AN: It's Christmas, so even though I'm not finished the next chapter yet I'll post this one.

Chapter 3, last of the episode rewrites and at fourteen pages the longest yet. After this I'm on my own, so updates will probably be longer in coming. I'm not entirely satisfied with this one, but it'll do, I suppose.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Star

"W…w…what are you…?" Skuld stuttered. "Y…you've got to be kidding me!"

She and Belldandy stared at the Daimakaicho in disbelief. Rather younger than her true appearance, but older than the child form she had been adopting recently, Hild looked to be around the same age as Belldandy.

That, however, was not what had them shocked. It was the fact that she was standing in their kitchen chopping vegetables.

"Hild."

"Oh, Bell-chan," Hild said, turning to look at her. "You want to eat my home cooking too?"

"What are you talking about?!" protested Skuld. "Rather, why did you come into our house and start cooking?!"

Hild just smiled slightly as Keiichi peered into the room. "Hild, is breakfast ready? I'm starved."

"Keiichi-san."

"It'll just be a little longer, darling," Hild told him. She winked and smiled. "Be a good boy and wait, okay?"

"I'm looking forward to today's menu. Well, hurry please."

"Sure."

Belldandy and Skuld turned to leave, Belldandy staring after him wistfully.

"Hey, Keiichi! Wait!" Skuld shouted. "Keiichi!"

"Keiichi…san," Belldandy whispered sadly.

Urd walked in tiredly, still half asleep and sat beside Belldandy. Let's see, she thought, trying to figure out what was wrong. Belldandy beside me, Skuld on her other side. Mother feeding Keiichi… She paused and backtracked. Mother feeding Keiichi! Okay, something weird was going on here.

"Say Ah."

"Ah."

It was actually kind of scary. Hild wasn't nice. Well, she was, but it was a vaguely threatening kind of nice. Not nice nice and certainly not 'sickly sweet' nice.

"I've lost faith in you Keiichi," yelled Skuld. "To think that you were two timing Onee-sama with Hild!"

Hild and Keiichi, however, seemed oblivious to the other two.

"Delicious," Keiichi told Hild.

"Is it? Then open again."

"I can't take this any longer!" Skuld screamed, throwing her arms into the air in rage. "Keiichi, what happened to you?"

"Is there a problem?"

"There's a big problem! You have Onee-sama, yet…!" she paused, thinking about what she was saying. "Umm… Onee-sama is mine, but…" she looked up again, glaring. "But…!"

"What are you talking about?" Keiichi asked, his confusion seeming to be genuine. He smiled. "Skuld, eat up too. It's delicious."

"I'd never eat Hild's cooking," Skuld said, turning her back on him, her arms crossed.

"Yes, wouldn't it be a problem if it turns out to be better than Bell-chan's?"

Urd winced. Hild knew just what buttons to push to manipulate Skuld, it seemed. She should know, having often used them herself. Sure enough…

"No way!"

"Then do you want to give it a try?" Hild asked, a smile on her face but a challenging gleam in her eyes. "See if it's better than Bell-chan's."

Skuld's reaction to the spices would have been funny in another situation, Hild's response calculatingly innocent.

"There are no sign's of him being controlled," Urd told Belldandy.

"Hai."

"You have a piece of rice on you," Hild said, before kissing Keiichi on the cheek.

"Stop it! Urd and Belldandy are watching."

"Who care's? I'm sure they'll be happy for the both of us. Right?"

The vague urge to wretch was replaced by warning sirens. "Hey, I don't know what you're plotting, but when she gets mad…"

Urd glanced towards Belldandy, who was sitting stiffly, her face pale and her eyes wide and Hild followed her gaze.

"Oh crap!"

A lance of magic, coloured dark purple, shot into the sky, leaving Belldandy sparking with the residual charge.

"B…Belldandy…?" Keiichi stuttered.

Hild gazed at her thoughtfully, one hand on her chin. "You're still a girl," she declared.

Urd looked at her sister sadly. Hild's latest scheme was really hurting Belldandy, and she couldn't help but feel that it was all her fault. If she hadn't summoned her...

"No response," Skuld reported, as she and Urd spied on Hild and Keiichi. The youngest goddess was wearing her latest invention, a pair of glasses that would see spells. "There are no signs of magic being used."

