Summary:

"Why aren't you glowing anymore.." she mumbled to herself, "..you don't want us to find you, do you..?"

She spoke to herself and the Tempad in her hand..as well as someone else.

It was obvious, that the Tempad wouldn't answer her question.

Nobody would..

"But we're still here, that's a good thing, right?" she said optimistic, but couldn't hide her concern.

"..but something is changing, Mobius. I can't really grasp it just yet, but I feel it.. "

This couldn't be true..

When she slowly turned around to the source of the voice, her jaw dropped and her heart skipped a beat.

She blinked several times, couldn't believe her eyes.

Because this could only be an illusion..

It wasn't possible..

A/N:

This is one of my favourite chapters and really close to my heart..

You read, you know =)

Let me know what you think about it ;)

Enchantress

"..and fries with that, please.."

Sylvie smiled kindly, while she handed the meal to her customer.

She never had thought that she would have such an easy time with the kindness, the smiling..

But at the moment it was way harder to maintain that expression and pretending that everything was okay was exhausting. It was the time of the day where things were slowing down at the restaurant. Nobody was at the counter so she went back, where Jack was standing at the grill.

"Hey Sylvie, you okay?"

The blonde woman placed a hand on the younger ones shoulder and he smiled back shyly. They never talked about it, but everyone knew that Jack had a crush on Sylvie. He was always grinning from ear to ear, when he saw her and checked if they would work together in the same shift when nobody was watching.

"Great Jack, thanks! I'm taking a break. See you later."

"See ya, Syl."

She went straight away to the office to get her coat, when something attracted her attention.

A round object, black and gold, which was lying on her desk.

Sylvie picked it up, letting her fingers slide over the black and golden surface, from one second to the other deep in thought.

It was almost three weeks now since she was there the last time.

At the end of time..

The new kingdom of the new king.

And shortly after that standing right in front of the dead, petrified version of the tree..with open mouths and a thousand questions.

"We will find out what happened here, Sylvie.."

Mobius had encouraged her when they came back, but Sylvie was a just a mess. Everything was spinning in her mind, all at the same time. The tree, the being, everything Strange and Wong had said to her, Thor, Valkyrie..

Loki..

When they came back, she didn't want to figure anything out, all that she wanted was to get away.

Back to her job..

Back to her life..

Back to normality..

Whatever that was.

Mobius hadn't been there since that day, too. He told her, even though she didn't ask.

Because he knew she wanted to ask..

"Why aren't you glowing anymore.." she mumbled to herself, "..you don't want us to find you, do you..?"

She spoke to herself and the Tempad in her hand..as well as someone else.

It was obvious, that the Tempad wouldn't answer her question.

Nobody would..

"Wouldn't make a difference..might as well just throw you away.."

For a second she really thought about it, looking at the trash can in the corner of the room, but ultimately changed her mind, opened one of the lower drawers in her desk and threw it inside.

Out of sight, out of mind..

Sylvie took the back exit, heading towards her green truck, which she parked further away now, to get a little peace and quiet between her shifts. And there was always the possibility that Mobius M. Mobius would honor her with one of his spontaneous visits.

The keys already in hand, the enchantress was about to open the door..

"Hello Sylvie"

Mobius was sitting at the root of the stony sculpture.

The tree trunk was several meters thick and the impressive, widely ramified branches towered high above into the skyline of the TVA. It could be seen from everywhere, every office, but down here was his center.

The heart of the tree.

The new mangement commissioned the replica of Yggdrasil shortly after the loom destruction and a few days ago it was completed. Thereby no one would forget why they were doing all of those things and to whom they owed it.

To remember what must never happen again..

"Those who cannot remember the past.."

He heard the familiar voice of a woman from behind, a voice which put a smile on Mobius face, despite of all the contemplation. He didn't turn around, continued to look at the elaborate made branches, finishing her sentence.

"..are condemned to repeat it."

He thought about all those times he had spoken a different mantra. Usually it was spoken together. One had started, someone else finished it, like a prayer..

..or a curse.

For all time..

..always.

Thinking about the dogma he had followed blindly, without asking any questions for so many years, still caused shivers running down his spine.

Verity sat down beside him on the bench, "Today's salad day, Mobius..I didn't see you in the canteen."

Damnit, he had never forgotten or skipped salad day before..

"Yeah..I'm a little distracted today. Is the canteen still open?"

His mind was wandering away all day and he could hardly concentrate on his work.

Too much had happened the last days.

Something cold yanked the analyst out of his thoughts. When he looked down, he saw the small bowl, which Verity had placed in his lap.

He looked at the hunter gratefully, "What would I do without you. Thank you!"

With his fork he took the first lettuce leaf and was happy to see that she remembered to bring the dressing, too.

