The X-Men make an appearance in this chapter. Remember that their history follows all the movies (except Days of the Future Past, which doesn't yet come out), but takes a particular path after "Last Stand" which I have already explained in the things Nightingale said the previous chapter.

Also, this chapter will give quite a different spin from anything I've done in previous AUs or the original timeline (beyond the singer-thing). I hope you'll like it.

Memories

I knew what it was like to surrender, I wasn't doing it again, never again.

I lost my breath almost violently, however, at the same time I realized I was no longer falling, someone had managed to catch me before I crashed against the ground, over ninety floors away; someone who could fly, I realized as I saw the white-feathered wings on his back.

"Warren!" I cried out in realization. "I mean, Angel!"

He put me down on a street corner, almost half a dozen blocks away from Stark Tower.

"Are you alright Songstress?" He asked seriously.

"Just fine, thanks to you I might add." I told him.

"Songstress!" I heard a female voice call right then.

The X-Men had taken to calling me by my stage-name/nickname, whenever they were suited-up, said it worked as a codename, and it was like I was one of them. They didn't care if I was human, and small and weak even for that; they still were my friends, Marie especially.

"Girl!" She called, hurrying to embrace me as soon as she was close enough.

"Hey Rogue..." I always called her by that name when she was 'in suit'.

"Ya gave me a scare girl, when the Prof said ya had called, that ya needed our help, right away..." She elaborated, looking me up and down. "He said there was an emergency..."

"And some emergency this turned out to be..." Pyro added.

He and Iceman just passed by before moving on, working in tandem to take down as many chitauri as possible; though they would also stop if there were people who needed protection, waiting until either Colossus, Shadow Cat, Angel or Nightcrawler got there to get the people out. Then they would continue.

"Are ya alright, girl?" Rogue asked suddenly, her voice turning softer.

"Yes, of course." I answered automatically.

She raised a brow at me, the look in her eyes showing she did not believe me; as she kept looking me over carefully, as if hoping to find something.

"You've changed kid." Wolverine explained as he joined us. "The look in your eyes, it's different from the last time we saw you, the way you stand too."

"It's not bad." Rogue hurried to add. "Ya look well, wonderful actually. It's almost as if..." She broke off, at a loss for words.

"You finally look comfortable in your own skin." Wolverine finished for her.

"Yes." I had to smile at them both. "I got my memories back."

Wolverine nodded, as if that were, somehow, perfectly understandable. I knew he too had once suffered the loss of a great many memories. Most of them he'd never recovered. And after some years, he'd decided he was alright with that. On the other hand, his brain had healed, mine hadn't. I was able to feel the holes where memories were missing in a way he never did.

"How could that be?!" Rogue practically shrieked in delight. "I thought the memories were lost! I mean... the Prof said..."

"He said they were taken, and they were." I nodded, not sure how to explain everything I'd just learnt. "It's complicated. Lets just say that they were given back to me. I'm whole once more."

"I'm very happy for you, girl..." She genuinly was.

"Well, what do you people say about killing a few more aliens?" Wolverine suggested with a predatory grin as he brought his claws out.

"They're called chitauri." I informed him.

"Doesn't matter, they're still gonna die." Wolverine deadpanned.

"Stay close." Rogue told me. "Logan and I will make sure nothing happens to you."

A part of me wanted to roll my eyes at the comment; however, there was another part who remembered quite clearly how lost I'd been for the last three years, and how much of a help both Marie and Logan had been. They were being overprotective, yes, but it wasn't an insult against me; they were just used to looking after me. They saw me as family, something I knew didn't come easy for either (in fact, it didn't seem to come easy for any mutant, it was why they tended to form their own families, among themselves). I wasn't about to begrudge them that.

We walked a couple of blocks like that. With dozens of chitauri systematically falling to either Wolverine's claws or Rogue's sais. Their feral characteristics given free reign in that moment. And even then, half lost as they were, enjoying the battle to its fullest, they never failed to recognize me, to protect me. It was a seriously humbling thing, to realize that even the wildest, most animalistic, instinctual sides of two of the most distrusting individuals in the world, saw me as someone dear, someone to be trusted and protected.

"Silbhé!" I heard Aunt Kathryn calling me.

Rogue reacted instinctively to the combination of a loud voice and an unknown getting close; dropping into a crouch, a sai on each hand, teeth bared animalistically. Behind me Wolverine turned, after pretty much eviscerating two more aliens, following the sound of his mate's growl. I chose to forego acknowledging my aunt to instead focus on calming down my friends.

"It's okay." I told them softly, trying to infuse my voice, my very aura with serenity. "It's alright. She's my aunt, she's with friends. They're allies, not enemies. You need not fight them."

Behind Aunt Kathryn were Phil, as well as the bunch of people Director Fury had said were part of some 'Avengers Initiative'... the would-be heroes.

"What the he...?" An archer, Hawkeye from what I'd heard around, who'd been taken by Loki, stopped mid-question at a signal from Black Widow.

"They're ferals." Kathryn explained calmly, slowing her approach knowingly. "Mutants. They're in the midst of a hunting and protecting haze and, not knowing us, their instincts classify us as a possible threat. Move slowly, don't make any sudden moves and you'll be alright."

"They're dangerous..." Black Widow murmured quietly.

Regardless, we all heard her, as Rogue's low hiss proved.

"Aren't we all?" Kathryn commented flippantly.

"There is a reason why S.H.I.E.L.D. has refused to work with mutants in the past." Phil pointed out, though he didn't seem as unsure as his two subordinates.

"Yes, they're idiots, that's the reason." Iron Man deadpanned.

"Would you like me to tell them to stop fighting to protect the humans?" I asked scathingly. "Do you really think S.H.I.E.L.D. has what it takes to stop this threat on their own? That you do?" I snorted. "You can't even act as a team, how do you expect to save the world...?"

It looked like one of them was about to voice a complaint when suddenly several chitauri rushed at us from a side. The pseudo-heroes hesitated, obviously because I was in the way; Rogue simply turned, flipping over me at the same time I dropped into a crouch to allow her to pass; she and Wolverine were upon the aliens and tearing them up in instants.

"Vicious..." Captain America murmured in slight shock.

"But effective." Kathryn pointed out, not queasy in the slightest.

With no more chitauri left in the area Rogue and Wolverine relaxed, allowing their feral qualities to diminish. It wasn't a visible difference, but for the way they stood, more relaxed, at ease; also, their eyes seemed to grow brighter.

"Who the fuck are all of you?" Wolverine demanded of the newcomers.

Rogue shook her head at his language but did not try to correct him, it was pointless.

Introductions were made, followed by a declaration of intent; none of us were impressed, especially not Wolverine.

"If you're here to fight the bastards, what the hell are you doing still standing here?" He asked in his usual, gruff tone.

No one seemed to know exactly how to answer that. Kathryn took the chance to approach me, placing a hand on my shoulder even as she looked me up and down, making sure I was alright.

"I'm just fine, Auntie..." I assured her with a small smile. "Wonderful actually."

She knew I didn't mean the fight, or the fall, but my memories; everything else, regardless of how dangerous (and really, I'd fallen -been thrown- off quite high places twice in less than as many hours!) things had gotten.

"Hey!" Iron Man called abruptly. "Your hair's short, and a different color!"

For all answer I ran a hand through a lock of chin-length dark-auburn hair; definitely nothing like the shoulder-length almost-platinum-blonde I'd been sporting before...

"The hair in the remains of the cage..." Black Widow murmured, probably connecting the dots.

"Yes, that's a wig." I shrugged. "For whatever the reason it didn't jump with us when Loki got us out that thrice-damned death-trap before we crashed in it."

"So, you're not a blonde then?" Iron Man asked the obvious question.

"Considering my dad is a brunette and my mother was a redhead, I have no idea where you suppose I would get blonde hair from..." I rolled my eyes. "Mr. Webstern, my producer, thought it made me look more elegant, or something along those lines. I also thought it was a good disguise. I only had to take it off and could go anywhere without being recognized..."

Not that I went out much, at least not in the years since I became a singer... still, the whole thing might pay off in the future (as long as I didn't end up dead in the next few days).

"Hey!" The Captain called to Wolverine suddenly. "I'm sorry but, have I met you before?"

Wolverine cocked his head to a side, as if studying the man in blue, red and white.

"It seems almost insane." The Captain went on. "But you remind me of someone I knew during the war... in Germany..."

"I've been to a lot of places, fought in a great many wars, bub." Wolverine told him with a shrug. "But unless it happened in the last 27 years, chances are, I won't remember it."

"What...?" No one understood what that meant.

"Took a bullet to the head 27 years ago." He explained with another shrug. "Brain healed, but the memories were pretty much lost... Doesn't matter, I have a perfectly good life right now. Whatever happened in the past is better staying there."

Rogue and I knew that, for the most part, he was referring to his brother. I did not know the story, only that he was a feral too, one that had surrendered so much of himself to his animalistic side, that practically everything that had once made him human had disappeared. Rogue claimed he had a soft spot for Wolverine still, and a mix of that and a jealous-streak a mile wide for her, due to their connection; but I'd never actually witnessed anything.

"I think we need to stop talking about pointless stuff and get on with our job." Wolverine said abruptly, cracking a few joints as he stretched.

I knew that his feral side could sense there were more enemies in the area, and not being already there, fighting them, made him cranky. Rogue at least, since her feral side was secondary, could shield herself from it; even as she reacted to Wolverine's own anxiety.

"I need to get back to Stark Tower." I announced suddenly.

I hadn't forgotten about my love. As soon as Angel had set me on my feet I had focused all the reassurance and confidence I could, sending those feelings through our connection, to make sure he knew I was alright and there was no need to worry about me. Still, and while I was quite sure he would prefer it if I stayed away, I also knew he would worry if I wasn't in his sight, as much as I was worrying about him; and I just needed to help him, somehow... of course, for that I would need someone to get me back to that viewing deck.

"That is a very, very bad idea..." Hawkeye shook his head empathically.

"I don't think you realize what you're asking, ma'am." Captain America commented, trying to be respectful yet authoritative at the same time.

