We Remember Everything

by Thunderscourge

See That Life is Beautiful

Upon leaving the Allfather’s throne room, Luna found that there was some people waiting for her. Three, specifically, although one was just leaving.

Heimdall had come the moment Luna had revealed her hand in the throne room, but had arrived just as the situation had simmered down and had kept out of the matter to keep tempers from rising.

This left the other two, a familiar dirty blonde man who considered Loki his brother even if they did not share blood, and a woman who Loki cared for as deeply as Luna.

The woman waved Thor away and smiled to Luna, “Greetings. I am Frigga, Loki’s mother.”

Luna noticed Thor nod to her as he left the two be, quickly shifting her attention to the woman she had long waited to meet, “He has spoke much of you. I am Princess Luna of Equestria, Loki’s companion,” with a blush, Luna added sheepishly, “And lover.

Frigga motioned for Luna to come over beside her, also turning to walk down the hallway. Her face was partly stoic and partly amused, quite surprised about Loki’s catch, “It takes an extraordinary will to stand up to my husband like that. It is something I have seen few do, and fewer do successfully.”

The princess of night kept her eyes away from Frigga’s as she thought back to the rash situation she had just instigated, “Loki loves you. Maybe even more than me. To never be allowed to see you...” her pale hands gripped tightly as the two walked down the hall of the castle, “I could not allow his father to remove you from his life.”

Frigga sighed, understanding the feeling behind what caused her fellow female to go to such drastic measures even if they were quite short sighted, “My husband has grown stubborn in his age, but he can be influenced. I happen to disagree with him on this particular subject, the very reason Loki has not been executed for his crimes, however unwilling they may have been.”

The queen of Asgard turned to face the crestfallen Luna and sent her a warm smile, “I believe Loki needs someone like you. He can be just as stubborn as his father, but he needs others to help him cope with everything that has happened. Both to and by him.”

She turned to face the direction they were walking again as Luna finally managed to gather up the courage needed to look directly at the queen, finding the action harder than the threats she had been giving the past few minutes, “And, for the record, I intended to visit Loki whether my husband allowed it or not. Solitude would only make the inner conflicts he struggles with grow more severe.”

Having revealed her origin to the Allfather and all present, something was eating at Luna that she wished to clarify, “Lady Frigga, I must ask, do you at all mind that I am not of your kind?”

The queen gave her a smile not all dissimilar to those that Loki would use, “I rose a son who belonged to a race that has warred with my own for centuries. I think I can handle a shapeshifting equine.”

At the mention of the word shapeshift, Frigga became a reflection of Luna in an instant. Luna gaped at the flawless shift, something not even Changelings often could do, and had to admit to herself that she was impressed. Even her own shapeshifting had a brief flash of color to signal it, so the magic being used by this more elder woman was quite impressive.

Luna gave an impressed nod as Frigga shifted back just as seamlessly, also finding herself smiling not under her own volition, “Your husband spoke of how he learned to see through illusions by being around you and Loki. I see you are indeed skilled.”

Frigga smiled back, appreciating the compliment of another magic user, “Of course. Who did you think taught Loki what he knows about magic?” her words were as prideful as Luna could expect from the haughty Loki. Apparently that was not something passed down genetically, but rather learned.

“You know, I believe I see why Loki loves you so much. You are quite the mother,” Luna chuckled for a brief moment as she thought about how much of a momma’s boy her lover was.

Frigga laughed as well, finding herself more and more pleased with Loki’s lover even if she had just threatened the Allfather, “You should have seen me twenty centuries ago.”

Luna shrugged, “Sorry, but I spent the last ten on a desolate moon.”

That rose a different question than Luna had expected to have to answer, “Another long lived race. Alicorns you said?”

The princess nodded to the queen, “We too are similar to physical gods, so our lifespans are quite extended compared to most races.”

Frigga gestured to Luna, “I would be most interested in learning more of your kind when the chance arises. After all, I need more than my family, garden and politics to spend my time on.”

Luna blushed as she thought about what other kinds of questions that may accompany those concerning her race, but tried to keep herself composed despite this, “Of course, if you would not mind teaching me of your own kind. I get the feeling Loki is the blacksheep and thus not the most prime example of your people.”

