Loki continued to spread his mischief across Ohio. He turned the railroads into red licorice, the buffalos into gymnasts, the trees into candy canes and the birds into oranges. The last one was thanks to Vahl Dragonborn. He then switched from night to day every few minutes so he could see his work. He saved Newark for last.

"Hmm, let's see," he murmured to himself as he hovered over the unsuspecting town. "What to do? What to do?"

He paused when he heard laughter. He glanced down and saw two humans having a picnic under a gazebo. He recognized them as Alyssa's older brother and the local school teacher. The man was wearing a bowtie and dinner jacket, while the woman was wearing a pretty pink dress. Loki perched himself on a cloud and watched.

"It was nice of you to plan a picnic, Andrew," said Martha.

"Yup," her date nodded.

The Frost Giant had to duck as she looked up at the sky. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

Andrew Spence looked in her direction. "Yup."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Come on, boy! You can say more words than that!"

Suddenly, a smaller version of himself with devil horns and a pitchfork appeared on his shoulder.

"What are you waiting for? They're having a lovely date. Ruin it!"

He nodded and snapped his fingers. Below, Andrew Spence let out a loud burp. He blushed in embarrassment.

"Pardon."

She's going to dump him now, the Frost Giant thought, chuckling to himself.

But instead, she giggled. "Someone's had too much champagne."

Loki was confused, but tried something else. As Martha took a sip of her drink, he snapped his fingers, causing her to spit the champagne into Andrew's face. Maybe he will dump her now!

Martha smiled awkwardly. "Sorry. Looks like I've had too much as well."

They stared at each other and both laughed. Loki was beginning to get annoyed. He summoned up a storm of cotton candy clouds and made them rain chocolate milk on the couple.

"Strange," Martha said. "There wasn't a cloud in the sky a minute ago."

She yelped as a bolt of lightning almost struck her. Her clothes and hair were getting drenched in chocolate milk. Andrew Spence ripped his jacket off and threw it over her shoulders. The two ran toward the barn and huddled inside with the farm animals.

Martha began taking off the jacket, but Andrew stopped her with his hand and shook his head.

"Thank you, Andrew," she said with a smile. She then glanced at the storm outside. "Wow, what dumb luck, huh?"

"Yup."

They laughed and rubbed their noses together. Loki slammed his hand on his cloud.

"I don't get it!" he shouted. "I humiliated them, made it rain on their picnic and they're still happy?!"

"Sickening, isn't it?" his shoulder devil gagged.

He stared down at the couple as they settled in an embrace and looked into each other's eyes. He let out a longing sigh. "Yeah. Sickening."

"You don't sound so convinced."

"Why do you suppose nobody's looked at us that way?"

"We're too magnificent for such sap!"

"Hey, why am I even talking to you when there are humans to hear me gloat?"

He kicked his small self away and steered the cloud towards Columbus.

Vahl paced around the throne room. "How could I have let this happen?"

"You've been asking yourself that for the past hour!" Boise complained. "This isn't your fault, Vahl."

"Yes, it is! Prince Auer trusted me with running the kingdom and look at what's happened because of that!"

"It's Loki's fault, darling," Tatum said. "Not yours."

"Yeah!" Cwryen Caster agreed. "It's his fault there're yummy delicious chocolate cats and dogs raining all over the place without a single dollop of whipped cream to be seen anywhere in sight!"

"Cwryen, isn't that chocolate all over your face?"

She used her tongue to lick away the incriminating substance. "Nope."

Tatum rolled her eyes and turned to Madisyn. "You were right all along, sweetie. I'm sorry we didn't listen to you."

"It's alright," Madisyn assured them.

Nichole and Alyssa entered the throne room.

"Okay," the latter said. "All the orphans are safe underground. The palace servants are bringin' cakes to calm 'em down."

Mirrak Mora reappeared behind them. "It's not looking good out there, girls. The streets have been turned to lard. We already have twelve humans hospitalized, and that's just from slipping on the street! Don't get me started on how many are getting hit over the head by the chocolate cats and dogs!"

"We gotta stop that big bully!" Regina Mills exclaimed.

"I know," Vahl said, "but we can't use the Elements of Pride without my magic."

"What if Madisyn gives Loki that Stare of hers?"Lydia suggested.

"I don't know if that'll work on him," Madisyn said quietly. She was still shocked from the experience of being in his arms.

"It worked on a wizard, didn't it?" said Snow White.

"I say we give him a good punch in the face!" Nichole shouted.

