Darcy took Loki's hand and looked up at him.

"This is either going to be a disaster or totally hilarious, isn't it?" She sighed, resigning herself today. They'd been putting it off for a while. Two weeks since the end of the world, and they hadn't left Helheim.

To be fair, they'd been kept busy changing the place. Even Loki didn't agree with the torture Hel implemented.

"I would expect it to be both." Loki said. "We don't have to do this."

"Yes, we do." Darcy said. "And besides, your mom would kill you if you didn't."

Loki nodded, an amused smile playing on his face. "Yes, King of Helheim as I am, even I would not be immune to the wrath of Frigga." Darcy had, of course, met Frigga a few times now, and whilst it was nice to see someone else who cared about Loki, he was also incredibly whipped when it came to her.

"Right, I'll try this time." Darcy said. Loki had taught her how to wield her magic, though she still had a long way to go.

She closed her eyes. Loki never had to, but she saw it as a magical stabilizer- when she got the hang of it she wouldn't need to either. She focused on the hall in the palace of Asgard.

She felt the air around her glide through her.

"-do with the injured?" She heard a voice arguing and knew her spell had worked.

She opened her eyes to six shocked faces staring at her and Loki.

"Darcy?" Jane gawped. And then after a moment: "What the hell are you wearing?"

Darcy glanced down at her gem-stoned gown. Loki had pointed out she had to dress like royalty for the people of Helheim not to see her as just another mortal. She agreed, and liked to dress up anyway, though she drew the line at being an all-in-black goth queen. Today's gown was a navy blue.

Jane blushed, presumably as she realised this was her first thought at seeing her friend. Darcy wanted nothing more than to run over to her friend. Loki had reassured her about the Aether, but Darcy hadn't quite believed it, even despite the knowledge that she as Queen of the Dead would know if Jane had met an unfortunate end.

"Loki…" Darcy had expected Thor, but to her shock it was Odin who spoke.

He stared at Loki in incredulity. Loki turned to him, his expression unchanging, but there was a hardness in his eyes she hoped she never saw when he looked at her.

"I thought you dead, brother." Thor said.

Loki didn't turn away from Odin. "Yes well, it wouldn't be the first time that assumption had been made."

Darcy didn't know whether to speak to break the silence. Normally that wouldn't even be a question for her, but she didn't want to make light of Loki's difficult situation by saying something flippant.

"You are contemplating calling the guards." Loki said, and to her surprise, a smirk crossed his face. "I do not recommend that."

"You threaten?" Odin asked, his emotions guarded from betrayal in his voice.

"I warn." Loki replied, a slight chill to his voice. "I do not recommend touching either one of us."

Fandral, Sif, Volstagg and Thor shared a look like they were used to Loki speaking cryptically. Darcy was starting to think Loki was enjoying this.

Jane on the other hand looked confused. "Darcy, what does he mean?"

Darcy smirked at Loki, knowing she couldn't deny him this moment.

The corner of his lip twitched. "Simply put, we are the current rulers of Helheim."

Odin's face paled, and Darcy snorted at the sight. Everyone else was too shocked to say anything.

"Loki," Odin said, his voice carefully measured. "We must speak privately."

"Actually no, we do not." Loki answered bluntly. "I owe you no explanations." At this, his eyes met Thor's, almost accidentally but it became clear to whom he retained some semblance of loyalty.

"Brother," Thor said. "May we step aside?" He gestured to one of the side rooms from the Throne Room.

Loki's jaw set, but he nodded, and Thor and Loki left leaving Odin looking affronted.

"Umm." Fandral spoke, clearly everyone was too shocked to really say anything. "Perhaps we ought to leave these two some privacy as well?"
Jane looked on the verge of a stroke.

The others left, leaving Jane and Darcy staring at one another.

Jane pushed her hair out of her face and looked at Darcy with confused despair. "Explain that to me again."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "It's really not that hard. Basically, I'm the Goddess of death."

"You're a political science student working in an unpaid internship, how are you the Goddess of death?" Jane asked.

"Some complicated magic thing." Darcy said. "Anyway, you're welcome by the way. That's partly why Ragnarök was stopped. It's a really long story." So Darcy commenced to explain of Hel, the Infinity Stones, blood magic and the Helm.

