Chapter XXVI

"When Love and Death embrace"

Strangely, Tony felt warmth. He always thought that once you're dead there's nothing but coldness surrounding your body. So why the hell was so warm in here? He dared to open his eyes and was struck with a bright, white light. His eyes closed immediately, trying to keep away from the hurting light. It took him a moment, but eventually, he tried to open his eyes again. This time he forced them to remain open and blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness around him.

There was nothing around him. Only Tony in some light space. Where the hell he was? Tony tried to move his arms and legs. He saw he's moving them, but he felt nothing as if his limbs were made of air. He tried to breathe deeply but found himself unable to. He wasn't breathing, yet, his senses were very active. He was alive, but at the same time, he wasn't. It was confusing.

"Tony Stark," he heard a smooth, female voice behind himself. Before Tony had a chance to turn around a woman stood before his eyes. "And finally we meet in person."

Tony regarded her with a curious look. She wore a black robe that had a few holes in it. There was a silver chain tied around her waist that was connected with a chain around her right hand. Tony spotted that her right hand was pure bone. As his eyes were further up, he saw that her face was almost human if it weren't for the empty eye sockets and the lack of skin on her left side of a face. The right side of her face was pale, her lips covered by scarlet red gloss. White hair was falling out from under the black hood she was wearing.

"Welcome, my dear friend," she greeted him, revealing forty fangs where teeth should be.

"You're the death," he whispered as the realization hit him.

"I am Mistress Death, my dear Tony," she walked closer to him and offered her hand towards him. Stark grabbed it and let her haul him up until they were facing each other. "I came here for you."

"And where's here?"

"It's a place between all dead realms," she explained. "The edges of this place connects with Niflheim, Fôlkvang, and Valhalla, with heaven or hell, purgatory if you must. The names are various but the idea is the same. This is a place where you wait for your place in the afterlife, Tony."

"So, you're going to take me to this Fol-something, right?"

"Is this where you think you belong?"

"That's where I have to go," he replied, mentally trying to figure out how much time he had left. "Look, I'd love to chat some more but I'm here for…"

"Loki?" How did she know that? "Your mind isn't closed for me, Tony. I can hear everything in your mind here. This is my creation. I know you are here for Loki. Alas, you cannot take him. He is mine, now."

"Look, lady," Tony's tone changed to threatening. What more could she do to him? He was already dead. "Loki doesn't belong here. I have to take him back."

"I cannot let a soul come back to life just like that," Lady Death informed him in her empty voice. "No matter how much I am fond of you, Anthony Stark. You've managed to escape my arms so many times already. Now it is the end."

"Yeah, I don't think…"

"Mistress," another female voice joined their banter.

Tony looked to the side and spotted a tall, beautiful woman with long, golden hair. She looked like a true goddess, right out of ancient Greece or something. Her white dress was glowing with golden light, matching her hair. Her face was striking. Beautiful blue eyes were emitting so much warmth that Tony felt he was melting under her gaze. She moved with the grace of a swan.

"Lady Freyja," Death greeted her coolly, her red half-lips were pressed into a tight line.

"You're not the Freyja I know," Tony decided to speak to the new woman. She gave him a confused look before she eyed him from head to toe. "Are there two of you?"

"I assure you, there is no other Freyja than me, Anthony of Earth."

"You know me?"

"I know everyone who enters here," well Tony had to give it to her. "I came to collect your soul, my warrior."

"I do not think he belongs to Fôlkvang, Lady Freyja," Death placed her bony hand upon Tony's arm. "I may take him to Niflheim. He escaped my arms far too many times."

"I told you, I'm here for Loki, ok? I cannot be dead before I save him."

"Are you willing to take his place among the dead ones?" Death asked him, her empty eyes were burning Tony from the inside.

"I am. Let's make a deal here, ladies," Tony breathed deeply, even though he didn't have to here. "I am offering my soul for Loki's. I stay here and he will be sent back to live."

"You would truly sacrifice yourself for Loki?" Freyja asked him, as she finally stood before him and Death.

"Of course," Tony replied without hesitation. "I would give everything for him. He wasn't supposed to die, not like this. This is why I let myself being killed so I'd end up in your meadow, Freyja."

