Part 89 Urd and Skuld--Glass Hammer, 4th Movement "Finally!" Urd sighed, catching her breath as she finished assembling the Divine Reagent formula. Mopping away the critical tension, she encanted a sealant spell; one that would spindizzy the Reagent to bind with the potion she had just created. Once she realized that nothing was going to blow up or get sucked into another dimension of the Multiverse, she stepped back and slapped herself lightly on the hip, feeling gloriously triumphant. At this final stage of the project, the slightest of errors would have culled disastrous consequences. A mistake of just a few nanograms in the measurement of an additive, or the failure of an essential base property to exert a specific alchemical confluence upon the other portions, or even the incorrect reciting of an arcane enchantment designed to prevent volatility between the many sets of extremely refluent molecular compounds in the potion's mix...and every sentient being in a 50 km radius would be transformed in a mallard duck. Or worse. But to all appearances, the potion seemed stable. The erstwhile Norn of the Past and sometimes Mistress of Alchemical Secrets dabbed her brow with her sleeve and smiled at her handiwork. Hours earlier, Belldandy had returned in short order from Yggdrasil with Urd's alchemistry set, which contained exactly the right ingredients she needed for the potion. The doe-eyed look on Belldandy's face disclosed that she didn't have a clue about why Urd needed such a complicated set of chemicals and liquidspells. Urd had explained to her that she was drawing up a apothecary aid to help Lum deal with the grief she was feeling about losing Keiichi. A Lethe- like potion of forgetting or some such nonsense... And Belldandy had bought the lie, like a puppy hungrily devouring strips of beef jerky for the first time. As part of their plan, Skuld was going to engage Belldandy in a game of TimeVector PosiChronics...while Urd labored on the potion in focused solitude. Hopefully, Skuld's TimeVector gameplay with Belldandy would take hours, engaging their host's full attention while giving Urd ample time to work on the potion. As she glanced at the clock, Urd noted with surprise that six hours had passed. She was grateful the match had taken so long; she and Skuld had guestimated that the Time Vector match would only take a couple hours to finish. Evidently, Skuld had improved vastly in her gameplay...the last time she challenged Belldandy to a TimeVector match, Belldandy had soundly defeated her in less than an hour. But that was the *real* Belldandy. Looking at the vial filled with a cloudly bluish substance, Urd could see her reflection on the surface of the tubular glass. The mirrored version of she wore an intent expression; no doubt allowed to the fact that every step of the way, she had faced considerable incertitude about whether or not she had remembered the formula accurately. There was no room for guessing: one mistake and Lum could turn into just about anything in the Multiverse...or be possessed of any one of a million mental diminishments... Urd carefully capped the small glass vial with its lid and then tucked it inside of her bra. Flipping her hair so she didn't look like she was overly sweat-browed with anxiety, Urd stepped into the hallway leading to the living room of the temple. There, she noticed that Keiichi was gazing languidly into the bigscreen TV, absorbed in some inane game show, a half-empty can of Sapporo Dry in hand. In another corner of the room, Skuld and Belldandy were deftly moving holographic crystallines representing sections of Time. In a TimeVector PosiChronic simulation match, the object was twofold. The first task was to bring all components of Time into synch with each other in a simulated sector of space. A single sector of space was designated as being the usual field of gameplay for TimeVector, of course. Since each sector of space was denoted by the fact that it contained exactly 1000 inhabited systems, no simulated mortal casualties were allowed while arranging Time components. A TimeVector game was finished when both players completed a TimeWeb sim. This was the practical aspect of the game. But it was the second task that elevated TimeVector PosiChronics into a challenge, rather than just a sport. Urd had explained this second aspect of the game to Keiichi once using Earthrealm mortal terms: anyone can build a house, and it performs the same function; it provides shelter to its residents. But there is a vast difference between a mud hut and a geodesic dome. In a TimeVector PosiChronic match, the second task was to synchronize Time components within the simulation in such a way that the resulting TimeWeb was not only self-harmonious, but that it was an object of artistic beauty as well. In TimeVector PosiChronics, it isn't enough