Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction ❯ Valkyrie's Mirror ❯ Act I ( Chapter 1 )

Oh My Goddess! - Valkyrie's Mirror

 

Disclaimer - Oh My Goddess! And all it's characters belong with all originality to Kosuke Fujishima and the US publisher Dark Horse Manga that allowed me the opportunity to think up this fiction that hopes to live up to the ideals that the series was based upon. I don't make a lot of moolla anyway. Also much of the other terms and revisions I did in kind, came from either online sites like Wikipedia, or my own warped mind, so bear with both please.

 

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Volume II

 

Act I

 

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Reflections

 

Hello stranger,

I see you

staring back at me

I often glance at your shadow

lately more frequently.

 

Please tell me where you are going

or of memories where you have been

tell me do you wonder

if this pain will ever end.

 

I picked a rose

as I walked through a garden

if it was yours

I beg your pardon.

 

Mirror, mirror

on the table

release my soul

if you are able.

 

In the depths of reflection

hypnotized by what I see

this hollow image

a portrait of me.

 

~ Rene' Bennett

 

--------------------

 

He stood there in utter shock. It took a lot nowadays to cause this level of shock, compared to all the other kinds he'd endured over the course of his life (multiple.) The more recent events even moreso of note. As such, a knight stood before a holo-imager screen, the data lain out in a digital format that shown the results of something he never expected to happen in this Galaxy.

 

One he never thought he'd return to.

 

One that... “ARE THEY MAD!?!?”

 

Keiichi, looking at the same monitor, blinked, seeing numbers he never thought could exist. “That is a lot of people dude.”

 

Imlade just yanked at his hair. “Impossible! This... this...”

 

Peorth just gulped.. “Le plus impressionnant.” ..this Imlade just snapped back, all but wringing at his hair. “Don't encourage it!!”

 

Lind just blinked as much as Eihwa did. “Wow.” ... “Caspita.” ..Imlade in turn shouts more girly like. “Stop that!!”

 

All around him, an equally stunned family, the stars in the background outside the trans-parasteel, plasma and magnetic bottle aided viewports, a planet not of Earth beyond. A moment transfixed forever beyond...

 

“HEY!!” ..ala Urd. Everyone freaked on cue, as the booze goddess demanded. “We're W-A-Y off plot here!” ..and then she stabbed fingers at.. “And what are Peorth and Eihwa doing back here!!”

 

Takano wrung her ears out. “Dang, watch it grrl. We got only one set of these lobes.”

 

Urd just snaps. “And do you all mind not giving way the climax of all this?” ..this Skuld moans. “Hate to say it guys, but... ugh... Urd's rig... righ... righ.... you know.” ..Keiichi just quips plainly. “This isn't the climax.”

 

Urd just flusters at Kei, which wasn't healthy for the hull.

 

Imlade just blares out. “Yes please! I can't stand this scene at all!”

 

“We can.” Lind and Eihwa just quip in simult. Imlade just throws a tiffy, as Frigurina near a confused looking Belldandy, sighs out.. “Better wind this baby back a few months. Never even hit the good part yet.”

 

Lind and Imlade just snap out at Frig.. “HEY!” ..before the motherly goddess snaps a finger, saving everyone reading a lot of headache. “What children.”

 

--------------------

 

--------------------

 

*Approximately six months earlier.*

 

“Aren't you two gonna just ride like the rest of us?”

 

Imladris and Lind, standing side by side as they `always' did, just look over at Chihiro as she hefts her bike helmet up off the table. Imladris of more note though Lind seemed just as apt to learn as well. Keiichi and Bell outside with two other kin of familial blood, don't hear as Chihiro presses. “Riding a bike might be fun for you two.”

 

Lind blinks. “Never thought of that.”

 

Imladris however balks initially, as he replies. “So we know a faster way to the burger joint. Is flying so bad?”

 

Chihiro just huffs. “You don't see Belldandy doing that, even if she could.”

 

Imladris and Lind saw Chihiro walk by with a satisfied smirk on her grin, the shoppe owner knowing a chance to humanize her best stock workers to whims she can understand better. Imladris just blinks and looks at Lind.

