Loki and Ingrid 22

What is Home

“I didn’t kill anyone, idiot.” Sif is sitting on the garden wall with Loki, Lydvor, and I, the former two keeping their distance.

          “Don’t count on it,” says Lydvor, I think she’s crazy.

          “Wait. Who’s she?” Sif stares at Loki, “Blondes, really?”

          “It’s a concealing charm to make her look more human—Asgardian, what have you. She is my, uh, —third-cousin.”

          Lydvor squints at Loki quizzically as I shoot her a look which says, “Play along.”  

          “From Jotunheim? You’ve got nerve.”

          “Well actually,” begins Loki, “We’re going there now, so we’ll just grab Ingrid’s coats and be on our way.”

          “Oh, but travelling to Jotunheim is forbidden!” teases Sif, “But really,” please be careful.”

          “Yeah. Sure.” Lydvor sounds more annoyed than anything, “And I’m his sister, actually? Thanks, Loki.”     

          “Half.”

          “Whatever. Only half that matters.”

          “Laufey never mattered.”

          “Why I’m here. Jotunheim has been without a ruler for a long time, thanks to you. They’re at civil war. I hope they all kill each other.”

          “Oh, please. I’ll deal with it later. Once I double-check that Sif isn’t crazy.”

          “I’m not—”

          “Do you need me to do anything before I go?”

          “I think they prefer me to you to be honest. They aren’t exactly happy with us kids ruling a kingdom. It’s fun though.”

          “We’ll be going then.”

          “You want me to stay here?” I ask, “I don’t think I really belong on Jotunheim…maybe following you around everywhere isn’t a good idea.”

          “Yeah, what’s up with that?” asks Lydvor, angrily, “Ruining me fun?”

          “I’m not trying to, really. I just wanted to see who kidnapped my fiancé.” The words still sound strange rolling off my tongue. Oh well, I can’t worry about marriage no`       w, as we are far to busy to be wed. “Never mind, I’ll come if you want me to, Loki.”   

          “Well, I don’t want you to be in any danger, but I think trying to stop you would be a vain effort.”

          “True. I guess I’ll go. Better than having to face my brothers again. Especially Calder. I truly am sorry.”

          “It’s nothing. I get it. That’s how Lydvor feels about Asgradians.”

          “Did you just understand me? I thought we didn’t speak the same language.”

          “Stop it, Lyd; Ingrid, go get your things and pack. Bring your warmest coats.”

          “All right. I’ll be back.”

          “See you at the ship.”

---

Jotunheim is colder and darker than I remembered, even moreso than Zephenare. I brought my warmest clothes and I’m still cold. Asgard isn’t particularly warm, but it has true summers. On Jotunheim, it is like someone cast a spell over the place, making it eternally winter.

          “Okay. Welcome home, asshole,” says Lydvor, spitting out some leaves she really shouldn’t be chewing, “What do you want?”

          “I told you, I’m not staying. Now tell me why we’re here again? Civil war?”           “Yes, and THEY NEED A KING! AND I’M NOT RULING!”

          “I have my own kingdom, Lydvor.”

          “Let that girl do it! She had spite!”    

          “No. I worked very hard to become king.”

          “You cheated,” I remind him, “You didn’t—”

          “I HATE ALL OF YOU!” screams Lydvor.

          “If I wasn’t so busy trying to look around here, I’d tell her to shut up. As it is, SHUT UP!”

          “You shut up. I’m just here for the food. Oh, hey, cuz!”

          “I have a cousin too? Oh please…”

          “HEY BRIAN!”

          “That’s his name? Brian? What a strange Midgardian—”

          “He’s the brain. We call him Brian.”

          “Okay, okay. Is he the evil one?”

          “No, that would be Ssenkrad—darkness backwards.”

          “That sounds like less of a foreign name.”

          “Yes. Oh, you’re here too! Ssenkrad!”

          He walks over, towering over all of us and leans down, “Princesssss?”
          “I’m not a princess. Lydvor puts her hands on her hips, “But I brought our prince back—how did you know it was me?” She stares at her blonde hair.

          “That voice I know anywhere, princess.”      

          “Shut up. I told them you were too evil to rule. Now let me—” Lydvor grabs onto his arm and slowly transforms back into her true form.

          “Well, you wouldn’t believe it—and he WILL make a grand announcement, but we have places to be—check it out with the brain!”  

          Lydvor runs towards a nearby tree, grabbing Loki’s hand.

          “Hey! It’s contagious.”

          “It’s only your true self, that you’ve forgotten. Look at this place.” She slows as she comes to a clearing in the snow, amidst the evergreen trees. “I came here when I was a kid. Before I went galaxy-scavenging.” I suddenly remember Loki’s own spot in the forest, and what he kept there.

