New memories

Chapter 6

I can't believe how long it has been since I was here. Everything looks like last time, but still so different. Bucky and the Warriors Three are carrying our bags and I have Nanna in the baby carrier. Almost immediately after I stepped my foot on the ground, we hear a phoenix screech. This huge, beautiful bird lands on my shoulder startling everyone else around. Fandral has pulled his sword out and Volstagg is holding his axe with a tight grip. "It's good to see you my old friend.", I say to Funí. Sif and the Warriors Three are looking at me amazed. I guess that the phoenixes don't really interact with people in Asgard. Bucky steps closer to say 'hi' to Funí, but he shrieks at him. Funí is looking at Bucky like he is mad at him. I don't understand. I think that Bucky got little scared of Funí's shriek because he is now taking few steps back. "What are you doing Funí?", I ask him, and he just looks at me and Nanna like he is doing what needs to be done.

We walk to the palace and when we get in, Thor is already walking towards us. "I am sorry that I couldn't come and pick you up myself. We had a meeting about our peace-making quests.", Thor explains us. He then starts to speak to Nanna with his baby-talking voice. "Hello little princess! Who is the prettiest little princess in all the realms? Yes, you are.", he says and makes Nanna giggle. "I can recognize that giggle everywhere.", says someone behind Thor. Loki has joined us, and he is also now babbling with Nanna. Funí flies away from my shoulder, and I take Nanna of the baby carrier, and she is immediately taken from my hands. Thor and Loki are both now taking their turns to hold her, and I am just standing there. "Yeah, thanks for asking brothers, I am fine.", I say out loud sarcastically. Bucky laughs and so does the Warriors Three. Sif is just standing there and looking at Thor holding and playing with Nanna. "I am sorry Halla, we have just been so excited of Nanna coming to visit his uncles.", Loki finally says to me and gives me a hug.

Me, Bucky, Loki, Thor, and Nanna, who is now tightly in Loki's arms, go to sit down and catch up. Obviously, I am not telling Thor and Loki everything that has been going on, the fights and arguments et cetera. It feels good to hear good news from Asgard and how things have been now that Asgard has had a new king, Loki. Suddenly, during our conversation we hear loud roars and people screaming. "Not again!", Thor says. I look at my brothers and realize, it's the dragons.

I am already running towards the noises. Loki hands Nanna to Bucky and him and Thor join me. Before exiting the room that we were in, I turn around and look at Bucky. He just nods and tells me to go, "I take care of her, you are needed there.", he says to me. I join my brothers and immediately after we get outside, we can see these two deep dark red dragons flying around, scaring people, and bursting flames out. Pyrrhus is close by and roaring to the two young dragons, but they are not responding to him. I haven't used my full powers in long time, but it seems like they come out naturally. Thor, Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three are standing at the courtyard. Bucky and Nanna are also there but they are shielded by the buildings. I lift myself up into the air with my powers and keep hovering close to the young dragons. Pyrrhus stops everything when he sees me. He stays close by but is now only observing the situation. "Enough!", I shout, and I am surrounded by red flames. The two dragons stop immediately. The Warriors Three and Sif are looking up at me and the dragons baffled. They weren't near when I was fighting Hela back then. Bucky and my brothers are smiling. "This is going to be interesting.", Loki says to Thor.

The two dragons are sizing me up. They are not as big as Pyrrhus, but they seem strong. Their scales are deep dark red, and their eyes are black with yellow accents. Their backs are covered with these thick scales that look thicker than the armor that our soldiers use. Their wings look like thick leather, and they are not red but black. They are blowing some steam from their nostrils. Somehow, I know that they are pondering whether they should attack me or obey me. One of them blows some flames towards me and the people on the ground. With my powers I create a shield around the people that are witnessing this situation. My mother instincts are probably going on in high gears, because without realizing, I have made an additional force field around Bucky and Nanna.

I know that I don't need protection against their fire. I easily take on the flames and the dragons notice that. "I said enough!", I shout at them. My eyes are now also bright red and the flames around me have grown larger and stronger, and they are flickering in the air. "Stop what you are doing. I will not allow this kind of behavior. Go to your home and obey what Pyrrhus is telling you.", I shout and even Thor and Loki startle a little. The dragons look at me and then fly away, and I can hear Pyrrhus via telepathy thanking me and promising that they try to keep them in order. The flames around me disappear and my eyes are back to their normal color. I nod at Pyrrhus and tell him that it is good to see him. He flies after the two younger dragons and disappears quickly.

I return to the courtyard and join the others. People around us are clapping and cheering up. The Warriors Three are looking at me like I had done something amazing and Sif nods and looks like she is approving me and my powers. The shields that I made with my powers have disappeared and I go to Nanna and Bucky. Nanna got scared in some point and Bucky has just gotten her to stop crying. I take her in to my arms and she hugs me and quickly relaxes again. Bucky pulls me into a hug and kisses me gently. Loki and Thor have moved closer to us by now. "Thank you sister. We have not been able to control those two.", Loki tells us. I am hoping that they are easier to handle from now on.

Right when we all thought we could have a little time to breathe, we hear another loud roar. I turn quickly and hope that the young dragons have not come back for a round two. I soon realize that this is not the case. Nanna is still in my lap, and I think that she can sense the same as me because she is laughing and gesturing to the air. "Lisha!", I say out loud so that everyone else realize what is going on. This beautiful, big, black dragon flies to us and lands on the courtyard gently. She greets us and then lowers her head and moves it close to Nanna. I remember that Lisha was always near me when I was pregnant. She is so close to us that Nanna is able to touch Lisha's cheek. Bucky seems nervous, just like my brothers. I keep stroking Lisha's cheek with Nanna and finally Bucky joins us. Lisha hasn't been a fan of Bucky, but I think that because of Nanna, she isn't giving Bucky any hard time.

Looking at Lisha I realize how long I have been away from Asgard. She is so big now. I am realizing that I need to spend a lot of time with the phoenixes and the dragons on this visit. After "cuddling" with Lisha for a while, the others feel safe enough to step closer. "I think that we should keep our princess here. I have never seen anyone controlling the dragons the way you just did, Lady Halla.", Volstagg says to me, and he sounds impressed. Fandral is joking after that, "Do you use the same methods and powers to tame Bucky at home?". The warriors and Bucky are laughing, Sif is smiling, and my brothers are tensing up but just because they are little bit too protective. "I don't need to tame him, I like his wild side.", I respond to Fandral and wink at Bucky. The men are now silent, and Sif and I are laughing. We fist pump, me and Sif, and I think that I finally have some sort of connection with her.