LokiSon

Part 1: A Prince of Mischief and Babes, Chapter 8:

Magic. 

It was a pretty simple premise. At least, for a mind as intricate and knowledgeable as his. 

He had started learning the practice when he was young. His mother had noticed that he really did not fit in with people like Thor. Like the rest of the kingdom, who valued raw strength and power over that of knowledge and intelligence. Of course, they would come running for magic whenever their wounds needed healing, or if a spell needed procuring. 

It was the story of his life whenever it came to Thor and the rest of his friends. Whenever they would get themselves into more trouble than they bargained for, Loki would be the first person they would come to. Thor was too afraid of his mother to go to help, so he would come to his little baby brother and see if his ‘womanly’ spells could fix the situation. Loki would always find the answer, as he was the most powerful sorcerer in the kingdom, but it would always be at a price. Like having Thor tend to his needs, or having him do his princely duties while he did who knows what. 

Those were always good days. 

And Loki’s study was a physical representation of what his magic could really do. 

The man’s study was styled similarly to that of the rest of his rooms, only that it was darker in here than the rest of his quarters, and more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined. 

Lined up across the walls were shelves upon shelves of potions, beakers and books one would only see in their wildest dreams. Loki did have his own library, but the books on his shelves were thrown all over the place, as he needed some time to organize them. The potions glowed colors that were not seen in this realm or any other for that matter. They glowed that of the Bifrost, from reds, to greens, purples, blues. Every color one could imagine. And they all did different things as well. He forgot to label a few, so he was not sure if that lime green potion near the bottom helped grow flowers, or turn one into a toad. 

He would test it on Thor later to see. 

The windows of his study were shielded by green curtains, which rose all the way up to the ceiling. Even though it was the middle of the day, Loki liked having the curtains shut, especially when he was making potions. He loved to see the cauldron in the middle of the room burst with new colors with every new ingredient he put in it. 

And his cauldron was grand. It was made out of a pitch black iron, only found in the pits of Muspelheim. Loki would know, because he was the one who had to trudge through the fire pits to get the damn ore, but that was a conversation for another time. 

Loki had the book in his hands, reading it in front of the cauldron. 

“All right…” he clicked his teeth, looking through the pages. “The last few things. It says I just need the tooth of a great animal that tracks, along with a droplet of the water of the land we are searching on.” Loki eyed the book. “This spell leaves a lot up to interpretation, but I know why mother gave it to me. It is pretty simple. If it actually works, that is. What do you think, Peter?”

The young babe was sitting in a crib he had installed a few feet away from his desk. The crib was caged, which meant that Loki could see Peter even if he was across the room. The mortal was playing with the Odin doll that he had gotten so fond of over the last month, and seemed content. Loki was glad at that, since the vial of blood was still out for a few more days. 

Loki laughed as he walked over to the crib, leaning over it, watching the babe. 

Peter kept playing for a few more minutes, shaking the Odin doll. Loki was surprised with the fact that the doll’s long beard had not fallen off yet, with all the shaking. But no, it persevered. But Peter’s brown eyes slowly looked up, as if he was finally realizing that Loki was standing there, hovering over him. 

The babe immediately let go of the doll, dropping on the bed and slowly raising his hands up, wanting to be picked up. He soon began to whine when Loki simply laughed at him. 

“You know I can’t just pick you up whenever you ask.” He pointed out. “I don’t think it’s good for you.” 

“Mmh!” The boy hummed. 

Loki shook his head. “You know. I only give ups to babes who can speak. Say ‘Loki.’ Lo-Ki.” 

But Peter simply waved his arms around, ignoring the words that were coming out of his mouth. 

“Fine.” Loki shook his head, smiling down at him. “But I have never been one to say no to you, is that not right, Peter?” 

With one hand, Loki let go of the book, but it did not drop to the ground. The book simply hovered next to him. It was one of the good things about being a magic user. He had more than two hands. 

But, it did take two to pick up a babe. Loki reached into the crib, picking up Peter by the arms and resting him against his side. Peter immediately stopped whining, and Loki was sure that the reason the babe was adjusting himself was because he was trying to get more comfortable in his arms. Loki laughed at that. 

“Better?” He smiled. 

“Ah!” Is all Peter gave. 

