When Loki woke, Madisyn was still asleep. Smiling, he caressed her face. This is better than I imagined, he thought. Not only do I get a beautiful bride, but one who likes me! Oh, what a queen she will make! He then had a fantasy of himself sitting on a throne, overlooking Ohio in its natural mischief state, a smaller throne beside him, occupied by Madisyn, dressed in a green and gold gown, a jeweled crown on her head. She would look so radiant.

Madisyn stirred as she started waking up. Loki retracted his hand and shut his eyes.

When she gained consciousness, the first thing she saw was the Frost Giant's face, supposedly asleep. She saw that his body had curled around her. She slowly tried to get off the cloud without waking him, but the Frost Giant decided to have some fun and used his arms to pull her closer.

Madisyn was trapped. She considered waking Loki, but she did not want to be rude. Besides, his body was soft against her back. So she had no other choice but to make herself comfortable. As she did this, she heard a low chuckle. She turned to the Frost Giant, who opened his eyes suddenly.

"Good morning!"

She let out a shriek and jumped out of his hold. He only laughed harder.

"Did you sleep well, my dear?"

Madisyn relaxed and replied, "Yes."

"No nightmares?"

"No...actually, I haven't slept that well in years."

She did have a dream involving the Frost Giant however, but kept this to herself.

"Splendid!"

He then summoned a plate of chocolate muffins for them to eat. As she took one, she thought of her marcher friend, Frisk.

"I was thinking," Loki said while chewing, "maybe we could do something together, like ice skating."

Madisyn choked on her muffin. "Ice skating?"

"Sure. It's fun! Or would you prefer something else?"

"N-no...ice skating would be...nice. It's just that I have to feed the animals..."

He snapped his fingers. "All taken care of."

"What's the hurry?"

"I just really want to go skating."

She did not know how to tell him. He just looked so excited at the idea that she did not want to disappoint him, as if she had not disappointed him enough already. She did not love him, but the least she could do was offer her friendship, and being his friend meant making compromises.

When they were done eating, he teleported them to the pond and froze it over. He then made a mismatched skating outfit complete with skates appear on his body and a sparkling red dress on Madisyn's. She also had skates on her two feet and her hair tied up.

"Why red?" she asked.

"I thought it would look good on you," Loki smirked. "And I was right. Now come on! This ice isn't going to skate itself!"

As he began twirling on the frozen pond, Madisyn looked down at it unsurely. She took a step onto the ice and tried to balance herself, but fell over after putting all both feet on the ice.

"Help?" she squeaked.

Seeing her plight, Loki glided over to her. He gently lifted her back onto her feet. She hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry," she uttered.

"For what?" Loki asked, scratching his head. "Everybody trips every now and then."

"It's not that. It's..."

"What? What's wrong?"

"You see, I don't..." The rest was inaudible.

"Come again?"

"I don't..." She trailed off again.

He leaned in closer, cupping his ear in his hand. "Didn't quite hear you."

"I...I..."

He lifted her chin. "Come now, Madisyn. You can tell me anything."

She stared into his eyes for a while and then took a deep breath. "I don't know how to skate!"

He scoffed. "Oh, is that all? Why didn't you say so?"

"You're...you're not mad?"

"That you don't know how to skate? Don't be silly! That means I have the honor of teaching you! Oh, that is," he bowed dramatically, "if you would give me that honor."

She perked up. "Oh, that would be lovely!"

Loki tenderly took her arms and then moved behind her.

"Okay, so basically what you're doing is walking on ice. Take a step forward and..."

He stopped as she let out a cry. She had tried to do what he had said only to have her feet wobble, causing her to trip. Because she was in his arms, he caught her quickly. He then set her down on two feet.

"Maybe I should show you first." He skated in front of her. "Try it like this." He glided on one foot and said rhythmically, "One, two, three," and then switched to the other foot, "one, two, three... See? Now you try."

Madisyn tried to step forward again, only to lose her balance again. Loki caught her immediately.

"Okay, in your case, you need to glide with one foot at a time. Let's see, um...try starting with your left leg then your right leg. That will help keep your balance. Don't worry if you fall. I promise I'll catch you."

Madisyn gulped and followed his instructions, counting aloud, "One, two, three...one, two, three..."

"That's it!" Loki exclaimed. "Keep going!"

With every glide, Madisyn became more confident. Her terror returned, however, as she drew near the edge of the pond.

"Loki!" she cried. "How do I stop?!"

"Oh dear," Loki muttered. "Point your ice inward!"

