) Loki's POV (

I was undergoing torture again, at the hands of that mad titan. Many nights it would be like this, trapped in memories of only pain, but I often forget I'm even asleep. The only sound is his laughing and my silent screaming, the crack of a whip or belt, or the sound of knife and bludgeon meeting flesh.

It hurt so much, and it hurt even more when he reminded me I had no real family anymore, for who would love a god of lies?

Suddenly the pain and cruel laughter was gone, a soft voice filtering through the silence, as a smooth melodic honey. I was in a field, a cat sitting in front of me.

"I can name a person or two," it said, "That love the god of lies."

"Oh really?" I raised a brow and crossed my arms, "What would a cat know?"

It gave a throaty chuckle I now deciphered as male, "Not a cat, try Alfiq, like all Khajiit they're quite unique."

"A- a what? You speak nonsense what is a Khajiit, or an Alfiq?l

He laughed, "The second merely a form of the first, and one of the first is one who enjoys your presence." He stood and lazily walked in a circle, "I've been popping in every now and then, since curiosity killed the cat, and I must admit it's a bit complex in here. You'll be a good match for her."

"For who?" I questioned, "A good match for who?"

It smiled widely and batted at a butterfly, which seemed to be made of real butter, "Why the one who loves you 'course. Not that she quite knows." It chuckled and looked at the sky, which upon looking had two moons and not just one, "Ah, Jone and Jode, Masser and Secunda, both nearly full. She'll be happy that day, and her sibling too. Eat the moonsugar, enjoy yourself. Everything is as it seems, except the many times it's not."

I raised a brow, growing irritated, "Can I get a name?"

"Oh I'm sure you could, but where's the fun in that? The search?" It suddenly was sitting down, eating a bit of cheese delicately, "But you know her, but not really. Although she understands you a lot more than you'd think."

The cat suddenly stared at me, gaze steely, "Her life had many ups and downs, but mainly the bedrock. She's been through more than you could imagine at the moment, and understands your troubles more than you'd think. Hurt her like those before you, and it'll be the worst mistake you ever made." He grew happy again, "But Mara says it'll be fine, so I'm not too worried. Mara already hates the others for her past, and her future."

He laughed, "I can give you a hint though, you've known her for a little while dancing in the rain, and she's right beside you!" Looking around me, there was nobody.

I sat down with a sigh, "Must your riddles be so maddening?"

"Of course!" It said, with a cheshire grin, "Or it's not one worth figuring out."

The cat suddenly stood on two legs, and grabbed a small staff with open-mouthed faces at the top. Whether they were screaming or laughing, I have no idea.

"Well, got to run. Things to do, kingdom to run, cheese to eat. Adios!" He smiled sadistically and disappeared with a poof, and cheese wheels appearing in his place.

Suddenly the actual lyrics broke through, instead of just the voice. The song was unique, and I recognized it from somewhere recently, but my tired brain had given up. My vision began to turn gray with no dreams, the last picture being a girl with golden-blonde hair, gray cat ears, a fanged smile, and violet eyes.

The person, I know, was gone. But something about the song echoed around in my head the rest of the night, until a memory surfaced.

I was in front of Odin in his throne room, as but a mere child.

"Father," I asked.

"Yes Loki?"

"I will become king some day, so I will need a queen correct? Who should I choose?"

He chuckled, "My boy, I cannot tell you who to choose for a bride, but I can give you a hint, you both must be willing to protect the other, to give and not take, someone who would comfort you in the dark of life. And both of you ready to wait as long as needed." He stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Love is found in the strangest places."

I bowed, "Thank you father."

"Of course Loki. Now go play with your brother, he was looking for you."

It all faded to black again, and I woke up, opening my eyes to see it was morning, and something was on my covers. It was a necklace, gold with an emerald inlay. A note lay beside it, written in dark red, unfamiliar handwriting.

Hey, it said, You saw something last night, something bad. You experienced pain, I could tell. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but there's always ears to listen if you need them. This necklace should help give better dreams more often, just wear it to sleep.

kiz jer tosuv ja'fith khaja, kha'jay

(May you find warm sands, Moon)

I was skeptical, but no reason not to wear it. Although that ending...why couldn't I recognize the language? I must go to the library later, and double check books on any dead languages.

I slip it on and manifest new clothes, hiding the pendant underneath them. I strode out, wishing to talk to Moon. Why does she keep eating so little? It's not good for her, and call me crazy, but I'm concerned about her for some reason.

