Angel Wings

by Zephyri Magia

Desperate to meet her second angel and make them one so she will no longer be treated as 'damaged', Lind casts a spell—but non-combat magic has never been her strong suit and she ends up switching her mind with Peorth's. Never one to quit and loath to look weak, Lind requests a week to fix the problem without Peorth's aid; three angels look on and wonder the outcome.

Author's Note: So…this is a really, really long one-shot. It's a little strange, and I'm well aware the whole body-swap idea has been done a thousand times before. But too bad, I felt like making one anyways, because for some reason it made sense to me at the time.

I got this idea from some throwaway lines in volume 39, when Peorth and Lind are racing to reach Earth when Hell has been taken over and Heaven is becoming closed off; Lind mentions she doesn't know where to look when running behind Peorth due to Peorth's choice of clothing, Peorth replies that it's not the time to talk about it and Lind suggests oh-so-brilliantly that when they get back to Heaven she might try on Peorth's outfit. The resulting mental image of Lind wearing Peorth's signature clothes gave me this crazy idea.

On the matter of whether or not the angels talk: my headcanon is that the angels can all speak with their particular partner and with other angels, but they aren't really audible in the physical world. Their voices are more of a mental thing, since we see the series basically from Keiichi's point of view, we can't hear what the angels are actually saying. So yes, Spear Mint, Cool Mint, and Gorgeous Rose all speak in this story, and I tried to make their personalities slightly different from their goddess' insofar as it wouldn't be like just writing out similar words.

I have no idea if any of you will believe me, but this is the first story I have ever written for that actually takes place in the universe the characters come from. Practically all of the stories I've ever written are AU stories, so this was actually both nice and really weird at the same time.

I'll answer some questions at the bottom, but for now, read and enjoy, and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer—I do not own Ah! My Goddess! If I did…this might actually be real. Since it's on this website, which has a title clearly stating it's a work of fiction, I highly doubt that I own the series. I wish I did, but no dice. I DO own the cover image; please do not steal it! The full picture will eventually be up on DeviantART, so I'll leave a link in my profile (once I figure out how to do that) I drew it originally on paper, inked it, scanned it onto my computer and colored it using Photoshop. I'm not all that good with Photoshop, so it doesn't look nearly as nice as other pictures, but you can at least tell who they are, I think.

---

Angel Wings

Abnormal. One wing. Anomaly. Freak.

The words bounced around Lind's head as she stood there in that little corner of Heaven, where she was certain not to be disturbed; she didn't even think anyone else knew she was here, or the fact that this little glade existed. She stared at the boulder on the far side, eyes narrowed; usually she ignored the taunts and whispered words behind her back. They were just words, after all…and yet any moment she had alone, those words made themselves even more annoying than they already were.

It was worse now because she had no missions to focus on; her superiors had decided that since she hadn't taken a day off in more than several years, suddenly she simply had to take a leave of absence for two weeks' time—at the least. She had attempted simply ignoring the message and returning to duty, but that had resulted in her being barred from anything resembling Valkyrie work until her 'vacation' was up.

Lind was not amused.

And that was how she found herself standing in that hidden glade, staring down an inoffensive boulder, and thinking far too much on the subject of some annoying words.

Keeping her eyes fixed on the boulder and forcing her thoughts in another direction, she said, carefully, "Come forth, Spear Mint." A white feather drifted lazily past her face as she turned, meeting the red-eyed gaze of her angel. Spear Mint's single left wing was only another reminder that she was not like the other goddesses.

Freak.

Lind sat down on the grass, shutting her eyes, the presence of her angel like a soft buzz at the back of her mind. "Come forth…Cool Mint."

The sound of the wind stirring the grass greeted her; she opened her eyes and half-turned to see Spear Mint still hovering serenely at her shoulder…but the red-eyed angel was alone. If she squinted, she could almost make herself believe there was a second silhouette, a right wing as insubstantial as sunlight, blue eyes as pale as ice—almost.

Abnormal.

"Why isn't it working?" she whispered to herself fervently. Why can't I make them one?

She looked up to her angel, but Spear Mint's only reply was an almost-sad smile and the words, You must realize it for yourself. Lind fixed her gaze on the ground in front of her, fists clenching at the blades of grass. She had tried so hard to make herself powerful, to be able to support them both, and yet…she was still "one-winged" Lind, still the one with a damaged soul. What more could she do…?

If raw power is not the answer…

She opened her hands, studying them for a long moment. While it was true, she wasn't the best at magic despite her high-level license…if power wasn't the answer—perhaps magic was? She rose to her feet, Spear Mint rising with her; she could sense the angel's beginning anxiety, but she pushed it away. She could do combat spells as quickly as she could think—surely a spell like this would be easy.

(Famous last words.)

Lind straightened, hands extended out in front of her. She wanted to make her angels one…she wanted to be like all the other goddesses. No longer would she be mocked, pitied for the supposed damage to her soul!

Admittedly, she'd never done anything like this before, but—she understood spells' basics well enough. She could build a spell to merge her two angels, certainly! Lind carefully arranged the proper words in her head—wouldn't want to have an unfortunate mishap—and after a furtive glance at the surrounding greenery, carefully stooped and traced out a circle, filling in runes as needed. Not the best circle, but it would do its job, as far as Lind was concerned.

She stood at the center of the circle, shaking her head slightly to clear it. She began slowly, cautiously, Spear Mint watching her through worried eyes.

Lind was not to know that her plan was going to be changed much, much faster than she would have ever considered.

---

Peorth was having something of a bad day. She'd come in late, had to work out several tedious bugs from Yggdrasil, her subordinates had been taking their yearly ten-day vacation and the replacements seemed like they hadn't even touched a computer in their whole lives! Muttering to herself, she carved through the forest, fully intending to make use of a shortcut there to get back to Yggdrasil's mainframe. She assumed she'd had enough fresh air for everyone else to be annoyed with her by the time she got back.

She wove her way around the trees, stepping carefully over the shrubbery—she was bound to anger somebody for trampling the bushes—and paused when she passed by the edge of a clearing, feeling the first waves of an oddly unstable magic.

Peorth half-turned, blinking, as her eyes settled on the goddess standing at the center of the glade; she knew who the other was, of course—it seemed like everyone did, not only for her oddity of an angel but also because of her extreme devotion to training. Lind was perhaps the most powerful Valkyrie in Heaven; Peorth had always thought that, if they happened to cross paths, it appeared as if the blue-haired goddess looked like she felt she had something to prove to the rest of Heaven.

They had never talked for long; only the usual niceties expected in passing conversations, and nowhere near enough for Peorth to consider the Valkyrie even an acquaintance; they were just goddesses who happened to know each other's name and face…and that was about it, aside from the rumors.

Rumors which, from what Peorth could see, were at least partially true—the angel hovering beside Lind's shoulder, the one with curling blond hair and red eyes, did indeed sport only a single wing.

But her attention was not on the one-winged angel but rather the magic that Lind was releasing; it was something of a complex spell, from the runes that flashed past Peorth's eyes, though they were mostly correct—it was the core magic, provided by the Valkyrie, that was…unsound. Somewhere, somehow…the spell was breaking down.

That can't be good, whatever it is… Peorth made up her mind and stepped into the glade, making her presence known. "Lind!" she yelled, and blue eyes briefly found her standing at the edge of the circle in the dirt.

Lind's eyes narrowed faintly. Peorth? she mouthed, still weaving the spell, though now Peorth was aware of the gaps in the song, the power behind the magic faltering. Peorth crossed the line of the circle—

—she was only briefly aware of Gorgeous Rose surging from her back, drawn towards the one-winged angel, just as the spell drew Peorth to the Valkyrie as surely as if Lind had attained the gravity of a black hole—

—her eyes met Lind's, brown to blue, and Peorth did not know what emotion she saw there, as her hand grasped the Valkyrie's and the world tilted into a dizzying spiral, the two angels above them blurring into a whirling circle of three wings, white feathers dancing on the breeze.

Peorth tumbled backwards, the angels spinning faster and faster, and for an odd moment, she swore she saw four and not three wings in that blur of white…

She was out cold before she even hit the grass.

---

…What…happened…?

Lind awoke slowly, feeling a thick pounding ache at the back of her head; her eyes opened a moment later to bright blue sky partially hidden by the overarching branches of trees—that's right, she had been performing that spell…

The spell!

She sat up abruptly, grimacing as the world spun, and nearly collided with a worried green-eyed blonde angel, two wings arcing from her back. Momentarily distracted, Lind stared at the angel, who stared back evenly.

An angel with two wings!

"I did it?" she asked herself, a bubble of laughter bursting from her throat. "I—I really did it!" She lifted her hand up to her face—and froze.

She didn't wear gloves like that!

Slowly Lind looked down, taking in the outfit; she took a deep breath. There had to be a good explanation for this. She looked across the clearing and saw another goddess in the Valkyrie uniform, slumped beside the boulder. Peorth, wasn't it? Strange, that the spell she used to fuse her angels together had switched their clothes. Maybe because Peorth had interrupted the spell?

Lind got to her feet, wobbling, and felt an odd weight at her back. Carefully, she reached back, hands coming into contact with a long ponytail. Trying desperately not to think of what that meant, she pulled the ponytail around, feeling as though she had left her stomach behind on the ground, as she stared at the long, dark brown locks of hair clutched in her hands.

"Then…" She faced the angel, shaky again, her voice fading. "I didn't…?" The angel smiled sadly, Lind suddenly recognizing the vines coiling around her torso, and said softly, It didn't work quite the way you wanted it to, I imagine.

"Oh…" Lind's legs trembled and she sat down hard, Peorth's angel following her down. She stared dumbly at the angel for a moment. "I…don't know your name."

Gorgeous Rose, the angel answered promptly, pausing. I assume, if you are here—then that is Peorth over there? Lind nodded slowly, about to say something before their conversation was interrupted by a steady storm of grumbling.

Peorth had woken, and she was making it very clear she was not happy.

"Why, oh why did I take that shortcut?" Peorth grumbled, and it was strange for Lind to hear her own voice speaking. "You know, there's always that stupid person that takes the shortcut and then—something always ends up happening to them! Why didn't I listen?" She sat up, for the moment unaware of their predicament. Spear Mint had manifested again, looking down at her apprehensively.

Peorth looked up, finding the eyes of the one-winged angel on her; Lind could tell she had yet to realize. "Oh, hello, you're Lind's angel, aren't you?" Her head swiveled around, pale blue hair flying. "Where is Lind, anyways—?"

The other goddess's eyes flashed around the clearing, finding Lind near-instantly; she offered a hesitant wave, unsure of what to say. It took a moment for Peorth to find her voice. "But—you're not—and the angels—that's my body!"

"And that's mine," Lind pointed out, in what was the most reasonable tone she could force into her voice—and it was even stranger, to now be paying attention to the sound of the voice emerging from her lips and hearing Peorth's instead.

Silence fell across them, the angels hovering still at their shoulders; finally Peorth kicked at the ground idly and muttered, "Well, this is just great…"

"This was…not intentional," Lind informed her apologetically. "The magic was not meant to affect you at all."

"And yet here we are," Peorth raised an eyebrow. "Well, you'll have to give me a day or two to figure this out and find out what went wrong so I can fix this—"

"I'll fix it."

"You?" Peorth's eyebrows rose together and Lind thought she had never seen such a look of incredulous surprise on her own face. It was somehow stranger than even the differing voices, to view what was supposed to be her, making odd expressions on what was her face. "Oh, no. I can tell you right now that I'm more accomplished with magic—"

"That's why I'll fix it," Lind insisted, rising to her feet again, brushing grass stems off her legs. "If I do not understand the mistake, then how am I to succeed? I created the problem, so I shall fix it. Besides—" she cast a sideways glance towards Gorgeous Rose, who was watching them both through thoughtful eyes. "—you said it yourself, I'm no good with magic…but you're me, currently."

"Bu—" Peorth stopped herself, frowning. She lifted her hands, studying them, half-glancing towards Spear Mint, as if the angel had said something. Lind felt a frown cross her face; she missed the voices of her angels, even if Cool Mint rarely spoke, as she had yet to properly manifest. You're not the only one, a voice reminded her softly, and she was reminded of Gorgeous Rose's presence.

Yes, of course, she thought towards Gorgeous Rose, and the vine-covered angel offered a smile, green eyes glittering with sympathy.

"How long?" Peorth's voice startled her from her thoughts. When Lind just stared at her, Peorth sighed and elaborated. "How long will it take you?"

Lind paused for a moment to organize her thoughts. "Give me…a week," she estimated, hands fidgeting at her sides. "That should give me more than enough time to figure out how to reverse this on my own." And, on the downside—or perhaps the upside?—that was all the time she had left before she returned to Valkyrie duty. "After a week, if I have yet to reach a solution…then you may help all you like."

Peorth hesitated, though she looked thoughtful. It is fair, Gorgeous Rose murmured at the back of Lind's mind. She will agree. And agree Peorth did, however grudgingly. The other goddess looked annoyed suddenly. "What am I supposed to do while you're trying to find a solution? I can't fight like you can!"

"You needn't worry," Lind informed her. "Last week I was forced to take a vacation, as I hadn't used any of my days off in several years. You won't have to consider participating in training, guard duty, or accepting missions as a Valkyrie for the next week."

"That's a relief," Peorth mumbled, her eyes widening as if an idea had come to her. "But I still have a job to do! Oh, and the replacements are probably wondering where I am; they've been back from their lunch break since about ten minutes ago! Look, there's a path a few trees past this glade, where I came from, you remember? Keep heading straight and you'll see several towers. First one to the right is where my workstation is—you'll walk down a long hallway and there will be several seats in front of you—mine's the one to the far left. Gorgeous Rose will tell you—she'll tell you what we're working on, too. I hope you're good with computers!" she finished a little too gleefully, clapping her hands together.

"I am better at working with files then I am at spells," Lind offered, which seemed to appease her. Peorth nodded decisively. "Alright. Go, go! I swear I won't do anything that's not too out of character for you! Your angel can tell me what I'm doing wrong!"

"Ah, that's good, but—" Lind didn't finish her sentence, because Peorth had already steered her out of the glade and onto a small, barely-tread path. "Go!" And the goddess in her body disappeared back into the trees. Sighing, Lind faced forwards, asking, This way, correct?

Yes. Gorgeous Rose hovered beside her for a long moment. I trust Peorth, she said after a long moment. You should, too. With that comment, she retreated to her inner world, her presence still a soft murmur at the back of Lind's mind as she walked, nudging her in the right direction.

Sure enough, just as Peorth had described, there was a grouping of several towers, ones which even she knew housed the mainframe for Yggdrasil. She made her way to the one pointed out by Gorgeous Rose, finding no one protesting her appearance—nor did they talk to her, either, but the other goddesses and gods seemed hard at work, so she supposed she could not begrudge them that. She found Peorth's seat easily enough, settling into it without any words to the three other goddesses staring at their screens with boredom written across their faces as they shifted through numerous data files.