“You know, if you keep responding like that, I’m going to start thinking that you actually understand me.” With the other arm that was not holding Peter, Loki licked his thumb and wiped a random smudge off the boy’s cheek. “Don’t know how you got that on you. But let’s start again. Say, ‘Loki.’ Lo-Ki. My name is rather simple, you know.” 

“Dah!” Peter exclaimed, happily. 

“You know, we’ll get there. Not today, but it could be tomorrow. Or perhaps the day after. Who knows.” Loki shrugged. “But let us find those two ingredients, hmm?” 

Peter simply giggled, and he took that as a yes. 

The black haired young man headed over to the shelf where he held most of his animal remains. Some of them were in jars, still decomposing, then he remembers that Peter was a babe. Some children may find it scary, the idea of animals decaying inside of a jar, but it was how discoveries were made. And the brown haired babe did not seem all that bothered by it either. As he kept trying to reach for one of the jars, especially that of an old rabbit. 

But Loki just shook his head and stood in front of his teeth display, trying to find a perfect tooth. The display was behind a glass case, being showcased easily for the two of them. The display had teeth ranging from all sizes. Well, not all sizes, as there were animals that had teeth as big as the bookcase itself, but more or less the everyday average animals of Midgard were right in front of him. 

Loki eyed the case in front of him. 

“You see, Peter,” He started. “The reason the enchantment requires that of a tooth is because it needs to be able to track. It is the main part of a ‘tracking spell’ after all.” Loki laughed. “What do you think? Pick one.” 

Loki then began to point to a variety of different teeths. Since these were animals on Midgard, they were all small per say, but a few of them were almost the size of his entire hand. Loki grazed his fingertips on each of the teeth, wanting to see which tooth that the boy reacted to the best. And when his finger stopped on a wolf fang. 

“Aaaah…” Is the noise that Peter let out. Loki smiled. 

“That one, huh? All right then…” 

Loki reached for the bottom of the display, and clicked it open. He raised the glass, and gently picked out the tooth that Peter had chosen. The tooth was that of a northern gray wolf, with it being bigger than the rest. Peter was reaching for the thing, but Loki made it a point not to let the young babe get a hold of it. He did not want Peter hurting himself. 

“All right, good choice, Peter.” Loki nodded his head approvingly. “This is from a northern gray wolf, you know. They’re known for their amazing tracking skills. Once, when I was on a hunt with Thor, a gray wolf followed us for miles on end, not letting us lose its trail.” Loki laughed at the memory. “The two of us could not believe that a simple Midgardian wolf would cause so much trouble. I kept the tooth as a memoir of the event. But I suppose it will now be of better use.” 

“Ah!” Is all Peter gave him, still trying to reach for the tooth. 

The two of them walked back over to the cauldron, which was simmering a blue tint. The book followed them, and Loki looked at it once more. He wanted to make sure that it was okay to simply drop the tooth into the mixture, as some spells required an extra touch. Like having to grind the tooth and sprinkle the remains into the cauldron. 

But, no, the book did not state anything of the sort, so he simply dropped the tooth in, much to Peter’s dismay. The boy reached for the cauldron, as if he wanted to jump in there and get the tooth back. Loki let out a laugh. 

“It’s just a tooth, Peter.” Loki soothed. “There will be more wolves we can maim. If the time calls for it. Now about that water…” 

Loki turned to one of his shelves, specifically the one with the bottles. He ignored the potions that were all glowing, and narrowed his eyes to the glass bottles that were just for water. 

Now, since the glass bottles were made of glass, he could see each and every water for what it was. Some of them were vibrant, and some might mistake them for being potions for the way they were glowing, but that was not the case. Some planet’s water glowed, and it was beautiful, while others did not. Even Asgard’s water did not glow. Which was a pity. On the other hand, there were glasses that had murky, dirty water that he would not be caught dead drinking. Those typically came from planets who were either dying, or the people there were just disgusting. 

Loki’s eyes wandered a minute before his eyes narrowed on the clear glass all the way to the right, labeled, ‘Midgard.’ 

He raised his hand, and the bottle soon glowed green, hovering off the shelf and across the room, right into Loki’s pale hand. He made sure to check the book again to see if it was okay to simply pour the water into the cauldron, and when he saw no fight, he used his teeth to pop the round cork open and dumped the entire bottle inside. 

And soon, the blue tint of the potion soon turned that of a mint green, with the bubbles becoming even more apparent. Loki smiled down at the concoction. 

