The dark magic attack exploded within the shopping center, causing the nearby buildings to crackle and fall. The rumbling from the debris falling echoed throughout the city. The smoke shot upward like a volcanic eruption, thick and dense, wavering into the sky.

Down below where the battle had ended, none of the goddesses nor Keiichi were in sight. All that was left was the cement stones from the buildings and a massive crater left by Urd's magic attack.

Nevertheless, in the distance, a pile of rubble began to move as someone crawled out from beneath it. Skuld, covered in dirt and soot, made her way out of the rubble, lying upon her chest. Her vision was a bit hazy, but she could see someone standing in the distance. As her eyes tried to refocus, she could then see Hild holding an unconscious Urd in her arms.

"U-Urd…" Skuld whispered.

Hild caressed her sleeping daughter's cheek as she smiled to her warmly and very motherly, "You exhausted so much of your power…but…it is your true power nonetheless."

"H-Hild…!" Skuld weakly yelled as she managed to herself back up onto feet. She steadily took a couple of steps forward, while holding her arm in pain.

Hild looked over to her and smirked, "I see one has awakened…but of course it wasn't going to kill you. You are all goddesses, after all."

Skuld faced downward, her body trembling with so much anger. She clenched her fists as her arms rested at her sides. "Let her go…" she said softly, her voice seeming muddled due to her constant trembling.

"What was that?" Hild replied.

"Let my sister go!!!" Skuld yelled loudly, lifting her head as her tears flailed from her sobbing eyes.

"Dear little goddess, Urd may be your sister, but she is MY daughter," Hild smirked, "She has chosen which side she loves most. News flash my dear…you're not on it."

"That's not true!!" Skuld cried, "Urd and I…we fight sometimes! We argue a lot!"

Hild laughed, "Now you see why she chose me over you."

"No, you're wrong! Belldandy told me…the reason why we fight is because we love each other that much!" Skuld shouted, "…She is right! I love Urd!!"

"Hild!!" a voice yelled from the sides. Peorth steadily made her way over to Skuld's side, placing her hands upon Skuld's shoulders. "As a Goddess First Class, I will stop you!" she shouted.

"Enough of this banter from you both," Hild replied, "Both of you goddesses shall die!!" Hild raised one arm into the air as bolts of dark lightning hailed down from the sky and gathered together within her palm. "Hah!" Hild yelled as she thrust her arm forward, launching the massive energy towards the two goddesses.

Peorth and Skuld were stopped dead in their tracks, not having enough strength to move out of the way.

Just as the attack was about to strike them, two silhouetted angels zoomed inward and both picked up one of the goddesses, flying out of harm's way.

The two goddesses were set down a short distance away, as they saw both Cool Mint and Spear Mint hovering near them.

Keiichi, while holding an unconscious Belldandy, had his arm extended outward. It was he who sent Cool Mint to help.

Rind had stuck her axe into the ground, using it for support as she had her own arm extended, for it was she who had Spear Mint rescue them.

"Hahahaha!!!" Hild laughed evilly as she began to ascend towards the sky, her daughter in her arms, "Urd is mine…now…and forever!!! Hahahaha!!!!" With that having been said, Hild and Urd both vanished into the shadows of the night.

"Belldandy!!" Skuld cried as she rushed over to her unconscious older sister.

The other two goddesses followed.

"Is she all right?!" Skuld asked worriedly.

"She'll be fine…" Peorth stated, examining Belldandy, "Her physical wounds don't seem so severe. However…"

"Her emotional ones seem to have taken its toll," Rind sighed.

"We need to…" Keiichi began to say when Rind noticed a gash on the side of his head from the explosion.

"Oh my word!" Rind gasped, "He's bleeding!"

Keiichi had already lost too much blood and began to feel weaker. He slowly began to fall towards the ground as Rind caught him, and Skuld held onto her sister.

"Keiichi!!" Skuld cried.

"Let's get them back to the shrine, hurry!" Peorth shouted.

In her room, Urd was lying down on her bed, gazing up at the ceiling. She hurt all over – when He had been running the program on her, she had felt like she was splitting apart at the edges of her body, of her mind, when everything she knew was an edge. Hours later, it still hurt. And the program hadn't even worked.

