Hello everyone! It seems like every time I post a new chapter I get another story follower or favorite and that makes me happy to see :) Of course, I have to thank my reviewers for the last chapter:

A Wild Clover- I'm sorry it made you cry :( It almost made me cry while writing it. Yes! Moving on up in the world with each update! I loved writing the dark turn of the last chapter and there will be more dark Loki! Thank you! Hmm, if I land on Thorsday perhaps it would be permitted! (Oh, the terrible puns...) I hope you had a nice Fourth of July as well :)

Katerina13- :( Loki is having a rough time of it. He does need someone to be there for him and he's pushing her away like some people do when things aren't going well, but Loki really does need someone to remind him what he isn't. I agree, I think that would push him over the edge but don't worry, since I'm following the timeline of the movies, he isn't going to find out about his parentage yet :) Thank you! This was my favorite chapter to write so far and long reviews are great! No need to apologize :)

So this chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be, but it's setting the stage for what else is to come in the next couple chapters. I also want to note that I think I'm going to post a few more chapters for adolescence before moving on to yes...the "Thor" portion of this fanfic! As I write the next few chapters I'll have further information on when I will be moving on to writing from the Thor movie onward. So, without further ado, here is chapter 24! Again, I apologize for the length of this, but the next one will be longer!

The next day after you were free to leave the courts, you immediately began searching for Loki. You hadn't seen him since his abrupt departure in the corridor the night before when he had look troubled and apologized to you. You worried not only for him, but for the fate of your friendship with him as well. Maintaining a friendship with Loki was not always easy, but you believed that he was worth the struggles that inevitably occur in any friendship. You just had to fight for the people you wanted to keep in your life and you would always fight for Loki, no matter how many battle scars you acquired along the way.

You wanted to keep Loki in your life; you thought that his companionship was worth any trial that you had to face in order to keep him there. You could only hope that he felt the same way about you as you frantically ran through the palace, scouring the entire place for any sign of Loki, mischief or otherwise.

"Slow down, Aurora! What is the urgency?" Your mother Idun inquired.

You halted to a stop and turned around to see your mother walking toward you. Sighing, you said, "I'm looking for Loki, mother. Have you seen him?"

Your heart was pounding in your chest even before your mother delivered the crushing news to you, "Loki is not on Asgard, dear. I thought you knew of this."

You gaped at your mother, but quickly shut your mouth remembering your manners. Noticing your surprise, Idun continued, "King Odin has traveled to Midgard taking both Loki and Thor with him. He wishes for them to understand the culture in which we are all worshipped as deities. Do not worry; they are not going to a battle."

You started breathing quickly as you thought to yourself, "Loki has gone to Midgard? Surely he would have told me about this a long time ago if he knew King Odin had planned this trip? I wonder how long he is to be gone for…"

Your mother was eyeing you with a look of concern so you filled the silence by asking, "How long will they be gone for, mother?"

Your mother gave you a slight smile as she answered, "They'll be back before you know it, dear. Now, you can spend some time with me instead of running around with Loki for a change."

You rolled your eyes, "He's my best friend."

"Yes, and he will still be your best friend when he returns." Your mother said placing a hand on your shoulder.

You followed your mother as she directed you to walk with her. Thoughts were swarming your mind, but the most salient of all was, "If only she knew what was going on then she wouldn't be so confident about that."

Several days had passed by in Asgard without Loki or Thor in the palace. Their absence was truly palpable and you missed both of them greatly. You mostly kept to yourself since Loki wasn't around, but you had spoken to Sif on occasion. She mostly just ranted about how Loki had supposedly chopped her hair off and she seemed to think that you knew something about it, which you didn't. However, you told her that you wouldn't be surprised if Loki actually did such a thing since he had a propensity for wreaking havoc on others. Sif seemed pleased that you weren't verbally attacking her for accusing Loki and the two of you spoke from time to time during the brothers' absences. As it turned out, Sif greatly missed Thor and also hoped that he would return soon. You took this as your opportunity to find out more about their sudden visit to Midgard.

