Title: A Past Encounter

Summary: Loki tries a spell that sends him and Thor into the future, right after the events of New York. Shield and the Avengers find out just how different the two brothers were prior to Thor's coronation and reveal the true story of what went wrong. Time Travel. RE-POSTED.

Warnings: Psychological & Physical Trauma, Violence, Insecurity, Brother Complex, Inferiority Complex, WiseThor, and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

oOo

Chapter 1 – Serpent's Magic

(Asgard: Past)

Carefully, Loki peeked from the column and looked around the training grounds. Several warriors were practicing and sparring, while others like Tyr were demonstrating their techniques and preferred weapons for the novices.

"Where is he?"

Loki scowled when he couldn't find his brother among the sea of warriors, but his luck quickly turned when one of the men flew across the field and laughter filled the air.

"Found him." He chuckled. "Now for the hard part."

He looked down at the old tome he was holding and fingered the cover.

The scholar in him found the tome unimaginably useful and quite beautiful despite its torn, dissolving pages. It had a rusty gold color with several curling patterns, similar to their Aesir culture, lining the edge of it.

The pattern branched towards the center where a faded emblem resided.

Loki fingered it.

He had studied many things in his life, but never had he encountered something as strange as this tome. Its contents had broadened his understanding on magic and he felt giddy just thinking about the spell he was so close to completing.

He just needed one more ingredient.

Thor's lightning.

Quietly, Loki moved to the stone bleachers on the other side of the training grounds and sat down. He placed the old tome next to him and watched Thor finish off his opponents one by one.

It only took a few minutes before the sparring match ended.

Loki remained silent.

He knew Thor would notice his presence; he always did for some strange reason. By the nine, not a moment later, the older sibling moved away from the crowd cheering him and strolled over to where Loki sat.

A smirk threatened his lips, confirming that his brother was that predictable.

"Congratulations, Brother." Loki smiled.

"Thank you, Brother!" Thor laughed. "It is strange to see you here at this time of day."

"Believe me, that is not so strange."

"It is to me."

He noticed the tome right next to Loki and instantly recognized it as the one that his brother had been invested with for the past few weeks. With all arrogance and confidence, Thor sat down and picked up the tome before Loki could stop him.

"This again?"

"Yes, this again." Loki took the tome back and carefully dusted it. "One day, Brother, you will appreciate magic and see how glorious and powerful it is."

"I do not need power." Thor cockily answered. "I have it all right here."

Mjolnir was lifted right before Loki's eyes and returned to Thor's belt when he was done showing it off. Loki wanted to roll his eyes for the smug attitude his brother displayed, but thought against it.

He needed Thor on his good side to make this work.

"Spar with me." Thor proposed.

"Perhaps another time?" Loki paled and diverted. "We have more pressing matters to discuss."

"Like what?"

"Like this tome right here."

"Brother," Thor whined and made a face. "Honestly, I am willing to partake in some of your mischief, but I draw the line with tomes, scrolls, and ancient texts."

"Where is your sense of adventure?" Loki scowled.

"Do not try to distract me." He laughed and wrapped an arm around Loki's shoulder. "If you wish for adventure, come join me, Sif, and the Warriors Three. We will hunt in the outskirts of Vanaheim tomorrow."

"I do not think you heard me correctly, Thor."

"I heard you perfectly well, Loki."

To make his point, Loki shrugged off Thor's arm and raised the ancient tome. He gently shoved it at Thor's face and with added effect, innocently widened his emerald eyes and raised his eyebrows.

Thor titled his head in confusion, unable to understand what it was Loki was gesturing about. Again, Loki shoved the old tome to his chest and scowled at him.

"What?" Thor asked.

"Come on, Thor." Loki urged. "Why begrudge yourself a little self-adventure?"

"Not if it involves reading."

"Just this once."

"I am not reading that tome."

"I do not want you to read it." He huffed. "I want you to help me with what is inside it."

"That would require reading it!"

Loki pinched Thor's forearm, and received a restrained yelp and a glare. "Idiot," He muttered in annoyance. "When I said adventure, it meant something in relation to this tome. Now do you wish to join me or not?"

"Is this another one of your mischief?"

"If it is, what then?"

"Nothing in particular," Thor shrugged and grinned. "May I bring the others with us?"

