Hi, everyone! Here's another chapter. Another roller-coaster plot-twist. Once again, I swear there will be a happy ending. Remember Verdandi's gift. And enjoy!

Song of the Chapter: Run ~ Leona Lewis

Chapter 19

Dancing Shadows

"You're falling farther than I've ever seen you fall before for me to wonder when I'll recognize you anymore. To see no light inside your eyes at all, to bang my head against the wall, to force myself to watch you pull away. And even if you chose to lock the world away, if I listen close I can almost hear you say: 'Once I was real. Once I had something to lose. Once I could feel. Once I was harder to bruise. Once I was here. Once I was willing to bend. Once I appear, I will be real once again'."

-Brad Kane

Freyja sat on the stone banister of her balcony, watching the repairs of Asgard continue on as the citizens worked to restore the city to its previous state. It had been three trying days for her and the past weighed heavily on her mind. Kenna's body had been sent back to Jotunheim for their burial ceremony, as her half-sister would have wanted, and Freyr's body still remained in a crystal catacomb deep within the palace until she could work up the strength for what she would do.

In the past three days, she had somewhat come to terms with the restrictions caused by Loki's magic. She felt constricted, as if crumpled up before being pulled taut over too long of a distance. It made her wonder if this was how every other being in the Nine Realms felt. Luckily, the rest of her magic remained intact.

She didn't turn to look as the door to her chambers slid open and closed quietly. Soft footfalls approached her until two long arms wrapped around her, drawing her closer to the leather-clad chest. A face buried itself in her hair until she could feel cool breath ghosting across her neck. Though he had returned to his Æsir form, he still retained the lower body temperature.

"You will have to do it soon," Loki whispered, tone sympathetic and even a bit regretful.

She silently cursed Loki's knowledge of her people's customs. It made it more difficult to forget when he was constantly reminding her. She didn't want to go through with the royal burial just yet. It would make everything real. Part of her was still waiting for her brother to come in through her door, a bright smile on his face. She wanted to hear his laughter one last time. But the dead could not return and her hope was poisoned by empty wishes.

"I know," she answered.

"You cannot ignore it for eternity."

She sighed, "I am aware of that. But Freyr's burial ceremony will need to take place within Vanaheim, and I am not ready to return just yet."

He nodded, pressing a kiss against her pulse.

"You could come with me," she suggested, causing him to freeze.

He pulled away to face her, "To Vanaheim?"

"Where else?"

"No outsider has been to Vanaheim since the end of the war."

"No halfling has ever lived past a century, yet here I am. No Vanir has fallen in love with a Jotun, yet we are still together. Everything has changed, Loki. It is time for the laws of old to be rewritten. I ask once again, will you accompany me to Vanaheim?"

Loki hesitated, his green eyes displaying the mix of longing and uncertainty he felt. Slowly, the corners of his lips pulled up in a small smile.

"I would follow you anywhere, no matter what road you take."

She smiled in return, "Thank you."

"When do we depart?"

"Anxious, are we?" she said, barely able to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape her.

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "I will be the first outsider to see Vanaheim in over two millennia. I hardly see how I could not be anxious."

She slid off the banister, her feet hitting the floor without a sound. Her fingers slipped beneath the collar of his shirt as she pulled out a thin silver chain and, with it, the Tesseract in its pendant form.

"Perhaps it would be best if I reclaimed this," she muttered, unclasping the necklace.

As she moved to replace it around her neck, Loki's cold fingers wrapped around her own.

"Allow me," he breathed, taking the necklace from her.

She pulled her hair away from her neck so that he could clasp it, "Do you remember, once upon a time, when we stood here doing the same exact thing?"

"I do," he replied. "Your eyes held the same grief as they do now."

"But things were simpler then."

"Things were never simple for us," he chuckled as she let her crimson curls fall back down her shoulders. "We simply saw the world through different eyes."

She laced her fingers through his, "Our sight was not so jaded."

He leaned his forehead against hers, "Perhaps this will bring us comfort."

She nodded, closing her eyes as she directed the energy of the Tesseract. There was the faint sensation of something tugging at her mind before she felt the cool breeze tinged with the scent of salt. Opening her eyes again, she looked up at the family azure skies. Beside her, she heard Loki inhale sharply in surprise.

"Welcome to Vanaheim, the Realm of Magic," she said, smiling as she watched his eyes flash from one area to the next.

"There are no homes," he muttered, "No sign of a city."

She smiled, looking over the vast expanse of rolling hills and scattered trees. Judging from the varying shades of gold, red and amber on the trees themselves, they had arrived sometime in the autumn. The tall grass was a stunning harlequin green, peppered with the occasional wildflower of every shape available to the imagination. Far in the distance, just before the snow-capped mountains rose up to kiss the skies, the very tops of buildings could be seen.