Frigga waved a hand towards a nearby window that gave a view of a stunningly beautiful courtyard, “I would be remiss if I did not show you Asgard in its fullest capacity, especially as we await Loki’s new sentence.”

That brought a shift in Luna’s facial expression, “Will he be okay?”

“With time, I believe so,” Frigga too felt her face change to a more saddened expression, “As for now all we can do is be there for him when he needs us.”

Luna’s eyes fell to the floor once again as guilt crept into her, “I will admit a part of me was tempted to just give up on him. He murdered a friend of mine during his time on Midgard, and the only thing keeping me from paying him back in full is that he was not in his right mind at the time.”

Frigga brought a hand around to Luna’s back supportively, realizing how trying this all must have been for the poor girl, “Would you mind telling me more about yourself as we walk? I would be most appreciative of knowing more of my future daughter-in-law.”

The princess could not feel more flustered at that very moment, “Loki and I are not engaged, but I will not mind speaking about myself.”

Frigga removed her hand and gave a large smile to the blushing mare in disguise, “When Loki cares about someone it is a deep connection that never leaves. Provided you stay by his side, I am merely stating the obvious conclusion,” Frigga rose a brow while retaining her smile, “Now, you mentioned being away for a millennium. Whatever could have caused that?”

Any idea that she could not be more embarrassed went out the window as it managed to go up a notch with that very question.

“The other reason I am not being as harsh on Loki as I might have otherwise been is that I’ve stood in his place before. I have an elder sister who is adored by our land, while I was always shunned and feared wrongfully, left to forever be under her shadow,” Luna mumbled, partially ashamed she was admitting this and about to tell this story to her lover’s mother of all people.

Frigga could recognize the similarity to be found there. After all, Loki had never managed to outgrow his brother’s shadow and it had led to the tragedy that had befallen their family, “Is there some great difference between you and your sister?”

Luna’s temper began to rise, but she kept it in check on account of who she was speaking with, “Other than her being oblivious, there is the fact that I control the moon and night while she controls the day and sun. Much different than here, where it appears to be natural,” her restraint began to waver as she continued, “Because I reigned over the night I was ignored, and because of ignorance I was feared for quite some time.”

Frigga only nodding, Luna continued on with her tale that many knew so well by then, “It eventually got to the point that I snapped. I utilized the power of a dark being to try and slay my sister, and I very nearly succeeded. I only lost when a powerful artifact was turned on me and so banished me to our world’s moon. I escaped my prison ten centuries later, only but recently in our long lives.”

With a greater idea of the circumstances that drew Luna to Loki, Frigga continued to nod, “I take it that your kingdom was less than pleased about your return. Time may heal some wounds, but can expand others by letting them fester.”

“Precisely. It does not help that when I returned I was still united with the dark being. It was a partnership then, one that I was the dominant leader of,” Luna sighed as she thought about the trouble she had had with it recently, as well as its apparent disappearance into her own being, “I was defeated once again upon returning, with it being separated from my being along with a part of my power. Despite having been in control I played innocent, as if they had freed me from its power.”

The queen placed a hand on Luna’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, noticing how she seemed to be hurt in the same very fashion her son was for so long. Luna almost felt like a carbon copy of her son, whom with his pride and arrogance unsurprisingly found a partner who was very much the same as him, “I can see how Loki might be sympathetic with and to you.”

Luna appreciated the gesture, but did not know how to respond to it physically given her own lack of knowledge on relationships and social interaction, “I have had my time to make peace with my emotions and my sister, and now I wish to serve my land again. This is all just about the time I met Loki, who fell to our land after his fall here.”

“I am assuming he was quite rude upon first meeting you,” Frigga did little to hide the groan in her voice. She did know of her son’s sharp tongue quite well after all, despite never having been on the receiving end of it. There was always the army of complaints lodged against Loki when he was younger for it though, and he only had grown bolder as time went on.

