A/N:

If you have not yet watched the third Yuko AMV that I cited back in Chapter 18, I invite you now to please visit YouTube and do so. Watch I'll never forget you... Yuko by luisenrique223377 (4:13). It will make the coda below far more enjoyable for you. The coda is uplifting and fun, and you will get a very pleasant emotional payoff if you invest 4 minutes to see the AMV before you read on. (Update: The video can only be viewed on PCs within the United States - not mobile devices.)

Remember, always end your story on a positive note.


Chapter 28: Epilogue: A Tale of The Two

And someday I'll sit down with my angel friends

Up in Heaven

And I'll tell them a story

Because I know things

The angels only wish they knew

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 Lind first kissed Keiichi in the moonlight," her smile widened, "and where later I did the same 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 so beautiful, like 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 are so beautiful. You look.. amazing. It is so hard for me to believe that you were once that little kid."

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

[A/N: For the tale of Skuld's battle to save Asgard from utter ruin, her rapid physical transformation to adulthood, how she became the new Daitenkaicho, her eventual marriage with Keiichi, and later how Keiichi became Bonded inside her head, see the story After Ragnarök. To find the story, please click on my handle at the top. -HuuskerDu]

"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.

She also had spunk, which Skuld's mother had always told her was the prime qualification for a good Valkyrie. And Chrono was certainly that, and more. That kind of spunk was why Skuld 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. }

{ Keiichi: I'm sticking my tongue out at you right now. }

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 Lind, Big Sis, Urd, 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, darling. Ok, I change my mind. Your way tonight. }

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

{ 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 predictions during the past 17 years. 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 millennia. 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. Can you believe it? With no education at all? }

{ 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: That dumb dropout.. heh. That flash would have looked soooo much better at night. }

They both continued to look upward.

{ Keiichi: Upper Gate 38. Wow. }

{ Skuld: I know. That's impressive. She's 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.


Coda

What a rotten day.

Yu Himura staggered into in the mens-only dormitory on the Nekomi university campus and collapsed on his tatami mat in his tiny dorm room.

He mussed up his silver hair with his hands in frustration, then rubbed his yellow-grey eyes. His knew that his eyesight was getting bad. Not good for a budding artist. He knew he would need to get eyeglasses soon.

He had another awful day at the college. The other students in the Art Department had mocked him mercilessly again. It was because he was always drawing pictures of that girl. That same girl.

The girl he was always obsessed with.

Well, I can't fly

At least not yet

I've got no halo on my head

It was the girl who had a crush on him back at the orphanage when they were six years old, whom he had forgotten about after she was adopted away by the Amamiya family. Her new parents died a few years later in a tragic accident, leaving her now-adult step-brother as her sole legal guardian. She then re-appeared in Yu's life in high school when he was sixteen years old, and so they fell in love all over again, for she had never forgotten him. She was the girl who was so terribly sexually molested by her own adoptive brother, Yu's high school art teacher. She was the girl that Yu tried to rescue from his clutches, whom he stole away and hid to protect her. She was the girl he could not protect even then, in their hastily rented hidden apartment, the one they rented and shared together under a false married name and a false age. It was because the teacher had searched and discovered them, and had spirited her away again before he could return.

Despite everything he tried, he could not protect her from her adoptive brother and torturer, the art teacher who was obsessed with trying to draw pictures of her, whom he had discovered in the act with her, and who then burned himself alive in his art studio, with all his drawings, while they watched.

And, finally free from the nightmare, they had at last begun a wonderful life together in their shared apartment, in peace.

But not for long.

For not one month later, she was the girl, after the hit-and-run, who had dragged her broken and bleeding body from the street to a tree, and had whispered the beginning of the song A Moon Filled Sky to herself as she bled out and died alone. She was the girl whose dead body Yu had then found, picked up, and took in a wedding carry to the hospital, all on that terrible Christmas Eve afternoon.

The girl was Yuko Amamiya.

And now, four years later, at the age of 20, Yu Himura was still alone. All alone. For he could not force himself to move on. He had decided that he would remain alone for the rest of his life. Being an agnostic, he decided that instead he would bring her to life again in his art. And so she would live on, inside his mind.

And that would be enough.

He continued to lay on his dorm mat and stared at the ceiling. He didn't want to sleep. Because then he would dream again, and it would be the same dream that it always was.

He decided to order a pizza. He dialed the number. Someone answered.

