HeartBound {Avengers Fanfic}

Chapter 4: Dreams & Memories

"Trust everybody, but cut the cards."

–Finley Peter Dunne

"Please," a ten-year-old Loki pleaded.

They had been through this discussion many times before, always with the same results, and yet he was persistent. Stubbornness, Freyja thought to herself, seems to run deep in Asgardians. She didn't know how to shake him off the subject.

She shook her head at him, "The process for such a thing is too dangerous. Awakening the dormant part of your mind to magic has always proven to be deadly. I'd have to make absolutely certain that your mind wouldn't snap with the stress before I try anything."

"Then make certain," he implored. "You don't understand, everyone around us has something they excel at. Most are skilled warriors, but I seem to lack the strength to be a soldier. I can barely hold a sword properly."

"Loki, it's madness. That is why it has only been done once before, and never again since Eirik."

"Please? At least find out if I'm strong enough."

She sighed, "Alright. But that is all."

"What must I do?"

"Brace yourself," she answered, placing one hand over his heart and the other on his forehead.

He gasped, in both surprise and pain. She knew it was not a pleasant experience, as it had been necessary for her to go through the same process when she had been younger. No one had been able to understand why she had been born without the ability to wield magic naturally, despite several Healers looking over her mind, but it was one of the deeper-kept secrets of her people. His skin started to glow dimly as the shade of his aura was revealed. A halo the color of forest green enveloped him, showing her what she already knew about his personality.

She let her hands drop to her sides as she found what she was looking for. He shuddered and began to sway as the nausea kicked in. She reached for his shoulders to steady him and watched with concern until he seemed well again.

"That was...fascinating," he breathed.

"You're ready, mentally."

Her words alone seemed to spark a fire in his green eyes.

"When can you perform the ritual? Now?"

"If I were to try now, it would kill you. Right now, you need rest."

"What about tomorrow?"

"Fine. Meet me in the Western Tower at dawn. If you're late, I won't help you."

"Thank you," he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "You won't regret it!"

The memory swirled and faded as Freyja woke up, panic welling up in her chest as she realized she was unsure of her surroundings. She slowly began to remember that she was on Earth, not Asgard, and that she was in the home of a man she barely knew. Without looking out the window of her little bedroom, she knew it was just before dawn.

She quietly made her way out of the room and onto the metal walkway high above the streets. Meditation was something the Vanir had practiced since the dawning of time, though the practice had been more predominant after the war with Asgard, and she found it often kept her sane during her travels across the Realms. Though she limited herself to solely an hour at dawn and dusk, the practice seemed to offer her an attachment to all she had lost.