I kept the time-travel itself short (there is a part in the next chapter) and distinct from the "first time" this happened so it would not become boring. I hope it came out alright.

I love to write Loki's musings to himself, they give me so much opportunity to explore his character development. I think by now he is realistically aware of his flaws (as he himself states in the conversation with Ljosira about Dragonbane), and although they are not completely eradicated, he tries to master them. But (wisely so) he fears to accept power of such scales as Dragonbane or an Infinity Stone, and I think he is quite traumatized by the Chitauri staff experience. As I said in the beginning, the way to become a hero is not an easy one, but he's doing well :)


XXVIII. Upstream of Time's River


Although Loki should have used the time to get as much rest as possible, sleep simply eluded him. His mind had always been more active at night. Thoughts and schemes flourished better when the world lay in silence and undisturbed, yet the quiet also made room for doubt to creep in. Worry took hold of him persistently, sending its roots down deep.

The general state of things did not look good. If they managed to go back in time without wrecking the natural order of the cosmos, he and Ljosira still only had one chance to put the entire mess Natta had made right. By now, Loki was quite convinced that they needed Dragonbane to do that. He also understood why the Darkflight leader had so casually offered him the powers of a dragon – with the weapon, she herself wielded not only her own magical force, but that of a full-grown Lightbringer too.

Why had he not seen it coming? If he had told Ljosira right away, they still might have reached Elding, and maybe then they could have prevented the situation from escalating so horribly. He felt guilty, dirty even, for keeping the truth from her, although his intentions had been pure. There were so many unknowns, ready to put their mission into peril.

Would the Wizard even be able to send them back to a suitable point in time? And if so, would they be able to divert the time-line so the whole tragedy did not simply repeat itself? Could Natta be defeated at her own game? She was the game of shadows, the night mother, the master of deception. How could they hope to beat her? And before they could get to any of that, they still had to find their second would-be ally: the Outsider.

A dragon exile, a seemingly crucial chess-piece, and Loki knew not what to expect from this one. He had once tried to usurp the throne himself. Rendering judgement over a fellow usurper did not feel appropriate, yet he strongly suspected there was more to the Outsider's story. Ljosira had said he could not be trusted, while Andlát had specifically directed them to him.

Dragons. Why could they never speak their intentions clearly, or give true guidance without wrapping it up into a neat little mystery? Even the Lightbringers omitted parts of the whole. Right now, being blind to what might lie ahead could prove disastrous. He would have to question Ljosira on details about the Outsider.

Loki sighed, rubbing his temple as he stood overlooking the streets of Manhattan below. Although long after midnight, the roads were alive with cars rushing by, the sidewalks busy with people. Humans going about their business, living their lives without the burden of having to make monumental decisions. Whatever kept them awake at night, it likely was not about preventing the end of days and mass destruction of their homeland. Well, maybe for Tony Stark, it was. At least he had managed to create a fragile peace between him and the Iron Man, for now.

Once, Loki remembered, glory and recognition had been things to strive for, highly-set goals which he'd desperately tried to reach, the way a vine stretched across a bottomless pit towards the supportive column on the other side. Now he longed to trade the weights he carried for those simple, trivial hardships he believed to be the concerns of the everyday mortal. He had craved to be a king for so long, and now all he wanted was to be done with it and have peace. His old ambitions seemed endlessly tedious and cumbersome.

Above all his crowded thoughts, the single greatest trepidation loomed like a lingering spectre. He had told Stark the truth. He was afraid. Terrified of losing the one thing he could not live without. Memories of his many failures came back to revisit him as painful reminders, haunting the house of his troubled mind. If he only had his brother's undeviating confidence, or his mother's fierce determination! The courage of lions lived in them both. He couldn't find the same mettle within himself. How could he stand against the forces now in motion? He was no hero fighting for a righteous cause. He was a man trying to protect what he loved.