"No," Loki shook his head and stood facing Thor. "I do not think this is something they are particularly interested in." He raised a hand to stop his brother's protest. "Besides, you may be crowned soon enough and will not have the time to go on adventures. Do you not wish to spend time with me?"

"I do not think Father will crown me yet."

"He will."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I know so." Loki proudly stated. "I recall hearing the Councilors speak of it. It is possible they are deliberating and planning Father's retirement."

"I still think he should pick you." Thor stretched and leaned back on the step of the stone bleachers. "You are good with diplomacy and you can hold your ground as any capable warrior. It does not necessarily have to be me."

"I am not much for bloodshed."

"Who said there needs to be blood?"

"A king must be fit for anything the nine realms throw at him. I may be knowledgeable in strategies, but little do I love war. You, on the other hand," Loki chuckled as a faint red appeared on his brother's cheeks. "You will make a great king someday."

Thor smiled at Loki's words.

They would be a whirlwind of rulers should that time come. With Loki as his advisor, they would be nigh unstoppable. The thought made him feel… excited. He stood up and patted Loki's shoulders.

"You spoke of an adventure, Brother?"

Loki grinned.

He had Thor right where he wanted him to be.

oOo

Sif watched as Thor and Loki took their leave.

The warrior inside of her couldn't help but feel something was amiss, and if she added Loki into that mix, it definitely solidified her gut feelings. What was so important that Thor had to leave the training grounds so early without saying goodbye to his friends?

"What are they up to?" Fandral mused.

"Possibly another one of Loki's mischief," Sif declared as she swung her double bladed sword with precision. "Perhaps he needed an audience to show off his tricks."

"Thor never could resist." Hogun voiced.

"Loki has always been good with his words."

"Think you he bribed Thor and made him an accomplice?" Volstagg primmed.

"Thor loves Loki despite his... unusualness." Sif answered, returning her double bladed sword respectfully into its sheath. "Brothers will be brothers, and chaos will reign in Asgard should the Norns deem it so. There is nothing we can do."

"Let us hope that does not happen." Fandral chuckled. "Now then, shall we dance?"

"We shall!" Volstagg smiled.

Sif watched as the two men circled one another.

Volstagg spun his axe and heavily stalked Fandral, who confidently mocked the larger man with his thin sword. The fight dragged on and she watched and commented as plainly as she always would, yet in the back of her mind, she wanted to follow the two brothers.

But she knew it wasn't her place.

oOo

Loki frowned and thought this was too easy.

Normally, Thor would complain and ask for solid evidence, but this time, his brother went along with his plans without a second thought. How gullible was he? Loki shrugged it off and decided his luck simply turned and the Norns agreed with him.

"Your chambers?" Thor asked.

"My chambers." Loki nodded.

They walked through the palace grounds first and made their way into the Great Hall in silence. They were well aware of listening ears and prying eyes. Once they were clear of the guards and inside the royal housings, Thor began to ask questions.

"When are we going?"

"Today, if that is fine with you, Brother."

"That is no problem." Thor grinned. "What kind of adventure is this?"

"A mysterious one," Loki declared. "Do you remember Mother's tales?"

"You have to be more specific."

"Of course, Brother." Loki chuckled at the memory of their mother telling them so many tales, but one in particular had caught his attention. "Do you recall her story of reaching through the past, present, or future— like the Norns."

"Ah," Thor nodded. "I remember."

"This tome has the answer." He cheerfully waved it. "I bought this during one of our travels and although some of the pages were torn, it is quite useful."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, I have learned a way for us to travel through past, present, or future."

"Truly?" Thor stared in disbelief. "Is that not dangerous?"

"Since when do you turn from danger?"

Thor thought for a moment and decided Loki was right. He always faced the unimaginable with a strong heart and spirit. Even the most horrifying of beings won't stop him from reaching his goals, and rarely does Thor ever bend to the will of others.

"Does Father know you accomplished this?"

"No," Loki blinked. "Father does not need to know."

"Well then," Thor's grin widened, his own mischief working its wonders. "Perhaps we can change a few things in our lives—"

"No."

Thor was startled when Loki spun around and stopped him.

"It is not safe to tamper with time." Loki simplified and explained. "Besides, this spell is… incomplete, which is why you are here. This is a gamble, and should that spell work, we must not be seen or heard of— or the fabric of time will be ripped apart and break ours and countless others."

"An Odinson does not run in fear."

"No, only stupidity," He mumbled. "It does not hurt to be careful."