"What ice?!" The edge was fast approaching. "At least tell me how to turn!"

"Simply turn your feet!"

She tried to do this, but the blades got tangled in her dress. Loki slapped himself in the forehead.

"Oh for the love of... Hold on, I'm coming!"

Madisyn shut her eyes and prepared for impact. Instead, she felt herself being lifted into the air. She opened her eyes to see that Loki was holding her above his head.

"You know what?" he said with a smirk. "I like it better when we do it together."

He set her down again, this time, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

"Now, to speed up, you keep your legs parallel to each other. To slow down, you point your feet slightly inward. Think of it like...French fries and pizza! French fries to go faster, pizza to slow down!"

It took her a while to see what he meant. If the blades were straight, like French fries, she would glide faster. If they made a sort of triangular shape, like a pizza, she would eventually slow to a stop. He then warned her not to rub the toes of the skates together, otherwise she would trip. Soon, she was skating with ease. She let out a yelp as he suddenly picked her up again and spun her around.

They skated together for a long time. Loki showed her a few tricks, but she only attempted those she did with him. At one point, she tried to spin, only to fall backward. Loki summoned up a snow bank for her to collapse into. Thanks to this, she landed softly. The Frost Giant laughed and fell next to her.

"You're brilliant, my dear!" he exclaimed, ruffling her hair. "A little rough around the edges, but brilliant, nonetheless!"

She blushed. "Thank you! That was so much fun! Cwryen always told me skating was fun. If only she..."

She trailed off as her mind returned to her friends. Loki saw her smile disappear and clenched his teeth. Oh, not this again! He then spread his arms and legs out and moved them up and down against the snow.

"Look!" he said, getting up. "A snow angel!"

Madisyn stood to take a look at his work. The figure was very distorted and looked nothing like an angel. Loki cringed at this, but said brightly:

"Well, angels are overrated."

They both giggled as they went back to skating.

The next few days went along smoothly. Now that Madisyn was no longer afraid of Loki, the two could spend time more easily. He would still give her time alone with her animals, though he would watch from afar. He also kept his routine of asking his question each night. Although Madisyn was beginning to like him, no romantic feelings were present, though she hated disappointing him so often.

Her mind would also wander to the friends she had left behind. She could barely look in her closet, for the clothes reminded her of Tatum. She could hardly read a book, for it reminded her of Vahl. The sight of an apple or sash would bring her to tears, and anything involving parties or desserts or the color red would cause her grief.

Loki took notice of this, as her smile wavered every time she thought of her friends. He would then do whatever he could to bring that smile back, to distract her from the fact that she was imprisoned here and would never see another human again. It would work for a little while but the sadness would always return.

One morning, she did not appear for breakfast. Loki assumed she was sleeping in and let it slide. When he passed by her room a few hours later, however, he heard sobbing. Concerned, he knocked on the door.

"Madisyn?"

The crying ceased, and in a cracked voice, she called, "Come in."

He peered inside to see Madisyn on her bed, her back to him. He could hear a few sniffs coming from her.

"Is everything alright, my dear?" he inquired, making a cautious step forward. "You weren't at breakfast."

"I...I'm fine," she choked, rubbing her eyes. "I just...wasn't hungry."

As he came round the bed, Madisyn tried to hide her tear streaked face, but he had already seen it.

"You've been crying," he stated.

Why was she still crying? He thought things had been going well between them. He had brought her animals, treated her respectfully, and yet she was still unhappy?

"No," Madisyn denied. "I...I'm fine, really."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and spun her around to face him. "Don't you lie to me! Drumline may not be your Element, but don't lie! I invented lying!"

She let out a small whimper. Loki then realized how loud that was and patted her head apologetically.

"Sorry." She turned away from him as he sat beside her. "Come now, my dear. Tell me what's wrong."

Still looking down, she slowly rotated her head in his direction. "You...you won't get mad?"

He tilted her head up with his hand and used his other hand to brush her hair out of her face. "I promise. Just tell me what's troubling you, my dear, so I may know how to make you happy again."

She stared into his eyes, seeing them filled with concern and kindness, a look she would never have expected from the God of Mischief. It was as if he truly cared for her and wanted to comfort her. He could not do that without knowing the truth.

"I miss my friends!" she blurted.

Loki's eyebrow twitched and his mouth twisted into a curvy line, not sure how to respond. "Are you...are you not happy here?"

"No!" she insisted, placing her hand on his hand. "No, it's not that! You've been so kind and I appreciate it, but..." She looked away, afraid of how he would react, but she had to say it. "You said you would do anything to make me happy."

