When Thor brings the three Lokis and Mobius to Asgard, they appear just outside the palace. TVA Loki is practically vibrating from excitement. He's never been so excited to be home. As far as he can tell, nothing has actually changed, but everything looks different through these rose-colored glasses.

He's home.

He's finally home.

As they walk, Thor in the lead, Loki looks over at Sylvie. She's looking all around the palace, her eyes wide with awe. He smiles to himself. Nothing makes him happier than seeing her happy. This centuries-long fight of hers is finally wielding its prize.

"Do you remember the palace?" he asks her.

She looks up at him and gives a minute shake of her head. "I didn't. Not really. But now that I actually see it..."

"It's all coming back to you?" he guesses, and she nods. "Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?"

"It's better," she says. "It's so nice to be back."

"It is, isn't it?" he agrees. It's nice to be back for the both of them.

Thor glances over his shoulder at them. "Sylvie, do you not remember Asgard? I thought you grew up here. You filled Loki's role in your timeline, did you not?"

"I did," she says. "But it's been a long time."

"Ah," he says. "You remember your family, though." He says it more as a statement than a question, but the type of statement that requests confirmation.

She shakes her head. "Not much. I think I remember you most of all." A small smile graces her lips. "I remember you wouldn't give me the time of day when your friends were around. You were 'too cool' for me. But when they left, you'd sit down and play with my dolls with me. We used to fight over who got to save Asgard and who had to try to destroy it because we both wanted to be the hero."

Though Sylvie is clearly enjoying reminiscing on her past, Thor just looks confused. "You had a very different upbringing than my brother."

"What was his upbringing like?" She glances back at TVA Loki, giving either of them the chance to answer.

"More mischievous, for one," Thor says.

TVA Loki chuckles. "That one's a little obvious."

"I was pretty mischievous, too," Sylvie says. She perks up (not that she wasn't already enthused) as she begins telling a story. "There was this one time, right, where you were out with your friends, and I was bored so I turned myself into a snake and I followed you, and you were in the midst of your snake phase so you picked me up and —"

"And you turned back into yourself and stabbed me!" Thor finishes quickly, and he bursts out laughing, as do both Sylvie and Loki.

"How did you know that?" she asks, both dumbfounded and amused.

"I did the same thing!" Loki says excitedly.

"You did?" Sylvie laughs even harder, which is a big feat given how hard she was already laughing.

"And I still to this day think it was one of the funniest things I've ever done," Loki says proudly.

"I do not," Thor says, but the big smile on his face gives him away. "You didn't even bring a healing stone! I had to wait until --"

"It was ten minutes!" Loki and Sylvie say in unison, which just makes them laugh more.

"It was a painful ten minutes!" Thor says, though there are clearly no hard feelings.

"Not for me, it wasn't," Loki says teasingly.

"Do you think we share a lot of the same childhood experiences, then?" Sylvie asks her alternate-timeline self. "Or is this just a strange coincidence?"

"That's a good question," Loki says. "Mobius --" He looks over his shoulder, ready to ask his timeline-enthusiast friend the same question, only to realize that Mobius isn't behind him at all. He stops in his tracks, and the others stop with him. "Mobius?"

Sylvie looks around as well. "He's not here."

"I see that," Loki says. "But where is he?" He looks up at Thor. "You did bring him with us, didn't you?"

"Of course," Thor says, looking just as confused as the others. "He was here when we arrived. I can assure you of that much."

"Then where did he go?" Loki asks. No one would have stopped him, would they? The Asgardians likely wouldn't even know he wasn't one of them. He looks no more unfamiliar and out-of-place than Sylvie does (except maybe for the suit, but Loki's wearing a somewhat similar Midgardian style, so that doesn't stand out, either).

Avengers Loki chimes in with a slightly arrogant, "You lost him not long after we arrived." He almost treats it like him having realized that when no one else did makes him better than them, which is nothing short of frustrating.

TVA Loki tries not to let that implied superiority complex get to him as he asks, "What happened to him?"

