Of meeting nowhere,
no before and after.
I may not comprehend,
may not remember.
~ T.S. Eliot
Having company was... strange, but welcome.
"I'll get you an actual seat, and would you like something to eat, drink?" Odin from Asgard 96283 was a bit extravagant, he wouldn't mind me borrowing one of his lounges. He likely wouldn't notice, besides he was among other things I'd decided; a scoundrel with double standards.
I pulled the piece of furniture from it's timeline, along with a small table, a bowl of fruit and nuts, two goblets and a pitcher of wine. Delving further into the threads, I produced three of 96283 Sigyn's own dresses, a warm dark blue cloak, brown leather boots, a hair brush and-something caught my eye on her dresser, an open letter with a pure white violet laid across the words. Focussing on the letter, I scanned it's contents.
'A geranium, now that is harsh. How about, a new offer; join me after breakfast in the royal gardens and I'll pick you an entire bouquet of my thoughts. I warn you, there will be many, many red carnations.'
It was written by... me? A letter of flower-speak. Ah, well that explained the pure white violet. What were the odds! I was a little shaken by my findings when I finally opened my eyes to observe all the objects I'd brought back, along with a shocked Sigyn also staring at them. A version of me fancied her. I'd have to check in on my 96283 self and see how that was going sometime in the future. I could do a lot worse; Sigyn certainly was no rock giant. Was I a frost giant still in 96283? I was quite young still, only three-hundred or thereabout.
"Wine?" Sigyn cut into my thoughts, I refocused on her, nodding. Something was different, she was clean.
"How did you? Where's all the blood? I brought you back dresses."
"You weren't the only one who learned the art of the seidr under Frigga's guidance, but unlike you, I was encouraged and also not running about trying rule everything. "She murmured, a hint of teasing in her voice.
Seating herself on the velvet lounge, and leaning her head back, she brought one of the goblets to her lips. The second, she waved towards me. I still held the branches in my left hand, and with a murmured thanks, sipped at the red wine I'd also liberated.
"Ah yes, your magic. Why didn't you use it to defend yourself against, Theoric? You never used it once, you barely fought him..." I trailed off under her blazing glare of unshed tears.
"Would you see harm done to someone you love by your own hand?" She gave a sad laugh. "Never mind, the amount of times you used to stab Thor for your amusement-"
"Fair warning, Sigyn, you do not know me." I replied, replaying the moments I'd contemplated killing Sylvie. Those memories were still fresh, haunting my mind; each fight we'd had, over and over and over. Even the times I'd decided to go through with it, I couldn't. I could never. Would she visit me? The fear of being alone still lingered.
I closed my eyes, remembering her wide eyes, staring at me in understanding, in horror when I'd locked her out, made my choice, and taken my first step in a long time, completely alone, on a path into unknown.
"What happened to the God of Mischief?" Sigyn's question floated on the air, seeming to reverberate through the strands fanning out around us.
"He found himself faced with two impossible choices, and he chose the one which would see him tied to a throne at the end of time, so the world could have a chance to live. those he loved could have a chance." She said nothing, but studied me.
"No, you changed before then. Whatever happened to you, wherever you went, before you returned with the ship to rescue Asgard's people, you came back different. On the ship, when Thanos came..." She trailed off, eyes awash with pain. "You hid so many of us, told us to lie quietly and pretend we were dead. You tried to spare as many lives as you could, even as Thanos and his monsters destroyed. And you didn't hide."
"I died for it." I whispered, overcome by the raw truth of her words.
"You died trying to protect your people. Frigga always said you had Asgard's best interests at heart and..." She frowned. "Why did you say, you died for it? You're not dead. How long have you been able to manipulate time?" Oh, explaining this was going to be fun.
"This is going to sound strange, impossible even, but I'm not entirely the Loki you remember. "My last memory of you was at a feast, dancing in Asgard. You were courting Fandral and when partners' changed, I told you to take heed, he was known to be unfaithful."
"But that was... Loki, that was years ago. I don't understand? She put her goblet down on the low table. "Where are your memories? You were right, by the way, he was very unfaithful." She muttered the last as an afterthought.
"You have magic." I reminded myself aloud. "I can explain it all to you, or, I could..." I swallowed. Could I open myself up like this? To retell everything which had transpired since I last saw her... well the very thought was emotionally taxing on my mind. A sigh escaped me. "I could show you."
"Okay." She placed down her goblet, stood, and approached me.
"It's uh, a lot, you might want to brace yourself." A hand settled on my shoulder and, locking eyes onto hers, I guided her left hand with my right, pressing it against my temple. She gasped, and so too did I; every single memory since I had last seen her ripped through my mind The hand at my shoulder tightened painfully, and it seemed an age until we arrived back at this moment. I yanked her hand down, gasping for air, struggling to find my composure. I'd done that to others, but hadn't to myself.
Sigyn was half leaning on me, and suddenly her arms were about me, tight, embracing. "What are you doing?" I uttered, bewildered by the affection.
