A/N: Devising a plot is difficult when all I have is a simple outline that was developed during the late hours of the night. Though, the story is coming to me with greater ease than I had started off with, so at least I have that. Apologies, but I've decided to skip the events that had occurred in the film. If you're reading this, you should be familiar with what happened anyway. This chapter occurs right after, so I figured that was worth noting. Keep on reading, this is far from over.

Chapter Six

"Just some reassurance."

"Reassurance?"

"Of our friendship... no matter what happens..."

Freyja flinced as the words echoed in the depth of her mind. Her hand was clasped gently around the green gem that hung around her neck while she sat perched upon one of the highest trees in the Asgardian forest. Looking over the tree tops, she stared at the broken end of the rainbow bridge where the Bifrost had once stood. After misfortune had struck the royal family, Freyja heard how they struggled and fell apart by word of mouth from her father and learned of Loki's fall into the dark abyss below. She sighed, slouching her back upon the bark of the tree, dropping her gaze to find her brother staring up from the grasses below.

Suited in a typical warrior outfit complete with armor, Frey stood at the bottom of the tree, practically attempting to shake her sister out of it with a couple of kicks. "You can't stay up there forever, Freyja."

Clinging tightly to the branch she sat upon, she merely sneered at her brother. "You can't tell me what to do." She said as she stuck out her tongue.

"You're such a child." Frey sighed, giving the tree one last hit before he leaned against it. "I feel as if you've gone soft, sister."

Freyja twitched at the statement, which immediately caused her to slide her way down the tree. Her feet dropped into the grasses gracefully, positioning herself right before her brother as she wielded out her sword. "Bite your tongue, brother." She remarked rather bitterly. She had not been in the best mood these days.

"I'm just as concerned as you are, Freyja, but you musn't let this get in way of your training." Frey sighed. "Now lower your weapon, you're always a step closer to killing me these days..."

"How can you act as if nothing has happened?" Freyja exclaimed, her voice was practically filled with devestation. "Our friend is gone, Frey. He's gone and..." She forced back the tears that were on the brink of falling from her eyes. "He's never coming back."

"Don't say that." Frey sighed, gently pushing her sword down. "You know nothing."

Freyja merely dropped her sword and slumped against the closest tree. "I can't bear to think what has happened to him."

"I suppose I truly did underestimate Loki." Frey said, attempting to lighten his sister's mood, but by the morose look upon her face, it was to no avail. "Who would of expected Loki to turn out the way he did?"

"You speak as if he's a monster, brother." Freyja muttered.

"He's not." He admitted quietly. "While everyone else in Asgard thinks so, I know he wasn't, especially with how he treated you."

Freyja shook her head. "I told you, his love for his brother was more immense than it could have been for me."

"Now how could you possibly know that, Freyja?" Frey questioned, stretching out his legs before him. "Perhaps he loved you more than you knew."

Freyja scoffed. "If he loved me, he would of said so long ago, Frey."

"Well, you never admitted it either."

"I couldn't."

"Because for once in your life, you were scared." Frey stated bluntly, but instead of merely agreeing with him, Freyja glared at him. She was not one to admit to be fearful of anything, yet somehow when it came to love, she was never too willing to approach it without reluctance. "Oh, don't give me that look, you know it's true. The mighty and brave warrior, Freyja, was frightened by the common notion of love."

"I swear by Odin, if you were not my brother..." Freyja cursed, still glaring his way. Her cheeks had instantly turned red out of embarrassment.

He chuckled with great amusement. "Sister, your face is ever so red."

"Shut your mouth, brother!" She blurted out, grabbing her sword and pointed it towards him. "This is the last thing I would want to discuss with you!"

"Oh, to think father's greatest little warrior is fearful of something so simple..." Frey continued with a chuckle. "It's practically laughable!"

"Enough." She grumbled out of irritation.

Frey weakly smiled. "Oh, sister, what shall we ever do with you? You know Father was rather concerned with how you were acting today. I know it's been a week since Loki's fall, but the least you can do is lighten up. Mother had even led little Eira to believe you're ill."

"I might as well be." She poked at the ground with her sword, staring idly as the blade dug into the dirt. "It hasn't been the same without those two."

"Yes, I cannot argue with you there." Frey sighed, thinking nostalgically of their past with the two brothers. Though he was not willing to admit it to his sister, he actually missed the battles he had shared with Thor. After all, without him, Frey wouldn't find his motivation to enhance his fighting skills. "I'm surprised we still haven't seen Thor since he made his return to Asgard."

"I'm sure he's occupied, brother." Swiftly, Freyja rose to her feet, returning her sword into it's holster. "Tell father I will return home later."

Frey glanced up at her curiously. "And where are you going?"

"The rainbow bridge." She replied, adjusting her hood upon her head.

"Why there? There is nothing left!" Frey exclaimed, frantically rising to his feet to face his sister.

"Your voice is uselessly etched with worry." She rolled her eyes. "Just tell father." With nothing more to say, Frey's gaze softened out of pity as he watched his sister disappear through the tickets of the forests before making his return back home.

