Disclaimer: Do I really have to say this? Fine, I don't own any recognizable thing that appears here. Happy now?

THE DRAGON FROM BETWEEN

Chapter nineteen: Dealing with heaven, Hiryuu style.

Hiryuu was back at home, still aching from that payback favor to Mara. Right now, all he wanted to do was keep sleeping and thus healing. But the alley cats from the neirborhood seemed to want him awake to listen to their lust serenade. "Damn fur balls." Angrily thought him, pulling his pillow against his head, just to bother a random bruise. "Ouch! Grrrrr…. First those hounds, now these cats. Is the whole animal kingdom bent on making my life miserable? What's next? Sumo turtles?"

His stupid train of thought would follow on and on but was interrupted by an extremely loud mewing. That was it. Almost choking with anger, the demon boy grabbed the nearest thing and threw it over the cats outside his open window. "WILL YOU LET ME SLEEP YOU DANMED FLEA BAGS!" As the thrown object made a crashing noise, Hiryuu's eyes opened like saucers as he realized his stupidity.

"GREAT! Now I'll have to go outside and retrieve my alarm… and hope for it to be still functioning…hardly." Getting up from his futon, the boy decided to close the window. Not because it was cold or anything, but because perhaps that would muffle the cats. Once out on the front yard, Hiryuu proceeded to look for his missing alarm searching the proximities of his bedroom's window.

"Yep, that was my alarm." Whispered him as the broken device revealed itself in various pieces around the place. Gathering all the pieces, Hiryuu headed back to the front door. "Perhaps I can ask dad to fix this for me? With m luck I will have to buy a new one. Really nice, I was saving money to that show…"

"Oh no!" Said him in exasperation as a stay gust of wind closed the door before he could enter. Fumbling a little with the handle, he remembered that Keiichi said that he would fix that broken door in the weekend. "Argh! This door is opening only from the inside. What am I gonna do? I have to sleep somewhere!" Sitting in front of the door, Hiryuu, in his sleepy mind, completely forgot that he could simply teleport back inside. And came up with one of his ideas. An idea that used exactly teleportation.

"Feh! I can't go to Kyoshiro's or Takeshi's right now, it's too late in the night. Nifihelm is also out of question. That leaves Yggdrasill. Perhaps aunt Urd and Sayaka could lend me a spare couch…" Looking for the yard's spont, he magically heated some water and became his goddess half. Entering the garage, she used her father's bike's mirror to teleport up to Yggdrasill.

Knock. Knock.

"Hi there!" Greeted Hiryuu after knocking in the side of the mirror. In front of her, stood Sayaka reading a book.

Closing her book, the resident goddess smiled. "My, my, look at what we have here! Isn't it a little too late in the mortal world for you to be here? In pajamas no less! Hey what am I talking about? Don't just stay still there. Come in."

Stepping out of the mirror, Hiryuu hugged her cousin and explained. "Err, yeah, it's really late in Midgard. The problem is that I got stuck out of my house. Could I crash here?"

"Yeah, of course you can Hiryuu. Besides, it's really fortunate that you've come here…" Said Sayaka with a mysterious voice.

Looking at the goddess with weary eyes, Hiryuu was paying close attention to her cousin after that wish story. "Err… and why is it fortunate?"

"Oh! Nothing that bad. You see, the day after tomorrow dad will have a small physical test…"

Hiryuu interrupted her. "Thor having a physical test? That will be a walk in the park!"

Glaring a little at her current female cousin, Sayaka kept on. "Well before I was so rudely interrupted, I was saying that dad will take a physical test. This test is about oriental martial arts, a thing that dad doesn't know anything about. I was wondering would you help him with it?"

Hiryuu immediately smiled. To teach the mighty Thor about martial arts could mean that she had an opportunity to pay him back for all those lessons back when Hiryuu was learning about goddesses and gods. What would she do? Lose a boring school day to 'help' her uncle, or skip that fun only to drown in class? Of course she would do it. "That would be my pleasure Sayaka dear."

"That will be good. We talk with dad tomorrow. Now we sleep." Handing some bed wear to Hiryuu, Sayaka motioned the spare futon under her western bed. "You can take it Hiryuu. Can I ask you a question?"