"And what good would that do?" Alyssa inquired. "Even if you did manage to hurt him, he could just heal himself with his magic. Vahl, what do you think we should do?"

The princess buried her face in her hands. "I don't know! I just don't know!"

Everybody gasped as a familiar laugh echoed throughout the room. "Giving up so soon, Vahl Dragonborn? That's oddly out of character for you."

"Show yourself, coward!" Mirrak Mora demanded. "If you don't give me back my wife, I'll...!"

"You'll what, Princie? How come you didn't get a crown like your sister?"

"Knock it off!" Nichole shouted, putting up her hands. "Come out and fight, you chicken!"

She jumped as Loki tapped her on the back.

"Chicken, huh?" He looked at his hand. "You might be partially right about that."

Nichole grounded her teeth together and charged at him. Loki teleported himself to the other side of the room, allowing the marcher to crash into a window. Fortunately, the stain glass was strong and did not shatter.

"Dear, dear, Nichole Price," Loki said, shaking his head. "Must it always be violence with you?"

Vahl stood defiantly and stomped her feet. "Enough of your gloating, Loki!"

"Who's gloating? I'm mocking! But if gloating's what you want..." He snapped his fingers and turned the floor into wax, causing everybody to slip. "Look at how helpful I am! I've waxed the floor for you!"

"What is with you and trippin' humans?" Alyssa demanded.

"Cut it out, ya big bully!" Regina Mills hollered.

"Yeah!" Snow White and Lydia shouted in agreement.

The Frost Giant stooped to their level. "Bully? Oh, that's coming from the human who bullied her own cousin!"

"Hey!" Alyssa attempted to get up, but slipped again. "You leave my sister and her friends alone!"

"Friends? Hmm, interesting choice of words, considering it was their quarrel that got me out of that ice block in the first place!"

"W-what?" Snow White stuttered.

"Don't you remember your little class trip?"

"You mean...?" Lydia stammered. "You...you were the statue?"

He clapped his hands, which made a different sound every time. "Give the little human a prize! And let me thank the three of you! I would have never taken over Ohio without your help!"

Madisyn had had enough. She marched off the wax floor and into the giant's face.

"How dare you?! You think you can intimidate poor, defenseless children and get away with it?!"

Loki's eyes widened at her sudden boldness. "Excuse me?"

She poked his nose with her hand. "You best watch your step, buster, or I'll give you...the Stare!"

"The what?"

"Yeah!" Lydia cheered. "You're in for it now, buddy!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared," he said sarcastically.

Suddenly, Madisyn opened her eyes wide and it was like some beam shot out of them. Loki seemed locked in that gaze for a moment and then burst out laughing. Madisyn looked at her hands in surprise.

"But...that should have..."

She squeaked as he grabbed her and rubbed her hair playfully. "Oh, you're hilarious, my dear! Somebody's certainly gotten braver in the past few years."

"I warned you, punk!" Nichole cried, going in for the kill.

Loki teleported out of the way, dropping Madisyn in the process.

"Stop it, Loki!" Vahl commanded. "Why are you here?"

He appeared behind her. "I'm here to negotiate."

She turned to him. "Negotiate?"

"Listen, we all know you want harmony in your kingdom and your prince and princesses safe and yada, yada, yada; and I don't want to be turned back to ice. So...why don't we make a deal?"

"This isn't another one of your games, is it?" Nichole demanded.

"Ooh, I love games!" Cwryen Caster chimed.

"Gosh, no!" He summoned up a white flag. "I just want to talk!"

"What about?" Vahl asked suspiciously.

"You want me to stop wreaking havoc on Ohio. I simply want something in return."

"How about your life?"

"That was going to be one of the things..."

"You give us back the prince and princesses and turn everything back to normal or we'll..."

"Turn me back to ice?" He pointed to her head. "Can't do that without your magic!"

Angry, Mirrak Mora shot a beam at him. Loki dodged it by teleporting to the door in a huff.

"Typical of you humans! Here I come bearing the white flag and all you can think about is violence! Elements of Pride indeed!"

"Get out!" Nichole shouted.

"You're not wanted here!" Vahl bellowed.

Madisyn had been watching the entire scene with uncertainty. She did not trust Loki, but her friends were not giving him a chance to talk. With this in mind, she made a bold move and stood between Loki and her friends.

"Vahl!" she exclaimed. "I'm surprised at you! You of all people!"

"Madisyn," Vahl said slowly.

