A New Day Has Come:

By

Estelle Stafford

Summary: Loki had met his soul-mate when he was a lonely but still untainted child and he wanted to keep her forever, and though he called her his "pet," she became much more than that because for awhile… he was not alone but then… she disappeared.

Soul-mates— it was a fanciful idea created by mortals, a pretty little dream. Not something that was ever supposed to be real, and it was something that one who was like a God should see himself above. Loki perhaps would have thought such a thing forever, had he not met 'her.' And now he would do anything to find her again, anything…even looking at the forbidden runes of krftruner(1).

Part I:

Meeting

When Loki was barely past the age of a toddler, his mother would sing to him and his brother the songs from the days of old. One night his mother sung of love:

Oh how the war wages on,

Many great warriors fall in glory,

My dear,

But may you remain steady,

My love,

And when the mighty hammer's strike,

May all the will of my heart protect you!

Like a mighty shield,

Made out of the finest metal,

So you will remain as the part,

That makes me whole,

And here as I long for thee,

Yet, my faith in you will be,

Steady and strong,

As the horses of Asgard,

So come back my love,

So we can we lay our vow,

Upon Yggdrasill for all the nine realms to know.

Thor looked up, "Mother, was that a battle hymn?"

"No it wasn't," Loki stated that he knew for sure; however he was not sure what it was, "What was it mother?"

Her smile was wide, which complimented her eyes that held a gleam of wisdom, "That was a song of lovers, soul-mates."

Thor whined with his whole face, "Mother, I don't want to hear that silly stuff." She let out a delightful chuckle at the expression, enjoying the openness of her eldest child.

She then glanced over to her green-eyed babe, she watched the way her younger son's head tilted in a contemplative manner. He was still easy to read, but she knew by the way her youngest acted, that there would be a time when Loki would become more guarded and she would miss these days, yet she also knew it would serve him well as he gained age. There was a bitter sweetness that swept over her.

"Oh, but my darlings love is such a wonderful thing. It can heal broken hearts, win wars," She leaned close to Thor and tickled him causing him to let out his joy in a giggle.

"Mo-ha-ther, stop it," She did as he had demanded and gazed over to the green eyes that watched them, "It can…" She came back to sit next to her younger son, Loki was always strange when it came to being touched. When he was a babe she cradled him like any other child but it seemed just as soon as he could talk he was adverse to being held for too long or smothered in kisses. It was not like she was completely unable to do so, as she was his mother, he allowed such things, but he always showed an extreme dislike to strangers to touching him in familiar ways. He was a sensitive soul. "….change all things in the nine realms, it can find what is lost, but most all it will give most hopeless men in the world hope." She gently laid a quick kiss on Loki's head.

He just gazed up at her and simply replied, "Soul-mates do not exist. I have never seen them…it sounds so mortal." He was so intelligent, yet there was something very childish in his logic. He thought ideas that were silly belong to only mortals.

"No, Loki," She replied as she shook her head, "Love is the most immortal thing of all, it lasts beyond all time. Soul-mates, who is to say if they exist or not, that is each to decide on their own."

"Love, ugh," Thor spat out his tongue, it sounded gross to him if it was anything like his parents did-when he saw them eating each others' face off.

"Well my dears," She laid a kiss on each of their foreheads, "perhaps, this is a conversation you will understand a little better when you are older." Frigga, really had meant little, because love was a concept she had never fully learned to comprehend, even less as her boys grew so differently, testing her in ways she never prepared for. She walked away down the halls of gold and the lights faded out as she went.

As he watched his mother disappeared Loki heard his brother murmur: "You always say that!" The younger one agreed with his brother, but also hoped his mother was right, because he did not understand it at all, he hated not understanding things. Really, when he was older, he surly would know everything then?

Now when he recalled that particular moment, he wondered if mother knew that life for him was going to be quite difficult.

Different -Loki was never bothered by being different. He knew early on, he was superior to those around him. Yet, there was a loneliness in that. He tried not to let it bother him, but perhaps it was not Loki's superiority but instead his need to appear so, that doomed him to his path.

