The portal opens on the Midgard side. Hunter steps through first, dragging Kang with her. Thor, Sylvie, and Loki push the car through. The others follow close behind. They stand on a hill overlooking a small, windswept village on the sea. There is a spaceship not far away. Kang counts heads to make sure everyone is accounted for and then steps back toward the door.

Sylvie calls to him, "You'd best leave us all alone. No pruning. No resetting. Nothing. Our timeline proceeds in peace."

Kang nods, "You have my word."

"You'd better keep it," she says, "Because you damn well know what I can do to you if you don't." Kang bows and backs through the door. It closes after him.

They survey where they are and Thor smiles, "It's New Asgard, friends. And here we shall meet some of our friends, present and past."

As if on cue, a familiar face comes into view ascending a steep staircase cut into the hill, "Well if it isn't someone I was just told was dead by his spacefaring friends..."

Thor throws open his arms, "Valkyrie! It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you, too." She turns to the others, "And who are these people?" She notices the older Loki, "I thought you were dead."

Loki pauses, then says, "It's a long story, and I think all of us would love something to eat and a bit of rest before we tell it."

Valkyrie turns to Thor, "You're going to have to do some explaining to everyone. The crew thought you died on a suicide mission to protect them."

"Technically, I did," Thor says, "But it's part of the long story."

"Uh huh...well, then, how about you introduce me to your friends?" she says.

Thor puts his arm over her shoulders and walks her to the others, "Happily! Everyone, this is Valkyrie, my friend and fellow warrior! Loki, would you like to start introducing the others? You gathered these friends to you before I came into your life."

Valkyrie gives him a sidelong glance, "Before you what? He's your brother."

"Yes, but...well, it's complicated," Loki says.

"Has it ever not been between you two?" she quips.

Loki dramatically winces, "Oh, my lady, you cut deep."

Thor laughs, "This time, it's more complicated than usual. And involves a multiverse, but it's-"

"Part of the long story?" Valkyrie says.

"Exactly," Thor says. Now let us introduce you to the rest of the family."

Loki takes Cyd's hand, "This is my beloved, Cyd." He brings Sylvie forward with a hand on her shoulder, "And this is Sylvie. My dear friend." Sylvie smiles. "She is also of Asgard, though her story is vastly different than ours."

Cyd waves his former fellow archivists forward, "And these are my friends from...work. More than friends. We've been together for years. This is Iris and Ayshi and...which name are you using right now?" he asks.

"Tam. Now I'm Tam."

"This is Tam. They've got two names, depending on if it's a day to do hard things or not."

Ayshi picks up their introductions next, "And this is Loki and an alligator, also named Loki."

Valkyrie is visibly confused, "Um...another Loki? And an alligator?"

"Technically, I'm a Loki, too," Sylvie says.

"There's four Lokis here?" Valkyrie asks. They nod and Sylvie gives a small wave, "You really do have some explaining to do."

Mobius steps forward, "You're not going to believe us when we tell you how this all happened, but it'll sure make for one heck of a story." He offers her his hand, "I'm Mobius and this is Hunter," he says, gesturing to her as Valkyrie shakes his hand, "Hunter and I worked at the same place as Ayshi, Tam, Iris, and Cyd."

Hunter nods to Valkyrie, "And we hope we can find a home here. We don't have anywhere else."

"We've been living in a timeless nothing-place," the younger Loki says, "We added to a shack and most of us, except for Sylvie and Thor, were living that way for months. Everything we own is in or on the car."

Valkyrie stares at the station wagon, "That thing still runs?"

"It did up until we jumped through space and hit a rock," Cyd says, "Somehow it kept us safe and saved our lives a couple of times- no idea how. So we'd like to not completely trash it."

Valkyrie nods, "There's a kid here who's really into making planters and garden beds out of junk. She's already made a truck into a little park- it's really cute. There's benches in the bed and a tree growing through the passenger compartment. I'm sure, if you let her, she can turn this into something beautiful."

Mobius smiles, "Well, that seems pretty apt, don't you folks think? Something blooming as it comes out of an old station wagon..."

"Just like us," Tam says.

As they continue to talk, the conversation shifting to logistics, where they will live, and daily life, Loki and Cyd slip off, hand in hand, down the hill a little ways to where they can hide behind the branches of a willow. With the trunk shielding them from view, Loki places his hands on Cyd's hips and kisses him, the both of them getting lost in the moment, pressed against one another, leaning against the tree.