"Nothing," Avengers Loki says. "He stopped to admire the architecture. He probably expected you to wait for him. I hope he's not too upset to learn that you did not even notice."

TVA Loki clenches his jaw. Is he also this annoying? He's not, is he? This other Loki is just a much more annoying version of himself? God, every time he meets a new Loki, he begins to wonder how Thor has put up with him for so long. He's unbearably obnoxious.

Sylvie sighs. "We should go find him."

"Yes, we should," Loki agrees. "Before he gets himself -- or us -- in trouble."

"Where was he?" Thor asks Avengers Loki.

"I don't remember," Avengers Loki says with a small smirk that gives away his lie. It almost looks like he wants them to know he's lying. Someone needs to tell him that being annoying and being mischievous are two very different things.

Thor sighs and turns around. "Then we will do this the long way."

"We haven't been here long," TVA Loki reminds him. "He can't be too far away."

"Unless he decided to wander," Sylvie says. "And, knowing him..."

Loki chooses not to think about that. They turn back and retrace their steps, and this time, they do so quietly. The idea of holding a casual, fun conversation with Thor and Sylvie really lost its charm when they realized that it was the reason they somehow lost Mobius. (Granted, it was Mobius's fault for wandering off, but still, they would have at least noticed if they'd been paying a bit more attention).

It only takes a minute or so to find him, and though Avengers Loki may have been telling the truth when he said Mobius stopped to admire the architecture, that's not what he's doing right now. Instead, he's now talking to Hogan -- which is an interesting choice; Hogan doesn't tend to talk much -- though when the others reach him, he puts that conversation on pause and turns his attention back to them.

"Oh, good, you're back," Mobius says cheerfully. "Look who I met!"

Hogan looks between the two Lokis quizzically. He doesn't question it aloud, but the look he gives Thor is a question in and of itself.

Thor gestures to TVA Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius. "They come from another timeline." Seeing that this doesn't make things much clearer, he adds, "Do not give it too much thought, my friend. It will only grow more confusing."

Hogan cocks his head to the side ever so slightly, but he doesn't question it. His gaze shifts to the two relics in Thor's hands. "Is that the Tesseract?"

"Yes, it is," Thor says. "I promised I would return it home. It just took much less time than I had anticipated."

Hogan looks to the scepter next, then to the two Lokis, and finally, to Thor. He gives up trying to make some sense of that. It's probably for the best. This must be very, very confusing without context.

"Mobius," TVA Loki says, "stop trying to befriend the locals every chance you get. It was bad enough when you tried to befriend the Avengers. You don't need to befriend Thor's friends, too."

"What?" Mobius says, jokingly defensive. "I'm a friendly guy!"

Avengers Loki shakes his head to himself and walks away. TVA Loki would be more than happy to let him — and it seems Sylvie doesn't have a problem with it, either — but, unfortunately, both Mobius and Thor decide they want to follow him, so the whole group goes after him (but not before Mobius says a rushed, "It was nice to meet you!" to Hogan, who doesn't seem to have processed anything that has happened in the last two minutes).

"What's his problem?" Sylvie mutters, looking ahead at Avengers Loki leading the pack.

"I don't want to know," TVA Loki says. The other Loki's problems are not his own, and he couldn't care less about them.

Thor walks a little quicker than his normal pace to reach Avengers Loki's side. "As glad as I am to have you back, Loki, you are not yet free to roam the palace."

"I know," Loki says. "Not until I am given the Allfather's blessing to do so. That is what I seek now. Whether you choose to come with me or to play with your new friends is none of my concern."

"Of course we will go with you," Thor says. "We just needed a moment —"

"A moment I did not want to waste," Loki interrupts. "This may be an ordinary day in Asgard for you, but for me, it is the day my fate is decided for me. I do not want to waste my time looking for a man — a mortal — who chose to wander off."

"Loki —"

"No, no, he has a point," Mobius says. "That was my bad. I just got distracted by how beautiful Asgard is. Didn't mean to hold anyone up." He gives Avengers Loki a smile, not that Loki acknowledges it. He looks to TVA Loki as he adds, "I thought Asgard looked good in pictures, but that's nothing compared to actually being here!"