Loki was at first, much like most children he was lost in naivety, unaware how people stared at him and the whispers. He would understand them years later, and then secretly wished that he still had his childhood ignorance.

"He is such a strange child!"

"He doesn't smile like the other children."

"it is an odd smile."

"Poor boy, so small..."

"He will never rule…"

The whispers within the kingdom, lingered so, but then, they were just such small specks of words that popped up everywhere, nobody knew exactly were the rumors came from or where they ended and perhaps they did not end.

So Loki was unaware of the way people saw him, despite the eyes on him; when he and his brother went through the villages of Asgard. It was when Thor had become involved that his perspective began to change.

It was a time they were playing with youths their own age, and pretended to be warriors of old. Loki played as he always had done, coming up with the idea of hiding near in the alley so he could catch one of the boys off guard. When a large boy with thick curly hair passed by him, the trickster jumped on his back with glee, "Look brother, I had caught him." The curly-haired child threw him off his back with great force causing the lithe boy to hit the ground and bite back his emotions. Warriors do not cry, father had told him several times but the pain was severely uncomfortable.

"You can't do that!" The boy shouted as he glared, green eyes meet the boy with confusion.

"Why not?"

"Wow, look at him!" One of the others pointed out with a giggle, "He is so small, no wonder why he cheated." It was one of the millions, but earliest times he could remember his brother looking at him like that. The expression of shameful disappointment of having him as a brother.

"You can not fight like that," Thor stated, "That is not the warrior's way, attacking from behind is dishonorable."

"Why?" Loki inquired tilting his head in curiosity.

"Because," said another child as if this was enough logic.

"That is the way of Asgard," Thor added with confidence, puffing his chest out.

"Why is it that the way of Asgard?" Loki was feeling a tinge of annoyance at this point.

"Your brother is really stupid!" one of the boys laughed at him.

"My brother is not stupid!" Thor shouted and pushed the boy down, and yes he did it facing the other forward.

Father had been displeased to see Thor give in so easily into his anger but understood that he had defended his younger brother. Father had also explained to Loki why it was considered the honorable thing to fight facing your opponents. Even years later, Loki believed his father had as much clue as the other children for all his nonsense about the ways of the warrior, Odin himself had never been above such tactics, but one supposed it was different when you were king instead of a solider following orders.

It was moments like this that Loki recalled when he realized he was different. He was a master of the mind, and to Asgard strength and beauty—being able to display them—was the most important thing, Loki not having superior physical strength, and not fitting the image of beauty did not fit in.

As Loki grew more and more into his skin, the lines that had separated from others grew until it was like he was on his own world.

Arrival-Many might believe that Dagna's arrival was his doom, the thing that drew him to his path. He never once saw her like that, even locked in a cage with just a glass between them was a better fate then being on a golden throne without her. She was the very thing that had saved him, he believed his fate was doomed to be worse, never knowing what it was like not to be alone.

"Darcy," Coulson called, "I need you to…"

"Monitor for anomalies…" She hung her head low, watching a screen just to see if it blip a little bit was even duller than watching Jane work on complex things. She muttered under her breathe, about when would be the opportune time to do her routine teasing of Jane.

"No you won't," Coulson said. "Dr. Foster, has important work."

Darcy rolled her eyes because they both knew eventually, yes she would. For time being, however, she would maintain an illusion of obedience and went to her little work station the corner from the coffee pot.

It was not that Darcy did not appreciate her job, it was nice. They paid decently enough, well for her anyway…she imagined for Jane and the superhero clan they could use a little more compensation than 20 dollars an hour, housing vouchers, and a few free meals. She imagined Tony Stark probably did not even bother to cash his check. It was chump change to him.

Anyway, she felt utterly useless and bored, being bored was so not her thing. She hated it. And usually she was prone to play a prank or two, like shaving cream in a chair, or glue on a desk, sometimes she got more creative, one time she took Fury's eye-patch and put some ink that left a blue mark. Really, Nick had been utterly pissed but it was worth the week of deduction in pay, but now it meant no more pranks, or lose the easiest paying gig she had.

