(Random fun fact from the comics: Kid Loki actually has two pets that he found by himself, one a magpie that can speak to him with the wisdom of his former self, and a Hel-hound he couldn't find a home for.)

Sylvie

I almost feel bad for Loki, I think he's actually trying to figure this out. These coils are, in fact, destroying entire realities, just like the TVA used to do. We were supposed to change that, we were supposed to stop that! But now looking out at all the timelines, it looks like a bunch of spider webs. I'm not even joking, there will be branches I have to cut off from timelines that aren't from the 'sacred timeline'. I don't even know if just one Loki cutting these branches is going to do it, for it feels the speed at which new branches grow is exponential. 

I wonder if we brought kid Loki from the wastelands at the end of time, would he be able to sever the branches with me. It's an idyllic thought because maybe all Loki's are that powerful. Maybe, various Loki's really are supposed to work together to solve all of this. If this can even be solved...

I thought it would be good to clear my head of all this coil nonsense, so I decided to go try to find kid Loki. Who knows, maybe even the alligator Loki might be able to help too. Having my tempad set to alert me of branches (it usually happens randomly, sometimes twenty or none within an hour) so I can make them their own timelines.

Honestly, it just felt good to get out of the citadel at the end of time. Sure, I'd have some interaction whenever Hunter B-15 (I still don't know if she's actually Sigyn or not) comes around to check on me to make sure I'm okay, sometimes even bringing food for me to eat, but I never really got out of that mangy building. She brings a little comfort to the desolate place, especially when I'm unable to sleep due to the timelines popping up whenever I try to get a good amount of sleep.

I left the other Loki in charge of cutting the branches, so at least I'm sure he can do it, but I really still don't get what makes a Loki a Loki? Is it the affinity for green, the horn headpieces, the mischief running through our veins? Or is it something truly so niche, like not being able to hold meaningful and long-lasting relationships? Whatever it is, I'm hoping it has something to do with how powerful we are, because I don't know if I can be the one breaking branches into new timelines for the rest of eternity.

Even if I don't know what my own glorious purpose is yet...I don't think it's that.

Wondering through the wastelands, I'm able to move without fear of Alioth for reasons beyond my understanding. Maybe whoever takes the place of the one who remains has dominion over the beast? Whatever it is, I'm just thankful that I won't be eaten today.

I decided to look in the rubble of old buildings and establishments, thinking that I would find the kid pillaging and scavenging what he could. He, unfortunately, wasn't, but I did meet a different scavenging group of Loki's. As I assumed, they all looked male presenting, because apparently, I'm only here to be the odd one out. They tried (unsuccessfully) to get me to join their band of marauders but I just turned my back to them and walked away.

This only made some of them grow angrier and so a variant I'm going to call President Loki marches up to me and demands to know why I'm alone out here.

I stop and turn around, a small smirk spying on my lips, "Because I'm more powerful than Aloith itself, and full offense but I rather not be in a group of Loki's at all,"

But they continue to trail behind me because they think they are superior to me or something. It doesn't bother me since I walk right into the mouth of Alioth and come out the other side unfazed, just to show them how powerful I really am. Away from the other Loki's, I'm able to come across the two Loki's I was looking for.

The bad part is they were standing by a makeshift grave, obviously made to honor their fallen confidant classic Loki. As to not startle the pair gazing forlornly at the grave, I sit on top of a hill adjacent to them to let them do their grieving. Maybe a part of being a Loki is that we are all sensitive, but never show it in the form of tears, just in the form of defensiveness. Kid Loki places a small item on the headstone of the grave, which is made in part with that Loki's unique set of horns.

He turns to walk away, the alligator Loki at his heels when he spots me at the top of the hill. Not knowing what else to do, I give him a solum wave and a nod of my head to come and join me. He nods and picks up his reptile companion, quickly making their way up the hill.

He approaches with a stone-set face, not a hint of emotion behind his eyes.

"Hey," I start.

"What are you doing back here?" He asks, plopping himself down on a rubber tire, "I didn't expect to see you around,"

I nod my head, "I didn't expect to be back here, but I'm gathering all the Loki's I can trust because I and the other Loki need help,"

Alligator Loki makes a sound like sounds like a mix between a dog barking and a sneeze. 

"Like he said," Kid Loki begins, "Why do you trust us?"

I lean forward, "Because unlike the other Loki's, I can actually tolerate your existence,"

He chuckles, "Good enough, what do you need help with?"

"Saving the nine realms," I smirk, "You in?"

He pretends to contemplate, "Only if my friend here is,"

He looks down at the Alligator that seems to glance between us before letting out another guttural growl. I glance at the kid to make sure that means yes and then stand up.

"How did you learn how to understand Alligator?" I ask while pulling out my tempad.

He shrugs, "I accidentally dranks some blood from the heart of a dragon once,"

"...what? Wait, what was your Nexus Event?"

"I killed Thor,"

My face drops, "You...what?"

He shrugs again and picks up Alligator Loki, "I had to cause the second Ragnorok with his death, but apparently I wasn't supposed to go through with it I think? Or it wasn't supposed to work? Because the TVA kinda showed up after that and took me,"

"Oh...okay then..."

