Ah! The following day

by zeroIQ

Getting married is never really simple for anyone, let alone a certain mortal and his goddess. One might expect that with the hard part out of the way, the rest would be just an ordinary married life. But with those two and the ones around them, there is no such thing as ordinary...

18. Chapter 18

I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series

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"Come on, Bell-chan! You don't have to hide..."

Despite her coaxing, Hild couldn't convince the goddess to emerge from underneath the bedsheets. The terribly embarrassed Belldandy, had gone from a sweet and innocent girl, to a public spectacle in a single night. As childish as it was, she'd taken refuge from the witnesses of that shameful display of pleasure that took place only a few minutes ago.

"No!"

Hild scratched her head, as she turned to the other source of help that was available; the goddess' husband. "Why don't you try something, Keiichi-kun? She just won't listen to me..."

The mortal in question wasn't in a much better state either, but he had managed to avoid shutting himself from the world. "I-I've tried, but she probably needs some time to get used to the whole... concept of... well, being caught..."

"It's not that!" said Belldandy, from her hiding place. "I broadcast such an inappropriate thing! What will my sisters even say? They'll probably hate me now..."

"The word yes is not exactly inappropriate, Bell-chan," said the Daimakaicho in an effort to get to her. "I mean, it could've been a lot worse than that."

"I also think that, Hild is right, Belldandy. You don't have to worry about your sisters, either. There's absolutely no way that they would ever hate you for something like that," said Keiichi, despite his own blush. "Although, I'll keep some distance from Skuld for a while," he added in a low voice.

"That's rather surprising, Keiichi-kun. I would've expected you to be the one that was going to get all embarrassed about this situation," said Hild. "What gives?"

"Well... I do have a lot of experience of getting myself in rather uncomfortable situations," said Keiichi with a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, Urd and Peorth had given me some trouble, before..."

"You mean that they've spoiled you rotten, lover boy," muttered Hild, giving the mortal a sarcastic glance.

"It's not like that!" objected the young man, shaking his hands in front of him.

"Hm... I suppose that you're right, from a certain perspective," said Hild with a smile. "You're not a boy anymore."

For the sake of what was left of his dignity, Keiichi simply lowered his head and remained quiet, avoiding any answer that could make her go any further.

"By the way, where's Surt?" asked the childlike Daimakaicho, realizing that her subordinate was missing.

"Uh... if you mean the demon that followed you, then he's sleeping in the living room. Apparently he seemed to like the couch," said Keiichi.

"I should've known..." grumbled Hild, before she decided to leave him alone for the moment. Belldandy was a higher priority right now. "Okay, Bell-chan! Time's up! If you're not coming out, I'll come in!"

"No!"

"That's it! Keiichi-kun, that's girl stuff, so get out. I'll have to deal with that obstinate goddess, myself," said Hild with a sigh. The mortal man did try to object, but eventually moved towards the living room. "Seriously! You're worse than you mother!"

"My mother?" asked the goddess, poking her head out of the bedsheets for the first time in the last half an hour.

"Yeah, she was a nasty piece of work, too. I thought that goddesses weren't all that difficult to work with. I mean, with the whole love everything thing that you're going for, you would've expected your species to be a bit more open around such subjects. Apparently, that's not the case," said Hild.

"Mother confided in you on such matters?" asked the puzzled goddess. Even more, she could hardly believe that, Ansuz was the type of person to have this type of issues.

"Well, she didn't have anyone else to talk to, I mean, most others would've found it hilarious for a wife to hide under the covers of her own bed," said Hild with a playful voice. "Right, Bell-chan?"

"Was she really like that? I wouldn't possible imagine her to act in such a manner. Besides, why would she bring something up to you? I mean, it might sound a bit inconsiderate, if you take into account that..." started Belldandy, before she was interrupted by the demoness.

"That I was your father's ex? You know, I'm the one that arranged for them to get married," said Hild. "Although, Ansuz wasn't nearly as shy as you. She just found the overall situation a bit awkward at first, which is understandable, given the circumstances."

"So, you helped her?" asked Belldandy.

"Of course. How else do you think that you appeared so soon after their marriage?" asked Hild with a grin.

"I-Is that so?" replied Belldandy, trying to hide her blush. "Although, I still don't understand why you wanted them to become a couple..."

"Simple. It was a much better alternative than letting him marry some other goddess, eventually. I can't say that I liked most of them and I certainly didn't want any of them to get the chance to raise Urd. Or even worse, leave my daughter without any mother or siblings for her entire childhood. After all, your father was just as bad as your mother when it came to relationships," said Hild, letting a frustrated sigh from that memory. "It took us ages to get anywhere; let alone have a daughter. Expecting him to find a new wife on his own, within a reasonable amount of time, was unlikely."

The Norn of the present, slowly nodded her head as she absorbed all that. Hild's explanation sounded reasonable, although something about that last part didn't make any sense. "Hild, when you said that it took you ages to get anywhere with my father, was that just an expression? After all, I was under the impression that..."

"It was a fling?" asked Hild. "No, I meant it literally, Bell-chan. Say... if you stop this nonsense, then I'll tell you. Sounds fair?"

The goddess thought about it for a few seconds, before her curiosity got the better of her. She knew that it was probably not a good idea to delve in such old stories, but at the same time, she wanted to know. Slowly, she removed herself from her hiding place and sat at the edge of the bed, right in front of Hild.

"Good girl!" said Hild. "I don't want to bore you with all the unnecessary details, but the thing was that I've been together with your father for a much longer time than you were told. Centuries, as a matter of fact."

"That's impossible! The Judgement Gate would've surely..."