But she was okay, because she was Urd, and she was always strong, and always understood. Even though He hadn't told her what the program was, she had known. He had been trying to separate her into two – the demon half and the goddess half.

And she had been willing to try it. Because she could feel them inside her - they made up her soul. Two halves, of her soul. But instead of sliding neatly together, as two parts of a puzzle should, they grated, burning her heart as they each fought for dominance. Yet, even as they warred, they refused to part, even by the most powerful of programs.

Her own personal Heaven and Hell: courtesy of her Holy Father and her Evil Mother. At least, that's what gossip said.

And gossip in heaven was usually uncannily accurate. She had heard the others talking. About her 'deciding'. After all, He had told her that since she was half-and-half, she was free to choose to be either a goddess or a demon. If she chose to be a goddess, she would stay in Heaven, and train to get her license, and become a real Goddess.

He hadn't told her what would happen if she chose to be a demon.

But she knew.

"But it might be better, huh?" Urd whispered, looking up at the ceiling. There was little that Urd loved in Heaven, or cared for. Fun only went so far. Certainly, it might be worth staying in Heaven for Him, because He actually cared, but there was nothing else. Her father didn't particularly care either way; when he found out that his liaison with a demon woman had produced a child, he had been told to immediately bring the baby – Urd - to the Heavens. And so, out of duty and not much else, he had done so, much to the anger of the demons. After all, to them, a demon that would have the ability to trip goddesses with their own tricks would be worth more than anything else. Obviously, though, for those in the Heavens, this could not be had. Yet, still, a goddess could only be allowed to use goddess powers, and so her demon part did more harm than good. And her father was not pleased with her, either – not that the fathers in Heaven had much to do with the raising of their children in the first place - but he stayed away more than was usual.

But Urd didn't care about that. She was not, by nature, a clingy child.

But then, there were so few things to care about, even in Heaven. Perhaps death would be better – it would certainly ease the minds of many wary goddesses.

But Urd wasn't one to please others, and certainly not at her own discomfort. She was fairly sure that the cancellation method wasn't very pleasant. And, damn it, she didn't want to die.

But she didn't particularly want to live, either. At least, not live like she was living now - just trudging through each day, listless and sadder than the lowest of mortals.

Then what?

A knock on the door stirred Urd out of her reverie. "Can I come in?" came a muffled voice from the other side. Urd sighed. "Yes."

A goddess stepped in, holding a white clay pitcher, filled with an odd liquid that trickled messily over the sides when she went off balance. Epona, one of the goddesses whom Urd genuinely liked, was the one who took care of all the births of goddesses and their early childhood. Urd had been partly raised by her, but had known, for so many years now (thanks to a person who felt it was 'her part' to reveal the truth), that the goddess had been warned to be wary of Urd. After all, until it was confirmed, everyone was to be wary of her, but not 'influence her decision'. Because she was half-demon, first and foremost, then half-goddess. (But if that type of attitude wasn't influencing, nothing was.) But despite it, she had still liked her, as Epona had always been good and kind, with a genuine liking for Urd.

Now, she beamed at Urd. "Urd-chan, I wanted to see you," she said, in that soft, comforting voice of hers. "How are you feeling?"

Urd frowned. "Not good."

Epona's eyebrows swung together, rather like knitting needles. "Resting didn't help?"

Urd sighed, kicking her feet up in the air as she plopped down on a chair. Looking up at Epona through squinted eyes, she said tiredly, "Not really."

Epona walked more into the room, then placed the pitcher on the table next to Urd's bed. "Well, drink a cup of that, will you please? It's a sort of simple painkiller. It won't do much good, but it should help… a little," she said rather doubtfully.

Urd examined it carefully. "What's in here, anyway?"

Epona paused. "Oh, just a few little things… I can't give you a very good pain potion, you know, I stink at them. Luckily for me, very complex potions aren't good for children anyway. But… let's see… some crystal water, a lily petal, and the tear of a newborn goddess. Nothing more."

There was another pause. "Do you have any soda handy?" Urd asked.

