I've Loved You for a Thousand Years

Let us start from where Loki had left off, on his way to Asgard as he was muzzled, and handcuffed. The last sight he had seen was the tear-filled eyes of his love Layla, and he could not bear the hurt that had seeped through her eyes and into his heart.

As they reached Asgard, Loki kept his eyes closed so that he would not have to meet the ever hostile looks of those Asgardian's that regretted Loki ever coming to their home, living there, and, to them, tainting their beautiful kingdom, but Loki would give them nothing in the way of seeing him weak. For Loki knew he was weak already.

"Loki Laufeyson, you are brought before the Council and your King for high treason on not only your kingdom, but that of the mortal planet called Earth. If none shall take it upon themselves to defend your actions then let this trial commence" Odin, the AllFather in Asgard, said unto Loki.

Loki knew that no one, not even his own brother, would defend his selfish actions.

"I hear no one speaking up, so let the trial be underway" Odin's voice said ringing throughout the hall.

First that stepped up was Lady Sif, and Loki knew, if it was up to her, his sentence would be death. The bane of that woman ran deep within him since they were children, and she never once let him be.

"I stand before the Council to beg, not only the AllFather, but you few that follows with me to say put this...tyrant to death. Let his silver-tongue, and wicked ways never breach our walls, and sing our songs ever again. We will give him a traitor's death so that those that wish to follow him shall see that Asgard is still strong" Lady Sif said, and, upon hearing her words, some of the Council cheered in agreement.

Next was Fandral who looked like he was on the fence with his decision. "Yes, though I agree with the Lady Sif, I must also take into account his actions before his treason to Asgard and the mortal world called Earth. Loki was, and still is, skilled in magic, he fought like the best of them, and his silver-tongue has gotten many of us out of tough situations, though only when he was included in those said situations, but he did. I would like to vote that we send Loki to the Prison's within Asgard, so he may contemplate his actions" Fandral said unto the Council, and, a vast majority, cheered in agreement with him.

Volstagg stepped up to the Council after he drank some ale. "I know that most of my decisions are based off my gut, and, well, my gut tells me that the young, odd, but skilled lad deserves a reprieve from his mad thoughts. Let us put him in the Prison's to see if it'll whip him back into shape" Volstagg said and more of the Council cheered than they did for Fandral.

Hogun walked to the center of the raised platform. " I agree with Voltagg and Fandral. Loki is too worthy of a fighter to lose him" Hogun said before looking at Loki and nodding to him before returning to his place.

Next, Loki nearly dreaded this, was Frigga. His assumed mother. Frigga looked down at her hands for a few moments before looking up at the Council "Loki, from the day he started to crawl was an odd child, this fact is not new to anyone within this Council As he grew we knew that his mind would be able to bend, and shape at its own will. He could hold grudges that lasted an eternity, but he did not. He never knew what real love was like; an unconditional feeling that only parents and a woman could provide to him. My AllFather and I tried our best to raise him around the secret of his true heritage..."

Frigga took a moment to collect her thoughts and compose herself once more before she began to speak once more, "... in the end it was not the right thing to do. We could have given Loki the choice of knowing his true heritage long ago and let him decide if he wished to stay with us, or go back to his true homeland, but, because of our mistake, we did not and it nearly cost us greatly. It nearly cost an entire planet their lives, because of the mistake we had made. I implore to the Council to let Loki be sent to the Prison's so that he may get over the darkness that resides in his mind" Frigga stated before she took her spot beside her husband once more.

The entire hall was quiet as Frigga's powerful words resonated within the air, and flew into their ears over and over again. All the Council cheered with her words; for behind every great King needed to be a wise Queen, and Frigga was the wisest Queen any one of the Nine Realms have seen and heard.

Lastly, Loki looked toward more fully, was Thor. His supposed brother for all his living years. Loki would bet Thor would push for a death sentence as well, but, looking into the other man's eyes, Loki saw pain, guilt, and sadness. This surprised Loki greatly as Thor began to speak, "Brother's and Sister's of the Council. I stand here today, at this trial for my brother Loki, simply because I love him, because he held me strong when I was too weak to stand, and took care of me when I could not. He is always been there for me when I needed him most, and I love him for that; for the sacrifice he made for me just because I was too idiotic to think rationally on my own.

It has been years, decades, centuries since I could ever remember being disappointed by Loki's actions, but, with great regret to saying this, his action's have upset me now. His desire to be my equal drove him to madness; Loki was always my equal. Maybe not in blood, but in bond he was always my equal, and I would have gladly shared the Asgardian throne with him, because of the courage and valor he has shown to me over the years; even the valor he has shown me as an enemy makes him worthy of a throne..." Thor stopped speaking as he looked into Loki's shocked eyes.

"May the Prison's wash away the darkness, and madness that haunts you brother. For I am scared of what the future holds for you if it does not" Thor said to him before Thor returned to his place beside the AllFather's thrown.

Odin stood up from his throne and stepped forward a few steps. "With all that has been said I have made my decision. Loki Odinson I sentence you to one-thousand years within the confinement cell of Asgard. Your muzzle will be loosened so that your face does not corrode away, but, other than this reprieve you will be given none others" Odin sentenced and, as he slammed his staff down, Loki's magic powers were drained from him along with his powers of mischief.