"Then what about the possibility that a demon has possessed him?" Urd asked.

"That's impossible too. That's the real Keiichi. Urd, can't you detect anything? Maybe she made him take the 'Seed of Love'?"

Urd sighed. "I've looked into it but there were no signs of her making him take any medicine either." The problem was really annoying her. How had Hild managed to change Keiichi's feelings so drastically?

"Then Keiichi truly loves Hild."

"No," she replied firmly. "I'm sure there's something behind this. Definitely." She just had no idea as to what.

The pair began to panic as Hild suggested taking a bath together.

"This is bad! If Belldandy sees them taking a bath together the whole region will be destroyed!"

"What should we do?"

"Beat them to it and prevent it!" Urd ordered sharply, pulling herself together at the sound of her sister's panicked voice.

"What!"

"Is it alright if this whole place disappears?"

"I'll do my best," Scold said determinedly, turning and running down the corridor. "Geez, she's doing whatever she wants!"

"Nee-san," Belldandy said, coming round the corner as Skuld turned the other way.

"W…what is it?" Urd asked nervously. "I'm busy right now."

"Look at this."

Urd stared at the picture Belldandy held in shock, as the pieces connected. So that was how Hild did it.

Urd and Belldandy reached the furo just in time to see Keiichi lying on the floor unconscious and a naked Hild, in full Daimakaicho mode, doing her best to intimidate Skuld, who was sitting in the furo looking rather frightened.

"Okay, that's it. Stop," Urd said from the doorway.

"Oh my, Urd-chan."

"I would like you to explain this," Urd continued, as Belldandy knelt beside Keiichi, seeing if he was alright.

"What are you talking about?"

"Belldandy found this," replied Urd, brandishing the photograph.

"That was quicker than I expected," Hild admitted, shrugging slightly.

"Why did you do this?" asked Belldandy. "Do you want Keiichi-san's heart?"

Hild smiled then. "I wonder. It may just be on a whim."

"On a whim?" Belldandy asked, staring down at the photograph of a teenage Keiichi and Hild together in high school uniforms. "For such a trivial reason?"

"If it bother's you so much, how about getting him back?" Hild suggested. "He's your Keiichi-san, right? I'm sure Urd-chan will help you."

Urd's eyes narrowed, her expression becoming, for an instant, a mirror of her mother at her most dangerous. She knew what was being suggested – that they go back to the past to fix it. She just wondered why.

Although technically she was still a goddess she was balancing on the very edge, close enough that Hild might very well have felt that she could forbid her from helping. Yet instead she was giving her permission, almost ordering her to help her sister. Which could only mean that she wanted them to attempt this. What was her mother up to?

"Belldandy," she said, starting her sister out of her shock. "Let's go. Let's get Keiichi back."

"Nee-san," Belldandy said, before nodding.

The three goddesses held their hands out, as the working appeared around them. This was going to take a lot of power.

"She doesn't seem anxious at all," Skuld commented, glancing towards where Hild sat on the porch, the unconscious Keiichi on her lap. "Will this really work?"

"She's enjoying it," Urd replied. "That really pisses me off." She turned her full attention back to the working. Although her sisters were feeding her power the spell itself was mostly her responsibility. The past was her domain. She only hoped she didn't screw this one up.

Keiichi-san.

She has a nice expression, Hild thought, staring at Belldandy. It's getting me excited. She smiled slightly.

"Nee-san," Belldandy said softly.

"Here we go," Urd replied. She closed her eyes, envisioning the shape of the magic.

"My name is Urd. In the name of the goddess who presides over the past, guide us through the times."

The working flared and the three of them dissolved into light.

The quiet of a snowy field was disturbed by three figures appearing a few feet above it. Two of them landed on their feet while the central, smallest figure landed face first in the snow.

Skuld pulled her head out of the snow. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around.

"Keiichi's hometown," Urd replied.

"Keiichi's hometown?" Skuld echoed. "So Keiichi lived here?"

Belldandy looked up as a lone figure walked along the nearby street, pushing a scooter and grumbling slightly. "Keiichi-san."

"Keiichi-kun's so cute!" Skuld exclaimed. She raised her voice and began to wave. "Keiichi!"

Before she could even finish the word Urd pushed her face into the snow, as Keiichi continued on undisturbed.

