Mobius, Sylvie, and B-15 show TVA Loki his life on the sacred timeline in the time theater
"Wait stop!" Loki said putting a hand out. The screen was paused and showed an image of the inside area of a ship. Thor in the center. Loki recognised the girl as a Valkyrie by her clothing, Heimdall but older, Hulk...and his sacred timeline self between Hulk and the Valkyrie, looking at Thor. There was something about this part that made him stop and walk closer.
"Is...that's me right?" He says puzzled
"Yep. That's you on the sacred timeline" Mobius confirmed sadly
"Or was" B-15 mumbled softly
"No, this can't be right. Why is Thor wearing an eye patch? Did something happen?" Loki asks worriedly
"He lost his eye after Ragnarok, after Asgard was destroyed. In a battle with the goddess of death. You on the sacred timeline returned to Asgard with a ship and got everyone onboard, saving most of your people" He continued
Loki just stares in amazement.
"What's the chair Thor is in?" Sylvie asked puzzled
Mobius smiles lightly. "It's the front of The Statesman that they're piloting to earth. At this part in the sacred timeline, he was just made king of Asgard."
Loki walked a few steps closer and he could see the expression on his future self's face. Content? Happiness? He couldn't believe it. That his future self looked so happy, so seemingly at peace. There was a smile in his eyes. Thor didn't seem any different either than the fact he was older than the Thor that Loki knew from his part of the timeline. Loki had diverged from. It seemed almost as if they had patched up some of the issues they had between them. That things were going to be ok.
Tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his face. "I look happy" Loki choked back a sob. "I looked happy" allowing himself to feel the emotions
Mobius walks up and puts his arm around his shoulder.
"Can...can I... Loki cuts himself off and looks at Mobius, hopeful.
"We can work something out, and let you see him" Mobius said.
"Thank you" Loki stuttered
I will set the coordinates for the sacred timeline" B-15 says taking out her tempad.
"I don't mean to impose. But would it be alright if I stay here?" Sylvie asks hesitantly.
"Sure. I'll go with him and you both can stay here." Mobius offers gently as B-15 hands him the tempad. He presses a button and a large transparent time door appears in front of them.
Loki hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and walked through the time door. He was going to see Thor again. But, nothing would ever come close to what waited for him on the other side of the portal.
Another pale-yellow time door opens and Loki stepped out onto lush green grass. The sky appeared to have burst a rain storm some time earlier. Peaks of sunlight coming through, but very overcast. They were in some sort of field set atop a cliff, the sound of waves crashing from below.
"Come on, its this way" Mobius said walking to their left.
"What is?" Loki asked confused
Mobius chuckled. "New asgard". He gave him a warm smile
"New Asgard? "Where exactly are we?" Loki said following behind him
"This is Norway. The place Thor and the surviving Asgardians came after the attack on their ship. That was six years ago on the sacred timeline. It's been twelve years since the battle of New York.”
They crossed over a bridge above a waterway where shipments were coming in, there were people at the docks unloading the boats
Loki was shocked. He had no idea it had been that long since New York. He figured it had been a few weeks. Time really did pass differently at the TVA.
"There's just one more thing" Mobius started to say
That's when they saw him. Loki’s face went from hopeful to concern. There was a figure in the distance across from them sitting by the cliffside hunched over, with a beer bottle next to him. He had long blond hair and wore ragged clothes. But Loki recognized his brother anywhere.
Loki felt that there was something very off. This was a very different Thor, one who seemed to have gone through much.
“I’m sad to say. When Thanos attacked the ship. Not only did he kill half of your people- Mobius trailed off as Loki finished the sentence
“But me too” Loki said sadly.
"And Heimdall” Mobius added softly. “Your deaths hit him pretty hard”.
Loki could do nothing but stand in shock and heartache. But he wasn’t yet ready to fully express such vulnerable emotions. He shook his head and swiftly walked in the opposite direction towards some buildings, Mobius followed quickly behind him to catch up
"Loki what are you doing?!" Mobius asked puzzled
"I change my mind. I-I can't do this." Loki said shakily as he paced back and forth
"Why not? Just tell him who you are and how you got here." Mobius says
"I can’t just do that!" Loki protested
"Why not?" Mobius asked growing concerned
"Because...because I'm not the one he's looking for. The me he lost. That me is dead. I don't have his memories past the battle of new york. " Loki says nervously “I’m not him. Or at least not yet” Loki added softly
"No, you are him. He IS you. You're still Loki, the sacred timeline version might have gone through more development. but what you both have in common, is what's in here." Mobius points to Loki's chest.
"I don't understand. What does it have to do with my shirt?" Loki asks confused
Mobius rolls his eyes with a sigh.
“Just go talk to him” Mobius replied and made his way to a nearby building to be out of the way.
Loki hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and turning back in Thor’s direction. He could do this. What would he say? That he’s somehow alive and back again. He tried pushing the thought back down. As Thor’s figure got closer, he felt his heart drop. There were just a few feet between him and the brother he loved.
After a moment Loki finally spoke. “Brother...?”