"I know exactly what I'm saying." I retorted. "I need to get back to Loki!"

"Last I saw, Reindeer Games was no longer in my tower." Iron Man informed me. "He and some Freddy Krueger wannabe seemed to be chasing each other down in the alien flying chariots, trying to kill each other." His eyes narrowed. "Who is he, by the way?"

"I don't know." I answered honestly. "But I have a very bad feeling about all of this..."

I got an idea right then. I knew it was insane, but I could sense where the bond connecting Loki and I was, and Professor Xavier had taught me a lot about my own mind during my visits to the Institute. So I decided to take the risk, I found the bond, and mentally leapt at it.

*My love...?* I called tentatively in the rose-garden environment that I knew to be my mindscape (I'd been there before).

*Nightingale?!* It was obvious Loki wasn't expecting that. *What are you...? How are you establishing telepathic contact?*

*A little trick I just discovered I could do.* I told him almost flippantly. *Are you alright?*

*For the most part.* He sounded grim. *What about you?*

*Just fine. Angel caught me when I went off Stark Tower.* I reassured him. *I wasn't hurt in any way. Right now I'm with Rogue, Wolverine, Aunt Kathryn and the pseudo-heroes. Iron-Man told me that he saw you fighting with someone, some 'Freddy Krueger' wannabe, according to him.*

*He's the Other.*

*The Other?*

*I don't think he has a name or an identity of his own. He's the Mad Titan's Second in command.* There was a heavy pause before he added. *I think the Mad Titan knows that I've betrayed him.*

*You know, I think it technically isn't betrayal if you were never truly on his side...*

*It's still how he sees it. Thanos sent the Other to take over things. He's the one controlling Selvig now, and leading the Chitauri... he's also trying to kill me. Oh! And he has the scepter!*

*You mean the one we need to close the portal?*

*Yes...*

*I will let everyone know the situation. Loki... we will get that scepter back, and stop this invasion. You can trust the X-Men know what they're doing; and the others... I suppose they couldn't hurt our chances any.*

*I trust you, my Nightingale. And if you believe they can do this...*

*I do... I believe in you too, my love. We will win this.*

*We will. Defeat isn't an option.*

No it wasn't. Defeat would mean utter destruction, not just for us but the whole planet, humanity as a whole. Therefore, defeat would never be an option.

I sent a burst of love to my Maverick before pulling back and returning to full consciousness. I had to blink several times to get clear sight again. I found Aunt Kathryn standing right in front of me, holding my face between her hands. Everyone else was forming a circle around us, weapons at the ready, keeping us safe... it felt so odd, seeing X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. people working together; and yet, it also felt right.

"Silbhé!" My aunt called for what was probably the umpteenth time. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine." I assured her immediately. "Honestly..."

"If going unconscious while still standing can be considered fine..." Iron Man muttered with a quite deliberate scoff.

"I wasn't unconscious." I told him as I rolled my eyes. "I was communicating with Loki."

"You can do that?!" The surprise in everyone was obvious.

"I can... I actually just found out." I shook my head, that part wasn't important. "The point is, apparently the Mad Titan has learnt of Loki's intention to double-cross him. He sent the Other, that's the Freddy Krueger wannabe Iron Man mentioned, to take control of the invasion and eliminate Loki."

"My brother is powerful!" Thor stated strongly.

"True, but this not a one on one duel Thor." I reminded him grimly. "All the chitauri will be working to take him down too." I shook my head. "In any case, there's in also the fact that we need to get the scepter."

"The scepter?" Rogue had no idea what I was talking about.

"You mean the one your lover-god had in Stuttgart?" Iron Man asked. "It was lost during the attack on the helicarrier."

"It wasn't lost, the Other has it." I pointed out. "And we need to get it back."

"Why?" Phil knew it had to be important.

"Because it's the only way to close the portal again." I told him directly.

That, at least, had everyone paying attention.

"What's the plan then?" Aunt Kathryn inquired.

"Well, if someone can get the scepter from the Other, you give it to me... and I will need someone to get me to Stark Tower so I can close the portal." I decided.

"Why you?" Phil inquired. "You're a civilian, shouldn't even be involved in this?"

"Considering that it was your people who insisted on getting me involved a few days ago in Stuttgart, where you decided I should be the one to question Loki, and then one of your men threw Loki and I off the helicarrier in that thrice-damned steel and glass death-trap..."

"About that, we believe that the man who did it might have been under hypnosis at the time."

"Ah..." I nodded. "That actually makes sense. Still, doesn't change what needs to be done."

Finally they all nodded, though I knew they still did not agree. Rogue informed the rest of the team of the developments; they still had their missions, but still, if any of them at some point got a chance at getting the scepter, they were to take it. Also, when that moment came either Angel or Nightcrawler were to take the scepter to me, and then get me to Stark Tower.

Of course, as it always happens: man plans, god laughs... and we just try our best.

At some point Hawkeye began celebrating quite loudly, yelling into his comm; I could hear because Phil gave me a spare so I could act as a sort of bridge between them and the X-Men (I had one from them too). It turned out that Hawkeye had just used one of his 'special arrows' one that carried explosives. The Other had managed to catch it before it pierced his head, but the bolt had been rigged to blow anyway, which gave him a burn, threw him off the chariot he was on at the time, and had the additional benefit of depriving him of the scepter. That very scepter was on my hands less than a minute later, courtesy of Nightcrawler.

Of course, at some point something just had to go wrong. When the piercing pain hit the left side of my abdomen I couldn't think, I just cried out at the same time I fell to my knees.

"Songstress!" Several people called, in and out of the comms.

"Silbhé!" Aunt Kathryn rushed to my side, she hadn't been far.

"I'm alright..." I mumbled several times, while trying to convince myself of the same. "I'm not the one in trouble..." I forced myself to my feet then. "Loki is." I turned to Nightcrawler. "I need you to get me to him... please..."

They had been denying the same request for almost fifteen minutes, no matter who I asked, or how many times. And movement on street level was too slow for me to get where I needed to, on foot. So I'd been forced to wait. Nightcrawler must have seen something on my eyes right then, for he finally took hold of me, and before anyone could utter another refusal, complaint, or anything else, we were gone.

We appeared in a corner of Stark's penthouse, on the same level as the viewing deck. And that was where Loki and the Other were fighting in that moment. Several of the plants that decorated the level were more than a little singed, one was even partly frozen; part of the glass wall separating the inside from the outside in that floor was broken, with the pieces splayed on the floor; and there were even pieces of broken furniture laying around.

I immediately focused my attention on the two combatants. Loki was getting up from some rubble on the second level of the viewing deck, as it appeared that a recent attack had thrown him partly through a wall and into another room in the tower. I half-absently noticed that he was standing strange, with no sign of the wound in his side, which I knew was real because I could still feel the phantom pain caused by it.

I did not say a word, holding the scepter in both hands, tight enough my knuckles turned white; Nightcrawler was behind me, holding me by the shoulders, obviously ready to teleport us both away at a moment's notice. The Other didn't notice us, though I couldn't believe that my love wouldn't know we were there.

There was fighting, hard and vicious. At some point I caught rippling in Loki's skin, made me wonder if he was losing control of his Aesir form, which I didn't even know was possible, or if he was using a spell to hide his injury, and it was beginning to fail, which would have meant he was weakening, and I hated the mere thought.

In a second, everything changed: Loki over-reached, losing his balance; the Other took advantage of his position and, before I could even muster a warning, gutted him with his own hand.

I couldn't help myself, I screeched in a mix of despair and horror; which kept growing as Loki dropped to his knees, and then on his back, a hand to his open, bleeding wound. I stopped screaming abruptly as I realized a very important detail... I wasn't feeling any pain.

I focused more intently on the body on the floor then and, as if on cue, it rippled, turning blue for an instant before revealing someone I wasn't expecting.

"Rogue..." I gasped.

The Other, who had been staring straight at his victim, reacted when Loki's visage disappeared, revealing a woman he did not know; then he heard me and looked up. He reacted instantly, if not to me, to the fact that I was holding the staff with the Mind Gem. He was about to leap at me, with Nightcrawler already a breath from teleporting away, when suddenly his body shook, and a primal groan left his mouth; right as I saw the tip of an intricate-looking dagger appearing in the middle of his chest.

I needed only to raise my eyes a bit to see the one holding the dagger, it was Loki, the real Loki. I could see the spot where his green silk and leather ensemble was darker due to the blood, he was also favoring that side just slightly. Still... he was holding the dagger, and made sure to twist it just enough to make the wound bleed further and the Other groan in obvious pain.

Then Loki backed down, and I couldn't help the surprise; while I was quite sure the dagger must have hit the Other's heart (if he had one), the fact that he was still standing was proof enough that he wasn't dead yet; why then was Loki backing down? I got my answer just a moment later, when Wolverine landed on the deck, after having jumped from god-knows-where. He growled loudly, leaping at the alien, and without a single word cut his head off with adamantium claws. I knew then what my love had done, allowing Rogue's mate to take the kill, satisfying the beast...

The moment the body fell to the floor, Wolverine turned away from it, dropping to his knees beside Rogue. He didn't say a word then, and I realized he must be too deep in his feral side to talk; so he just stood guard by his mate's side.

I allowed myself to fall to my knees, emotionally exhausted. It was only when the scepter was tugged off my hands that I became fully aware and saw Loki taking it.

"I'll handle this part." He assured me with a small smile. "Be right back."

And with that he disappeared from the room.

I stayed where I was for a while, not even sure how long exactly. Until I heard the sound of thrusters, Iron Man had just arrived to his deck. He walked a few steps, probably taking in the destruction of his penthouse; I wasn't sure if he hadn't noticed the two on a side of the deck; though Wolverine certainly noticed him, growled the moment Stark got a little too close.

"What the hell?!" Stark cursed.

"I would suggest not getting any closer, Stark." I told him calmly as I got on my feet and approached slowly, calmly.

"What happened here?" He wanted to know.

"Battle of course." I signaled to the decapitated body. "That's the Other, Loki and Wolverine took him down. Rogue, as you can see, got injured in the fight."

