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...

19. Chapter 19

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

---

In a secret lab, deep underneath the surface of the gods' realm, an extremely complicated and delicate operation was almost complete. In the middle of the room, a series of magic circles and intricate rune patterns were drawn on the floor, with a large number of mysterious instruments surrounding them.

Monitoring the undergoing procedure, was a single god, donned in a long white lab uniform, complete with eye protecting gear and gloves. Next to him, two tiny versions of himself, in identical attire, were also busy pushing buttons and flipping switches.

"At last! After all this time, I can finally complete my ultimate weapon! Igor! Hit the switch!"

"Uh... which one is supposed to be the assistant, again? Me or him?" said one of the mini gods, while pointing at the other.

"Both of you! We've already gone though that bit about Igor, remember?" said the white clad god.

"Then who's pulling the switch?" asked the second miniature god.

"There are two of them! Happy now?" asked the mad scientist. Receiving a nod by both of his temporary assistants, he took a deep breath and tried to get back into the role. "Igor! Hit the switch!"

"At the same time, or one after the other?" asked his helpers in perfect stereo.

"It doesn't matter, darn it! They're props anyway! I've got the actual controls over here!" shouted the god, losing his patience. "Just hit the switches, will you?"

Sharing a look, the two miniature gods shrugged and did as they were told, watching the electric arcs at the top of the device shoot at every direction.

"Job's done!" said the two of them. "Now what?"

"Go see if we've got any angry mob coming in our way. And before you even ask, I don't mean a bunch of peasants with pitchforks and torches, but the Valkyries." Offering a salute, the two assistants headed towards the security station of the lab.

'I really need to find some better help one of these days.' With his mental note complete, the scientist turned his full attention towards the screen in front of him.

As the progress bar on his terminal hit the 99.9% mark, the god's laughter became even louder.

"It's alive!" he shouted, before his voice reached a volume that his throat didn't quite approve, and the mad scientist of sorts, ended up in a coughing fit. 'How come this never happens, in those movies?'

"What are you talking about? I was alive before, and I'm extremely pleased that this didn't change in the past hour or so." Walking away from the magic circles, the tiny canine, stared at the white clad god, who was still trying to recover.

"Now... now... Fenrir... Don't be so mean. I'm more than skilled enough to pull a simple upgrade operation like this. So, don't fret over such insignificant details," said the god. "More importantly; tell me how's your head."

"Terrible... I almost feel as if a bloody elephant had just stomped me!" said the wolf.

"Hm... I see," said the god, while taking notes on his digital pad, until he paused for a moment and turned to his test subject once more. "Was the elephant, an African or an Asian one?"

"Do you really expect an answer to that?" said the canine with an overly sarcastic tone, narrowing his eyes.

"Not really. Although, I'm happy to see that your wonderful personality is unaffected by the upgrade," said the god with a smile.

"You're the last person in Asgard to talk about personalities... Besides, why are you dressed like that doctor... Fronkusteen?" asked Fenrir.

"The name's Frankenstein. Doctor Frankenstein," corrected the white clad god. "That's how it was in the movie. The original one at least, not the other one. How was it again... Young Frankenstein?"

"Wouldn't that make it, Young Fronkusteen, instead?" asked the confused wolf.

"Now that you've mentioned it... Maybe? I don't know about the details, to be honest," said the god, scratching his head. "Just that the first one was the horror version and the other was a comedy."

"And I was wrong, because?" said Fenrir, giving his creator a sarcastic look. "You're certainly comedy material..."

"Watch it! I'm nothing like that... Although, now that I think about it... Doctor Loki might have a nice sound to it, too."

"Oh, yeah? Since when did you got a PhD?" asked the irate canine.

"There's no need to get one. My IQ is already way above that of my peers. I don't even think that it's necessary to make any comments about the mortals that hold such titles," said Loki with a haughty tone.

"Keep dreaming..." muttered the wolf. "If you're so damn smart, then tell me... Why do I look like this?!"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Fenrir? There's nothing wrong with your appearance." said the trickster god.

"I've shrunk!" shouted the angry wolf. "That's the size of a wolf pup, not that of ferocious beast, that even the gods fear!"

"Well, you know what they say... You can't teach new tricks to an old dog... So, I..." started Loki, before he was interrupted by Fenrir's jaws, biting on his foot. "Ow! Let go! Let go, I say!"

