Excitement gave way to the practical problems of trying to find Urd, despite what the note had promised him. His first troubles appeared in the Whirlwind motorcycle shop, which had not only moved locations several times in the intervening years, but had greatly expanded. It had taken more than a week to arrange to meet the owner, Chihiro, who was quite wealthy. In the end, however, Chihiro had heard his heated discussions about Keiichi and Belldandy with the receptionist, and warmly invited him in.
But disappointment continued to plague him. His younger self might have abandoned this misguided quest, and simply gone home. But it was as Urd said, he shouldn't give up. Dogged persistence had become one of his defining traits.
"I haven't seen them in a year." Chihiro said, her disappointment evident on her face. "Keiichi left my employment five years ago, although he used to stop by more often. And since Belldandy was always at his side, well... Anyway, last I talked to him he said he was going to be out of cell phone range for awhile. Makes me wonder just where the hell he went!"
"I understand. However, it wasn't them, exactly, that I was looking for." Shohei offered, sliding over the letter the monk had given him. "I'm trying to find Urd."
"Ah, Belldandy's sister." Chihiro observed. "It's been even longer since I've seen her. But what did you say your name was again?" There was an edge to her voice, a strange curiosity, and it reminded him of the monk he met at the temple.
"Shohei Yoshida." He said simply.
"I thought so. Looks like you're on a breadcrumb hunt, then." Chihiro smiled pleasantly and opened up her desk drawer. "Belldandy asked me to hold on to this until a Shohei came asking for it. Maybe you can help clear up what it means? I once got drunk and even tried calling this number, but it was just a take out joint."
She slid a worn and faded business card across the desk.
In the off chance you're looking for me, think of me, and call.
Urd.
"Thank you." Shohei said.
"You're welcome! Say, you go to Nekomi Tech, right? I heard your conversation with the receptionist..." Chihiro offered.
"Yeah, I'm about to graduate though. Electrical Engineering." He replied.
"Come see me after you do, Shohei. It may be there is a job for you here."
"But, you know almost nothing about me!" Shohei protested.
"I know you're trying hard to find your friend, you're not giving up even though it seems crazy. You might say you even remind me of Keiichi a bit... That's the type of ethics we promote here at Whirlwind." Chihiro smiled and stood up. "Good luck."
Evening cast over Nekomi, and Shohei realized that time had come. As cheesy as the notion was, sunsets always reminded him of Urd, even within the confines of his cheap apartment on the East side.
It had taken Shohei a few days to work up the nerve to try that phone number, and he wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was because all of his previous attempts to reach Urd had failed. He was afraid this one would be a dead-end, too, especially after Chihiro's revelation about her drunken dial to that number. A hint of his old self-conscious fears began to creep up on him, for after visiting the temple and the motorcycle factory, he realized what an amazing life Urd and her family lived. What could he offer?
But he decided that whatever else Urd may have been to him, she was his first true friend. And any romantic notions aside, it was as Chihiro had said. He wanted to find his friend, and he wasn't giving up. With his thoughts filled with memories of Urd, he dialed the line and waited to hear some take out restaurant...
"Earth Assistance Line, this is Peorth." A sultry feminine voice offered.
"Do you have an Urd there by any chance?" Shohei asked, wondering just what the hell an Earth Assistance Line was. Perhaps it was some kind of charity office?
"Urd? No, this is Peorth. I'll be over in a minute." The voice hung up and Shohei sighed. It had been worth a try, but he had waited too long. There weren't any more clues left to follow.
Then, the most bizarre single event in his life flashed before his eyes. His cellphone leaped out of his hand, fell face-down on the floor, and a woman came flying out of the camera lens. He fell backward onto the floor in incredulity. For a moment he was shocked into stunned silence. But Shohei was not a man given over to fear, not anymore.
"Who... are you?" He managed to get out.
"I'm Peorth! We just spoke on the phone and..." Her strange French accent was thick and barely understandable.
