After the End of Time Chapter 15: Love and Daggers, a loki fanfic

Love and Daggers

Now, we come to discover that the moments of agony (Whether, or not, due to misunderstanding, Having hoped for the wrong things or dreaded the wrong things, Is not in question) are likewise permanent With such permanence as time has.

T.S. Eliot

Darkness. It reminded me of the void. Lonely. Terrifying. Silent. I dragged myself out of the end of my own thread, his thread, gasping for air. I died. I died. I died. I DIED.

I had watched this scene play out in the TVA as a spectator. Now. Now I knew. Now I felt what my original self had gone through. A desperate attempt to save Thor. To right a wrong. I let out a morbid laugh. Oh how Classic Loki had been right. Our blades truly did handicap us.

Sylvie still grasped onto the thread, and I watched as it frayed, slipping through her fingers, growing thinner and thinner. Tears streaked her cheeks. Why did it still continue? I, he, me? He was dead. And yet, the thread still glowed. Still flowed despite the frayed fragility. Confused, I reached for it, placing my hand over Sylvie's. The darkness returned, but the silence was gone. There was a voice. A voice I didn't recognise, but in some unconscious way, did recognise.

"Loki, oh my gosh, Loki!" Cars. I heard Earth cars and the muffled sounds of other voices. "911. On their way. Clear some space. Don't move him. And then that voice again clearer than the others. "You'll be okay, everything's going to be okay." The sensation of touch against my cheek. And then once more. Nothing.

This time Sylvie too pulled away from the thread, and we stared at one another wordlessly. Had... had my original self not died on the Asgardian Refugee Ship? Why had the TVA shown I had? Was I? Was he... alive?

A timedoor opened, startling us both and Mobius burst through it, eyes panicked.

"Sigyn, she never met at our rendezvous point. I think somethings happened to her."

"What do you mean?" I physically shook my head, dispelling those memories and a wave of dizziness came over me. I blinked it away. Weird.

"And she's definitely not running late?" Sylvie added.

"No." Mobius shook his head fervently as I sought out Sigyn's thread, letting my original thread weave itself back in among the others. Whatever Sylvie and I had discovered, it would have to wait. "I hung around, even searched for her. I'm telling you, somethings wrong."

"We'll know where she is in a moment." I reassured him, carefully handling her thread, and searching out where Sigyn currently was. Sylvie too looked, and after a moment we pulled back, Mobius looking back and forth anxiously between us.

"Well?"

"Sigyn's locked in a cell." Sylvie spoke slowly.

"What? Where? Why?"

"In New Asgard." I sighed, a weariness settling upon my shoulders. "I don't know why, but if we trace her thread back to when you last saw her, we'll find out."

"Is she alright?"

"A little bedraggled and she's been crying, but unharmed." I reassured Mobius. "Don't worry, everything will be fine, we'll get to the bottom of this. Hoping my words were reassuring. With trepidation, I dived back into Sigyn's thread, finding the moment Mobius dropped her back on Earth 616.

...

New Asgard – Earth 616

2024

Sigyn waved to the shimmering time door before it vanished, and then taking a steadying breath, pulled a black hoodie up, concealing her hair, and casting her face in shadows. Hedging to the start of the laneway, she peered about. Night had fallen in New Asgard, and the streets were quiet and dark, a chill in the air.

Slipping from her location, Sigyn kept her head bent, walking at a steady pace, nodding and murmuring evening greetings to anyone she happened to pass, including a youth who's eyes and overall facial features reminded me of Heimdall. The youth paused to glance back as Sigyn passed by, shook his head in confusion, and continued on his way. Perhaps feeling his gaze, Sigyn looked back, checking about her, before turning down another street. No one passed her, and she turned down two more streets and then a one way lane where trees overgrew a tall stone wall.

Checking the coast was clear, Sigyn scaled the wall, gripping onto the tree branches above before swinging her bodyweight upwards to straddle the top of the wall. She surveyed a dark garden below, before dropping silently to the grass below.

