Loki's Kitten

Chapter 6: The Fate of Midgard

You recall the promise you had made to Loki; to restore him with a hot bath and a cup of tea. So far, you have provided the bath, and several other things, but not the tea. You rise carefully, hoping not to wake him, pull on your jeans and top, and slip out of the room. When you return, he is awake, clothed and sitting up on the bed. He is staring out of the window, as if he can see far beyond the horizon. You place a steaming cup down next to him and he looks at you, raising one eyebrow.

"Tea," you explain simply, "It always helps." Loki seems unconvinced. You settle down next to him and take a sip from your own cup. You sit together quietly together for some time. It would be fair to assume that neither of you is willing, or indeed able, to address the question that is hanging heavily in the room. What now?

"Your tea is getting cold," you comment, largely to break the silence.

"It doesn't matter," he replies. You look up at his face and his expression concerns you. There is a despondency in his eyes, a sense of deep sorrow in his voice. It is a peculiar response, and it doesn't really seem like he is talking about the tea.

"Loki, what is it? What's wrong?" you ask anxiously, "You don't have to drink the tea!" 

Loki laughs sadly and turns to face you. For a while, he just looks at you, examining your features, lightly biting his lip.

"I need to tell you..." he begins, "You need to know..." he looks conflicted. Whatever it is, he really doesn't want to tell you, or doesn't know how to. You jump to the only conclusion that makes sense in the circumstances and let out a long sigh.

"You're going," you say candidly.

"Yes," Loki confirms, lowering his eyes. You continue along the only logical train of thought available, needing to hear him confirm what you fear. 

"You're going to leave me," you state.

"I'm going to leave Midgard," he replies.

"And will you come back?" It is a hopeless question, and you know it.

"I can't...It's not possible. You see, Kitten...this is very hard to explain," he stumbles over his words. For the first time since you have met, he lacks the composure and clarity and you have come to expect from him.

"Oh, just say it Loki," you speak bluntly with sadness and resignation but not anger. "You are the Lord of Misrule and you do what you want. You're leaving and not coming back, and I will be left alone here on Midgard, while you go and find mischief and chaos wherever else in the realms you please."

"No - no, that's not it!" He grasps your hands and pulls you closer, his words spilling out with urgency and intensity, "This is not my choice. I did not intend to tell anyone on Midgard. But I need you to know. You deserve to know."

"Loki, what on Earth are you talking about?" You feel like this could well be the start of one of Loki's meandering deceptions. But you are starting to know him, and his manner and voice have a ring of honesty and authenticity about them. Loki takes a deep breath.

"A Nexus Event." He releases the words as if he had just dropped a bomb in the room, but you have no idea what he means.

"A what?" you question.

"A Nexus Event. When everything and everyone is destined for imminent destruction. I exist in Nexus Events – it's the only way." He looks at you as if he feels this will have clarified the situation. It has not. You are still completely lost in this conversation, but Loki's expression is genuine and keen – it really seems that he needs you to comprehend.

"Loki, I don't understand. Keep talking." He gets up from the bed, his body is restless; his mind is agitated. He paces up and down as he explains.

"Here's the thing. In the normal flow of time, when someone does something they're not supposed to do, it cascades into a whole range of other things that aren't supposed to happen and creates a branch in the timeline. So then the branch and everyone on it must be erased." Loki perches on the edge of the bed beside you, turning his face to yours.