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Ah! The following day ch13

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The moment Urd approached the living room, her demonic side could easily pick up Keiichi's tempest of negative emotions. Normally he was a pretty optimistic and positive person, but like everyone, he had his bad moments too. 'Ah... He must've noticed by now. Those tickets were only meant to help him get there; no hotel reservations were included. I wondered when that was going to happen.'


Opening the door, she entered the room with her usual upbeat manner, despite the overall quiet. “What's up everyone?”


Keiichi just messed up big time,” said Skuld as she crossed her arms. “He only got a pair of airplane tickets, but made no arrangements for a room.”


Well, that's easy to fix. All he needs to do is actually pay for that, right, Keiichi?” asked Urd, who was a little bit more happy than usual.


Keiichi could only swallow nervously as he didn't have the guts to admit that he was flat broke in front of them. He felt that as the man he should've been able of providing for his family even if such stereotypes didn't exist in Asgard. Or maybe, it made him feel useful by doing something on his own. As a human, he simply lacked the abilities of Belldandy her sisters. If Keiichi were being honest with himself he even felt a little useless around them occasionally. Not that they ever made a scene about it but he did appreciate them letting him take care of things from time to time.


But this wasn't one of those occasions. Because as much as he didn't like to admit it, Keiichi couldn't see a way out of his current predicament. After all, there wasn't enough time to come up with anything else. When he wanted to buy Belldandy her ring a few years ago, he spent many days going from one part-time job to the other in order to gather the necessary cash to buy it. He simply couldn't do the same thing right now, as he only had a few days of paid leave. Besides, postponing the honeymoon would've made it pointless if it happened many days after the ceremony. Belldandy was unlikely to say anything, of course, but he knew that she deserved better than that.


Considering all the options, he had to just admit what the problem was and hope that they could come up with a reasonable solution. “Actually, I don't think that I can afford it at the moment. I never expected that we would've gotten married so soon, and as such, I haven't saved up money for the occasion. The costs for the party we had the other day just made things worse and I hoped that I could have a break after the next month's payment.”


I'm sorry,” said Belldandy all of a sudden. “I really wanted to buy Keiichi a nice gift and spent most of what I had to buy his clock. “


Oneesama! You shouldn't apologize! It's Keiichi's fault, not yours!” shouted Skuld who didn't want to see her sister get upset for something that she wasn't responsible for.


Before Skuld went all out on Keiichi, Urd decided to step in and put an end to the argument. “Actually, I've just...”


However she wasn't the only one that had come up with something and interrupted her before she even started, “I have money. That's what you seem to need at the moment, right?”


Everyone turned to stare at Lind, the least likely goddess to possess any form of mortal currency. Noticing their confusion, she decided to explain. “I have about sixty thousand yen that I got when I sold a repaired vase to a glass artisan...”


Hold it! You don't mean Keima by any chance?” asked a surprised Keiichi. “I remembered that Takano mentioned that he spent all their money on something that was business related, but it was a repaired vase?”


Lind suddenly felt very nervous as she wasn't looking forward to tell them about her inability to properly cast restoration spells. It wasn't that she was ashamed of it, but if she revealed that, then they would certainly realize that Hagall wasn't the one who'd horribly disfigured their home. “Actually...”


Peorth however realized how an artist may have reacted to Lind's handiwork. They would certainly assume that it was some type of modern art and possibly pay a lot of money on something that in reality was just a botched repair. As funny as it may have sounded, the rose goddess didn't want her friend's problem to get exposed like that. “It's a great coincidence, right? I mean, with that money, you can certainly get out of your hard spot, Keiichi.”


Noticing Keiichi's hesitation, Lind gave Keiichi a reassuring smile. “I insist. After all, we don't use any form of currency in Asgard and therefore your father's payment for that vase would've been wasted if I took it back with me. I feel that it's going to be much more helpful if you put it to good use. After all, lifelong friends should support each other, right?”


Keiichi let out a sigh as he realized that being picky about the nature of their help was somewhat silly. It's not like they materialized money out of nowhere to magically solve the issue. “Well, I suppose you're both right...” said as he scratched his head. “In that case, I'm really in your debt.”


