Tabula Rasa (Unlike Loki: Book Two)

Chapter 35

(Loki)

"Loki!" Thor yelled, coming down the stairs at the end of the hall.

Anna helped me turn around, keeping me up as best as she could. Thor was walking towards us, his steps heavy and fast.

"The people are starting to fight back, those who are not possessed." Thor said as he approached us. He looked Loki over, his face turning into a frown when he saw Loki's worsened state. He put his hand on Loki's neck. "What is wrong? You are burning up."

"The souls that are possessed are draining his life force." Anna said flatly.

"How do we stop them?" Thor didn't bother hiding his worry the way Anna did.

"I must make peace with them. It'll be easy." Sarcasm dripped from my voice.

Thor laughed half heartedely. "We are all going to die."

"Take him." Anna said. My weight was getting to be too much for her. Thor took me, his strong arm wrapped around me. Anna thanked him and began walking away.

"Where are you going?" I knew damn well where she was going.

"Don't let him come after me." She said. She winked at me, a smile on her face. She was itching for an adrenaline rush, the kind that her powers gave her.

"Anna." Thor and I said at the same time.

"Please." She pleaded, and ran up the stairs.

"Anna!"

*********

(Anna)

I wasn't just going to sit back and watch the love of my life die. I refused to.

I ran up the stairs, my skirt held tightly in my hands. I ran as fast as my clothes would allow me, and finally entered upon the throne room. The noise outside had increased, as the people had begun to fight back. I hadn't said anything about the momentary look on Loki's face when Thor had told him this detail. He had been shocked and then a look of appreciation had appreared across his face. He couldn't believe that any of the people actually cared to fight for him. I appreciated that they had noticed all that he had done for them. All that he had taught me to do for them. They had noticed that he had, in fact, grown into a good king.

By was sitting with Leolin on his lap. Leolin was silent, just sitting there, which was unusual, even for him. I walked over to them and picked up Leolin, accidently brushing By's leg. He looked up at me, having at some point cleaned up his already bruising face. I looked back, trying not to show any emotion towards him. I was furious with him, but at the same time, I felt bad. Too many emotions. By wasn't my problem. I should never had gotten involved with him in the first place. \

Leolin wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. "They are all so mad, Mommy." I knew instantly that he was talking about the possessed souls on the other side of the castle walls.

I took a deep breath. "Sweetie, you have to tell Mommy how you know this. How you know who people are and what they feel and think. You do understand that others cannot do what you can, right?" I tried to keep my voice even. I knew the moment that I found out I was pregnant with him, that he would have abilities. There would just be no way around it, considering his heritage. I just didn't want him to have a power of the mind. It put too much pressure, too much weight on him, knowing things he shouldn't have to know. It made my heart break.

He burrowed his face in my neck and whimpered. I held on to the back of his head. I didn't want my little boy to hurt. "I don't know, Mommy. It's like I can hear people's feelings. And can tell if they are lying. I don't like it." I felt his body shake, knowing that he was about to cry.

I held him tighter. "I know darling, I know." I bounced him slightly on my hip. "But you have to be strong. Be good and be strong." I told him quietly.

By was looking at Leolin with sad eyes, the eyes of someone who cared. He caught my gaze, his eyes growing even sadder. He looked down, breaking eye contact and looked towards the main door, listening as the battle raged on outside.

"Now what?" By asked, his hands in his pockets.

"Loki has to make peace with those who are possessed."

By laughed, actually laughed. When he saw my face, he stopped, wiping a tear from his eye. "We are all going to die."

"I absolutely love how both you and Thor have so much faith in Loki's ability to make people like him." I scowled, pissed off now.

"He broke my nose this morning!" By said, furious.

"Yea, well you desearved it." I said calmly. He knew I was right.

"He's insane, you do realize that right? All of the things he has done. He took over Asgard, not once, but twice. And I won't even start on what he did on Midgard. Or the time he helped Thor and his warrior buddies kill plenty of Frost giants, after it was he who showed them the way to Asgard." He crossed his arms, eyebrows raised.

"And I won't start on the fact that he has gone down to the villages, unlike other kings, and gotten to know the people on multiple occasions, learning their likes and dislikes and parting with them as friends. Or the fact that he saved me from a tortuous group of people and cared for me, taught me, and loved me. I won't even begin to explain how he gave me words of encouragement and comfort when I was physically possessed and forced to kill him. And I also won't start on the fact that he is an amazing father." I shrugged my shoulders, knowing we were now even.

By rolled his eyes, and looked at the shaking door.

"Darling?" I was talking to Leolin. "I am going to leave you with By, alright? I need to take care of some things." I needed to help get rid of the threat. Of Mangog.

Leolin looked at me with scared and worried eyes. "Be careful, Mommy." I tried to smile as By took him out of my hands and nodded at me, knowing what I was about to do.

"Take care of him. Whoever blew shit up in here is still here. Make sure you don't cross their paths. Because Loki may kill you if anything happens to Leolin, but I will bring you back from the dead, and I will kill you, slowly and painfully." I smiled cheerfully and turned my back on him.

Time to go into hell.