I slept peacefully for the first time in years. I woke in a room bigger than my cliffside house in the Crystal Cliffs, wrapped up in the warmest, most comfortable blankets I had ever had.

I yawned and sat up tiredly. Pure sunlight poured through the windows as birds chirped.

I just sat in my bed, content. Then I remembered. Valhalla.

"Shit..." I hissed, regretfully rolling out of bed. I quickly dressed.

As I was trying to tame my wild hair, someone knocked on the door.

"Gem! You awake?" Creed said, voice muffled.

"Yeah! Almost done! You can come in!" I yelled. The door swung open, and Creed came in with two muffins. He put on on the sink by me and flopped onto an easy chair, eating his own.

"Ready for Valhalla?" He said around his food. I shrugged.

"I don't really know how to feel about it. A few days ago I was struggling to find an apartment, and now I'm staying on Mount Olympus. It's weird." I said.

"Understandable." He said. Something in his voice was distant.

I finally got my hair into a semi-manageable braid. I grabbed the muffin, taking a bite.

Cinnamon and chocolate flavor exploded in my mouth. My eyes went wide.

"Good, huh? Anyways, if you're ready, Zeus had our Rift ready." Creed said, standing and stretching. I nodded.

It was time.

. . .

"Hera, please... stop it, my hair is fine." I said, pulling back. Hera was acting like a mother hen and trying to fix my hair. She swatted my shoulder.

"Nonsense. You're going to Asgard. Maybe you'll end up ending our squabble with them." She said.

"Gem!" Creed yelled from down the stairs. He stood with a hand in his pocket. Zeus stood next to him, arms folded. Hera hugged me quickly, and I rushed down the stairs. Zeus snorted.

Another tear in reality sat in front of us, electricity flickering off it.

Before we could go through, Zeus grabbed my shoulder.

"I have one request of you, Gemini. Please, try and arrange permanent peace between Olympus and Asgard. This broken multiverse needs it desperately." He said.

"I'll do my best, Lord Zeus." I said, determined. He smiled slightly.

"Just Zeus. You and Creed are friends." He said. I smiled. Then he snorted.

"Now get out of here before I change my mind." He said. I laughed, walking up to Creed.

"You ready?" He asked. I nodded. Then I looked back at Olympus and it's beauty. Everywhere I had been to the past few days had been the most beautiful I had ever seen. I realized: this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Wander.

I looked to Creed. We nodded, and stepped through the portal.

. . .

We emerged in a beautiful frozen pine forest. Mountains curved to the sky, almost forming arches. Some trees had long since died, replaced with a shell the same shape of ice. We had appeared on some kind of podium with a glowing rune that looked like a fish carved into it on top of a hill. Water had gotten in and frozen, giving it a nice blue shine. I could see a village at the base of the hill, a river running through it. Festive Nordic music and laughter rang up to us, and the occasional ring of swords colliding. A massive ball of fire hung miles and miles above the village, embraced in the jaws of a statue of a titanic wolf. The sky was painted with stars and universes. And in distance I could see a island of stone with a massive, shining iron palace perched atop it. Water poured down the mountains in a torrential rain, fading to mist about halfway down until it reached the mouth of a river below. Ravens were flying through the sky, cawing and playing like children in a field. Valhalla, paradise of the slain, army of Odin.

I stood in awe. Just looking at Valhalla I felt almost... at home. For the first time, I felt like I was home.

See, I had never had a place I would have called home. The closest I had ever gotten was The Crystal Cliffs, but it just hadn't fully captured the feeling. But looking at this frozen, Norse land I felt like a long quest had finally ended.

I was home.

.  .  .

The Einherjar gave us strange looks as we passed, especially when the Raven from Tartarus landed on my shoulder. Creed shot me a look.

