I didn't know how to explain what I felt. Perhaps the best way was to say it was like a blind person seeing the world for the first time. I felt changed, my mind open to new, strange things.

I embraced every single one of them. I embraced this madness that was going on in the Helicarrier.

I felt calm in this tense situation.

Loki knelt beside me, regarding me with a triumphant look in his eyes. There'd always been a spark in him, something that was destined to do great things. I guess ruling over the humans qualified.

"That's much better, is it not?" he asked. With a slight grunt, using his scepter, he got to his feet. "Come, Kiara. If we linger much longer, we will go down with this flying craft."

"Do you even know how to pilot a plane?" I sat up.

"Do you?"

"Do I look like a pilot?"

"Even when you are on my side, you have a sharp tongue." He sighed. "This is why we enlist some help."

"I can always threaten them."

"As delightful as that sounds, my method is better. On your feet."

Nimbly, I jumped, trailing behind Loki. I didn't realize how tired he appeared. The past times I had seen him, he looked ready to fight. I considered aiding him, but he had the scepter to use as a crutch, so I didn't worry too much. As for me, the throbbing in my ribs was lessening. I wasn't going to forgive the Hulk so easily for trying to pop me.

Loki didn't take long to take over two pilots who escorted us to a plane. While the pilots got situated, Loki and I ambled up the ramp. The engines soon roared to life, and the rear hatch went up. I didn't sit down like Loki did, I was too wired.

"What's our next move?" I was more than ready to see this plan come to fruition.

"We oversee how the portal is coming along. Once the time is right, we let the Chitauri do the rest."

"You mean we won't fight with them?"

"Unless worst comes to worst or we are confronted directly, we won't."

"Not up for fighting?"

"It isn't that. Why do you think I allied with the Chitauri? One being does not win a war, an army does." His eyes narrowed. "What is that?"

"What's what?"

"That, in your ear." With a little difficulty, Loki got to his feet, pulling out an earpiece.

"Oh. Director Fury gave that to me."

The earpiece was destroyed in the palm of his hand. "Is this not much easier, Kiara? You alongside me without a fuss?"

"Where we headed?"

"Stark Tower."

I could paint the picture in my head now: at the top of Stark Tower, the portal. The big hole in the sky raining armies of Chitauri on the humans. I wondered what the aliens even looked like. They had to look intimidating, most villainous creatures often did.

To many, this would be their worst fear, world domination. For others, like Loki, it would be a testament to how far he came to have his work pay off.

"I'll be ready." I tossed a flame around nonchalantly, not really caring if I started a fire inside the plane. "If anyone tries to harm you, they'll have to face me."

"So devoted," Loki purred. "If you really wanted to better prepared, you could try expanding your powers before the war begins."

"There won't be enough time."

"Some practice is better than none. Imagine what you can accomplish, Kiara! You could probably set yourself alight or be able to use your fire as a force field. It doesn't have to be just your fire power, either! You could try and grow your mind ability into something more. You could possibly achieve the ability to control others, push their thoughts towards what you want them to believe!"

"Once this pays off, I'll work on the training," I assured him. "Though, I have no idea where I would start or who would teach me."

"I could."

"If I remember correctly, you don't possess the power of fire or mind ability."

"True, but I am gifted with magic, which counts as something. I am powerful, you know."

"I do." I sighed, putting the fire away. "When is the last time you got any sleep?"

"Truthfully, I don't think I can remember."

"What did you go through?" I grabbed his face carefully. I almost thought he'd collapse right in front of me with how content he looked.

"Do you know what I thought about during my dark times, Kiara?"

"I'm not up for a guessing game right now, Loki. You need to sit or something."

"It was you."

"I'm sorry?"

"You, Kiara. You were always there, the beacon of light that kept me going."

"Okay, you must be really sleep deprived. I think you need to take a nap." I stood stock-still as Loki mimicked me by having my face in his hands. He looked like he was swaying slightly, but overall he maintained control of his body.

I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have his lips over mine, what it felt like to be connected with someone. I doubted a rekindling was in our near future, but it seemed like it would be in our future nevertheless.

"Just in case something goes wrong, which I doubt anything will," he crooned. "I would rather not have a regret should something bad happen."

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "So, when the humans are wiped out, I will remain at your side?" Though the old me would never want the moment to end, the current me had to focus on the war that was to come.

"Of course. Why would you assume I would abandon you?" My heart beat in my throat with how close he still was to me. "I have never thought about cutting you out of my life, Kiara. No matter what we endure, we are fire and ice."

~*~

You can be silent all you want, I just want to know you acknowledge my presence, I said. Shutting me out doesn't help our bond, Loki. What are you keeping from me?

Something you would not understand. His tone was making him ask for an argument.

Look at me; you know I will not leave until we talk this through.

When it came to a man like Loki, he could look perfectly stable on the outside, but inside he was battling turmoil. You could never understand his emotions until you really got a good look at him and understood what signs led to what emotions. Body language had nothing to do with his behavior towards me; it was the lack of communication that tipped me off. He found the time to slip away and meet with me. But lately, with everything that had recently gone on, it had changed him.

"Everything is piling on you, isn't it?" I dared to ask in a whisper. "All this stress, with Thor banished, and Odin..." I swallowed. "And now you have all this responsibility spurred upon you."

