Chapter 9: A Walk in the Park

Two years later

It was a beautiful sunny autumn day in Nekomi, with only a few fluffy white clouds in the sky. The air was cool and crisp, with a marvelous deep sky that gave visibility for miles. The starlings were in the trees singing their love songs to each other.

Chrono and Skuld walked side by side in the park, each pushing a baby stroller. Skuld was pushing Lindy, and Chrono was pushing her fraternal twin sister, Thoriko. Both of the precocious one-year-olds were bundled up in warm blue sweaters and knit caps, with cute pink booties and mittens.

They took a left turn on the path and began to walk towards the lake. They approached the shoreline, then stopped.

Chrono looked around. "Ah, this is where it all happened."

Skuld smiled and said, "Yes. This is where Mom first kissed Keiichi in the moonlight all those years ago," her smile widened, "and where I did the same thing in the sunlight. I planned it that way. I'm a morning person."

"I know all that. I was there both times, remember?"

"Yeah," Skuld sighed, "but I thought you might like to stop here for a moment. This is a special place. It is special for you as well, isn't it, Chrono? This was the place where you first kissed Lor too, am I right?"

Chrono looked down. "Uh, I don't want to talk about that. Lor and I broke up."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You weren't supposed to."

{ Keiichi: Oh, good one, Skuld. }

{ Skuld: I didn't know! }

{ Keiichi: I thought you're supposed to know everything about your subordinates. }

{ Skuld: Shut up. }

{ Keiichi: Make me. Just kidding.. }

{ Skuld: Why did I Bond you again? I forget. }

{ Keiichi: For my hot body, you idiot. }

{ Skuld: Just for that I'm doing it my way tonight. Again. I'm skipping your turn. }

{ Keiichi: Oooh.. the Angel of Death gonna get me! Halp! Br'er Rabbit, don't throw me in that briar patch again! Halp! }

{ Skuld: You are so lucky that I think you are cute. }

{ Keiichi: Smootchies. }

Lindy started to coo in her seat.

{ Keiichi: Hey, there's nothing you can inflict on me that is worse than my experiencing your birth pangs. I think that traumatized me for life. }

{ Skuld: Good. It's about time a man knew what childbirth feels like. }

{ Keiichi: Oy.. }

Skuld smiled inwardly, then she continued to look out over the lake. The Tariki Hongan temple was not far away. She sighed as she thought about her past life on Earth, when she lived in that little bamboo and pine temple with her beloved sisters, her mother, her family. All of them gone.

Chrono gazed up at the tall and regal former Air Marshal. She looked like a beautiful Snow White with long flowing raven hair.

She saw the Daitenkaicho's long lustrous locks begin to blow gently in the crisp autumn wind, the ideal vision of a true goddess. As Chrono continued to watch the Leader of Heaven in awe, she said, "Wow, Skuld, you look so wonderful. It is so hard for me to believe that you were once that little bratty kid."

"Yeah, tell me about it. When Ragnarök happened I grew up fast. Had to."

Chrono hesitated. Finally she said, "So, uhm, I know that Keiichi is inside you somewhere, but, uh, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Am I going to regret this?"

"Naw."

"Uh.. Okay..."

"Are you still technically married now? I mean, uh, are you, kinda, sorta, maybe, you know, available? You resigned from the Fighting Wings, so you aren't my superior officer anymore. So, well, can I ask you out? Oh, I guess I mean both of you, uhm, wait.."

Skuld did a facepalm. She could mentally feel Keiichi doing the same. That girl just hit on an Aggregate Principal Representative. Unbelievable. The girl had chutzpah.

Skuld's mother had always told her that kind of spunky attitude was the prime qualification for a good Valkyrie. And Chrono certainly had all that, and more. It was why Skuld had promoted Chrono with a permanent 4th star to replace herself as the leader of the Fighting Wings.

Skuld sighed, "Yes to number one, no to number two, and heck no to number three. And besides I am still your superior officer. Just higher up. The same way that the President of the United States is in charge of the US Armed Forces."

"Oh, uh, I'm really sorry! I'm so embarrassed now! Please forget this conversation ever started!"

"I wish I could."

"I'm so sorry!"

Skuld looked on her with mild disapproval. "You ought to know the rules. The Daitenkaicho must have a veto-spouse. So obviously I'm still married."

