Chapter 3
Loki sneaks into the Healing Room, dying with curiosity about the girl his eldest sibling - a sister at that! - brought in three days ago. He didn't get the chance to talk with her when she woke up, having been shooed out by his mother, but there's nobody in here now - not even Hela, who's got her own brand of magic she calls Death magic - the green and black flames engulfing her hands as a demonstration were amazing, and he was sorely disappointed to find she couldn't teach him how to come and go as she does. He'd love to get out of Asgard every now and again, get away from the judging looks and ever-present disappointment on Odin's face...but it isn't possible, at least not right now. In the meantime, he's got a fascinating mystery to solve in the form of the girl who's own magic is calling out to him at every waking moment - he's never not entirely distracted by it, the siren song that it is.
He finds the right bed easily enough…he also finds a scruffy, decidedly weird stranger there, in all-black leather clothing with small metal spikes poking up out of it. "Who are you?"
The stranger looks over, showing black eyes staring out of a too-pale face, and grins at once. "You must be Loki, Hels' little brother!"
Loki blinks, then asks "Hels? Who's that? You mean Hela?"
He laughs, and says "Right, forgot you weren't here for that yet. The name's Hades, kid. I'm one of Hela's coworkers."
Loki tilts his head, and asks "Shouldn't you be in the Underworld then? Hela said it was busy there." She also said she was coming around so much because they needed to be sure Hari was stable - she loathes Odin, has missed Asgard itself for a few millennia now, and is attempting to get to know Frigga and her half-siblings as much as possible in between the screaming matches with Odin that happen whenever they cross paths for more than a minute.
Hades nods, saying "Oh, it is! Don't get me wrong. But, there's dozens of us, one for each pantheon. And each civilization that's come and gone seems to have their own, so it might be more like a few hundred of us down there if you count all the Minor deities. As for why I'm here, I'm taking a turn keeping an eye on the kid here." Giving Hela a break from how much Asgard's changed in her forced absence, keeping her away from her shitty excuse of a father before Kali decides to gouge out his other eye, making sure Hari doesn't wake up once more without any of them there...and, truthfully, secretly hoping to get to know the younger brother that takes more after his Soulmate despite never having met her before now.
Loki stands up on his tiptoes to try and get a glimpse of Hari, and just manages to see her over the edge of the bed. What he sees isn't all that much, the barest glimpse of a body on top of the bed.
Hades chuckles, and says "Climb up here, kiddo. You'll have better luck." He's starting to like Hels' little brother already.
Loki gets up onto the chair, and sees a girl with long, shining blood-red hair - if messy, since she's currently unconscious - and a complexion pale as bone as if she's got no blood in her body. Heart-shaped face, almond-shaped eyes and a slim build - he gets the thought that she's absolutely stunning for a moment, but it disappears as quickly as it appears to. After a moment, he asks "Will she wake up soon?"
Hades shrugs, leaning against the wall, and says "Hard to tell, kiddo. She's exhausted, and healing from a lot, but she's also the stubbornest mortal I've ever come across, even if she did have this self-sacrificing habit. Or she was, anyway."
And then, suddenly, Hari groans and puts a hand to her head. And starts hissing in Parseltongue, saying her head is about to explode.
Loki's jaw practically goes through the floor at the revelation of a language he can't understand - he speaks the All, he can read and write every language. Except for that one, apparently - as mysterious as it sounds beautiful, it sparks Loki's curiosity even more.
"Well," Hades says, drawing both their attentions, "shit." They hadn't expected her to wake up this fast - again - considering the detail that her body is still adjusting to all the rapid changes its gone through in the past few days. Between being de-aged, her full magic freed and strengthened greatly, being altered not once but twice on a very molecular level, and her body suddenly going from severely malnourished and about to fall apart to the state she was in at four years old, Osiris theorized she'd be out for a week at least - they didn't think she'd wake up yesterday, much less today!
Hari blinks, tilts her head, rubs her eyes, then quietly asks "Sirius?" That's...impossible, right? Sirius went through the Veil two years ago...
Hades shakes his head, saying "Coincidence, really. I happen to like the biker look. Stay there, don't freak out, I've gotta go get Osiris." He'll be thrilled for a break on stitching Riddle's soul back together, at least.
Once Hades leaves, Hari glances at Loki and asks "Who are you?"
When Hades gets back with Osiris in tow, Hari's examining the twin snakes on her arms. "-are these things, anyway?"
Osiris says "A new conduit for your magic. Sturdier than an old stick, to. You'd have to ask Hela for the details, I'm afraid." He then moves to check her pulse without further ado.
Hari backs up a few inches, nearly falling off the end of the bed in her attempt to get away from the warm, somehow familiar fingers, and asks "Who are you?!" And, more importantly, why is he trying to grab her all of a sudden?
Loki says "He might be the guy Hades was going to get."
Hari blinks twice, her completely blank look saying she's got no clue whatsoever who he's talking about, and he adds "You called him Sirius."
