SYN stumbled upon a warrior sharpening a Dragonfang sword. That was enough for her to realize she was in the presence of a great warrior and the last of her kind. "You're a Valkyrie?" She asked, eyes wide. That made the Valkyrie look up and set aside her whetstone.
"Let me guess," the woman started, disinterested and annoyed, "you wanted to be one when you were little too?" That seemed to be the case with every bloody Asgardian she'd come across as of late.
Syn shook her head, not put off by the harsh response. "My grandmother was a Valkyrie," she explained. "Kára." That had been her name. Syn remembered her mother telling her stories of Kára, of the Valkyries. Those had been some of her favorites.
"I'm sorry," the Valkyrie said, now regretting her terse introduction. She had known Kára well. Had watched as the Goddess of Death slew her and all her shieldmaiden sisters. The warrior rose and shifted awkwardly on her feet. Socializing wasn't one of her strong points. "I didn't catch your name."
The Goddess of Truth glanced out of the large window that showed the bleakness of the galaxy. "Syn," she replied. The Valkyrie gave a quick nod, now understanding who stood before her. "And yours?"
The Valkyrie slid her famed sword back within its sheath. "Brunnhilde."
ஐ ஐ ஐ
When the door to their chambers aboard the Statesman slid open, he was beaming. Syn couldn't recall the last time she had seen a smile so genuine grace his features. Loki rushed forward and took her face into his hands. His kiss was slow and filled with passion. It took her breath away and before she could recover, the God of Mischief was ushering from their chambers.
"Loki!" Syn exclaimed, laughing as he took her hand and pulled her through the corridors. It reminded her of the times they'd sneak out of the palace, taking the hidden pathways scattered across Asgard to other realms. "What are you doing?!"
Loki stopped and turned back. His heart swelled at the sight of her. She was pure and innocent. A beacon of light and hope. For some unfathomable reason, she had chosen to give her heart away to him. "Something that should have happened years ago," he told her, only now darkness crept into his voice and shone through on his expression.
He looked down at her and took her delicate hands, holding them tightly within his own. It felt absurd that he was nervous, yet some part of him expected rejection. "Do you still wish to be my wife?" Loki asked.
The question seemed to come from out of nowhere. Syn's brows furrowed. "I already am," she responded. That wasn't a whole truth, though. Odin had never married them. They had exchanged secret vows in the garden at midnight after Frigga had proclaimed him the reigning King of Asgard.
Loki shook his head. "But truly. In the eyes of Asgard, to be their princess," he paused and twisted a silver curl around his nimble finger.
"I suppose," she whispered with a fleeting smile. As far as Syn was concerned, she was already his, wholly. Everyone knew that.
The makeshift throne room was filled with Sakaarian rebels and Asgardian refugees. Syn gave Loki a hard glare, but it faded when he offered the crook of his arm. He had planned this all along. The crowd parted to create an aisle. At the forefront, standing by the captain's chair was Thor. On the stairs leading up to the dais were Brunnhilde and Heimdall.
The congregation clapped and cheered as the God of Mischief and the Goddess of Truth took their first steps toward the altar. This moment had been a long time coming. "Brother," Thor greeted. He then turned toward Syn and smiled, "sister."
Thor looked around and felt in the pockets of his armor. "I don't have anything for the handfasting," the God of Thunder admitted in a low voice, scratching the back of his neck. Loki reached behind him and gripped onto the dark green cape. A dagger appeared in his other hand and he severed a long strip of the material, passing it to Thor.
Loki held his hand out, palm up, and Syn placed her hand in his. Thor wrapped the piece of Loki's cape around their hands and tied it in a loose knot. "I do not have anything to say that I have not already told you, Loki," Syn said, quietly. Only Loki and Thor could hear her.
"I am yours," Loki began, loud enough for the others to hear, knowing their true vows had already been made. Syn smiled. "And you are mine," she finished. That seemed to be all they needed to say.
"With these vows, I name you husband and wife," Thor announced and the chamber was filled with applause once more. Loki turned toward her and found himself lost in the cool depths of her eyes. There were ice and steel in those grey irises, but now they were soft as snow and morning mist. He swallowed the lump in his throat, still transfixed by her pale beauty.
Thor cleared his throat, breaking Loki's trance. "Kiss her, brother."
Loki hooked his finger under her chin, smiling kindly as she looked at him. He leaned into her and slid his hand into her silver hair. His smile pressed against her lips and she smiled back, her lips parting slightly. And he dove in.
His arm laced around her hips in a gentle embrace. Syn felt her arms creeping around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her fingers trailed along his neck, tracing his spine and creeping into his hairline. He pulled away slowly, pressing a kiss on the edge of her lips
When they parted, Thor stepped forward and wrapped them both in his arms. Syn could make out the scowl on Loki's face and that only made her laugh.
This was her family now. They were all she had left in the universe.
ஐ ஐ ஐ
"Syn!" It was Loki calling her name, but she couldn't spot him in the chaos. The Statesman lurched to the side again, throwing her into a wall. People were screaming.
They collided in the hall outside the small room that had become their shared chambers. She gripped onto his arms, steadying herself as the ship took another blow. "What's happening?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he gripped onto her wrist and pulled her along through the corridors. After another hit to the ship, the screaming began once more. The pleas for neutrality came through the intercom in a static voice. "Our crew is made up of Asgardian families, we have very few soldiers here. This is not a warcraft. I repeat this is NOT a warcraft."
Loki turned, taking her face in his hands and ran his thumb over the small silver scar on her chin. She had gotten it when they were young, training with daggers, but Syn wasn't a fighter, not like Sif. "You know that I love you, yes?" Syn nodded and bit down on her bottom lip, not understanding why all this was happening.
"Loki, you're scaring me," she muttered.
"It's because I love you that I'm sending you to Midgard." Those words cut through her heart. They had only just found one another again. She did not wish to be parted. If fate would have them perish, then she would choose to do so at his side.
"No! I don't want to leave you!" Syn pushed on his chest and took a step back. "Tell me what's happening!" The Goddess of Truth demanded.
He sucked in a deep, shaky, breath. "Thanos has come." Her eyes widened. She knew of the Mad Titan, of the things he was capable of doing. The things he had done to Loki. He held out his hand, a moment later the Tesseract materialized. "For this."
Syn looked between the Space Stone and Loki, shaking her head in disbelief. She had believed it to have been destroyed by Surtur. "You were the best thing that ever happened to me." Loki pulled her tight against his chest, stroking her silver hair. He craned his neck down and kissed the crown of her head.
"I'll come for you when this is all over," he whispered.
Syn stepped back and looked into his eyes. "You're lying," she countered.
He opened a portal and motioned toward it. It would take her to Stark Tower. "Go, my love." Syn shook her head and stayed rooted in place. She didn't want to leave him. Their time together had been too short. Loki dropped the Tesseract at his feet and lurched forward, kissing her.
He made her stumble toward the portal and then shoved her backward, breaking the kiss. "Loki!" She screamed, feeling weightlessness overtake her for brief seconds. Though, before she could gain a foothold on the New York sidewalk and race back through the opening, it had closed.
Syn lifted herself off the ground and looked around that the towering buildings and people pushing past her. The last time she had visited Midgard had been decades ago. A strange feeling formed in her gut. She could feel the presence of a powerful magic.