"Your heart is so burdened with worries, I can feel it like a solid weight on my chest. A winter quilt, made of greys and blues.", Ljosira spoke quietly from the bed. Loki turned to her. She'd sat up, the blanket he'd draped her with sliding from her narrow shoulders with a dying whisper. He walked over, crouching down in front of her.

"You always knew I had a brooding nature.", he said in a soft voice. Her gaze travelled over his features while her fingers gently traced the frown on his forehead.

"I did.", she conceded. "It makes your smile all the more captivating." He closed his eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the touch of her hands. Some deeply buried part of him yearned to lay down his head into her lap and flee away from all troubles of the world, into her loving embrace. That place of complete safety beneath the shelter of her wings. He wondered fleetingly if that wish made him a coward, and then found that he didn't care.

"Did I wake you?"

Ljosira shook her head slowly, questing for his hand to close her fingers around his.

"No… I dreamed with Yggdrasil, but her lament is hard to bear for too long.", she answered in a solemn tone.

"Tell me, my light. Can we win this thing?", Loki lifted her hand to his cheek and pressed a kiss to her palm. She let out a sigh.

"I don't know, Loki. Andlát believed we had a chance, otherwise he would not have raised the entirety of his clan for the time-spell. He said that preventing her from forging Dragonbane would be the wrong approach." Loki pondered this for a while.

"So we don't. We only have to prevent her from using it on Vegr. We let Strange take us to the moment we found the shard. What do you know about Dragonbane, now that you have seen it used?"

"Not much… I know that no schematics exist on Nidavellir for a spear like that, but it still bears all the characteristics of a divine weapon. I believe the Onyx Star is its heart, infused with power on Asgard, the realm most permeated by magic. We found that shard because it took the longest to make. Maybe… I could turn it?", she mused pensively.

"Turn it?", Loki frowned.

"The divine weapons are not just lifeless pieces of metal. Each and every one of them is unique, immaculately made for its purpose. Within the fire of dragons, they are imbued with a will of their own. You wielded Gungnir once, because you are recognized by the Allfather as a possible successor. But you could not swing Hofund as Heimdall does, never even pick up Mjölnir. And neither of us could wield Dragonbane. It answers to Natta only, at least the way it is now.", Ljosira explained patiently, while Loki seemed baffled. He had thought Gungnir could be picked up by any Asgardian and now felt a strange, old guilt about having betrayed his father's confidence.

"You want to change the spear's allegiance. So it will answer to you.", he concluded after a time of silence. Ljosira looked at him with a crooked smile.

"What would I do with a spear in this clumsy mortal form? No. It will not answer to me. It will be yours.", Ljosira corrected, her voice determined. Loki gaped at her.

"Mine? You want to give a convicted criminal and the future husband of a dragon princess a weapon named Dragonbane? Are you mad?", he demanded in disbelief. She shook her head in a rebuking fashion. It looked as if she wished to protest, but he went on. "Ljosira, you have seen what giving me too much power does. It's not good for me, it clouds my judgement, tempts me to use it, muddles my sane mind –"

"Shh.", she hushed him and he fell silent. "First of all, you have not made an official proposal yet, so don't get ahead of yourself." Loki rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Gods help you, woman. You know as well as I that ship has sailed long ago.", he argued, not without a good measure of self-irony. Their lives were bound, and she had no business disputing that – even in jest.

"Appearances need to be upheld.", she raised her voice so it carried over his, making him huff. Then she became serious again. "Things are different now. You have grown so much stronger. And I need you to wield that weapon when we face Natta once more, on our terms. I trust you. I have faith in the man I love."

"But…", he struggled to find words, having a hard time with it. So often he had experienced what it felt like to be mistrusted, suspected of betrayal. But to have such complete faith put in him – that had never happened before. He didn't know what to say. Ljosira trusted him more than he trusted himself. It was overwhelming, humbling. She cocked her head curiously.