          “No, stop!” My head begins to spin, as the dizziness sets in. “You’ll set the beast free!”          

          “No…” I hear a voice behind us.

          “Brain,” sighs Lydvor, clearly annoyed.

          “He will,” Brian gestures at Ssenkrad who is standing in the shadows.

          “Loki, I know it’s you. Here to challenge the throne. I know that Lydvor will not, as she was never a threat to me.”        

          “I never had a problem killing anyone,” says Lydvor way too loudly.

          “Don’t bother with him. I’ve got it covered.”

          “That’s not what I meant—why would I kill my brother?”

          Loki intercuts, “I can think of plenty of reasons.”

          “Oh, please, for once, can you just SHUT UP!”

          “Fine.”

          “The beast is coming!” screams Lydvor.

          Loki remains silent but looks concerned as he backs away.

          “Can’t you tame it?” I ask, my skin prickling in the dark.

          “Am I allowed to talk yet?”

          “No, he can’t—he’s mute, but anyway, nah, you can’t tame ‘em in their native habitat. And these ones are bigger than his little pets.”

          “Did you say bigger?” I hear myself staggering backwards as a horrific roaring sound issues from behind, and the beast rears its ugly head.

          “I don’t want to be here—I mean no harm!” shouts Loki, stepping back, but no one pays him heed.

          “Do something, dork, or get out of my way!” Lydvor begins to lunge at the beast, throwing herself at it’s back, fearlessly, ferociously stabbing to no avail.
I’ve got this—OW!” The beast throws her to the ground and begins to toss her with its mighty claws. “AAAAHHHH!”

          “Hold on!” Brain has a tranquilizer and shoots it straight at the beast. “I have a simpler method. And Loki isn’t gonna do this is he? How ‘bout a science nerd guy as king?”

          “Fine. I’ll stab away—” Lydvor throws her dagger straight into the heart of Ssenkrad.

          “Not what I was thinking, but good one,” grins Brian.

          “Looks like you didn’t need me to settle the disputes after all,” says Loki, “But fine, this beast won’t yield and I recognize it isn’t tamable…” and he thrusts his own sword into the heart of the paralyzed beast. “All right. That was easy—Lyd are you okay?”

          She is lying on the ground, scratched pretty badly from the beast, and bleeding.

          “Yeah. It’s nothing,” she says, rapidly trying to sit up, before she blacks out.”

---

“Lyd? How do you feel?”

          “Absolutely embarrassed. Stop calling me that!”

          “Sorry, Lyd.”

          “Shut it!”

          “It’s all better now—I used a spell.”

          “Ew, no! Sorcery is dangerous! You almost killed me!”

          “It’s just healing magic, quite simple, really.”

          “Liar.”

          “You’re jealous?”

          “No.”

          “I learned all my mind powers from my mother—I killed her.”

          “That takes nerve. Which mother?”

          “Adoptive. And I didn’t kill her, the elves did. But I may has well have with what I said—why did you bring me here?”    

          “I thought you could help me settle the dispute! And also, you know, you may hate it, but it’s home.”  

          “Not to me it isn’t.”

          “I do prefer other systems. Zephenare, Xandar, Knowhere. But Jotunheim is home.”

          “Not for me. I don’t remember it.”

          “You’ve never been back?”

          “I have. Several times. We fought here, my brother and I.”        

          “Where is he now? This brother of yours?”

          “No idea. Doing stuff in the universe. I betrayed him. Too many times. He said he needed time away—I think it’s my fault. I sent him away. Why do I repel anyone I am near? I should never even try—”

          “Ah it’s fine. Anyway, I’ll be right back. Gotta make a call. But I feel ya.” She jumps up suddenly and runs back in the direction of the ship.

          “Is she going to abandon us here?”

          “No, and even if she does, I’m sure Skurge will open the Bifrost for me.”

          “Wait, who’s Skurge?”

          “It’s not important. Ingrid?”

          “What?”

          “I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

          “So, what? You’re blue? Nova was lavender. Thanos is purple!”

          “And that’s a good thing?”

          “No, I just mean that there are a lot of different colors in the galaxy and no one is better than the other.”

          “I don’t know. I’m starting to hate purple.”

          “Nova didn’t turn out so bad, did she?”       

          Loki gives a slight smile, “I guess not.”

          “But really. It doesn’t matter what color you are! It’s not going to change my feelings!”

          “You’re sure?”      

          “Yeah. You need to loosen up.”

          “I’ve got a mission,” says Lydvor, suddenly returning, “And I’m gonna need you, Loki. I’m really gonna need you.”