"I will say!" His eyes were wide, I could see where the face plate had opened. "We need to get her to a hospital or something before she bleeds out."

"I can call a helicopter to pick her up." I heard Phil behind me.

I actually spun around, I hadn't even heard the others arrive. They were all there.

"She's not gonna bleed out." I assured them calmly. "And you cannot call anyone. 1) It will be quite hard to find a doctor willing to treat a mutant. 2) Even if you do find someone, there is no way Wolverine will allow a stranger anywhere close to his mate. 3) Even if, by some kind of miracle, you find someone willing to see to Rogue, and whom Wolverine allows close, you cannot touch her right now..."

"He is touching her." Captain Rogers pointed out.

It was true, Wolverine was holding one of Rogue hands in one of his own, with the other he kept brushing her hair, or running it down her neck; all unconscious soothing motions.

"He's her mate." I really had no better words to explain it, not without ending up telling them too much, secrets that weren't my own to share.

Once I was sure they wouldn't insist, I approached the two ferals, kneeling on Rogue's free side, taking her free hand in mine, unbothered by the blood staining them.

"Are you sure she's not going to bleed out?" Stark sounded unsure and actually worried.

"Yes, I'm sure." I decided to explain at least a little. "Rogue's mutation allows her to copy the abilities of others, other mutants at least. Most of the time it's temporary, though a few have become permanent... like Wolverine's extreme healing. Her body is healing itself, right as we speak; so I can assure you, she will not bleed out, she will not die."

She was in pain, that was for sure, she wasn't immune to that, nor was Wolverine. But she would survive, and get better.

"How did she manage to look like Loki?" Hawkeye asked suddenly.

Everyone turned to him, making it obvious they hadn't known that.

"I could see most of the fight from a nearby roof." The archer elaborated. "After Loki was thrown into that wall, I think he wasn't the one to come out, it was her, looking like him. Then, when that thing..." he signaled to the dead body. "Stabbed her, she changed back, and Loki came out and stabbed him..." He looked straight at me. "How did she do that?"

I shook my head, honestly not knowing.

"She borrowed Mystique's power." Nightcrawler offered. "When the Professor told us to get ready to fight, that Miss Silbhé had called for help." He looked straight at me as he said the next part. "Rogue was worried someone might be after you. She told Angel and I that, if that was the case, one of us was to make sure to get you out and, if necessary, she would act as your decoy. It's why she asked Mystique to lend her her power..."

I had no words for that. I knew Rogue liked me, the older woman (while she might look about my age, was a few years older than me) tended to act like an older sister. Still, I could have never expected just how far she was willing to go to protect me...

"Where is Reindeer Games?" Iron Man asked abruptly.

That called everyone's attention instantly. However, before they could even begin worrying the aforementioned God materialized in the middle of the room, holding in one hand the scepter with the Mind Gem, in the other a case holding the Tesseract, and an unconscious Dr. Selvig was floating just in front of him.

"Erik!" Thor cried out, worried about his friend.

"He's fine, just unconscious... and he'll probably have a headache when he wakes up." Loki admitted with no regret. "I had to knock him out when he refused to allow me to interfere with the thrice-damned portal..."

"So, it's over?" Phil inquired, obviously tired.

"At least for now." Loki nodded.

That seemed to be enough to prompt everyone to relax, soon they were looking for the closest surface where they could sit down (some even choosing to simply drop to the floor and lie there). I chose to stay where I was.

"Would bandages or something else help her heal faster, or lessen her pain?" Aunt Kathryn asked quietly, keeping a few feet away. "She must be in a hell of a lot."

"I have no doubt about it." I sighed but shook my head. "However, one of the negative sides of healing as fast as those two do, is that most drugs have little to no effect on them. They burn through them too quickly."

She nodded in understanding before backing down.

We waited for a while, I had no way of knowing how long. Then, suddenly, we all heard Rogue's loud, gasping, intake of breath. She straightened up just enough to cough a few times, spitting a couple of mouthfuls of blood before calming down and settling back on the floor, almost, though Wolverine took the chance to cradle her head on his thighs.

"Hey hun..." I called her softly, squeezing her gloved hand with mine. "Welcome back."

"Hey, the battle's finished then?" A quick glance and her enhanced sense of smell had probably been enough to let her know everyone was there.

"Yes." I nodded. "We won."

"Of course." She obviously had never doubted that.

"Why did you do it, Marie?" I asked her softly.

"As I'm sure someone told you already, I asked Mystique to let me borrow her power before we left the Institute." She told me. "If you were in danger, acting as your decoy was the best way of protecting you. When that monster threw Loki into that wall, I decided it could have another use. I knew that if I got the alien to focus completely on me, he could wait for an opening to strike. I didn't exactly plan on getting injured... but I knew I stood a pretty good chance of not getting killed even if I was." She groaned as she sat up. "Still... getting gutted? Hurts like a bitch. I'm so not doing this again anytime soon."

Wolverine laughed, though there was no mistaking the protectiveness as his hand wandered to her midriff, to her bloodied black leather suit.

"So, does that mean we're done here?" Stark asked from the couch where he'd thrown himself earlier. "Is it over?"

"We're done here..." I agreed, before letting out a sigh. "But it's not over..."

As I said that, I couldn't stop my eyes from straying to my beloved, a few feet away from me; he was looking straight at me too. It was true, the battle against the chitauri might be over, but things weren't completely over yet, and they wouldn't be until we had settled matters with Odin, until I was sure we would be safe... something I didn't even know was possible. How would the Allfather react at the fact that I had my memories back? And what about everyone else who had learnt about Loki and Thor in the last week? I had no idea what the consequences of it all would be, but one thing was for sure, I would stand by the promise I'd made to Loki: I would not give up this time, we would be together, no matter what.

xXx

On Friday everything was ready. Dr. Selvig had created a device that would both hold the Tesseract inside and allow its power to be used to create a portal to Asgard. It was how we would be leaving. Professor X had offered asylum, not only to me but to Loki as well; we refused, for his safety, and that of his own students. In the end, my love had to go back, face the consequences of his actions, and I was going with him.

I knew most people had expected a fight to break out when I'd announced my intention of joining the two brothers on the trip to Asgard; yet there had been none. It was pretty easy in fact; we'd promised not to let each other go, not ever again. That meant that no matter how dangerous it might be for me to go to Asgard, to go anywhere near Odin and his mages... I was still going.

Stark actually was of some help... in a way. He'd created the chains that would be used on Loki, made from vibranium, in hopes that they would be strong enough to hold the Trickster god; the set included shackles to go on wrists and ankles (My love could use his magic to slip out of them whenever he wanted, but they did not need to know that.) What was truly surprising was when we were presented with a second, shorter chain... one meant to connect me to Loki.

Most of the Avengers had been completely scandalized at the mere idea; however, a few people, like Rogue, Wolverine (who'd decided to stick around even after the rest of his team had left, they would stay as long as I was still around), and Aunt Kathryn to a point.

"But the Lady Nightingale is not a criminal." Thor voiced his complaint the loudest.

"No, she's not." Stark's cheer didn't diminish any as he brought out another object, offering it to me. "Which is why I'm giving her the key as well!"

That threw almost everyone for a loop; those of us who realized what it all meant, smiled.

"The chains aren't meant to imprison her, they're meant to keep them together." Stark clarified for those who still didn't get it. "So this so-called, Allfather cannot separate them."

"I like the plan." I agreed.

It was a simple matter of securing one cuff, before crossing the chain around the one holding Loki, then securing the other cuff. The key was added to a necklace I already had around my neck, it looked silver but was actually an Asgardian metal. The necklace was a gift from Loki, which he'd had made in the last few years; had been carrying in the hopes of giving it to me once we were back together (the symbol of his hope that the day would come). It was a nightingale pendant with its wings open, hanging from a delicate chain; the most important part was that the pendant had enough spells on it to protect from almost anything. Loki had been especially delighted when announcing one of the spells protected my mind from anyone (except Loki, but that was because of our bonds); we'd actually confirmed that with help from the Professor, who confirmed that even he couldn't get in. Also, to that chain I'd already added the key to the deamarkonian, it was really the safest place to keep them.

That day I chose to wear the one non-dark dress I owned. It'd been a gift from Aunt Kathryn, in the hopes that I would wear it when I finally decided to stop mourning (my memories, my love, the pieces of my soul that were missing). It was a short dress, in two layers, the first was a solid cream color, sleeveless; the second was transparent, except for the small, pale pink, embroideries that seemed like petals, with short sleeves; both had a round neck. In contrast I wore light green strapy heels. My nightingale pendant was in view, though the keys were hidden beneath it, and the deamarkonian remained unseen.

After sharing lunch we were all in a walking bridge near the south end of Central Park. There were no civilians around, thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s interference. The Avengers, Aunt Kathryn, Phil, Marie and Logan. Dr. Selvig hung in the back, along with Dr.. Foster and her friend Darcy Lewis, both whom had arrived the day before. The surprise came when we saw a lot more mutants, some X-Men, some students, all in civilian attire, coming out of the trees; they were there to witness the departure too.

"Are you ready?" Thor asked, extending the device with the Tesseract forward.

"Not really." I admitted with a small shrug as I wrapped my arms around Loki's waist, mindful of the limits I had due to the chains. "But we gotta do this anyway, so..."

"Lets go." Loki finished, one arm around my waist, the other going to hold the device.

With a twist of Thor's hand we were gone.

It was a disconcerting, dizzying feeling; like some force was pulling us higher and higher; there was no ground beneath our feet, no walls around us, only the emptiness of space, the abyss, and we were cutting through it in a path of light, like the tail of a comet. I held onto Loki with all the strength I had, afraid of falling and getting lost in the darkness, he held me just as tightly, while still never letting go of the device, the thing guiding us through the abyss to where we needed to go, the Realm Eternal, Asgard.

When we finally arrived to Asgard, to the broken edge of the Rainbow Bridge, there were a few seconds during which my legs refused to support me; however, Loki was holding me tight enough I knew no one would notice. When I fully confident of my own footing he finally let go, at least enough so I could move, though I immediately held onto his arm.