"Excuse me, but I don't think you're dead. Who are you?" A voice boomed. We turned to see the ginger man from the Nordic Gods book. His bear fur coat fluttered in the wind. He had his tree trunk sized arms folded. He looked like a professional lifter. Thor. He narrowed his golden eyes at us.

"Gemini. Creed. Didn't realize it was you. Alright, follow me. Father is inside. We've been expecting you." Thor said, stepping next to me. He was probably about eight feet tall, and built like an Ox.

He led us to a building that was clearly a tavern. Music and the general sounds of chaos seeped out of the place like ooz.

Thor swung the door open with a grand flourish. The room was long, built with a hay roof. A balcony ringed halfway up, packed with tables. The floor was cold, hard cobblestone with scattered hay around. Einherjar packed the place and went silent the moment we walked in.

An old, balding man in a cloak of raven feathers, simple leather clothes, and a golden eyepatch stood, eyes lighting up and chair screeching as he did. The Raven cawed, and flew to him. It landed on the mans shoulder. The man spread his arms wide.

"Behold, Valhalla! My daughter has returned!" Odin boomed.

.  .  .

Thor pulled me up to the table of the gods. My limbs buzzed.

Odin was my father.

"Sit, sister. Get some food and drink in you. Father will want to talk to you. And so will I. I want to hear the tales of your brave deeds in Neptune's lands!" Thor grunted, picking up a turkey leg that was as long as my arm. He took a massive bite from it, grease running into his ginger beard. Odin slid around to my other side, a warm smile on his face.

"I've missed you, Gem. Last time I saw you you were a two year old peacefully sleeping in her fathers arms. Your lug of a brother may never admit it, but he absolutely loved you. Once I walked in to you bawling your eyes out because you had just broken your toy hammer. You wanted to be just like your big brother. Thor was comforting you, showing you Mjölnir. You tried so so hard to pick it up." Odin chuckled. I was still in shock.

"I'm sorry, but... I genuinely don't remember anything before the Empires Trials. I wish I could remember. But this place feels like home." I said. Thor patted my shoulder.

"All in due time, sister, you will remember. Your dreams from here forwards will be memories. And while those are returning, we will make new ones. Especially at tonight's party." Thor grunted. I frowned.

"Party?" I asked. The last one I had been to was the one in Boatem. And I had made a volcano blow up at that one.

The Raven cawed, jumping in front of me and looking up at me with his beady black eyes.

"Huggin missed you too. I swear, the amount of nights I found him perched on your bed, watching over you... or how much you fed the poor Raven." Odin laughed.

Three kids with the same exact colored hair as me sat at the table. Two boys and a girl, all looking about my age.

"Magni. Modi. Thrúd. This is my sister, Gemini. Your aunt." Thor said. They walked up to me. I reached out to shake their hands, but Thrúd hugged me instead.

"Welcome home, Aunt Gem." She said. I sat there shocked for a moment before returning the embrace.

A hand landed on my shoulder. A beautiful blonde woman in a flowing green dress took a seat next to Thor.

"Gem, this is my wife, Sif." Thor said, taking a deep drink. Sif nodded to me without a word.

"What did Zeus want with you?" Odin asked me. I froze, chicken wing halfway to my mouth. I quickly took a bite before answering.

"Creed and I went there on our own accord. We had thought he had given me this Rift." I explained cautiously, tapping my watch. Odin nodded.

"Fair." He said.

"Now tell us of your battles and glorious victories." Thor said. I thought for a moment.

"I went to war against a demon named Xornoth  with a few other empires and their armies. I was the one who put him in a crystal." I said. Thor whistled, impressed.

"Demons are no joke. Who helped you?" He said.

"A Farmer Queen, an Elf, a gnome, and a gardener," I said, ticking them off mentally. Thor nodded.

"Interesting choices. But a good one on the Elf." He grunted.

Throughout the rest of breakfast I met many gods, like Heimdall, Tyr, and my other brother Baldur. I wish I could explain it better, but it was all a blur. After a while Odin guided me out of the tavern with Thor.

