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𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒, 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒

"You've got it all wrong, Nik. The energy comes from the cosmos into the tree, not the other way around!" Pandora insisted to her best friend for the fifth time that morning. "Besides, mother was born before the Era of Stones, or Yggdrasil's spawning. She could be older than the galaxy itself! We should ask," A long pause followed with a flip of her hair and a chuckle before she continued, "Before dinner. She invited you over, you know? I'm sure that Mother would be open to any question you ask of her. You're her favorite of the village, after all."

While the teenager thought that this would push Klaus forward, it pulled his heart back into its usual anxieties from the idea of her mother. His mother was less than delighted with the idea that he was best friends with Pandora and showed no happiness when he offered to ask any question to the Great Mother she wanted answered. No, in fact, she'd chastised him for using this charm of his against her. Klaus didn't get dinner that night, not that he would have gotten much after picking a fight with Elijah anyways. Still, he was unsure about the questions he had running through his mind about the universe. The cosmos he could be invested in ended at the stars in his view during the twilight hours.

Grazing his hand against the dagger he'd been gifted on his sixteenth birthday, Klaus let out a long, drawn out sigh. Pandora turned her noble head back to face him as he ran his slender fingers along the backside of the finely crafted weapon he would have to give back, lest his father see it and use it against him during an argument. The whites of Pandora's eyes brightened as she took a seat beside Klaus, running her much smaller digits through his wavy dirty blonde hair.

"No thanks," Klaus tried to brush it off through a nonchalant tone, which Pandora didn't question as she laid her head on her friend's shoulder. The boy sighed and kissed her knuckles sweetly, sinking back into the affection. However, before he could get comfortable he heard bristling in the leaves on the other side of their side of the lake, making him take in a deep, anxious breath. Looking down at Pandora, he whispered, "Did you hear that?" Like usual, she let out a groan that said no, I didn't, you dullard. It did little to comfort the village boy, the opposite, in fact. He almost thought he could be going crazy, but remembered that Pandora would never hang out with a lunatic.

More sounds came from the path that guided the village people down to this lake. Whatever animal that was making these noises would have a bone to pick with the increasingly agitated Klaus, who wanted nothing more than to skin it alive with his fancy dagger. It's sharp movements became more noticeable as time went on, and by the first ten minutes it's noise heightened tenfold. At the fifteen minute mark Klaus had to get Pandora off of him so he could investigate, too annoyed and frightened by it to remain calm anymore.

"There's nothing peculiar, Niklaus," Pandora muttered under her breath as she saw her anxious friend make his way into the woods. Knowing that he would end up getting himself killed if she didn't come with, her feet meandered across the sandy shoreline of the lake and to her friend. His eyes gleamed with curiosity as they found themselves on the correct path. Knowing exactly what he was thinking she warned, "Don't you dare think about going off the road, Klaus, it's much too dangerous for us to do right before twilight."

Her precautions were not taken into account as Klaus shrugged her off, his feet moving into the brush of the forest behind the lake. Pandora let out an exasperated sigh and let herself follow him further away from the path. Before they got too far into the woods, she looked to the sky, seeing only a hint of sunlight. She wished that it were summer and that the sun lasted longer. When they'd first come to the lake it had seemed to be that the sun would set in over five hours. Well, they'd come only about two hours ago. Alas is the way of the winters, I suppose, Pandora let herself think as Klaus stubbed his toe against a wayward branch. He hissed in pain, but continued.

The past placements of her feet didn't matter as she muddled around the grimy, makeshift paths, hoping for some other way to quench her friend's curiosity. A way that didn't involve becoming one with the earth, poison ivy, and helpless roaches that squirmed away from us as she tried to use her skin as a torch in the dead of night. This quick nightfall did nothing to help them. Pandora's thoughts in this moment remained on whether or not she knew of any dangerous wolf packs in the area that would like to use her as some sort of sacrifice for their children's widening mouths.

"Come on, Nik, this isn't going to work. There can't be anyone out at this time of night! You must have heard some wild rabbit in the bushes, not a person," Pandora tried to reason as they veered off into the forest. Any further and it would take too long to get back to her mother. Oh, how she was frightened of her mother's reaction to them being late. House arrest would be in order! "Please, Mother will be furious with us both if we don't stay within village bounds. And we must be home soon, lest both of our mothers beat us over the head with a spoon."

"No, it will be the belt for me. Or a sword."

