Past Friends

Part 23: Strange Magic

You looked astonished as the trees and flowers begin to move, not by the wind but in every direction. The lanterns and fairy lights Loki used to light up the place disappeared and instead, the many different plants started to light up and glow different colours. Small floating white lights began to make their way out of nowhere and come close to you. They seemed to be whispering to you in a thousand sweet little voices but you couldn't understand what they were saying.

They danced and fly all around you and Loki and you can't help but smile. One of them comes right up to you a mere inch or two from your face and you lean back in surprise which appears to scare it. You want to say that you're sorry but worried the noise will scare them all away. So you make eye contact with that particular light as you slowly move your hand out for it to possibly land on. To your surprise and delight, the little light comes closer and follows your hand, calmly floating up and down slightly as you carefully pull your hand back towards yourself. You cup your hands together and it lands in them, you stare down in wonder at the little star floating so close to you. Loki reaches out to touch it but it flys away, doing loops around him as if it were teasing him.

You can't help but smile and giggle as the floating lights seem to inspect you, before flying off to do their own thing. Some head towards the tower flying up to the room that was up at the top of the spire. Most of them flew off to attend the garden or so you surmised as they say seemed to check on the different plants growing there. A few stick around just moving this way and that as they appear to listen and react to your conversation.

You turn to Loki "Loki what is this place? What are those lovely little lights? Did you conjure them?" you ask still amazed by everything. "I probably should have mentioned that this place is enchanted. I don't know where the lights or magic comes from but as far as I can tell this Garden is alive" Loki says enjoying the look of pure joy and curiosity on your face. "It's why I couldn't teleport straight here, the Garden's magic prevents it for some reason" Loki continued. "Well if the Garden is alive, do they have a name I can call them?" you ask as a light breeze passes through you carrying a song made of wind chimes, and bells. "If they do I don't know what it is," Loki said. "What a beautiful melody," you say and the lights in the garden dance for a moment growing a little brighter at what you said. You smile and ask "Melody? Is your name Melody?" and again the colourful lights among the trees and flowers begin to dance and glow even brighter than before. "I'll take that as a yes, the name suits you well Melody," you say back as the lights all turn pink for a moment as if the garden was blushing. "Seriously? I've been coming here on and off for the past 30 years and it takes you a minute to figure out their name?"

You continue to talk to Melody, giving them compliments and asking them basic yes or no questions. You tell them puns, and funny stories, which makes Loki groan sarcastically, which makes you break out in laughter. You turn to look at Loki, feeling lighter than you have in a long time, you honestly haven't felt this happy since your grandparents were alive. You didn't want that night to end.

It's been about an hour now and you're sitting on the grass leaning back against the stone with your eyes closed just enjoying the peace and quiet. Loki was still sitting on the stone watching contently at how peaceful you looked so he decides to slide off to join you on the grass resting his arm along the stone behind you. He was thinking about how the old Y/N loved to explore the old ruins in Asgard, having picnics in the woods, and swimming together in the lake. He then thought about you and what you said about your childhood and something started to bug him.

"Y/N can I ask you something?" Loki whispers to you and you adjust yourself, turning your body to face him. You open your eyes as you place your head on his arm and whisper back "you can ask me anything Loki, what's up?". He hesitate for a moment seeing how tired you have become, "so I was wondering about your time with Shield... how did you end up working with them? I mean I think it's rather strange that you joined at 13". Your eyes go wide at Loki's question but just as quickly you break eye contact, looking briefly down then you focus your gaze on the arm you were currently leaning on. "Well I... I did some things when I was young... things I'm not super proud of" you begin to fidget with your hands as you spoke.

You take a deep breath and tell him about your early days of hacking; how from the age of 11-13 you were exposing the crimes of powerful people and companies. You then elaborate on how your actions got you on Shield's Watch List and how you made a deal with them to train and become an Agent, it was that or be locked up in a Maximum Security Juvenile Prison. How angry and mad you were at the world, how you felt trapped under Shield's thumb not really giving you a choice, how part of you wanted to watch the human world burn for all the terrible things they've done to each other and the planet. How for the longest time you felt more like Shield property rather than a person and how on the rare occasion you still do. How deep down all you really wanted to help and hated yourself for how many people you ended up hurting. How despite all of that you changed, finding a better way to try and fix the world besides tearing the old world down. How even though you still don't trust Shield or Nick Fury 100% you're grateful to them for taking care of your grandparents and helping you finish your education. They gave you a job, a purpose and because of them you met the Avengers, you met him. Your life might not have been the easiest but you were beginning to see a new life worth living.