So now, she was dealing with being dull as non-sharpened pencil, and it was just like every day before, except the small spike, which gave her something to tell Jane, she waited what she consider an appropriate amount of time, 30 minutes.

She pushed open the door, and held two cups of coffee.

"Jane, my work spouse!" Darcy exclaimed. Jane twitched as she missed her mark with the screwdriver, leaving a scratch on the side of the device. "I've got to tell you about last night."

"Darcy," She scolded, "This equipment is very sensitive," She saw the coffee in the young girl's hand, and her brows appeared as if they might cut into her eyes. "What did I say about coffee near this?"

Darcy smiled kind kindheartedly and quickly took several feet back, "Sorry boss lady, and I brought you a cup, too," She pulled it up to show Jane, "And oh, look what I drew on it," The astrophysics, squinted as she saw the image of Jane hearts Thor. She then sit the coffee on small tray of random hand tools that would be unaffected by the liquid.

She shook her head with a slight smile still staring at her project, "Stop that, we are not in high school."

"Hard to believe with the way you been prancing around this place!" She teased as she sipped her coffee, peering over Jane's shoulder.

"Darcy!" the dark headed girl bounced back.

"Whoa, what!" She had her hand on the taser ready for action.

"Coffee…" She pointed at it, "Machine," Then she indicated the thing that looked like nothing more than a metal cylinder with wires to Darcy. "Do not put together!"

"Sorry, sorry, I just," She almost did it again, but quickly put the coffee back at the other side of the room and slowly stepped back.

"I'm walking away," She declared and the older woman shook her head with a grin. "Stay! Stay!" She ordered to the foam cup and Jane laughed.

"What would I do without you?"

"I don't know you would be bored!"

"So you never finished telling me about last night, you sounded upset on the phone."

"Upset?" Darcy looked confused, and then she recalled what she had wanted to tell Jane. She snapped her fingers, "Oh yeah, that was nothing, sorry…I just got a text from David, he blew me off."

"Oh? I'm sorry." She twisted the wrench, and was not looking at Darcy, but she was sincere in her tone.

Darcy waved it off, "Don't be he was not that great in bed, couldn't find my special place if I told him and gave him a flashlight."

"Darcy!" She dropped the wrench in surprise.

"What!" The brunette could not help but roll her eyes, because Jane should be used to the way she said things by now. "You know it is the truth and I was going to break it up with him, anyway, so not that big of deal, but still it so tasteless to it in a text. Don't you think?" She took a deep breathe, "You know it would be nice if I could find someone decent, not nice…nice isn't for me…you know…I just wish I could run over my soul-mate like you did..." the astrophysicist glared at her, "Well…something like that, you know just kind of fall into him."

"Huh," the older woman sighed, and Darcy braced herself for some advice. Jane was not an expert by any meanings, because she just did not understand the political science girl, their brains are wired differently, but that never stopped her from trying and she always meant well. "I think I get what you are saying, and scientifically speaking something like that is very rare, but as a 'love sick' fool," She laughed a little, "I believe you will have your day, okay."

"Yeah, yeah, that's great whatever you say, I guess in the meantime I'll have to deal with meaningless sex, Smiroffs, and trying to figure out what exactly you are…what is that." She reached for it, and Jane smacked her hand, "Don't touch it! It is a converter that will allow me to transfer energy to open up the wormhole."

"Oh okay?" Darcy kind of understood that…sort of… "What kind of energy?"

"Electric,"

"Oh, I'm actually understanding this." She fist-pumped with glee.

"That's because I'm putting it in simpler terms," Jane admitted.

"Why couldn't you just let me stroke my ego? Huh?" She frowned, playfully.

"Humility is good for character and it will look excellent on your reference letter when I say how very humble you are of your own ingenuity and creativity."

"That does sound good!"

Jane smiled, "Now, will you give that hammer I got to fix that little bump you made."

"Okay," Darcy agreed, handing it before she sat back and drank her sugary coffee, "So when is Erik going to be back?"

"Oh, soon he has to help me with the configuration."

"Oh I noticed a spike on the monitor, this morning."