"That makes it much worse, you imbecile!" She whisper-yelled at him, hair glowing bright under the moonlight. Before Klaus could respond a haze brought itself over their vision, making them stop at once and try to discern what had just made its way across the path Klaus made with a stick. "Just the breeze, friend, just a breeze. This happens every winter. The solstice is coming, after all," she said to calm herself.

Klaus saw right through it. "Winter Solstice is not for three weeks and no, this never happens during the weeks prior!" His voice heightened to a small shout, which startled the young girl as she glowed brighter to make up for the approaching darkness. "Damn. We'll find a way out of here, Pandora, don't worry. But I'm wondering if someone could have drawn a veil over this area." His friend gave him an odd look and he sighed. "Magic. Mother told me about people doing this sort of magic when trying to get away from their enemies. She did it long ago when escaping Viking raids of her old village. It's the smell that's giving it away, I say. Smells like magic and is weird like magic. Just like your hair. No normal lights give off that red tint, right? Do you even know what I mean right now?"

"Yes, yes, I get what you mean, Klaus," she muttered quickly, pushing her long hair out of her pale face. "Just..." She whipped her head around to see a shimmer in the night. Then came a long pause from the two of them. Pandora was sure her friend saw the same thing as she, simply staying quiet about the discovery. A cold, bristling wind came forth from the shadows, followed by the glint of a knife. Klaus pushed his best friend back, terribly frightened by this. "Don't knock me back!" Pandora protested, "I can help myself, you know."

A vivid imagination didn't help Klaus here, who could only imagine the worst outcome in this situation. A dagger in one of their backs, chests, or hearts. While he knew Pandora could survive such an adventure, he's a mortal, bound by the world to live and to die. How immortality would be wonderous at a time like this. To be fearless in the eyes of any god, monster, wolf, or just a shadowy figure brandishing a knife at his side. Klaus instinctually brought forth a dagger of his own, praying the little thing would be enough to deter the invader of their village land.

But neither of them were ready for the supposed stranger to fall to the ground, stirring up the bats and wildlife in the trees, who decided that this was no show for them to watch. The man let out a clear grunt as he hit the floor below, the hiss sounding throughout the small patch of walkable forest. Pandora was the first one to see his face, her hair doing well to allow his features be workable by her emerald green eyes, the same color as his own. Black hair dropped behind his large sage overcoat as his pupils shrunk under the beaming light. She quickly observed the gold in his collared shirt and the finely crafted nature of his shoes, which were perfectly fitted to his feet.

No man she'd met could compare in terms of pure, radiating magical energy. For her entire life she'd thought herself and the Mikaelson lineage (plus Ayana) to be the only good mages in the area. Pandora herself still ranked infinitely more powerful than all of them combined, but even the smallest bit of magical aura charged her own tenfold, making their company appreciated. This man was the closest she'd seen to herself, albeit his magic felt far different than hers. When they clashed it felt like an icy winter met a roaring volcano. His thick presence pushed her magic to tighten around her and Klaus, protecting them from whatever this man could do to them with his wintery battalion.

"Midgardians," he murmured, his thin lips but a line on his face as he ducked his head back against a bush. "What may I do for you this fine evening?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Klaus deadpanned. The man let out a deep sigh before sitting himself up in his small but precious patch of land.

"Would you believe me if I told you the truth of my nature or are you going to take me back to your village and try to kill me no matter what I say?" The man asked, a sharp upturn to his voice near the end. Kill? Pandora thought to herself as his magic tried to silently communicate to hers that he was no harm. She sighed. Klaus was still unable to read the aura of a person's magic, find a way to make sure that the person he let into his home is a friend and not a foe. For now he thought himself a good judge of character with the non-magical people of our village, but Pandora thought of that to be a silly thing for him to claim. "I know you must be getting back home. It's late and I've sort of crash landed from my home," the man pointed to the sky, "up there. Pissed off the guard of the gate with my silver tongue and got myself thrown about fifty villages from where I wanted to be."

The story made complete sense... to lunatics. Pandora sensed the change in Klaus as he gathered his thoughts to make a snide remark about the lack of sanity in this young man. She would do none of this, but did think on why a man with such a good magical aura would have such a... stupid story for how he got near the village. In a few minutes she could have cooked up a better background than he. Not only that, but he hadn't even introduced himself and he was going off on some rant about homes up in the sky. The only place up in the sky were other planets, the only ones with people that look similar to humans being —

Asgard — A place in the sky with a guard that transported people throughout the Nine Realms (although there are many more than that).