TVA Loki chuckles. "I swear, you're more excited to be here than I am."

"Because it's so cool!" Mobius says eagerly. "I've been reading about Asgard for almost as long as I can remember, but I never thought I'd get to go there!" He looks around, taking in the sights as they walk. "I feel like a kid in a candy store right now."

Loki stares at him blankly. "You feel like a what?"

Mobius sighs dramatically. "Nevermind."

The final minute or so of the walk is quiet, save Loki and Sylvie's stifled laughter over Mobius's excitement about the littlest things. Every now and then, the two share a look, and it just makes it harder not to laugh. Mobius, of course, is completely oblivious, too enamored by the sights to even look at his friends.

Finally, they reach the throne room, and Thor turns around outside the door to face the others. "I cannot guarantee we will find our father here, but should we find him here, I do not know how he will react to your return. Mother and I all but begged him to let me give you a chance. He may well still believe you to be nothing but a traitor."

TVA Loki lets out a long breath. "I know. But he'll see. He'll see that I've changed. He has to."

"I hope you're right," Thor says. "I would like nothing more than to have my brother back. But while we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst."

TVA Loki nods to show that he understands, but, admittedly, he is not prepared for the worst. He's known since before they showed up in this timeline that there was a chance they wouldn't be allowed and they they'd have to make a life elsewhere — probably the 1990s because Mobius would love that, though it hadn't really been discussed — but it doesn't make him any more prepared for it to happen.

Thor gives them another minute in case anyone has any questions or concerns, but when they don't, he turns back around and opens the door.

The king and queen are both present when they look inside. Odin is sitting on the throne, his head in his hand and looking absolutely exhausted. Frigga sits on the steps below him, and though she had been looking up at him, she immediately turns her gaze to the door when it opens.

Odin lifts his head, his arm falling flat on the armrest. A small smile grows on his lips, though whether it has anything to do with the Lokis or if he's just glad to see that Thor has returned (with two Infinity Stones in tow), it's hard to say.

Frigga, meanwhile, definitely notices the two Lokis, because she looks between the two of them as she stands up. There's a smile on her face, too, but it's a confused smile. TVA Loki coesn't even bother trying to explain; he runs up to her and pulls her into the biggest hug he's ever given anyone.

"Woah!" Frigga laughs and hugs him back. "Loki, you came home."

"Of course I came home!" Loki says. He almost can't believe she thought he wouldn't. He almost can't believe he used to think he wouldn't, before he became entangled with the TVA. "I've missed you so much. I never should have left. I never should have done a lot of things. I realize that now."

"Oh, it's okay," she says gently.

"No, it's not," he says. "It's not okay."

He rather reluctantly removes his mother's arms from around him and approaches his father. Odin is sitting on the throne, and Loki stands a few steps below him so that he doesn't tower over his father. Odin lifts his head, looking at him expectantly.

Loki clasps his hands in front of him. "I'm sorry."

Odin raises his eyebrows ever so slightly.

"And I know that is not enough," Loki continues. "I know that what I've done is inexcusable. I know it can't be undone with an apology. But I truly, truly am sorry. You were right to give Thor the throne. You had two sons who were unfit to be king, but you had one you knew could change, who could grow. You made the right choice for the good of Asgard, and I had no right to lash out like I did, and for that I am truly sorry."

Odin just looks at him for a long moment, emotionless, and Loki can feel his hope deflating inside him. He hadn't expected forgiveness. He doesn't deserve it, if he's being truthful. But he'd been hoping...

But finally, a small smile appears on Odin's face. "It seems Thor isn't the only one who grew in his exile."

Loki smiles back, almost hesitantly. This sounds good. It sounds like this is leading somewhere good. But he doesn't want to make any assumptions yet.

"Welcome back, my boy," Odin says, and Loki feels a wave of relief wash over him. "It hasn't felt like home without you."

