Isn't in interesting the kind of things you feel like doing when you need to start studying? Like starting a fan fiction for example. I listened to "I'm going to go back there someday" from the Muppets Movie, so that served as an inspiration. I don't own anything. obviously.

...

"Brother, do we have to go any further?" Loki panted, struggling to keep up with Thor and his friends.

Thor laughed and continued to push up the sandy hill. "Come now Loki, it's only a little further. If Lady Sif is able to keep up, so can you."

Sif glanced over her shoulder and shot a smug look at Loki, who merely rolled his eyes and pushed forward.

"I'm actually with Loki on this one." Volstagg huffed. "Do you think we could perhaps we could take a break for a moment? I'm simply famished."

"Oh, now that is something new." Fandral exclaimed. He walked just behind Volstagg and somewhere along their journey had taken to using a large stick as a staff to help him climb.

"Be careful with your words, friend, or I may just fall down this hill and take you with me." He warned playfully.

Thor was the first to reach the top, followed by Hogun, Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and, finally, Loki. "See?" He said, patting his brothers back. "I told you we were almost there."

Loki took in his surroundings. He was surprised by the difference between this kingdom and his father's. Asgard was proud and tall and intimidating, covered almost entirely with gold and silver. This place was different. There was grass everywhere, exotic flora grew wildly in random places and nobody bothered to tend to them. Some areas of grass were covered with a thin layer of sand, blown over from the beach downhill. Loki was able to make out the faint glow of the campfires scattered across the beach. Houses were spread out randomly across the land, not like in Asgard where the villages were designated to one area, shops and temples another. There appeared to be no structure or layout to this land, Loki wasn't sure he liked it.

"My friends" Thor announced "Welcome to Vanahiem."

The group made its way up to the palace of the Vanir. As they got closer everything seemed to become more structured. Houses started to line up and section themselves off, separating from the public buildings. The gardens, while still wild and overgrown, looked more organised and better maintained. They were coming up to the marble palace. It was large, larger than Loki would have thought, but still nothing compared to his home. The marble walls shone from the lights of the kingdom.

"Well brother, what do you think?" Thor asked, gesturing to the castle towering over them.

"It's… humble." Loki stated simply.

Thor booming laugh echoed through the village as night fell. "Indeed it is."

"It is a charming little place, I must say. They are in desperate need of a good gardener, though." Fandral commented as they made their way through the grounds.

The sound of snapping twigs and bristling of leaves caught Loki's attention. "Does anyone else hear that?"

Loki did not wait for an answer; he broke off from the group and headed towards the sound while they hurried to keep up with him, confused as to why he was so determined to find the source of such a mundane noise.

"Come on, Loki. It's probably just some kind of animal-"

"That sings?" He said, cutting Sif off. They could all hear it now too. The voice was soft and melodic and… vaguely familiar. They followed Loki down the twisting path as they sound grew louder.

Loki turned a corner into a small alcove. I was different to the rest of the garden, the design was well thought out and the plants were nicely maintained. The Bushes and shrubs grew tall, acting as walls and blocking out the outside world. A large tree grew in the corner, it height suggested it had been there for centuries. An old swing had been tied to one of the thicker branches a long time ago and never taken down. A small built-in fire pit sat in the centre of the garden with three benches placed around it. Various types of flowers grew all over the garden, some in pots and others sprouting out of the ground. Loki could see by the light of the fire that most of them were purple.

At the back of the garden stood a young woman pruning the bushes, sing softly to herself. Her back was turned toward them but Loki could tell by her dress that she was not a servant, unless servants here wore expensive sapphire silk and tightly laced corsets. The woman's hair was a familiar shade of light gold, falling all the way down to her waist and held back by a bejewelled silver clip.

The six of them stood silently and stared at her. Suddenly, she stopped singing. Her hands stopped moving over the plants and she stood perfectly still.

"Loki." She said loudly enough for them to hear. She turned around to face them, her piercing crystal blue eyes looking him over as a smile grew on her face. "I could sense your magic anywhere."

"Sigyn?" He said softly, recalling the old friend from his childhood. Loki had not seen Sigyn since they were children, yet here they stood now as teenagers, almost adults, admiring the changes each of them had gone through.

She had definitely changed more than he. Loki, while taller and more muscular than before, was still as gangly and scrawny as he was as a child. At least, he thought so. Sigyn however, was exactly the opposite. Loki was surprised by how short she was, when they were kids they were of similar heights, now he was almost a foot taller than her. Though she was never a cubby child, Loki was surprised with how slender she looked, especially considering her body's new curves. She had definitely inherited her figure from the Vanir side of her family, for Loki had never seen a full-blooded Asgardian noble shaped the way she was. Her looks were definitely from her Asgard side. Her graceful features and piercing blue eyes were an exact copy of her mother's.

