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Only a select few people would dare stand up to none other than Nick Fury. With a stare (if you could call it that) and a tone of voice that can cut Asgardian steel, many are scared of what he could say if you request time off when he needs you. Thankfully, Pandora has had her fair share of men who don't know when to give up on pushing and manipulating in her life and knew what to do. So in the middle of the night she just... left. With a note, of course, and with Loki and Thor at her side. The older Asgardian wanted to make sure his brother is safe where they're going. Because unlike Loki, Thor has little experience with Virginia or the areas around it. New Orleans, New York, Virginia.... The only place he can claim to have knowledge about is New Mexico, where he crash landed six months ago.

Getting Loki to leave quietly was hard. Nobody could touch him, but he was having some major difficulties getting his seatbelt on in the car. For about half an hour Pandora waited patiently while Klaus attempted to guide him through the motions. They settled for letting him have no restraints, as about halfway through the traumatized prince verbally shut down.

"Can you turn on the radio?" Thor asked from the front seat.

"No," Klaus snapped as they made their way into his mansion house in Mystic Falls. Nobody should've been outside, with just how late it is. 3 AM, to be precise. "We're here. Don't damage any of the furniture and do not go into my room. I have my paintings in there and I'll slaughter you if my hard work is put to waste," the Original threatened before giving a soft smile in Loki's direction. "All the food you could ever dream of in the house. If you want you can stay in the room right next to Pandora and I's, if that's what you want."

A sharp silence fell over the car as Loki nodded. His hands were in his jacket pockets and he stared down at the ground blankly, not caring for the world around him. The past three hours consisted of this gods-forsaken road with seemingly no end. He hated it all. Face turned to not much more than a somber frown; he allowed himself to be free from the car and walk straight into the expensive walkway. Loki tore his eyes away from the light that could barely be contained by velvety curtains, although the place his emerald orbs landed on wasn't much better to the original blinding beam of sunlight.

    The Asgardian prince reveled in the sight of the authentic chandelier, the crystals spinning around as a gust of wind blew through the open window. Has someone been here before? Before them? Loki glazed over the question internally before he peeked his head around. Pandora smiled at him, warm and like an embrace. The man felt his breath hitch and heart flutter for a few seconds as a pale pink rose to his cheeks. He turned away, glancing over at the large living room on his right, then to the dining room on his left. So many places he wanted to explore. To see into the lives of his former students would bring him joy, something he found little in life these days. Loki wondered if it was Pandora or Klaus who picked out these furnishings. Must be Klaus, Pandora can't decorate at all, Loki mused.

But before Loki could zip his jacket further up to keep him from the cold (which plagued him more and more as time went on. It seems that being a Frost Giant doesn't help with that when one is starved for food and happiness), he heard the ever-softening sound of a human amidst the furniture. He scowled, not wanting to deal with more people than necessary. Gods, he just wanted peace and harmony for a day. It's too early in the morning for this, he thought as his ears picked up on someone humming to themselves.

"Do these hooligans not realize the beings of which house they entered have supernatural hearing?" Loki cursed under his breath, ready to go on a damn search if it meant he got some quiet in the house. Not only that, but intruders could be stealing his dear Pandora's things, or Klaus' paintings. Or whatever idiotic humans took from vampiric residences. He decided he would be a bit louder this time, voice audible for whomever plagued the room. "If any of you little humans think that this house is a simple vacant ground for you to play your little games in, you'd be sorely mistaken. Get the hell out."

It must have ruffled their feathers, as one man let out a dangerously low curse as he revealed himself. Inky hair matched well with icy blue eyes. Clearly a vampire, Loki knew, and a stupid one at that. Or simply young, not knowing the tales of what would become of a being who dared trespass in Klaus' lair. If he could call it such a thing. Nevertheless, this man was foolish in Loki's eyes, and the Asgardian couldn't help but let out a deep sigh at his behavior.

"You aren't an Original," the black-haired man said suddenly, gripping the edges of his cotton shirt. But Loki could see what he was reaching for. A small wooden stake lined his pocket. No vampire but perhaps an Original had the strength to combat his magical protections and drive that thing through his heart. Certainly not one with such... arrogance. The other man pushed hair from his face and pointed the stake right at Loki, smirking. "No. You leave. Or you'll be seeing the Other Side soon enough."

