The door to my bedroom opened, waking me up. There was a blinding light from outside the room, with a single figure standing in the doorway and blocking some of the light. I tried closing my eyes again, hoping that the figure would close the door and leave, but no such luck there. I pulled the covers over top of my head, and then Evan stirred beside me.

Wait… Evan was still there?!

I sat straight up and realized that the figure was Lucas (who else?) and he was standing there with a look on his face that told me he was supremely pissed. Evan, despite no longer being covered by a blanket, was still fast asleep. I could only assume he was a very heavy sleeper, because even the yellow wash of daylight streaming in through the window wasn't waking him up.

Lucas paced back and forth for a good five minutes while I just sat there, watching him. I didn't really understand why he was angry, mostly because he hadn't said a damned word. Evan continued to sleep, to the point I was worried he'd accidentally lapsed into a coma, but then he'd snort, shake a little, then go back to sleep.

I finally slid off the bed and started for the door, but Lucas stopped me. "No," he said.

"Why?" I whined.

"Do you… Do you even understand what you did?"

I shrugged. “Fell asleep in the middle of Gundam?”

He pointed at Evan.

I shrugged again. “Fell asleep in the middle of Gundam next to a guy?”

“Specifically the next to a guy part.”

Evan snorted again. Seemed like he was having a funny dream.

Lucas sighed. “I can’t believe… Don’t you understand what Dad’s gonna see this as?”

I knew he was right. I knew Dad was gonna point at this exact moment as the one where he would judge me as a failure and unworthy of returning to my former life as the Prince of Asgard. That would be the end of my former male existence and he'd probably tell Lucas to identity death me so that I could live out the rest of my days never remembering who I'd once been in my old life. This was now the moment after my goal of being my former self again slipped into the realm of dreams never to be dreamt again.

And I didn't care. I did not care. That was a truth I was certain had been in my heart this whole time, and it was finally rising to the surface and becoming the reality I'd live until the day I died. I was no longer the Prince of Asgard, I never would be again, and I never wanted to be again. I liked being Nora. I liked being a waitress, I liked being a college student, I liked being the girl Evan described last night. That wasn't any lesser than what I had been, as a spoiled piece of shit who only looked to satisfy his carnal desires. Being the Princess of Asgard was so much more fulfilling.

I actually felt free now. It was like a weight I hadn’t even realized I’d been stuck with had finally been lifted, and I could live how I wanted instead of worrying about how Dad would react. I never expected I could feel this way just from realizing that I wanted to be Nora. Would I have felt this way if I'd embraced my new life on day one? Or even on day four? Did I need to live as Nora and develop at least one meaningful connection before I discovered just how much I really wanted to be Nora?

But that didn't really change that Dad would react, and he might react negatively. I didn't want that, but so far as I could tell, he'd never see who I'd become as anything other than the stupid slut I was always "meant" to be. Just my whore mother's whore daughter. It wouldn't matter to him that Evan and I had done nothing but stay up late and watch anime. Our clothes were still on, still covering the right body parts, and nothing had happened at all.

I wondered if it was even possible to change his mind.

Either way, Evan had to be woken up, because he was not sleeping in my bed all day. "Evan!" I said loudly, hopefully enough to rouse him out of his slumber.

He rolled over and fell onto the floor, with my comforter still around him. “Whuh… What?” he asked through the sleepiest voice I’d ever heard. He looked back and forth between Lucas and me three or four times. “Holy shit, what time is it and why are you in here?” The second question was directed at Lucas.

“I’m in here because I found you sleeping with my sister!” Lucas screamed.

I gestured to my clothes. “Clothes are still on, dipshit.”

He raised a finger. “Not the point.”

I stood up. “It is the point! We didn’t have sex, we just fell asleep in the same bed, that’s all! Dad shouldn’t be bitching about anything if all I do is sleep in the same bed as a guy I like!”

Evan perked up. “You like me?”

Lucas and I both shouted, “Not now!” Lucas turned back to me. "You know Dad. It doesn't matter if the two of you were wrapped in bubble wrap, covered in plastic and wore condoms on every conceivable part of your body that could be mistaken as a sexual organ, he will see this as the line you were never meant to cross, and that means he's gonna wanna up the punishment."

Evan asked, "How would all of that even work?"

"It's rhetorical! My point is, our dad is gonna be pissed off to the point of no return!"