"Vanaheim was never very similar to Asgard in this sense," she replied. "Asgard was built to be beautiful. But we did not want to mar what was already given to us."

She glanced around, noting how the grass gave way to cream-colored sand which descended into cyan waves. Her gaze followed the translucent waters until they met the horizon.

"We're at the Merulae Lake," she noted. "Which means Caelum is a few thousand yards following the river."

"The royal city," he breathed, his eyes following the path of the water flowing to the east. "How did you ever leave this place, Freyja?"

"I couldn't find it in myself to stay," she replied, walking by the edge of the river.

Loki continued to look around as he followed her, his eyes only hesitating on one point for a few seconds before moving on. The colors of Asgard seemed muted in comparison to the brilliant array of hues that were displayed in the Realm of the Vanir. In the river itself, he caught glimpses of fish with scales that shone as vivid as polished gemstones. The glare of sunlight reflecting off metal caught his attention and he turned to face the direction it came from.

"What is that?" he asked, gesturing towards the hill.

Freyja stopped, turning to look, "No…"

She began walking around the base of the hill, leading Loki towards what seemed to be a half-buried Chitauri glider. But as they grew closer, he realized it was much more elegant than anything the Chitauri had ridden. The silver chariot-like contraption was carved with curling lines made to resemble the wind.

"Unbelievable," she whispered, running her fingers across the silver. "It's a glider."

"A what?"

She curled her fingers inward and the glider slowly slid out of the side of the hill, "A glider. It's similar to our inter-Realm ships, but built for only two passengers and traveling long distances within Vanaheim."

"Does it still work?"

She grinned, "Of course. What did this world once thrive on?"

She pressed her palm against the smooth surface on the inside, causing the carvings in the side to light up with a silver glow as a low hum emanated from the glider.

"Auric energy," he smiled. "Does it take much to use?"

"Very little, surprisingly," Freyja replied, stepping onto the floor of the machine.

Loki stepped on behind her, holding onto the sides as it began to lift off the ground. He grinned as they shot forward, racing above the river at a comfortable speed.

"It responds to your thoughts," he guessed. "So that one only needs to think in order to control it."

"But you must keep your hand on the hand pad or you'll fall from the sky," she replied. "Many scholars were attempting to rectify the problem before Thanos attacked."

"What speeds does this glider reach?" he asked, watching as they rose above the forest that had grown around the river.

"Would you like to find out?"

He grinned in reply as she glanced over her shoulder.

"Hold on," she said with a laugh.

Loki barely had time to grip the sides tighter when the glider shot forward faster than an eagle's plummet. He laughed at the rush, exhilarated as the world melted into a miasma of colors and shapes.

"You traveled like this?" he asked, voice nearly drowned by the wind.

"Only when traveling further than can be done comfortably on foot," she replied, slowing the glider down.

He glanced ahead to see why they were slowing down only to find himself marveling at what lay before them. The river they had been following led into another lake, this one plunging down steep cliffs into the ocean far below. Surrounded by the roaring waves that leapt over the edge, sat a city of gleaming marble, titanium, and gemstones. The whole place seemed to sit on a hill within the lake, rising to the palace which formed its summit. It sat on the edge of the cliffs, shining against the waters which threatened to push it into the ocean as well.

"This is Caelum?"

"The royal city," she answered as the glider descended towards one of the larger roads.

"It's beautiful."

"You should see it in the snow."

The glider landed softly on the marble streets and Loki stepped off. Freyja stood beside him as he gazed up at the palace before them. He realized that the city was in much worse shape than could be seen when they had flown over it. Many of the windows had been blown out, shards of diamond littering the street. Doors were broken in, as well. It looked as if Vanaheim had been raided before everyone was killed.

"We should continue forward," Freyja announced, voice carefully controlled.

He nodded his consent, knowing she was remembering just what had occurred here. They walked the short distance to the palace, stepping over the granite doors which lay cracked on the floor. Faded rugs lay underfoot, many cut and torn in areas. Loki found that he could not tear his eyes away from his surroundings. He felt that, as the first visitor to Vanaheim in over a millennium, not admiring everything offered to his senses would have been a waste of a trip.

Freyja led through an open door and down the corridor behind it. As they continued, he realized their hallway was sloping downward. Still, they continued forward until they reached a spiral staircase leading into the depths of the castle.

"The Hall of Royals is beneath the castle?" he asked incredulously.

"Where else would we have it?" she asked, conjuring blue flames in her hand as they descended.