Once I looked away from my love, I just couldn't stop looking around. The whole place was simply breathtaking, far beyond what Loki had described to me at one point. Eventually my eyes landed on the dark-skinned man in golden armor, whom I could easily guess to be the Gate Keeper: Heimdall. He was observing me rather intently.

"The girl..." He began, turning to Thor.

"She's coming with us." The blonde announced in a tone that allowed for no complaint.

Just a few feet away two men were waiting, each holding the reins to two horses; I recognized one of them instantly, he'd been with Loki, Thor, Sif and the mages the night my memories were taken: Hogun, the Grim. By the way his eyes widened, even if just slightly, I knew he recognized me as well. I didn't say anything to him, instead turning to Loki and Thor, who helped me get on a horse with my love.

It looked like Thor's friends (I could guess the other one, blonde and slender, to be Fandral) wanted to ask questions, especially concerning me; yet a look from Thor was enough to quiet them, at least for the time being.

It was when we finally arrived to the palace, and dismounted, that the two men became aware of the chains that were on me.

"Why is she chained?" Fandral practically blurted out.

"For safety." Thor answered promptly.

Of course, what he didn't clarify, was that it was for my safety, rather than anyone else's.

While we walked through the palace, in our way to the main Throne Room, I couldn't help but think about Odin. I'd spent most of Thursday brushing on what I knew about him, about his powers. It made me wonder how much of what had transpired in the last week and a half he knew already... the moment we stepped through the doors, to find a room almost completely empty, I knew for a fact that he must know at least some; enough that he didn't want strangers witnessing what he must already know was coming.

Aside from the Allfather on his throne, Lady Frigg was standing halfway up the dais, looking particularly nervous. And at the bottom of that same dais stood the two remaining members of Thor's quarter of friends... they all stared at all of us when we stepped in, especially Loki and I; and Sif couldn't seem to be able to hold back her reaction the moment she laid eyes on me:

"You?!" She cried out in obvious shock. "What the...?"

"Hello..." I couldn't help the half-smirk that appeared on my own face. "Didn't expect to see me again? I thought I would drop by, it's always a pleasure to meet with a fan..."

"You know..." She blurted out, still too shocked to control herself.

"That you've been, like a terribly obsessed, stalking fan? Always." I finished for her, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "I've always known. Now... now I remember." My voice turned dark. "I cannot help but wonder what the wondrous Lady Sif, the Goddess of War, might have wanted with little old me...? After all, I'm nothing more than a human girl..."

"You're a witch!" Sif cried out, almost completely out-of-control.

"Oh... that's a new one." I admitted, blinking. "Sad to disappoint you, but I'm a 100% human, I do know a witch, though... and others that have been called that, among many other things."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Odin's commanding voice interrupted the spat.

"Oh... why did you have to interrupt?" Loki asked cheekily. "It was just beginning to get interesting! I had never seen the Lady Sif lose control in such a way!"

As if on cue, Sif let out a hiss again.

"Brother..." Thor murmured warningly.

"Fine, fine..." Loki waved the matter aside. "Lets get on with things, shall we?"

It was strange, how witnessing a breakdown from me, being subjected to over-emotional ranting (once again from me), eavesdropping on a considerably personal conversation (between Loki and I) and a battle had somehow managed to do what so many other efforts had failed to: bring the two brothers together again. I didn't fully understand, but it still made me absolutely ecstatic; I knew better than most how much Loki truly cared for his brother, and I realized how much it meant to my Maverick to have him back.

"I come with great tidings!" Thor announced formally. "The army of the enemy has been defeated, it's leader sent back to the shadows from which it came... and with the blessing of the Higher Powers, I've been given the chance of bringing family back with me..."

"What is he doing here then...?" Sif hissed under her breath.

"Wasn't Loki the one leading the army?" Volstagg asked at the same time, half-drowning Sif's negative comment.

"Yes and no." Thor seemed to be having trouble explaining things.

"I was given control of the army only as long as I was useful to its true leader." Loki explained with no hesitation. "Once he learnt of my true intentions, my true allegiances, he sent his own Second in Command to take charge, and to try and eliminate me." He made a pause before adding. "I have a scar on my side that proves it. And we were thrown off a flying fortress once."

"And I was thrown off Stark's Tower too." I reminded him calmly.

"Who are you?" Fandral finally blurted out.

I could see he wasn't the only one wondering; while those who knew tensed up.

"Right." I couldn't help the almost condescending smile that appeared on my face, or the dark tone of my voice. "You don't know, because you weren't part of the 'honor guard' that was tasked with destroying my life three years ago..."

"Destroying..." The Queen gasped in disbelief.

"My apologies, Your Majesty." I made a point of curtsying respectfully before her, while ignoring everyone else.

In the back of my head Loki was laughing.

"Allow me to introduce myself." I went on. "My name is Silbhé Arianna Salani, I am human, from Midgard, a scholar in the topics of History, Literature and Mythology. I have also been a singer for the last year, the Songstress, my public calls me. However, and perhaps most important in the present company. I have known and been a friend to your youngest son, Loki, for the last nine years; he gave me the name of Nightingale."

"The Lady Nightingale..." Frigg breathed in wonder. "I used to hear your name a lot child, Loki was always talking about you. Until three years ago..."

She stopped,probably remembering what I'd mentioned about my life being destroyed, exactly three years before...

"It would seem you were not made aware of a few things, my lady." I told her, still respectful of her, and completely ignoring the others. "But I imagine it was painful for my Maverick to talk about me when so much had been ruined between us." She seemed to be about to defend her son, but I stopped her. "It was in no way his doing, I assure you. To be perfectly honest with you, my Queen, I care deeply for your son. There is no one more dear for me than him. However, that did not stop certain events." I took a deep breath before finally revealing. "Three years ago my home was invaded, a group of people with the sole mission of robbing me of my memories. They violated me, my mind, stole that which wasn't theirs, that which I would have never given up willingly. They destroyed my life..."

Frigg looked absolutely scandalized; that, along with the way she'd been acting since first seeing me, told me she'd known nothing about what had happened to me. An instinct told me she would have never allowed it, had she known...

"And yet here you stand..." Sif huffed angrily.

"And yet here I stand." I agreed with a growing smile. "Did you really think I would just give up? That I would lay down and surrender? Let you take my memories, pieces of my own mind and heart, and do nothing about it? Did you think I would not fight?"

"But you didn't!" Sif yelled at me. "You just sat there... crying, like a..."

"Like a sad little girl?" I finished for her. "I may be human, but I'm not stupid. Nor am I weak!"

"You had taken precautionary measures..." Hogun mumbled, being the first to understand it, as he stared at me and then Loki. "Both of you."

"Of course." Loki smirked. "Like my Nightingale so aptly put it just a couple of days ago, I am a very good strategist..."

"The mage said there very few memories." Hogun spoke up right then. "And yet the lady just said she's known you for nine years... there weren't few memories because of how little you knew each other, but because you had taken them away already, protected them..."

"Yes." Loki didn't bother trying to hide it.

"I was still affected by it all." I added with a sigh. "But at least it gave us a chance, this chance, to get my memories back."

"That should have never happened." Sif grumbled. "An order was given..."

"True." I narrowed my eyes at her. "And I cannot help but wonder what order brought you to Earth, made you stalk me, time and again over the last years..."

That shut her up. It was as I suspected: her actions hadn't been ordered, or authorized. It felt good, like a small victory; what I never expected was the moment the Queen spoke, and not to us, but to her husband...

"Did you..." She shook her head. "You ordered a young girl's mind raped just because she was our son's friend?"

Her voice never rose, but the tone was chastising enough. I could only wince internally, sensed Loki doing the same; and from the corner of my eye I saw Thor actually, physically, wincing.

"The rules state..." Odin began.

"To hell with the rules!" Frigg snapped. "I would understand the necessity of such measures if the individual in question meant a threat of some kind, to either Asgard or even just our son. But what kind of threat could a child be?!"

"She knew too much..." Odin began, still trying to justify himself.

"Most of what I knew, I learnt through research." I couldn't stop myself from pointing out. "I did explain already I have a degree in mythology... while it's true that Loki told me a few things, a lot I would have known with or without him."

No need for them to know that without Loki I probably would have never been interested in studying mythology...

"You say she knows too much..." Loki added strongly. "What about the people of that human organization, S.H.I.E.L.D., who sent their warriors to fight with Thor? Or all the civilians who witnessed the battle a couple of days ago? And the ones from that town in the desert last year? A great many people know about Thor, and I, about Asgard by now, and none of that is in any way related to Nightingale..."

"Most of it is still your fault." Fandral accused. "You were the one attacking..."

"I wasn't the one who decided to exile Thor, least of all to a town in Midgard, when he knows nothing at all about that realm, or about humans!" Loki retorted.

"And you do?" Fandral snapped.

"Of course I do!" That surprised a few. "I've been visiting Midgard with relative frequency for centuries. How do you think I met Nightingale in the first place?"

"It was still your fault Thor was exiled..." Sif hissed. "You provoked it... you planned it!"

I actually had to blinked at that one; Thor looked at his friend wide eyed.

"Pardon me..." Even Loki was in disbelief.

"Everything that happened was your fault." Sif insisted. "You let the Jotun in..."

"Yes, but..." My love tried to explain.

"See!" Sif interrupted him.

Finally, my love lost his patience. With a wave of his hand Sif lost her voice, then, ignoring her wild waving and voiceless threats, he proceeded to his explanation:

"If anyone wants this to go on some kind of record, feel free to take notes, for this is the only time I will be explaining any of this." My love warned. "Now then. When f... the Allfather announced Thor would be made King I knew it was a bad idea. Thor was too immature, wild, dangerous, to take the throne. He loved war too much, and that was a risk to Asgard as a whole. I tried to make people see how bad an idea it was but, of course, no one would listen to me. They all claimed I was jealous." He snorted. "As if. That would require me being interested in being King myself."

"Are you saying you weren't?" Hogun seemed intrigued.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Loki nodded. "Being King requires one being constantly in the limelight, being the object of public scrutiny. I much prefer to conduct my actions in private, act from the shadows. So no, I was never interested in being King."