We've been given the task of reorganizing all complete contracts into a more manageable archive, Gorgeous Rose explained. It…hasn't been going very quickly, as there are an awful lot of contracts. Peorth—you—has A-H; Idunn, that blonde-haired goddess to the far left, has I-N; Skadi, the one in the middle with white hair, has O-T; and Freya, the dark-haired one closest to us, has U-Z. Peorth made it to the middle of the Cs before she left.

Lind stared at the sheer amount of files that appeared on her screen, and had only one thought:

What have I gotten myself into?

---

Peorth sighed, studying the grass and the remains of the magic circle. When she woke up that morning, she had not planned on her day going like this. She turned her head, meeting the gaze of the one-winged angel, who had yet to tell of her name. What are you called? she questioned hesitantly, and the red-eyed angel offered a smile. My name is Spear Mint. And you must be Peorth, yes?

"Yes," she answered aloud, sitting down atop the boulder with a long sigh. Spear Mint hovered at her shoulder, eyes sympathetic. Don't worry. Lind keeps her promises.

I'm not worried about that, Peorth replied, plucking a blade of grass from the ground and rolling it between her fingers. I just think… She shook her head slightly. I hope I'll be able to pass for her.

She doesn't often speak to others, so you shouldn't have to copy her mannerisms, Spear Mint assured her quickly. That is… The angel's eyes clouded. Her wing twitched faintly. She does not have…very—good relations with others.

Because of you, right? Peorth realized, studying the one-winged angel shrewdly. Spear Mint's eyes were no longer cloudy; only very, very sad. Yes, the red-eyed angel said finally, morosely. They look at me and think her…damaged. That her soul is…broken in a way no one can fix.

"But that's just cruel!" Peorth burst out aloud; Spear Mint shrugged her shoulders glumly. We cannot change the way others see her. She has given so much, and yet…she still remains divided.

Divided? Peorth echoed, confused by her odd choice of words. Spear Mint's eyes had gained an increasingly thoughtful look, as if she were thinking of the ramifications of what she was about to suggest. Please do not tell anyone, she said slowly, clasping her hands loosely in a pleading gesture.

I won't, Peorth swore, watching the one-winged angel with more than a little oddity; wondering the need for secrecy. Spear Mint's eyes closed briefly in acquiescence; then she raised her hands. Follow me, she directed, and retreated back to her place within Lind's body, known as the angel's inner world.

Peorth shut her eyes and had to stop herself from imagining her own inner world, where Gorgeous Rose resided; it took her a few tries to properly locate the place, but she managed, a small chill settling over her as she opened her eyes to a very different world than the one she had left behind.

Heaven was mostly perpetual spring; she was used to mostly greenery, even in Gorgeous Rose's inner world. In the one-winged angel's world, however, there was a small amount of green, but it was overshadowed by the many pale white flowers waving in the cool breeze, and the icy sheen beneath the field, pale blue and white. Peorth crouched and turned a flower's head towards her. "Snowdrops," she said aloud, and a snowflake brushed her cheek as she stood and looked around; the field of snowdrops seemed infinite, with jagged spires of twisted ice appearing here and there and shooting up towards a cloudy sky, small snowflakes dancing on the breeze.

"Welcome," Spear Mint's voice came from behind, more solid and real-sounding than the angel's physical form's mental voice. Peorth turned and found that she herself no longer appeared as Lind, despite surely remaining in the Valkyrie's body. Spear Mint offered a faint smile. "Your soul is that of Peorth, and so Peorth you are," she replied to the question in Peorth's eyes. "And now…you wished to know why Lind's soul is divided so, no?"

Peorth nodded carefully, and followed the angel's direction to sit, as the revelation would no doubt surprise her. "What would be so surprising about it? And why are you telling me so easily?" she questioned; Spear Mint's eyes glittered. "It will surprise you," she asserted, glancing around. "And you would have discovered it eventually." She vanished in a flurry of snowflakes, leaving Peorth to sit in the slightly chilly snowdrop field and wonder what the angel's intent was.

Peorth carefully plucked a snowdrop, twisting the stem about through her fingers, prodding at the soft white petals. A light layer of ice coated it as Spear Mint's voice came from above her. "Do not be alarmed…I have returned…"

Peorth lifted her head and met the eyes of the red-eyed angel…who was not alone.

Hovering beside Spear Mint was another angel, a blue-eyed angel with the same curling blonde hair as Spear Mint; she was in fact identical in every way save for eye color and the position of the wing on her back—for Spear Mint's left she had the right.

Peorth looked very, very cautiously from one angel to the other. The blue-eyed angel, the unfamiliar one, gave her a smile, the very same one her red-eyed twin had given Peorth before they had come to the inner world. "My name is Cool Mint," the second of the one-winged angels said, her voice only slightly higher-pitched then Spear Mint's and Peorth wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't been actively listening for a difference.

Peorth was silent a long time while these words sunk into her brain. Two angels… "Spear Mint…and Cool Mint," she said, slowly, as if she might simply fall apart at those words, those names and what they meant.

"And you are Peorth," Cool Mint said brightly, surprising Peorth by embracing her. The goddess was frozen a moment, unsure what to do, before wrapping an arm around the angel's small back and patting her shoulder somewhat awkwardly, the feathers of her wing brushing lightly against Peorth's arm. "We are both sorry for the trouble that has befallen you. Our goddess truly did not mean you any harm. It was us she intended to change, not you."

"Change…?" Peorth mumbled, feeling at odds with herself. Two angels…twin angels. How can they exist? There's never been any record of a goddess or god having two angels—it has only ever been one being, one angel!

Cool Mint's eyes dimmed. "Our goddess…" she began carefully, fiddling with her fingers, "…our goddess has…" she looked to Spear Mint for help, and the red-eyed twin supplied, "Trouble." Cool Mint seized gratefully onto the word and carried on. "…she has trouble with—with interacting with others, when all know of the way we appear. She has only ever been able to summon Spear Mint since we were first hatched from the angel's egg, and the fact that she yet fails to summon forth both of us at once is something that frustrates her."

"She only ever wanted to fit in, to be like all the other goddesses," Spear Mint asserted, eyeing Peorth warningly, as if the goddess might react unfavorably to this kind of information. "She has been trying to make us one."

Peorth's eyebrows rose. "Is such a thing possible?" No wonder the magic was so unstable—her goal might not have even been doable! she thought to herself, quickly returning her attention to the angel twins before her.

Spear Mint and Cool Mint exchanged long glances. "We are unsure," Spear Mint said at length. "But I believe…if we were meant to be one, we would have been born as one angel, one entity…like your angel."

"Our goddess's soul is unique," Cool Mint announced sharply, as if expecting Peorth to say otherwise; the goddess raised her hands in placation. "I understand. What's stopping Lind from summoning both of you? Don't you want the ridicule to end? I know that she is an extremely powerful Valkyrie, but few dare to take missions with her, for fear that her 'damage' is catching. I must confess I have never spoken to her aside from work, either, but I have never contributed to the rumors; and never have I seen her engaged in a conversation she herself started that did not include a message of some sort that she was ferrying to another."

Now both angels drooped visibly, and Peorth feared she had said the wrong thing; Cool Mint met her eyes with a sorrowful sigh. "All the power in the world would not be enough," she murmured, hesitantly reaching out and placing a hand over Peorth's, the snowdrop nestled between their palms. Spear Mint likewise rested her hand over Peorth's other hand and for a moment goddess and angels were connected, though she was not the goddess whose heart they were reflections of.

"We do not want her power," Spear Mint whispered, her voice close to Peorth's ear. "We do not need her power…"

"…she has to need ours," Cool Mint finished, her eyes glimmering with the first beginnings of tears. "And I fear she may never understand; she has made up enough power for herself to forego using her angels for some missions. She thinks that gaining more power will give her the ability to support both of us, but she does not understand; she does not see that she must need our power, not her own."

"Ah," Peorth blinked; she thought she understood. "But you can't tell her that outright, I imagine." The old adage: 'If you are merely told of something, how can you possibly learn?'

"No," Spear Mint shook her head sadly. "It is something she must learn of her own design."

"Perhaps…" Peorth frowned in contemplation. "Lind is currently in the company of my angel, Gorgeous Rose…"

"The one with green eyes, blonde hair, and the vines?" Spear Mint questioned, and the goddess was reminded that the red-eyed twin had indeed met her angel, if only for the duration of the fateful spell's casting. She nodded in reply and continued. "I am able to summon Gorgeous Rose as I wish, so perhaps she will be able to teach Lind more about angels…maybe help her come to this realization that your power is what she needs to summon both of you? That she has to want both of you?"

The angel twins exchanged another glance. "It is…possible," Cool Mint shrugged. "Our goddess is smart, but sometimes there are occasions where she…misses the point, as it is."

"Better than nothing, though," Peorth pointed out, and the angels were forced to agree, begrudgingly.

"But what can we do?" Spear Mint asked, crossing her arms, sounding rather glum.

"We'll…" Peorth paused, tapping her chin in thought. "We'll help, of course!" She raised up her fist, snowdrop still clenched between her fingers. "We'll make sure Lind learns that she needs to want to have both of you with her, rather than this nonsense about making you both one angel!"

"Will that even work, after all that's happened?" Cool Mint looked doubtful.

"Of course it will," Peorth asserted, narrowing her eyes. "After all, you've got me to help!"

The angel twins exchanged a long glance, and somehow, Peorth got the idea that they weren't as reassured as she was by this information.

"You don't know her as well as we do," Spear Mint murmured, as though she was trying to assert the final point of a dying argument; she tilted her head slightly, eyeing Peorth.

"No," Peorth agreed, twirling the snowdrop around on her fingertips vaguely. Her gaze found the sky above them, gray and ominous with its curtain of clouds. Gorgeous Rose's place of residence was sunny most days, so it was strange for Peorth to see the unending gray sky, especially considering it was where the angels lived.

"Why is the sky so cloudy?" The question was asked before she could take it back; the one-winged angels' eyes saddened once more and Peorth groaned inwardly, feeling as though yet again she had said something she shouldn't have.

"…The sky," Spear Mint whispered, voice nearly inaudible, "the sky is cloudy because angels reflect their god or goddess's heart. You know…" She clasped her hands loosely before herself. "…you know our goddess is not…not very much liked by others. Sometimes…sometimes they say hurtful things; you know how people are…"

Peorth looked to each angel in turn before dropping her gaze to the flower in her hands. "There's an Earth saying," she sighed, "that goes something like 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'." Her eyes grew distant. "But I've always thought—that's incorrect…that words are the sharpest blades of all. They don't wound you physically…they wound you in spirit." She touched her heart lightly. "It's rare, but…sometimes it's stormy in my inner world. Not for long…never for very long…but it does happen." She looked from angel to angel, hoping they could see she was trying to understand.

Cool Mint sank down beside her, wing quivering, eyes glittering with what Peorth thought might be tears. "And what…what would a good deal of hurtful words do to you?" the blue-eyed angel asked softly.

Peorth shut her eyes, feeling a lump beginning to grow in her throat, two hands lightly touching upon hers, as if the two one-winged angels wanted to offer her some semblance of comfort, despite having surely lived in this cloudy world for some time. "Why isn't it raining?" she asked at length, quietly, lifting her head and opening her eyes to meet a pair of red eyes and a pair of blue eyes, both holding more sorrow then she thought they could contain.

Sadness had clouded the faces of both angels; Cool Mint mustered the words to say, "It did. For a time there was only the rain, only the storm of rain and lightning and ice. There was nothing but the storm… And it was never just the hurtful words that caused that storm; it was her failure to summon us both, it was her frustration with herself, for not knowing how to make us become like a normal angel—something she still does not understand—it was everything she could not do, everything she saw others do so easily, and she still is angry at herself, for not being able to be like them…"

Spear Mint continued the thread, saying, "Now…now she buries that storm, hides the rain behind those clouds that never end. That allowed this field of snowdrops to grow, once she focused on becoming a Valkyrie, becoming strong for her misguided goal. But we know—we know—the rain's still there, still building up, all that unshed sorrow…and we worry someday she might…she might…"

"She might break," Cool Mint finished, her voice cracking on the last word.

Their hands tightened over Peorth's, and the goddess looked into their eyes and swallowed thickly. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen," she vowed.

"How?" The blue-eyed angel's voice was little more than the passage of air.

Peorth's eyes turned from the angels and locked on that cloudy sky; and she murmured quietly, not quite surprised at her sudden idea, "I'll be her friend."

"What?" The looks of identical surprise on the angel twins' faces would have been comical if not for the sadness that still hung in the air.

"I'll be her friend," Peorth repeated. "I promised to help you both help her figure out what she needs to do…and I'll deliver on that promise. But after seeing this place, the cloudy sky…why stop there? Why not be her friend, too? She hasn't got any, and—and kind words do help, too. Maybe—maybe someday…it might even be sunny in here."

Spear Mint stared at her, an emotion that looked like wonder in her eyes. "You would do that?"

Peorth smiled shakily. "Why not?"

And then she was laying on her back in the snowdrop field, both angels having tackle-hugged her at the same instant. A chorus of "Thank you" rang in her ears, and even after she had left behind the twin angels' inner world, she could still feel the warmth of their regard, and she thought to herself:

This isn't so bad after all…

---

Lind sighed, rubbing at her eyes; it felt like she had been sitting around for a day already, sorting through all these files. Truly, it was either astounding or ridiculous how many files Yggdrasil stored, and she'd only made it to the beginning of the Fs before she wanted to go ahead and quit, even though she knew it would still be there if she left and came back.

You're almost done, Gorgeous Rose encouraged her; Lind narrowed her eyes at the screen and moved a file, replying, Your idea of 'almost done' and my idea of 'almost done' are clearly different.

The angel smiled at the back of her mind; her green eyes were still sympathetic, and it was true, she had been helping Lind figure out which files went where, but for the most part what was sitting in front of her was her own labor.

I have a new appreciation for what Peorth does, Lind thought ruefully to Gorgeous Rose; the angel laughed and replied, It is less entertaining than the work of a Valkyrie, I am sure. She hesitated. It is probably for the best that this—situation—happened now; Peorth would have had definite problems handling the various duties carried out by the combat division.

Lind thought of what she knew of Peorth and the tasks she herself had been given as a Valkyrie; while it was true, at this point Peorth had all Lind's strength and power, she lacked the same mental control; if Lind herself had been still serving as a Valkyrie…

My angels would have helped, she said without thinking; of course Spear Mint and Cool Mint would aid Peorth, should she have had to take a mission. Though, Lind wasn't sure how such a thing would turn out—now she was even more grateful that she had been forced onto vacation; she wouldn't have been able to explain her sudden drop in skill, if Peorth had been sent out in her body. She was interrupted from her musings by Gorgeous Rose's curious voice. Angels?

