The Bridge
Chapter 8: The Bridge
Thor and Lyssa stood at the Bifrost site, Aria standing next to her mother and holding her hand tightly, the sigil burned into the sand beneath their feet. The van, which Erik was driving, pulled to a stop just behind the ring of overturned government vehicles and its occupants emerged, including Sif and the Warrior’s Three.
“I prefer horses.” Volstagg groaned, his skin pale beneath his red beard.
“Aye.” Hogun agreed with a groan. “These metal carriages are not a method of travel I find pleasant.”
“Oh, come now, my friends!” Fandral said cheerfully, the only one of the Three who didn’t seem unsettled by the bumpy trip. “It was quite the experience and a rather enjoyable challenge, too!”
“Fandral, if you want a challenge, I have one for you.” Sif said sweetly, her tone light though she looked just as unsettled as Hogun and Volstagg.
“Name it, Lady Sif.” Fandral said eagerly.
“Keeping your mouth shut.” Sif said loftily, stepping up to the Bifrost sigil.
Fandral shot her glare, muttering under his breath as he, Volstagg and Hogun joined them. He was predictably ignored though Aria looked up at him curiously.
“Heimdall, open the Bifrost!” Thor ordered, looking up at the clear sky.
Nothing happened and the sky remained stubbornly clear.
“Heimdall?” Thor questioned, a note of worry in his voice.
Lyssa gasped, her eyes glazing over as she was overcome by a vision.
A tall man dressed in golden armor with gold eyes was encased in ice from head to toe and his face frozen in a silent scream. His arms were outstretched as though in the midst of a fight, both hands curled around the handle of his sword that was frozen as well.
“Mama?” Aria called, looking up at her mother and seeing the vacant look on her face.
Thor lifted her up, perching her on his hip just as he had a short time earlier. Aria put her thumb in her mouth and began sucking it while clutching her blanket tightly in her other hand, her head resting on the large man’s broad chest.
A male, taller than the tallest Asgardian and possessing blue skin and red eyes, stalked through the gleaming golden halls of the Royal Palace. He stopped in front of a particular set of closed doors and touched them with a cold hand, letting ice spread out from his fingertips. Once it had spread along the ornate golden doors and the walls on either side of them, he punched the doors and they flew open with a loud clatter.
He was met with a regal woman bearing a sword, both hands curled around the handle. The woman stalked towards him and raised the blade, ready to strike him when he struck her instead, sending her flying across the room with a groan.
Lyssa gasped, blinking rapidly as she returned to the present.
“Heimdall!” Thor shouted again, unaware that Lyssa had emerged from her visions. He looked towards Sif and the Warrior’s Three, all of whom became serious when the Bifrost didn’t open at the prince’s call. “He doesn’t answer.”
“If he’s the man with gold eyes dressed in gold armor, he doesn’t answer because he is encased in ice.” Lyssa said, drawing everyone’s attention to her.
“Then we are stranded.” Hogun pointed out, confirming that the man Lyssa had seen was the Gatekeeper.
“You have to keep trying.” Lyssa told Thor, taking Aria from him when the toddler reached out to her. “That may be the only way for him to break himself free of the ice.” She paused for a moment. “Do you know of a being that is at least seven and a half feet tall with blue skin and red eyes?” She asked.
“Frost Giants of Jotunheim.” Thor said. “Why?”
“There are Frost Giants in Asgard right now.” Lyssa said, her tone becoming urgent and fearful for Thor’s people and family. “They were the ones to encase Heimdall in ice and I think they’re going to try and kill your father while he’s unable to defend himself.”
Thor’s eyes widened in alarm and he spun around, facing the sky. “Heimdall!” He screamed, his tone tinged with an urgency that hadn’t been present earlier. “If you can hear me, we need you now! Heimdall! We need you now!”
“Heimdaw!” Aria shouted, mimicking Thor.
“Heimdall!” Thor shouted.
Suddenly, the clouds swirled as a vortex formed in the sky, a rainbow light shimmering within it.
