But why do that to a child?

"No. He is my son and your brother. I never wanted him to feel lesser than any of us."

"And yet he did," Thor said softly. He had always laughed it off when Loki had spoken of feeling different from the rest of Asgard. He was a prince of the fairest realms and a son of Odin. Of course, he was different from the masses but not in a bad way.

"When you went to Jotunheim, one of them touched your brother and revealed what I had kept from him. After you were gone, he accused him of…." Odin shook his head. "Our family was shattered and something broke inside Loki. It might be beyond repair."

"Might be?" Thor echoed, hope blazing inside him. "Have you seen him? Has Heimdall?"

"No, Thor. I too am having a hard time accepting he is gone. I hope that he is alive somewhere, but I know the odds are not good."

Closing his eyes, Thor longed for the simpler days when these issues had not been a part of his life. But Loki was still hiding his pain, he thought sadly.

"And what about you, Thor? Now you know the truth of Loki's heritage, do you feel differently about him?" Odin asked.

Thor thought of everything he had ever been through with his brother, not letting recent events cloud his judgement. Loki had always been there, through the high and low times. Even when he had been a childish ass, Loki had been there with silver tongue and magic to bail him out. "He is as he has always been," Thor said simply. "My younger brother."


The shade of my greatness? Brother, I was only so great because we were a team. I never would have amounted to much without you at my side.


Thor kept a firm grip on his brother's arm as they walked. The elation he had first felt when Odin had found Loki on Earth was nearly gone. And that had barely been a day ago.

A year of mortal time had passed and every day he had mourned the loss of his brother. He had only just accepted the idea that he would never see his brother again when Odin had come to him.

"What?"

"Your brother has reappeared. He survived his fall into the abyss."

"Where is he?! Is he here, Father?" Loki was alive! It was a miracle!

"He is on Midgard, but, Thor, you must understand," Odin stressed. "Wherever Loki went was not easy or kind to him. He was shattered before he fell. What is he now?"

Still broken, Thor thought, looking at Loki. His brother wouldn't meet his eyes and Thor was almost glad for it. He was unsure of what would be staring back at him if he did. The muzzle fitted to the lower half of his face prevented any lies from leaving the god's lips, but Thor wanted to remove it. This was his brother, but recent events showed Loki did not consider him family anymore.

"He is in possession of the Tesseract," Odin said as they walked. "I know not what his plans are for it, but they cannot be good."

Thor was still reeling from the fact that Loki was alive. "Father, how am I to reach Midgard? With the Bifrost broken-"

"I will send you," Odin said quietly.

He nearly stopped walking. "Father…."

"I know what the dark energy will do, Thor, but Loki must be returned to us."

Would Loki believe him if he told him Odin had wanted his son returned more than the artefact? Would he even listen?

Loki jerked his arm free as they reached the centre of the plaza, refusing Thor's touch.

Brother, if I could have spared you this, I would have, Thor thought as the others readied the Tesseract. I did not toss you into an abyss no matter how your mind has twisted it and you remain my brother.

He nearly winced as he remembered admitting Loki was adopted when faced with his crimes. He regretted saying it, but it had come automatically. He could think of nothing else when he had been told.

Where had his little brother gone? Or had it all been a lie? Loki was the master of mind games but to have lived his entire life as a lie? Surely he hadn't done that. It wasn't possible.

Green eyes met his briefly before turning away.

Loki accused him of having too much sentiment, but there were family. How could he not care? And under all of that rage and no matter how much Loki denied it, there was still some emotion there. You couldn't hate that deeply and not have cared at some point.

"Bring him home, Thor," Frigga said softly. "Bring Loki home so our family can be whole again."

Thor nodded. No matter what happened, he was bringing his brother home.

"Be safe," she whispered, hugging him.

They had not spread word of Loki's true heritage through Asgard. Besides the royals, only Heimdall knew the truth. Not even Sif or the Warriors Three had been privy to it. Loki was as he had always been. Second son of Odin and Prince of Asgard. Lost before but now found.

Clapping Erik Selvig on the shoulder, Thor took the metal and glass device the Tesseract was now housed in. Banner and Stark had assured him that it would get them back to Asgard. It was the only thing that would get them back because he doubted Loki would be willing to open any portal for them. Especially if he thought the wrath of the Allfather was waiting for him on the other side.

Bracing the container on his forearm as he held one handle, he waited for Loki to take the other side. There was a slight hesitation as Loki met his gaze again before one manacled hand reached up to take it. Loki truly had no other choice. He could not remain on Midgard because of what he had done and the Avengers would not allow it.

Thor looked at his allies, nodded sharply at them before he activated the device.

The power of the Tesseract flowed through and around them, casting their bodies through space, searching for Asgard. When the power faded, they were in the same room that Odin had sent Thor to Midgard from and they were not alone.

Thor wasn't facing them but he saw the emotions filter through Loki's eyes as they looked behind him. Frigga and Odin were most likely there, waiting for their sons to return home.

"Welcome home, my son," Frigga said softly, walking around Thor to gently touch Loki's face.

His brows drew together, confusion written all over his face even with the muzzle in place. He had not expected to have any sort of warm welcome when he returned. That much was clear.

Frigga waited for him to release the Tesseract before she enfolded him in a hug, pulling him to her as she had once done Thor after he had returned against all odds.

Loki was blinking quickly, most likely to keep any tears from forming as he bowed his head over their mother's. Green eyes opened after a moment and looked behind Thor again.

"What you have done on Earth cannot go unpunished, Loki," Odin said quietly. "You know that."

There was the barest dip of Loki's head. His brother was no coward. He knew that if he had failed, he would face Asgardian justice and he was facing it dead on.

"But you must know that you are home now," the Allfather continued. "With your family and we have missed you."

Thor wasn't sure if Loki was ready to accept any of them again, especially going by the look on his face, but he had learned to be patient in the past year. Eventually, he would have his brother back. He simply had to wait until Loki realised the only shadow that was there was in his mind and nothing more.