Odin stands up and holds his arms out, and Loki runs into them. He can't remember the last time he and his father hugged. Odin has never been the most physically affectionate parent out there, at least in Loki's experience. It just makes this moment all the more sweet.

After at least a minute, Odin asks, "What are you wearing?" as if it's been bothering him for too long to ignore.

Loki chuckles and takes a step away from him. "A cotton-polyester blend." He looks down at his clothes thoughtfully. "I think it's Midgardian. I don't know. It's just what they gave me."

Odin just seems to find that amusing. "It suits you.

"It does, doesn't it?" Loki agrees. He uses a brief spurt of magic to make his TVA apparel a bit cleaner. He's really beginning to warm up to this outfit.

Odin looks down at Thor, still standing by the door with everyone else. "You recovered the Tesseract."

"I did," Thor says. "As well as this scepter containing the Mind Stone." He holds the scepter up briefly. "I thought it to be too powerful to leave on Midgard. I was hoping you would know somewhere better to keep it."

"I don't," Odin admits. "It would be unwise to keep two Infinity Stones on the same planet. But until I find a new home for it, I suppose it will have to stay in the weapons vault with the Tesseract." He sits back down on his throne and holds his hands out, and Thor brings the Infinity Stones to him.

It's then that Loki notices Sylvie. Though the conversation has moved on, she's still staring at Frigga, her eyes full of tears. He feels a pang of guilt. He'd been so wrapped up in his own feelings — his own excitement; his own guilt — he'd nearly forgotten that this was just as big a deal for her as it is for him, if not more.

"Mother, Father," Loki says, "there's someone I'd like you to meet." He gives Sylvie a reassuring smile as he walks down the steps to her, and he puts a hand behind her back, gently guiding her towards the king and queen. "This is Sylvie. And in another timeline, she's your daughter — adopted as a baby, from Jotunheim."

"Just like you," Frigga says quietly.

Loki nods. "In her timeline, she is me. But her timeline is gone now. Both of ours are. And this is the only timeline left, so we were hoping we could stay here. In Asgard."

Before Odin can even open his mouth, Frigga says, "Of course you can."

Sylvie smiles, and a single tear slips down her face. "Thank you," she whispers.

"Of course," Frigga says. She opens her arms. "Come here."

Sylvie gasps, so softly that Loki's not even sure he hears it. She pauses, as if making sure that this is really happening, then runs up to her mother and wraps her arms around her. She buries her face in the crook of her mother's neck, and Frigga holds her close, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Sylvie says, her voice breaking through her soft sobs. "I've been without a home for so long; without a family..."

"I'm so sorry," Frigga whispers. "Whatever it was you went through, I'm so sorry. But you don't have to be alone anymore. You don't have to be alone ever again."

Sylvie sniffles. "Really?"

"Of course," Frigga says. "That's what mothers are for, isn't it?"

Sylvie chokes out a sob and squeezes her mother tighter.

Odin seems less moved by this. He looks more confused than anything — which seems to be the general theme of the day. To Loki, he says, "You spoke of a different timeline. I was not aware such things existed."

"Oh, no, you wouldn't be," Loki says. "Because you've never had to deal with other timelines. Because they've been destroyed."

"By whom?" Odin asks. "Who wields such power that they can destroy entire timelines?"

"The Time Variance Authority," Loki says. "Headed by a man at the end of time — 'He Who Remains,' he's called."

"And does that put this timeline at risk?" Odin asks. "What is there to say that he won't —"

"He won't," Loki says. "We made a deal. There can only be one timeline, and it will be this one. He won't touch it."

"Some people believe that deals are made to be broken," Odin says. "You should know that better than anyone."

"Believe me, I do," Loki says. "But I also know that sometimes, a good deal is a good deal for all parties involved. This is the new 'Sacred Timeline.' It works out in his favor as well." He never actually said it, but Loki gets the feeling that He Who Remains was growing bored of the old one. He thrives on drama. Watching the same timeline over and over, knowing even the smallest changes were going to be eliminated, lacks the entertainment value they're bringing to him now.