Epona's eyes widened. "S-soda? Why, yes, I do, as a matter of fact, but…" she looked down at Urd, who held out a hand. Sighing, she handed Urd a small, plastic bottle of Coca-Cola. Inwardly, she sighed – there went her last bottle of Coke from Earth. Ah, well, Urd probably needed more of it anyway.

Untwisting the cap off, Urd promptly poured some of the Coke into its lid, and then dumped that with much hand waving and silky finesse straight into the pitcher. After a rather sudden bang, greenish-gray smoke wafted up from it, floating through the air and giving off a rather noxious scent. She then poured it into a cup and downed it without blinking. Coughing, a little gray smoke rose from her throat, but then she smiled at Epona. "Carbonation. It can really change potions. Thanks, Epona – I feel so much better now!" she exclaimed, handing her back the Coca-Cola bottle to Epona.

Epona's jaw was somewhere on Earth. "You… you knew how to change the potion, just like that?"

Urd shrugged. "Something like that, I guess," she said carelessly, with the manner of someone who's 'been there, done that, three million times'. "It was in a book I read, and I thought it might work. It was just a guess, though. If it didn't work, nothing would've happened anyway."

Epona closed her mouth again. "Anyway, Urd-chan, I'm glad that you could use the painkillers, but that's not why I'm here today."

Urd blinked. "Really? Then why?" she said, slightly surprised.

A smile fluttered across the goddess's face. "There's been another birth this week," Epona said, with a soft, painful smile. "A very beautiful little goddess was born, earlier this morning." While we were trying to rip you into two, she added silently. In her opinion, Urd was born the way she was for a reason – and there was no cause for messing with children like that, none at all. Especially children that were part-goddess. Even for Him.

Oblivious to Epona's thought pattern, Urd rolled her eyes impatiently. "Goddesses are born quite often, Epona," she said matter-of-factly. "What's so wonderful about this one?"

A peaceful, but slightly sly smile crossed Epona's lips. "You'll have to see for yourself. If you're feeling better, I'd very much like you to go see her with me. Please?"

Urd had no choice – with her new-and-improved painkillers, she scarcely felt a thing – to lie and say that it still hurt would not only be against Urd's morals (she believed in being brutally frank), it would also be saying that she didn't fix up the potion very well.

And so, to the nursery they went. Epona was thrilled that Urd was going, and for the same reason, Urd was displeased. After all, leaving and entering her room was a hassle – dozens of programs and spells were set-up around it, so that in case Urd ever went – wrong – they'd be able to control her right away.

There were no such things around a true goddess' door.

A gentle breeze flew through the Queen of Muspelheim's throne room. The black drapes that hung high above whistled with the wind as the lit torches flickered with every soft gust.

Urd lied unconscious upon a bed that seemed to have been lifted up from the rocky ground beneath it; it was probably done by some kind of magic. The bed itself was in an oval shape, with spikes protruding upwards like the stalactites in the cavernous throne room. There were silky violet covers and bedding that covered the newly born Demon.

She tossed and turned for a bit, droplets of perspiration emerging upon her forehead. Within a few moments, her red eyes opened ever so suddenly, as if awakening from a disturbing dream. She slowly lifted up and held her forehead in her palm.

"That dream…" she whispered to herself, her voice now having a demonic echo to it. She removed the silky covers and levitated herself from the bed, landing gently upon her feet. Urd saw that her attire had changed. She wore a black sleeveless top that was almost skin tight. There was a diamond shape cut out in the center of her chest, allowing for a large amount of cleavage. She also wore a black leather corset around her abdomen that gave her a simply curvaceous look. There were twisting golden bands around her biceps, along with gorgeous chandelier earrings draping off of her ears. She had tight leather pants and a pair of black stilettos to complete her ensemble.

"Welcome home my daughter," Hild's voice echoed throughout the throne room from her seat. She held a wine glass filled with some red drink that steamed.

"Mother, is this really…?" Urd began to ask in disbelief, looking around amazed at her new surroundings.

"You are home Urd," she said, taking another sip from her glass, "Welcome to Muspelheim."

"…Muspelheim," Urd sighed, letting it all sink in.

