The Fates' Favorite (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 51

Loki stood there, staring at the image before him in just as much fear and awe as his brother for a long moment. His words hung in the air like a thick cloud, nearly thundering in the silence that overtook the entirety of the commons.

That was one of the Norns, for certain.

Skuld, if the descriptions Odin had given he and Thor in their childhood were of any sort of true knowledge.

That, just as it did any other Asgardian, or other being with the knowledge of the norns, or fates, or whatever they may be called amongst the realms, filled him with pure, unbridled fear.

The norns never left their place; they never left their plain. They never traveled from their place between the living and dead, never.

And yet, one had.

And yet, one had for the seemingly soul purpose of stopping that grotesque monster from likely killing Aurora.

Loki didn't know what made the hollow feeling in his chest deeper, the knowledge that the norns had broken their own timeless rule, or that had it not been for the intervention of fate itself, Aurora would be dead right now.

Right now. As soon as he had gotten her.

"Okay, so... those people you and Thor swear on all the time?"

"No." Loki shot back immediately. "Well, yes, but... they-, well." He was a stumbling, stuttering mess as his eyes refused to move from the image even still, and that accompanied with Thor's complete silence, his jaw still somewhat slack and his face still several shades paler than normal, shot complete frenzy into the Avengers.

"Why are you two so freaked out? What's going on?!" Stark asked immediately, balancing himself on the table to stand. "Is Rory okay? Who the hell are the norns?"

"Yes." Loki shot back quickly. "She's asleep upstairs. And the norns are the goddesses of fate and destiny." He added.

"Wait, so they're the Norse versions of the fates?" Natasha questioned.

Loki raised his brows at her, and she shrugged. "I did some reading about Saturnalia a month or so ago, and it brought me down a rabbit hole."

"Well, they're the same beings." Loki stated back. "The Asgardians and Olympians have a long history with one another, but only 3 children have ever been produced between the two species-"

"The norns."

Loki nodded.

"They've never chosen to meddle in-"

"We should speak with Heimdall." Was all Thor finally managed to get out, several long moments later. "Now."

"I can't leave Aurora." Loki replied sternly, clearly shocking and even surprisingly frustrating his brother.

"There was a fucking Norn on Midgard, Loki. Something is happening!" Thor's booming voice accompanied with the curse only made every other Avenger stop, freezing in place as they looked at the usually cool, calm thunder god.

"I'm not leaving her." Loki's voice was a growl of a response, leaving no room for compromise as he glared at the thoroughly stressed god. Loki turned to walk back towards the bedroom, coffee and her breakfast in hand.

"Lo-"

"Give me a moment, Thor, hel!" Loki yelled back with a roll of his eyes. "I'll project to Heimdall in a moment, you blundering oaf."

Still fast asleep, Loki felt Aurora's forehead immediately after setting her things down on the nightstand. Shadow had curled up on her bed sometime after he left, protectively facing the door, his head only lifting enough to see Loki before he laid it back down across her leg.

Loki look at the wolf, then back at Aurora, then shot him one last glance.

"I suppose you probably know why the norns would take interest in her, don't you." He stated to the wolf, feeling silly for even doing so, though Aurora did such things all the time without a second thought. Shadow acknowledged his statement with a side-eye, cuddling further into his owner, making Loki furrow his brow deeply before he kissed her cheek to leave the room.

"Make it quick." Thor stated, nearly jittery as they stood in Loki's room.

"Quiet." Loki grumbled under his breath for the third time now. "I can't project across realms with your blabbering. It's not as easy as lifting a stupid hammer into the sky and screeching."

Only a second later, Heimdall appeared before them, though his figure was hazed in golden light.

"My princes." He stated, smiling slightly at the pair as he bowed his head.

"Heimdall, the Norns have-"

"Yes, I'm very aware." The guardian responded, all too pleasantly. "As is the Allfather."

"What did you tell him?" Loki immediately questioned, the pleasantry and calmness of Heimdall's tone disturbing his train of thought.

"Everything he needed to know, as I am sworn to do." Heimdall stated carefully.

"About Aurora?" Loki questioned bluntly, earning a side-eye from his brother.

"I told the king a norn had crossed plains to save one of the Avengers." Heimdall responded. "He did not ask for... specifications, other than her name and abilities."

Loki got an uneasy feeling in his gut, but nodded nonetheless to the guardian.

"Is this going to cause problems?" Thor's voice finally asked; something that made Loki roll his eyes. Of course this oaf would question even the norns.

Heimdall sighed, "I cannot see what the norns will do before they've done it, but we have no reason to believe they wish to harm anyone."

"Why her?" That finally earned a growl from Loki's throat, the question poking at Loki's already protective nature towards her.

But, unsettling enough, Heimdall actually refused to answer such a question, instead smiling warmly at the Thunder god who asked, "I cannot say, my prince."

It wasn't a truthful answer, everyone standing in the room knew. It was also far too friendly, almost teasingly, as if the know-it-all god was smug about knowing a secret. Yet none of them said that, neither of the princes called him on it out of respect.

If Heimdall wasn't willing to answer a question for the royal family, it was always for good reason.

Loki just didn't like that the question going unanswered, once again, pertained to his mate.

"Well, are you going to give any useful information, or am I wasting magic right now?" Loki groaned out, nearly whiningly in frustration, making the guardian chuckle.

"You'll be requested on Asgard soon." Heimdall said, looking directly at him.

"Fucking fabulous."