“Success, Peter!” Loki smiled at the babe. “At least, I think it is.” He stuck his nose in the book. “The text says once the mixture turns that of a mint green, let the potion simmer for a few more hours, and put the object of your choice inside…” Loki looked towards the babe. “And I know just the object. But we’ll get there when we get there, darling…” 

The babe smiled at him, and Loki smiled back. 

He bent down and put the lid over the cauldron, making sure he left the pot slightly open so that air could come out of it. He made sure that the fire beneath it had enough wood so that it would not go out.

Not wanting to put Peter down, the man walked towards his desk. He sat down in his chair, ignoring all of the papers and books that were on the table in front of him. He set Peter down on his lap, letting out a long breath. 

And with that, Loki suddenly felt tired. He had been collecting the ingredients to make the potion since his mother gave him the recipe yesterday. And though they were easy ingredients, he was making magic. And that was taken from his seidr. 

Though Loki was one of the most powerful mages in the Nine Realms, he was still young. His mother had told him time and time again not to create spells that would take a lot from his seidr, as it would take time for him to regain that energy again. But Loki did not really care about all that, as he was a prince of Asgard and his reach knew no bounds. And it really was not the potion that was making him tired, it was honestly just… everything. 

Peter was a babe. He took a lot of work. But Loki knew that the moment he took him from the realm of the mortals. And Asgardian babes took a lot of time as well, they were virtually the same. The only difference was the fact that Asgardian young were babes far longer than mortals. And Loki did not know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. 

Loki knew it was a lot of work, but… he actually enjoyed it. He liked spending time with the young babe. When he was laughing, playing with his toys. Loki realized not a little while ago that when Peter was happy, he was happy. 

And it scared the living Hel out of him. 

Loki suddenly felt Peter move under him, and he looked down at the babe. Peter’s head was just at the height of the table, with him being able to see everything that was on it. Loki’s desk was a hoarder's den at the moment, with all kinds of books and papers and all the such. But the biggest thing on the table was the giant scroll, which depicted that of Yggdrasil. 

Loki laughed. 

“That’s Yggdrasil, darling.” Loki said softly to the boy. He gently raised Peter up to his hip, holding him there so he could see the scroll better. Peter’s eyes were glued to the tree. “Or the World Tree, as some call it.” 

The scroll was in color, and it was painted beautifully. Loki had stolen the scroll from the archives of the palace’s library, and he was not going to give it back. It displayed all of the Nine Realm’s perfectly, with it being painted with a variety of colors. It was one of the most beautiful depictions of Yggdrasil that Loki had ever seen, and he needed to have it for his personal collection. 

“Yggdrasil holds all of the Nine Realms in its branches. Look, here’s Asgard.” Loki pointed to the top of the map, pointing at the very top. “You see that palace there? That is where we are. At the very top of the tree, where all Asgardians belong.” 

“Ah!” 

Loki laughed. “Yes. I have been to many realms. Even that out of the Nine. But none can compare to Asgard, I can tell you that much, darling. Now,” Loki skimmed through the tree once more. “See that, right in the middle? That’s Midgard. It is where I rescued you from.” 

Peter made more incoherent noises, but Loki continued. 

“Midgard is… well, basic? I do not mean to insult, but that is the only term that comes to mind.” Loki chuckled. “Though I hate to admit, it does have its charms. Though the life span of the people there are a bit bleak, if you ask me. But some of the people there are pleasant. Look at you for example.” 

Loki kissed the top of Peter’s head, and the boy giggled. Loki smiled as he looked back down at the map. 

“Now, let us see…” Loki began to point his finger at another one. “You see that one? The realm surrounded by fire? That’s Muspelheim. The realm of dragons and demons. You’ve probably heard me mention it a few times. Though it is hot, I like going there every now and then. If you seek an adventure, and do not mind the heat, that is the place I would recommend.” 

Then another. 

“The realm surrounded by all that white light is Alfheim. It is the home of the light elves and all light magic.” Loki hummed. “Now, I don’t really know what kind of sorcerer I am. Whether it be dark or light. Asgard forbids dark magic, but if you look around…” Loki gestured to the room around him. “I’m not exactly a saint.” He laughed. 

“Ah!” 

