Quick notes and disclaimers: Matantei Loki Ragnarok belongs to Kinoshita Sakura. Before you start reading, this story is AU and has some OOCness, which I do apologize, so please proceed with caution. Oh, and it is or will be MayuLoki, because really, what else do I write about, lol.

Eternity

written by Kurosu

The loud grumbling irritated her to no end, but she couldn't pacify it. She was hungry, famished, had not eaten in two days! To make matters worse, she had no idea where she was, stranded in what looked like the middle of a huge forest with nothing but a tattered makings of a dress on her thin body and the protection an old, raggy cloak. Her long hair was hidden beneath the hood, but her youthful face peeked through the grime and dirt of the world.

She continued to trudge in silence with no destination in mind, whatsoever, pushing through branches and bushes where no pathways were visible. It wasn't so much to ask, the need for some food and water was natural for survival, maybe even shelter for the night.

She sighed, not once realizing a strange presence in the area, rustling the leaves around her, but she only thought of the air getting chillier that afternoon, just hoping she would find a safe haven.

There was a soft laughter echoing in her ears, and she perked her head up to the skies, letting the hood slip off to reveal the bold pink of her long hair. She frowned, not able to decipher the original of the sound, and wondered if she had been followed or just something amusing in the distance. It probably wasn't a good idea to find out, so she continued down her original path or what she thought was that direction. Everything was beginning to blend together, she couldn't tell the difference anymore, and the forest had become thicker and thicker.

She noticed a less densed area of leaves and made her way through the underbrush. After a few minutes through the tunnel of branches and greenery, she could make out some light at the end. Her cloak was caught securely in one of the bigger branches, and she tried to pull it away, only to successfully leave a huge tear at the end. Sighing in defeat, she pushed towards the end and found herself in an open field, a gorgeous meadow with several trees spaced equally in the distance. They were beautiful, glistening in the bright sun, and even the blue skies were clear and seemed to expand forever beyond her vision.

She ran up to one of the tall trees, reaching her hand up wanting to pluck the lovely, golden fruit. She had never seen anything like it before, and it looked so delicious. She stood on her toes, barely touching it with the tips of her fingers, and was far from giving up. If she had to, she would climb the damn tree to satisfy her hunger, and the thought if it was edible never crossed her mind.

Her fingers brushed against the coolness of the golden skin, she almost had it, but then a hand snatched it in her view. She gasped as the golden fruit dangled in front of her, and she grabbed it, whirling her crimson eyes towards the teaser: a handsome man with hair shimmering brightly as the sun's golden rays and eyes as deep as the forest glades. She held the fruit possessively against her bosom, afraid the man would take it from her, and retreated till her back hit the trunk of the tree.

She looked around, across the wide open space, and wondered where he had come from, it was like he appeared out of the blue. She never heard a single footstep or sound heading in her direction, unless she had been to focused on satisfying her hunger.

He watched her amusingly as emotions of surprise, fear and confusion flickered on her strangely beautiful face despite her messy, dirty appearance.

"You better hurry up and eat it," he suggested.

She looked at the golden sphere within her hands and consumed the fruit without another thought, which triggered a weird, creepy smirk on the man's face. In the next few seconds, she had eaten everything except the very core, and immediately a horrified voice screamed in their direction, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Surprised and scared, the girl dropped what was left of the golden fruit and shrunk back when a woman with wavy, golden hair appeared in front of her, furious, but the man stepped protectively in front of her, trying to calm the woman. "Oh Idun, high blood pressure isn't good for your health," he grinned.

"Shut up, Loki," she glared then focused on the frightened girl hiding behind him, "You're somehow involved in this, I know! How did this mortal girl get into my garden?!"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

This place was so hot and dry, as if she had just stepped into the driest desert of them all, not necessarily equating this almost barren land to one. There were still areas of vegetation scattered about from her view, above the rocky cliff. She wondered how people could live like this, the air was so dry and humid. The taste of the heat left a disgusting feeling.

She removed the hood of her white cloak from her head, revealing her lovely hair glistening in the blazing sun. Despite the heat, she didn't remove the cloak from her body, which was doing quite the opposite for her body: it was keeping her cool in the heat. Her deep crimson eyees narrowed slightly, trying to get a better view of the land below.

She could see a small town in the distance and sighed happily. Finally, after days of wandering, she would have a nice bath tonight and a comfortable bed to sleep in, instead of the brutal outdoors, although she didn't mind the solitude that nature allowed her.

