Tabula Rasa (Unlike Loki: Book Two)

Chapter 89

(Loki)

When we arrived in Asgard, there was an uproar. 

We had been waiting to exit the ship upon arrival, and when the ship landed, it was immediately crowded. 

The ship's door opened and Anna and I stepped out. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it to let her know I was here for her. She squeezed back, letting me know the same. Behind us, her old friend Peter and his crew stood patiently. Peter was holding Leolin, wrapped completely in a large blanket. Anna had wanted to, but Peter had insisted. Drax, the large man, held By, also wrapped. 

The people who came up to the ship looked confused and surprise. Some of them immediately began bowing to their King and Queen. 

"LOKI!" Thor suddenly ran towards me and enveloped me in a crushing embrace. "Loki." He said, tears falling from his eyes. He was also at full strength again; he must have healed extremely quickly. He stepped back from me and touched Anna's face. "You're alright!" I laughed. "I can't believe it, you're actually alive! I've been looking everywhere for you! I've sent out search parties and-" 

"Thor, THOR!" I shook him. "What are you talking about? We were only gone a few days." I said. We had planned for this, so why had he been panicking?

"Loki... It's been three years." he whispered. 

I could do nothing but breath a simple, "Oh." No wonder the people around us had panicked when they saw our faces. We had probably been presumed dead. At the time we made our plans, we hadn't known that Thanos's time moved faster than ours, so of course a few days there was a few years here. Somehow, they had gotten flip-flopped. 

Thor happily showed everyone back to the castle, and announced to all that could hear that there would be a feast in honor of the King and Queen's return. Everyone cheered loudly, their celebratory cries deafening.  

"Thor." Anna said softly. He turned to look at her, a smile on his face. When he saw her mournful look, he finally turned his attention to the members standing behind us. And then his eyes find the two figures wrapped in blankets. His eyes change, filling with panic as he takes in the smaller figure and the larger one, coming to the terrible realization that not all of us made it back alive. 

"Oh, Gods." He whispers. His lip trembles, not sure what to say. His eyes linger on Leolin, and it's almost worse for him than it was for us. Because, for him, he helped raise my son, when I wasn't there. And he isn't aware that Leolin actually grew up and went to the dark side. So for him, his baby nephew is dead and gone. Innocent and pure. 

I take Anna in my arms and begin to lead her to the castle, towards home, and with one last look at his deceased nephew, Thor follows behind. Peter and his crew also follow. 

And then the rest of Asgard starts to hum. 

Soft and sweet, and then louder. 

I stop and turn around, and I see that all of Asgard has joined around the castle, news spreading fast of what has happened. 

And they are singing. 

They are singing to us, for us. For Leolin and By, and for all the other lost lives. They are singing in the old Norse language, singing the song of long life and peaceful heaven. Of victory and bravery and respect. 

It is a song that is very rarely sung and only ever sung for those who truly desearve it. 

Tears sprang to my eyes as I looked around. As I took in the people whom I thought would hate me forever and would never accept me as their King or their friend. 

And this was their response. 

This was my answer. 

I hugged Anna to me, and then I put my fingers to my lips and blew a kiss to those singing, to my people. 

And then they bowed as they continued to sing, their voices reaching up to the stars, making them shine brighter than ever.