"Bold of you to assume I am a vampire," Loki seethed. Knowing he shouldn't have gone at this alone, he finds Pandora's magic, which still lingers around this area even when she isn't here, and quietly calls to her. "Judging by how quickly you brought weapons into this, you must have taken something from my dear friends. Give it back." The other man laughed at this. At him. If he were in the right headspace he might have felt humiliated.

Right when the icy-eyed man was going to say something more, Pandora peeped her head into the doorway, her hair untamed and covering most of her face. "Yes, Loki?" She asked. "Do you need help with your things? Food? Water? I'm sorry we're taking so long. Klaus lost his phone in the tall grass on the edge of the property and is forcing me to help him get it back." Typical, he wanted to retort, but glared back at the man instead, who sucked in a deep breath and stilled himself. "Whatever. Nik can figure out his phone on his own—"

Staring right at her was that same man who threatened Loki. Pandora instantly snarled, her hair turning bright orange. Loki was taken aback by this, stumbling to the side of the room to get out of her way. Oh, if Klaus could've seen the look on this man's face... Pure horror. He gripped the stake with his right hand. His fingers turned white from the pressure as Pandora wrapped magic around him. Glowing green vines shot up from her powers and entangled the vampire, causing small gashes and burns to appear all over the unclothed parts of his body. Loki was sure that if he didn't stop her, he would be death within another few minutes of this torture.

"Pandora, don't kill the idiot," he tried to plead with her. These were not his teachings. And even if he had been threatened by this young vampire, he would never wish death upon another. It would be his fault. His fault. A sudden rush of terror enveloped his mind and magic as he fought against her vines and tore the man out with his own icy kind. His friend gave him a questioning look, but soon understood. "No more killing. Please. Not when I'm here."

She couldn't say no to him. Not now, not ever. Even as she snarled she made it known to Loki that there would be no death today, as much as she wished she could kill him. The Immortal crossed her arms. "Damon Salvatore. I thought I made it clear you weren't going to go anywhere near any properties of mine and Klaus' to look for things," she glanced down to the floor to find a few young girls. "And to take your precious little doppelganger as well? You'd best be bloody on your way out right now. We aren't to be disturbed."

"We don't want you in our town," a blonde girl said. "We told you to not come back to Mystic Falls. After what happened with Stefan. Or have you forgotten what you let your guard dog do to our friend?" She had fire, but Loki knew it was only because of adrenaline and fear that clouded her judgement. What airhead would pick a fight with an Immortal? It seems she knows who Pandora is already. "How are we supposed to have a normal life when it's always you and him coming into our town, killing people we care about, threatening us, and then leaving. This is a cycle and it needs to be broken."

Pandora was visibly angered by this. Loki was just confused. In the years he knew Klaus Mikaelson he didn't know him to be overly cruel in his behavior unless threatened, so he assumed that this girl decided to get on the Original's bad side. What an idiotic thing to do, Loki thought to himself as he took a step back, his shoulders pressed against the door frame. Any of Klaus' 'cycles' can be ended by leaving him the hell alone. Or by not antagonizing him with fruitless name calling and threats. Clearly these younglings have no idea who or what they're messing with right now. Klaus could rip their heads off with a flick of his wrist. While he hated thinking about death, that thought slipped through at the last minute.

The Immortal shook her head. "You young vampires are clouded by your own egos and self-righteousness. My friend has been given no reason to not leave you alone, nor has he gone out of his way to threaten you. The only times he has is when you decide to get in his way," Pandora mentioned what Loki was already thinking to himself. "Besides, I'm far too tired this century, and too busy, to be pondering on every way in which I can ruin your life. Klaus shares this exhaustion. We want peace more than you do, children, and we will get it even if it means sending you away from the town we were born in."

"So you do want to take us out!" A girl who looks exactly like Tatia said. Lord, he hadn't seen that face in ages. How did she resemble her so vividly? As if the young woman never died in the arms of her lover so many moons ago?

"You make such brash accusations based on the last bit I said," Pandora snapped. Which was odd. She used to get along well with Tatia, even if she believed she was hurting Klaus. The act must have gotten old. But this was not Tatia, was it? "Use your critical thinking skills, Elena, and know that we don't want to deal with you. You're useless, boring, loud, and take up too much energy. Take this time where we have no ill will towards you and use it to figure out which brother you're going to fuck tonight. I'm sure that will take some brain power on your part."

