The Void

You searched your surroundings carefully and your eyes widened as you took in the apocalyptic wasteland you found yourself in. Loki and Sylvie were nowhere to be found and you couldn't see a single human being or even animal around. You got up from the hard ground and your heart sank when you looked to the horizon and you saw nothing but destruction as far as your eyes could see.

You had to find your companions but you didn't even know what this place was or which direction would be the most useful. "Is this the afterlife?" you wondered out loud, never having believed in such a thing but doubting everything now. "Hardly," a melodic voice rang out behind you and you whipped around to stare at the woman that had just appeared out of thin air.

She looked strangely familiar and the longer you looked the more she reminded you of a female version of the Loki you knew. Her jet black hair was cascading in waves around her shoulders and she wore a headpiece that was almost identical to Loki's horned helmet.

She seemed to be dressed in green leather with an opulent fur coat around her shoulders. Her elegant appearance clashed dramatically with the grey and gloomy landscape around you. You glanced between her and the collapsed buildings to determine whether either of them might be a hallucination.

The glamorous woman raised an eyebrow at you and you figured polite courtesy would be the way forward in this place. "Where are we?" you enquired slowly and when she didn't suddenly disappear you decided to assume that she was real, "Are you a Loki Variant?" She laughed and you marvelled at her shiny white teeth and the dangerous glint in her eyes. "I shall answer the easier question first," she said in a smooth voice that immediately put you at ease.

"Loki, Goddess of Mischief, at your service. And who might you be?" she added as she took a confident step towards you until she was towering over you. You smiled up at her, feeling somewhat comforted by at least having found one Loki in this godforsaken place.

You explained your fight with the TVA and that you were pruned at the same time as two other Loki Variants but that you hadn't seen them anywhere yet. She nodded along and you shuddered involuntarily when she suddenly took hold of your hand and started leading you away.

"It is not safe here," she explained softly and you looked around warily, "This is the Void at the end of time. This is where everything goes to wither away." You instinctively squeezed her hand and sidled up to her and she let out an amused chuckle. She continued walking and when you questioned her about the destination Lady Loki smiled and pointed at a number of decrepit houses in the distance.

You frowned and she laughed again, clearly having fun at your expense. "I shall lead you to a shelter," she simply stated and since you didn't have any other option you dutifully followed her while looking over your shoulder every now and then. "What exactly makes this place unsafe?" you asked and this time she didn't smile but actually appeared to be distressed.

"Alioth resides here. It can be best described as a never ending storm that consumes all matter and energy in this place. It feeds off the discarded timelines and its inhabitants." You stared at her with wide eyes and you felt your heart lurch in your chest at the sombre look on her face. If even this impressive demigod was frightened of the monster you hardly stood a chance and you hoped that you never had to meet it.

When you finally reached what seemed to be a hatch in the ground you were exhausted from walking around the wasteland for so long and you were practically stumbling down the steps to go inside. Lady Loki descended the stairs with significantly more grace than you and she grabbed your arm to prevent you from falling onto your face as you took in your surroundings.

"I have found another lost soul out in the Void," she said in her smooth voice and you gasped when your eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting on one of the sofas. Ignoring the other people in the room you ran towards Loki and flung yourself in his arms.

He let out a sigh of relief as he held you close and you buried your head in his chest for a moment to fully grasp that he was here with you. You leaned back to see a wide smile on his face and you were certain his pleased expression mirrored yours. You turned your head to finally take in the haphazard arrangement of furniture and a chair that had been turned into a throne.

Two people and to your surprise an alligator with a golden horned tiara were sitting in a circle, watching you curiously. You reluctantly untangled yourself from Loki and when you took a closer look at the man and the child you realised that you were surrounded by Loki Variants. "It seems I'm the only one here who isn't a Loki," you joked nervously and both Classic Loki and Kid Loki raised eyebrows at you.

Even Alligator Loki seemed to be staring at you and you leaned into "your" Loki's side for comfort and emotional support. You would have to examine when the TVA Variant had become the main Loki in your mind but right now hardly seemed the appropriate time.

"You are the last human lover," Classic Loki stated with a satisfied grin at having figured you out despite making no sense to anyone else in the room. When he was met with stunned silence he shook his head and lectured his fellow Variants on not studying the Sacred Timeline properly.

You listened with a sad smile on your face as he relayed your life with the original Loki and when he finished you nodded and did a quick curtsy. "How did you end up here?" Kid Loki asked and you took Loki's hand to take a seat on the comfortable looking sofa before retelling your adventures and mishaps with the TVA. You noticed movement in the corner of your eyes and a moment later Lady Loki appeared with a drink and quickly waved at Kid Loki to free up the throne for her.

She carried an amount of authority that you found astounding and you were unsurprised to see that she seemed to be the leader of this group of Variants. Once you finished your explanation you turned towards Loki with a worried expression that made him instantly pay close attention to you.

"Where is Sylvie?"