He fakes a grin at me, "Don't worry, I haven't accidentally murdered anyone in the last five days,"

Loki

I think Mobius might be a God because whenever he walks into the room he is able to instantly make me feel safe. He is able to calm me, bring me down from any storm, helping to keep me awake as we comb through any files we can to figure out how to end these coils. Just being able to look up at him, shamelessly grinning at how damn handsome he is and not having to hide it, it's amazing. I truly owe this man my life...I owe him my all...

We are sitting on a couch that we pulled into the citadel at the end of time combing through files when Sylvie comes out of a portal with alligator Loki and kid Loki in tow. I almost chuckle looking at her right then, looking like a disappointed and disgruntled mother with her two troubled children trailing behind her.

"Why'd you bring them here?" I ask, going back to looking through the files.

She rolls her eyes and walks over to the window overlooking all the timelines, "I wanted to see if they could pull branches off and make them into timelines too, as well as have them help us with these coils,"

Kid Loki perches himself on the arm of the couch while alligator Loki crawls his way up to sit on top of the couch. I honestly still don't understand how we know this creature is in fact a Loki or how anyone can really understand what he says, but I'm not going to question it when I have so many other things to question right now.

"So what is going on?" Kid Loki asks, craning his neck to look at the piles of paperwork on my lap.

"Basically the timelines we cut off and made anew are now coiling together and then destroying one another, and we are trying to find a way to stop it,"

He nods, "What if there is no way to stop it? Have you considered that the timelines weren't supposed to be this way at all, and maybe this was the reason that the other people who ran the sacred timeline had to use the TVA to prune everyone?"

I look him dead in the eyes, "Nope, we haven't thought of that, because this has to be the right path- if not then why were we able to break off these branches in the first place without destroying them? There has to be some way to stop it,"

Sylvie speaks up from behind us, "Maybe another thing that makes Loki's Loki's is that we are all stubborn as Hel,"

I scoot closer to Mobius and wrap my free arm around him, letting out a deep sigh, "Sounds accurate,"

Mobius smiles at me and plants a small kiss on my forehead, "And yet you're still my favorite Loki,"

Sylvie snorts, "You said I was your favorite,"

"I never said of what,"

"Touche, old man,"

And with that, we all get to work. Sylvie explains to the kid and the alligator how to cut off branches and create them into timelines, while Mobius and I discuss theories and bounce ideas off of one another. For a bit, everything seems peaceful, relaxing monotony almost, until two branches begin to coil.

I put the files down, "What are the codenames?"

"Begining and end,"

"What- I asked for their codenames," I say, getting out of my seat and joining her by the broken window. 

She groans, "Those are their codenames, Beginning, and End, like of universes I think, I remember one of the timelines being the beginning of a Midgard and one being the end of one, I think that must be these two,"

"It's like they are opposites of one another,"

Kid Loki stands to my left, "Well you know what they say in old myth, opposites attract-"

"We already went over that theory-"

"You didn't let me finish," He takes a step forward, "Opposites attract but likewise figures combat, but opposites detract if the ax of the facts are not complex,"

All of us look at him, but he doesn't elaborate any further. We all join one another in front of the timelines, gazing at them in all their glory, about to watch the coils destroy one another and all of their inhabitants. Mobius stands behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning his head on my right shoulder. I try to use my magic to ease the coils out of one another grasp, but each time a coil appears it seems to be getting faster in nature.

As time passes none of us can come up with anything, leading to kid Loki and alligator Loki asleep on the couch, with Mobius and I about to turn in for the night ourselves.

"Until we figure this out, we have to just let these coils do their thing," I lament, "I hate knowing that we can't save everyone,"

Mobius runs a finger over my chin, tilting my head to look at him, "And that's okay, for now, we will try to regroup and figure it out, together,"

I pull him into a soft kiss, our lips brushing against one another for only seconds before we pull away. Sylvie won't let us go back to our room because she's convinced any second now she's going to come up with the answer to save each and every universe, and we must be here to witness it. I'm just glad kid Loki is able to get some sleep with all of this going on...it's good to know someone can sleep around here.

Seeing the boy asleep reminds me of my troubled childhood, often left out and ostracized by those around me. No one knew I was a frost giant, including myself, but yet I found myself to always be the odd one out, the weird one. I delved into books, literature, fiction, and non-fiction, priding myself on my studies to make at least Frigga proud. I wish I could've made her proud...I wish I could go back in time without creating a nexus event and tell the stupid evil things to go the other direction.

I should find some old tomes or scrolls for kid Loki to read, anything other than all this pro-TVA propaganda. If he's coming on to the team, I should at least try to provide him with some studies to delve into when he's not cutting off branches to form new timelines. Even the stupid Loki alligator looks almost cute resting on kid Loki's chest as he sleeps, like some kind of hound dog.

Mobius catches my eyes looking over protectively at the boy, and I know my cover has been blown. I'm sure that classic Loki saw something in that young man, I'm confident he followed the boy's instruction and mentored him all because he was still a child...not even a teen yet. I admit to feeling some parental instinct to protect the boy with my life, but that might also be from the fear of him turning into me. He is me, literally, but if he isn't shielded, if he goes to Helheim way too early, his innocence and glorious purpose will be left to rot in the sun.

I know it's already too late to protect his innocence from rotting away, but the least I can do is be a brother figure to him, show him how to do magic, and let him have the childhood I never could. It's a fleeting fancy, the thought that I could protect someone...that I could do good and be a good person...

I know only my love, Mobius, thinks so highly of me.