What Defines Family

“Well, well, where do I begin!” Loki darkly laughed. His pulsing red eyes were glaring at Thor filled with hostility. His hand movements got quicker, everyone expecting him to lose a finger from the blade. He leaned back into the chair and sighed. “It all began on your attack on Jotunheim… This is what happened…”

five years earlier

Jotunheim

A pained cry echoed throughout the battlefield, followed by someone exclaiming, “Don’t let them touch you!”.

Loki nodded and continued fending off Jotuns, quickly moving his daggers, throwing daggers, until a cold, blue hand grabbed his wrist. Slowly, his armor fell off. Loki fiercely fought to evade the soldier's grip. Blue. Not a frostbitten dark. Just blue. slowly, a lighter shade of lines crept up his hand. He stood still, frozen in shock. He glanced up. The soldier was equally as confused. Loki separated his lips, about to speak out, until he felt a strong, sudden pain, and collapsed onto the ground. He struggled to get up, to escape, to run, anything. But he laid still, unmoving, as he watched the Bifrost leave. His vision became fuzzy and then everything faded to black.

-~o~-

Slowly, Loki regained consciousness. he was laying sideways, without his complex battle armor. instead, he wore a soft tunic. Slowly, when he gained the strength to open his eyes he discovered himself in a strange, odd, new room. It was plain enough, with a few swords and artifacts hung up on the wall. Looking down, he realized he lay on a pile of furs. Loki tried standing up, feeling the strong pains from the events of the battle, and then fell back down. He let out a muffled cough and rolled onto his back.

“Oh, you’re awake!” a voice exclaimed from the doorway. Somehow Loki missed that. The Jotun approached him, as he struggled to get up. He panicked. What would this Jotun do? Was he being healed? Interrogated? Loki was clueless. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to harm you.” The Jotun held out their hands, in an attempt to calm Loki down. “Anyhow, my name is Helblindi. Laufey wishes to speak with you.”

Loki nodded, struggling to get up. “Oh, do you need help? sorry, we didn’t mean to hurt you that bad. Here let me help you,” Helblindi apologized, then reached out a hand to help Loki. Hesitantly, Loki took his hand, only to pull it back, once he remembered. He didn’t want what happened during the fight to happen again. “Do not worry, Laufey saw it himself. You’re not hurt by Jotuns.” Loki nodded, and grabbed his hand, pulling himself up from the large Jotun bed. Slowly, his arm shifted to an unmistakable blue along with the same lines appearing. Helblindi froze, turning to Loki as the blue crept along his arm, to his torso, and then until it completely covered him.

“But… How?...” Helblindi mumbled, his large red eyes full of shock.

“Er… what?” Loki mumbled in response. idiot. He could kill you right now, and this is how you respond?

“You…” Helblindi began, the rest of his sentence unclear. He picked up Loki, which was not a challenge due to their sizes, and darted throughout the hallways.

Loki was too shocked and/ or scared to say anything clear, so during Helblindi’s sprint, all he could say was a mix between ‘What the hell?’ and ‘Stop no what are you doing’ and in the end, it came out sounding like ‘WhaahAHsTahpNoTHEhELLaReYOUdoING!?’. basically.

But, Helblindi ignored him and kept running. all the way to a large room, further away from the rest of the large palace. “Father, look at his ancestral lines!” Helblindi exclaimed, slowly catching his breath. He pulled Loki closer, who was himself recovering from the confusion.

“So it is true,” Laufey’s deep voice rumbled, the other Jotuns in the room quickly seeing why Helblindi had darted in. Laufey kneeled down to Loki and held up Loki’s arm, analyzing the lines. He rubbed his large thumb across his smaller hand. “It is you.” His voice was equally as deep but seemed joyful. Loki was about to ask more questions, until he felt himself quickly get pulled off the ground, into the embrace of another Jotun. She held him tightly for a few seconds before placing him back down again. What is it with Jotuns and suddenly picking him up?

“My, uh, my apologies your highness, but there must be a misconception here. I’m, well, uh, I came here along with Thor and his friends. You must mistake me for someone else.” Loki spoke out, the Jotuns eying him curiously. He awkwardly shuffled back, picking at the palm of his left hand.

