Mostly Normal: Only Half of the Story

(Ara) Act Five, Scene Three

Ara looked at the blinding light that was wrapped around her. A gentle, much too thin hand was extended to her. She took it and then the light became even more intense.

When she reopened her eyes, she was standing on the lawn of a giant hotel-like building. "Wh-what is this place?" She asked as she began to walk towards the building. She entered the door that was outlined with gold.

"Welcome, to Hotel Valhalla!" a man said from behind a desk. Ara jumped back and her face blanched. She ran up to the desk and placed her hands flat on the polished wood.

"Where is lead Valkyrie, Genofafa Corona?" She asked quickly, her words almost slurred together with panic.

"You will see her later, at diner," The man behind the desk said. She growled and split into two different people.

"That's too long of a wait, tell me where she is now!" both Aras said with anger. A large sum of the people that were lounging around in the lobby turned and stared.

"Calm down," a calm voice came from behind them, Ara melted back into one and turned around.

"Genofafa," she shouted as she ran to her best friend, "I am so, so sorry. I never should have said that!"

Genofafa wrapped her arms around her friend and then brought them both to Ara's room.

There was a mirror on one blue-painted wall. Ara looked away, scared of what she might see there, but Genofafa placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Go ahead," she said softly, a kind twinkle in her milky-white eyes. Ara bit her lip and looked. What she saw made her gasp.

"I'm just fine," she said as she touched her face, "My eyes are still there and everything!"

"You no longer have the chance to swear yourself to the All Father, in the way that I have. When I was alive at least." Genofafa turned the now dead girl, and hugged her. "I am so sorry for what had to happen to you."

There was a thump on the door and muffled arguing coming from the outside. Genofafa rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, she pulled it open and four teenagers spilled in.

"Sam! How many times do I need to tell you to keep an eye on your einherjar?" Genofafa yelled down the hall. There was a girl with frizzy red hair that then stood up and took a classic, Viking looking man's hand and ran down the hall.

Genofafa sighed and shepherded the two leftover teenagers out of Ara's room, looking irritated. She then practically slammed the door, her wings fluttering in her anger. "Those kids!" she said with a half-smile, shaking her head. Ara just blinked at her friend, unsure what that was all about.

Genofafa looked at her watch and then gasped, "We must be off, you simply cannot be late to your first dinner!" Ara followed as the eager Valkyrie pulled her to the elevator.

After a while in the elevator they ended up a large dining hall. Everyone had food on their plates, and some sort of strong smelling liquor in their cups. The only empty spot was right next to those obnoxious teenagers that had been listening outside of her room.

As they sat down, Ara made a sour face at the cup in front of her, "Do not worry, it is not actual alcohol, they save that for the legal ones," Genofafa said into her ear.

Ara sniffed the drink and wrinkled her nose at the smell. "What is it, then?" she asked her Valkyrie friend in disgust, trying to ignore the teenage boy sitting next to her.

"It's mead. The cooks have taken all of the alcoholic content out of it though," Genofafa explained with a smile. Ara looked over at the front of the room. There was a row of thrones, all of which remained empty.

A rather ugly looking Valkyrie walked to the center of the table and pulled down a huge screen, then she took out a scroll, "Genofafa," she called out.

The Valkyrie took a deep breath and then stood, taking Ara's hand and dragging her over to the front of the room, "Einherjar of Valhalla, I present to you Ara Conanak."

Ara's eyes widened and she pushed back the urge to split into two different people. "Please show the footage," the ugly Valkyrie said. Suddenly color burst forth onto the large screen. Ara watched herself die with confusion all over her face.

"What is going on?" she asked Genofafa.

"Right now, the people over there," she said pointing towards the elderly men in the corner, "are judging to see if you are worthy of being an einherjar."

Ara hummed and then looked back at the screen, frowning as she saw Madeline burst into tears. "We have gone through her reports," said one of the wrinkled old men in the corner, "and we have denounced that she is indeed worthy of being an einherjar."