Hopping around the lab on one foot and the canine firmly attached on the other, the god of mischief wished that he hadn't given his masterpiece such an aggressive personality. Of course, he knew that a very friendly one would've rendered his creation useless as a weapon, but on the other hand, he wouldn't had to deal with situations like this.

"Just stop, darn it! There's a reason why you look like that," said the god over the wolf's angry growls.

Letting his creator's leg, the canine took a few steps back, trying to relax. "You better hope that it's a good one..."

"Of course," said Loki, as he straightened up. "Your original body was consuming way too much power. There's no question that this was a glaring problem in most of the beta versions of your code. I had to completely rework your core technology, in hopes to find a more permanent solution to this setback. That's how your current appearance came into play. It significantly reduces the energy consumption, making you the most efficient version of Fenrir up to date. Of course, you can still use your combat form, but only for a limited period of time. Additionally, in order to activate your full form, you still need an external power supply. Although, that's no longer a necessary for normal operation."

"Hm... So, I won't have to sleep for long periods of time, anymore?" asked Fenrir.

"Yes. See now? It's a big improvement! The only thing that's left is to find a name for you," said the trickster god, scratching his chin.

"A name? What are you talking about, boss? I've already got one," said Fenrir in confusion.

"Stop calling me, boss! It should be either father or Loki-sama for you," said the troublemaker god.

Instead of any reply, Fenrir decided that scratching himself with his hind leg was a much more interesting activity.

Staring at his creation's antics, Loki narrowed his eyes. "Hm... I must have some powder for fleas, somewhere..."

"I don't have those things! I was doing it on purpose!" shouted the wolf. "Don't you even dare put that infernal dust on me, again."

"If you say so..." said Loki with a smirk. "Now... how about a nice, new name? How does... Fen Fen sounds to you?"

"How does another bite sounds to you?" growled Fenrir, baring his teeth. "I'm a proud wolf! Not some domesticated lapdog! How could I carry my proud lineage, with such a ridiculous name?"

"Uh... I don't want to sound too cruel, but considering that you're my creation, you've got absolutely no lineage," said Loki, ever so careful of the wolf's teeth.

"Don't inject logic into this argument!" barked Fenrir. "Find something else!"

"Okay... How about, Vanagandr?" asked Loki. "Surely, it's not a name for a common dog, right?"

"Not bad... Although, it makes me sound like that snake..." said the wolf, making a disgusted face. "Next!"

"Hey! Don't be so mean towards your younger brother! It's not nice!" objected Loki. "Now, let me think... Oh! Does Hrothvitnir sounds acceptable?"

"Hm... Hey, that's not so bad... Hrothvitnir... I like the sound of it," said the wolf, as he wondered about his new name. "Although, it's only an alias. I'm still, Fenrir!"

"Yes, I know... it's just the fact that one of your early alpha releases was accidentally fallen to demons' hands, resulting in the creation of the Lord of Terror nonsense. Rip off or not, we can't call you by your real name in public. It's going to attract too much attention, and raise questions that I don't really want to answer," explained Loki. "As such, I'm going to call you, Hrothvitnir when others are present. Sounds good?"

"I guess so..." said Fenrir reluctantly. "Don't like it, but I suppose there's no other choice..."

"Good!" said Loki. "I'll have to submit all the necessary papers to get you officially recognized as my pet."

"Excuse me?! Your what?!" shouted the distressed canine. "I'm a fully sentient and rather intelligent being! Not a pet! I find such a blatant display of discrimination to be offensive and I want to file a complaint! I've got rights, darn it!"

"Yeah? I've got two words for you," said Loki with a sneer. "Welcome to Asgard!"

"That's three words, Doctor Loki... So much for the PhD..." said Fenrir sarcastically. "Now... Who's in charge of this place, right now? I'll bite his hand off!"

"The same one from before you woke up; Tyr. And don't you even dare! I'm not spending a few centuries in the Lunar Prison, because of your temper!" warned the god of mischief.

"Whatever..." said the wolf with little interest. "Hey! I just remembered something! Where's that snake?"

"Your brother is currently located in Jotunheim. It's a much safer place, considering that, Thor..." started Loki, before he was interrupted by the wolf's laughs. "What's so funny?"