"Hm, it looks primitive," came the voice behind her. She didn't bother to acknowledge the unwelcoming man who decided to join her out of mere boredom, but she heard his footsteps approaching her, and his presence was quite overwhelming. His arms folded across the top of her head, much to her chagrin, and he rested his chin on his arms, enjoying her shorter stature as resting post.

She silently cursed and hoped the one day she would grow older and taller and beautiful would come soon, but for now, the fourteen-year-old body she had would have to bear with his treatment.

"You don't have to come," she said quietly, almost in a pouty manner. She brushed his arms from her head and took a few steps forward to the edge of the cliff, as if she had the intention of leaping to her doom. She stopped and turned halfway to look at him, "You never had to come in the first place."

He placed a hand on his hip and waved the other one at her nonchalantly, "And die of boredom in Asgard?" He wearing his usual, European stylish outfit: black slacks, burgundy coat over his white shirt, and a dark blue bowtie.

She made a face and stuck her tongue at him, "You can't die, Loki."

"True, but this is much more exciting," he chuckled, "Don't you think, Mayura?" He threw his trademark, sexy smirk in her direction, which caused her to blush and whip her head away. She always hated when he treated her like one of the other women, not that she matched the status of a goddess, and plus to him, she was probably just a child he enjoyed teasing.

"Well, whatever," she mumbled, "I'm going." And with that, she placed one foot at the very edge. He didn't protest at her action and just watched her, folding his arms across his chest. An amused glint appeared in his eyes as she jumped off the cliff. He moved forward to the edge to gaze at her beautiful descent.

She was soaring down like a graceful aviary, her cloak caught the air trailing after her like wistful feathers and her hair dancing in the wind. Beneath the white cloak, she wore a gorgeous dress of blue hues. A thin layer of white lace stretched from her wrists, across her arms, up to her neck, underneath the empire dress. A soft blue ribbon wrapped around her high waistline and tied into a bow in the front, just under her bust. The flowy skirt of three to four layers wasn't too short but ended about an inch above her knees, revealing well-toned, slender legs, and matching laced boots adorned her feet and two-thirds of her calves.

A brown, leather bag was draped from her left shoulder and crossed to the right side of her hip, containing necessary items and provisions. And on her left hand, her middle finger, was a lovely ring of gold.

Her feet hit a rocky projection from the cliff, and she immediately propelled herself from it to continue her drop to the arid land. She didn't realize it but she was one of the most beautiful beings across the Nine Worlds*, and to think, she still appeared in her early teens. He hated to think how much more beautiful she would become and more attention she would receive when she aged to adulthood, even though that would be a few more years for her.

Near the last few meters of the cliff's height, she ran along it till she reached the bottom. What seemed like several minutes was only seconds to her, and she could no longer see the town from her new position. She still had a bit of a walk to go, but hopefully, she would get there before evening.

She started her walk and inwardly thanked whatever gods left in Asgard that Loki did not join her. He was a blessing and a curse for her, as she recalled the beginning of her existence when her lips came upon the golden apple. He had encouraged her, becoming who she was to that very day. She had always questioned him for his reason, but he never answered her with the truth. One day though, when she became strong enough, she would have to beat the truth out of him.

By the time she reached the outskirts of the town, the sun was setting beyond the horizon, and stars were making their appearances. It was strangely quiet, with no signs of a living person around, almost like a ghost town. She approached the iron gates and noticed the shabby condition they were in, including the tattered and broken brick walls surrounding the town. Similar signs of ruin and destruction were apparent as she proceeded farther into town, and they became worse to her eyes, such dilapidation in what seemed to be like a nice, peaceful town. She was amazed at the difference from what she saw from the town hours ago, on the cliff.

She passed down the main road, searching for any presence of life. It was difficult in the dark, but she could almost make out something near the corner of the intersection. She hurried over to the rubble and saw a pair of legs sticking out. She called out to the stranger and at the same time tried to push the heavy debris away. No response was given, so she knelt down, her hand lingering over what was seen of the body. A mixture of fear and curiosity, she moved her hand closer and closer to the still form.

A hand grabbed her wrist.

She gasped, attempting to struggle free from the hold, but his soothing voice comforted her, "It's too late for him."

She looked over at him and nodded. Still with a tight hold on her wrist, he pulled her up on her feet, and both surveyed their surroundings. She whispered, "Do you know what happened here?" A heavy sorrow echoed in her tone, as if she had been guilty of such destruction.