All of this was very poor timing. With Thor gone and Odin unfit for kingly duties, Loki now had control over Asgard. Was he ready for such a heavy burden? Was it too soon for him to take over, even if it was only temporary?

Loki still failed to acknowledge me completely, but I was not giving up. I stood behind him, gingerly slipping my fingers through his. He felt hesitant, but he did not pull away or stalk off.

"Everyone has something special about them, don't they?" he finally murmured.

"I—I suppose so. Where is this coming from?"

He turned so that we were face to face. "You have your telepathy, and I..." His eyes went to the floor.

"What? What have you discovered?" I was more frightened than excited.

"The truth."

"About what?"

"My lineage."

I stared at him, wide-eyed. "I—I do not understand..."

"I'll show you. You have to swear that you will tell no one."

I nodded anxiously. "Show me."

Loki gestured to his hands. I took them both, watching patiently. I almost let go, for his hands lost their fair color and began to turn blue, as though he were coming down with a severe case of frostbite.

It took me a long moment before it dawned on me. Though my entire being screamed for me to run off and tell someone, I refused. Was this what Father meant when he thought something was off about Loki?

Loki surely could not be...ashamed could he, by this new development?

"When...? How...?" I could not get out a proper question.

"I found out recently. Before Thor was banished, he picked a fight—"

"With the Frost Giants, yes, I remember you telling me."

"When it came to battle, whatever they tried to use against me did not work like it did with the others. I confronted Odin about it, confirming that I am not truly his son."

"Oh, Loki..." I watched as his hands reverted back to their fair color.

"You have not heard even the best part. My father is Laufey, King of the Frost Giants."

"Oh Gods."

"I was found as a babe by Odin, and he took me in. He did it not for the reason you think."

"I am sure you are not thinking logically about it."

"No, Kiara, my head is quite clear. He used me as a tool of peace, he said so himself."

"Doubtful. I am sure he did not take you from Jotunheim solely for the reason you have convinced yourself to believe." I sighed heavily. "Why keep this from me?"

"You really ask that question? I would have kept it from you for much longer, probably for all of eternity, but you came to be obnoxiously persistent." He did not say this in a sour tone; he was actually playful about it.

"You act as though your lineage is a curse," I scoffed. "It does not change my views of you, Loki. So what if you are an adopted Asgardian? We all have things that make us unique. Me, I can communicate through thoughts."

"You are talking of two different things, Kiara."

"In a way, not really. Both relate to blood."

"Not really."

"You are missing my point. Every individual is unique in their own way. I am even more so than most. I have something that I have never told or shown anyone other than my parents."

"What could that possibly be?"

I took a few steps back before calling the flames to my hand. I felt heat rise into my cheeks as I watched the flame. Loki was the only person outside of my parents that was aware of this. It was impossible to explain how I became so gifted with such an odd combination.

"Remarkable," Loki whispered.

"This is when it is tame. It gets worse if I get upset." I willed the flame off of my palm, letting it hover just above my hand. "You told me something personal, it is only fair that I show you something secret."

"How are you not running off telling everyone you see about this?"

"You made me promise not to tell anyone. I do not break promises. And do not think that I am frightened by this development either. You may be Laufey's son by blood, but your lineage does not define you. What you choose to do does."

"You are so open-minded, Kiara. You are not normal by any means."

"Are any of us?"

Loki chuckled, startling me. I lost all concentration, making my fire vanish.

"What is so amusing to you?" I should not have sounded as angry as I did.

"You cannot see it? Fire and ice?" Loki took my hands back in his.

Us. Fire and ice. A Frost Giant and a fire wielder.

"What an odd match," I mused.

Loki touched his forehead to mine. Despite being from a royal line of Frost Giants, he was warm to the touch. I closed my eyes in bliss as he massaged my neck gently with his fingers, something he knew I liked.

"What an odd match indeed."

~*~

"Kiara?" I felt Loki's hand on my face.

My head was jumbled. What's going on? Is this my mind's way of fighting the control? "I'm fine." I refrained from putting a hand on my forehead. There wasn't any place for privacy on this plane to figure out what was going on in peace. "Nothing happened."

"No, something did. I'm losing you." He backed me against the wall. "This is a first. Nobody has ever tried to break free before."

"I'm a special case," I spat.

"That you are." I cringed more into the wall at seeing the blue gem glow. "You continue to surprise me with your strength, my dear. I will have you at my side. I am not going to lose you again, I have come too far. I will not lose."

A fresh wave of mind control seeped through my entire body. Just as the memory tried to breach, it was wiped out. I was fully Loki's again. I guess in a way, I had always been his, in some form. Do not think about the past. The present and future are all what matters now. The past means nothing.

"There, much better," Loki murmured. "If you know what is good for you, Kiara, you better stop trying to fight back. Either I will break you, or I will leave you to die. The choice is yours when the time comes."

"Don't sound high and mighty, Loki," I warned him. "You're not a ruler yet."

"But I will be." He sneered. "Nobody will stop me."

**This was one of my absolute favorites, mainly because of the title and the flashback, and the song. The song that sums up their tragic love story. :) 

It was nice to write a little Lokiara  and show it, even though they aren't who they were in the past. Looks like he still cares for her, even if he's been twisted beyond repair.**