Chapter Text
Alarm went spiking through Loki. Where was he going with this? He didn't intend to let them marry after all, did he?
Then something caught his eye, and he jerked his cuffed hands out, to stare at them in horror. Pale colorlessness was spreading up his fingers, up his hands! “What are you doing!?” He tried to flail back, as if he could escape his own hands, but he only hit the guards behind him. “What are you doing!?”
“It is not safe to send you anywhere else. And it is unwise to keep you here, when your loyalty cannot be trusted.”
It was more than coloring! When the spreading colorlessness hit his marks, it left smooth, unmarked skin behind, and fine hair on his arms. And the air felt cool on the changed skin. “Stop it!” He was trying to scramble away from himself, to escape this thing spreading up his arms. And now he could feel it on his legs!
“But loyalty can be made. You are clever, after all, and skilled in your way. You are certainly devoted to your duties as a prince. I can make use of you, if you could be trusted to serve Asgard.”
“I will serve Asgard! Stop!”
Odin chuckled. King, god, and - often forgotten for his warrior habits - sorcerer. “You will serve Asgard, for it will be your home. What better loyalty, then to your own family? What better way to ensure you cannot find some advantage to take?”
It was covering him, covering him, and Loki finally understood that it was pale Asgardian skin! Even his vision was changing, as it reached his eyes. He stared at it, eyes new, horrified.
Then he gasped, as a sudden, heavy aching settled over his mind. “Stop!” He looked up at Odin, and perhaps it was his strange new eyes, but it seemed shadowy ravens were flitting around him.
“Memories are easy things to enspell.” Odin said, thoughtfully. “Even on a large scale, if it is a small enough thing. And a second, unimpressive, unimportant prince? A very small thing, compared to Thor.”
Loki was on the ground. His head was spinning. No. No, he couldn't forget! His realm, his people, they were all dying!
“You’re hurting him!” Thor yelled.
“Do not worry, my son, you will forget too. You have said you wanted a brother.” Then, to his guards, “Take his chains off.”
He was Loki of Jotunheim. Of Jotunheim! They were dying. He had to remember. Blue skin. Plains of ice. His brothers, huge and smiling at him as they taught him how to hunt. They would die!
The chains were off. He could barely focus his eyes, barely breathe, the room was spinning, but he sent ice desperately across the floor, seeking Odin, to do something, anything, something!
He couldn't hear. His vision was blacking out. They were cut off, no way to leave a dying realm. His ice spread, he poured himself into it, but it was cold, cold….
Jotunheim.
Genocide.
Brothers.
Jotun….
Something. Something important.
Kill them all.
He had to remember….
It was important. Everything important.
Thor.
Thor was there, touching him, helping him sit up. “Loki?”
No. No, he had to…. It was important, he had to…. His brothers….
Dying.
Thor.
He had to….
“Loki? Loki!”
Loki's eyes finally focused. “Thor? What…?” Important.
“You saved my life, Loki! Lady Trath’s attack would have killed me! Are you okay?”
His… brother. Dying. He had to….
He could feel his power inside Thor. He… had saved him. Yes. He was safe now. He could calm down.
“Well done, my sons. You make me proud.”
Loki shuddered. Odin was terrifying, no matter what he said.
“Of course, Loki, you will have to be more cautious now. Recklessness could cost you both your lives. Better you remain here, and do not travel to dangerous realms.”
“Yes, of course….” What had he forgotten?
“Come on.” Thor took his hand, and hefted him up. “That spell must have been hard, you look terrible!”
“I’m cold.”
“I bet! You're not wearing much!” Thor laughed. “Come on, let's get you to your room, so you can sleep.”
Thor's hands were so big, so strong on him. What had he forgotten? Thor was safe. He had nothing to worry about.
He let Thor half carry him from the throne room, and stopped trying to grasp whatever it was that had escaped him. He was safely with Thor. It couldn't have been too important.