-6-

Chrono advanced on Skuld's position, flying high and diving towards her. It was as the two of them were about to collide in another clash of violence that the unthinkable happened.

A phone rang.

Chrono pulled up three feet from the Norn, and Skuld flinched, ignoring the ringing in her pocket as the Valkyrie in front of her held two fingers to her ears. "Ma'am?" Skuld gawked at the queer action of her opponent, before recalling that Valkyries wore magic-based transceivers in their ears for long-distance communication. Her phone continued to ring as she watched the warrior with wary eyes. "What?" Chrono pulled back a distance, eyes growing wide in surprise. She glanced towards the Norn, then down towards where Skuld had laid Kara out in the ground. "A de-Ma'am, are you certain?" The phone kept ringing. "I...yes Ma'am, of course." She looked at Skuld in bemusement. "Ah...Lind...Lind wants you to answer your phone."

Skuld stared at the Valkyrie blankly. "Say what?" Chrono shrugged and shook her head, for the moment appearing as baffled as Skuld herself. "...You aren't going to sucker punch me if I pick up the phone, are you?" She narrowed her eyes at the Valkyrie, and Chrono shook her head.

"I...Lind said the fight is over. She wants us to head towards the mansion your sister is at." The Valkyrie replied. "I have new orders not to engage you further. There are more pressing concerns at hand. Answer your phone, Norn."

Still eyeing the Valkyrie with mistrust, Skuld dug a hand into her pocket, grateful for the durability spell she'd made the habit of placing on all her possessions. Pressing the green phone icon on the touch screen, she brought the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Skuld." It was Urd. She sounded exhausted. "The fight's over. Get down here so we can find Belldandy."

Skuld's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Are you sure?" she asked. "You aren't being...you know..."

"I'm not being coerced." Urd assured her. "We have a bigger problem on our hands."

Skuld frowned, her expression pensive. "How so?"

"Skuld..." Urd paused over the phone, and the Norn bit her lip, her gut wrenching with apprehension. "Aoshima was in league with a demon. I'm worried it might be after her right now."

The Norn's eyes widened at the revelation, and she felt a pick of ice stab into her heart at the announcement. She looked at Chrono, no longer with suspicion but with worry, and found a determined expression on the Valkyrie's face . the "We'll be there as fast as we can," she announced, watching as Chrono nodded in agreement.

"Hurry." That was all Urd said before the line went silent.

Skuld pocketed her phone once more, then looked at Chrono. "Go on ahead," the Valkyrie said. "I need to retrieve Kara and ensure she's fit for another fight."

Skuld nodded, her face grim. "Right." Without another word, the goddess turned south, calling upon all the magic she could muster to propel herself forth as fast as possible.

XXX

"Code 23 09 1988"

The moment she reached out to catch the man in black as he fell, Belldandy accessed her connection to Yggdrasil for the first time in many years. Her form, which resembled a writhing mass of energy ribbons folding and unfolding upon itself, approached a disc in the middle of a central chamber of light. As it settled there, the form coalesced into her more recognizable third dimentional form; that of an almond haired beauty. For the first time since the day of the wish, she was wearing her standard goddess uniform.

Standing tall, she looked up to the light. Her sigils flashed, and a beam emerged from them and shot straight back up the column.

"Code 23 09 1988 accepted, access granted."

The voice was neither male nor female, nor of one person. It sounded as if all the voices in the heavens were speaking to her all at once. As she stared into the light, a bright ball formed and began to fall to her. It slowed as it approached. She reached out with both hands and grasped it. When she made contact, it pulsed, and a voice spoke.

"Belldandy." It was Skuld's voice, but not Skuld's voice all at the same time. "The contents of this data sphere contain information pertaining to your current contract. Everything should be clear to you once you have processed and analyzed it."

Through her contact with the sphere, Belldandy sent to it the commands necessary to start the download. In it she saw data cross-referenced with multiple logs, including those from GRO and from Central Dogma.

In the few seconds it took her to catch the falling man, she knew.

And she understood.

XXX

Belldandy's fist smashed into the demon's nose.

A flash of surprise passed across the woman's face a moment before she fell back, clutching her nose and snarling in pain. Belldandy paused once more, staring at the demon with a stony expression. "That was a warning shot," she explained. "I will not be so gentle if you do not comply with my demands. Release Keiichi Morisato now."

Tears beading out of the corners of the demon's eyes, the look she sent Belldandy was one of fury. "You'll bury his corpse before I release him," she hissed.

And Belldandy inclined her head. "Very well," she said with a sigh. "The hard way then. I suppose if my sisters were here they would say this was good for me." The goddess stepped forward, cracking her knuckles one finger at a time and watching carefully as the demon grew tense. "I've ten years of pent-up aggression I've not been able to release, demon. I'll purify myself of those feelings upon your body."

The color drained from the woman's face, and without another word the demon teleported out of the hallway. "Typical." Belldandy muttered, then looked down at Keiichi. The man was panting, his mouth parted in a mute scream of acute horror. She kneeled at his side and ran a hand through his hair. "Stay strong for me," she whispered. "You've waited ten years...hold out for just a bit longer. I'll be back for you."

With that she, too teleported outside the building, and as she appeared within the night sky the windows all along the second floor of the mansion exploded outwards. A hail of glass rained down upon the patrons below, and shouts that seemed far and somehow meaningless filtered up to the goddess's ears. The Norn felt an overwhelming presence of something (fangsclawstalons) emerge below her,and then she placed it off to one side. She scanned the air around her and found her target easily enough, the demon's own attention caught as she too sensed whatever rested beneath them emerge into being.

Belldandy flew to meet her, and guided on silent, invisible wings she swooped down on her opponent, diving without a word and colliding with a foot armed with talons of compressed, pressurized air. The claws tore through the woman's green dress like it was paper, and the demon shrieked, recoiling away from the goddess as Belldandy dropped, caught herself, and vanished in a gust of wind. She reappeared behind the demon, eyes flashing, and launched a spinning kick into the demon's side. The woman was flung from her with a pained shout, where her magic abandoned her as her focus was interrupted.

Yet the Norn was far from finished with her. Oh no, not Belldandy. Not with this demon, who somehow, somehow had hacked into Yggdrasil and managed to insert a sleeper agent like Aoshima into her rosters and imprison her to his side for the past ten years. Let my anger be justified and let it seep from by bones. The demon caught herself, her eyes wide and no longer confident but panicked. She looked around her, her actions skittish and frantic like that of a prey-beast which had learned that the creature it'd trode upon had been a tiger in the bush.

And like that metaphorical tiger Belldandy appeared without warning, pouncing, striking, slashing, and wounding. A snarl lit her face with malicious intent, and a piece of her, some small, insignificant piece of her, felt a tinge of pity towards the woman who had so spurned her ire. Despite having managed the impossible, it was clear that the limits of the demon's combat experience had already been reached, as she was floundering to stay afloat in wave after wave of affronts.

The majority of the goddess, however, was too vastly upset with what she'd gone through the last ten years...the last ten years because of a demon's interference, to bother with such thoughts or feelings. Belldandy was, in that moment, the embodiment of vengeance.

