A Gods Favor

This Is How I Leave You

Yrsa landed on Midgard, dust swirling around her in the arid climate and she could see some of the destruction that the destroyer had wrought. Vehicles flipped and burning, clearing a path toward the city off in the distance. She took two steps toward the city, an explosion sending flames up into the air from that direction and she stopped. To her right, she felt a familiar tickle of power and she took off to retrieve it.

-

Elora and Heimdall had run down the bridge but began to move more slowly when they reached the palace, unsure if Loki had alerted the guards to Heimdall's 'betrayal'. When they came to an intersection in the palace that would lead them to Odin's rooms Elora looked around before attempting to cross when Heimdall grabbed her arm.

"Wait," he tugged her back into the alcove they'd hid in and she could see his eyes glowing golden. "Loki is headed to the gatehouse. I have to go back."

"What?" Elora's whisper was frantic and she tried to pull him forward. "Heimdall no, he nearly killed you."

"I must. If Thor and Yrsa try to return, Loki may open the bridge for them and I cannot let them be ambushed." Heimdall could see that Elora wanted to refuse but he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go to the queen, now!"

-

Yrsa flew through the air as she held onto Mjolnir, The destroyer standing in front of Thor coming into view. Just as the behemoth was turning to strike her brother she landed and spun the hammer, striking it from below and sending it flying into the air before smiling and handing the hammer to Thor.

"Hello, brother, I think you dropped this."

"Yrsa," Thor pulled her into a tight hug. "How, why?"

"Well," she stepped back and looked over his shoulder to their friends. "Since I was not invited by the original rescue party, Heimdall was kind enough to let me know I was missing out."

They heard a screech of metal and the destroyer, which had landed some way off in a mangled lump, began to twist and turn and pull itself back together.

Yrsa pushed the hammer into Thor's chest and started walking. "Suit up, brother. We need to take care of this and then get home to deal with Loki."

Thor stood frozen for a moment, staring slack jawed at Mjolnir, firmly grasped in his hand.

"Make haste, Brother!" Yrsa snapped over her shoulder. "We haven't got all day."

Thor stepped back and raised his hammer into the air.

-

Loki pulled Gungnir from the mechanism as Laufey and several other Frost Giants stepped toward him.

"Welcome to Asgard." Loki turned and began to head back toward the palace, calling over his shoulder. "Follow me."

Halfway down the bridge they came upon Heimdall, sword raised, and Loki rolled his eyes. "Didn't I deal with you earlier?"

"Not well enough." Heimdall charged them and Loki looked to Laufey.

The Frost Giant king nodded and two of his warriors stepped forward pulling Heimdall into a fight as the others continued down the bridge.

-

Elora made it to the hall of Odin's chamber and began sprinting. "My queen!" She said, bursting through the room and slamming the doors shut behind her.

"El, dear, what on earth is wrong?" Frigga stood and met Elora, looking her over for injury.

"Frigga," El was breathless as she spoke. "It's Loki, he let the Giants in on coronation day, he tricked Thor into going to Jotunheim. Sif and the others went to bring Thor home and he sent the destroyer after them and froze Heimdall."

"El," Frigga grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards a chair. "El, slow down. What are you talking about?"

Elora's vision flashed white as she grabbed onto the queen. No words were spoken but the scene around her was the one she stood in at this moment. The doors of Odin's room frosted over before being smashed inward, revealing Frost Giants.

Her vision cleared but Elora had no time to explain when they heard the sound of ice cracking and they turned to the door just as it came crashing in. Frigga ran for a sword and Elora threw up her hands but the giant was already on her, tossing her brutally to the wall where she collapsed. The last thing she saw was Laufey heading for the queen.

-

Yrsa and the others stepped through the portal of the Bifrost into the gatehouse to see Heimdall injured on the dais. "Where is El?" The princess asked as she and Volstagg helped Heimdall stand.

"The queen." Heimdall coughed. "Laufey is on Asgard."

"Get him to the healing room!" Thor commanded as he stormed toward the bridge, spinning his hammer and taking off towards the palace.

-

Elora awoke to the queen shaking her gently.

"El, El dear, are you alright?" Frigga's words were soft and whispered as she stroked the elven woman's face.

"What happened?" Elora asked, groggily as she looked around the room and took everything in. Odin still lay in his bed, untouched, and a large hole in the far wall told of more action after she lost consciousness.

"Loki killed Laufey but then Thor showed up and..." The queen looked around, her mind still trying to catch up and make sense of all that happened. "Loki is going to destroy Jotunheim."

Elora pushed herself to her feet even though the room still seemed to spin. Everything was a mess. She should have told Yrsa about her suspicions, she should have helped the warriors when they wanted to out Loki, at any point she could have spoken up and not let things get this far but she'd let her feelings, and her faith that that kind boy in Loki still existed, get in the way.

Frigga held her arm as she stood. "El, what are you doing?"

"Fixing this." Elora staggered to Odin's bedside and reached deeper into her healing magic than she ever had before. Deep enough that she could feel its core source, it's tether to her person, and she placed her hands over the Allfather's heart letting every ounce of it flow into him.