Feathers and Fins: For a Deal

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Loki flew to Frigga's private apartments, being the Queen, she had rooms to herself. She was waiting for him on the balcony, a large smile bloomed on her face when he landed as gracefully as he could manage.

"I trust you were successful?" She asked, and he produced the scale, Frigga looked up at his face, "I know, I wish you could keep this scale. I see how much you like it, you will have scales of your own tomorrow. How was your Mer friend?"

"He was fine, he asked for a feather."

"Feather for a scale?"

"Feathers and fins, right?"

"Indeed. Here, let me see it, that way I can finish my work. Come on!" She treated him like he was still a baby in nappies, but he couldn't complain too much, she also recognized he was fully grown. He handed it to her as she stood up, her keen blue-green eyes looked over it and then she gathered her skirts and set out working with the bits of magic she possessed.

After a few hours of working, she had the final product made. It was an amulet, the scale dangled from it. Loki raised his brows.

"When you put it on tomorrow, you will be able to grow a tail, fins, gills, and scales, everything that would make a Merman a Merman. I don't know how long it will last, so don't do anything rash or hasty, no picking fights. But when you put it on, it will tighten so it won't fall off until you get to the surface and take it off." Frigga said with a flourish as she handed it to Loki. "Again no picking fights."

"I won't, that's Thor's job."

"It is. Gets that from your father."

"He's not my father."

"Then why am I still, Mum?"

"Because you are my mother, and because I do not love Odin like I love you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, oh. Thank you, mum."

"You're welcome, go stash that where your fa- Odin won't find it. Then you and I need to go to the library."

"Yes, ma'am." Loki flew off, knowing she would most likely walk through the hallway to the library. He landed at his balcony, less graceful this time, and opened a book. Inside was a large crevice he'd dug, it was not a great piece of literature so when Frigga gave him in the permission to do it, he didn't hesitate. He placed the necklace there, then shut it and brought it to his nightstand, placing it there. Then, he ceremoniously jumped from the balcony and flew to the library.

***

Anthony swam down right away, he went directly where he figured that his friends would be. When they saw him, curiosity bloomed.

"Where were you?" Asked Maria

"Getting proof." Anthony answered curtly.

"Then let us see." She responded. Anthony showed them the waving blue-black feather, he held it gingerly, like his life depended upon it.

"What is this?"

"A feather."

"A feather?"

"Yes, they come from things called 'wings.'"

"Wings?" They said the words multiple times because they had never heard them.

"Yes, do you believe me now?"

"Not fully... But now, yes." Maria said.

"What!? Anthony yelled.

"You heard her, after all, how could you not?" His voice had cracked and gotten softer. Before they could respond, he immediately turned and sped away. He found a dark crevice, curled up on a rock, and he began to sob. Now, he had never seen and didn't even know, what tears were. But when he cried this time, Anthony felt a wetness on his face. He didn't abruptly stop crying, but he put his hand to his face.

There were no webs between his fingers. He looked down at his tail, they were legs. Anthony cried out in shock, then he wriggled his toes, and tugged at his body, looking and playing with things that were so different. His favorites were his feet. Was this what it was like to be Loki? He looked at his back, he didn't have wings. Then he looked up, it was an area that he'd never seen before.

"Hello?" Called a voice, a deep one, not too far away.

"Hello?" Anthony responded.

"Who is here?" It was a male, he knew that.

"Who's asking?" A pale man, with water-waving black hair appeared from the shadows. His tail appeared with white scales, purple, dark purple, blue and mostly black appeared. When he got into the light, his own body morphed.

"The master of this place that is whose asking."

"Well, master of this place, what has happened to our tails?"

"There is a magic I put in here. It makes any Mer look like a human."

"A human?"

"The ones who walk along the beach but do not fly, the Non-Angels. That is not what your friend is, though he is an Angel."

"That is what Loki is?"

"Yes, tell me, what is your name?"

"Anthony."

"Well, Anthony, I am called Strange."

"Alright."

"I can make it possible for you to join your Angel," instantly Anthony got excited, "you can easily have wings, but you would have to return to the water one month of the year."

"Is that possible?"

"I can make it possible, that is why I am called Strange," responded he, "so?"

"Can I have time to think about it?"

"I can give you a few days, how about, two weeks?"

"That will be fine, I shall come to you at the end of that time."

"Yes, of course," Strange said, then on his feet, he seemed comfortable on them, he crept back into his shadows. "Don't be shocked if I see you soon, remember, two weeks." Before those two final words, he had disappeared save one final flick of his tail, which was black until it faded into yellow. Anthony gave one final look at his body, then walked out of that crevice on shaking legs, he did stumble a lot, and then when he put his hand out he saw water form around them and the webs form too. His nails extended, and he was himself again it seemed.

***

Then next day, Loki met Anthony at their rock. He was in his robes, because he could pull those off easier.

"Are you not going to swim today?" Anthony asked laughing.

"I will." Loki showed him the amulet, and then he put it on, pulling his hair out of it. Very quickly, his back began go ache a bit, he knew his wings were going first. But instead they developed into two separate spines, Loki's legs practically glued together, and then his scales developed. The under was a light green, then deep green scales cut themselves into his skin, then a slightly yellow tint went atop this. The amulet tightened up and then he began to feel like he was getting scratched deeply three times on each side, his gills.

Loki felt compelled instantly to get into the water, he launched himself into the waves. The coolness felt great on his skin, then when he started to move, he felt even better. He almost instantly understood what he was doing, like he'd been doing this his whole life.

Anthony had the widest smile ever on his face, and there was a light in his eyes that Loki only saw when he looked at Frigga.

"Isn't it fun?" Anthony asked, Loki nodded.

"Try talking." Loki opened his mouth, but there were no noises that came out. He could not talk. "Its fine, we could always go to the surface when you want to talk." Loki smiled and shook his head.

"OK, would you like to go meet my friends?" A nod, "Then follow me!" Anthony took off, and Loki kept up well. However, the red-tailed Merman didn't say anything about Strange.

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