 

“Did you ever think this love?”

 

“We are equal in this conundrum apparently.”

 

Imladris just sighed, another new bump in learning of the world he had now belonged, all of four months and one day or so now. “All I've ever ridden, is a war horse.”

 

Lind walks by with a mock sigh. “And so you keep me waiting as well.” ..put with a sly grin, before sauntering out. Imladris blanches neutrally at this and sighs out. “I so didn't need to hear that.” ..and considers finding a cold shower stall.

 

Or iceberg (again.)

 

Chihiro ends up outside and grumbles at a sight that had become more and more norm of late as well. “Hey, PDA is off company property!”

 

Bell and Kei giggle a bit, as Megumi and Keiba suddenly hope back away from each other, all of them just near the fence, gate-line. As such, Keiba ends up outside of it without thinking, just stabbing a finger back at Chihiro. “CUT THAT OUT ALREADY!!” ..which just makes Chihiro bust a gut again. (Another bit of norm as of late.)

 

Megumi just sighs at Keiichi. “I think I get your plight now Bro.”

 

“Uh-huh.” K1 just blands back. Bell blinks, and giggles, not connecting the dots as usual here, instead then remarking. “Chihiro is being so much fun. Are we all ready to go for lunch then?”

 

Chihiro nodded, the reason for bringing up the driving bit earlier. “Yup. Be back later guys after I get my license all set again. We still need to finish plans for our entry in that contest you know. Sora and the guys are counting on us.”

 

Keiichi nods. “Yup. We hear ya.”

 

Chihiro then `warns' Keiba. “You..”

 

“...don't do anything rash, I hear ya `mom'.” ..as Keiba gets a giggle from Megumi. A kind that wasn't healthy to hear. Keiba showed it, and Keiichi just looked dryly at Chihiro.

 

“That stuff will backfire someday you know.”

 

Chihiro just flusters manic like at Keiichi, before heading to her beloved Krauser, before then imparting. “Okay, the three of us will be at the license bureau.”

 

Keiichi.. “Three?”

 

“LIND! Drag that bum with ya, we're going on a field trip!”

 

“What!?” ..Imlade shouts on exiting, before Lind jostles his right arm in turn. “Can we fly `that' far at least?”

 

Chihiro nods, and... “That, and a trip to a bike dealership as well. Let's go, we're on the clock folks!”

 

By the time Chihiro pulls away, and her two `trailers' depart, Keiichi, Keiba and Megumi just blink to each other. “What was `that' about?” ..all in simult as well. Bell looked and wondered indeed what was to come. Megumi however just commented out. “Anyway, I need to get to class.”

 

Keiba looked over. “Class? I thought we were going for...” ..he manages out just before Megumi suddenly hard revs her KSR, and actually pulls three hard, screeching circles around Keiba, and Keiichi and Belldandy, who were still in the small circle. The fact Megumi didn't hit the fence to either side of the opening, was it's own wacky miracle.

 

The message however was sent nonetheless, as Keiba saw Megumi screech off. Keiba blinked, as Keiichi remarked. “Is she crazy?”

 

“Yeah.” ..Keiba put back in a `tone' Keiichi recognized. In moments, Keiba shot off in his FZ1, to take up the gauntlet thrown down. Keiichi saw and then recognized. “Ah, `that' kind of lunch break.” ..this Bell giggled. “They do seem to have become much closer.”

 

Keiichi just turned towards his old Beemer. “Any `closer' and we'll need a policy on them.”

 

Belldandy just smiled and replied. “Yes, very close indeed.”

 

At that, they started their own little tryst on the day.

 

And such was seen nearby, a tip of a metal hat protruding from some bushes. (And for some reason those bushes shook in annoyance.)

 

--------------------

 

Urd `thought' it was too quiet. She hadn't been bugged all day since she started her experiments. This as she floated over to Skuld's `Lab'. “What, not even a minor static discharge today? No chaos?” .this as she reached for the door.

 

It opened on her, which FREAKED Urd out.

 

“Oh, hello Urd-kun.”

