Author's Note: Mybonded- Thanks! Things have been very well on my end. I hope you have been well also! runawaycherry93- Finally I have managed to update again! I look forward to their reunion as well :) lovingvamp346- Thank you for your very kind review! I am thrilled that I was able to make you hate Odin! I probably shouldn't say that should I?


As Sigyn's power began to grow, so did the voices in her head. Sometimes she could control them, but at other times they were overwhelming. Frida and Livia had learned to let her be during these spells because their words of comfort only added to the turmoil inside her mind. Sigyn tried to block the voices out by spending time searching her tome for more powerful souls that she could collect. Yes, adding souls to her collection only made controlling the voices more difficult, but it was the only thing that could keep her mind focused during these bouts of weakness. It was during one of these spells that Sigyn came across her first clue as to Loki's whereabouts. She had been tracing her finger over the newest names in her book when she spotted her husband in the background of one of the visions. She quickly opened her eyes and looked at the name her finger was hovering over. It was Midgardian, there was no mistaking that, and the next two-dozen or so names after it were Midgardian as well. One by one they transitioned from being written in black to being written in red. Sigyn closed the book quickly, and grabbed the black cloak that she kept slung over her throne. This was her chance to be reunited with Loki, and she could waste no time in going to him. She slung the cloak over her shoulders and pulled the hood low as she ran down the steps from the throne to the circle of runes in the center of the room. She opened the link between Nifleheim and Midgard, and willed herself to the location she had seen in her vision. The runes lit up as usual, and Sigyn felt a familiar pull as the magic took her along the branches of Yggdrasil. She arrived on Midgard with no issues, but her surroundings looked nothing like the room she had seen in the vision. She was standing in a desert not too far from what looked like a crater in the earth. There was smoke pouring out of the giant hole, and Sigyn could see a flurry of activity around it. There was a strange object flying in the sky shining lights down upon it, a couple of strange moving contraptions on the ground with lights flashing, and people yelling at one another. Something catastrophic had occurred here, which didn't surprise Sigyn seeing as how many people had been marked to die. She used the cover of darkness to sneak closer to what she assumed was some sort of rescue mission. She had to be careful because the Midgardian's would be able to see her if she wasn't cautious, and she didn't want to attract attention to herself. Fortunately hiding in the shadows was easy enough for her to do. Sigyn made her way closer to the smoldering crater, and she could see the Midgardian's beginning to dig through the rubble. Some sort of large buildings had been here mere minutes ago, and deep down Sigyn sensed that her husband had played some role in their destruction. More and more Midgardians began to show up at the scene, and Sigyn had to retreat further into the night to avoid being spotted. Amidst the clamor she could make out conversations being had amongst the men and women. This crater had been the site of some sort of facility that had housed a powerful weapon known as the Tesseract. The Tesseract had become uncontrollable, and had opened some sort of portal to a different dimension. Out of that portal had come a man, and though the Midgardians did not say his name, Sigyn knew it was Loki. What happened after Loki's arrival was not entirely known by the people that Sigyn had eavesdropped on. The only thing that was certain was that the portal had become unstable and imploded, destroying the facility. Amidst the chaos Loki had managed to escape with the weapon, and the Midgardians were now searching for him.

Sigyn knew nothing about this weapon or why Loki would want it, but she knew that looking for Loki was a fool's errand. Her husband would not be found unless he wished to be found, and if he wished to be found then the searchers should tread with caution. Her husband was far more powerful than these Midgardians, and if he wished to he could cause them real harm. Certain that there was nothing more here for her to learn, Sigyn returned to Nifleheim. She told both Frida and Livia what she had learned upon her return, but neither of them could shed any light on what Loki was doing or why. For the next several days she watched the names in her book carefully, seeking out those that were clearly Midgardian. Each day she found deaths linked to her husband, and each day she was too late in reaching Midgard to see him. What she couldn't understand was why there was this trail of death in his wake. Amid the confusing turn of events there was only one thing she seemed to know, Loki was no longer looking for her. Her husband had forgotten her.

A cold oppressive feeling overtook Sigyn as this realization sunk in. She had suspected long ago that Loki had left her for dead, but seeing the actual proof of it was far more difficult than she could have ever imagined. She stopped using the book to follow his actions on Midgard, and merely watched the Midgardian names continue to appear in black and red at an alarming speed. Sigyn could feel the weight of each death beginning to crush her own spirit as her heart began to take on Loki's guilt. How could he do this to all these people… how could he do this to her?