Hari flatly says "Hades, the Greek God of the underworld. And Osiris, his Egyptian counterpart." It lines up with the last time she was awake...but she's still not sure she's not dead or insane just yet.
Osiris eyes her warily, and says "Please don't faint from shock again. You're going to give yourself a concussion. Now, if you would hold still so I can check you over, it would be much appreciated."
Hari takes a shaky breath, and says "No promises. Why am I four?!"
Osiris walks over, saying "Technically, you're around his age." And, taking advantage of Hari's clear shock, Osiris quickly takes her pulse- a little high, but not unexpected given the shock she's just gotten.
At Hari's glance, Loki says "I'm almost two hundred."
Osiris clears his throat, and says "Asgardians age much slower than humans on Earth. Every fifty years for them is about the equivalent of one year for a mortal. Now, take a deep breath."
Hari blinks, then asks "Does that mean time moves faster here...or Asgardians are just old as dirt by the time they kick the bucket?" Where does she know this guy's voice from? And his hands? She's sure she's felt his hands from somewhere...but she can't remember where. Before she woke up here on Asgard, perhaps?
Loki snickers, hiding his amused grin behind a hand, and Osiris mutters "Let's go with that second one..." Things are certainly going to be interesting from now on.
After Osiris leaves, apparently satisfied that Hari's not going to croak in the next few days, and Loki climbs back up onto the bed. "So," he says, not entirely sure where to start, "your..."
"Immortal?" Hari shrugs, and says "Apparently."
"What'll you do first?"
Hari shrugs, and says "Honestly? Not a clue. Get out of here, for starters." At his look, she adds "This room, specifically. Get a new name, to."
Loki tilts his head to the side, asking "A new name? Why, what's wrong with Hari?"
Hari sighs, saying "Hari Potter was weak, the world's punching bag. Hated by her relatives just for being alive, either worshipped or crucified by Magical Britain...Hari Potter walked to her death so everyone else could live. I don't want to be that weak little girl anymore, if that makes any sense." She's tired of it all - maybe it's just general exhaustion after everything she's had to do, but she's tired. Maybe a fresh start is what she needs - and, for that, she needs a new name. Something entirely unrelated to the Girl Who Lived.
Loki hums, then asks "What if I gave you a new name?"
Hari nods, and Loki thinks for a moment. "What about...Amora? Amora Sigyn?"
Hari - Amora, now - nods at once, and says "I like it."
Amora's walking through a massive hall - internally torn between marveling at it all and wondering just how pretentious these people are if they lined every bloody wall with gold - when she rounds a corner and nearly crashes straight into four boys and a girl. Two blondes, a red-head, and a dark-haired boy and girl - and, for some reason, the red-head has a leg of some kind of meat in his hand.
One of the blondes says "Watch where you're going!" The other blonde curiously asks "Who are you, anyway?"
The red-head takes a bite of his meat leg, and says "Haven't seen her around before. What about you, Hogun?" The dark boy eyes her up before shrugging.
The second blonde rolls his eyes, and says "Hogun's not really one for talk. Or expressions. I'm Fandral, that's Volstagg, Sif, and this is Thor, Son of Odin and Crown Prince of Asgard!"
That first blonde boy, with the proud, slightly arrogant expression on his face...that's Thor? God of Thunder? Loki's older brother he's talked about nonstop for the past four days?
...she's not particularly impressed.
Before she can say as much, though, a familiar voice calls out "Amora!"
Amora spins around at once, a smile forming on her face as she does, and sees Loki standing there looking a mix of surprised and happy to see her - Eir hadn't said when she would be cleared to leave the Healing Room, as it's called...but she hadn't said Amora couldn't either, and Amora's got a new and improved Invisibility Cloak. To everyone else's shock, the red-haired girl practically bounces over to Loki and starts talking at once.
Loki, in favor of Thor - it's enough to make the blonde's group stare in utter shock. Because nobody picks Loki over Thor, it just doesn't happen.
Amora ignores everyone's expressions and says "This place is massive, Loki. How do you get around?"
Loki grins after a moment, having needed to process the detail that yes she just walked away from Thor for him, and says "I'll make you a map until you get the hang of it, Amora."
Amora shrugs, saying "Or, you could just give me the grand tour. I'm far from opposed, Loki." They head off, Loki talking about the library and his mother, leaving five stunned viewers behind.
Fandral asks "What just happened?"
Sif incredulously asks "She chose Loki over Thor?!" She doesn't understand it, Thor is Asgard's future king, has already taken to the warrior's path with ease! And Loki is…Loki - how anyone could look at the two of them and choose Loki as the superior prince is beyond her.
Thor, however, just looks completely unresponsive - that's never happened in the entire time he's been alive. He's Odin's firstborn son! First Prince of Asgard!
Amora stares in something like shock at Frigga - she wants to…take her on as an Apprentice? From Loki's eager look, she'd be learning directly alongside him.