"The Midgard Serpent is hiding in Jotunheim! That's so rich!" Fenrir was already rolling on the floor, much to his creator's annoyance.

"Have you ever heard of the word 'misinformation?' Because, that's the whole point," explained Loki. "As long as they search for him in the wrong place, their efforts will yield no results..."

"Okay, okay... I got it!" said Fenrir. "So, you gave him to that person, for the time being."

"Shh! Not so loud! Don't say anything stupid!" said Loki, looking around. "You never know when somebody is spying on you..."

"You're just too paranoid, boss," said the wolf. "Anyway, is there anything for us to do? I'm bored!"

"First of all, stop calling me that!" said the trickster god. "As for your request? I've got something in mind..."

"Finally!" said Fenrir.

"After I register you..."

"That sucks!"

XXX

"Thanks for the tour, Chihiro! Or should I call you, boss, now?"

The bronze skinned goddess laughed as the mortal woman appeared to be confused for a moment, before she waived her hand dismissively. "Oh, come on! Even Bell-chan doesn't call me that! Besides, I don't like the sound of it. Makes me appear like an old lady."

"Sure, no problem, Chihiro," said Urd. Both goddesses were standing next to the shop's front door, after they've taken a look at their new workplace. They were almost ready to head back to the temple, as it was already evening, before a knock on the door interrupted them.

"A customer?" asked Skuld. "I thought that there was a sign indicating that the shop's closed for today."

"Hm... It must be your coworker," said Chihiro, as she approached the door. "I was expecting her earlier, but she never showed up. At least I hope that's her, or I may have to find some more reliable help."

The two Norns exchanged a confused glance, since neither was aware that Chihiro had any other permanent help, aside from Keiichi and their sister. While Tamiya and Otaki appeared from time to time, they were never officially employed, and considering their antics, it was no surprise.

Opening the door, the owner of Whirlwind greeted her new employee with a smile. "Hello, Mara! I've been waiting for you!"

"Yeah, I know... Sorry about that." Despite her apologetic words, the demoness had a somewhat bored expression on her face. However, that changed immediately, once she noticed who was next to her future employer.

"Urd!"

"Mara?! What are you doing here?!" asked the shocked goddess of the past, unable to believe her own eyes.

Before either of them had the chance to go any further, the owner of Whirlwind decided to ask the rather obvious, but necessary question. "Do you know each other?"

The three immortals stared each other for a couple of seconds, trying to come up with some kind of believable story.

"We've grown together. Well... kind of..." said Urd.

"You're childhood friends?" asked Chihiro.

"It's a bit more complicated than that..." started Mara, before she was interrupted by Urd.

"Nothing too serious. It's just that every guy was hitting on me and she got jealous." Running her hands over her well proportioned body, the goddess of the past, gave the others a wink. "See what I mean?"

"L-Liar! That never happened!" protested the angry demoness. "You're totally making stuff up!"

"Oh, come on Mara! I was trying to make it sound a bit better for you... I mean... What was I supposed to say? That most people thought you were a guy, because of the baggy clothes that you used to wear?" asked Urd, with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, now you said it!" spat the demoness.

"You made me!" protested the Norn of the past.

Trying to avoid the two bickering women, Chihiro approached the younger goddess. "Hey, Skuld-chan are they really friends or not?"

"They are. Sort of...," said the Norn of the future.

"I mean... Do you really think it's a good idea to have them work together?" asked Chihiro.

"Better than relying on Tamiya and Otaki," replied Skuld.

"Point taken... Fine, I'll give them a chance," said Chihiro, before turning to the other women, who were currently engaged in a staring match. "Does anyone have any questions about tomorrow's event?"

"Not really," said Urd.

"Me neither," added Skuld.

Mara simply shook her head, as she was eager to leave as soon as possible.

"In that case, that concludes today's meeting. See you tomorrow!" Walking towards a cardboard box that contained the supplies she brought a while ago, the owner of Whirlwind decided that it was time to make the final preparations for the next day's event. "Hey! If you have some free time, then you can give me a hand with..."

However, all three of them were already gone.

"Figures..." muttered Chihiro with a sigh, before resuming her task.

XXX

Eldjotnar Central Command Complex, Muspelheim

"Move it, you loafers! What's the problem? Tired? Want a break? Well there's not gonna be one!"