"What was that for?" Skuld asked, spitting out a mouthful of snow.

"Idiot. He hasn't met us yet, so there's no way he'd recognise us, right?"

"Oh…yeah."

The trio watched as Hild appeared out of a side street to greet Keiichi. They talked for a moment as another scooter passed, the passenger calling out to them as it did. Then Hild grabbed hold of his arm and they continued on their way.

"What's this?" asked Skuld angrily. "Acting all cosy! I've lost faith in him!"

"You can't blame him," Urd replied, as Belldandy didn't seem aware enough to do so. "He wasn't popular with girls at this point in time."

"To think that she's already acquainted with Keiichi-san," Belldandy said, the most she had spoken since they got here.

"She's reading our movements," Urd replied grimly. "If we go further in the past she'll go even further to get acquainted with him."

Images formed in her mind of a child, and even baby Hild beside a Keiichi of the same age.

"It's easy for Daimakaicho." And damned if a part of her didn't both envy and respect that power.

"Then, what should we do?"

"We have no choice but to turn Keiichi to us."

"Keiichi-san," Belldandy whispered.

Urd looked at her sister sympathetically and began to outline her plan. Usually Belldandy was the one to think ahead, but she wasn't in any state to do so right now. Besides, matters of love were her area of expertise.

"Okay, quiet. It's rather sudden, but we have a new student," the teacher said, gaining the class' attention.

"Her name is Belldandy. She's fluent in Japanese, so I'm sure you'll become friends right away."

Dressed in the girls' uniform of a skirt and a brown jacket Belldandy stood in front of the class and bowed. "My name is Belldandy. Pleased to meet you."

Keiichi stared at her, mouth open in shock, while in the seat to his right Hild sat with one hand on her chin, looking thoughtful.

She smiled slightly as the class broke out in to excited whispers. I'll see your true feelings, Bell-chan.

At the same time as Belldandy was being introduced, Urd and Skuld were talking in the nurse's office. Skuld was in a grade school uniform while Urd wore a lab coat over a smart skirt and blouse. Combined with a pair of glasses it made her look oddly professional.

"Why am I a grade schooler?!"

"You're perfect for it, no matter how you look at it."

"I'm already an adult! I'm obviously going to be in the same class as Onee-sama!"

"We can't do anything about it since you're already registered as a transfer student in grade school," Urd informed her. She pointed towards the appropriate area of the school. "Okay, Skuld-chan, that way."

Skuld began twitching, "Urd, you idiot!" she yelled angrily, before running out of the room.

Urd sighed. Skuld might think she was grown up but she was still just a kid. Although, admittedly, she probably would be bored out of her skull. She was far beyond grade school level classes.

She shrugged as she began to organise things in preparation for her first patients. Skuld would get over it.

Rather listening to the teacher Belldandy was sneaking glances at Keiichi, sitting two seats to her right. She thought back to Urd's advice.

In these situations, start by writing a letter.

She looked down at the envelope, clearly labelled with Keiichi's name.

Give it to him suggestively, got it?

She looked over again, just in time to see Keiichi look away, and smiled, blushing slightly. He had noticed her.

Hild glanced in her direction and smiled.

"Okay, that's it for today," the teacher told them as the bell rang. "It'll be on the test, so make sure you go over it."

It seemed that every time Belldandy tried to speak to Keiichi Hild was there within seconds, flirting and hanging all over him, glaring at her when he couldn't see it. And then, before she could give him the letter, they were gone, Hild dragging him off somewhere as her pain continued to grow.

"Why can't I gather the least amount of courage?" Belldandy asked herself as she began to glow, purple lightning gathering around her before the windows shattered.

"You still haven't given it to him?" Urd asked. The two of them were in her office, Urd seated on a chair with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other, the picture of professionalism should anyone happen to glance in. "You must not yield to her obstructions."

"I know that, but…"

"First make him notice you," Urd instructed. "For example, quietly give him a flirtatious glance, deliberately trip and reveal what's under your skirt, or ask him what kind of girl he likes."

Belldandy looked down in embarrassment.

"Is this really okay?" Belldandy asked uncertainly, as Urd looked at her sadly. "There's a black haze in my heart. It's as if bad emotions are filling it."