"It didn't exist back then, so we were never caught. Of course, being the newly appointed rulers of our respective realms and pushing for something like the Doublet System was was too much for most of our loyal subject's comfort. If they knew that we were involved in any way, they would've certainly revolted, before they could see the benefits of the system that we wanted to create. Due to that, we kept everything a secret for a certain period of time."

"This doesn't sound like the version that I've been told," said Belldandy. "Just how many are aware of this?"

"Other than your parents? Very few, but I cant's really disclose more about that particular information. It's considered a secret for a reason," said Hild. "Now where was I?... Oh right! The problems started when the groups that wanted the Judgement Gate, refused to support the Doublet System, unless we accepted to implement that stupid thing as well. It was a bad deal, no matter how you look at this, but, other than having two possible rebellions on both Asgard and Niflheim, there was no other way. So, we agreed and as a result we were the very first ones that had to go through that abomination. Of course, most didn't know about our history and merely assumed that at some point during the lengthy peace negotiations, your father got a thing for me."

"If that was the case, then why did you fail?" asked the goddess, a bit reluctantly. "Surely after a long time, you should've a stronger relationship..."

"Maybe... If we were allowed to do things in our way, then we could've passed. But having to go through years with minimal contact, constantly watching your back to the point of becoming paranoid, and on top of all that, add all the stress from our positions at that time. It puts a lot of strain in a marriage and it's no longer a perfect relationship, full of fuzzy feelings and rainbows everywhere."

"However, relationships can become stronger over time," insisted the goddess of the present, even though she tried to avoid becoming too confrontational with the demoness.

"Indeed. Especially when they survive their first century," said Hild with a slow nod. "Although, tell me, Belldandy... After spending several centuries under those conditions... Do you think that we would've matched that test's definition of perfection?"

The goddess stared at the floor for a few seconds in deep thought. "No. That's something unrealistic to expect, given the circumstances. Actually, I don't think that the test was even necessary at that point. However, you did mention marriage. If that was the case, then why were you still subjected to the test? You could've simply avoided that by saying that you were already a couple, before the Judgement Gate was even implemented."

"You do have a valid point, Belldandy. In fact, that's exactly what Thor said back then. But, there was a serious problem; we had to admit that we've been deceiving everyone for all that time," said Hild. "Do you think that they would trust two leaders that were doing things behind their backs?"

"No."

"See? Of course, we could've just went on and did all that, regardless of the consequences. Although, without the Doublet System, it would've been only a matter of time before everyone went back in their old habits, and once again, war became the only solution," said Hild, shaking her head.

Belldandy started to realize just how frustrating that situation must've been for them. When her father explained why he couldn't meet Hild anymore, she had started to doubt that it had been an easy separation for those two. Still, she wasn't fully aware of how off the rumors were from the actual truth.

"I don't really know what to say, to be honest. After all, I'm not certain what I would've done, if I was put in that position," said Belldandy after a while. "It may sound selfish and perhaps not fit for a goddess, but abandoning Keiichi for the greater good is not something that I could do so easily."

"Actually, nobody cares what you would do as a person, but what you have to do as a leader. Power comes with responsibility and you must meet certain expectations. We're not supposed to put our needs above everything else, and even if we did, it was unlikely that it would've led to a happy ending," said Hild. "But, you're not the Daitenkaicho, so you don't have to worry about that, Bell-chan. Besides, you never had much to worry about, in the first place."

"But, if we failed the test..." said Belldandy, before she was interrupted by the Daimakaicho.

"What test? The one that you were supposed to undergo or the one that your father set up for you?" asked Hild with a smirk. "Even if he didn't go easy on you, do you still think that he would separate you?"

"Wait a moment... You mean that he broke the rules?" asked the goddess of the present.

"Who cares? He did test you, didn't he? Would you rather have have an automated, unfeeling algorithm do that for you, instead?" asked Hild. "Especially one that's carefully rigged to ruin your chances?"

"Is it really alright, though? What about the other couples that have to go through the same test? The won't have that much of a chance," said Belldandy. "It doesn't sound fair..."

"Fairness was never part of the Judgement Gate to begin with. How can you even propose that passing a stupid test is going to prove anything in the long run. Everyone changes over time; it's just one of the simplest facts of life. You're not the same person that you've been a few millennia ago, and you can't predict how you'll be in the far future," said Hild. "The whole concept of passing a trial in order to prevent some impending tragedy is simply an excuse to prohibit pairings that the celestials don't approve. Of course, admitting it outright doesn't make them look nice, so they used every little excuse they could find."

"But, why?" asked Belldandy.

"Because, the result would've been catastrophic for them. Gods and goddesses are so obedient, that follow moronic rules for no particular reason. Demons would've taken their heads if they ever tried to subject them to such nonsense and they wouldn't be the only ones. Hybrids like your sister could also do that, once they gained enough numbers to voice their opinion, and they were terrified by that thought." Hild paused for a few seconds to consider if she would go any further, but decided that it was neither the time nor the place for such conversation. "And that's enough of today's little history lesson, Bell-chan! Hope you enjoyed it and perhaps you may want the next one, at some point in the future. Maybe I should dress as a teacher, too?"

Belldandy giggled a bit at that mental picture, but quickly became serious once more. "Hild, could I ask one last thing, if that's fine with you?"

"Hm... what? Is it something more... practical? Don't be shy, dear..." said Hild with a wink.

Belldandy actually blinked at first, trying to get what the demoness was referring to, but based on the demoness' attitude, she knew that it was likely a bad topic for her. Instead, she focused on what she really wanted to know. "No, I'm just curious why you haven't told Urd all that."

