Detective Loki Fan Fiction ❯ Ragnarok ❯ Chapter 5

\\ Warning: Violence, angst and main character death ahead! This chapter is rated R, so be warned. //

Chapter Five

Ecchan had told Fenrir and Yamino what had happened with their father after they had returned home with Freya. Both were extremely worried about their father. They were determined to be near him, help him through this difficult time. Loki seemed to be a bit more melancholy than usual, but he soon broke out of it. Freya still clung to him like a leech, but even she had seemed to tone down a bit in recognition of his grief.

Mayura seemed to sense something different about Loki as well. She didn't plague him with her incessant quest for mysteries. Instead, she spent time with him, reading with him and having him tutor her in various subjects for school. To most, it would seem odd that a sixteen year old was being tutored in school subjects by an eight year old. Then again, most people didn't know Loki and Mayura.

Since Loki had decided to stay on Midgard, they had become even closer than before. After learning of his wife's death, Loki had poured all of his resources into his life on Midgard. From previous conversations with Narugami, he knew that his twin sons were safe in Jotunheim, where Sigyn had hidden the boys. He was half tempted to return to his old home to search for them, but he didn't want to alert Odin to their presence in any way.

The "mystery disease" seemed to have abandoned Mayura, at least temporarily. She was still as excitable as ever, but whenever she was around Loki all thoughts of mysteries fled her mind. Most of her concern was centered on cheering him up, keeping him happy. When she'd questioned Yamino on why Loki had been so sad, he'd said that a family member had died.

Mayura had prodded Yamino for no information, and in desperation, Yamino had said it was Loki's mother that had died. He wasn't really lying…Loki's mother was dead, she just wasn't the person Loki was so upset over losing.

This cut directly into Mayura's heart. She knew all too well what it was like to lose a mother. She'd been a little younger than what she perceived Loki's age to be, so she felt for him. Thus, she'd decided to take him under her wing, so to speak.

Knowing how it was without a mother, Mayura appointed herself HIS mother. She didn't go so far as to ask him to call her that, but she certainly acted very motherly towards him. At least, that was how it started out. Mayura tried to deny it to herself, but in her heart, she was feeling more than just motherly or sisterly affection for Loki.

She shied away from that, not wanting to even contemplate it. How could she like him that way?! He was a child! Despite the fact that he acted like anything but an eight year-old, he was still that age.

That wasn't the only thing that disturbed her, however. Ever since Loki had come back, she'd been having the strangest dreams. They were…nothing short of erotic, at least at times. In them, she dreamt of that handsome young man that she met while she'd been looking for Loki. Even then he'd made her heart skip a beat more than once. He was easily the most beautiful person she'd ever seen. He wasn't just handsome like other men, but actually beautiful. She'd found herself filled with pride that he'd been so concerned about her, wanting to help her.

Then again, he had said he was a god. What sane person said they were something like that?! But maybe he was so beautiful because he really was a god…if he was; she wanted to find out from where. She'd always believed in mysteries, ever since she was a small child. This man posed a most singular mystery!

Standing at the entrance to the mansion, Mayura looked up. She blinked, seeing Loki in the window above the door. It was his study window and she could see him quite clearly. He pulled away from the window, but not before Mayura could see the tears on his face.

Her own face grew determined and she went inside. The house was silent, no sound coming from anywhere. A soft whimper sounded and she looked down.

Fenrir looked up at her, his big puppy eyes gazing up at her forlornly. She gave him a smile, bending down to pick him up. She rubbed him behind the ears, trying to soothe him while climbing the stairs up to Loki's study.

Opening the door, she stepped inside, her brows furrowed with worry. Loki sat in his chair behind his desk, looking as melancholy as Mayura suspected. There were traces of smeared tears on his face, though he tried to hide it. Setting Fenrir down, she closed the door behind and went over to Loki.

He looked at her forlornly as she knelt in front of him. Her own eyes were filled with unshed tears, both of them reliving the pain of losing someone dear to them. He sniffed and that was all it took. Mayura gathered him into her arms and he clung to her, burying his face in her chest as he sobbed.

Pulling him into her arms, Mayura sat on the floor, pulling Loki into her lap and rocking him back and forth. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him despite her own tears that were falling steadily.

* * *

Yamino busied himself with his chores, looking up at the staircase. Loki has closeted himself within his rooms since Freya had brought him home. Strangely, Freya had seemed to understand and had summarily told Yamino that Loki didn't need to worry about her stalking him anymore and left. Yamino had been flabbergasted. What had changed that?! Freya had this fixation on his father.

What Yamino didn't know was that Freya had given upon Loki after seeing him so distressed at the news of Sigyn's death. It was at the moment that she knew he would never be hers. She'd long wished for him to be hers, had prayed for it with all her might. She'd even contemplated a few times of getting Sigyn out of the way, though she never once thought of murdering the young goddess.

Carrying a basket on her arm, Freya whistled to herself softly. It had been a week since Loki had found out about Sigyn's death. His disposition hadn't recovered at all, though she didn't really expect it to. What had surprised her was that Mayura had all but moved into the mansion. Her father had seemed to even have her blessing, the two mortals worried sick about Loki.