As the others started to smile, feeling that the crisis was averted, Urd decided to offer her own solution as well. After all, she had come up with it before anyone even realized what the problem was. “Now... I wanted to say that I'd also taken the liberty to make some arrangements too. In fact, next month's paycheck is already waiting for you, Keiichi.”


What? How?” Chihiro wasn't exactly stingy, but when it came to matters of money, she wouldn't back down easily on something she'd set her mind to. Yet Urd, somehow, had managed to convince her otherwise.


Oh, that's easy! I found a pair of replacements for you two. That way, Chihiro will have the necessary help and you'll get the money that you needed. Everyone's happy, right?” said Urd. As a matter of fact, that was one of her better schemes that didn't even require the use of any potion at all; just her skills at convincing others.


A pair?” asked Keiichi who suddenly didn't like where this was heading. “You don't mean Tamiya and Otaki! We had them help in the shop before and they always caused more harm than good...”


Urd, however, shook her head dismissively. “Give me some credit, will you? I'm not that dumb, you know. When it comes to situations like these, the best option is to rely on yourself.” Pausing for a moment for dramatic effect, she went on with her plan. “Me and the kid will be your replacements.”


Eh?!” was the collective response of the startled audience. In all recorded history of Asgard, this was the first time that the Norn of the past had actually volunteered to do do anything.


Skuld's reaction was slightly different. “Hey! Who are you calling a kid? Besides, you never asked me!”


I simply thought that you would be very happy to help, Belldandy,said Urd, raising an eyebrow.I suppose, I'll have to call Chihiro and tell her that you ate too much ice cream and your tummy hurts...”


Hold it! I never said that I won't do it!” shouted Skuld. “And for your information, I can eat as much ice cream as I want without any side effects.”


What a glutton...” muttered Urd with a shake of her head.


Look who's talking...” mocked the little goddess.


Now, now... Try to be nice and don't argue.” Belldandy decided to stop them, before the situation grew worse any more. “Still, I must thank you for doing this. It's really going to be very helpful for both Keiichi and myself.”


Urd offered a smile, but Skuld was grinning from ear to ear. Her onee-sama had praised her and that was more than enough reason for the young goddess to be ecstatic. Even if that meant that she had to be stuck doing some rather boring repairs on low tech machines.


Keiichi let out a sigh of relief. With Lind's money and his sisters-in-law replacing him and Belldandy for a while, he could finally go on a honeymoon. However, he couldn't help but consider a rather scary possibility. “Uh, Skuld?”


Yes, Keiichi?”


You... won't try to install anything... unusual, will you?” asked the apprehensive mechanic.


Skuld narrowed her eyes, thinking that he was probably going to treat her like a child who needs to be reminded of the most obvious things. “I know that I can't use anything that humans can't create, you dummy! There's nothing to worry about; trust me.”


Well, you love to put self destruct mechanisms on everything you make. The thing is, that we humans can create them as well. We just think that it's a bad idea to use them and Chihiro's customers will certainly agree with me,” said Keiichi. The last thing he wanted was to let the young goddess put a big red button on all the bikes she got her hands on.


Hey! I don't actually do that with everything I create!” objected Skuld. “Besides, I often upgraded your machines and I haven't added any explosives.”


Instead of wasting our time with such a pointless argument, why don't you start packing your bags?” asked Urd.


Eh? Already? But what about...” said Keiichi, looking around him.


Don't mind us,” said Thor. “Like I've already said we're leaving, so just listen to Urd and don't wait for us.”


Uncle is right, Keiichi. We should be getting ready for the trip, if we want to make it in time,” said Belldandy as she put her hand on her husband's shoulder. “We can leave my sisters to handle the rest. So there's no need to worry about anything. In the meanwhile, allow me to assist you with your bags.”


Keiichi gave his wife a nod. She was right after all. Urd and Skuld had lived with them for years and they both knew how to keep a low profile when it was necessary. 'Maybe I'm the one that needs this trip more than anyone else... All that stress and tiredness from the past few days is finally catching up to me,' thought the young mechanic. “Sure thing, Belldandy.”