"I did," Loki muttered guiltily.

"Then let me see my friends. Please? Just for a moment?"

She looked up at him with pleading eyes, filling up with another set of tears. He could not bear to see her so miserable, but he could not give her what she desired. If he let her go, even for a moment, she could take the opportunity to escape. No, she knew better than that and that he would bring her back. Her friends, however, could try and take her away from him or worse, convince her to use the Elements of Pride against him. She was his only friend, and his intended queen. He could not lose her.

Yet he could not disappoint her either. If only there was a way to grant her wish without the risk of losing her. Then it struck him.

"Very well, my dear. I shall lift your sorrows."

A glimmer of hope appeared on her face. "You mean you'll let me see my friends?"

He cringed. "Well...sort of."

Loki snapped his fingers and a mirror materialized in his hand. "This is a magic mirror. Tell it what you want to see, and it will show it to you."

Madisyn frowned as he placed the mirror in her hands. "Oh, I...I thought..."

"This way, you can see your friends whenever you like without disturbing them! Oh, don't think you'll be intruding. They won't know. Try it out."

"Oh, okay. I'd like to see my friends please."

She waited, but there was nothing in the mirror but her own reflection.

"You'll have to be more specific," Loki explained.

"Oh, um...show me Alyssa?"

The image blurred and soon her cowgirl friend was before her, preparing a pie in her kitchen. It lifted her spirits to see her.

"Thank you," she said softly.

He watched her face expectantly. Come on, my dear, give a smile! The one he got was hesitant and unsure, but it was a smile nonetheless. At least she had stopped crying.

"You're very welcome," he chimed. "Now, you up for breakfast?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Then I'll leave you to your business then. Will you come to lunch later?"

"Yes, thank you."

He grinned, taking one last look at her before shutting the door. Madisyn repositioned herself on the bed and leaned back against her pillow as she watched the scene in the mirror. Alyssa was slicing apples for her pie. Boise was standing there beside her.

"You sure you don't want me to help?" he asked.

Alyssa cringed. "That's mighty nice of ya, Boise, but last time you helped me bake a pie..."

"Come on, it wasn't that bad! Tatum liked it..."

"Yeah... Speakin' of which, shouldn't ya be helpin' her with somethin'? Not that I don't appreciate ya bein' here, but...ya know, since you and Tatum..."

Her face was becoming all pinched at the mention of Boise's crush on Tatum.

"Oh, right," the dog mumbled, crossing his paws as he slumped to the floor. "About that...you remember Logun Sims?"

"That hoity toity friend of Tatum's from Columbus?"

"No, not Hoity Toity. Logun Sims," Boise said with disdain.

"Yeah, I remember. He was the only one of them Columbus folk who didn't insult our 'country ways.'"

"Well, he's here in Newark to visit Tatum."

"Really? That's mighty nice of him." She looked down at the dog. "Does his being here bother you, Boise?"

"Tatum's been spending a lot more time with him. They had three dances at the Gala last week! And Tatum...talks about him a lot..."

"Ya think they might be courtin'?"

"No, I think they might be dating."

"Gee, I'm sorry to hear that, Boise."

Madisyn could see that Alyssa was trying to hide a smile, as if she knew such an expression would be inappropriate.

"Some things just aren't meant to be."

"Easy for you to say," the dog murmured. "You don't know what it's like to care for someone who doesn't return your feelings!"

"You'd be surprised," Alyssa mumbled.

"But still...I really thought...I mean she kissed me a few times and called me 'Boisey-Woisey.' I slaved away, doing everything I could to please her, and to think all this time she was leading me on!"

"I'm sure she didn't mean it like that, Sugar Cube. She probably just didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"You think so?"

"I know Tatum. She may not show it sometimes, but she is sensitive on how others feel."

When she was done preparing the pie, she put it in the oven. "Hey, if ya wanna get your mind off Tatum, how 'bout ya come with me to Columbus tomorrow when I take these pies to the orphans?"

Boise perked up. "Really?"

"There are gonna be a lot of pies. I'll need a few extra hands, err, paws."

"I think it's great that you're always helping those orphans."

Alyssa blushed. "Well, since I'm an orphan myself, I feel it's my duty. Those boys and girls don't have humans like Liberty Iler to take care of 'em. Until they do, we gotta make 'em happy."

"I never knew my parents," Boise said, looking down at his paws.

"But you've got Vahl." She chuckled slightly. "I guess that's somethin' else we have in common."