to simply synch Time...one had to do so *artfully*. From the looks of it, Skuld's TimeWeb sim was woven with consummate grace; its Chronometric harmony was far more defined than her opponent's sim. Urd was amused by this...her younger sister was actually defeating this world's version of 'Belldandy' in the matchplay! In contrast to Skuld's sim, Belldandy's effort had too many fringes, spills and scatters...and the shimmer of the hologram indicated that it was unstable to the max. Another clue that this whole frame of existence was a fake. Both Skuld and Belldandy were concentrating so closely on the match, they hadn't even noticed her entry into the living room. All the better. "Skuld...I'm finished with my project for Lum! Let's go home! Thank you for the assist, sis...but we gotta go! Work to do, people to meet, ya' know!" Urd announced cheerfully. Belldandy stood up and the game sim dissolved, causing Skuld to scowl. Keiichi leaned around the easy chair and tipped his beer at them; evidently his way of dismissing them. A moment later, Belldandy was hustling Skuld and her out the front door, proffering a series of goodbyes and good riddances. As soon as they passed under the temple's torii, Urd felt a tug on her sleeve. Skuld turned to face her, her long dark hair queuing around a face colored with a sour expression. "It's not fair...I was *beating* her! I really was! Why'd you have to leave right away, Urd? I was *winning*! I *know* I could've won! Another hour and I would've whipped her ass!" * * * * * * * * Skuld literally ripped awide two small divots of grass as she slid to a halt outside of the glade where Oyuki had secreted her UFO. Urd looked at her mischievously, wondering what was up. This footbraking was drastic, even for Skuld. Skuld muttered something and pointed...and then Urd gasped. Ataru Moroboshi was wandering around in a wide circle, waving his hands frantically, shouting something about "a beauty, where's the beauty?!". Urd could only look on, mouth agape at the improbably sight. It was the *real* flesh-and-blood Ataru Moroboshi! Urd had only half-believed Skuld's fantastic tale of encountering an Ataru in the ice cream shoppe. But as she and her sister watched this twenty- something man with shaggy brown hair walking around in a slow circle, reaching his hands out at odd angles...she *knew* it was Moroboshi. Skuld was actually sweating with nervousness, which only confirmed Urd's intuition. In the distance, the young man with a beatnik shag that looked like it belonged in the 70s rather than the 2Ks was 'feeling' out the mid-air. He was wearing an N.I.T. 2005 Culture Day Festival t-shirt and jeans pitted with half washed-away black streaks and paint. As the improbable sight registered in Urd's mind, she also noticed his mime-like hand motions. He wasn't aping around, he was touching something invisible, yet solid. "*He knows!*" Skuld whispered grimly. This was certainly a landslide into a flooding river! Ataru had somehow tracked Skuld down to this place, and now he was touching the transparent shield that concealed Oyuki's UFO. As if he had heard Skuld's fretted whispering, Ataru turned in their direction and stared...his mouth gradually widening into a grin of recognition. Skuld wanted to cover her face with embarrassment. "Woo hoo! So we meet again! It's you...the raven-haired babe from the ice cream shop!" Ataru exclaimed as soon as he saw her and Urd. "'Raven-haired *babe*'?! " Urd repeated aloud incredulously. Skuld caught Urd smirking out of the corner of her eye. "And who's the buxom stripper chick standin' next to you?" Skuld burst out in giggles as Urd's tanned face drained of color. A Big Sister Growl rumbled behind her. Quickly, for Urd's benefit, Skuld started to retort, "She's not a stri..." "I'm her older sister! O-nee-sama! Get it?!" Urd interrupted, her angry voice booming. "And since a sensible young college student like yourself would wanna survive the next several minutes, than you're going to start according me with the respect I deserve!" Ataru looked at her with astonishment, his expression reminding Skuld of that of a sleeping cat that had been suddenly sprayed with ice water. She glanced at her sister. Urd was smiling...the bite- smile she reserved for times when she was really ready to let someone have it. "Oh...so you're the older sister! Babeness must run in your family! If I get married to Skuld, then I can show off my beautiful sister-in-law at the wedding! And if Skuld doesn't wanna get married, then there's always you..." he prattled on flirtatiously. Idiotically. "Oooooo!" Urd cursed. Skuld could swear that she could see the air around her older sister's head distort with emitted heat. Urd never did react too well in situations where she was ranked behind her... "Big Sister! Calm down before you cause a calamity!" Skuld