The maiden sat on the lawn near the magnolia tree. The cackles of the thunder filled the air. The sky darkened gray and the winds picked up. The wind hummed in her ears. The trees were bent under the might of the storm. Lightning struck not a hundred feet from her.

"Why can't I control it?" she said to her self as she scrambled for the house. Chairs from the back patio were ripped up from the ground. The house began to shake, and the salt and pepper shakers rattled off the table. Then, as quickly as it came, the storm stopped. Even more curiously, there was a knock on the door. Stella reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open.

Standing before her, with his towering stature and was the God of Thunder himself. He looked at the maiden with his ancient blue eyes and said, "I am looking for the one called Stella."

"Thor," Stella said soberly, "what's happened to Loki?"

Thor had not expected the maiden to trust him so quickly. He simply explained that he had been sent to escort her to Loki, and she willingly followed him. Thor had also not expected the maiden to enjoy her first time traveling on the Bifrost. Most people became very ill or wept like a child, but this maiden seemed like she never wanted to get off. She whooped and squealed with excitement. Heimdall even managed to chuckle at the sight. When the journey ended, she looked at Thor and asked, "Can we do that again?" Thor had to remind her that they needed to see Loki, and her grin turned to a somber, worried frown.

"Thor, you must tell me what happened to him," said Stella.

Thor recounted the whole incident as they rode in a carriage to the palace of Asgard…

Once again, Odin called his disowned son Loki before him to receive his punishment. This time, however, Loki was not trailed by guards holding him back on a leash. This time, he was merely restrained by a pair of handcuffs. He wore a mask of arrogance over his fear of his father.

Odin finally spoke, "Loki Laufeyson—"

"What is it this time?" Loki cut him off.

"Silence! You very well know why you are here: for your attempts to impersonate me as I had fallen into Odinsleep."

"I was simply taking responsibility of Asgard while Thor was away battling the dark elves. I stayed and cared for you until Heimdall found me and threw me back in the dungeons."

"And what about you staging your own death so you could escape your punishment? I still cannot explain how you did it."

"I told you already, I awoke in Svartalfheim with no knowledge of how my wounds had healed then returned to Asgard disguised as a guard."

"You can't possibly expect me to believe that coming from you: the Silvertongue, the mischief-maker, the chaos-creator, the King… of Lies."

"That is the truth! Without me, the nine realms would be shrouded in darkness now."

"Yes, and for your for assistance to Thor while protecting Asgard, your sentence will be reduced. If you can complete a series of tasks for me, and for the good of Asgard, you will walk free again. You will be my son once more."

Loki stared at the All-Father.

So that's the first chapter, everyone! The next chapters will be coming soon, and so will Loki. I always welcome constructive criticism and feedback. Have a nice day!