 

Urd looked, and blinked. “M.. mom?”

 

Wondered where ol Frigurina was? (We didn't.) Anyway, what Urd saw, was far more disturbing anyway. This as Frig was apparently in Skuld's room, in a full body work suit set, fit for a steel mill worker, with safety goggles over her head. (Did we mention she looks spit on as a `blond' Belldandy? Just checkin.)

 

The sight of a cooling soldering iron wasn't helping Urd's mindset, the smoky lead solder wisps and all.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Frig blinked. “Creating.”

 

Urd cocked an eye. Frig did likewise. Urd in turn just quipped. “Aren't you supposed do all that waving hands, chanting spell stuff instead?” ..put with a kooky wave of her hands. Frig just smirked. “What? It was a fair trade to let me try my hand at something different.

 

All I needed to do was answer Skuld-kun's petty query about where Bell and Kei went to. Fair trade. This I profess truth.”

 

Urd jittered an eye. “This has nothing but trouble behind it.” ..before her hand is grabbed. “Aw come on, let momma show you what I got.”

 

“Mom! No wait! I don't mesh well with Skuld-trouble! YEEK!”

 

--------------------

 

One second, that paper was in his hands, the next it went off towards Tokyo. “Eh? Wha!?” ..this a suited bloke looks as a KSR all but rockets by, such was the glee Megumi was in at the moment. The young `queen' glanced at her left hand rear view mirror.

 

A small speck of blue in it, kept swerving and closing.

 

“That's the way to my heart bud.” ..and made a HARD right hand turn.

 

Keiba saw this, as he saw once gain, how a KSR could work magic around even decent traffic. Course he knew `where' that road led again. “Man, I was hoping for chips at least.” ..not that the dour brow lasted long as such.

 

It raised in a smirk a split moment later. “Oh well, might as well eat dirt!” ..and notched up another gear, taking the same corner almost `too' recklessly'. (And with more than a few choice words leveled from some campus students on the side, about to cross that street.)

 

Megumi looked back again, and saw the object in her rearview mirror grow `quite' a bit closer than it seemed. Course she saw the recklessness of the move and sighed. “Men.” ..and started taking the rise to the infamous Inokura `racing circuit' to the satellite campus. It was about that time for Aerodynamics again, so the `course' would be full again.

 

And such they all came, bikes of many makes and models, in various conditions and imperfections. Most of which were trying to be one of the thirty in that ever popular class.

 

Megumi had another class however this day, a more `bland' advanced version of Aerodynamics, something to do with much more heavy hitting physics and statistics than the earlier `fun' version had. Megumi didn't mind it though, not `now'. This the other riders starting their way up from seemingly random starting points, all kept distance as another apparent tradition had taken over the road as of late.

 

The `dance of motors'.

 

Megumi by now, had been reigning `queen' of the circuit for a few semesters now. Her legend was something to all. A fandom that had it's trials and tribulations for Megumi's ego. (And prospects for ever finding someone, a growing fallacy of late since her previous breakup. Moreso ever since she regained her memories, from... whatever Skuld did to her. She leaves such thoughts alone.)

 

As a result, just as her attempts to ignore this `problem', were growing more difficult by the night, lonely and all such, guess whom showed up shortly after her parents moved to Nekomi.

 

And for `once', she was the one in awe of the one ripping the road after her.

 

Keiba learned early on Megumi's `fame' in this area. It didn't flinch him, given Keiba in turn had once been a professional race rider, the same as Chihiro did part time, though Keiba had more of a knack for it than Chihiro, a fact Chihiro is abrasive about to this day. A couple of seasons of this before both realized they were losing the fun of what they mutually loved, (bikes,) and both went separate ways to find their passions again.

 

Chihiro found it much earlier than Keiba did, when she met Keiichi and the gang.

 

Keiba was far less successful, having hopped from prefecture to prefecture, city to city, finding that holy grail of what he was looking for. The stories he could tell.

 

And then that night when he nearly creamed Megumi, he found it. (Who wasn't looking mind you, and when he tries to use that defense he regrets it, rather ugly in fashion too,) All of this, and the memory stuck with him ever since.