Navigating her way through garden paths, it was not long before she came upon a very familiar apple tree. Confidently, Sigyn walked up to the tree and froze, letting out a gasp as she and the entire garden was lit up under bright lights. She blinked, turning towards a siren which now rang out into the night, and then, she flew into action. Ripping open a satchel at her hip, Sigyn grabbed apples from the tree, stuffing them securely away, and then tore back through the garden towards the high wall. Behind her came shouts, which only spurned her on faster. Using the trees, she was up and landing on the other side in moments. But when she made to sprint out of the one way lane, her escape was blocked.

Thor stood, arms crossed and Sigyn slid to a halt, eyes wide.

"Sigyn, fancy seeing you here on this fine evening." He greeted her conversationally.

"Oh, um, greetings Thor. It is good to see you." She murmured breathily. "I was just taking a walk myself."

"Hmm, I didn't realise you had returned."

"Just recently, haven't had time to catch up with anyone yet." Thor raised a brow, and then held out an inviting hand.

"Well then, no time like the present." He offered and hesitantly, Sigyn placed her hand on his. "Starting with myself, your mother, and the King." A golden cuff was snapped over Sigyn's wrist, and she let out a gasp. "Now, how about we all have a nice chat, over some mead, and you can tell us exactly who you are stealing golden apples for?"

...

I pulled from Sigyn's timeline with a weary groan. Trust my brother to get in the way of things.

"What's that groan for? What's happened?" Mobius demanded.

"Thor caught her trying to take Golden Apples." Sylvie replied.

"There was a whole warning system set up, they were expecting her." I muttered. Damn, they don't think she's dead at all, they think she's gone rogue."

"What does that mean? She hasn't, but what does it mean?" I swallowed, knowing full well Asgardian law regarding traitors. Without answering Mobius, I grasped Sigyn's timeline again.

...

"If it's not Hydra, then why can't you tell us?" Sigyn's mother, Idunn, pleaded to her daughter.

"I just can't. But you have to trust me, believe me, if I don't get those apples to my friend, everyone's lives will be in danger." Sigyn replied, gaze turning meaningfully to Thor, who's arms were crossed, a frown on his face.

"Is someone blackmailing you?" He asked. "Threatening to hurt you?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm trying to help someone."

"Another God?" Thor pressed. Sigyn kept her mouth shut.

"A mortal? Are you trying to change a mortal?"

"No!" She burst out, pacing the cell she was locked behind. "Please, let me out, let me take the apples, before it's too late."

"Start telling the truth, and I'll let you out." The Valkyrie, who now ruled New Asgard as King, said. Sigyn glared at her, but remained silent. "Alright, a night locked up it is. Hopefully your friend can survive without those apples."

"Sigyn, please see reason." Idunn murmured, before the three of them left the holding area.

I left Sigyn's thread, finding and picking up Thor's, and Sylvie, seeing my intention followed suit.

"This isn't her." Idunn said sadly, bidding Thor and the Valkyrie good evening, a guard escorting her from the long house which was a far cry from the palace of Asgard. Thor turned to her, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"What are we going to do with her? We can't force the truth from her." The Valkyrie sighed. "We might have to. We don't know what she's hiding, but we do know that man she was dating, could still even be dating, he is part of Hydra. She might not know that."

"True. I think we start with that, in the morning. Try and catch her out in a lie." Thor gazed wistfully skyward. "Loki would have had the truth out of her in moments. He was good at that kind of thing."

"Yes, I remember, first hand." The Valkyrie grimaced. I now knew what she referred to.

"Oh, I didn't mean with his magic, I meant he was very perceptive of others. And, he might have been very clever at lying himself, but one thing he could pick from a mile off was a liar, and if there is one thing my brother hated, it was a liar."

"So, he hated himself?" The Valkyrie asked, confused.

"I suspect he did sometimes, yes." Thor let out a long, wistful breath.

"You miss him, huh?"

"I do."

My heart ached, and not for the laborious task of keeping the timelines energised, and I swallowed the feeling of tears in the back of my throat.

