Hope you like the chapter!!!

(and hopefully, you'll get the pun of the chapter ;0 )

<3 Sierra

Chapter Thirty-Six

~Thea's POV~

Because Videl insists that we continue to cheat the system, the three of us walk into the Fastpass line for Expedition Everest. The music around us is distinctly Asian, with warbling flutes and some exotic stringed instrument, not to mention the continuous bird calls. As I walk through the line, I am surrounded by all sorts of mountain climbing equipment, like backpacks, ropes, barrels, pieces of paper, and hooks. I'm reminded of backpacking on Ardhigiza with Kyle, Jack, and Loki. Loki had insisted on helping me hook the rope to my backpack, even though I was capable of doing it myself., and the reminder of how my father had used to treat me makes my heart drop a little.

Determined to push Loki away from my thoughts, I shake my head and continue weaving through the nearly-empty Fastpass line (the Standby line is nearly packed). Above us, in the rafters, are oriental worship items: golden statues, candles, and gongs. As we pass through, I run my hand along the red walls, rustic-like and rough.

We emerge from the line to the boarding station, where we are also joined by the the Standby line people. This means that it gets much more crowded.

"How many in your party?" asks a Cast member. He is young, around twenty, tan, with a shock of black hair, very dark eyes, and a name tag that reads PHILIPE, Alajulea, Costa Rica. He is also very attractive.

"Three," says Videl, scowling at him as Angelique and I both look around hastily at the boarding station. A train has arrived, with about twenty-something rows of two seats. It looks rickety, but I have a feeling it's supposed to look like that.

"Rows three and four, there will be someone sitting next to you," says Philipe, smiling a magnificent smile.

Videl practically pushes Angelique and me towards the third and fourth rows, which are blocked by gates as other guests board the train in front of us. Leaning against the rail in the same row as Angelique (I take the one in front of them without any conversation), Videl says, "He's a bossy little brat."

"He wasn't any younger than you," says Angelique, looking at her fingernails, probably so that she's not tempted to look over her shoulder at Philipe, "He was very charismatic."

Videl snorts contemptuously.

Philipe walks towards us, accompanied by a tall, slender man with sunglasses. The man looks to be around thirty. He has broad shoulders considering that he's so slender, with a sharp jawline and nose, and thin lips. He is laughing cheerfully as he and Philipe approach me.

"Hey, sweetheart, do you mind if this guy rides with you?" asks Philipe, his gray eyes practically smiling too, "We're really full."

"Oh yeah, that's fine!" I say with a winning smile in return. Philipe winks at me, and then walks away. Angelique lets out a small squeak, and I blush furiously.

"And who are you?" asks Videl to the man, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm Will," says the man, extending a hand that Videl only very reluctantly shakes. He has a deep, clear voice, and a British accent. London, I think. "I'm visiting from Hertfordshire with my family, but the little ones didn't want to try this one out. It's positively massive, isn't it?"

"Right. Massive," echoes Videl uncertainly.

"Where are you lot from?" Will asks, and at this point, he takes off his sunglasses. His eyes are a piercing blue. He's quite handsome. "Your accent sounds London."

"I'm actually from Winchester," says Videl smoothly, "Gabriel Wheatley, nice to meet you. But my girlfriend is from North Carolina, actually."

"I'm Rosalie," smiles Angelique, extending a polite hand for Will to shake.

At this point, Will turns around to me, smiles an ear-to-ear smile, "And who might you be?"

I open my mouth, but Videl interrupts, "This is my cousin, Athena. She doesn't like to talkmuch." At this last statement, Videl looks from over Will's shoulder- Will is even taller than Videl- and gives me an extremely significant, extremely Do not screw this up look.

"Charmed," says Will, smiling at me. I smile back a little, but there's something in that smile, something about Will's expressions that seem extremely off to me.

Before I can say anything about this, another train comes around the bend, its horn echoing through the loading station. I shake off my concern- Will's eyes are blue, I remind myself. I wait until the gates open, and then I sit down on the second chair, while Will sits down on my right.