Loki had to suck in a deep breath at the insult. So unlike the Pandora that he knew a thousand years ago. Her words sparked more silence between the groups of people. On one side there were four people. The odds that this would turn into a fight doubled at the Immortal's sharp tone. Yet during this time of quiet there was time for Loki to think on. She has a history with these vampires; a negative past. The previous words used against Klaus made his blood boil. Well, they were proving themselves untrustworthy. And Loki isn't usually one to go off of first impressions alone.

"My relationships are none of your business," the Tatia doppelganger snapped.

"That would be true if it were not for the fact that your relationships mess with everyone. How many times have I had to sock one of those Salvatore brothers in the face because they have it in their heads that they're allowed to come into my house unannounced like you're doing right now? Oh, and they do it for you. Because they're idiots. You're all stupid. I would rather die than be as moronic as you. Love triangles are for anxious Anne's who want the best of both worlds. But the world doesn't work like that, does it?" Loki let out a small sound of horror before the flustered doppelganger huffed out in anger. "Polyamory would fix it, but that doesn't seem to be what the boys want. They're too possessive for that. And you're too selfish to make it work."

Deafening quiet lapsed again. The redhead smirked in triumph as she pointed towards the door. "You can leave now. We have no need for you here. We know where to find you if we ever do. Which will be never."

"No, I think I can. I know I can, actually. Get the fuck out of my house before I call an Avengers meeting and have Natasha take your ass out. Have no doubt, that woman can kill a whole squad of vampires if she so pleases. Get. Out," Pandora threatened. "If I damn need to I'll take you to the basement, chain you up, and feed you vervain until you're willing to leave my home. You have thirty seconds, and maybe another minute if Klaus and Thor don't see you coming out. You don't want to deal with them, do you? Scary Niklaus Mikaelson who can tear you to damn shreds with a pinky finger if he pleases. That one. Be smart, you ragged misfits."

Something told the Asgardian prince that they were going to be an issue.

---

Tuesday morning sun in Mystic Falls helped lead Pandora and her friends to the mystical tree she has for a mother. Loki was certain the path hadn't changed, but he was proven wrong. With more and more humans moving into the area, they had to maneuver houses, a pool, and fewer trees than Loki had remembered were on the road to the Great Laurel.

    But just as it has always been, the area was shrouded in a veil of magic that taunted the senses of any mortals passing by and hinted a challenge to the magical beings that dared come close to her lair. Loki wanted to laugh, but held it back as a wave of aura enveloped him, allowing him to see through the thick, smoggy mist that clouded his vision. He couldn't get inside, not really. If he wanted, he could try. It would fail every time, though, because the Great Laurel hadn't given him explicit permission to enter her home. Funny how her magic worked like that.

    "I have to lead you inside," Pandora explained further, "My mother's magic won't let you get in unless I'm there. Once we get past the river and I can do my thing with my vines, it'll be easy to get in. Due to the Bennett witch trying to use her powers on my mother, she's put up even more protections than she had even last year. Stupid girl, making this so much harder for us. I warned her that she couldn't get in, even with all the magic she possesses." She let out a deep sigh of annoyance. "If we have to deal with that girl one more time I'm sending her down to Hel."

    The Asgardian prince stayed quiet and let her finish her rant, which ended with Pandora carefully guiding Loki into the expanse of her mother's home. The rip that she made in the protective shell was large enough to go through one at a time. Klaus came through right after him, whistling a tune. Thor was mumbling something about how he's always wanted to see the Great Laurel and how cool the whole thing is.

    On the inside laid a river stream filled with brightly glowing fish and other creatures. Neon moss layered the sides of the rocks, which created a path to the Great Laurel's roots. Able to be fully secluded these past few centuries, the tree took it upon herself to make her home as beautifully unnatural as she wanted. Loki sighed, taking in the memories of this place. It had been so long since he was here. A thousand years. Ten lifetimes. And now he could finally speak to the woman who kept him safe on Midgard whenever he visited. Well, kept him as safe as she possibly could. She couldn't have interfered when he did what he did.

    It was over. He didn't need to think about that.

