*No More Tricks*

My Fault. Mine

Loki's POV

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_Ruby's expression was almost laughable and I would have if this had not been serious. "Uh excuse me?" she said. A voice as demanding as Odin's. "What did he say to you? Huh? Tell him to come back here! Maybe he'll enjoy playing connect the dots on my face once more!" Thor and I looked at her with wide eyes and I was trying very hard to no laugh. Thor looked at me. "Brother leave us. I shall speak to her alone."  I sighed. "What? No. He stays." Thor turned to a very serious Ruby. "Fine. He will stay." She continued to stare at him with a serious face. "What did he tell you?" Thor sighed. "His brother, Ve, God of the Seas was your father....he married Ran, she was the Goddess of the Sea...when they had you, there was celebration here in Asgard because you were destined to be the goddess that would connect all the 9 realms and bring peace, and if anyone killed you, you'd transform into a tree. No one was supposed to end your life, but frost giants threatened to kill you and they were about to, but an elf from Alfheim, put a protective spell on you. However, the spell would only work for a little bit, so your parents decided to send you to another realm. The frost giants came to Asgard. They were determined to kill you. Your parents fought them and managed to send you to Midgard right before they were slaughtered. By the time Odin found out about the attack, it was too late. Your parents were already dead....Odin made the frost giants believe that you were not Yggdrasil, but a dark, obscure goddess, 'Sága' and you had been banished and sentenced to live your life in Midgard. After that, the frost giants desisted and you lived your life in Midgard. Father's ravens revealed to him that you lived with a mortal couple until they discovered you had powers." I stood there speechless. As I looked to her, she had a pained expression on her face. A tear was threatening to fall but she didn't allow it. she opened her mouth to speak but, for a while, nothing came out. "how-" she swallowed, "how do I know all that is nothing but  lies? Am I supposed to just believe you?" Thor nodded. "It is the truth. I only-" 

We heard someone blowing the horn and we knew it was the sign of assault. Thor extended his arm and Mjölnir was in his hand in seconds. Ruby looked at me with wide eyes. I went to where Thor had been standing, right in front of her cell, looking into her big brown eyes that looked like they were about to let a thousand tears fall. "I will come back soon Ruby. It seems, we're under attack." she slowly nodded and I left. As soon as Thor and I left, we went straight to Mother and Odin's chamber. We had heard mother yell. Thor kicked the door open, and I saw it with my own eyes when a Frost Giant stabbed mother. I felt.......an indescribable feeling. I ran towards her as she fell to the floor and killed the...monster that had just murdered her. I looked over to Odin and he had just been stabbed as well but in the stomach. "Where is she?" asked the monster. Blood was coming out of Odin's mouth as he spoke. "You will never find her. Might as well surrender to her now. She will make you surrender" Odin gasped as he was stabbed once again. Thor hit the monster that had hurt him with his hammer and killed him. His lifeless, cold body fell next to Odin's. Thor and I cried for a while as I held mother's cold, dead hands. "How did they get here? How did they know she's here?" Thor asked as he looked at me. "It wasn't me! I swear it brother! I am telling the truth." Thor looked at me with red eyes from crying. "You're a talented liar brother, always have been, but I know this is not your fault." I looked down and cried a bit more. Not even worrying about the fact that it made me seem less manly.

That night I had intended to return to Ruby, but Thor forbid it. No one was to go near her. Her presence in Asgard threatened our realm. It seemed so unfair to me. I still tried communicating with her. Her mind was open, as I was the only one who could read it.

Ruby...

Loki! She answered only seconds later

I have been worried Loki. Is everything alright?

The king and queen are dead.

What? How?

Frost Giants

Oh Loki.....I am so sorry

It's not your fault my love. The frost giants know you're here

After telling her that, her mind was blocked. Was she upset that I told her?

It was now the funeral for both Odin and Frigga. I watched in agony as their two bodies in the boats, were carried away by the water. Arrows of fire enlightened the sky. This night was a dark one. I looked at Thor and seeing the look of melancholy on his face, made flashbacks came to my mind. One right after the other. Thor and I playing together as kids while Odin and Frigga watched with satisfied smiles on their faces. I then looked at the sky again and thought only of Ruby. Not wanting to say Goodbye to my parents. No matter what, they were always my parents.

Ruby's POV

_A guard came to my cell and told me the news I had already heard from Loki. I nodded and he left. Not wanting to remain near me. It was obvious. Only one thought in my mind. The king and queen had died because of me. Me. I knew it. Loki didn't have to tell me. I knew it. I should have never come here. Now, my presence had cost lives. Not just anybody's. The king and queen's. I felt more than awful. I was more than upset. I was furious. When Loki told me, I blocked my mind. My anger came out. I lashed out. But now i just sat on the floor. My hair was a mess,I was willing to bet that it looked awful. the furniture that had nicely been put here, was now everywhere. I already had illusions of my parents before me, but it was not enough. I knew they weren't the only ones who had sacrificed for me. I was about to cry but I wouldn't allow myself to do it. Not yet. I asked myself, how could Frigga risk her life, to save, ME? How could Odin do that, only minutes after he had met me and found out who I was? Why did they do it, why fight for me, when they knew they were going to die? I never wanted any of them to die for me. If I could go back in time, I would have stopped them. I didn't deserve to be alive, when they weren't. I sighed and the first tear rolled down. I wiped it away. Not ready for the tears yet. I lifted my hand and an illusion of Odin and Frigga rose from the ground. I looked away and it finished forming. A single tear rolling down my left cheek. Thoughts about my family, about Loki, about asgard, clouded my mind. "I never wanted any of you to die for me"  I said. More tears began to fall. I felt a pain in my chest that was almost unbearable."Yggdrasil" Odin's voice whispered. I turned to touch him, hoping he was real but he disappeared along with his wife. A voice in my head was the one to speak. "they died trying to protect you" I looked at both of my parents, with sadness in their eyes. " I never wanted you to die for me". My vision was now becoming blurry because of all the tears. Stupid tears. I hate myself, because I knew it had all been because of me. I looked at both of my hands and held them to my chest before letting out a silent scream. My mouth was open wide, as if I was screaming, but no sound came out. The tears would not stop falling. I kept screaming. Wailing. Screaming. Letting it all out.  It was my fault. My fault. Mine.