"Aren't you the one who says we should put reason before judgment? Loki may be an evil monster who doesn't deserve our trust..."

"I'm right here, you know!" the Frost Giant waved.

"But we should at least give him a chance to explain himself!"

Everyone was surprised at her action. Loki was the most confused, but the fact that she seemed to be defending him caused him to smile evilly.

"Well said, my dear."

She tensed as he teasingly stroked her hair. Frightened and frustrated, she swatted his hand away and walked to Vahl's side.

"You are right," her friend said, before turning to their enemy. "What are your demands, Loki?"

The Frost Giant grinned and floated leisurely onto his back. "The way I see it, you want three things from me: your magic, order in your land, and your prince and princesses. Actually, that last one counts for three, four if you include the unborn infant, but never mind that. Anyway, I simply want three things in return."

"My, my, my," said Tatum. "Aren't we needy?"

Vahl sighed. "What is it you want?"

"For your magic," Loki began, "you will have to make a promise never to use your Elements of Pride against me."

"What?!" Nichole exclaimed. "Why would we make a deal like that?"

"You want Princess Prissy to get her magic back, don't you?"

"It's a trick, I tell you!"

"Tell you what. If anybody fails to keep their end of the bargain, anything goes. Meaning if I go back on my promise, you may do with the Elements what you will."

The dark elf scowled, but remained calm. "And the other things?"

"If I were to release Ohio of my mischief, well, I would be quite bored. After all, it is in my nature to create mischief. All I'm asking is a teensy bit of land where I am free to spread my glorious mischief undisturbed."

Vahl nodded. "That might be possible."

"What about Anna?" Mirrak Mora demanded. "What will it take to get her back?"

"Give me a moment!" Loki said, tapping his chin.

"You mean you don't know?" Boise questioned.

"I'm thinking!"

And he was. He had considered the first two requests very carefully, but the third had him stumped. He had to make this last one good. He thought about what he would need in his new life. If he was to abandon his hostile takeover, what would he do then? Return to his empty cave and talk to copies of him? Even if he was allowed to continue his mischief, there was no point in it if he had no one to share it with, let alone show it to.

His mind then wandered to the couple he had encountered a few minutes earlier. The way they had held each other, talked to each other, looked at each other; he would never admit it aloud that he wanted that. Then it struck him.

"Well?" Vahl asked impatiently.

He grinned mischievously. "Okay, I know what I want now! Trust me. This is the best deal you're going to get! It's a three for one deal."

"Huh?" Cwryen Caster uttered.

"Alyssa, you're a sales human. You understand, don't you?"

"Uh," the southern human muttered. "Three for one means three for the price of one, but I don't..."

"Precisely! I will give you one male and two females for the price of one female! We'll call the unborn baby a bonus."

Silence fell on the humans. Vahl was the first to break it.

"What do you mean by the price of one female?"

Loki's grin widened. "What I'm asking for is a bride."

"A what?!"

He knocked her on the head. "Hello? Anybody in there? I said I want a bride in exchange for your prince and princesses."

"A bride?!" Tatum exclaimed. "What would you do with a bride?"

"I'd marry her of course. You know, spend eternity together, maybe have a few brats, err, kids..."

"You'd make a terrible dad!" Snow White cried.

"Oh, shut up."

He snapped his fingers and zipped the young princess' mouth closed. Her older sister gasped and opened the zipper with a glare.

"Explain your reasons behind this, Loki," Vahl said calmly.

"What?" he shrugged innocently. "Being a God of Mischief tends to be a lonely occupation."

"Whose fault is that?" Nichole Price mumbled.

"It's only natural that I would feel the need for companionship. Besides, if I'm going to retire, I might as well settle down and raise a family and blah, blah, blah."

"And," Vahl gulped, "this...bride...has to be a...human?"

"Yes, so don't try and trick me and give a snail or rabbit or something! Doesn't matter what human it is. I have no preferences, except one. She has to come willingly. That means no forcing, no bribing, and no swindling! She must come out of her own free will."

Tatum scoffed. "Who would be willing to marry you?!"

"I don't know. Any of you women interested?"

They all glared at him. Nicole stuck her tongue out.

"Nobody?" He looked over at the tan marcher. "What about you, Madisyn?"

She let out a small whimper. Before she could say anything, Vahl moved between them.

"Get out," she said between her teeth.

Loki shrugged. "I'm a reasonable God. Perhaps you need some time to think about it. There's a cave up in the mountains. When you want to talk, look for me there."

On that note, he vanished from the room.