    Beauty like this was now far from any human eye's reach. The dangers of exposure remind everyone who walks inside of just how cruel humanity has become to the bountiful, colorful nature that coats the Earth. Midgard had sights that made Asgardians jealous, and now most areas are simply lost to technology. In this way, the two planets are the same. Gold can't take away from the lack of spacious lands that used to be Asgard's prosperity.

    A sequence of sounds rounded over the area; through the plentiful gasps of wind that swept various things into the group's hair and faces. Pandora allowed herself to smile at this, grabbing hold of one of the branches and pressing her face to it.
    Loki hadn't seen her true form in years, and neither had Klaus. Shimmering skin of pale yellow and neon green eyes
awaited when Pandora turned around. Her face was outlined by coppery and curly ginger locks. Like this she felt ethereal, unable to be from this very world. Pure power caressed her flesh as she waved her fingers in the air, revealing specks of gold and green. It took strength to not create vines around her body, to wrap those around her in plain comfort as she displayed her power.

    The prince had always enjoyed this side of the girl. He adored how carefree and honest she felt while within her real body. There was no need for a generous facade around him. Pandora was often either too shy or too paranoid to strip herself of humanity and simply be.

    "Lady Pandora, how often do you see the Great Laurel? I understand there must be great protection around the area due to the human presence, however I assume you must be close with her as she is your mother and was your primary caregiver as a young child," Thor asked as the group made their way through a barrage of oversized pebbles that they used as stepping stones. "Though if you do not wish to answer, I will not ask again."

    She let out a small laugh at the man's politeness. It was a small surprise, seeing as Loki had desparaged his older brother's ability to maintain all sorts of manners throughout their time together. Though a surprise, it was appreciated.

    "We have a wonderful relationship that has lasted the many centuries I have lived on this planet, though I hate to say that I rarely get to see her more than once or twice a year if I am lucky. Due to my loyalties to Klaus and his family, I am oftentimes on the run, meaning I must take flight in order to reach my homeland once more. As I hate to be seperated from my best friend, my birthday is when I make the effort to visit," Pandora explained as Klaus almost tripped and fell into the river. "During this past century I have visited almost thirty times, however, since travel is commonplace and Mystic Falls is an easy place to be for a supernatural creature."

    "No issues with the locals?" Thor asked, his eyes filled with curiosity as they made it past the last few rocks.

    "Not until the past few years, when a baby witch, a doppleganger, and two vampire brothers decided to give us trouble. That would be the Bennett witch I told you about. She insists that her ancestors followed my mother, though I know this to not be the case. Over three centuries ago they betrayed my mother's kindness and revealed Klaus' location to Mikael, his abusive, terrible, vampire hunting father." Klaus winced at the mention of Mikael, as did Loki.

    "So we do not like her?"

    "I do not like her and Klaus does not like her. You can make your own judgments once she decides to challenge my decision to come and go from Mystic Falls as I please." Pandora let out a sigh of relief as she carefully picked through a mass of thorny branches with magical green vines that grew from the ground below her. "This is the place. Once I untangle the branches we shall proceed into the sacred grounds. The only rules my mother has ever kept for any potential visitors is that nobody is to litter or set things ablaze. I assume you big boys will be able to manage such a feat?"

"Of course, My Lady," Thor said loudly enough that a spooked bird flew away. The God had no idea the trauma he must have caused that confused creature.

Pandora assumed that both Loki and Klaus would behave themselves, it was Thor she was more worried about. Lightning means fire and stray lightning in the Great Laurel's sacred grounds means a lifetime ban with quite a lot of motherly scolding. Pandora wasn't willing to do that, especially since she had so much she needed to discuss with her mother regarding the happenings in the universe and Loki. Her mother had the right to know that she and Loki triggered a mating bond. That needs to come straight from her mouth.

    Untangling the final branch with her vines, Pandora pushes the longest, thorny branch into a hole that had been carved into a large boulder that sat next to the river. After it lodged in, the group could feel a great rumbling going through the ground. The vibrations sent shivers down Loki's spine, not being accustomed to such an experience. It didn't seem to affect the world around them, the earthquake-like trembles being more of an individual experience of the Great Laurel's power on them than the place where she hides her secrets.