shouted, grasping her sister by the arm. Urd's red eyes slowly cooled down to emeraldness. "Come into the ship with us, dimwit!" Urd said, cutting him off as they emerged from their cover of bushes and walked into the small open meadow. "What ship?" Ataru yelled. Irritation poured upon irritation as Skuld noticed Ataru getting *that look* in his eyes...the peculiar gape-mawed look an Earthrealm mortal boy got when he was mentally undressing a woman. A quick study of Ataru Moroboshi revealed that he was geeky, cocksure, and only slightly handsome. "What ship?" he repeated as she and Urd reached him. "*This* one!" Skuld said derisively, slapping the side of the UFO. "The one you've been pawing for the last few minutes!" The sound of an audible metallic "pat pat slap!" against *nothing* unnerved Ataru visibly, Urd noted with satisfaction. On cue, Skuld pulled the remote control to Oyuki's UFO out of her jacket and pressed the trigger button to deactivate the stealthing shield. The thin air quickly coalesced into a greymatter sheer metal as a torus-shaped starcraft formed behind Ataru. "Waaaaah!!!" Ataru screamed hysterically. "Wh..wh..what's th..th..that!" "That's a UFO," Skuld answered matter-of-factly. ""Th..that's a *UFO*?! I..I'm not going in there! No way! I refuse!!! You can't make me!" he screamed, his shouts soaked with adrenaline. "What's going on, Skuld?" Urd asked. glancing between the UFO, Ataru and she. Skuld could see the confusion crossing her sister's eyes as surely as bridges crossed the Sumida river. She hoped that Urd wasn't going to go funny on her, especially now. This was a very critical juncture; an Earthrealm mortal had just discovered their UFO. And not just *any* Earthrealm mortal...it was Ataru Moroboshi. Urd looked at Ataru, her face blank with irrecognition. "Skuld...who is *he*? Who is this man...and how did you meet him? He seems familiar to me. Are you *sure* we should reveal the existence of Oyuki's UFO to him?" Words in a spiral, questions dragoning through the sky. Skuld shook her head side-to-side in resignation. Who knew what surprises her sister had in store? Urd only confirmed Skuld's fears when she started asking even more questions, disrupting the disturbing flow of event. Regretfully, Urd's memory was still peppered with disturbing gaps of forgetfulness. Ironically, it had been Urd who had introduced her to the Urusei Yatsura anime and manga in the first place. Now, her older sister didn't remember Ataru at all. Five minutes ago, Urd was all bent out of shape because she had recognized Ataru. "He's Ataru, Big Sister. *Ataru*! We need to get him to go with us into the UFO," Skuld noted patiently, as if she was instructing a child. "Why?" "Because the welfare of the Earthrealm depends on it!" Skuld blurted out. Urd nodded her head with a confused expression, and then turned to face Ataru. Like she had done during Megumi's ill-starred softball game, Urd started loosening her blouse...leaning forward to reveal an ample amount of cleavage. Ataru reacted with wide-eyed interest. "If you go in there, you'll meet three more beautiful girls, cute girls just like my sister and me," Urd said slyly. Skuld alternated between bemusement and embarrassment towards Urd's approach. She finally relented on the embarrassment part, smiling to herself as she realized that Urd's patent witty manipulative nature was still intact. For now. "Definitely! I'll risk anything to go in there if you give me a kiss...or undo a couple more of those buttons!" Ataru said, his eyes locked on Urd like a net as he pointed at her. Skuld was amazed at how quickly his thoughts had shifted from self-preservation to girl- chasing! Of course, when Urd decides to flash an Earthrealm mortal, that was usually the result. Skuld wondered to herself how Cevn had survived a year of being in a relationship with Urd without succumbing to... 'Succumbing' suddenly turned into a black sadness in Skuld's thoughts as she remembered Cevn and Urd's cruel fate. "That's not going to happen, not in your wildest dreams! I would never kiss you!" Urd shouted back, highly irritated. Ataru started to backtalk her... "Just go already! Or else I'll have to use *this* on you!" Skuld threatened, withdrawing a Skuld-bomb from one of the quantum pockets in her jacket. She heard Urd silently mutter "where'd she get time to make *that*!" as Ataru hunched into a compact, quivering form. Skuld grinned at his hands-over-head reaction. "Wa..wa...WAH! This is illegal! This is *kidnapping*! An..and you're both *space people*! Aliens from a distant world, seeking out new life and new civilizations...to boldly go where no alien has gone before..." "Feh!" Skuld and Urd exclaimed, ill-amused by Ataru. The young mortal was now looking around furtively, obviously scoping out possible routes of escape. Dammit! His stumbling