"What's the other thing?"

"A love for hard work."

Madisyn now understood what Alyssa was going through and was happy for her, yet a little sad for Boise.

"Hey Alyssa, do you think...Madisyn's okay?"

The marcher's smile vanished.

"I...I think so," Alyssa said weakly. "Frea said she'll be okay, and...she can take care of herself..."

"You think he's married her by now?"

"I...I don't know..."

Madisyn figured she should see what was going on between Tatum and Logun Sims.

"Show me Tatum please," she said to the mirror.

The scene shifted to the café in Newark. The couple she had requested for was sitting at a table, looking at the menus.

"What do you think of Newark, Logun Sims?" Tatum asked her companion with slight nervousness.

The male glanced around. "I find it charmingly rustic."

The female breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you think so."

The waiter approached the table. "Have you made your selection?"

"What would you recommend, my dear?" Logun Sims inquired Tatum.

"Oh, the salad is simply divine!"

"In that case, two orders!"

Madisyn could not tell if they were courting, but they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then Logun Sims asked a question that put a hole in the mirth.

"Now what's this I hear about your friend being engaged to the God of Mischief?"

Tatum's and Madisyn's faces carried equal expressions at that moment.

"Yes, well..." the human stammered. "You see...Loki wanted a bride and Madisyn took the offer."

"How very brave of her."

"Oh, but it's been just terrible without her! She often takes Annie to get her groomed, and oh, the cat has been especially fussy lately. I would have gone instead of her, but Snow White....I just couldn't leave her..."

Madisyn could listen no longer and decided to check on Nichole Price. Her oldest friend was hovering with a male marcher she did not recognize. He had a light tan skin, brown eyes and brown hair. His cutie mark was a lightning bolt with music.

"So Chris." Nichole said, "where are we going, exactly?"

Now she remembered. He was in the Pride of Newark. He looked different without his uniform.

"Someplace I thought you might like," Chris replied cheerfully.

The clouds parted to reveal a floating hockey field, with two hovering goals facing each other and a puck flying between the two marchers playing with sticks in their hands. Several other marchers watched from the sidelines while one of them operated a scoreboard.

"Air hockey?" Nichole questioned. "This is your idea of a first date?"

"I was going to take you on a romantic picnic in the sky," Chris explained, "but you didn't strike me as the romantic type."

"You're right," she giggled. "I'm not. Wait. What type did I strike you as?"

"You seem like the adventurous, outgoing type, kind of like Harry Potter."

Nichole gasped. "You read Harry Potter?!"

"I've read the whole series!"

She looked like she didn't believe him. "Which one's your favorite?"

"The first one: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

"Who was the villain?"

"Voldemort."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's just play some hockey."

Madisyn watched as the two went head to head. She rooted for Nichole Price, even though she could not hear her. Her cheers became loud and crazy when Nichole scored the winning goal. Chris was very impressed.

After calling a good game, the couple watched as the next two played.

"Thanks for taking me here," Nichole said. "This is awesome!"

"I'll say!" Chris exclaimed. "You've got some awesome game! I'm not even embarrassed at the fact that I just got beaten by a girl!"

She laughed and then sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just...I wish Madisyn was here to cheer me on."

Madisyn was about to tear up again and asked to see Cwryen Caster. She was at Sugar Cube Corner, throwing a party. Apparently, it was Frisk's birthday. Madisyn smiled to know that Cwryen was in her usual spirits. But as the energetic human served the cake, tears suddenly filled her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Frisk asked.

Cwryen stared at the butter cream frosting. It took a second for Madisyn to realize that it was the same color as her hair.

"I...I miss Madisyn!" she wailed before the waterfall erupted.

Madisyn quickly asked for Vahl. The dark elf was in the Newark library. Madisyn wondered why she was there and not in Columbus. She had a book open in front of her, but she was barely looking at it.

"Oh, Madisyn," she said, sighing heavily. "Things haven't been the same without you. I can't help but blame myself. I hope...I hope that...whatever you're going through...you're okay. I miss you."

The marcher sniffed. "I miss you too, Vahl. I miss all of you."

She then set the mirror face down and buried her face in her pillow.

Meanwhile, Loki lay sprawled upon his bed as it hung on the ceiling. In his own mirror, he had been watching Madisyn watch her friends, but had muted it so not to invade her privacy too much. As she started weeping again, he pounded his fist on the bed.

"Come on!" he exclaimed.

