Hello again! Long time, no see, amigos. I can't believe it's been over a year since this was published and almost a year since I updated! After seeing Avengers: Endgame I debated whether or not to write a proper ending for this story. I decided to go ahead and do so. However, I must apologize. I really wanted to give y'all the happy ending you deserve. But due to Loki remaining dead (or is he?) I was unable to write a storybook ending. I am genuinely sorry.
Thank you so much for reading this story. It is immensely appreciated. I hope you have enjoyed reading Fallen Stars as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Brunnhilde took a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air. She closed her eyes against the vast sea. The cool breeze pulled at her hair, causing dark wisps to fly around her long braid. The Valkyrie had her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head was resting on her knees. She was capturing the moment. She never wanted it to end. Her life would change after that day. From that day forward Brunnhilde would be known as the queen of New Asgard. It was odd, she thought. Her old life, before Sacaar had been devoted to serving King Odin. She was then devoted to serving King Thor. But now she herself was Asgard's leader. The thought made her uncomfortable. She was a servant; she was never served.
Thor had left with the raccoon and his friends just the day before. Brunnhilde's coronation was rapidly planned after Thor gave her his blessing. It wasn't that Brunnhilde didn't want to be queen. She knew just as well as anyone she would be an excellent leader. But the Valkyrie didn't want to rule alone. She had never pictured her future as it had played out.
Five years ago, Brunnhilde had successfully gotten the remaining Asgardians to safety. They had taken refuge in Jotunheim until Thor contacted them with the news that it was safe to come to Earth, that he had found them a quiet place in Norway to rebuild their lives. But that wasn't before something very strange happened. A number of the Asgardians had disintegrated without explanation. Thor later informed them that Thanos (the one who had attacked their ship) had collected the six Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers, wiping out half the population. Yeah. Brunnhilde didn't really get it either.
Upon returning, Thor had brought some rather tragic news. Loki was gone. Brunnhilde did not really remember what had happened after that. Her world had just started collapsing. She was not surprised. She had barely hoped her lover had made it through alive. She was even prepared. Except she wasn't. Nothing had prepared Brunnhilde for the pain. Thor tried consoling her by telling her he had died nobly, defending his brother and king. The Valkyrie was not to be comforted. Thor was also devastated, as well as guilty. He seemed to blame himself for what had happened with Thanos. Brunnhilde had dealt with the misery better than Thor. Thor became a drunken waste-away despite all of New Asgard's attempts. Brunnhilde had been there, done that. Loki had helped her get clean. She was not going to revoke that because of his loss. That would be an insult to his blessed memory.
Brunnhilde didn't want to rule Asgard alone. She would rather do it any other way. A beautiful vision of her ruling with Loki by her side kept crept into her head every time she closed her eyes. Brunnhilde had lost sleep trying to keep it away. But now she let it come. And with it came the tears. And the memories.
Sometimes there is a fine line between fantasy and reality. Giving into one's fantasy is often portrayed as dangerous; a lethal threat to reality. Maybe that is accurate. But by giving into a fantasy, one is simply escaping reality, not abandoning it. It can be a gap in the miserable world. A gap that is just wide enough for fresh air to rush in so one can gain a gasp of happiness in an otherwise miserable world. When the gap closes, one is left with no other choice but to open their eyes and face reality. To look up at the disappearing sun and the newly fallen stars.