Luna remembered those first days all too well, and could not help but feel the irony in how she sought out Loki as a possible threat only to fall for him, “To some degree, although I did earn some of that by invading his dreams and stalking him to make sure he was not a threat.”

That caught the inner-mage of Frigga’s attention, “Invading his dreams?”

The ego Luna normally would have found its way out of her flustered state at the chance to boast, “I can dreamwalk. One of my special talents. I help the ponies of my land sleep better and confront their nightmares and insecurities.”

Frigga brought a finger to her chin as her mind began to turn and think about how best she could utilize such a ability, “A useful skill I would imagine.”

Luna nodded and finally looked up to Loki’s mother again, “Yes, and it is what drew me to Loki. Having done my job quite well these years I found it quite disturbing to find an unknown pony having nightmares.”

Nostalgia washed over Luna, but it was a bittersweet kind. It was how she met Loki, but it was not the most perfect of meetings, “He was reliving memories of you, Thor and your husband. Some directly painful, and others were actually good memories. Ones that he feared would not happen ever again.”

Frigga fell silent at that, and Luna followed suit. The elder woman stopped walking to point to a large room that Luna peered into.

“Our main feasting hall,” Luna’s look inside revealed that this was indeed the case, with many signs of food visible within on its long table with enough seats for an entire crowd, “You may become very accustomed to this place during your stay given our propensity to feast. You’ll be eating enough for two of your kind by the time you leave I would assume, as compared to how most of us consume five times what most others would.”

“I have never been a heavy eater, but I will try to keep up,” Luna brought a hand to the back of her head and blushed again, “I do not eat meat though, so you know.”

Loki was always a picky eater, so having a simple vegetarian was nothing for the experienced queen, “More for Thor and his friends then. I will make sure there is plenty for you to dine on. You’re skinny enough as it is.”

The two resumed their walk about the castle, with silence greeting them both at first until Frigga resumed the original conversation suddenly.

“Would you mind looking after Loki in his dreams tonight?”

Luna nodded affirmatively, regretful that she had not been recently, “I fully intend to. I have been giving him space to dream on his own without my interruption, but that has backfired on me for I would have learned of this whole mess long before it ever occurred.”

“Thank you. He can use every comfort he can get,” Frigga took in a breath before extending her inquiry, “Would I be out of place to ask that you help my other son as well? Thor has suffered greatly in these months. We all thought Loki to be dead, and then he reappears only to cause chaos.”

“Of course, milady.”

Frigga only gave a nod back as thanks, instead using her voice to address the next structure of the castle she was hoping Luna would become a more permanent resident of, “I do not think it at all coincidental that our healing chambers, located this way, are close to the dining hall.”

Luna chuckled at the thought of how many citizens of Asgard had to have a trip there due to indigestion, “Very wise of whomever made this castle.”

The halls were beautiful, with quite a regal architecture to them as befitting of a castle, and familiar enough for Luna to feel at home. Just as Frigga would have it.

After hours of wandering the castle, being shown everything ranging from Odin’s Ravens to the sparring grounds where Luna secretly desired to join in, the two woman parted ways with the agreement that they would continue the tour some other time. Frigga did not wish to overwhelm their guest after all, and was sure that the pseudo-woman could use some time for herself.

With this granted time, Luna decided to retrace her steps and check in with the dark skinned man who had greeted her upon arriving. After all, ability to see and hear was unparalleled in all manners not Loki related.

It was for this reason that without even turning he knew Luna was approaching him, and that he got the first word in when she began to greet him.

“You desire to know of your nation’s condition.”

Luna felt impressed by the scope of his ability, despite how invasive it could be, “Yes, if you would not mind.”

Heimdall turned to her and flashed her a smile she did not fully understand coming from the stoic man, “Not at all, milady. It is my duty to serve Asgard as well as its guests,” he turned back to looking towards the broken edge of the Bifrost, “Your realm remains safe. Your sister and her warriors have drove off the threat Loki brought with ease, the Changeling forces scattered after the defeat of their matriarch.”

“Thank you,” not every fear she had gripping her was answered though, “Were their any casualties to your knowledge? Mass panic?”