Finally, they reached the hall to Loki's room. The large doors opened and Thor wasn't even surprised by the state of the room his brother was in. Loki was a scholar and at times, his research often… towered over his… preferences, but this…

"I know it is dirty in here." Loki scowled. "I do not want to hear you complaining."

"You are joking." Thor laughed. "Honestly?"

"I assure you, I am not."

"This is dirty to you?"

Sure there were several tomes scattered on top of Loki's bed and scrolls, vials, flasks, and other objects occupied the study table, but that was it. Everything else was spotless. Emerald and gold mingled together with the warm glow of the braziers in the corner and the light airy curtains by the terrace added to the breezy, comfortable atmosphere.

"You should see my chambers." Thor urged.

"No, thank you." Loki chuckled.

Thor unhooked Mjolnir from his belt and placed it by his feet as he sat on one of the chaise lounge by the terrace.

He could enjoy this.

"Do you think we will see ourselves?" Thor impatiently wondered. "Will we go to the past first or see our future? Is there truly nothing we can do to change things? What do you think, Brother?"

He looked up to see Loki standing there, playing with the hem of his sleeves.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing," Loki lied.

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"Somewhat." He shrugged, thinking of the consequences should they get caught, but his curiosity won over his common sense. "Ignore me. Just sit there while I prepare the spell. It should not take long."

"Take as long as you need."

Thor occupied himself by looking at the view of Asgard while Loki prepared what he needed. However, Thor couldn't help but glance ever so often to see Loki placing candle lights in a straight line at the edge of the bed, in the middle of the room.

His brother went over to the shelves and picked up an old flask with runes on it and started to pour the contents in front of the candles, again, in a straight line.

"What is that?" Thor sniffed.

"Mixed ingredients," Loki vaguely answered. "I know it smells awful."

"And you did that this morning?"

"No, I prepared this about two days ago."

"What?!" Thor blinked. "Why?!"

"Apparently," Loki chuckled. "The tome said it needed to sit for a while before it had to be used. There are herbs, powdered gemstones, crushed flowers, ashes, blood, snake venom— all the usual other things."

Thor paled, unsure if his brother was joking.

"It is purple."

"It is from the dye I used." Loki chuckled, clearly enjoying the confused look on Thor's face. "If you read every once in a while, you would know what ingredients I use for certain elixirs or tonics."

"What is it for?"

"To add to the drama."

"Loki," Thor whined. "No jokes."

"It helps strengthen the spell." He answered. "I will put wards around my room so it does not get destroyed. I would love to do this elsewhere, but…"

Loki paused for a moment, thinking of Heimdall. He had been concealing them all this time from the gatekeeper and he did not want a single word of what they were doing to reach their parents ears.

"But?" Thor asked.

"But we are already here." He excused and lied. "Besides, the wind might blow the powder and the candle fire away should we do this outside." He waved a hand and whispered a few incantations to finish off the ward. "Now, promise me we will only look and not change anything."

"Of course."

"Promise me, Thor, or we will not go."

"I give you my word."

"Very well."

Loki decided to take more precautionary actions and took the tomes scattered on his bed and neatly stacked them by the table. He counted and noticed one was missing. It was the ancient tome needed for the spell to work.

He scowled and turned around with his arms crossed to see Thor waving said tome.

"Thor."

"Loki."

"We have no time for this ridiculous game, Brother."

He strode forward and reached to take the tome, but Thor hid it behind his back like a child and stuck his tongue out. Loki blinked in surprise and restrained himself from stomping his foot like a frustrated adult.

"Thor, please, the spell is nearly done."

"You may have this if you answer my question, Brother."

"That is?"

"What time do we travel to?"

"It is a surprise." Loki answered, reaching once more for the tome.

Thor relented and gave it to his nearly annoyed brother, who opened the tome to a certain page and placed it before the candles and purple powder. With a chuckle, Thor picked up Mjolnir and threw it in the air, only to catch it and throw it once more in boredom.

Loki placed one last ward on his belongings and turned to his impatient brother.

"Remember, you gave me your word."

"And I always hold to my word." Thor grinned. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

oOo

(Avengers Tower: Present)

It had been close to six months since Loki and the Chitauri attacked New York. Despite the countless people that died and the numerous damages the city took, people were slowly rebuilding their lives…

Including the Avengers.