"However, Loki is not in Fôlkvang, dear Anthony," she informed him. Freyja closed her eyes and opened her palms. A moment later a green spark showed up on in the middle of it. It was moving so fast in circles like a wild animal that was caged. Tony recognized it immediately. It was boasting with Loki's seidr. "He is such a wild spirit. He was not ready to die and he cannot find peace for his soul. It will be trapped here for as long as he won't find peace and let one of us take him. He's unsettled, his spirit yearns to be free once more, but it cannot let go of a thread that binds him to you, Anthony. The threads you are bounded by are keeping him from entering my realm. You must free him, or he will never find peace."

Tony couldn't agree with that. He cannot let go of Loki. It wasn't the time for the mage to be gone. If Stark can help it, he will make sure Loki will never die. He will fight teeth and nails to get Loki's soul back.

Suddenly both ladies stiffen in a place for a moment. They sensed something and a moment later, Tony sensed it too. Another presence in the place. A small smile crept onto Freyja's lips as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Welcome, my lady," she and Death turned around and lowered their heads while regarding the new person.

Tony was ready to do so as well, however, he realized he knows the person they were bending for. A golden-green dress with Aesir's emblements he had seen Frigga wore before she died. Black locks falling loosely on her arm. A soft smile on her pale face. And two mismatched eyes. One green and one brown. Tony smiled as well. Maybe there was some hope for him and Loki.

"Hi," Tony greeted her with a small wave of his hand. "Long time no see, Freyja."

"Tony," she gave him a pointed look. "What are you doing here?"

Both Death and the other Freyja looked between the two with wonder on their faces.

"Your little plan didn't work out and I had to come here, you know. For Loki."

"You should not address Lady Future so easily, human," Mistress Death warned him.

"We know each other," Tony barked at her and smirked at Freyja, the Future. "Ok, enough of the chit-chat, ladies. Give me Loki's soul and I'm out of here. Chop chop, ladies. My clock is ticking."

"This is not that simple, Anthony," Lady Freyja of Fôlkvang started once more. "Loki is…"

"I know, unsettled. But…"

"If I may," Freyja, the Future, interrupted, walking closer to Mistress and the other Freyja.

She touched their hands and closed her eyes. The two women followed her example. Tony didn't see what they did, but he guessed it had to be connected with what would happen if Loki was trapped here. It only lasted a moment or two, and when they opened their eyes they smiled sadly at Tony.

Freyja of Fôlkvang presented him with the green spark that was Loki's soul once more. She raised it to Tony's chest and pushed it into the necklace with so much force that Tony fell to his knees. He felt as the necklace was burning him, but not with fire but with ice. Similar to the coldness of Loki's ice powers that the mage once used around him. Tony wanted to scream but found himself unable to. His voice died in his throat as he felt the coldness spread through his entire body. He closed his eyes and let the coldness take over him. When he opened his eyes again he was still in the light place, but there was no more Mistress or Lady Freyja here. The only remained woman was Freyja, the Future. She was kneeling next to Tony, keeping her hand pressed to his heart.

"You must go back now, Tony."

"What did you show them? They didn't want me to take Loki's soul back. What did you show them, Freyja?"

"The future." Now the sad smiles made sense. And the sad smile of Freyja's confirmed his theory.

"I'm going to die, right?" she didn't reply to this. "But Loki will be alive, right? I will take his place here after all it's done, right? After we win, I will die."

"I cannot tell you, Anthony."

"It's alright," Tony reassured her. "As long as we win and he lives, it will be alright. I can die for him. As long as he will be alive."

"You must go back now. It is your time." She helped him stand on his feet. The sad smile still on her beautiful face. "Go now."

"I guess this is a goodbye, Freyja. Thanks for everything."

Tony felt as his body was slowly warming itself and becoming more solid. A light heartbeat started its rhythm in his chest. Blood was pumping in his veins again. He felt magic surrounding his body and let it overwhelm him. He closed his eyes and fell into the darkness once more.

The last thing he heard was the soft voice of Freyja.

I will see you again, da...