"This really must be fate. I never expected to see you here,"
Thor said with his usual hearty demeanor, giving Kagura a strong pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you for everything, my dear sister. Thanks to you, Vanaheim has been spared from war. On behalf of Asgard, I offer you my deepest gratitude."
"Aww, think nothing of it," Kagura replied sweetly, hands clasped behind her back and a cheerful smile on her face. "Just doing what I can! Ehehe~"
"Well then, before we send you back to Earth, we need to make a quick stop in Asgard."
"We also have to escort these rebel captives back, and arrange for Vanaheim's security and reconstruction."
"Mhm, since I'm hitching a ride on the Bifrost, I'll leave the itinerary up to you guys."
Kagura had no objections.
In fact, she was kind of excited—after all, getting to visit the legendary golden realm of Asgard wasn't something that happened every day.
With the intervention of the Asgardians, peace was swiftly restored to the villages of Vanaheim.
The "bandits" who'd caused chaos the night before had all been rounded up.
They would be escorted by Asgardian troops to the dungeons beneath the royal palace to await judgment, in accordance with the laws shared between Asgard and Vanaheim.
Unlike Earth, which was more or less independent, Vanaheim had a close and cooperative relationship with Asgard.
The two realms shared their legal systems and defense forces it almost reminded Kagura of the relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
Though the Asgardians had arrived a bit late, they still took the post-battle cleanup seriously handling disaster relief, helping the injured, and stabilizing the region.
Watching these "golden saints" work so diligently for the people of Vanaheim, Kagura for the first time truly saw them as rulers—not just warriors.
They really were working to maintain order across the Nine Realms.
"Asgard has come to our rescue!"
"We're safe now! With them here, there's nothing to fear!"
"Is that Prince Thor?! So dashing and heroic! No wonder he's the future king! I wanna marry him!"
Hearing the excited chatter of the villagers, Kagura could clearly sense how much they respected and relied on Asgard.
To them, Vanaheim was practically Asgard's backyard fully under its protection.
And Kagura had every reason to believe that if Earth were ever invaded by Dark Elves, Frost Giants, or any other threat from the Nine Realms.
Asgard would once again descend upon the planet in a blaze of rainbow light, fighting alongside humanity…
Even if most people on Earth had long forgotten Asgard's existence.
The post-battle efforts, though busy, didn't take too long.
Thor didn't need to be involved in every step; once he gave out orders and plans, the rest was handled by his trusted warriors—The Warriors Three and Lady Sif.
"Hogun, once the bandits are dealt with, I want you to stay here," Thor said during a short break.
"This is your home. The realms are stable now, we don't need you traveling with me anymore. Once Vanaheim is fully secure, return to Asgard at your own pace."
"Thank you, Prince Thor." Hogun bowed respectfully. "Your care for your people and kindness toward your comrades… you'll make a wise king."
"Haha, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Thor clapped him on the shoulder. "You and I both still have a long way to go."
"Uncle Thor! Uncle Thor!" At that moment, Sigrid came running over, dragging little Chisé by the hand. "Uncle Thor, do the biri biri lightning thing again!"
"Chisé, Prince Thor is busy. You shouldn't keep bothering him like this."
Sigrid turned toward Thor and gave a polite bow.
"Sorry, Your Highness… She just really likes you."
"It's fine," Thor said, bowing his head slightly in return. You could tell he held the former Valkyrie in high regard.
"Chisé, want to see lightning?"
"Yes! Yes!" Chisé cheered, clapping her hands. "Lightning! Lightning!"
"All right then. Watch this!"
With a dramatic swing of his hammer, Thor launched a bolt of lightning into the sky.
'CRACK-BOOM!'
Silver-white lightning burst forth in mid-air, showering down like a flower made of sparks.
"Waaa! So pretty! Do it again!" Chisé clapped with delight. "Again, again!"
"Now now, that's enough." Sigrid ruffled her hair. "You're always bothering His Highness like this. If you're not careful, Odin might come take you away."
"Eeep! Nooo! Chisé doesn't want to see Grandpa Odin, he's scary!" Chisé shuddered dramatically.
"Chisé likes Uncle Thor and Uncle Loki more! Oh, speaking of which, where is Uncle Loki? Why isn't he here?"
"Ah… well, he made a mistake," Thor replied after a slight pause. "He's currently reflecting on it… in Asgard."
"Loki committed a serious offense," he added, looking a little pained. "So Father imprisoned him. Chisé, you mustn't make bad choices or you might end up in trouble too."
"Hmmph! Chisé would never do anything bad!" She puffed out her cheeks proudly. "I'm a good girl! Everyone loves Chisé!"
"You little rascal," Sigrid chuckled.
"By the way, what happened to Loki afterward?" Since his name came up, Kagura casually asked.
After the Battle of New York, Loki had been taken back to Asgard by Thor—and she hadn't heard anything since.
Thor gently led her a few steps away so Chisé wouldn't overhear.
"For high treason, Loki was supposed to be executed," Thor said in a low voice. "But Father spared him for Mother's sake… Now he's imprisoned in the dungeons of Asgard for eternity."
"I see…" Kagura nodded. "Thor… do you think Loki can ever change?"
"I don't know. I've lost faith in him," Thor replied, eyes clouded with disappointment.
"There was a time when I believed he'd come back to us. But after New York… I don't know if he's still the brother I once knew."
"Don't worry too much," Kagura said, gently patting his arm. "Things will work out. Loki will 'return' someday."
"Yeah…" Thor nodded. "Things are about wrapped up here. Let's go."
"Hmm?"
"What, getting attached to Vanaheim already? Forgot our plans?" Thor smirked, then suddenly pulled her into a firm embrace. "Hold on tight!"
"Hey! (‵□′)!" Before Kagura could even yell at him for what definitely felt like copping a feel—
Thor looked to the sky.
"Heimdall, we're ready!"
"Wa—" Kagura didn't even finish the word.
A rainbow-hued light descended from the heavens.
"UWAA—!! QAQ!!"
In an instant, stars stretched and space twisted.
The universe spun around her, transforming into a dazzling tunnel of intertwining colors.
Planets and galaxies whooshed past, like she was riding the ultimate cosmic roller coaster.
No, the beauty of the Bifrost made even the most breathtaking train window view look dull in comparison.
"WOOOAH—HAHAHA—!! This is insane!"
In the blink of an eye, Thor and Kagura crossed light-years of space, soaring through the cosmos on the Rainbow Bridge—
Until at last, they arrived at that resplendent golden continent among the stars.
"Welcome to Asgard."