However, their post-victory celebration was halted when Shield decided there was another emergency they had to deal with.

Tony crossed his arms as he stood by the Quinjet pad with an annoyed look. He was supposed to join Pepper on a mini vacation to Copperfield Bay in the Bahamas, but it was— of course— cancelled.

Luckily for him, Pepper was more than understanding.

Yet that didn't alleviate his annoyance.

He had been busy for the past six months, especially when he, in the name of Stark Industries, had joined with the Federal Government and bought a Shield branch that collected and stored alien materials and renamed it Damage Control.

Tony had also been managing his downtime with a few modifications to his… suits, and in hopes to celebrate Christmas in December, he and Pepper were planning to stay at the mansion in Malibu, California.

But Tony couldn't complain.

He had it far better than the others did.

Steve now worked for Shield along with Natasha and Clint, who were never on a break. Bruce stayed in New York and occasionally worked in the R&D floors of the new Avengers tower. And all that was missing was the god of Thunder, who was still in Asgard and hasn't been heard of since.

"Tony." A voice called.

"Bruce."

"You know it's dangerous to be near that thing."

"That thing?"

The scientist ignored Tony's sarcasm and pointed at the emerald tendrils dancing and fading around the Quinjet pad. In rhythm, the tendrils separated in two and danced back together like a magic act.

"Oh," Tony voiced "That thing."

"How long have you been standing here, Tony?"

"No idea."

"I got a call from Natasha." Bruce shifted on his feet and raised his phone. "She told us not to touch it and that they should be here in a few minutes."

"That's a relief."

"I had to convince her that it wasn't any of our experiments. I also had Jarvis do an IR Spectroscopy and sent her the results. The molecular vibrations emanating from it are..."

"Out of this world?"

"Spectacular."

Tony chuckled and was about to ask for more information when they heard the elevator ring. They turned and saw Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Fury exit and walk up to them. Tony made a show and gestured to the team.

"It's been like this for a couple of weeks." Tony informed.

"We are well aware," Fury scowled. "I thank you for informing us a couple of weeks too late, Stark. A heads up would've been nice."

"Yeah, whatever."

"What is that thing?" Steve asked.

They watched the emerald tendrils spin around and collide with one another, causing it to spark, then it danced, curved, and separated before returning back to its original state. It was severely fascinating to watch.

"We're not sure." Bruce sighed.

"You got readings on it?" Clint questioned.

"Some IR Spectroscopy."

"And others?"

"It carries electromagnetic radiation and high molecular vibrations strangely resembling the Tesseract readings from six months ago."

"So it's like a doorway?" Natasha suggested.

"Something like that." Tony pointed at the figure. "See those tiny trail lights right at the end; they emit a high level of frequency in radiation that would technically burn your skin, but if they spin around fast enough, those trails kind of… help the thing stabilize and emit higher forms of radiation."

"Which is bad," Bruce added.

"How bad?" Steve asked.

"Very."

"We can talk about the science later." Fury placed his hands in his pocket and narrowed his eye. "What I want to know is if that thing will open up a doorway like last time."

"It might." Tony shrugged.

"How do we stop this baby from blowing?" Clint asked.

Before they could answer that question, the tendrils detached and disappeared. An eerie silence fell upon the Avengers until the tendrils reappeared and an emerald light burst like a supernova, making them cover their eyes.

"What's happening?" Natasha cried.

"Get back!" Fury yelled.

A large gust of wind hit them as the emerald tendrils spun and brightened into a circle. It got larger and faster until the movement became so fast, the emerald tendrils could be seen as one solid outline with nothing but the view of a galaxy inside it.

The strong wind quickly reversed, trying to pull them inside the portal.

"Start moving!" Fury cried.

Natasha and Clint held onto one another as they slowly backed away to the elevator. Fury turned away and started relaying orders to Shield Agents in the comms. While Steve helped Tony and Bruce stay clear away from the portal.

They were in shock.

Not only did a portal open, but the gust of wind pulling them inside had no sound. It felt as if they were in outer space where noise was dimmed and gravity was about… non-existent.

Bruce gasped, "Is that the milky way?"

"We should have called it in early." Tony huffed.

oOo

(Asgard: Past)

Thor had a large grin on his face as a strong gust of wind blew around Loki's room. He had to admit, watching his brother work was always entertaining. Loki stood in front of the emerald tendrils, muttering spells Thor couldn't understand.