The woman lashed out with an elbow who's point drove itself into the demon's temple. The woman cried out and teleported a small distance away. Without pause the Norn summoned a magical bow, the arrows pure, elemental magic that sparked from being enhanced by her rage. She fired three of them off in quick succession, one right after the other, and it was all the blonde could do to duck and weave and avoid the deadly magic.

Once more Belldandy vanished in a gust of wind, only to appear in front of the demon, her expression one of such stony fury that it created the illusion of a terrible calm. She slammed her palm up into the woman's chin with such force she flew up in an arch. Another swift teleport left her at the peak of the woman's climb. With a scream that was primal, the goddess brought her hands together above her head and then brought them down in a single large swing. The appendages glowed with a light so blue it bordered on white, and the resulting impact left the demon streaking through the sky and into the mansion floor that served as Aoshima's personal quarters.

The demon crashed in the center of the room, just missing the bed that Belldandy had been resting in minutes prior. Belldandy came down on top of her a moment later, and the demon rolled, escaping the kick that was meant for her gut. Deep furrows carved into the wood where the blonde's torso had been, and the woman scrambled back. Her breath coming out in sharp, ragged gasps, the demon rolled to her feet and stumbled backwards against a wall, eyes wide. "Why isn't my magic working against you?" Her voice was hoarse from screaming. "Why aren't you on the floor in a coma!?"

Belldandy answered none of her questions. "Release Keiichi Morisato from the glamor now." She ordered. "I'm done asking." She stalked towards the demon, eyes glittering like hard sapphires in the light of the room.

"No." The demon was stubborn, she'd grant her that. "I refuse. You can't kill me-the armistice agreement prevents deaths on either side."

"And you appear to be under that grand illusion that I want you dead," Belldandy replied, her voice the calm of still water within the eye of a hurricane. "I don't. I have no desire to kill you...but if you believe that will grant you some form of mercy from me, you are sorely mistaken. I've witnessed very few acts of mercy in ten long years, so I've none to spare for one such as you." An orb of magic appeared in her hands, glowing with an arcane light.

The demon stared at the magic with wide, terrified eyes, and once more Belldandy lashed out, hurling the divine energy towards the woman. Yet it seemed the blonde had at least one more trick up her sleeve, as she charged Belldandy as soon as the magic left her hand. The woman dodged wildly, screaming in terror as she rushed forward. Through more luck than skill she managed to avoid the attack, and then she was upon the goddess, her strikes the frantic blows of a cornered animal.

Belldandy grimaced, shielding herself as best as she could from the wild, unpredictable strikes. With a roar, the demon charged forward causing the two combatants crashed through a wall and into the hallway once more. The duo fell, Belldandy atop the demon, and slammed into the floor a short distance from where Keiichi and the guard, Akishima, were laid out. The Norn caught movement from the corner of one eye and rolled away from the two men, planting a foot in the demon's gut and propelling her in the opposite direction of the two mortals. The blonde rolled to the far end of the hallway with a shout, and panting, Belldandy crawled back to her feet.

She felt worn and out of shape; the past ten years had not allowed her the freedom to exercise either her body or her magic, and now it was beginning to take its toll on her. Her lungs were beginning to burn, her breaths coming out more and more in harsh, labored gasps. Soon she'd be running on little besides the fumes of her rage. That was a risk because emotion could only grant her so much borrowed strength. Belldandy glanced over her shoulder, checking on the two men behind her to ensure they were both safe. Keiichi groaned but otherwise made no movement, and the guard was still out. She grimaced at the sight of them. Need to get back outside. I won't risk their lives.

Sucking in a deep breath, the Norn once more sprinted forward, only this time the demon was ready for her. The woman crouched low upon the deity's approach, smashing into the Norn's lower legs with all her might and sending the goddess over her shoulder and crashing face-first into the floor. Belldandy grunted as her face kissed the ground, and as she tried to rise once more something came crashing down upon her skull. Again she grunted, her vision growing bright with stars, and whatever crashed into her rose and smashed into her skull again, repeating over and over until her sight began to darken. Somewhere off in the distance the Norn thought she heard a woman screaming at her, but it was hard to make out the words between the rapid drumming of her heart.

With a shriek she brought her hands up, catching whatever was so pummeling her with both hands and finding a high heeled shoe to be the source. She buried her fingers into the shoe, grasping it as tightly as her strength would allow, and wrenched herself upwards with all her might. A fresh scream arose from the demon as Belldandy unbalanced her, and with a snarl Belldandy brought a knee up into the woman's gut as she fell forward. The blonde hit the ground with a gasp, and with whatever strength remained within her Belldandy spun and hurled the demon through a window.

The goddess leaned forward with a wince, resting her hands on her knees as she felt something slick trickle down the back of her neck. She made me bleed. I'll have to return the favor some how. Biting her lower lip, the goddess straightened and moved to follow the demon back outside, when a voice, low and whispery, caught her ear.

"...W-wait..."

She paused and looked back down the hallway, eyes widening as they fell upon Keiichi Morisato. The man was awake somehow, his eyes blurry and out of focus but looking directly at her. "There's a way..." he gasped. Blood was pouring freely from his nose, leaving a tiny puddle of red on the floor from where it dribbled from either nostril. "S-Saturate her mind..." He tried to rise and failed, and Belldandy rushed towards him, kneeling down at his side. "She hears thoughts..." the man continued. "I can help..." He bowed his head, a deep-sated pain aging his face by decades. "I'll fucking wreck her shit." He hissed.

Belldandy rose to her feet. "Be ready."

And Keiichi Morisato looked up at her and smiled, though blood still poured from his nose and his face contorted with so much pain he looked like a stranger. A blood vessel had popped in his right eye, painting the white a gruesome red. "I was born ready." He whispered.

XXX

I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay.

I sleep all night and I work all day.

Belldandy emerged from the broken window, a blast of concentrated air propelling her forward. She observed her surroundings carefully, searching for the demon that had been the source of her misery for the past ten years of her long, eternal life. The Norn found her easily enough; the demon was floating a good forty feet above the mansion, chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Had she the sense to her she'd have run while I was distracted...unless she can't because she's bound by a contract... Another possibility, though one she'd have to entertain after she'd worn the demon down; preferably before the woman wore her down.

She's a lumberjack and she's okay.

She sleeps all night and she works all day.

The Norn pursed her lips and rose to meet her opponent. The demon appeared distracted, though by what was anyone's guess. She heard the woman mutter one word, "Mounties?" Before shaking herself, blinking owlishly at Belldandy and looking around. It almost seemed like the demon had forgotten where she was at.

I cut down trees. I eat my lunch.

I go to the lavatory.

On Wednesdays I go shoppin'

And have buttered scones for tea.

The goddess spun in the air, using the momentum garnished to aid her strike, and backhanded the demon across the face. The woman recoiled, eyes bright with surprise before retaliating with a scream of her own. "I tire of this!" She thrust a spiked heel forward, and the goddess backpeddled, keeping herself out of range of the blonde's leg. Her head throbbed as she recalled the spike of that heel coming down on her earlier, and Belldandy was quick to decide that she did not want such a stiletto coming near any other piece of her body. Especially with no clothes on. "That man! Is he the cause of this as well?" She demanded, and Belldandy gloured at her in silence. "Answer me!" She roared. "What am I singing? Why is he envisioning me in plaid?"