By this time, there are others coming up from the village to meet these new strangers. Korg and Meeks enthusiastically greet Thor, followed quickly by his spacefaring friends. Korg is happy to meet the curiosity of the former archivists who have never seen a person like him or like Meeks. Thor's laughter rings out over the village as he sees Sif coming up the hill and she runs to him, tears streaming from her face, so relieved that he is alive. Amidst all the bustle, Mobius and Hunter bring Sylvie over to help them unpack the car so things can be carried down the hill. The car itself can wait. Valkyrie notices Loki and Cyd missing and quietly walks to the willow. She knows she shouldn't interrupt and when she sees them together, their kisses passionate and gentle. She smiles and lets the willow branches fall back in place to hide them. She returns to the others.

Thor sees her returning and walks over to her, "Has Loki disappeared for mischief?"

"No," she answers, still smiling, "Only to have some time with his beloved."

Thor nods, "Then we shall give them their space. But for the rest of us...we should find a place to rest and eat. It's been far too long since we had decent food."

Tam skips over to them, "Did I hear that we were going to eat soon?"

Valkyrie nods, "Of course! We're Asgardian- we love a good feast."

"Outside of what we caught or scavenged in the Void, I've only ever eaten what the TVA has for us. And trust me, it isn't as nice as what Mobius and Hunter got," Tam answers, "We had a lot of things that smelled like food, but were rather ambiguous as to what they actually were."

"Wait," Iris says, bounding into Tam, "Do we get to have real food here?"

"Yes!" Thor says, "You will all feast and make merry with us!"

"We should probably take it easy at first," Tam says, coming back to their more rational senses, "We haven't eaten like this. I'd hate for our first real food to make us all miserable because our bodies don't know how to digest it. You know, like after our first day of Void food."

Thor thinks for a moment, then says, "Then you will feast with us on gentle foods and make merry with us without much mead!"

Someone brings a cart up the hill and soon they are loading things onto it, readying themselves to trek down to the village.

Sylvie makes her way to Valkyrie, "So...are you the leader of this village?"

Valkyrie nods, "Yes. Though now that Thor's back, I suppose he'll want to take back his throne."

Thor, nearby, calls to her, "No, lady Valkyrie! You earned this, building New Asgard from nothing but the scraps our survivors could gather. I will take nothing from you- in this place, you are our Queen!"

Valkyrie shakes her head, "Not a queen here, Thor. Just the one who figured out how to keep us all together when we landed here right after seeing so much death. How do you fit into all this?" she asks, gesturing around to the others.

"I don't honestly know," Sylvie says, "I really only know Loki," she sees the question in Valkyrie's expression, "The older one. He and I met under...not the best of circumstances. But...we grew to be quite important to one another. I...I put a rift between us. And thank all that's holy in these worlds that he saw something in me worth coming for, even after I hurt him dearly."

"I have a feeling I'm going to learn a lot more about this when it's time to gather for the story of you all, won't I?"

"Yes. But I'm not sure what he'll want to tell."

Valkyrie nods, "I understand how that is. There're a few things in my history I'm like that about. Things I don't like reliving or sharing."

Sylvie sighs, "Most of my life falls into that category, sadly."

"Well," Valkyrie smiles, hopeful, "there's nothing here stopping you from making the next part of something you'll never want to forget."

Mobius approaches them, "Cart's ready and Tam's about ready to dance with Iris down the hill ahead of us if we don't start off soon. Better find Loki and Cyd."

Valkyrie nods, "You all get started. I know where they are."

"Should I get them?" Thor asks.

"No. I don't think he wants his brother interrupting time with his lover," Valkyrie says.

Thor laughs, "No, I think not. Better be you." He calls to everyone within earshot, "Come, my friends! To our new home!"

Valkyrie walks to the willow once again, this time announcing herself when she is close, "Loki? Cyd? I hope you're still decent, because I'm coming in."

"It's alright," Loki answers, "We are."

She pulls aside the curtain of willow branches to find Cyd curled up against Loki, both of them stretched out on the ground under the tree, "Cozy, are you?" she asks.

"Very," Loki answers, "And at rest for the first time in a very, very long time." He gently shakes Cyd, "Wake up, my love. It's time to head home."