Lind stared blankly at the computer screen in front of her, berating herself for the slip-up. Angel, she said, a small truth, as she could only summon Spear Mint, and that was akin to having one angel.

Gorgeous Rose was quiet, but Lind sensed the matter had not been dropped; Peorth's angel was surprisingly knowledgeable, given what Lind knew of her goddess. And Peorth had no doubt discovered the oddity of Lind's own soul by now; she got the feeling she was eventually going to be confronted about it, but for now she would simply let it go. Perhaps the green-eyed angel would have forgotten by the time Peorth chose to bring up the problem…

No, she wouldn't forget. Gorgeous Rose wasn't that simple-minded, and, from what Lind had seen of her, the green-eyed angel was even a little sly in the way she gave out answers. What that said about Peorth, Lind wasn't sure; but she was left alone with her thoughts.

There was only the soft hum of Yggdrasil, the other three goddesses having left already, begging off their last hour of work. Gorgeous Rose materialized beside her, eyes alight. You are a strange one, aren't you? she said, not unkindly.

Some have called me that, Lind conceded, moving a few more files; 'strange' was probably the least offensive of the comments made about her. Spear Mint's single wing waved before her eyes, shifting into the blue eyes and right wing of her never-seen twin locked away in their inner world, possibly forever at this rate. She wanted so badly to make them both one, to be able to prove to all those other beings in Heaven that she had no abnormality in her soul, that she was not so broken…and yet, nothing she did ever worked. Was it a sign? Was she meant to be scorned forever, because no one else could see the second angel her soul had created from the angel's egg?

Peorth once told me, Gorgeous Rose said softly, as if not trying to disturb her, that when she crossed paths with you, you always seemed as if you had something to prove to all of us.

Lind kept her eyes trained on the flickering screen. Three, four, five files flicked across the windows. She was surprised Peorth had noticed such a thing; she had never tried spectacularly to hide it, but it seemed as if when they looked at her, all they saw was her angel's wing. All they saw was the poor, soul-damaged goddess; all they saw was the goddess who spent hours and hours training, a violent goddess who few dared fight. They could not see what she was really like, what she felt… They did not know what she did—they could not see what she had failed to do, so many times.

And yet, sometimes…they did see her failures as failures, without even realizing the truth. She was the only being in Heaven to wield a grade-eighteen weapon, and despite her prowess in battle, others looked down on her for her angel's appearance. She had no comrades among the Valkyries—they were either afraid or contemptuous, or, like those she received orders from, didn't care in the slightest about her personal problems, as long as she could carry out missions and training sessions—even if she rarely trained anyone at all, because they tried so desperately to avoid her, and those that couldn't be transferred spent much of the time staying as far away from her as possible, as if her 'damage' was contagious!

I'm sorry, Gorgeous Rose's voice broke through her depressing thoughts.

For what? Lind questioned, shifting two files. A white feather drifted past her nose as Peorth's angel half-turned to face her. You seem like a rather lonely goddess; your heart is clouded by sorrow, Gorgeous Rose murmured after a beat. Peorth tries her best, but…she just doesn't know how to talk to you. She doesn't understand your sadness.

Before Lind could say anything, the goddess who worked the front desk poked her head in, announcing in an odd flat voice, "There's someone here to see you." From the tone, she had a good idea of who was here; she replied wryly to Gorgeous Rose, She does now, before nodding to the other goddess. "Send her in."

The goddess gave her a long look, but evidently decided against saying anything and disappeared back down the hall. Momentarily footsteps approached; and sure enough Peorth appeared, arms crossed, effecting a very annoyed expression. Lind categorized a few more files in silence before shutting down her screen and turning to face Peorth. "Hello."

"Hello," Peorth echoed, her face brightening at the sight of Gorgeous Rose, to whom she began waving enthusiastically, the angel mirroring her true goddess. Lind stared at them both in silence, equally disturbed and fascinated by such a strange look of happiness on her own face. Spear Mint manifested at Peorth's side, clasping her hands together and then waving, a signal Lind understood to mean that both twins were glad to see her. She managed a small wave in reply and prayed she didn't look as strange as Peorth did.

Once Peorth had gotten over the whole waving incident, she focused back on Lind. "Why didn't you tell me you had two angels?" she demanded, and Gorgeous Rose's soft whisper ran through the back of Lind's head—Angels. You did mean angels.

Lind wasn't about to argue with the angel, and returned her attention to Peorth. "Would you have believed me had I told you?" Truthfully, she doubted she would have told Peorth anyways, having become rather accustomed to being able to summon only Spear Mint—however much she didn't like leaving Cool Mint alone in their inner world.

"First-class goddesses can't lie," Peorth said immediately, reciting the words they were both well-familiar with, a frown flitting across her face as she admitted, "But…I would still have had difficulty believing you. After all…there aren't any records of anyone having two angels, are there?"

Lind inclined her head in assent to the comment of belief and swiveled back to the computer, tapping in a command. Peorth leaned over her shoulder, watching the displays flash by, naming any unique angels recorded in Yggdrasil; some were crippled, broken wings from some terribly traumatic soul wound from their god or goddess, dating back to before Heaven and Hell had committed to the doublet system; while others were oddly colored—few angels had dark hair, but there were some, and she spied the half-demonic, half-angelic being that was unique in all of Heaven, the angel of the goddess Urd.

And Lind saw at the bottom of the list her own name, and Spear Mint's, listing the fact of her angel's single wing—there were no records of any goddess or god having two angels at once, nor did anyone else have a one-winged angel of any kind, not even considering an angel might have lost a wing somehow; but as Lind searched further, she found that embedded in her own file, beside Spear Mint's name, there was another file, well hidden and encrypted.

"What's this?" Peorth made a noise of amusement, leaning over and taking the mouse from Lind and keying in a few rapid codes with her other hand, a flashing red icon appearing and announcing her clearance wasn't high enough.

"Well, how about that…" Peorth's eyes narrowed; Lind watched her as she typed more commands, muttering to herself in indistinct words. Spear Mint hovered beside her; her angel was turned towards Gorgeous Rose, and the two angels appeared to be having a conversation in that soundless way they communicated—Lind could sense a relative intent from the vine-covered angel, but she had no idea what passed between them; all too soon Gorgeous Rose nodded quickly, putting her hands together in a clear 'I understand' gesture.

What are you two talking about? Lind questioned Gorgeous Rose; Peorth was too busy to notice Spear Mint's talking with her angel. The green-eyed angel blinked. She was just telling me what Peorth has been up to. My goddess hasn't done anything bad, I promise you. Spear Mint says she's met…Cool Mint. Gorgeous Rose waggled her eyebrows.

Oh. Lind blinked as Peorth's hand waved in front of her face. "Could you get up for a moment? I think I'm on to something."

Obligingly Lind got to her feet, Peorth taking her place and typing more rapidly, her muttered conversation with herself picking up speed. Turning back to Peorth's angel, Lind asked, And what did she think?

She was surprised, of course, Gorgeous Rose replied dryly. But you don't have to worry. She took it in stride. Apparently, she likes them. They don't mind her, either.

Carefully, Lind nodded, not sure what to think. On the one hand, she was grateful Peorth had reacted gracefully to the fact of her twin angels, but on the other she wasn't sure what the whole thing meant, about Peorth liking them. Certainly, it was good they'd get along…but didn't that mean…? Angels were reflections of their goddess's heart, after all…

She turned her mind away from such thoughts and looked at Gorgeous Rose, feeling obliged to say, You've been very helpful these past few hours. Gorgeous Rose smiled. Flattery will get you anywhere, don't you know? The angel laughed lightly. From all the stories about you, you're not so bad either, in person. Even Peorth had something of a skewed opinion about you… She paused, her face losing its laughter. But, I wonder if…

Wonder what? Lind glanced at her sharply.

The angel smiled, this time a touch sadly. Never mind. I think she's getting somewhere, don't you? She made a point of peering over Peorth's shoulder, hovering beside Spear Mint, the one-winged angel moving aside to give her more room.

Lind sighed to herself; she didn't feel like pressuring the angel, especially after she'd been so cooperative—she'd ask later, she supposed—and so she joined the angels in looking over Peorth's progress.

A green light flashed somewhere and Peorth cheered. "I got it!"

"What is 'it', exactly?"

Peorth tapped the file; small images flashed by, many too small and quick to be recalled, before they halted on an image of Spear Mint…and the hazy image of her twin beside her, their single wings paired effectively so that if one tilted the picture just right, it would seem as if they were a single angel.

Lind leaned closer to the screen, eyes scanning over the date—ah, so that would be how. She moved back, letting Peorth look. "Was that when your angel's egg hatched?" Peorth whispered, voice rather soft.

"Yes," Lind answered at the same volume, feeling it was unnecessary to speak louder.

"They look better when they're both real," Peorth commented offhandedly; Lind's eyes widened and she turned to stare at her.

Peorth blinked rapidly. "What—oh! Oh, no, I was talking about when I saw them together in the inner world—quite the place, you know," she elaborated. "Besides, I don't know them well enough to even think of trying to summon them." She looked rather as though she wanted herself to stop talking but couldn't quite figure out a way to do so.

Lind's hands curled into fists; those words rang in her head—she felt cold, and as if the world was spinning away from her. "But…" Her voice was hoarse. She didn't know why she asked, but she did, the thought of being able to stare at her failure in the face suddenly too much to bear, but she couldn't stop the words: "You could summon them both?"

Peorth met her eyes. "I know my own angel," she said, slowly, carefully, as if trying to make her every word sink through Lind's ears and into her brain. "If I actually considered it—maybe, maybe I might be able to, but to do so would be a grave breach of privacy, and I would never do it unless you asked me, personally."

Lind whipped around, staring into the dim lights of the control room, the dark screens of the other goddesses and gods' stations. "Do it," she whispered. She knew why she said it—but oh, how could she take it back, when she wanted both so desperately to see them, and then—

She also wanted to summon them herself.

Peorth's boots shifted against the tiles anxiously. "You don't mean that." Her voice had an undertone of horror. "You don't mean that—"

Lind whirled back to face her, dark hair flying about her face. "Do it! Prove it to me!" Show me how deeply I've failed! Gorgeous Rose was staring at her in something akin to horror; like the vine-covered angel could feel the too-often-pushed-away emotions surfacing and she wanted to help but knew no way how—

A strange emotion crossed Peorth's face, one Lind didn't recognize, something like pity and pain and sadness and wishful thinking and the greatest desire to help—"No," the other goddess said firmly. "From what I've seen…what I've felt…this won't work the way you want it to. You're self-deprecating—you'll see this as another failure, if I can do what you can't and in your own body—"

"What right do you have to tell me of what I feel?" Lind retorted icily; how long had these words been hiding within her? From what distant, deep place had they come from, and why now? She couldn't stop the words from pouring from her lips: "Summon her! Show me it can be done!"

Peorth's eyes darkened. "No! I won't have your terrible sadness cloud your soul further!"

Half of Lind felt angered that Peorth should say such things, while the other half wondered how she could have become so transparent, when no other had thought to consider her well-being. But even that division couldn't stop her from snapping desperately, in some misguided attempt to salvage this conversation, and knowing once they were said that she had achieved exactly the opposite: "Who says I'm sad?"

At this Peorth went rigid, the distressed words hanging in the air between them; Spear Mint stretched out a hand, before letting it drop as if realizing the other goddess was too far gone. Lind took a backwards step, seeing a horrible golden color beginning to fill Peorth's eyes. She can't unleash the Golden Eye here! (And yet, what better reason to do so?)

But even Lind's thoughts, and Gorgeous Rose's rising warnings at the back of her mind, were not enough to drown out the sound of Peorth's voice as she roared, "I've seen your heart! I've seen your soul! And you think I can't tell? You think your angels can hide it? Even if it's not raining—you're drowning, drowning in self-deprecation, falling into sorrow because you don't understand what needs to happen! You're dying on the inside because you're scorned by everyone else, because no one will look beyond your one-winged angel to see that you're crying out desperately for help!"

Lind stared round-eyed at her; the words rang in her ears, echoing loudly. She felt as though a chasm had opened up beneath her feet and she was tumbling helplessly into its depths, so surprised by those dangerous, horribly truthful words was she.

Peorth's shoulders slumped and she shook her head faintly, the threat of the Golden Eye dissipating. "You just don't understand. You don't understand at all…" the other goddess breathed bleakly, now looking almost horrified at herself, as if she had not meant to go that far, had not meant to say so much.

But she had still said it.

It took several moments before Lind could will herself to say anything. "I…" Her voice failed her. What could she say? She couldn't very well deny what Peorth had stated; but she couldn't bring herself to confirm it, either. "I…"

Before she could think of something to say, trying to sort through all her scattered thoughts and emotions, Peorth straightened, Spear Mint disappearing, the last glimpse of her angel showing she was both shocked and concerned. "I'll see you tomorrow," Peorth said tonelessly, the faintest quiver of emotion breaking into her voice as she turned on her heel and walked back the way she'd come, leaving Lind standing beside a flickering computer, Gorgeous Rose floating beside her in utter silence, entirely lost in a flood of emotions of her own making.

All she could think was How did she know? How could she see, when no one else could? When no one else tried?

Why, Peorth? Why you?

She sat down gingerly into the seat, Gorgeous Rose lightly placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "I wanted…" she tried, but couldn't say any more; staring into the brown eyes of Peorth's reflection in the screen, Lind bowed her head, and let the emotions carry her away.

---

Peorth strode heavily past the goddess manning the message desk, ignoring the narrowed-eyed and cautious look thrown her way, carrying on back out, not particularly caring where she was going.

The angel twins were quiet at the back of her mind, and she wasn't about to break that silence that had settled over them—she didn't want to know what they thought, what they felt about what she had done when she felt bad enough; so it was that she found herself back at the Valkyrie's rooms without having truly paid attention to where her feet were taking her. Peorth had kept her thoughts to herself, and neither Spear Mint nor Cool Mint had yet to say anything. She got the feeling they were disappointed with her. She was disappointed with herself, too. After everything they'd said and agreed to—and then she had to go and blurt out those things?

Peorth hunted down the largest axe in Lind's rather impressive collection, and she took a moment to stare at her reflection, the other goddess's face staring back at her. Before the angels could catch wind of what she intended to do, Peorth promptly hit herself upside the head with the flat of the blade.

Don't do that! Two voices cried out in surprised unison, Spear Mint appearing in a blur of pale feathers and gripping the axe before Peorth could take another swing. The angel's voice reverberated through her mind: Why?

Goddess and one-winged angel stared at one another for a long heartbeat. But… Peorth's arms trembled. Don't you hate me for going back on my promise? After everything we talked about—I went and said those horrible things! She was half-tempted to withdraw to their inner world, to see if it had begun to rain yet, but the red-eyed angel's gaze kept her standing there.

