Yeah, chapter 2 of this...well, what ever this thing is... enjoy. Read and review, if you feel like it. I like reading them.

I don't own Ah, My Goddess!

"You want me to do what now?" Urd all but fell forward when she heard her intended task.

"I would like it very much if you would just cooperate for just this once." The Almighty explained seriously. "You will choose the woman who will bear a child, the heir for your mother. That is, unless you've had a change of heart, little Urd." His voice was stern, the glowing light hiding what she knew would be slight annoyance. "I ask very little of you, but this is something that must be done. You need not approve of Hild, or her wishes. All you truly must do, is honor the fact that heaven is in balance with all that is within this universe. Both you, your mother, sisters, and even myself are apart of that."

"Yet, I will not be the one who carries the child?" Urd was confused to say the least. "If it will be my daughter, shouldn't I be the one who carries it."

"That, my child would be wishful thinking." As if he could feel the malice and anger waving off of Urd, he nodded to himself. "You cannot protect the child from Hild, even if that is what you want most."

"So, what, you want me to act as a pseudo father who could care less?" Her voice was indignant, she could barely believe this was happening.

"Urd, you are female." The Almighty chuckled softly. "You could not impregnate anyone, even if you truly wanted to do so." Standing from his throne, he came out from the light that would hide him. His hair was long and silky, his body toned and lean. He was not a bodybuilder by far, but it was clear that he held utmost power. Urd had only seen him like this once. The day she entered Heaven, the day she was raised among the gods, the day she met her half sister. "My child, I care deeply for you, as I do all of the others who have come from demonic blood. While it is true that your path here was for the better, you are her child. To forsake her now, would be to scorn the very woman who allowed you a better life. She could have merely kept you in hell, she was your mother after all."

"She didn't do anything for me. I owe her nothing." Urd shot back, slightly angry that one so powerful would side with a woman as evil as Hild. "Besides, even if I did, don't you think it's a bit rude? Who said I ever wanted kids anyway? I have enough to worry about with Skuld around. She'll be in need of more rigorous training soon. Belldandy isn't going to have the time or the energy to do the job herself. Skuld's a handful on a good day." Her eyes hardened as she watched the floor. She had other reasons to hate this. Reasons far too painful and totally unethical.

"Skuld should be the last of your worries." He said as he took hold of Urd's hands. It was a gesture that for many seemed trivial, but for Urd meant the world. "My dearest daughter, please try and understand. There are very few gods who would wed you, and those that would are unworthy of you. I would shudder at the very notion that you wed any demon. Quite frankly, Earth has been well for you. I, personally, see no rush if you intend waiting a few hundred more years, if that is what you wish. However, Hild may not have that kind of time, she is as old as I, and in the event of possible tragedy, she has no one who will take her place. I may not have a son, but I do have three very capable daughters. I can place my faith within all of you. As for Hild...my child, she cannot even do that."

"What you want..." She paused swallowing hard. "Your request is something I can't promise. It's hell father. A place that even you hate with passions unspoken. Why?" She sighed out, looking him in the eye. "Anyone but you...I could understand. Even if it was Belldandy, I could see her wanting me to do this, but not you. Never you." She pulled her hands slowly away from his. "What you're asking, it's too much. You wish me to pick a woman who has yet to even bed with a man, and place my powers inside of her, thus creating a catalyst for life. You're asking me to watch this child from afar, and one day rip that very child away from the only home it would have ever known. You ask me to train this little girl, my daughter, only so that one day she and I can be at odds? So that I will do to her, what my mother did to me? Leaving her behind in some strange place she wouldn't know the first thing about? I'd rather do it myself if that is truly the cost."

"Do not speak falsehood." The almighty warned. "It does you little good. This will happen, one way or the other. An heir will be made, be it you, or another. Understand this, Urd."

"I understand enough." She answered harshly, yet very quietly. She knew better than to start a fight with this man, but she wouldn't agree with him either. Turning her back, she walked briskly away, her shoes clicking loudly on the perfect white floor. The first exit she found became her escape, and she went quickly back home. The shrine always a place of refuge. Closing herself in her room, she fumed inwardly. She wasn't going to agree to this. No. This was the last thing she would have any part of.

!-!-!-!-!-!

"Well, she is her daughter after all." The Almighty sighed as he rubbed his face in exasperation. He knew Urd wouldn't agree with any of his wishes simply because of who was involved. "Peroth!" He bellowed through the heavens summoning the goddess. Normally, he would have sent word out, awaiting for her arrival with a relaxed calm. However, this was a time for action. A light appeared before him as the goddess materialized from pure air. It was a power only granted when he, himself called for them. It could not happen on mere whim. She knelt down, waiting for him to speak, he so rarely called for her in such a way. "Peroth, surely you have heard the command of Hild and the rumors that have been surfacing in response for her most recent visit."