"Do you plan on using Dragonbane on me, my family or any loyal dragon?", she queried in an offhand way.

"Of course not!", Loki exclaimed, shocked. Ljosira smiled.

"Then I do not see what else there is to discuss." Stubborn dragon. There was no use arguing with her.

"How will you bind it?", he wondered then, stirring the topic into a less controversial direction. Ljosira's gaze strayed into the distance.

"Not easily. A weapon already created is an entirely different matter than one about to be forged. I think that may be why Andlát urged us to seek out the Outsider. Utandir… knows things. I told you he gathered knowledge from the strangest, forbidden corners of the universe. After we get the Onyx Star… we need to return here.", she elaborated.

"You think the Outsider is on Midgard?" Ljosira nodded.

"I am quite sure that he is. Life-Binders… they are drawn to vigorous places, where vitality brims in all its many facets. They thrive among crowds, revelry, enthusiasm. And what place is there, other than the world of humans, so full of the chaotic up and down of life?", she stood as she spoke, walking to the ceiling-tall window. The far horizon lightened now, heralding the approach of a muted dawn. "He had thousands of years to settle in. And he does not want to be found."

"So how do we find him?" A being who enjoyed mingling within great masses of people – it sounded pretty hopeless, Loki thought. Ljosira faced him, her features enigmatic.

"We ask help from a man-about-town, of course. One who loves exactly the same things as Utandir. Or loved, before he became a hero.", the silver gleam of her dragon sight flashed across her eyes before she went on: "Playboy, billionaire, philanthropist. Tony Stark."

"Tony Stark is an arrogant jerk.", he felt compelled to point out. Ljosira quirked a brow at him.

"Many have said the same about you, my love.", she reasoned.

"And they are right, in part. I would not trust me, if I met me. But… I trust your judgement.", Loki amended. He thought he saw amusement ghost across her face as she looked at him.

"You should. I have watched complicated men long enough to know there is more to them than meets the eye."


A man of his word, Stephen Strange returned by daybreak, casually stepping through one of his portals. Ljosira and Loki were seated on the loft sofas again and the three of them exchanged polite greetings, before Strange looked around, brow furrowed.

"Where's Stark?" At that moment, Tony ambled up the stairs with a mug of coffee in his hand. He stifled a yawn and squinted balefully at his guests through puffy eyes.

"Usually still in bed at this ungodly hour. Don't tell me you're early birds. I hate early birds. Actually, I think I just hate birds, all of them, period. I built this tower high enough so their chirping wouldn't wake me in the morning. Didn't work.", he grumbled under his breath as he walked up to them.

"Not a morning person, Stark? I'm disappointed.", Strange commented in a sarcastic tone, to which the other man only grunted. Ljosira rose and bowed to him.

"Apologies for disturbing you, Tony. But we must leave as soon as possible. I believe now is the time." Stark made a placating gesture.

"No, I'm just… being a grumpy ass. Sorry – Ljosira, is it? A bit of a tongue-breaker."

"Old Asgardian requires a silver tongue. Better not butcher our elegant language.", Loki smirked, earning himself a warning look from Ljosira. "I had to.", he mouthed at her.

"Tony, I have a request to make to you. And it involves you too, Stephen. When you send us back, we will remember all that happened before you did, yes?", she asked, to which Strange nodded. "Is it possible that you include Tony too, so he remembers?"

"Why would you want him to?", the Wizard wondered.

"We will go back and acquire a shard of the weapon we told you about. When we return, we need to find someone who is here on Midgard. As a matter of fact, I think he is even right here, in this city. You call this the city that never sleeps, don't you? Living in this place would be to his liking.", Ljosira explained. Strange and Stark exchanged a baffled look.

"Who is he?", Stark wanted to know.

"A dragon in disguise. We call him Utandir, the Outsider. He would look like a mortal. Well, a handsome mortal. Earthy, sanguine. He would surround himself with buoyant people – artists, musicians, actors. He'd be young and charismatic, and quite successful at what he does. As for his occupation… If I had to take a guess… Something in the entertainment business, or theatre." They all stared at her for a long moment.

