Chapter 9 – Skuld's Transport Training, part 2
Back in the gardens the next day Menorum and Skuld are trying to open her transport gateway at the same fountain. As always in heaven; the grass is green, the air is clean, and the sky is oh so blue it seems.
"You can do it, concentrate, and feel for the pull," encourages Menorum as Skuld tries to reopen her transport gateway. Skuld furrows her forehead as she holds her hand over the water feeling for the gateway opening. She's fully rested and anxious to get this working so she can go somewhere without walking or flying. She feels the tug on her hand and the golden column rising from the surface of the water. In excitement, she whips her hand back, ripping the gateway wide open in the fountain. The golden column of light displaces the water with nary a wave. "Good, " says Menorum, "Now go in and look for the exit through the birdbath," she points at the birdbath beside them.
Skuld hops up and floats down the column. Inside she sees several views through fountains, bathtubs, sinks, birdbaths and rivers in heaven. She looks for the one that she recognizes as the birdbath. She extends her other hand towards that one and feels the tug, she pulls her hand back whipping open the gateway in the birdbath.
Menorum stands between the fountain and birdbath, watching the column of light for intensity in the fountain, which indicates how stable the gateway is. She hears birds splashing and taking off in a hurry from the birdbath behind her so she turns to see a golden column thrust itself upward from the entire surface of the water. The top of a little black haired goddess peeks up through the birdbath at Menorum, then Skuld shoots up through the opening in the birdbath and squeals with glee! "I did it! I did it!! I have to show Belldandy! I'm a genius!"
Menorum claps and giggles at the little goddess. "Very good! What did you see while you were in there?"
"I saw several places I could've gone. I had to think how things would look like from looking 'out' of the water. That's how I recognized the birdbath, like yesterday. Can I get in trouble if I go to the wrong one?"
Menorum shakes her head, "It's just like opening a door into somewhere that you don't know what's on the other side. If you try to go into a hostile place, you can immediately pull back and go somewhere else and nothing can follow you in if you close the gateway right away. Now are you done with your gateways?"
Skuld nods enthusiastically with a big happy smile.
"Ok, now you need to close them to preserve your power and to keep someone or something from coming through too."
Skuld floats back over by Menorum and lands by her. She waves her right hand in a large arc at the fountain and birdbath. The golden columns rapidly dissipate into the water. She looks back over to Menorum, then suddenly feels the need to sit down.
"Uh oh, I think I used too much energy again."
Menorum nods and motions for her to sit down next to the fountain. "Yes, but you lasted longer today than you did yesterday. Tomorrow you should be able to do that twice. You're just getting used to channeling alot more energy. In a year you won't even blink an eye at doing that over and over."
Skuld wearily smiles, "good, what else can we learn today that doesn't take a lot of power?"
Menorum laughs softly, "Ok, since you are going to the surface world, you won't use your powers very much hopefully, and you'll have some down time. So let me introduce you to what is called 'Manga' and 'ice cream' on the surface world. Oh, by the way, if you run low on power, ice cream is your alternate energy source. It's edible, usually served cold, comes in a wide variety of flavors, and you can eat all you need without worry of gaining weight, because Goddesses don't gain weight, ever, unless you get pregnant."
Skuld looks shocked at Menorum, "why would I ever want to do that!?!"
Menorum giggles at Skuld, "I see you already know about that, the 'birds and the bees' as the mortals call it."
Skuld groans and rolls her eyes, "I have an older sister who never hesitated sharing 'those' things with me in her feeble attempts to make me like boys!"
Menorum gasps and holds her hand in front of her mouth, "Not Belldandy! She doesn't seem the type who would…"
Skuld shakes her head vigorously and interrupts her, "Not Belldandy! It's Urd…"
"Oh, I see…"