Odin is still skeptical, but he says, "I trust your judgment. If you believe him, I do, too."

Loki smiles. "Thank you." This may be the nicest thing his father has ever said to him. Odin has given his fair share of compliments over the centuries, but this is different. It's one thing to have his father's love. It's another entirely to have his trust.

As that conversation draws to a close, Frigga and Sylvie finally separate, but Frigga takes hold of her hand as if silently assuring her that she's still here for her, even if they're not actively talking about it.

Looking at her son, she says, "You said you're not from this timeline."

"I'm not," Loki says. "He is." He points at the other Loki, and Avengers Loki opens his mouth to speak but TVA Loki cuts him off. They're in the middle of a conversation, thank you very much. "But my timeline was the same as this one. It just went on for about..." He glances at Mobius. "A day?"

"Eh..." Mobius shakes his hand in a so-so motion. "Something like that."

"A day or so longer," Loki finishes.

"So this is all the same for you," Frigga says. "It's all new for Sylvie, but it's not for you."

"Well," Loki says with an awkward smile, "taking responsibility for my own actions is new, but Asgard isn't. You aren't. I'm just the Loki you expected with a few extra steps — and a few extra friends."

That gets a smile out of Sylvie.

"I'm glad," Frigga says. "I'm glad I have my boy back."

Loki beams. He wasn't even sure he'd be allowed back in Asgard. To hear that he's not only allowed but welcome is a pleasant surprise, and one he cherishes more than he can say.

"Now," Frigga says, "tell me about these new friends of yours." She looks at the girl by her side. "Now, obviously, I now know Sylvie." She turns her attention to Mobius. "But I don't believe we've met."

He waves. "I'm Mobius."

"It's nice to meet you," she says. "I'm Frigga, and that's my husband, Odin."

Odin smiles and gives a polite nod. Mobius smiles back, without mentioning that he already knows not only their names but much of their personalities, too. It's not quite clear how much Mobius read up on in the TVA, but at the very least, he has to know all about the Asgardian royal family.

"How did you meet Loki?" Frigga asks, though it sounds more conversational than actual curiosity.

Mobius lets out a low whistle. "Oh boy, that is a loaded question. Can we start with an easier one?"

Frigga laughs. "It sounded like a simple enough question to me."

"It does," Mobius agrees. "That's the kicker: it sounds like an easy question but it's not."

"You're mortal," Odin observes.

"I am," Mobius says. "It's kind of scary, actually. Time passes differently where I'm from. I've never been faced with my own mortality before."

"Where are you from?" Frigga asks.

"Outside the flow of time," Mobius says.

"Oh." She doesn't seem to know what to say to that. "Well, that's... nice."

Mobius chuckles. "Yeah, sorry, my life can't really be summed up in a sentence or two." He shrugs as if to say what can you do?

"I hope to learn more about it as the time goes by," Frigga says. She pauses. "You do plan to stay in Asgard, I presume?"

Mobius nods. "Yeah, you know, if that's okay with everyone. I don't want to overstep my bounds."

"Of course it's okay with everyone," Loki says immediately, despite having absolutely no idea whether it's okay with everyone.

"I would have no issue with it," Frigga says, but she looks to Odin to make the final call.

Odin hesitates. "We do not typically have mortals..."

Mobius nods solemnly. "I know."

Loki is about to jump to his defense, but, to his surprise, Thor beats him to it. His voice is even and unconcerned, but he speaks genuinely when he says, "Respectfully, Father, I must disagree. I've only known Mobius a short while longer than you, but I do believe we would do better with him here. If you had seen the way he talked to Loki — that Loki —" Thor cuts himself off, looking around the room. "Where did he go?"

"What?" Loki looks around, but, sure enough, Avengers Loki is nowhere to be seen. "He was right here a second ago."

"He was, right?" Thor asks. "I could have sworn he was..."

"Um..." Mobius raises his hand slightly to get their attention. "Yeah, he actually left a minute or two ago. I was going to say something, but you were in the middle of something and I didn't want to..." He shrugs awkwardly.