Spear Mint's eyes glittered sharply, her reflection barely-there, clashing with the image of Lind's reflection in the metal of the axe's edge. They were harsh words, but not cruel, she said after a beat. And…they were what our goddess needed to hear. She needed to hear this not from us, but from you—she needed to know someone besides us, who reflect her heart and soul, could see these things. She needed to know someone else cared about her enough to confront her about the state of her spirit.

Peorth carefully lowered the axe, blinking the spots away from her eyes and shaking her head to clear it, staring into the angel's honest eyes. This shows that I care for her? she thought to herself; still, she couldn't help but ask, You…you really mean that?

Now it was Cool Mint who spoke up from the depths of their inner world. She knows how we feel about the rain, about everything she keeps locked away, but she has never had—never had a chance to tell anyone…not that anyone would speak to her, but… The blue-eyed angel hesitated, but forged onwards nonetheless. At the very least, she will now think about it.

But—I— Words failed the goddess; the axe clattered to the floor somewhere near her feet, Spear Mint having released it at the same time she did. But I promised! she said finally, looking first to Spear Mint and then casting her gaze inward to find Cool Mint. I said I'd be her friend! Aren't friends supposed to be kind to each other, not cruel?

Spear Mint spread her hands. Being a friend isn't just about speaking kind words. By being someone else's friend, you are saying you accept everything that they are, issues and all. You told our goddess in so many words that you care about what happens to her…and that you accept her. You promised to help, and so you are. Not in the way you expected to, of course, but we couldn't have outright asked you to befriend our goddess, because it's not your burden to carry.

Peorth's lips twisted into a wry smile. I think I made it my burden without your urging, she conceded. And Lind's not so bad, really, it's just everyone else can't get around the walls she puts up. No, that's not right—no one cares enough to.

And yet here you are, Cool Mint laughed softly. Where does that place you, Peorth?

Peorth's eyes found a point on the wall beyond Spear Mint's upraised wing. I don't know, she answered quietly. I honestly…don't know where I stand with Lind. I want to say…never mind. It's not important. She sighed heavily. I will go see her tomorrow and apologize anyways. Whether or not she understands those words were what she had to hear—I'm sure it hurt all the same.

Yes, Spear Mint agreed, bobbing her head in a nod, That would be wise. And Peorth?

Yes? Peorth blinked rapidly, tipping her head to one side.

The red-eyed angel placed a hand on her shoulder. Our goddess cares for you, too, in her own way—because you have made such an effort to try. Don't give up on her yet, not when you've come farther than anyone else in connecting to our goddess.

Goddess and angel faced each other in silence, as Peorth tried to sort out her feelings about the information Spear Mint had just supplied her with; she wasn't even sure that was still accurate, considering what had happened at her workstation.

Does… Peorth trailed off, trying to find her words, feeling as though she almost didn't have the right to ask. Do you think she hates me now? she whispered, meeting Spear Mint's gaze.

The one-winged angel smiled, her face a little brighter. No, I don't believe so. Confused, perhaps, hurt, yes, but hate? Hate is a strong word…and I do not think she hates you. I don't believe she could hate you, when you have done so much for her.

Peorth breathed a small sigh of relief; the angel would be mostly correct, at least, when she and her twin were the mirrors of Lind's heart. Thank you, she said appreciatively, a smile crossing her face as she dipped her head in acknowledgement.

You're welcome, the angel twins chorused, and Cool Mint added, I'm glad it was you that found us and not someone else. You're more—more inclined to help then the others, and you're—you're surprisingly perceptive.

Peorth crossed her arms, huffing, What do you mean, 'surprisingly'?

Spear Mint was the one to answer, wringing her hands awkwardly. Well, you see… she began carefully, some might tend to think…from what you choose to wear…that you are not as intelligent as you really are…

My clothes are perfectly fine, Peorth said pointedly, though a small grin still flashed across her face. She scooped up the axe and replaced it in its proper position, as their conversation turned to the more comedic territory. And the goddess was grateful to leave behind the can of worms she'd accidentally opened…at least, until the next day, where she found herself staring at her own door, knowing all-too-well the route to get there. She knocked politely, knowing how to open the door anyhow but feeling it was the least she could do—besides, she did still have an appearance to keep.

When she had showed up at the building where many of the Yggdrasil operators had rooms, she had received many an odd look and one brave soul approached her and asked her why a Valkyrie would be here; she had merely answered that she had a message to pass on—a truth, since she still needed to give her apology—and, to keep up appearances, had asked directions to her own rooms.

And so there she was… Peorth could sense Spear Mint and Cool Mint lurking at the back of her mind, not saying anything, just watching, about as anxious about the whole thing as she was, which was saying something. She knocked one more time, beginning to wonder if Lind hadn't come home at all last night, but then the doorknob twisted slightly and Lind opened the door halfway, staring at her like she expected Peorth had more to say, and not in a good way.

"May I come in?" Peorth requested, and soundlessly the other goddess stepped aside, and she trooped past, avoiding a mess of papers and calculations laid out over the floor. She bent and picked up one, eyes flying across the runes and numbers before returning it to its place on the floor, certain Lind had them in some particular order. Clearly, the Valkyrie had been working on the counter-spell.

She turned and faced Lind, who was standing at the center of the room, still clutching a paper with half-drawn runes on it. The other goddess had yet to say a word; she seemed to be waiting for something. Well, she was going to get something—even if Peorth wasn't exactly certain of what that something might be, considering she hadn't had a very easy time of trying to organize her thoughts into a worthy apology. That said, she decided to just say what she had to, in as clear a manner as possible.

The angels stirred at the back of her mind, but she wouldn't let them distract her—this apology was all her own. She bowed her head, unsure of what Valkyries did to state apologies—perhaps a duel of some kind, but in their current situation Peorth had the upper hand, despite being entirely uncoordinated to a Valkyrie's movements. At any rate, a spoken apology would have to do. The angel twins hadn't told her anything different, besides. She took a deep breath, arranging her words in her head as best she could, before speaking.

"Yesterday, I spoke without thinking. I was angry and could not stop myself from saying those things, and I apologize if I have hurt you in any way. I never meant to pry into your soul; I never meant to find such things, I think that the angels told me because I was there, listening to them… I only wanted—still want—to help you, and I fear my attempts to learn more about you have gone too far. If you want nothing more to do with me, I understand. I had hoped to perhaps change your mind, but—" She shook her head rapidly. "I only ask…that you forgive me for my impudence, in blurting out what was not mine to say. I would be willing to suffer whatever punishment you deem necessary."

She stared into the other goddess's eyes and murmured, "I still wish to help you, if you will have me. I do want to help—and you seem so sad, so lonely, and—and you need someone to care about you." She paused for a fraction of a second, hardly daring to breathe; these words had just come to her and she hadn't meant to mention what she and the one-winged angels had spoken about; she wasn't even sure how she'd managed to find those particular words in the tangle of emotions, but she pushed that all away as she extended a hand, cautiously, carefully, an offering of truce. "Would you consider being my friend?"

A thick blanket of silence hung over them—Cool Mint whispered into the quiet, That was well-spoken; she will see your sincerity, I am certain.

But will she accept my apology? Peorth whispered back, despite the fact that as they were communicating via thoughts, Lind wouldn't have heard her anyways.

Both angels were silent on this matter, though; and with a heavy heart the goddess returned her focus to the Valkyrie still standing opposite her. Gorgeous Rose had appeared in Peorth's brief moment of inattention, and from the look on the green-eyed angel's face, Peorth got the idea she was attempting to explain to Lind the concept of being a friend, and Lind's face told her the other goddess was replying in the like of 'I know what a friend is, thanks very much', doubtless in more proper words, of course.

For several long, long seconds Lind glanced between Peorth and Gorgeous Rose, as if she was having some kind of argument with the angel; Peorth kept her eyes on the other goddess, whose gaze flashed to Peorth's still-outstretched hand and seemed to come to a decision.

"Friends," Lind said carefully, like she expected some kind of double-crossing, and she still seemed near half-confused over the whole matter, like she didn't understand what Peorth was offering, what she wanted to do; and Peorth nodded, completely serious. She had promised the twin angels, and she did want to help this lonely goddess, who no one else would care for…who she found herself wanting to care for.

"Friends," she echoed quietly, staring into Lind's eyes but finding only the smallest hints of sadness, the only sign of what Peorth's desperate, despairingly-truthful words had wrought.

It seemed like she stood there an eternity waiting, but at last Lind cast one more almost anxious glance towards the figure of Gorgeous Rose and reached out, grasping Peorth's hand lightly, unsurely.

Peorth wasn't completely sure, but she felt like she'd made something of an accomplishment. Stepping around the papers scattered across the floor, she squinted in Lind's direction, noting the faint circles beneath her eyes. "Were you up all night working on this?" she asked suspiciously, having almost forgotten that before the change she had been working more late nights to work out the errors made by the replacements she'd grabbed after her subordinates went on vacation; it would only now have begun to show.

Lind crouched and began gathering up the papers, not answering. With a humph Peorth moved to grab the papers on the other side of the room, stacking them into a neat pile and handing them back to Lind, who took them without complaint, flipping through and reorganizing some sheets before setting them off to the side.

Peorth heaved a long sigh and stared at her. "Have you made any progress, then?" she asked, trying to get some form of more verbal communication.

Lind looked over the pile of papers for a long moment. "…Some," she finally said, and Peorth felt like cheering, because she'd managed to get Lind to say something other than echoing what she herself said.

Peorth harrumphed and glanced towards the door. "Have you got anything else to do today?"

"…Why?" Lind's voice held the faintest tinge of suspicion.

"Because I highly doubt even when you're on vacation that you'd be lazing around," Peorth elaborated. "The problem is I have yet to figure out what exactly you would do while on vacation and the twins have been less then helpful in helping me figure that out."

Lind stared at her for a long moment, raising an eyebrow. She looked vaguely thoughtful though, thankfully not angry, an expression that annoyingly did not look out of place on Peorth's features—Peorth supposed she must have learned it from Gorgeous Rose. "…It's true, I have not had a…vacation…in several years—it is possible they simply cannot remember a time when there were no missions or training exercises to carry out."

"So, what do you do, then?" Peorth felt the angels stir at the back of her mind, taking a more active interest in the conversation at hand.

Lind shrugged halfheartedly. "…Exercise…?" She said it like she couldn't honestly think of anything else to say.

Peorth gave her a long look, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Seriously?"

The other goddess shrugged again. "If this—situation—had not occurred, then yes, I would probably be exercising. It's not as if I have anything better to do."

Peorth nodded; honestly, she wasn't all that surprised—of course, Lind wouldn't be doing much else, it wasn't like many of the other goddesses and gods chose to talk to the Valkyrie freely; and at this thought she frowned inwardly but made no remark to it, for how could she bring it up?—and she tapped her chin in thought. "All right then—I have a plan! Are those all your notes on the counter-spell?" She gestured towards the stack of papers. At Lind's nod, she carried on. "Well, bring those with you. We'll have to find somewhere hidden, where not many people go so they won't catch on. You can work on the counter-spell while you tell me what I'm supposed to be doing."

Lind looked hesitant. "You're not a Valkyrie."

"But right now, I've got a Valkyrie's body," Peorth insisted. "You know your limits better than I do, so you'll just have to tell me how far to go. It shouldn't be a big thing…" She paused, looking towards the door. "However…we'll have to decide where to go now, because we can't leave together or else people will begin to suspect something."

"You could always say you are escorting me somewhere else, should anyone ask," Lind offered; Peorth's eyes narrowed. "But…oh—no, that might work, actually. I've never expressed any contempt towards you, so anyone we pass by may just ignore us completely in favor of focusing on something else. That would work in our favor."

Lind nodded assent and gathered up the papers, taking along a few extra in case she came to a conclusion on any of the runes she had written out; Peorth returned the nod and was halfway to the door before something occurred to her. "Um…" She glanced back. "Did you wish to punish me for my outburst yesterday?"

Lind halted, tilting her head slightly. "I will simply ask Gorgeous Rose for one secret of yours. I trust that shall suffice?"

Peorth winced. "Depending on what she tells you…yes, that's more than enough." She worried what her angel would choose to tell the other goddess, and knowing herself as well as the whims of Gorgeous Rose, she had the idea that it would be far too relevant to what was happening now.

They carried on in silence, leaving behind Peorth's rooms and headed out, the other goddesses and gods on the fringe scattering at the sight of who Peorth appeared to be. No one questioned either of them as to why they were in each other's company; and as such they made it to the wild forests surprisingly quickly.

Peorth led the way now, saying she'd seen a decently large clearing, about three times the size of Lind's glade, the other day, now if she could just remember where…

"Ah ha," she muttered to herself, finding a familiar path. She cut across and through a thicket, arriving in a large grassy clearing. "Here we are!"

Lind peered around her, only remarking, "It seems big enough." She settled down on a boulder, laying out her papers and carefully weighting them down with nearby stones so they wouldn't be disturbed by Peorth or a sudden gust of wind.

"All right!" Peorth clapped her hands together. "What am I supposed to be doing?"

Lind eyed her, as if she was wondering how much to tell an outsider. "How much do you know of Valkyrie work?"

"Very little," Peorth admitted, rather freely—but she might as well be honest, after what she'd said. "I've seen you swinging that axe around before, though. And—" She hesitated a moment, playing with her fingers, making a valiant effort to explain the power that had come over her that incidental night. "There was—when I was angry last night—like a haze of yellow filling my vision—"

"The Golden Eye," Lind said by way of explanation, and Peorth's eyes grew wide. She had heard of the ability that granted the Valkyries great power; never, though, had she seen it in action; nor had she realized Lind had attained such a level of power—but then, why wouldn't she have, when she was the strongest Valkyrie in Heaven? (And to think, Peorth might have activated the Golden Eye herself in that moment!) Carefully, she nodded; she would be watchful of anger now.

Pushing away thoughts of the Golden Eye, she asked—returning to their precious topic—"So what do I do?"

Lind frowned thoughtfully. "It would be best if you trained with the safety device…less damage to the surrounding area, which could give away our position." She rose to her feet and walked towards Peorth; Peorth, for her part, was suspicious. "What do you plan on doing? Where's this safety device?"

Lind stopped just in front of Peorth and pointed to the side of her head. "Eh?" Peorth turned, but all she saw were pale blue strands of hair dancing in the wind. "What're you—" Her voice cut off as the other goddess reached out and tugged something away from her right ear; Peorth saw that it was a thin flat diamond, a tiny clip dangling from where it attached to the earring. Without further preamble Lind tossed the little diamond into the air. In midair the twirling metal shifted, blurring into a long-handled axe that came down not nearly as gracefully into Lind's outstretched hand.

"…That's a weapon," Peorth felt the need to say after a moment passed in silence.

"Safety device," Lind corrected her, and handed her the axe, positioning her hands on it so she could swing it easily.

"Whatever," Peorth shrugged, deciding not to question Lind's logic and hefting the axe, spinning it around a few times, admittedly more clumsily then she had ever seen the Valkyrie do. "At least it's not terribly heavy," was her verdict.

