A/N: Let's try this author's note again, because ff dot net likes to eat my page. I think it has a grudge against me, really I do.

I don't do a lot of fanart, mostly because I have too many of my own projects going to be able to keep up with it (You know, outside of that whole working to earn a living thing...), but I had a cute little idea that had to do with this story. I'd hoped to get it done before I finished posting, but alas... My timing on everything has always been off. So I'm hoping that it will be up on my Tumblr account in the next few days, if you want to take a look. I'm TakadaSaiko over there as well.

Epilogue

It was pointless to pull back now as Odin stood there with his one good eye looking straight through them as they approached. They trudged forward as was expected and Thor couldn't help but feel utterly spent. He knew his brother shared the feeling - likely more so - as he leaned heavily on him. Blue eyes shifted to Loki as the younger prince stumbled, catching himself on Thor's arm that he now had a death-grip on.

"You alright?" he whispered so that only his brother could hear.

Green eyes flickered up to meet his and thin lips stretched into a tired smile. "Mostly."

Thor wrapped a careful arm around his brother, ignoring the glare of protest and didn't bother to mentioned that the trickster was clinging to him anyway, so what did it matter? Besides, the Warriors Three and Sif were all far too exhausted and beaten to notice, much less make a mockery over either of the prince's state.

They approached the Allfather with heads bowed, tension filling the air. He watched them, as if each step were being noted in his mind. His expression was blank until he turned his gaze towards his sons and his lips twitched downward. "You said my boys were well." His voice was booming with power, enough to make Thor's voice sound not much more than a whisper.

Tali gave a deep and respectful bow to the king of Asgard. "I have brought them to you alive."

"Which is more than your sister would have done," Odin acknowledged. He watched his sons shrink under his gaze, both pulling back and leaning on each other. "Come."

"What about Tali?"

All eyes turned to Sif, even the Dark Elf's and the lady warrior felt her face darken with embarrassment, so she turned so that she was speaking directly to the woman in question. "Won't your sister retaliate?"

A fond sort of smile perked Tali's lips. "Look at that. Has all the distrust been set aside now?" She shrugged, tugging the band from her hair so that her braid unraveled and left it falling free. "My sister has a very great temper, but it is short and fiery. I'll find my way without too much trouble."

"But..." Sif looked back at the waiting king and her friends, feeling even more awkward that before. "But should you stay?"

"And where would I go?"

"To Asgard."

Tali huffed something that might have been a laugh. "If you only knew, young one," she murmured, almost to herself. "Thank you for accepting my request, Odin."

The Allfather quirked an eyebrow. "Better from you than Alflyse." He reached one large hand out to his sons, coaxing them forward to the Bifrost site. "Best wishes on your journey, Lady Tali. It is good to know that we have at least one ally amongst the Dark Elves."

"At least one," she agreed, and watched as they were swept away.

They landed within the Observatory together, Thor having never let go of his younger brother and Odin placing a hand on either of their shoulders - careful to avoid injury - and urged them forward and out onto the bridge. He sent the others towards the healing rooms and was left alone with his boys.

"Father," Loki began, but Odin's tightening grip on his left shoulder silenced him before he said any more.

"I'll have my say before your mother gets ahold of you both," he said in a gruff voice. "You've just about sent her into a fit, the both of you."

"We're very sorry, Father," Thor tried, receiving a stern glare that indicated that it wouldn't be enough this time.

"Do you realize what you've done?" He waited, and when neither boy spoke, he pulled them both in front of him so that he could see them easily. "Together, you lied to me on your whereabouts, used levels of magic forbidden to ones your age, trespassed into an unfriendly world, poached their game, and caused more disruption than should be possible for two princes to be involved in." He paused, his gaze steady and stern. "And you involved your friends in it as well."

"We are sorry, Father," Thor said in a rush, "but they tried to kill Loki!"

"And would they have done harm to your brother had you not been there?"