"Wait, what the hell are you?" Shohei noted the markings on the girl's face. They weren't exactly the same, but they reminded him of Urd's own markings. "Do you know Urd?"
"How do you know Urd?" It was Peorth's turn to be shocked.
"Uh, well when I was a kid, we hung out for awhile." He replied, confused, but hopeful.
"A kid? She was messing around with a kid? Figures..." Peorth tossed her hair to the side. "Anyway, I am a Goddess First-class. You wouldn't want a second-class goddess to grant your wish, would you?"
"Wish? What the hell are you talking about? First you fly out of my phone, say that you know Urd, claim to be a Goddess and now you're talking about wishes? What kind of messed up dream is this?" Shohei's composure fell apart as his the entire world suddenly failed to make any kind of sense whatsoever.
"Oh, well I grant wishes you see. It's my job. The Earth Assistance Line is here to help unfortunate and unlucky souls, who are pure of heart, to find happiness!" Peorth made sure to give Shohei an eyeful of just what she thought being happy meant. She was barely wearing anything at all, as far as he could tell, and even what she had on left little to the imagination. He was sure if this woman was in earnest about granting wishes, many had probably wished for her.
"Look, I don't want to be rude and all, but could I talk to Urd?" Shohei offered. "That's why I called in the first place."
"Wait... you knew you were calling a Goddess?" Peorth grabbed his cell phone off the ground and dialed in quick succession.
"Yes, I made it... No, he's asking for Urd, says he was trying to get in contact with Heaven... I know that doesn't make sense, just check his file!... He doesn't have one? Well how did he get my direct line then?... Oh. Fucking URD! I'm going to kill her."
Anger seethed from her, but when she turned to face Shohei again, she was once again pleasant and calm.
"Sorry about that. It seems Urd decided to play a little prank on me. She set it up so that if you called for us using that number, you'd get me. But, rules are rules. You called me, you're pure of heart, so you get your wish. What'll it be, cheri?" Peorth placed her chin in her hands and floated beside him. "You're a cute thing, you know. I wouldn't mind helping you relieve some... tension."
"No thanks. If you know Urd, can you tell her I've been trying to get a hold of her?"
"No. We at the Earth Assistance Line don't do that sort of thing. Now, don't take all day, I have other customers, you know. Make your wish..." Peorth teased him a little, showing her cleavage, taunting him.
"Sure, I'll make my wish... as soon as I can speak with Urd." Shohei insisted. He was reminded of the incident with the police officer and the bottle of sake. Only, the police officer certainly didn't look like this!
"Fine." Peorth said angrily. She turned on the TV and started talking into the phone again.
"Get Urd over here... No, I'm serious... I don't care, wake her up then, it's her fault anyway... Okay, good."
And just like that, the TV suddenly brightened far more than it should have, radiant light shone everywhere for a moment, nearly blinding him.
But when his vision cleared, an angel floated in his view, and he recognized her immediately. Not from her beauty, for as pretty as she was, that was not what defined her. No, it was that mischievous look, those fiercely intelligent eyes. And if he had any doubts about who he saw that final night, they were put to rest. She really wasn't a kid, he thought wondrously.
"Shohei! Well you took your sweet time getting here. You were supposed to find me when you were grown up, not wait until you were graduating college." Urd smiled. "But I'm glad you came."
"Urd, what's the big idea, rewiring my phone line to..." Peorth's face turned a rather dark shade of red.
"Come on, can't take a little joke?" Urd laughed. "Anyway, I just wanted to leave Shohei here a way to... reach out and touch someone. So tell me, has he reached out and touched you yet?"
"No. And I'm not interested." Shohei protested, getting to his feet.
"See, I always knew you had good taste." Urd smiled genially. "Hey, come on, give me a hug or kiss, or something. Don't tell me you're still that shy. I'd hate to think I went to all that trouble to go deal with another Keiichi."