"Shot."

"Why didn't you just teleport back inside your house?"

"DOH!"

"That's what I thought. Good night my moronic cousin."

AVAVAVAV

At morning Urd decided to go and awake her daughter, it was late in the morning and she had promised to help Thor. Entering the bedroom, the goddess of the past was surprised. She didn't recall seeing anyone entering her house to sleep in her daughter's room. Coming further, she was even more surprised to see that it was her nephew… err… niece Hiryuu who was sleeping there. "Look at this, the brat came to Yggdrasill, slept in my very house and didn't even say hello to me! Ok, she asked for it…"

Getting out of the room for a few moments, Urd came back with a jar full of hot water. Pouring it over Hiryuu, she managed to awake her, now, nephew.

The demon shot up immediately. "INCOMING ATTACK! Hun, what?" Confusedly exclaimed Hiryuu as he looked left to right expecting some sort of enemy and just found his aunt laughing in the ground.

"Did you have to yell so loud Hiryuu? I was having such a nice dream" Complained the drowsy Sayaka. As she looked at the ground she also saw her rolling mother. "Oh, good morning mom. What's so funny?"

Composing herself, Urd rose from the ground and readjusted her clothes. "Ahem. Good morning for both of you. As I came here to awake my daughter, I found that this ingrate…" She pointed to Hiryuu. "Came to sleep here and didn't say anything to me. Even hello! So I thought that some water would do for a very deserving rude awakening.

Taking off his shirt, Hiryuu twisted it to get rid of all the excessive water, while looking sideways to his aunt. "That was uncalled for aunt Urd. It was low even for you."

Urd waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Nah, I could do much worse you know. But enough talk for now. Get ready you two while I fix something for breakfast." And so she was out of there.

Hiryuu looked at Sayaka. "Did aunt learn how to cook?"

Widening her eyes in terror Sayaka said what Hiryuu feared. "No!" And so she also got out of the bedroom. All the while, Hiryuu could hear her voice. "Wait mom! Let me handle breakfast!"

"Feh, typical." Muttered him shrugging his shoulders. "Wait. I'm a male right now. Wasn't I supposed to not turn into one while in Yggdrasill?" He pondered about it for some time before coming to a conclusion. "Argh! I don't have a clue but whatever. After finishing with Thor I'll ask Kami-Sama about this." Hiryuu would get some water to change into a goddess when the door suddenly burst open and a random Valkyrie squad poured over him.

"Here is the demon our readings accused. You miserable piece of excrement! You will pay for daring to desecrate those two helpless goddesses down there!" Braded the squad commander while he swung an electrified mace towards Hiryuu.

Avoiding as best as he could the oncoming attacks, Hiryuu found room to try a desperate tactic. "Would you believe if I told you that I'm also a goddess?"

"WHAT? YOU DARE TO MOCK ME?" Ok, that was not very smart.

Barely evading the fire spell that came towards him, Hiryuu decided that his best alternative was to try and run away from that place. In other words, a tactical retreat.

As he zipped trough the stairs and trough the kitchen, the stunned Sayaka and Urd could only watch as the Valkyrie squad went behind him. "We need to help Hiryuu mother!" Nonchalantly commented Sayaka.

"Look at all the damage that he caused our house. Think again if you thought that I would help him after this. It was not my fault that he turned into a demon right up here."

"Err… mom, why did you use hot water in the first place?"

"Well, I know that Hiryuu isn't bothered at all with cold, so I thought that hot water would cause some reaction. Not triggering his curse tough." Urd blinked some times before dismissing the entire event. "Ah, don't worry about him. Hiryuu is a grown boy, he will manage somehow… I guess."

Back with Hiryuu, we see the running demon passing trough lots of places, all the while adding more and more people in his wake. "Damn. This is worse than that time with the amazons and… Hun? Heavy object coming from the sky… dodge NOW!" Twisting his body sideways, Hiryuu was able to avoid the ridiculously strong projectile, the same one that knocked the demon some yards ahead with the shockwave from the impact. Dusting his inexistent clothes off, Hiryuu looked back at the crater. "Wow that was really strong. I would be a goner if I didn't dodge… Thor's Hammer!"

