A/N: Hiya! This is a oneshot gaiden (side story) to my multi-chapter fic The Prince, The Prophet, and the Tyrant. You might not get a lot of what happens here if you haven't read the other story, but for those of you who don't feel like doing that right now, here's a little context for you: the other story starts out a few months after Sigyn returns from a very long trip to Alfheim (she first left when she was a young teenager, so when she got back, she was a full grown woman) and this fic explains why she went in the first place. Anyway, I hope you like it. Please R&R.

WARNING: This fic contains Freya being a bitch, multiple arguments, super fluffy LokixSigyn, and mention of ThorxSif. Also, for those you who were wondering, YES, this was inspired by the song "Defying Gravity".

"Sigyn, I forbid it!" Freya yelled at her daughter. The girl was demanding to be allowed to continue studying with Prince Loki instead of taking an apprenticeship with the Healers. This was absolutely unacceptable in her mother's eyes. "You have already tried my patience with your interest in less wholesome magics than healing. If you keep studying with that...that Aesir, you will learn nothing but tricks and destructive magic!"

"Mother! I grow weary of your assumptions. I will not cease to learn healing. I simply wish to become more well rounded in my practice. Besides, you judge him too easily! Loki has been a good friend to me and only seeks to become a scholar. He is not a warmonger!" Sigyn replied, her normally soft voice sounding strange in such a loud, upset tone. Her pale hands were clenched into fists and stood with a defiant posture, staring her mother down with her blue-gray eyes. However, Freya would have none of it.

"Do not think me ignorant of his tricks. He is has clearly deceived you with his silver tongue. The only magic you would learn from him is without honor or virtue. There is just one kind fit for a Vanir and it is the pure art of restoration. If you insist upon becoming a professional user of magic, your path must be that of a healer." At this, Sigyn's face fell. She didn't know if she had it in her to tell Freya she had never wanted to be a healer. She had only ever wanted to be a scholar like Loki. However, she hardly needed to say it, for the woman could see it in her face. "Know your place, Sigyn. You have become too close to your Aesir friends and are forgetting that you are a Vanir. Where is your pride?"

"I care nothing for your politics, mother! What does it matter if I am Vanir or Aesir? Such distinctions do not concern me! I choose my friends for their character, not for their blood." the blond girl hissed, glaring at Freya with a look of pure rage. "I want to be a sorceress and that is the end of it!" This earned her a hard slap across the face that hurt both physically and emotionally. Clutching her cheek, Sigyn stared back at her mother in shock.

"Your father would be ashamed of you!" Freya shrieked. The adolescent said nothing to this and simply turned on her heel and walked out, ignoring the protests coming from behind her.

Sigyn sat quietly with Sif on a bench in the royal gardens. It was a good place for them to voice their troubles without fear of being spied upon and they had been coming there for as long as they could remember.

"My mother sold my weapons today. She said a lady has no need for them." Sif complained. "I hid her sewing things in response, so now I am being punished. I am not permitted to train with Thor for a month." The dark haired girl was obviously having another private war with her mother over her desire to become a warrior. Such battles between them were frequent and Sigyn always heard about them. They reminded her vividly of her own family situation. "But enough about me. You look rather displeased this evening. What troubles you, my friend?" Sif rarely saw Sigyn so upset, so she was willing to give up her usual ranting to listen to whatever it was that had made her best friend so unhappy.

"My own mother has forbidden me from studying with Loki any further so long as I refuse to take an apprenticeship with the Healers." There was a solemn tone in the blond's voice as she spoke and she stared at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Sif wanted to say she didn't blame Freya for Loki was a bad influence, but she knew how Sigyn felt about the prince and she wasn't about to upset her friend further by insulting him.

"Who is she to choose your path for you? Did you do anything to make her think you incapable of doing it for yourself?" At this question, Sigyn frowned in a guilty sort of way, which Sif immediately realized meant that, yes, her friend had crossed a line. "What did you do?"

"I stepped out of line. I said some things I should not have." the blond admitted.

"And?"