"You are finally at your rightful place…here by my side," Hild told her. She waved her arm to the side as waves of dark magic appeared out of thin air, forming into a duplicate of her own throne. Hild eyed her daughter, signaling her with her eyes to come sit by her.

Urd wasted no time, having longed for this moment secretly ever since she was young. She gently lifted up into the air and flew over towards the throne, sitting next to her mother.

Hild placed her hand upon her daughter's in comfort, "You exhausted so much of power on Earth. Did you rest well?"

"Yes, I did," Urd smiled, her crimson eyes gleaming with ignorant joy, "That power…it was…"

"Incredible, was it not?" Hild smirked, lifted from her seat. As she walked away from the throne, her glass vanished within seconds with the use of magic. "It was your true power Urd," Hild explained, "The innate power that has been sleeping within your soul for all of this time. Now it has finally been released, and you have come full circle."

Urd extended her arm outward as a ball of black flame combusted within her palm. She looked at it joyfully, realizing the extent of her new power. It seemed that everything was limitless, without boundary.

"Now, it is time to seek revenge on those who separated us all of those years ago," Hild spoke, "…With you at my side, the Heavens cannot stand in our way."

Urd stood up and walked over towards her mother, "He will pay for having kept you from me! The universe needs no Heaven!"

"Yes Urd! Muspelheim will reign supreme and you and I will never be separated…ever again!!" Hild shouted victoriously, "Now…we must prepare to send Him to his knees and beg for mercy!"

"No god or goddess will stand in my way…" Urd grinned, clenching her fist tightly, soon raising it high into the air.

"War is upon us!!!"

"Is that really possible?" Keiichi wondered, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

He and Rind stood outside in the hallway of their home. They had all rushed back after the battle with Urd had exhausted much of Belldandy's strength, not just her magic.

"It seems it is," Rind replied, ever so stoically.

"But Rind…I thought you were a Valkyrie! You're a high ranking soldier aren't you?" Keiichi stated, "Shouldn't you know about these things?"

"He only lets us know what we need to know," Rind answered, "It seems not even he anticipated these turn of events. I can only imagine that I will be called back to Heaven to handle this disturbance."

"Did she really choose this? Did Urd choose to embrace her Demon half?" Keiichi questioned.

"I know we would all like to think that Hild brainwashed her," Rind continued, "However…we also have to accept the possibility that perhaps Urd did make that decision. You all said yourselves that she was acting strangely, correct?"

Keiichi looked away ashamedly, realizing that in the back of his mind he was thinking the same thing. He had known Urd for so long now that she was apart of his family, just as Skuld and Belldandy were. He couldn't bear to think that she would forsake what they all shared to become what she had become.

Rind began to walk towards the sliding screen door, placing her hand upon his shoulder, "I may be a warrior…but even I understand family. I know that deep down Urd does to. It will just…take some time before she realizes which one is right for her."

"What if she really chooses Hild?" Keiichi asked worriedly.

"Then it is Urd's choice," Rind stated, sliding the door open.

Inside of one of the temple's bedrooms, the unconscious Belldandy slept soundly. Skuld knelt next to her, worrying ever deeply for her sister, as Peorth watched over them both.

"How is she?" Rind asked.

Keiichi quickly entered and knelt next to Belldandy as well.

"She's fine. Belldandy needs this rest more than anyone I think," Peorth said with a pained look upon her face, "That battle wasn't only tough on her physically…"

"Oh Belldandy…" Skuld cried, her eyes welling up. She reached into the covers and held her sister's hand. "I should've been there to protect you," she said sadly.

"There was nothing you could've done Skuld," Peorth reassured her.

"I know!!" Skuld yelled loudly, frustrated with the situation. She realized that her outburst was uncalled for and calmed herself down. "But…" she said softly, "We are all sisters…We need to be there for one another, and now…now…one of us isn't here anymore."

Keiichi ran his fingers through Belldandy's hair, making sure she was as comfortable as possible. "Skuld…we are all family, right?" he asked her all of a sudden.

"Eh?" Skuld wondered, sniffing and wiping away her tears, "What?"

