You came to what felt like a long time later, though of course. "Easy. You've been unconscious for awhile," a female voice told you gently. You cracked your eyes open. It was so hard to get them to open or focus. You'd drained yourself so far by healing Loki. You were laying on a bed, but it wasn't your bed, in a suite that wasn't yours. You worked to sit up. It was so hard and your muscles trembled as you did. "Easy, my lady," the female voice repeated. You looked over to the side of the bed and saw a small woman standing there. "Drink this," she handed you a potion, obviously a healer by her demeanor. You drank the potion after probing its contents to make sure it was safe. It was a basic restorative draft. You downed it and three of its friends before you finally started to feel more like yourself.

You looked quickly around the room. It was a gorgeous suite, fancier than your suite at the tower. The bed you were on was huge and so soft and comfortable. Loki was laying on the other side, still with the manacles on his wrists and the collar around his neck though the chains connecting them were gone. At least he was safe and very not dead. You breathed a sigh of relief, even though he was still unconscious, and still healing. He was alive and he was safe.

"What's going on?" you asked her, finally able to think enough to form words.

"King Balder wishes for you to get well. He has granted you these rooms as your own. There is a servant outside your chambers for any requests you may have. Take one of these every hour," she indicated the collection of potions on the nightstand next to you. "And have your...consort take one of those as often," she indicated the potions on the nightstand by him.

"Thank you," you replied, bowing your head regally. You had picked up the gesture from Frigga. She scampered out of the suite as fast as she could. The second she was gone, you scrambled over to where Loki was laying to check on your Loki. "Loki?" you asked, checking him over with your healing gift. He was still injured, but not in immediate danger. Before you got to work on him, you went to the mirror in the bathroom. You needed to check your eyes. Jet black. Of course. You had brought Loki back from the brink of death. You had to be careful using any more magic. Really, you shouldn't use more magic, but you didn't have many options.

You sat next to Loki on the bed after you looked at your eyes and held his left hand in yours.

It was then that you looked at the soulbond marks on your arm. They were back in all of their colors up your left arm, though they seemed to be etched in deeper somehow. There was also a swirl of gray added to the green, black, blue, and gold that were the original colors. It was a reminder that the connection had been broken once. You weren't sure either of you could survive if it broke again. You looked at your other arm and was shocked to see the same swirling pattern of colors up your right arm. Those hadn't been there before. You'd have to ask Loki about it when he woke up.

You whispered the word of power that was supposed to flare the magic in the soulbond. It didn't work. The soulbond was too taxed keeping Loki alive to give you additional power now. You looked him over with your healing gift again and healed a couple of bones that hadn't gotten healed all the way during the initial healing and made sure his cuts were at least closed. That was the best you could do right then.

You reached up and touched his temples, focusing your breathing. You didn't use telepathy often, not like this. You dove carefully into his mind, apologizing silently for entering without permission. You searched and searched the empty chambers of his mind, looking for his self hiding within his mind. /Loki!/ you called. /Loki. It's safe now!/ you called to him. He was hiding. Hiding from the torture. You didn't blame him, it was the way for him to survive. You finally found the child-Loki hiding at the back of his mind, crying, huddled in a corner with his knees pulled to his chest. /Hello, Loki/ you greeted him, softly, gently. He looked up at you, shocked and confused, and just a little hopeful. You sat down on the ground in front of him. /We're safe now/ you told him warmly.

/Kat?/ he thought back at you, so lost and small and broken.

You nodded and opened your arms for him. /It's me. I'm here. I told you I would come find you/

/You came!/ His voice was so full of hope and childlike glee.

/Of course I came, my darling soulbond. I would never give up on you/

/Father would/ he replied sadly.

/Your father is a moron/ you replied dryly, making your tiny Loki laugh. /Are you ready to go back to your body now? It's safe and I'm there with you/

He shook his head and looked sad. /The rest of me is still lost. I don't know where he went/

You smiled gently, stood, and offered him a hand. /Shall we go look for him together?/ you asked. He jumped to his feet and took your hand. You smiled at him and set off to go find the broken pieces of his mind. You didn't know how long you walked and searched for, but little Loki was a ball of happiness now that he was safe and you were with him so you didn't mind walking with him. He bounced along beside you happily. He did get tired at one point, so you carried him on your back for awhile while you looked for other pieces of his mind.

You finally came across a blue-skinned Loki with red eyes and Jotun markings. The little Loki was scared of him, and clutched to your hand. /It's ok/ you told little Loki. /He's you too/. You smiled at the Jotun Loki. /Found you/ you told him brightly, glad to see him.

/You were looking for me? But I'm a monster/ he protested, horrified that anyone would be looking for me.

/Never to me. You're just another side of my soulbond, of my Loki/

He looked so hopeful, yet that fear was still there. /You are not scared of me?/

/Never, my love/ you held out your other hand to him. /Will you come with us to find the rest of you?/

He nodded gracefully. /I will come/ he replied.

You picked up little Loki on your back again, took Jotun Loki's hand, and you continued on the paths through his mind, looking for the rest of the pieces.

Little Loki cried when you found the next piece. You picked him up and handed him to Jotun Loki. /It's ok, little one. You don't have to be afraid/ you had seen this side of Loki only once before. You would have to tread carefully with him. This was the side that had been hurt too often by Odin's poor parenting and abuse. /Hello, darling/ you greeted him, gentling your voice.

/Mine/ He rushed over to you and wrapped his arms around you in a crushing hug.

/Always, love/ you replied with a smile. /You don't have to fear. I'm not leaving you. I came to find you/

/You brought them/ he snarled, glaring at the pieces of himself.

/They're you, silly trickster/ you laughed at him.

He softened a little, trusting you more than anything /Me?/

You gestured to the others. /Yes, you. We're looking together for the missing pieces of you. Will you help?/

/I will help you/ his tone focused on you. His everything was focused on you. That was fine.

You walked for awhile, and herding three Lokis was like herding cats. You were tempted to tell them all to stay and rope them in one place while you found the other pieces, but that would be mean. Tempting as it was.

There were two more Lokis to find. One was Frigga's son, the studious magician with his stack of books. You laughed at him and told him that Frigga wanted him to come home. He was ok to come with you after that.

The last was your Loki in the tuxedo he wore to the masquerade ball. /Hello, love. I've been looking for you/ you greeted him. He bowed and offered you a hand.

/Dance with me/ he bid gently.

/Loki, we have to get back to your body.../

/Surely we have time for one dance?/

/You are a creature made entirely of silliness/ you told him as you went to take your position for dancing with him.

/Mischief and chaos!/ they all protested. You sighed. All of these Lokis were just troublesome. Music started from somewhere and you danced with your Loki. The song was brief, but it was filled with joy and love.

/Will you come home now?/ you asked when the song was over.

They all looked confused.

/I don't know how to fix this/ the studious one finally said.

You smiled gently. /I do. Frigga taught me/ The hard part was over. They were all together. You said the words of the spell, of the healing magic, binding them back into one Loki, healing his mind and the bruised pieces of his soul. You felt your power flickering when you had finished. /Darling, I can't stay. Can you find your own way back from here?/

/Yes, love. Thank you/ he replied.

You rose from his mind back to your own body. You pulled him into your arms as he regained consciousness. You knew what would come next. Frigga had taught you that too. He clutched onto you, sobbing out the last of the soul wounds, sobbing all of his pain and fear and hopelessness out. You held him close and promised that you were there for him and that you'd be ok.

Somehow, you would make it out of this mess.