Loki's Nightmares

It’s the middle of the night and Thor is busting through Loki’s bedroom door because of the screams coming from Loki’s bedroom. As Thor busts through the door, Loki sits up rapidly. He is sweating and out of breath but still screaming. “Brother, what ailment makes you suffer so?” Thor asks Loki.

Loki is catching his breath while looking around the room. “Night terrors, Thor, just night terrors.” Thor pats Loki on his back before heading back to his room. As Thor leaves, Loki notices that Thor is sheathing a sword. He wonders how loudly he was screaming that would make Thor grab a sword on his way into his room. Loki shakes his head trying to shake the night terror out of his head.

That morning at breakfast Odin questions Loki about his nightly screams. “Lokison, tell me of these night terrors. Why do you scream so violently at night? It frightens your mother.” Odin grabs Friga’s hand.

“Yes, Loki, what are these dreams about?” Thor asks.

Loki seems hesitant to talk about it but can see that his family is concerned. “It’s really nothing to worry about. I am quite certain that they will pass.” He says trying to pacify the situation, but the looks on their faces says they are not giving up this conversation so easily. So Loki continues, “Fine. The ‘dreams’ are of this woman. She is always in a field of pink roses, white lilies and purple lilacs. She sees me and motions for me to come to her. I try not to move, but I am unable to stop myself from going to her. She then places one hand on my faces and smiles. As I look into her eyes, I am reminded of all my weaknesses. And then I wake up screaming.”

As Loki looks to his family for support, their faces show more of a ‘really?’ kind of look. Thor speaks to Loki, “This is what your “night terrors” are about? This is what wakes us all up with your screams?” Thor lets out a hearty laugh. Friga slaps Thor on the arm, then walks to Loki and puts her arms around him. “Oh honey,” she says, “these are night terrors, they are beautiful dreams.”

Loki interrupts her, “Beautiful dreams? How is it beautiful to have someone expose your weaknesses? This woman is a witch!” Loki is becoming very agitated.

“Sit down Loki,” says Odin. Loki looks at Odin and sees that Odin is serious, so he sits down. “This woman in your dream is not a witch, she is an apparition of your true love. All the men in our family experience this around the same age as you.”

“But I am not of your family. I am adopted, remember? How do you know this is not a witch trying to destroy me?” Loki expresses true fear in his voice.

“Loki,” Friga says, “This woman appeared in a beautiful field, she smiled, she is your true love. If it were a witch looking to destroy you, the dream would have been more dark, solemn, not beautiful.” She hugs, and kisses Loki then goes to sit down and continue eating her breakfast. Thor is smirking while looking at Loki and Odin is just shaking his head while he finishes his breakfast. Loki, on the other hand, looks traumatized and is scowling at Thor.

After breakfast, he and Thor are in the common grounds sparring against each other. “I do not understand how you mistook this dream for a night terror, Loki. I whole-heartedly enjoy dreaming of women,” Thor says to Loki, “Was she appeasing to your eyes?”

This question shocked Loki which through him off guard and Thor managed to toss him to the ground. Loki got up and dusted himself off. “She was not unpleasant to look at,” he says as he and Thor begin to battle again.

“That is what I mean Brother, you fear your weaknesses, but a good woman will protect you and help you become stronger,” Thor tells Loki, “And, if you are having this dream now, that means you both are ready to meet each other.” Thor stops to think for one second and Loki tosses him to the ground.

“You let your guard down Brother,” Loki says to Thor, “because you were thinking of a woman. Tell me again how this woman is to make me stronger when just the thought of one gave me the advantage over you?” Loki is looking at Thor with a grin and Thor responds with tackling and wrestling him to the ground.

“Do you give?” Thor asks.

“Never!” Loki answers. And this continues for a while until Loki gives.

At supper Odin informs Loki and Thor that they must go to Vanaheim as there are groups of warriors threatening the villagers. They leave at once.

Once on Vanaheim, they locate and destroy the threat. The help the villagers repair what’s been damaged and once they are almost finished, and elderly lady comes up to Loki and tells him that her daughter is missing. She ran after the warriors when they started destroying the village and she hasn’t been seen since.

“Please find her?” she asks Loki.

Loki shoots a saddened look towards Thor, then says, “Of course, I’ll search for her straight away.”

Thor nods at Loki before Loki turns towards the road the older lady was pointing towards and starts walking. He walked for about 30 minutes when he came upon a field on his right, full of flowers: pink roses, white lilies and purple lilacs. “Oh dear me,” Loki says out loud. In the middle of the field is a woman, the one from his "dreams." He begins his walk towards her and notices that she is sitting on a rock and looks like she is catching her breath. He also notices that there are warriors dead beside her.

“Are you alright?” Loki asks. The woman looks up and they catch each other’s eyes. Loki stops and needs to take a breath. He begins to feel vulnerable. His breathing deepens and quickens as she gets up and approaches him.

She stands in front of him and puts a hand on his cheek. “I am now. Thank you for asking.” She smiles while looking deep into Loki’s eyes. She says, “Hi, I’m Nicole.”

“Your mother is worried about you, I believe it is your mother. She said you chased after the warriors,” Loki says.

“Yes, that is my mother.”

“I should take you home, if you’ll permit me.”

“Yes, thank you.” They walked back to the village where her mother came running and hugged her, all the while thanking Loki.

Over the next couple of weeks, Loki spent lots of time on Vanaheim helping the village with repairs. (Y/N) was always around to help as well.

After a couple of weeks, Loki pulls Fandral aside to speak to him. “Fandral, I must ask you a favor, but it must be kept between us. Promise,” Loki says.

Fandral is curious so he nods and says, “I promise Loki. What is it?”

Loki looks around to make sure no one is listening then says, “Could you… I mean, would you teach me how to get a woman to notice you, to like you… never mind.”

Loki turns to walk away and Fandral grabs his arm and says, “Of course I will Loki. But it really isn’t that difficult. Women are complex creatures, true, however winning them over is quite simple…”

At this point Sif chimes in, “Really Fandral?” Both Fandral and Loki turn in horror to see Sif standing there, hands on her hips.

“Please, regal us on how winning women over is simple?” She stares at Fandral, waiting for a response. Loki and Fandral both stand there, jaws dropped, looking at each other.

“Loki, the reason Fandral is tongue-tied is because there is no simple formula to win a woman over. He may think there is, but there is not.” Sif suddenly turns to face Loki and with surprise in her voice says, “Loki. Why are you asking for advice on picking up women? Are you smitten? Who is she?” Sif is talking faster as she gets more excited at the fact that Loki might be falling for someone.

“No, Sif, I was merely inquiring for.. a friend,” Loki says and to which both Sif and Fandrall burst out laughing and look at each other.

They both say at the same time, “For a friend!” At this point Thor comes in and asks what all the laughter is about and as Sif tells him Loki gets up and heads for the door.

Thor runs over and stops him, “Come on Loki, they jest in good fun. Is this about Nicole? I wondered why you’ve been to Vanaheim so often these past couple of weeks.”

“She has a name?!?” says Sif, she runs over and jokingly slaps his arm. “You must tell us about her”

“No, no. I am not in love with her,” Loki says. Thor responds with, “No one said anything about love. Smitten was the word used Brother.”

Sif takes Loki by both shoulders and turns him towards her and says, “In all seriousness Loki, if you are smitten with this woman, ask her to take a drink with you. Spend time with her, if she enjoys your company and spends time with you, then you know she is also smitten. Just go for it.”