"And?" Verity started with curiosity in her voice. They hadn't had time to speak about the last few days yet. The dark-haired woman had left New Asgard during their celebration, because the next disturbance was already looming.

Mobius took a deep breath, ready to give his report.

"We had a really great talk with Thor.." when he thought about his conversation with Sylvie and the god, a genuine smile spread across his face, "..looks as if Sylvie found her long missed family in some way. Most of all her brother.."

"Good for her. She needs things like that."

On the analysts face the smile grew even wider, "She had a great connection with Valkyrie, too. But when the two of them kissed..hold your hat.." he made a pause and looked at the hunter, "she finally confessed that she loves Loki!"

"You're kidding me!" Verity exclaimed in disbelief and Mobius nodded deeply amused.

"I think no one was as shocked as she was", he stated and turned serious again, "That night she was there again, at the end of time, in her dream..let's just say the two of them finally talked.."

"No way.." Verity started but Mobius raised his hand.

"..mostly at cross purposes. He told her he saw the kiss and doesn't want to stand in her way.." Mobius facepalmed, "seriously, Verity..how do you deal with two grown-up demigods, who carry the traumas of a thousand years with them and yet act like teenagers?"

They both laughed at this and Mobius continued his report.

He told her about the adopted cat, Sylvies strange dream, their visit in New York, Wong, Kathmandu, America Chavez and their mission to get to the end of time.

"For a moment we really thought we made it..but that was a fallacy. Eventually we landed in a.." he thought for a moment what exactly it had been..a construct? A simulation? "..in one of many realities, in which the tree and the multiverse doesn't exist anymore..where everything collapsed."

Mobius looked at the sculpture before their eyes and shuddered when he realized how similar the replica was to the scenery they encountered.

How much all of this was unsettling him..

And how sad he was, too..sad, that they didn't find his best friend there, but instead this other sorcerer.

Verity looked at her long-time colleague and friend with a caring and at the same time worried gaze, "What is the meaning of this?"

The agent poked into his salad again, which, despite Veritys effort and his favourite dressing, tasted terribly stale. He shrugged, "I don't know..I guess I'll have to speak with our two Tech-Nerds.."

Yes, that's what he would do. That was a good plan.

Maybe O.B. and Casey could bring a little light into the darkness.

"And Sylvie?" the hunter asked with a concerned tone.

Mobius sighed, "The moment we came back, she couldn't get away fast enough. Stephen Strange, the sorcerer who welcomed us in this version of the tree, really bothered her with his statements and the whole story..I mean you know her.."

He made a pause and thought about the goddess and her prosaic pragmatism, when everything gets too much, "She got really vulnerable and when nothing happened the way we wanted it..she was frustrated. Took the cat and went back to Oklahoma. Said she had been absent from work too long already.."

Verity nodded and looked at the tree in front of them, "But we're still here, that's a good thing, right?" she said optimistic, but couldn't hide her concern, "..but something is changing, Mobius. I can't really grasp it just yet, but I feel it.."

Mobius looked at his colleague. She had an unparalleled sense for things and people and her feeling had turned out to be true many times before. He nodded and right on cue, her Tempad started to flash, calling her to an unannounced meeting.

"Yeah.." Mobius confirmed deep in thought and for whatever reason, in this moment all those unplanned sessions in Ravonna Renslayers office came to his mind.

"Something's brewing.."

The goddess flinched so hard she dropped her meal. The Coke landed with a bang on the ground and she felt the cold beverage pouring over her feet.

This couldn't be true..

When she slowly turned around to the source of the voice, her jaw dropped and her heart skipped a beat. She blinked several times, couldn't believe her eyes.

Because this could only be an illusion..

It wasn't possible..

There he was, standing in the twilight, dressed in a green tunic, black, simple trousers and leather boots. Not dissimilar to the outfit of the small boy she met in her dream..only a few sizes larger. His softly curled pitch-black hair was falling on his shoulders.

The goddess shook her head in disbelief.

"That's not possible.."

She stood there, frozen, too shocked to move, so it was Loki who made the first step. He slowly walked towards her, coming to a halt only an arm length away.
In this moment Sylvie found her voice again, her mouth dry, her heart beating like hell in her chest.

"How..?"

"It's a projection," the god answered, smiling.

Suddenly her knees felt like they were made of jelly.

Sylvie looked at him with wide eyes, her green ones meeting his blue, which were glimmering with joy..and she knew that she couldn't hide the same spark in hers.

"Sylvie, I.."

"I didn't mean to.."

Their simultaneous babbling and stopping made both of the demigods laugh. God and goddess of mischief looked deep into each others eyes and it felt as if a horde of butterflies had spontaneously decided to practice somersaults in Sylvies belly.

"I adopted a cat," the enchantress quickly said to break the silence and calm her nerves.