And it's not like any Asgardian can find their way down on this planet. Only the royal family, Valkyries, and royal guard are allowed anywhere near Midgard. Pandora's thoughts were racing with the possibilities. This man did not look to be a warrior, preferring magic over anything by how well he'd been trained in the arts. Not a woman... The process of deduction left the newly blushing teenager to one conclusion — This man is Asgardian royalty. The idea brought redness to her cheeks and forced her completely out of her mortal form, now resembling an energy nymph more than anything else. Being in the presence of someone so high up made her want to run. In what new way would she make a fool of herself now?

"Klaus, this man is Asgardian," she went on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear, "He's magical and he's a man of power in the royal Asgardian court. Don't make a fool of yourself, since you're a mortal of Midgard and don't have much power." Of course she didn't say it to be rude, simply plain and honest with the sort of man this one could be. Full of magic that she did not know how to divert if he were to become angry with them in any way. A psychic attack could leave both of them either crippled or cursed, perhaps both.

"Ah —" the man coughed a few times before he spoke, "My name is Loki," he introduced himself. Klaus and Pandora made no indication that they were going to do the same, simply because he had not asked and it was not custom to give out names unless asked by someone of higher rank than yourself. Names are power in the game of magic. "Yes... Ah, what are your names?"

"Pandora," the girl said calmly, trying to rid her face of the blush that caked at the center, "and this is my friend Klaus. He is of the village and I am of the Great Laurel." This knowledge made Loki's eyes go wide as she continued on with her introduction, "We are both a few months away from seventeen full seasons," Pandora finished.

The pause that followed this exchange made the young girl question if she'd said something wrong. Yes, she made herself sound as formal as possible as to not potentially anger the royal in front of her, but had she said it with a tone that would have indicated she didn't respect him? This filled her core with dread and anxiety, and as she turned her head to look at Klaus she knew Loki's silence was causing the same reaction in him. Only when Loki let out a chuckle could she begin to let her back loosen and wait with calmness and not worry.

"Seventeen..." He let out a hearty laugh before using a hand to push his loose hair out of his face. "What an age." Loki was holding something back, Pandora knew, but she wouldn't say anything to hint at this. "The people of this area do not know of the Aesir, nor of Asgard. Your names are not of this land," he noted before taking a quick glance at the blade that hung to his side. "I would not harm children, I promise you, and I do need a place to stay for the night. The wild beasts of these plains are unknown to me, as I'm afraid I did not study them during my youth. All I know of are wolves and the hidden wolf shifters that would not be out unless the moon is at its peak."

Pandora hoped he was telling the truth in that moment, that this stranger to her could be of a docile nature. His magic suggested as such, but after countless lessons from her mother telling ancient tales of seemingly good men bewitching and traumatizing pretty girls she could not trust him fully. Strangers are known to take advantage of any bit of kindness you give them, and she would not fall prey to a greedy man's heart or magic. Nevertheless, she had to digest the situation quickly and figure out what to do with him next. If Loki was far from home he could be easily killed by any of the winter elements. Freezing, suffocating under the snow she believed would come in the early morning hours, the cold is not to be trusted when one's blood spills red against the white layers of frost.

Going off of the instinct that rolled around in her chest, she obliged him.

"May your heart reflect your magic within, Loki."

---

Tantalizing glimpses of snow came that morning, just like Pandora predicted. The dark-haired man named Loki she met the night before found shelter in Klaus' home, where his father recognized him as a prince of Asgard. In both teenager's opinions this was the only time Mikael was useful to them, or kind. Loki did not converse much with the rest of Klaus' family, only saying a few praises to Kol and Finn when they were practicing spells with their mother. Under this blinding snowfall Pandora hoped she could make her way into the village again to see her friend, as she rarely gets to see him during winter months due to just how cold it is.

On the edge of the horizon Pandora could see a few villager women making their weekly rounds to her home for blessings. In her older age the girl had become some sort of a messenger for these people, interpreting the ways of her mother so their hearts could be at ease. Although she didn't know if she had the heart to tell them that the weather was not entirely dependent on her mother and that other things were at play in that arena. Pandora didn't say anything when they became too demanding, tuning out their voices when the less wise and more bratty women would start begging for more children or healthier husbands. It wasn't as if any of the things Esther and Ayana made weren't helping, just that they would rather stick to the old ways of prayer and begging to her mother, seeing the Great Laurel as somewhat of a Goddess amidst humanity.