"Really?" Jane looked up with interest. "Maybe I should checked the logs from this morning," She pulled up some stuff on her computer, "Oh my I need to check something out, that might be why my equipment had issues this morning, stay here, I'll be right back."

It was sudden.

But Darcy was unable to stay, because she suddenly without warning, found herself surrounded by shimmering golden metal. It was nothing like she had seen before, "You! What are you doing here?" It was a guy in some metal gladiator like getup, and judging by the fury on his face, Darcy was not ready to find out what he wanted. She ran as fast as she could, accidentally running over a couple of kids.

"Oh Geez, I'm sorry," She pulled herself off of a rather large, but young looking blonde boy, "I'm kind of lost here. My friend was playing with one of her machines and..." There was something about them baby blues, that reminded her of someone.

"You are mortal," a tiny but known it all voice spoke. She looked over to see a small boy dressed in green and gold. He was the most adorable thing! Darcy never understood the necessity of pinching cheeks until now. She refrained however because the kid…seriously, looked at her like when Jane was just about to pounce on her for messing accidentally blowing up her precious machine, just that one time, in that case, it was not cute, it was fucking scary shit.

"Yeah," She replied and shook her head, this was just still a tiny human being. What did she have to fear? She rolled her eyes, "and what are you? A freaking horse?"

"I am Prince of Asgard, you wretched woman!" He snarled. So the kid was a brat, suddenly her fingers were not itching to pinch some color into those cute little cheeks, anymore.

"Brother?" The blond boy questioned.

"Thor," Loki's voice was eerily calm as he watched the warrior grab the woman, "We have an intruder."

"Thor?" Darcy asked. She looked at the large boy again and she could see it now, "No way! Thor of Asgard? Hey!" She pushed against the large hefty guy and tried escape but it was like rubbing against a rack of blades. She was sure she already had a couple of cuts.

"How do you know his name?" Loki stepped in front of his big brother, who quickly grabbed him and pulled him back behind him. Tiny arms crossed out of annoyance and he huffed. It was absolutely cute, the itch was back.

Green eyes watched her tensely and blue ones came back defiant as Thor was ready for a throw-down and it was Thor-but small. She could see it in his eyes, the color of his hair, he was nowhere near to becoming the large sexy guy she remembered, but it was there. She was confused as to how she came to here, but she figured she was somehow in Thor's past, because it was him.

"I can't believe this!" She exclaimed, "It's really you! Thor…well…I guess you wouldn't know who I am…um…you are so adorable." She poked at him. The blonde prince frowned and Loki smirked. "This is so freaking cool! Where am I at? Is this really Asgard?" She asked the blond, than the dark-haired prince pouted because this new stranger was obviously fascinated by his brother. Why did everyone like him better?

"What shall we do brother?" Thor inquired as he looked over to the small boy, "She took down one of father's personal guards. Do we throw her to the wolves?"

"What! Why would you do such a crazy thing like that! I'm sorry okay, he just freaked me out."

Loki scrunched his nose, "Those creatures are so disgusting and…" He gazed at her, and watched as she seemed to have only eyes for him, now. Darcy could not help it, out of the two, the boy with black hair was cuter, even though…he was scarier too. She could tell he was actually thinking it through, while Thor was already grabbing her hand and dragging her away. "She is too pretty…I like her…I shall keep her." He grabbed her other hand and stared directly at his brother with defiance, "And you tell father…I shall…well Sif has wanted a new pet, perhaps I shall gift her with a golden frog to match her hair."

"Brother? What are you saying?" He stared at him, with his head leaning toward confusion.

"You tell father about my new pet and I shall turn you into a frog!"

"You will not!" Thor dived for his brother and wrapped an arm around his neck, trying to pull him onto the ground. "You will not be able to!" They were both tumbling around the gold plated floors, two brothers playfully fighting. Darcy was a bit concerned with Loki, he was so small and though, she could tell he was quick on his feet, Thor was twice his size.

"Hey!" Darcy exclaimed and she instinctively grabbed the small hand. She pulled him away from Thor and ran.

"He would not have hurt me," Loki somehow read her distress, "We Asgardians are not as weak as you Migardians and my brother would dare not harm me."

