21-06-2012, 09:36 AM
So... Long story short... I've seen The Avengers, kind of fell for Loki (smart, fucked-up bad guy, no muscles, complicated personality, British accent... kind of predictable) and decided to write a fic. I don't like writing in Romanian language anymore (I don't seem to find my words), so I decided to write it in English and finally post it...
Nonetheless, I assure you the fic gets better after a few chapters. That's when I started to be a little more confident in my English skills.
Of course, any comments / reviews will be greatly appreciated.
This story starts, how else, with a punishment. A just, well-deserved, long-delayed punishment. Because Odin is - how else? - a wise king. He is the All Father, the ruler of the Nine Realms and he knows more than one way to put some sense into his stubborn, arrogant sons and convince them to walk on the right path. Force them, if needed.
After all, if he failed to educate his sons, if he couldn’t make himself respected by his own family, then how could he possibly deserve the respect and the obedience of an entire galaxy?
First, it had been the eldest son who betrayed his trust and had to be punished. Now, it is Loki's turn to be judged for his crimes.
And here he is - standing in front of the All Father, waiting for a verdict, still defiant, still showing no sign of remorse as he looks his king in the eye, his green orbs darkened with hatred and anger. Behind his mask, Odin can still see the pained child who tried to destroy an entire civilization in exchange for his father's approval. The child who let himself fall into the abyss, preferring to embrace death than live in his brother's shadow.
His child.
Because, no matter what Loki believed, no matter what others might say, he was his youngest son – and that was the precise reason for which Odin couldn’t be merciful. He could show mercy to his people, to his servants, to his soldiers. He could even show mercy to Jotuns, but not to his sons. They were princes of Asgard, not vassals, and they had to live up to their responsibilities. He simply couldn’t allow them to throw the worlds into chaos at their whim, just because it was in their power to do so.
Above all, he couldn’t allow his sons to play gods. Never play gods.
Sometimes, being a father and the king of the Galaxy really sucked.
"I was a fool to think you would understand, Loki! You are far too young, too reckless, too proud and too foolish to see the truth, to accept it!" he thunders, raising his sceptre above Loki's head.
"What truth?" Loki mutters bitterly, the shadow of a smile barely touching his lips. "There is only one truth-"
"I did not allow you to talk, you foolish boy! But yes, there is only one truth and you will find it or you will die trying!" Odin cuts, his only good eye cutting deep into his son's soul.
Loki opens his mouth in protest, but Odin has no intention to hear more of the foolish retorts his son never seems to fall short of.
"Through your vanity, you have endangered a peaceful, defenseless realm such as Midgard and a lot of lives were lost – and for what? To satisfy your thirst for some kind of childish revenge?"
"You thought I deemed you unworthy because of your origins? Were that the case, I would have never bothered to raise you in the first place! It is you and your foolish behavior which led you to this, which made you unworthy of this realm and of the love of your family!"
A few steps behind his brother, Thor makes an impatient gesture, like he wants to run by Loki's side and offer him comfort. Odin lives under no illusion that his eldest son will approve his decision, but Loki had to be punished if he wanted to make a man of his son. And it certainly was the time for Loki to stop acting like a one thousand years old brat and behave like a real prince of Asgard.
Without hesitation, Odin points the sceptre at Loki's chest.
"I take from you your magic!" the All Father shouts, his voice echoing like thunder in the throne hall. He barely finishes his words and a swirl of brilliant green light bursts out from Loki's body, the force of the energy wave knocking him on the ground.
For a brief moment, no one dares moving. Then, slowly, Loki raises his head and reaches for Odin. Anger and hatred gone from his eyes, he doesn’t even try to hide his pain anymore.
"Why don't you just kill me," he whispers quietly as the last trace of magic vanishes, leaving him empty, helpless and... mortal.
It couldn’t be helped.
"You will live, Loki, and you will repent for all your sins! In the name of my father, and his father before, I, Odin, the All Father, cast you out!"
"Father, no!" Thor shouts as a blast of white light erupts from Odin's sceptre. Instinctively, Thor covers his eyes with his arm and desperately tries to reach for his brother, only to see him being sucked into the light.
"What did you do to him, father? Where is my brother now, where did you send him?"
Looking at his son's face, Odin suddenly feels very, very old.
The king had done the right thing – but that does not mean the father is happy. He wishes he didn’t have to make such decisions – especially not when it came to Loki, who had always been such a difficult, self-conscious child.
"He shall be fine," he groans, putting a hand on Thor's shoulder. "And he will recover his magic – just like you did."
"Keep this in mind, Thor. The path to redemption is never easy, but it is a quest your brother must pursue for himself. We are not supposed to interfere, my son."
Bowing his head, Thor swallows the lump in his throat.
"You are wise, father, and I shall obey your command. Still, I have lost my brother once; I do not wish to lose him again. I beg you, allow me to keep an eye on him. I promise I shall not intervene unless you grant me permission."
Although he would have never said it out loud, Odin was rarely able to refuse his son when he was asking him something so nicely.
Besides, he is no less worried for Loki. With a deep groan, the old king puts the sceptre aside.
"Be it as you wish, my son," he concedes. "Watch over your brother if you have to, but remember: should you interfere without my permission, even to save his life, I shall put you to trial. And, for once, I might not be just as merciful."