That’s when Thor turned around. He looks even older. His hair and beard are disheveled, his red rimmed eyes almost looking right through him. Thor quickly turns away again. He lets out a heavy sigh.
“I swear I can explain” Loki said nervously.
Thor looked next to him and picks up his empty beer bottle, lost in thought.
“Damn this is bad. When will these horrible hallucinations end? Val was right about the drinking.” He said mumbled angrily to himself and threw the bottle behind him.
“Ow!” Loki yelled as the bottle hit him in the head. “What was that for?” he aid rubbing his head.
Thor turned around again and finally faced him. He slowly stood up.
“What kind of cruel trick is this?” Thor responded with a dazed look.
“There is no trick this time, brother. I promise” Loki takes a few steps forward and touches his brother’s shoulders.
Thor slightly flinches at this. He looks up and down. He was so lost and confused at what was happening. How was this illusion not dissipating from contact?
“I mean. I’m here!” Loki reassured with a half-smile
“How?” Thor said in disbelief
“Well, it’s quite a long story. But if I must summariz-“ Loki is cut off by Thor suddenly grabbing him by the shirt. His face hot with fury.
“HOW MANY TIMES WILL I HAVE TO WATCH YOU DIE?!! Thor bellowed. Loki’s eyes go wide in shock. “JUST TO HAVE YOU PRANCE BACK AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED> AS IF MY FEELINGS DON” T MATTER. I THOUGHT I LOST EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE. First mother! Then father! OUR HOME. AND YOU--. YOU WERE-“
he cuts himself off as he scrunches his eyes that now brim with tears. “DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING ME WRITHE IN MY GRIEF EACH TIME YOU FAKE YOUR DEATH” he continues
Loki glanced away at the ground. He had no idea of the amount of hurt he caused for his brother. And it seemed they had just started to get along again before Thanos…. Now Loki scrunched his eyes shut, and only opened them when thor was done
“WHAT WELL CRAFTED LIES DO YOU HAVE FOR ME THIS TIME” Thor shouted breathing heavily.
Loki then looked his brother in the eyes and attempted to straighten up, but thor’s grip was still on his shirt. Loki took a deep breath and exhaled.
“I’m sorry. I have no lies to tell. So please believe me when I say, none of what happened was a lie. It’s real, it is true. To be honest I’m not even supposed to be here," Thor loosens his grip on Loki’s shirt.
“ and I don’t know what consequences my presence here will cause. So many things have happened that I still can’t wrap my head around. So, no. I'm not the Loki you lost... But I am your brother...I always will be. I truly hope that's enough" Loki said as tears of his own formed
He didn't expect the next thing to happen. Thor grabbed his shoulder pulled him into a tight hug.
“It is enough." Thor says tearfully. You’re lucky my need to hug you. Is stronger than my wish to throw you off this cliff. You slimy undying weasel” Thor smiled through tears as he hugged his brother tightly, letting the tears flow
Loki let out a tearful chuckle as he hugged back even tighter. "You’re right, I am very lucky". He said as he buried his tear stained face into thor’s shoulder. They stayed in each other's embrace not wanting to let go. It didn't matter that he wasn't the Loki this Thor had lost yet. He was here and alive. At least in some way.
Once they got their bearings, Thor walked him to the shack he was living in so they could sit and talk. Then Loki explained everything that had happened, how he had diverged and was taken by the TVA after stealing the tesseract and that he knew about the time heist.
"So, you're telling me. That there's this guy who's much worse than Thanos. And now that a woman version of you killed him and shoved you through a portal, his variants are coming to destroy the multiverse?
"I'm actually still quite confused myself" Loki admits with a slight smile.
Thor agreed. One moment he was with the guardians in space and had come back to see how New Asgard had been doing in his absence. Now there’s a multiverse and variants. Is this what the others meant by time travel affecting reality?
"I thought I would be a different man. That we would've had a different life
"So, we were coming to earth after Ragnarok?” Loki asked.
Thor nodded. “You actually weren’t sure if you’d be able to come with us because of…” He looks at Loki who gives an eye roll
“Well. I mean, obviously I wasn’t wrong” Loki chuckled. “Sounds like I was being cautious for once”
Thor gave a genuine smile and chuckled.
"If you can tell me brother. What were my last words?" Loki asked uncertain of Thor's reaction. His brother let out a deep sigh.
"Well. You told Thanos that he'll never be a god. And it's true because-" Loki rolls his eyes and gestures for Thor to stop.
"Let me rephrase that. What were my last words to you?" He smiled gently
“Oh, right." Thor looked at the ground lost in thought for a moment.That's when a cloud passes in front of the sun, making it seem overcast again
"You said...that the sun would shine on us again" he says somberly looking down deep in thought.
There is a long pause before Loki speaks again.
"Well...do you suppose it has?" He asks
Thor contemplates for a moment before looking back at Loki, taking in what he has said. The clouds have since moved on and the sunlight grows a bit brighter. Thor notices this and smiles
"I suppose it has brother" Thor says contently looking back at his brother. Loki smiles back and gives him a side hug to which thor reciprocates.