“Oh, so you agree with that, huh?” Loki raised a single eyebrow, but smiled nonetheless. “And speaking of dark magic, that’s Svartalfheim, how some call it, ‘the Dark World.’” Loki thinks with the way Peter’s eyes widened, he realizes that the boy wanted to know more. “The Dark World is where the Dark Elves live. While Alfeim is filled with light, Svartalfheim is filled with a never ending darkness. With the only light coming from that of a black hole. Hence the nickname.” 

Loki shook his head. “I don’t know much about the realm. I just… I don’t know. Something about that place never sits right with me. Perhaps we will see one day…” 

Loki was lost in thought for a few moments, before Peter began to point at something on the painting. 

“Hmm? Oh, you see something else, Peter?” Peter was pointing at the bottom of the painting, and Loki nodded his head. “Oh, that? That’s just-” 

And then it clicked what Peter was pointing at. 

At the very bottom of the map, near the bottom left corner, Peter was pointing at a barren world. The realm was surrounded by what appeared to be ice and snowflakes, along with mountains with that of ice and snow. But the realm was covered with what seemed to be an everlasting darkness, along with a red sun. 

Loki swallowed. 

“That’s… That’s, uh… Jotunheim.” He said in a low voice. “The land of the Frost Giants.” 

“Dah.” Is all Peter said. Loki did not want to, but he could see in Peter’s eyes that he wanted the man to continue. Even though Loki was pretty sure that the babe did not even know what he was saying. 

Loki swallowed. 

“It is a barren place. With nothing but tundras of ice, and mountains of rock and snow. The realm is situated under a red sun, so it barely gets any light as it is. But I could forgive all of that, if it wasn’t for the people who lived there…” 

Loki looked down to the babe. Peter kept looking at the realm without a care in the world, and he obviously did not catch the shift in Loki’s mood. He was just a babe, afterall. He should probably just stop. Peter did not need to hear all of this. But for some reason, his lips kept moving. 

“It is the home of the Jotunn. Hence the name…” Loki licked his lips. “I’ve never seen one in real life, but… they say that their skin is that of ice. And that they tower that three times of a normal Asgardian. With teeth of that of wolves and eyes as blood as their sun, they leave much to be desired in the looks department.

“My father had gotten into battle with them, long ago. They were trying to take over your realm, but he was able to stop it. A lot of people died during that war, but they were able to stop it before anyone else died…” He shook his head. “It was where Father lost his eye. The reason why that doll you love so much has an eyepatch.” Loki shook his head. “Jotunn were never really able to recover from that battle. Which was why, almost a millennia later, they still have not fought back or retaliated.” 

Loki hummed. “I’ve never been to Jotunheim. I know what you are thinking: ‘Loki, but you’ve been to all different kinds of places, why not there?’” Loki raised his pitch as if a child was speaking, but Peter did not find it funny. The man laughed. “Okay, not funny. I get it. But the reason I have not gone is because… I do not know. That place… just something about it I cannot pinpoint. Perhaps it is all the conditioning my father put in Thor and I when we were young. To never go there. To be afraid of the Frost Giants.” 

Peter suddenly yawned in his arms, and Loki did not need to be told twice on what to do. 

The young prince lifted the boy up in his arms and stood from his seat, leaving his desk and the picture of the tree behind. Peter rested his head in the crook of Loki’s neck, fluttering his eyes shut. Loki slowly made his way over to the crib in the corner of the study, rocking Peter back and forth, lulling him to sleep. 

“I’m not trying to make you afraid of them, Peter.” Loki said softly as he went. “That is what my father taught me. If I ever see a Jotun, I have to do two things: run to my father, or hide. There were no ifs or buts about it.” 

Once he got to the crib, Loki lowered Peter into it. The scarlet blanket that he had found Peter in was sprawled inside of the crib, and Loki placed the baby boy on top of it. As Loki spoke, he wrapped the boy around it, making sure he was comfortable. 

“But you needn’t to worry about Frost Giants. Father had made sure to close all of the doors leading in and out of the realm. Or, at least I hope he did.” Loki shook his head. “I won’t try to scare you with stories of them. Unless you ask, of course.” 

The study was silent. 

The only thing that could really be heard was the wind hitting against the glass window, along with the cauldron in the middle of the room making that potion that he needed. But other than that, nothing. 

Loki stood there for who knows how long, just staring at the babe sleeping below him. 