And so she found herself learning the many different maneuvers one could perform with an axe in tow, the twin angels' occasional input making up for Lind more so concentrating on working out the counter-spell. Move your right hand just slightly to the left, Spear Mint informed her. And move your left foot back! Cool Mint chipped in.

The blue-eyed angel had not spoken up very often, and hearing her talk gave Peorth an idea. Dropping surprisingly gracefully from her stance, she walked to where the other goddess was puzzling over a rune. "Lind," she said, to notify her of her presence; momentarily Lind glanced up. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just had a thought." Peorth took a seat on the boulder next to Lind, mindful of the papers sitting precariously near her, setting the axe carefully by her feet, still unsure if she would end up sitting here the rest of the time or feel motivated enough to return to exercise. "Have you ever tried summoning Cool Mint first, and then Spear Mint? Because I've only ever seen you summon Spear Mint."

Lind's pencil snapped. She sighed, setting it aside and picking up another one, making a small change to the rune on the page before her. "It hasn't worked yet."

Peorth frowned minutely. Yet—so the other goddess had tried before. She couldn't help but offer, "Can I try?" though she was mindful of the reaction that question might produce.

She needn't have worried, though; the Valkyrie said, "Do whatever you want." It was clear Lind didn't expect much to happen, even with Peorth's understanding of the angels' problem. Peorth rose to her feet, gripping the axe—it helped her focus, for some odd reason—and she closed her eyes, murmuring, "Come forth, Cool Mint."

Silence, as the wind rustled in the trees…

Peorth blinked open her eyes and turned around. The red eyes of Spear Mint gazed back at her apologetically. Sorry, the angel said quietly. Peorth sighed and shook her head. Cool Mint, you can't manifest physically at all?

The second one-winged angel was silent for a long heartbeat. Then… I've tried before, but… Peorth got the sense she had shrugged. Spear Mint even tried moving to the farthest place in our inner world, and still she was summoned instead. It's as if there is…something blocking me from manifesting.

Strange, Peorth noted, glancing towards Lind, who was drawing out another rune, comparing it to two that were sitting in front of her. Has Lind tried to find out what that is?

The angels were tentative now, Spear Mint's wing flicking slightly in the faintest sign of uncertainty. We believe it is because she still thinks we can be made one, Cool Mint finally replied, whispering, She tries so hard, but with the wrong goal in mind.

Then we'll just have to work harder on the Plan, Peorth said resolutely, narrowing her eyes. 'The Plan'—capital P, mind you—was her and the angel twins' collective ideas to help Lind succeed in finally summoning both Spear Mint and Cool Mint simultaneously. Rest assured, I'll make sure she figures it out before our week's up!

You're awfully confident, Spear Mint raised an eyebrow. You're certain you know a way to help our goddess understand?

Leave it to me! Peorth grinned. I'm a people person, you know? And I can be subtle. Gorgeous Rose, too—between the four of us we're sure to succeed!

You have seen more in our goddess than anyone else who we have crossed paths with, Spear Mint allowed. Perhaps…perhaps you have a chance.

Peorth nodded to her as the angel retreated back to her inner world; she glanced over at the other goddess, who was diligently laying out her current set of runes, muttering under her breath. Gorgeous Rose appeared, the scent of roses filling the air. She pointed something out to Lind; the goddess nodded abstractly and changed a rune slightly.

Peorth settled back on her rock and watched her silently. She does work hard, she thought to herself. All she has to do is realize that she needs both of her angels…

A frown flitted across her face as she finished the thought:

But can she come up with that on her own…?

---

They settled into a routine then; as Lind had managed to complete her filing endeavors in Yggdrasil the night of their somewhat-argument, she was left to her own devices—more time to sleep, considering Peorth had decided to tell her that she should be taking care of Peorth's body, because when they switched back the other goddess didn't want to be sleep-deprived. Lind noted that Peorth had said 'when' and not 'if', which she supposed said something about Peorth's willingness to trust that Lind would find the solution before the week's end.

And with more free time on her hands, she found herself heading to the clearing appropriated by Peorth, spending three days in this manner—she was almost done with the counter-spell, and found herself more so there for the sake of making sure Peorth didn't poke an eye out or something similar.

Lind set aside the last of the runes and studied the scene in front of her; Peorth was standing at the center of the clearing, Spear Mint beside her, clearly pointing out flaws in her form. It was eerily like watching herself, from the past and outside her own body. Gorgeous Rose appeared in a flurry of feathers and a pervading scent of roses; the vine-covered angel looked ponderous. Peorth isn't very good at this, is she?

She has improved, Lind felt obligated to say; the angel's eyes glittered. Improved, yes. But she would never be able to hold her own against a Valkyrie in hand-to-hand combat.

No, Lind agreed, but she won't have to, unless she transfers to the combat division. After all—she has you, doesn't she?

Mmm, Gorgeous Rose hummed noncommittally. Of course, I will always be there for her. The angel glanced towards her, green eyes appearing almost sly. And what about you?

Me? Lind blinked rapidly in confusion. What do you mean?

You're her friend, aren't you? Gorgeous Rose tilted her head. Therefore, she has you too. And of course, you have her!

Lind stared at her a long moment, for a moment trying to figure out the logic behind the reasoning before giving up. Peorth, evidently having also given up on figuring out the exact way to spin her axe properly, came striding up and sat down on the boulder beside Lind, Spear Mint waving from Peorth's shoulder. "How's the spell coming?"

"I am almost done," Lind answered, studying her careful list of runes. "There are only minor adjustments to be made—we might be able to resolve this today, or morning tomorrow."

"Good," Peorth smiled gratefully. "Not that I don't mind your angels, really, they're wonderful, it's just I miss Gorgeous Rose, you know?" She waved to her angel, who waved in return, smiling brightly.

Lind nodded; she missed her angels too. Reminded of the angels, she cast a sidelong glance towards Peorth. "Peorth," she began carefully, and the other goddess looked up expectantly. "Yes?"

"…When you first summoned Gorgeous Rose…" Lind spoke haltingly, finding that it was difficult for her to even form the words. She was sorely unused to asking for help, and yet—Peorth had accomplished what she herself could not. And she had to know why, to know how the other goddess could have done something she hadn't already. "…how did you do it?"

She did not see Spear Mint's meaningful glance to Peorth and Peorth's nod in return. When she glanced again towards the other goddess, Peorth looked only thoughtful.

"When I first summoned her? When I named her?" Peorth's eyes grew distant, a faint smile crossing her face. "Ah, that was an interesting day. You may or may not have noticed that I'm rather good at mending spells—that's because I was something of a rambunctious child, always getting into trouble."

Not at all like now, right? Gorgeous Rose murmured to Lind, waggling her eyebrows in mirth.

"Anyways," Peorth shrugged nonchalantly, giving her angel a look like she had heard the comment, even though she couldn't have, "at the time I had received an angel's egg but had yet to do anything with it. For the most part I would end up staring at it, rolling it around in my hands, wondering what my angel would look like, what she would be like. You probably know the feeling…wondering what form that reflection of your heart will take. I'll admit, I wanted her to be pretty—but of course, all angels are beautiful. Even," Peorth raised her eyebrows pointedly and now giving Lind a significant look, "even pairs of angels—twice as pretty, you'd think; but back to my tale—

"Well, there came a day when I had accidentally destroyed a section of the gardens when I was practicing some spells, and that particular section happened to be the pride and joy of a goddess who had a reputation for being very angry should things of hers be disturbed.

"I was positively horrified after learning that piece of information, and naturally tried to mend the damage as quickly as I could; while Earth spells are my forte, I was not strong enough, nor quite precise enough with my magic to complete the spell by myself, and you know what they say about spells when you're learning—you have to find a way to do them yourself before getting into multiple-person spells. You had to know what you were doing, and I needed help.

"And then it came to me—angels helped with spells, didn't they? I wasted no time in pulling out that angel's egg—I carried it with me everywhere should the occasion arise that I did actually need my angel—and promptly swallowed it, sparing a prayer that it would actually work.

"And then there she was—smaller, of course, but just as beautiful as she is now—" Peorth waved to her angel, grinning, before continuing. "—and I remembered of course I had to name her, couldn't stand to have her assigned a number, now could I? I saw the vines—which, now that I think about it, are somewhat odd, considering mostly everyone else's angels do actually wear some semblance of real clothing—and the big roses, and the name was no trouble at all. 'Gorgeous Rose,' I said, 'your name is Gorgeous Rose!' And so, I had an angel to call my very own."

Lind stared at the angels for a long moment, thinking of what Peorth had said. Because she needed help…because she couldn't do perform the spell herself…

She was still sitting there when Peorth headed off, saying she had some things to do; Spear Mint had offered her one last wave before vanishing from her sight as the other goddess walked away. Gorgeous Rose was hovering at her side; the green-eyed angel looked around the clearing. Follow me, Peorth's angel said, breaking their companionable silence, and retreating to her inner world. Curious, Lind trailed after, opening her eyes to find herself standing in a bright sunny world, with puffy white clouds stretching across the endless blue sky. She was standing in a great grassy field filled near to the brim with large red roses. Gorgeous Rose herself hovered above a particularly large bush that sat roughly close to the center of the field. "Welcome to my inner world," the angel said, spreading her hands wide.

"Very…filled with flowers," Lind managed to say, unsure of how to go about complimenting the world made by Gorgeous Rose, as she stepped carefully around the thorny bushes and made her way to the angel.

Gorgeous Rose floated around the bush, white wings a brilliant contrast to the red flowers and green leaves and stems. "Is there any particular significance to this bush?" Lind asked, and the angel's green eyes glittered.

"You have yet to collect on your terms of Peorth's punishment," Gorgeous Rose replied. "One secret for her unkind words—and this bush here is what I have elected to show you."

"What does it mean?" the goddess questioned, at the same moment realizing she no longer appeared as Peorth; the familiar sight of the Valkyrie uniform was comforting. She reached out and lightly pried a rose from the bush, weighing it in her hands and even measuring it against those around them, but there seemed to be no difference between the rose in her hands and all the others in the field.

Gorgeous Rose gestured to the bush. "Many of these flowers were placed here by me—I am quite fond of roses, as you may have noticed, as is Peorth—but some of the world's flora has appeared from Peorth's differing experiences; you know how experiences can change the way you think about something…someone. This bush here is relatively new, having appeared here four days ago."

"Four days…?" Lind's eyebrows drew closer together, trying to garner some significance from the named date. Four days ago? Why not five, to show when we first switched?

"Yes," the angel replied. "Four days. This rose bush signifies a great many emotions…anger, despair, happiness, loyalty, even love. To put it simply, this bush grew when Peorth made the choice to become your friend."

The goddess stared down at the rose in her hands, grown from that selfsame bush. "For me?" she asked softly; this was something she could not begin to consider—a gift? A hand touched lightly upon her shoulder, and she looked up into Gorgeous Rose's bright face. The angel closed Lind's fingers over the rose and murmured, "For you."

"I did not realize…" Lind blinked rapidly. "How could she do such a thing? How could she feel such…?" She trailed off, not able to properly describe the sudden feeling.

"Things happen," the angel replied airily. "Opinions change, you know?" Green eyes narrowed slightly as Gorgeous Rose asked suddenly, "Do you understand your own angels better, from this experience?"

"Perhaps," Lind allowed, gazing at the rose. Gorgeous Rose first appeared because Peorth needed her… Because Peorth did not have the magic necessary for the spell… Because Peorth needed her angel's strength…

Gorgeous Rose's voice broke into her thoughts. "Did you ever consider your soul might be unique?"

"I don't understand," the goddess mumbled, glancing towards Gorgeous Rose. "What do you mean by 'unique'?"

"Your angels…have you ever thought they might be meant to be that way? Two and not one?" Gorgeous Rose raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Lind kept her gaze fixed on the rose, not daring to look the angel in the eyes. She sighed softly, hands trembling. "I wanted to have an angel like everyone else, an angel with two wings," she admitted in a quavering voice; and she was surprised at herself, for revealing such a thing, when for so long she had never told anyone what she truly felt. Perhaps, she thought to herself, perhaps it's because she helps…and she listens. She and Peorth both have helped. "I wanted to be normal…" She jerked her head up, blue eyes meeting green; such compassion dwelled in that gaze that she couldn't help but blurt out, "I wanted to have an angel like you!"

Gorgeous Rose's eyes were impossibly kind; Peorth's angel smiled lovingly and embraced her, wings brushing against her shoulders. "Dear goddess," she murmured in Lind's ear, "dear goddess…you aren't like Peorth, and that's perfectly all right! You're not like the others, and that is wonderful!" She pulled back so Lind could see her face, resting her hands lightly on the goddess's cheeks. "Your angels are unique, one of a kind, and they are beautiful—you should cherish them!"

"I do…I do cherish them," Lind whispered faintly, and the angel's eyes flickered with sadness. Her voice echoed sharply in the air as she spoke: "But do you accept them as they are?"

Lind swallowed thickly, feeling suddenly miserable. What was it about this angel—or perhaps the goddess whose heart she reflected—that she was able to see so clearly into Lind's heart? "I thought…" she began, voice wavering, "I thought…they could be one…that if I just had enough power, I could make them one…"

Gorgeous Rose laughed softly. "Whatever are angels for?"

"What are angels for…?" Lind trailed off, blinking at the change of subject. "They help us," she said finally, feeling as if she was missing the point.

"Yes," the vine-covered angel nodded. "We do indeed help our goddesses and gods. And when do you call upon us?"

"When…" Lind's eyes widened. "When we don't have the strength ourselves!" It was as if an invisible brick had dropped from the heavens and struck her in the head. How could she have forgotten why Heaven's denizens had angels in the first place? With their angel, they were much more powerful.

Gorgeous Rose beamed. "Exactly! You have made yourself stronger in the belief that you could make them one, but…" She trailed off meaningfully.

"That's not what they wanted at all, is it?" Lind finished, running her fingers over the rose, shutting her eyes, an image of her angels, together in their inner world, dancing before her mind's eye—oh, how she wanted to see them both outside of their inner world! Peorth's angel's words came back to her: But do you accept them as they are?

Do I accept them…? Lind let out a long breath. …Do I accept them as they are…? She shook her head slightly, feeling a slight stinging at the edge of her eyes. I didn't…I only wanted to make them one—when they are not meant to be one angel! They were never meant to be one angel!

"That's right," Gorgeous Rose whispered, and Lind's eyes shot open. She realized she must have been projecting her thoughts towards the angel; but the angel seemed to be rather happy, her eyes shining bright. "Now you understand."

Now I understand. It was both liberating and terrible how wrong she'd been about her angels. Lind stood, rubbing at her eyes and squinting at the vine-covered angel. "Thank you for your assistance," she managed to say, bowing deeply. "Soon, you'll be reunited with your goddess." And that's all the thanks I can give you.

"Thank you," Gorgeous Rose returned, hugging her briefly. "I hope you will find success with your angels."