"Guards, take him to the confinement cell" Odin ordered the Asgardian Guards.

Loki's spirit broke almost instantly, time may go by much faster on Asgard, but, to mortal standards, he would be within the Prison for ten human years. He would just have to bide his time, and keep his mind focused on his love. His only will to live.

128 Years In

Loki's eyes were shut as he flexed his hands as he felt them getting weaker. While in the confinement cell, the chains were attached to the wall; his arms were stretched behind him all the way out on the wrist chains, while the shorter ankle chains kept his legs outstretched. His whole body was at a 90 degree angle from the cell wall.

And he thought Helheim was the worst punishment he could receive - nope - having his powers drained, and his body slowly going weaker was the worst punishment that, he felt, could be dealt out to him. It also left him alone to his thoughts; some were starting to cloud out the madness, yes, but other's were like pendulum's swinging. They were slowly driving him into deeper madness. An ugly, un-Asgardian madness.

Loki screamed out through his muzzle in an unknown way. Be it madness, hysteria or unadulterated fear; no one would be able to tell.

324 Years In

The madness had amplified, but, along with the madness, came some...power or dreams. Loki found himself constantly submitting to these images. They were of his love Layla and a little black haired baby with one blue eye and one green eye. One for each of his parents.

Loki could not help, but to be attached to the little boy as the little one displayed bits of mischief, but an overwhelming large heart for his mother. Loki, even though the logical explanation was that thy weren't real, could not help, but want them to be real. He wanted a son that displayed an outgoing and daring personality; unlike him who had shut himself up in studying magic most of his life.

The little boy had his mother's personality, but his fathers' look and Loki was damn proud.

Sigyn had bore him a daughter, but his daughter was as snobby and arrogant as her mother, and Loki felt no attachment to her, but the little boy who's spirit shone bright as a star in the Asgardian sky made him instantly want to hold him and praise him for his accomplishments.

Layla's love and life teaching had made the child one to rival in bravery, outgoing, trouble seeking, and, above all, loyalty.

Serinya, Loki's daughter, was cowardice, conniving, whinny, snobby, arrogant, and unapproachable. Before her mother infected Serinya, Loki had attached to her and loved her like she was a Princess, but, now, Loki wanted nothing to do with Sigyn and Serinya.

Serinya would, no doubt, be envious of her little step-brother when or if she found out about him. If she tried to hurt him in anyway his son, Caspian Balthazar Odinson he heard Layla say once in a dream, would, no doubt, teach his dimwitted step-sister who's boss.

Loki could only pray that he grew into a strong man if Loki was never able to see him. Loki would even turn a blind eye if his son joined The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.

492 Years In

As the images of his love shifted and changed with the passing years, Loki saw his son wonder where his father is, and, every time, Layla would look to the sky sadly and answer the little boy that his daddy was far away and could not come home right now. Naturally, the little one asked why, and she would say, "Because Daddy is a very important person. He is like Iron Man", and, for a few months, that'd satisfy the little boy's curiosity before he would inquire about Loki once more.

Sometimes, Loki would get visions of his love crying on her balcony as she looked up into the sky and pleaded for Loki to return, but, she knew, that Loki's punishment was getting in the way of him returning.

Every day Loki got weaker and weaker, and every day Sigyn would come pester him about some unimportant topic that held no attention to Loki's mind - for his mind had locked itself away in the passing years. Serinya would come by as well asking him why he had to be so selfish as to think a luxurious life in Asgard was such a good thing to give up.

Loki thought it was easier for her to say since none of his Jotun blood had passed on to her. She was a selfish brat, and that is why Loki kept himself locked away in the life of his mortal loves life more than his own.

Loki will admit, the only people he willingly listened to was Thor, Odin, and Frigga. He listened to what the people that raised him said since they had been remorseful in the days and nights they came to visit him.

Admittedly still, Thor got more of Loki's attention than his assumed father and mother did; Thor had shown him unconditional love so why should not Loki's full attention be on him? Thor, some how, split his love among his human, his family, his kingdom, and Loki. Some days Loki wondered how he did it.

How did Thor cope with having so much love for so many people, and in so many places?

Loki guessed that he would learn that one day when he got older and got back into his right frame of mind.

678 Years In

His son was in First Grade now. Apparently, it was where he started learning to add and subtract numbers, learn to read and spell, and learn little facts about History. The one man that fascinated Loki was the dead human Martin Luther King JR. This African American man was able to lay the foundation of a new world with just his powerful words.

Caspian had to learn the first two phrases of his speech, and Loki could not help but want to help Caspian through it so Loki memorized the words as well. He hoped it helped nudge Caspian in the right direction.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. Loki thought as he finally had it all memorized himself.

As the day came for Caspian to recite the first two paragraphs, Loki looked on proudly as his little boy had little to no help from his mother and teacher to speak the words that the good doctor had said many years before Caspian was born.

As Loki was pulled away from the joyous image of his smiling son, he smiled his own proud smile at his sons accomplishment. Of course Serinya had to say, "Ew! I should tell Mother you're getting wrinkles!", before she made haste out of the prison.