"You okay?" Sylvie murmured. I nodded, clearing my throat.

"Talk of Loki has given me an idea: I'll seek, Aera, out in the morning." The Valkyrie sighed. She won't be happy, she was one of Sigyn's friends, but if she won't talk..."

"We'll have to pull the truth from her." Thor sighed.

"Who's, Aera?" Sylvie asked, followed by Mobius's, "What's happening?" I pulled from the thread.

"Sigyn won't tell Thor or The King why she needs the apples, so they decided to keep her locked up overnight and will interrogate her again in the morning."

"Have they hurt her? Is she okay?"

"They haven't, but..." I glanced at Sylvie. "Aera has seiðr too, and is skilled in finding out the truth."

"Aera?" Mobius interrupted. "Sigyn has mentioned her name before. Another Goddess."

"Yes, the Goddess of Honour, originally from Álfheimr, she is a friend of Sigyn's; quite young but skilled. "If she gets a read on Sigyn's memories..."

"Loki, don't keep me in the dark. If Sigyn is in danger?"

"She's not, but I think we need to get her out. To be safe." I added. "Sylvie, can you get her?"

"Yes."

"It's technically morning now, so just be careful." I warned and she rolled her eyes.

"I'll be in and out, and even have time to stop somewhere and find you another smoothie. You look paler than usual." She pulled out her timepad, and within moments a timedoor had opened and she was gone. I swallowed at her revelation, but how I fared needed to wait until Sigyn was back, until they were both back safe. This time, I gently picked up Sylvie's thread while Mobius hovered worriedly.

...

The timedoor opened, and I jumped, at the clang of a metal door. I was in a corridor, but there was noise ahead. Going off the cool light filtering in, it was barely past dawn. Too early for anyone to be awake. I crept towards the voices, the arguing, recognising Sigyn's voice.

"Please Thor, don't do this." She pleaded.

"Then tell us the truth."

"I've told you all I can. Just, forget the apples, and let me go."

It was a similar scene to what Loki and I had witnessed looking into her thread, except this time Sigyn was out of the cell and seated in a chair, Thor, the Valkyrie, and a third person, a young woman with chocolate hair pulled back into a long ponytail.

"We can't. You're a risk to Asgard." The Valkyrie said. I couldn't remember her proper name.

"I'm not!"

"Sigyn, you've been missing for months. We thought you were dead. Then you show up, without a word of greeting, and take apples for only Hugin and Munin know what, or who. Not a great track record really, now are you going to tell us, or is Aera here going to have to do her thing?" I frowned. Ugh, How did Loki call this smart arse his brother?

"Let me go." Was Sigyn's reply and I heard Thor's sigh of exasperation.

"Aera." The young woman, well I guessed she was a Ljósálfar and obviously the one named Aera, shifted nervously.

"No." Sigyn bit out, panic in her voice.

"Can't I just, glean if we are in danger?" She hedged, an indigo glow of magic flickering in and out of existence in the palm of her right hand.

"You're not in danger." Sigyn insisted. "I'll, I'll tell you." She rushed out frantically and I froze in the doorway. "They're for a friend, well, he's not exactly a friend, he's umm, more, and that's where I've been and his line of work is quite aging and dangerous and I just want him to be safe before something bad happens to him."

"Is it Theoric?" Thor pressed.

"Norns no, I told you I don't know or care what happened to Theoric."

Then who? Give me a name."

"Mobius." Sigyn said softly, and there was no mistaking the feeling, understanding exactly what that name meant to her. I recalled someone speaking my own name not so long ago, blades between us, my name a sound of care, of longing, of pain. Love truly was a dagger.

"Is she speaking the truth?" The Valkyrie asked and Aera seemed conflicted.

"Yes but... no." She sighed. "Sigyn, I'm your friend, please let us help you. Let me help you."

"No, we need the whole truth. It's not worth the risk." The Valkyrie ordered, ignoring Aera's attempt to reach out to her friend. "Check her memories."

"Aera, please don't do this." Sigyn begged.