Shohei didn't know anything about the mysterious Keiichi, but he knew a challenge when he heard it, and he put his arm around her, drawing her close. Her arms folded around him, and he felt that familiar warmth and wondered, just when was he going to wake up from this dream?
"Just what is this all about, Urd?" Peorth wondered aloud.
"Oh, he's an old friend. It's a long story." Urd said, winking at him. "So, he gets a wish, does he? I wonder what that'll be?"
"I really hate you right now." Peorth grumbled. "And since when do you go around picking up kids anyway? I, at least, attract adults."
"I was stuck in a child's body at the time. And come on, I showed Shohei here how to lighten up and have some fun in life." Urd's expression took on a decidedly provocative look. "Besides, since when do you get to lecture me about picking up dates, hmm?"
"Urd has a point." Shohei interjected. "I mean, is that normal Goddess uniform? Not saying I mind, of course, you're very pretty and all, but still. Isn't that a bit much for a pure being?"
"Well, I'm a First-class Goddess. And, if you got it, flaunt it, I say." Peorth modeled her body for him, striking a pose. "She's just a Second-class Goddess with some Demon blood in her."
"If you got it, flaunt it, don't put it up for public auction." Urd replied. "Anyway... where were we?" She turned to Shohei again and smiled at him.
"Demon blood or no, she looks like a Goddess to me." Shohei agreed. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to catch up with Urd..." It wasn't that he was trying to be rude, but he had no interest in watching women bicker when he could be talking to his friend instead. Now that he knew who and what she was, Shohei had so many questions for Urd. Of course, he become more conscious of just how little he had to offer her aside from that friendship. There was some disappointment in that, it couldn't be helped. But he was very happy to see her again.
"Oh no you don't. MAKE YOUR WISH! You promised if I brought her here you would do it." Peorth demanded, roses flying from her body, nearly inundating Shohei. "Wish to be with Urd, for all I care, just do it so I can leave."
A strange thought crossed his mind, and he spoke up with determination.
"Urd... what would you wish for?" He asked.
Silence hovered over the room like a blanket. But it was Urd who managed to speak first.
"What would... I wish for?" Urd's expression was confused. "Nobody ever asked me that before."
"You can't make a wish for someone else." Peorth stated angrily.
"Why not? Why do you grant wishes in the first place?" Shohei asked.
"To make people who are good and pure... happy." Peorth replied. A hint of a smile appeared again as she got her emotions under control. "It's a great job, you know, giving people their heart's desire."
"Well, it would make me happy to give Urd something, something to repay her for all she did for me." Shohei said. "Would you still deny me that?"
Urd was still silent, just watching Shohei with a strange expression on her face. Whatever it was, he got the impression that it was a good thing, that somehow she saw him in a different light all of a sudden.
"No..." Peorth admitted. "I wouldn't deny you that. You still have to be the one to wish for it, though." She slumped her shoulders in defeat, and leaned against the wall. "Can't say you hear something like this every day... giving away wishes."
"Shohei.. it's your wish. I'm glad I helped you, but I didn't really do much, you know..." Urd began. "It's very sweet of you, to say this. But wish for something you want." There was a wistfulness in that voice, and he knew there was something on her mind, some wish she did desire.
"Still, tell me what it is, please." Shohei smiled at her, even as she looked away a little. For a moment, it was like they were children again, only she was the shy one this time.
"I envy my sister. You don't know the whole story, but she and Keiichi, idiot though he can be... have a connection I can't explain. I wish I could have that with somebody." Urd's voice was strangely sad, yet strong at the same time. As if to say, she didn't need nonsense like that, but yet was still drawn to it anyway.
"I don't know their whole story, just bits and pieces from people I met along the way." Shohei said conversationally. "But yeah, I understand. I wish we could both have that."
Urd started to reply, but to Shohei's horror, Peorth suddenly burst into radiant energy. Rays of light flew from the markings on her forehead, and a strange, omnipresent power filled the room.
"No, wait... it wasn't like that." Shohei said, but it was obviously too late.