"Sounds like quite a genial fellow. If it weren't for the charismatic part, he might as well be Stark.", Strange said, twirling his beard. Tony threw him a scathing look, but Ljosira stepped closer to him and lifted her hand.

"Can I show you something? I have seen Utandir only once, but I can impart on you what his aura felt like. You have good instincts, Tony. I ask for your help because I believe you can find him while we are gone.", she held his gaze steadily.

Loki knew how compelling the undivided attention of a Lightbringer could be. He had grown used to it, but Stark was still new to the whole dragon business. His features softened beneath her imploring regard and for a moment he seemed like a man trying to rein in some strong fascination. Then he nodded. Ljosira settled her palm to his forehead and his eyes closed. Long seconds passed in silence before she lifted her hand away again.

"That was… interesting.", Tony murmured distractedly, swaying a little. "Your world is more confusing than an LSD trip. How do you stay sane?"

"It's not like that all the time.", she amended gently. "Will you look for him, please?"

"I will try.", he promised her in a serious voice.

A short while later, Ljosira and Strange sat down cross-legged onto the floor, facing each other. Once more, the Wizard summoned the time stone forth from its golden cradle within the Eye of Agamotto. As he described complex movements with his slightly shaking hands, bands of bright green runes formed around his wrists like glowing bracelets, revolving slowly.

"I need you to guide me to the point in time where you want to go. Prepare yourselves, it is not a comfortable ride.", Strange explained solemnly.

"The ride here was no lazy stroll. How much worse can it get?", Loki commented with a sigh.

"A lot.", the Wizard said in a foreboding voice. Stark and Loki watched as Ljosira reached forth and touched the tips of her fingers to the sorcerer's open palms.

Without warning, the whole world… tilted. It was like being grabbed by the ankles and lifted to hang upside down from the ceiling, while everything began moving backwards – cars in the streets, people on the sidewalks, even the rising sun plunged back over the horizon again. The pace of time reversal accelerated until the scenes rushed past in a blur and Loki became unable to keep track of it any longer. He was vaguely aware of his own movement through time, but he'd never be able to put the sensation into crude concepts such as words. Ljosira, Stark and Strange all disappeared, replaced by a cacophony of images and sounds he could not focus on.

His stomach swooped and turned. He wanted to be sick but couldn't – not one muscle of his body moved. Forced to look at the flurry of colours and shapes as they whirled around him in an unending vortex. The time stone's power was tremendous.

A fleeting thought occurred to him, flying by like all the other scraps: He had experienced four of these Infinity Stones and what they could do all on their own. Twist minds of gods, tear holes into the fabric of space, darken all of Yggdrasil. What if some madman decided to collect them all, someday? It's what I would have done, some time past, he mused.

He took solace in the fact that likely no creature in existence could use more than one stone without being torn apart by the power within. Most of them were well protected. The Tesseract on Asgard. The Aether with the Collector. The Time Stone with the Wizard. But the staff… He had lost the staff…


But even that acute worry frayed away from him as threads of a tapestry coming apart. And the next instant, his feet touched the ground again and the time stone released him from its grip. He gasped for air, legs giving up their service so he sagged sideways against something solid. A steadying arm came around his midriff, holding him.

"Loki! What happened?!" Thor's voice, sounding shocked. "Ljosira!" Loki was simply dragged along as Thor hurried forward.

When the flashy afterimages retreated from his vision, he saw where they were: The stone circle in the mountains, where Natta's black hole had created the onyx shard. Ljosira kneeled on the ground at the centre, panting rapidly. Strange had sent them back successfully, and they had arrived right after Ljosira had dispersed the shadow magic of the black hole. Loki tried to free himself from Thor's grasp but the disconcerting dizziness made him sway precariously.