I threw up my arms. "Y'know what? I don't give a shit. Dad never wanted me to succeed anyway, he wanted me to be Nora for the rest of my life so that he could point at me as the big failure, and I don't care! I wanna be Nora for the rest of my life, too, but I'm not gonna be the easy whore he thinks I am, I'm gonna be the ordinary teenage girl I want to be, and he can't do anything to stop me."

Helen cleared her throat from the doorway. "Well," she said, with a smirk on her face, "looks like quite the party here."

Evan finally stood up. I just sighed. "It's not a party, Helen."

She walked in. "Oh, I know. I heard you two yelling down the hall. I wouldn't be surprised if all of Valhalla heard you." She walked over to Evan and handed him his phone. “Your mother called you about an hour ago. I told her the truth, that you and my niece fell asleep watching TV and nothing untoward happened. She’s looking forward to meeting Nora tonight when you’re supposed to invite her over to dinner.”

He laughed, then turned to me and asked, “You wanna come to dinner at my house tonight?”

I smiled. “Sure.”

Lucas clapped. “Isn’t that fucking fantastic, but that all presumes all of us will be here tonight.”

Helen patted him on the shoulder. “Oh, shush. You three will be fine. Especially Evan, because your father can’t do anything about him that isn’t just physically threatening.”

Evan pointed at himself. “Physically threatening to moi?”

"Now, you should probably get home. The kids and I have to take a little trip."

Lucas and I both asked, "We do?"

She nodded. "That's right. We're going to Alfheim."

* * *

I sat on the edge of my bed and tried to wrap my head around the idea of going to Alfheim. I had never been there before, and hadn’t seen my mother since I was a little girl -- or, well, little boy. Had to remember I was Thor back then and not Nora. Hell, she wouldn't even recognize me anymore, unless she were to realize the blonde girl she was looking at resembled a younger, less pointy-eared version of herself.

I felt nervous. Why would Helen want to take us to Alfheim? Was there something my mother could teach us that we just had to know that related to the current situation? What could that even be? She’d never gone through this sort of thing, had she? Had my mom previously been a boy who was turned into a girl and ended up preferring it? I guess that would make us closer than before, but… What would it mean?

Lucas walked into the room and asked, “Are you ready yet?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m not ready at all.” I hugged my knees to my chest. “We’re going to the place my mother lives. What… What does that mean?”

He shrugged. “I dunno, but Helen’s got some kind of plan.” He leaned back against the wall. “At least, I hope she does.”

I looked up at him. “What could my mom possibly have to do with any of this?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s been so long since either of us even saw her. I can barely remember what she looks like."

I rolled my eyes. "She looks like me, nineteen years older at least."

He shrugged again. "Yeah, but that doesn't really describe her, y'know? She left us when we were only four years old, neither of us really got to know her."

I nodded. "Yeah… We don't really know what we're in for."

Helen walked into the room and set down a bag. “Oh, that’s bullshit and the both of you know it.” She turned to Lucas. “If you’d be so kind as to remove Nora’s language block, please?”

I tilted my head. “Why? I can say Alfheim and Asgard and all the important words, I just can’t say people’s names.”

She put her hand on my shoulder. “Because you’ve outgrown it. And after we visit Alfheim, we’re going to go prove to your father just how much you’ve improved in such a short time.”

Lucas did nothing but stand there.

“Well? Are you gonna do something?” I asked.

“No.”

I stood up. “Why not?!”

“Because I don’t have to. I took the block off you when we got here. It’s only been affecting you insofar as you thought it was there.”

I felt my eye twitch. “You mean I could’ve called you ‘Loki’ whenever the hell I wanted to?!” Oh, hey, I just did. Good for me, I guess, but I was still pissed.

He shrugged. “Yeah, but I like Lucas more.”

I groaned. “Ugh, I can’t believe you!”

Helen (I was still gonna call her that) patted me on the shoulder. “Now, now, sweetie, just calm down.”

“I’m still gonna be pissed at you for a good while,” I said to him. “You could’ve said something.”

He nodded. “Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have gotten my jollies. Trickster god, and all.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.” He rubbed his hands a few times.. “Okay, everybody, get ready.” He held out his hands and closed his eyes. I’d seen Lucas create portals to other places more than once, had even used one more than once, but it never ceased to amaze me just how different it was from the Bifrost. Instead of a swirling doorway where I could see the other side clearly, this portal looked more like a blue tunnel that kept rotating in chunks and pieces, never seeming to have a concrete shape. “One portal to Alfheim, ready!”