"Yet you were." Fandral insisted. "For a short time, but you were."

"True." Loki shook his head, going back to his explanation. "When no one would hear my warnings about the consequences of Thor being crowned King as he was at the time, I decided to be more proactive. If no one would believe my words, they would believe Thor's actions. I went to Jotunheim in secret, I didn't have to do much, just a comment here and there and some of the more wild Frost Giants were all for invading Asgard. I then guided them to an entrance to the Hidden Roads. I myself traveled through the Shadow Paths, keeping myself occluded from Heimdall's sight at all times."

"And you occluded the Jotun." Volstagg added.

"That is untrue." Loki denied. "I aided them in finding their way into the realm, but it was through no action of mine that they managed to get as far as they did. Some guard should have seen them, stopped them, much sooner..."

"So your strategy failed..." Fandral almost huffed.

"I always knew that, if everything else failed, the Destroyer would take care of things." Loki corrected. "However, like I said, they should have never gotten that far."

"You got the idea of going to Jotunheim into Thor's head." Hogun pointed out.

"True." Loki nodded immediately. "Doesn't mean you all had to agree, especially since you knew it was an insane plan. Ignoring that, we should have never actually gotten as far as we did. I told that servant in the stables to warn the Allfather of what was going on, and then I planed on distracting Heimdall, and all of you, long enough for the whole plan to be ruined. And then... there Heimdall was, letting us through before I could even say a word! Why is it that everyone focuses on the things I did wrong and no one stops to consider what other people do? There was, after all, a Royal Order that there was to be no traveling to Jotunheim. Heimdall should have never allowed us to go, yet he did, he didn't even try to stop us. If I didn't know his loyalty to Asgard is without reproach his mere actions would have raised red flags in my mind. After all, we could have ended all dead! And he knew that!"

That certainly seemed to get everyone thinking.

"Even when we got to Jotunheim, I tried everything I could to avoid a confrontation." Loki went on. "It almost worked too. Until Laufey went and insulted Thor, and he in turn reacted as childlishly and recklessly as could be expected. Thankfully, the Allfather arrived before any of us could get killed. Once back in Asgard there was an argument, that ended with Thor being exiled to Midgard, with no Mjolnir, and no powers."

"And you will tell us now you didn't plan that?" Sif huffed. "Didn't you declare just a short while ago what a great strategist you are?"

I wasn't sure if the magic muting her had run out, Loki had released her, or someone else had (maybe Odin?) I still did not like it; but there was nothing I could do about it.

"Pardon me if it never crossed my mind that the Allfather would choose that of all days to actually be a father!" Loki snapped before he could control himself. "It's not like it was the first time Thor did something monumentally idiotic. He'd never been punished for any of those stunts. So how was I to know it would come to that?! Also, you will forgive me if I was a bit off my game, after all, I'd just seen my arm turn blue at the touch of a fricking Jotun!"

The shock that followed that declaration was almost tangible.

"Wha...? You... But that would mean you are..." None of the Warriors Three seemed capable of stringing a full sentence together.

It took my beloved a few seconds to actually comprehend what that shock meant; he instantly spun to face his brother.

"You didn't tell them..." He whispered with a half broken voice.

"No, I didn't." Thor half-smiled at Loki. "And even if I had, it wouldn't change a thing. No matter what happens, you will always be my brother, Loki..."

I smiled brightly at that, the love that I felt inside me, a good deal of it the echo of what Loki himself was feeling, making me almost giddy.

"As I was saying." My Maverick even seemed a tad more animated as he continued the story. "Thor was sent to Midgard. The next day I slipped unseen into the Weapon's Vault, a touch to the Casket of Ancient Winters confirmed what I'd felt deep inside since that moment when the Jotun had touched me in Jotunheim and my arm had gone blue... I was Jotun. The Allfather arrived, we argued about my origins, adoption, and whatever made him think it was a good idea not to tell me the truth about myself... it's not as if it could have stayed a secret forever! It would have come out sooner or later." He shook his head. "Then the Allfather fell into the Odinsleep and, surprise surprise, I suddenly found myself named King by Right of Succession." He let out a tired breath. "I came pretty close to refusing, actually."

A gasp followed that declaration; even when he'd stated before that he'd never been interested in being King, some people still didn't understand... not when they saw the position for the honor and the fame it brought; they didn't see the responsibility, the weight, the hardships... the very same that had possibly pushed Odin to having to choose between being a King or a father. His realm had probably benefited from his choice, but his family, his sons especially...

"Like I said before, I was never interested in the throne." Loki reminded everyone. "I knew, long before the Allfather made the announcement, that I would never be King. And once I had that realization, and I accepted it, that was that. But then... then an idea came to my mind. What if I could use the Right of Succession to prove myself? Maybe if I showed everyone, if I showed my Father that I could be a good King, I would finally have his trust. Not to be made his heir, not that. I did not care for that. Once I learnt the truth of my parentage I knew there was just no way it could ever be possible, but I didn't care, as it was never my aim. No, instead, I couldn't help but think that if I managed to do things right, maybe then he would be proud of me, like he'd never been before. He would see me as worthy; would see what I could do, rather than just the ways in which I couldn't be like Thor. And maybe, just maybe, I would be able to convince him to allow me to bring Nightingale to Asgard with me, as my bride..."

I let out a breath and closed my eyes, even knowing they would all be turning to look at me right then. I'd known that was coming. It'd come up in conversation between the two of us the night before. Stark had allotted us a suite, ignoring the wide eyes from several people; he stated we were meant to be together, and everyone could either deal with it, or get going, no one said a word about it, even my Aunt gave her blessing. We hadn't done anything beyond kissing, sleeping in each other's arms, and talking... and what a talk it had been!

"I know you, my Nightingale..." He said at some point. "You know the dangers of accompanying me to Asgard to face Odin, and yet you're still going to do it."

"Where you go, I go." I assured him with no hesitation.

"I know." He nodded, taking my hands in his. "I won't even try to make you change your mind. I know what an insult that would be for you, not respecting your choices. I do want you to promise me one thing: just as I allow you to make your choices, allow me mine. Our lives are entwined, let that stand. No matter what Odin says, what he may threaten, do not unlock the deamarkonian. We either live together or we die together, agreed?"

For an instant I felt a knot inside, or like someone had punched me, stealing my breath. A second later I recovered, and I knew there was only one right answer to that. He'd said it before, after all, anything else would be an insult, a disrespect to the other's choices.

"Together, forever." I agreed, kissing his knuckles.

"Thank you." He imitated my gesture.

For a while neither of us said anything until, suddenly, he let go of my hands. He pulled a chain from beneath the neckline of his tunic, revealing for the first time the nightingale pendant. In the next instant he dropped to one knee, my breath caught in my throat...

"I know that Midgardian tradition has rings as betrothal presents, but somehow this seemed more fitting." He stated as he offered me the necklace. "Will you be mine, and allow me to be yours, for the rest of eternity?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation, no doubt in my mind, there could have never been.

I dropped to my knees then, entwining our hands, with the pendant pressed between our palms; then I proceeded to kiss him with everything I had.

We decided we would get married when we returned (when, not if, we would rather not consider the alternative). I actually remembered that Fury had told Thor that it would be a good thing if both Loki and I made it back; especially since he wasn't too sure how open the X-Men would be to an allegiance if I ended up dead... I thought he was exaggerating, it's not like I was that important, I wasn't even a mutant!

"So I took the throne." My love went on. "I knew it wouldn't be for long. Though, to be perfectly honest, I thought the end would come when the Allfather woke up and reclaimed his throne. I had not considered Thor regaining his abilities any time soon. I will admit that when I lied to him, telling him his Father was dead, I did it for selfish reasons. I felt I was losing my family, due to finding out the truth of my parentage, and I wanted him to feel at least a little bit of what I was feeling... aside from that I tried to be the best King I could be in the time I was allowed... I tried to convince Laufey to make a truce, he refused. I realized then that the only way to stop further conflict would be to take out those that would provoke the conflict..."

"So you decided to assassinate him." Hogun nodded.

"A bit extreme, I know, but it was the best plan I had, a plan I could put into action in the little time I expected to have." He shrugged at his admittance. "I made him think I would let him kill the Allfather. He was so desperate to do exactly that, it never occurred to him that I was setting him up for his own death instead..." He shook his head. "It went beautifully... even if I was a bit late." He bowed his head to his mother in apology. "What I never planned on, was the multiple betrayal; though on hindsight, I should have. After all, they were Thor's friends, not mine, never mine." He didn't even look at them. "They decided that I was evil. That I had done everything to steal the throne from Thor. And then they went against my orders, and after him. And Heimdall decided that the fact that I held Gungnir and had been given the title of King still wasn't a good enough reason to follow my orders. No... because, since I wasn't really Odinson, I didn't deserve the throne, therefore disobeying my orders could not constitute an act of treason."

He spat the last part, and I couldn't help the righteous anger that filled me inside. How could my love have ever had any hope of proving himself, when those around kept refusing to even give him a chance to do so? It was unfair!

"And what about the Destroyer?" Sif demanded. "You sent that thing to kill us!"

"I sent it to cause material destruction, and to stop you from returning." Loki clarified. "Honestly, if I'd wanted you dead, you would have died, period. I only needed to stall you, I couldn't have you getting back to Asgard before I had finished dealing with Laufey. Also, the way I saw it, the only way you would get past the Destroyer would be with Thor regaining his power, and I could not see any way he would be able to achieve that in such a short time... I apparently had forgotten the effect certain amazing humans can have in people like he and I, I also underestimated that Thor would find someone who would change him, make him a better man, like Nightingale did with me when we met..."

I could see the smile in Thor's face, he was thinking about his Jane...