Laufey and the Jotun who had embraced him so joyfully earlier shared a look that Loki couldn’t tell what it meant, and then looked back at Loki. “No,” the Jotun king began, startling Loki, “Ancestral lines do not lie. You are our son. We thought we lost you during the Aesir siege. We had hidden you in a temple. Sacred ground that shouldn’t be attacked. But Odin shows no mercy. He killed every priest there, with you gone as well. We thought you dead.” The woman next to Laufey hiccuped, on the verge of tears. “But you are with us again. After all these years.” Laufey, his father, smiled at him.

“But he has many, many illusions on him. They do not originate from himself, as I see his energy signal differs.” She leaned towards Loki as he straightened his back. Helblindi had let go of Loki, and slowly he was reverting back to Aesir form. Laufey glared.

“That bastard, Odin, stole you away from us!”, he exclaimed loudly, the others nodding solemnly. Loki raised his hand, about to interject, until he felt an odd sensation was over him, and slowly his skin reverted to the Jotun blue. He looked up at the king and queen, his parents. “I do believe we must make clarifications. You are our son, and I believe you wish to keep your name, Loki. Farbauti and I are your parents, Helblindi and Bylestir are your siblings. Do make yourself at home, considering it is.”

Loki looked up at Laufey and Farbauti, feeling more at home than he’d ever had in millennia. “Thank you. Truly.”

So the days passed for Loki, as he grew more and more accustomed to Jotunheim and its people. But along with his growing love for his (true) home, came a growing loathing of Odin. He had made him believe Jotuns are monsters. If anything, the real warmongering beasts were Asgardians. Just thinking of them disgusted him to his core.

Farbauti approached him from behind, as he was stuck in his thoughts, and gently tapped his shoulder. “Loki, dear, I wished to speak with you about your Seiðr. I hear that you are greatly experienced in such, but I wished to teach you the abilities of Jotuns. When you fought along with Thor, you must’ve noticed the Ice we grew out of nowhere, correct?” Loki nodded attentively, “Well, that I must teach you if you wish.”

“Yes, of course, I’d love to. If you’re willing to teach me.” Loki replied cheerfully, following her as the two approached the Jotunheim courtyard. The halls of the Jotunheim palace greatly differed from those of Asgard. The halls lacked the gold lining the walls and instead were covered by Jotun relics and scrolls. The halls were a lot larger and made Loki feel very small, but he knew he was. The palace was a dull greyish blue, unlike the vibrant colors that filled the Aesir palace. Loki felt enraged. While Asgard feasted in prosperity, Jotunheim suffered. He’d need to retrieve the casket.

Farbauti and he had arrived in the large courtyard that truly showed how icy and desolate Jotunheim is. “Alright Loki, we will begin with conjuring ice. Hold out your arm. Yes like that, and now think of cold, cold ice, and picture it growing along your arm. Remember, you must be specific, so think of a shape, size, anything specific.” Farbauti explained as she watched small spikes grow on her son’s hand, reminiscent of claws. he opened his eyes, slowly analyzing his hands. The ice felt light on his hand and didn’t feel cold. at all. “Incredible!” His mother exclaims, clapping her hands in excitement.

“What are you two doing out here?” came a voice from behind. Loki and Farbauti turned around, to see Helblindi approach, with Bylestir tagging behind. As the two noticed the ice on Loki’s hand, the two ran towards him. “Is he learning how to conjure ice?” Helblindi asked curiously. Bylestir nodded.

“Yes, do show us!” Bylestir agreed. Loki nodded, then closed his eyes, and repeated the process with his other hand. The same odd feeling grew across his wrist, over his clenched fist, into a sharp point. he opened his eyes. and inspected the sharp ice blade over his hand.
“wow…” he breathed out. his family looked at him proudly. “This is incredible, yes, but uh…” he looked side to side. “How do I get it off?” he asked.

Helblindi snorted, then started laughing. “Sorry, must have forgotten to mention that…” she was laughing, and his two brothers were grinning as well. “Just, uh, picture it disappearing.”

