The Stronghold 3: Mikachi

It Was Happy, And Then It Wasn't

The rest of the wedding passed smoothly, even if it was a little boring. I often caught Loki glancing over at me with a frown on his face but that was probably because I was teaching Dean to juggle profiteroles.

"Throw, throw, snatch-catch, throw," I commanded, sat on the floor as he tossed the small foods into the air. Every time he missed one I would catch it and eat it. It was a good system but I was beginning to feel a tiny bit sick from all the chocolate and a bit dizzy from watching the little cakes whizz around in circles.

"Okay, you can stop now," I said at last. Dean grinned and stuffed four profiteroles into his mouth at once, running away to go and talk to someone else. I settled against the wall and scanned the room. Rebecca and Salt were dancing and everyone was crowded around the floor so I presumed it was the 'first dance' nonsense. I'd never seen the appeal for weddings, they were too loud, too formal. If I ever got married properly then it would be on Halloween, everyone would wear freaky costumes and I would throw a pumpkin at people I didn't like. That would be fun.

"Shaade, we need to talk," Loki said curtly, his shadow falling over me. I looked up and sighed at the serious expression on his face. 

"Lighten up," I muttered, passing him and leading the way out of the marquee into the night. It was dark outside, all the light coming from fake candles inside the white tent. The light didn't go very far and soon it was a struggle to be seen.

"Why are you here?" Loki asked quietly.

"The wedding," I replied.

"They don't know you any more. They've been asking me who you are and it's incredibly hard, having to remember all the lies and make you appear normal and harmless. Especially when you were with Dean!" Despite not being able to see him I could tell that Loki was getting angry. "What was that about?"

"The kid was bored, I was bored," I shrugged. "No biggie."

"No biggie?" Loki said harshly. "Shaade, people thought you were going to kidnap him!"

"What did you tell them about me, anyway?" I questioned.

"That you were an old friend of mine who had been on the opposite side of the world, only recently returned," Loki stated. "I told them that you'd met in the past, that was why you seemed familiar."

A spark of hope appeared in my heart. "They recognised me?"

"Only faintly, like when you see a stranger you're certain you've seen before," Loki explained. The spark went out.

"This sucks," I declared, taking my misery out by turning and kicking a nearby tree. "Nobody knows me here and apparently I'm being too much trouble. I can take a hint, Loki, I'll just leave." I pushed past the demigod roughly but he caught my arm.

"Georgina remembers you," he said quietly. "Not for all your powers and madness, but she knows you to be a friend. If you leave now nobody will notice but make sure you're back on earth on October 19th. Understood?"

I nodded, frowning. "Why?"

"Work it out, Shaade," Loki said with a small smile. "You've been to one wedding, you're invited to another."

Suddenly it clicked. "You sly son of a bitch!" I said loudly, punching Loki on the arm. "I knew it was destined to happen but why didn't you tell me?"

"Since when have you said 'son of a bitch'?" Loki asked, rubbing his arm. 

"I've picked things up from my new company," I said. "But that doesn't matter. You're finally being normal! Family man, good job..." I bounced about excitedly. "This is brilliant! This means there's hope!" 

Loki just shook his head at my antics. "You've got even odder," he stated.

"I don't even have my demon any more," I laughed weakly. "He got killed just as I arrived here. And he was way more annoying than I thought."

"What are you now?"

"A trickster, in a way. I might be an entire species of my own, I have no idea!" I laughed again and did a standing somersault. "This is amazing!" I sang the last word and danced around a tree.

"Calm down," Loki said in alarm. "Who on Midgard are you hanging out with now?"

"Oh, I'm not in Midgard, I'm in Mikachi," I grinned. "And my current company consists of Mr Sam and Dean Winchester, along with the angel Castiel. Do those names sound familiar?"

Loki went pale. "Do not tell Georgina that."

"I won't," I said. "Hey, what shall I be for Halloween? It's Halloween soon."

"You have a wedding first," Loki said.

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween," I sang. 

"Shaade, be quiet," Loki sighed. "You are even madder, I swear."

"I'm also a teacher," I said and Loki's eyebrows shot up. 

"You're what?" he exclaimed. 

"A teacher," I repeated. "I teach at a secondary school."

"How many of your pupils have died so far?" Loki asked.

"Um... one..."

"How long have you been there?"

"A day..."

"Geez, Shaade, you need to be kept away from other people!" Loki shouted. "You do nothing but hurt the innocent!"

My cheerful, elated demeanour vanished and was replaced by cold fury. "Says the person that killed hundreds of thousands of people at a time," I growled.

"That was a mistake," Loki retorted.

"So was the kid's death! I didn't even do it! It was Castiel's fault, he strung him along and- argh!" I threw my hands up in desperation and kicked the tree again, 'accidentally' missing and hitting Loki incredibly hard instead. He hissed through his teeth and doubled over in pain.

"You used to be stronger, Laufeyson," I taunted. "Now you can't even take a kick to the gut."

"I'm not a monster any more, that's why," Loki spat. "I don't need those skills. I don't need you any more, I don't want that life. Go back to Mikachi and pal around with the Winchesters. You'll be dead within three weeks." 

I glared at the demigod and resisted the temptation to snap his neck. "You're nothing but a coward," I sneered before teleporting back to Mikachi. Once there I found myself trembling like mad, shaking as adrenaline left my system and I realised exactly what I'd done and said. Muted voices spoke amongst themselves, one gruff and one strongly accented. I sensed there were more bodies in the room, one cold and dead and one warm. The warm one wrapped strong arms around me and held me close, hair tickling the top of my head as I buried my face against their chest. Everything was too much and tears spilled out. Slowly but surely my emotions had been turned back on and it was exhausting.