Monitoring the chaos that surrounded him, Surt was pretty pleased with himself. Several hundred demons, were currently running around the place with a renewed sense of purpose. Unlike their laid-back attitude from just a couple of minutes ago. He knew that his warriors would've given his subordinate some trouble, and that's why he insisted to return as soon as possible.

"See, Hrym? All you need is to ask nicely, and they'll listen." said Surt with a smirk.

"Is that what passes as being nice, in this realm?" asked the half god, giving his boss a skeptical look.

"Sure. It works, after all. They're all warriors, so don't be afraid to push them a bit. You just need to know when it's enough, though. There is a big difference between encouragement and insult," warned Surt. "If you do it right, then they'll respect you. Otherwise, the only thing you'll accomplish is to make them hate you. Keep that in mind."

"Yes, sir." said Hrym, with a nod. "The preparations are almost complete, so, should we go to the Gate room?"

"What for?" asked the leader of Muspelheim.

"To welcome Hagall-sama, of course. She'll arrive in a couple of minutes, if everything goes according to the schedule," said the half god.

"That's not how things work for demons, Hrym. A ruler of a realm never goes to greet a visitor. Ever. Even if it's the Daimakaicho herself," explained Surt. "Doing that will give my loyal subjects the impression of a dog that's happy to see his master. Of course, we'll welcome her with the proper respect that fits her title."

"To be frank, I never thought that you actually respected her, sir," said Hrym hesitantly, being weary of his boss' reaction.

"She is Niflheim's second in command, Hrym. Never make the mistake to confuse a person with their position. It doesn't matter what's my opinion of Hagall. If I disrespect her in public, I'll be belittling her rank as well. I'm allowed to try and take her job, but making fun of her is simply unforgivable. Without a chain of command, our realms would've fallen into complete and utter chaos," said Surt with a long sigh.

"I understand. Still, why did you..." started Hrym. "Well... how should I put it?..."

"Stepped down from being Hild's direct subordinate? Is that what you want to know?" asked the dark haired demon.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be too nosy!" said the half god, putting his hands in front of him, in a defensive manner.

"That's alright. It's better to ask me, instead of someone like Naudiz, whose mind was corrupted by all those mushy stories that she's so interesting in," said Surt with a disgusted look. "The problem was that alliances between demons are very fragile. Especially, between powerful ones. I preferred to come back here, than end up fighting with Hild over something. We always loved to argue, but at some point it could evolve into an actual problem, if one of us crossed the line by accident. In all honesty, that would've most likely been me. When she decided to marry that moron, I resigned from being the second in command and became the ruler of Muspelheim."

"But why?" asked Hrym. "I mean, I've heard the popular version, but..."

"So, you did ask Naudiz," said the leader of Muspelheim, narrowing his eyes.

Noticing his blunder, Hrym flinched. 'Oh, great. I just had to open my big mouth... Now what?'

"You should really stop listening to that nonsense, you know. Most of those stories are just as fake as the gods' kindness." The dark haired demon paused, letting a tired sigh. He had heard the same story, over and over again, to the point that he was sick of it. "I didn't get jealous of her picking a god, or anyone at all, come to think of it. Neither I had anything for her. At least, not like that."

"Then the rumors were lies?" asked Hrym.

"Of course. Everyone wanted a spicy story instead of the boring reality. It was common knowledge that my opinion about the celestials wasn't the greatest," said Surt. "It was only a matter of time before that annoying husband of hers would get in my nerves. There was no Doublet System back then, and I was really tempted to just get rid of him. I resigned just before I got too far with it, resulting in a conflict that could end up badly for all sides involved. Or even worse, into a civil war."

"You didn't like, Tyr? I thought that he was better than some of the other alternatives..." said the half god, scratching his chin. "At least, the Doublet System gave us a break from all the pointless wars."

"That was actually Odin's idea. His son never really had the guts to propose such a concept. Of course, it was Hild the one that convinced her husband to go with it. He most likely didn't even dare to tell her no. Housebroken excuse of a god..." Surt broke into a laughter, amused at the thought of the Daitenkaicho in an apron, sweeping Hild's mansion. "I've heard that he's also afraid of his second wife, too. Although... that one is very similar to Hild from a certain perspective. So, it's not such a big surprise... No wonder those two were friends."