"I'm sorry, I really am." She murmured, and turned to glance back at Thor and the Valkyrie. By the look in her grey eyes, she wasn't on board with searching Sigyn's mind. Those eye's widened and oh shit, she was looking right at me. I pulled on my magic, preparing but she was quicker, and I dodged a streak of indigo.

"What are you doing!" The Valkyrie snapped, pulling a deadly looking blade while Thor ducked.

"Behind you!" Aera called out, and Thor spun, but too late.

"Guards!" The Valkyrie bellowed, as I stalked into the room, my magic dancing on my fingertips and my own blade in hand. If I had to fight mine and Sigyn's way out, well, so be it.

"And who are you?" Thor asked, and I noted how The Valkyrie and this Aera, who clearly knew how to wield magic moved closer to Sigyn, who was now standing, her own magic glowing.

"Your worst nightmare, if you don't let me take Sigyn peacefully." I casually threatened. Thor laughed, his hand at his side, palm open. He was calling his hammer. Just great.

"Sylvie, move!" I ducked as a shot of indigo flew towards me, at the same time two Asgardian guards reached the door, with spears, looking confused.

"Don't let them leave!" The Valkyrie ordered, and the door was barred. I snorted a laugh, shooting magic back, and then Sigyn's joined mine, and I was suddenly facing off the Valkyrie while Sigyn effectively sent Thor flying into the guards.

"Who are you?" The Valkyrie hissed, her attack dauntless against my own blade. I ducked and threw in a punch, taking her by surprise, but battle burned in her dark eyes.

"Doesn't matter." I replied, sending a stream of magic towards Aera, the young Goddess taking a hit to her shoulder and rolling to the ground with a gasp. I didn't want to seriously injure anyone, but we had to get out, and I was too preoccupied, fighting, to pull out my tempad.

Again and again I parried the Valkyrie's blade. She was good, too good, leaving little time to talk, but I was acutely aware of where Sigyn was; currently shielding a blast of magic from Aera. Thor, seemed unsure what to do, clearly reluctant to get involved and hurt anyone. His hammer now rested in his hand, but he did not aim it. It was an advantage.

"Enjoying the show?" I taunted him, my blade nicking the Valkyrie's arm and I grinned. She growled, coming at me in an array of moves, but unlike me, she didn't fight dirty. Swiping at a glass of water on the table where Sigyn had been seated, I threw it at her face, and with the minute distraction, slammed my boot into her stomach, sending her crashing to the ground. Quickly I snatched up my tempad, Thor now charging towards me.

"Sylvie!" Sigyn screamed, and suddenly I was knocked sideways and her scream was cut off, strangled. Thor had halted, and the Valkyrie cursed, and Sigyn. Sigyn gasped, the glinting long dragon tooth dagger of the Valkyrie impaled into her side. I scrambled to her, the mass of blood already soaking through her jacket, overwhelming.

"Sigyn, oh my gods, I'm so sorry!" I heard the Valkyrie say. "I didn't mean it, it wasn't meant..."

"Guards, fetch Eir! Quickly!" Thor commanded, panicked. "Sigyn, it's alright, we'll get you patched up." He said, but she only gasped, face pale, body shaking and blood pooling. I threw my head back and called to the only person who could help.

"LOKI!"

...

"Sigyn's hurt bad, you need to bring her and Sylvie straight here." I hurried out, voice shaking, hand which held Sylvie's thread shaking. The dagger had been meant for her.

Mobius swore, whipping out his time pad, fumbling in his hurry to punch in co-ordinates as I rattled out their location. "How bad's bad?"

"She's dying." I whispered hoarsely and his face paled four shades.

"I'll bring them back." He vowed, vanishing through a golden door.

I grasped onto Sigyn's thread, dismayed to see it fraying in my hands, threads splitting away, thinning. Thor had pulled the blade out, and they were trying to stem the bleeding with someone's jacket.

The fighting had stilled but as soon as Mobius's time door appeared and he raced into the room, weapons were drawn and pointed.