onto Oyuki's UFO had completely ruined their plans! Skuld's intentions were to dope Lum with the love potion, lock her in her cabin...and then find Ataru and drag him here. Instead, he had followed her here after the encounter at their ice cream shoppe. "And you better 'boldly go' up inside that entry port, or else!" Urd said thinly. To Skuld's complete abandon of belief, Urd broke ranks with her and walked straight up to Ataru. With a hawkwind motion, she grasped Ataru by the ear. "Owwww!" Ataru squawked. Urd snickered and Skuld giggled. The three walked up the gangplank leading into Oyuki's spacecraft, Urd half-pulling half-guiding Ataru by a tight grip on his earlobe. Skuld could tell by his expression that he was conflicted between lust and fear...and a measure of pain. But the lust in his eyes was winning out. And then the full sense of the fact struck Skuld. Ataru must have *followed her* here last night! Things being what they were, she doubted that this Ataru possessed a suffice of brainpower to discover Oyuki's UFO in this park on his own. He was too goofy...he certainly wasn't the kind of person who could employ the necessary detective skills such as induction or deduction to locate where she was staying. Which could only mean... Shocked, she sucked a deep breath of tension-laden air. "What if...he's one of those perverted *stalkers*?!" Skuld anxiously questioned, her thoughts rattling like chainmail as a police siren sounded in the distance. Tokyo was a very large conurbation...the chances of Ataru coming *here* were infinitesimal. "If he actually *followed* me here, he could definitely be a perv! And here we are, thinking we should try and get Lum interested in him! What if he's some ecchi college student? What if he's so obsessed with women, he won't stop at anything to have his way with them? E..even sneaking around following them! Grrrm, if this is true, than hooking him up with Lum would be too sick to even consider! What if he's a peeping Tom? I...couldn't live with myself if that happened! He could do just about anything!" Skuld reflected as she searched her impressions of Ataru. "We can't have him meet Lum!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. But it was too late, as Urd was already hauling Ataru by the ear up the gangwalk leading into the UFO. * * * * * * * * "Who's this idiot? And why are you bringing him here?" Benten said in a dry disinterest as Skuld, Urd and Ataru entered the central 'lobby' of Oyuki's UFO...a parade of two new friends and a straggling Earth boy. She, Lum and Oyuki were lunching on teriyaki slices. The delicious smell made Skuld's stomach grumble hungrily. Once Urd released his ear, Ataru busied himself by gawking at the interior of the starcraft. He was so preoccupied, he didn't even hear the warrior-girl's words after she repeated them. To avoid an incident with Benten and her hair-trigger temper, Skuld elbowed Ataru in the ribs to bring his attention 'back to earth'. It would be the worst if Benten got angry because he was ignoring her. Ataru's eyes formed sharp black triangles as he whined in complaint. "Owww, whadya' do that for, Skuld-chan? It ain't every day that I step onto an UFO and...hey! I smell teriyaki! And I smell miso soup! And I'm hungry! Whatta coincidence..." All three space girls scowled. Ataru almost turned blue with surprise. Skuld realized that...by bringing Ataru here...she had just mixed gunpowder into an already volatile mix of personalities. She could only pray to the Lord for the best result... "W..waitaminute! Major babe alert! Woo-hoo!!! Major *freak* babe alert! Major *freakshow* alien babe alert!" Ataru announced randomly, his eyes lighting on each alien girl in turn. For some reason, he wound up gawking at Benten in an emulation of his cartoonish alter-ego. Bad news. "What are *you* staring at, moron?" Benten challenged, quickly standing up from the circular dining table in response to Ataru's flippant words. Hands on hips, a three-dimensional reality confronting a one-dimensional comment, Benten radiated aggression... "Uh-oh!" Skuld heard Urd gasp. "Yeah! What do you mean...'freakshow'?" Lum added. The green- haired Oni girl floated up into the air, a flesh-colored cloudmass of indignant dudgeon. "Sh..shi..shi.." Ataru stuttered. Skuld was amazed that he was too taken aback by Lum's levitation to even complete the epithet poised on his lips. "Oh my! This is certainly ill-met," Oyuki added, her eyes beading with intensity. "Despite the fact that you have arrived here as a guest aboard my personal starfaring craft...you certainly wasted no time to insult me and my friends. I can only say this...that under the guise of blitheness, you have the poor manners of a bourgeoisie boor!" That was probably Okuki's way of saying "fuck you!" in Royalese, Skuld observed to herself. Ataru only