The guardian’s voice was less rigid than when he spoke to Loki as he replied, “No on both accounts. Your sister has gone out of her way to keep the matter quiet, which is helped by how there were no permanent casualties. Some, however, have quite the array of scrapes and bruises to heal after the conflict.”

He turned his head again, this time to frown, “The energy it would take to transport you home would be significant. It may be some time before you can make your return.”

Luna bit her lip. She did desire to return, and knew she had to sooner than later, but Asgard was quite alluring at the moment and was giving her mixed emotions on the matter. She did not wish to leave the fragile Loki just yet, “How long do you estimate?”

“Days. Weeks,” Heimdall shrugged the most minute amount, “It is not outside of the Allfather’s power to send you along your way, but I would give asking him some time. Too soon and he will refuse you. With some time, however, asking him to return will no doubt succeed. He would be rid of you for the time being after all.”

Luna sensed that Heimdall was not exactly pleased about her way of confronting the Allfather. Her voice was guarded and cautious as she tried to find a way to explain herself, “About that…”

Heimdall held a hand up to quiet her, “You have no need to apologize. Even my king makes errors in judgment, an important fact for any who serve under him to realize. Despite this, I have sworn my service, as no being is perfect and he is my king.”

Luna nodded, but had no idea where to carry the conversation from there. Considering the matter done, Heimdall decided to change the subject.

“As we speak I think you should know that a feast celebrating the return of our prince is being put together to make up for the previous greeting he was given.”

Luna’s blue eyebrow lifted, the princess intrigued by this development, “Is that so? I take it I may attend?”

“I can only assume so. There are many who are curious to meet you, milady.”

The ambiguity of his words only made Luna more curious, “Those being?”

Heimdall’s smirk returned, unknown to Luna given his back being to her still, “Specifically all of Asgard who has been told the tale of how a lover of Loki has arrived, threatened the Allfather, and managed to do so without being executed. Many are interested in this.”

Luna’s mind was made up on what she would be spending that night doing, “I’d hate to disappoint them then. Farewell Heimdall, I assume you will not be joining us?”

“Perhaps later. Even I must eat now and again.”

“Ahhh, Luna! It is good to see you!”

Luna had wandered back to the feast hall Frigga had shown her, not having any issue finding it except for running into the guard she had most humiliated in the whole confronting Odin scene. He had purposefully bumped into her, not expecting to be knocked off his feet as if he had just ran into a horse. Luna smirked down at the mustached and bald man, his helmet having fallen off from the collision.

All it took was a reminder of her threat to kill him should he ever touch her again for him to scamper off like a child fleeing from punishment.

Upon finally arriving at the feast, Luna was stunned to find that the once empty hall was now filled with guests of varying sizes and professions, with no two people in the place looking the same despite the dozens and dozens that crowded it.

Despite the large crowd, it took Thor no time to locate her and find his way through it to her. All it took was some gentle pushing through couples dancing and nobles chatting.

Luna smiled to Thor and waited for him to reach her, glad that no-one seemed to know who she was just yet. Being the center of attention in such an unfamiliar place would be quite nerve wracking, especially given how she knew almost nothing of their customs or how they acted outside of what she had seen from Loki and a little from Thor.

As Thor finally got to her he first gave her a greeting and fleeting hug that Luna was sure broke a bone or two, “Loki will be released shortly, but after the feast he will be confined to his room for the near future.”

Luna gave a nervous chuckle as she tried to stretch her back from the suffering it just endured, “Better than wasting away in a dungeon endlessly, no?”

The blonde man took her by the wrist and nodded towards the feast table, “You are right. Now, come, my friends desire to meet you!”

Luna felt herself being dragged that direction as Thor began to leave, deciding not to resist his pulling because of her own curiosity about his companions. And how his grip was so strong that she would only harm herself in attempting to escape it.

Upon reaching the place Thor desired to at the table he released Luna to instead use that hand to pat a slim man with similar dirty blonde hair on the back, interrupting the man who was previously kissing a woman beside him, “This is Fandral, the most notorious womanizer of the nine realms.”

