A/N: Hullo! Welcome to the conclusion of Slightly Dysfunctional! Thank you for all of the lovely reviews and sorry for keeping you waiting. Please enjoy this and keep sending me reviews. Virtual cookies for you all!

WARNING: The first half of this chapter is very depressing and a bit disturbing. You may need a box of tissues.

Lost

It brought Loki little comfort to know that he was going to be tried for killing his brother, especially when he returned home to discover Sigyn crying and both of his sons missing. Together, they went out looking for them. They had a feeling they already knew where Vali had gone as Bryn was missing as well, but they knew Narfi would not go with his brother, so something must have happened. First, they went to Nörvi and avoided public places because everyone thought Loki had committed fratricide. It was a miracle in their eyes that the girl would speak to them, considering that fact.

"I was watching the sunset with him last night and then he started acting strangely and crying out in pain. He said he had to go and he ran off towards the forest. I have been so very worried." the teen explained. She then took something out of her pocket and showed it to them. It was a small rose made of black crystal. The very same one that she had given Narfi the day he had fallen from the bridge. "He gave this back to me. I do not think he would do that unless he believed he was going into danger." Loki and Sigyn looked back at her with expressions of horror and the blond woman reached out to close Nörvi's fingers around the small object.

"Thank you, dear. We will let you know if we find him." she told the young healer before she left with her husband. The couple went out to the forest, trying to feel the presence of their son's magic to guide them to him. A deep feeling of dread filled their hearts the further they walked. An eerie morning mist filled the air in the forest that carried the faintest whiff of blood. They followed the scent as it grew stronger and stronger. It led them to a small ravine where they caught sight of six bodies. One of them was surrounded by white cloth stained bright red in several places. "No...no..." Sigyn muttered and she and Loki ran over to the body. Sure enough, through all the blood, they could clearly see Narfi's clouded blue-gray eyes staring blankly back at them. The teen's right hand was over his heart and his left was clutching the black fur of the dead wolf lying next to him. Its muzzle was also covered in red and the fur at the base of it's neck was heavily singed. The look of pain in its dead green orbs said that it had died in agony.

For a moment, the couple just stared, unable to process what they were seeing. Then it hit them and Sigyn fell to her knees, shaking violently as she reached out to hold the side of Narfi's head against her chest. Loud, heart wrenching sobs began to escape her with every breath. Loki knelt down next to her and passed a shaking hand over the wolf. It began to change until Vali's form lay there. A hole was burned straight through his clothing right over his heart. It revealed an emerald amulet seared into Vali's skin with burn lines like veins spreading from it.

"No. No. NO. NO!" Loki roared, pounding his fists to ground in anger and grief. Tears rolled freely down his face as he reached over and closed Vali's eyes. "My sons...my sons...WHY!"

"Fitting, is it not? You took everything from me, now I have taken everything from you. I turned Vali into a mindless beast and Narfi was drawn here by their blood pact. It was very entertaining to watch Vali tear his own little brother's throat out and then die slowly and painfully with him from the fires of his own stupidity." a sneering voice came from a tree at the top of the ravine. Loki and Sigyn looked up to see Taldr Ynson hop down from the tree and lower the hood of his burgundy cloak. The moment he saw the man's face, Loki's mind was consumed with anger.

"Say hello to Hela for me, scum." Loki said, his voice low and more dangerous than it had ever been before. Before Taldr could react, the trickster was on his feet and holding out his hand, immobilizing the man with an invisible force. "But not just yet. I am going to kill you, slowly, carefully, until you have tasted every last flicker of my fury." There was an echo of power in Loki's voice and wisps of lime green energy began to curl around his entire body. Taldr laughed maniacally at him.

"If you kill me, you have no chance of clearing your name. You will be a brother killer for the rest of your miserable life. But then again, it does not matter because no one will believe a word you say." Taldr sneered, making it clear that it was he who disguised himself as the Trickster and killed Baldr with a mistletoe poisoned arrow. Loki didn't say anything to this, but his eyes began to glow with green fire. A knife formed in his hand and he approached his enemy, intent on cutting him into ribbons, but he stopped when Sigyn cried out.