looked at the trio with a wilder expression in his eyes. "Let's see...I see a *rough-looking girl* who looks like a guy, dressed in a some kind of road warrior red-plated biker outfit with chains. Then there's another girl with narrow strands of *icicles* for hair, wearing some weird-ass kimono that belongs in a Heian Era museum. And finally, I see a third girl floating in the air wearing a tiger-striped bikini and knee high boots that would look sexy on the right woman, with green hair and *horns* coming out of the top of her head! Did I miss anything?!" Ataru yelled hysterically. Skuld slapped her hand against her forehead in utter defeat while Urd turned around and banged her fist against one of the metal bulkheads... They had planned to introduce Ataru to Lum under more controlled circumstances, but his sudden appearance had thrown off the timetable. So it was now or never...this was their only chance to create a favorable impression for Ataru... ...and the imbecile had just spouted out the worst possible spray of insults to feminine sensitivities she had ever heard. His insolent observations were far worse than anything she could ever imagine! The teapot in the center of the dinner table boiled...its tremolo gurgling the sole sound in the room. An apt metaphor for this situation, Skuld thought to herself. Benten's face turned redder and redder, as if the hot tea had been poured over her head. The short horns on Lum's head grew outwards in size and sharp-pointedness. Oyuki didn't say a word, but the hand she was resting on the dinner table was shaking violently...if she was true to form, she would have a short tanto blade concealed inside the sash of her kimono. "He's gonna melt in Hell for that one!" Urd whispered aside to her, as Skuld sensed that the Warrior Goddess was about ready to explode... "I'mmmm gonnnnNNA KILL HIM!!!" Benten screamed as she reached for some kind of weapon holstered to her waistbelt. Oyuki swiftly reached up...Skuld was almost certain that she was going to draw her short blade and cut Ataru down. But to Skuld's shock, Oyuki instead quickly reached out and laid a restraining hand on Benten's wrist, stopping her short. "Not here in my UFO, Benten. It would be my pleasure if you take your quarrel with this insolent...sordid...Earth person outside. If you wish to spill blood, I would appreciate it if you harm him elsewhere, so as to not make a mess in here. And perhaps, so that we may be spectators at a safe distance," she said in a low warning voice. Ataru's face turned three-sheets white to the wind. A few seconds later, a loud giggling burbled from Lum. "Hee hee tee hee! He thinks you..snicker..look like a guy! Bwah ha haah! A *guy*, Benten! Th..that's payback f..giggle..for all those times you made my Darling Keiichi come onto you, B..Benten...whoo hoo bwah ha hee hahaha!" Lum managed to say before dissolving into bellylaughs. Lum's laughter was contagious, at least for Oyuki. The Neptunian Princess was more modest than her Oni friend, politely holding a sleeve up to cover her mouth while she giggled, still grasping Benten's wrist. But it was obvious to Skuld that the Oyuki was highly amused...her ice-blue eyes were watering with the sparkle of mirth. Benten's free hand slowly turned into a fist. "YOU'RE DEAD MEAT, MORTAL!!!" she screamed as she grabbed the nearest plate and sailed it at Ataru's head, teriyaki and all. Skuld was amazed at the superhuman fluidity of Benten's motion, despite the fact that Oyuki was hanging onto her other arm... Neither she nor Urd had a chance to deflect it. *Clunk!* The plate landed obliquely on Ataru's forehead, and then rebounded and struck Urd in the throat. "G..gack!" she heard her sister choke, pitching forward. Benten's strike had knocked Ataru out on his feet; he was wobbling to and fro with the unsteadiness of a drunk leaving a Roppongi bar at 4am, his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Reacting quickly, Skuld jumped and reached out to steady the two of them...but their combined weight was easily double hers. She felt herself being strawpulled off balance. Urd suddenly heaved forward in gag-reflex, coughing out the snag in her throat...and during one spasmic heave, a small glass vial popped out from the cleavage between her breasts... Arcing...slowly...towards...the...floor. As if Time had slowed to the merest of psychological motions, the glass container of cloudy blue liquid twirled end over end towards the decking right in front of Skuld's eyes, a history in the making. The interior lights of the UFO's central cabin glinted like stray comets in reflection against the rounded glass. Skuld readied her Goddess Powers to instantly turn the interior of Oyuki's UFO into a zero-G environment... And then Ataru collapsed. In a resonant motion, Skuld completely lost her own footing and pitched