"It probably did not help at all that I turned her brooch into a newt as well...while she was wearing it." At this, Sif gave an exasperated sigh, making it clear that she thought Sigyn had brought this upon herself and began pacing in front of the bench Sigyn sat on.

"You see! All you have done is prove her point further by acting like Loki. If this keeps up you will be in trouble with not only your own people, but also with the Aesir court." The guilty look the other girl gave in response caused her to freeze and stare in disbelief. "Odin's Beard! What. Did. You. DO?"

"I merely appealed to them and they told me to go home and listen to my mother because my pursuits would only get me hurt. Apparently women are not strong enough to be sorcerers. Preposterous. The Aesir just cannot stand the idea that a Vanir woman could master anything beyond the healing arts." Sigyn answered flippantly. Her friend seemed somewhat relieved by this, seeing that the blond hadn't done anything particularly troublesome. However, she maintained a look of concern.

"Sigyn, you need to consider your limits. Maybe if you had kept your head, Lady Freya would have been open to the possibility of you taking the apprenticeship and continuing study with Loki." Sif pointed out. It felt odd to be on the calmer end of the argument with Sigyn. Usually the blond was a soft, shy voice of reason, but it was clear that something had been building up to make her this defiant and it worried Sif.

"I am sick of limits! It is funny hearing such words from you, she who would seek the title of warrior. You of all people should understand how I feel." It seemed that the Vanir girl was voicing everything that had been bothering her for so long. All her life, she had been outspoken and told 'no', but now that was going to change. "Besides, you know as well as I that my mother does everything in her power to keep me away from my Aesir friends."

"Then what will you do? Becoming a healer cannot be so bad. It is not as if it will prevent you from ever seeing Loki again."

"I refuse to give my oppressors the satisfaction. I will go west, to Alfheim, and study there." Sigyn replied simply. She had been thinking of leaving for some time, fed up with prejudice and Freya's expectations. "At least there, they will see me as Asgardian instead of Vanir."

"You mean run away? But what of Loki? What will you tell him?" the dark haired girl inquired. She had thought of running away herself before, but the idea of leaving behind her friends had always stopped her. Of course, it was easier for her considering that the Aesir were much more accepting of a female warrior than the Vanir were of a female sorcerer.

"I regret that I would have to leave him behind, but if I stay here, I will lose what is left of my pride." The girl was much quieter now and her gaze was fixed on her lap. "I...I will tell him that I am merely studying abroad. I fear that if I told him the truth, he would do something rash." A number of scenarios had occurred to her and none of them had a desirable outcome. She could only hope that Loki would be willing to accept the news and didn't make her departure any more painful than it had to be. Sif gave her a look of sympathy and suddenly an idea came to her. "Sif, my dear friend, come with me. You would be free to become a warrior and I a sorceress with no restrictions. If we worked together, no one could tell us 'no' again." Sigyn suggested, a faint smile in her expression. For a moment, Sif just stared and contemplated the offer she had just been given. Then she responded with a sad smile.

"That sounds like a truly wonderful adventure, but I cannot accept. I have a place for myself here and I do not wish to leave it." Sif explained, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "If you must go, then you must go. The least I can do for you is arrange for my brother to send you through the Bifrost." At this, Sigyn stood and embraced the girl.

"Thank you, Sif."

"I wish you luck, my friend."

Laying in the grass in a circle of trees, Sigyn waiting for Loki to appear, knowing that if he wanted to find her, this was the first place he'd look. She was saddened at the thought of leaving him behind, but she knew that it was what was best for her. He had been kind and helpful to her, which flew in the face of everything people said about him and that was why she was so drawn to him. As she waited to see her favorite prince one last time, she thought of all the adventures they had had together and how he always made her feel like butterflies were in her stomach.

"Somehow, I knew you would be here." Sigyn suddenly heard Loki call. She looked around to see the boy approaching and he lay down in the grass beside her, resting the back of his head in his hands. "What troubles you, dear Sigyn?" he asked.

"I am leaving for Alfheim tomorrow."