Today she would not deal with them, rather excited to see Loki and Klaus again. Whether or not her mother was in the mood to scold her for this, she didn't know or care. Her youth was to be spent around interesting people and those she cares about, not the village women who have no clue how big the world is. Their worlds are so small and none of them had the capacity to understand Pandora the way her mother and Klaus do. Magic created her, and so with magic she binds herself to those she cares about. Without such a thing she could not function, making handling those with no knowledge or belief in her life such a chore.

Veering into the epic cold, Pandora wished she brought another jacket with her. The only thing keeping her from another near-death experience was her pure form, which made her beam like a torch in the night even in broad daylight. At least this made it easy for Klaus to find her when she made her way into the village for the first time since the day before.

The buzzing sounds of villagers lighting fires and cooking during the fine morning hours came first in Pandora's mind. As she made her way into the village she watched as the mothers who don't have the time or energy to make their way to her mother pick up their children so they can have a look at the demigoddess walking through their home. Pandora doesn't pay much mind to the kids as they gawk, shout, and pepper their mother with questions about what she is and why she is here. The answers are the same. She was a blessing to the world and this village, and so she is to be respected and adored by all.

Except Mikael, who had called her an affront to the Gods because she impersonated one. He said this once when Pandora was younger, in front of his entire family. Esther had quickly hushed him and Pandora slapped him in the face with a vine as punishment for such an offense. The teenager smiled as the memory of the event flooded back in time to see the man. How she hated Mikael, almost as much as her mother did. The Great Laurel made sure to do whatever she could to make him ill when she heard of his insult. Oh, what does that bastard know of Gods, she said the evening after, The Gods would be spitting in his face and shitting in his boots if they heard of his misdeeds to his children. How they would force him to grovel at their feet while they reward those who he hates.

"And so she returns." Pandora whipped her head around to see Loki holding a mug with something unrecognizable in it. "I hope your mother was not upset to see you home so long after nightfall."

That charm he held, she understood it. The stories of the prince with a silver tongue circulated in some of the tales her mother told of Asgard and the Nine Realms. A boy being taught to wield magic in ways no other could, under the instruction of the Queen, his mother. Pandora could only dream of learning how to use her magic in the ways he did. The Great Laurel can only do so much in terms of being a teacher to her, especially with the lack of physicality in their communication. That comes with being the daughter of a tree, Pandora supposed as she glanced into those emerald green eyes of Loki's.

"She wasn't too mad at me, especially since it's winter," Pandora stopped for a second to gage Loki's reaction to her before continuing, "Either way, I'm sure she wouldn't do anything too harsh, knowing just how late Klaus likes to stay up these days. I believe she would be more worried if I were out with anyone other than he."

He seemed surprised that her mother would be comfortable with her daughter out with a boy. Most would be fuming to see a boy so close to a girl, especially at this age. What Loki didn't know was that Pandora and Klaus had been friends for so many years that both of their parents were sure they'd rather off themselves than be romantic with one another. At one point Esther had proposed the union, that of which was quickly shut down by Pandora, Loki, and even Mikael. They would never be together in such a way. Pandora shuttered at the memory that overtook her mind, though she didn't let it show.

Their exchange continued, just as cordial as before. "How do you like it here in the village?" Loki asked with curiosity shining in his eyes. "Most of the people here gawk at the very sight of your magical hair. When I first came in they did the same to me. I am not used to the behavior of non-magical humans, I'm afraid, and don't know what to say to them when they ask who I am and where I'm from."

"This village values honesty and does accept the magical arts, I assure you. There is a woman here that first brought Klaus' family over the ocean to these new lands. Ayana is her name, and she lives right next to where you must have stayed last night," Pandora informed. Loki nodded and the teenager smiled in response. "I like it here. Beyond the stares and some of the more pestering villagers, the people are good, kind, and welcoming to my presence. I haven't had an issue with any of them in human judgements or conspiracies, so there is relief in that. Most of the children have lived longer lives now that I have come into this realm, so I do feel that it is a good fit for me."

What she didn't say was that before her there was a plague that ravaged the villages on this side of the continent, wiping out entire bloodlines. When Pandora was young she learned the art of healing from her mother and managed to destroy the virus within the humans and werewolves, making their children immune to a few diseases that could kill their young. It was the first time the villagers saw her full potential and fully embraced her presence. Beforehand they simply allowed her to be, never coming up and asking for favors or blessing her with gifts of handcrafted blankets or trinkets fit for a child of her age. Her assimilation into the village came with a certain calm welcoming she hoped would continue into her adult life.