"Anything is possible."

"Do you think anyone is still alive?"

"Even if there is, they will not last long."

He had spoken the truth, and it hurt. She still remembered her life before meeting him, and it was a painful life of mere survival, but being able to just live, breathe in the very moment, she was satisfied. She couldn't imagine herself reliving it and being all alone again.

"Hey, let's find a place to stay." He never let go of her wrist all that time and tugged her along with him. She didn't argue because he was completely serious, different from before on the cliff, and it was this grave side to him that scared her sometimes like he was someone else.

They walked quietly together until they found a building that didn't seem so badly ruined nor would collapse immediately and sought shelter there. Despite the mess, it looked like the lobby of a tavern so there had to be rooms and bedding upstairs. She made her way towards the stairs, forcing him to release her, but he also followed her, not wanting to let her out of his sight.

They carefully made up the broken staircase, half the railing had fallen off and some of the wooden planks were missing. They managed to find a decent room, and even though it was still a dirty, she had used her cloak to cover the floor. The silence still lingered between them as they sat down for dinner. She had some bread and two apples left in her bag and offered him half, which he accepted with a charming smile.

She was a bit parched from the travel and decided to take a drink from the canteen, but he grabbed it before it touched her lips. He took a sip and returned it to the furious girl. She looked at the mouth of the container where he had placed his lips and blushed at the thought of the indirect kiss and then glared at him, hard.

He laughed at her upset expression, "What, you're going to let that bother you now?"

"Loki, you can be so immature!" she huffed out, and to prove him wrong that it did not bother in any way possible, she drank from it and tried her best to push away the warm feeling in her cheeks. He continued to watch her while munching on the bread, soon finding her back facing him. She could be so stubborn at times.

"What do you plan to do then?" he inquired.

"There's no helping it," she said, glancing over her shoulder, "I'll just move on to the next town. I'm out of food after tonight." She sighed but didn't blame him as another mouth to feed.

"You could ask me."

"No! I don't need your help." Yes, she was stubborn and defiant, only wanting to rely on herself. She quickly cleaned up after the meal and prepared for some sleep. She scooted over to the far end of her cloak and laid down. She heard his chuckling from behind and felt his movements next to her. Then his coat fell over her body to keep her warm. She wanted to protest, telling him she wasn't that weak against the night air, and return it to him, but instead, he draped his arm around her waist and pulled her body close into his own.

"Loki!" she whined.

He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, letting her fragrance intoxicate him. Her body was so warm and perfect. "I need to get warm too," he purred in her ear. He felt her trembling in his embrace from the embarrassment. His eyes softened, and he kissed the back of her head and whispered, "Good night, Mayura." After those words, he let her go and moved a few inches away from her, giving her the space she wanted.

She was relieved but hid a bit of disappointment too, because he had felt so warm and gentle. She rolled on to her other side to face him. He had placed his hands underneath his head as a makeshift pillow, and his eyes were closed, but she knew he wasn't asleep yet. He always knew things, like how she was staring at him intensely, how she had so many questions she wanted to ask him, how she enjoyed his company even though she outrightly displayed annoyance. He knew these things but never shared it.

She glanced down at his coat covering her body and pulled it up close to her face, secretly inhaling his scent. "Ne, Loki."

"Hm?" came his gentle reply. His eyes remained closed.

She wanted to ask him why he did the things he did. She wanted to know the real him. Not the trickster god, not the playboy god, not the fire god, not the bored god. No, she wanted to see the true Loki, who sometimes showed glimpses of himself to her when he looked at her with secret, longing eyes.

"What would you have done, in my situation?" she ended up asking him, and he knew what she was referring too. She, a mortal girl, had eaten of the golden apple of the gods, the apple that granted immortality, and she was to be punished by the laws of the gods to appease Idun, the goddess and guardian of the precious golden apples.

But no, the god of all gods, Odin, had other plans.

He offered her an alternative solution: a single quest, to prove her worth in consumption of the fruit.

She accepted.

To face a journey that could possibly end with her death, but at least it prolonged her life and perhaps she would be victorious and be accepted by the gods. Even for that slim chance, she had accepted. Yet she could not understand the reason Loki, Odin's blood oath brother, would volunteer to accompany her.

"I would've done the same," came his simple reply. He turned his head slightly in her direction and gazed at her with warm, tender eyes of emerald. "You will be seated among the gods. You will be an Aesir."