{ Keichii: Hoo boy. We need to fix her up with somebody.. }

{ Skuld: Got a suggestion? }

{ Keichii: Hmm.. Somebody who is as needy as she is. Lemmie see.. how about Troubadour? They had that thing years ago, you remember? She still likes him. }

{ Skuld: Keiichi, so help me, I'm going to pour a bucket of bleach in my ear just to wash out that suggestion from my mind, and you'll be collateral damage. }

{ Keiichi: Sorry. Just thinking aloud.. }

{ Skuld: Yeah. That's all you do, you know. If I knew you were always this gabby I woulda never Bonded you... }

{ Keiichi: Harumph. }

{ Skuld: Just kidding. Kiss kiss. }

Chrono eyes lit up. "Hey, your face.. you are having an argument with Keiichi! Is he jealous of me hitting on you? Are you two having an argument about little old me? Are you fighting over me? Tee hee."

"Shut up."

"Wow!"

{ Keiichi: Heh. You stepped into that one. }

"Grr. I said shut up. That's an order."

"Sorry.. sheesh." Chrono then continued to push Thoriko down the path.

{ Keiichi: LOL! }

{ Skuld: I hate you. }

{ Keiichi: My, so moody today. }

{ Skuld: Yeah. Coming here, remembering Big Sis, Urd, Mom, it's hard.. }

{ Keiichi: I know. Just remember, we'll join them all some day, and we'll be together again. }

{ Skuld: I know. I still miss them. }

{ Keiichi: I do too. }

{ Skuld: At least I have you. I'm the lucky one. }

{ Keiichi: Hey, I scored the ruler of Heaven. You're the hottest and most powerful goddess there is. }

{ Skuld: Flattery will get you everywhere with me, darling. Ok, I change my mind. Your way tonight. }

{ Keiichi: I just can't stop thinking about them.. Belldandy.. Urd.. Your mom.. }

{ Skuld: I know. }

{ Keiichi: Sorry. I'm getting maudlin.. seeing this spot.. the lake.. Let's just stay together forever, ok? }

{ Skuld: Those words are prophetic, you know. }

{ Keiichi: Prophetic? Really? How? }

{ Skuld: Nevermind. Help me push Lindy. We need to catch up with Chrono and Thoriko. }

{ Keiichi: Pushing. About Lindy.. her forehead symbol.. }

{ Skuld: Isn't it neat? }

{ Keiichi: I still don't understand how she got Belldandy's mark. }

{ Skuld: I told you, she got it from you. }

{ Keiichi: I guess.. I didn't know that was possible. }

{ Skuld: Keiichi, my love, anything is possible. You know that better than most. }

{ Keiichi: Yeah, I guess I do. So explain why Thoriko has all that amazing lightning ability, like Urd and Hild. That still bothers me. And so young. I mean, you are only Urd's half sister, so where did she get those powers from? }

{ Skuld: It's a secret. }

{ Keiichi: You can't keep any secrets from me. So tell me.}

{ Skuld: I'm not. Think about it. Why does Thoriko seem to act like Jack Jack in the movie The Incredibles? Work it out. }

{ Keiichi: Hmm.. Oooh.. I see. So obvious. How did I miss that? }

{ Skuld: Everything is obvious. You just have to use your eyes and your brain. }

{ Keiichi: Ah, that's why I didn't see it. I'm stuck using your low-wattage one.. }

{ Skuld: Yeah, laugh it up you putz. Keep that up and I'll start watching Starship Operators on TV. The whole series. }

{ Keiichi: Ack! No! Stop! Anything but that! You're a meanie. }

{ Skuld: Heh. }

{ Keiichi: I love you. }

{ Skuld: And I still don't know why. Ah, caught up with Chrono. }

Then they spied a great waterspout on the lake approaching them. From within it a woman materialized. She appeared young and beautiful, with a pleasant round face and curly raven colored hair. She wore a dress of overalls, but with only a single strap. It was laid over a cotton knit blouse with mid-length sleeves.

[A/N: It is implied below that Skuld is repeating Keiichi's thoughts aloud so that his mother can hear him.]

{ Keiichi: Mom! }

"My dear Keiichi. I happened to be in the neighborhood and I sensed you were nearby. How are you?"

