Sif leaned closer to Loki’s ear. “I’ve seen the way you look at Thor. It’s not going to happen. Thor’s going to marry me, and we’re going to be king and queen. He would never like you, you’re his brother. It’s unnatural. You should just give up. In fact, you’d better.” She slid her dagger across Loki’s collarbone, but he didn’t feel it, any pain was swamped by the pain in his heart. Was that true? But...

Loki fingered the scar unconsciously, as he navigated across the terrain on the Asgardian guard boat. His older brother noticed, but remained silent, thoughts racing through his head. He watched his brother, standing at the prow of the boat, raven hair whipping about his face, which held an expression that was more serene than any other he’d ever seen on his brother’s face. His emerald green eyes seemed far away, as if seeing something else, and his mouth was turned upwards at the corners, in the slightest, yet saddest smile Thor had ever seen.

“We’re here.” Loki jumped off the boat. Thor smiled humorlessly. "Showtime.” The rest was a blur for Thor as they executed their master plan, until…

The last of the Kursed grabbed Loki, pulling him onto the sword protruding from his chest. Thor watched as everything seemed to slow down. Loki gasped, a sharp sound, as he was thrown to the ground. He sprawled on the ground, pain filling his features as he glared at the Kursed. “See you in hell...monster!” He spat, lobbing the Kursestone at the Kursed.

As the Kursed was sucked into the black vacuum of the ember, Thor sprinted to Loki’s side. “No! NO!” He yelled.

Loki looked up at him, features rapidly freezing. “Odin will know of what happened here today.” Thor declared, eyes quickly filling with tears. “I didn’t do it for him…” Loki whispered. For him, everything was glazing over, as if all his senses were being dulled. A curiously chilly feeling came over him as he drifted slowly.

“I did it for you…”

Thor’s eyes widened as he heard his brother’s last words. “NO! No, no no no, please…"

"Don’t leave me, Loki… I need you…” Loki heard those words through the blue haze that surrounded him. The one person he’d ever cared about, beyond his mother, beyond anyone else in this entire, cruel universe needed him…? The bluish black haze beckoned, irresistibly tempting, lulling him into a deep sleep, deeper than he’d ever gone into before, too deep to wake from…

NO. Thor needed him. He wouldn’t submit. He would never submit! Loki struggled, tearing at the haze around him, regaining just enough strength to cross his arms, each arm touching the opposite shoulder, and tapped the Words of Power carved deep into them three times.

Thor was already far away, by the time the power began coursing through Loki’s veins. Truth to tell, so was Loki, but he was holding on frantically, determined not to let go, even as his lifeblood drained out of him…

The explosion lit up the area around for 20 miles in every direction. The body in the middle jerked, and after a moment, the eyes blinked open and cleared, a shade of light green, with just a glint of mischief, pain, and...a certain softness that had never appeared before in those particular pair of eyes.

Loki attempted to rise, but a shooting pain that wracked his whole body told him he wasn’t ready just yet...

Would he ever be?