Hild's happy expression, turned into a sour one as she let a defeated sigh. "It's true that if she knew some of that, then she could've accepted me more easily. However, right now, Urd is a bit of a troublemaker and I want her to stay like that for the foreseeable future. If she ever happened to turn resentful towards the gods, then I could get a real problem in my hands. Sure, I could get her back, but demons with such agendas have a tendency to break the rules, and when they do..."

"They get punished, according to the laws that were placed after the peace treaty," continued Belldandy, realizing what could possibly happen in that event.

Hild simply nodded in agreement, before she recalled the outcome of such case. 'Like that moron, Welsper turned into a cat for hacking the Yggdrasil system.'

"I see... In any case, thank you for telling me all this, Hild," said Belldandy. "Also, I'm grateful that you prevented my... lack of control from causing a commotion."

"Don't worry your pretty head, Bell-chan. I'll eventually come up with something," said Hild with a smile. "So, why don't you enjoy your honeymoon in the meantime?"

"Yes!"

XXX

"Come on! You can do it!"

With all the other goddesses away, Skuld was left alone in the temple and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she was bored. As a result, the youngest Norn had decided to watch an anime on the TV, given that she had to wait until next month to get the new volume of her favorite manga. While she often enjoyed such shows, Skuld had picked a romantic comedy this time, unlike the more action oriented ones that she typically watched in the past.

As a matter of fact, most of her mangas also used romantic themes, but the young goddess tried to avoid watching such anime while her eldest sister was around. It wasn't that long ago when she used to make fun of Urd's soap operas, and now she was interested in something that was eerily similar, although, adjusted for a younger audience. She wasn't certain if the goddess of the past would return the favor of teasing her, or even worse, take interest in her shows.

There was only one decent TV in the entire house, given that the one in Keiichi's room was an old relic that couldn't even display colors. As such, they all had to compete for viewing rights and it was typically settled by playing some type of board game, which was a form of entertainment by itself. Especially when it involved her and Urd, as well as the occasional visitor, like Peorth.

Of course, one of the necessary requirements was that everyone wanted to watch something different. If she and Urd started to watch the same things, then they would no longer have to fight over anything. While most people assumed otherwise, she did enjoy playing various games with Urd and even Peorth, whenever she had the opportunity.

That wasn't the only problem for the youngest of the Norns. It was inevitable that she started to notice that as she grew older, she became more and more like her eldest sister, not the middle one that she idolized. She did have Urd's temper and the desire to spend a lot of time doing research for one project or another. Even if the former was interested in alchemy, while the latter preferred technology, both had their own labs inside their rooms and used their various creations to solve their problems.

Additionally, they also faced some serious problems as they grew up. In Urd's case, she had to struggle with her heritage, while Skuld with the inability to learn magic in the same efficient manner as her two other sisters. Even getting their angels had turned out to be more complicated than necessary, with the goddess of the past sealing World of Elegance due to her appearance, while her youngest sister tried to summon hers, before she had the strength and resolve to properly support Noble Scarlet.

'So, in other words, I'm turning into Urd... Ugh... It's all Keiichi's fault! If he hadn't taken oneesama on that stupid trip, then I would've something better to do, instead of thinking about all this stuff.' Skuld let out a sigh and reached to grab another rice cracker from the bag that was lying right next to her. She expected that finding something interesting in the TV would've kept her mind occupied, but she was staring to doubt that. Her initial interest in the anime had turned into boredom, as the dialogue between the main character and the female lead was taking far too long and went nowhere.

'Why do authors write such unnecessary scenes before a confession or a kiss,' thought the young goddess. It was getting close to the end of the episode, and so far, nothing happened. She was about to give up and switch the channel, before the characters started to get a bit closer.

'About time!' thought Skuld with excitement, as she leaned forward, putting her hands on the table, in anticipation of the big event, only to have the screen go white with static. 'Really?! It picked the worst time to stop working!'

However, before the Norn of the future could get up to check the TV, a figure started to emerge, giving her a very good idea of what was going on.

"Urd! I'm watching something!" shouted the irate goddess. "Go though, Keiichi's TV!"

"Oops! I forgot about that..." said Urd, before her sister pushed her aside to see what was happening on screen. Unfortunately, by the time that the elder goddess had transferred through the TV, the show was already over, with the credits scrolling on the screen.

"Aw... Now I'll have to wait until next time to find what happened," said Skuld, as her shoulders slumped in defeat. Finally, turning her head towards her sibling, she finally noticed what she was wearing. Or rather, what she wasn't. "Put some clothes on, you exhibitionist!"

"Huh?! Oh right... I'm still in my nightwear..." said Urd, as she took a glance at her outfit.

"That's right! Put something on! I can literally see thought that thing, Urd!" said the youngest of the Norns as she pointed at her sister's nightie.

"So what? You've seen me naked, when we take baths," said the goddess of the past. "Although, I'll have to do as you say, since we must be going."

"Where to?" asked Skuld, as she stared at her sister that was now wearing the same white outfit that she had during her first class test.

"To Whirlwind, of course!" said Urd as she made a few adjustments to her clothes. "It's a good idea to go and take a look, now. After all, we need to discuss a few things with Chihiro, before we officially start working there. Even if it's just a temporary thing."

"Well... we've been there several times, already. But, It's not like I've got anything better to do, so why not?" said Skuld with a shrug.

"Your enthusiasm is contagious," said Urd with a sarcastic tone. "By the way, where's everyone?"

"They went to Nekomi, before you woke up. I was too busy working on Banpei to ask them more details about their plans," explained Skuld with a shrug. "And now that I think about it, we need some means of transport, whenever we go to work."

"Huh? Why? We can either fly or teleport there, so what's the point?" asked the elder goddess.