She cuts down trees. She eats her lunch.

She goes to the lavatory.

On Wednesdays she goes shoppin'

And has buttered scones for tea.

She's a lumberjack and she's okay

She sleeps all night and she works all day.

"That man..." She growled, and again Belldandy watched as her eyes grew unfocused and distant, as some peculiar thought pulled her away to some other world. Seizing the opportunity, the Norn lashed out once more, this time with a high kick that came down upon the blonde's head. There was a terrible crack, and the demon dropped like a sack of bricks, falling to the world below with such force that the earth cratered around her from where she impacted. Shouts from the guards below rose in surprise and alarm, and quickly the goddess descended, hoping to end the madness before it could continue further.

I cut down trees. I fish and hunt.

I get crunk at the gym.

I put on my man's clothing

And bar hop all while gloating.

The demon was out cold by the time Belldandy descended. Out cold and surrounded by the guards patrolling the midnight shift. Several of them let out a shout as she touched the ground, and several of them rushed forward, their faces wide with open concern. "Belldandy-Sama?!" one of them cried, and she recognized the voice as Yamagi, the leader of Night Shift. The woman looked at him and nodded in recognition, and the man, a scruffy, middle-aged individual with a deep scar crossing one cheek, paused. "Kaneda! Get your ass over here!" He roared, and a tall man in his early twenties rushed to his side. He flushed a bright red as his eyes happened upon Belldandy's state of being, and quickly he averted his eyes. "What are ya' doin' nitwit!" Yamagi bellowed. "Don't jus' stand there! Give The Lady your jacket!"

"Oh! Right, sorry!" Kaneda fumbled with his jacket, and as he did Belldandy moved to better inspect the crater and the unconscious demon within. Several of the guards moved with her, gathering around her in a nervous half circle as they peered at the woman within.

"Back up, Gentlemen." Belldandy's voice held a note of warning despite the level of calm, and sharing uncomfortable gazes they did as ordered. Someone touched her elbow, and the Norn looked back, finding Kaneda offering his gray blazer to her. His face was red and embarrassed, and he stole nervous glances at the deity from the corner of one eye. The goddess took it with a nod of thanks and slipped it on. The blazer was warm; hot almost in the Spring night, and fell down to her thighs.

"What is she?" someone asked. Belldandy identified it as a youth named Migatsi, a highschool dropout who'd never held a gun in his life until Aoshima had offered him a job. "She a goddess like you, Boss Lady?"

"No." Belldandy announced. "And I'd prefer you don't confuse one such as her with my ilk again, Migatsi-kun. She's a demon...one who I suspect may be in league with Aoshima-san."

There was a rustle of uncomfortable murmurs from her audience, and Belldandy pursed her lips. What to do now, though? She didn't have the proper means to bind a demon, but she needed to ensure Keiichi Morisato and Akishima were okay. Her eyes drifted up, and there her lips tugged into a frown. There was also the matter of that presence she'd felt earlier...the one of (fangsclawsteeth) a tenth dimensional being unleashing its presence on the third plane. It was gone now, but Belldandy had no doubt that whatever it was, whoever it was, they were still here, perhaps watching, perhaps searching the mansion for either the goddess or the demon that had fallen to the outside courtyard.

Prioritize. The guards were waiting for instruction, dancing with nervous anticipation as they eyed the unconscious demon still in the crater. "Yamagi-san, have two of your most seasoned men head to the second floor. Observe anything you see there but do not engage anyone you come across. There are more like this demon in the mansion and I doubt they hold any kind of discretion towards mortal lives. Have them report back what they see. I also need a small group to go to the fourth floor. Akishima was knocked out in a bit of friendly fire by a man attempting to rescue me. They're both up there and the man in black is not to be harmed. If he feels threatened, pass him this code: 23 09 1988. Tell him I've promised his safety. If he remains yet unconvinced, do not attempt to coerce him. Leave him be and I'll retrieve him myself..." The goddess scowled, once more looking down at the demon, the woman whose name she did not even know. "...as soon as I figure out what to do with you." She muttered.

"Yes, Ma'am." Yamagi replied, then hesitated before speaking once more. "And...if we fine Aoshima-San...what would you have us do?"

The woman's jaw clenched, and her expression darkened. "If he still lives...than I will deal with him. We have much to discuss, my 'husband' and I."

Another wave of uneasy looks swept through the crowd and with it came an apprehensive murmur; one that spoke of distress and concern over what had yet to pass. Then Yamagi took over, shouting names and orders that sent the gathering into a wild disperse. Belldandy listened with one ear as the men rushed to do as instructed, her main focus resting on the woman at her feet. It sounded like she was singing.

"…'m a lumberjack...'m okay..."

"Big Sister!" The voice caused Belldandy to stiffen, her eyes widening in surprise as she rose to search for the owner in question. The woman's mouth parted in surprise when they came upon Skuld, grown well past the youth she'd last seen and into a young woman the Norn almost didn't recognize. The goddess descended several feet away from her, ignorant of the guards who stopped to watch from a distance. "Sis?" Was it really Skuld? Goodness, she was almost as tall as Belldandy herself! "Belldandy? Is it..." The dark haired woman bit her lip, her eyes bright in a mixtures of fear and hope.

"It's me Skuld." Belldandy said softly, and was taken by surprise when the younger woman rushed towards her with a whoop and a shout, engulfing her in a bear hug of such might that Belldandy was lifted off her feet. Her throat locked, and her eyes began to burn as her sister rocked her back and forth, a strange mixture of sobs and laughter emerging from her younger sister's form. I will not cry here. She ordered herself. I will not cry until I know all is safe. Not until this demon is sorted out and Aoshima is out of my life. But a hug? Yes, she could allow herself that much. With a sigh, she returned the embrace, though her eyes remained fixated on the demon below her.

The two sisters separated after a moment, and Skuld held her out at arms length. There were tears in her eyes. "I suppose I'm to thank you for sending my knight in black armor to rescue me?" Belldandy asked, and Skuld released a weak little laugh before embracing her once more. "Is Urd with you too?"

Skuld nodded when they parted a second time. "Yeah." She dug in a pocket and pulled out a phone. "I think she's already here-her and Lind both."

"Lind..." Her brows furrowed together, yet while the name was familiar, no face came to mind. "I'm not sure I'm familiar with this person."

"She's a Valkyrie," Skuld clarified. "She was assigned to watch Urd when Urd wouldn't stop trying to contact you." She paused and bit her lower lip. "She was trying to reach you for ten years, you know. Wouldn't stop, even when more authoritative action was threatened against her...she-we never stopped looking for you." Her expression grew worried. "Ah, that's right! Belldandy, Urd said there's a demon involved in all this!" she exclaimed, "You don't have to stay with Aoshima! Keiichi is still entitled to a wish and I think that this demon is the reason you got saddled with him in the first place! The wish is null and void! But we need to find this demon and get it under control before—"

Belldandy pointed, and Skuld looked down. "...before...ah..." She trailed off, taking a moment to stare at the unconscious woman at their feet. "...well now." She looked up at Belldandy and planted her hands on her hips, a bubble of laughter gushing from her lips. "Ha! Well ah, how about that wish then?"