I put my backpack in the little pouch in front of me, making sure it's secure in the netting. I feel a squeeze on my shoulders, and look behind me to see Videl. His expression of concern causes goosebumps to form, at least until he nods to me and leans back in his own seat.

"Is this your first time riding?" asks Will pleasantly as the safety bar comes down on my lap. It's pushing down on my legs a little, and I shift uncomfortably.

"Yeah," I say, rubbing my arms, trying to get rid of the prickles.

"American, are you?" he asks.

Oh right, damn it, Videl's my cousin. Well, too late now.

"Yep," I say as another Cast member (not Philipe) walks down the row of cars, checking our seat restraints, "I'm from New York."

"I've never been there, but I've heard it's fantastic."

"Oh yeah, it's great," I say, twisting in my seat. From behind me, I can hear Videl and Angelique speaking quietly to themselves.

I'm thankfully spared from any questions as the train begins to move at a steady pace out of the station. I hold onto the safety bar, and look in front of me as the train makes a turn around some bushes, and then down a small hill.

"Well, here we go!" says Will cheerfully as the train turns around another corner and then begins to make a tall climb, up, up into the mountain. The train whistle blows, and we go under a temple, casting us into shadow. I look over the side, to my right, and see people scurrying on the ground far below us.

At this point, the train goes down a hill, not a small one, but it turns left quickly, and I whoop as the wind blows on my face and we enter a dark cave.

Once we emerge, I look forward to see the track ending right in front of us, twisted and bent. My eyes widen as the train comes to a screeching stop.

"Is this supposed to happen?" demands Videl.

"Yes, calm down," says Angelique. I can hear the laugh in her voice.

This piece of information relieves me too, long enough so that I turn to Will, "Well, that's-" I stop, my voice failing me. Before my eyes, Will is changing. Now, his face is paling. His hair is lengthening, and thickening, and turning black. A long cut appears on his cheekbone. And his eyes, his eyes are now a terrible, terrible ghostly silver.

"VIDEL!" I screech as Loki takes out a dagger from his belt just as the train pitches into motion- backwards.

My screams are lost in the screams of others as the train rockets into the dark. I blindly punch out, scratching, hoping to knock away the dagger. My nails scratch against skin, and over the wind and the shouting, I hear Loki curse, I scream as I feel the blade slicing my fingers, and feel the blood dripping down my wrist. "NO, LOKI, STOP IT!"

His own bloody hand finds the tip of my chin and pulls it up slowly. We emerge from darkness, and I see the wicked blade near my throat, about to cut my skin open. I jerk my head back and forth, and with all my strength, slam back the dagger. This works partially, because it causes the weapon to fly out of Loki's hand, into oblivion, but on its way out, it cuts the side of my face painfully.

Without his weapon, Loki's fingers close around my throat and tighten.

"VIDEL!"

Even if Videl could hear me though, he can't do anything. We're speeding down a track, backwards.

"L-Loki!" I gag as his fingers tighten even more, beginning to cut off my breathing. I feel tears running down my face,"S-s-top...you're my fa-father!"

The train comes to a sudden stop, and at its suddenness, Loki loses his grip on me. I take this opportunity to hit him straight in the jaw.

"Thea!" exclaims Videl from behind me. The train is stopped in darkness, so that the guests can view a shadowy Yeti breaking the tracks, but I'm not paying attention to that, "Thea, grab my hands!"

"I...I can't! I sob as Loki grabs my wrists- including the broken one- and slams them down on the safety bar, holding them down with only one of his hands. I begin to thrash, "LOKI!"

"Pathetic," he says hoarsely, speaking for the first time. His voice is cracked, "Little crybaby."

The words sting me, and I turn my face away from my father, not wanting to see the distance, the strangeness, and the utter murder in those silver eyes. I try to stop crying, Loki's words drumming in my head, but I can't.