In that case, you'll have to excuse us, everyone,” said Belldandy to the others in the living room. “We'll have to go to our room for a while and start packing. I hope that you won't leave before we finish.”


No worries, Belldandy,” said Baldr. “We'll depart after you've finished with your preparations. You'll get the opportunity to see us before we return.”


That's very nice,” said Belldandy as she offered them a small bow and started towards the door, with Keiichi following close behind.


After a few moments of silence, Skuld decided to suggest something fun to keep themselves busy until the couple was ready.


Anyone want to play Uno?”


XXX


Castle Utgard, Jotunheim


The fortress' Gate room was filled with several squadrons of Jotnar, all trained to stock still and battle ready until graced with the presence of their leader. They were under explicit orders from their commander to make a good impression or they would end up on guard duty in the frozen outback of Jotunheim. Everything had to look perfect and professional as he knew that Hild's visit wasn't a routine one. She had questions and in the event that the answers didn't satisfy her, they could be in trouble. Skrymir had put a lot of effort to make his agency one of the best there was and he didn't want to risk damaging their reputation, especially not in front of the Daimakaicho.


As soon as the three figures materialized in the center of the room, one of the higher ranked demons approached them and bowed before their leader.


Welcome to Castle Utgard, Hild-sama. Skrymir-sama is already waiting for you in his office.”


Hild nodded, after she looked around a bit. “I see that you put some effort in this. Very well... lead the way then.”


Of course, Hild-sama. This way please.”


It was a bit unnecessary as she knew the fortress' layout and didn't need any assistance to find her way to her subordinate's office, but considering that this was a formal visit, she would follow the protocol. While demons took a more casual approach on several subjects, there were a lot of expectations that the Daimakaicho had to meet.


Hagall followed right behind her boss with Surt trying to catch up. The demon was too busy checking the castle's interior, especially the various security systems. In his mind it was a good opportunity to take some notes on how to improve his own headquarters' defenses. Although the one thing that he wanted to see more than anything else was Naglfar, the newest addition of the demons' fleet. It was very rare to commission a battle cruiser these days as the peace treaty between them and the gods caused most of the construction activity to subside. The only real exception was the periodic modernization of the older ships, but that was not good enough for the Eldjotunn.


Surt had been constantly nagging Hild for a new battle cruiser, but she had always turned his requests down, citing the treaty. In her view something like that was far too expensive if there was no need for it since their existing fleet was fairly decent. However, most of it was stationed on either Jotunheim or Niflheim, as they were the most important realms under their control. The former was the closest one to the gods' territories and the most likely place to start an invasion from, while the latter was the capital and the location of the Nidhogg system, as well as its namesake, the Infernal Dragon itself.


As a result, he only got whatever was left, despite the fact that it was his realm's rich metal deposits that were used to build them in the first place. But this time he was really aiming for the most advanced, state-of-the-art vessel there was. Even if it wasn't currently assigned to any realm, he was sure that if he played his cards right, he could convince Hild that he deserved it more than anyone else.


The ship's hull was after all constructed in Muspelheim and it would be fitting to have it back home eventually. Of course, most other systems were installed in Niflheim and currently it was in the process of being outfitted with the its sensor arrays. Considering that the Intelligence Sector had the best surveillance systems, it was only natural that they got to perform that task.


'Once we're done with our primary task, I hope I'll manage to go take a closer look at the ship. Although, it would've been better if I got the opportunity to get there sooner, since Hild is probably going to drag me somewhere as soon as she finishes.' Surt was so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed the fact that they were already in front of Skrymir's office. As a result he almost ran into Hagall who was standing in front of him, waiting for the door to open. That would've been really embarrassing for more than one reasons and doing that in front of Hild was going to make it even worse. She liked to tease others for no particular reason and it only got worse if she actually had an excuse to do so. In fact he took another step back for a good measure, in case she got the wrong idea.