"No, Loki! If you torture him, you will just become like him! I beg you, please do not go down that path!" She was holding both of her sons now, looking at her husband with streaming eyes. After a moment, he looked back at Taldr, who was still laughing, and the wisps of magic around him flew toward the other sorcerer, incinerating him. Fury spent, Loki collapsed to his knees again and wrapped his arms around his wife and dead sons, openly weeping.

Both the funeral and the trial were very short. Loki knew going in that he had no chance of being let go. He was sentenced to imprisonment until Odin saw fit to release him. What he didn't know was that what they had in mind when they said imprisonment meant he would be tied down with a snake hanging over him, dripping acidic venom onto his bare back. It was agonizing and for a long time, Loki wished that they had just executed him and allowed him to escape the nightmare his life had become. However, that changed when Sigyn came, draped in white, and held her magic bowl over him to catch the poison. She was all he had left, a beacon of hope in the darkness, and she had come to ease his pain.

"Stay strong, my love." she said to Loki softly as she used one hand to brush the hair out of his face before quickly replacing it under her bowl. He looked up at her slowly, his eyes surrounded by very dark circles, and spoke in a soft, raspy voice.

"How can I? My sons are with Hela, my reputation is in ashes, and I am doomed to be bound here until Odin thinks I have been punished enough." At his words, Sigyn rested her forehead against his.

"When you are released, we will pick up the pieces together. I will always be here for you, Loki. Do not give up." she soothed. The prince shifted and kissed her hungrily, as if it was the only way he knew how to express gratitude to her. They only broke apart when Sigyn felt the bowl grow heavy in her hands. "I must empty my bowl now. A few drops may fall on you while I do it." She then moved away and poured the contents out of the magic bowl. Without her there, two drops of venom fell on Loki's back and though he had no energy left for even a cry of aguish, a clear expression of pain appeared on his face. Sigyn held the bowl under the snake again as quickly as she could. "Sorry."

"Sigyn, do not feel the need to apologize to me for anything. None of this was your fault. If anything, I brought this upon myself." Loki told her, resting his head on her shoulder. He never wanted to hear her apologize to him. To him, she was flawless. How could such a perfect woman love him, a heavily flawed and broken man, especially when it brought her such pain? It wasn't fair to her. "What have I ever done to deserve you?"

"You cared when no one else did. You respected me when no one else did. You understood when no one else did. The least I can do in return is be the loving, loyal wife that you deserve." Sigyn replied firmly, yet with a sadness that Loki did not miss. She hated it when he talked like this, with such self loathing, as if he was some sort of monster. He began to tremble and she could feel his tears soak the cloth covering her shoulder.

"I love you so much and I am so so sorry for everything I have put you through." he whispering to her, sounding the most vulnerable she had ever heard him. This was his weakest moment.

"Stay strong, Loki. I am here." she said comfortingly before emptying her bowl and returning it as quickly as she could. Eventually, Loki calmed and for a very long time, they remained silent, taking solace in each other's presence. After a while, Sigyn began to grow weaker and weaker and they both were even thinner than they had been before. However, even though she couldn't replace her bowl as quickly as she used to and her arms were incredibly tired, Sigyn didn't give up. She kept holding that bowl until one day, Forseti Baldrson came and released Loki, saying that Odin had decided to release him finally. When the snake was taken away and the Trickster's bindings were cut, he fell into Sigyn's arms and she fell over with him, too weak to hold him up. The dark haired man took her into his arms with what was left of his strength and staggeringly got to his feet, determined to be the one to look after her after everything she'd done for him. Forseti, who was now a young man, put a hand on his uncle's shoulder.

"I have to know." he began, his pure blue eyes gazing at the prince with intensity. "Did you kill my father?" At this, Loki stopped and didn't say anything for a long moment. "You should know that I can tell if you lie."