"You're the reason no one's been dying?" Jane asked. "You could have said earlier!"

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STOP HEL, NOT SEIZE HER POWER!" Thor's voice carried through the room.

Darcy glanced at Jane, knowing both of them hoped to avoid an argument between the two. She prayed Loki explained rather than just going to his usual sass defence. She knew it was a longshot.

"That's one of the reasons we're here." Darcy carried on in an effort to ignore what they'd heard. "We decided to stop that now. Anyone whose wounds haven't been sufficiently treated yet will probably die. I'm sorry, but we can't keep stopping it and it's reached the point where it's stopped helping and is now messing with the order Loki keeps telling me has to be restored." Darcy said. At least Fandral seemed okay now. She looked round the empty room. She'd grown so used to Loki's presence that being without it was weird.

She half expected Loki to apparate back home rather than talk to Thor. Still, explaining all of this to Jane made her wish Loki was there to help.

Jane nodded. "Yeah, we were worried about what might happen if it continued. So…God I'm sorry this is so hard to process."

"You're telling me?" Darcy asked, she could barely fathom it herself. The past two weeks felt more like role play or a dream or something.

"It's over?" Jane asked. "Ragnarök isn't happening anymore?"

Darcy shrugged. "I don't think so. It was prophesised to start, not to be successful."

"Thor said you can't subvert a prophecy. Not without repercussions."

"And Loki and I being God and Goddess of Hel isn't a repercussion enough? Besides we didn't subvert the prophecy, everyone just interpreted it wrong. It was the end of the world in a way, you can't tell me things here are the same as they were. Everything's being changed. The universe didn't have to be destroyed to end." Darcy replied and oh god she'd been spending too much time with Loki. She needed to go shoe shopping or something.

Jane contemplated this. "Helheim?" She asked at last. Darcy recognised Jane's "this is weird, I'm changing the subject" tone. "That's where you've been? You're here now, can't you stay?"

Darcy shook her head. "Well physically yeah I could but I have to go back. Like dude, I have to run this place. Worse, Loki has to run it with me, and God it is hard keeping an entire realm of people in check, let alone Loki as well. And we only really felt strong enough to leave today." Stopping the souls leaving had drained them a lot, and Loki was anxious about using the space stone.

Jane nodded. "How is this even something that's happened? Does your mom know?"

"She's our next visit, Loki wants to meet her." Darcy said. Well okay, she was more insisting but he'd agreed nothing could be worse than her dad. Apparently he was less than intimidated by the Norse God, and subjected him to usual boyfriend behaviour, which Loki as a prince was very unused to.

It didn't help that he and Frigga had become friends while watching Loki and her try to fix the world, so Frigga stood by sniggering the entire time.

"And are you going to tell her you're….?" Jane asked.

Darcy bit her lip. "Not today. She'd have me sectioned. Obviously, she'll find out one day but then she'll have no choice but to accept it. Besides it'll be bad enough explaining that Loki is Thor's brother and…well it's not like what happened in New York was a secret."

"Your mom will be fine." Jane reassured her. "She trusts you and if you think Loki is good she'll trust that too."

"I just need to see her. I have to make sure she's okay. Earth was wrecked, Jane." She said. But she also didn't want to think about the impending conversation. Her whole time with Loki, apart from right at the start, when things got intense between them was always overshadowed by this massive apocalypse, and now it was such a change. Even becoming a Goddess had felt like a relaxing end to the fear of the universe being destroyed.

And she had to admit it was exciting to be with Loki like this. She wasn't an idiot, she knew she hadn't been with him very long, and that she was now going to spend eternity living with him but if things went south, like he'd said, having to share power didn't mean they had to be together. That was their choice.

"But how…I mean everyone goes to Helheim right? No matter the species?" Jane asked.

Darcy nodded. "We kind of had to create separate sections. Frost giant paradise is very different from the human one."

"How did they take you being in charge? I mean, you're human and he's…Loki." Jane winced, still clearly not a fan of him no matter how hard she tried. "There had to be people there that were there because of him."

Not as many as because of Thor and he changed, Darcy thought, irritated, but she didn't want to start a fight with Jane when she'd been so worried Jane hadn't survived the Aether. "He apologised." Darcy said. Which was true. And he'd explained to those who'd died in New York about Thanos, but she wouldn't tell Jane that.