The demon that escorted them opened the door, allowing them to enter the almost bare office. Unlike its normally minimalistic appearance, there were a couple of chairs and even a single flowerpot in the corner. By the looks of it, Skrymir put some effort to improve his dreary working environment in anticipation of his boss' visit. Even if it was barely enough to make an actual difference, the trio had to give the head of the Intelligence Sector some credit for the effort.


Hild-sama, it's an honor to have you here in person,” said Skrymir in his typically monotonous voice. While he didn't sound very happy, for those that knew him, that was nothing new. As a matter of fact, they would've been terrified if he suddenly became all friendly and upbeat.


Of course. I thought that the incident was severe enough to justify a change in my schedule. It's not every day that somebody manages to infiltrate the throne room and sabotages the Pit's safety nets.”


While most other demons in his position would've been rather uncomfortable right now, Skrymir was not so easily intimidated. He could manage to maintain his composure under any circumstances and this one was not an exception. “Please, have a seat, Hild-sama. You too, Hagall-sama.”


What about me? There are only two chairs,” said Surt pointing at the offending furniture. In all honesty, he didn't really need one, but he couldn't help but feel a bit antagonistic towards the ruler of Jotunheim.


I wasn't expecting Hild-sama to be accompanied,” said Skrymir.


If that was the case, then why there are two chairs?” asked Surt, who didn't really believe the other demon's excuse.


Because they look very nice and symmetrical in front of the desk. However if it's such a big issue, I still have a folding one just for you.” Reaching under his desk, he pulled a really small chair and lift it up for the other demon to see.


'He's totally doing it on purpose... There's no reason for him to have anything like that under his desk,' thought the disgusted Eldjotunn. “Keep it... I can hover. But I would like something to drink.”


You're really hard to please as always,” said Skrymir as he dematerialized the chair. Pressing a few touch sensitive controls on his desk's surface, he opened a panel on the wall, revealing a few different types of coffee makers and a series of canisters. “Please help yourself, there should be enough ingredients to make a wide variety of beverages. And before you even ask, there are cookies in one of the containers as well. Just check the labels.”


Don't mind if I do,” muttered the Eldjotunn, walking over to the embedded coffee station.


Hild had been mostly quiet during this exchange, watching the two demons' interaction and by the looks of it, she wasn't disappointed. While not exactly enemies, they were both pretty antagonistic, considering that they had similar positions in their respective realms. It was just the way that highly ranked members of the demonic society competed with each other, always trying to best their opponents. Even if it ended up in such silliness, she considered it a much better alternative than the old fashioned conflicts that plagued Niflheim. Those often ended up in vendettas between powerful demons and demonesses, which was a stupid waste of time, resources and even lives. Having this sort of passive-aggressive argument was nothing in comparison to what had gone on in the past.


Oh, Surt! I'd like an espresso,?” said Hild with a smile. “What about you, Hagall-chan?”


Me?” Asked the blonde, slightly surprised at the sudden question. “Uh... a cappuccino would be nice.”


Surt just stared at the demonesses for a few moments, trying to find out if they were just joking or not. Seeing that neither one of them was laughing, they were probably serious, which only made it even worse for him. “You know... I'm a soldier, not a barista.”


That's irrelevant. Besides, I'm certain that you can prepare them, so get to it.” Turning her attention from the fuming Eldjotunn to the head of the Intelligence Sector, she wanted to finally get his version of what happened. “So... care to explain what really happened, Skrymir?”


According to our preliminary investigation, the perpetrator must've used a serrated blade that matches the profile of the combat knives that the celestials used in the recent past. Most are now replaced with their modern versions, but it's still not impossible to find them. Especially if you happened to own one in the first place...”


That last remark was something that got Hild's attention. She was somewhat suspicious of Odin, who may have gotten himself involved in this matter, especially given the fact that he seemed to have accessed the security feed and yet mentioned nothing important about the Gate incident. He should've seen what happened and yet he remained mostly silent, something that implied his involvement or at least his approval.