"Who the Hel are you?" Thor growled out, and the guards who had been useless this far moved forward, spears pointed.

"A friend." Mobius said, rushing to Sigyn's side.

"Mobius?" Sigyn gasped out, blood on her lips.

"You're Mobius?" The Valkyrie let out a snort.

"Shut it." Sylvie bit out while Mobius began scooping the chillingly limp Sigyn into his arms.

"No, you can't take her." Thor grabbed his shoulder in a vice grip.

"Her survival depends on me taking her." Mobius bit out. "You did this to her." He added, angrily. So angry. His voice shook as mine had. Thor refused to let go and with a frustrated sound, Sylvie shot a jet of magic at him, pushing him aside.

"Let's go." She said, following after Mobius, but at the last second there was a roar and Thor crashed into her.

Before I could react, Mobius was before me, Sigyn barely conscious. Quickly I wound the timelines all around my left hand, anchoring them. "Bring her here, lay her down." I ordered and for the first time in a while, I stood. Immediately my vision blackened and I swayed. Refocusing I lowered myself to kneel at Sigyn's side, and using my free right hand, checked her vitals, while Mobius moved to sit by her head, cradling it, talking to her through his fear, trying to reassure her.

"When you're all patched up, you name it, the where and when, and I'll take you there-"

"I want to stay with you."

"I want that too." Mobius murmured with more sincerity, more feeling than I'd ever heard from him. My gaze flickered away from assessing her injury and I caught the brief press of his lips against Sigyn's hand, which he held.

"Loki?" That voice. I re-focused, seeing Sylvie first wearing a murderous scowl, and... and Thor.

"I couldn't get out without the oaf, and I wasn't going another round with them all again, look how Sigyn turned out."

"What... what is this? Thor uttered.

"Sigyn, stay with us, stay with me." Mobius said, lightly tapping her cheek as I'd instructed him to. Her injury was deep, the long dagger slicing through lung, and an artery at her heart. My energy waned, but I kept pushing my magic into her. The artery was repaired, and I worked outwards repairing muscle, then pleura, then lung tissue, pleura again, then more muscle more veins, two cracked ribs, sinew, and finally skin. Her breaths were still shallow, inconsistent, and I turned to Mobius.

"Can the TVA's medic wing perform blood transfusions?"

"Well yeah, but do you know her type?" Will it even work on a Asgardian?" I swallowed, not having thought of that.

"I'll go, she can have my blood. I'm partly to blame." Thor spoke up, having been listening in. Sylvie had hurriedly explained who I was and where we were, but I could tell my brother needed answers from me. Mobius's eyes flickered my way and I nodded.

"Thor won't cause any trouble." I said to Mobius, but my warning was directed at Thor. "Take her now, she's very weak." I nodded tiredly. Opening a timedoor, Mobius gathered her up and Thor turned to me searching.

"I'll see you soon?"

"Soon." I promised. With a nod, he followed after Mobius.

Sigyn now on the road to revovery, I slumped back against what Sylvie jokingly referred to as my throne chair. Stone prison was a more fitting name. My head thumped and my entire body ached in such a way I felt weak, shaky. Norns, even the large room spun and Sylvie, I think she was moving closer to me, but she even seemed off kilter.

"Loki?" A hand slapped at my face.

"Ow." I slurred out.

"Loki, what's wrong? Shit, Loki!" The world careened into darkness.

...

joycelyn.o.ting - Love your review, thank you and glad you are enjoying where it is going! His death was so frustrating, it felt good trying to justify what his motives to ending up trying to stab Thanos might have been. I feel like in the Loki series, Classic Loki telling how he escaped and how the knives essentially handicapped Lokis was a nod to all Loki and MCU fans who were like wtf when Loki pulled that knife move and paid dearly for it.

"I'm staying right here." He refused, and Sylvie let out a disgruntled, "Ugh.", pointing her blade at Thor.

"Right bro, listen and listen carefully-"

"I demand answers-"

"Then shut up and listen." Sylvie snapped.