A Legend of Mischief (Loki Fanfiction)

Chapter 36 - Sacrifice

Once Malekith and his ship were sent back to Svartalfheim and the portals closed as the Convergence passed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Save for Loki.

Nyneve had not reappeared since leading those Dark Elf warriors away.

If something happened... He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

"Where are you going, Brother?" Thor called as he noticed Loki walking in the direction Nyneve had last been seen.

"To find Nyneve."

Before he could take one more step, Caliburn appeared in front of him, floating in the air. Never had he seen the sword separate from Nyneve on its own.

Loki's heart skipped a beat, a foreboding chill going down his spine. Nyneve...

"Where is she?"

Caliburn hummed in response and took off. Loki ran after the sword without hesitation, the others sharing looks behind him. Thor was the first to begin following his brother. Leading them down multiple streets, Caliburn made sure to stay within Loki's eyesight. The distance from the site of the main battle grew. Loki's worry increased with it.

As they came around a corner, Loki saw the multitude of corpses first, rubble all around. Then he spotted something that made his heart stop.

Nyneve lay there, crumpled, motionless at the bottom of a wall.

No, no, no... NO. Not again. Loki forgot about those with him, his sole focus being her.

"Nyneve!"

Loki raced to her, disregarding everything else. Panic filled his voice as he kept calling her name, carefully bringing her into his arms. Brushing strands of hair out of her too still face, he laid his hand against her cheek, his trembling touch gentle. "Please. Please, Love. Wake up." He felt something breaking in him when she didn't move, didn't respond. "Nyneve, please." Her breathing was shallow, body limp in his arms. He remembered that day, the snowstorm. He'd nearly lost her then. He couldn't lose her now. Loki's gaze quickly scanned over her. She had no obvious external wounds. He glanced at the wall next to them, the one she had lain crumpled against.

If she was thrown into that... Loki turned back to Nyneve, willing her to wake up with everything he had. He didn't want to think about what it could mean if she had slammed into the wall. Her fragile Midgardian body... Mortal...

It's my fault. I should have never left her side. I knew better.

"Please, my love, I can't lose you."

"Loki, the back of her coat..." Thor gestured as he spoke, bringing Loki's attention to the tear in the side of Nyneve's leather jacket.

Loki hardly dared breathe as he looked. He quickly unzipped her jacket, moving it away from her right side. The shirt underneath, one of his own, was slashed as well. When he lifted it, Loki found a shallow gash along her side. Clean and made by a sharp blade.

"Why isn't she bleeding?"

"The enchantments on Caliburn's scabbard keep her from bleeding out." Loki's anguished gaze returned to Nyneve's face. "Darling, wake up. I beg you," he murmured, cradling her gently in his lap. Tears started to gather in his eyes. He rested his head on her shoulder. "Please."

"You don't need to beg me, Loki..." said a raspy voice, just barely above a whisper. Loki jerked back, relief flooding him as he stared into Nyneve's eyes. Those mysterious silvery-blue eyes, which had become such a precious part of his world, open once more. Loki felt himself grow weak. When she slowly reached up to lay a hand against his cheek, he leaned into the touch without hesitation.