Peter was perfect. There was no doubt about that. He had been perfect the day he had stumbled upon, and he was even more perfect now. From those giant brown eyes that made him melt, to the way that he was just happy about all and everything. Seriously, he did not think that a babe could be so happy, but Peter was. He was so curious about the world, and he showed that through his need to touch everything and it made Loki want to rip his hair out. 

And even in the moments where Peter kept Loki up at night. Crying because he soiled his clout, or simply was just hungry. Loki would always rock back and forth in his chair, trying to sooth the babe as best as he could. And when morning light would peep through Peter’s curtains, he never felt more relieved in his life. 

He wanted more. 

Midgardian’s just grew too fast. In a year, Peter would become a toddler. And a few years after that, he would be a child, then a young man. In about fifteen or twenty years, he would look to be Loki’s age, and the black haired man did not want that. He wanted more years with the babe. Centuries of raising the young lad as his own. He wanted more sleepless nights, changing clouts, feeding him through a bottle. He wanted more. 

Loki swallowed. He leaned down into the crib and slowly rubbed his thumb on the babe’s small cheeks. 

“I love you, Peter.” 

Oh shit. There was no coming back from that. 

“I love you more than the Norns know.” His voice was barely that of a whisper. But he could not help the way it cracked. “I would follow you to all the realms: Muspelheim, Svartalfheim, Jotunheim. If I knew that was where you were. I would destroy all that came in your way, and protect you from those that would wish you harm.” 

He swallowed. He felt his eyes water, but he was not going to cry this time. 

“You simply grow too fast, my darling boy. I cannot have that. I need more with you. More time. And even as an Asgardian, that is something we never seem to have.” He let out a sad laugh. 

“I wish for you to eat the Golden Apple. All you really need is one, and you will be that of a god. And after that, we’ll have millenia together.” Loki smiled at the idea. “My father would crown you as a prince, and you’ll be adored by all. I’ll teach you not only the sword, but magic as well. You’ll be the most powerful sorcerer in the realm. Besides me, of course. And I’ll clothe you with reds and greens and golds. Make the universe yours. You’ll want for nothing.” 

His smile soon vanished. 

“But if I am to have you, I will not raise you with what ifs. I need to know your story. Or, at least, a glimpse of it so I can understand. To understand why you were left to die in the back of a carriage. Why you were left, cold and alone.” Loki swallowed. “But if what my gut is telling me is true, then everything I just said can happen. You can live here with me. And mother. Father. Even fucking Thor who I know will spoil you to no end. And you’ll grow to the person I know you’ll be…” 

Peter rustled beneath him, and Loki sighed. The black haired prince put his lips to the babe’s forehead, and that seemed to sooth the boy, nestling further into his cocoon of his red blanket. 

Loki raised himself from the casket. 

“Sleep now, my darling boy. And by the time you awaken, I will have my answer.” 

-000-

“Are you positive about this?” 

He and Freya stood in the middle of his study, looking down at the cauldron. It had been a few hours since he had gotten Peter to sleep inside of his crib, but he was too afraid to wake the baby up. Typically, he did not like it when Peter slept so much during the day, as he would not be able to sleep at night because of it, but he decided for a day like today, he would let it pass. 

Loki had opened the curtains of the study, as the sun was now setting into the night. The study was filled with that of a gold tint, much brighter than it had been just hours before. Loki liked having the room dark, but he knew that Freya was the kind of person to like light, so he opened it just for her. The last time she came in here, she bitched that it was too dark for her to even see. And she sure as hell was not complaining now. 

The cauldron was still at a simmer, but according to the book, the potion was ready. The light green tint had muted ever so slightly, but it was still as vibrant as ever. 

The book was still floating next to him. The last step was to simply drop the object that his lost one adored, and it would lead him to them. Of course, it was not Loki’s lost one: it was Peter’s. 

Loki looked down to his hands. 

Running through his pale hands, was the scarlet blanket that he had found Peter in all those nights ago. 

Of course, he had to unwrap the young babe from the blanket as he had fallen asleep inside of it just hours before, but Peter did not seem to mind as much. Loki simply wrapped him in some of the soft Asgardian silks, with it being the same shade of green that Loki adored. 

He hovered the blanket on top over the simmering cauldron. 

This had to work. He needed it to work. If he had done the spell right, then this was going to lead it to the person who had made the blanket. And he did not know what was going to happen the moment he and that person met. Would it be one of Peter’s relatives, or maybe a close family friend? Well, they could not have been that close to Peter’s original family considering that the boy was left in some kind of home, left to die in the middle of the night. What kind of family friend was that? 