"Because, it's going to look suspicious if we just pop out of nowhere," replied Skuld. "Chihiro could start to suspect that something's off, and that could oneesama and Keiichi in a difficult position."

Urd was skeptical at first, but as she thought about it, she started to see that, Skuld may had been right. They needed some type of vehicle, since the temple was somewhat out of the way. Meaning that public transport wouldn't be the best alternative. She wasn't looking forward to wait for a while to catch a bus, in order to get to work.

"We can take Keiichi's BMW back from the airport," suggested Urd after a long pause.

"Hm... I'm not so sure that it's such a good idea. You don't have the license to drive it, and if the police stops us, we could get into trouble. Even worse, they could think that we've stolen it," replied the goddess of the future.

"Well, do you have any better ideas?" asked Urd as she started to get frustrated by the lack of viable solutions.

"Of course! I was prepared for such an occasion!" gloated Skuld, as she crossed her arms. "Just follow me."

'I should've known...' thought Urd, wondering what sort of crazy contraption her sister might've come up with. Letting out a sigh, the Norn of the past decided to just get it over with, and joined her outside of the house's front door. "I don't see anything..."

"That's because it's here," said Skuld, as she held a small metallic box in front of her. Pressing a button on it's side, she set it on the ground and within seconds, it had fully deployed and assumed it's real form. "Tada!"

"Hold on! That's your toy scooter!" said Urd as she stared at the little electric powered vehicle in front of her.

"Hey! It's not a toy!" objected the young goddess. "It's perfectly functional and could easily carry you. If I use Banpei instead of that, then we've solved our problem, since each one of us will have some type of vehicle."

"Do you seriously expect me to move around on that thing?" said Urd raising an eyebrow, as she pointed at Skuld's contraption.

"Why not? I've seen Tamiya on that tiny Honda bike of his. And he's much bigger than you, so what's the problem?" asked the Norn of the future.

"Don't compare me with him! I'm a lady, not some motor head!" objected Urd. "Think of something a bit more refined!"

"You're so difficult!" said Skuld in frustration. "Fine! Wait here for a moment, I'll be back with plan B."

'So, she already had another plan?' thought Urd, as she idly tapped her foot, waiting for the youngest Norn to return.

"Well, here you go!" said Skuld, as she revealed the alternative. "That must be pretty ladylike, even by your high standards."

"Belldandy's bicycle?! Do you really expect me to pedal all the way to Whirlwind and back?" asked Urd, in surprise.

"Sure. Oneesama uses it all the time, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem for you to do the same. Unless, you can't. In that case, maybe I should install a small electric motor to help you a bit," said Skuld with a tiny dose of sarcasm, as she teased her sister.

"Forget it! I don't need any assistance for something that simple. After all, I've told you before that there's nothing that I can't do." said Urd, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "And now that we've finally settled this matter, we need to stop wasting more time and get going."

"Fine... I'll be right behind you," said Skuld, jumping on her own scooter and going after Urd who had already started without her.

"The first one to get there gets the TV for the rest of the day!" shouted Urd over her shoulder, while increasing her speed, in an attempt to leave her sister behind.

"What?!" shouted Skuld. "Don't make those bets on your own! Especially after getting a head start! Cheater!"

Both goddesses continued to race down the mountain road, completely unaware that the Gate had started to open, allowing a goddess to descent in the temple grounds.

"My! What a lovely place!" said the green eyed visitor as she observed her surroundings. "Although, I wasn't expecting it to be so empty. I wonder where everyone had gone to... Oh well, I'll have to wait for them to return."

XXX

"There you go!"

"Thank you, Belldandy," said Keiichi, as he accepted the cup of tea that his wife had already prepared.

Although Hild wanted to leave them alone, now that her task was complete, the Norn of the present had insisted that she stayed for the night. The suite was large enough, and there was another room available for her, if she wanted to sleep there. The miniature Daimakaicho found it very interesting that the goddess had attempted to repay her in some kind of way, but decided to avoid making any unnecessary comments. Instead, she quietly drank her tea, while considering her options.

"Should I leave some for your subordinate?" asked the goddess, getting Hild's attention.

"Hm? You mean, Surt?" asked the Daimakaicho. "Nah... He's got some job to take care of, so I'll just let him sleep for a bit more, before I sent him back. He doesn't have time for tea, I'm afraid."

"Oh, I see..." said Belldandy, feeling a bit guilty that she didn't sound too disappointed. Even with Hild in the same room, the Norn of the present was slightly apprehensive to have an Eldjotunn that close to them.

Keiichi, appeared to be rather cautious about the demon, too, eying him from time to time as he drank his tea. He wasn't fond of having Hild stay for the night, but at the very least, she didn't appear to be in the mood for causing trouble; for now at least.

Suddenly, the sleeping demon almost shot up, causing the mortal man to instinctively back off.

"Hild!"

"I know... The Gate's opening," said the demoness in a bored voice. "I wondered how long they'd wait before they sent someone down here..."

Keiichi turned to his wife, with a slightly concerned look on his face. He could tell that the demons were most likely talking about some god or goddess, but he didn't know if that was good news or bad.

"Um... Belldandy?"

The Norn of the present, appeared equally concerned. She could actually tell that this newcomer was not just a celestial, but also a member of the Fighting Wings, which could potentially mean a lot of trouble. Her worst fears was that Asgard wanted to do something about those two, but if handled in a poor manner, it could end up in a massacre. They were in the middle of a human city and the demons weren't particularly concerned with collateral damage. Especially, when their own well being or pride was at stake.