Misao Daidouji had even come over, to speak with Loki. The two had been closeted in Loki's study for hours until Misao had emerged, declaring that Mayura was to stay over and take are of Loki until the young boy's heart mended from the loss of his 'mother.' What he didn't say was how he knew who it was that had died, and how important it was that Loki keep his spirits up. The last thing he wanted was for Loki to start Ragnarok because of a broken heart.

Thus, Freya was heading to the Enjaku Detective Agency with a basket of goodies she'd made. Freyr had come over and the two had spent wonderful evening together, retelling favorite memories of their childhood and adulthood. Freyr seemed to have calmed a great deal after finding his beloved sister. Freyr had said he would meet her later, so Freya had gone alone.

Pushing open the gate to the mansion, Freya stepped through, closing the gate behind her. It clicked, the wards blazing to life once more. She took a few steps down the path, then stopped. Shielding her hand over her eyes, she looked up at the sky.

The sky had become overcast immediately, a darkness descending upon the mansion unrepentantly, and Freya's eyes widened. A dark orange light flashed; Freya screamed. The basket of cookies fell to the ground, the treats tumbling out. Moments later a thud could be heard; a trickle of red liquid saturated the crumbled cookies.

Yamino looked outside at the bright flash of orange light. He shielded his eyes, and then dropped his broom at the sound of a woman's scream. He rushed to the door, just as Loki's study door opened, Loki emerging with Laevatein, Mayura behind him looking frightened. All three rushed to the door and Mayura screamed, covering her face with her hands.

In the courtyard lay Freya, her head tilted to the side; her beautiful blue eyes wide open in death. The look on her face was one of shock and abject terror. Her throat was torn out, her hair lying in a pool of her own blood. There was a slit down her throat, a few golden trinkets on the ground. Whoever had killed her had taken the Brisings Necklace with them.

"Freya…" Loki whispered painfully, gazing at the young goddess. Who could have done such a horrendous thing and why? What purpose did it serve?

For even as he watched, Loki could see this hadn't been a random killing, nor had a theft. Certainly her necklace was gone, but that did not have anything to do with it. This was a ritual, plain and simple. A surge of power next to him made Loki turn sharply.

Mayura's hand and left her mouth, her eyes riveted to Freya's still form. She took a few tentative steps forward, ignoring Loki and Yamino's protests to the contrary. She knelt next to Freya, placing a hand on her bloody cheek. There seemed to be something different about her, not like the mystery loving girl she normally was.

Before Loki could do or comment on anything, he fell back, stumbling into Yamino. "FREYA-CHAN!!"

"I'm sorry…Kaitou-san…" Mayura whispered, falling back at Freyr's grief. He tripped and fell on his cape, not even caring that he was now splattered with his sister's blood. He pulled her into his arms, cradling her and crooning to her softly. "I'm here, Freya-chan…I won't let anything hurt you, I promise…Freyr promises…"

Loki turned his head, unable to bear to see Freyr's grief. It was too soon after his own. His eyes came into contact with his arch-enemy, who he would never have expected to be here.

Heimdall gazed back at Loki, neither anger nor resentment showing on his child's features. They both turned, watching the sobbing Freyr. Loki arched an eyebrow up at Mayura, who came over to them solemnly.

"A great evil has befallen us. It will not rest until we are all dead." Mayura's red eyes seemed to flash, her demeanor changing. The image of a young woman in white, soft lilac hair floating in the breeze superimposed itself over Mayura.

"Sigyn!" Loki reached out to her, but his hand passed right through the specter.

Sigyn smiled softly at her husband. "Aye dear heart. But not as I once was. Soon, though. Very soon. You all must be on your guard, or this will happen to you." She looked over at Freya, still in Freyr's arms. She turned back to them, her eyes on her half-brother. "Brother, I charge you with Freyr and Freya's care. Take them to Vanaheim. Freya's body can be healed there."

"But what of her soul?" Heimdall remarked, his one eye flashing. "Don't think I will do your bidding, Sigyn. You know my reasons for…"

"Aye, I do. And they are false. But we will speak more of this later. For now, please brother?" Sigyn pleaded with him, her green eyes speaking volumes.

Heimdall sighed. Not even he could say no to that look. "Fine. But you owe me an explanation, sister."

"And you shall have it, brother." Sigyn bowed her head, watching briefly while Heimdall made his way over to his best friend. A portal opened, the three disappearing within. Once they were gone, she turned back to Loki.

She held out her hand to him when saw he would rush to her side. "No, beloved one. I wish for it as well, but Mayura is not ready. I am still a part of her. Until things change, we must continue to be separated."

Loki clenched his fist, his small body trembling. It wasn't fair!

She smiled, kneeling in front of him. She cupped his face, smiling softly. "I know it isn't fair. But life isn't fair now is it Loki? But we make the best of things that we can. Odin cursed me, destroyed my body. But he forgot that love knows no boundaries...that I can and would return. This girl's body I inhabit…she is special. Do not let anything happen to her, for she can reunite us in time."

"How? What…who is Mayura?" Loki didn't understand, though he wasn't really trying to. He just wanted this to end and be with her again!

"You will know in time, beloved. This I promise. Take care of him, Jormie, Fenrir." Sigyn smiled at her step-children, and then stood up. Her body shimmered, her eyes closed as she once more disappeared within Mayura.

Mayura's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Yamino lifted her into his arms, gazing at his father.

Loki watched Mayura's unconscious face, then turned and went back into the house. There was research to be done…and a visit.