But what of Peter’s actual family? Were they even looking for the young lad? Were they searching day and night, looking for the babe? Loki pitied them for it, as their searching through Midgard would be for nothing, considering that the young babe was up here with the gods. Living like one. 

Yet, what kind of family would lose a babe as perfect as Peter? The brown haired babe was kind of hard to miss considering that he was one of the brightest and happiest babes in all the Nine Realms. Peter’s laugh could be heard all through his rooms, even the tiniest of giggles. And he knew that if the boy grew, just by the sound of his young voice, he would be one of the greatest singers known to all. 

But he did not want to think about what was going to happen once he met Peter’s family. 

“Loki?” He heard from next to him. 

The black haired prince immediately snapped out of his thoughts, looking towards the woman next to him. Freya had both hands clasped in front of her, with her dark eyebrows filled with concern. He then realized that he had been staring at the blanket the entire time, hovering it over the burning mixture, but not dropping it inside. 

“Are you all right?” She asked. 

He cleared his throat. 

“Yes. I am fine.” He let out confidently. But it was not enough for the blonde, as she did not seem all that convinced. No matter. 

He let out a long sigh, finally gathering up all the courage he had and dropped the blanket into the mixture. 

He had expected the small scarlet blanket to simply float at the top, but it did the exact opposite. The blanket sank down to the bottom of the cauldron, disappearing from his sight. Loki panicked for a few seconds at that, but he told himself that it must be part of the spell, so that the potion could get to all the good nooks and crannies of the material. But soon, the color of the potion turned even more green, and he knew he was doing the right thing. 

Loki licked his lips and turned to the woman, who was still staring at the cauldron. 

“So what now?” She asked. 

“Well, according to the book,” Loki waved his hand over so that the book was now hovering near his chest, and he looked down at it. He hummed. “It just says we need to wait for a few moments. And I think we just pull it out.” 

“Okay…was the potion hard to brew?” She then asked. The woman then let out a small laugh, looking amused. “But I suppose no potion is too hard for you to concoct? Is that not right?” 

Loki laughed. “I am the Master of Magic, my dear. Trust me.” 

“Of course.” She nodded her head. 

Freya’s smile then soon faded, and she looked down towards the floor. Her eyes then trailed the floor beneath them all the way to the crib that was in the corner of the room. Loki could see that Peter was still sleeping soundly in his crib, not seeming to care about all the noise that they were making. 

“So this spell is going to take you to who made the blanket, correct?” 

“Correct.” 

“And have you thought about what you are going to say?” The blonde pondered. “Loki, this blanket could possibly take you to Peter’s family. What if… what if they desire him back? What are you going to do then?” 

“I…” Loki clasped his fingers together, hating the way he knew he looked unsure. “I do not know.” 

“Well, you need to have some kind of idea, my prince.” Freya took a step forward, giving him a sad smile. “I know this is going to sound selfish, but… Peter was left in the cold to die. I know the Norns might punish me for it, but something inside of me wishes that his family was dead, just so that you can keep him.” 

Loki laughed, shaking his head. “Then I suppose the two of us share the same sentiment.” He licked his lips. “I wish for that as well. But it is awful, isn’t it? To wish he had no one so he would only have me.” 

“It’s not so awful.” Freya shook her head. “You wish to take care of him. To have him in your life. Every mortal in Midgard would give everything if there was a way for them to live up here with the gods. You’re giving that to Peter. He would be grateful for that…” 

“I hope so…” Loki nodded his head. 

“And have you thought of what I have suggested?” She asked. “Of us to marry and use it as a cover up?” 

Loki sighed. 

“I have thought long and hard about it, Freya.” Loki nodded his head, suddenly feeling tired. Freya leaned forward, as if she was awaiting his answer. “And I know you will not like that. I do not have an answer as of yet. But I need to do this, and by morning, I will give it to you.” 

Freya deflated. “Of course.” 

“I just need to know.” He started. “I need to know if Peter is truly alone. If he is, then he will be mine for thousands of years. If not, if there is someone out there looking for him… I do not know.” 

“I understand.” Her brown eyes were full of empathy, and Loki was glad that she truly seemed that she was. 

