Summary: There are a number of people that probably won't return, even if they manage to reverse Thanos' Dust snap, this is the reaction of the people who loved those that won't return.
Thor let StormBreaker rest against the bloodied ground, all around him people were rejoicing, sobbing and embracing their returned loved ones. Even the Rabbit and his crew were embracing and crying in both joy and sorrow, for they had last the Daughter of Thanos to the Titan's crusade.
Thor let his single eye run over the field, he saw the Panther Man be embraced by his sister and several of his people until Thor lost sight of him under them, He watched the Lady Widowed Spider wrap her arms around the Witch and hold her tight as the young woman cried for the loss of her lover.
There was Captain Steve Rogers taking his Shieldmate in a kiss, holding him as though if he let go the man would vanish once more.
The Man of Iron had his arm around the shoulders of a small slip of a boy, a boy that Thor was sure had no place upon a battlefield for he appeared much too young to be there.
There were other reunions and eventually there would be the funerals for all they had lost and Thor stood alone.
His people had been slaughtered, his friends, his brother murdered by the Titan.
'What more could I lose?' He had asked the Rabbit.
Thor's eye swept the battlefield once more, what more indeed, there was this, these people he had found and bonded with, he could have lost every one of them.
But knowing this did not lessen the pain in his heart for what had been taken from him, the constants that he had always relied upon, his people to lead and protect, Heimdall's All-seeing gaze and wisdom to fall back upon, his brother... his brother to make light on all the hard decisions that came to him, offering advice and distraction.
Without conscious thought Thor fell heavily next to StormBreaker, his knees hitting the had ground unforgivingly before his legs parted out from under him to each side of his body. Amidst the happiness and joy around him his sorrow went unnoticed for the moment as Thor struggled to reign in his still somewhat unstable powers but he could not halt the rains that began to fall around them, echoing his own tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Thor?" Banner asked, setting a gentle hand on his shoulder, taking care to do so on the side that still had sight, "We're heading in, out of the rain, T'challa says the great hall is large enough for everyone."
Thor took a shuddering breath, "I would remain out here."
"In the rain?" The Man of Iron scoffed.
"Stark." The Strange Warlock rebuked.
"I fear the rains would follow where I go, for it is I that call them down." Thor explained.
The group frowned.
"But everyone is back." The young man with Stark said softly.
"Not everyone." Quill spoke up.
The Witch nodded and the empty place beside her was called to attention.
The Captain gripped his Shieldmate's hand tighter, as though the acknowledgement would make him vanish.
"Vision is gone." The Lady Widowed Spider said, "But who else beside those that fell in the first assault?"
"Gamora." The remaining daughter of Thanos spoke, "My sister."
She knelt down next to Thor and set her hand on his knee.
"The Asgardians." Banner said, "Valkyrie(1)."
"Heimdall." Thor spoke softly, "He is the one that sent you to Earth, and he died for it."
Bruce felt a shiver of sorrow run down his spine.
"And..." Thor hesitated and then whispered, "Loki."
Thor could see the almost relief in several faces but Loki was his brother, his best friend for all they had been enemies.
The Rabbit placed a hand on Thor's, "It ain't the same, but you still got us."
"Yes." Thor nodded, "But I lost them."
There was a shifting among the others as they settled down around Thor, their hands reaching out to settle somewhere on his body.
"When you're ready to talk," A man Thor had yet to meet began, "We're here to listen."
Thor let his gaze circle his position, he was not alone now as they all surrounded him and while it wasn't the same he could almost hear the laugh of Volstagg, feel the gaze of Hogan, the sound of Fandral flirting with a woman, he could almost see Sif rolling her eyes at their antics.
And he could see Loki, his gaze focused upon a single spot beyond The Strange Warlock. He almost stood, almost ran to the man standing in the rain... but the rain did not fall around him but through him, even as the man smiled at him Thor realized that he was not really there.
The Strange Warlock followed his gaze and nodded once, his gaze locked with Loki's, he turned back to Thor.
"What do you know?" Thor found voice to ask.
"I searched fourteen million six hundred and five futures," The Warlock began, "Only in one did we win, only in one did our losses not bring us all to ruin. One."
"Which one?" The Man of Iron asked, he'd wondered since Dr. Strange had first brought it up.
"I went back, I talked until I convinced him, and he set himself upon the course, set himself up to distance himself, so he could work, so he could plan, so we could win." The man continued, "It was his greatest trick, he said, to convince the world, the universe that he was the villain and the only lie he did not wish to make."
Thor felt his world shift, and wondered if it was the same for the rest.