Still, he was restricted in the area of her house's inner chambers and getting out would've triggered more alarms than he could possibly outsmart. And those didn't even count the ones in the area around her throne room. If the perpetrator wasn't her former father-in-law, then there was another possible candidate and that one could cause trouble as well, since he worked directly under Surt and her pupil had a tendency to protect his subordinates as long as they remained loyal to him.


Taking a glance at her former student, she wondered whether or not he was aware of what may have happened behind his back. After all, he told her about the blade as well when they were in the Pit and no matter how he'd been distracted, there was no way that he may have done such an error if he wasn't certain that his own subordinate was involved. Of course that still didn't meant anything, as the former god could've still acted on his own, regardless of Surt's wishes.


Considering that the perpetrator's identity is rather obvious, I think that it should be your duty to provide the answers to Hild-sama.” Staring at Surt, who in the meanwhile was serving the two demonesses their coffee, Skrymir was waiting for the Eldjotunn to take the bait and react explosively as he always did.


But the demon in question barely even blinked and instead, he took a sip from his own cup of java. “Oh? Is that so? Tell me, Skrymir, do you take me for a fool?”


Excuse me?” That wasn't the reaction he was expecting from his rival and for the briefest moments, he looked rather confused.


You heard me. Do you have any solid piece of evidence? Anything beyond that pathetic little excuse that you came up with? I know that you always wanted to get your hands on the half-demon, given that his past experiences would greatly benefit your spying operations. But come on! Put some more effort into this. A mass produced knife as proof is plainly ridiculous. There are dozens of demons that kept them as trophies and you probably have enough of those blades in your little vault as well.” Surt was smirking at this point. His opponent was anticipated a totally different kind of response and he wasn't going to make his job easier. “No, my friend, you're the one who's behind it.”


And what would I gain from this?” asked the head of the Intelligence Sector.


Let's see... Aside from making me look like a fool who can't even control his own subordinates, taking the half-demon into your custody would've been the first step in putting him under your influence. Furthermore, your little display could even convince Hild to give you that battleship that's parked right outside your castle and even if you were to be exposed. The fact that you were involved in the disappearance of the Gate would've gotten you enough points with her that she wouldn't punish you.” Setting the cup of coffee aside, he approached the desk and leaned forward. “Next time you try to mess around with me, try harder, or I'll rip that smug face of yours off. Understood?”


Say what you will, but you haven't provided us with any real evidence either,” said Skrymir in an effort to silence him.


Wrong! I've already assigned Hrym to the special unit that was going to retake control of Niflheim in case those goddesses and their mortal toy had failed. I was ordered to act in that event and I've sent my best Eldjotnar for the job. After their return, they spent hours for the mission debriefing and thus it was impossible for him to be involved in this,” said Surt. He caught a glimpse of Hagall, who suddenly appeared to have lost her color and had a puzzled look on her face as she stared at Hild.


You were ordered to intervene only if there was no other alternative!” shouted Hild. “I never authorized you to act that early.”


If I waited that long, there was the chance that the situation would've gotten completely out of hand. I know that you didn't want to give her the same treatment with Fafnir, but...”


Silence! I'm the one that's going to decide what I want or not!” At this point, Surt realized that she was really angry and not just messing around like usual, so he decided to shut up.


Satisfied that he got the message, she turned to the other demon.


And you! I demand a proper investigation, not a parody like this one. So far, your job had always been excellent, but another fiasco like this and you'll end up as the castle's janitor.”


Yes, Hild-sama,” said Skrymir and then fell quiet. He knew that trying to change her mind could backfire, so he decided to avoid agitating her even more.


Good. Now I think that it's about time to leave,” said Hild as she got up from her seat. “Both of you, follow me.”


Nodding slightly, Surt and Hagall joined her and started for the door.


XXX


Keiichi couldn't believe all the things that his wife had managed to fit in a couple of bags. Especially considering the fact that she hadn't used any magic at all. The vast majority of that stuff belonged to him, as he had to take a few clothes with him, as well as some items for his personal hygiene. Belldandy didn't need any of that, as she simply materialized her own attire and therefore only took very little with her, including that mysterious box that she had received from her father. She hadn't opened it yet, but claimed that it wasn't a priority right now, as she could do that once they arrived at their destination.