Sigyn stopped looking at the book entirely after the chaos Loki had wrought on Midgard seemed to come to a close. She didn't want to be reminded of the deaths that Loki had caused, or the people that Hella had abandoned. All Sigyn wanted to do was mourn her lamentable fate. She had given up any chance of regaining a normal life to save Loki, to ensure that she could always protect him, but for what? The man whom she loved no longer loved her. Neither Frida nor Livia's company could lighten Sigyn's spirit, so Sigyn began to wander the Realms with only the ever-growing voices in her mind to keep her company. There was no discernable reason for her travels, save to give her a false sense of normality. She watched in envy from the shadows of twilight as others in the Realms lived their lives. They seemed so flippant in their regular activities, and Sigyn would have given anything to scold them for their complacency. What she would give for the comforts of a simple life. All the wishing in the Nine Realms could not change her situation however. Sigyn was keenly aware of that fact, and so she retuned to Hel each and every morning. The time she spent in Hel was hardly varied. Either she was in the company of Frida and Livia, or she was locked away in her own chambers. The time she spent locked away was never used for eating or sleeping though. Sigyn could not die by any natural means, so eating was not necessary. Sleep was unattainable for her as all she could see or hear when she closed her eyes were the dead. She began to lose weight steadily, though she only knew that because her clothes began to almost hang off of her frame. Her skin began to take on an ashen shade of blue as it was deprived from all sunlight, and her hair started turn a shade of brilliant silver. Sigyn had no explanation for her hair's strange change of color, but she thought it suited her almost spectral appearance well. Her slow transformation had changed her warm appearance into a stunningly cold one, and her demeanor had changed with it. Sigyn had always been methodical, but now there was a cold and calculated air to her manner. Even the way in which she collected the ghosts that warded off the Infinity Gem around her neck seemed to derive less from her original remorse for the lost souls, and more from her growing need for revenge. She seemed to have no need for Death's book any longer as the Gem seemed to guide her to roaming souls that could offer her the greatest amount of power and skill.

Time slipped gradually by, all the while Sigyn's dark resolve and power growing stronger. She would bring an end to Odin's reign even if that meant the downfall of Asgard. It was no less than he and his War Council deserved. She would spare Frigga and what was left of her family if she could, even shielding them in Nifleheim if necessary. War was already raging throughout the Nine Realms, and if that was not a sign of the AllFather's already failing rule then Sigyn didn't know what was. She greatly benefitted from the bloodshed, as the insatiable appetite of her Gem seemed to almost be quelled by the number of souls she was able to collect. This relief was short lived however as she was drawn to Asgard. She had felt the departure of a strong life force emanating from there, and the smallest flicker of fear in the back of her mind was certain that it was Loki. It seemed so similar to him. Sigyn refused to let the thought stop her from collecting the soul however. She had no proof that Loki was even on Asgard after all. Upon Sigyn's arrival it did not take long for her to realize that the wars that had been plaguing the other Realms had finally come to Asgard. The great palace and the city surrounding it seemed to still smolder from some great battle. Sigyn wondered momentarily if the soul she had sensed departing here had been Thor's or perhaps even Odin's, but she quickly threw that idea away. This spirit possessed strength, but not the same type of strength that those men possessed. It truly had seemed like Loki in many ways, but standing in the dying light of Asgard she knew that it hadn't been him. Her husband was still alive. Sigyn could sense it. If it hadn't been Loki's soul she had sensed however, that left only one person that Sigyn knew of that could be so similar.

Sigyn pulled her hood low as she dashed through the shadows towards the pulsating energy that had drawn her to Asgard. If any of the many Asgardians headed in the same direction saw her, they took no notice. Everyone was garbed in his or her darkest colors, and each was absorbed in their own little world of grief. The battle that had occurred here had clearly been a devastating one. Sigyn arrived at her destination as the sun finally slipped fully over the horizon. She stood along the shore and looked into the harbor. Never before had she seen so many small boats floating in the bay waiting to be pushed off. The crowd grew and grew till Sigyn spotted the AllFather himself step onto the pier. Sigyn could also spot Thor and his friends, along with some woman that Sigyn did not recognize. Her heart gave a little longing flutter as she looked at the faces of her former companions, but then the reason for her journey to Asgard retook her thoughts. Sigyn looked once more at the boats, and this time she saw what she had feared to see.

Frigga.

