//------------------------------// // I Will Escape You // Story: We Remember Everything // by Thunderscourge //------------------------------// A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, JBGrim, LordSiravant, Killabyte, ZeroInfinity, DestructivePwny, Ketvirtas, and Drgnwolf for your comments last chapter! Seems that recently the length of a chapter is inversely related to the amount of comments...Anyways, thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all! Chapter title now brought to you by Trust Company's "Stronger" Sorry for the wait. Blogs have details. I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are ! “You know, this could go on forever.” “You know, you could stop bringing that up.” “I’m just saying, maybe taking a break would not be the worst of our options.” “Carrying a horse and a raven too tiring for you, Asgardian?” Ikol squawked at the demon who dare insult it. He had been standing on Loki’s otherwise vacant shoulder for long enough to be bored out of his mind, and his attention was not something to be toyed with by insults. After all, he was Loki the Asgardian as well, and by no means would carrying a bird tire such a magnificent specimen as himself. Trixie was doing the opposite as she lay across the other shoulder peacefully, each of her legs dangling and bumping into Loki as he continued to march with Illidan. They had been forced to utilize one of Illidan’s more difficult spells to get down the cliff face, one that required the user to leap down and use magic to prevent them from dying. Only issue, it needed to make contact with someone or something else. So Loki’s back was hurting from having a giant being hurtle down and crush him into the ground. Illidan had told him to stop whining because of how he had used his wings to slow down the technique...though Loki was not quite so content. “I would need eight or more legs for it not to be. If I haven’t already told you, I am not exactly recovering my energy, but maybe stopping momentarily will help me stop losing it.” The bottom of the area once covered in water had proven thus far to be a dry desert of what appeared to have once been swampland. Now it appeared as if every drop of moisture had disappeared from it, leaving behind the desolate area that the two were trekking through. “We will stop when we have a reason to. It is time for you to tough it out.” Since descending the long ways to the bottom, neither had seen a single other soul wandering around. Not even a fragment. This did not unnerve the larger and stronger Illidan, but Loki was becoming wary of how quiet and inactive the place was. In a very fortunate manner, this changed when a nearly faded soul rushed past the two. It did not even seem to register their existence as it sped off in a seemingly random direction. “Catch the Life Spark!” it screeched in a vaguely female voice. This piqued the curiosity of both outcasts for different reasons. To Loki the words said were the interest, while to Illidan the interest lay in the existence of at least one soul in the barren area and the possibility that there could be others. No words could pass between them before yet another being whizzed by them, though neither caught sight of its appearance due to the speed it was going at. It’s screams, however, were picked up by the duo. “Catch Lifespark!” Loki smirked at his partner, “Okay, after we find out whatever they are on about we are stopping.” Illidan grunted indifferently, “As you wish.” Following the fast beings would have proved difficult if not for Illidan’s ability to sense energy. The dark, but barren landscape allowed him to track their energy down like a hound dog. While able to follow, both Illidan and Loki were unable to catch the phantoms in terms of sheer speed. Nonetheless, they followed their trace. While unable to keep up with the fast spirits, the two were able to catch sight of some more who lumbered behind in the same direction. One was a foul ghoul who appeared anorexic, while the other was a faded outline of a much larger being, one far larger than even Illidan and with wings more angular. “My precious! My spark…” “Come back, Coward!” With the unwitting company of two more, Loki decided it best to discuss the matter at hand a little more. “What is it that they are seeking after?” Illidan shook his head, “I do not know, but whatever it is it seems to have enthralled them.” An hour went by before more souls congregated with the others who were fanatically following this so called “Life Spark”. The new members were a group of small creatures Loki was unfamiliar with, and as such their rat like appearances put him on edge. “Mine!” one would yell again and again, as if it was their only purpose. Tapping himself on the head was another who screeched in an insane voice over and over, “No touch candle!” A light ball the size of Loki’s torso whizzed by his face and made him abruptly stop in his tracks. The ball continued to fly by, and the mob of beings looking for this “Life Spark” turned to give chase. Seeing this, Loki surmised that this was the greatly anticipated object or being, and so he teleported right beside it to grab it. The teleport was difficult since he had to bring Ikol and Trixie, but he grabbed forward with one hand to wrangle the “Life Spark”. Only, his hand caught nothing as a purple light appeared and the light blue ball disappeared completely. “What the—” Loki growled as he realized what just happened, “It can teleport?” Far from furious was Illidan, who stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched his partner fail, “That must be the reason for its popularity…” Loki trekked back to Illidan, watching as the crowd began to run off in every different direction, “Think we could use it to escape this world?” Illidan yawned as he stretched his limbs out and began to walk in a single direction, his eyes seemingly revealing to him what he desired unlike the insane beings who also sought out this being, “We will find out.” This next hike began to really wear on Loki, who was still feeling terrible from earlier. Dragging Trixie along was a lot harder than he would have liked it to be, and he cursed himself for not possessing the strength that Thor was so famous for. At the end of this particular fight to keep standing in the desert was the illusive Life Spark, only this time it was not running. It was floating just above the ground and doing absolutely nothing else. “And