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When Val opened her eyes, they were met with stormy sky.
She felt surprisingly decent for having just pruned herself and obviously having traveled here - to wherever it happened to be here was.
"Odin's beard-" A black storm cloud with flickers of colourful lightning behind it was moving fast across the plains - right towards her.
Odin's beard was right!
She took off running in the opposite direction, her Asgardian speed and agility helping her put distance between herself and the rapidly-approaching storm.
"SISTER!"
Despite the howling wind, she heard it, the call addressing her - or she assumed it was a call for her. And sure enough, it was a familiar voice attached.
Sylvie was sticking her head out of the window of a Midgardian car that was being driven by someone else, certainly not Sylvie, unless she was using her magic to drive the car along. And, like the storm, it headed right for her.
"Sylvie!"
Sylvie leapt from the car. "You were right - pruning doesn't mean an end."
"Not so long as we avoid that storm cloud, perhaps," Val agreed.
"That's not just any ordinary storm cloud," Sylvie began, but was interrupted as the car door opened once more and someone else stepped out, Looked like she indeed hadn't been alone.
"Mobius!"
It was him who emerged from the car then, giving a small smile. "Hi Val."
"Mobius," she breathed again. The feeling she had just recently experienced of losing him had resurfaced again, despite him standing here, appearing well, before her.
"I-I thought I'd lost you," she told him.
"Yeah. Getting pruned really is scary."
"It is."
"But here we are."
"Here we are. I was telling the truth, before, about us-"
"I know," he said gently. "I trust you. So much is happening-"
"I know."
"Um, sorry to interrupt this sickly-sweet reunion, but that cloud is getting closer," Sylvie prompted.
"Right." Mobius turned to the car and then back to Val. "Not sure where we're going, but can we give you a ride?"
"Sphinx!"
The storm rumbled the small car, as though threatening to pick it up and toss it askew at any moment.
In the distance, objects from various different civilizations across Earth were scattered about. Had they been pruned as well, despite their significance? How else had they gotten here if not?
They didn't have much time to ponder these musings however, still on the run from the storm.
"Loki!" Sylvie suddenly cried.
Sure enough, up ahead on a hilltop stood the unmistakable tall, dark haired figure of their brother, surrounded by a group of other pruned humans.
"Lucky us." Mobius pulled the car up as Loki led the group down the hill towards them.
"You're alive! You're here - are you okay? Mobius! Val!" he cried, utterly shocked. "How did you-"
"We thought you could do with some backup, Brother," said Val.
He blinked back. "I'm sorry?"
"This is our sister," Sylvie told him.
Hello Sister indeed...
His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped open. "Oh - are you Thor?"
She chuckled "No - but that would be a twist! I'm Lady Sigrid, second born of Odin. Hello, Brother."
"Sigrid? Not Val?"
"You know what Val is short for? Valkyrie."
"You're a Valkyrie!"
"Not just a Valkyrie, leader of the Valkyries!"
Lokie gasped. "Odin's beard..."
"A fan are we?"
"Big fan!" He turned to the group he was with. "These are my friends - uh, well, how best to put this? Us as a child, us in the future, and us as an alligator - best not to question it. And Sigyn of course."
"You throw a rock out here you hit a Loki," said Mobius.
Sylvie and Loki were decided - they would take the next step in the journey and confront the monster cloud, who one of the Loki's called Alioth. Sigyn would remain with the other Lokis while Val and Mobius would return to the TVA.
"Good luck."
"Thanks."
"Looks like you got away in the end," Mobius told Loki.
He chuckled. "I always do. What will you do? At the TVA?"
"Burn it to the ground. Thanks for the spark. See you later Loki-" Mobius held out his hand for a shake.
Loki ignored it and pulled the other man into a tight hug. "Thank you, my friend."
"You're my favourite," Mobius whispered to Sylvie over Loki's shoulder.
"Good luck, Brother and Sister." Val hugged them both.
With the farewells complete, Mobius touched the TemPad screen and a portal blinked open. He held out his hand to her, surprising her, in a good way. "Shall we? Would you like to lead the way?"
"Would I ever."
Gripping his hand, she stepped through the portal. They still had a long way to go, but they were back together again now, on to forge their future on their own terms.
And there we have it, that's the end! I can't wait until Thor: Love and Thunder to see where everyone will go next! I really hope a version of Loki is in that movie ;) You can't have a Thor movie without Loki faking his death and causing lots of trouble, right?
As always, once more, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this story! :)