"Sorry about the noise. They tend to get a little... rowdy." Odin said as Thor stepped onto a lift. We joined him.

He pulled a lever and we shot into the sky at a breakneck pace. I looked down and gasped again.

Valhalla looked even better from above.

A waterfall blasted by us, throwing mist and creating a small rainbow. Thor saw me looking at it.

"Just wait till you see the Bifrost." He grunted as we lurched to a stop.

We stood on top of a flat stone plateau covered with snow. A large chariot waited for us with two goats strapped to it. My first thought was that Doc would have loved that, and I felt horrible about the Hermit Trials all over again.

We climbed up and Thor grabbed the reigns.

"Yah!" He barked, whipped the reigns down. The goats immediately bolted forward, heading towards another rainbow.

"Thor..." I warned as we neared it. I was sure we were about to plummet back down. He looked at me with a mad grin.

"Just you wait." He laughed heartily. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the feeling of free falling. But it never came.

I peered, and gaped at the view.

We were riding on a rainbow bridge. The Bifrost.

I could see the wolf statue up close and watched it's jaws slowly closing. Valhallas version of sunset.

"Welcome home, sister. Welcome home." Thor said. I smiled.

Home.

. . .

I was surprised at how fast we got to that floating island. It must have been the distance between earth and the moon. Normal earth, not the Hermit Trials one.

We slowed down at gate, and my eyes went wide. I could see a trail of fire fading behind us. These were some fast goats.

People watched and bowed slightly as we passed. Most cheered when they saw Thor. He smiled widely and waved like a rockstar.

He lifted his hammer and a lightning bolt snapped into it. They went wild.

I watched as the Iron Palace grew closer. Ravens circled the upper half. Odin spread his arms wide.

"Welcome back to Asgard! It may be the size of a mortal palace, but it has served us well for millions of years." He boomed, voice dripping with passion.

Looking at Asgard I couldn't help but feel an immense love for it.

We slowed to a stop in front of stables by the palace gates. Odin helped me out and Thor unhooked the goats. They pushed their way into a stall and Thor pushed the chariot as easily as someone would move a chair.

Odin put his arm around my shoulder, steering me towards the palace. Thor joined me on the other side, hammer floating next to him and cracking with electricity.

"Let's go see mother. She's been passionate about finding you. I can't wait to see the look on her face when you walk in." Thor said.

. . .

"Oh my baby girl has returned to us!" A woman in a flowing silver dress and deep red hair cried when we walked in, wrapping me in a massive hug. I returned it.

"She came back on her own accord, Frigg. Although she didn't remember her family." Odin said as Frigg let go. She looked down at my leather duster, black tang top, cami cargo pants, and combat boots with a frown.

"Let's get you changed, dear. We don't want you to look like a mortal tonight. Heimdall saw you coming back over a year ago. The Vanir and Asgard have been planning this party for you ever since." Frigg said, steering me away.

. . .

Alright, time to admit it. I hate dresses. Bad for running in. But as far as dresses go, the one Frigg set me up with was great.

It was a nice combination of light red and gold, although a bit poofy. The inside was laced with some of the most comfortable fabric I had ever felt. She gave me a pair of earrings, one the shape of a crescent moon and the other the shape of a sun.

As a final touch she draped a sun shaped diamond necklace around my neck. She took a step back, beaming.

"You look absolutely beautiful, dear. Sure to impress the gods." Frigg said. I couldn't help but smile. Yep, she definitely acted like my mom.

"Oh, dammit..." She said, wiping a tear away and wrapping me in a massive hug again. I closed my eyes, feeling little wet spots at the edges of my eyelids. I had found my family finally.

"Pearl would love them." I thought abruptly. After all this chaos settled down I would have to bring her, Grian, Mumbo, Scar, Xsumia, Cleo, Sausage, Jimmy, FWhip, and Scott here.