to her side... And fell right on top of the unconscious Ataru, who somehow...despite being totally in bird-and-spinning-wheels-lala- land...reflexively reached an arm around her as she landed on top of him. Embarrassed at the warm pressure of Ataru's hand resting on her hips, Skuld caught a flash-spark of blue light out of the corner of her eye. She grimaced as she saw the cabin quickly filling up with blue smoke...casting everything in an Assyrian blurriness... "Oh Shitttttt..." she bewailed in a weak voice before she passed out. * * * * * * * * Blue. The last thing she saw was the cabin of Oyuki's UFO hazed blue with smoke. Which meant that Urd's love potion vial had broken. Skuld cursed the circumstances...she had reminded her sister dozens of times to use *unbreakable* storage media for her alchemical concocts. But of course, Urd always responded with "Big Sister knows best!" So she had ignored Skuld once again, keeping the love potion in a glass container. If only her Big Sister's ego would sometimes be as fragile as glass... When she fully regained her wits, Skuld was mortified with the very real possibility that she and four other females had been terminally dosed with one of Urd's strongest love potions...and the only male in the vicinity was *Ataru Moroboshi*! Talk about nightmare scenarios! She clenched her eyes shut for what seemed to be almost an hour after she came to...until Urd gave her the 'all clear'. Even then, she felt around with her hands to make sure that she was facing one of the metal bulkheads when she opened her eyes. Urd's love potion formula may have been a dud...but Skuld wasn't going to take any chances. It may not work on Urd or the other three girls, but it might work on *her*! She remembered falling on top of Ataru...*that* was already gross enough. But the possibility of being subject of one of her Big Sister's love potions? Skuld swore that she'd rather spend the rest of her life blind than be in love with Ataru Moroboshi. "Skuld, you can open your eyes now! It didn't work!" Urd said, patting her on the cheek. "I'M NOT FALLING IN LOVE WITH ATARU! NO WAY. NEVER!!!" she screamed in response to her Big Sister's words. "What didn't work?" she heard Lum ask cautiously, backgrounded by giggles from Benten and Oyuki. Skuld opened her eyes...and felt her mouth drain out of words as the first person she saw was a grinning Ataru Moroboshi leaning against the bulkhead opposite her, complete with a knot on his forehead. She did a full body flinch, then rolled away from his as fast as she could. Pant. Pant. Pant. Pant. "Catch your breath, Skuld. It's okay...I explained everything," Urd informed her. Apparently, thankfully, mercifully...Urd's potion was ineffective. At best, it was a laughing potion; everyone in the room was giddy-giggly, as if drunk. "Yes, your sister explained to us that you had brought Mr. Moroboshi here to introduce him to Lum, Ms. Skuld. We can certainly empathize with your desperation; after all, there is only two days left before Lum's Father sends his fleet here to obliterate this planet. But why this particular Earth person, instead of the six billion fellow creatures on his planet? I cannot esteem any redeeming qualities in his personage that could possibly interest Lum. He's nothing special," Oyuki observed. "You can say that again!" Benten chimed, breaking off into deep guffaws. "Why do you want to introduce him to me? I'm in love with Darling, not this man!" Lum asked, snickering. Skuld felt her bearing collapse like a house of cards, even as laugher in response to Benten and Urd's comments poured out of her. Their carefully plotted plan had failed on all fronts! The only redeemable facet of this whole misadventure was the fact that it appeared that Urd hadn't explained everything, at least the part about the abortive love potion. "And there is one further matter that warrants my curiosity. I would personally feel more comfortable in your presence if certain subjects were explained to me," Oyuki added cautiously. "To the three of us, I mean." "What now?" Skuld worried. Oyuki's light blue eyes were almost piercing her with curiosity...or was it impatience? While she was out cold, Urd could have spun all sorts of mischief... "I happened to overhear a certain discussion the other day that obviously wasn't intended for my ears. Of course, I initially assumed that what I overheard was simply a case of mistaken occurrence. But while you and your sister were gone, I discussed the matter with Lum and Benten. I learned that they too heard the same words as I, which only confirmed my impressions. Consequently, if either of you would be so kind as to be forthright, I would appreciate it..." Oyuki explained. "Forthright with what?" Skuld asked, fearing the worst. "Forthright with an explanation as to why you both referred to yourselves