Somehow the Queen of Asgard's spirit was even more beautiful than she had been in life. She seemed to glow with a light that Sigyn had never seen in the spirits she had collected before, and it was in that moment that Sigyn knew she couldn't take the Queen's spirit. It just wasn't right. Frigga didn't deserve to live in the darkness of Helheim, or in the confines of the Infinity Stone. Where ever Frigga's soul was bound was a far more pleasant place. Sigyn looked back at the mourners surrounding her, and then at Odin. Perhaps this trip would not be a waste after all. She could not take Frigga's soul, but she could take Odin. As soon as the thought crossed her mind however, Sigyn felt a pair of eyes land on her. The odd sensation caused Sigyn to look in the direction of the gaze, and she saw Frigga's soul staring right at her. The Queen's stare was unnerving to say the least. Sigyn could sense the sorrow in the Queen's countenance despite the distance between them. Sigyn wasn't certain if the sorrow was intended for her or for Odin, but it didn't matter. Sigyn could not kill Odin as he mourned for his wife. Frigga gave Sigyn a sad smile, which caused Sigyn's stomach to knot up. She couldn't stand this any longer. The boats were being pushed into the harbor as Sigyn began to force her way as far away from the funeral as possible. She turned to look back only once as the blue orbs were let loose into the night sky, and then immediately willed herself back to Hel taking none of the souls with her.

Both Frida and Livia let Sigyn be upon her return. It was plain from her appearance that Sigyn was in no humor to be bothered. The voices from her Infinity Stone seemed to drown out even her own thoughts as she paced restlessly around her throne room. Emotions that she had buried underneath her new frosty demeanor were beginning to fight for dominance once again as she strode back and forth for what seemed like an eternity. Frigga's spirit had seemed to beg mercy from her, but Sigyn couldn't give that to Odin, not now. He had shown her no mercy, and therefore deserved none. Yes, Sigyn had spared him this night, but only in deference to Frigga. She had owed her mother-by-law that much for her kindness and understanding over the years, but Odin did not have the protection of Frigga now. In fact, there was nothing stopping Sigyn from returning to Asgard this moment and taking Odin's soul with the Infinity Stone…

"Patience."

Sigyn stopped her pacing at Hel's all too familiar voice.

"Why kill him now? Wouldn't that simply be a blessing after the death of his wife?"

Hel had a point. Sigyn had wanted Odin to suffer, and now he would. A cold smile touched Sigyn's lips, and she mounted the stairs to her throne. She sat on her seat of power and looked out unseeingly into the grand hall.

"Let him feel my pain."

The pain of being separated from the person he loved more than any other.

"This is only the beginning of Odin's destruction."

It was then that Sigyn remembered that Hel had just as much of a desire to witness Odin's downfall as she did. Odin had banished her here to an eternity of solitude and death after all.

Sigyn's laughter soon echoed about the throne room like the sound of tinkling glass.

Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury, like a woman scorned.

She couldn't remember which Midgardian text she had read that in seeing as she had read it ages ago, but it had fittingly returned to her now. It would seem that Hel's fury was that of a woman scorned, or to be more precise, two women. Scorned, disparaged, vilified, and forgotten. They would not remain forgotten for long however…

Sigyn's laughter ceased as the voices inside her mind went silent. Something had happened, something important. The Gem around her neck began to pull her mind to a place that she had never been before.

Svartalfheim.

Without even realizing it, Sigyn descended the steps from her throne. She stood in the center of the circle of runes etched into the floor and opened the path to Svartalfheim.

Why Svartalfheim though?

There was nothing and, more importantly, no one on Svartalfheim. Tales of the Dark Elves complete annihilation were some of the most popular told in Asgard. It was the event that had truly sealed Asgard's place as the protector of the Nine Realms.

The planet was as dark and desolate as Sigyn had imagined it would be. There were no signs of civilization or life anywhere. The wind whipped her cloak about her as she began to walk through the decaying debris of the battle that had taken place here long before her time. The dark heavy dust swirled around Sigyn as a storm began to pick up, and she pulled her hood low to help protect her eyes from the grit. She wasn't certain why she was even bothering to traipse around this wasteland, but curiosity drove her on. The Infinity Stone would not have drawn her here if there weren't a reason: of course that reason being someone had died. Sigyn eventually found herself standing atop the ledge of a cliff, and as she gazed down into the valley below she spotted the reason she had been brought here. She could see several ghostly shades standing about, but that was not what captured her attention. There was a body that did not belong on Svartalfheim. She ran down the side of the cliff as safely as she could and sprinted towards the body ignoring the souls of the Dark Elves that were awaiting her collection. She practically threw herself down at the side of the corpse.