"No, I did not kill your father, Forseti. I killed the man who killed your father." Loki finally answered and the young man believed him. It was true that he could not lie or be lied to. The mortals now called him the God of Justice and Truth. He was Loki's polar opposite, and yet, the dark haired man felt stronger with his nephew's hand on his shoulder. Soon, they were in the palace and Forseti made sure that his aunt and uncle made it to the healers before going on his way. Loki passed out as soon as they took his wife off his hands and the healers quickly put him in a bed next to Sigyn's.

Many months later, both Loki and Sigyn finally awoke and were told they would be back to full health in another week.

"May we see Lady Eir's daughter, Nörvi?" Sigyn asked one of the healers.

"Lady Nörvi has not been here for a long time, my lady. She left not long after she heard Lord Narfi was dead." the young woman explained, looking about nervously like she wasn't supposed to talk about this.

"Why?"

"There is a rumor that she was pregnant and ran away to have her baby in the forest, but please do not tell anyone that you heard that from me."

"Thank you." Sigyn said, smiling at the young healer. The first thing Loki and Sigyn did when they fully recovered was go looking for Nörvi and they found her deep in the forest in a tightly sealed hut. When Loki knocked on her door, the voice of not a teenage girl, but a tired grown woman answered.

"Who is it and what do you want?"

"It is Loki and Sigyn. We wish to speak with you." A moment later, a tall, dark haired woman answered the door who looked different than the girl the couple had known. Gone were the braids and cheerful aura. She was almost gaunt with thinness and she wore a dark blue gown instead of the white robes of a healer. Her blue eyes, once so pure and happy were now full of an inner bitterness as she looked at Loki and Sigyn, though outwardly they showed surprise at seeing the two.

"Come in." There was a resignation in Nörvi's voice as she stepped aside to allow them in. It was very dark inside the hut and it took them a moment to adjust. In the corner, they could see a small, raven haired girl lying on a bed of pillows, fast asleep. A familiar black crystal rose hung from her neck. "Please be quiet. She gets very moody if you wake her up before dusk." the woman whispered, causing her guests to raise their eyebrows. It wasn't hard for her to guess what they were thinking. "She is my five year old daughter, Nótt. Your granddaughter."

"You gave birth to her all alone out here?" Loki asked and Nörvi nodded.

"I admit, I was scared at first, but I have helped other woman give birth before and being a healer, I knew how to do it by myself. As much as the process hurt, I never once thought of going home. I was too terrified. Terrified of what my mother would say. Terrified of being an unmarried, teenage mother to a child whose father is dead in a society that does not look upon such things with favor." Nörvi explained and the couple listened intently. "I was grief stricken and my baby was more important to me than anything else, so I fled. Ever since then, I have lived her and been raising Nótt on the principles that Narfi so strongly believed in." At her last statement, Loki and Sigyn gave her smiles of gratitude and approval that warmed her heart a little.

"You said see does not like to be awake before dusk. Is she nocturnal?"

"I noticed very quickly after she was born that sunlight burns her easily and makes her feel ill. She and I mostly live at night now because of it and she can see very well in the dark. Even better than I can." A few moments after the woman said this, they heard small groans coming from the child and looked over to see that she was awake. Her irises were a piercing silver and when they caught what little light was in the room, they shone like stars.

"Oh, you are here. It is about the right time, I suppose." the little girl said upon seeing Loki and Sigyn. They looked back at her in confusion. "Sometimes, when I look at the moon, I see things. Sometimes I see you. You are the ones who made father."

"Hello, Nótt. Yes we are. It is very interesting that you can see things in the moon. Do you see things that actually happen later?" Sigyn replied, smiling at the child and kneeling down to be at eye level with her.

"Sometimes. Why?"

"You got that gift from your father and he got that from me."

"You see things in the moon too?"

"Not quite. The Gift presents itself in dreams usually and much later on in one's life." The woman was giving her granddaughter a look of deep sympathy and worry. How could the Fates burden a five year old with such a thing? How cruel. "Do the things you see ever bother you?" If this was harming Nótt, she was going to fix it.

"No." the child responded simply, giving Sigyn a little relief. The woman turned to Nörvi, looking very serious.

