Loki laughed, "Midgard, what could they possible have to offer?"

"Well, this one caught my eye." She got up and walked over to the side of the glass room and returned with a large blue book that almost seemed to glimmer in the light, much like the surface of a pond. It was similar to Ceres but there were clear differences. "What do you think? Spark your interest?"

Loki looked over with some interest, "What is it about?"

"I'm not sure..." She opened it and filled through some of the pages, reading. "Seems... Seems to be some kind of history or journal." The ink seemed to magically appear on the pages as she looked. "I've never seen such craftsmanship and enchantments though. Shall I read some of it to you?" She asked.

"By all means" he shrugged.

Polly read him several different adventures Polly had been with Shield and various other lives, leaving out classified information and changing several names of course. Whenever he seemed to grow bored, she moved on to a new section of the book.
One of which was her first encounter with Shield. She'd been tricked by Djinn and was trapped inside it's lamp which just so happened to be an old portable radio. (Yes even the supernatural move with the times). And it was only when Coleson bought it in an auction and was cleaning it up that Pallas appeared, full magical girl outfit. Weathered and beaten down from her encourter with the creature. Nothing like a pretty lady appearing in your lap wearing puffie genie pants and a small top.

Loki listened, he seemed to enjoy the stories and he actually laughed-a light hearted laugh. Something that they hadn't gotten from him thus far. Evidently Frigga was the only person with whom he dropped his guard somewhat.

Pallas kept reading, finally feeling that she was ready to bring up...

"Ceres ran excitedly down the stone path, eagerly excited to see her sister after such a long time. The pink hair girl had recently gained her familiar CoCo who followed along behind her almost just as excited to see meet another familiar like himself..."

"Ceres?" he blinked, "I know her..."

"You do? From where? Are you keeping a special someone secret from me?" She teased lightly.

"Mother please" Loki chuckled, "though she is quite spectacular. I met her in midguard" he paused, something was beginning to feel off, "She... she was supposed to get me out of here actually..."

Pallas looked over toward the doctor and then back at Loki, "Was she? I've never met a girl with pink hair here. From this text it seems the writer was her sister... Do you think she had a book like this one?"

"She does, she did" he corrected, "She gave it to me, I'm not done reading it actually."

"If you like, I could read you the rest of it. Where did you put it?" She asked, closing her own book.

"Ah, that's the trick, I hid it away" Loki replied, "You can't just leave something like that sitting around after all. Someone might get the wrong idea with it. It's her life, and she trusted it with me." he hesitated, "she trusts me... trusted... I think she's probably mad at me now."

"Ah, I suppose it best you hid it away. But why would she be mad at you?"

"Technically I tricked her to leave everything and everyone she ever knew to run away with me so I could get her to convince Odin to drop all this nonsense. Clearly it wasn't very effective. Then of course, I took off with her tome" he added thoughtfully, "Though in my defense Odin was probably going to kill me without you around, I needed someone to run interference with him..." he looked back at Polly, "because you died... I'll never forgive him for that" his eyes hardened, "he didn't even have the courtesy to tell me himself. Him or Thor. I heard it from a guard, the day after the funeral." he was furious, livid even.

Pallas paused and for once, she actually felt sorry for Loki. She cupped his face, "I'm sorry you had to hear it like that... But you still have someone who cares for you. Who wants to help you Loki... Please... Let her help you. Let Ceres guide you... Become the god I knew you'd always become. Be the better man."

His skin was hot to the touch again, though it was a little odd. Usually he would have let on that he was in more pain by now, before the withdraw got quite this bad. "You really didn't know her... did you?" he questioned, "Frigga wouldn't have said that, she never viewed us as gods, only Azgardians, as if that made a difference. Still..." he eyed her, a bit uncertainly, almost wishing it was really Frigga, "I appreciate the effort. Whoever you really are..." he coughed at the end of his words, wishing he could double over as a searing wave of pain shot through every muscle. He closed his eyes tightly against it and the doctor rushed over.

"What happened?" she demanded, grabbing one of the doses, "he's degrading faster than before"

"Do not touch me with that, wench" Loki growled through clenched teeth with what energy he could muster. Evidently the constant ups and downs and waves of drug induced magic followed by shear agony were finally taking the toll, not only physically but mentally on the ex-prince. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold out with it wearing him down every hour. He had had enough, at least if it ended now he'd die with some dignity in tact, rather than down the road where he was certain he would die anyway.

"Yes, well my orders are otherwise, prat" the doctor replied, preparing to inject it into the IV drip they had him set up with.

"I'll tell you where the damned thing is" Loki breathed, exhausted. Apparently he had been more aware during their sessions than anyone had realized, "just... stop..."

The doctor paused, looking to Pallas for her order, "he'll die without it." it was up to the goddess to make the call, whether Loki would live or die, she certainly had the authority for it.

"Couldn't let you have a bad memory of your mother. No matter how much I don't like you, Loki." She said sighing. Pallas looked at the scientist and then toward Ceres who seemed to have her full attention on the matter. If she let Loki die, Ceres would not take it well. She'd feel when the bond broke and it would feel like the world had ended, just like on the day Coleson fell in battle... Even if they said it had only been a few mins, to Pallas, it felt like an eternity...But without Ceres' soul tome.

She took a deep breath, "You took something from my sister and have caused her great suffering in the process. Tell me where it is and I will grant you your request."

His vision was swimming so Loki closed his eyes, he had planned to give Ceres her tome back once they were done with Odin but it hadn't quite worked out. He never meant to keep it indefinitely anyway, "a pocket universe" he told her, though there were literally countless of them, "away from prying eyes... I called it Friggara" once a pocket universe was named it could be called upon by anyone who knew that name. Otherwise they were the perfect hiding places, no one could find them.

Loki tried to breathe deeply but it was shaky at best. So this was his end? At least Odin wouldn't get the satisfaction of doing it himself, he would have to live knowing that Loki had beaten him in their last encounter. The great all-father had fallen at the hands of the unwanted son. Loki could die with that at least.

"Thank you Loki, Prince of Asgard." Polly put a hand on his shoulder before unlocking him from the table, "I did, regrettably, enjoy our little chats. I will honor your request. Let him meet his end." She referred to the scientist.

Ceres chest let out a green light. "NO!" Juno reached out to grab Ceres but she had already bust into the room. "No, sleepy. You're almost there. You can't give up now!" She yelled, looming over his head, the green glow lighting up the pink curtain of curls that now surrounded Loki's face.

Loki sat up, though almost immediately regretted it due to the sudden needles that pained his stomach. He winced as he looked up at Ceres, recognizing instantly the green glow, "you do have my magic?" he looked confused, evidently believing it had been a hallucination before. He hadn't been completely with it when Odin had given it to her either. He reached out to touch it but the green glow only made his fingers burn and withdraw again, it was still rejecting him.

"No. No touchy. You're still too sick." She patted his hands away. In one swift movement, Ceres dove forward, Pallas simply moving to the side, as Ceres grabbed hold of the needle off the table and stabbed Loki's leg with it. "Take your medicine and get better."

Loki let out a yell of agony and actually fell off the table, clutching his leg. The withdraw from the drug had not only been causing him pain but also he was more sensitive to everything that touched his burning skin making that already unpleasant needle, ten times worse.
"YOU DAMN INSUFFERABLE WITCH!" the fallen god screamed at her, "haven't you done enough?!" his stomach revolted and if he had actually eaten anything in the last few weeks he might have hurled. As it was, his eyes burned red and the bracers that still bound his wrists burned with their runes as well to try and hold back the unholy magic that build up within him.