"This Valkyrie..." Belldandy murmured, her gaze inquisitive. "Do you know if she was assigned to Urd under the perchance that there was a demon involved with my wish?"

Skuld sobered at once, and the young woman frowned, face thoughtful. "...I don't know." She replied. "She's been heckling Urd to leave you alone for years now, and only really got involved when we discovered that the wish meant for Keiichi was stolen by Aoshima." She pursed her lips. "Urd said the Ultimate Force might have brought Keiichi to her as a means to correct that error, but I don't know just how much of it Lind was aware of up until this point...if I were to guess though, I'd say she was as much in the dark as the rest of us."

"Yet someone had the foresight to assign her to Urd knowing she would reach out to me...perhaps even suspecting that there were demonic involvement with Aoshima as well," Belldandy murmured, then shook her head. "I would speak with this Valkyrie when she appears." The Norn said, directing her gaze to Skuld. "You say she is here already?"

Skuld nodded, and from above their heads came a panicked shout. Daisuke, she thought to herself, immediately recognizing the voice. She looked up and watched with a small frown as several figures leapt from the second floor. Belldandy recognized Urd immediately, though for a reason that illuded her the Norn's eyes had difficulty focusing on any part of the woman's form. It gave her a headache, and some small piece of her could not shake the feeling that she was seeing (clawsfangsteeth) more than was actually there. Was Urd the one who...? She looked exhausted and ill at ease beside the uniformed woman who could only be Lind at her side. The both of them looked rather haggard, she noted, and a second glance towards Skuld showed a similar disheveled appearance Belldandy had not noticed immediately. Have they been...fighting over me? Just what lengths had her siblings gone to in order to reach her?

Lind held a guard by the collar of his blazer, Urd with one of her own, and as the duo landed they released their charges, who all but ran for their lives as soon as they were released. The men didn't slow down until they placed Belldandy safely between themselves and the women, waiting and watching with nervous anticipation over what these new strangers might do. Neither goddess paid them any mind. Instead, Lind made her way towards the two sisters, Urd following a moment later. The elder Norn met her gaze for only a moment, and the look on her face was enough to make Belldandy's heart freeze.

She knows. Belldandy went white. How. How? How did she—Did that mean that the Valkyrie also—oh heavens no, oh Yggdrasil please no, no, they weren't supposed to know about that, no, never, never know about that! What was she going to-how could she explain—A bubble of panic rose in her chest, and the goddess grimaced as the two deities drew near. She wanted to run, all of a sudden. She wanted to run and hide someplace where Urd and Lind couldn't find her, couldn't see her, couldn't judge her for whatever shameful position she'd been forced into.

"Big Sister?" Her head whipped towards Skuld, eyes wide, and Skuld started. "Hey, are you alright? Belldandy, what's wrong?"

Belldandy didn't respond. How could she? How could she explain to Skuld the-the atrocities she'd conducted in the past ten years? Acts so horrible, so vile, that they would be deemed more fitting a demon than a goddess of her status? They'll think I did it willingly. She feared. They'll accuse me and then abandon me, leave me here in this accursed hell because they'll think I deserve it, that I want it. Her heart began to beat rapidly against her ribs, and her breath came in small, quick breaths.

There was another voice, a softer one, that denied such thoughts, that told her she was panicking, that tried to soothe her and ease her mind, yet it's voice had grown softer and softer as they years had waned, and now, as before, it could not project itself with enough strength to be heard.

Urd must have seen something on her face though, for all at once she was before Belldandy, wrapping her in an embrace so tight it grew difficult to breathe. "Oh Yggdrasil, Belldandy." She heard her sister whisper. "By the Great Tree's roots...fucking hell, I'm sorry Bell. I'm so fucking sorry."

Was she crying? Why was she apologizing? Oh Yggdrasil, please stop. The Norn grit her teeth, and the desire to struggle, to fight, to turn and run grew ever stronger. Please stop apologizing. I'm the one responsible. I should be apologizing. She could feel her own eyes burning now, could feel tears threatening to fall, and in desperate futility she fought against them. I will not cry. Not here, not now. There are more important matters at stake, I will not cry. Yet the tears ignored her, and a choked sob rose in her throat, betraying her thoughts, her emotions. No. No no nononono! The guards are watching! Aoshima's still here, the demon still needs to be dealt with, stop crying!

She felt another body press into her, saw Skuld's dark hair as her sister moved in to join, and felt her will cave, felt her strength flee her body, and then felt Urd and Skuld gently lower her to the ground, neither of them parting from her side. "You're safe now. We won't let him hurt you ever again." That was Skuld. "We're going home, Sis. This nightmare is over."

Belldandy ground her teeth so hard she felt her jaw pop. "The demon," she tried, "She's still-"

Urd interrupted her. "Lind will deal with it. Don't worry about her."

"But-"

"Hush, Belldandy." Urd's voice was gentle but firm. "You've done enough. Let us handle the rest." She squeezed her, then loosened her embrace.

The Norn stared forward blankly for a moment, not certain if her mind was fully processing what her sisters were telling her. Then she closed her eyes and leaned into her sisters. This is a dream. She thought. I'll wake up and they'll be gone and I'll be back in Aoshima's bed. She shuddered, sucked in a gasping breath, and felt another painful lump rise in her chest. Her siblings held their peace, no longer voicing words of comfort but letting their actions speak for them; two pillars of support as Belldandy cried herself hoarse for the first time in ten years as a free woman.

When the sobs finally ceased...when the there were no more tears that could be shed...it was then, and only then that Urd separated herself from Belldandy. She felt the older woman squeeze her shoulder, and looked up, watching as Urd parted from their small circle of siblings in favor of Lind. The two began speaking in hushed tones, and Belldandy could not stop the immediate response to tense. The chances were just as high that they were speaking of her as they were the demon, and even after the imminent reassurance that 'everything would be okay', she could not shake the voice of paranoia that sang sick hymns in her ear. They'll suspend your license at the very least...It whispered, at least until they validate the necessity of demoting you.

The voice sounded too much like Aoshima to hold any real faith in, yet it was a persistent voice, and like an insistent mosquito it buzzed in her ear. And then what? Why, you'll never see That Man you waited ten years for, that very man you held out for just to meet, whom you did meet by some strange turn of fate and who you may yet never meet again if that Valkyrie decides to take you away...She tried to push the thoughts out of her head, tried to silence the nagging little voice, and failed on both accounts. And if you would fight? Well then...you've just given them an excuse to seal you away, just like that demon you knocked out. And why not? In her mind Aoshima's voice laughed. You're no different from her, are you? Admit it, you're just like that demon lying on the ground. No different. No different at all...

