Skuld waited patiently in the reception area of Sessrumnir, the great hall that housed many goddess agencies and bureaus. Gold and amber seemed to be in every facet of décor from the rich tapestries, to the chairs, to the carpeting. The teenage goddess felt a certain unease, a dread about the recall to heaven. Somehow, she knew it had to do with her Earth Training Program. That her main teachers, Belldandy and Urd weren't contacted spoke volumes. She nervously adjusted her white gloves, part of the pink formal goddess attire she was wearing for the occasion.

"Freya_sama will see you now," informed Ere, the pretty receptionist.

Skuld took a deep breath then made her way into the executive office of Lady Freya, one of Heaven's Top Administrators, Council Member, and noted Efficiency Expert. The latter did audits on such notable businesses such as the Goddess Relief Office and the Earth Assistance Center. Moreover, she oversaw training and qualification as well as being Commander in Chief of half of Heaven's Valkyrie Division.

"Skuld dear," a warm smile crossed the flawless features of Freya, a mesmerizing goddess with long golden blonde hair. The front had been braided, while the rest hung down her back. She possessed piecing blue eyes, halfmoon markings, and alabaster skin. Her figure was displayed prominently in a white pinstriped business suit/miniskirt combo. "It's been a long time. Please sit down."

"Thank you, milady," the young goddess took a seat before Freya's large desk. A casefile with Skuld's name on it lay on the top, then was opened by the senior goddess.

"It would seem you've learned a great deal these past four years on Earth," she noted.

"Sis is a very good mentor," the future deity spoke of Belldandy. "I've grown in my powers thanks to her and even got my angel back!"

"Your sister always speaks highly of you in her reports," Freya continued. "It was a shame to lose her services."

"She's happy with Keiichi," the black haired mecha creator agreed,

"Tell me, where do you want to work when you are granted a first class license?"

Skuld's eyebrows arched at the question. "At a job where I can make the best use of my talents."

"Do you aspire to Urd's former job?" she asked directly.

The other knew deep down that she was just as capable as anyone else of being the System Operator. She also knew that taking the position would not let her to be able to stay on Earth anymore. A long silence filled the room. Freya's gaze remained fixated on the young goddess who shifted uncomfortably. Anywhere, even Muspelhiem seemed like a better place to be than here at the moment.

"Please tell me your career goals, Skuld."

"Honestly I haven't made up my mind yet. Perhaps a consultant to the debugging department.I was thinking of attending college on Earth."

"College?" laughed Freya. "There's nothing they can teach you that we don't already know."

"Being on Earth had been great," Skuld continued. She thought about ice cream and rescuing Sigel from the scrap heap, and all the misadventures with her sisters and Keiichi. Most importantly, she thought about Sentaro.

"Skuld, I called you here to gauge your interests. You can follow in Urd or Belldandy's footsteps or even choose a new path. You can be an engineer, get into design, run the Command Center, or grant wishes. My brother has a prestigious opening in Alfheim. The job is yours for the taking."

"I'd like to stay with sis on Earth until I complete my training," Skuld admitted. "And go to college."

"First, your training on Earth is nearing completion. In fact, I could sign you off right now. Second, college? Why are you so insistent?" The elder shuffled through some more papers in the file.

"To be with Sentaro," she replied softly, her cheeks flushing as she spoke his name aloud. Freya could sense the palpable affection in the prodigy's voice.

"A romance?" With a human boy?" she probed, a gleam in her eye.

"We're friends," the other began.

"Don't try and hide it. You aspire to a great romance like your sister, right?"

Skuld avoided the other's eyes. "I guess so."

"That, my dear, will not do. You have too bright a future ahead of you to let a relationship with a mortal affect your career," she said, as if giving a lecture.

"But.Belldandy."

"Skuld," Freya leaned forward. "We goddesses don't interdisperse with humans on a regular basis, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. Your sister's case is unique." "I haven't told him that I'm a goddess," Skuld remarked. She didn't like where this conversation was leading.

"And if you persist on a relationship and it blossoms into romance? You cannot hide that fact. I see you already used your powers on one occasion to save him from harm."

"Milady, I don't think it is wrong to have feelings for a human."

"No it is not. But continued exposure will get in the way of your advancement. Moreover, the human has not proved worthy of knowing your true nature," she said matter of factly.