That's what clinches it for her, the chance to spend more time with her hands-down favorite person on Asgard. Especially since the rest of Asgard seems to look down on Magic despite the detail that their own Queen uses it.
Idiots, the lot of them.
Amora stares at Sif in undisguised disgust, and bluntly asks "What's your problem with Loki? What's he ever done to you?" She reminds Amora of Dudley, honestly - just as proud and mean-spirited, just as quick to make life miserable for her target. The only real difference being a gender-swap on both sides, which isn't really something Amora cares about, and the detail that Sif's actually in shape.
Sif's expression twists into something ugly, and she says "He's pathetic, he-"
"Alright, just shut up. Know what? I don't care what your problem with Loki is. Leave him alone. Or, I swear I'll make your life far more miserable than you attempt to make his on a daily basis. Understand?"
Sif sneers, asking "How do you plan on doing that? Magic?"
Amora's lips twist into a silent snarl, but then she smirks viciously at the 'Goddess of War' and says "Yes. Just a little taste of the hell I'll give you before you finally die if you continue treating Loki like he's worthless. I'll make it…mmm, a week." Amora snaps her fingers, and the eyes of her snake light up for a moment before going black once more.
Sif glows a bright red-black color for a moment, the color her magic is now ever since the Hallows chose her, and gasps asking "What did you do to me?"
Amora smiles grimly, saying "Not much. You'll just find out what it's like to be treated as you treat Loki. And, just to ensure you don't go running your mouth to anyone…" Another snap of her fingers, another red glow, and Amora says "You can't talk to anyone about our little conversation unless they already know."
Loki glances at a thoroughly-frustrated Sif in confusion and no small amount of amusement - she looks like she wants to scream, cry, or attack them. Specifically, Amora. "What did you do to her, Amora?!"
Amora smirks, and says "I gave her a taste of her own medicine after her little incident."
Loki scowls darkly at the reminder, face turning red even now, then his look turns to confusion as he asks "How'd you manage that? Sif's a perfect warrior, everyone says she's a prodigy." Hence why she's been named the Goddess of War already. It's no secret that Odin's hoping she's Thor's Soulmate.
And yet, everyone's berating her for everything - her posture, form, blocking attacks, dodging attacks, her mentor scolded her publicly for twenty minutes while everyone else watched and laughed because she mis-timed an attack. To say Loki's amused would be putting it lightly, it couldn't have happened to a nicer girl.
Loki smiles at Amora, saying "Thank you."
Amora shrugs, saying "Sif was so far past 'out of line' with her stunt. Honestly, if Odin were a half-decent father he'd have taken her to task immediately for it." Hell, if Odin were a half-decent father, he wouldn't downright ignore Loki all this time, only praising Thor for his accomplishments.
She's starting to see just why Hela only shows up when Odin's not around, why she loathes the man so much. She'd thought she'd seen it all when it came to playing favorites, between Four Privet Drive and Potions class, but Odin takes it to a whole other level.
Amora glances around at the makeshift camp - Vanaheim had an uprising, and so Thor and Loki were sent to lead the charge to quell it. A test of their skills in leadership, Odin called it. A good chance to prove themselves on the battlefield, he called it. Amora calls it 'sending two half-trained children into a full-scale battle to be slaughtered.' She knows what it's like, she was sent into a war without any real training or help and expected to fight it all. She knows the look on Thor's face, bravado trying to cover up the detail that he doesn't feel at-all prepared. She knows the look on Loki's face to, he's bloody well terrified.
Because, as Odin somehow or other forgot, they're the Asgardian equivalent of twelve and fourteen Earth Years old.
Sif apparently has more foolishness than sense, because she's boasting about how she'll kill the most enemy insurgents - her three lackeys, Thor's personal fanclub when the four of them are together, the Warriors Three, don't look quite as overconfident as her…but still enough to get on her nerves.
She was scared out of her mind when she had to do anything like this, between facing down Quirrellmort, fighting a Basilisk with nothing but a sword and her quick thinking - and sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle! - fighting off a hundred Dementors by herself, and the Tri-Wizard Tournament, she knows all about what it really is to go into battle at their ages.
Once the battle starts, enemies running down the hills like a bloody wave, she murmurs "Stay by me, Loki. We'll watch each other's backs." Loki nods, thinking that at least Amora's striking head of red hair will be easy to pick out of the battlefield.
About four hours later, Loki and Amora are the only two that don't have injuries on them…mainly because Amora rather ruthlessly cut down any and every enemy soldier that tried to get near them - and she's promised to teach him that spell of hers, she called it Sectumsempra. Because that was a very useful spell in battle, it cut the soldiers she used it on to pieces.
They're both covered in blood, but without so much as a scratch on either of them - the soldiers start looking at Amora in blatant fear, even as she snaps her fingers and both of them are clean once more, but neither of them actually cares. They're alive, they're unharmed, and the battle is over. Let the rest of them have their glory, the two of them are just happy to be safe and having come out of the battle with nothing more than some exhaustion on Amora's part.