Fandral grumbled as he turned around in his seat, only to have his jaw drop as he noticed the sight that lay behind him. His eyes ogled Luna from head to toe, which Luna found less flattering than he likely would have hoped in his speechless state.

Luna extended a hand while also rolling her eyes at his blatant perversion, “I am Luna, princess of Equestria. And yes, Equestria as in horses. I am a horse too, as well as Loki’s lover, and I don’t enjoy being ‘hit on’. Touch me and I will put you in the ground.”

Not at all off-put by her words, having heard similar things before in his many escapades minus the horse part, Fandral laughed it all off and held his hands up in peace, “Triply off limits then. Such a shame too, for you make quite the beautiful Asgardian!”

From across the table came another voice, this one belonging to a female. “Forgive him, he has always been a pig.”

Luna looked over to where it came from and noticed a woman who wore armor like some of the men rather than cloth or silk like the other women in the room. Using prior knowledge, Luna made an assumption about her identity, “If this is Fandral, you would be the warrior Lady Sif. Loki has spoke of your group.”

Sif looked at Luna, unimpressed in comparison to Fandral’s ogling, “Correct. You are Loki’s consort if I am not mistaken.”

Sensing a bit of hostility, which Luna chalked up to her relationship with the traitor Loki, Luna responded in a fake hurt voice, “That is such an ugly word,” with a snap of her fingers, Luna undid the magic to be found on Sif’s head and the lady’s raven black hair turned a vibrant blonde, “You know, I think I prefer you with black hair.”

Sif could feel the change in her hair and fought the temptation to look at a strand. Loki had cut off all her hair and made it grow back with his own hair color when they were younger, and he had never once let her live it down.

With another snap of her fingers Luna returned the hair to how Loki left it, and Sif snorted, “I see he has told you his stories. How juvenile.”

Luna decided that if she stayed long enough that this warrior woman would regret judging her based off of her lover. With a shrug, Luna took a seat beside Fandral on the opposite side of the woman he had returned to making out with. To do this though she first had to nudge over an obese warrior a bit, the man inhaling food at a rate faster than Luna thought possible, “I do not know about that. Pranks are quite universal after all. What, are you bitter?”

Sif shook her head derisively at Luna before returning to her own meal before her, “Believe me, I have other reasons to have anger towards Loki.”

The previously oblivious fat warrior to Luna’s side joined in on the conversation as he stuffed himself on another piece of meat, “Why so grumpy Sif? There’s a feast to dig into!”

A servant placed a plate of green, leafy food before Luna, drawing another snort from Sif and a moment in which Thor realized why anyone would eat such a meatless meal. Before tending to the food presented, Luna thought back to Loki’s tales and remembered the mention of a large and hungry man, “Volstagg I am assuming?”

Volstagg turned to face Luna, seemingly just noticing her there, “Ah, yes ma’am! You would be Loki’s lover everyone has been hearing so much about?”

Luna could appreciate that two out of the three friends introduced to her were at least decent, if interesting, “That I am. How are you enjoying the feast?”

Volstagg grabbed another leg of meat and took a chunk out of it before responding, “It is most wonderful! It’s made me actually glad the prince is back!”

Luna frowned, “Were you previously not?”

Volstagg stopped eating for a moment to think before shrugging exaggeratedly, “More mixed feelings than anything. He did some bad stuff for some understandable reasons,” he pointed over to the very corner of the room where a man with narrower eyes than many of the others in the room stood alone, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, “Hogun over there isn’t too happy with him still, and Sif has this thing with holding grudges more tightly than Fandral does a damsel!”

Fandral turned from the woman he was tending to in order to retort, “Or you do your meal.”

Not at all insulted, Volstagg grabbed more food, “And here’s to that!” as Luna ate the first bite of her food assortment she watched as Volstagg downed a goblet of presumably alcohol only to toss it behind him and let it break as he finished, “Another!”

Luna rose her brow at the destruction, “Another?”

Still standing, Thor patted her own the back and caused her to choke briefly on her food, “It is our custom. I learned on Midgard that other cultures do not share it.”

Luna stopped herself from choking and swallowed before responding, “My sister would be the one trying to kill me if I ever smashed her tea set.”