Urd stood and turned towards the window. "Jealousy, eh?" she asked. It wasn't surprising. Hild seemed to be deliberately provoking that emotion. But it must be tormenting her gentle sister, who normally didn't have a bad feeling for anyone.

"No, I…!"

"True, it doesn't suit you, Belldandy," Urd continued, turning back towards her sister.

She smiled, a new idea coming to her, a way to spare Belldandy somewhat.

"I got it. Let's change plans. Leave her to me. Just tell Keiichi your feelings. You can do that at least, right? No, you have to be able to do that at least."

Belldandy nodded. "Hai."

"You want to go somewhere on the way home?" Hild asked.

"I don't have much money on me today," Keiichi admitted, staring at the odd figure approaching.

"I want you to come with me for a moment," Urd said as Hild turned to face her.

Dressed in a dark blue school uniform, a red bow at her neck, Urd looked imposing, even without the chain in her hand and the grim expression on her face.

So that's your move, Hild thought. She'd been wondering when the goddesses would change their tactics.

"Umm, I don't know what Hild did," Keiichi said nervously, moving in between them. "But I'll listen, so why don't you put that down?"

"Keiichi," Urd said, almost involuntarily. The boy looked startled for a moment before Hild put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently aside.

"You don't have to do anything unnecessary," she told him, smiling slightly. "Go ahead of me. This will be over quickly."

Urd suppressed a flinch when she saw the look in her mother's eyes. This was going to hurt, a lot.

"But…"

"Go."

"Hild."

"I guess I have no choice," she muttered. The lights on Keiichi's scooter flashed and he turned to grab it, only so find himself pulled out of the gates by the runaway vehicle, barely managing to climb on as it turned the corner onto the street.

Back in the schoolyard Urd and Hild faced each other, Urd swinging her chain in a vertical circle, so fast that it was just a blur.

"I was just getting bored," Hild said conversationally. "I'll congratulate you if you last five minutes," she added, raising her book bag and throwing it.

Bag and chain met in a flare of magical pyrotechnics, before both returned to their owners. Hild smirked. "You're quite good."

"You'll get hurt if you underestimate me too much," Urd replied, holding the chain in both hands. The chain lashed forward as Hild raised her bag in defence, a shield flaring at the point of impact.

By now both sported identical smiles, both excited by the challenge. Good fights were all too rare, and all the more enjoyable because of it.

Meanwhile Keiichi was pulling himself out of the snow in the same field that the goddesses had arrived in. He had crashed there after looking control of his scooter when the bakes failed to respond.

"Are you all right, Keiichi-san?" Belldandy asked in concern.

"Keiichi-san?" he repeated in astonishment as he looked up at her in surprise. "Uh, it's because you called me by my first name, even though we've just met," he explained hastily.

"I'm sorry," Belldandy replied, blushing slightly.

"It's okay," he replied. "You don't have to worry."

"Actually, umm…"

Keiichi looked at her with wide eyes, wondering what it was about this girl.

"I… Umm… I… I… Keiichi…"

"Keiichi!"

"Oh, Hild."

"What's with you, talking to another girl in a place like this," she scolded lightly.

"Well, I fell off the bike," he explained as Belldandy stared off into the distance.

"No way! Are you alright?"

Back in the schoolyard Urd lay groaning on the ground, her chain in pieces around her while Hild's schoolbag was stuck in the snow near her head, somewhat scorched. A large circular dent in the school wall testified to the violence of the battle.

"Sorry, Belldandy. She was too strong."

"Hild, she's watching us," Keiichi said nervously.

"How about saying it?" she asked, holding tightly to Keiichi's arm. "Your true feelings."

"My true feelings," Belldandy repeated.

"Yes, you hate me, right?" Hild asked her voice lowering slightly as she let her oblivious mask drop. She smiled, her eyes narrowing. "For taking the man you love, linking arms…" She laughed.

Belldandy bowed her head in shame.

"For toying with him…" continued Hild, turning Keiichi's head to face her.

His eyes were wide in shock. "Hey!"

"This too," she added, leaning in to kiss him as he blushed.

Belldandy's hands clenched.

"Hild."

"Stay still," she whispered.

"No!"

The snow exploded upwards. When it settled Hild and Keiichi were protected by a golden shield while a purple miasma surrounded Belldandy.

Yes, those feelings, Hild thought gleefully. Those are your true feelings. And powers.

