'Knowing myself, yet being someone other. Although we are not, I was still the same.'

~ T.S. Eliot

When Mobius returned with Sigyn, she was bright eyed and smiling, no, laughing with Mobius who appeared just as enthusiastic about something.

"How did you find the TVA?" I asked, noting she carried a small bound book which looked exactly like an Orange TVA guide, but yellow. She also carried a hot chocolate and there was a TVA suit jacket draped around her shoulders.

"It's fascinating, I've never seen anything like it!" She gushed. "I met Casey, and Verity, and O.B is quite the charming character."

"I thought I was the charming one?" Mobius teased, and she beamed, no, was that a slight blush? Sylvie raised a curious brow. "We've been discussing your tied up issue with O.B. From what Sigyn said, you are essentially powering all the timelines?"

"More or less." I replied, summoning a second lounge from Asgard 26283, as Sylvie was lying with her boots resting on the armrest of the first one. Mobius, grabbing the unopened bag of crackerjacks, took a seat, and Sigyn sat at the other end.

"So, we need to find a way so the branches can support themselves."

"It can't. Where would it get it's power?"

"We could take turns?" Sylvie offered.

"I appreciate the offer, I really do, but it's too much, even for you."

"And too much for you, you've been grabbing food from different branches and snacking the whole time I've been here." Sylvie said, crossing her arms.

"You have lost quite a bit of weight since I last saw you." Sigyn added with worry.

"The last of me you saw, was the other me. It doesn't count." She let out a huff.

"And he was healthy. You aren't, Loki."

"They've both got a point." Mobius said.

"Well, what did you expect?" I bit out. "I was having a party up here? "Oh, I bet Loki's having a wow of a time, he finally got his crown and throne!"

"Loki, don't be like that." Mobius groaned.

"We had no idea!" Sylvie burst out, standing and stalking forward. "We couldn't find you. I used my tempad and tried to find you, but you weren't there! We didn't... I didn't know if you were safe somewhere or if you'd thrown all your energy into saving the branches and burnt yourself out of existence, which you are doing, just at a slower rate!"

"Are you done?" I itched to cross my arms, to remain aloof, unaffected. But I was affected, and she knew it. Physically and mentally. I didn't regret my choice one bit, but I was constantly on the verge of hunger and exhaustion; something I'd only ever experienced when in the void. Sylvie glared at me a moment longer, clearly biting her tongue, and pulled out her tempad.

"Don't." I let out a ragged sigh, bowing my head, as she vanished through a time door. "Run."

"I thought giving them some alone time would help. You know, clear the air." I heard Mobius murmur to Sigyn. She only shrugged.

"Some conversations take time, and even then, it can be difficult to convey thought and feeling into words." Her reply was soft, understanding, but it didn't make me feel any better.

"Mobius, you should go after her." I said, seeing the confliction on his face; and in the way he stood and began pacing.

"I'm not sure I should leave you." He frowned, looking at me. Really looking at me. Later, I would find his thread, and see what he saw. No, I couldn't, that was too invasive. I had morals. I needed to summon a mirror, but I was almost afraid of what I would see.

"I'll be fine."

"Ah, there's that God of Lies." He teased gently. "Alright, alright, I'll go find her." Mobius pulled his own tempad from his trousers pocket. Why wasn't he wearing his usual jacket? He opened a door, and strolled towards it, only to pause, turning to Sigyn. "I have something for you." He gestured her over to him. I couldn't see their exchange, but I could hear them.

"All you need to do is swipe across like this, and press there, and you'll be able to contact me. Loki knows how to use it, but in case something happens and he can't-"

"Nothing is going to happen, Mobius." I called out, exasperated by their level of worry, and also beginning to worry myself. He ignored me, too engrossed in his conversation with Sigyn.

"And if you need to get to the TVA, just press this symbol and swipe to these pre-programmed co-ordinates, and then press that symbol there and," A time door opened beside Mobius's. "As Loki would say; tadah." I heard her soft laugh. "Now, you're not supposed to have this, seeing as your not officially a TVA member, so if anyone questions you if you need to come back, you tell them Mobius authorised it to you."

"Okay. And I ask for Verity, if you aren't at headquarters?"

"Exactly. I'll be back soon." He turned to leave through the glowing door.

"Oh, Mobius?" He turned back to her. "Would you like your jacket back?" I bit my bottom lip, sucking it between my teeth and watched with intrigue as Mobius's expression softened.

"No, you can have that one, I'll have another one somewhere." His smile was small but endearing when he carefully pulled the oversized suit-jacket snugger about her shoulders, an effort to keep her warm.

"Okay, um, thank you." She smiled back and for what felt like an infinite moment, they stared at one another. What was happening?

"I'll see you soon." Mobius promised, finally vanishing through the time door.