I walked down to her room, waiting a moment before knocking lightly. The door gently opened, and I could see Moon asleep on her bed. She looked cute, innocent almost, with her pale skin half-covered by her hair, and light snores. Until that is, she began to twitch and thrash, quiet sobs racking her body.

Unsure what to do I asked, "FRIDAY? Where is her sister? Or brother?"

"Out in the city, it will be approximately an hour before they return, would you like me to notify Boss of her condition?"

I debated for a moment, "No," I decided, "Don't bother them, I'll take care of it."

Stepping forward, I tried to shake her awake, to no avail. I narrowed my eyes, and placed two fingers on her forehead, getting sucked into her dream. She wouldn't be able to see me unless I wanted her to, but maybe I can figure out what happening, and wake her up from the inside.

It was like she was in a memory again, except she knew exactly what would happen.

She was riding a black horse with glowing red eyes, shooting bolts of fire, ice, and electricity at people in medieval armor, who were trying to get to her with swords, maces, and arrows.

Every bolt she threw met it's mark, but how she was making them I had no idea. I noticed a tail trailing behind her, what? She seemed panicked, and was racing toward an old man next to a cave, who was flinging destructive magic at the enemies.

"FESTUS GET OUT OF HERE!" Moon screamed, and in the next moment his body and red-and-black mage-like robes was pierced with a dozen arrows, and fire engulfed his body.

"YOL TUUL SHUL!" She screamed, words echoing around the clearing, and fire sprang from her mouth like breath, engulfing the attackers and killing them.

She quickly dismounted and ran toward the cave, where just inside was a black door decorated with a skull and crimson handprint.

"Silence, My brother." She cracked out, pounding the door open, "Now let me inside!"

Moon entered and ran down stairs, where the firsts of a fire was forming. Emerging from a room is a humanoid lizard, body slightly charred and only wearing a loincloth, as if any armor was looted off, and blade marks across his body.

"Nonono, VEEZARA WAKE UP!" She shook it, but the body didn't even twitch. She brought her hands under her hood and wiped away what I assume were tears.

Shaking her head, Moon went further down stairs to where there was flame everywhere, and an armored man with long grey hair, "Get out of here lambshank, before you burn!" He yelled, then threw off his attackers by turning into a wolf-like beast, before the people and the wolf died in a clash of blade and claw.

"No, Arnbjron! Not you too!" She suddenly perked, and gently tore a fistful of fur from the werewolf, placing it in a satchel around her neck, where I also saw lizard scales the same green as 'Veezara's'. Have I heard these names before?

Going through a doorway, she saw a gray-skinned person on a table, exhaling her last breath, and tossing a ring at Moon at the same time. Moon picked it up and slipped it in the satchel, "Goodbye Gabriella," She whispered, "You were like a sister, may you serve in the void." She then hurried up some stairs, to where a coughing man with a head wrap was fighting off attackers. Wait, I remember now. The names she was saying in the clearing, when lighting five candles. Was that a memorial to them?

After she helped him kill the opponents, He turned to her, "So you are alive. I was starting to wonder."

"Nazir! The Emperor..." Moon panicked, "it was all a trap. Someone set us up."

"Considering most of us are now dead, I assumed as much. And before you ask, no - I don't think it was you." She flinched slightly and he continued, "Well, maybe I did, but you saving my sorry hide just now sort of erased any doubts. So thanks."

"We need to get out of here!" She cried.

"You've got that right." He coughed, "Only a matter of time before we're roasted alive. Come on!" He ran off through the cave, "Look for a way out! We are not going to burn to death in our own damned Sanctuary!"

She nodded and ran after him, only to slow after a moment, and a voice was heard, raspy and female. I couldn't make out the words, but she nodded, ran in another direction, and I followed, watching as the doors of a coffin opened of their own accord.

I wrinkled my nose, a well-preserved corpse standing in the coffin. Much to my appall, Moon walked forward into it, standing inside and the doors swung closed.

It faded to black, and then she was kneeling beside a charred woman, with a sinister-feeling knife laying beside her.

The woman said something and a few tears hit the near-corpse, as Moon picked up the dagger and stabbed it straight into the woman's heart. She then scattered purple petals on the now-still body.

"I'm sorry Astrid," Moon whispered, "May Sithis and the Night Mother forgive you." Sithis? The Night Mother?

The scene changed again.