Loki just growled after her as she shattered the proud image of his son accomplishing such a feat as reciting words at such a young age. Many of the words he doubted his son could even spell.

Thor came to visit him that night and, Loki would bet his right boot, that Thor could sense the happiness radiating off him in waves, but Thor did not ask and, obviously, Loki could not tell him.

962 Years In

Nine-years-old. Caspian was in the Sixth Grade at nine-years-old. He should be in just the Third Grade, as Loki has learned since many of Caspian's peer's were that age and in that grade level, but, as Loki has seen, Caspian's reading level and mathematical level's were far more advanced than the level's of his peers.

Loki could boast about it being from his side of the gene pool, because Caspian was Half-Asgardian and Half-Human; not that all Human's weren't as advanced as Asgardian's, Mr. Banner and Mr. Stark kicking his godly ass there, but Loki took pride in knowing that Caspian could give both Scientists a run for their money, and he was only nine.

Just 38 more years in this Hell hole and Loki would be free. He would bypass his father, mother, and brother so he could go straight to Earth and be with his real family. Not with the people that adopted him and had the potential to throw him back in Prison for another 1000 years.

Loki just had to bide his time, and wait out the last of the years. For they would come swift.

1000 Years Over

As soon as Loki was let out of Prison, he knew he had either two choices. One, try to escape or two, face those that have made the last 1000 years a perfect Hell. In light of knowing that running away would not get this forsaken muzzle off his face, he opted for option two. Just accept responsibility and see how everything plays out.

Because of his weakened body, Loki had to be brought in using two of the guards. Loki was very angry they thought weakening his body would weaken his mind - no that just made him all the more pissed off.

"Loki Odinson, you have spent one-thousand years in Asgardian Prison in the Confinement Cell. Those around you believe that you have been cured of your thoughts of treachery, deceitful thoughts, and believing that you are above us all. Loki Odinson you are here by restored to your natural strength, but you have yet proven to us that we my return your powers to your body. Like what happened to Thor, you too will be sent to Midgard to prove yourself worthy of your Godly heritage. Let the muzzle and chains vanish so you may speak freely and openly" Odin stated to, not only Loki, but to the Council as well.

The muzzle vanished from Loki's mouth, and, for once, he took a deep breath. He would never take those for granted ever again. Loki looked at Odin and said, "With all due respect father, you can keep my gifts of Mischievousness for I have two people down on Midgard that I would like to live for moreover than Asgard. I was given the power of sight while in the Confinement Cell, and, I have seen only two people who I would love to see for the rest of eternity. Send me to Midgard powerless, as humans would say, I do not care, because the one's I love more than life itself are down there".

Many Asgardian's in the hall gasped at his statement. Loki Laufeyson or Odinson, whichever they thought he was in their mind, had just admitted that he would willingly leave all his vengeful thoughts, all his sorcery and magic, and all the grandeur that he was trying to fight for, for so long just to return to Midgard and die a human.

"This comes as surprising news my son, who are these two people that have wrapped you into a cocoon, and given you new life?" Odin asked in wonder.

Loki looked up to him, a proud fatherly smile on his face, and tears of happiness on his cheeks. "My lover and son" he responded proudly and happily.

After that was said, Loki was taken to the Bïfrost by Odin, Frigga, Thor, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. Loki turned around as he stood in the path of the Bïfrost. "This is it" Loki told them as he looked at each one of them. "Goodbye father, may Thor be an excellent King one day so you may take a well-deserved rest. Goodbye mother, I will miss our talks and your advice. Sif, though I've called you many names and we have said many harsh things to each other, you are the best Lady Warrior that has ever been on Asgard. Volstagg, dear friend, may you eat as much as you can for the delicacies of the Nine Realms are always adapting and changing. Hogun, keep sharp. Fandral, I wish for you to find a last happiness with just one woman one day, and when you do, make sure you are always there for her. Thor, dear brother, I will see you when you come to Earth one day" Loki told them before Odin stripped Loki of his Asgardian clothing.

"Wait! What is the matter of this?" Sigyn shouted as she and Serinya made their appearance. "To my lovely wife, Sigyn, may you find a new husband who actually cares for you unlike I. Serinya, my once beautiful daughter, may you shed your mothers shadow and become the woman you were meant to be. For your beauty could sway even the deadliest of warriors if only you would just be yourself" Loki said before he kissed his daughter's cheeks.

Loki was now dressed in a green cotton sweater, and the pants and boots he usually wore with his armor. Loki had one last thought before he jumped into the Bïfrost, "Thor, maybe one of these days while you're on Earth you can meet my lover and son. I've seen my son's intelligence rival that of your friend's Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, and he is only, now, ten-years-old" Loki said to him keeping the offer open ended as he jumped into the Bïfrost path.

Thor smirked lovingly as he watched his brother go, "Maybe one day" he muttered to himself as all that assembled turned around to go back to Asgard.

I love you baby brother, always have and always will. I have loved you for a thousand years, and I will love you for a thousand more Thor thought as he look one last glance back to the Bïfrost before walking toward the palace.