MADNESS: A LOKI FAN FICTION

❤ CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE: READY, SET... ❤

THOR'S POV

As I approached the waiting room, I could now see the shadow of Loki's massive horns on one of the banners. As I got closer the shadow moved and from the side, emerged Loki, wearing his horned headpiece. And like me, he was dressed for a great ceremony.

As we stood on a brazier at the foot of the steps that led up to the throne room, I could not help but notice how uncharacteristically happy he was. I wondered why that was so, but I was not going to question his happiness. It was my mission to make peace with him, after all.

"Nervous, brother?" He asked me.

"Have you ever known me to be nervous?" I raised a brow at him.

"There was that time in Nornheim..." He mused, a sly grin on his face.

"That wasn't nerves, brother." I shook my head and laughed. "It was the rage of battle. How else could I have fought my way through a hundred warriors and pulled us out alive?" I questioned, a smug look plastered on to my face. It had been quite a long while since Loki and I had a talk such as this: light-hearted and brotherly. Until then I hadn't quite realized how much I had missed this side of things. Now I felt even more determined than ever to mend our broken bond.

Just then a servant approached us with a tray and offered us drinks. Loki declined but I took a goblet for myself. "As I recall," Loki said, "I was the one who veiled us in smoke to ease our escape."

"Some do battle, others just do tricks." I retorted.

Loki glared at me. I knew he did not take it kindly when anyone made a mockery of his powers, but it was a joke i could not pass up on. Even the servant standing not far from us found it funny. He tried hard to stifle a laugh which, unfortunately for him, Loki noticed.

He gestured toward him and out of nowhere eels poured out of the goblet on his tray, slithering out across the terrified servant's hands. Terrified, he screamed and hurled the goblet to the ground.

"Ehehehehe..." Loki chuckled, looking on at the scared servant with satisfaction.

"Loki..." I shook my head at my brother, "now that was just a waste of good wine."

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Loki gestured to the writhing eels on the ground  and turned them back into spilled wine, shattering the illusion. "Just a bit of fun." He said. "Right, my friend?" He added, smirking at the shaken servant who nodded hesitantly in reply. I scoffed at the cowardly servant in amusement as I donned my own eagle-winged helmet.

"Nice feathers." Loki laughed at my helmet.

I narrowed my eyes at him, feigning anger. "You don't really want to start this again, do you, Cow?" I said, poking fun at his giant horns.

"Did you really just call me a cow?" He gaped at me.

"Yes, I did."

"Really, a cow?" He complained. "I wasn't even mocking you brother!"

"Really now."

"Really!" He exclaimed. "I was being sincere!"

I had to laugh. "You're incapable of sincerity." I told him.

"Am I?" He questioned, all the humor in his voice gone. I turned to look at him and found his gaze on mine, all pretense lost. "I have looked forward to this day as long as you have." He told me, "You're my brother and my friend. Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you." He added.

I smiled and nodded as I searched his face, looking for any traces of irony. I couldn't really tell if he was being purely honest with his words. It could be he was either speaking from his heart or that he was a very, very good liar.