Sif, Volstagg and Fandral grinned brightly, even Hogun expressing his happiness at the sight with a smile. The four of them ran forward and stopped in the center of the sigil, watching as the bridge slowly formed.
Thor looked at Lyssa and Aria, taking in every detail of their features. He reached out and wrapped his arm around Lyssa’s waist. “I must return to Asgard, but I give you my word, I will return for you.” He said softly, looking into Lyssa’s large eyes. He looked down at Aria, seeing the bright emerald green orbs staring up at him and pressed a gentle kiss to the sweet child’s forehead. “For the both of you.” He let go of her waist and instead took her hand, pressing a chaste kiss upon her knuckles. “Deal?”
Lyssa looked up at him, seeing the sincerity of his words and the pain at having to leave her and Aria behind in his clear, striking blue eyes. Throwing caution to the wind, she gently put Aria down without breaking eye contact and did something she had never done before, ever. She cupped Thor’s face in her small hands, pulled him down towards her and pressed her lips against his in a sweet kiss.
Erik, Jane and Darcy, who had stayed back by the ring of overturned cars, stared at the lip-locked couple in shock, their jaws dropped open. The shock wasn’t that the pair were kissing but rather that rather that Lyssa had been the one to initiate it. Sif, Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral on the other hand had small smiles on their faces at the sight, though it was tinged with sorrow; they were happy that their friend and prince had found someone to move on from Anera with, but at the same time, the woman was mortal and was doomed to the fate of all mortals – to wither away and die with the passing of time while Thor would remain relatively the same.
Aria looked up at her mother and Thor, seeing them kiss in a way she vaguely remembered her birth parents kissing. She made a face at them and plopped down on the ground, playing with the sand and becoming mesmerized by the feel of the grains against her fingers and the patterns she could draw.
Lyssa and Thor were unaware of the thoughts that raged through the minds of their family and friends, or even that Aria’s attention had strayed to the sand that surrounded them. No, they were only aware of the way they fit into each other’s arms and the sensation of the other’s lips against their own, molding perfectly together and moving in sync.
Slowly, they pulled apart, both breathing heavily.
“Deal.” Lyssa said softly, resting her forehead against his for a moment before stepping back. “Now, go. Save your family and then come back to us.”
Thor pressed a kiss to her forehead before forcing himself to step away and join his friends beneath the forming Bifrost. He refused to look back at the woman that had captured his heart, the first to ever do so since Anera had died her most recent death. He knew that if he turned, he wouldn’t be able to leave her behind.
Lyssa looked away from Thor’s retreating back, knowing why he refused to turn around, and instead turned her attention to Aria; the toddler’s attention meanwhile had moved from the sand that surrounded him to the small butterflies that lived in the desert and were fluttering around. Aria toddled after them, dragging her blanket and completely oblivious to where she was headed.
“Aria!” Lyssa screamed in panic, seeing where her daughter was going and running towards her.
Thor spun around at the panicked voice and saw the reason for it in the form of Aria; the little girl had followed after a butterfly and ended up within the parameters of the Bifrost’s landing marks. Lyssa quickly pulled Aria into her arms, but before she could clear the landing site, the Bifrost finished forming.
“Oh, shit.” Was all Lyssa could say as she was transported to Asgard with the Asgardians.
~*~
Asgard
Lyssa stepped through the doorway and into a gleaming golden observatory, Aria in her arms. Heimdall was kneeling at the top of a circular, tiered platform where a sword was embedded within a control console, watching them through heavily lidded eyes. Lyssa shifted Aria to her hip, securing her with one arm, while darting to the dazed man and starting to check his vitals, easily slipping into the role of healer she had once played during the war.
“Lyssa, how is he?” Thor said worriedly.
“He has severe frostbite from being encased in the ice which, judging by the condition of his armor, I’m guessing was quite a while.” She declared, glancing up at the blond man before turning her attention back to the gold-armored man. “He needs medical attention and fast.”