Frigg let me go, sniffling.

"You grew into a beautiful young woman, Gem." She said, leading me out of my new room.

"Thanks, mom." I said, smiling widely.

"Yo, Gem!" I heard Creed yell. Frigg spun around, a bronze sword expanded into her hand. Creed raised his hands in mock surrender.

"How did you get in here?" She demanded. Creed shrugged, a cocky look plastered on his face.

"I have my ways." He said, very clearly not intending to explain. Frigg pressed the sword against his chest.

"Whoa, mom, he's a friend!" I said as Creed used his finger to steer the blade away.

"He's a friend of Olympus." Frigg spat, all gentle demeanor gone.

"I'm a friend of Olympus, too, mom. Zeus AND Hera asked me to try and arrange peace between Asgard and Olympus." I said. She looked at me, then back to Creed. Then she sighed and the sword retracted.

"Alright. I guess they're sick of this war too. It'll probably be a lot easier to arrange peace than you think." Frigg said, turning to walk away. Me and Creed followed.

"Who are you and what did you do with Gem?" Creed joked. I laughed and shoved his shoulder playfully.

"You know damn well it's still me." I said.

"Yeah, I'm just surprised you got that mane of hair under control for once." He said.

"That would be me, thank you very much." Frigg said, looking over her shoulder and smirking.

"Teach me this magic, I beg of you." I said, and all three of us cracked up.

After a while we walked into a ballroom with tables around the rims and workers walking around setting things up. Thor stood talking to Thrúd. After a minute she sighed, rolled her eyes, and nodded. Probably about ground rules for dancing. We walked up to them. Thor narrowed his eyes at Creed.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here..." Thor growled. The tension was thick enough to cut. Then, suddenly after a moment, he broke into a massive grin.

"My man! Why didn't you say you were coming!?" Thor laughed, and they slammed their arms together in some form of handshake and laughing. Thrúd raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged, and we shared a smile.

Odin, Magni, and Modi found us. Magni and Modi greeted Creed with a similar enthusiasm as Thor while Odin just rolled his eye with a small smile. He turned to me.

"You ready for tonight?" Odin asked me. I nodded. He put his hands on my shoulders.

"I'm so glad you're home, Gem. It hasn't been the same without you." He said as Huggin landed on my shoulder again. He dropped one of his feathers into my hand. I laughed, sticking it in the hair behind my ear.

I turned to study the room. Wooden arches in the shape of ravens held the roof up. The stone walls were lined with quartz. The back wall was dominated by a door that lead out onto a balcony. Lanterns floated in the air. Between each pillar were stain glass windows depicting scenes of celebrations like weddings and parties.

Thrúd walked up to me.

"What rules did Thor set for you?" I asked quietly. She sighed.

"Can't dance with someone more than once. I call bullshit on that. Someone asked me to this thing. He's the only person I intend on dancing with." She admitted.

"You know why there's rules?" I asked her.

"Why?"

I smirked mischievously.

"So you know how better to break them." I said. Thrúd laughed.

"I think we're going to get along very well, Aunt Gem." She said equally mischievously. We shared a look then laughed again.

.  .  .

The sun set faster than I expected. At one point Thor and Creed had walked away, to get into some suits I guessed. And I was right. Thor had even combed his beard. Creed sported a black dress suit, a grey under vest, and a silver cane. He hadn't bothered to try and do his hair. Thor really had only done his hair and beard and put on a fancier version of his cloak. His hammer sat on his hip. I joined Creed.

"You gonna pull a Grian and pull all the women here?" I teased. He shook his head.

"Nah. You, however, are probably gonna have a line of guys waiting for you." He laughed. My face heated, but I didn't respond.

A few minutes later the guests stared pouring in. Out on the balcony another Bifrost bridge suddenly appeared, fading into the distance towards a universe tinged with a green nebula. Soon men and women in green and gold clothes appeared. A blonde man and woman led them. They looked like twins.