"When Thor arrived, all righteous anger and ready for battle I realized I had lost." My love shook his head. "No, it was more like, I never had a chance at winning. I realized then that it didn't matter how hard I tried, nothing I did would ever be enough... Thor was so angry, I knew he would never believe I'd had good intentions. He wouldn't even stop to listen. So I gave him the fight he wanted. I got a little suicidal at some point, I'll admit; until I remembered Nightingale... I had actually been watching her earlier that day, the first time she sang before a crowd. She was so beautiful, and hurting so much... I didn't understand how no one else could see it." He kissed the back of my hand. "But right then I realized that if I let myself die, all our past efforts, all our years of friendship, would mean nothing. I couldn't give up, for her if not for myself. When I was hanging off the Rainbow Bridge, when the Allfather said no... it was the confirmation of what I already knew; I wasn't good enough, I would never be good enough. But I realized also, I didn't care anymore, I didn't need to be good enough for him, or for Asgard; the only people who mattered were those who truly cared for me. So I stopped caring about Asgard, and I let go." He shook his head, almost sadly. "The plan was to use the Shadow Paths and slip to Earth unnoticed. However, the fight with Thor had left me worse off than I'd first thought; I didn't manage to slip into the shadows in time, instead I got lost in the abyss. Eventually I crash landed on what must have been a planet, or a moon, a very long time ago."

"You survived in the abyss..." Hogun seemed shocked.

"Well yes, I'm alive right now after all." Loki pointed the obvious.

"Who else would survive in a place like that?" Volstagg inquired, unsure.

"The chitauri, of course, their lieutenant: the Other, a creature with no identity of his own." Loki began enlisting. "And their leader... the Mad Titan, Thanos."

We waited a second, two, three... waited for the denial we were sure would come, either from Odin or the other Asgardians... except it never did. Even Thor was surprised.

"You knew he was real!" Thor cried out in a mix of surprise and horror. "You knew Thanos was alive, yet you allowed us all to believe him to be nothing but a myth! A child's tale!"

"Some things you just weren't ready to know, some things the universe as a whole wasn't ready to acknowledge..." Odin tried to explain.

I couldn't help myself, I snorted.

"Some people just weren't ready to admit they weren't all-powerful." I pointed out before I could change my mind.

"Have more respect, child." Odin demanded.

"Respect?!" I hissed back at him, uncaring of the dangers. "To the man who ordered my mind destroyed simply because he didn't like that I was friends with his son?! I was seventeen years old! I was a child! Have you any idea how many times I thought of killing myself, just so I wouldn't have to keep feeling that emptiness in my soul?! You caused that! I don't care if you sent someone else to do your dirty work, or if in the end it was Loki who had to take my memories, to keep them safe. It was ultimately your fault! You caused this! You are no man, and certainly no god, you are little more than a monster!"

Odin got on his feet at that, livid, a moment away from attacking me probably; however, before he could do anything, two people reacted: Loki slipped out of his chains in an instant, moving to a defensive position right in front of me. The most surprising, however, was his mother, Odin's own wife, who went to stand between her husband and us.

"Stop." She ordered in her quiet voice, so full of power. "You will not hurt this child anymore... I forbid it." She shook her head sadly. "I no longer know who you are Odin... you are not the man I knew when we married, the man I loved... that man would have never violated a girl's mind just for 'knowing too much', he would have never chosen one son over another, or been so willing to see one of those sons dead... I know not who you are anymore..."

Abruptly, the feeling of the whole meeting seemed to shift. Something I could feel deep in my bones, in my soul, a tension so thick I almost couldn't breath...

"Everything I have done, I did for the greater good..." Odin stated almost arrogantly.

Once again, I couldn't help myself, I snorted; right at the same time my own chains hit the floor (I chose to discard them when seeing Loki free).

"You know, I once read a series of novels, with a character who claimed everything he did was for the greater good." I told him coldly. "So many questionable, at times downright cruel things he did, people he let die, sometimes even pretty much lead to their own deaths... but it was supposed to be alright, because it was for the greater good. To this day I don't know if he was evil, or just downright stupid. In the end, who was he, who are you, who are any of us, to decide who lives and who dies? None of us are gods, and I care not what mythology might claim about you Asgardians. Each individual has the right to sacrifice only one life, their own. Anything else is a crime of the worst kind... you chose to sacrifice me, for reasons I care not to understand, you chose to do the same to one of your sons, by favoring the other so blatantly; and in the end you sacrificed both your sons, your family as a whole, all supposedly for Asgard. Was it really worth it? Will it be worth it when you reach the end of your existence alone, forsaken by those you chose to forsake first?" I shook my head sadly. "Regardless of how it might seem. I can honestly say I do not hate you. Not really. You might have hurt me, deeply, but I've recovered what I once lost. You never will..."

For the longest time, not a word was said and when finally someone spoke it was Frigg, her voice still quiet and full of all authority; it was a reminder that she wasn't just Odin's wife, she was a Goddess, a Warrior and a Queen all in her own right...

"I believe it might be time for a new ruler to rise." She announced, having turned to face us, she looked over her shoulder, at her husband, just briefly. "For the greater good of Asgard, and all the realms under our protection... Heimdall..."

"Of course my Queen." Came the reply from the Gatekeeper, from behind us all. "Shall I make the announcement that Prince Thor will be taking the throne in the morrow?"

It looked like the Queen was about to agree, when she was interrupted by the least expected person (not Odin): Thor himself.

"Wait." She faced his mother. "I agree the time for a new ruler has come, and not only that, but also a new rule... and, Mother, we both know there is only one person right for that."

Frigg smiled at her oldest son at that; I still didn't understand what that meant. Though, as Thor ascended the steps of the dais to reach Frigg, I knew that whatever was coming was important, very much so, and then the God of Thunder spoke:

"I, Thor Odinson, Friggson, Crown Prince of Asgard, hereby surrender any and all claim to the Throne of Asgard, as well as to the power and responsibility of the station." He stated strongly.

A pin could have been heard falling in that moment, the silence was that absolute. I thought Thor must be absolutely crazy, how could he just... give up? I didn't realize that he wasn't finished just yet, not with his announcements, or the surprises...

"As my last act as Crown Prince I wish to name my successor, to be approved by Her Majesty the Queen... I nominate my brother by word and deed and vow, Loki, to be Crown Prince, Heir Apparent and the next King of Asgard. I trust that, with the aid of the Higher Powers, he will do the throne justice, and make us all proud... No, he already has..."

All hell broke loose following that declaration.

xXx

A week later Thor, Loki and I stepped out of the shadows together. They were in their usual Asgardian clothing, while I was wearing a violet velvet dress to the floor with long, tight-to-the-elbow, bell-like sleeves, golden accents and golden slippers. We arrived straight on the viewing deck of Stark Tower. The place had been completely fixed in the last seven days; in fact, most of the downtown New York area, the part that had been affected by the battle, seemed to have returned to normal almost completely. I couldn't help but admire the people, their resiliency... of course it wasn't the first time something out of the ordinary happened, but still.

We'd decided to arrive there because, as we'd discovered during one of Loki's magical sweeps of the area, that was where most of them were. The Avengers had chosen to stick around after Stark offered them rooms in the high floors of the tower; even Jane, Darcy, Phil and Aunt Kathryn had stayed (Dr. Selvig had been offered a suite as well, but chose to leave). And it wasn't hard to send a message the day before so Rogue and Wolverine would meet us there that day as well. After all, there was a lot to talk about and little time to do it.

As it happened, we arrived right as they were all sitting for lunch. Prepared by the joint efforts of Steve Rogers (Captain America), Dr. Bruce Banner (Hulk) and Aunt Kathryn. There were all kinds of things being prepared: fruit, french toast, omelets, even pancakes; along with pitchers full of juice and pots of coffee, tea; Loki and I got mugs of hot chocolate (Aunt Kathryn knew how much I loved my chocolate, and could guess that I had shared my obsession with him).

The lunch went pretty well. I could see how delighted Jane was at having Thor back so soon, and Darcy took turns between teasing them and talking to Agent Coulson. As I learnt during the easy talk, Phil had been chosen to be the Avengers' handler, that was alright, since his only direct subordinates were actually Hawkeye and Black Widow, both of whom had officially joined the team. Aunt Kathryn had been offered her rank back, either working directly for Fury, or as a possible liaison with the X-Men, if they managed to finish the details of the allegiance. Darcy had also been offered a job as Phil's assistant, especially since Jane would be staying to work directly for Stark's Industry (as Stark was more interested in furthering her work, while S.H.I.E.L.D. only wanted to keep control).

Eventually we were finished with lunch and the whole group moved to the sitting room, some of us carrying glasses with water, juice or mugs with tea, coffee or chocolate.

"Alright, we've been avoiding the topic since Reindeer Games, Point Break and Miss Songstress arrived but, what exactly happened in your Golden Kingdom?" Stark asked as soon as he sat.

"I don't know if I'm the only one who's noticed this but, why does Loki keep shooting these looks at Thor, like he wants to kill him?" Darcy asked bluntly. "I thought the problems were over... that we were all friends now..."

Several people in the room snorted, but no one said a word.

"The big oaf I call a brother thought it was a good idea to surrender all claims to the Throne of Asgard, though, of course, not without naming me his heir first!" Loki snapped at the end.

"What?!" No one was expecting that.

"Thor..." Jane's whisper somehow broke through everyone's shock.

"It was the right thing to do." Thor stated, not for the first time. "Between the two of us, Loki has always been the better one at politics, diplomacy, history, everything that is connected to ruling."

"You forget I'm not a warrior." Loki replied, also not for the first time. "And Asgard is a realm of Warriors, above all else."

"You're the best kind of warrior." The blonde god contradicted. "One who thinks before acting, who chooses his battles, who plans... who thinks of others before himself."

"He who has no wish for power is the only one who truly deserves it." Stark declared suddenly with an almost solemn tone of voice.

"That sounded almost...poetic." Steve commented thoughtfully.

There were several nods of people all around.

"I think I read that phrase somewhere, once." Tony shrugged. "It seemed fitting, somehow. Loki said, more than once, that he had no interest in being King, even though he understands, probably better than most, what it means to be one. And that's precisely why he deserves it. He has so little interest in wielding that power, it's unlikely he'll ever abuse it..."

"I agree." Thor nodded. "It's why I chose him to be King..."

"What does that mean for you?" Jane asked her beloved quietly.

"It means that I no longer hold any political power, or responsibility." Thor said, to her and to everyone else present. "I suppose it also means that, if the next King so chooses, what power I still possess can be stripped of me, I can be made human again, this time permanently..."

