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Sure enough, Kang's statement was true. Sylvie lay on a bed in one of the rooms, her face devoid of any and all color. A hand was slung limply across her chest, a blanket covering her. The very picture of a corpse in their coffin. The only way to truly figure out whether or not she was alive was through checking her pulse, which was faint, but present. Loki let a breath whoosh through his sore ribs, and looked down at his daughter. "I'll be able to walk." Loki still appeared uncertain. "Just put me down, please." He did so, and once ensuring she had enough strength to commit the action, he took Sylvie's limp body in his arms bridal style, and beckoned to Sprite. "Where do we go now?" She asked once they exited the ruins of the great home. Loki looked back up at the towering establishment, the purple skies growing much more vivid. "Dad." He turned back to her, processing her question. "Where do we go..." He murmured. He didn't know. They had two machines that would take them anywhere they needed to go. Anytime, any place. They could travel the whole multiverse if they wished. Suddenly, Charles Xavier's words came rushing back to him. "I do know one place."
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~3 days afterwards....~
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As expected, Sprite had fawned over the plant life that were nestled in crevices and cracks on the sidewalks. She was immersed in learning about the various locations where her favorite flowers grew in a great array and vibrant colors, ranging from the deli a few blocks away to the building across the street. "And that isn't even the half of it," she was saying to Sylvie, who sat propped against a pillow in bed. She had already begun to re-gain the color in her cheeks. She had gained more weight, and took immense pleasure from hearing about the escapades around the city, and looked forward to seeing it herself. "Once I get out of this damned bed, I'll be sure to take you everyday," she told the young girl. Loki watched from the doorway as Sprite and Sylvie began to knit themselves into an inseparable pair, neither one of them able to recall what life was like before they knew one another. Loki went on watching, chuckling to himself as Sprite recounted the tale of the cat that had run from it's owners grasp, leaving the aggravated man to shout curses at it as he ran down the block like a police officer, frightening the passerby. He eventually left them alone, and returned to the living area.
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Later on as the sun set, it was Loki's turn to sit with Sylvie. "You should be proud of yourself," he told her. "You've helped a younger version of yourself learn how to travel the multiverse." Sylvie snorted. "Shut up." "I'm serious! She'd always asked me questions when we were in the TVA about how to travel 'along the branches of the multiversal tree' and whatnot." At the mention of the TVA, Sylvie's face grew more serious. The corners of her lips twitched, and Loki's did as well, unsure if he should smile or frown. "What is it?" Sylvie looked back at him as if only realizing just then he was there. "You don't think they'll come for us, do you?" Loki was taken aback by the question. "I... I really don't-" he trailed off, and bit his lip, then chuckled. "I don't know." Sylvie leaned back. "I wouldn't worry." Sylvie looked over at him. "It's not me I'm worried about. It's her." Loki heard an annoying voice in his head squealing an 'I told you she would bring this up.' Sylvie suddenly looked lost in thought, as if she were in a distant world. Loki feared she had dozed off and would leave the conversation at that until she said, "I saw her." Loki heard another voice, this one screaming. Sylvie took his silence as encouragement to go on. "She was standing over me. Her eyes were so cold... they betrayed no recognition. Her face looked like cracked glass." She shifted around. "But... in one of those moments... I saw terror. I saw the determination in her eyes. The hope." Loki swallowed hard. "But... Ka-" he cut himself off. "He told me that you were in a coma." Sylvie shook her head. "I had one moment of wakefulness. And in that one moment, all I wanted to do was cry out to her, 'it's all right, it'll be okay.'" She dropped her head to her chest, closing her eyes. Loki placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey." She looked back up at him with almost wistful, wide green eyes. "What happened wasn't her fault. And it wasn't yours. I'm going to tell you what I told Sprite: It was magic and a monstrous desire." Sylvie's eyes were misted over, as if lost in a memory. "I saw a twisted kind of fascination in him. And a kind of-" "Affection," Loki finished. Sylvie nodded. "Yeah." He sighed. "I know. I saw it, too." They both sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts and lingering questions.
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In the bedroom next door while the conversation was occurred, Sprite slept soundly, completely unaware of the discussion entirely. Her window was slightly open to let in the June breeze that smelled of lavender and lilacs, and Sprite's personal favorite, orange blossoms. She turned on her back from her side, lost in a blissful ignorance and dream. She seemed to be floating above a field crawling with nature, ancient stones in a circle, with carvings of all kinds on them. As she dreamt, Loki wandered into the room, and sat on her bed. He peered over the sleeping girl, and stroked her hair aside. "Dream well, my darling girl..." Kang dreamily stroked her hair aside. "And enjoy these moments while you can. Because they won't be here for long."
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~End~
YOU ARE READING
♤The Conqueror's Dagger♤
Fanfiction~He'd never expected this. He just wanted to return home. Now, he had a trapped possible love prospect, and a daughter who didn't know her own power. He's on his own now.