"Oh." Thor frowns. He looks at Loki, who shrugs. What is there to do about it now? So he looks back at Odin and continues, "Well, the other Loki. If you'd seen the way Mobius talked to him, you would understand. Loki was not going to give up the Tesseract without a fight — one we were all preparing to give. Mobius sat down with him and changed his mind within minutes."

Odin raises his brows. "You think I should allow a mortal in Asgard because he's persuasive?"

"I think you should allow him in Asgard because he seems to bring out the best in Loki," Thor says. "In every Loki. I do not believe it to be a coincidence that the Loki who came here with him is the more compassionate one."

Mobius glances at Loki, who shrugs. He won't argue with that. Mobius isn't entirely responsible for him becoming the person he is today, but he'd be lying if he said his friend didn't play a big role in it.

"That is a compelling argument," Odin says, "but one you needn't have made. I feel I cannot grant asylum to Loki and Sylvie without doing the same for their friend."

Mobius smiles. "Thank you."

Frigga puts her arm around Sylvie's shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Would you like me to show you around Asgard?"

Sylvie nods, too choked up just by the offer to speak. "Mm-hmm."

"Wonderful," Frigga says. She looks to her son. "Loki? Would you like to come with us?"

Loki hesitates, looking at Sylvie for an idea of whether or not that's okay. He doesn't want to intrude if this is an important moment to have alone with her mother. But Sylvie smiles and gives a single nod, giving him all the permission he needs.

"I would," Loki says.

"And Mobius." Frigga looks at him now. "You've never been here before, have you?"

He shakes his head. "No, but I've seen so much about it, I feel like I know the place by heart."

Frigga looks confused by that (unsurprisingly; it's a strange sentence out of context), but she doesn't question it. "Would you like a tour anyway?"

He shakes his head. "I think I'm going to do a little exploring on my own, actually."

Loki furrows his brows. "What? Why?"

Mobius snorts. "Because I feel like I've spent every waking moment of my life with you lately and I need a vacation."

Loki frowns. "Mobius!" But that's the whole reason Mobius is here! He's Loki's friend! That's his whole role on Asgard is to be his friend! He can't just stop, even if it's just for an hour or so. That's not fair.

"I'm kidding!" Mobius says. "I just don't want to hold you up. I got sidetracked just walking into the palace, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, you did, didn't you?" Loki mumbles to himself. Yeah, maybe it's best that they don't take him along. This way, Mobius can enjoy Asgard at his own pace and satisfy his nerdy TVA analyst excitement, and Loki, Sylvie, and Frigga can walk around and reminisce about their past. "Well, we should plan to meet somewhere."

"Back in front of the palace?" Mobius suggests. "I'd say in an hour, but I don't know how you tell the time here."

Loki chuckles. "All that time studying Asgard and you still don't know how we tell time?"

Mobius shrugs sheepishly. "It never came up."

Loki shakes his head, amused. Oh, Mobius. What are they going to do with him?

Odin cuts in with, "I will prepare a feast. We will celebrate the return of our lost prince and the Tesseract, and welcome the newest member of our family." He looks over at Sylvie fondly, and Sylvie smiles back. It's almost strange, given that they haven't really spoken yet, but Loki doesn't mention it. He's just glad they're getting along. "You could reunite then."

"That's great and all, but it doesn't help me understand how to tell time in Asgard," Mobius remarks.

Loki chuckles. "When you see everyone else heading for the palace, go to the palace."

Mobius clicks his tongue. "That I can do."

Thor puts a hand on Mobius's shoulder, and Mobius turns to look at him. "Are you sure you will be okay alone in Asgard? It is not a small planet. If you would like a guide..."

Mobius shakes his head. "I'll be fine, but thanks. Maybe you can give me a tour another time?"

Thor nods. "Very well. Just tell me when and I would be glad to."

Loki smiles to himself. Everything is going so well right now. He, Sylvie, and Mobius get to live in Asgard. His parents have taken a liking to Sylvie, and his brother seems to have done the same with Mobius. He couldn't possibly ask for anything more.