"Keiichi, Skuld, Peorth, Rind, Belldandy, and Urd…" he smiled gently, looking over to the young goddess, "We are all family, right?"

Peorth smiled warmly to Keiichi, touched by his words, as Rind even let out a faint smile.

Skuld closed her eyes and dropped her head for a moment. When she looked back up, she had a huge smile planted upon her face. "Yes…that's right Keiichi," she said, "We are all family."

"Then we'll get through this together, as a family," Keiichi told her.

"We are all like strands of rope, woven together by fate," Peorth added, "The more strands of rope, the stronger it is."

"That is why we will strive to get Urd back," Rind agreed.

Skuld was so pleased to hear it, "Thank you."

"Once Belldandy awakens…we'll figure out our next move," Rind told them as they all gazed upon Belldandy's sleeping face.

As Belldandy slept, she dreamt a dream that seemed almost all too familiar to her. The dream was in the first person and it felt as if she was lying down, staring upwards towards what appeared to be a white ceiling. She heard loud footsteps heading towards where she lied down. The shadows of two young women cast over her as she saw someone who she had known all her life.

Young Urd watched over her and smiled, tickling her a bit with her finger.

"Isn't she adorable, Urd?" a soft female voice spoke, quickly ending the dream in flash of white light.

Everyone had gathered in the dining room, surrounding the table and having a warm cup of tea.

"Urd's power was really something," Keiichi spoke, "I've never seen anything like that from any of the other demons."

"Urd is no normal demon now," Peorth explained, "She is the daughter of Hild, Queen of Muspelheim. The power of low level demons does not even compare."

"Meaning if we had to face her again…" Skuld said sadly.

At that very moment, the phone rang. Peorth quickly lifted from the floor, "I'll get it." She rushed back into the hallway.

"The only thing I'm worried about is what Hild's true goal is," Rind stated, "It cannot simply be a family reunion. She must want more."

"If only we knew a way to get Urd back…" Keiichi pondered to himself.

"There is a way," Belldandy spoke to them ever so determinedly.

Everyone turned their head to the doorway where Belldandy stood.

"Belldandy!" Skuld gasped, rushing towards her.

"You know a way?" Rind asked.

"You're right…if and when we face Urd again, it will be a tough encounter," she began, "But we can get her back. While I slept, I heard what Keiichi said. Family will always come back together."

Keiichi smiled.

"I will not let Hild alter Urd's heart," Belldandy stated, affirming her determination.

Peorth ran back quickly into the room, pleased to see Belldandy awake, "Oh Belldandy! It's a good thing you're awake!"

"What is it Peorth?" she wondered.

"That call was from Heaven," Peorth told them, "They need us up there right away. Something is going on, and I don't like the feeling I'm getting. He wants to see us as soon as possible."

Rind stood up, nodding her head in agreement, "Understood."

Skuld followed, "I hope they have good news."

Belldandy walked over to Keiichi, caressing his cheek, "I wish you could come with me."

"I know that you all will be safe, that's all that matters," he smiled, "Hurry back with good news, okay?"

Belldandy nodded, smiling, "Yes, we will all be together again, I promise."

"Let's move out," Rind stated. She walked over towards the window, as it glowed intensely with a violet light. Without thinking twice, Rind walked through it and teleported away.

"We'll be back before you know it!" Skuld winked as she rushed off towards the hallway and into the bathroom. Within seconds, the three that were left could see a flash of light come from the bathroom, indicating that Skuld had already left.

Belldandy kissed Keiichi on the cheek as she pulled out a compact mirror and opened it. She simply touched the face of the mirror and was sucked into it, teleporting away.

Peorth looked around everywhere for a medium that she could use to teleport to Heaven. Sweat drops forming all around her, she was frantic and couldn't find what she was looking for anywhere. She looked under the table, between the books in the bookcase, and even had to rush towards the kitchen.

Keiichi pulled out his photo camera when Peorth rushed back in, panting and heaving.

"You couldn't have done that sooner?" she gasped for air, "Oh, never mind!" She snatched the camera from his hand and touched the lens, whisking her away.

Keiichi walked over towards the window, and looked out to see the twinkling stars out in the night sky. "Be careful…Belldandy," he whispered.