Lucas and I stepped up to it first, and I could tell the both of us were nervous about this. Going to Alfheim was like going to Atlantic City or Vegas, it was all gambling and sex, the main difference being there was nothing stopping you from getting your ass beat by somebody who didn't like your face. Women fared slightly better, because most people just assumed they were whores.

Lucas looked at me and took my hand. The two of us both took a deep breath and stepped through the portal. The world to all sides of us spun around, all of it in pieces. No two pieces touched one another, and yet there still seemed to be a floor we were walking on. We each took careful steps, on the off chance that something might happen if we didn't.

After what felt like hours but lasted only five actual seconds (according to my phone), we arrived in Alfheim, specifically in a lonely part of a town that looked like a coastal Italian villa. You could be mistaken for thinking the place was just a coastal Italian villa if not for the people flying past on Pegasus or the unicorn that rushed past us. Then again, I’d never been to Italy, so for all I knew there were Pegasus or unicorns there.

“Okay,” I said, my voice nervous, “where do we go--” I turned to ask Helen just as the portal closed and Lucas and I were standing there alone. I looked over at Lucas. “What the hell?!”

He threw up his hands. “Don’t blame me! My portals are meant to stay open so long as someone’s walking through them. If it closed just after we left, it means Helen never came along.”

"Did… Did she stay behind on purpose?!"

He sighed. "I'm sure she did. Probably some lesson she wants us to learn."

I fell to my knees and shouted, "Goddamn it, can't we just do something straightforward for once?!"

After a good two minutes of silence, Lucas asked, "You done being dramatic?"

I stood up. "Yeah. But really, where are we supposed to go?"

* * *

If there was one good thing to say about Alfheim, it was that the scenery was beautiful. My initial "Italian villa" impression extended pretty much as far as the eye could see. I wasn't sure how magical realms really worked -- even Asgard -- so I didn't know if it was just a flat surface covered in hills and towns that stretched on for infinity or if it was a spherical world like Earth. Really, the logistics of magical realms made little if any sense even to magical beings.

The city we had arrived in was also packed. There were thousands, of all different kinds. I recognized Asgardians, Jotunns, Elves, even some humans that had likely found their way there through some kind of accident or some other reason. There were all kinds of different looks from everyone, from indifference to excitement to annoyance to disgust. I wasn't quite sure why the disgusted looks, though presumably they either thought I wasn't pretty enough or they realized I wasn't a sex worker.

We finally stopped outside what looked like a five star hotel, which was actually a brothel. I basically fell on my ass and nearly yanked out my hair, all the while Lucas walked over to an information kiosk on the street corner. It looked like one of those things you'd see in a park, with a map and a little local historical information.

I yelled, "Why is this getting us nowhere?!" Some of the foot traffic looked at me like I'd just shot a man, but they quickly went on with their business.

Lucas walked back over to me and sat down beside me. "I actually think this just got us where we need to be." He held out a brochure for the brothel behind us, which carried the stupid name of Mounds of Valhalla, and pointed to a small paragraph. It read, The great Odin of Asgard visited this fine establishment when a treaty needed to be signed between Alfheim and Asgard. “If Dad signed the treaty here, maybe… Maybe your mom worked here.”

I looked at the brochure, then at the brothel, then at the brochure again, then at the brothel again, then sighed. “Not like we’ve got any other leads. But so help me, if they try to give me a job, I’m going to throw your ass in a dumpster when we get back home.”

He stood up and then helped me to my feet. We walked inside the building and I immediately wanted to leave yet couldn't stop myself from looking all at the same time.

Standing in front of us at the help desk was an extremely endowed male Elf, completely naked and flashing more than simply a bright smile. "Welcome," he said, with a voice as deep as a canyon. "How may I help you?"

Lucas nudged me with his elbow. "Pick your tongue up off the floor and ask about your mom," he whispered.

I sucked back some saliva that was practically spilling out of my mouth. Crap, I was starting to dribble. I stepped forward and cleared my throat. "I… Um…" I promptly took a step back and whispered to Lucas, "You talk to him."

He smirked. "Why, dear sister Nora, is there some sort of… Issue?"

"I will shove my hammer so far up your ass you'll be talking through it if you make even one comment!"

"Hammering seems like something he's good at."

The Elf interjected, "Ahem… If you're uncomfortable, ma'am, it may help ease your discomfort to know that I service the male clients."