“Get him to the healing room.” Thor ordered as Hogun and Fandral carefully lifted Heimdall upright and slung the man’s limp arms over their shoulders. “Leave my brother to me.” He turned to Lyssa, his voice becoming gentle but still firm. “Go with them, you and Aria will be safe.”
“Sif, can you take Aria with you, please?” Lyssa asked, turning to the female warrior. Sif nodded and took the toddler, who thankfully didn’t put up a fuss; in fact, Aria was quite curious about her surroundings and babbling away, uncaring that no one was really listening, largely unfazed by the transport or the fact that she was in another Realm. With her daughter taken care of, the redhead turned back to Thor. “I’m going with you, Thor. I can look after your parents and check on your father while you face Loki. I may not know anything about Asgardian Physiology and this Odinsleep that your father is in, but I do know how to read vitals and medical scans.”
Thor looked at her for a moment. “Very well.” He said finally, but it was clear he wasn’t happy with the idea.
“Prongslet, you be good for Lady Sif, okay?” Lyssa said, turning to the toddler in Sif’s arms. “Mummy and Thor have something we need to take care of, and we’ll come back to you as soon as we can.”
Aria looked at Lyssa and Thor for a moment before nodding. “Okay, Mama. I lovey.” She said, gripping her blanket tightly.
“I love you, too.” Lyssa responded, pressing a kiss to the toddler’s forehead.
Thor kissed Aria as well before stepping back and swinging Mjølnir, preparing to fly while Lyssa spread her wings once more. “Follow me.” He said to Lyssa before taking off.
Lyssa shot after him, easily keeping pace with the Thunderer as they flew across the Rainbow Bridge and towards the city and the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf that rose up magnificently from its middle. Lyssa didn’t pay any attention to the breathtaking architecture of the buildings that surrounded them or even of the Royal Palace itself as they entered it and flew down the hallways, Thor leading the way.
“We have to go to my parents’ bedchamber.” He told her. “That is where my father sleeps and my mother would be guarding him. The Frost Giants would go there to attack him.”
Lyssa nodded in understanding.
All too soon, the pair reached the King and Queen’s bedchambers and landed on silent feet, Lyssa retracting her wings. She saw the ice formations along the wall and silently pointed them out to Thor who nodded, having seen them as well. Both glanced at each other, neither liking the implication of the ice.
“I swear to you, Mother, that they will pay for what they’ve done today.” A voice said from within the bedchamber, carrying out into the hallway through the open doors.
Hearing the voice, Lyssa’s eyes widened, recognizing it from her vision. She glanced at Thor and saw his face take on a dark look, indicating that he too knew who the voice was. The only good thing about it was that it meant that the Frost Giants that Lyssa had seen attack Odin were likely dead.
“Loki.” Thor growled, stepping into the doorway of the vast, gleaming bedchambers.
“Thor!” A tall, beautiful and regal woman breathed, lifting her skirts and running to the blond man. “I knew you’d return to us.” She hugged Thor tightly in relief, the larger man returning the embrace wholeheartedly. She pulled back and looked towards Lyssa, a confused frown appearing on her ageless face. “Thor, who is this?” She asked, looking between her son and the strange woman with him.
“I am Lysianassa Potter, Your Majesty.” Lyssa introduced herself when it became obvious that Thor was more preoccupied with glaring at Loki. The dark-haired male was carrying a spear that she assumed was Gungnir and wearing the armor she had seen in her vision, but with the addition of a horned helmet. Lyssa curtsied elegantly to the Queen. “I’m a friend of your son.”
“Welcome to Asgard, my dear.” Frigga said kindly, clearly wondering what had happened while her eldest had been in exile.
“Thank you.” Lyssa said graciously before becoming serious. “Are you injured in any way, Your Majesty? Either you or the King?”
“Merely a few bruises that’ll heal soon enough and the King is safe.” Frigga replied reassuringly, though Lyssa could tell by the woman’s furrowed brow that she was curious to why the question would be asked. “We were both saved by Loki, in fact.” She gestured to a pile of ash that littered a small section of the room, not far from the bed where the Frost Giant met its end.