"I could not have slept easily knowing the ashes of my forefathers lay beneath me."

"It has always been this way," she replied.

The staircase soon opened up to a large corridor, each side lined with stone statues of Vanir. Men stood on the left while women were on the left. Each statue stood before what appeared to be a sealed crypt in the wall. Loki couldn't see the end of the tunnel. Any space beyond the end of statues was swallowed up by the darkness. With a wave of her hand, Freyja lit the torches which stood as far as the last pair of statues and still the end could not be seen.

"How long have these tombs been used," he asked, looking at the closest statue.

"The first king and queen are buried here," she answered, walking past the statues. "Each generation of kings and queens are buried beside their predecessors and across from his or her spouse. Children who did not take the throne are buried in a separate set of catacombs."

Loki frowned, "Why are we not in those if that is the case?"

"Because Freyr deserves to be buried with our ancestors. He was the last of the pure-blooded royal family and ought to be laid to rest here. This palace was always his home. It would be wrong for him to lie elsewhere."

He was silent, unsure of how he should reply. They had reached the empty tomb beside Njord's, which was only marked by his name carved into the stone which sealed his crypt. Freyja summoned Freyr's body, still held in the crystal coffin she had created for him. Through the crystal, Loki could see the Prince's body had been cleaned so that he could have been mistaken for sleeping.

As soon as the casket slid into place, Loki saw flames form in the crystal. However, the sight was obscured as the stone seemed to melt over the opening so that the foot of the box could no longer be seen. Freyja brushed her fingertips down the stone, a single tear falling from her burgundy lashes.

"Avolavit, carissimus. Hinc tibi ut meliorem invenirent," she whispered.

Loki stopped behind her, locking his arms around her waist to draw her closer. Before he could say anything, Freyja stepped away from the tomb, which now bore Freyr's name, and turned to face him.

"Let us leave this place," she said with a sigh.

He smiled wistfully, "Where shall we go?"

"Anywhere, everywhere, somewhere far from these Realms where no one knows who we are."

"You want to leave?" he asked.

She smiled, "I want only peace now. You offered once long ago. Let us run to a faraway world where we might make a home."

"You would leave everyone behind?"

"We could always return. But we could find a place where we could start anew."

He took her hand in his, "I'd like that."

She led him back up the stairs, her stride just quick enough to show her loathing of the palace. There was little new to see in the corridors as they made their way out. Occasionally, Loki caught a glimpse of gemstone windows and shredded tapestries. Dust and cobwebs adorned every surface and crevice, but he paid them no mind. However, Freyja stopped suddenly as they came within sight of the doors leading away from the abandoned palace.

In the open doorway stood the solitary figure of a Vanir woman. She wore black robes, a style Loki had only seen in tomes on the Vanir. They were the robes of the High Priestess. But she should not have been there. After all, Vanaheim was supposed to be empty of life.

"Who dares trespass in the home of Njord?" the woman asked, voice ringing out as she spoke in the native tongue of the Realm.

"I should ask you the same," Freyja replied.

The woman bristled at Freyja's tone, "I am Nerthus Yngvidottir."

Surprise painted Freyja's face, "Nerthus, sister of Njord?"

"You know of me, stranger?"

"Only in name," she replied breathlessly. "I am Freyja Njorddottir."

Nerthus raised her eyebrows, "Freyja, the lost daughter of Vanaheim? I thought you dead."

"I thought all who had lived here dead."

"Thanos was very thorough, but not enough to murder everyone who called this Realm home," she replied. "Who is your companion?"

"I am Loki Silvertongue," he said, answering for himself. "Prince of Asgard and Jotunheim."

"You are a prince of two Realms?"

"It is a long and tedious story to recall," he said dryly.

"How many are still alive?" Freyja asked.

"Nearly six hundred thousand."

"Where?"

"Noatun, your father's birthplace."

Freyja turned to Loki, "How many Vanir would you wager are in Asgard?"

"A few thousand," he guessed. "Give or take."

She returned her attention to Nerthus, "I have never been to Noatun. Is it far from here?"

"Not with the Muse," the woman answered.

"Would you mind if I took us there?"

"Not at all. It would be an honor. We have been waiting for a child of Njord to return."

Freyja nodded, holding out her hand to the woman, "I suggest closing your eyes. Travel by Tesseract – Muse – can be disconcerting at times."

Nerthus approached slowly, skirts flowing out around her as she walked. She placed her hand carefully in her niece's. Loki's hand tightened around hers as he closed his eyes in waiting. He felt the tugging of the Tesseract beginning to come to life before the floor seemed to form beneath his feet. The sight before him was enough to take his breath away once more.