Loki nodded, and followed her instructions, feeling ice crumble off of his hand. He looked up at the three. They seemed content with his abilities. “Anything else?” he asked.

Bylestir piped up, “Well, during the fight, I noticed that you apparently were able to make fake versions of yourself?” Loki nodded, projecting to alternate illusions of himself. Helblindi suspiciously scanned his clones, then tried touching one. His hand fading through startled him, as he then quickly pulled back his hand.

“Impressive”, Bylestir commented in a teasing tone, elbowing Helblindi.

“Yes, the Allmother Frigga taught me,” Loki explained before realizing the look on his mother’s face. “Do not worry, she is much kinder than Odin, and is a much more fit leader. She was one of the few that respected me in Asgard.” Apparently, that last comment angered the three.

“How dare those bastards!” Helblindi shouted angrily. Bylestir nodded his head in agreement and turned to his mother. She was more shocked and sorrowful. “We’ll make them all pay!” Helblindi added.

“But they still have the casket. Without it, we’re powerless.” Loki replied, analyzing their expressions. “But I may be able to retrieve it.”

“No! we won't risk that. not yet.” Farbauti exclaimed.

-~o~-

And so the days passed in Jotunheim. Loki grew closer to his people, and along with that, his love for his home. But as every day passed, he noticed more and more damage. The land had grown barren in large areas, and the temperature increased at an alarming rate. his home wouldn’t survive if he didn’t retrieve the casket.

“Heh, hey Lo? stuck in your thoughts again?” Bylestir laughed as he walked alongside Loki. They had traveled to the outskirts of the capital to speak with the inhabitants.

“No, it’s just I’m rather concerned about Jotunheim and its inhabitants. We need to get the casket back, I’m just trying to figure out how…”

“Well? You can shapeshift can you not? Transform yourself into your old Aesir form, then call upon the Bifrost. Once through, explain the situation to Heimdall, and then speak with Frigga. You did mention she’s the reasonable one.”

Loki’s eyes widened. “You’re a genius Bylestir!” He laughed, and turned to face him, “Why didn’t I think of that sooner!”

They only had to persuade their father to let him go to Asgard.

-~o~-

Laufey sighed deeply, resting his chin on his hand. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a few seconds, before turning to face Loki.

“I will allow you to go. but if anything happens, and you don’t return. There will be a battle.” the King said, Loki tensing at his words. The fate of both realms rested upon him.

-~o~-

“Wow brother, you look very Asgardian. I know you’ll be able to do it but, good luck.” Helblindi reassured. Loki took a few deep breaths, then turned around, his back turned towards the Jotuns.

“Heimdall! Send me back!” he yelled loudly before a large rainbow beam struck down onto Loki. After what felt like an eternity, Loki had done it. he was on Asgard again.

“Loki.” a calm voice spoke. Loki looked up to see the familiar face of the gatekeeper standing by his sword. Loki nodded with a smile then approached Heimdall. Somehow, he was now taller than him. Must have grown on Jotunheim.

“Hello Heimdall. I wish to speak with Odin.”

“Of course. You know the way, I will not stop you. But do keep a low profile, most here believe you’re dead. I will alert Odin of your arrival.” Heimdall informed him, as Loki was about to head off.

“Yes, I will make sure of that.” Loki walked along the Bifrost until he felt an odd feeling. It was draining, like something being pulled from him. Slowly, he realized he was reverting back to Jotun form. He tried with all his might to re-shift into Aesir appearance, but no matter how much he tried, it refused to disappear. Loki tried to come up with a solution, but he kept on stressing himself. it took him 10 minutes to regain his composure and set off again. While walking, he was constantly thinking. ‘What if they think I’m an enemy?’, or ‘what if they say no?’. Loki wasn’t sure he even wanted to speak to Odin, that one-eyed bastard.

“Stop! Jotun on the Bifrost!”, a loud voice interrupted his thoughts, and all of a sudden he saw about four guards rush at him with their weapons. Loki backed off, bracing for impact. A sword struck against the ice-spike he formed on his hand, and it pushed him back. too far back.

The last thing he recalled was falling further and further from the Bifrost, the darkness growing and growing until it fully consumed him. Then there was nothing.