"Ah ah, no, never." Loki shook his head empathically. "You may have gotten your way in passing the throne to me, but there's no way you're leaving me to deal with Asgard for the rest of eternity on my own. I'm not stupid, a lot of people will not accept my ruling; you saw how some reacted during that announcement last week! And I bet things will get even worse for the coronation!" His voice got lower, softer, though no less truthful. "I need you, brother..."

"Maybe at first." Thor smiled softly at him. "But not always."

"Yes, always." Loki insisted, allowing some vulnerability to show.

"But Jane..." Thor whispered worriedly.

Back when we'd still been an Asgard, after Loki had finally stopped yelling and ranting at Thor for doing something as idiotic as pushing him to become King without asking permission, or even giving any warning whatsoever; Thor had explained his reasons. He'd witnessed first hand his brother's pain after our separation, years before; he'd seen me as well and, probably most importantly of all: he'd witnessed our reunion. The last thing he wanted was for Jane and him to be forcefully separated as well, for her to one day suffer the absence of her memories like I did; or even if that never happened, just to have to be separated for long periods of time... After Odin's crimes had become known Thor had realized his father would never allow him to take Jane as his bride, as his Queen; and he'd decided he would rather he human and with Jane, than a god and a king, without her.

"We have a plan for that." I piped in.

And we did. It was actually Loki's plan, since he actually knew Jane enough to make one; but I'd helped refine it; and spent hours translating all the necessary information, as a lot of it was in Norse, and she would need it in English.

"Here." I placed a file in front of her.

"What...?" She needed only to read a few lines to know what it was he held. "Oh Lord!"

"What is that?" Stark was really curious, as always.

"Everything the library in Asgard's palace held on the Bifrost." I answered, then clarified. "Well, no. That file is more like the cliff-notes version, we have a box full of the full version. Some of the older things were in Old Norse, I translated it, but if there's something you don't think fits, ask us, technical language is not my forte, especially not in something this specialized, and then there's the fact that it's been years since I did any serious translating work... but I did my best."

"I wanna see that..." Stark murmured, completely interested.

"Why are you giving me this?" Jane knew there must be a reason.

"As Loki said, we cannot let Thor go, we need him." I explained with a smile. "Therefore, the logical thing is to get you to be with him. The Bifrost is destroyed, as I'm sure you already know; if you can find a way to repair it, something no one in Asgard has been able to solve yet, you will be granted immortality."

Jane could only look at us wide-eyed.

"Brother!" Thor was beyond delighted. "Is that true?!"

"Of course it is." Loki smiled at him. "I am to be King, after all, I can do a good thing for the person who put me there..." His expression softened a bit. "And I'm sure you would do the same for my Nightingale and I..."

We knew it had never actually occurred to Thor, but it didn't matter; we were still sure that if passing on the throne hadn't been a possibility, some kind of plan, either one like ours or something entirely different, would have occurred to him eventually.

"I will do it." Jane announced, steel in her eyes. "I will find a way."

I didn't doubt it. Truly, there were few stronger motivations for a woman than her love...

"So, if I've understood everything correctly, your man here will be crowned King in a week." Wolverine stated, looking straight at me.

"Actually... the correct statement would be to say We will be crowned in a week." I clarified, blushing brightly. "I am to be his consort..."

No one seemed the slightest bit surprised by that however, someone focused on one particular detail, one I, honestly, wasn't expecting.

"What about the wedding?" Rogue inquired.

I shrugged. I honestly hadn't thought about it. Considering that once we became King and Queen it was unlikely we would ever return... I hadn't even considered marrying on Earth. Though the expression on not only Rogue's face, but also Aunt Kathryn's told me I should have.

"Alright!" Stark called unexpectedly. "We have seven days to plan a wedding... Jarvis!"

I was speechless, especially when his AI began calling names of ministers, caterers, florists, dress designers, everything! I didn't even think about stopping him, especially not when most of the women in the room began giving their opinions on the matter, even Rogue! I may not be very interested in a formal wedding, but it somehow seemed important to them. It reminded me of something I'd read once: 'the marriage is for the spouses, but the wedding is for the family'. Also, I couldn't help but feel giddy at the mere thought of actually getting to stand before my family and friends and vow to love Loki for the rest of time...

So, we had a week to plan my wedding. And like someone pointed out eventually: I also needed to find a way to make the Songstress disappear...

xXx

When I had decided to follow Loki to Asgard, I'd seen the possible futures, my possible futures, in a rather simplistic manner: I either lived or died, and it applied to the both of us. Odin could choose to act against me, and I had already decided I wouldn't be surrendering again, I would rather die, and so we both would. Odin could also condemn Loki for his actions, both in the year before and in the last few days, ignoring my love's intentions; the Allfather could condemn him to death, and again we would both die. If there were some kind of 'mercy', Odin could decide to strip my Maverick of power, rendering human and vulnerable; the strength of a human wouldn't keep the Cancer in my blood at bay for long, we probably would have a few months, maybe even a year... but in the end we would still have died. One of the 'brightest' possibilities was if they allowed us to remain as we were, we would go on to live as a couple for years, until the day I died (hopefully of old age) and Loki would go with me. Quite morbid, perhaps, thinking so much about death, about all the possible ways and reasons why I would die; but after the darkness I'd lived in for the last three years I just couldn't help myself. Of course, there was always the almost impossible chance: for me to be given a chance to prove myself, to earn my immortality, then we would have had forever together. I never put much hope in the last chance... and it certainly never occurred to me what ended up happening. It was never a possibility in my mind.

After the shock passed, for the most part, I began to actually get involved in the planning of my wedding. When the wedding dress was first mentioned I had one thought: my mother's wedding dress, it was beautiful, I'd seen the pictures, and at one point I'd imagined myself in it. However, the women insisted that I wasn't my mother, and my wedding wasn't hers, I deserved my own dress. With the Stark name and the Salani money behind me (the last only because Aunt Kathryn took offense when Tony tried to pay, stating we had no need for such; still his name did help) we got a little known, but very talented, seamstress to make a dress to my tastes and in my exact size: it was absolutely beautiful.

During those days of planning I also couldn't help but notice the looks some of the women gave either me, the pictures, or the things we surrounded ourselves with. There was the redheaded Agent, Natasha Romanoff, who claimed to have no interest in such things; and yet had been in a strong, committed relationship with her partner for years. There was Jane, the woman who'd learnt that a man she'd known for such little time, yet loved deeply, had been willing to give up everything he had and knew to be with her; and then, in turn, been offered the chance to be with him instead, for them to have the best of both worlds. And then there was Pepper, Virginia Potts, though she insisted we call her Pepper; she was Tony's former assistant, CEO of Stark Industries and also Tony's girlfriend... and judging by the looks she kept giving everything, I had a feeling that if Stark was half the genius he claimed, he would be popping the question and offering her a ring sometime soon...

Aunt Kathryn was a whole other matter, I had never seen her with anyone, but I knew she'd been in love once... There was a small, delicate sculpture of a sphinx on a corner of her vanity table. I knocked it to the floor once, accidentally, when I was twelve or thirteen; I'd been terrified that I'd broken it, instead I discovered it opened, like a secret jewelry box. There was one single piece of jewelry inside: a heart-shaped piece of white sea glass, wire-wrapped with a silver key charm, it rested on a titanium chain long enough for the pendant to end up hidden between a woman's breasts. Also, along with the necklace was a very small piece of yellowed paper, with a single sentence handwritten: For my Sphinx, my Princess of the Nile... I'd never dared ask Aunt Kathryn about the necklace, or the man, though a part of me couldn't help but wonder what could possibly have been able to separate them...

On Monday I sat in a meeting between Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, Hank McCoy, Ororo Munroe-Wagner, Kurt Wagner, Raven Darkholme, Emma Frost, Logan Howlett, Marie Howlett, Moira MacTaggert, Nicholas Fury, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Victoria Hand, Jasper Sitwell, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Kathryn Adler (newly reinstated), Darcy Lewis (newly instated), Jane, Thor and Loki, to create an allegiance. So many powerful individuals... not only the 'gods', mutants and super-soldier, but also the humans. That sort of cooperation was something that had never been seen before, which I knew some never expected to be possible; and yet it was.

In the end, the impossible was not only possible (both in the allegiance and on more personal matters, like my wedding), but somehow they even managed to make it look easy. Loki and I got married in the backyard of my family home in Portland, Maine on Friday. The guests included everyone I had befriended in the Institute (the X-Men as well as a few students), the Avengers, the highest ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. members and a few new friends I'd made since Stuttgart.

The only 'shadow' on the day was my father's absence; apparently one week wasn't enough time to get away from a wife, step-children and a job in Germany, not even to attend your first daughter's wedding... in the end I didn't really feel anything. It had been too long since I'd really connected with him; even after I'd lost my memories he'd hardly ever been there... and that absence was something I'd long since grown used to. In the end I ignored tradition and insisted on having my own Aunt, my mom, walking me down the aisle. Marie was my Maid of Honor, while Jane, Darcy, Pepper and Natasha served as my bridesmaids (and I don't even know how I managed to convince the last one).

The wedding was simple but very beautiful. The Minister allowed us to recite our own vows, rather than the more traditional ones; they weren't mere words, but part of the Ancient Rites, as Loki had explained to me, they would bond us in a way no normal ceremony could have ever managed. We would be together, truly, till the end of time.

"From this day on, you will be my only one. I shall look at no other the way I look at you, I shall think of no other the way I think about you, I shall talk to no other the way I talk to you, I shall desire no other the way I desire you, and I shall lay with no other the way I lay with you. I shall be with no other for you are now and forever shall be my one and only; my friend, my lover, my partner, my match…"

On Saturday morning I watched how my life as the Songstress ended, signed a few papers to make it all official, and sending all the money I'd made during my year and a half as a singer to a variety of charities I favored. And then it was over. We left for Asgard right after lunch. We knew papers would need to be filled upon arrival, confirming our bonding, and the next day at noon: our coronation as King and Queen of Asgard... the beginning of a whole new life...