Lind nodded assent, the thought of As do I flashing through her mind as she returned to the outside world, standing in the clearing. It was getting close to dark, but she made the effort of drawing out the circle, this time paying close attention to the runes, meticulous in her calculations. She sat back on her heels, surveying her handiwork. "It'll do," she whispered to the night air, a great feeling of hope welling up in her chest. She prayed tomorrow would go well.

The next morning was brisk and clear, and Lind led the way to the clearing this time, rather than Peorth. The other goddess inspected the circle, walking around it, stepping over it and investigating the different runes, before she nodded to herself, evidently satisfied. "Let's do this!"

Lind nodded, stepping carefully to the center of the circle, Gorgeous Rose appearing beside her. Peorth approached from the opposite side, Spear Mint hovering at her shoulder. Lind locked eyes with her angel and thought: I pray this is the last time I see you alone. She reached out, Peorth grasping her hands, and they began the spell. Above them, the angels whirled into a dizzying circle, their wings blending together in an endless circle of long white feathers; and if Lind squinted a bit, she thought she saw faint, shimmering insubstantial feathers alongside the physical ones—Cool Mint's contribution to the spell, however small.

Darkness clouded her vision and she was knocked away from Peorth, the force of the spell sending her sprawling into the grass. She heard Peorth hit the grass farther away with a distinct thud and a yelp. For several long moments all Lind did was lie there, breathing carefully, unwilling to open her eyes, suddenly unsure of her spell. Had she done it?

Cautiously, she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to chase away the spots from her eyes; hovering above her was Spear Mint, red eyes bright. Are you all right? she asked, and Lind nodded, sitting up, brushing grass from her clothes, resisting the urge to laugh. She had never been so glad to hear her angel's voice in all her life.

"I'm me again!" came Peorth's cry of joy, and Lind turned to meet the other goddess's eyes, no longer the face she saw in the mirror. Peorth embraced her own angel, grinning like a madwoman, and came lurching across the circle, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around Lind.

Lind froze, staring helplessly at Spear Mint, who seemed to be in something of hysterics at the sight; Cool Mint was quick to join her twin in laughter. "Hug me back, you lazy lump," Peorth hissed in her ear, and awkwardly Lind returned the embrace, finding it odd that it was surprisingly comforting.

Peorth at last pulled away and crossed her arms. "Well?" she asked, and the Valkyrie blinked slowly—then she understood. Peorth wanted to know about her angels. "May I have a few minutes to myself?" she questioned, and the dark-haired goddess graciously inclined her head and excused herself, pointing to their pile of boulders. "I'll be over there, staring into the trees. Call me if you need me."

"I will," Lind gave a nod and watched as Peorth crossed to the rocks, seating herself on the large flat one, back to Lind, staring into the forest as she'd said she would.

Lind waited a moment, sneaking a glance back at Peorth before clasping her hands loosely in front of her. I'm sorry, she began, and her angels seemed faintly confused. She explained, I didn't understand what you've been trying to tell me this whole time.

Ah, Spear Mint stretched out a hand, fingers lightly brushing Lind's shoulder. It has turned out just as well, thanks to Peorth and Gorgeous Rose. You know now what to do?

Yes, I believe so. Lind took a breath. I never considered that maybe you both were born to be two angels and not one, like everyone else's. I never thought—I never accepted that you were two. I never realized, in my quest to gain enough power to support you both, that you never wanted my power, my strength—that I had to need yours.

But I know now, she carried on, I realize the error of my ways. You are both part of me, that which reflects my heart and soul. Spear Mint, Cool Mint—I want to spend the rest of my days with you, both of you. Will you join me?

You do understand, Cool Mint cried enthusiastically, clapping her hands in joy.

At last, Spear Mint murmured, her eyes shining. Of course, we will aid you in whatever manner we can.

Thank you. Lind lifted her hands to the sky. Come forth, Cool Mint!

A wind blew past her, stirring the grass, one of Spear Mint's feathers dancing on the breeze. Lind whirled in place, but, as always, Spear Mint's twin's place went unfilled. It didn't work? But—oh! Her hands dropped back to her sides as she understood—she hadn't fulfilled the final requirement. She still didn't have a true need for Cool Mint's strength.

Hmm… Her eyes narrowed. She turned and studied Peorth for a moment. "Peorth!"

The other goddess jumped as if startled. "What? I wasn't doing anything!" she cried in something of a panic; Lind spared her an odd glance before saying, "I require your assistance."

"Oh!" Peorth laughed shakily and walked over, looking vaguely interested. "What can I do?"

Lind crossed her arms. "Fight me."

"Eh?" Peorth's expression of shock was fast approaching comical. "But—I don't—I can't—" she protested, waving her arms wildly. "You could knock me away with one swing of that axe of yours!"

"You have learned some things," Lind allowed, raising an eyebrow, "and surely you would be able to dodge."

Peorth stared at her without saying a word, like she couldn't believe what Lind was suggesting.

Lind sighed, placating her. "I understand you pose no threat to me. However, I can't fulfill the last requirement on my own—I must need her strength as well. Surely you could think of some way…?"

"Well…" Peorth paused thoughtfully, squinting, looking her over, perhaps trying to judge her strength. "I suppose I could do something…" She spread her hands and stepped back, chanting something rapidly under her breath; great vines erupted from the dirt, twisting around Lind before she could move to bat them away. Spear Mint hovered cautiously at her side; the angel made no move to do anything, however, and Lind twisted in the air, clawing at the vines. She was half-tempted to try reaching for her axe, but that would only make it harder for Peorth to keep her contained.

And after all, the whole point was to put her in a position where she needed Cool Mint.

Alas, her training proved too well, as she wrenched herself to one side, ripping through the vines and dropping back to the ground. "You're going to have to try harder!"

Peorth frowned. "Gorgeous Rose!" she called, huffing. The green-eyed angel was at her goddess's side in a moment, and Lind eyed them both warily. Peorth clapped her hands together, murmuring another spell, and a wall of bark sprang up in a circle around Lind, closing off at the top so that it was pitch-black. Does she think I can't fight in the darkness? She lashed out at the nearest wall, feeling it crack beneath the pressure.

She spun back around and struck at it again, trying to pinpoint the same place—and then she realized Peorth's plot. The bark—no, tree, truly—was filling in rapidly, the outer walls closing in as the wood grew closer together. Lind launched herself at one approaching wall, hearing the audible cracking noise as her fists impacted the wood. But all too quickly the damaged bark had been absorbed, leaving behind only firm, new wood.

She wouldn't be able to break out with her fists alone.

Clever Peorth, she thought to herself, a faint smile flashing across her face. No matter what anyone says—you are very smart.

She let her hands fall to her sides. She could just feel the wood creeping ever closer; she shut her eyes, focusing on her inner world, where both angels stared out at her, Spear Mint having returned once the tree had begun to grow. I need you, Lind called, I need you both!

The angels tensed, their single wings stretching wide against a gray sky broken by beams of growing sunlight.

"Come forth!"

Brilliant light exploded across her eyes; vague shapes and colors slowly filtered into the white as her vision cleared. Peorth was staring up at her from a crouch, irritably brushing stray fragments of wood from her hair. "At least you mostly vaporized it," the dark-haired goddess offered, and Lind glanced about her feet to find a neat circle of frozen grass, the only evidence of the tree's existence being a few pieces of bark strewn across the clearing.

"…Did it work?" she whispered, as Peorth's eyes locked on a point just above her head.

"See for yourself," Peorth replied, offering what had to be the biggest smile Lind had ever seen, much less expressed in her own direction.

Lind took a deep breath and slowly turned, hardly daring to think of what awaited her.

Two pairs of eyes, one red, one blue, stared down at her; two great white wings swayed in the wind.

Both of her angels, in all their glory.

I did it…I really did it! Her legs trembled and she fell back onto the grass, overwhelmed by the sudden rush of pure joy; Peorth must have seen this as another opportunity, because the other goddess was suddenly hugging her for all she was worth, squealing, "You did it, you did it!" loudly in her ear. Lind tilted her head back, staring up at the angels; Gorgeous Rose, mirroring her goddess, was embracing the angel twins enthusiastically—their heads bobbed in the air and she thought they might have been talking.

Peorth was saying something else now, but Lind couldn't hear her; the angels' wings had begun to blur together, feathers dancing every which way, the sky above a too-bright blue. She squinted—when had she become so tired?—and her angels looked down, their faces shining. Rest, Spear Mint murmured. You've accomplished much today.

Accomplished… Lind responded sluggishly, darkness crowding in at the edges of her vision. Peorth's face suddenly loomed in front of her, the other goddess's brown eyes dark with worry.

"Are you all right?" Her voice echoed loudly in Lind's ears.

When Peorth received no forthcoming answer, Lind heard her voice again, growing more distant: "Lind? Lind!"

She was too far gone; she slipped away into welcoming darkness, her last sight that of Peorth, and the angels beyond her, Spear Mint and Cool Mint on either side of Gorgeous Rose, their hands joined and their wings a canopy of feathers stretched across the sky.

---

Peorth shook Lind lightly, but the Valkyrie did not stir; she turned her gaze to Gorgeous Rose; Spear Mint and Cool Mint had disappeared back into Lind's body once she had lost consciousness. What's wrong with her?

Spear Mint and Cool Mint said that it's nothing to worry about, Gorgeous Rose replied, leaning down, studying the other goddess. Her body just needs to adjust to the fact that she can now summon both of her angels.

How long will that take?

Undetermined, Gorgeous Rose supplied unhelpfully, but Spear Mint estimated about a day.

How…wonderful, Peorth muttered crossly. What am I supposed to do with her for a day?

For starters… Her angel looked pointedly around them. You can't stay in this clearing for a day's time; you'll have to go back to your rooms eventually, and you wouldn't leave your friend out here, would you?

No, Peorth shook her head slightly. Hope no one asks me what happened, because I can't think of a way to tell the truth! She gathered up Lind and stood, relieved to find that the Valkyrie wasn't all that heavy, because Peorth was not blessed with extremely great muscle, and had Lind been heavier Peorth would have had considerable difficulty making it all the way back to her building.

Gorgeous Rose gave her a thumbs-up and a smile and retreated to her inner world; Peorth headed back through the woods, only leaving behind the shadows of the forest when she came close to her building. There were only a few other Yggdrasil operators sitting around, waiting for their shifts to start, and Peorth felt it was a safe bet that they were all gawking at her. She had no doubt that she was about to be the source of much gossip as the others tried to figure out how she had come to be in the company of an unconscious Valkyrie, especially one as ill-rumored as Lind.

Still, she ignored the whispers and the pointing fingers and the wide-eyed looks, making it quickly back to her own rooms, thankfully encountering no others on the way there, and escaped into the relative privacy of her home.

Gorgeous Rose reappeared and helped her lay out Lind on the couch; once making sure the Valkyrie was settled and not about to roll off or anything else, Peorth drifted about, idly clearing up any messes left behind—few, only a few stray papers and pencils from when Lind was still figuring out the counter-spell—and looked to her angel. A day, you said?

A day or longer, the green-eyed angel replied calmly, hovering close to the ceiling, her eyes carefully trained on the sleeping goddess. "Well," Peorth huffed, softly though—"Really, whatever am I supposed to do with her for a day's time anyways?"

Whatever you want, I suppose, Gorgeous Rose shrugged pointlessly. It's not like she'll remember anything anyways, being unconscious and all.

Oh, forget your advice! Peorth harrumphed and gave her angel the best squinty-eyed look she could manage. She sighed aloud irritably; because she had yet to find a solution to that problem. She could, of course, quite reasonably just go to work, because her subordinates were due to be back any day now, and perhaps things could get done somewhat—but at the same time she would rather not leave Lind alone when the Valkyrie couldn't defend herself. Not that anyone would be getting into Peorth's rooms in the first place, but caution had to count for something, didn't it?

The dark-haired goddess grumbled to herself and sat down, staring at the rug for a long moment. "Bother," she muttered, picking at a loose thread. "I wouldn't even have this problem if I hadn't taken that shortcut—"

It is better this way, though—isn't it? Gorgeous Rose hovered next to her.

Peorth's fingers traced out a pattern on the rug as she hunted for a way to answer the question properly. I suppose so, she replied vaguely. She could feel the weight of her angel's gaze, but refused to meet her eyes. Is it better this way? she thought to herself; she had managed to unravel the strand of the rug she was picking at, so occupied by this thought was she. Gorgeous Rose did not attempt to pry; her angel seemed most busy with extracting something from their inner world and as such didn't pay much attention to Peorth's conflict.

Peorth was still attempting to come to a decision when Gorgeous Rose dropped something small and red onto her lap; the goddess blinked and picked up the rose, raising an eyebrow at her angel. "What do you mean by this?"

For her, the green-eyed angel said, angling her head towards Lind. She didn't get the chance to take it with her before.

Peorth's eyes skimmed over the rose and she slowly lifted her head, eyes trying to look right through Gorgeous Rose. That bush? You showed her that?

You let me choose, Gorgeous Rose reminded her. I wasn't about to show her something trivial.

And I'm regretting it already, Peorth grumbled, rubbing at her temples. Oh, well…I suppose it's for the best. That's…not trivial in the least, though.

Exactly, Gorgeous Rose beamed, eyes glittering brightly.

You, Peorth paused, trying to come up with a good word. You interfere, you know that?

I am the mirror that reflects your heart, Peorth, my goddess, Gorgeous Rose replied, tilting her head slightly. Why should I not follow through on the emotions you will not act upon?

But— The dark-haired goddess sighed heavily, giving up on attempting to wheedle any proper sense out of the green-eyed angel and lifted the rose to eye level, studying it. For her…and from that bush…

Peorth had yet to come to a proper decision with what to do about both the rose (and the connotations attached to the gift) and how she felt about the blue-haired goddess when Lind woke; Spear Mint's estimate was slightly off, and Peorth had had to wait for a day and a half before the Valkyrie opened her eyes.

Peorth had taken to sitting by the couch and staring up at the ceiling, counting the spots of light dappling across from the window; Gorgeous Rose was hovering beside her, gazing pointedly at the rose still in the goddess's hands, and Peorth was stoically ignoring her and her occasional insinuations—and doing quite a fine job of it, too—when suddenly the angel announced, She's awake!

Eh? Peorth turned, finding indeed that Lind's eyes had opened, and she was looking around, a vaguely confused look on her face, before she spotted Peorth, who offered a wave, Gorgeous Rose mimicking her.

"Oh," Lind said, blinking rapidly. "So it wasn't—a dream?"

Now Peorth knew why she had seemed confused—she hadn't immediately seen Peorth sitting there, so to see Gorgeous Rose hovering in the air must have made her think for a moment that she hadn't really completed the spell, that she was still trapped in Peorth's body. "No, not a dream," she said cheerfully, and remembered the rose. "Here, Gorgeous Rose said this is for you."