 

A second near go around of this, (never mind all that `weird' stuff he saw that day,) and this time he had to a name to go with that spitfire that he had no answer to. Keiba wanted to admit, but also didn't want to be shredded outright in a confession. He tried to take his time.

 

It seemed Chihiro however deemed otherwise, once she got wise. Every day after that, Chihiro found an `excuse' to have Megumi come over to Whirlwind, after Keiba got a full time job at the shop, (lousy pay, no benefits.. well, one benefit,) which from there, things seemed to blossom things on their own.

 

A week after these `excuses', Keiba mentioned his racing background, and Megumi for her own reasons, wanted to test them out that very evening. (Keiichi hearing this at the time, only twitched an eye. So did Chihiro.)

 

That first chase was the most exhilarating iota, Keiba ever experienced! Megumi for her part, hadn't been so challenged since the days she beat the `old' queen on that very same circuit. The race turned into a dance fitting of a Morisato, and bingo, one memorable night beyond few others. (And the few other late night racing types, never so stunned at the sight they saw either.)

 

It didn't take long for word to spread, mainly to just keep clear, since Megumi was riding Keiba.. well.. so hard, that they seemed to forget anyone else was on the road. Word of this meanwhile got back to the family, and for once Takano had reason to make Chihiro quite fearful and all.

 

And made Keima curious.

 

Meanwhile, the races continued for so long now, not one day off, rain or shine,, it was just another expected event here on this course now. (Which could occur at any time of day, and sometimes more than three times even. Yeesh!!)

 

And it... oh.. where are they? AH!

 

--

 

“Wow, I'm early enough today! Nothing can keep me out of that class `this' day!” - Ala, ballad of a sucker on the road, wrong time of day type. (Verse 1, Version a billion or so.)

 

A plain rider, riding a poor (poorly maintained at that,) monkey type bike of all things, having gotten up half of the way up the winding course, enough after getting an early run on his paper job, and a day off from a gas station job as an attendant, thought he finally had a lucky star shining down on him.

 

He hummed along, knowing he'd at least be 29th in, and thought he had no problems.

 

And then he heard a `certain' engine.

 

He looked jittery at his mirrors. “AW CRAP!” ..before a KSR just BLEW him by! The air pressure from the pass alone, draft and all that, caused his poor engine to start sputtering again. This as the bloke looked up. “Aw man, I'm screwed!”

 

A second later, a FZ1 BLASTED by him, and killed air flow into his engine utterly!

 

The schmo tried smack start the old, quite unkempt engine up again, but by the third time of this, he started hearing a `lot' more engines on behind him. The bloke just sighed. “Why do I take this class? I'm two months behind now. URGH!!” ..and made a new road scrape on his helmet. “Damn loans!”

 

Megumi gulped a bit at the guy she passed, but knew she could not let up now.

 

She was having `too' much fun!

 

And that object in the mirror, ever so closer now at that. “Yeah baby.” ..she licked her lips at and made an expert drift turn up a double S. Keiba drew in closer, knowing his well maintained buddy was more powerful than Megumi's.

 

For another few turns at least, before they hit the down hill end of the run.

 

Megumi knew it, and Keiba knew it too. He knew he had to pull something new somehow, something to keep Megumi from....

 

And then they shot up almost together on a short level straight. And deliberately again, Megumi held up just long enough to give her `look' to her opponent.

 

Keiba was distracted just long enough for Megumi to cut the next hard curve first, as they began down the downhill portion, much to Keiba's realized chagrin. “Aw crud!” ..the bloke snapped as shot by another biker, even earlier than the last bloke was, and caused the same effect somehow to `that' biker. Megumi realized this.. Maybe we're pushing it a bit.

 

But her mirror told her what to feel instead, as she kept cutting expert drifts around corners, and Keiba kept being as much enamoured, as he was miffed by being cut off so much. Enough that when they reached a shallow S curve section, Keiba poured the speed on and overtook Megumi without warning again.

 

Megumi saw and threw a tiff. “HEY!” ..and kept as close to Keiba as she dared. (To the point rubber was actually burning when they ever so `slightly' scraped the same.)