"Did Thor tell you that he was going to Midgard?" You asked Sif.

Sif shook her head and replied, "He did not. Did Loki tell you that he was?"

"No, there was no mention of it at all." You said simply.

"I suppose it is good to know that our friends were not keeping secrets from us then." Sif laughed lightly.

You laughed too, feeling relieved that Loki wasn't hiding the trip from you after all, "I guess it was sudden then, not planned at all."

Sif looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "It does not seem like Odin to randomly leave Asgard as he usually plans everything, but perhaps he was able to leave for a period of time because things are going smoothly here now."

"If you don't count the incident with Nidhogg and Verdandi, that is." You added.

Sif nodded in remembrance, "That is true, but everything was handled rather quickly. I heard that Verdandi is to leave the healing room and return to tending Yggdrasil soon."

"That is great news!" You exclaimed, "I am sure that Laga will be happy to relinquish her temporary position."

Sif laughed, "I would be too."

You laughed with Sif and then you both released a collective sigh.

Sif turned to face you and said, "We have been distant from each other lately, Aurora, and I want to apologize for that."

You diverted your hazel eyes to meet Sif's brown eyes and said, "It is partially my fault too, I didn't make much of an effort to close the gap between us and for that, I am sorry too."

Sif smiled and hugged you, a gesture that you returned.

"I suppose that we have both gotten caught up in different groups." Sif spoke.

"Yes…I don't know how you can stand being near Fandral so much." You admitted.

Sif cracked a small smile and said, "He can be annoying at times. He is rather full of himself and rarely tends to stop speaking."

You laughed, "I can certainly see that."

"Loki is certainly a much better companion for one's ears." Sif remarked.

You stiffened slightly at Sif's mention of Loki. She had heard rumors about an unpleasant encounter between the two of them and she knew how most people felt about the raven haired prince.

"Yes," You began carefully, "Loki is not as pompous as Fandral."

Sif laughed nervously and said, "For now, anyway. Maybe one day they will both be in competition for the title of who has the healthiest ego."

You looked at Sif in confusion, "Are we talking about the same Loki here?"

"Oh come on, Aurora," Sif said shifting to face you better, "you know that Loki isn't the same was he was before; he's changed."

"There it is," you thought, "the dreaded 'they've changed' talk."

"We've all changed though, Sif. None of us are exactly the same as we were when we were children. We wouldn't be growing up if we were." You said, trying to laugh the topic off.

"Yes, but Loki isn't…like the rest of us." Sif trailed off cautiously.

"What do you mean, Sif? I'm not like the rest of you." You pointed out.

"While you are not exactly like us, Aurora, Loki is even more different." Sif said warily.

"What is wrong with being different?" You asked.

Sif leaned forward and stared into your eyes so deeply that it made you bite your lip in discomfort and glance away for a moment before returning your gaze back to hers.

"When I look into your eyes, I can see your emotions there. I can tell that you're uncomfortable right now and what's more; I can see your soul." Sif finished with emphasis on her last word.

"Uh, you're starting to creep me out, Sif." You muttered.

Instead of stopping, Sif continued as she said, "My point is, that I can see or at least have a decent guess at what you are feeling, thinking, and what your motives are, but Loki?" Sif shook her head, "It's like I'm looking into a hazy green void that threatens to suck me in without any hope for escape."

You choked and said, "Sif, it sounds like you are saying rather dramatically that Loki doesn't have a soul."

"You know him better than I do, Aurora. Do you think there's more to Loki than the mischief and darkness we see?" Sif asked you, ignoring your statement.

"Of course I do! Loki has a heart!" You exclaimed.

Sif nodded, "At least you see a different side of him that he chooses not to reveal to anyone else."

"I do," You breathed, "but I have also seen the other side of him and I also worry that something might be happening to him."

Sif cleared her throat and stood up saying, "Let us hope for all of our sakes that when Loki and Thor return, that we see more of the harmless Loki than the Loki who could bring more than mischief with him."

"I hope so too." You said softly as you followed Sif out of the corridor.