Uh, Belldandy?”


Yes, Keiichi?”


What about the amulet that your uncle gave us?” Belldandy had said that she was going to ask Skuld to attach it to his watch. With the preparations nearly done, he wondered if they should've given the items to the young goddess earlier.


It's going to be okay,” said Belldandy. “Remember that we can still teleport whenever we want. I'll give the watch and the amulet to Skuld before we leave and we can get them back once they're joined.”


But if that's the case, then why don't we teleport there as well?” asked the puzzled man.


Because it's not just the destination, but the journey as well,” replied the goddess of the present. “Plus, I haven't been inside an airplane before.”


Huh? You haven't?” Keiichi found it a bit strange that his wife had never really done something like that. Especially given the fact that she's been around for much longer than him.


Not really... I know about them, but I never had the opportunity to use one before. We can either teleport or fly anywhere we want, so I'm looking forward to trying something different,” said Belldandy.


I'm happy that you're so excited about this, but in all honesty, it's a lot less interesting than you think. Long flights can become rather boring after a while, since we can't really do much to pass time.” Keiichi hadn't been in an airplane too often, as he had always relied on his trusty bike to get anywhere he wanted, but he had heard about this from other people that used them a lot more than him; Sayoko in particular.


Oh there's no need to worry,” said Belldandy while she offered him one of her warm smiles. “We can keep each other company and even share stories until we arrive!”


Keiichi doubted that this was a good idea as there was little privacy with so many people around them and her stories could possibly include information that shouldn't be disclosed around other mortals. But there was no need to correct her given that she was really looking forward to it.


I think we've got everything we need, Belldandy,” said Keiichi as he took a final look at the contents of their bags.


I would have to agree, Keiichi. In that case, we should load them on your bike and see the others before we leave.”


Uh... I don't think that the bike has enough space for them,” said Keiichi while scratching his head. While the sidecar could hold enough items, having a couple of bulky bags was going to be a bit of a problem. Even if Belldandy rode behind him, they could still have a few issues on how to fit them in a place that was originally designed for carrying people and not luggage.


Don't worry, Keiichi. I can shrink everything down in order to carry them without any trouble. I'll be careful too, so nobody will see anything as well, if that makes you worried.”


Keiichi had to admit that he was a bit reluctant, but in the end it was probably the best option available. “That should work.” Nodding his head in agreement he picked the bags up and headed for the door, as his wife followed behind him.


As soon as they got outside, they ran into another interesting scene. Her sisters were currently having an argument with Loki, who like the others, was currently waiting in the temple grounds in order to depart.


What makes you so sure that I was cheating?” asked the trickster god, trying to counter the two goddesses' accusations.


We don't know, but you've won every single game that we've played,” complained Skuld. “Cheater!”


Yeah,” agreed Urd as she crossed her arms in annoyance. “We have quite some experience with them and you still won. Once we find how you did that, it's tar and feathers for you.”


Why is it always my fault? I just happened to be a bit more lucky that you. Is that a bad thing?” asked the god, trying to look as innocent as possible.


Baldr let out a sigh as he had previously attempted to mediate in this dispute, but failed to appease the fury of the two Norns.


Thor, on the other had, was not particularly concerned with the silliness that was going on around him. Instead, he was scanning the skies, as he could have sworn that he had seen his father's two crows flying nearby. But with so many other celestials around him, he decided not to actively investigate, considering that it would've looked suspicious and resorted in trying to see if he could spot them again.


Oh, you're ready!” said the excited goddess of the roses, attracting everyone's attention to the couple.


Yes. I really hope that we haven't made you wait for too long,” said Belldandy in an apologetic voice.


Not at all,” said Baldr, happy that the argument was finally over. “It didn't really take you that long.”


Yeah, Belldandy was a great help,” said Keiichi as he nervously scratched his head. “Without her, it would've taken me an hour or two.”


Well, that's fine. We can't stay here forever, though,” said Thor as he raised his hand and summoned the Gate, high above the temple. “I really hope to see you again, once we actually have some free time.”


