A Child of Mischief (Loki/Avengers story)

13. Festive Fiasco

"To the library then?" Loki asks, Cora turns back to face him. When she does, she see's that they are the only two left on the edge of the training field.

"Yes." Cora simply says and nods her head. Once Cora answers Loki, he turns on his heels and begins to walk back into the castle. Cora has to nearly run to catch up with him, once she catches up, she slows back down to somewhat of a brisk walking pace.

Neither Loki or Cora say a word to each other as they walk to the library. Every so often, Cora catches Loki slightly look back at her. Cora pretends not to notice, and looks down at the floor.

"Do you feel threatened by your powers?" Loki suddenly asks, Cora looks up surprised.

"What?" Cora asks, not knowing what else to say.

"Is that why you refuse to take off that limitations cuff? Because you feel threatened by the powers you hold." Loki asks more sternly and then suddenly turns left down a corridor.

"I've worn this bracelet since I was a child. I know nothing else, taking it off would be too much of a risk to everyone. Especially since I do not know what all the powers I possess are." Cora says defensively.

"Why are you here then? Because you know well enough that you cannot get by around here with just your fighting abilities. At some point you will have to use your powers, so I suggest you get over whatever fear you have about them and begin to use them." Loki says and pushes two heavy set doors open to reveal the library.

Keeping her head down as to not show Loki the tears that well up in her eyes, Cora enters the library. Once she walks past Loki, she lifts her head.

"It's as Thor said earlier. I have no idea of how to control them. Those that raised me back on Earth, never showed me how to use them, because they themselves were powerless. So, to answer your question, am I threatened by my own powers, no. Am I scared that I will lose all control when I try to use them, yes." Cora simply says and walks down the long pathway between the never ending bookshelves.

"I wasted my vote on you." Loki says loud enough for Cora to hear. Cora turns around and walks to the front of the library to confront Loki, but once she reaches the front he's nowhere to be seen. Cora shakes her head, then turns back around and heads down the pathway between the bookshelves again.

"Where to start?" Cora asks as her eyes fill with wonder as she looks through the endless shelves. She starts by grabbing a book about the Nine realms, then grabs a thick book on Asgardian history, and finishes her selection with a book about Jotunheim.

"It's better to understand everything than to judge one thing." Cora says as she picks up the book about Jotunheim. Tucking the Jotunheim book under her arm, Cora makes her way back to the front of the library and sets the books down on a table. As Cora places the books on a table, she notices a book has already been placed in the middle of the table.

Picking up the book, Cora's eyes go wide as she reads the cover, and then drops the book on to the table. She looks around the areas that are closest to her, but no one is around. Going back to the table, Cora picks the same book back up and stares at it.

"Mind Over Fear, How to Control Fear and Other Things." Cora reads the title of the book, and then pushes it aside as she sits down and opens the book on Asgardian history.

As Cora reads through the stories told in the history book, the day turns to night. When she finally looks up from the book, Cora looks around and see's the candle torches are lit, and that the afternoon sun that had been streaming through the windows has been replaced with the early evening moon. Getting up from the table, Cora gathers the books she had gotten and puts them back in their places on the shelves. Making her way back to the front of the library, she see's Lady Siff dressed in party clothes waiting at the table she had been sitting at. Lady Siff looks up and smiles as Cora approaches her.