"Pull yourself together, Loki. What the hell is wrong with you two? Ljosira, are you alright? Was it the spell?", Thor set his brother down beside the dragon princess. He handed them a water bottle and they drank greedily. The nausea was slow to fade, but eventually it dissipated – more or less. A surreal sensation lingered on, as if the ties which held the world together had become brittle around them.

"One moment everything is fine, the spell is gone, and the next you both collapse on me.", the thunder prince said, his tone accusing and worried. Loki took a deep, steadying breath. Despite everything, he was enormously glad to see his brother safe and sound.

"We are not… us from just a moment ago. We came from the future." Those words earned him a blank stare from Thor. "That sounded much less stupid in my head." He wondered if anyone had ever thought about leading off with another line after having time-travelled into the past – then again, how many people have done that, at all? Loki turned to Ljosira while Thor still gaped at them both.

"I'm alright. Such powerful magic… I feel… soiled, twisted, having taken part in it. It wasn't made for dragons. No matter. Unpleasant, but I will be fine. Take the shard.", she said calmly, straightening. Although he did not quite comprehend what she meant, Loki pocketed the Onyx Star once more, wincing when he felt the eerie whispers radiating from it.

"Will you, for Odin's sake, explain what is going on?", Thor thundered, making them both flinch.

And so they did. They explained everything to him, from the moment they found the shard to the attack of the Darkflight on their way home to the city, to Natta's grand scheme of creating Dragonbane. He listened without interrupting, although his expression grew more and more unbelieving as they went on. And troubled.

Loki and Ljosira had agreed wholeheartedly that they would include Thor into the plan to alter Dragonbane – for several reasons. Thor's friendship to the Midgardians could only prove beneficial, and besides, the three of them had started this together. It was only right to finish it together. After telling him the story of how they had asked Doctor Strange and Tony Stark for help, Thor's gaze shifted from one to the other and then back again.

"Your story makes about as much sense as horns on a mule. Ragnarok, brought about by Natta… It's not how the prophesy goes.", he argued, his prominent brows knitted into a deep frown.

"I know, brother. But you have not seen what she did to Asgard. A little longer, and it would have been the end. Trust me, please. Me and Ljosira.", Loki implored him, his emerald eyes locking with his brother's bright blue ones.

"I trust you. Besides, Ljosira's description of Stark was spot on. You have met him, no doubt about that.", Thor asserted with a nod. "What do we do now?", he then asked, his face taut.

"In the past, Natta attacked us on our way home to Asgard. But we have some time before she does. We need to get to Heimdall's observatory and have him send us to Midgard. We cannot rest with the villagers as we have the last time.", Ljosira said, dusting off her clothes as she stood.

"But Heimdall's sight is clouded. Can't you take us to Midgard in your dragon form?", Thor pondered, but she shook her head.

"He will have to send us in blind. Shifting would be like igniting a giant beacon to inform Natta what we are doing."

"And before you ask, no, you can't fly ahead with Mjölnir. We cannot get separated, nor do anything that might give her a clue before we travel to Midgard. We don't want her to quicken her plans and attack Asgard even sooner. We need time to find Utandir.", Loki said before his brother could protest.

"So… What? We walk?"

Loki and Ljosira exchanged a look, before the dragon princess closed her eyes. She did magic, but in a very subtle, almost imperceptible way. It felt as though she let her consciousness fan out into the space around them, over the hills and between the towering pine trees. She called out, her voice a mere sigh dispersing across the untamed land.

A small eternity passed in which all they could hear was the wind whistling through the cracks in the cliffs. And then, from the forest at the foot of the great mountain, came one long answering howl. Another, more ferocious one followed it. Two wolves, singing a wild song in unison as they rapidly drew closer. Apex predators, come to heed the call of a creature whose true nature they knew better than most mortals did. Loki turned his attention back to Thor.

"No, brother. We will not walk, it seems. We will ride."