Before she could answer, a figure descended from the sky and landed on the suite's large balcony, right in front the living room. Dressed in the exact same white combat uniform, like every other Valkyrie, the visiting goddess pushed her short blonde hair back, trying to make herself more presentable.

"It's Thrud!" said Belldandy with delight, drawing everyone's attention.

"Who?" asked Keiichi, only to be interrupted by Hild.

"Thor's daughter," explained the ruler of Niflheim. "Goddess first class, special category, unlimited license, Thrud. In other words, your wife's first cousin."

"Indeed," said Belldandy with a nod, before she went to open the balcony's door to let the Valkyrie in. Even if Thrud could pass through the glass, the Norn of the present wanted to offer her a proper welcome.

"Belldandy!" said the enthusiastic Valkyrie as she hugged her cousin. "It's been a while! I don't believe that you've gotten married! I've always thought that Urd would've gotten a husband before you did. Or Skuld."

"Skuld?" asked Belldandy with some concern, at the mention of her younger sister's name. "I wasn't that hopeless, was I?"

"That's what you think... You never really dated anyone before." The blonde Valkyrie seemed to be lost in thought as she tried to recall something. "Well... there was that one god, but I never got the details out from you..."

"What god?" asked Belldandy, tilting her head in confusion. She couldn't recall having an affair and she was certain that this wasn't one of the things that somebody would just forget about, even if they were immortals.

"I've heard that you were privately meeting someone, a long time ago. Although, I haven't asked you anything, so I assumed that it didn't work out," said Thrud.

"Are you certain that this god wasn't one of our relatives?" asked the goddess of the present. "I've helped our uncles on various occasions, when they needed some extra assistance on their projects, but aside from that, I don't recall doing the same for others. Let alone, date anyone."

"That's strange... Did I get it wrong?" wondered the Valkyrie as she scratched her chin. "Now that you mention it, Urd never said anything either... Hm..."

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding or a case of mistaken identity?" suggested Belldandy.

"Probably," said Thrud, before she shook her head. "Anyway, I'm here to deliver you a package from your father. Well... actually it was left on your mother's office, but it was originally intended to be for you, and... I'm not making much sense, do I?"

Most of the room's occupants shook their heads, except from Surt, who was merely watching with a bored expression. 'This was the only chance to get some action going on, and it turns out to be a mail delivery... Meh...'

"Look, this is for you," said the Valkyrie, giving the box to the other goddess.

Opening the package, the Norn of the present found a bracelet inside, next to a paper with runes written on it. Picking the note, she decided to take a quick look, in hopes to figure out what was this mysterious item. "A power buffer?"

"What's that?" asked Keiichi out of curiosity, even though he had a feeling that it might've been something that he wouldn't understand.

"Basically, it absorbs a certain amount of energy, if it happens to leak by accident," said Hild, getting everyone's attention. "Think about what happened here, not too long ago. If she was wearing that, it could've been avoided completely, without any external help at all. The energy would've been stored in the bracelet and it would eventually dissipate harmlessly. Also, some other incidents, like jealousy storms could be prevented as well."

"That sounds really useful," said Keiichi, who was somewhat relieved that those problems could be solved with this tiny charm.

"Indeed. It's a very thoughtful gift from father," said Belldandy with a smile.

"Although, It's both a blessing and a curse," said Hild. "If you start relying on that thing all the time, you'll never learn how to overcome those problems by yourself. Even more, it has a limited capacity and therefore, it can be overloaded. So be careful while using it."

"How do you know so much about it?" asked Keiichi.

"Because, we demons, have our own research teams," explained the Daimakaicho. "Everything that the gods can do; we can do better."

The mortal man nodded, before he noticed that the blond Valkyrie was standing next to him.

"You must be Morisato Keiichi, right?" asked Thrud, as she leaned forward to get a better look at him.

"Yes, that's right."

'No matter how I look at him, he's just an average guy. Of course, he managed to marry, Belldandy of all goddesses. Even, Lind was somewhat impressed by his character...' thought the blonde Valkyrie. Thrud recalled that her dorm mate had managed to summon her second angel, soon after she met him. She even mentioned that she considered him as a lifetime friend, making the blonde goddess wonder, how he'd managed to gain Lind's respect in such a small period of time.

"Well, I suppose that my job is done," said Thrud, turning around and ignoring the surprised Keiichi, who thought that she was going to ask him some questions. "I must apologize, but I can't stay here any longer. I'm still on duty, so I'll have to return back as soon as possible, now that I've completed my task."

"Already?" asked Belldandy, a bit disappointed that her cousin couldn't stay for a bit longer.

"You know how it is..." replied the Valkyrie with a sigh. "That's probably not the fun part of this job, I suppose..."

"I understand," said the goddess of the present. "Please, feel free to visit us whenever you have some free time."

"You bet! I haven't seen Urd for while as well." Walking towards the balcony's door, the Valkyrie paused for a moment. "I honestly wish the best for you guys and I hope that I'll drop by some other time, when I'm off duty. Also... It's nice to see you, too, aunt Hild."

"Likewise, kid. You've grown a lot since the last time we've met," said Hild with a smirk.

Stepping outside, the blonde goddess raised her hand skywards, opening the Gate once more. Pausing for a moment, to offer the newlyweds a warm smile, the Valkyrie eventually disappeared back into the portal.

Closing the door, Belldandy started to read the bracelet's instructions in more detail, before she put it on her wrist.

"Hm... it's getting a bit late, so how about we go to sleep?" asked Hild, stretching her arms a bit.

"That means that you're staying for the night, right?" asked Keiichi, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. After all, it was his wife's wish and he wanted to respect that.

"Well, I though that I could use something better than Mara's abandoned arcade for once in a while..." said Hild, before she turned to her subordinate. "You, on the other hand..."

