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Before you lies a computer monitor. A ball resembling Gundam's Haro rolls into the center of the screen. It stops and projects a chibi version of Gidget.
"Hi, I'm WIDGET! Your virtual guide for all things Valhalla. Think of me as a cuter, less obstructive, version of Clippy. If you remember Clippy, great! If not, I'm afraid some content may not be accessible to someone your age. We'll figure it out when you input your credentials."
...
"Oh wow! Your clearance is pretty high! That makes things a lot easier. What would you like to know?"
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"That's kinda private, but your the one with the clearance."
"That day was marked a few notable social media trends! #splodyflood. #mythity. #fareshooting. #tacodragon. #blackfishbuthot. Eeeeew, that last one is...questionable. Anyway, the two months following that day had a lot going on."
"Heather had mixed feelings about the choosing of Sara as the water representative. It took her a while to not treat her new partner like she was going to keel over at the slightest provocation. They eventually worked it out. She also found herself at odds with her company's board of directors; especially that creep who wanted a date with Liv. It took some doing, but she was able to earmark funds to help Gidget with her neighborhood project, codenamed "Like BNA, but not xenophobic." It was a working title.
"Speaking of Gidget, she and Ako tied the knot! She's started showing a little baby bump that got the socials buzzing, and they learned that they're having a girl! A little Trinity! With all that going on, you think she'd have a hard time keeping up with what needed to be done on her end to make sure the moon mission goes off without a hitch. You obviously don't know Gidget! She did need to start slowing down, begrudgingly. after she passed out at her console."
"In the theme of medical emergencies, Deora's sickness began to show signs of remission. It didn't take long for her to feel the effects of the chemo. She's tired, and sick a lot of the time, but she was able to soldier on with the support of her friends."
"Theresa started school and began to learn at a pace previously thought impossible. The near immediate comprehensive abilities of her biological mother saw her hop from Kindergarten onto fifth grade. She reveled it getting to be a kid, and she started to develop a more solid familial relationship with the Acula's."
"Ravan and the future kids had started to finally come out of their shells with mixed results. Leo started dating that blue skinned guy that had a crush on Heather, Mitchell. Dawn, feeling imprisoned by the walls of Valhalla, opted to join a religious youth group on a trip to the beach. Their fun was ruined by those awful Prometheus Watch jerks. Since then, she's been afraid to leave. Ravan herself found herself all tied up in knots about a lot of things. The future, Sara's safety, her own happiness, Sara's smile, coming to terms with her trauma, and wondering why she thought about Sara so much."
"Alec continued to work out a way for him to not need to stay away from Kerana for, from his perspective, a few years at a time. He managed to whittle down to a few months, but a reaper's work is never done. He's managed to stay happy, though. A feeling he cherishes almost as much as the person who made it possible for him."
"The Soichi family had a helluva time! Lokelonni and Ilex continued to train Kerana in the ways of life while Rydia and Freya focused on the physical aspect. To say that Freya was a hardass would be putting it mildly. On more than one occasion, she lost her temper with some of the more opinionated members of the Eight. It only got worse as the time for her mother to depart drew closer. To his credit, Liam was a great support for her. Unmarred by years of human psychological development, he settled into his role as friend and confidant pretty easily. Yet, from an outside perspective, it was easy to see that he wanted more. But he was a good guy. An actual good guy."
"In a poetically ironic sense, Dean ended up breaking things off with Trinity. In spite of herself, she found herself waking up in Theonis' room on more than one occassion. It went unnoticed, for the most part, because it was normal for Trinity to be out on a run before he got up. However, one time was too many for the little blue birds of Valhalla to go chirping on the intranet. When Dean found out, he wasn't as angry or hurt as most everyone expected him to be. He just resigned himself to the idea that Trinity wanted what she wanted, even if she couldn't admit it to herself. No bad blood, no vitriol, he just ended it."
"Whew, that's a lot of info, but you really want to know about what happened after those two months, right? I'll let the rest of the logs clue you into what the others I didn't mention were up to."
"It was a bittersweet day for many reasons. 1: Rydia, Ravan, and Sara were on a boat; staged above the final resting place of Rydia's home. They were on a mission to recover her father's ship in the hopes it could take them to the Lunar spire with less hassle than a space shuttle. Things were tense, mostly because everyone on board knew what was happening back home."
"Lokelonni had been bedridden for a few days at that point; no longer possessing the energy to walk. Rydia had already said her farewells the day before, and Freya sat at her mother's side. The Queen sent a message to Kerana. It was time. She also sent a message to Liv. She requested a moment to see Freya with her own eyes; a task she knew would only be possible with the help of the one in possession of an infinite eye."
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Lokelonni lay quietly with her eyes shut. She felt a great need to sleep, but she knew it would be her last. There were still things that needed to be done. In spite of what was to come, she still presented herself with grace and poise.
Freya's eyes were heavy and dark. In the last few months, she had tried and failed many times to kick her habit. Lokelonni had been correct. Freya could feel herself falling apart. Yet she remained resolute and strong so long as she sat at her mother's side.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
"No, dear. I simply feel very tired. I know you are scared, and sad, but do not worry for my comfort. The only negative emotion I feel is worry for you"
"Me? But yo-"
"The drink still lingers in the scent of your words, Freya. At the risk of sounding selfish in this moment, I ask you to do only one thing. Allow yourself to be happy. Stop drowning your feelings away. Allines is long dead, and you have suffered your self imposed punishment long enough. I know it will be difficult for you, but can you promise me to at least try."
Freya gripped her mother's hand tightly and allowed her tears to flow. With a single sob, she nodded and replied, "For you-"
"No, Freya. Not for me. Do it for yourself. Live the life you have for you." she said with a heavy sigh.
"I...I'll....I'll do my best."
Lokelonni smiled and breathed, "Of that, I have no doubt."
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Rydia leaned against the railing on the deck of the dive boat. She looked out over the waters and thought about home. The laughter of her people; their music, writing, culture, and architecture. It all lay at the bottom of the Atlantic. She thought of the days she sat upon her grandmother's knee and listened to the stories told from over three millennia's worth of memory. Those stories would soon be hers to tell, because her Grandmother lay dying back in America.
She had to leave. She had to do something. She had spent the last three months free of her royal duty. In spite of what was happening back in Valhalla, she would recover her Father's legacy.
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