"ly...Belldandy!" She jumped, finding Skuld staring at her with worried eyes. "Are you going to be alright?"

No. I won't be 'alright' for a long while yet, Skuld. Belldandy thought. "Given time," she responded instead, and with effort moved to stand. Skuld helped her up. By now, the adrenaline and emotion that had so fueled her battle had faded, and the Norn could feel the onset of fatigue in the way her body throbbed and her lungs burned. She also did not approve of the way her body trembled; an after-effect of the adrenaline in her system.

"-'s Hagall? Looks like a demon to me." Straining her ears allowed her to catch the last bit of Urd's conversation with the Valkyrie, and Belldandy welcomed the relief the words brought.

See. She told the voice in her mind. Yet the Aoshima in her head did little but laugh, and Belldandy chose to redirect her attention to her elder sister and the Valkyrie.

"Chrono has the capability to Seal the demon." The Valkyrie replied, "We'll have to wait for her arrival."

"Chrono?" Urd spoke a little louder than intended, and Skuld raised her head in interest as well. "Wait, Little Chrono? Tiny thing who's afraid of cats? Has a thing for martial arts?"

The Valkyrie blinked at her, then gave a slight nod, and Urd released a short bark of laughter. It sounded strained. "Son of a bitch, didn't expect her to make it." The woman ran a hand through her hair. "To think we'd meet up like this..." The Norn looked around, taking in the curious looks from the other goddesses. "Chrono used to work under me," she explained. "Used to talk about wanting to go White all the time. Good to hear she made rank."

Skuld huffed. "Good to see at least some Valkyries are respectful." Belldandy and the others looked at her, and the middle Norn started when her younger sister spat on the ground in distaste. "Had to put that green-haired shi-" Her eyes darted to Belldandy, and the woman quickly rephrased her words "...brat thought she could get away with petty insults." She sniffed in disdain. "I put her in her place."

The Valkyrie, Lind, frowned. "I'll speak with her."

"No need." Skuld shrugged. "I beat her ass into the ground." She puffed out her chest proudly, and Urd had to look away to hide her grin. "Why do you think Chrono isn't here yet? She's busy scraping what's left of that fool off the tarmac."

Belldandy's head whipped to Skuld so fast her neck twinged painfully. "You what?"

Skuld's eyes widened. "Shit." She announced, and Belldandy's eyes grew wider. "Wait, fuck! I mean, sorry, ah, you didn't hear that! Forget I said anything!" Belldandy's expression of shock did not fade. "Urd? A little help?"

"Hey! Look who it is!" Urd announced, a wide and very strained smile on her face. "Looks like poor Keiichi managed to crawl his way down the stairs to join us!"

Belldandy's heart caught in her throat, and the goddess wheeled to face the compound, her stomach all at once filled with nervous butterflies. The man was stumbling out the door, the guards Akira and Koji eyeing him in mistrust. Koji was supporting the unconscious Akishima, and Belldandy was startled to see Akira dragging an unconscious Naoki as well, with one of the maids, Sachi, sharing a similar state and being carried by Keiichi. The small group of three looked less than thrilled with each others presence, with the guards shooting accusing glares towards the man whenever he so much as turned his head towards them. Keiichi met their gazes with a scowl of his own, but the three weren't snapping or attacking each other. Everyone seemed aware that there was more at stake than the distrust that arose from two groups who'd been enemies not five minutes prior.

The tension eased somewhat as they left the mansion. Keiichi's face lit up when he saw Urd, and the goddess waved him over towards their group. He glanced towards Belldandy, and the fluttering in her stomach increased even more when he smiled at her. The middle Norn looked away, feeling hot and uncomfortable and instead caught the eye of one of the guards who'd stopped to watch the entire fiasco a small distance away. Thinking fast, she gestured and pointed towards the Japanese-American and the maid. He caught her meaning easily enough and trotted towards the group, speaking with the Navy SEAL. The man looked from the guard to Belldandy, and at her nod he handed the unconscious maid over, freeing the SEAL to join the rest of their party. When he started towards them, he appeared to be limping.

By the time he joined the rest of the deities, the man's face had dissolved into a tight grimace. Urd was the first to speak up. "You okay, Jank?"

"Peachy," he grunted. "Just gotta walk it off. Feels like someone shoved a bunch of icepicks through my feet." A trail of crusted blood was still on his lip, and his eyes had dark shadows under them, as though he'd not had a proper night's rest in days.

"Not gonna lie Jank, you look like you just crawled out of a devil's ass."

Skuld broke into laughter, and once more Belldandy found herself staring at her sisters in shock. "Urd!"

The older woman flinched and sent a half-grin to her sister. "I'm not apologizing," she proclaimed.

Keiichi snorted. "Hey Sheila, I think you promised me something if I saved your sister, right?"

Wait, a promise? Belldandy looked between Keiichi and Urd in sudden alarm. These two had worked out some kind agreement in order to rescue her? What? What?! All at once the joy fled Belldandy's being, and she watched in a sudden tense detachment as Keiichi drew near. Was one of them coerced somehow? But that didn't make sense! Keiichi Morisato was a good man! And her sister was—well her sister had some standards...but still!

Urd placed a hand in the small of Belldandy's back and gently guided her forward. She sent a look towards her sister that said; What are you doing?! Urd grinned back. "Belldandy? Allow me to introduce you to Gunner's Mate First Class Keiichi "Jank" Morisato, Navy Seal and hobbyist of motorcycles and apple crushing."

Keiichi flinched. "You aren't going to let that go, are you."

"Careful Belldandy," Skuld called. "Magilla looks like he's moving to melon crushing next. Best make sure the idiot doesn't mistake your head for a honeydew."

"Fuck you, Poodle."

Belldandy stared at the two with open horror, and Urd, smiling, continued. "Keiichi, let me introduce you to my little sister, Belldandy Tyrsdotter, Norn of the Present, favored daughter of the Daitenkaicho, Speed Fiend and, if I'm correct in my assumptions, the only woman I know to beat the everloving shit out of a demon buck-ass naked."

"Urd!" cried Belldandy, positively scandalized by the revelation and the language being tossed about. She flushed a bright red, realized that her sister was right, and felt the flush deepen as she buried her face in her hands. "Oh goodness...this is no way for a goddess to behave."

Keiichi smirked. "I don't see a problem with it myself. Take's some big brass ba-" He paused and looked at his audience, which consisted of nothing but women, and then rephrased his statement. "Takes a lot of courage to fight anyone without a scrap of clothes on."

The middle Norn missed the smug look on her sister's face. "So, is Keiichi still up for a wish?"

Aoshima. Belldandy stiffened. "Ah...yes, that is indeed true." The words came out in a slow, thoughtful manner. "However there is still Toshiyuki Aoshima to worry about..." She trailed off as she caught the somber expression that appeared on Lind's face.

"Don't worry about him." Urd's voice was quiet, and Belldandy looked up at her sister, concerned by the elder Norn's tone. "Seriously Bell. Don't even think about him. He won't touch you ever again."

Belldandy stared at Urd, searching her face. "...is he dead?"

Urd didn't answer.