He sighed. “I-” 

Suddenly, Freya’s eyes went wide, looking over his shoulder, and he immediately turned around. 

Loki did not know how he didn't notice it before, but the cauldron had begun to boil immensely, with the bubbles rising all the way to the top and almost spilling onto the floor. Loki immediately turned to the book to see if that was supposed to be happening, but soon, he got his answer. 

Not seconds later, the bubbles began to cease, and the scarlet blanket began to slowly rise from the bubbles, floating in the air. But the blanket was not just red, no, it was glowing that of a light green, and it was just floating there, waiting for something. Loki glanced back at Freya, and her brown eyes were wide, looking at Loki as if she was asking if it was supposed to be doing that. Loki did not want to tell her he had no idea, so he simply went back to the book in question. 

“I think…” He said, looking down at its pages. “It’s all set. The last thing I need to do is go back to Midgard and have the blanket lead me…” 

“But where would you start?” It was a good question to ask. “Midgard is a large planet. With deserts, tundras, greenery. It’s a very diverse place. Where would you go?” 

But Loki already had his answer. “I will start where I first met him. In that alley way.” He found himself smiling. “Full circle, is it not?” 

Freya mimicked his smile. “It is. When do you plan on leaving?” 

“Tonight, if it was okay with you?” Loki asked. “If I wait any longer, I think my head might explode.” 

“I understand.” She put a hand to his shoulder. “I’m dying to know as well.” 

“I just…” He started. “I’m just ready to show him to the world. I’m tired of keeping him up here, or in the garden covered in fog. I want to show him the beauty of our realm. To swim in the lakes, run through the forests. Show the entire kingdom that he is mine.” His heart began to tighten in his chest. “Is that strange?” 

“Of course not, my friend!” She laughed. “It’s called adoration. And I find it suits you well.” 

He let out a shaky sigh. “I hope so…” 

He turned from the woman, looking back towards the floating blanket. It was still glowing green, which was a good sign. Loki did not know how long it would take for the spell to wear off, but he was not going to chance it. That was why it was important for him to leave tonight, while the potion was still fresh. 

“Just do be careful, Loki.” Freya warned. 

For the first time today, he finally felt confident. 

“When am I ever?” He smiled at her. 

-000-

Loki had done what he had said and left that same night. 

He decided that his best course of action would be to leave later on in the night, about halfway until the sun would begin to rise. That was the time when most of the kingdom was asleep, as he would know from his much experience from disappearing from the realm wherever he wanted. 

He had told Freya that she could simply go to sleep in his rooms, as he could tell that the woman was tired. But she told him that even if she wanted to sleep, she knew it would be a fool's errand. And he understood what she meant. Because ever since he finished the potion, and enchanted the blanket, his heart had been racing for the next few hours. 

Peter had woken up again, and the three of them played in his room while they waited for the sun to set. If Peter was older, he surely would have been able to tell the worry on the two adult’s faces, but he did not. He simply kept playing with his toys until the sun fully set, and he grew tired once more. That was when Freya put him to bed and he decided that it was time. So, he grabbed his satchel, put the blanket inside, putting on his green cloak. 

He kissed Peter on the cheek goodbye. And he hugged Freya, telling her she would get the answers he desired. 

He had done a good job sneaking around the castle, making sure that no one saw him. There was almost one slip up though, with a servant going down a wrong hallway and catching the young prince, but Loki took care of it. He simply knocked the man out using his magic and he will now awaken in the morning in the gardens with no memory of what happened. The joys of being a magic user. 

Loki stepped into the Bifrost Chamber. 

It had been the same since the last time he had been here. And all the times before it. The only reason that Loki was even able to walk the bridge of the Bifrost was because he was a royal. Not a lot of people can walk the bridge as it was dangerous. As one would not want to fall into the waters below and risk falling out of the kingdom all together. Though, he does have memories of when he was younger, going to the beaches in the southern parts of the kingdom and not wanting to stray far from land as he was afraid of falling into the void of space. 

He’ll take Peter to the beach, one day. 

Loki’s eyes immediately caught Heimdall's. The man was standing near the side of the room, with his staff in hand. He was still in that golden armor that he always wore, and he simply stared at the young man approaching him. Loki was a little annoyed at the smile that the man was giving him. 

“My prince.” The man nodded his head. 

“Heimdall.” Loki did not bother with pleasantries. “I’m sure you already know why I am here. Foresight and all that. Open a portal to Midgard.” 