"Do you, Loki, wish it so?"

He smiled mysteriously and reached for her head, stroking her hair fondly, "Go to sleep."

It wasn't a straight answer, but for once, she knew deep in her heart what his actions meant and what she truly wanted. Her energy was spent, and she could feel the exhaustion seeping into her body. Her eyes slowly closed, the drowsiness of slumber tugging at her consciousness. Her fingers gripped his coat close to her, the golden ring sparkled, and she fell asleep with his lingering presence, murmuring his name.

He leaned close to her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The sunlight hit her face, and she flinched from the warm sensation. She was still groggy from the sleep but knew she had to start the day. There was no food left, and if she wanted to have anything to eat, she would have to hurry and get to the next town. She sat up and looked around, noticing Loki wasn't even present. He disappeared quite often and then show up out of the blue, quite unpredictable, but that was just how he was.

She sighed, holding onto his coat, and gathered her cloak and bag. She threw the bag over her shoulder and held the rest in her arms, making her way down the stairs of the tavern. After she left the building, she explored the area a bit and found a dripping faucet attached to the side of a house. She was surprised it was still running, considering how rundown the town looked. She placed her things down and turned on the water to wash her face and hand. The water seemed drinkable, so she filled up the canteen for the journey.

She was wide awake now and ready to seize the day. She put on her cloak and picked up Loki's coat, wondering where the said god went. He probably felt naked without it on, and she smiled at the thought.

Not even taking ten steps, she heard rumbling sounds in the distance. They were strange noise she had never before, and in the distance, she saw smoke and dust from the main street, followed by yelling and cheering, like a bunch of hoodlums terrorizing the neighborhood which perhaps was the truth in the town's case. Maybe this was the group that caused the horrifying results before her eyes.

She heard some voices shouting over the noise and quickly ducked into the alley between the buildings, but it was possible she was spotted, her white cloak standing out in the dismal rubble and debris.

"OVER HERE! SOMETHING MOVED!"

They were getting louder.

She kept winding through the narrow walkways between the residential homes, having no clue to where she was running to, but she didn't want to be caught. The havok was everywhere, she couldn't tell where they were coming from, and the attempt to get away from the chaos was futile. They seemed to be closing in all around here, just what were they?!

She ran through some trees, jumping over fences, and it looked like the end of the street when a huge machine sped in front of her, blocking her pathy. Several men jumped out of the armored vehicle, intent on capturing her, and she immediately spun around and fled in a different direction, towards some trees. She took a giant leap and landed on a thick branch and continued to jumping to different trees till she finally landed on the rooftop.

She started running again, leaping from one roof to another, being careful of where she was stepping since some buildings were destroyed. From the looks of the huge things the men possessed, she now understood how the town became such a battleground of ruins. She had never seen these machines of war and destruction but heard of them through Loki, who had been through the Nine Worlds--he was a god after all--and he had always told her to be wary of them and if possible avoid them completely.

And for once, she was listening to his words.

A loud screech pierced her ears, and she stopped in her run to cover them, but her eyes saw something soaring through the air and crashed into the building in front of her. In the next second, it exploded, and she was sent flying back. Her body hit something, but she was unharmed.

She looked up and saw Loki's serious face looking down at her. He had caught her in time, about four buildings away from the explosion.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, not able to find her voice when staring into his concerned eyes. It was then that she realized she had been clutching his coat the whole time and finally held it out to him, "You forgot this!"

He smiled and laughed at her silly gesture, worrying about such a trivial thing at a crucial moment. He leaned his head down to hers till their foreheads touch, "You silly girl. What will I do with you?"

There were shouts and more noise, directed towards them, and Loki held her tight and scaled across several more rooftops till he could see the town gates. He managed to lose their pursuers but at the end, there were more reinforcements awaiting them, and the grandiose machine stood between them and their freedom.

A brute looking man stood atop the heavily armored tank, muscles pulsating for a fight and the scars along them displaying the many battles he had won, and a grin plastered on his tan, rugged face. Several smaller vehicles were around him, along with his henchmen. He was certainly the leader of such a roguish band.

"I didn't think anyone was dumb enough to stay in this town," the man laughed, in a brusque tone.

"They don't look like they're from here," another said.

"They're pretty strange, jumping and running like animals."