His hand reaches for my throat again just as the train pitches forward, into a steep, long drop. My screams are not from the roller coaster though, but from Loki, who has loosened his hold on my throat and wrists, but in the process, smacks my cheek with his palm.

"You'll never be worthy," he hisses in my ear, "How could I love you, you clumsy desperate child?"

I choke back my sobs.

The coaster is at full speed now, and I can't tell which way is up, and which way is down. I can hear Loki's tense breathing from next to me, and his fingers wrap around my throat once more, squeezing, squeezing painfully. I gasp and plead with him, scrabbling with my hands, but it's though I'm talking to a brick wall.

Desperately, I reach under my shirt, where my dagger is still sheathed, and whip it out. "I'm s-sorry," I cry, as I bring down the point of the blade on the top of Loki's hand. A fountain of blood spurts from his skin, and he lets out a grunt of pain, tearing his hand away from my throat. Blood staining my own hands, I gasp for breath, trying to get some air before Loki potentially grabs my throat again.

I turn away from him, but he grabs my head. I realize in a split second that he is about to snap my neck, so I elbow him hard, resulting in him instead slamming my skull against the back of the hard seat. I screech with pain, seeing stars, and it takes all of my willpower to stay conscious. I know if I don't, then I'll never wake up.

And then the train slows, approaching the loading station. Still sobbing, I refuse to look at Loki, but he redoubles his efforts. I put my hand on his face and concentrate. I scream and scream, still crying, and Loki curses in frustration as the fire burns him.

At the train station, it's barely been two seconds, but it seems like much more, before Videl has leapt from his seat and grabbed me, actually lifting me into his arms away from Loki. Seizing my backpack from the netting, he glares at Loki with utter hatred, and snarls, "I hope you're satisfied, murderer."

Loki leaps up too, "Don't you dare take my daughter away from me."

Videl looks at him, as Angelique clambers over the side of the car to join us, and as I continue to stop crying, holding onto Videl's shoulders with all my strength. Then, he says coolly, "You don't deserve her."

And then, the blackness erupts around us, and I turn away from Loki, not wanting to look at him, not wanting to look at him at all.

*

"That was my fault, damn it!" exclaims Videl, "I knew there was something off about that bloke, but his eyes, damn it, he looked normal!"

"It's fine, it's fine, it's fine," I say, shaking my head and focusing on the landscapes around me. We're in an alleyway, but it's the most unusual alleyway I've ever seen. It's warm, much warmer even than in Florida, and there are very green plants, palm trees, and bright colorful flowers hanging over window pots. The architecture is Spanish, with tan, stucco walls and red barrel roofs.

"Thea, it's not all right," says Videl, "You were almost killed by your father."

I squeeze my eyes shut, "Yeah, well maybe that's what I get for trying to go on an amusement park ride while all this hell is happening."

"Thea," says Angelique. She's clutching her purse strap, her hair windblown partially from the rollercoaster and partially from the Jaunt, "You need to lie down, you're hurt."

"Hurt? No, I'm not hurt, I'm fine!" I say frantically, pacing in a small circle in the alleyway. I'm sweating, and my breath is coming quickly. "We need to figure out what to do, we have to find somewhere safe, we need to-"

"Hey!" Videl says sharply, bending down and taking my shoulders, "You're bleeding, and-"

"I'm not bleeding, I'm fine!" I laugh. I flap my hands, trying to get him to see sense, "We need to-"

"Thea!" Videl reaches forward and swipes my cheek. When he holds his hand up, I see blood dripping from his fingers. My blood? Loki's? Both? "Look at this, Thea!"

"Oh," I say faintly, and then the throbbing in my head begins to be louder than the throbbing of my heart. Blood drips down my forehead, over my eyes, and then all I can see is red, and then all I can see is black.

*

When I wake up, I'm lying on a bed.

When I look up, I see wooden beams latticed across the ceiling. A fan is whirring softly, blowing a breeze onto my face. The walls are white, but there's a floral curtain near the window, and a wooden cabinet in front of me.