“Is that so?” Thor growled darkly, stalking forward. “Why don’t you tell Mother how you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends? To kill me?”
“What?” Frigga asked in disbelief.
“It’s true, Your Majesty.” Lyssa said gently, knowing that the scene playing out must be even beyond the Queen’s worst nightmares.
“Why, it must have been enforcing Father’s last command.” Loki said silkily, the two brothers on either side of Odin’s bed.
“You’re a talented liar, Brother.” Thor said through clenched teeth. “Always have been.”
“It’s good to have you back.” Loki said silkily. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim.”
Without warning, he fired a blast of energy from Gungnir, sending Thor flying through the wall and over the side of the tower they were in.
“Thor!” Lyssa and Frigga screamed in unison, both women running towards the hole that had been created as Loki slipped out of the room.
Lyssa unfurled her wings and dove out of the hole, oblivious to Frigga gaping at her in shock.
The redheaded witch drew her wand as she flew downward. “Arresto Momentum!” She screamed, waving her wand at Thor’s falling form. The large man’s descent slowed enough that he was able to use Mjølnir to hover several feet above the paved ground. Lyssa dropped down to his level and hovered in front of him. “Loki’s headed for Himinbjorg.” She told him urgently. “I don’t know how he plans to destroy Jotunheim, but we can’t let that happen. There are innocent beings living on that planet; they don’t deserve to die because of a few idiots.”
“Go up and join my mother, check on my father. I will stop Loki.” Thor said, nodding up at the top of the tower where Frigga looked down at them from the hole.
“Be careful.” She said, lifting herself up a few inches so that they were the same height.
Thor nodded and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before spinning around and flying off in the direction of the Bifrost. In the distance, the cackle of Bifrost energy stood out against the black sky. The beam shot out into the vast expanse of space, connecting to Jotunheim, the Realm of the Frost Giants.
Lyssa watched him go until he was out of sight before flying upwards, reaching the opening in the tower seconds later. She landed on silent feet and retracted her wings, walking towards where Frigga stood by Odin’s bedside, watching the newcomer with sharp eyes.
“Will you allow me to scan your husband?” Lyssa asked, looking at the Queen and drawing her wand. “I may not know much, or anything for that matter, regarding Asgardian Physiology, but I can check if he’s healthy despite still sleeping.”
Frigga hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “Very well.” She allowed.
Lyssa bowed her head slightly in respect before stepping up to the bedside, waving her wand over the slumbering man.
Asgard’s Queen could sense the power within the young woman just as she could see the swirl of light and color that surrounded her and also seemed to emit from within her. The power danced along Lyssa’s body as she waved her wand, the light and color spreading and compressing in equal measure, all without the redhead’s notice.
‘Who is this young maiden?’ Frigga wondered curiously.
“Your husband is okay.” Lyssa declared, holstering her wand. “There doesn’t seem to be any effects of the Frost Giant’s attempt on his life, though to be on the safe side, considering I don’t know anything about Asgardian Physiology, he should be checked by a certified healer to confirm.”
“How do you know my son?” Frigga asked curiously, needing something to distract her from the knowledge that her sons were fighting only a short distance away, the fate of Jotunheim resting on who the winner would be. “Sit, my dear, make yourself comfortable as we speak.”
“Thank you.” Lyssa said with a smile, sitting next to the Queen beside the bed. “My friends and I met your son after he had been dropped by the Bifrost. We sort of accidentally hit him with our vehicle.” She admitted sheepishly, wincing slightly at the memory. Frigga gasped, her eyes widening in alarm. “He was okay, completely unharmed, aside from slightly disoriented from the trip.”
“That occasionally does occur.” Frigga said, nodding. “But how is it that you were transported by the Bifrost?”
“My daughter was chasing after a butterfly and wandered within the parameters of the landing marks.” Lyssa replied with a sigh. She had an expression that was crossed between exasperation and the long suffering patience that only a mother would possess. “I ran after her but before I could clear the site, the bridge formed and we were transported as well.”
“I see.” Frigga said, nodding. “You have a daughter?”
