Coronation and Some Things Will Always Happen

POV Change - Hela

As I watched my dear brother walk away, I felt my eyes gaze over his body, my heart fluttering with each step he took.

Loki...is my brother.

But...I love him a way a sister shouldn't love a brother. It's wrong. Disgusting. Shameful. And even then, love should not be something a person like me should experience. I'm cold, indifferent; the perfect warrior and killer...

Yet...why does it feel so nice to be near him? To listen to his voice, to speak to him, to dote on him, to hug him close and kiss his handsome face...Why do those actions bring me such joy?

Shaking my head I suppressed such thoughts as I went on my way to a special meeting of sorts about the recent coronation of my stupid little brother, Thor. Father would give the throne to Thor and not me, the superior fighter and the one with an actual brain? He would make that simpleton King but not ME?!

How will I become a Queen that can make it so Asgard accepts Loki and me if Odin doesn't even let me become Queen?!

This is why I have taken the actions I have. Why I will do what I must do.

Smiling, I wondered how to best bring up the subject of how I felt, to Loki. It made me nervous but the future also instilled hope and excitement within me.

POV Change - Loki

Standing next to mother, I watched as Thor waved Mjolnir around like a hyperactive child and I couldn't help but smirk; it was finally here. The start of my part of the MCU. How much fun could I have? I have no clue, but I know it'll be the most fun I've had in a while.

Though I know that the events of Thor probably won't happen. Why? Because I'm not a bag guy who schemes against his own family, like the original Loki. But even then, I plan to go down to Midgard and have a look around. Maybe stir up some trouble to get myself on the Avengers Initiative. That'd be fun.

Thor was smiling up a storm as he cheered in reply to thousands of Asgardians around us, doing the same thing. He smiled at Sif, then he looked toward Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg - otherwise known as the Warriors Three - and gave them a raised fist which made them smile in reply. Finally, he looked toward mother and me, giving us that stupid grin he does when he's excited. The two of us (the brains of the family, if I might add) only gave small smiles in reply.

I had a reputation as the perfect gentleman to uphold, after all. Can't be seen smiling like an idiot without any dignity.

Finally, Thor got to the stairs before our father, and he kneeled, putting Mjolnir down next to him before resting his helmet on the handle. Father, seeing this, and Thor's earlier behavior...he didn't look impressed. I can get why, as well. This was who he was trying to give the throne. He had offered me the throne but I turned that down incredibly quickly. Why? Because why would I want to be stuck with the duties of a King? There's no fun in that. I doubt I'd be free to do anything if I took up the mantle of King, as well.

I don't get the appeal, honestly.

Odin slowly got up off of his throne before he slammed his spear, Gungnir, onto the ground, making a massive boom echo through the mighty hall we were in. The crowd quickly silenced their cheers and their clapping, the majesty of Odin filling the room and pressuring everyone in it. Even if I wasn't the most respectful person around, I could respect this man in front of me. Even if he wasn't my real father, he raised me, taught me values that I have taken to heart, and most of all, he's protected the kingdom of Asgard, and therefore me, with every trick he has and this has left me with nothing but gratitude for the old man.

I really don't get how the original Loki didn't see any of that. But I guess when you find out that most of your life is a lie, it messes with your head, huh?

Nevermind. That won't happen to me. Not anymore, at least.

Odin looked down at Thor who was still grinning like an idiot. The grinning made me frown a little - like seriously, this is some serious stuff, can't you at least look serious, Thor? Idiot. But as if he didn't see the grinning, Odin spoke, "Thor Odinson, my heir," he seemed slightly choked up with emotion as he said these words and his single eye looked at Thor with boundless love that only a parent could have for their child, "My firstborn son. So long entrusted with the mighty hammer, Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star. Its power has no equal, as a weapon to destroy, or as a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a king," he smiled slightly as he described the weapon Thor had used for centuries, his single eye glittering with pride.

Taking a deep breath, the mighty man looked over his people and his family, "I have defended Asgard, and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms, from the time of the Great Beginning. This day has long since been coming; the day I step down from the throne I have held for so long. It is only a gift that I have had such wonderful sons," he looked first at Thor before looking at me with an equal amount of love in his eye. Though I saw the guilt and understood what it was about, I ignored it, feeling that such guilt was unneeded. He had raised me, another man's son, from another race--I had nothing else to ask from such a generous man, "And a prestigious daughter who at this very moment is out defending our realm against external threats," he finished this line which gave me a start:

Hadn't I just seen Hela? If she was truly out on a mission...why was she in my Quarters earlier?

Such a thought was weighing on my mind and caused my expression to slowly fall as I realized something. But oblivious to my realizations, Odin carried on.

"The throne is a commitment of the highest order. It is a vow to protect the realms in a fair but firm way," he looked down at Thor, "Now, tell me, my son, do you swear to guard to Nine Realms?"

Thor, finally, had a serious look on his face as he confidently replied to our father, "I swear."

"And do you swear to preserve the peace of the Realms?" Odin asked with a solemn tone, knowing full well how battle-lustful Thor could be sometimes.

Seemingly unaware of our father's worries, Thor gave a resolute reply, "I swear!" his voice bouncing around the room with power, yet also a slight arrogance which told me that I'd have to find some way to temper him into feeling a bit of humility.

"Do you swear," Odin put more emphasis on 'swear' this time around, glowering down at Thor with his single eye, "To cast aside all selfish ambition and to pledge yourself only to the good of the Realm?"

Thor picked up Mjolnir and while still kneeling, he lifted the mighty hammer and gave a loud, "I SWEAR!" his voice seeming slightly impatient. Odin, however, seemed to have expected this, so he just smiled slightly before continuing.