Sigyn seemed to be composing herself and didn't turn around right away, but walked the small expanse of what was left of He Who Remains' abode. Kneeling, she pressed her palms into the cracked onyx, and gold light spread out from her fingertips. I watched on, fascinated as varying chunks of stone remnants floated towards us, around the branches. Sigyn looked up, right at me, but her attention was on those branches. She bit on her bottom lip, frowning in concentration, and lifted her hands. With each focused hand and arm movement, stone hovered into place, until an enormous room or hall of sorts had formed. There was a section left without wall either side of me for the branches to trail out and around, and there was no ceiling but for the glowing life of thousands upon thousands of twisted threads.

Sigyn pressed her hands to a seam of the gold which ran through the onyx. It grew, spreading and flowing into the cracks, joining each section of stone together, solidifying them. The final result was more beautiful than the original. She stood, dusting off her hands, looking about, pleased with her work.

"Thank you." I said, grateful to her for doing something I simply hadn't bothered with, because well, I couldn't go anywhere, so there hadn't been any point. You also aren't sure if you can expend more magic energy. My own consciousness whispered. Shut up.

"You'll have to furnish it as you like." She looked at the furniture I'd added since she arrived. "Where did you get all this? "

"An Asgard in a different world." Her brows raised, surprised.

"Is it different to our Asgard?"

"Not really. It looks similar, we are all there..."

"Another me?"

"Yes. I borrowed the clothes from Sigyn from that world."

"Loki, that's stealing."

"What? She'll hardly miss them and you needed things. Besides, Odin's a horror from that world. I don't mind liberating him of his excessive belongings." She gave an un-goddess-like snort.

"If you go back to my time, I have belongings still in New Asgard. Just, don't take them all, it wouldn't be fair on my mother." I nodded, making to select the correct branch. "But eat first." She ordered, and I rolled my eyes.

"I feel like there's been an intervention I wasn't invited to." I muttered, but did search out something to eat, summoning a large plate of fruits and cheeses right out from under Thor's nose on Asgard 26283. I needed some cheering up.

"Loki!" I jumped at Thor's outraged voice.

"What?" I heard the other version of myself snap before coming into view.

"Where is the platter? You vanished it!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He retorted. "I've only just arrived." True to his word, he took a seat next to where Sigyn already sat on Sif's left. There were blue salvia's threaded into her long braid and my other self grinned when he saw them, but said nothing.

"The platter before me, it's gone! All the fruits and cheeses are gone!" Thor thumped the table, and the dining ware shook.

"Perhaps you ate it, and failed to notice. You're appetite is endless, after all, and your mouth quite large." I held back a snort of laughter at my own insult.

"Loki, stop messing around, where is it?" Odin spoke up.

"Allfather, why would Loki vanish food when he is in need of eating himself?" Sigyn said, sticking up for him.

"Thank you, Sigyn." He said graciously to her, and turned to Odin. "As much as you all delight in blaming me, the blame lies elsewhere." He picked up a goblet of wine, and took a delicate sip. Odin glared at him, begrudgingly lifting his own full goblet.

"Eldir, bring another plater of cheese and grapes, since Loki is so certain he had no part in this mischief." Odin ordered, still clearly suspicious.

"You liked the flowers, I take it?" The other me murmured only for the other Sigyn to hear.

"Very, thoughtful." She whispered with a small, sweet smile.

"Loki?" I blinked, pulling myself from the branch. "Are you going to eat? My Sigyn, well no, not my Sigyn, that was a weird thought, was holding a plate of various food out to me.

"Oh, ah yes." I transferred the branches all to my right hand, and took the plate, balancing it on my knee.

"This is from the other Asgard." She commented, nibbling at a hard cheese. I nodded, busy filling my ravenous stomach. Her eyes were on me, worried. I ignored it.

"Did you know, in the other Asgard, I have dark fiery red hair, dark green eyes, and we are courting." I added the last bit nonchalantly and Sigyn inhaled a grape.

"We're what?" She choked out.

"Courting. It's quite fascinating."

"You're joking."

"I'm not." I smirked at her, enjoying the change in her worry for me to outright horror.

"That's, that's ridiculous! You're not my type at all."

"And you aren't mine."

"Well obviously, you prefer your women trying to kill you." Sigyn narrowed her eyes at me.

"And you prefer your men dishonest." The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. She opened her mouth to reply, then closed it, hurt.

"My apologies, that was rude."

"But true." She muttered, going to a lounge and flopping down on it, staring at the branches above us in silence for quite some time.

"Why did you tell me any of that? About our other selves?"

"Conversation?" I shrugged, picking at the last of the grapes on my plate. "We're younger, in that world. I'd guess I'm three-hundred."

"Do I look any different?" Sigyn asked. I assessed her appearance.

"You're hair, it's a paler blonde in that world. That's all I noticed."

She nodded, and with a wave of her hand, summoned my now empty plate, and added more food to it.

"Thanks." I said, grabbing the re-filled plate when it levitated back to me.

"Have you summoned any golden apples?" She asked after another long silence.

"No. Why?

"I wonder if they would help." She turned her head and peered at me. "It wouldn't hurt to try."

Thank you for the lovely reviews, Super Squashman. :)