Me too,” added Baldr. “Don't forget to call from time to time, okay?”


Loki quietly moved next to his brothers, without any comment, simply waiving back at them.


Hey! We won't forget about this,” said Urd.


We're totally going to beat you next time,” added Skuld.


Keep dreaming,” said Loki with a smirk. “I won't go down that easily. But you're welcome to try...”


As the Gate opened, the three figures were engulfed in a bright beam of light that shot up into the sky, while the others stared at the spectacle.


Well...” started Urd. “That's the cue for you two to leave as well, right?”


Indeed,” said Belldandy with a nod. “We'll be late to our flight if we don't.”


She chanted a spell to shrink the luggage and let Keiichi pick them up and put them into his BMW. In the meanwhile, the goddess of the present approached Skuld and gave her Loki's amulet, as well as Keiichi's watch. “Can you please attach uncle's gift to this? He said that it has to come into contact with Keiichi in order for it to work properly.”


Right now?” asked the young goddess.


There's no need to hurry. You or Urd can drop it by later, once you've finished with it.” Turning to her husband, she noticed that he was making the final checks on his bike and even put his helmet on.


Don't worry Oneesama. I'll do it in no time,” said Skuld.


Thank you very much,” said Belldandy, giving her sister a hug. “I'll have to go, so try to take care of the house for me, okay?”


Yes!” was the enthusiastic reply from the youngest of the Norns.


Walking over to the BMW, she got in the sidecar and put on her own helmet. “See you in a few days, everyone! Take care!”


See you later!” added Keiichi as he revved the bike up and started to head for the road.


The rest of goddesses waved back at their departing forms, before they vanished from sight.


As they started to head back into the house, Urd approached her sister.


You took it better than I anticipated, kid.”


Who's a kid?” replied the annoyed Skuld. “Besides, what did you really expect? Actually... don't answer.”


'Hm... it looks like that I soon won't have to call you a kid...' thought Urd. “Well, I'll let you start on the watch Belldandy gave you. After all, I have some things to do as well.”


Huh? Like what?” asked Skuld.


Can't tell you. You're still to young for that stuff,” said the goddess of the past with a wink, as he headed for her room.


Hey! What do you mean by that?” asked the young goddess, only to see that her sister was already gone.


Urd!”

This is a fanfiction I'm writing based on the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess  manga/anime series.
It is intended as a direct continuation of the manga, taking place just after the final chapter of the series.
I do post this over at Fanfiction.net under the username zeroIQ (www.fanfiction.net/~zeroiq)

This is only made for fun. I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series or characters.

I would like to offer my thanks to WhoIsAtlas (www.fanfiction.net/u/542968/Wh… for proofreading this and making the needed corrections.

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

Hrym (translates as “decrepit”) in Norse mythology was a Jotunn. In This story he's a half-demon that serves under Surt ans therefore is technically speaking an Eldjotunn. That's mainly due to the fact that in the myths, there are extremely few mentions about the Eldjotnar, with Surtr being one of the very few that even have a name. As for Hrym in this story, his nature may be similar to Urd's, but the circumstances behind it are very different. It will be explained better in future chapters.


It is explicitly mentioned by Surt that, Hild had no desire to let the situation deteriorate and cause another war with the gods. As depicted in the manga, there was a lot of chaos on Earth with all the random wishes and it was something that could lead to a conflict. Having the three sisters and Keiichi put an end to that was only her plan A. But a good leader needs a plan B as well, and that one included her own military forces. They had been relatively absent during the whole incident, with the only exception being those cat-like guards, who as far as I can tell, may not be demons at all (rather one of the various lesser species/spirits that may work for them). Of course, if the military was to get involved, things could have gotten pretty messy. As a reminder, the doublet system is put in place to prevent deaths in the conflicts between gods and demons. But in this event, no gods are involved and the demons may ignore it when they turn against some of their own kind, regardless of the implications (loss of life on god's side).


Also, it seems that Urd and Skuld will be working in Whirlwind as well. That will make them coworkers with Mara and I feel that this might lead to some interesting situations.

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