"I know... I know..." said Surt with a groan. "I need to get going. Business and all that..."

"Don't worry, Keiichi-kun won't eat me in my sleep," said the miniature Daimakaicho with a smile, only to earn a snort in reply.

"Whatever..." he said, creating a magic circle at the floor with a flick of his wrist. "Oh! If you need any more help, ask somebody else!"

Hild only laughed and watched as the demon disappeared into the gate. Getting on her feet, she walked towards the suite's second bedroom. "Oh, by the way! Once you wear that bracelet, it's safe for you guys to go at it again! I won't mind the noise!"

Before she could even finish her sentence, the couple had already managed to pull a hasty retreat to their own bedroom, leaving the demoness behind.

'Seriously! I try to help them and they still act like immature brats! I'll show you... Just wait until you get back to Nekomi. Urd-chan must have a useful potion for tough cookies like you...' thought the tiny Daimakaicho, before she went to her own room.

XXX

"So, this is the modern version of the human world?"

Dressed in blue jeans and a white sleeveless blouse, Laguz walked right next to the other two goddesses, as they headed towards Nekomi's downtown. Lind was still wearing the same type of civilian clothing from before, while Peorth was in a similar outfit, only with different colors. Her tube top was black, while the pants were red, with a rose pattern on each side of her legs. Finally she had a matching jacket to go with her civilian look.

"It must look very different from what you were used to," said Peorth as she addressed the former mortal.

"Indeed. It's just shocking to see how many things have changed. Even the clothes feel funny to wear. They hug our forms a lot tighter and show more skin. Although, I must admit that they're more comfortable; especially the shoes." said Laguz. "However, the city itself is a different matter. Everything is covered in concrete. I mean, the Romans used it as well, but this way too much. Plus, the streets are full of vehicles and they all produce an awful amount of pollutants. It makes me wonder how they breathe this air."

"It's one of the problems when you stack that many mortals together," said Lind. "But that's not the worst part. It's when those people can't get along with each other."

"You mean, when they get violent," said Laguz with a sigh. "That much hasn't really changed, I suppose."

"Could you please not ruin the mood with all that doom and gloom?" asked Peorth, who didn't approve the sudden change of topic. "We're here to have some fun. So, lighten up a little bit..."

"Sorry, I guess that I got carried away," said Lind, before she suddenly stopped and turned towards the general direction of the temple.

"Something's wrong?" asked the rose goddess.

"For a moment, I thought that the Gate had opened... Must've been my imagination..." said the Valkyrie with a shake of her head.

"So, where are we heading?" asked Laguz, in an effort to bring their conversation back on track.

"Oh, the ice cream shop!" said Peorth. "Chrono mentioned that there was one somewhere around here. Near a park, I think."

"Are you certain?" asked Lind. "I remember driving through this area and I haven't spotted anything like that. Also, Chrono has a bad sense of direction."

Peorth suddenly realized just how right the Valkyrie was. She had been relying on vague instructions from a goddess that sometimes couldn't figure how to read a map. They were likely nowhere near the location they were supposed to. "Ugh! I should've known better! Now what?"

"Belldandy probably knows the place, but it's a bad idea to bother her for such a reason," said Lind.

"Skuld!" said Peorth in a sudden moment of realization. "She probably knows every single ice cream shop in the whole city! We just have to call her and ask!"

"Um... isn't that what we're looking for, though?" said Laguz as she pointed to a shop that was just across the street.

It was a small cafe with a sign outside, listing the various types of beverages that were available. At the bottom, there was a special note that ice cream was also served here, along with a few of the possible flavors.

"Well... that's not exactly what I had in mind... But... we could give it a try," said Peorth with a shrug. Seeing that the other two goddesses nodded in agreement, the trio headed into the store.

XXX

"Ha! I won!"

"Grr... Only because I forgot to recharge it since yesterday!" said Skuld in defiance.

"So what? A race is a race, so you have to accept the result," said Urd, still happy about her easy victory. Her sister's scooter was designed with practicality and very efficiency in mind; not speed.

"What are you talking about? You got a head start! That's not fair!" complained the Norn of the future, unwilling to admit her defeat. "Besides, you can't have the TV for the rest of the day. The others weren't informed about this, so you can't expect them to accept the results of such a bet."

"Hm... You're right, but I can at least have one less competitor for now," said Urd, before she looked at Whirlwind's direction. "Uh, Skuld?"

"What now?"

"Is it just me, or did Whirlwind get bigger?" asked Urd.

The young goddess blinked, before she turned to look at Chihiro's shop. "Now that you mention it... It looks like it's almost three times its previous size..."

"Interesting... Maybe that's why it remained closed for the last couple of days," said Urd, as she scratched her chin. "Let's ask Chihiro herself."

As Urd approached the shop, she noticed the 'closed' sign on the door. "That's strange... I've told her that we would drop by a day earlier..."

"Well, you can't blame her for not waiting all day for you," said Skuld, giving her elder sister a sarcastic look. "She probably thought that you wouldn't show up."

Before the Norn of the past had the chance to reply, the sound of an approaching vehicle made both goddesses to turn towards it. It was Chihiro's mini van, that pulled next to the shop, before its driver noticed the two immortals who were standing in front of the door.

"Sorry about that!" said Chihiro as she got out of the van. "I hope that you weren't waiting for too long. I had to go and pick up some supplies, as well as the posters."

"Huh?" said the two sisters in confusion.

"Oh, right! I never told you!" said the young woman with a smile. "Whirlwind had expanded! So, I'm having an event tomorrow, to celebrate our new and improved shop!"

"I see..." said Urd. "You're throwing a big party?"