"Why?" Loki raised his dark eyebrows in surprise, having heard nothing of these plans before.

"I am going to study magic there. The Elves can offer me a freedom that I do not possess here in Asgard." Sigyn explained solemnly. It took all of her willpower not to break down and allow the prince to notice that there was much more going on.

"I would ask that you stay and study with me."

"As tempting an offer as that is, I must satiate my hunger to see other worlds." The lie felt like ash in her mouth, but Sigyn endured it for Loki's sake. He seemed saddened by her words, but he nodded in acceptance.

"I understand. The thirst for knowledge is both a sorcerer's greatest friend and greatest foe. Without it, we cannot become more than we are, but it can consume us if we do not treat it properly." Loki said, reminding Sigyn of one of the reasons she liked him so much. He proved to be very wise at random moments, but little did she know he did this with the express purpose of impressing her. "You deserve this chance to pursue your dreams and be who you are." he added after a while, turning on his side to face her. "No one should have to be tied down by expectations." He was aware that Sigyn was under pressure from multiple sources to conform, but one thing he admired about her was that like him, she wasn't willing to comply, though he was unaware that the pressure she felt was far greater than that which he experienced.

"Thank you, Loki. You are a true friend." the girl said, causing the prince to give her a smirk of pleasure.

"I am only returning the favor." This made Sigyn blush slightly and she sat up, trying to hide it though with little success. "Oh, Sigyn, you are too modest." Loki commented with a laugh, sitting up himself.

"You should know, I have some things I am leaving to you. They will be in my study waiting for you after I have left." she said after a while of just looking into Loki's stunning green eyes. She would miss him more than anything and this conversation was hurting her because of it.

"Who says I am not planning to come with you?" These words made Sigyn's heart skip a beat and she was finding it difficult to maintain her composure.

"L-Loki! You and I both know you cannot do that. You are a prince of Asgard." she responded, voice shaking slightly. He laughed, making her blush deepen.

"I know. I just wanted to see how you would react. Glad to see you are still as sensible as ever." Loki teased. Sigyn gave him an exaggerated frown in reply. For a while, they just looked at each other, communicating with their eyes like they did when people were around and they didn't want anyone to know what they were saying. However, this time it was simply because words were not adequate to express what they wanted to say. It was one of their 'you are the best friend anyone could ask for' moments. Loki really did want to go to Alfheim with Sigyn, but it wasn't possible, and that depressed him.

"I must go now. I will be gone for a very long time. I wish you luck in your studies." the blond said, standing up to leave.

"Wait! Take this." He grabbed her wrist and put his hand in her own. When his hand drew away, Sigyn saw that he had given her a single piece of green string. "I want you to sew it to the inside of your headband. It is not enchanted or anything, it is just...it is for good luck. From me." he explained when she gave him a confused look. A sad smile graced her lips as her fingers curled around the string.

"Thank you, Loki, but are we not too old for such things now?"

"I just wish you to have something to remember me by."

"I could never forget you, my friend." At this moment, her heart ached and she knew if she didn't leave soon, she might not be able to. "Farewell." Sigyn said, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek and without another word, she left him there.

A few days after Sigyn had gone and Lady Freya had publicly made the excuse that the girl was on a trip that had been planned, Loki went to her study to collect the things his friend had left for him. He found the room just as he remembered it, though minus a Sigyn and plus two things on her desk. One was a stack of tomes tied together with twine and labelled 'To Loki', the other was a letter addressed to her mother. The letter struck Loki as odd and he opened it to read in Sigyn's neat handwriting:

Dear Mother,

I have left for Alfheim. Do not send anyone after me. I have no plans of ever returning home. If you are asking yourself why I have gone, the answer should be clear to you. I cannot call home a place where I am punished for pursuing my interests. The war never ended for you and that is why you could not bear to have a daughter moving beyond your traditionalist views. It was smothering me. I had to escape. The only regret I have in leaving is that I will likely never see the only person who has ever understood me again. While you and the rest of the older generation still wallow in the dregs of your hate, Loki and I were moving on. We did not see in each other Aesir or Vanir. We saw common interest and friendship. As hard to comprehend as that may be for you, it is the truth and it is why I wanted to study with him. I do not care that he is known as a trickster and you call him a sliver tongued liar. He has treated me more kindly than you.