 

Keiba managed to keep the lead, as the down hill portion just kept playing to Megumi's strengths of course familiarity, and her bike's abilities. This kept her close enough for Keiba to `feel' her near him. (And a strange warmth from it too.)

 

At least she did, when Megumi suddenly swept a bit wide to the right suddenly. Keiba thought he remembered. “Oh no you....” ..and then Megumi shifted back and drifted properly through a curve that had no water puddled up. Keiba realized he'd been goofed, and lost good ground to Megumi's trickery of tactics. It was enough now since they were quickly coming up on the Satellite campus.

 

“Aw man.” ..and pushed his bike to try and...

 

“Eh?” ..and saw in turn the KSR slow `down'?

 

Keiba didn't realize their speed had slowed down considerably, as Megumi actually adjusted her bike's speed to `circle' around Keiba. One `revolution' counter-clockwise of this, and Megumi matched his speed to his for the remainder of the trip. He sure felt cotton in his mouth, looking at that smile beneath that clear as crystal, helmet shield. The rest was a short (if long,) jaunt to the campus.

 

One done in complete silence. (Well, as far as roaring engines beneath go.)

 

--------------------

 

Chihiro just sighed. She knew this was coming, but didn't want to face it. It was always horrible, the way the whole process was done. The way everything was so pushy. The way... of waiting.

 

“This sucks.”

 

“Dear me.”

 

Chihiro dryly glanced over at a... (god she hated that look..) look of innocent wonder, plastered again on the face of one that had so much intimidation within it. It just wasn't right man. “You disturb me dude.”

 

Imlade looked and gulped. “Sorry, never.. um... been in a line before.” ..with a kooky chuckle even.

 

Chihiro groaned, as she, gold dope, and Lind were standing at the end of one of three lines, set by splits in alphabetical order. (A-K, L-T, U-Z... why oh gods wasn't she a Z?) She was stuck in the first line... it wasn't short.

 

No... it `wasn't'.

 

“Actually beloved is correct.” Lind added, which didn't help Chihiro's mood. Lind just found it bewildering to be in something so... to her... pointless. (That what she thought of this line, to be honest.)

 

-Voice in back..- “Next in line, next in line.” ..set in a `dead' sounding bureaucratic tone. Chihiro `and' Imladris shuddered. Imlade just commented to Chihiro.. “Okay, I'm worried.”

 

“At least the line is moving.” Lind added.

 

Fifteen people in front. They take... what? That was less than a step!

 

Chihiro just sighed.

 

--------------------

 

Some black haired form kept zipping from bush to bush, a red oblong shape along with.

 

“I guess the hard part will be getting a good metal distributor to make the parts we need for the custom style.”

 

Belldandy listened intently as ever to her Keiichi. “Sounds difficult, but I am sure the answer will come to you and Chihiro when the time is right.” Keiichi chuckles back. “Hope so, we got three months to be prepared for the contest. At least we can get the performance part of it all down pat.”

 

Belldandy smiled, and took his hands again and cradled them in her... at least Kei still blushes expertly. “Your confidence is amazing, you know dear? It will help carry us all through for when the time comes.”

 

Keiichi was just stuttering mentally, S.. s.. so so.. soft.. ...uh, like that. “A.. actually Sora is the one that has to worry really.”

 

Belldandy smiles back openly. “At least this time, we all can work together for the same goal. The largest goal we've come up against in some time.”

 

Keiichi.. “Yeah.” ..as Bell cradled his hands for a moment longer.

 

Keiichi then suddenly looked back, at a muffled sound.. “Did that shrub just yell?” Belldandy looks and blinks. “I... I'm not sure.”

 

Keiichi shook his head, and just blamed it all on hunger, with Belldandy leading him to a local restaurant, since time was supposedly short. (Not that it mattered, since they still haven't moved since the next person moved. That or someone gave birth in that line. License offices can be like that.)