"Loki is not here." Heimdall stated as soon as Freyja reached the broken edge of the rainbow bridge. Despite losing the Brifrost, Heimdall remained at his post with his eyes sternly fixated across the rainbow bridge.

"I know." Freyja swallowed back the misery that had welled up inside her during her journey over. She carefully positioned herself at the edge, staring down into the dark abyss as her legs swung over. "I still have hope that he would be."

"You musn't give up hope, Freyja." A familiar voice stated behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to find Thor standing over her with a softened smile across his face. He was dressed head to toe with his armor and all with Mjolnir at hand. Freyja merely smirked at the sight of him, finding it hard to adjust that this was the Thor she had known from so many years ago. "Heimdall, may you excuse us for a moment?"

Heimdall merely nodded and walked several feet away from where they were.

"You've aged well." Freyja noticed his golden locks of hair had become longer, his build was bulky with muscle, and his sharp featured face was now edged with stubble.

He let out a chuckle, settling himself beside Freyja with Mjolnir sitting between them. "And you have as well."

She rolled her eyes considering she had hardly changed since the last time they had seen the two brothers. While her hair had grown longer and her figure had become more lean, she was still the same Freyja exteriorly. Internally, that was a different story... "Why are you here?"

"Same as you." Thor replied, staring down at his feet. "Mourning for my brother."

Freyja stared down as she nodded to Thor's response, this hardly surprised her at all. Though out of the few times she visited the rainbow bridge, this was the first time she ever met up with Thor. For a moment, the two of them sat in silence as they stared down into the dark abyss, not knowing where their dear friend had ended up. As they sulked through the silence, the bitter feelings that had remained from the series of events that led them to this moment were somehow enforced more strongly than ever.

After some time, Freyja eventually asked Thor, "Do you loathe Loki?"

As if her words snapped Thor back into reality while he was lost in thought, he glanced at Freyja and shook his head. "Loki is misguided, but he is still my brother. I had hoped father would accept him despite what he has done, but I suppose it was not to be."

"You still returned." Freyja smiled weakly.

"Though we have lost a dear friend." Thor sighed. He then glanced at Freyja curiously and repeated her question.

"I can't," She murmured, her hand automatically reaching for her necklace as her thumb grazed the cool surface of the gem gently. "I can never bring myself to ever hate him after everything we've been through. I'm sure Loki may have lost his way since you two have parted from us. Regardless of what he's done, I still care for him."

"It has been years since we've seen each other. How is Frey?" Thor changed the subject, noticing the sadness that lingered in Freyja's eyes.

"As we had all hoped, he's as great as a warrior as my father." Freyja let out a small chuckle.

"Remind him we need another rematch."

Freyja laughed. "I am sure he would be delighted to hear it."

"Father had made it especially difficult to see either of you all these years." Thor explained. "I apologize for not seeing you any sooner."

"You should be able to do as you wish now." Freyja smiled.

He laughed. "That is the belief, dear Freyja."

"I must ask, Thor... how was Midgard?" Despite their visit to Midgard from so long ago, they were not given much time to experience what the realm had to offer. Even though she feared this was too soon to ask out of Thor, she was still thriving off curiosity.

Thor's gaze suddenly became sullen. "Difficult."

"Is it not as we had hoped?" She frowned, expecting something more.

He laughed at her expression. "It's actually a wonderous place, yet my father and brother had made it rather grueling to dwell within the realm of humans."

"So you met a few?"

"I did." His mind dwelled upon everyone he had befriended, but in the end, he always found himself fixated on the thought of Jane Foster. "They were marvelous people... very kind... very generous..."

Freyja merely pursed her lips, nodding as she gently swung her legs over the edge. "You sound dismal, Thor."

"That's a way of putting it. Tell me, have you ever been in love, Freyja?"

Freyja frowned, assuming she wouldn't have to discuss such a topic any further today. "No, I haven't." She lied, her affection for Loki was better left unsaid.

"It's a strange thing." He told her, basically reminscing of his days in Midgard. "My stay was not long and yet, I wish I had dwelled there just a bit longer."

"Are you saying you have fallen in love with a mortal, Thor?" Freyja asked curiously.

A boyish smile appeared upon Thor's face as he looked back at Freyja.

"Thor!" Freyja exclaimed, rather shocked. "Oh, the women of Asgard will be devastated!"

He let out a laugh. "It is not likely I will see her again, Freyja."

"If I must say so," Freyja said, reaching out to pat Thor's shoulder. "You musn't give up hope."

"Well said." Thor replied with a grin.

In response, Freyja flashed him a smile when they suddenly heard Heimdall rushed towards them. Startled, the two friends rose to their feet and stood behind Heimdall as he urged his weapon towards the dark abyss presented before them. Freyja stared out with confusement, seeing no threat of any kind.

"Heimdall, what is it?" Thor questioned, gripping Mjolnir tightly in his hand as his gaze followed Heimdall's.

"Brace yourselves." Heimdall stated as Thor and Freyja wielded their own weapons, standing stiffly as they looked on to some unknown menace. "We have unwelcomed visitors."