"I do not know where he sent them, Thor Odinson, but he assured me that they would arrive eventually, the Asgardian refugees, he could not bare the thought that they would die, what died in Thanos' assault was many illusions held together by your perception of what was for Loki knew he'd die there, he'd known since the day you were meant to become King, all there was to do was wait and plan and keep one step before all others and he succeeded." The Strange Warlock said, "He told me all was worth it as long as you live, there was no lie when he spoke."
"And the future in which we won?" The Panther Man asked.
"The future in which Loki died by Thanos' hand after giving him the Tesseract." He was answered, "I am sorry for your loss, Odinson."
Thor gazed out at the mirage of his brother, watched as it smiled and waved and then looked up to the sky as the clouds shifted and a ship began it's decent.
It landed some distance away and The Panther Man and the others went to meet it while Thor lingered, passing by where his brother stood.
'The sun would be shining if you were not so dramatic.' The ghost said.
Thor looked at him, "How are you here if you are dead?"
'I'm not here.' Loki shook his head as he watched the remains of Asgard's people be led from the ship with gentle care, 'I promised that I would see them home to their king before I allowed my self to fade to nothing.'
Thor watched his people for a moment.
'They died by Hel's hands, your Warrior's Three are not among them, just as Valkyrie and Heimdall are not.'
Thor turned back to the Ghost.
'When I made my plan known to them, they refused to leave, they wished to stay and I would not force them, it is fortunate that I did not, Heimdall proved useful.'
"Thank you for your sacrifice." Thor said, the words heavy on his tongue, but it felt wrong to say nothing, "For what you have given for Asgard."
Loki smiled a soft smile that Thor had never thought to see again, the one that Loki had used to give when he had to talk Fandral out from the fist of a Lady's male relative, the one that he shared with Hogan when Thor an Volstagg managed to do an epically stupid thing, the one Sif had learned from him as she helped him mop up after their idiots, the one the Thor had seen upon his mother's lips whenever Loki managed to learn a spell quickly, the one that spoke of a unending love and fondness, the one that made Loki's eyes soften and shine.
'I didn't do it for them.' Loki whispered as he gazed into Thor's eye, 'It was always for you.'
Loki reached up as if to trace Thor's cheek before stalling halfway as he recalled that he was not whole.
"I will see you in Valhalla." Thor promised.
Loki's smile shifted, became almost sad before he spoke, 'You should see to your people, Thor Odinson, King of Asgard.'
Thor nodded once and walked down to his people, the rains shifting as well, where before the falling drops had been hard where they hit now the drops became soft, and became gentle droplets that almost danced on their was to the ground.
Loki stood for a moment as he watched Thro walk away, his being fading further from existence now that his final promise had been kept. 'Would that I would see you in Valhalla, brother, but Frost Giants are not welcome in those golden Halls, no matter how they die.' He whispered to no one as he faded from existence, but Thor would not find that out for centuries and Loki was perfectly alright with that, as long as Thor lived, he was content, he was at peace.
Left behind where Loki had stood was a small yellow Dandelion that quickly aged until it was a Wish Bloom, whose seeds were quickly blown away by a warm and gentle breeze, the seeds would find root among the roses and gardens the King of Wakanda kept and from them would grow, not Dandelions but quick growing, slender birch trees that would find homes with each of the Avengers and never die, the trees would come to hold many secrets, whispers of truths that never would come to be spoken elsewhere. They would tremble when any of the others were in danger and would bloom with Dandelion blooms when something of happiness was experienced, the first of which was the birth of young Amelia Stark and the Wish Blooms would dance as they fell to the ground.
And if the made wishes upon the Wish Blooms that came from these trees came true, well, it certainly could not be the remains of magic from a trickster that fooled the Universe, that was just silly.
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1. While most seem to give the Valkyrie the name of Brunnehilde I feel like the Valkyrie Sisterhood of Fighters would leave behind their names when they are initiated, they are all called Valkyrie because of this. Also I searched for her actual name and they only list her by Valkyrie, therefore I am giving you an explanation on why I call her so.
Symbolism: The plants are associated with Loki, the Dandelion and Birch tree, I thought it was fitting and well the Wish Bloom thing, I don't know what it's called but when I was little I was told if you blew all the seeds off at one time and made a wish it would come true so I added that in here and well the seeds of the first one becoming birch trees was just something I liked the idea of because it's Loki and he doesn't follow rules and magic.
I'm sorry about Loki not going to Valhalla but from what I understand it welcomes those that die in a fight but given the changes of Marvel canon I thought well, what if it is an Asgardian type Heaven only, therefore, Loki as a Frost Giant would not be able to enter Valhalla regardless of how he died, and given where Frost Giants live I have a small head canon that they become snowflakes or ice, I feel like when Thor went to fight them when he killed them they shattered into ice shards, I don't know for sure but I like the idea. But also since Loki was not raised as a Frost Giant his death is different from normal, perhaps due to his magic, I haven't completely thought it through.