“Yes.” Lyssa replied, smiling softly. “Aria. She’s almost 2 years old and the light of my life.”
“What of her father?”
“Her parents were killed 6 months ago.” Lyssa said softly. “Aria is my brother’s daughter and when they were killed, I took her in.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Frigga said gently, taking Lyssa’s hand and squeezing gently. “You are a strong maiden; to take in and raise a child is no easy task.”
“Believe me, I know.” Lyssa said with a small laugh. “That girl is far more mischievous than her father and her uncles ever were. Sometimes, I think her antics are payback for all the trouble we had caused our parents.”
“That may indeed be so.” Frigga said with a quiet laugh. She sobered up and looked at the young woman across from her, a question nagging her since she had learned of the little boy. “Where is your daughter now? You had said you were both transported here.”
“She’s in the healing room with Sif and the Warrior’s Three.” Lyssa replied. “I had asked Sif to take her with them while I came here with Thor.”
“I see.” Frigga said. “Tell me, my dear, what are your feelings towards my son? I had seen the kiss you both shared below before you parted ways.” She said with a smile.
Lyssa blushed at the realization that they had been seen, by Thor’s mother no less. “I like him, a lot.” She admitted, valiantly trying to get her blush under control but failing spectacularly. “I know that there was someone else he had loved but had lost. I don’t know much about her, just that she meant a lot to both Thor and Loki, and maybe even others as well.”
The smile that Frigga had at the admission and the red-tinted cheeks faded at the young woman’s words. Instead, a glimmer of sorrow entered her eyes at the memory of the young warrior princess that was to be her daughter-in-law. “Her name was Anera.” The Queen said quietly. “Over the past many millennia, she had been repeatedly reborn upon her death. She has been born as Fandral’s sister, as Volstagg’s daughter, as the daughter of King Eitri of Nidavelir, and so many others. In each life, she would eventually meet my sons, becoming Loki’s friend while she and Thor would fall in love. And in each life, she would die before they could marry and bind themselves to each other.
“In her most recent life, she had been the Crown Princess of Alfheim and Loki’s best friend, bridging the differences between my sons like she had in each of her previous lives. She would fight alongside Thor and practice magic alongside Loki. We lost her to battle on the eve of the wedding 25 years ago and her death affected everyone, but none more so than Thor. It had been the closest the two of them had ever come to getting married and we all foolishly believed that it meant the curse had broken.” She smiled sadly, wiping away the tear that fell from her eye. Lyssa frowned at the mention of a curse, but didn’t probe, seeing that it was neither the time nor place to satisfy her seeds of curiosity. “I’m sure you had witnessed his arrogance, at least when he had first arrived on Midgard?” At Lyssa’s nod, Frigga continued, “In the wake of Anera’s death and as the years passed without any sign of her being reborn, he closed himself off to others, only portraying an air of cold arrogance. While the cold faded with time, the arrogance only increased, especially with the praise he was given with each feat he accomplished and each battle he emerged from victorious.”
“Oh, my God.” Lyssa breathed, her heart aching for Thor. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how much pain the man had been in, not even the loss of Lily and James could compare to Thor losing his beloved time and again, especially the night before their wedding.
With a start, she realized where she recognized the name from - the Halliwell Book of Shadows. It contained a few pages recounting the story of how the Norse God of Thunder and the Norse Goddess of the Moon would meet and fall in love only for her to die tragically, tearing them apart. The story said that it was due to a curse, though there had been no explanation to what the curse was, who it had been placed on or why it was cast in the first place. There also had been no description of either Thor or Anera nor of any of the lives that she had lived, only that, at the time the entry was written, it had been a very big number.
“In truth, my dear, I saw a change in my son in those few moments that I had seen him today.” Frigga said gently, drawing Lyssa’s attention once more. “You do not come second to Anera for my son’s love, Lysianassa. You have taught my son humility, something that he never had before, not even with Anera by his side. In each of her lives, Anera had been born to and lived among the noble or the royal families of the different Realms, the lives that I had mentioned are only a small number. As such, she had been raised with luxury just as my sons had, and though she was compassionate and caring to all, she did have the traces of arrogance that is common among nobles and royals.”