From the very day I decided I would have to let go so many memories, knowledge, feelings, my connection to the person I held dearest; I never stopped believing that some day, somehow, everything would be alright... that day, as I stood beside my Maverick, my husband, my match, looking at a whole future, an eternity, knowing I would live it, truly, whole, and by his side... everything was worth it, and more perfect than I could have ever dared imagine...

xXx 3rd Person POV xXx

The host of the most viewed evening show in America was looking more than a bit confused when people all throughout the country saw her on Saturday night.

"As everyone knows, we had arranged for an interview with the internationally famous, well-loved and more than a little mysterious singer: Songstress." She spoke after a few seconds in silence. "However, due to unexpected developments, the interview won't be taking place as planned." There was mumbling from the people in the studio. "Some fans may already know this, as our dear singer of 'Echo' posted a letter of announcement followed by a video earlier today. For those who haven't the means or haven't had the opportunity to visit her website, I will explain: the Songstress has announced her retirement."

The mumbles from the people in studio, particularly the public, grew.

"I know, shocking." The host went on. "There are all kinds of theories flying around by now. Some claim it's a wild hoax, an attempt to get more fans, or maybe a marketing strategy, as there had been talk in recent weeks about a possible second album; others claim she's chosen to run away as she knows she wouldn't be able to pull off a second album. I may not be the Songstress's greatest fan, my viewers know I've made it a point to never religiously follow any one artist, so I can remain as objective when talking about them as I can. But having seen the kind of response both the letter and the video have had, in the less than twelve hours since they were posted, I can say, pretty objectively, that lack of fans cannot be the reason for this."

She waited for a few seconds before taking hold of a tablet in the table beside the couch where she sat, turning it to the camera. It showed a website that had a background of a rose garden. Several journal-like entries were enlisted on a side; the top held the topics of the different parts of the website: pictures, videos, journal, calendar, contact... it was the Songstress's website.

"I am sure almost everyone has seen already the video of the Songstress's appearance in the House of Art in Stuttgart." The host continued as the mentioned video began playing on a transparent screen that hung beside her. "After the violent events that gave an unexpected end to the night, there were fears that something might have happened to the singer. However, Ms. Salani was kind enough to send a press release announcing that her niece was quite alright and had simply chosen to go back home and rest for a few days before her next public appearance, here in New York. There were rumors she'd been in the very exclusive list of individuals invited to the grand-opening of Stark Tower. This, we were never able to confirm or deny. However, her next confirmed appearance was here, with us, tonight... and then this came up."

She touched several parts of the tablet and suddenly the website appeared on the screen beside her; except this time the focus wasn't the general layout, but instead what seemed to be the last journal entry: it was a letter. The host began reading it out-loud even as the screen rolled down so the people who chose to could follow the writing.

"To all my dear fans: This might seem anticlimactic to some, and even ridiculous to more than a few. But even when I first began as a singer I never planned on doing this forever. I didn't plan on my career being this short either; but I guess that's the beauty of life, how unpredictable it can be. So, here it is, the great news: I'm leaving. This is no joke, hoax, or trick. I'm also not being coerced in any way, this is my choice, my will... I always knew that the day I decided I no longer wanted to be a singer, I would simply leave, I even said it in an interview early on. No, long speeches, no 'farewell tour', no extending imaginary deadlines forever, I would just go. When the time actually came I decided that wasn't actually fair, especially to my fans, you who have followed me so faithfully since my first single came out, almost nineteen months ago. So this is my goodbye, this and the video you will find at the end, but we will get to that."

"Jason and I had a very interesting talk shortly after we first met, on the day we signed the papers allowing me to take possession of one of his songs, make it mine, my main single... he understood me through that song, probably more than even I did at the time, certainly more than anyone but a few very special individuals did. He asked only one thing of me, before the papers were signed, he told me not to sing that song forever. He wanted me to promise that one day I would move on. Well, here it is Jason, the time has come. I can now hear more than my echo, see more than my shadow. I didn't expect that when I left that song behind I would be leaving everything behind, but I don't regret it either. I'm happy."

"In the past people asked me why my smile never reached my eyes, I never dared answer them, mainly because I didn't know the answer myself. Now I do. I wasn't really happy back then, I wasn't for the longest time. Now I am. And the reason for that happiness is also the reason why I've decided it's time to pack my bags and go."

"There's only really one thing left to say, the real reason I chose to write this letter in the first place, rather than just disappear from the face of the Earth... Thank you. To the man who believed that a depressed eighteen-year-old singing in a Karaoke Bar could be a famous singer; to the woman who never gave up on me and stayed by my side through everything, good and bad; to the fans who have faithfully followed my career from the moment the first single came out and to this very day; thank you all. From the bottom of my heart and soul. Everything I've achieved in the last year and a half would have been impossible without all of you. So Thank You, a thousand times over. Farewell..."

For a few seconds not a sound was heard in the studio, it was as if everyone were too busy digesting the words that had just been read. The unexpected, but quite heartfelt goodbye of an artist no one expected to lose so soon.

"Videos of past interviews have confirmed the Songstress's words regarding what she said she would do if she ever decided to retire." The host spoke eventually. "Of course, at the time no one took it seriously. No one was really expecting for something like that to happen so soon, if at all." She pressed a hand to the ear-bud in her right ear before adding. "The people we have combing through the social networks have found a tweet from singer Jason Walker confirming the words exchanged in the conversation mentioned in the letter. He also expresses his happiness at the young singer finding a happiness that has made her willing to leave everything else behind, and states that every true fan of her will feel similarly. After all, what else can we ask of life but the chance to find true happiness, in whatever form it may take for each of us?"

Once again there was silence, though not a tense once, more like pondering, as people all around considered those words.

"With nothing further to say." The host spoke again after a minute or so. "We will close this segment with the farewell video prepared by the Songstress, it has already more than half a million views; and there is no doubt in my mind that number will grow exponentially in the days to come. So, here it goes. Farewell, Songstress... the Spell of your Voice will be missed..."

With those closing words the video began playing on the screen beside the host; though those watching the TV from their homes had the image take over their screens completely. It began with a close up of a pair of porcelain hands on the keys of a piano. Then the hands began to move swiftly, beautifully over the keys, weaving notes together, creating a melody never heard before. And after sixteen seconds of just the piano, a voice rose to join it, turning a melody into a song:

"As long as stars shine down from heaven
And the rivers run into the sea
Till the end of time forever
You're the only love I'll need...
In my life you're all that matters
In my eyes the only truth I see
When my hopes and dreams have shattered
You're the one that's there for me..."

It was strange; even after nineteen months of her songs being heard, and a year of concerts, every fan could easily realize that there was something in the way the Songstress was singing that particular song... something they had never heard before... ever.

Ever so slowly the shot began opening, until the Songstress was finally revealed. No one could miss the fact that she was wearing a white dress, delicate and beautiful in its simplicity. Another very important detail was the wedding band around the fourth finger of her left hand. Added to the dress and the obvious topic of the song, so different from what the fans had gotten used to hearing from her, it made a lot of things make sense, like the reason for her retirement...

"When I found you I was blessed
And I will never leave you
I need you...

Imagine me without you
I'd be lost and so confused
I wouldn't last a day, I'd be afraid,

Without you there to see me through...

Imagine me without you
Lord, you know it's just impossible
Because of you it's all brand new
My life is now worthwhile
I can't imagine me without you..."

The camera moved to a side, allowing the viewers a good look of the dress the Songstress was wearing even as she focused on continuing playing the song. The expression on her face: the small smile, eyes half-closed; it was so peaceful... no one had seen her like that ever before.

"When you caught me I was falling
Your love lifted me back on my feet
It was like you heard me calling
And you rushed to set me free..."

"When I found you I was blessed
And I will never leave you
I need you...
Imagine me without you
I'd be lost and so confused
I wouldn't last a day, I'd be afraid,

Without you there to see me through
Imagine me without you
Lord, you know it's just impossible
Because of you it's all brand new
My life is now worthwhile
I can't imagine me without you..."

And then the shot opened wider, to show quite clearly the black polished piano the Songstress was using to play the song. On the top of it laid a bouquet of white flowers, probably her wedding bouquet too. But most importantly perhaps, was the fact that the Songstress wasn't alone... standing beside the piano, half obscured by it until the shot opened enough, was a man that could be none other than the groom. Dressed simple but elegantly, all in white, like his bride, with dark, hair, somewhat long, brushed back carefully; his eyes, his whole attention, were on her... it was like the perfect wedding picture.

No one had any idea who the man was, beyond the quite obvious deduction of him being the groom. No one knew his name, his face was in no database, and no one remembered having ever seen him anywhere close to the Songstress... or anywhere at all really. Some would say it was one more layer added to the mystery of the famous (now retired) singer; others chose to focus on what seemed almost like some kind of fairytale romance... a dream romance.

"When I found you I was blessed
And I will never leave you
I need you... oh...
Imagine me without you
I'd be lost and so confused
I wouldn't last a day without you there to see me through

Imagine me without you
Lord, you know it's just impossible
Because of you it's all brand new
My life is now worthwhile
I can't imagine me...

I can't imagine me without you..."

There was no more singing then, and ever so slowly the melody began descending into a close. Then, when the last note finally stopped echoing, the groom extended a hand, touching the bride on her chin, tipping her head up, then he bowed down just enough to connect their mouths in a simple, long and very tender kiss.

Then the screen went black...

Next AU will be coming in three weeks.

For those of you who might have read Menel. The first part of the series: Lokidottir, will be coming out in two weeks. Also, a fantrailer vid has been created by the awesome "Skye Coulson" here in Ffnet and I hope she'll be uploading that sometime this weekend.

And I'm still waiting on your opinions regarding how I should handle X-Men in the main timeline. Right now my main idea is a time-travel fix-it (either in First Class or Days of Future Past -depending on how the second goes). But I wanna know what you think I should do. I also plan on writing on the last AUs (for this phase) focusing more on X-Men, would you like to read more of the X-Men from the original trilogy or the First-Class generation? (I want people's opinions!)

See ya around! (Hopefully you haven't tired of my stories yet)