Lind accepted the rose and stared down at it, recognition flickering in the depths of her eyes, but when she looked up to meet Peorth's gaze, she seemed only confused. "What am I to do with it?"

"Well…" Peorth frowned, taking back the rose and examining it. There was still a bit of stem left, but no leaves or thorns, thank goodness. She grinned as an idea came to her, shooting a suspicious look in Gorgeous Rose's direction—the angel only smiled innocently—before the dark-haired goddess reached up, tucking the rose behind Lind's left ear. "There you are!"

Lind prodded at the rose with a finger, like she thought it might do something, but when the flower didn't move, she seemed to let it go and dropped her hand.

"Can you still summon both of the twins?" Peorth questioned, suddenly wondering if that day had been only a fluke. "Or was it a one-time thing?"

Surprise flashed across Lind's face; the Valkyrie murmured, "Come forth," and Peorth was utterly relieved to see both twins appear, faces bright. They embraced Peorth first, their wings brushing across her shoulders, and she liked to think they were saying Thank you but she could not hear their voices; then they pulled away and fluttered up to Gorgeous Rose, hugging her as well before the three angels put their heads together as if they were speaking quietly, even though when they spoke amongst one another Peorth and Lind wouldn't be able to hear them.

They were quiet a long moment, before Lind murmured, "It's sunny now."

Peorth was about to say, It's always sunny in Heaven, but then she realized: Lind was talking about her inner world, that field of snowdrops and ice sculptures beneath a cloudy sky where Spear Mint and Cool Mint resided. Sunny. She tried to imagine the sun shining onto tiny white flowers, melting away the jagged ice spires, a bright blue sky stretching across from either horizon. "I'm glad," she said finally, smiling. "It was a bit cloudy in there, you know?"

Lind murmured something noncommittally, and their eyes turned back to the trio of angels hovering above them, Gorgeous Rose gesturing wildly, Spear Mint and Cool Mint looking on and nodding seriously.

"Sometimes I wonder," Peorth muttered, "that they're talking about us."

"It is a high possibility," Lind agreed placidly. "Spear Mint and Cool Mint are grateful to you both, really…as am I."

"Whatever are friends for?" Peorth raised both eyebrows, clapping her hands once. "Though," she added conspiratorially, "I'm getting suspicious of Gorgeous Rose. She's saying these strange things…and then there's the rose…"

"If there is a problem, you may have it back," Lind offered, but Peorth shook her head rapidly. "No, it's yours. Keep it. Just…what did she tell you about that bush?"

Lind frowned minutely in concentration. "She said…that it appeared a certain number of days ago…that most of the bushes were placed by her, but some grew from your experiences, and that particular bush appeared when you made the choice to become my friend."

"Anything else?" Peorth hedged.

Lind hesitated briefly. "…Only that the bush itself represented a great tangle of emotions. She listed them, but I doubt I would be able to recite all of them from memory."

Peorth eyed her angel and nodded once. "All right. Better than nothing, yes?"

Lind shrugged, clearly not sure what Peorth was talking about, and asked instead, "How many days have passed since our switch back?"

"Only a day and a half," Peorth said, calculating the days rapidly. "You're free to go back to Valkyrie duty now, aren't you?"

The blue-haired goddess nodded slightly. "Yes."

"We'll still be friends, won't we?" Peorth blurted out, suddenly worried that the combat division might make Lind forget their week of walking around in each other's shoes.

"If you wish it so, then yes." Lind blinked; Peorth grinned, relief filling her. "Good," she said decisively, and hugged the Valkyrie briefly. Lind sat there frozen, and Peorth sighed heavily. "You have got to get better at hugging," she admonished her, shaking her head. Gorgeous Rose returned to her, and the angel twins moved to either side of Lind.

"Are you going to show them to anyone else?" Peorth asked, gesturing to the twins.

Lind looked thoughtful. "For now…only the Commander of Valkyries. If anyone else wants to know, they shall have to find out on their own."

Peorth loosely clasped her hands before her as Gorgeous Rose waved to the other angels before retreating back to her inner world. "May I come along to see this?"

Lind tilted her head, frowning faintly. "You would want to?"

Peorth nodded. "Why not? I want to watch them reconsider everything that's been said about you. But most of all, I just want to see their faces. To think, that you have two angels!"

"Well…" Lind hesitated. "I suppose…if you insist…"

Peorth grinned, watching Spear Mint and Cool Mint disappear as Lind stood. "Shall we go, then?"

The Valkyrie nodded, and Peorth went to the door, peering out to see that there was no one in the hallways; in fact, she should probably be at work, but at this point she didn't quite care. She made her way out, Lind following like a white-clad shadow in her Valkyrie's uniform; the dark-haired goddess was careful to avoid those Yggdrasil operators waiting for their shifts to start or those who were just coming back.

Once they were out of the building, Lind took the lead; Peorth had only been to the combat division headquarters a total of one time, when as a young goddess she was being shown all the different opportunities for a position to take when one was old enough. She hadn't been since, and would have been sorely lost had Lind not been leading the way.

Peorth was surprised to find that the combat division was not too far away from Yggdrasil's hub; perhaps in case of emergency, she wondered to herself, as Lind approached the two Valkyries standing sentinel. They didn't look all that happy to see her—Peorth rather thought the look on their faces said Oh great, look who's back, why did it have to be me on guard duty? They spoke quietly for a moment before the goddess and god stepped back, sending almost pitying looks Peorth's way as she and Lind trooped past.

Those looks did not change, as they walked past the training yards and into the sole building, several Valkyries along the way asking what Lind was doing; the blue-haired goddess would only say she had to see the Commander of Valkyries, and the others would walk away as fast as possible, having learned all they needed to.

The duo arrived at a simple door, much like the rest Peorth had passed in the hallway; Lind knocked politely and opened the door, stepping in and Peorth slipped in after her, shutting the door quietly before turning around. Sitting behind a desk, looking over several stacks of papers, was an older goddess with pale blonde hair and light blue eyes; she looked up when they approached, saying, "Oh, it's you"—but not the same way as the looks of the other Valkyries; the Commander's was more a tone of You're not who I was expecting, so tell me what you want so I can get back to work.

"Commander Brunnhilde," Lind started, and the older goddess raised an eyebrow. "Where are your forms?" she asked heavily, and Peorth looked at Lind in bewilderment; the blue-haired goddess was empty-handed, and had been since they'd left Peorth's rooms.

"Forms?" Lind echoed, sounding as confused as Peorth felt; Brunnhilde's other eyebrow joined the first as she replied, "Your forms for resignation. Aren't you leaving to go with her?" She tilted her head in Peorth's direction, and Peorth had a sinking feeling she knew where this idea had come from.

"No," Lind's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Well…" Brunnhilde's eyes pointedly found Lind's newest accessory, the rose sitting behind her ear, and she started riffling through her piles of papers, coming up with one and handing it over to Lind; Peorth could see the edges of a large picture there and knew exactly what the younger Valkyrie was looking at.

Lind slowly turned to Peorth, holding out the picture wordlessly, and the dark-haired goddess looked it over—of course, it was outside her building, a day and a half ago. They'd somehow managed to catch two Yggdrasil operators in the far left upper corner, and Peorth almost wanted to laugh at their wide-eyed, slack-jawed expressions; but they weren't the problem. She handed the paper back and said, in her defense, "I couldn't just leave you there; that would be rude of me! And I wasn't about to sit around in that clearing for a day and a half, let me tell you!"

Lind stonily handed back the picture to Brunnhilde. "Regardless of what you might assume from that, I will not be leaving the combat division."

Brunnhilde's gaze slid to Peorth. "Then, if you're not leaving…" She directed the last part towards Peorth, sounding doubtful. "Are you here to transfer to the Fighting Wings? You're a bit old to start training…"

"Oh, no," Peorth said hastily, holding up her hands, placating-like. "I'm perfectly fine where I am, since I actually know what I'm doing nowadays; thank you for the offer, though," she added, to be polite.

Brunnhilde muttered something under her breath and started going through the papers again as she spoke. "If you're not leaving, and if she's not transferring, then what are you both doing here?" She switched her gaze to Peorth. "And what is she here for?"

"…Moral support," Lind came up with after a long heartbeat of silence; Peorth smiled shakily, feeling that was a fairly accurate description of her reasons for being here, without mentioning that she had wanted to see Brunnhilde's look of utter surprise once Lind revealed why her angel had only one wing.

"Moral support," Brunnhilde repeated, without much conviction; and suddenly Peorth realized what she was getting at. "Oh, we're just friends," she said quickly, jumping into the conversation and gesturing to herself and Lind somewhat lamely, more than a little awkwardly as she tried to think of a good way to put it. Funny, she was usually good at these kinds of things… "I mean…we aren't—involved…"

Brunnhilde shook her head irritably, looking as though she might like to say something along the lines of 'Lind doesn't have any friends', which, of course, would have been true prior to their mishap with that spell. "What do you want, Lind? You're wasting my time; I've got more papers to work through, a training session to oversee and that Eir still hasn't brought me my list of new recruits!"

"I wished to show you something," Lind said, clasping her hands loosely behind her back. "You may make changes to my profile as you see fit."

"Hurry it up then," Brunnhilde waved a hand, eyes flicking between Peorth and Lind, pencil twirling about her fingers.

"Come forth," Lind murmured quietly, and as Peorth was standing at an angle behind Lind, she could see the two wings emerge first, Spear Mint and Cool Mint's heads rising shortly after. The twin angels clasped their hands and waved to Peorth with their free ones; she offered a wave and a smile in response, feeling gratified at the look on the Commander of Valkyries' face. Brunnhilde's eyebrows looked as though they were trying to jump off her face, they were so close to her hairline; while she didn't have a slack-jawed expression similar to those of the Yggdrasil operators who had witnessed Peorth carrying Lind, her surprise was still fairly evident from her wide eyes.

For a long moment, the only sound was that of Brunnhilde's pencil hitting the desk, having fallen from her hands once she forgot its presence.

Then the Commander of Valkyries took in a deep breath. "Well, well, well…" She turned to the computer half-buried beneath her piles of paperwork and tapped something in. "Quite unusual, I'd say… What is the other's name?"

"Cool Mint," Lind answered softly, and Brunnhilde typed for a few moments longer, before pushing away from the computer and swiveling around, picking through her stacks of paper, tossing a few into a wastebasket that was starting to look a little too full. "I know many of the recruits aren't fond of you, either for your angel or for your ridiculous training regimen. Are you going to do something about that?" She waved a hand towards the two angels hovering behind the younger Valkyrie.

"If they wish to know, then they shall have to find out for themselves," Lind replied, and Peorth stepped up next to her. "I won't tell anyone," she promised. Lind inclined her head in thanks and they both looked back to Brunnhilde, who was grumbling over a paper, finally scribbling something down on it and looking up again. "What, you're still here? Is there something else you wanted to tell me?" the Commander of Valkyries asked meaningfully.

"No," Lind said shortly, glancing briefly in Peorth's direction before stepping back, her angels smiling and waving. Peorth got the idea that Gorgeous Rose had told them something, and she narrowed her eyes at them. Spear Mint caught her eye and pressed her hands to her heart, spreading them out, Cool Mint mimicking the gesture; Peorth nodded, suspicions confirmed—Gorgeous Rose had definitely said something to them. Lind, meanwhile, was staring at her angels aghast like she wasn't quite sure what they meant but had a good idea of what it was and that idea was not one she was fond of, or at least one she had yet to reconcile herself to the thought of such a thing.

"Go away, the both of you," Brunnhilde muttered, and reminded them both of her presence. "You can't just stand there all day."

Peorth started for the door, but had to jump back as it was flung open by a harried-looking young Valkyrie with brown hair; she was holding onto a long paper and rushed past them to hand the paper to the Commander of Valkyries. "Here's the—the list of—the new recruits, Commander," the girl—Brunnhilde had called her 'Eir', if she was getting the list—gasped, and Peorth felt slightly sorry for the girl.

Then Eir turned and light brown eyes found the two angels hovering behind Lind. Now here was an expression that was truly flabbergasted; the young Valkyrie's eyes were as round as dinner plates and the girl mumbled something incoherent under her breath, gabbling "Two angels?" in a squeaking voice before fleeing the room, where Peorth could hear her voice echoing down the hallway, "Everyone, you've got to come see this!"

Brunnhilde groaned. "Now they're all going to be gawking. At least leave the room before the first of them arrive." Peorth gave a nod and stepped out the door quietly, easy enough considering it had been flung open by Eir's hasty entrance and untouched in her equally hasty exit; Lind followed after her, Spear Mint and Cool Mint looking intrigued at the possibility of being looked at in awe.

"Now they're all going to find out," Peorth muttered in Lind's ear; the Valkyrie shrugged halfheartedly. "I am surprised it would happen so soon, but at least no one can accuse me of keeping secrets."

"True," Peorth agreed. The sounds of running feet reached them, and the dark-haired goddess wryly murmured, "And here's the stampede…"

"It would be best if they do not get trapped in the hallway," Lind raised an eyebrow and started walking back the way they'd come from. Peorth followed after, grinning at the few Valkyries who hadn't responded to Eir's call—they were momentarily absorbed by their work, looked up when they sensed someone coming, and promptly dropped whatever it was they were holding; she even laughed at one young god who stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide, and made a squawking noise before rushing off.

"They're quite surprised, aren't they?" Peorth murmured to Lind; the Valkyrie nodded faintly as they arrived in the training yards. There were no Valkyries out training now, so they were alone for the moment, until the stampede caught up.

When Lind didn't say anything, Peorth glanced over and found her staring at her hands as though she'd never seen them before. "I don't understand," she whispered, and Peorth reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What don't you understand?"

Lind tipped her head back so that she could look at her angels. "…It's raining," she mumbled, her voice perplexed. "But I'm not—I don't—"

Peorth smiled. "It's perfectly all right," she murmured, suddenly understanding, and looked at the angels as well; Spear Mint smiled at her, and Cool Mint winked, as if they were sharing some sort of secret. Lind's finally done it—why shouldn't she be happy? "It's raining in your inner world because you're happy," she explained, "you're finally going to be recognized for the goddess you are. You won't have to worry about any more angry words or dark looks. Everyone will be able to see your angels…and they'll see how beautiful they are."

Lind made a noise at the back of her throat and did not say anything for a few moments. "…Thank you, Peorth," she said at last. "Thank you…for everything."

"We're friends," Peorth grinned. "Friends are supposed to help each other, aren't they?" She raised her eyebrows and moved her hand from Lind's shoulder, hearing at last the sounds of the other Valkyries approaching as Lind made a noncommittal noise, still looking up at her angels. "I suppose…" the blue-haired goddess began, hesitantly, "you could say that you fixed me."

Peorth caught the eye of the angel twins, who both smiled brightly at her, the largest smile they had yet to offer her. She smiled back at them, turning to Lind and saying firmly, "You weren't broken to begin with."