“I was born to and raised by a noble family on Midgard.” Lyssa pointed out, not seeing how she could have taught Thor humility when she apparently had a common trait with Anera.
“That may be so, dear girl, but I can tell just by looking at you that you have struggled to raise your niece in the wake of her parents’ demise.” Frigga responded. “The raising of a child is no easy task, especially not while struggling with one’s own grief.” She gave Lyssa a knowing look.
“No it isn’t.” Lyssa agreed quietly.
Before either of them could say anything else, Odin’s eyes shot open.
“Odin!” Frigga breathed, shooting to her feet and helping her husband sit up.
“How do you feel, Your Majesty?” Lyssa asked, staying a few feet from the bed but ready to help him if it was needed; she had moved away while Frigga had been helping the King sit up.
“I am well.” Odin said, reassuring his worried Queen and replying to Lyssa’s question. “You are the one who aided my eldest on Midgard?”
“Yes.” Lyssa replied, nodding. She gasped, her eyes widening and glazing over as she was drawn into a vision.
Thor struggled towards Himinbjorg, electrical energy sparking in every direction. Wind billowed around him, threatening to push him back and he trudged along the Bridge. He growled through clenched teeth, hair and cape whipping about. The circular dome spun uncontrollably, the Bifrost’s power continuing to stream out through space in a concentrated beam to Jotunheim.
“Look at you.” Loki sneered, laying on his back with Mjølnir on his chest and pinning him in place. “The Mighty Thor.” Thor looked around desperately, trying to come up with a way to break the connection between Asgard and Jotunheim. “With all your strength, and what good does it do you now, huh?” Loki grunted in pain, the weight of the hammer pressing down on his ribs. “Do you hear me, Brother? There’s nothing you can do!”
Thor panted heavily, his gaze on the cackling energy. He stretched his arm out behind him and summoned Mjølnir, the hammer immediately flying into his open palm. With a mighty swing, he brought the hammer down on the crystalline, prismatic Rainbow Bridge directly in front of him.
Over and over, he swung his hammer down and the crystalline bridge cracked under the force and the weight of the blows. Behind him, Loki sat up and stared at the elder Prince in shock.
“What are you doing?” The dark-haired Prince demanded.
Thor didn’t reply, instead swinging his hammer down again with a roar. The bridge cracked even more, spreading along the width of the crystalline structure.
“If you destroy the bridge, your mortal will never see her family again!” Loki screamed, desperately trying to get his brother to stop.
Thor let out a roar and swung Mjølnir down again as a bright light began to emit from the cracks. Loki got to his feet and ran to the blond, Gungnir gripped tightly in his hands.
“Forgive me, Lyssa.” Thor said sadly, bringing his hammer down again.
The two Princes of Asgard yelled as they brought their weapons down, Thor on the bridge and Loki on his brother.
The Bridge shattered and a bright light exploded against the dark starlit sky, the force of the blast sending Thor and Loki flying through the air above the abyss.
Lyssa gasped as she returned to the present, blinking rapidly.
“Lysianassa?” Frigga called worriedly.
“Are you well, dear?” Odin asked her, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“We have to get to the Bifrost.” Lyssa said urgently, unfurling her wings. “Long story short, I have the gift of Foresight and I just saw Thor destroying the bridge to break the connection to Jotunheim. The last thing I saw before the vision ended was both Thor and Loki being flung into the air by the force of the explosion.”
“Let us go.” Odin said immediately, climbing off the bed. There was a flash of light that surrounded him and when it faded, the King was dressed resplendently in dark grey, dark silver, and navy-blue armor with a dark maroon cape.
“Be careful, both of you.” Frigga said worriedly as Lyssa went to the hole that was still present in the wall.
