A/N: We really do put our boys through a lot. I, personally, say it's their fault. They're just too cute when they get all protective over each other. =D

When he could no longer hear his brother's footfalls, Loki let the fog go. His hunter could sense him despite the magical barrier and it would do no good to waste precious energy trying to hide a point of light in a dark room. The dark haired god took several deep breaths and prayed Thor would move with haste and would make it to the Bifrost unharmed.

Loki moved back towards the banquet hall, where he felt the presence most strongly now. A man stood in the room with his back to the prince. He seemed to be eating off the table, ignoring the young Asgardian. Finally, after several moments of silence, his voice perked up. "I see your brother found his hammer. I doubt he saw the humor in it as did you and I."

"Thor's humor tends to exclude his precious Mjolnir," Loki answered easily, watching the figure. He couldn't help but feel that he knew the presence, though in a much more expressed fashion here.

The figure turned, revealing the face of a man Loki was sure that he should know but could not place. A smile stretched his lips thinner than they were already. "I am Arlan. I do not believe we have ever been formerly introduced."

"But informally on several occasions, I feel." Loki said.

The color of the man's eyes seemed to change with ever tilt of his head, dark hair pulled back loosely at the nape of his neck. He seemed to carry with him power that had to be almost as old as the Allfather, but he looked not close to that age. "Oh yes. Informally I have been many things in many moments, princeling. You have been very impressive over the years, but always at the intervention of your brother. While not much can be said for his ability to weave together thoughts of greatness, he is strong. I have often wondered how your power has grown in these last years."

"I fair well enough," Loki answered without pause. The market. That was where he recognized him from. He often could be found near his favorite wagon the held new spell books and trinkets. He had made his visits there much rarer after he had accidently bought a stone some years prior that had brought his worst dreams to life. "Tell me plainly, Arlan, what is that you want with us?"

"I am in need of something."

"That is?"

The smile stretched further if possible, and Loki felt uneasy. Arlan began to move, his step bringing him in a circle as a great cat would come after its prey. "The son of Odin's blood. I dare say that my needs require enough that it may end your brother's life."

"Don't you dare touch him!"

"So protective. It's quaint. I thought I heard you both squabbling earlier, but I suppose that is what brothers are wont to do. Tell me, will you weep over his body after I'm done, or will you simply relish in the fact that you will finally be in your father's sight?"

Rage boiled in his blood. "That will never happen." Loki warned.

Arlan's teeth gleamed in a dangerous smile. "What? You will never weep over Thor's body or you will never be in your father's sight, even after the mighty Thor has perished?"

Loki felt the anger in him begin to twist into something more powerful. "We both know you are very powerful. What could you want with blood magic? Especially his?" he demanded, trying his best to remain calm and not give Arlan the advantage. He could not afford to rush blindly into a fight, it would end him, no matter how badly he wanted to rip that mockery of a smile from his face.

Arlan considered his question. "I was not being falsely polite or pointing out that which is obvious when I said your brother is strong. He is very, very strong. Stronger than even he knows. He may never know. It is unusual, even for a god of Asgard to be so blessed. A thousand doors could be opened with that strength. A new age of sorcery, perhaps, and the decline of the gods."

"You'll have to get through me to get to him," Loki warned, readying himself. He had a plan. He could use Arlan's arrogance against him.

"I thought you would never say so," the elder mage chuckled and launched an attack at the youth.

It flew through the double, but the smirk did not fade as he turned around and parried Loki's blow from behind. "I can sense you, boy. You are not match for me."

The magic was powerful and it countered the younger prince of Asgard's own. It burned through his barriers and slammed into him, knocking his breath from his body and sending him into the wall with a loud CRACK that resonated. His thin body refused to heed his commands as he fell to his knees, pain lacing through him as he tried to force himself just to breathe. Everything hurt, but if he could not make himself move, Arlan would grow tired of playing with him and go for Thor. He struggled to his feet.

"Oh, just stay down and make it easier on yourself, little prince. On your knees before me is where you belong anyway."

The attack flew from his fingers, fueled by rage and pointed with the desire to kill. Loki was on his feet with a speed that surprised even him. "I kneel before no one." Loki said stiffly.