"Then on this day I, Odin Allfather, will proclaim you..." he trailed off, seeming distracted by something. Thor realized this as well, just as I did, and we both shared a glance, mine filled with more urgency than I really should have shown. Before Thor could ask what was wrong, Odin gave a harsh whisper filled with a certain hatred that you could only have for your deepest and darkest enemies, "...Frost Giants...!"

With this, we were quickly in action, as me, father, and Thor rushed off to the Asgard Vaults.

. . .

As we entered, the first thing I felt was...the coldness that pervaded the vault. Thor shivered in the presence of it, but I...I felt empowered by it. Keep in mind that I'm already incredibly strong, I could match my brother, the physically strongest Asgardian after all, but this current empowerment...It was like I was absorbing strength from the cold.

And it didn't feel temporary either. This was permanent strength I was gaining. My muscles, bones--absolutely everything about my body was being reinforced by the cold.

Shaking off such a thought, I watched as father quickly thawed the ice and cold around us, and the empowerment feeling quickly disappeared. Part of me was glad as well. Don't get me wrong, power is power. But power that is not earned...can be power you can't control. I don't want to gain so much strength all my training up until now becomes useless because I can't control my strength output.

How didn't I know this before? I'd experienced snowstorms before...hell, I'd buried myself and Thor in snow once or twice when some of my magic went wrong. But I never felt this same empowerment back then...

Maybe it's because it's ice and coldness from Jotunheim? That would make some sense. We were never allowed there, after all. It could very well break the tentative peace Asgard had forced the Frost Giants into.

Anyway, this could be a problem. But at the same time, it could be a blessing. After all, beings such as the Hulk and Thanos would no doubt be stronger than I am, currently. If I could find a way to increase my strength to a certain point...well, life would be a lot easier.

Oblivious to my thoughts, the other two continued to walk and I quickly caught up to them as they were looking at the two dead guards that the Frost Giants had killed.

Thor's face quickly twisted in rage as he snarled at the dead Frost Giants. He snapped his head toward Odin before growling out, "The Jotunns must pay for what they've done, father!" his anger very clear to both me and Odin. But Odin didn't seem bothered by the anger as he inspected the Casket of Ancient Winters with a calm gaze.

"They have paid, Thor," he calmly stated while continuing to look at the artifact, "With their lives, no doubt. The Destroyer did its work, the Casket is safe and all is well."

"All is well?" Thor asked with disbelief, his tone turning from confusion to disbelieving anger, "They broke into the Weapons Vault! If the Frost Giants had stolen even one of these relics--" his angry ranting was cut off by Odin's calm voice, while I was too busy thinking about the information I had found out just now.

"They didn't," Odin replied with a dismissive tone, probably knowing that there was misplay at hand here.

Thor, lost in his anger, raised his voice against Odin as he spoke, "Well I want to know why you are being so passive in such a show of disrespect towards us!"

Sighing, Odin turned to Thor and me before replying, "Because I have a truce with Laufey, King of the Jotunn," he explained calmly, yet this only seemed to fuel Thor's anger.

"He just broke your truce! They know you are vulnerable. They know that you wish to pass the throne to one of your sons--If we do not retaliate, they will try this again!" he exclaimed and I finally came out of my thoughts as I turned to Thor and sighed.

"And what do you want to do, brother? Gather the armies? March on Jotunheim?" I questioned, wanting to get across how bad an idea that would be, "Do you know how much chaos and dismay that would bring to the Realms?"

"Chaos? Dismay? It would only serve to teach them a lesson! To not mess with Asgard!" Thor roared at me, stepping toward me with his hammer at the ready, "The way I see it, if we do not act, people will think us weak. Old enemies will rebel. But we can stop that from happening if we teach the Jotunn a lesson!"

Just as I went to reply and step closer to Thor, not afraid to put him on his ass, father put a hand on both our shoulders, keeping us apart, "Thor, calm down. Your brother only wishes to let you know the mistakes of your ways; that you are thinking only as a warrior. Loki is right in that this will send the wrong message to the Nine Realms. They will think of us as Tyrants who kill for even the slightest of wrongdoings done to us," he calmly explained, his tone gentle, as if to soothe Thor's ego and his overwhelming anger. He gave me a proud nod when we met gazes, seemingly proud of my ability to think rationally in situations where my brother found it impossible to.

"But this is an act of war, father. Tell me you can see that?" Thor looked at our father, his anger mainly gone, replaced by a questioning look. Odin only shook her head before he replied with a wise tone.

"It was but the act of a few, doomed to fail. If we judge the whole race on but the few who attempt such things like this," he motioned to the corpses in the room, "Then wouldn't we be in constant war because of such things? You need to learn to look past these things, Thor, if you are to be a good king, that is," Odin paused before carrying on, "We will find the breach in our defenses and it will be sealed. That is all that will happen because of this."

Thor seemed to think continuing the subject would be a good thing and it practically followed exactly what he said in the movie.

"As King of Asgard--," he started speaking with a firm voice but was interrupted by Odin who seemed quite angry that Thor would try to use such a line.

"But you're not King!" he shouted, silencing Thor who looked like he'd just been punched in the gut. He looked like he was about to cry, so I took a picture of his face with Magic as Odin continued, "Not yet, Thor."

And with that, our father walked away.

Walking over to Thor, I put a hand on his shoulder, "Do not worry, brother, he won't be angry with you for long. He never is," I smirked before patting his shoulder and walking off.

I had to go question my dear older sister, Hela.

And I'd make sure to get those answers.