Lyssa nodded and dove out of the tower while Odin left the room, hurrying through the Palace and towards the stables where his horse was. She flew through the city and was nearly at the Rainbow Bridge, the light of the Bifrost’s energy in the distance, when she was met by Odin, sitting atop an eight-legged horse that she recognized from the myths as Sleipnir. Pushing aside the urge to ask about what was fact and what was fiction, she nodded to the King and the two raced across the Bridge, the sounds of Thor repeatedly slamming Mjølnir down echoing towards them on the wind.
They had nearly reached Thor and Loki when the explosion rippled past them, the bright light exploding against the starlit sky just as Lyssa had seen. Both the brothers’ screams as they fell echoed in the air as Lyssa shot forward and dove after them, grabbing Thor’s legs, the blond gripping one end of Gungnir tightly while Loki held the other end.
“Bloody hell, you two are heavy!” Lyssa gasped, lying flat on her stomach and sliding forwards, struggling to keep hold of the combined weight of both Princes. It was not only their larger sizes that gave her trouble (even if Loki was of a leaner build than his brother), but their denser body mass making them much heavier than anything she had ever lifted before and the strong wind that billowed around them.
“Lyssa?” Thor shouted up towards her through gritted teeth, struggling to keep hold of Gungnir combined with Loki’s entire weight while hanging upside down. “I thought you were with Mother and Father?”
“I was - AHHHHH!” Lyssa’s response ended with a scream that was echoed by Thor and Loki as she slid off the bridge completely.
Lyssa’s scream stopped abruptly when she felt her bare ankle gripped by a strong hand, Thor and Loki’s screams stopping when they realized they were no longer falling. Automatically holding her dress in place over her legs with one hand, Lyssa looked up in unison with Thor and Loki. Thor and Lyssa had to twist slightly as they were hanging upside down, to see Odin at the edge of the Bridge, looking down at them through his one eye.
“I could have done it, Father!” Loki yelled up to the man who had raised him, struggling to keep hold of the smooth metal of Gungnir. “I could have done it! For you!” Tears filled his green eyes. “For all of us!” He said softly, though still loud enough to be heard.
“No, Loki.” Odin said sadly, unable to accept his youngest son’s ideals.
Loki looked up at his father, the devastation at the perceived rejection clear on his face as tears fell from his eyes.
“Loki, don’t!” Lyssa screamed, recognizing the resignation on the dark-haired prince’s face.
“Loki, no!” Thor shouted, also seeing the look in his brother’s eyes.
Loki looked at his brother and father for a moment before letting go of Gungnir.
“NOOO!” Thor and Lyssa screamed in unison as Loki fell into the abyss of space and was sucked into a black hole that swirled far below.
“No.” Odin breathed in sorrow, tears filling his blue eye.
Thor sobbed, his own tears mixing in with his hair that whipped around his face. Odin gently pulled Thor and Lyssa up and as soon as they were standing upright on the Bridge, pulled his son into a hug.
‘Such a bittersweet moment.’ Lyssa thought as she watched father and son embrace.
Slowly, the pair pulled apart and Thor looked at Lyssa, guilt filling him at the sight of the woman who was stuck on Asgard with her daughter because of him. “I have no right to ask this of you, yet I still do.” Thor said softly, walking up to Lyssa and stopping in front of her. “Please forgive me. I have trapped you here with your daughter.”
“Thor, there is nothing to forgive.” Lyssa said in a gentle yet firm tone, reaching up to cup his cheek. “You did what you had to in order to save innocent lives. Aria and I will adjust to living on Asgard just as we adjusted to living in America after leaving England.” She stepped back and gave him a look that brokered no argument. “Now, you have a mother to see and I have a daughter to find.”
“Indeed.” Odin agreed, a faint smile on his face at seeing his son taking orders from the tiny maiden.
Thor swung Mjølnir and launched himself into the sky, Lyssa spreading her still unfurled wings and joining him. The two shot off towards the City with Odin mounting Sleipnir and following close behind.
The pain of losing Loki was still there for Thor and Odin just as Lyssa felt the pain of knowing she could never return home. But, for the moment at least, all three focused on the coming moment of reuniting with the family they had.