Her words caught the attention of Volstagg, who pointed a haunch of meat at her, “So, talking about killing, are the rumors true? Did you really walk up to the Allfather and threaten to kill him?”

Her ego rose up again and a smirk crossed her face, “Walk? No. Teleport and put a knife to his throat? Yes.”

Fandral nodded in appreciation, “Bold, and willing to use force before reason. You sure you weren’t born here and swapped with Loki at birth?”

Luna chuckled as she thought about the possibility, “Perhaps. Loki was quite fine with being a horse after all.”

Volstagg grabbed her arm much more gently than Thor might, seeming to actually know how to control his great strength, “Wait, you’re going to tell me that he spent his entire time in your realm as a horse.”

“He and I are shapeshifters. We can assume any form we wish as it…suits us and what we are doing,” Fandral gave a wolf whistle that made Luna roll her eyes, not that he was far off in his perversion. She lifted a hand up and moved the fingers around to demonstrate her growing dexterity with it, “Hands are quite the nice thing to have, even if I can levitate whatever I wish with my magic.”

Her new beefy friend to her side had run out of food to down, and so an idea struck his mind, “Is that so? Mind levitating me some meat?”

Fandral decided to get on this as well and pointed to a young woman across the table who was shyly looking at him, “If we’re taking requests, I think that blonde over there is quite lonely.”

Why not indulge them? Luna stretched and yawned, to show off of course, as she picked up an entire platter of meat and placed it before Volstagg, a magical aura around it the entire time as a similar one formed around the blonde woman. The shy woman let out a small sound as she was lifted from the table and placed gently in Fandral’s lap.

Mouth hanging open once again, Fandral turned to Luna and questioned, “So, when are you moving in, Milady?”

Luna had to speak out of Volstagg’s armpit, as he brought a large arm around her and embraced her in thanks for the new food, “I cannot simply live here, as interesting as that might be. I do have a home to return to and nation to rule.”

Fandral gave a quick kiss to the woman in his lap’s cheek, “Let me get this straight. You are a horse who can use magic that is the ruler of a land of horses who is powerful enough to threaten the Allfather, all the while being Loki’s lover?” Luna nodded and he gave another whistle, “Not everyday you meet someone like that. Or is it somehorse?”

Luna appreciated his attempt and smiled at the pervert, “Somepony.”

He slapped a palm to his forehead, “My mistake,” a tug on his collar brought his attention to the women surrounding the other sides of him, “Oh, my apologies, but I have things to tend to.”

Luna found herself laughing at his antics as he began to handle both of the women simultaneously, the princess not even knowing such a thing was possible. Volstagg noticed her amusement and gave her a pat on the back like Thor before him, this time not causing her to choke because of his restraint, “Don’t mind the lech, he’s got a good heart and is pretty harmless unless you’re on the other side of the battlefield.”

Sensing that he was a gentle soul, Luna decided he was a good source to ask about what now bugged her mind, “Volstagg, may I ask you a question?”

“Anything, milady!” and another chunk of meat disappeared as if it had never been there. Luna was actually finding herself impressed by his gluttony, only possibly matched by Celestia when left with cake.

“Did you ever consider Loki a friend?”

Volstagg took no time at all to ponder the question, instead giving a hearty laugh, “Of course! He was always there with us on our adventures, even if he complained now and again about getting his nice clothes dirty. Without him we’d have perished on more than one occasion, and he isn’t that bad of a cook!”

He swallowed his current mouthful of food before continuing, “Then he went insane and tried to kill his brother. Word is that someone’s been screwing with his head though. That true?”

Seeing an opportunity to twist how people would interpret events, Luna decided to tell him a vague truth, “Yes. A currently unknown dark power desires to conquer Midgard, and they wished to use Loki to accomplish this. They tried to use him to conquer my world as well, but that too was thwarted.”

Not knowing he had just been led to believe that Loki’s madness stemmed not from only his own issues but also an outside source, Volstagg nodded as if he understood, “I see. Can’t blame a lad for going a bit crazy if someone’s been screwing with his head,” he rose a ginger eyebrow, “He better now?”