He had tried so hard to make her happy, only to have her sad again. He did not understand it. He had taken the nord's advice, he had swallowed his pride to please her, and still, she was unhappy!

His reflection then appeared in the mirror, laughing at Madisyn's image.

"How wonderful!" it chimed. "And here I thought you had gone soft, but you still manage to bring misery to humans!"

"Shut up!" Loki yelled, throwing a pillow at the mirror.

The reflection dodged it and Madisyn's image rippled as the pillow made contact.

"Don't tell me you're sympathizing with this girl! Can't you see she's nothing but a whiny crybaby?"

The mirage ducked as another pillow was tossed.

"How dare you insult the woman I intend to make my queen?!" Loki hollered.

His reflection laughed. "That wimpy marcher, your queen?!"

The Frost Giant flew over and glared at his mirror image directly in the eye. "You call her that one more time and it's the junkyard for you! Understand?!"

"Ha! You think getting rid of this mirror will make me go away? Don't you see, old friend? I'm never going away! No matter how soft you try to be, no matter how many 'friends' you believe yourself to have, you will always be the God of Mischief!"

Loki punched his hand in the mirror, letting out a furious cry. He then saw his reflection, distorted from the cracked glass. It was true. He was the God of Mischief. How could he think he could make somebody happy, when it was in his nature to cause suffering?

He shielded his eyes from the horrifying image and sank to the floor. He did not hear the door open, or the dainty stepping of feet. It was the light touch on his head that broke him out of his trance.

"Loki?"

He looked up suddenly and saw the lovely marcher standing before him. He quickly faked a smile.

"Oh, hello there, Madisyn! What can I do for you, my dear?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I think the question is what can I do for you?"

He turned away. "Don't be silly, my dear. Your happiness is much more important than mine."

She walked up to him and put a hand on his hand. He glanced down at it, as a knot formed in his stomach. She knew something was wrong, but did not question it, for she had already guessed.

"I know why you wanted a bride," she stated.

He bit his lip. "Um...I was bored?"

"You're lonely."

Loki scoffed. "What?! Don't be ridiculous! I'm the God of Mischief!" He glanced at her nervously. "Why would I be lonely?"

"A thousand years, and you've never had one friend. Anybody would be lonely under those circumstances."

He looked away sadly. "I'm not a human."

"That shouldn't matter. All creatures have feelings."

"Don't waste your pity on me. I'm not one of your fuzzy critters."

He met her eyes, and his heart tumbled inside his chest. He wondered if it was that Stare of hers, but no, this was something more powerful and probably unintentional. It was a look no one had given him before: a look of sympathy.

He sighed. He could not lie anymore.

"I will admit it is nice to have somebody to talk to. And..." He cupped her face in his hand. "I'm glad it was you who came."

She gave him a warm smile. "I'm kind of glad too."

"Although," he turned away, stroking his chin, "I think I would have preferred Cwryen Caster."

Madisyn was shocked. "W-what?"

"Well, she does like my chocolate rain. Or maybe Auer, you know? He is closer to my size. Maybe even Vahl..."

"B-b-but..."

"Got ya, didn't I?" he laughed, ruffling her hair. "I'm kidding! You should have seen the look on your face! You were so jealous!"

"I...I was not jealous," she stammered.

"Oh really? What if I told you I was exchanging you for another girl?"

"Well, you wouldn't...I mean, I..."

"See? Jealous!" He picked her up. "Don't worry, my dear. You're the only girl for me."

Madisyn was struck dumb as he suddenly pulled her into a hug. She did not mind the gesture, though it surprised her. It was that last sentence that had caused her speechlessness. He had said it so cheerfully, yet not in a joking manner. And the way he was holding her now, so tight and yet so gentle, as if he neither wanted to crush her nor let her go, as if she were something precious. As he did this, she could not help but feel...safe, as if he would not let anything bad happen to her.

Loki seemed to think nothing odd of the action, though he was hesitant in pulling away. Madisyn could have sworn he had a dreamy look in his eyes as he stared at her.

"Well, I'm hungry!" he said suddenly. "Why don't we have lunch outside?"

"S-sure," she stuttered. "Just...give me a moment to get ready."

His eyes glinted with excitement as he set her down. "Wonderful! I'll be waiting outside! Don't be too long, my dear!"

As he teleported out of the room, Madisyn stood there, trying to process what had just happened. Her heart was racing at a speed that would challenge Nichole Price, something she did not think possible. Her face was so hot, she was sure it had turned red. And it was all because of how Loki had held her.

"Oh dear."