Lind glanced towards her, sudden gratitude flashing in the depths of her eyes, and Peorth noted the rose was still sitting behind her ear. She could have put it down at any time…she could have gotten rid of it entirely…

Spurred by some impulse—or perhaps Gorgeous Rose, nudging her towards some 'emotion she would not act upon'—Peorth reached out, grasping Lind's hand, and asked, "Friends?" She remembered waiting for that answer before, uncertain, wanting to be forgiven, and to help this lonely, sad goddess who hopefully would be lonely and sad no longer. Gorgeous Rose murmured at the back of her mind, I wonder if you've managed to wash away her sadness…

I hope so, was Peorth's reply, as she looked to the rose behind Lind's ear, wondering if the fact that she hadn't removed it yet was a sign of anything to come.

The doors creaked behind them, the sure sign of the stampede soon to arrive; but Peorth ignored that and listened closely, straining her ears, and so she heard the quiet reply to her question, as the Valkyrie lightly squeezed her hand in return and murmured:

"Friends."

Somewhere, angels were singing, Peorth was sure of it. They were slowly shifting away from the doors; Lind pulled her hand back and the dark-haired goddess realized she had left behind a small flower in Peorth's palm—a little white snowdrop, and somehow the goddess got the feeling this was the exact same one she had plucked from the Valkyrie's inner world.

Peorth felt a smile cross her face as she lifted the flower to her eye level; she glanced towards Lind, but the blue-haired goddess had found something very interesting about the ground and was avoiding looking at her. Peorth sighed internally, deftly tucking the snowdrop behind her own right ear, since she'd placed the rose on Lind's left—and for the fact that she had helped Lind's right-winged angel to show herself.

"Why?"

Lind's voice was quiet, and Peorth almost didn't hear her. "Pardon?" she asked.

"Why you?" The Valkyrie lifted her head, meeting Peorth's eyes. "Why you, out of all the beings in Heaven? Why do you care so much about me, when no one else will?"

Peorth studied her a long moment, trying to sort through her thoughts. There were a great many things she could say, not many she was actually willing to admit. But once she'd started, she couldn't very well stop, as Gorgeous Rose appeared behind her, reaching over their heads to take the angel twins' hands.

"Because you seemed so sad and lonely before; and because—because you try so very hard to be a great Valkyrie, and no one else seems to see how hard you work, and I think you deserve to be happy, too, just like everyone else. And you are kind too, and so are your angels, and they are beautiful, and I wondered how you couldn't see it, how you are the most unique soul in Heaven, how you can have two angels and not be like the others. I wanted to help you, because you can't just bottle up emotions and hope that you'll never have to deal with them someday, and I wanted to see that cloudy sky be sunny and not raining in sorrow, and I wanted to see your angels smile, I wanted to see them both here with you—and I wanted—I—"

Peorth cut herself off, making a valiant effort to stem the flow of words, to make them into some coherent sentences rather than the long string of words. But Lind seemed to understand, or at least, she was rather surprised to hear all of that, especially considering it was mostly good things about her; Gorgeous Rose's wing lightly brushed Peorth's hair, and the dark-haired goddess heard her angel murmur: Go on. Take that last step—say the reason for the rose, for the kindness, for everything you've done—

Yes. Peorth looked into Lind's eyes, seeing the faintest traces of sadness still there, and she hoped what she was about to say would dispel the last vestiges of sorrow; and she whispered, for Lind's and their angels' ears alone:

"I wanted to help you because you are beautiful, and you need someone to love you, too…"

And immediately after she had said that, she became aware that they had something of an audience. There was a group of Valkyries gawking at them from what she imagined they judged a 'safe distance', but not nearly out of earshot, and even though she had been speaking quietly, she wasn't sure if they had heard any of it or not—especially the last part—and when she saw them whispering amongst each other, the list-keeper Eir at the front—Peorth knew someone, at least, had to have heard her words.

But for now, they weren't important—what was important was the goddess staring back at her in stunned silence; Peorth snuck a glance towards the angel twins, and she saw that they had both clasped their hands over their hearts, their eyes shining, and Gorgeous Rose was resting her hands on their winged shoulders, her face bearing a radiant smile.

And looking at the angels, Peorth had an idea of what this meant to the Valkyrie, the kinds of things one couldn't accurately describe in simple words; how could you describe the feeling of knowing you were loved?

Lind reached up, fingers hesitantly brushing the rose there, as if for comfort. "…Love…" she murmured, nearly inaudibly; Peorth nodded, not trusting herself to say anything else, lest she spill out any more secrets—though, compared to that one, they were all trivial. She attempted a wobbly smile, thinking, Oh boy, you've really dug yourself a hole now, and then—

Suddenly Lind was embracing her, and she was quite stunned for a moment—ah, the irony—and it took her another moment to reciprocate the gesture; the blue-haired goddess whispered breathlessly in her right ear, "Thank you, Peorth." And Peorth knew what she could not put into words—Thank you for everything you have given me, thank you for everything you have shown me, everything I cannot properly say.

The dark-haired goddess smiled brightly. "You're welcome. Also—you've finally learned; that's how you hug someone," she laughed softly. A small cough interrupted her, and she cast an annoyed glance towards their audience, all of whom had begun to gawk, even if they wouldn't have been able to hear what Peorth and Lind had been saying—they had certainly seen everything going on, and Peorth was willing to bet that they had never seen Lind be outwardly affectionate towards anyone, ever.

She felt like saying something like, 'Do you mind? We're having a moment here', before she realized belatedly that was exactly what they were doing, and suddenly Brunnhilde's suspicions on the nature of their relationship didn't seem quite so far-fetched.

So Peorth sighed, let go of Lind, waited for the Valkyrie to release her, and turned towards their audience. "Seen enough?" she called, and a few Valkyries disappeared back to whatever they had been doing. There was still a small crowd watching them, though, and Peorth groaned internally—these Valkyries seemed quite stubborn; before they couldn't be bothered to be in the same space as Lind, and now they didn't want to leave.

"Peorth," Lind murmured at her side, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? For them to accept me, as you do?"

"Well, yes," Peorth admitted, casting a shifty-eyed glance towards the group. "But—" Her eyes slid back to the blue-haired goddess as Lind's hand slid from her shoulder, and she said lowly, "Have you forgiven them for what they said about you?"

Lind sighed softly and conceded, "No…not yet. Perhaps not for some time. But if I wish for them to accept me, to be perfectly civil with me in passing, then I must do them the same courtesy. You taught me that, Peorth."

Peorth laughed. "I suppose I did," she agreed, recalling Gorgeous Rose, telling her angel that at this moment Spear Mint and Cool Mint deserved to be the center of attention; the green-eyed angel was not mad—quite the opposite, in fact, as she was glad that the angel twins would finally get the admiration they were worthy of.

"Then, shall we go and meet the stampede?" the dark-haired goddess questioned, offering a hand. As Lind hesitantly grasped the proffered hand, Peorth looked up to the pair of one-winged angels; she searched their eyes, but she could see no traces of the sorrow that had filled their eyes when she had first spoken to them in their inner world.

Spear Mint and Cool Mint's eyes seemed to hold a message for her: more than Thank you, more than You've done what you said you would do, more than even I care about you; she smiled at them, as Gorgeous Rose murmured from the back of her mind:

I think you've done it. You've washed away their sadness.

Peorth's smile grew.

Yes, she answered.

Lind's not sad anymore…she and Spear Mint and Cool Mint, they're happy now…

…and I'll make sure they stay that way.

---

All right, question and answer time!

1. Are Gorgeous Rose's eyes really green?

Actually, I think they're blue in the manga/anime, but I've never gotten a good enough look at her eyes when I've seen her, so truthfully they could probably be anything. Green made sense to me though, because of Peorth's earth element, and there wasn't a green-eyed angel; there were already plenty of blonde, blue-eyed angels (*cough* Holy Bell, Cool Mint *cough*) so I felt the need to distinguish Gorgeous Rose's eyes. Her eyes are going to be green in any other stories I make involving these characters, too.

2. Why this pairing?

First off, at the beginning, when I first started writing this one-shot, I had no intention of making it romantic, at all. Mostly because I have never had a real relationship in my life, so I find it difficult to express feelings I have legitimately never felt before. But I tried my best. Anyways, I have a real theory about these two, I'm not sure you'll want to hear all my points of suspicious possible subtext, but I'm going to tell you so you can at least understand that I did consider this rationally.

1) The second ending for the second anime series; I think it shows up after episode 14? All of the goddesses show up with someone they have/had been in love with…and then there's Peorth, plus Gorgeous Rose, and when the screen moves back you can see Lind in the picture, too! If they just wanted to show Peorth and Gorgeous Rose, why put Lind in there at all?

2) The cover of chapter 244, "The Closing World". Look at Peorth's face, for crying out loud! Is that the kind of look you'd give your friend? (I even asked my sister to be sure, to determine whether or not Peorth was looking out, towards the reader, or sideways, at Lind. My sister told me it looked like Peorth's eyes were looking sideways. Of course, I may have corrupted her with my talk about this whole theory I have, but hey, at least I think she answered me honestly)

3) Their whole conversation when they leave Heaven after Hell is taken over. This was mentioned at the top, but I did not mention Peorth's reply to Lind's suggestion of trying on her outfit: "My, wouldn't that be nice!" Is it just me, or does that sound…suspicious? I mean, sure, we've never seen Lind in anything but the Valkyrie uniform, but Peorth's outfit is pretty much on the opposite side of the 'Do Your Clothes Actually Cover Your Body' scale.

4) Something I saw in the second episode of the Itsumo Futari De OADs ("Hunters & Hunters") where the goddesses plus Keiichi all go to this apparently annual find-bugs-in-Yggdrasil contest; everyone is in pairs, and I noticed something about the pairs: they're either blood relatives (Urd and Skuld, the two twin goddesses that only appear in that episode) or romantically inclined (Belldandy and Keiichi). Now, Peorth and Lind show up and—surprise, surprise, they're working together. Now where does that scale place Peorth and Lind, huh? We know they're not related, so… (Plus, it was kind of funny to watch them trigger Skuld's bomb, no wonder they're all banged up at the end, poor things)

5) And I've seen this happen in fanfics and fanart, too! When Peorth and Lind are in the same fanfic or picture, they're relatively close to each other! Sure, I've seen plenty of pictures where they're alone, but trust me, it seems like they're always next to each other when they are in the same place! I've read some fanfics, and it seems like some authors have figures it out too, because when Peorth and Lind show up at the same time, they're always together! Am I seriously the only one that sees this?

6) And my last, somewhat trivial point that my sister likes to tell me only I could make, as I pay way too much attention to detail (killed me in painting class) because I noticed something: Peorth's facial markings are diamonds. Lind's earrings are diamonds. Now, Lind's facial markings are circles. Peorth's earrings—once you get down the string, anyways—are spheres. And two-dimensional spheres equal…you guessed it…circles! How's that for detail (or foreshadowing) huh? Huh?!

3. Is Gorgeous Rose really playing matchmaker, and did she actually convince the twins to help her, as Peorth was suspicious of?

This is easy compared to question number two (so—much—writing!) Pretty much. Gorgeous Rose knows what Peorth subconsciously wants, and, as she says herself, that she will act upon what Peorth won't, because she is the reflection of Peorth's heart and she is trying to get Peorth used to the idea. She is being intentionally sneaky with the whole rose thing, and she very much intended to show Lind that particular bush for Peorth's punishment. Whether or not Lind understood the gesture, Gorgeous Rose did try to explain to her, somewhat. Later, Gorgeous Rose explained to the twins her thoughts (this is why they were huddling) and Spear Mint and Cool Mint relayed to her what Lind felt about the subject (which was, plain and simple, she didn't quite understand what she felt) and Gorgeous Rose went from there. Spear Mint and Cool Mint did tell Peorth that Lind cared about her in 'her own way', whether or not that was 'love' at that point they left unclear. Peorth figured it out in the end though, so all Gorgeous Rose's work was put to use ^_^ The gesture the twins give to Peorth when the two goddesses are meeting with Brunnhilde (the one where they touch their hearts and spread out their hands) is both a gesture to Peorth, to help signal that they've successfully determined Lind's feelings, and to Gorgeous Rose, telling her that she was correct in her assumptions.

4. Why are there so many talking parts between Peorth and the twins and not Gorgeous Rose and Lind?

Because I felt that Lind has more angst then Peorth does. Peorth has had a relatively calm life, despite her self-made grudge against Belldandy. Lind, meanwhile, was teased for having an angel with one wing, and we don't know when she discovered that there was a second one, so there had to be a time when she believed she really was damaged in the soul. Honestly, I don't think that kind of angst just disappears, and that's one thing I felt the manga could have done differently. We don't even know if when Lind went back that she showed everybody that she had two angels, so who even knows if anyone else's opinions changed? That's why I had them go to the Commander of Valkyries, because it made sense for Lind to inform her immediate superior that she was more powerful, and then everyone found out anyways, thanks to Eir. Peorth, on the other hand, has very little angst to share, so the only real big conversation Lind and Gorgeous Rose have is about Peorth's unconscious feelings (which half went over Lind's head anyways, but she understood at the end because all the angels were giving some pretty big hints)

5. Who are Eir and Brunnhilde, anyways?

They're actual Valkyrie names from Norse mythology that I looked up. I chose a certain spelling for Brunnhilde's name since there seemed like five different spellings, but Eir's name was easy. The name and their occupation is all they share with their counterparts in the mythology though, pretty much the same as Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld. Their personalities are all made up, and I thought that Brunnhilde seemed like a good name for the Commander of Valkyries. As for Eir, she was the messenger, simply put, and I rather enjoyed writing her freaking out about the fact that Lind had two angels.

6. This isn't so much a question I'm answering, but one I'm asking you readers: I'm considering doing a bonus chapter where one thing is changed: Lind isn't actually on vacation when she switches her mind with Peorth's. So Lind still has to work at Peorth's job, but now Peorth also has to try to pass for a Valkyrie, and the results…? Chaos ensues as Peorth attempts to preserve both Lind's reputation as the strongest warrior of Heaven while also connecting to the twin angels and searching for a way to bring them both out, learning more about the goddess with the most unique soul in all of Heaven along the way. Meanwhile, Lind learns more about Yggdrasil and Peorth's own ideas, with Gorgeous Rose nudging her along as she tries to figure out just what she's missing, and how she can possibly summon both of her angels at once. (Gee, this sounds like a summary in and of itself) Would anyone be interested in reading something like that? It would probably still be pretty long, and hey, I might actually shove in some more conversations between the displaced goddesses and angels, too!

Phew! That was a lot of writing, and it seems like it should be worse than the one-shot itself, but it's not that bad surprisingly, only 2,000 words compared to 23,000. Thanks for reading this far, or, well, thanks for reading in general, even if you just scrolled to the bottom of this big long Author's Note. Please tell me what you think, and do consider question #6, because I'd like to know if you'd want a bonus chapter involving that plot!