Luna gave him a reassuring smile, glad that her plan seemingly worked. Now word might spread that would lend a possible explanation for Loki’s actions, excusing him to those who would hear it who did not already know the full truth, “He’s getting there. We cut off their contact with him, so he should be fine now so long as they do not come knocking on our doors for him.”

Volstagg rose to his full height and flexed his muscles, only being a little shorter than the very lanky Luna’s full height while being much larger otherwise, “Well if they do I’ll be the first to show them their way out!” he slammed his current leg of meat on the table like a hammer crashing down, “It’d be such a shame to see them drive him insane again, especially since a fine lady such as yourself does not deserve to be put through that twice.”

The previously social and bustling crowd in the room quieted in a flash, drawing Luna’s attention to what they were all looking at. Volstagg too looked, another hearty laugh escaping his lips as he noticed why everything got so quiet.

Volstagg looked down to the still sitting Luna and pointed a thumb at the prince, “Speak of the devil. Go get ‘em! Bet he’s missed your company,” he returned to his seat and his hands found their way onto more food, “If you need me I will be finishing the entire table of food, but I’ll be sure to save enough for the two of you.”

Luna rose as the crowd began to make noise again, first a murmur and then the previous level of noise returned as if it had never been interrupted. Luna decided to get through the crowd in the easiest manner possible, teleporting right beside her beloved who was not at all surprised as she appeared.

The princess took a quick step forward to embrace him tightly, albeit not as tightly as Thor would, “Loki.”

He returned the embrace and whispered into her ear, “We have to talk later.”

Luna drew back slightly to see him face to face, “Of course. Can we just enjoy ourselves for now though?”

Loki gave her a skeptical glance, ignoring the derisive looks he got as he continued to embrace the foreign lady, “I don’t see why we can’t enjoy ourselves later of course. After we talk.”

Luna flashed him a toothy smile, “I like the way you think.”

That line of thinking was quickly put to rest as another figure appeared next to them. Loki turned to face her and embrace the new addition to the small group amongst the whole crowd, “Mother. I hope I’ve made you proud.”

Ignoring his reference to their last talk, Frigga instead looked to Luna with a smile as she put her arms around Loki for the first time in what felt like forever, “You have in regards to your chosen lover.”

Loki was the one to draw back this time, giving Frigga a quizzical glance, “You think this was a choice? I could not get rid of her, so I made the best of my situation.”

Frigga gave him a warning glance, “Loki, your father can attest to how making such jokes may have repercussions you will not enjoy.”

Catching her meaning, Loki held his hands up in surrender to Luna’s amusement, “I see that I am outnumbered here,” turning and looking around, Loki soon caught sight of his brother who lingered not too far away, “Hey, blonde oaf of a brother, I need you!”

Thor made his way through the crowd again to reach them, smiling cheekily at Loki all the way, “You called, fragile princess?”

The younger prince turned to Luna and flashed her a smile similar to her own, “It is hard enough to handle Luna by myself. I am afraid I cannot handle her and mother both simultaneously without some assistance.”

Thor nodded, understanding fully the situation his brother was in, “Oh, I see,” he turned on his heel and walked back to the feast with a wave, “Have fun with that.”

Luna actually doubled over in laughter at the sight of Loki’s shocked face. Even the scheming and cynical Loki had not expected his dear brother to do that.

“He will pay for this,” Loki stated as a promise more to himself than to anyone else.

The blue haired woman managed to tame her laughing enough to speak, “I wish my sister was so entertaining.”

Loki pursed his lips, “She is quite stuffy. I daresay I do not know what that chimera sees in her.”

Luna rolled her eyes, “That’s the point. She’s the polar opposite of him and so she’s even more fun to mess with, while also having enough feelings for him to put up with it.”

Not wishing to be a third wheel, Frigga bowed out of the conversation, “I think I will see about reeling my missing husband in. Excuse me.”

After she departed, Luna could not help but smile at Frigga’s leaving figure, “Your mother is amazing.”

Loki was pleased that Luna seemed to get along just fine with his mother, although that was not the issue they needed to really discuss. Still, he too adored his mother and as such continued to conversation, “Did she show you her sparring skills?”