"Yes." She spoke quickly. "All of the heavens have stated that a new ruler of demons may one day come into power. Many are expecting that you send her away with a cruel hand. It is what Urd wishes, we hope for once you will follow her will."

He was quiet for a few moments, gathering his thoughts. He knew that this would gather a rather large ruckus. He wasn't exactly fond of knowing Urd would be favored over him. "I so rarely meddle in what is not my own concern. I would not advise doing this if we had an alternative option. However, sadly, we do not. Urd's powers, as of now, are being placed on the back burner. Sap them, then use them. I have picked a mortal female that shall carry the baby, you shall give her that power. Tell the mortal that it is my will, as well as Hild's will. Urd shall have no part in the choices made within any of this. Am I clear, Peroth?"

"Yes, I understand." Peroth answered with marked obedience. "Who is this mortal woman that shall be bestowed with this task?"
"With fortune smiling down on one man, we must create equalization. Keiichi's younger sister, Megumi is her name, correct?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"She will birth the child."

Peroth didn't move, but instead dared a question. "Forgive me my future rudeness, but sir, wouldn't it hurt Urd more emotionally to do things this way? She will have to watch, and see things in the darkest of lights possible. Watching a child, hers even, turn sides...this can not be as it states in your will, surely even Urd would be beyond heartbroken. You would lose her as a goddess in power.

"And yet, perhaps she will take the throne." He spoke with clairvoyance that Peroth simply couldn't understand. "Peroth, I know it seems harsh, the trials mortals face often are. Urd has lived a safe, sheltered life, up here beyond the mortal realm. Now, she is faced with understanding them, all because of a simple wish made by a poor boy with bad luck. While it is true she is a goddess, she also has a demon lineage far stronger than my own wish for her. It should be her path, as it is her birthrate, that she take upon the unholy throne offered for her. It is often the tasks we wish never to become apart of, that often bear the most pure of fruit."

"It seems questionable." Peroth confided, her voice shaking as she allowed her feelings of worry overtake her voice. If it had been any higher god, Peroth would have been beaten down for her constant prodding, but that was them, and not this man. This wonderful god who graced the heavens with light unmatched. "If I may be so bold, my lord, I understand why you want Urd to become more than she could be. What I don't understand is why you would cast her aside too that she devil. She could provide an heir in a few decades of time, I'm sure of this."

"Peroth, you are a goddess on emotional standing, much like Urd. I understand the plight you carry with this burden. That is why I am requesting this of you. It is because you have the compassion, you will understand the pain this will bring. If you will not accept this task, I will appoint Lind, however, I feel it is best if you trust my judgment. Fear not of my request, do not scorn my will, and I will offer for Urd what she truly wishes, even if she, herself does not yet understand."

It was with these parting words, that Peroth accepted the assignment. It was in her hands, and she had full control over the matter at hand. She signed the contract requested of her, and with her seals removed from her body, she was granted a full power, one that could destroy the earth on a mere whim. Unearthly white light shone from her body as if she was a star all on her own, and from this, she fell onto earth, taking the task at hand with a caution most would not match. The gods above, the counsel to be exact, were trying to force Urd's hand. It troubled Peroth that it was such underhanded trickery that would bright forth a child. Once again, Peroth reminded herself, divine, and demons were not far removed. It was not uncommon for their fortune to become misfortune. In this case, the sword was double edged, and laced with a poison so thick with emotion that Peroth was unsure why they didn't just outcast Urd. It would be easier by far.

Everything had a reason, Peroth had decided that. She also had her will, the one of protecting her friends and rivals. Belldandy was one of honor, but so too was Urd. She could not take this burden on without playing her own hand. She found Megumi asleep in her bed, but, she did not inform the woman of the powers going inside of her. She would not speak the will of the heavens, she would never utter the phrase. That, Peroth decided, would be Urd's call, and only Urd's to make. After all, power did nothing without a spell to bind it. Satisfied with her work, she left the apartment and returned, reporting her task as complete. It was the least she could do for any of them, but the most she could do for Megumi.

!-!-!-!-!-!