Loki stood facing them with the girl, who tried her best to be brave in the dangerous situation, in his arm. He did not imagine it was going to get so ugly, so soon. He wanted to avoid confrontation of any kind, but it didn't look like Odin was going to let her go through the journey so easily, and with himself along, the obstacles just had to be tougher.

"Loki, what are we going to do?" her voice tried to remain steady, but he could sense the fear in it.

"It seems like you'll have to fight," he smiled.

"Ah I can't do that!" she panicked, "I can't take all of them on! And what do you mean I have to?! Aren't you going to help me, Loki?!"

He chuckled, "Only if you request. By way of the Contract."

She blushed then pouted, avoiding his eyes and finding the golden ring on her finger more fascinating than anything else because it was the required item in accessing the Contract. As much as she had tried to stay away from initiating it, fate just didn't allow that for her. She didn't want it to end. Not her life, not her journey, and definitely not with Loki.

With the hand possessing the ring, she touched his face and leaned towards him. He knew she had made her decision, and her voice spoke firmly of that choice, "Loki of Asgard, I beseech thee. Initiate the Contract and give yourself to me."

He wore a satisfied smirk, willingly answered her call, when their lips touch.

They kissed, a mutual seal to finalize their Contract.

The golden ring began to glow brightly as the power from within the god of fire seeped into the girl who called upon him. The light engulfed them and the surrounding area, blinding all who were in the vicinity. Curses blared around them from the rogues, and the leader ordered an attack on the strange sorcerers. Weapons fired at the pair within the light, only to be absorbed by it.

"What the hell is this?!"

"Crazy magic?!"

"DEMONS!"

This was a world where magic were written in legends, but mechanics and machinery dominated. The brutality of machines through war and conflict degraded the land, draining her of much needed life. The land suffered and so did the people, and those with power fought to maintain their hold and let the weak die.

She could hear the voices of those who had died, weeping and pleading for salvation. The pain and suffering reached her heart, and she wanted to grant them some sort of peace, for not being able to save them, but perhaps she could save what was left of their existences.

The light faded and left at its center, a beautiful woman with long, flowing pink hair stood. She had aged ten years older from her younger form, due to the power received from her contracted source, Loki. Her features were more prominent and feminine, notably her eyes were clear and sharper, a pair of mesmerizing rubies. Her lips were fuller and more luscious, like forbidden fruit.

Her dress remained the same but became a tighter fit and not to mention quite short because of the growth in her height, revealing quite a voluptuous figure. Her boots were a pain though, so she completely removed them, feeling her bare feet were more appropriate, not that her feet even touched the ground. She was practically hovering over the dirt.

Her eyes were barely opened when she brought her ringed finger to her lips and kissed it with one command: "Summon. Laevateinn."

A wand with crescent-shaped moon appeared in the air before her, and she grabbed with her right hand, twirling it around her in a full circle. A trail of faint light shimmered, almost like a belt of stars in the skies, and flames suddenly ignited, creating ring after ring of fire that blasted from the caster. The earth shook in terror, and the air burned like acid. The feeling of death, inescapable and certain, and she was the reaper.

The fiery spell blew every single person and thing in the vicinity away, sending them ablazed into the air. The machines exploded and the scorching men screamed in pain, throwing themselves to the ground in hopes of putting out the flames.

The town would truly be unlivable from that day forth, with the land damaged through several layers, and vegetation would be unable to survive. Her attack, her overwhelming powers were not anticipated, causing additional destruction to eighty percent of the town, now as barren as the desert that existed nearby.

Every inch of her body was exhausted, even her movements faltered, but her lips were able to echo one last word: "Release."

The wand disappeared from her grasp, and the heavy power within her body diffused into the air, leaving faint traces of light. Her body shrunk to her original, youthful state, her legs buckling from under the tired weight, but strong arms caught her frail body. With one swift move, Loki gathered her lithe form into his arms and carried her away from the decimated scene.

To be continued.

* The Nine Worlds in this story is different from the ones in Norse mythology and does not include Asgard as one of them. Asgard is treated like heaven, along with a hell, and the Nine Worlds are leftovers in between (like a yummy sandwich).

Final notes: Okay, so I've been having some writer's block and a bit of laziness with the other stories, so I decided to work with another idea that was more developed. =P It doesn't quite make sense yet and seems a bit weird. I think of it as throwing Mayura into a world of fantasy and magic and have her fend for herself, lol. Yes yes, Loki is with her, but not for long though.

Anyway, with this part out of my system, I might be able to return to the other stories. Wish me luck, lol.