"Well, you're awake, thank God, I thought Angelique was going to call an ambulance."

I groan and turn on my side. Videl is standing in front of the other window, his arms crossed, Wairua perched on his shoulder. He looks just as imperious as ever, but for the first time, I see shadows underneath his amber eyes, frustration mixed in. I know why. He wants to kill Loki for some reason, probably for what he did to him in Ardhigiza, but he keeps deciding to save me instead.

"Thank you," I mutter.

He gives me a look, "Stop acting strange."

"You need a haircut."

"That's better."

I swallow, tracing my fingers on the sheets. Reaching up, I feel a bandage on my chin, and my forehead. My right hand has been bandaged too, and it twinges with constant pain. Trying to ignore the discomfort, I sigh, lying back down on the pillow.

"You didn't run to him," comments Videl.

"What?"

"Loki," says Videl, walking over to the bed, his boots making a dull thudding on the hardwood floor, "You didn't run to him. You tried to get away."

"He was trying to kill me!" I exclaim, my temper getting the best of me, "What did you think I was going to do? Hug him?!"

He raises an eyebrow, "I don't know, but six months ago, you would have never hurt him, never would have tried to get away. Even in Asgard, in September, you would have tried everything short of hurting him. Because you love him."

"That's not Loki," I say in a low voice, "That's not my dad. He wouldn't try to kill me like this. It's Neidra. Because if it were Loki, I wouldn't hurt him, because he wouldn't hurt me."

"He hit you, Thea."

"He wasn't in his right mind!" I exclaim.

"I'm not just talking about in Asgard."

I curl my lip and turn away.

"How long do you know Neidra has been controlling Loki?" asks Videl, crouching down next to me. Wairua, hooting, flaps up to sit on the bedpost. "How do you know that you've ever known him? You say you love him, and he has told you that he loves you. But how do you know that's true?"

"What are you trying to do?" I demand.

Videl folds his hands in a steeple, and looks up at me, "I'm trying to give you choices."

"Do you actually think I haven't thought about this? You're even stupider than you look!"

Videl rolls his eyes, "Thea, I know you're upset, but-"

"Of course I'm upset! Look at what's happening to me! I can't even ride a roller coaster without having my possessed father try to kill me, because some psychopathic witch wants the entire throne that's apparently supposed to belong to me now! I've been tortured, whipped, slapped, poisoned, sliced, everything you can think of! I know my life is screwed up, I know it, I know it! Now get out of here, Videl!"

I'm panting, clenching my fists, trying to stop my feelings, trying to stop my tears. But this is better, yelling makes me better.

"GET OUT!" I scream, "I know I'm messed up, I know that my entire life is messed up, so stop reminding me!"

Videl sighs, although annoyance is plastered all over his face, "Thea, you need to calm down and-"

"NO!"

The vase on the nightstand shatters, sending bits of ceramic flying around us like confetti, and the doors of the cabinet whip open.

Videl stands, running his fingers through his hair. "All right, I'm leaving."

He does, and I watch him and Wairua go, still clenching my fists angrily. Letting out a short scream of frustration, I turn over on my side. The window is open, letting in a salty breeze. Wherever we're at, we're near the ocean.

Anger courses through me, but I welcome the anger. I remember Loki's terrible, terrible words, mocking me. Crybaby. Desperate. Clumsy. Maybe he's not in his right mind, but he's right about one thing. I cry too much. I let my emotions out into the open for everyone to see. But I can't be completely emotionless. Anger will do.

At that moment, I vow to never cry again. And as I sit up, ignoring the stinging, I let the anger come through me like a flood. Here's a better way to deal with my emotions, with my pain.

And as I stagger to my feet, feeling the fury go to my fingers, feeling the heat rising, I never stop to think that I'm acting just like Loki.

*cries*

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*SORRY I CAN'T MAKE AN EDIT, I HAVE TO GO RESCUE A BABY BIRD.*