The outburst caused Arlan to step back and shield his face. He looked somewhat impressed if not overly concerned. "Ah. So there are two ways to stir you, then. Threaten the life most precious to you and also threaten your pride."

"Is it pride if it is merely knowledge of skill?" Loki asked.

Arlan smiled. "Your arrogance is quite amusing." The older sorcerer pulled back his hand, the air vibrating with the power he was gathering.

Loki readied himself, sure that he could take anything that was thrown at him. He had to, lest this Arlan leave him behind and go after his brother. His own magic had subdued the poison in his veins, but that was not where Thor's talents laid, and his brother would be no match for the elder man in his present state.

Arlan's lips stretched thinly into a smile. "You think yourself so in control of all that is around you, little Odinson, but I have laid this out painstakingly for years and you were never the wiser. Do you think that I've not watched you? Seen you both grow? Do you believe that the dwarves cared so much for your brother's hammer that they were willing to risk the wrath of the Allfather? Certainly something must have seemed out of place to you. I've been orchestrating it from start."

Loki grit his teeth. The power that Arlan was collecting was immense and he knew that with all of his skill, no matter how heartily he boasted, he could never fully overtake him. He could, though, counter at least some of the attack, and hope that what he sent whirling back to the sender would be enough to lay him out and give Thor ample time for escape. The young prince sighed inwardly. There would be no forgiveness from his brother after this.

He was not afraid, he realized, and for that he was grateful. Loki stood, calm down to the core as he prepared for the push back, and he felt an odd inner strength. A door yet unopened, but he had known it was there. He prayed it was enough.

"When I catch your brother, my prince, I will kill him slowly for all the trouble he has aided you in giving me over the years and I will take his lifeblood one drop at a time. Maybe you'll see each other in hell." Arlan swung his arm around, fingers outstretched.

Loki had time to grin crookedly as he met attack with blazing attack. "Maybe I'll see you instead."

After that, all Loki knew was darkness.

Thor found himself glancing back again and again across the field to the fortress in which he had left his younger brother. While his mind felt thick from the affects of the poison in his system, he knew that it was less than it might have been. He was still angry at his brother - hadn't they discussed many times before that Loki needed to stop making decisions for the both of them without consulting Thor first? - but he knew that the younger prince had bought him time, both in taking part of the poison from him and in leading Arlan away.

Now, though, Thor found himself standing from where he had sat, limbs weary and stiff, and moving numbly back from where he had come from. He was perhaps a third of the way across the field, nearing the small thicket of trees they had hid in, when he saw a figure move. It was taller than Loki, slightly bent over, but still moving with haste.

As the figure approached he felt his heart drop, cold spreading through his chest. He did not know this man, and yet he was sure of his name. "Arlan. Where is my brother?"

"Right where I left him, dead on the ground. Fret not, son of Odin, it was quick." Arlan said.

Thor looked him over carefully, clothing torn in several places and blood smeared as if the sorcerer had tried to wipe it away hastily. The man was disheveled, but he was most assuredly gloating. A knot formed in Thor's throat. "This is not so." he said.

"You carry the same naive certainty that your brother did, that you could not be defeated. Tell me, Thor, if Loki lived would he have let me come to you? No. We both know this is not true. You remember, after all, the lengths at which he would go to keep you from harm."

"If what you say is true, then you are a fool to come to me and bear the tidings. Come then. Fight me. If I die, I die, but I shall take you to the grave with me." Thor said darkly.

Arlan gave a crooked smile. His movements were so quick that Thor was not sure if it were speed or if he were shifting his presence as Loki did when he created illusions. Either case, he was before the prince of Asgard before the blond could react, sending him flying backwards. "I promised your brother that I would make this slow. I shouldn't want to be caught lying to the dead, now should I?"

Thor picked himself up off the ground and gave a roar of anger mixed with anguish. If Arlan were quick, he released Mjolnir with more speed. It may have appeared small and certainly insignificant for anything beyond a few laughs, but it was only an illusion. The fact that the sorcerer knew that was seen in his eyes as it came barreling towards him with more speed than he could counter.