Love.

Hate.

Joy.

Sorrow.

Relief.

Fear.

Confusion.

All raged in her mind and in her heart as she brushed the hair back from her husband's face. Her hood had completely fallen back as she had run, and she now pushed her own disheveled silver hair away from her eyes so that she could study Loki better. His skin had turned an ashen color, and his Frost Giant markings were vaguely visible. One of his hands was at his side, while the other covered some sort of abdomen wound. Sigyn gently brushed her fingers against Loki's face. The man lying in front of her was a vision of reckless abandon; very different from the man Sigyn had married. Tentatively she lifted his head into her lap and cradled it. What had happened to Loki? Why did he appear so changed? Why was his corpse lying abandoned on Svartalfheim?

His corpse…

If Loki was dead, where was his soul? Surely his hadn't been taken and the others left. Sigyn glanced around and confirmed that her husband's soul was nowhere in the proximity, and then gazed back down at the man she loved. That is when she noticed that the color was beginning to return to his face. Despite his clearly fatal wound, Loki wasn't dead. Sigyn's breath hitched in her throat. She couldn't let him see her like this. He probably wouldn't even recognize her in her current state. She should just collect the souls of the Dark Elves and be gone before Loki could awaken, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away from him. For years she had wanted nothing more than to see her husband again, and here he was. If she stayed she could tell him everything that had happened, she could convince him to join her in her mission of brining about the ruin of Odin. Surely Loki would seek the same justice that she did.

"Ragnarok." Hella's voice reminded her.

"Ragnarok…" Sigyn echoed softly.

Did she really want to destroy the Nine Realms? No, she wanted to destroy Odin and his War Council, but would she be willing to do so if the fallout of her actions led to Ragnarok? As she looked down at Loki, Sigyn suddenly became unsure. She could theoretically just take Loki back to Nifleheim with her. Would that be enough? Could she let Odin and the War Council be if she was permanently reunited with her husband?

No.

It wasn't just her husband that they had taken from her, but her life. They deserved to pay, but could she drag Loki into her plans for revenge? She still wanted to protect her husband despite the fact that he had forsaken her, and if she enlisted her husband's help in taking down the corrupt rulers of Asgard she would be putting him right in the path of danger.

Sigyn felt a tremor of movement from Loki, and she focused on his face once more. She knew he would wake soon and that she would have to have made a decision before he did, but she determined to take advantage of this fleeting moment to forget the chaos stirring within her. Sigyn caressed Loki's prominent cheekbone with her fingers before leaning down and softly brushing her cold lips against his. She longed for him to kiss her back, but knew that was impossible in his current state.

"My Love…" she muttered before brushing her lips against his one final time.

Sigyn curled up on the ground next to Loki and laid her head against his chest. She closed her eyes as she took in the familiar scent of leather and let her hands trace over his armor. She could hear his heart beating faintly, and for the first time in a long time Sigyn was at peace. Her happiness was short lived however, as another shudder of energy coursed through her husband. Sigyn drew back, but took one of Loki's hands in her own. His face began to contort slightly signaling that he was about to awaken, and Sigyn's hands trembled as knew what she must do.

"Loki." She murmured longingly as his brilliant green eyes began to open, her voice being swept away by the wind.


Author's Note: Well this is it. This is where I had always intended to end the story, though I admit it took me far longer to get here than I thought it would. After reading all of your amazing reviews I realized that perhaps you might actually want to see what happens after this, but maybe you will prefer this more open ended finale. I had always assumed that ending the story in this manner would give you, the reader, an opportunity to utilize your creativity to end it in a way that would make you happy. I know how I would end it, but I would hate to ruin your interpretation. I think we are all aware that while Loki and Sigyn's story can never end in a "happily ever after" type scenario, it can end in a hopeful way. If there is interest perhaps I shall pick up the threads again and complete the entire arc at some point. For now though I simply want to thank all of you for coming on this journey with me. I have grown so fond of Sigyn and Loki through this almost 3-year process, and it will be difficult for me to let them go. I never imagined to garner such a positive reaction from so many readers, and I can't thank you all enough for your encouragement and insight! Thank you all for taking the time to read my little (and by 'little' I of course mean 83 chapters long) story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!