Skuld could not believe she was hearing such things. "I can't just tell him to stop seeing me. He'll come to the temple like he always does."

"You should never have gotten this close while you were on Earth," Freya stated with a sigh. "There are consequences. Your sisters were wrong in allowing this to happen."

"Milady, please."

The elder goddess took a document from the bottom of the folder. She presented it to the younger, who took it in silence. Tears formed in her eyes.

Hours later, the Goddess of the Future rematerialized in the bathtub at the Morisato residence. She somberly made her way into Belldandy's Tea Room.

"How did everything go?" the peanut butter haired middle sister asked.

"Belldandy," Skuld rushed to her favorite sibling and buried her face into her sister's chest.

"Oh Skuld, what happened?"

"Freya_sama's doing the same thing they did to you once."

Belldandy knew instantly. As a young goddess, she had met Keiichi when he was very little. Those times ended in sorrow, the latter had all early memories of her expunged. Skuld handed her the document. "Cease and Desist" had been written at the top. It went on to say further contact with Sentaro was disallowed and that she had a week to make a decision on where she wanted to work next or face having it chosen for her."

"I can't believe this," Belldandy exclaimed. "Part of Earth Training brings you into contact with its inhabitants "Falling in love should not be wrong!"

"I have to stop seeing him," she cried. "Or they'll erase his memories of me altogether."

"I'm so sorry, Skuld," the middle sister hugged the younger.

Neither stopped crying until hours later.

Urd overheard Skuld and Belldandy's conversation. As much as she and the brat bickered all the time, she genuinely cared for her as any older sister would. She too had become fond of Sentaro and wanted the best for them as she did for Belldandy and Keiichi. An immediate phone call was placed to Heaven. And the Goddess of the Past's protests fell on deaf ears. She was resigned to hang up after hearing the last sentence, "The alternative is the Judgement Gate."

Skuld rode her bike down to the river, a favorite hangout of theirs. Sentaro waited for her, sitting relaxedly on a big blue blanket. He wore board shorts and a New York Yankees Hideki Matsui jersey.

"Hey Sentaro," she spoke quietly as she parked the bike against a nearby tree.

"Hey you," he grinned. "I got us some good grub here. Yatikori, cucumber salad, pork bread, and yes, mint chocolate chip ice cream!"

She took a seat beside him on the blanket. He admired her simple pink sundress. It seemed she never wore the same thing twice. Setting a plate in front of her, he handed over a pair of chopsticks.

"We need to talk," she started, unsure of how to start, although having spent the last several hours rehearsing something. She had cried a lot doing it, and bit her lip to keep that from happening right then and there.

"Alright! What's on your mind," he asked warmly, handing her a chilled Coke bottle.

Her heart felt as though it was about to break. She tried to stay calm and bit her lip again. "We've been more than friends for a while now, right?"

"Right," he replied, heart starting to beat faster. Was she going to ask him to take their relationship even further?

"I'll always treasure that," she continued, avoiding his gaze. "But there comes a time when you have to move on."

"You're going back to your country?" he asked, remembering she was a foreigner.

"No, not yet," she answered. "But I'm going to be a lot busier."

"Okay, me too with entrance exams coming up," he agreed.

Skuld looked down. "I don't think I'll be able to see you anymore."

Her declaration stunned him.

"Why not, Skuld? I'll still make time for us to do things," he choked, wondering if this was some prank on her part.

"I won't be able to see you at all anymore," she repeated. "I'm sorry."

"Why not?" he looked at her confused and hurt.

She touched his shoulder. "I just can't. Please don't make this harder,:

"Is it your sisters or your parents?" he asked frantically. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No Sentaro," she replied. "It's not about you."

"Some other guy? Are you going out with some other guy?" he pressed.

"No," she told him. "I can't tell you why. I just need some time to myself. Please understand."

"I don't understand, Skuld," he looked right at her with tear filled eyes and grabbed both her shoulders.

"I have to go," she said, standing up to leave. Tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Please don't," he whispered, at a loss on what to do.

She paused only a moment, Freya's words echoing in her head. They could erase his memories any moment if she fessed up.

Skuld quickly mounted her bike and pedaled away, Sentaro staring after her in disbelief.