It clipped Arlan's left side, and the sorcerer could do naught in its wake but take the blow. He went to the ground with a sickening crack as Thor summoned the disguised weapon back to his hand. Dark clouds gathered overhead, thick droplets of rain falling from them hard and with gathering speed. Wind swept through the trees, shaking branches and scattering their leaves to the air. Arlan picked himself up. "My apologies. I seem to have underestimated you in both intelligence and physicality." he said, holding his left arm. A blue and gold light began gathering in Arlan's palm. "Perhaps, since he is dead, your brother Loki will not take too much exception for not taking an undue amount of time killing you. After all, one does have to change strategies in the midst of battle every now and again."

Thor began to swing Mjolnir in great sweeping arcs. "Speak not of my brother. His name should not fall form such unworthy a tongue."

"Shall I speak of how he died? How he thought he was more than he is, how he thought you were more than you are, and how you will both be so much less when I've finished."

The god of thunder's eyes sparked as if lightning were in them and it came crashing down as he slammed Mjolnir's handle to the ground. Everything exploded upward, Arlan's attack not as well aimed as he had intended when the ground rushed to meet the sky and took him with it. He lay on the grass where he landed, eyes wide with the shock waves that still ran through him, causing his limbs to twitch.

Thor remained knelt on one knee, frozen with the hammer to the ground. His breaths came hard and fast, heaving his chest in a painful way. He gave a cough, blood splattering to the ground and blue eyes flickered a few yards away.

Arlan was struggling to sit up, his expression one of confusion and rage. "Don't think this is it," he gasped out. "Don't think you and your little bastard of a brother have bested me. I will rain down such curses upon your head as you have never known."

"You can't if you're dead," Thor said simply and swung Mjolnir back. It flew through the spot where Arlan had been, the sorcerer fading from his place.

Thor wished for more anger or rage but found he had nothing left within himself. "I should learn that trick." he murmured. He let the handle slip from his fingers and came to rest on both knees, rain soaking his hair and skin. Sighing, coughing, he closed his eyes and tilted his face skyward, the rain caused by his grief also covering his tears. "Will you teach me, Loki? Teach me your tricks, brother." he whispered, only the wind to answer him. His breath caught in his throat and he coughed again, more blood staining his lips. Slowly, he lowered himself to the ground, his blood pounding in his ears and pain curling through every inch of his body. His brother's name echoed softly in the storm until Thor was conscious no longer.

A soft groan escaped his lips as green eyes fluttered reluctantly open. His first thought was that he needed to learn when to say no to that next round of mead that his brother had surely offered him, but as his surroundings came slowly into focus so did his memories. There had been no mead involved, sadly enough, only a very powerful sorcerer, some spell-bound dwarves, and some potent poison.

Loki sat up with his brother's name on his lips and he searched for Arlan. Panic seized at him when he could not find him, and he dragged himself to his feet. There was no telling how long he had been unconscious, or if Arlan had been gone that entire time. He feared the worst as he stumbled towards the exit.

The sun was blinding and hot against him when he finally made it to the outside world and the aches his body had been complaining about seemed to increase. He pushed himself forward, though, towards the Bifrost site. He had to get to Thor. He had to help his brother defeat this monster.

He couldn't allow his mind to go to a place in which Thor had lost, because that was impossible. His brother did not lose, no matter what was stacked against him. As sure as the sun would rise, Thor could not lose a battle. Loki was certain it would shatter all the nine realms. He stumbled, landing hard on his knees.

It smelled like fresh rain and the grass was wet, soaking into the knees of his pants. Loki took deep breath and reached down to steady himself enough to push to his feet when his eye caught it, almost at the tree line. Red. It stood out against the colors of the field and the woods beyond, the brush around his brother -he is still, he is oh so still and that is not right- and some of the trees beyond flattened down and singed. The work of Mjolnir, no doubt. He was sorry to have missed it, the sight of his brother bringing down so much power to create such a wave.

There was no sign of Arlan and Thor was not waving to him in greeting or calling out some jest across the field he was simply not moving. Get up, get up, we have to go home. Loki's thoughts spun out of control. Arlan had said he would take every drop, leave no life force left. No blood to flow through that great big heart, only the red of his brother's cape and the stillness in Thor he had often wished for but never truly wanted. Loki's cry rang out over the distance between them.