"Ah, yes. Ansuz was known as the Harpy, back when she was in the Fighting wings," said Hrym. "Others even called her, Iron Maiden. Still, the worst nickname was invented by you, sir."

"Really?" asked the confused demon. "I didn't know that."

"Yes. Calling her, 'Asgard's ironing board' was more than insulting. It was downright cruel," complained Hrym.

"And? What's the point?" asked Surt. "Don't tell me you had a thing for her and felt bad, or something equally corny..."

"No, but every time she heard that accursed nickname, we ended up cleaning Valhalla's doors," said Hrym with a pout. "All five hundred and forty of them. I must confess that back then, I hadn't particularly appreciated that moniker that you've came up for her."

"You know what they say, Hrym?" said Surt with a grin.

"Enlighten me, sir."

"It sucks to be you..." said Surt. "And now that I've mentioned that... Why don't you go and greet out blonde friend?"

"Of course. In that case, you'll excuse me." Turning around, the half god started to head towards the exit, before he paused for a second. "Oh, by the way, sir. Should I offer her some flowers on your behalf? As a friendly gesture, of course."

"Flowers?! Are you insane?!" shouted the shocked ruler of Muspelheim, appalled by the very thought. "Just get there and do your damn job!"

Hrym didn't need to be told twice, running away from the fuming demon.

It was that moment, when one of the guards approached the leader of the Eldjotnar. "Surt-sama! The commander of Ratatoskr had just arrived and claims that he's carrying an urgent message. He wishes to meet you in person, as soon as possible."

'Bergelmir? Why would he?... It must be his boss... Although, he really picked the worst time...' thought the dark haired demon. "Tell him to meet me in my office. This is no place for such a discussion."

"Yes, sir!"

'What are you up to, this time, Skrymir?'

Wasting no time, Surt decided to teleport straight to his destination, instead of walking there. Getting closer to the window, he could see the increased activity outside of the central command complex. That was a clear indication that, Hagall must've already arrived.

He didn't get to wait for much longer, though. The sudden knock on his door could only mean one thing; his uninvited visitor was here. "Enter!"

Walking towards Surt, Bergelmir bowed politely, before addressing the Eldjotnar. "My apologies, Surt-sama. I understand that my timing is terrible, but..."

"If that's the case, then let's skip the unnecessary intro and get strait to the point. What do you, or rather, your boss wants from me?" asked Surt.

"We've got a very profitable offer for you," said the commander of Ratatoskr. "Providing that you lend us your strength, of course."

"And what exactly are you offering?" asked the dark haired demon, with a raised eyebrow.

"The mightiest battleship that we've ever commissioned; Naglfar." Bergelmir felt a bit relieved, as he saw the curious look on the other demon's face. This wasn't a sign of rejection, so, he still had a chance to convince him to join their cause. "We can make sure that it will be given to you, instead of anyone else."

"Interesting..." mused Surt. "I must admit that your boss picked a very nice reward. However, there is one critical piece of information that I also need. What do you want me to do?"

"Well..."

XXX

"Hey, Urd!" said Mara, as the group of immortals walked away from Whirlwind.

"What is it?" asked the goddess of the past.

"What are you guys really doing here? Don't tell me that you're planning to interfere with my new job!" said Mara, giving the two goddesses a cautious look.

"Don't be ridiculous! We didn't even know that you were going to become Chihiro's employee..." said Urd. "Come to think about it... What's the big idea, Mara? Why would you ever apply for such a position, in the first place?"

"Because Hild-sama arranged it?" countered the blonde demoness. "She claimed that this was a reward for my help during the recent coup."

"Some reward!" laughed Urd. "It really sucks to be you..."

"Hey! Don't say that, right in my face! Even if it's true!" objected the demoness. "You're just as bad as your mother. Worse even..."

"What?! Take that back, you!..." said Urd, as electricity arced around her hands.

Skuld couldn't help but remember the way that her mother and Hild acted while they were in Niflheim. Back then, Urd was the one that brought an end to their 'greeting' as they called it. Right now, she was the only one that could do something about this situation, before it got out of hand. Getting one of her bombs from her blouse, she casually tossed it between her sister and the blonde demoness.

After the unexpected explosion, the pair of soot covered immortals turned towards Skuld's direction.