"Frey and Freya, twin rulers of Vanaheim." Creed said to me. Frey noticed me and pulled his sister over to us as the Bifrost faded.

"Gemini Odinsdutter. I'm Frey of the Vanir, and this is my sister Freya the dipshit." He said, a cocky expression similar to Creeds plastered on his face. Freya punched him in the shoulder.

"Frey is the god of life, and Freya is the goddess of love and the ruler on the Vanir equivalent of Valhalla, Folkvanger." Creed explained. They nodded and I shook hands with them.

Creed led me over to the balcony. Eight other universes were visible from here.

"Absolutely beautiful," I whispered, smiling.

"The Nine Realms. Or, in our terms, universes. Asgard controls nine universes. Olympus holds seven. And The Watchers hold countless." Creed said. I let that sink in for a moment. Then I remembered something from the book on Terra Prime and how it said Thor was going to die at some big battle.

"What's Ragnarök?" I asked abruptly. Creed sucked in a sharp breath.

"You heard about that, eh?" He chuckled nervously. I frowned, and he sighed.

"Ragnarök is, in a nutshell, doomsday. It's the the final battle between the three multiversal empires. The gods, and Neptune, are all destined to die. It's a vague prophecy though." He explained. I looked back at the party behind us, my brows furrowing in worry.

"How have they not gone crazy, knowing that they're going to die?" I said.

"It's simple, honestly. They keep busy preparing for it. What do you think the people of Valhalla are training for 24/7?" Creed said. I kept looking back, thinking back on the day. I didn't want Ragnarök.

"How do we prevent it?" I asked.

"You can't. Only delay it." A voice came from behind us. I turned to see Heimdall.

"Ragnarök is inevitable. We can't change the big picture. But we can change the small details with our actions. If you want to know your fate, go ask The Norns over there." Heimdall said, pointing his sword towards a trio of old women huddled together. I nodded my thanks, heading towards them.

"Whoa, wait Gem!" Creed yelled after me. I ignored him and walked up to The Norns.

"Excuse me, I have a question." I asked them.

"You want what all who seek us want. Your fate. The end of your story." One said, her mouth not even moving. I nodded.

"You have a clouded fate, Gemini." Another voice said.

"But what happens?" I asked.

"You shall fight at Ragnarök alongside your brother. But unlike Thor you shall survive the battle." A third voice said. I sucked in a sharp breath. I was gonna be there.

"You shall raise a mighty empire at the Dawn of the new era. And you shall be renowned across the multiverse as the new emperor of Terra Prime." The first one said again. I looked at Creed, my brows furrowing.

But when I turned back to The Norns, they were gone.

. . .

I quickly found Odin with more questions about Ragnarök and what it meant.

"Is it just gods that will fight at Ragnarök or all people?" I asked before he could say anything. He stroked his beard.

"All people will fight. You, however, will be with us hopefully. We need all the gods and goddesses that we can get." Odin explained.

"The Norns told me my fate. I want to change yours too." I said. Odin put his hand on my shoulder, smiling tiredly.

"I do too, daughter. But we can't. Now, no more talk of Ragnarök. This is a happy night. Go. Have fun. We can talk about this later." He said. I nodded reluctantly as Odin steered me away towards the party.

"This is a political jungle, Gem. You'll learn to navigate it soon enough." He explained, motioning to the room around us. What sounded like a mixture of Nordic and classical music played from the stage. I could see Creed creeping up to it, a mischievous smile on his face.

He lept up, grabbed the microphone, and cleared his throat. The room went silent.

"This is one hellavu party, isn't it? Too bad it's more of a social." Creed said. The gods in the room chuckled slightly. He turned and said something to the band. The grinned and nodded.

They pulled out instruments that looked like ones for a rock band and began playing. The new music was something along the lines of Norse Rock. I couldn't help but laugh.

Now it was a party.