here we go—” True to form, Loki could not have nice things without some more blood, sweat, and more blood. A black and green portal opened up beside him, out of which launched a furious Frost Giant whom he was very familiar with. He managed to sidestep his opponent’s wild lunge, though he was forced to drop Trixie onto the ground to keep his balance. As with other instances, Ikol made himself scarce as the actual fight was instigated. “Laufey.” The black and green portal remained open behind Laufey, who smiled menacingly to Loki as he approached him slowly, “You are alone. No guardian to save you now, runt.” Loki would have corrected him, if not for how Illidan was suddenly missing. He tried to save face by acting with some gusto, “I am not sure I will need him if I am to fight you,” his gusto faltered some as Laufey created his signature ice dagger in his palm, “Still, could we not do this another time? Make peace?” The peace offer was met with a blurring thrust of an ice dagger through Loki’s chest cavity. Loki stumbled back as the blade was twisted inside of him, and with luck he managed to wrest it from Laufey’s hand. The pain was unimaginable. Loki was quite sure he would rather be dead that feel the pain of having his heart impaled, only for that to not actually kill him. Not about to remove the blade and possibly take his heart with it, Loki left it where it was pushed in while Laufey looked on in confusion. Laufey growled as Loki continued to stand, “You should be dead.” A possible and likely explanation crossed Loki’s mind, and the Frost Giant runt laughed as his fear left him, “Possibly. I am grateful for the place we are currently though.” The pain had not disappeared, but Loki was comfortable enough to remove the blade at a slow pace. Blood was smeared over it, and Loki found himself enjoying himself as he observed it in the palm of his hand. This mockery of the would-be fatal attack spurred Laufey to attack once again. “I wonder what will happen when I do slit that vocal throat of yours!” Loki blocked his father’s attack with the bloodied blade he removed, and he felt a surge go through his body just like his previous life or death encounters on the world. Not only did he parry the attack, but he disarmed Laufey and managed to bash him in the chin. Laufey twirled back as he sought to regain himself, but Loki did not press the attack. He had a plan... However, that plan could wait if it meant ribbing his father a little, “Whatever Lady Death chooses of me, I suppose, though I have to say that my chances of suffering a bit longer are good. That is, unless I leave entirely with the aid of that teleporting spirit.” Laufey gave a small laugh as he prepared another blade to use, “I cannot have that, can I?” Loki cut out his teasing to get to his point, “Laufey, we need not fight.” Laufey growled as he charged forward again, “You murdered me. Murdered our people. Prepare to die!” Having the energy to do so, Loki simply used his tried and true technique of avoiding an attack with the aid of illusions and teleportation. Laufey’s bloodlust caused him to tackle through the fake Loki while the real one batted the new blade away and held the bloodied one to the blue man’s throat. As Laufey paused to prevent himself from having his own jugular vein slit, it was time for Loki to announce his plan that might just solve this whole matter. “What if I offered you the tools to rebuild your people,” Loki paused before adding with a tinge of pain, “Our people.” “You have no right to say that.” Loki could not agree more, but that did not mean that he could not attempt to appeal to the cold, logical side of Laufey that Loki had partially inherited, “I bring you back. I bring you to Jotunheim, where word is that your brother has usurped the throne in your absence. I give you the aid of two worlds in bringing Jotunheim back to its former glory, and do everything in my power to broker a lasting peace.” Laufey’s whole body relaxed as Loki’s words washed over him. While furious at his offspring, the offer of his kingdom back and its restoration outweighed his wrath. Seeing that his plan was working thus far, Loki smiled and lowered his blade slightly, “There is the Laufey I knew.” A snarl and grimace were Laufey’s ways of explaining just what he thought of his son, “I have no way of believing your word.” “No, you do not. But what happens if I betray you? You wind up back here?” Loki gave his father a beleaguered look, “I am a known liar, but know that I am walking on a thin line when it comes to those of Asgard. They would toss me out or jail me if I caused another incident, so I have a very good reason to not double cross you this time around.” Laufey turned fully to his side to glare at Loki intensely, though he made no actually threatening movement, “I will drive a blade through your heart and make sure you do not come back if you do betray me.” His plan a success and another ally recruited to his side, Loki found himself feeling proud, “Good. Now we can move on and help one another out of this mess—” “Oh, how good it feels to be awake once more!” That voice caught Loki’s attention, and a quick look revealed that his gaunt equine companion was stretching out nearby. Trixie was no longer comatose, and the carefree expression on her face made Loki’s stomach drop. Did she have any idea about what kind of situation they were in? Not about to admit that he was glad, Loki snorted at her, “You awaken, deadweight.” Laufey rose an eyebrow at the whole display while Trixie trotted over to Loki with a smug smirk on her face. She had something up her sleeve, and it was making Loki uneasy. “Oh don’t say that. I have been filled in on certain things. You have been keeping me alive in my mental absence.” That caught Loki even more off guard, “Filled in?” Trixie turned around towards where the floating Life Spark had been, only for it to be missing now that the commotion had died down. This did not cause her to falter any, and she spoke with a level of confidence Loki had not heard from her before. “I can always tell you another time. For now, I want to catch that teleporting spirit known as ‘Warp’! I have been out of things way too long, need a good shower, and do not wish to stay in this damp place a second longer.” Once comatose, and now verbose. Loki was not sure which he preferred. “You seem to be energetic…” Now, if only he could convince Laufey to not kill her for talking too much.