Never before had Thor been so thankful for Loki's brilliant mind.

As Thor tried to explain, about the Tesseract and the Aether, there were many times he became distracted, where personal emotional feelings bubbled up from within. But each time Loki would cut him off and put him back on track, asking all the correct questions.

Loki wasn't distracted by emotions nor sentiment; in many ways one could consider that an undesirable trait. But right now, it was exactly what Thor needed. It really helped keep his mind straight and on track.

"Seems to be the Tesseract would be the easy one to extract." Loki sighed. "The Aether on the other hand... and of course that would also be the most urgent one."

Thor nodded. "If the timeline still holds up, there are two years until the convergence but… Even if we didn't need the Infinity Stones, it would be a good thing to retrieve it before then. And close up the hole the Dark elves intend to use."

Loki quieted as he looked down.

"If the dark elves don't come, they won't be able to kill mother," Thor spoke softly, Frigga's dead body had been one of the more pronounced images in his mind, one of the things Loki had seen.

"I want that entrance sealed, as quickly as possible!" Loki stated.

Thor smiled lightly. There still were things Loki held dear, even if he wouldn't admit it.

Then Loki looked up. "You said you know who had the third one in his possession," he stated. "Well?"

Thor sighed deeply. "The Mad Titan… Thanos."

Loki looked at Thor. "He was the one who destroyed the Infinity Stones in your original timeline, yes?" he asked.

Thor nodded. "He… Thanos believes that at a certain point as any world develops, that world reaches a point of stagnation. Too many people and too few resources. He goes to the worlds which have reached that very point, and kills half the population. In that way, he believes he has saved that world."

Loki frowned deeply.

"Thanos makes a point out of killing without discrimination." Thor swallowed, a clear image playing in his mind, the spaceship, the few remaining Asgardians divided up into two groups, shoveled to both sides. A count had been made, to make sure that there was an equal number of people on each side and then… a simple coin toss. A play of chance, determining who lives and who dies; the tears fell down Thor's face, but he continued. "It is his life's work, to go from world to world, planet to planet like that… He thought he found a shortcut, the Infinity Stones. He gathered them and… He did it." His voice broke, then he took in a deep breath as he looked up. "Then after his deed was done, he destroyed them. Paying the price, he became weak and feeble as a result."

"And then in a fit of rage… You killed him," Loki breathed.

Thor closed his eyes.

"The head… In your mind. It was his head, wasn't it?" Loki asked.

Thor reached up a hand, covering his eyes as he sobbed. "I… It didn't help any," he sniffed. "It was too late by then! I tried, I stretched myself to my limits, I did all I could! But then, then when I had my shot... Stupid! Why did I go for the chest?!" he asked. "They are all gone! Because of me!" he exclaimed in a big sob.

Loki's eyes were on Thor, then he looked up... The image had been so clear in Thor's head. The ax, in Thanos's chest. His taunting words. 'Should have gone for the head.' ... A single snap. Right in front of him.

"Erhm. Thor," Loki hesitated. "What makes you think that... If you had gone for the head... It would even have worked?"

"What?" Thor looked up.

"I mean, he could have dodged. Or it might not have been enough to kill him. You don't know," Loki pointed out.

"But what if I could have stopped it?!" Thor asked.

"What if you could?" Loki asked. "Why do you think it's solely your responsibility?" he asked. "You didn't make Thanos, and you didn't make him snap his fingers. How are his actions your fault?"

"I should have stopped it! It was my duty!" Thor sniffed.

"Thor, how many planets did you say he had conquered, again?" Loki asked. "How many heroes had stood against him? No one could defeat him! No matter how you turn it! It just wasn't your fault!"

Thor halted, it was like a fist to his stomach, he lost all air, and he looked up at Loki. His eyes were wide.

"You're taking the blame for something that wasn't your doing!" Loki exclaimed. "You're not to blame! It isn't your fault!" he repeated.

There was silence, stunned silence. Thor was gasping, tears silently running down his cheeks and Loki too, seemed to be slightly gasping for air.