"Stay still you foul creature from the pits of Nifihelm. How dare you enter such a holy place as Yggdrasill? For that you shall be punished." Turning his head to look at the talking god, Hiryuu gulped. Yeah, in front of him stood the mighty Thor, thunder god.

"Err… it wasn't my fault that I'm a demon right now Uncle Thor."

"Be quiet you miserable demon. I don't have a demon relative and…" Thor thought for a couple of seconds. "Wait, I do have a demon relative. Ah, it's you Hiryuu. What are you doing as a demon up here?"

"As I said, I don't know. I wasn't supposed to turn back into a demon here. I was at aunt Urd's and she poured hot water over me and POOF! Here I am."

"That can't be." Said Thor. As he saw the other gods approaching he flew over and grabbed Hiryuu with him. "Come Hiryuu. Let's take you away from here before anything bad happens."

As they flew, Hiryuu asked Thor to stop near a fountain. Once there, he grabbed some water and heated it. Instant goddess. "Well, now I guess I won't have so many problems." Commented her.

"I wouldn't say that."

"Why?" Asked Hiryuu as they strolled trough heaven.

"Well, can't you fell some unnerving motion on you chest?"

"Now that you mentioned. I can fell my breasts shaking up and down but… my breasts? Oh shit! I HAD to leave my shirt back at aunt's house… Humph, it's not like Yggdrasill is not used to topless goddesses all around the place anyway."

"Not actually. You see, there are specific places for nudism here in heaven." As if on cue, a passing goddess screamed something in the lines of pervert and went away running. "Hun… you'd better take this." Said him offering his leather chest armor.

Thanking the cover, Hiryuu placed the armor and couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. The view of a short girl wearing Thor's big armor was REALLY amusing for everyone and so the pair went all the way back to Urd's house under a sea of laughs.

AVAVAVAV

After everything was settled, Hiryuu began Thor's martial arts crash course and was really satisfied that she could pay him back for all that training he gave her in the past. But it felt so nice to be actually teaching the art to someone that she decided to do it rightly and didn't abuse the elder god. Later, she went to Kami-Sama and received a cheap explanation concerning her change. Accordingly to him, Hiryuu's gender change in Yggdrasill was because of bugs in the main frame. Now we see Hiryuu talking wit Sayaka in her bedroom once again.

"Well, it was really fun to help uncle Thor with that. Unfortunately I won't be around to watch his test. I have to study, otherwise I'm gonna flunk in my own tests back at school…"

"You know Hiryuu, sometimes I wonder what's like to go to school for mortals."

Hiryuu scoffed. "Don't wonder about it. Take my words when I say that it's worse that what you learn here in Nifihelm. Aside for those that like to learn about geography and mathematics, chemistry and stuff, school is the most boring place in Midgard. It's the perfect place to sleep, and they don't even allow you to do that!"

"Hmm… all this subjects that you've mentioned, do you know that there are gods and goddesses that learns them? A debugger for example, is an expert in math, and potion wielder gods are fully capable chemistries, take my mother for example."

"Yeah, you've got a point. But these experts work where their knowledge is needed, aside from when you need these stuffs, you will only get bored while learning those things. Trust me I'm the experienced one here." Finished the blond goddess with a smirk. "By the way, I better get going. Next Monday I'll have a chemistry test and there are things in there that doesn't seem to enter in my brain."

"Humph. Ok, perhaps you're right after all. Anyway, it was nice that you decided to come and visit us. Good bye Hiryuu."

"Good bye Syaka. Tell aunt Urd that I'm sorry for not being able to wait for her!"

"Don't worry, I will."

And so Hiryuu entered the mirror to get back at her own house.

One there, she came out from the living room's mirror, directly at her parent's sight. "What have you been doing all this time that was so important to skip your classes little boy… err… girl?" Asked Keiichi slightly confused at the end.

"Oh come on dad. We already had this talk, you can say boy in whatever form I am. And about not being here, well, I got to help uncle Thor with some errands, that was all!"

"Hmm, good. And that alarm clock that I found outside in the yard?"

"Well, you see… some evil cats didn't want to let me sleep, I had to throw something at them. And the alarm clock was the nearest thing available. Anyway, could you help me fix it?"