Daybreak came the same as it did every morning. A hot breakfast more for the soul than for the body. Urd often marveled at the skills Belldandy had, anyone would eat her cooking. While it was true Urd didn't need human food on a daily basis, it was enrichment for her otherwise pain filled heart. She needed more energy than most, and that had to come from someplace. Normal goddess and demons had only one power they had to full, Urd, she had two. The booze was normally a requirement for demons, as well as other negative substances like smoking, or even harder drugs. Bad deeds, like sleeping with a married person, could also gratify some older demons. For her, she had to not only maintain her power, but also her constantly fluctuating soul. This meant doing things in positive lights. Having a fulfilling meal daily, helped boost such requirements.

It was harder for Urd than she would admit. Keeping constant measure of both good and bad deeds wasn't exactly simple. Doing something for Keiichi, that was a good deed. Annoying Skuld, that was a bad deed. Some deeds, like doing the laundry, or posing in a bikini did very little, since they fell under a neutral deed. Those were things both demons and goddesses did, often, willingly and commonly. If she did too much good, her goddess powers would increase, along with the willingness to serve the divine. If too many bad deeds occurred, she would quickly fall towards her demonic side. It made her life rather stressful on any given day, but for her it was normality, and she lived with it.

She quietly ate in the comfort of knowing Keiichi and Belldandy were likely at class. Something felt off, and it wasn't something she could place. The air felt weird for some reason, and oddly enough, no matter how she looked at it, she couldn't bring herself to worry about it. Shrugging, she went about her morning as normal, doing the dishes Belldandy didn't have time to finish followed by working with her potions. The nagging thoughts would leave her mind, and part of her was nearly tempted enough, to actually go up into heaven and figure things out. She was sure it had something, at least in part, to do with the system force.

Instead, she decided she'd rather walk around town, and did so for most of the afternoon. Still, the feeling wouldn't leave her senses. Something was going on. I wind spoke of danger. An almost demonic aura, and she followed it. She walked past the collage campus, the feeling getting stronger. She spent some time in the fields, looking for any signs, something was pulling at her. Finally, in her searching she found the softball diamonds and the teams practicing. Demonic energy was something Urd would home in on much like a missile would a heat source. She knew it was coming from Megumi. Not around her, but actually from her.

It was at that, that Urd knew someone had done something. Narrowing her eyes, she realized the same thing she knew the Almighty did. If she said nothing, the power would stay dormant, and so, without a further thought, she fled the scene. It wouldn't bode well if it was triggered by accident. Still, Urd knew she would have to watch from afar, her mind let her play with all of the possibilities that could go wrong. It wasn't long before she became self absorbed within her little world. "My little Urd, you mustn't fret over something so trivial." The liquid voice of Hild cooed in in Urd's ear.

"What did you do?" Urd asked quietly, knowing the woman of her particular aggravation was perched atop her shoulder.
"Nothing at all my dear child." Hild answered with more than enough glee.
"Nothing?" Urd knew that was a boldfaced lie, which meant more truth than ever coming from Hild. "Care to tell me how much of a 'nothing' you caused?"
"It was your father this time, not me." Hild smiled again, the satisfaction written all over her face.
"Keiichi is going to be so pissed." Urd hissed back at her mother. "Change her back, quick."
"Afraid I can't do that, my little Urd." Hild faked a sigh. "It was your father, I can not intervene."

Urd let out a shuttering breath filled with anger, trying not too bring attention her way. Instead, she spoke very quietly, venom dripping from every word. "You don't understand the shit fit you're going to cause...do you?" Urd licked her lips, knowing all too well the magnitude of trouble this could unleash. "Keiichi is going to be out right pissed off. Now, if that's how mad he's going to be, just think of Belldandy... father would know better than that. If her seal breaks, she could go crazy on the entire earth, and lets not forget, Megumi has demonic power flowing through her veins.. at any moment it could take over."

"I know those truths as well as you do, perhaps even more than you ever will." Hild agreed, her eyes twinkling with happiness that for Urd, was a bit much. "If you want, you can I could cut a deal, perhaps seal up that power for, oh, say nine months?" That just fried Urd, now understanding the reason for this. If she could, she would have slapped her mother clear across the universe by now. Not a smart move, but one that she would amuse in her mind.

Urd growled and walked away. That was the last thing she would do, not by her mother's hand anyway. "If I were you, I would get the hell off of this planet before Belldandy finds you, because once she finds out about this one, I can guarantee you, the presumption of little-miss-nice-goddess will be out the window before you can even blink." Urd knew well and good of that raw power. It was one thing to mess with any of the goddesses, even Skuld or Keiichi would have been a better bet. Now though, Urd just wasn't sure what she could expect. "Keep following if you want, it's your funeral." She knew her mother was following her, but she couldn't bring herself to care, her mind was too filled on how to break the news, and she knew, above all else, she'd better do it gently.

-More to come later-