Noatun was a marvel in and of itself. The city was composed of the same materials as Caelum, and yet it held a different sort of beauty. It sat between the mountains and was surrounded by pools of clear water. And, most importantly, it was filled with people where Caelum had been empty.

Many of the Vanir, men, women and children alike, looked up as the trio walked the gates. Loki could see the awe and wonder in their eyes as they watched both him and Freyja walk after Nerthus.

"What brought you to Vanaheim, Princess?" Nerthus asked.

"Freyr died after a difficult struggle with Thanos," she replied. "I returned to lay him to rest. How did so many survive? When I came after Thanos's attack, all I found was death."

A faint look of pain crossed Nerthus's face, "When Thanos wrought havoc on these lands, I joined my brother after many centuries of avoiding both him and the city. I left him the crown for I could not stomach our father's death. But I hoped to make things right. He told me to take as many people out of the city as I could, and I honored his last wishes. We hid within the mountains and Thanos left, not believing us to be worth pursuing."

Freyja frowned, "When I faced Thanos, he seemed to scoff at my belief that no life was left here. It seems I was wrong."

"May I ask why you travel with an Asgardian?"

"Jotun," Loki corrected, earning a surprised look from Nerthus.

"Forgive me," she said. "You must be proficient in magic. I have not seen an outsider master shape-shifting quite like you."

"Loki has saved my life in more ways than one," Freyja answered. "It is only relatively recently that we have reunited."

Nerthus smiled, "Then it is we who owe him, as well, for bringing our princess back."

"You owe me nothing," he said with a shake of his head. "Freyja came here of her own accord."

"You still are responsible for her returning, if not simply because she arrived," the woman said. "Now, there is something of importance which I must tell you. Come with me."

Nerthus led them through the streets in silence. Though it was clear that Freyja had many questions to ask, she kept from speaking as she followed her aunt. Loki's mind was also racing. What had begun as a simple choice to honor Freyr's death had transformed into a hopeful discovery for them all. He wondered what Thor would say if he could be there beside them.

The trio stopped at a fairly large house, waiting as Nerthus knocked on the stone door. A young Vanir boy answered the door, causing Freyja to gasp in surprise.

"Is that-?"

"This is Tolker Hakonson," Nerthus replied. "You knew him when he was no more than a babe."

"Nerthus," the boy, Tolker, started. "Who is this?"

"This is Princess Freyja and her companion, Loki of Asgard."

The Tolker's eyes widened, "The Princess brought an outsider?"

"It was her decision, now will you allow us in?"

Tolker nodded, opening the door wide for them. He eyed Loki curiously, as if expecting him to grow a second head or something else outlandish. He didn't blame the boy, knowing Tolker had likely never seen an Asgardian before.

Nerthus led them to the dining room before turning to Tolker, "Do you recall the parcel within my bedchamber?"

He nodded fervently, "You told me I was never to touch it."

"Will you retrieve it for me?"

His silver eyes widened, but he nodded once more before racing up the stairs.

"Parcel?" Freyja asked.

"It is something which belongs to you. I have kept it safe since Thanos left. Do have a seat, Princess."

Freyja sat down to the right of Nerthus, followed quickly by Loki. The woman turned her attention to the stairs as she waited for Tolker to return.

"Forgive me, but what is it that you keep?" Freyja asked. "I can think of nothing of importance."

"All in good time," Nerthus answered as the sound of Tolker running down the stairs filled the room.

He awkwardly held a parchment-wrapped object that was almost twice as long as he was tall. As he reached them, he placed the object carefully on the table as if it might shatter at a harder touch. Nerthus gestured to it.

"Open it, Princess. It is for you only."

Freyja hesitantly reached for the parcel, pulling away the parchment. As the pieces fell away, revealing a silver pole, her movements became shakier and more tentative. A hiss escaped her lips as she pulled the last scrap of parchment away from the object. Loki leaned closer to get a better glimpse.

It was a staff of silver, perhaps a little taller than Freyja had been in her true form. As his eyes trailed to the top, he saw that the silver split into several tendrils as it wrapped around a sapphire the size of his fist. Though he had only heard it described, he knew exactly what lay before them on the table.

It was Ariolo, the staff of kings.

Freyja's blue eyes met his green over the table and he felt his blood run cold. The look in her eyes was one of fear and worry. He could see her processing what it all meant. Then there was nothing. Every emotion slipped away until only dull pain was visible. He recognized the look, knew it all too well. It was the same expression he had when he let go of Gungnir, the look of someone with no hope for a future.

"Vanaheim needs her queen," Nerthus said softly.

Vanaheim needed her queen, and the queen needed to set an example for her people. This was goodbye.