"I've being looking for a way to do it. This time you really destroyed it. I can't repair. Anyway, I expect you to buy a new one tomorrow with your own allowance."

"I guess that's fair." Looking her father going to the bathroom for a soak, Hiryuu broadly smiled at her mother. "Belldandy my sweet mother, you know that I'm not that good with repairing spells, could you give a hand with my alarm?"

"I could Hiryuu chan. But I won't. Your father is punishing you making you spend your money this way, and I won't overcome his authority. Perhaps then you'll learn to think twice before throwing valuable things around."

Seeing Belldandy walking away, Hiryuu, with a frown, snapped her fingers. "Shoot! Well, you can't win all of them right?"

AVAVAVAV

Flashback:

Saturday, 3:00 pm. "Well Hiryuu, are you certain that you won't come with us? You know, this could be fun." Said Keiichi.

"Yes dad, I'm sure. Actually, I wanted to go with you and mom to that motorcycle convention, but I really have to study for this chemistry test Monday. Besides, you'll be back only in Wednesday right?"

"Yes Hiryuu chan, Keiichi and I decided to visit your grandparents while there. But don't worry; we will take a lot of pictures of the newest designs for you."

"Thanks mom."

Already in the car, just about to leave, Keiichi said. "And remember son, no parties while we are away hun?"

"Yeah, the sake is in the bar and your motorcycle's keys in the closet." Hiryuu shook his head. "Ok father, no parties."

Seeing his parents speeding away, Hiryuu released a defeat sigh. "Oh well, normally I would already call people for a good party, but this time I really have to study…might as well get started…"

End flashback.

Seven hours later, Hiryuu was still studying in the living room. Taking his eyes off of the books, he glanced over the T.V. "Phew, I better get some rest otherwise my neurons will rot. What could be in the T.V. right now?" Taking the control, Hiryuu zipped trough the channels until he finally found something worthwhile, anime.

After a while he decided to go back to study, but left the T.V. on. Eventually, some familiar pair of legs started to come out of the T.V. As she completely came out of the T.V., Urd looked around. All she could see was her nephew, totally oblivious of her presence as he was too absorbed into his books. She stood there observing the boy until she couldn't stand anymore. "Hey boy, it's not nice to ignore your elders!" Said her with some annoyance.

"Hun? Oh, hi aunt Urd! Not that it's bad to see you and all, but what are you doing here?"

Urd looked off into space while counting her fingers. "I came to visit my sister, my brother-in-law and my nephew."

Hiryuu smiled. "Well, that's nice of you, but you got here in a bad time. Mom and Dad are out. They went over to a motorcycle convention and stuff, I wanted to go too but I have to study..." Hiryuu looked at the clock, yes, it was already over midnight. "… I have a chemistry test tomorrow and as always I'm being beaten by this evil subject."

"If that's the case, I'm gonna make you some tea. Even if you have to study, it's a good idea to have a break." Said Urd as she headed to the kitchen.

Hiryuu closed his notebook and sighed. Yeah, a good tea would be very nice right now. Besides, his aunt's company was very nice too. As Urd came back into the living room, she handed the boy a steaming mug. "Here you go."

"Tanks aunt Urd." They sat there, drinking tea and talking for some time, than Urd said. "Actually, I have one more reason to come today."

"Yeah? And what would that be?"

"Sayaka commented that when you were with her, you said something about this test and that you have some difficulties with chemistry. Than I thought that I could come here and help you. After all, I'm a very capable chemist you know."

"Wow thanks a lot aunt Urd!" Hiryuu eagerly reopened his notebook.

"Hey, hey. Wait Hiryuu. I said that I would help you and all. But it's a little late for that. Tell you what. Tomorrow when we wake up, we will study ok?"

Hiryuu stiffed a yawn. "Yeah, I guess you're right after all. Good bye aunt Urd."

"Hmm… Do you think that I could sleep here tonight Hiryuu? Sayaka went to a sleepover with some friends so I think she won't mind if I'm not spending the night at home today."

"Ok aunt. Let me just fix your old room."

Next morning Hiryuu awoke with the sound of thunder. "AAAHHH! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG SIR!" Yelled him before Urd burst in from the door. "Aunt Urd?"

"What's going on Hiryuu?" Worriedly asked her.