 

As they walked off, a goddess head of the annoying Future popped her head out of the roundish looking shrub, (and only her head,) as she turned beet red. “Ohhhhh, you filthy, icky sister stealer! I'll make sure you can't do anything more perverted than you are doing now! I'll save my sister today! YaHAA!” ..she yells, and then pops her head back down, with leaves fluttering as a result, before trying to rev up Banpei again.

 

...and again...

 

...and again...

 

...and...

 

“Argh! Stupid plant!!”

 

--------------------

 

Sigel was rolling around the Temple grounds, happy as a peach that SOME certain robot was not near her today. Course as soon as she thought openly that. “/ Did I have to think about him again. Dumb bot. \” She sighs, and rolled on nonetheless, past the open front slide door of the residence, when she suddenly saw a white-blond haired form bust halfway outside the threshold. Sigel ekes out.. “/ Mistress Urd? \”

 

“Help me..... help meeeeeeeeeeeeee.”

 

Sigel blinked, before `something' made Urd's body `lurch' backwards.

 

“Now now, I'm still testing it the device out. And since you are the one stuck here usually.” Urd started to scramble fruitlessly at this. “No wait Mom! I hear Keiichi calling for help! I swear!!!”

 

Sigel just watches Urd get dragged back inside, all too easily, as Frig imparts. “I really need to talk to you about lying. Lying to Mother is a bad thing. And that suspended license bit too. Goodness.”

 

“Oh man.” ..Urd moans out of sight.

 

Sigel suddenly quips. “Maybe Banpei is safer.” ..and she `actually' is freaked out enough to pop her rollers out, and shoot out of the temple grounds to just get away from the Motherly force within. Not that this isn't noticed by the same. Frig pokes her head out, and twirls a finger. “Let these eyes see of artificial truth.”

 

Oh, the things Sigel would see very soon here.

 

--------------------

 

Keiichi.. “Yummy.” ..you know. Belldandy smiled as she saw Keiichi enjoy the spaghetti dinner he was enjoying. She had her own, to avoid suspicion, though she seemed to feed off Keiichi's delight far more than the food itself would help nourish. Bell chippered out.. “I'm sorry I couldn't make lunch today.”

 

Keiichi just gulps, leaving a sauce blurb on his chin. “Oh, uh.. I guess Chihiro was pretty adamant about us getting out today, since she was doing her thing with that license stuff.” ..he then blinks and considers. “Huh? Wait...”

 

“Dear?”

 

“Wait a minute, if she went to that place `now', she won't get done till `after' work is done!”

 

Belldandy blinks. “Really? Is this licensing information so difficult?” ..this Keiichi chuckles, which makes Bell in turn beam evermore. “No, but they tend to take a `long' time at this time of day. I remember when I had my license renewed. Huh, guess I need to do that soon.

 

Man, we better make a day of it ourselves when that day comes. Takes so dang long anymore.”

 

Belldandy blinks and wonders. “Then maybe Chihiro simply forgot she would need more time than she realized.

 

I can help speed such up if you think we should.”

 

Keiichi blinked, and remembered that spell Bell used to make Tamiya and Otaki speed up like rabbits in heat, when to clean up their `organized' mess in Chihiro's Whirlwind, just to avoid having to do laps around the campus in girls clothing. (That bit with the embarrassing photos wasn't much better. Boy Chihiro can haze people when wanted.)

 

Course in this case, seeing a government office move that fast might break some law of the universe or something. “Ah, nah. I think we'll let her take her time. A lot of it I think.”

 

Keiichi chuckled, and then was surprised when Belldandy leaned over, and `cleaned' his chin of the sauce stain with her usual perfection. He then watched her actually taste the `stain', with rather decent relish. He felt his breath go shallow, and mind go blank.

 

And therefore didn't see the recycling can across the street go ape, and make a waiting bus patron in a suit jump back like all silly!

 

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” ..the can said, before it jumped too much, and tipped over into the street. (And a car shoot by and `hockey pucked' the can out of sight.) “AWWW MAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!”

 

The patron yonder leans his head at the apparent course the can takes out of his sight, while Bell and Keiichi don't heed one whit. (And sets a theme here.)