"Well, it freaked me out okay! I don't like it when family fights, we only get one and…" She lowered herself down to meet the young boy's eyes. She tried not to think of her mother and her lack of compassion. "You guys aren't freaking vases and you are irreplaceable." Loki looked at her wide-eyed, those words genuinely surprising him, but he quickly regained his senses.

"You do not know the ways of Asgard," He stated as he grabbed her hand again before she had time to respond, "Hurry! Father will be on his way! Brother never keeps his mouth closed for long, even when he promises to do so. He cannot lie to father like I can."

"Well, that's probably a good thing," Darcy said off-handily, "Hey watch your hands buddy, you are not old enough to touch me there!" She scolded as he pushed on her from behind.

"You will not move fast enough and it as far as I can reach." She glanced over at the tiny puffy cheeks.

"Oh fine whatever, where are we going?"

"My room," He replied.

"Ah well, you know most guys take a girl to dinner first." She face-palmed. Darcy really did not know how to talk to kids.

"I will feed you. Now that you are my pet!"

"I'm not your pet, I'm a human being!" She yanked her hand away and was now staring at the adorable devil.

"And I'm a prince of the most powerful of all nine realms, I have declared you my pet!" he gazed up defiantly, and throw a finger in her face.

"You can't declare me your pet! I'm a human!" She looked at the pout on his face and gave in, "But I can be your friend."

Loki went to open his mouth as he heard his mother, "Loki, what on the holy tree of Yggdrasillis going on?" Her eyes wide when she saw Darcy.

"Mother, this is a mortal, I wish to keep her!"

"Loki, humans are not pets, and how on Asgard did you get here?" She gazed at Darcy with a warm smile.

"Um I'm not sure…there was a light…"

"Some kind of magic?" Loki suggested.

"Well…no…just uh…an experiment gone wrong or something. I'm not sure how to explain it."

Frigga smiled, "You must be frighten by us. We will go meet with my husband and see about returning you to Midgard."
_*_

Darcy was more than delighted at the idea of going home. When she did she was going to grab a tub chocolate and chug a whole liter of soda, because the intensity and craziness of this situation called for some serious stress relief time, but then she saw the Loki's face. For some reason she felt a little guilty, and she felt like she was on the yellow brick road as she followed the queen and briefly wonder where the munchkins were until she saw the large old man on a golden Throne. Then she was practically begging for munchkins, because this guy gave her like 'I could squish you like an insignificant bug' vibe. He was overwhelming powerful and she was sure he was the king.

"What sort of mischief have you caused Loki?" He said in an almost dull tone, as if he was used to this all the time but his voice was still booming.

"Father…" the green-eyed boy seemed intimidated, not that she could blame him but this was his father. Why did he look almost...afraid? "I found her wondering the halls and thought she might be…"

"What have I told you about lying Loki," His father sent shivers down him and without thinking he found himself hiding behind Darcy's legs. Frigga was wide-eyed, the affection that her normally shy boy was showing brought joy to her heart.

Darcy wondered if the guy could read minds or he just knew his son so well, because the kid had not even finished speaking when..."Loki said he was going to turn me into a frog!" Thor exclaimed suddenly.

"Weird," Darcy spoke, contemplating the situation out loud, "I never would have pegged Thor for a tat-tell." Frigga was surprised at the woman's curt statement.

"One would think a stranger in a new land would be more careful at what she says." Odin stated firmly looking down upon her.

"You sound like a fortunate cookie." Darcy replied hardly bothered by his veiled threat.

"Odin, my king," Frigga spoke once more afraid of what might happen to the woman if she continued to speak. Though, secretly she found the comments enjoyable herself, she would hate for someone Loki was already attached to, to end up in the dungeon on her first night. "I think the young lady needs to rest for the night. I believe she has suffered much coming here and the children are also in shock. I think I shall put them to bed early." She watched Loki study her and Thor was staring at his father.

"Father, will you send her back," Loki boldly asked, he had to know, he did not want her to go, "Do you not think it unwise to send her back? Are we not to protect the mortals?"

