In the aftermath of the Battle of New York, fourteen-year-old Kaitlyn Summers has been living in London. After agreeing to take some time off about a year ago, things have finally started to settle down for our young hero. Until one day, Kaitlyn com...
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Asgard. It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Thor and I walked along the rainbow bridge as we made our way to the golden palace. The sky was dark as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. Soft clouds flew across the sky while distant planets hovered above us. Waterfalls sparkled against the sunlight as they flowed gently into the rivers surrounding the palace.
We entered the courtyard, and looking around, my eyes marveled at the Asgardian warriors practicing their fighting skills with various magical weapons. My body shivered against the cold air as I watched a light flurry of snow falling from the sky and landing gently on the ground. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like stepping into a fairytale. I will have to explain everything to Will when I get back.
I followed Thor to the infirmary, where I was greeted by a female, Asgardian physician. She introduced herself as Eir. I lie down on a gold and marble examination table and looking up at the ceiling: I watched with curious eyes as golden holographic patterns float above me.
"What's that?" I ask Eir as I lift my hand and trace my finger along the golden holographic patterns which hovered above me.
"Be still," Eir says, placing my hand back on the table.
I gasp quietly when the patterns create a full-body hologram of myself. It copied my every move whenever I raised my hand and continued to trace along the golden patterns.
"This is not of Earth. What is it?" Thor whispers to a nurse. He stood a few feet away from the examination table and watched as the nurses and physicians continued to observe me.
"We do not know." The nurse replies. "But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her."
I stopped tracing the patterns and looked over to Thor when the nurse stepped away from him. My smile faded when I noticed him looking at me with worried eyes. He tried to hide his worry by giving me a reassuring smile. Not convinced of his smile, I turned my head and continued to look back up at the golden hologram.
"What is the meaning of this?" I watch as a man with shoulder-length white hair, a gold eyepatch on his left eye, and a similar armor to Thor enters the room. I could only assume it was Thor's father, Odin.
"Father, this is Kaitlyn Summers. Remember..."
"Yes. I know very well who she is." Odin interrupts. "You should not have brought her here."
"Uh, excuse me?" I snap.
"Kaitlyn is ill." Thor says.
Odin walks over to the examination table, and with a swipe of his hand, the golden hologram disappears. "She has doctors where she's from. Let them take care of her."
"I brought her here because we can help her." Thor tries to explain.
"She does not belong here in Asgard. It's too dangerous for her here." Odin says.
I prop myself up on the examination table. "Look, I don't mean to cause any trouble here so I think I'll just leave." I try to hop off the table but stop when Thor speaks up.
"Something is within her, Father. Something I have not seen before."
"Her world has its healers. Let them deal with it. Guards, take her back to Midgard." Odin orders.
"No, I would not..." Thor tries to warn when two guards walk up to the examination table, and just as they grab me by the arm, the same red blast of energy from before erupts from my body, causing the guards to fly backward.
"Touch her." Thor finishes and runs to my side. He places a gentle hand on my forehead. "Kaitlyn, are you all right?"
"Yeah," I say quietly.
Odin walks over to the examination table and runs his hand down my left arm. He watches as the Aether visibly flows through my veins.
"It's impossible," Odin mutters. I lifted my head and watched with scared eyes as I could see the Aether flowing inside me.
"The infection...it's defending her," Eir says.
"No. It's defending itself." Thor corrects.
"Come with me."
~*~
"There are relics that pre-date the universe itself. What lies within her appears to be one of them. The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn as they will have a dusk." Odin explains as he leads Thor and me to the library. We walk up to a wooden table, and Odin shows us an ancient book. "But before that dawn the dark forces, the Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged." He opens the book and looking inside: the pictures magically move along the golden pages.
"Born of eternal night, the Dark Elves come to steal away the light." Thor reads aloud from the book. He looks up to his father. "I know these stories. Mother told them to us as children."
"Their leader Malekith made a weapon out of that darkness, and it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appear as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever-changing. It changes matter into dark matter. It seeks out host bodies, drawing strength from their life force. Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness. But, after eternities of bloodshed, my father, Bor, finally triumphed, ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years."
"What happened?" I ask.
"He killed them all," Odin replies.
"Are you certain?" Thor questions. "The Aether was said to have been destroyed with them, and yet here it is."
"The Dark Elves are dead," Odin responds.
"Does your book happen to mention how to get it out of me?" I ask with a shaky voice.
"No. It does not." Odin answers sadly. He closes the book and leaves the library. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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A/N: Looks like trouble has found our young hero once again! Will they be able to find a way to remove the Aether from Kaitlyn or will she succumb to its dark hold on her and let the universe be destroyed?
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