"What was that for?" asked Urd.

"Yeah, what gives?" added Mara.

"You were ready to start up a fight. How are you ever going to work together, if you can't stand each other for a couple of minutes?" asked Skuld.

"We're not fighting," objected Urd. "Tell her, Mara!"

"She's right, kid!" said the blonde. "This is just our way of... interacting."

"You lie like a mattress," said Skuld in a sarcastic tone. "And who are you calling a kid? Anyway... I'm heading back to the temple... Have fun..."

"What about you, Urd?" asked Mara. "It's not that late, you know. We can hit a bar if you want."

The Norn of the past felt tempted to spent some time with her, providing that she didn't pull any nasty trick. Still, she hesitated, looking towards her sister's direction for a brief moment. "Some other time, Mara. I've got some business to take care of..."

"Is that so? Oh well, see you tomorrow then..." said the demoness, before vanishing in cloud of purple smoke.

"Let's go home, Skuld," said Urd, moving towards the spot where they've parked their rides.

"Okay." Nodding her head in agreement, the younger goddess went to her bike. She was about to start its electric motor, before she remembered something. "Hey, Urd? What other business do you have? You never mentioned anything before..."

"Well... If you really must know..." started Urd with a grin. "Babysitting."

It took the goddess of the future a couple of seconds to figure out what her elder sibling was implying, and by that time, the Norn of the past was already pedaling towards the temple. "Urd! I've got a bomb with your name on it!"

"You have to catch me first!" shouted the half goddess over her shoulder, without slowing down.

"I will, and then it's going to be a world of hurt for you!" replied Skuld, as she started to chase her elder sibling.

XXX

Despite her previous threat, Skuld was too busy pushing her scooter to throw any explosives at her sister, who was laughing at her predicament. "What's do funny?"

"You! I was worried that you were going to hurl a bomb at me, so I pedaled as fast as I could. But, I had no idea that you ran out of power before you even managed to get near me," said Urd. She did however regained her composure fast enough. "Why didn't you ask for help? It would've saved you a lot of trouble..."

"I can deal with my problems," said Skuld with a huff. "And I need to add an auxiliary battery, so that I can fold the bike if the primary one runs out of power."

The Norn of the past shook her head, but she did approve the fact that her sister was finally trying to do things by herself. Before, she would immediately give up and run to Belldandy for help. 'That's the spirit! Although, I need to keep an eye on her. Just in case she bites more than she can chew...'

Opening the door, both goddesses removed their shoes before they stepped inside. It didn't take long, before they picked the unmistakable aroma of homemade cooking, coming from the kitchen.

"I wonder what, oneesama made for dinner," said Skuld, out of habit, before she paused and turned to Urd, with a puzzled look on her face.

"I have no idea what's going on, either," said Urd, reading her sister's expression. "Maybe the others wanted to eat something?"

"I doubt it. Peorth had never volunteered to cook. At least, not without using magic," said Skuld. "It could be Lind or Laguz, though..."

"Well, there's only one way to find out..." said Urd with a shrug. Walking towards the kitchen, she opened the door, fully expecting to see one of the other goddesses. However, the person behind the stove never came to her mind as a possibility. "G-Grandmother?!"

The elder goddess turned towards the newcomer, and her face light up with a wide smile. "Urd-chan!"

Resistance was futile with that particular goddess, and Urd simply embraced her, as Frigg crushed her in a hug that would've made a bear proud. 'She reminds of that other person...'

"Hey, what's all that ruckus?" asked Skuld, before she realized what was going on. "Grandmother? What are you doing here?"

"Skuld-chan! You've grown so much since I last saw you!" Letting her other granddaughter, Frigg picked up the younger one, despite her unsuccessful attempt to escape. "Don't try to run way, little one. It's not nice..."

"But... I don't like to be treated like a kid..." pouted Skuld, clearly unhappy about getting the same treatment as her eldest sister.

"Is that so?" asked Urd with a sarcastic tone. "I'll remember that, the next time that Belldandy will try to hug you."

"Don't you dare!" warned the irate goddess, struggling to detach herself from her grandmother's bosom.

"Now, now... Don't fight... Sisters shouldn't act like that," warned the green eyed goddess. "Why don't we all have some nice tea and cookies? It's been forever since you last visited me."