"And as for you taking his life," Loki breathed. "According to Asgardian tradition, it was your right to seek retribution. He attacked you and your people, and he..." Loki held his own throat, probably remembering the image he had seen, himself being choked to death by the Titan. "You were in your right, you didn't do anything wrong."

Thor closed his eyes. "It was too late... It changed nothing," he spoke quietly, drying the tears away from his eyes. "Nothing was fixed or achieved... I just killed someone whom couldn't even defend himself. That day, I was no warrior. Just a murderer." He squeezed his eyes shut. "There was no honor, only shame."

Loki glanced down, then he looked up. "We need to focus! All of that stuff... It doesn't matter right now, in your original timeline he is dead. In this timeline, he has yet to gather the Infinity Stones. Well, all except one. You said he has one."

Thor nodded as he swallowed. "He has Mind," he said. "It's inside of a scepter."

"And where is Thanos?" Loki asked.

"He lives in the void," Thor breathed. "Outside of the realms and outside of the All Seer's gaze."

Loki frowned as he leaned back. "That's a slight problem," he commented. "Because I am not going to head dive in there, for your information."

Thor smiled, amused, though the smile felt bitter… Remembering what exactly had happened to Loki the first time around.

"Did Thanos destroy Asgard?" Loki then finally asked.

"No," Thor replied. "That was the goddess of death, Hela… Only about a thousand Asgardians escaped on the ship, then Thanos found us… Some managed to escape. But those who didn't? He killed half. Then Thanos found the Infinity Stones and..." he swallowed. "Half of what remained."

"So you are saying… around 250 Asgardians? That's all?" Loki asked. "How is that even possible? In just six years? I mean," he looked around, and even the chambers were big and magnificent. "That should not be possible! We lived for over a thousand years and then just in six?!" he asked.

"The goddess of death paid us a visit," Thor sighed with closed eyes. "And I was not strong enough to stop her… Or stop Thanos… I wasn't strong enough."

Loki frowned. "Thor… Pardon me. One more time! If you weren't strong enough, then no one was," he stated. "Hela or Thanos, you'r'e really stupid taking all the responsibility upon your own shoulders."

"I was supposed to be king," Thor gasped.

"You said it yourself, you stretched yourself to beyond your limits," Loki commented.

"Aye! I did!" Thor swallowed.

"So there really wasn't any more you could do," Loki pointed out. "You did everything you could, as well as you could, tried as hard as you possibly could. Thus…. It wasn't your fault. When will you get that into your head?! How many times do I have to say it?!"

Thor looked up, tears rolling down his face, Loki's eyes though were stern.

"Clearly, if there was something to be done, you would have done it," Loki said in a stern tone. "Even now, when you have a way out… When you could just turn your back and forget all about it. You are still going to do what you can, even if it's really really stupid! How then, can it possibly be your fault, huh?! Because you weren't strong enough? You weren't good enough?! How is that your fault, huh? When you clearly did all you could!" He rubbed his face. "Norns, I can't believe I am saying this to you of all people," he hissed, clearly struggling himself. "How do I make you stop crying? It's really weird to see you like that."

Thor just… Couldn't stop it, stop acting like a baby.

"For the All Father's sake, stop!" Loki asked in a begging voice. "I don't like this! It's too weird!"

"I'm sorry," Thor sniffed. "I can't stop myself," he admitted through the sobs.

Loki sighed deeply. "I think you better stay here until you are done with the sobbing," he commented.

Thor nodded as he cried.

"I am… just going to look up a few things," Loki stated as he waved his hand, and in his hands appeared a book. "You just… do whatever you feel like."

"Thank you, Loki." Thor swallowed.

And Loki sat down by his own desk, putting down the book, slowly starting to read and turn pages. Eventually Thor laid down on Loki's bed, still not able to stop his sobbing, yet it also felt calming, Loki's presence felt calming. Just being in the same room as him, in silence like this, and Thor felt the exhaustion overwhelm him.

In the back of his head he could hear the sounds of an engine, slowly they were growing louder… Oh boy, he was going back again. Well, see you eventually, Loki.