"Is it still alive?" Lokis voice was amused and it was obvious that he had to hold himself back from grinning too much.

"What kind of question is this?! Of course she is!" Sylvie complained and had to suppress the urge to poke him in the side playfully.

The urge to touch him..

"And by the way..didn't you see it yourself already?"

Her challenging question was commented with a headshake and an offended expression on his face, "You asked me to stop stalking you, remember?"

Sylvie wished her own words wouldn't hit her as hard as they did now.

"I felt vulnerable..exposed..I wasn't.."

"You don't have to explain yourself, I understand.."

Sylvie raised an eyebrow, "Would you do me the favor and let me finish my sentence, Laufeyson?"

"Sorry, go on."

"I wasn't prepared for all of this..when you let go of the timelines, I wanted to go to you.."

Now he was standing here, right in front of her, only an arm length away. The whole situation remembered her of the moment when he came to her branch after the first loom explosion, before she had taken him to her bar.

Only that this was a completely different setting.

Without all of existence hanging in the balance..

With a different mindset..

For a moment no one spoke a word, before Sylvie gathered all her courage, making the first move, raising her arm. While she did this, they looked so deep into each others eyes..there was nothing hidden, nothing veiled anymore ..it wasn't necessary.

But the moment her hand should have touched his cheek, the only thing she felt was a small resistance, a little sensation, barely recognizable..

Her hand went straight through him.

Not at all what she wanted.

Sighing with utter frustration, the goddess let her arm sink again.

"I want to touch you so badly.."

The words just tumbled out of her unfiltered, she couldn't help it..the need to verbalize it was overwhelming.

The silence that followed was almost unbearable.

With each passing second, Sylvie blushed more and more and she wished, she could take it back immediately. Her head lowered, she hoped the ground would open and swallow her up then and there, until she felt a strange sensation on her left hand. When she tilted her head a bit, she saw Lokis hand.

He had placed it so it floated closely over her own.

"You want that?" the god asked with a husky voice and their eyes met.

"Yes.." she answered, her own voice rough and quiet.

"That makes two of us," he confirmed, repeating her gesture from before, moving his other hand to her cheek.

Sylvie closed her eyes to feel..

..and she felt.

Not what she wanted but more than she thought she would ever get.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that Loki had done the same, closing his eyes, the expression on his face a mixture of peace and happiness.

Never had she felt anything comparable to this for anyone before..

"I dreamt of you.." the goddess started, when he had opened his eyes, "of your past..but it wasn't just a dream."

"What did you see?" the god asked and his voice sounded nervous, almost scared.

"Asgard..you as a kid showed it to me. How you turned into a snake and stabbed Thor.."

The little smile that flashed over Lokis face faded quickly and became a frown, "What else?"

"Can you..can you sit down when you're like this?"

Sylvie opened up the loading area of her truck, sitting down, glad to gave her weak knees a break. Loki shook his head at her question and stood beside her.

He looked at her firmly, "What else did he..did I..show you?"

"I saw Stuttgart."

It wasn't necessary to look at him, she immediately felt the insecurity and nervousness that was hanging like a lead weight between them.

She heard him take the deepest breath.

"You saw Stuttgart.."

She wanted to diffuse the tension, giving him a crooked smile, "The outfit was really something..the slim-fit, the gold, the glowing stick..suited you. But this helmet, I mean, seriously Loki.."

The gods gaze was focused on the ground. He tried to kick the cup of Coke before him, but his foot just went through it, "Sylvie, what you saw there..what I said..I'm not that man anymore.."

The blonde woman nodded and her answer to that was dry as the desert and unmistakably, "I know..when you had been in that mindset when we met, I would've killed you without a second thought."

Lokis hearty laugh filled the air around them and Sylvie realized, that with those butterflies in her belly there wouldn't have been remotely enough space for her meal, "I saw more.." she continued, "you, after I kicked you through the timedoor. And I was at the citadel."

Loki tilted his head and looked at her with curiosity.

"Yeah..wasn't fond of seeing the apple-eating fucker again. But so be it..I see him in my dreams..my nightmares..anyway so why not."

She noticed the hint of concern on his face, when she mentioned her nightmares.

"But the more important thing..I saw you and me..from another perspective. I saw something that I didn't catch before. Your desperation..the ambivalence."

Sighing deep she carried on, "It wasn't about a throne..it never was, I get that now. It was about you doing the right thing.."

Even though it felt right to tell him that, it was hard for her all the same. Admitting that she had been onesided, only thought about her revenge.

Being so sure about his betrayal..

"It was an impossible choice and your lifelong goal, your glorious purpose..I understood your pain, your reaction.." Loki confirmed, his voice full of understanding and sincerity.

The goddess looked at him, "There was a being, difficult to describe. But it urged me to ask a question.."