"Sorry about that, grandmother. It's actually been a while since we had any free time at all," said Urd with a shrug. "You know how it is..."

"Yes, I do. It's a bit sad that I can't even spend enough time with Bell-chan, who's actually working for me." Letting out a tired sigh, Frigg finally released Skuld. "That's why I decided to get some time off. I needed to check on you girls, especially now that one of you is married."

Alarms went off inside Urd's head, when her grandmother touched that topic. She was certain that the elder goddess would bring the same old discussion about her finding a "nice" god. As Thor had once told her, the best defense was a good offense, and without wasting any more time, she changed the topic. "Say, what are we having for dinner?"

"Nice attempt, Urd-chan. But, that trick won't work on me. I've known you since you were little and I can tell when you're just trying to use a diversion," said Frigg with a smile. "Look... I understand that it's you're old enough to make such decisions for your life, but I was just hoping to convince you that a few bad choices in the past, shouldn't hold you back. It's too early to give up, Urd."

"Who said that I've given up? I'm just taking a break from wasting my time with all sorts of losers," said the half goddess. "That's what you called them, anyway."

"Only because that was the truth. Remember that I'm a first class goddess, and as such, I can't tell a lie," said Frigg. "Yes, I understand that some celestials were not particularly fond of you, because of your ancestry. But don't forget, that there are still some good people amongst us. You just have to believe in yourself and approach one of them, instead of picking every random piece of trash."

"Um... grandmother?" asked Skuld with an uncertain tone, tugging at her grandmother's robes.

"Not now, Skuld-chan," said Frigg with an apologetic look. "I know that you want to defend your sister, but I have to..."

"It's not that!..." said the young goddess, pointing behind her grandmother. "The kitchen's on fire!"

"Yes, like I said..." started Frigg, before she stopped and realized what her granddaughter was talking about. "Dear heavens! I forgot about the food!"

Letting out a sigh, Urd raised her hands in front of her, summoning her powers in the form of an ice spell. Unfortunately, her grandmother had the exact same idea, and as the pair or magical projectiles approached their target, they collided with each other. Before any of the goddesses had the chance to react, the world around them turned white.

XXX

"Unforgivable! They've gone too far, this time!"

Lind, the normally collected and level-headed Valkyrie, was currently seething in anger.

"First they spy on us, and now they transformed our home into an ice cube! Those cowardly demons!"

"Uh, Lind..." said Peorth. "That's technically not our home, and unless I'm mistaken, last time that this place was in such poor state, it wasn't the demons' fault. Rather, someone else had something to do with it."

The Valkyrie suddenly became a lot less agitated as she looked away in embarrassment. She wasn't exactly proud of that particular incident, but she was certain about one thing. "I didn't do it this time!"

"That much I can tell," said the rose goddess, before turning to Laguz, who was shivering. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I-I think so..." said the Lake Goddess, while rubbing her arms to overcome the cold sensation that ran through her body. "It's just that... Part of my pond was frozen as well... It's not something serious... I just need to thaw myself, and I'll be fine."

"Don't worry, I can do that for you," said Peorth. "It's just going to take a second."

"Thank you," said Laguz with a smile, following the rose goddess as they walked towards the pond.

Meanwhile, Lind was still staring at the frozen residence in front of her. Ice crystals were hanging from the roof, while the entire floor was covered in a thick layer of snow. The warrior wasn't entirely convinced that the demons were innocent. Still, she couldn't see what they could gain from such an action. It felt more like a prank than one of their typical operations. Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted when she spotted movement inside the house. More specifically, someone or something was slowly creeping towards the front door.

Summoning her battleaxe, she prepared for an attack. Perhaps the Jotnar had frozen the place in hopes of deploying one of their ice monsters, as the cold environment around it would increase its strength. Opening the door, the snow covered creature, clumsily took a few steps towards her.

'An abominable snowman? Well, bring it on!' Without a second thought, the Valkyrie launched herself towards the creature, her axe ready to strike it down.

She was shocked when it managed to catch her weapon between its fingers and stopped her assault with seemingly minimal effort, forcing the stunned warrior to take a few steps back.

"What?!" Lind had faced such creatures before, and in most cases they weren't really much to write home about. They could be easily dispatched with a single well aimed strike and their reflexes weren't nearly as good as that.