"Well... I don't want something that flashy. I mean, the goal is to advertise my shop, not invite a horde of collage kids that just want a free drink," said Chihiro.

"How stingy," said Skuld in a very low voice.

"Yeah, no kidding," replied Urd in a similar manner.

"Hey! What are you whispering to each other?" asked the owner of Whirlwind. "Never mind! I've got something for you, Urd."

"Me? Really?" The goddess seemed a bit confused for a moment, before the mortal gave her one of the bags.

"It's the new work uniform. Or rather... the first one that we'll going to use. You see, I think that with the whole expansion going on, we need a bit of a more professional look to our shop. A worker's uniform could provide that, instead of having everyone in their casual clothes," explained Chihiro. "What do you think? Nice, right? I didn't want to force that decision, so I've got two options for the lower part of the uniform. As long as the color is the same, it shouldn't matter. So, pick whatever works the best for you."

Reaching inside the bag, the goddess of the past found a white blouse, with the word 'Whirlwind' printed on the front and the entire logo in the back. Additionally, there was a simple black skirt and a pair of similarly colored pants. "Hey, that's actually kind of neat."

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I was worried that it was a bit too plain, but then again, I didn't want to get something that would look silly," said Chihiro, before realizing an important detail. "Oh no! I've forgotten that it was supposed to be for Belldandy! It might not be your size!"

"Are you calling me fat?" asked Urd with a raised eyebrow.

"No! It's probably going to be a bit tight around your chest," said Chihiro, holding her hands in front of her in a dismissive gesture.

"Oh, relax! I was just joking, you know!" laughed Urd. "It's not something that I can't fix, so don't worry at all!"

"Really? That's a relief, the event is tomorrow and I was worried that you wouldn't have anything to wear," said the mortal with a sigh of relief.

"What about me?" asked Skuld. "Do I get a uniform too?"

"Well... I didn't get anything like that. A mechanic is more likely to get grease all over it," said Chihiro. "Plus, it's mostly for the ones in my sales department. I'll get some nice overalls for you, though."

"That's okay. I'm used wearing overalls when I work," said Skuld. "At least I won't be the one who does the boring work..."

"I'm standing right here, you know!" said Urd, giving her sister a pointed look.

"Now, now..." started Chihiro. "I'm sure that you'll both have something interesting to do, until Bell-chan and Keiichi-kun return back from their trip. Oh, by the way... You've got news from them?"

"I've contacted Belldandy and she seems to be fine," said the Norn of the past, avoiding to mention that she actually got there in person.

"That's great! I was too occupied with all the work going on her, that I had no time to ask you," said the owner of Whirlwind.

"Nah... Don't worry about it!" said Urd with a dismissive waive of her hand. "Is there anything else you need to tell us?"

"Not really..." started Chihiro. "Although, I can show you the interior of the shop if you want..."

Both goddesses stared at each other for a moment, before they shrugged.

"Sure, I don't see why not," said Urd, while Skuld nodded in agreement.

"Okay!, This way!"

XXX

"That's actually very nice!"

Smiling back at Laguz, the rose goddess took another spoonful of ice cream. They all had the house's special offer; three scoops of any flavor they wanted, served with whipped cream and a pair of biscuits for decoration. It wasn't exactly similar to what Chrono had mentioned, but as far as Peorth was concerned, it was very delicious.

"I must admit that I find it to be an enjoyable experience, too," said Lind, before noticing the look that the rose goddess was giving her. "What?"

"Well... It would've been even better if you didn't order three scoops of vanilla," said Peorth, rolling her eyes. "Trying a few different things isn't always a bad idea. You know... for variety..."

"How should I know which combination worked the best for me?" asked the Valkyrie. "What if I ended up with something that tasted funny?"

"I don't think that those flavors are that incompatible with each other," said Peorth, before she pointed at Laguz's ice cream. "She got peanut, orange and that... green stuff."

"It's green tea," said Laguz. "At least that's what I think it is."

"Either way, that's a great example of someone trying new things," said Peorth, before turning to the warrior. "You could've followed her example."

"Maybe..." said Lind with a raised eyebrow. "Although your choice of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate isn't apparently the most original, either."

"Wait a second... How do you know that?" asked the rose goddess.

"Belldandy mentioned that, when she gave me the shopping list," said Lind. "She didn't want me to buy the most stereotypical combination for Skuld."

"Sounds like her..." said Peorth with a sigh. "Oh well, at least we're having fun, and that's the important thing..."

Lind couldn't really argue with that, until she noticed a small piece of paper on their table. Picking it up, she noticed that it was the bill for their ice cream. She was about to reach for her pockets, when she realized that something was wrong. "Uh... Peorth?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any cash on you?"

The rose goddess blinked in confusion. "No... i don't. Remember that we're not officially on vacation, so we weren't given any. However, you've made some coin from selling that vase, right?"

"I gave that money to Keiichi, remember?" said Lind, as her expression became darker. Turning to Laguz, she was only greeted with an empty stare and eventually, a frown. "That's not good..."

"What are you talking about?" asked Peorth. "We can just contact, Urd or Skuld and ask them to get us out of this situation."

"I don't think that they've got any cash..." said the Valkyrie. "Neither of them is technically here on vacation. Plus, they weren't working, like Belldandy did. So, I doubt that they will be any good. Contacting Keiichi-kun is possible, but... I really don't want to bother them."

"Then what do you propose?" asked the rose goddess, with a raise eyebrow. "It's not like we have any other options left..."

Lind rested her head on her hands, trying to figure out what to do. 'I don't believe this! How in Asgard's name did I get dragged in such a ridiculous situation! For a Valkyrie like me, to be unable to...'