A question lingered behind his green eyes, but Pandora didn't push him. "How have you liked your stay here, Prince Loki? I know our meager village would not be up to your royal standards —" He cut her off.

"— My standards fit this village very well, Pandora," It was not said rudely, but the words still cut at her side, "While it is no palace, I am accustomed to the villages of Asgard. While ours are littered with Aesir, they are not much different. I hope I didn't come across as a stuffy prince who needs a royal chariot or golden throne to be comfortable in my title," he finished with a slight frown on his face.

Heart sent back into the same quickened rate as the night before, Pandora shook her head a few times. "You didn't — your magic didn't. I apologize for my choice of words," she apologized sincerely.

But what came from Loki next was a sharp chuckle that reddened the young girl's cheeks deep enough for her to try and cover her face in embarrassment. What a fool she was, blushing so crimson in front of a true God of Asgard. She should be shamed by her mother for such a reaction. She would never forget this day, this terrible feeling in her gut. A God wished to talk to her and here she was, making herself look like a giddy teenage girl. Which of course she is, but that wasn't the point in her eyes. Loki raised an eyebrow at her before glancing down at his shoes. When Pandora got over herself and watched him once more, she saw the tint of pink on his cheeks as she got out something from his left trouser pocket.

"You need not apologize to me, Pandora, I was not offended," Loki assured as he took a sip of the liquid in his glazed mug. Seeing how she reacted to this, he changed the subject, "I've heard tales on Asgard of the Great Laurel Tree, but I didn't know she had a daughter of her own." Pandora checked what he was holding, which was looked to be a brightly painted bead bracelet that clashed with his current outfit. "The news should have reached Asgard. Heimdall should have told father of the arrival of a Goddess such as yourself. Your existence would change how we handle our affairs."

"So you've come today to discuss politics?" It wasn't a backhanded question in the slightest, although Pandora realized she said it a bit too quickly and with a tone where it could be taken that way. "I... I'm just not used to that sort of thing, you must know. The only people I know are my mother and the people of the village. I've never met an Asgardian before yourself, nor have I heard of what they would do here politically. The last time you were here was before my birth, when the Frost Giants attacked the Scandinavian plains."

Yes, the times before, when humanity knew of other worlds and didn't question their faith in the Asgardian Gods. In the village the people had many gods, none of which were of Aesir origins. According to what Pandora knew, the humans around the globe had other faiths as well, never knowing the truth about the guardians in the sky. She thought it sad, pitiful almost, that they couldn't know the secret to the cosmos like she and Klaus did (although Klaus knew much less than she, for her mother only permitted certain information spreading to him).

Loki took a much larger swig of his drink before saying anything else. "I'm not trying to bind you to the realm of politics," he said. Pandora's blush was faded by now, only a twinge of pink falling on her bright cheeks. "Although I am interested in what you are and what you may become. You have a magical background, yet you are untrained in so many ways. When we met last night I felt your aura checking for any danger, a clear sign of your true power," he sighed and placed the mug down on the table they sat at. "I wish for you to be tutored in the magical arts. Asgardian magic, to be specific. It's much more powerful and direct than any human witch's spell and would, in my professional opinion, be more suited for your style of magic. It can be refined, perfected, and unleashed as a protectant or weapon if needed."

Out of everything he could have said, this was not what Pandora imagined. Tutoring? She'd never thought of such a thing. When was the last time she was taught something academic? The best she could think up was when Esther taught her and the rest of her young children Viking runes in case they needed to pass secret notes or wanted to vent their feelings through the written word (as she was too busy to deal with her children's fuming tempers and tantrums). And then Pandora felt hopeless in the face of runes and the magic that seemed to pour out of her when she wrote them in leaves and stones. She felt ashamed when she almost killed Kol with her magic then.

So what more could come out of this? Learning is a curve. Some fall, some get over the hill and succeed. Was she really worth teaching Asgardian magic? Pandora thought that Finn, Elijah, or Kol would be more worthy of such an honor.

"I'm a magical mess."

"I'm up for the challenge."

---

Warning that this book is on a three week hiatus in order for me to fix my grades. I need time to catch up on these chapters too, since they're long and it takes a while for me to perfect them. I hope you understand, my lovelies.

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