"Either way it doesn't matter," Skuld announced, and after a long moment, when still Urd gave nothing away, Belldandy turned to her younger sister. "That code I gave Keiichi would have nulled the wish even if he was alive and screaming right beside us. When you interfaced with Yggdrasil to receive the data download I set up for you, it also kicked off a program-a worm rather-that I inserted into the system to correct what was put in that granted that asswi... I mean what was put in that granted Aoshima the wish." She stared at Belldandy and smiled. "You're a free goddess, Belldandy."

Then Skuld cast a glare off to Keiichi. "Provided this jerk-off doesn't do anything stupid like say 'I want a goddess like you to stay by my side forever.'"

A free goddess. The words almost didn't sound real echoing in her head, and she stared at Keiichi, her mind trying to wrap itself around the idea that she was free, that there was no more Aoshima, and that she could finally leave this demon's-blessed place.

Her eyes drifted from one person to another: From Keiichi to Lind, who watched her with solemn eyes. From Lind to Skuld, who gave her a reassuring smile. From Skuld to Urd, whose own expression was encouraging, but still somehow appeared strained in the evening lights of the mansion. From Urd to Keiichi, who met her eyes and waited, his gaze never trailing down but holding steadfast on her face in what she came to realize was a stubborn respect of her own privacy. "This isn't a dream?" She found her voice soft and hesitant all at once. "Aoshima is done with, and the demon...?" Her eyes darted to the woman and then to the Valkyrie, Lind.

Lind inclined her head. "The demon will not interfere." Her eyes rose above Belldandy's head. "I see Chrono now. We'll seal her while you attend to your own business." Without further comment she left the small gathering, pausing only long enough to glance at Urd. The two shared a meaningful look, and then Lind continued forward, moving off to meet Chrono, who landed a short distance away with a young, green haired deity who's head swayed with unconsciousness.

"Keiichi," Urd uttered, and Belldandy glanced back to the man in question, who's face was twisted in a grimace. He was massaging his right wrist as if it pained him, but he stopped when Belldandy glanced at him. Instead he shifted to fold his arms across his chest, looking all at once uncomfortable with his surroundings.

"Yeah, I know Urd." His voice came out as a growl as he sent the woman a glare, but it vanished once he shifted his gaze back to Belldandy. "So I'm supposed to get a wish, right? Even after everything you've been through? After all the shit I've done in the last ten years, somehow I still qualify for a fuc-" Belldandy flinched. "-Freaking wish?"

It was Belldandy's turn to grimace. With how Keiichi phrased it, it sounded as though neither of them were fit to either give or receive a wish. He's probably not too far from the truth, either. Belldandy mused, and nodded her agreement. "Yes. You do still qualify for a wish, Keiichi Morisato. A wish from me as well, given that it appears that no other goddess was given your case file while I was gone."

Keiichi nodded, observing her carefully, and all at once Belldandy wondered what she looked like to him: her, a goddess, beaten and bruised and naked aside from the blazer a guard had given her. A goddess who'd been in servitude to a wretch of a man, an unknowing prisoner of mortal and demon alike, and who now stood before him telling him that he was entitled a wish. Truly, what a pitiful sight she must have appeared to him. "Are you okay with this?" he asked. "You don't want to take a breather? Go home, shower in your own place, let your folks know you're okay, punch someone in the face for the fuckup that got you down here?"

The questions caught her by surprise, and Belldandy's mouth parted in shock. She tried to reply but the words were caught on her tongue, leaving her with an expression that must have been hilarious to behold, for Skuld looked away and Keiichi had to fight back a smile. "I-" She what? She'd been waiting ten years to meet this man, rough around the edges though he was, and now he was standing here saying his wish could wait? Well she sure as hell couldn't. Not after already waiting ten ungodly years as it were.

The woman blinked and shook her head. "It's fine," she claimed. "I...This is fine."

The man nodded, entirely unconvinced. "I don't want it."

Belldandy stared. "...What?"

"You heard me." Keiichi said. "I don't want your wish. You use it."

Belldandy gaped at him. Oh you wonderful fool. She thought. "That...that isn't how a wish works though."

"Hurry up, Magilla!" Skuld grumbled from behind Keiichi, and the SEAL shot the woman a glare.

He looked back at Belldandy. "Listen," he said. "I'm a Navy SEAL. I work for a living, and my work is a healthy amount of grey bordering black. I ain't a good Christian boy and I'm no Saint, and if I want something, I work for it. But I'm no charity case, Belldandy. I don't want your wish."

"But that's..." Belldandy shook her head, baffled, and Skuld elbowed Keiichi in the side. Keiichi sent her another dirty look.

"Okay," he growled, though it appeared he was growling more at Skuld than Belldandy. "I'll spell it out for you then: I wish for a goddess such as yourself, Belldandy, to grant herself the wish owed to me." He scowled at Skuld, who only then leaned back with a huff of her own. "Satisfied?" He asked before turning back to Belldandy. His brows knotted together in concern. "Are you okay with that? You're allowed to grant that kind of wish, right?"

Belldandy stared at him, mouth agape and frozen, uncertain of how to respond. I love this man, she found herself thinking, and with a cry that was half sob, half joy, the Norn threw herself at Keiichi. He caught her with ease, his grip firm but gentle (not bruising, not painful) and her arms snaked around his neck. This had to be a dream. She brought her mouth to his in a kiss that was almost bruising, felt his sharp inhale of surprise and felt him respond in turn, pressing back, pressing into her, and stealing her breath (she'd have given it freely. By Yggdrasil's three roots she'd have given it all if he'd asked) as he wrapped his arms around her. This has to be a dream. This is a dream, but I don't care anymore. Let me dream, let me never wake up, let this become my new reality. Tears were pouring down her cheeks and she didn't care, by Yggdrasil she didn't care; she could cry, she could love, she could feel again.

I wish to stay with this man forever.

And somewhere, on another plane, in another dimension, Yggdrasil heard the request of a man, heard the wish of a goddess, and responded in turn.

Skuld made a face at the blatant display of affection, and after a minute, became impatient. "Okay...you can stop... any minute now... you can stop," she grumbled. Urd drifted over to stand by her side, swinging an arm across her younger sister's shoulders. "Seriously, not to be a buzz kill-"

"You're totally being a buzz kill." Urd whispered.

Skuld scowled. "-but you two should separate. You know, before any kind of wish suddenly...oh...well, there you go." From their observation point the two Norns watched as their middle sister's sigils began to glow. The man and the goddess remained oblivious, and Skuld gestured to them with an arm. "There. See? See? Belldandy's gonna be the buzz kill now when she rips Magilla's head off verifying whatever wish was made. You gonna do something or what?" She looked at Urd. "I thought you were the one who liked that muscle-brained idiot."

Urd rolled her eyes as Belldandy's sigils grew brighter. "I guess your right." She observed the duo for a second more. Any longer and the sigils would grow to the point of blinding. "You know, even without the wish it'd probably be a good idea to stop them. The two look like they're getting ready to shag right here in the courtyard."

Skuld slapped a palm across her eyes and forehead. "Urd I swear to Yggdrasil!" she snarled, and Urd laughed.