Lucas clapped his hands together. "Well then, I guess I can handle this." He took a step toward the desk. "So, uh… You got a name? Don't worry, I'm only here a minute. We're looking for my sister's mother, an Elf named Jörd. We think she worked here some twenty years ago."

He nodded. "Yes, I know Jörd. She's the proprietor here, as a matter of fact. Her office is the penthouse, but I believe she's with a client right now." He reached for the phone and I swear I saw him take just a brief second to stroke himself as he did. I was starting to wish I was gay so that I could look at any of the busty Elf maidens hanging around -- literally and figuratively, they would have serious back problems if they were human -- but no, I could barely take my eyes off this dick… Head. Cockhead. DICKHEAD. Fuck!

I hated myself.

But the weirdest thing was that I felt that cold sensation again. In fact, I'd been feeling it since we arrived in Alfheim, and no amount of whatever was making it go away. It was like a persistent chill, all-encompassing, impossible to fade. I tried to put it out of my mind, but that wasn't easy or really even possible. It just wouldn't go away, and I hated it.

“Hello, madam?” the Elf said into the phone, “There are two people asking to see you. A young girl who says she’s your daughter and a young man. No, I don’t think he’s asking for service. I see. I’ll send them up immediately.” He hung up and once again managed to find an excuse to stroke himself along the way. “Take the elevator to the penthouse. Madam Jörd has finished her client and is expecting you.”

Lucas nodded. “Thanks.”

“And please remember, my services are also available. For an extra price, we can even find a way to involve your sister.”

Lucas had a concerned look on his face, which probably mirrored the one I was sure I had on my face. I just nervously giggled and said, “We’ll… Yeah, where are the elevators?”

The Elf turned to once again give us a great side profile view of his naked body. He pointed toward a doorway at the back of the room. “Just down that hall, past the Group Sharing room.”

Group Sharing? I’d say it was official, now, this place creeped me the fuck out.

We hurried away from that guy and made our way to the elevators. Naturally many, many, many more naked Elves were passed as we did so, with more than a fair share giving both of us those kinds of looks. God, the idea that my mother ran this place was just… Gross.

When we got into the elevator, my finger stopped just short of pressing the button for the penthouse. I was nervous, I was ready to turn around and run, but the prospect of going through all those naked Elves stopped me up. I was caught between a rock and a hard place and that would have been a much better name for this place, but I assumed it was already taken.

I looked at that penthouse button and realized how weak my knees felt. Could I go through with this? Should I go through with this? What was even the point of this? Would meeting my mom explain something that I hadn't really even been asking about? Was it going to be the thing that finally showed me how far I'd come in this past week?

Lucas could probably tell how pensive I was. He put a hand on my shoulder and scared the hell out of me. "Nora, it's okay."

"What?"

"It's okay to be concerned. You haven't seen your Mom in a while and never like this. You're allowed to be afraid of what she's gonna say but… I have a good feeling."

I took a breath. "Are you really sure?"

"I am. And either way, the best trickster on Asgard is right there with you."

I couldn't help it, that made me laugh. "You're also the stupidest trickster on Asgard."

"To-may-to, po-tah-to."

I felt a happy tear slide down my cheek. I’m pretty sure I was lucky to have a brother like him. I took another breath, let it out, and pushed the button for the penthouse. The elevator rumbled to life and started to move upward. The gentle vibrations made me feel like I was just riding my moped.

What had to be seventy stories up (or maybe my mind wasn't processing information right), we reached the penthouse and the elevator doors opened. The room in front of us was actually a hallway, and covered in pink and red wallpaper. The carpet was soft, and was covered in a strange design that I eventually worked out was two people having sex in every different position.

The two of us walked slowly toward the door on the end opposite the elevator, or… Well… It felt slow to me. I swear, time practically froze as we crossed the room. When we finally got there, I realized with no small amount of disgust that the doorknob was a dick with a massive head. I hated Alfheim. I was sure the people were fine, but the obsession with sex…

Holy shit, that was the point, wasn't it? We were here so I could see just how different I was from my mom now. Thor would've been grossed out, but he'd immediately want to have sex with every Elf maiden in the building. Nora, however much she may want to oogle the Elf guys, wasn't interested in the sex angle at all. This whole thing was just so that I could realize how far I’d actually come.

I was just about to reach for the disgusting doorknob when the door opened, and a very beautiful woman with blonde hair down to her feet and a figure most porn actresses would kill for stood before us wearing nothing but a sheer robe open from the waist up. I saw the similarities, the resemblance.

It was Jörd, alright. My mother stood before us.