The elder prince suddenly found his boots highly interesting. "No," he mumbled.

"I am no fool that you coaxed your brother into this adventure," Odin said as he looked between them, "but Loki did his fair share as well." He sighed heavily, looking them over. Thor's hand showed signs of a deep and nasty gash in it, mostly fresh and having not been treated at all. His arm had been ripped at as well, also untreated. Loki, still quiet from his father's earlier silent demand for it, looked very run down with ripped clothing and blood dried against it, the majority against his right shoulder, but some matted in his dark hair from where he'd been slammed against the stones by Malekith's attack. The exhaustion showed in his eyes as he looked up, awaiting what was sure to be the worst of punishments. "Both of you will go straight to Master Rowens. You will abide by any treatment - any, Thor - that he advises and then straight to your rooms. There will be no sparring, no library, nothing. Your meals will be delivered to you and you will receive no guests, am I clear?"

"Yes, Father," the boys said in unison and began the horribly silent journey back to the palace.

"They could have started a war," Odin murmured, his voice a gruff whisper.

"Or worse, they could have been killed," Frigga pointed out, a certain glint in her eye telling him that she felt he was focused on the wrong possibilities.

"Either way, I fear I was too lenient with them."

His wife smiled at this, stood on her toes to kiss his bearded cheek, and moved silently into the room.

"They couldn't even abide by the terms for the first night," the Allfather groused quietly.

Frigga stifled her laugh as she leaned over to check her two sons that lay sleeping soundly in the elder prince's bed, all tangled limbs and bandages. Thor was snoring softly, his nose half buried in his young brother's dark hair and an arm slung over him protectively. There were no signs of fever and Rowen had called the younger prince very lucky indeed. The poison had been flushed out of his system by the time that the Asgardian healer had seen him and he'd been able to set the wound in his shoulder well on its way to healing.

"Thor told me such stories," Frigga whispered from her place on the edge of the bed, stroking each boy's hair in turn. Odin grunted something inaudible from behind her, watching their sons sleep with masked relief over the outcome. "He said that one of the Dark Elf healers gave his life for them and that Loki fought a sorcerer and would have won had he not been injured." She smiled fondly at them. "You should have heard the pride in Thor's voice."

"A sorcerer?" Odin echoed. "Surely not. Perhaps an apprentice."

Frigga shook her head, her piled curls coming down a bit around her shoulders. "He said the name was Malekith."

A coldness of realization set deep within the Allfather. "Rowen was right. We should count our blessings that they both returned."

"Mm," his wife agreed softly.

Loki stirred in the bed, green eyes blinking blearily open. He stared up at his parents, sleep-fogged mind taking a moment to register where he was and that he was, in fact, safe. "Mamma," he murmured a name she had not heard him call her in many years.

"Yes, sweet?"

He blinked again and this time directed his question towards his father. "Are you going to make me go back to my own room?"

"No," Odin answered after a moment, leaning forward and laying a strong hand on his younger son's head. He offered a strained smile. He should be sterner with them, he knew, but Frigga's words drew up images of what they had been through in the last two days and he could not bear to part them. "Sleep well, my boys."

Loki seemed to accept this and closed his eyes again, Thor's tightening grip around him the only sign that the thunderer had stirred at all.

End.

A/N: I feel like I never quite grasped hold of how old they were supposed to be in this. I've always pictured the Warriors Three a bit older than Thor, Loki, and Sif, but I think that, perhaps, in this story that they might have been the equivalent of 13 and 15 ish. That would certainly put them at the age that they would at least think they were adults.

Anyway, I'm playing with the idea of an other story, so we'll see how it goes. It would be post-Avengers, back on that trail of chaos with Aegir and the like (I really love to hate him... Loki just hates him. 100%.)

As always, thank you for the fantastic cheers along the way! Your reviews brightened some pretty sad days last week, and I really appreciate it. Much love and see you next time!

TS