"A being? Did you see it or was it more like a shadow?"

"I saw something that looked like a face, but when I think about it, it gets blurred. But what I felt..it sounded wise..and old."

Loki nodded, "I spoke to a being, too. It came to me. But it felt sinister in some way."

After a moment of silence, which didn't feel awkward at all, Sylvie was about to ask the question which haunted her since she had been at the citadel in her dream, "Can I ask you something?"

Loki grinned, "Since when do you ask? Normally you just do whatever you want."

Playing insulted, she stuck out her tongue, "Hey, that's your slogan, not mine. I'm Misses Polite, in flesh and blood..you're welcome."

They both laughed at this charming lie and the butterflies flew another round in her belly.

"Cross my heart..you really think you deserve to sit on the most uncomfortable chair in the loneliest place of the whole galaxy, all by yourself..busy with knitting green time-spaghetti together..for all time, always?"

From one second to the other, the atmosphere had changed and was now heavy and meaningful again.

The god sighed, "You should talk to Mobius. He asked me the same question.."

Sylvie looked deep into his blue eyes, "But I'm not asking Mobius. I'm asking Loki Laufeyson, my male counterpart, the biggest pain in my ass and the idiot who decided to make the most significant decision of all time alone, like the complete narcissist he is."

He grinned at her snappy but yet caring words, but his eyes remained sad, "That's the place where I do the least damage, combined with a purpose.."

"Ah, next stop self-pity-land..all out, the train stops here."

Sylvie wanted her statement to sound funny, maybe a bit ironic, but it sounded quite mean.

"I'm not in self-pity-land, Sylvie, I'm being realistic..sincere."

The goddess glanced at him with disbelief, "So, do I get this right..you're saying you sit on this thing, hiding behind the branches like a coward..instead of grabbing a second chance in life..because you're afraid?"

Her voice was as challenging as the expression in her eyes.

The look he returned her was hard to read.

"Grabbing a second chance in life.." the god repeated, but it sounded sad and ironic, "what a nice idea.."

Cards on the table, Sylvie.

"Yeah, you know..the 'maybe we can figure it out together' part..Would be quite entertaining to watch your awkward ass dealing with real life stuff. You know, the crown prince of Asgard, ordering a coffee like a normal guy..failing on fixing a TV.."

"Getting along with your cat.."

With this statement their eyes met and they both knew what it hinted at.

The 'figure it out together' part.

Sylvies voice was husky again when she spoke, "Good luck with that..she already occupied half the apartment, the living room..the bed."

Lokis grin was mischievous and Sylvie hoped that he couldn't see her blushing, "Couch suits me fine.."

"If you say so.." the goddess answered, moving unconsciously in his direction.

Loki did the same..

But then she remembered..and felt incredibly stupid all of a sudden.

Shaking her head, she turned away from him, picking up the Coke and her meal, which was still lying on the ground, to distract herself.

"It's all fiction, Loki.."

Every word was drenched in sadness and bitter realization.

The silence that followed was heavy and no less bitter.

Loki was the one who broke it.

"Do you remember what you asked me in the bar?"

"What is wrong with wanting something, Loki?"

"You asked me what I want..and I answered that I want to save the TVA..that I don't want to be alone.."

"I want to save this. I want to save everything, all of it.."

"But that wasn't the whole truth. After what happened at the citadel..after we found you on your branch..you were so full of rage."

He raised his hand when Sylvie was about to interrupt him, "I don't judge you..not at all..but I was unsure..scared. Like you already said, we didn't talk about it. We were both hurt. And then there was this massive chaos around us. But do you wanna know the first thing that came to my mind, when you asked me what I want?"

The expression in his eyes had never been this deep, this vulnerable..

This honest..

"I want you"

Sylvie couldn't fight back the tears that welled up in her eyes and she saw it in his, too.

"But nothing ever.."

"..real."

But this was real.

It was scary, if felt huge and massive, it broke reality in a way that wasn't natural, wasn't supposed to be..

But it was real.

"That makes two of us," she said with a voice that was barely a whisper.

The glowing that appeared in his blue eyes was breathtaking and their breaths was all that was audible for a long moment.

"We have to get you out of this throne.."

There was no denying from him, no arguing against it, nothing of that sort.

Just an approving nod.

"I hope there's a way.."

"That's a lot of hoping, Loki. I didn't have you down for an optimist."

"We find a way.." the goddess declared and then she grinned, "I'm going to pull you down from this thing, kick your godly ass, slap you in the face..and after that I guarantee for nothing."

Only now Sylvie realized that she had stood up, now standing right in front of him, their faces only a few inches away from each other.

"Is this supposed to threaten me, Miss Laufeydottir?" the god asked with a mischievous grin and glimmering eyes.

"It's a promise!"