Lesedi awakens to a dark new day on Asgard:
Steve?-On Midgard, and according to Heimdall, dealing with his own problems. Missing him was painful, needing him but deciding not to call just made matters worse.
Frigga-resting among the stars after deli...
With a kiss on his military dogtags, Steve was gone.
I got in the boat, and began to row toward the tree. It got brighter as I got closer. Standing near the tree was--
"Steven?"
"Mom!"
"What are you doing here?"
"To show you the secret garden!"
"What?"
"Come on!"
I came closer to him, and he stood in front of the tree. "What is it?"
"It's...important." He said with a smile. "You can't touch it."
"Okay," I said slowly. "Any reason why?" One branch lit up quickly. "What is--"
"Shhh."
The branch dripped something that looked like liquid crystal, and then grew when it hit the ground. Then standing before us was a little girl.
"Hey."
The little girl smiled at me, then at Steven and said nothing.
"Come on." He nodded to the girl, who took my hand. Steven took the other.
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We walked through a forest brush and into another cavern. The little girl sat on the steps.
"Come on," Steven urged.
"But--"
"She can't go any further," Steven said. "She just wanted to see as much as she could."
Suddenly I saw a little boy ahead.
"Come on, Steven, let's play!"
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I stared at the boy, and asked Steven, "Who is that?"
"Grandpa Loki and I would run and play in the forest together."
"What?" I thought about it. When Loki was Odin he spent a great deal of time with Steven. From the looks of it he changed himself into a child and played with him.
"Come on! Let's go!" Loki cheered. They laughed and played all the way.
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"Oh, my God!" I breathed. "Steven, you know where the caves are?"
"Yeah, just past the Secret Garden."
"And why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't ask," Steven shrugged. "Grandpa said you would someday, though."
I rolled my eyes and exhaled heavily. "Here I am trying to keep you safe from everything and you are the key to saving everyone."
"Grandpa said if you helped save everyone he could save us all."
"What?"
"I dunno, it's what he said."
"You go on, I will see you soon."
He started skipping back the way he came.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I play with her everyday here," Steven said. "Just wanna say goodbye. She's really happy today."
"Oh...alright." I nodded, though I didn't understand. Was the girl Frigga? Kymera? Storm? I had to go, it was clear it was my time to go.
"See you, Mom!"
Loki gestured for me to bend down and he kissed me. "I wasn't always who you know now. Everything and everyone changes or moves on. You are the change in me." He disappeared.
Suddenly Vidarr appeared. "Time to go."
"Alright."
"Time to pay the price."
"What price?"
"I have given you a great deal," Vidarr growled. "What do you give me?"
"It is advisable that you go to another realm."
"I love Asgard!" Vidarr laughed. "It is my home!"
"Ragnarok is coming."
"Now."
"I believe Odin is dead."
"Odin? Gone?" Vidarr frowned. "What do you plan to do with this knowledge?"
"What I set out to do," I told him. "I came for knowledge, Vidarr, not for a way to change things."
"So it is coming!" Vidaar's smile was wide. "I have given you knowledge and you have given me knowledge. But here is something you should know. Knowledge accepted changes everything. On my back, little one. Time to join your friends."