In any case, I can only hope that with my departure, you come to realize the cost of your shortsightedness and change your attitude toward peace. Also, I apologize for turning your brooch into a newt. That was not an appropriate reaction, but at the time I felt that you would not listen to me if I did not do something.

I wish I could have said all of this to you in person, but I know that you would not have allowed me to leave if I had. You may write to me if you wish, but understand that your chances of getting a reply are slim. As I have said before, I do not plan to return to Asgard. Farewell.

-Sigyn

As Loki read the signature, he noticed the tear stain next to it and suddenly his heart filled with rage. He now understood everything. Why it all had seemed to be on such short notice. Why so few had known about it. Why she had been so sad when she said farewell to him. It all made sense and it infuriated him. Folding the letter up and stowing it inside his tunic pocket, Loki stormed off to confront Freya, whom he found sitting in the common room of the Vanir section of the palace looking troubled.

"I would have words with you, Lady Freya." he announced and the woman looked up at him. She seemed somewhat surprised to see him, but her expression quickly became a frown once she really took in the fact that it was him.

"What have you to say to me, spell weaver?" she demanded, her tone slightly condescending. Loki walked closer, holding his chin high before speaking.

"I know what you did. I know how you drove your own daughter away with your politics and your arrogance. All because you cannot accept change." he hissed. "Sigyn did not tell me the truth to spare my feelings, but she explained it all clearly in this, which she left for you." Loki took out the letter and tossed it at the woman's feet. She flinched, never having been on the receiving end of Loki's sharp tongue before and astonished to be spoken to like that.

"How dare you! Know your place, boy, for you speak to the Daughter of Njörd!" she shrieked, abruptly standing up.

"It matters not. You may be royalty amongst your own people and be called Goddess of Love by the mortals, but what kind of patron of love, no, what kind of mother does this to her child?" Loki stood his ground. Though Freya was far older that he was, he was not afraid to stand up to her.

"You think that since you are a prince and a son of Odin you can just waltz into my home and openly insult me?"

"I am sorry if you are offended, but this son of Odin- this silver tongued liar- does not take kindly to losing friends." the dark haired boy retorted scathingly. He was practically yelling now and look of pure indignation on Freya's face could have made a crowd of servants flee.

"You are the arrogant one, Prince Loki. You are just a boy. You know nothing."

"Perhaps. I may be young and you may have seen many more years than I, but remember this should you ever request a favor of the Sons of Odin: you have cost me something irreplaceable and I do not forgive easily." With that, the adolescent turned sharply on his heel and walked out. Freyr, who had been watching the entire shouting match from afar, came to sit with his sister as she began to read the letter Loki had thrown at her.

"Wow. That kid has some major balls coming here and lecturing you like that. Then again, he is the second prince of Asgard. He does what he wants." Freyr said. Sadly, his attempt to make light of the situation failed. His sister burst into tears after finishing the letter and put her face in her hands.

For some time afterward, Freya remained bitter about the whole thing, but as the years went by, she truly began to miss her daughter and that changed her. She began to see what Sigyn had been trying to tell her all along and started working to bring the Aesir and Vanir together. After many long years had passed and she saw Loki grow to adulthood (which told her that her daughter was now a young woman), Freya finally wrote to Sigyn and told her of how different things were. When she got a reply telling her that Sigyn was coming home, she nearly fainted and then proceeded to make sure everyone had heard the news.

A/N: So there. Sorry for making Freya be such a bitch and seem like a terrible mother. I just think she wasn't as understanding of Sigyn as she was of her other children. Also, how did you like that Freyr cameo? I've always imagined him to be an easygoing, charming guy with a sense of humor. At first I wasn't go to put in Loki's rage scene, but I decided this fic needed more Loki and it was the perfect excuse for so many things. In any case, please review and let me know what you think.