It was Loki's decision if he ever wanted to tell other people.

"Loki apologised?" Jane looked sceptical.

Darcy nodded, not admitting she was surprised herself. "Yeah. I mean you saw him on Svartalfheim when he died. He genuinely felt sorry."

"So you say, but that doesn't mean he'd apologise to everyone else." Jane pointed out.

Darcy shrugged. "He said they deserved to know, and would never respect him as king if he wasn't honest with them." Darcy supposed he'd learned a few things about lying kings.

Jane contemplated this. Darcy thought Loki apologising would be the least shocking thing about all she was saying.

"And you can do magic?" Jane asked, clearly giving up on trying to understand.

Darcy nodded. "It's so awesome. I mean I'm not at Loki's level. He said he'd teach me and he has a lot but not in proper lessons yet. I mean, can you imagine how frustrated he'll get trying to teach me magic? We'll probably end up hating each other, or having angry sex."

"Eww." Jane winced. "I'm sorry, I'm trying, and he may not be evil, but he's still Loki. I don't see the appeal."

Darcy raised an eyebrow, really not feeling the need to defend how sexy as fuck Loki was. "Anyway, it's like I have all this power and I don't really know how to control it. It's also really tempting. You know you're screwed when Loki has to tell you not to do something vaguely mischievous."

Jane laughed.

"Anyway there's something I wanted to ask you, I figured I'd ask you without Thor because it's not his decision." Darcy started, not really knowing how to go about the subject. She glanced at the door through which Thor and Loki had disappeared.

"What isn't?" Jane asked.

"Well part of the job is I can bless or curse someone with immortality, you know, make it so they don't die." Darcy said.

"I don't want to be immortal." Jane said quickly.

"Well no, but I can remove it at any time. You could live longer if you wanted to. As long as Thor, before I removed it or even after a few years if you decide that. I just…I know it's an issue, the lifespan difference. It was Loki's idea actually." He'd said it was always a worry with mortals, and that even with the world ending he was reluctant to get close to someone whose lifespan was so short. That wasn't a problem for them anymore but for Thor it was.

"You could do that?" Jane asked, going wide eyed.

Darcy nodded. She'd kept her explanation of the Infinity Stones brief, and didn't want to bring up the fact she had access to the Time Gem. The fewer people who knew it was on Helheim, the better.

"Oh my god." Jane said.

"You don't have to decide now. You can let me know." Darcy said.

Jane nodded. "Wow. The Goddess of Death…that's so…like not you. Like if you were anything it would be the Goddess of bad puns or knitwear or something."

"Excuse you my puns are amazing." Darcy laughed.

"I'm loving the look by the way." Jane said. "I was more just shocked when you appeared."

To be honest, she didn't really mind dressing like this when she could fix her hair with a snap of her fingers. And she had to admit, she looked amazing.

But then she added a knitted cardigan over it when she wasn't going public. It kind of ruined the whole look. The only downside of looking this hot all the time was Loki was even more thirsty than usual and the dude had the self-restraint of a gnat. Not that she was complaining, really…

"Thanks." Darcy said.

"So you and Loki have been spending all this time playing dress up?" Jane asked.

"Yup." Darcy said. She couldn't wait until they were letting souls in again and had Godly energy to go at it like bunnies on crack. The energy drain had stopped them having as much sex as usual, but it had been nice just doing couply things with Loki that they'd never really had time to before. Eating with each other each day, and falling asleep in each other's arms. Nice as it was, however, she would very happily have more sex back.

"We were so worried when you didn't come back." Jane said quietly. "No one was dying and we knew that meant something had happened to Hel but…this was the last thing any of us would have guessed."

"We tried to come back, I swear." She said.

Jane nodded. "I'm just glad you're safe. Godly status aside."

The door opened and Thor and Loki walked in. Neither looked particularly happy.

Darcy's heart sank.

"You all right?" Darcy asked.

Loki glared at Thor. "He wishes for me to speak to Odin."

Thor glared back. "And he adamantly refuses."

"Well, maybe one day." Darcy tried.

"I have made him swear it." Thor said.

"I have agreed to deliver messages between him and mother, is that not generous enough?" Loki hissed. "I do not see why I should have to deliver these messages in person."