The man did not argue with the prince, and he was glad for it. The warrior did have a tendency to get mouthy, but Loki only ever felt it was like that just with him. He had never seen Heimdall talk as much, especially to his father. 

Heimdall walked up the steps of the middle podium, looking down towards the panel in front of him. Loki had always wanted to study how the Bifrost worked, but Heimdall would never let him study it for what it was. He probably thought that Loki would want to take over all of the realms if he learned how to control it, but the black haired prince was not interested in domination. Well, perhaps not today. 

But soon, the entire Bifrost began to vibrate, with some of the walls and watches beginning to spin. And soon, a rainbow portal opened at the back of the chamber, leading to where he knew it was Peter’s home. 

He took a deep breath as he stared at the portal. 

He suddenly felt a body stand next to him. 

“Why do you hesitate?” The man asked softly. “The answers you seek are through that portal.” 

Loki scoffed, shaking his head. “I know they are. It is the whole reason I am here, after all.” 

“Yet, you are still standing here, not going through.” The man pointed out. Heimdall smiled at the young prince. Loki knew it was genuine, with there being no malice in those perfectly white teeth, but there was just something about it that Loki did not like. Perhaps it was just he was not used to the man having it. “Are you afraid of what you might find?” 

“Of course I am not.” Loki snapped. He licked his lips. “They are nothing but mortals down there. It does not matter if they are a peasant or a king, none of them hold a candle to even a servant in the palace.” 

“None of them but Peter, I can see.” 

An idea popped in Loki’s head. “Speaking of which, can you not just tell me the answer then?” He asked. “You see everything. What happened to Peter’s family?” 

Heimdall simply laughed, shaking his head. “I see everything. But I do not know everything. I cannot explain how my magic works, how I use my eyes, but think of it like this: A spider has eight eyes. They can see eight different ways, but they can only focus on eight different things. My eyes are the same, though I can look at a lot of things instead of just eight.” He chuckled. “But I have fit some of the pieces together, my prince. And I think it is something you need to go down there and see for yourself.” 

“I can just order you to tell me what you saw.” He raised his chin. 

“No, you cannot.” Heimdall shook his head. “And even if you did, I know you would want to see with your eyes as well.” 

Loki scoffed once more. He hated that the man was right. 

“Yet, you have seen me, along with him this past month, correct?” Loki asked. 

“I have…” Heimdall nodded his head. “Especially the part where you told him you loved him.” 

Loki felt his entire body heat up at that. 

He knew that Heimdall had been watching. He always assumes that the man was watching. He was his father’s eyes, but the two of them had an agreement when it came to the black haired prince. If his father did not ask the man a question directly regarding Loki, Heimdall would steer clear of that. Loki knew it was a risky game that he was playing, but it was the only game that was presented on the table. 

But he was sure that Heimdall had watched everything. All the nights where he had been awakened by Peter’s crying. All the clouts that he had to change, all the play times. He had always known that Heimdall was watching, but he really did not care. Whenever he was with Peter, his attention always stayed on the mortal boy. With his thoughts never really wandering far. 

Loki looked the man directly in the eyes. 

“It is the truth.” He said finally. “I do love Peter. And if I go down there and find he has no one, then that will be it. He will live here with me.” 

“My prince. I do not think you have truly thought about all the repercussions of that.” Heimdall stared at him blankly. “If you do raise Peter here, in the land of the gods, he would be an outcast. It does not matter how many apples you throw his way, he will always be seen as strange. I have seen it happen before.” 

“Really? You’ve seen it happen with who?” Loki asked. When Heimdall did not give him an answer, he simply nodded his head. “Peter will be fine. As will I. I have it all planned out and I do not need your insight. If you feel like giving advice, go ask my father to listen to you.” 

Loki took one step forward, feeling the Bifrost’s energy in front of him. He ignored the look that the man was giving him behind him. He made sure that his satchel was tightened around his shoulder, but before he stepped through the portal, he said: 

“If he has no one then he shall live here with me. In my rooms, right across. I will feed him the golden apples, and he will grow into the finest man that this kingdom has ever seen. He will be a prince, and he will be adored by all, that much I can promise you.” He took a deep breath. “Peter will be fine. He has me. And that’s all that matters.” 

And he took a step forward, leaving Heimdall’s blank stare behind him.