The pain didn't seem to matter as he found his feet under him and they carried him across the field. Tears stung his eyes and he sank to the ground next to his brother when he reached him. "I'm sorry," he found himself saying. All the angry words, all the pointless bickering and low jabs seemed so petty now. How had he ever thought his brother dull or anything less than perfect? His thin fingers grabbed at the red cloak and he buried his face in it, Thor's name tumbling from his lips.

And then it struck him: Thor was breathing beneath him. They were not deep, healthy breaths, but they were breaths nevertheless. He sat up, fingers finding a pulse and he gave a small sound of joy. "Thor? Brother? You have to wake up. I can't carry you home. We have to go home." He shook him.

Slipping an arm under his shoulders, he pulled Thor against him, pushing strands of blond hair away from his brother's forehead and briefly touching at the blood on his lips. "You did not fight this long to leave me here now that I have reached you. We can go home, you and me and that stupid hammer." He stroked Thor's hair absently. "You survived him. You will be fine, you must be fine but you must wake up." Loki said, voice fading into a whisper. He began to fear that the poison had taken him, or an injury from Arlan and this was merely the last few breaths. Surely the universe would spare him such a cruel kindness. A sob broke free, followed by another.

Fingers brushed against his face. "So are we dead together?" Thor asked, voice barely audible.

Green eyes opened and Loki smiled through his tears. "I knew you'd come back," he managed. "I knew he couldn't beat you. No one can beat you."

Thor looked very confused by his words and shifted, trying to get a better look at him. He winced at the pain this brought and resigned himself, temporarily, to continue to lean against his brother for support. "I never thought death would hurt this much."

"You're not dead," Loki chuckled, kissing the top of his head. "And you won't be any time soon. We must get you back to Asgard. Do you think you can stand? The Bifrost site is not far from here."

Thor shook his head and put the palm of his hand against Loki's chest, closing his eyes when he felt the too-quick thump-thump repeating within his brother.

Loki took his hand in his own. "Thor?" he asked softly.

In a movement that caused him great effort, Thor awkwardly pushed himself up far enough to wrap both his arms around his brother, holding him tightly. "You must make me listen to you more often." Thor muttered against his ear.

Loki slid his arms around him in return. With a laugh he pressed his face into Thor's shoulder. "What do you mean, more often?" he teased.

Thor grinned, albeit with a grimace, into dark hair. "Oh very well. You must make me start listening to you."

"That's more to the truth," his younger brother chuckled. "Where is Arlan?"

"I fear he got away, though not without damage done to him." Thor paused, looking at Loki for a moment. "Though he came to me greatly wounded, I think."

The dark haired prince looked proud at what he knew was praise from his brother. "We should go, still. Rowen will be able to force the poison from your veins."

"And you? You took part of it."

"My magic has taken care of most of that, but I fear that I've added new injuries in replace of old." He looked down to where his tunic was ripped and shredded, and in places dried to his skin with dark blood. Arlan's magic had been strong. "Do you need a hand up?"

Thor frowned at the thought. "Not a word to anyone, you understand?"

Loki smiled broadly and they helped each other to their feet, leaning heavily on one another for support.

END.

A/N: I would just like to point out, though I'm sure you noticed, that Thor beat the crap out of a big-time sorcerer with a shrunken, pink, flower-covered hammer. Because he's Thor, and he can do that. =P So, another done. We're taking tonight off of writing, but we'll start the next installment tomorrow night (so the plan goes.) I'm afraid that I have meetings out of town for work this weekend, so we'll miss out on writing Friday and Saturday as well. Being that as it is, I would assume that you would prefer that I start updates once I come back to town, so that we can have a solid flow of every day or every-other-day updates as we write. I know I've rather spoiled everyone with how often I do updated... Maybe I should have kept that one-shot for tomorrow night? Oops... Ah well.

Anyway, so we should, if all goes to plan, resume with a story taking place after "Breath of Life" and the short "Blinding" on Sunday or Monday. Don't worry, there's a reason that we went back to pre-movie work... There is a connection and you will see it all very soon! *insert evil laughter here*

Ahem. So, hope you enjoyed it! Have a lovely time, please review, and we will see you in a few days!