"Come on, calm down." Darcy pleaded, wanting to run over but not knowing how comfortable he'd be with that in front of Thor.

"Both of you." Jane added, looking at Thor.

Loki walked over to her and she resisted the urge to take his hand.

"Don't push it too far." She heard Jane whisper to Thor. They seemed different too. Closer, more accepting of their love and less frightened of it. She supposed she and Loki weren't the only ones to have their relationship affected by the end of the universe.

"You are to remain in Helheim?" Thor asked.

They both nodded.

"Together?" Thor asked.

"Yes." Darcy answered, resisting the urge to lean against Loki.

Thor nodded. "But you will visit?" He looked pointedly at Loki. "Often?"

Loki hesitated before nodding. "Yes."

Thor breathed a sigh of relief. "And you care for Darcy?" He demanded.

Loki frowned and she could practically hear his thoughts calling Thor an ignorant dolt. "Obviously."

"Speaking of," Darcy said, "We need to go." However brief their visit had been, it was obviously too long for Loki. One step at a time, she supposed and she didn't want to push him.

"You must visit soon." Thor said to Loki. "I wish to hear a full account of your trials. With both Hel and Thanos."

Loki had told Thor of Thanos? Wow, maybe he really was trying to share more with Thor.

Loki didn't look happy, but he agreed nonetheless.

"Where is it you are going?" Thor asked.

"Loki's meeting my mom." Darcy said.

Thor's eyes widened. "Truly?" He asked Loki.

Loki nodded, averting eye contact with Thor.

Thor laughed. "Brother, you must truly be enraptured."

Loki smiled at Darcy in a shocking acknowledgement of a public display of his affection. "Well that I certainly do not deny."

"Cutie." Darcy said, leaning up to peck him on the lips.

The uncomfortable look on Jane and Thor's faces almost made her want to turn it into a make out session. Loki looked similar. Dear lord, they were supposed to run a realm. Hel was doomed.

She could kind of understand Thor and Jane's reaction though, they'd only had a couple weeks to get used to them knowing each other let alone loving each other.

"Come on," Darcy said. "See you soon."

Thor and Jane said their farewells, and Darcy and Loki apparated to Earth. It was a lot more pleasant when she was in charge of her own transport, and one of the perks was inter-realm teleporting.

"Are you ready for this?" She asked Loki.

"Absolutely not." He said, looking terrified.

She almost laughed. "You're the God of Death who faced Ragnarök, and you're scared of my mom?"

Loki nodded.

"Good, you're prepared." Darcy grinned teasingly. "And don't worry, you're the God of Death, now so you get in-laws for eternity."

He smiled at her, and she noticed that for the first time since knowing him there was no worry in his eyes. No big issues to think of- just normal, domestic ones.

"You will make it worth it, I'm sure." He said.

She leant against him, inhaling the familiar scent and embracing the arms she knew far too well. Ragnarök may not have been the end of everything, but it had been the end of something. Perhaps they had been reborn with Ragnarök, just in a way no one had expected. Maybe everyone had.

Everything now was new. A new life. A new realm. A new beginning. One that they would face together.

Ummm

So that's it.

A few things I guess if you are still reading this.

Yes, I must even name my epilogues. Title from Death And All His Friends by Coldplay.

Wasn't sure how to end this fic. This is about the fifth one I'd written. I suppose with an event as big as Ragnarok it's very hard to then tie it all together at the end. I know it would have made more sense for the world to end but call me a hopeless optimistic I just couldn't stand the thought of writing characters spending all this time trying to stop something from happening just to have it happen anyway. Tragedy is so 1600s. And didn't want too much of an "after" bit as Ragnarok and their attempts to stop it are the main point.

I have no future fics planned. Not to say I won't write any, just that my current work in progress is original fic. I normally use fanfic to fix writers block then become too invested. But yes as you may be able to tell from the gaps in between updates and the quality of the writing, home life is a little complicated right now so not much time to think about future fanfictions.

But lastly and most importantly thank you to you for reading to the end. Thank you to everyone who has left a review and even those who haven't. Just seeing the number of readers is enough. Thank you, and yes, marvel, I would be happy to write the script for Thor: Ragnarok.