{ Keiichi: I'm doing fine. How is business at Whirlwind? }

"Wonderful. Chihiro is buying out Harley-Davidson at the end of the week."

{ Keiichi: Oooh... The Americans are going to be pissed... }

Takano shrugged. "Well, Harley-Davidson needed a buyer to rescue it. Can't be helped. And it was annoying. I had to scrounge around on that uncharted reef for a month to find enough platinum bars from the shipwreck to pay for the acquisition. I mean, there weren't any typhoons, hurricanes, tornados, or big storms anywhere. And at the height of the season! The meteorologists were starting to really scratch their heads. It was so embarrassing."

{ Keiichi: Oh. }

"There is another reason I stopped by."

{ Keiichi: Hmm? }

"Keiichi, I'm pregnant again. A girl."

Skuld, Chrono, and Keiichi all cheered, "Yay!" "Congrats!" "Wow!"

{ Keiichi: Wow! I get another sister! Wait, I thought you and Dad were through because you declined the Judgement Gate? }

"It is a new age, the Fifth Age. Everything resets. So this time we elected to go through the Judgement Gate together, and we passed."

{ Keiichi: Double congrats! Why you didn't tell me? }

"I didn't want to say anything in case we didn't make it."

{ Keiichi: Oh I see. Still, wonderful! }

"Yes! Well, I need to get going. Sorry to be in such a rush. I have such a busy roster this week. I need to flood New Orleans again with another Cat 4 hurricane, and I'm already behind schedule. They believe it's all because of man-made global warming. What a bunch of junk science. And I don't mean the skewed temp charts, the bad placement of temp stations in hot asphalt parking lots, or putting them right next to air conditioner vents, or the bogus computer models with proven biases in their source code that have already totally flunked all their temperature predictions for the past two decades. I don't mean any of that. What I mean is, look at the sun... the sun is cooling! That yellow ball in the sky has a teeny weeny affect on the weather too, you know."

{ Keiichi: Yeah, I guess it does. }

"I know! Right? The inter-glacial period is now ending, and the glaciers will come roaring back and smother everything, like they did for 90% of Earth's history. The extra CO2 is wonderful - Earth hasn't been this fertile in centuries. And global temperatures are staying flat. It's perfect. It's like it was planned that way or something. Sorry, I'm ranting. You know how moody I get sometimes. Anyway, I'm off to flood the French Quarter! Bye!"

Takano whirled away.

Skuld yelled for them both, "Bye Mom!"

{ Keiichi: Well, that was nice of her to stop by. }

{ Skuld: Yes it was. Uhm, Keiichi, dearest? That reminds me. }

{ Keiichi: Mmm? }

{ Skuld: I have a small surprise for you. }

{ Keiichi: What, you're pregnant again? Wait, that's impossible.. hey! }

{ Skuld: No, dummy. The paperwork from the Promotion Board finally went through. She just got promoted as a Plenary Potentate. She is graduating from reality level 16 up to reality level 38. I mean, wow, that high. And she's only first class. Can you believe it? }

{ Keiichi: Wow, really? }

{ Skuld: Yeah. Look, see? Follow my eyes up. Way up. See that way up there? Heading between the Upper Gates? Way up there, going from 16 to 38? She is moving up to the big leagues. I mean, wow, that's amazing. }

And so, using Skuld's eyes, whose sharpness surpassed those of the greatest eagle on Earth, a gift from her former Valkyrie status as the leader of the Fighting Wings, Keiichi looked up. And he thought that for the briefest moment he saw a great white bird, flying high, high, oh so high in the blue sky above.

Then he saw a small flash of light.

And then, several seconds later, using Skuld's ears, he heard a distant thunder-clap.

{ Keiichi: Upper Gate 38. Wow. }

{ Skuld: I know. That's impressive. She is really going places. }

Skuld could feel him smiling inside her. Outwardly she did the same.

The white bird then left their view and passed over the horizon as it headed for Upper Gate 38. It had graduated and moved on.

Keiichi caressed her mind as a thank-you.

They left the park together.


A/N:

This chapter appeared in its original form as part of the epilog to the prequel of this story, The Fifth Kind of Love, in Chapter 28: A Tale of the Two.