"Oh, my! I haven't seen you there!" said the snow covered creature in a surprisingly feminine and refined voice. "I thought that someone was outside, but I can't see very well in my current state."

Lind was slowly starting to realize that the creature was actually giving away the same type of energy that one would've expected from a goddess. And her voice sounded somewhat familiar, too.

"Hey, who's at the door?" asked a second snow creature that approached the first one, with a smaller one following it closely behind.

This time, the Valkyrie managed to identify the newcomer on an instant. "Urd?! What happened to you?!"

"Funny story." Trying to remove as much snow from herself, the half goddess tried to help her sister, who was still struggling to do the same. "Let's just say that we had a bit of an... accident..."

"We?" asked Lind, wondering about what exactly she was talking about. Typically, the two sisters were not using ice spells against each other, so, she turned towards the only other potential suspect; the person that originally opened the door.

Partially uncovered, Frigg was quietly laughing, despite their predicament. "I must admit that it's been a while since we had this much fun!"

The two sisters rolled their eyes at their grandmother's comment, while Lind was genuinely surprised. "Frigg-sama! I had no idea that you've arrived here! Forgive me for attacking you, earlier!"

"I'm on vacation," explained the elder goddess. "And please don't worry, Lind. It's not your fault that you hadn't recognized me. I don't normally walk around, covered in snow."

Before Lind could reply, the two remaining goddesses joined them, as they had completed their task.

"Frigg-sama. It's been a while, since we last met, my lady," said Peorth, while offering a bow. A gesture that, Laguz imitated as well.

"Ah, Peorth... It's always a pleasure to meet you," said the green eyed goddess, returning the bow. "And you... must be Nimue."

"Oh, I've actually changed my name a long time ago," said the Lake Goddess. "I no longer felt that I was the same mortal woman that was thrown into the lake as a sacrifice. So, I've made the decision to let go of that past life. I'm now called, Laguz."

"My apologies, then. I accidentally remembered you by that old title," said Frigg. "Also, I'm happy to see that you've been released from your seal. You'll be staying here, I suppose?"

"I think I will. Is that an inconvenience, my lady?" asked the blonde goddess, with a worried expression on her face.

"Of course not!" said Frigg with a shake of her head. "As a matter of fact, I think that this is the best place for you."

Laguz smiled, and offered a graceful bow towards the elder goddess. "Thank you very much."

"You're most welcome, young one," replied Frigg, before turning towards the frozen house. "Now, how about we fix this, and then have a nice cup of tea?"

"What about dinner, grandma?" asked Skuld.

"Skuld-chan, don't mention unnecessary things," said Frig, patting her granddaughter's head.

"Yes, grandma..." said the goddess of the future, lowering her head.

"I guess that's my turn!" said Urd, summoning World of Elegance behind her. "I'll fix this in no time at all!"

"Uh... wait a moment, Urd..." started Frigg, but her granddaughter was already casting her spell.

"Consume by Fire!"

"Oh, dear..."

The Morisato residence was destroyed... once again.

---

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

There's a few things that I'd like to note for this chapter.

Fenrir in this story is a magical construct that Loki had created. He's both a living being and a program at the same time. As mentioned, an incomplete version had fallen into the demons' hands, resulting in the Lord of Terror. That latter, was a poor attempt to finish the project and have a weapon of their own. It was eventually destroyed in the series, but this particular version of Fenrir was still developed by Loki. Of course, he can't call him like that in front of everyone and that's why he needed a different name. Both Vanagandr (translates as "the monster of the river Van") and Hrothvitnir (translates as "fame-wolf") were actually used to be alternative names for Fenrir in Norse legends.

The discussion about Frankenstein's name (the original vs the one in Young Frankenstein), was a suggestion by Hotel Katz.

Also, the scene with Igor at the beginning was a suggestion by Spatial Chronaut of the Goddess Relief site, and Hotel Katz suggested using a mini Loki for that role. In the end, I've used two of them.

Nimue is one of the names for the Lady of the Lake, from king Arthur's story. When the Lake Goddess was introduced into AMG, I couldn't help but notice some similarities between those two characters. In this story, Nimue is the mortal name of Laguz. The one she had as the young woman, before she became a goddess. After a while, she changed it as it no longer felt something that she considered as part of her identity.