His hand and eyes glowed with intensity.

"You look like you have tried this before!" Thor yelled over the loud wind. "Are you nearly done, Brother?"

"Almost!" Loki answered.

The tendrils spun quickly and formed a solid outline, and then it grew larger and stopped. With no warning, the sounds softened and the gust of wind reversed, pulling them inside the dark portal.

The emerald glow faded from Loki's eyes as he lowered his hands.

"That does not look like right." Thor stated. "Which is it?"

"It is not done, idiot."

Loki scowled and pulled Thor to the center of the room.

"There is one ingredient missing and it is that!" He pointed at Mjolnir and positioned his brother's hand to the portal. "Listen carefully, brother. I want you to strike directly in the middle and allow your lightning to charge the ring."

"And?"

"That is all."

"Truly?"

"You may proceed."

Loki stepped behind Thor and used him as a shield. Thor shook his head and laughed at his brother's actions. A look of determination quickly replaced his mirth as he charged up Mjolnir and allowed the lightning to ripple through the weapon and strike at the very core of the portal.

"Keep going." Loki urged.

"Is there anything I should know?" Thor asked. "Where will we end up in?"

"The tome said something about a light aching to what is seen from a dark tunnel. It will not hurt to find out what they meant by that."

"A mysterious adventure!" He roared. "I like it!"

Thor increased the power in his excitement and the lightning merged with the emerald outline. Sparks and stray lightning fixated on that energy and it became unstable and started forming waves from the ring.

The galaxy faded and started forming a blurry image.

"That is it!" Loki grinned. "Focus, Thor!"

"With pleasure."

As his brother increased the power so quickly, the portal could barely handle the amount of energy Thor was pouring that is started to reject it. All of a sudden, a stray lightning hit one of the vases.

"Careful!" Loki glared.

"That is not me!"

Thor struggled as the energy started pushing him. Another stray lightning bounced from the portal and set fire to the curtain and one of Loki's bookcases. Loki blinked in shock and barely dodged the lightning aimed at his head.

"Thor! That is enough!"

"Something is wrong, Brother!"

oOo

(Avengers Tower: Present)

The Avengers were battle ready and Shield was on standby.

Bruce and Tony were watching and gathering information at the sidelines while Natasha and Fury had their guns up. Luckily, Clint brought his bow and arrows while Steve had his shield ready.

"Why the hell is it spitting lightning?" Tony paled.

"You're the experts." Clint scowled.

Just when Tony was about to protest and a stray lightning aimed itself at the top of their heads. Bruce and Tony ducked and moved away in fear. The rest of them moved out of the way and allowed Steve to take the front line.

"What now?" Steve asked.

"If anything comes out, subdue it quickly!" Fury ordered. "The less damage we make, the better!"

"That's not going to be easy." Natasha said.

"Get ready, guys!" Clint declared. "I see something!"

The portal dimmed and slowly, an image started to appear. Two human-like shadows formed, but the bright light made it hard to see. The stray lightnings increased and started damaging the windows, adding to Tony's distress. Steve took the brunt of it and deflected it away from his teammates.

But the bright light blinded them, making them cover their eyes.

Suddenly…

Everything went quiet.

"YOU SENT US TO MIDGARD?!"

"How was I supposed to know what would happen?!"

Everyone opened their eyes and weapons were immediately raised. Standing there in the middle of the Quinjet pad was Thor, gripping Mjolnir tightly and lecturing Loki, who shrunk back in fear and guilt.

Weird.

They looked… younger?

It must be the hairstyle and the way they dressed.

Thor's hair originally reached his collarbone, but now, it was a few inches short and just at his neck. Loki wasn't as deranged and disheveled looking, but calm and almost… young-like. His hair was equally short and much tidier and slicked down.

"Do not blame this on me!" Loki hissed.

"Who else am I supposed to blame?!" Thor raged. "You talked me into this!"

"You were the one who agreed to do it!"

"Only at your insistence!"

"I told you to stop, but you did not listen to me!"

"You were the one who did not listen! I told you something was wrong and I could not pry myself away from it! This is all your fault!"

"How is that my fault?!"

"Because it is!

A throat cleared, making the two brothers halt their argument and turn. Their faces changed into confusion when they saw several weapons and the unmistakable glares aimed at them. A man with one eye stepped forward, and his voice dripped with venom.

"Welcome back to earth."

oOo

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