Loki's Downfall

V

I went back home that night (my home in the sky, that is) to a curious Luka. He wanted to know everything about his father. I didn't want him knowing much of Loki. We all know that isn't truly the heritage a young boy would want. All I ever told Luka was that his father was a prince, but there was more to tell tonight.

Luka is a wonderful boy. Even I, his own mother, don't know him all that well. Earlier in his life I'd make him stay with other families while I went off to chase and protect Loki. When I came back and saw he'd grown so much, I knew I'd been making the wrong decisions. Especially now, at his age. I can't have him growing up as an orphan.

Wow, just listen to the way I treat the situation. It's not like he's got anywhere to go in life. He'll live forever. Well...after-live, I suppose. Once he gets to be just looking my age, he will stop aging all together and have a wonderful life for all eternity.

I'm not sure why I'm so afraid of missing his childhood now though. I do know that eternity is a long time, and his prime age is going to get on my nerves a lot in the future...I guess I should savor my time with my baby.

Listen to me, I'm like a living mother.

***

"Momma," I hear, and Luka's voice startles me. I'd been staring down from the clouds at Loki, ignoring my priority up here again, I suppose. I shift my gaze to him. "You never answered my question," he told me. I felt bad because I hadn't heard it. "I'm sorry, sweetie..." I said with sorry eyes, about to explain I hadn't heard him, but he beat me to the punch and repeated the question anyway. "What happened to him?"

My expression didn't change, I held my sorry eyes. "Why did he change so much?" Luka clarified. I know he's talking about Loki, and this is what I was trying to avoid. I've never spoke of what the old Loki was like before Luka and I died, so who knows where Luka heard that his father changed so much.

I look away from my son and down to Loki, who was finally in his chambers, on the balcony and in his true skin again. I shook my head absently at the sight.

"He lost something," I told Luka simply, wondering if the short explanation clashed with any of the rumors he'd heard. Instead of denying my words he concurred. "Us," he stated. I looked back once more to see him staring down at his father now. I sighed and put my arm around his shoulder, pulling him to me for a hug. Luka was longing for a father, it didn't matter that he was dead. Alive or not, to have no father is a harsh sentence for a boy.

"You can go see him, you know?" I suggested. Luka pulled away from me and looked down at Loki again, slowly shifting his gaze to me once more. "You think so?" He wondered. I nodded. "He'd love it."

Without another word Luka flew away, almost as if he'd been waiting for my approval to go all along. I watched as his clear body approached Loki, and started to glow golden once he was close enough. Loki didn't look startled. I hope I was right in that Loki would actually appreciate a visit.