“No, unfortunately. Just how skilled is she?”

Loki levitated a glance of wine over to himself and took a sip from it, “In a dress she has fought off assassins before with nothing more than a letter opener. I think she does so to be fair to them.”

Luna moved to do the same, but Loki stopped her. Luna stuck her tongue out at him, only for Loki to take the glass she intended to have and drink it himself, “I look forward to spending more time with her.”

He called forth yet another drink, sending the empty glasses back to where they came from with minimal effort after all of his time with Luna, “Please don’t. She’ll be pressuring you for grandchildren in no time.”

That brought a blush to Luna’s face, at which point she managed to grab a drink before Loki and gulf it down. Might as well have alcohol while she still could, “I thought you loved your mother enough to do anything she wished.”

Loki sighed and massaged his temple, “Most of the time, yes. But I draw the line at my nightly rituals with you.”

Luna actually was glad that she now had someone to help her in pressuring Loki to do certain things, since he was normally so selfish and stubborn, “So she can help me get whatever I want from you?”

He lifted a finger to point at her warningly, not liking that she had realized his one weakness outside of her, “Don’t you dare.”

Luna brought him into another hug, this one placing their faces close together with neither one of the two caring about the stares they were receiving, “I jest, Loki. I’m just so happy to have you back.”

She pulled him into a kiss, which he soon returned. They were together again, whatever others thought be damned.

Nothing major had happened after their reunion at the feast, for Odin had not made an appearance and Frigga had not returned. Loki had managed to find a place with Luna beside Volstagg, who cheerfully welcomed the prince back and even offered the slight man some of his plate’s meat. Not having eaten meat in a very long time, Loki graciously accepted. He did not know what Luna had said to the large man, but he actually seemed to be no more critical of him than before the drama of their lives began.

Loki had to admit that Luna could be crafty when she wanted. Which is what he needed to talk to her about,

He locked the door behind them when they entered his chambers, Luna bee-lining straight for his comfy bed after the long day they both had had. Loki rolled his eyes as she flopped on top of it and spread out.

Luna could not help but yawn for real this time as her messed up sleep habits returned to haunt her, “So, Loki, what did you wish to speak about?”

Loki approached the bed and tentatively sat on the edge of it, turning his body to face the laying down Luna, “I heard you had interesting meeting with my father. Care to tell me how it went?”

Her stomach dropped at his words, knowing where this conversation was going, “I kind of threatened him…” he grimaced and she rose to a sitting position, her voice defensive, “What? He was planning on having you locked away for the rest of your life.”

“So you rationally speak to him along with my brother and Heimdall who know what you are speaking about and explain it to him to have me released after the fact. You don’t assault him and almost earn your place under an axe!” Loki scolded her, voice growing more and more agitated throughout.

Luna reached for one of his hands in an attempt to squeeze it, “Loki, calm down, it all worked out-“

Loki batted her hand away, his eyes narrowing at her, “No, Luna, I will not calm down. You are going to be checked out by our doctors immediately. Whatever it is that you fused with to face me, it is impacting your judgment and bringing you to do reckless things.”

“I am just fine,” Luna snorted, not fully believing her own words but also not wanting to back down against him just yet.

“Oh really? What about that one time you threatened a king, of a land of people as strong as you no less, in his own throne room? Oh yes, that just so happened to work out so it’s fine. All fine.”

Not wanting this to ruin their night, Luna decided to throw in the tower before it could escalate any further, “Loki, I get it. Just stop. I’ll go tomorrow, okay?”

Loki opened his mouth to talk, but words failed him, “I…” he turned away from her and hung his head, “Yes. Fine.”

“Luna, I’m sorry, it’s just…” he sighed as he tried to think about what he wanted to say. Tired from everything he too had been through, he found himself laying down completely on his bed, “I do not desire to see you change into something you are not. I do not wish to see you harmed.”

Luna climbed on top of his lap and changed into her pony clothes, bringing herself over him and taking his face in her hands so that she could pull him into a kiss, “I know Loki. That’s why I love you.”