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" She tossed over he shoulder as she approached the duo, an idea already forming on how to seperate the two of them before the wish dissolved Keiichi's head into an assembly of atoms. The woman popped up next to them, wrapped her arms around both of them, and leaned in close. "Wanna make this a threesome?" Her voice was deep and sensual. Urd watched as the two froze. In unison, both their heards turned to stare at her with wide eyes before they jerked, separating with a shout.

"Urd!" Two voices rose in a roaring chorus of rage, and as the duo glare, the goddess Urd dipped in and grabbed Keiichi's arm, dragging him back just as a beam of intense blinding blue engulfed Belldandy. A shockwave exploded through the courtyard, destroying windows, knocking down bushes and weak trees, and rocking the mansion's foundation. Fresh cries rose through the courtyard, and Keiichi's was one of them as he lost his balance, caught only by Urd who still held a firm grip on his arm. If not for her, he would have been blown back from the blast.

Instead the man stared in open horror as Belldandy began to rise off her feet like a woman possessed, her body limp and head tilted back to the sky in a manner that almost hurt to watch. "Urd what the fuck is going on?!" he cried, his voice almost drowned out by a low groan, one of such unfathomable force it could only be described as 'abysmal'.

Urd inclined her head and smiled at him. Her face was wild with excitement. "Bell made a wish." She had to shout to be heard. "It's being validated by the World Tree, Yggdrasil!"

And it was at that point, that crucial moment where a wish was granted, that the world went black.

The courtyard lights went out. The mansion's internal lights wicked out. The stars and the moon dimmed and darkened into nonexistance. The light Belldandy produced, blue-white and burning, dissipated into nothingness. There was no glow from the city at the base of the hill, no flash of light from a firefly. Utter darkness so complete that Keiichi feared he'd gone blind. It engulfed him and it made his heart quicken with fear. "Urd?" he called. He could still hear the whirling wind produced by Belldandy, could still feel Urd's hand latched onto his arm...but he could also feel the hooks that had burrowed into his hands and feet when he'd fought through his nightmare. He could feel the shrapnel he'd taken from an IED explosion in Afghanistan shred into his leg. He even felt the vicious throb from where a dog had bitten him at the tender age of eight, and oh, Lordy there was so much more.

There's a monster in the dark. He found himself thinking, and felt the hair along the nape of his neck rise in primitive terror. Please no. Please don't be another demon. That ol' reptile in his brain that woke up whenever he was confronted by one was awake again, awake and screaming and oh lord what happened to the lights? "Urd? Urd?!" He called in alarm. "Urd, please tell me this is part of a wish, please." It's not and you know it. The lizard hissed in his brain. This ain't natural. This ain't right and it's got about as much to do with the divine as finding Jesus on a piece of burnt toast.

He felt Urd's grip on him tighten to the point of painful; was she afraid as well or was it something else? And then she spoke. "I'm with you Keiichi." She wasn't shouting. She didn't need to shout anymore because the noise was dying down. The whirlwind that had been buffeting his face was dissipating, but the darkness wouldn't leave. "I'm here. We all are."

"Urd?" That was Skuld. She sounded worried as well. "This isn't part of the wish, right? Belldandy didn't just wish us into seven years of eternal darkness, right?"

Urd gave an uneasy laugh. "It's not Belldandy. This is demon magic. I can almost taste it. Skuld, come to my voice, get near me. Right now there's safety in numbers, and I want to be ready in case whoever's responsible for this attacks us."

"But what about Belldandy?" Skuld sounded closer now, and Keiichi grunted as a body stumbled into him. Skuld grunted, and he reached out with his free hand to steady the woman, finding the Norn grasping onto his offered arm in a vice-like grip.

"Move towards her." Urd instructed. "Depending on the strength of the wish, the verification might have knocked her out. She's not speaking up, so we need to try and surround her to make sure nothing gets to her while she's down. Move slowly-I don't want to accidentally step on the poor thing."

There was a shout off to Keiichi's left from a voice he didn't recognize, followed by a curse from the solemn woman in white he'd seen. A grunt, someone crying out in pain, and then light, as though someone had flipped on the light switch of the universe after accidentally bumping it off.

Keiichi flinched at the sudden light, and Skuld released her grip on his arm, moving towards a form that lay collapsed on the ground. It was Belldandy, and feeling his own heart leap in his throat he moved towards her as well, pausing only when Urd released her grip on him before heading a different direction. "Urd?"

The woman waved him off. "Bell's fine, though trust me, you'll be the first thing she wants to see when she wakes up. I need to check on Lind." He paused to watch her head off, then observed the uniformed woman from where she sat in a crater, a grimace on her face as she nursed her head. The other woman, the new one who'd wore a matching uniform, was sprawled unconscious at her feet.

Hagall was gone.

He felt a lump of unease rise in his throat as Urd kneeled to speak with the blue-haired woman, and swallowing it he turned back to the remaining Norns. Skuld scowled at his approach. "Looks like we're stuck with you now," she grumbled.

He looked at her queerly, but the woman didn't explain further.

The man kneeled down beside the goddess, who'd curled into the large blazer with such effectiveness that it draped across her person like a blanket. Her breathing was soft and gentle in the easy rhythm of sleep, and her expression was serine. Her eyes fluttered, and the woman murmured listlessly, her face knitting in a scowl before opening her eyes with visible reluctance. Keiichi smiled a half-grin at her, and the woman froze, eyes widening and body tensing as she saw what he could only guess was someone else. Then she blinked, and gradual recognition dawned in her eyes, the tension melting from her body with an open sigh of relief. "It's not a dream," she breathed. A smile, large and brilliant, spread across her features, and Belldandy picked herself up, swaying a bit until Skuld caught her arm.

Keiichi smiled as well. "Good, I'm glad." He meant it. "Bit surprised you're still here though. Would have thought you'd have wished to get the hell out a' dodge as fast as possible."

Skuld gave out a forced laugh. "Yeah, about that..."

"What do you mean?" Keiichi looked between the two sisters in growing concern, and watched as Belldandy's eyes widened and her face pinkened with a growing flush.

"You might want to grab Urd for this one," Skuld continued. "I...think she'll need to hear it as well." Something rather interesting had caught her eye on the ground, he noted, and the young woman bit her lip and fell silent.

Keiichi stared at them a moment more. "Yeah..." he drawled. "Alright. Sure...I'll humor you this time." Turning, he wandered back towards the uniformed woman and Urd. The blue haired woman was going over another woman dressed in a similar outfit. She'd moved the brunette onto her back, elevating her head with what looked to be some sort of white cape. Looks like SABC transgresses dimensions, he thought. "She okay?"

"Concussion," the woman stated. "Nothing bad; the strike was more luck than skill." She glanced up at him. "You're a soldier."

"Fuck you, I'm a SEAL." Keiichi's response came before he could stop it, yet rather than be insulted the woman smirked.