 

--------------------

 

Sigel kept zipping along, homing on a homing beacon Banpei liked to use, in case.. “/ Why am I playing into that dumb bot's fantasies? \” ..as she just goes with her current course of action. (And remembering Frig even liked to ply her wiles on even the Synthetics of the rowdy bunch. A disturbing trend indeed.)

 

She screeches her rollers that bit more forward.

 

--------------------

 

“Why are we here again?”

 

Mara just snapped out. “Will you stop complaining! This is the most peace I've had in Volumes.” Mara looked away from a bored as heck Entropia. The two stashed away for the moment in Mara's old hideout. Mara couldn't believe her luck. With Hild still gone apparently healing back... uh... down there in Nibelhiem, Mara was stuck both with Imladris's `prize', and a lot of free time, due to her new apparent mission.

 

She wasn't bored enough yet to bother with new soul marks, so she lapped up the lazy time for all it was worth.

 

Entropia's moaning wasn't helping.

 

Entropia for her part, just kept away from her `blood' kin, still all too readily of demon kind, despite the truth being where she `really' was from. And she left it simply at that. Not a word, quiver, or care of any kind, that could force her to deal with her brethren.

 

The false demon wanted no part of it all.

 

Mara looked up from her comic reading, having gotten interested in the story that Hild's future `mark' was still making, to see Entropia scowl again. She shook her head. And `then' for some reason known only to herself, she asks suddenly.. “Say, why were you named `Entropia' anyway?”

 

Entropia about barfed, before retorting. “Hild has less imagination or care for me, than even you. Just shut up!”

 

Mara just goes `huh', and flat out ignores Entropia after.

 

Entropia just grumbles and starts to look around. She `had' to find an excuse to not be so bored.

 

And then she saw a bottle that looked like a cola bottle. (While Mara shivered that Entropia looked too much like Belldandy and their mother.)

 

--------------------

 

Belldandy saw something just too darling, and grasped Keiichi's hand without warning again. “Keiichi, let's try over there!”

 

K1 just runs along. “Sure.. but.. where are we...? YIPE!!”

 

Further down the concrete pathway, beside a river, grass most green embanked on both sides, and looking towards where the two star crossed lovers were going, comes a BALK of goddessly proportions. “ACK!! He's doing it to her again!!”

 

Skuld, this time shrub free, reorients Banpei, and presses a button. “I'll save you Sister!” ..and produces a large cannon like device from Banpei's head. (An act alone that defies the same laws of physics that Skuld defies with her blouse.) The hat moves aside to finish forming the weapon of Keiichi-annihilation, as Skuld cackles maniacally. “Yes, I'll stop you with this. I...” ..just before she hears a strange sound. She looks down and.. “Oh, a squirrel, how cute... eh? What are you... ACK!!”

 

---

 

Keiichi never sees the booster that shoots `right' into the river, a bridge obscuring most vision as Bell brings Kei to a romantic boat ride dock on the river side. “Did someone scream in terror?” ..he wonders, before Belldandy looks over and offers.. “Please take me on this? I can help purchase one of these.” ..this as Keiichi sees a proprietor of several boats stand up, a quirky smile on his face. Keiichi realizes... Is this what Urd was warning me of?

 

Keiichi however spot on responds with hands waving. “Oh no no! I got it! My wallet has been burning up lately anyway.” ..as he reaches for the surcharge.

 

Belldandy just hops once happily, as Keiichi realizes. Another of these days I see. Whatever they really are.

 

---

 

Skuld pops her head up out of her drenching. As Banpei's hat floats up to the surface.. “Dang button curious squirrel!” ..before she sees a certain boat start to pull away from the hidden dock yonder. Skuld sees. “NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” ..and starts to scramble out. “Come one Banpei!!” ..this as a camera tube pokes out the water, and starts to follow Skuld, making weird beeping sounds.

 

--------------------

 

They don't see a certain.. eh.. Sigel, rolling on the ground, laughing her metal hiney off. “/ I can't believe I saw that! *Skuld like level of laughter* \” ..this as she stumbled on her mistress and Banpei, just before something rocketed them right into the river, when Skuld overreacted and had Banpei pointing towards the river in poor fortune. When Sigel saw Skuld and Banpei pull away from the opposite bank, she started to follow. “/ I got to see what happens next to that bot. \”

 

She wasn't the only one however of humored interest.