"Do not call me unwise, child,"

"Father, I'm just merely concern that the mortal has not come in normal ways that maybe…she cannot be sent without harm."

"I fear that our son may speak the truth. We do not understand all the ways of the mortals, until we are aware the effects I feel she must stay." Frigga agreed.

"You can't be serious! I'm going to be stuck here…in this freaking place," She looked around, despite its beauty this did not seem to have certain 'necessities' like her ipod, that she needed, "I bet you don't even have pizza or coffee or…" Damn those eyes, she landed right on them, and it stopped her verbal tirade in its tracks, because they appeared a little watery. "Uh…what am I going to do here?,"

"Loki is need of a maid," Frigga said simply with a smile, "and he has seem to taken to her."

"What!? I can't clean and cook for somebody else, I barely know how to work my microwave. Seriously I burn water!"

Frigga laughed, "We have the best cooks in all the nine realms we have no need for you for such tasks." If the woman was not so nice, Darcy would be insulted, "And you'll be much too busy with my dear little mischievous son too worry about such frivolous things."

"What? What the heck, do you want me to do then?"

"Watch him, be his companion until we can figure when we can send you back." She was a queen and it showed with her words chosen carefully and hands flowing with each word in a gracefully movement.

"I'm not a pet!" She glared at Loki as she saw him grinning. Why did she get the feeling the Loki somehow orchestrated this? He was just a child, right? There was no way he could have manipulate all this, was there?

"Lona," Frigga called a woman dressed in a plain white dress, contrasting with glorious golden environment, stepped into the room with a polite bow to the queen. "Please have Gerda ready a room for our guest near the children's quarters."

"Yes ma'am," She bowed politely before she disappeared. Darcy was surprised, she never seen anyone so polite in her life. Then she frowned as she realized that she would be expected to behave in a similar fashion. There was no way she could survive here; she chanced a glance at the king who seemed to hold a permanent frown.

Nope, there was no way.

"Do not look so forlorn child. We will send you home soon enough, I promise. You must understand it has been our duty to protect the mortals when they cannot protect themselves. To send one to such potential harm is against our code."

"Oh come on, how do you know that keeping me here will cause…uh," Darcy had once again chance a glance at Odin. She needed to keep her mouth shut as that permanent frown seem to turn into a glare. "Never mind," She waved a hand, "I didn't say that."

"Rest assured if you are anyway harmful to the nine realms than we will do what we must," Frigga smiled, "but I hardly think one mortal, even with a tongue such as yours will do us harm."

"Don't be so sure," She muttered just as Lona returned.

"The room is ready, my lady," She bent down sweetly again.

"Mother," Loki called, "May I show her the way?"

"Yes that would be wise, I'm afraid that I must discuss much with my King," Frigga smiled.

"Why do I get the feeling you planned all this?" Darcy said once they were out of the throne room. Lona kept her opinion to herself but her eyes were a bit wider.

Loki just grinned, "I wish to keep you…forever." Darcy blinked, then again, then she stared at him.

"That's not going to happen," Then his face fell. "Don't do that!"

"I want you to stay! You will stay if I demand it so!"

"No, I can't okay, I got a family and…why I am arguing with you…you are what five…and I'm twenty-two. I win!" She did a fist bump as they continued to walk.

"No, you have to, you have to and I am ten," He was on the verge of tears. For the first time, Loki could not comprehend, what the sudden feeling surging inside him was, the desperateness threatening to crawl out of his throat.

"Not fair! You can't use tears!" Loki pouted even more, but a grin was sneaking up as well, the feeling still linger, but he would not dare show it any further, "Hey, now you were totally cheating. Chill, chill-lax, kid, no more tears!"

"Chill? What is that?"

"It is a phrase."

"A phrase? I never heard of such words." He shook his head in dismissal.

"Well, it is words that I speak where I from."

"Do you always say strange things?" He inquired, she could tell immediately how smart he was so she replied with:

"You'll probably figured that out for yourself in a day or two,"

"Oh so you are staying,"

"For awhile," It was not a lie, because she got a feeling it would weeks before Jane brought her back. She wondered how much the world would change? It could be a lot with all the baddies that keep showing up from time to time.