"I'm a Valkyrie." She paused, staring at him appraisingly. "You remember that and I won't call you a soldier, SEAL." The deity moved to prop up her companions feet, placing them together and bending them at the knee. "Some other day we'll have to shoot the shit. Urd's drifted off towards the bushes." He stared at her, one eyebrow raised, and the woman snorted. "She's not taking a piss, if that's what you're asking." Her expression darkened for a moment. "She's calling someone. Who I don't know-nor do I think I want to know. Go harass her so we can leave this shithole."

Keiichi stared at the woman. Of all the places to find a kindred spirit. "What's your name, Valkyrie?"

"Lind," she replied. "We don't speak our rank outside the wire."

The SEAL nodded. "Gunner's Mate First Class Keiichi Morisato," he replied. "Though most call me 'Jank' more often then not."

Another snort. "You'll have to tell me how you earned your callsign some day." He nodded, feeling a smirk of his own pulling at the corner of his mouth before heading off after Urd. "Morisato." He paused, looking back at the Valkyrie. "You saw it too, right?"

He paused and pursed his lips. He'd seen quite a bit more than he'd ever hoped to this night, and most of it he wanted to forget as soon as he returned home. "Saw what?"

The woman stared at him with impassive eyes. "Don't bullshit me. You know what I'm talking about."

Keiichi held his silence, and Lind frowned. "They were all her, you know." She jerked her head back to Belldandy. "Each and every one of them." He stilled at her comment, and it took all his self-discipline not to turn and look back at Belldandy. "Our form is what we make of it when we're on a lesser plane. We can appear as man or woman, young or old. An adult...or a child." She examined his face, eyes no longer passive but scrutinizing. "I saw them too." Her voice was dropped into a low whisper, "...and so did Urd."

The SEAL felt himself turn white with renewed rage. "All of..." His voice came out tight, and his hand trembling, her grabbed his wrist, recalling the pain of the hooks as they held him to a wall, recalled That Man on top of his sister, and the blank, dead look in her eyes as He held her down with His weight alone, thrusting into her like a mad, rutting beast. The SEAL ground his teeth until his jaw ached, and the man sucked in a shuddering breath. One, two, three...he reached five and held his breath, counted again and released it slowly, sucking in one slow, meditative breath at a time by a five-count. It was slow, but he felt himself come into control of his emotions again, and it was only when Keiichi was certain that he wouldn't explode at the woman before him that he spoke again. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you made a wish," Lind replied. "And now you must deal with everything that comes with it." The words were foreboding, but Keiichi held his peace, allowing the Valkyrie to finish. "Belldandy is not the woman you think she is. Not any more. Not after...that. She needs to heel...and I think as a fellow warrior, you understand that not all wounds born in combat are physical. Give her time and give her patience...but don't also forget that both you and Urd saw those videos. Speak with Urd over what you witnessed and let the poison bleed out. You'll need it and Urd will too." She pursed her lips into a tight, thin line. "Urd especially."

It's real enough for you! Hagall's sing-song voice rang again in his head, and Keiichi looked away with a shudder. "I'll keep it in mind." He sucked in another long, drawn out breath, and when he released it the SEAL felt more in control. "What about you?" he asked. "And if I hear one fucking word of 'I'll be fine', I'm going to drop kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try," Lind retorted. "And I'll be around. I need to keep an eye on Urd."

Keiichi raised a brow in question, but Lind said nothing further. Sensing that their conversation had come to an end, the man sighed and moved on, leaving the Valkyrie in peace. Even more shit to worry over. The new information worried him, and Lind's words did little to put his mind at ease. I feel like I might have bitten off more than I can chew with this one.

A familiar voice met his ears, and Keiichi paused as he rounded a corner. Urd's back was towards him, her phone pressed against her ear. She was speaking in a low, tight voice, and the words sounded strange and alien to his ears. Like whatever Skuld said, but different somehow. There was something vicious about whatever language Urd was speaking, but he did recognize one word. One word that stood out to his ears over everything else. Hagall. He froze and studied the woman's back, taking in her body language as he tried to guess at whatever she was talking about. Her tone did little for him as well; it wasn't the same sing-song language so common in English, nor the more monotone words that came with Japanese. The entire thing just sounded...angry somehow. But was that Urd or the language?

He coughed loud enough to make his presence known and Urd paused, looking over her shoulder sharply. The woman wore a glare that could peel paint with It's intensity, but it vanished as soon as she realized who'd interrupted her. She raised a single finger, one moment, and then turned back to her phone. "Listen, I've gotta go." She was speaking English now, and that accent that had given her the nickname 'Sheila' was back in full force. "Look into it for me and tell me what you find. Yeah. Later." She turned the phone off and pocketed the device, then turned to Keiichi.

"Who was that?" he asked. "And what language were you speaking?" Later a thought would occur to him. A small one of little significance, yet one he found curious all the same. And that thought was this: Why didn't Skuld or Belldandy speak with a similar accent?

"Your mom and Aboriginal," Urd retorted. To Keiichi it translated to, 'Go fuck yourself' and 'None of your damn business.' He decided to let the matter drop, for now. "Belldandy okay?"

"She's fine," Keiichi said. "Skuld says there's something you need to hear." He paused, Lind's words still fresh on his mind. "Are you okay?"

"Been better, Keiichi." Urd looked stressed. "Been better. Soon as we get this shithole behind us I'll be fine."

'I'll be fine.' Where haven't I heard that before? He didn't press the subject though. There'd be time enough for that later. "Cool, let's go before the poodle starts biting ankles."

Skuld was waiting impatiently for them by the time they returned. Belldandy eyed them both in similar concern. "About time you two showed up," she snapped. "Geez, it's like you want to draw this out even longer or something! Don't you want to go home?"

"Well fuck me for facing a goddamned demon all by my lonesome!" Keiichi retorted. Belldandy flinched. The SEAL winced. "Sorry." He muttered.

"Neither of you better start," Urd warned. "Belldandy, what was your wish?"

All at once the goddess flushed, her face turning a bright pink that reminded Keiichi of bubblegum. "I...um..." She glanced at Keiichi, then to the ground bashfully. "I-I wished...I asked to stay by your side." She hesitated and bit her lip. "Forever."

"Oh." Oh shit. Keiichi could think of nothing further to say. He stared at the woman before her with shocked, bemused eyes, watching as Belldandy shuffled self-consciously.

A hand slapped down on his shoulder, and the man jumped, finding Urd leaning in with a large smile on her face. "So!" she cried. "How do you feel about in-laws?"

"Urd, that is so not funny!" Skuld snapped, and Urd let out a bark of laughter.

Keiichi laughed too, but it was a nervous laugh, an uncomfortable laugh. You made your bed, now sleep in it. It sounded like Lind's voice. I am so...so boned. For one thought, one worry, returned to him over and over again: How the fuck do I explain this away?

Belldandy smiled at him, and despite his own grievances Keiichi smiled back, feeling his heart flutter in his chest. Boned, screwed, or any other combination of the sort, Keiichi Morisato was about to find out. Whether he liked it or not, whether he was ready or not, he was about to find out.

He just hoped he'd survive the experience.


A/N: And that closes this arc out. Hope you enjoyed it! Next up? The day after. The next couple of chapters will be more day in the life stuff.