 

--------------------

 

The first hour of this was a measure of plain patience.

 

The second was an annoyed version.

 

Valkyries don't like waiting more than three hours for anything.

 

Chihiro looked a bit `wrinkly', as she kept sighing over and over. Imladris noted. “You know you sound like an old steam engine on a track like that?”

 

That look.. it returned a gaze that Imladris only saw on undead foes. “Uh..”

 

This before Lind realized she `was' annoyed enough. “I am perturbed.” Imladris looked over and.. “GACK! Wait!” ..before Lind.. “Thy of mere mortal blood, Speed of a frigid mountain wind!” ..and snapped her fingers!

 

Imladris gulped, and then had to jump back, (actually a number of times,) as Lind's spell suddenly causes the interior of the place to speed up about thirty times normal, as people (including Chihiro,) fly at incredible speed through line, as well as through processing, testing, and even IDing! Imladris avoids a third mortal of Speedy Gonzoles make, before he's hit/nudged by Chihiro, when she appears, holding a new ID car replacement in her hands! “Yes! I... eh? Wooo..” ..Chihiro feels woozy, as Lind just offers a hand. “A moment of outside air will help that. Come along beloved.”

 

Imladris moans to a sitting position, feeling like he was hit by a MACK truck, gets up, and manages to follow.

 

At the A-K greeting desk, the curly dark haired, rim glass eyed receptionist, when time resumes normally about, suddenly feels her world spinning.

 

“I feel tired.” -thunk-

 

--------------------

 

Belldandy never knew this could be such a joy to experience. Keiichi never knew he was a good rower. At this, the two drifted along the early afternoon reflection of solar magnificence, their eyes locked onto the only thing that mattered. Oh sure, Belldandy was giddy at first with seeing the world from a new perspective, but then her eyes rested on Keiichi's happy version, so since he was happy that she was happy..

 

..and this went around and around until two minds just lost conception of anything else around.

 

Probably a good thing as they approached another large bridge, there a single form with robotic aid, looked with a face that was like a tomato under an air pump. “I can't BELIEVE he'd trick her like that!! No matter! I'll still save my sister and save the day!! WHAHAHAHA... ah... uh..” ..she stopped, and turned to Banpei, to pull out an oversized.. “Hah!” ..from Banpei's chest plate. (Will someone tell her about physics already!!)

 

“Here we go! Mister Final Boom 3.0! This will stop him and his icky behavior!” ..as she swivels it, and forgets the thing is twice her size, length and goddess knows what else, causing her to spin around three times, knocking Banpei over with a loud clang!

 

You'd think Keiichi would hear that fore warning. Boy Bell's eyes are deep.

 

“Whoa, dang bazooka! Where.. AH!” ..and aims it with a `kichak' sound. As she does, she realizes her aim.. “Oops, don't want to hit Big Sister.” ..and is about to go to the other side of the bridge. She however stops, and sees something `else' in that boat ride, one where Skuld falls into a slight trance of her own.

 

---

 

- Floating along a moonlit night, the same in her favorite manga comic scene of all time, (one of fifty or so,) as Sentaro in a lavish suit, pulls at the oars, the romance impossible to ignore. Skuld in a flowery dress fit `as' if it was Belldandy's, as the two lock eyes and lean forward into each other....

 

Ever the moment of... -

 

---

 

Skuld is in a romantic daydream dizzy, when the sound of Banpei moving his head, makes her snap out of it. Skuld realizes, and looks..

 

..and freaks.

 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Skuld you idiot! Where'd they go!? Oh! The other side! I... YEEK!!” ..this as Skuld spins around too fast, and as a result, loses just enough grip on her Bazooka, that it hits Banpei again, and since it was connected to Mister Final Boom (v 3.0) yanks at the Bazooka, when he accidentally is sent over the side of the bridge!!

 

And Skuld forgets to let go.. “AHH! BanpeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIII!!!”