    What was revealed was a great opening to celestial energy and magic unlike any that Thor or Loki had experienced before. Sure, Loki had gone to see the Great Laurel before, but she had little privacy to do what she wanted with the place she seeded into and called her own. A thousand years ago, countless humans journeyed in an attempt to win her favor. Now she is sheltered and able to choose to use her magic in whatever way she sees fit. Loki adored the magic, feeling it interact with his own the same way that Pandora and Klaus' does. For the first time, Loki doesn't wish to retract from foreign magic and would rather embrace it as he once would.

    The light that came through the fields was bright enough to blind, but the group couldn't avert their eyes. The flowers that littered the ground shone with neons unlike any Thor or Loki had seen before. Asgard held golds and metalloids, but the sacred grounds were an entirely new experience. The pollen that shot up into the air didn't make the Asgardians sniffle, their skin was not affected by the blades of midnight bluegrass.

Countless critters that have adapted to their new environment scurried about, chasing each other happily as new beings come into their home. None were bothered, as the Great Laurel made sure each and every creature inside of her domain were not only herbivores, but calm as can be.

"My mother is a sweet woman, but I am the only one who knows her native tongue and thus I am the one who will be speaking directly to her. If you are to talk amongst yourselves, she will understand, so make sure you are using language that you wouldn't be worried about your own mother hearing," Pandora said. Thor was the only one to nod, and the other two already knew the rules of the Great Laurel's domain. I had been beaten into their heads hundreds of times a thousand years ago, and time cannot erase important teachings.

"Is this a friendly visit, Pandora, or are we in need of motherly advice once more?" Klaus asked as he stared off at a critter with a bushy tail. "I would hope we could ask the Great Laurel about what the best possible way to get rid of that newest Bennett witch. She has great talent but honestly she's bothersome in her being attached to that doppelganger BFF of hers."

"BFF?" Thor turned his head to the bushy-tailed creature that Klaus was looking at.

"Best Friend Forever. It's what the teenagers are using to define their friendships. Too bad death is imminent and that friendship with your BFF is going to last just as long as your relationship with Brody down the way." Klaus turned back to face Pandora as she gave him a look that said are you done yet? "I'll wait back over here until you are all done."

"You're not coming with us, Niklaus Mikaelson?" Thor prodded.

"It would be best that I don't after what happened last time." Klaus scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I'm not sure she has forgiven me yet for that misstep."

"You stepped on one of her underside roots, Klaus, you didn't set her on fire," Pandora deadpanned. "If she is upset with you being there then I will deal with it but I assure you that in reality she was probably just a bit spooked and not out to scorch you. Accidents happen and you're still her favorite Earthling." She gave a soft look to Loki as he stayed far away from the group. "Loki will always be her favorite Asgardian. She even let him learn a word in her language. What a blessing."

Having said what she needed to say, Pandora carefully closed the magical barrier so nobody could possibly manage to get in while the group gathered near her mother. The same rumbling as when the walls came down rattled through the bones of the group as stoney walls peppered with alien vines shot up behind them. There would be a short distance that they would have to walk, simply because the Great Laurel despised stone and being near it, even if the material was natural and able to keep her safe from harm when enchanted.

Loki managed to keep up with the group despite being weakened from last year. His magic in hear helped him push through the last mile, into the true forest that the Great Laurel surrounded herself and her spirit with. Gravity felt warped here, and his feet felt like they were lifting off the ground at the end. Every step he took was soft and for a few hours he knew that he didn't have to fear the reality of the immense pain that shot through his feet at random. This ground was safe, and he was grateful for that fact.

Years ago seeing the Great Laurel would have been the highlight of his year or century, having the ability to see the woman he saw as a second mother just one more time. That hope of finding her again, to hear her voice even when the words she spoke were as legible to his ears as a child's scribbling into a notebook, that was what could've pushed him through sleepless nights in Asgard. Now numbness told control of his mind, the terrible shame and guilt a topper to his nightmares.

The Great Laurel was a tree, but somehow she had a face.

---

Oh my, I haven't updated this in almost a year, but now I'm going to focus on finishing my WIPs, like this book! Expect an update at least once a month. Reminder to not comment "Please Update" as it makes me feel bad. If you comment that you're a selfish wh- I can't say that word on wattpad so I won't. But you get what I mean ;).