"Sigyn!" Thor's booming voice pulled Loki out of his thoughts. He ran up to her and gave her a hug, lifting her off the ground in his sign of affection. Sigyn was then greeted by the rest of the group, hugging each one of them in turn, including Hogun, before turning to Loki.

"Loki." She said once again, pulling him into a hug. Still in shock, Loki willingly accepted her embrace. "What are you all doing here?"

"Thor got bored sitting around Asgard" Loki joked "Decided he was going to find a new land where he could cause trouble."

"Careful brother, she will not know you are joking."

"I think I know Loki well enough to tell when he joking." She smiled. "So why is it you a really here?"

"My father has questions that need answers." Thor stated boldly "He has sent me to retrieve them. I wish to speak to the Norns."

A small smile played on Sigyn's lips. "Ah. Well I'm sure I could arrange something for you, as long as the questions you speak of are important enough for the Norn's time."

Thor nodded. "I assure you, they are of most importance."

Something in Thor's tone of voice seemed to amuse her. "Oh really? If you don't mind me asking, what are these questions? We have to be sure they are worthy of the Norn's wisdom."

"I… Well, they- That is, I don't exactly…" Thor stumbled over his words. Sigyn laughed at the flustered look on his face.

"They're in here." Loki interrupted, pulling out a small crystal flask containing a brilliant gold smoke. Odin's voice.

Sigyn nodded in understanding. "Well they must be important if the Allfather does not wish his sons to know them. Very well, you can give them to my father; he shall get the Norn's to answer them for you." She clasped her hands together and beamed at them. "Tonight, however, you shall all stay at the palace and dine with us. I'm sure my siblings will be delighted to see you all!"

"Ah, yes, your sisters." Fandral stepped forward, a gleam in his eye. "So tell me, where exactly are they?"

Sigyn watched they scene play out from the doors of the balcony. She smiled at Thor and her father as they drank and cheered, laughed at her sisters as they fawned over Fandral, tried to listen in on the war stories being swapped between Sif and her brother, and watched in amazement as Volstagg sucked down four wild boars and started on a fifth while hogun sat in silence. Thor and his companions expressed an interest in staying for a night and her father had graciously offered them rooms. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. Everyone except-

"Lady Sigyn." The voice made her jump. She had been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she had not noticed Loki walk up to her.

"I'm sorry, I did not wish to frighten you" He frowned.

"Oh no, it's quite alright. You just startled me." She assured him. "But then again, I shouldn't be too surprised; you are the God of Mischief aren't you?"

Loki laughed. "That I am." He let out a sigh as he glanced over her. "You have changed much since I saw you last, Lady Sigyn."

"Well time does have a way of changing things." She commented. "You've changed too, you know. For instance, I don't ever remember you being this tall." They both laughed.

"Your garden is quite beautiful, Lady Sigyn." He told her, partly as a way to break the silence but mostly because he meant it. He had learnt that the small alcove they found her in was her own personal garden, and had been since she was a child. It was different from the rest of the palace gardens. Even the plants grew differently, though Loki assumed that it was because of the magic she used to tend to them.

She smiled. "Thank you. But please, there is no need to be so formal with me. We have been friends since we were children, Loki. You have never before called my Lady Sigyn and I do not wish for you to start now."

"I apologise. It's just… you're not… you're so… different…" Loki struggled to explain it to her.

Sigyn giggled at him. "I may look different but I'm still the same girl, Loki. Just older."

She was right. Despite her change of appearance, she was essentially still the same girl she was when they were children. Still intelligent, caring, quick-witted, talented…

"My, it's getting warm in here." She said, lifting her hands to her cheeks. "I think I may just go down to the water for a while. Would you like to come with me?"

"Not particularly." He said, recalling unpleasant memories involving Thor and the lake at Asgard.

Sigyn laughed at his expression. "Oh come now, the sea air will do you good. Let's ask the others."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to her father and Thor. "Father!" She exclaimed, banging a hand down on the table to gain his attention. Loki did not think this was a very civilised action for a lady, even if she was only in the presence of intimate friends and family. "We are going down to the beach, do you wish to join us?"

"Aye, what a good idea! We'll all go down and have a bonfire. What do you think, Thor?"

"Aye!" Thor shouted, slamming down his glass. "Friends, get up. We have been invited to the beach!"

"Oh, not right now Thor, I'm still eating." Volstagg said through bites.

"Then bring it with you. It's a marvellous night, we should- " Thor stood up, only to go crashing down to the floor.

The king laughed. "You go ahead without us dear; we'll meet you down there. I have a feeling we'll have to wait til this one sobers up."

The pair left silently as the rest of the party tried to help a drunken Thor to his feet.

This was originally supposed to a oneshot, but it kind of grew. Instead it's going to have 3 chapters. Tell me what you think of it, I accept all opinions!

Xx