"I don't know anyone more worthy of a simple hug right now." She murmured near my ear. My heart still hammered behind my ribs from re-living everything, and I knew there were tears in my eyes. Her compassion got the better of me, and I let my right arm wrap around her, and myself get lost in her hug, get lost for a moment in time in the past. We had never been close, but we were both at our very core, Asgardians.
"This is cosy." A dry voice commented, and I snapped my eyes open to see Sylvie strolling out of a time door, Mobius close behind carrying a brown box.
"That was quick." I said, clearing my throat as Sigyn stepped back, regaining her composure. She looked slightly nervous, and I realised she now knew everything I knew about Sylvie, knew how I felt.
"Loki thought it would be easier to show me everything, rather than try explain." She murmured, re-taking her seat. "It's... a lot to take in, especially knowing a version of him he was never part of."
"He's been through a lot." Mobius said, setting the box down and pulling items out of it, including two keylime pies and a bag of those horrible crackerjacks.
"Did you bring anything I could actually eat?"
"Sure, pie."
"One handed?"
"We can handfeed you, just like a child." Sylvie smirked.
"Absolutely not."
"Levitate the plate, and then you'll be able to eat the strange pie, one handed." Sigyn suggested.
"Good thinking." Mobius commented, eyeing the Goddess. "So, you have magic too?" She nodded, if anything, looking a little wary. I guess the last time a man asked her that question, it didn't end so well.
"I was taught to use it by Loki's mother, Queen Frigga." A golden flame flickered in her palm, and it shot around the space we occupied, like a fire imp, before vanishing.
"Impressive. It's more second nature to you, isn't it?" Mobius asked, and she glanced at me.
"Males on Asgard were expected to fight, not wield magic." I explained. "It was frowned upon, especially when I was a child and had little control over it."
"I've taught him some tricks." Sylvie grinned.
"I've learned a few on my own, thanks." I grinned right back at her, holding her gaze.
"Mobius?" Sigyn hedged almost shyly. "I've seen it in Loki's memories, but, I wonder if you could show me the TVA? If it's easy to do so?" Mobius's entire face lit up.
"Sure, we can do that. We can go now if you like? Let these two catch up?" Mobius had figured out what Sigyn was doing, and I was so grateful to her, to them both.
"I really should-" Sylvie made to speak but Sigyn cut her off.
"I'd like that." She said and before Sylvie could run, Mobius and Sigyn had vanished.
"So..." Sylvie eventually said, toeing a piece of broken marble which lay on the remaining floor.
"So." I echoed.
"She seems nice, smart, pretty too."
"Sylvie."
"Was she one of your old girlfriends on Asgard?"
"Sylvie, enough and no. You're being, wait," I frowned. "Are you jealous?"
"Nope, just making conversation."
"Right..."
"So, what's news?" She abruptly asked and I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and... shake her? Hug her? Kiss her? I had absolutely no idea where we stood anymore. But one thing I was wholly certain; she was my friend, my family. If that was all, it was more than enough.
"How long since, well, since you last saw me, it feels like five, maybe six weeks. I've been trying to keep count." Sylvie stared at me, face ashen.
"Loki, it's been over six months."
"Six months?" I let out a shaky breath. I'd been up here for six months? It could have been worse I supposed. It could have been centuries...
"If it hadn't been for your eventual little pranks, letting us know you were still with us, but even those only started a bit over a month ago..." She shook her head, mouth set and sad. "Mobius missed you." She said, but her face said it all. And so did I.
"I've missed you both, and Casey, O.B and Hunter-I mean Verity. How are they all?"
"Good. They're good. Casey and Verity are keeping an eye out for any Kang variants. So far only one, but Earth 616 dealt with him. O.B is well, O.B.
As you saw, the clock's back O.B took months to reset her, between writing the updated TVA guide book and new technology to monitor the branches. It hasn't been quite the same though, without you. Weird really." Her mouth twitched.
"I'm glad, and it is weird, not being down there. Watching but not participating. There's been so many times, I've-"
"Wanted to finish someone's sentence?" She raised a knowing brow and I closed my mouth, smiling instead.
"Yes."
"One thing I want to know, how did you do it? You seemed to know everything and suddenly as if overnight. How?"
"Would you like a tour of my mind, it would be quicker."
"Ah, no thanks. I don't need to go mad too."
"Rude."
"Besides, what's the fun of it when I can't enchant you myself anymore?"
"For the record, you never have enchanted me."
"Are you sure?" I frowned, recalling everything.
"Nope, my mind's still a vault. Actually, on second thought, I don't want you in my head, we're doing this the long way." I sighed. "Where do I need to begin?"
Hi and thank you to everyone reading this little fic. I hope you are enjoying it. :)
Quick note, Asgard 96283 is essentially from Earth 96283 one of the Earth's in the multiverse from the Marvel comics. For this story, Asgard 96283's timeline follows a bit closer to the Norse stories of the Gods etc, but with a Loki twist. :)