Thor doesn’t need to hear more.
"Yes, father," he says with a curt bow of his head before leaving the throne hall in a hurry.
Nonetheless, I assure you the fic gets better after a few chapters. That's when I started to be a little more confident in my English skills.
Of course, any comments / reviews will be greatly appreciated.
Prologue
This story starts, how else, with a punishment. A just, well-deserved, long-delayed punishment. Because Odin is - how else? - a wise king. He is the All Father, the ruler of the Nine Realms and he knows more than one way to put some sense into his stubborn, arrogant sons and convince them to walk on the right path. Force them, if needed.
After all, if he failed to educate his sons, if he couldn’t make himself respected by his own family, then how could he possibly deserve the respect and the obedience of an entire galaxy?
First, it had been the eldest son who betrayed his trust and had to be punished. Now, it is Loki's turn to be judged for his crimes.
And here he is - standing in front of the All Father, waiting for a verdict, still defiant, still showing no sign of remorse as he looks his king in the eye, his green orbs darkened with hatred and anger. Behind his mask, Odin can still see the pained child who tried to destroy an entire civilization in exchange for his father's approval. The child who let himself fall into the abyss, preferring to embrace death than live in his brother's shadow.
His child.
Because, no matter what Loki believed, no matter what others might say, he was his youngest son – and that was the precise reason for which Odin couldn’t be merciful. He could show mercy to his people, to his servants, to his soldiers. He could even show mercy to Jotuns, but not to his sons. They were princes of Asgard, not vassals, and they had to live up to their responsibilities. He simply couldn’t allow them to throw the worlds into chaos at their whim, just because it was in their power to do so.
Above all, he couldn’t allow his sons to play gods. Never play gods.
Sometimes, being a father and the king of the Galaxy really sucked.
"I was a fool to think you would understand, Loki! You are far too young, too reckless, too proud and too foolish to see the truth, to accept it!" he thunders, raising his sceptre above Loki's head.
"What truth?" Loki mutters bitterly, the shadow of a smile barely touching his lips. "There is only one truth-"
"I did not allow you to talk, you foolish boy! But yes, there is only one truth and you will find it or you will die trying!" Odin cuts, his only good eye cutting deep into his son's soul.
Loki opens his mouth in protest, but Odin has no intention to hear more of the foolish retorts his son never seems to fall short of.
"Through your vanity, you have endangered a peaceful, defenseless realm such as Midgard and a lot of lives were lost – and for what? To satisfy your thirst for some kind of childish revenge?"
"You thought I deemed you unworthy because of your origins? Were that the case, I would have never bothered to raise you in the first place! It is you and your foolish behavior which led you to this, which made you unworthy of this realm and of the love of your family!"
A few steps behind his brother, Thor makes an impatient gesture, like he wants to run by Loki's side and offer him comfort. Odin lives under no illusion that his eldest son will approve his decision, but Loki had to be punished if he wanted to make a man of his son. And it certainly was the time for Loki to stop acting like a one thousand years old brat and behave like a real prince of Asgard.
Without hesitation, Odin points the sceptre at Loki's chest.
"I take from you your magic!" the All Father shouts, his voice echoing like thunder in the throne hall. He barely finishes his words and a swirl of brilliant green light bursts out from Loki's body, the force of the energy wave knocking him on the ground.
For a brief moment, no one dares moving. Then, slowly, Loki raises his head and reaches for Odin. Anger and hatred gone from his eyes, he doesn’t even try to hide his pain anymore.
"Why don't you just kill me," he whispers quietly as the last trace of magic vanishes, leaving him empty, helpless and... mortal.
It couldn’t be helped.
"You will live, Loki, and you will repent for all your sins! In the name of my father, and his father before, I, Odin, the All Father, cast you out!"
"Father, no!" Thor shouts as a blast of white light erupts from Odin's sceptre. Instinctively, Thor covers his eyes with his arm and desperately tries to reach for his brother, only to see him being sucked into the light.
"What did you do to him, father? Where is my brother now, where did you send him?"
Looking at his son's face, Odin suddenly feels very, very old.
The king had done the right thing – but that does not mean the father is happy. He wishes he didn’t have to make such decisions – especially not when it came to Loki, who had always been such a difficult, self-conscious child.
"He shall be fine," he groans, putting a hand on Thor's shoulder. "And he will recover his magic – just like you did."
"Keep this in mind, Thor. The path to redemption is never easy, but it is a quest your brother must pursue for himself. We are not supposed to interfere, my son."
Bowing his head, Thor swallows the lump in his throat.
"You are wise, father, and I shall obey your command. Still, I have lost my brother once; I do not wish to lose him again. I beg you, allow me to keep an eye on him. I promise I shall not intervene unless you grant me permission."
Although he would have never said it out loud, Odin was rarely able to refuse his son when he was asking him something so nicely.
Besides, he is no less worried for Loki. With a deep groan, the old king puts the sceptre aside.
"Be it as you wish, my son," he concedes. "Watch over your brother if you have to, but remember: should you interfere without my permission, even to save his life, I shall put you to trial. And, for once, I might not be just as merciful."
Thor doesn’t need to hear more.
"Yes, father," he says with a curt bow of his head before leaving the throne hall in a hurry.