"Goddess Help Line, how may I assist you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number.."

"One moment please."

And then someone came right out of the small mirror in his dorm room. It was a girl wearing a black pillbox hat and a long flowing heavy black skirt with a white frock. She was stunningly beautiful. Indeed, without the heavy black attire, she would have looked just like a beautiful supermodel with no imperfections whatsoever. Her hair was dark blue, long, and flowing, and she had deep ruby colored eyes. And her face was demure with a gentle smile.

He recognized her. He was stunned.

"Yuko..?"

"Yu-kun."

"Yuko!"

"Yes. Has it been a long time for you?"

He wiped his tears.. "Yes, it has..."

"It hasn't been for me."

He saw the white binders that she always wore in her hair. Hey, they look like little angel wings. She always wore those, even at age six. He wondered why he never noticed that before. She always wore them. And she was wearing them now. Angel wings. Of course.

He said, "I'm so sorry."

"I know."

"Why are you here?"

"Because I have just passed the examination to become a new goddess, first class.. uh, oops, I mean angel, first class. So sorry. They keep confusing me, mixing the old and new terminology like that. I'm not supposed to use the old terms. Now where was I? Oh yes. What I meant to say was that I had passed the test to become a new angel, first class, second category, unlimited license."

He just continued to stare at her.

She said, "I know it seems a bit unusual. Mortals aren't normally promoted to become angels like this. But they said they were short-staffed. Due to some heavenly war or something. They said they needed new recruits, so I volunteered."

She made a polite little cough and then she cleared her throat. "Ahem. Let me see.. what am I supposed to say now.. oh yes. Yu Himura, because of your pure heart and the bad karma of your life, it has been decided that you may receive one wish. I am here to grant you that wish."

Yu decided this must be a new variation on that dream. "What kind of wish?"

"Anything that your heart desires."

A pause. It didn't feel like a dream this time...

Was it possible?

He said sheepishly, "Would you.. would you please stay with me.. forever?"

She smiled. "I was hoping you would say that."

Not a dream! He grabbed and hugged her tightly. "Yuko! You will!?"

She gently returned her hug. "Of course I will. I hate these exams. The classrooms. Did you know those other girls shoot Pu94 spit balls at each other? How rude. I'd much rather stay down here, with you."

"I can't believe this."

"Do you think you can rescue me one last time?"

"Of course I will."

They held each other, hugged, and laughed, with joyful tears. Then they separated and held their hands together.

Yu looked deep into the dark ruby eyes of the woman he thought he would never see again.

"Yuko.. uhm, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Can you cook?"

"Uh.."

The grace of God has raised me up

Because I know things

The angels only wish they knew


A/N:

This epilogue was inspired by the song Angel's Wish on the album All Things New by Steven Curtis Chapman. For the lyrics see the YouTube video Steven Curtis Chapman Angel's Wish Lyrics on Screen (4:04) by dvicente3. It is the official ending song for this story.

The one-shot fic Oh! My Angel Yuko! is a longer version of the coda given above. It contains the detailed backstory of the tragedy, and with a longer reunion scene sans the comedy riffs above. You can find Oh! My Angel Yuko! by clicking on my handle (HuuskerDu) at the top.


A/N:

I explained back in Chapter 25 that ef is fundamentally an optimistic story, even in the face of the worst tragedies. How do I know this? Easy, just listen to the voiceovers that roll after the final credits of the last episode, with each sentence below voiced by a different voice actor:

Keep moving forward, one step at a time.

You will reach your destination one day.

Even if you are sad, you'll be okay.

If you can just reach out your hand, someone will be there to share their warmth with you.

Any path, no matter how difficult, can be crossed as long as you keep on holding to that hand.

Please, never give up.

There is happiness at the end of that long, long journey.

And that happiness will grow, and bring warmth to the people around you.

And I hope that you will realize one day that you were the happiness in someone else's life.

Don't forget that you are not alone.

You will leave your footprints.

They will reach beyond time.

And you'll look up into the heavens, and realize that you can go there, even if you don't have wings.

Amen.

Thank you again for reading this story.

Here is my last, final, word of advice to you, dear reader:

You cannot walk out of the screen of the video game of life on your own. You have to be pulled up out of the screen. There ain't no other way.

All you have to do is hold out your hand, and let Him pull you up. You don't need angel's wings to get there.

It's that simple.

-HuuskerDu