The boy looked at himself expecting to see scorched marks. When he didn't see any, he looked sideways trying to find some holly message from his grandfather. Again he found nothing. Then, he heard sounds from the outside and glanced over the window. It was raining. "Err… nothing wrong aunt Urd. I just mistook the rain with one of Kami-Sama's messages." Embarrassedly said him.

Urd waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "No sweat boy. I used to think that way a lot of times too. You see, I was almost as punished as you are for things I used to do. Anyway, now that you're awoken, we better get ourselves ready for some studying."

"That's right. I'll fix breakfast!" Hurriedly said Hiryuu. He was no Belldandy when it comes down to cook, but he could manage. Besides, he was also no Urd for that matter, which was good.

Morning rituals and breakfast dealt with, the pair was at the living room. "So Hiryuu what is it that you're seeing at school right now?"

"Radioactive disintegration's kinetics."

Urd grinned. "Hey, that's easy! Come here Hiryuu, after my explanations you'll see that this is kid's stuff!"

And so they studied for quite some time. Urd explaining theories and concepts that Hiryuu never understood, but was doing it now. However not all was right at the moment. The visage of the hunky boy proved to be too much for Urd if exposed to her for a good time. She couldn't help but have some wicked ideas seeing that very appealing thoughtful face of his. So, being the self-sure woman that she was, the goddess of the past decided to go on with her ideas. Taking a sexier pose in the sofa, she asked in a honey filled voice. "Hiryuu my dear, I think that I have found the perfect way for you studies…"

Snapping out of his current assignment, the boy, clueless of her new intentions, curiously asked. "That's great aunt Urd! And what would that way be?"

She unbuttoned the first button of her shirt, giving some more cleavage o the world, but mainly to Hiryuu. "Well, as I think you're studied enough already, I'm gonna test you. Each question you miss, you'll have to undress a piece of cloth…"

Hiryuu should have guessed where that would lead. But being the always clueless one, he thought that it would be a really weird kind of test, but promptly agreed.

"Ok, so the first one will be…The Geiger-Muller counter works based on?"

"Hmm… Low pressure ionized gas?"

"That's correct!" Exclaimed Urd taking off her gloves. "Next one: When a beta particle is emitted, what happens with the atom?"

"It shrinks."

"That's not it. Take off your shirt and try again."

Hiryuu shrugged. What was the deal in this? After thinking for a while he answered. "It gets positive."

"Right." And there goes her boots. "And why does it happen?"

"Well… cause it's was increased by one proton?"

"Yes." Seeing Urd taking off her outer shirt, Hiryuu finally realized what was going on (pretty late, mind you.) "Err… Aunt Urd, by any chance, are we playing strip quiz?"

"Silly boy, don't tell me that you've thought that only now. By the way, yes we are. AS I've answered it rightly, take off a piece of clothe."

The demon boy was perplexed, but after a while he remembered the times that he and Urd almost went at unmentionable activities, and didn't do it only because there was people around that restrained them. This time there was no one to bug them.

AVAVAVAV

The next day, we see Kyoshiro and Takeshi running after Hiryuu as he exited the class like a zombie. "Morisato, what the hell is wrong with you? We were calling you all the time. Have you gone deaf?"

Taking his eyes from the horizon, Hiryuu intelligently said. "Hun?"

"Wake up you dumb shrimp!" For emphasis, Takeshi lightly slapped Hiryuu's face. The results were instantaneous.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! Hey, why did you slap me?"

"You were in another world right now, one of your very own, I had to awake you. Anyway, you arrived only two minutes before the test began, all drained up, it was like you've being run by a truck. And now you were all zombie like. What's wrong with you Hiryuu?"

"Well, I… hmm… I 'studied' too much yesterday. In fact, I finished my studies right before coming to class. Chemistry can be really draining…" Said the boy before resuming his zombie like walk, not caring about anything more.

"That was weird." Said Takeshi as he looked the retreating form of his friend.

"You can say that again." Replied Kyoshiro. "Anyway, the weirder is that he aced the test. Shorty NEVER aced a chemistry test.

Away from there, Hiryuu's thoughts were: "It's really nice to 'study' with aunt Urd. But no more for a good while. She's worse than Hild…"