"Home's with you," Cyd mutters sleepily as he starts to sit up.

Loki beams and stands, offering Cyd his hand, "And mine with you, but it's time to finally have a roof over our head."

Cyd smiles and leans on him as they leave the willow, "You mean one that doesn't leak?"

"Yes. And one where we won't have to keep watch every night to make sure an angry cloud monster isn't going to kill us," Loki says.

"Or roving bands of pirate cannibals," Cyd adds.

"Or bands of less-than-kind Loki variants," Loki continues.

Valkyrie shakes her head, "I've got a lot to catch up on with you Odinsons, don't I?"

Loki nods; Cyd takes his hand and gently swings his arm, a skip working its way into his step, "When you got to the TVA, you were Laufeyson. That's what your file says."

Loki shakes his head, "No, the file is wrong. I may have been born Laufeyson, but I was raised an Odinson, even when I didn't know where I fit." He turns to Valkyrie, "And yes, you have a lot to catch up on. All of us have stories. We might be up all night telling them."

She smiles, "So just like the old days in Asgard. After a victory, remember? We'd all feast and drink and tell stories late into the night until people started to fall asleep around the fire."

Loki closes his eyes, remembering, "Yes. When I left Asgard, I never thought I'd miss it. But now, I do. Especially knowing it's not someplace I can ever return to."

Valkyrie nods, "It wasn't an easy decision for any of us to let it go. Do you remember that?"

"No. That wasn't me. Well, it was. But not this me. It's a bit hard to explain, but..."

"I'll get it when you tell the stories. It was brave, though, what you did. I didn't think you'd make it to us when you ran back to the vault and we kept Hela distracted. Neither did Thor. Did he tell you that?"

"Yes. We talked about Hela. And that I assured the destruction of Asgard."

Valkyrie shakes her head, "No. You made sure there was something left of Asgard. Ragnarok was going to come. We were going to see it fall, one way or another. Hela wouldn't have it any other way. Any world she couldn't conquer to do her bidding, she crushed. Asgard's people couldn't be conquered. What you did let us leave together." She pauses and stops him with a hand on his shoulder, "Loki, look at me." He does. "I know you say it wasn't you who did that, but there's a seed of that spirit in you- the one who makes the hard calls and is willing to do anything to make sure people you love are cared for. And you knew, in that moment, that Asgard isn't a place, it's a people. We may have lost the prosperity of that home, but...we're here. Asgard is here. And you're home with us."

Loki nods and offers her a hug, which she accepts, "Thank you, Valkyrie."

She gently shoves him back after a few moments, "Come on- let's get you settled in. We'll let you all stay together in the hall tonight and we can figure out your housing tomorrow. For now, it's food and rest, and maybe we can start the stories."

They head down the hill to meet up with the others. Iris and Tam dance together, laughing, as they follow behind the cart. Ayshi, Loki, and the alligator perch on top of their belongings, giggling as they tip and bounce along the bumps in the road. Thor is loudly singing a victory song with Sif, Korg and some of their spacefaring friends joining in on the chorus. Mobius and Hunter are trying to get Sylvie to join in the song as she quietly hums the tune as they walk. Loki and Cyd catch up to them, running down the hill.

Loki bounds to Sylvie and grabs her arm, swinging her around, "Sylvie! Come on, sing! We know this one- I know you know this one- right? You have to- it was everywhere when we were kids! Or maybe. I don't really know about you. Was it?"

She can't help but giggle at his rapid questions as he trips over his own thoughts, "Yes, I do know this one."

"Then sing with me! Dance!" he shouts, twirling her and joining in the song. Cyd stays back with Mobius and Hunter as Valkyrie runs to the head of the procession.

"It's really amazing to see him this happy," Cyd says.

"Yeah, it is," Mobius replies, "He never really had the chance to be like this once he grew up, did he?"

Cyd shakes his head, "No. I watched more of his file than I was supposed to. He grows up, messes up, and from there on out, it's so bleak. But this Loki...my Loki...he's got a different path. It's incredible to be on it with him."

Hunter nods, "Here's to hoping some kind of peace lasts."

"It will," Cyd says, "Because we're going to make sure it does." He smiles at them. Mobius and Hunter both nod in agreement. Neither of them are under the illusion that they will simply settle into an easy life, but they are certain Cyd is right. They can work to make sure they stay together.