"Release your current feelings," she said aloud.

"My current feelings," Belldandy repeated, eyes wide and blank, the miasma growing.

"Anger, hatred, jealously," Hild continued. "Blast the feelings inside of you at me."

"I…"

"If you do, Keiichi will come back to you," Hild told her, smiling. "You can have him for yourself. Now, show it to me!"

Darkness spread out from Belldandy, casting everything around her in a strange half-light. "I… I…"

"Release everything," Hild encouraged triumphantly, looking truly frightening. "Along with that power."

Belldandy bowed her head before looking up again, sparks flying off of her. "I…"

"Do you like snow?" Keiichi asked, having walked up until he was less than two feet in front of her while she and Hild were intent on each other.

Belldandy looked at him in surprise.

"I do," he continued. "It's white. It eases my feelings somehow."

Belldandy's eyes widened, life returning to her expression as the darkness disappeared in an instant.

"It feels it suits you somehow." His eyes widened as he looked to one side.

"Diamond dust," he said as Belldandy looked at what he had seen. The sky was sparkling as tiny flakes fell from it. "It sure is beautiful."

Belldandy smiled brilliantly. "Hai!"

"Why?" Hild asked as she watched them. "Impossible."

"Hild."

She looked at Keiichi, who had walked back to join her. "I would like to talk to you about something."

"Bye!" Skuld called out to her new friends. Walking along the road she saw a lone figure staring at the sunset. "Oh, Onee-sama. Onee-sama!" she called out, running over.

"Skuld," Belldandy replied, turning to face her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I… I… might have done something I shouldn't have."

"Onee-sama, what's wrong?"

Belldandy began to cry, hugging her sister. "Skuld!"

"Onee-sama."

Hild hovered high above the town, watching the sunset without really seeing it as she thought back on what Keiichi had said to her.

Well, you don't love me, do you?

"How did a mere human notice?"

"That's Keiichi for you," another voice replied.

Hild turned to see her daughter beside her, sitting calmly on her broom.

"Urd-chan."

"He will even phone Asgard, pick fights against monsters and dive fearlessly into anywhere for Belldandy. That's the man he is." She looked slightly wistful for a moment.

"How boring," Hild replied. "I wanted to see Bell-chan's true feelings."

"Why are you stating the obvious?" Urd asked. "Her true feelings are simple."

"What…?" Hild asked in shock. How had she missed that?

"She loves him."

Hild shrugged, not entirely understanding. She certainly hadn't felt so strongly about Urd's father, couldn't imagine feeling that way about anyone who wasn't herself or her own flesh and blood. Oh well, at least the trip hadn't been totally wasted. "Are you coming, Urd-chan?" she asked.

"I was impressed by your performance during our fight," she admitted "It seems that I underestimated how much your power has grown." Then she smirked. "However, I did notice something. You tapped into your demonic side. You do remember our deal?"

Urd grimaced. "I remember."

A gasping Keiichi stopped in front of Belldandy and Skuld.

"Umm, Belldandy…san," he said once he had regained his breath.

"Yes?"

He blushed, looking down at the ground. "Would you like to visit the museum with me?" he asked hurriedly, holing out two tickets.

When she didn't reply he deflated slightly. "No?"

Skuld giggled, as Belldandy smiled. "Okay, in five years."

As Keiichi gaped at her in astonishment the two goddesses began to glow and disappeared, leaving Keiichi wondering why he was standing in a field.

"Huh? In five years…?" he muttered in confusion. "What was that?"

"Nee-san?" Belldandy asked as they arrived once more at the temple, to see Urd standing beside Hild, a bag over her shoulder, and Keiichi nowhere in sight.

"I have to go," Urd replied. As Belldandy got closer she saw that Urd's marks had changed, become the same crimson they had been when she was switching between goddess and demon.

She gasped, realising exactly how much Urd had sacrificed to buy her time. "Nee-san."

Urd smiled. "I don't regret it," she assured her.

"Come, Urd-chan."

Urd sighed and nodded. Hild grabbed her arm and a portal opened beneath them, the pair sinking into it.

AN: And that's the third chapter finished. More or less filler as up until the end its just an episode rewrite but it's got me to where I wanted - Urd as a demon. And of course she didn't last the full three months. : ) This is Urd, after all. Maybe Hild can teach her some control?