This time we were in a large building, and despite it being a dream, I could feel the surplus of magic bouncing off the walls, especially from the floating orb in the center. A moment passed, and an explosion of magic came from it, and the man who was aiming some kind of beam at it.

Moon had been running from the beginning, trying to get in front of a gray-skinned man while trying to guide others in odd outfits outside the room.

But she was too late. Mere moments later, the scene changed again, and she was wearing the same kind of robes as the man. Moon was standing in front of a cliffside grave, a few ashes being dropped onto it.

The stone said;

Savos Aren, a beloved Headmaster and Archmage, a beloved mentor, and an honorary father. Rest In Peace. May you find, The hand writing changed with every few words, honor, magic, Sovengarde, Warm Sands, and The Stars.

Moon dropped a handful of snow and a red-and-white carnation on the grave. The only reason I could tell it was her because of the hood, as she now wore clothing quite similar to the grey-skinned man from before, the only person not in attendance. I reached forward and grabbed her shoulder, but she took no notice. People behind her did the same, including a humanoid cat, and a green-skinned man with two tusk-like bottom teeth.

"May the Stars welcome you Savos Aren, you were the closest I had to a father in a long, long time."

Again and again the pictures changed, showing different deaths.

Two adult humanoid cats getting slaughtered, along with others they travelled with. She was there with her sister I think, though far younger. This one seemed to hit her the hardest.

again.

She killed and shed a tear at the same time, a man in rags.

"You'll be with your sister now Narfi." She whispered.

again.

A man with pointy ears on his death bed, literally, one hand under her chin and the other resting on a ring she wore. She broke down as he breathed his last.

Again.

Again and again, until she came to the last scene. It was...me...

She was watching me die, sometimes her sister and a black-haired woman as well, hundreds of times over, all in different ways.

"No, please stop," she pleaded. "Why? What happened to make me deserve this? This darkened path of starless skies?"

I frowned, having had enough. She had seen so much death, even killed, how was that possible? I hadn't seen her face this entire time, but then her hood fell as I walked forward and grabbed her shoulder. She was one of those human cats, but a rather pretty one, delicate patterns on soft light grey fur, loose white-blonde hair falling down in waves.

The image however was ruined by the tear stained face, and the bloodshot eyes, which were such a muted blue they looked grey. Nonetheless, I pulled her into a hug. She must've noticed me this time, because she blindly grabbed back, crying into my shirt.

"So much death," she breathed, "Why does everyone die? Why am I...?"

"Shhh," I said, "Calm yourself, this isn't even real, whatever this is." I snapped my fingers, and we were transported to the same field from my last dream, the same cat wandering around. It smirked a moment before I was back in the real world, she was still clutching my shirt, almost as if it grounded her, but I couldn't find it in myself to care.

Instead I just ran my hand in comforting circles on the middle of her back, like Mother used to, waiting for her racking sobs to cease.

"So much death," she choked out, "So much death and I caused all of it! Why was it them? Why am I cursed to exist a moons-forsaken monster?"

I stiffened slightly. That last one hit too far home, I tended to find myself thinking that same question. I grabbed her face by the cheeks, and tilted it up to look at me. She squeaked when our eyes met and tried to pull away, but I held firm.

"L-Loki!" She blinked, "How much o-of that did you hear? Or see?"

I ignored the last question, "That death was not your fault Moon," I mentally shook my head, remembering that she did kill the man in rags. "None of it was your fault." I looked her firmly in her eyes, "You are not a monster, nor a murderer."

She flinched back violently, shaking, "Lies," she whispered, "All lies. I know exactly what I am, more monster than you'd ever know." I reached out for her, she was in no condition to be standing, but she recoiled again and rubbed her arms, speeding into her bathroom.

I sighed, teleporting to my room and slamming my head against the wall. What was wrong with me? Am I going soft? For a mortal, no less? My thoughts drifted to the different form she had taken on in her dream, that she seemed perfectly content in. Then again, perhaps she wasn't exactly mortal after all.

She wasn't midgardian, that's for sure, and she surely isn't like any of them. She doesn't give me a headache, and something heats up when I see her, almost as if something has put my heart in fast forward. Her skin was like mine, warm and cold at the same time, in a comforting balance. But was something the matter with her? When I first came to the tower, she was a bit more bold, wouldn't put up with anything she didn't like, but recently she's acting shy and secluded, a hermit crab in its shell.

I don't know what's even happening, I'll have to ask that oafish brother of mine.