While the three goddesses remained quiet, trying to figure out a way out of their current predicament, a waitress approached them and placed the invoice on table. "Thank you for coming to our shop! I hope that we'll see you again in the future."

"Uh... Wait a second..." said Lind, trying to understand what just happened. "We haven't paid yet?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I've almost forgotten!" said the waitress, before pointing discreetly at a table in the other side of the shop. "Those two gentlemen, requested to cover for your expenses. So, it's their treat!"

As soon as the waitress walked away, to take another order, Peorth let out an unhappy groan. "Not that stuff, again! I had guys buying me drinks in the past, but that's the first time that anyone buys me ice cream. What do they think I am, a kid?"

Looking over Peorth's shoulder, in the direction that the waitress had previously indicated, Lind noticed that there was something oddly familiar about those gentlemen. "Stay here, I'll go and have a talk with them."

"Eh? Why? You don't have to. Just because they..." started Peorth, only to be abruptly interrupted by the Valkyrie.

"Just do as I say," said the warrior, in a stern tone.

Approaching the two seated men, it took very little time for Lind to realize that they weren't humans at all, as indicated by the red markings on their face.

"Ah, Lind-san! What a coincidence!," said one of the demons. "Who would've thought that we'd meet in such a place."

"Indeed. Although, I have to ask... Why did you pay for us, Bergelmir?" asked Lind as she stared at the demon, who also happened to be the head of Ratatoskr, the military part of Niflheim's Intelligence Sector.

"That's something that I would also want to know," said the other demon, while drinking his coffee. Bergelmir's boss, Skrymir, wasn't particularly amused by the goddess' presence or his subordinate's actions.

"I was merely trying to hasten their departure, sir," said the head of Ratatoskr.

"You only managed to attract their attention, by the looks of it." Skrymir wasn't exactly known for his sense of humor, so his annoyance was more than noticeable.

"Either way, I've found you," said Lind, not wanting to be left out of the conversation. "What do you want?"

"Absolutely nothing, to be honest with you," said Bergelmir. "We were minding our business and we've hoped that you would do the same. That's why we tried to make you depart a bit sooner, given that you lacked the currency to pay for your order."

The Valkyrie narrowed her eyes as the demon mentioned her previous predicament. "And how did you know that?"

"We wouldn't be members of the Intelligence Sector if we allowed a Valkyrie to sneak up on us," said the head of Ratatoskr. Before his boss had the chance to make any caustic comments that could make the situation even worse. Bergelmir had previous experience with this particular goddess, and as such, he was fully aware that she wasn't the easiest to reason with.

"So, you were spying on us," said Lind.

"Not really. Just making sure that you weren't trying to interfere in our business," insisted the head of Ratatoskr.

"Which is?" asked the Valkyrie, as she crossed her arms.

"Do you seriously believe that we're going to tell you?" asked Skrymir. "And don't even try anything funny. This place... no... this city is full of mortals. A stupid move could cause a lot of unnecessary loss of life."

Bergelmir resisted the urge to wince at his boss' choice of words. 'He's practically asking for her to kick his sorry behind.'

"I see... Have a good day, then." Without much of a second glance, the Valkyrie turned around and walked away, heading back to the other two goddesses.

"That was a lot easier than I've thought," said the surprised head of Ratatoskr.

"She had no other options. Of course, it won't take long before her friends show up," said Skrymir. "Considering that our location was compromised, we have to leave, too."

"It's a bit unfortunate, but I have to agree," said Bergelmir.

"That's not a problem. We had already discussed the most important topics. Just try to convince that person to help us with our plan. I'm fully aware that this isn't going to be an easy task, but there are no other alternatives," said Skrymir.

"Yes, sir."

---

AN: I would like to thank everyone that has offered their feedback and support both here and on the Goddess Relief site.

There are several things I'd like to note for this chapter.

Thrud was also mentioned in a previous chapter, but this is the first time that she actually appears int the story. The bracelet that she brought to Belldandy was the item that, Tyr originally wanted to give to his daughter when he initially sent his brother, Baldr. However, he mixed the presents with the one that he had for his wife and Belldandy didn't got the right one.

Speaking of the bracelet, its purpose is to decrease the severity of Belldandy's jealousy storms and other occasions where she momentarily loses control. As funny as those moments are, I feel that at some point the story needs to move on, and those problems have to be addressed. For instance, having flowers pop up every time the couple shares a kiss, might be too much after a while and diminish the opportunities for them to have some private moments, as everyone will be aware what's going on. Even if it was just a kiss. The goal is to let their relationship progress, without being an integral part of the story's humor.

Ratatoskr was a squirrel in Norse legends, that run up and down the World Tree, carrying messages between the eagle that lived at the top and Nidhogg, who lived at the bottom, beneath the trees' roots. In this story, the idea of passing messages, was interpreted as espionage. They're the military branch of the Intelligence Sector that carries out the spying operations. Of course, they can't hack into Yggdrasil directly, as such a thing is prohibited by the rules, but they can collect as much information from other sources or even, direct observation. To clarify, the Intelligence Sector has other parts that are tasked with different missions, like decrypting Asgard's codes, reverse engineering divine technology, etc.

Bergelmir (translates as "Mountain Yeller" or "Bear Yeller") was a frost giant in Norse legends. He was the son of Thrudgelmir and grandson of Ymir (who was also called Aurgelmir). In this story, he's the grandson of Ymir (The first to hold the title of Daimakaicho) and the head of Ratatoskr, under the direct control of Skrymir. Being an operative that runs across members of the Fighting Wings on a regular basis, he knows a few of them. Just like, Lind, for example.