"If Nótt ever has problems with her visions, send for me. I can help her."

"Grandfather, you are Asgard's greatest sorcerer. Will you teach me magic?" The girl's attention was now on Loki and he grinned kindly down at her, though his heart ached agonizingly at the memory of Vali asking him the very same question a long time ago.

"She badly wants to learn sorcery, but she cannot do it yet." Nörvi put it, causing Nótt to frown at her. The girl was very determined to be a mighty sorceress one day. Loki laughed at patted his granddaughter's head.

"One day, if you still wish it and magic shows itself in you, I will gladly teach you." he told the girl and she beamed at him.

"Nörvi, you and Nótt can come back and live with us if you would like." Sigyn offered, wanting to help and be a part of her granddaughter's life. The young woman shook her head, looking sorrowful.

"No, we are not ready. Maybe one day we will be, but until then, we will remain here, though you are free to visit us." Nörvi replied and Sigyn hugged her tightly.

"Nótt, I have a little gift for you." Loki suddenly said and the silver eyed girl lit up. From the depths of his cloak, the trickster pulled a silver wristband covered in knot designs and slid Nótt's hand through it. It shrank it fit her wrist and she gaze at it in awe. "This will protect you from the sun."

"Thank you, grandfather!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. He chuckled and gently squeezed her back. It felt odd, being a grandparent, but not bad. It was plain enough to see that the child was descended from him. His genes always caused little quirks. With the triplets, it had been shapeshifting and a unique connection to the dead. With Vali and Narfi, it had been a father's son and a heartbreaking nobility complex. Now there was Nótt, who was nocturnal, and he was going to do everything in his power to protect her, especially from himself because openly associating with him had led to tragedy time and time again. He was going to be her mentor in secret.

"I have something to tell you, little one." he told her softly, pulling her closer so he could whisper to her, playing it off to the women like he was just hugging her more tightly. "You must always trust the darkness, for you know it and it is your friend. I will be there amongst the shadows, ready to offer guidance and catch you when you fall. You have but to call my name." he whispered and he knew she would never forget those words for the rest of her life.

Not long after their visit with Nörvi and Nótt, Loki and Sigyn received Thor as a guest in their (restored) tower. He told them about everything that had happened in the five years they had been away, starting with what had happened with the war. It seemed that the AllFather had decided to go with Thor's plan in the end and forced peace between the dwarves and elves, but only after Alfheim endured much suffering.

"What has become of Bryn?" Loki asked his brother, hoping that perhaps they would be able to visit her. The hesitation Thor gave before answering told the couple their worst fears even before he spoke.

"Bryn perished. I am sorry." The sadness in his blue eyes was very genuine. He had fought beside the elf girl and been there when she had died. He had seen why Vali had loved her so much. "She died a warrior's death, ferociously defending her wounded kin." Something about those words were of great comfort to Loki and Sigyn.

"Thank you, brother." The trickster could feel his heart mending a little. He still had his wife, his brother, his grandchild and her mother. All was not lost.

A/N: Okay, before anybody says anything, Nótt is actually mythologically canon and is the Goddess of the Night. There is speculation that Narfi may be one of her parents. In the version of the Eddas that I own, it says Nótt is the child of someone called Nörvi so I compromised by having both and I think it works out rather nicely. Okay, now moving on. Thank you so very much for reading all the way through this fic. I truly hope you enjoyed it and sorry if I made you cry, but if I did, that means I have done my job as a writer by stirring your emotions. For those of you who don't want this to be the end for Vali and Narfi, I'm working on a post-Avengers AU fic where they are alive (you may have seen my little comic thing called Avengers Meet Lokisons that it will be based on floating around deviantArt). If any of you like the show Sherlock, I'm also working on an Avengelock fic in which, at some point, there will be discussion of Sigyn (because I can never resist bringing up Sigyn when Loki is involved in something). I was also thinking of perhaps writing a fic about Loki and Nótt as a sort of sequel to this (if anyone is interested). In any case, thank you for everything. Please review. Okay, I'll shut up now. ~T.Z.