as 'Goddesses' two days ago. I would be wholly interested..." Oyuki asked. Skuld almost felt a sense of relief at this. It could have been worse. "Yeah! Whaddya mean, calling yourselves 'Goddesses'? *I'm* a Goddess..." Benton interrupted with a voice tinged with indignance and pride, gesturing thumbwards towards her chest. "Boy, *are* you..." Ataru muttered under his breath, his voice slated with obvious appreciation of Benten's 'assets'... "...and I've *never* met the likes of you!" Benten finished, peering at Skuld and Urd with narrowed eyes. Then she turned to Ataru and shot him a withering glare. "And *you* thought I was a guy earlier! Moron!!! Shows how much of a man *you* are, to not recognize this! And these!" Benten noted, running her hands down her curvaceous figure from shoulders to hips in a very sensual manner. Ataru's eye grew wide with lust, and then he bowed his head in embarrassment, eyelids lowered. "Hee hee, look at him! He's feverish with shame! Good one, Benten!" Lum said appraisingly. "Ahem," Oyuki said, clearing her throat with a delicate sound. "Are you going to answer my question?" "Uh...you go Skuld!" "Erm, you go Urd!" "Okay...we'll decide this fair and square! On the count of three... Skuld readied her handthrow. **Jan-ken-pon!!!** Urd had paper, Skuld had stone. Skuld stomped her foot on the metal decking, silently cursing her luck. She gathered her thoughts, trying to determine the best way to try and explain this new development to the three. As she reasoned an explanation, she realized that it was probably for the best that she had lost...as Urd still wasn't in full possession of her faculties. Urd's "love potion" had been a total flop! And if it were left to Urd to explain their Divine nature, just about anything could happen. Urd couldn't be trusted... "Not that Urd's trustworthiness hasn't ever been an issue before!" Skuld thought to herself with a chuckle. A brief memory flashed through her mind...about the time when Urd had attempted to impersonate a Proctor to play mischief on Belldandy for some perceived slight. She had been caught, of course. The resulting punitive consequences were that Urd was reassigned to perform 500 years menial secretarial work for the Proctors...along with a License Suspension. The memory heralded a tension as Skuld remembered her own license suspension last year for accidentally mentioning Vanagdrasil in front of a mortal. The Lord had been swift and unyielding in His judgment...He had called soon after and yanked her license immediately. She fervently hoped that this situation wouldn't get her in trouble with the Lord. Where ever He was, Skuld *knew* that He would be watching this interchange with interest, especially given she and her sister's track record of 'misinterpreting' His directives... The truth is a delicate thing, especially since the truth of this place seemed to zigzag in the wind like a bay of leaves. From day to day, Skuld didn't know *what* reality she was in. All along, this place seemed like a pocket of TimeSpace that was somehow hidden away from the TimeWeb. The study of the Future involved a particular way of looking at Time; a reflexive reasoning out of events that have already occurred, yet have no manifested at a particular juncture of the TimeStream. Take a string, dip both ends in water, and then suspend it. A bead of water will drip down the stream...it was already in motion from the start, but within the perspective of Time, it would not reach the midpoint of the string until a particular instant. Once it reached the midpoint of the string, it would remain for a moment, and then pass on, traveling downward. In much the same manner, Time was always traveling from the Future to the Now...always en route to a rendezvous. As Norn of the Future, Skuld was just learning to be able to see Time as it approached, to see the Future as *already occurring* and yet not a *past* occurrence. Yet, in this unfamiliar universe of the imagination, Time was haywired. Despite the relative isolation of this place in Time, whether is was part of the TimeWeb, or somehow independent and outside of TimeSpace as Skuld suspected...there were some recognizable trappings. Here, there was a temple, Kami-sama, and Lum and her misfitten cast of fictional manga characters. Skuld sighed...at least these characters were familiar to her. She could have fared far worse; it would have been a disaster if she had been stranded in some universe comprised of characters from an anime series she had never watched before. At least she was familiar enough with Urusei Yatsura to anticipate certain ground rules that she might be able to rely upon... So what *was* fiction and what was truth? And if the truth was not to be known, how could she explain anything in the first place? Skuld decided to go with what she knew, rather than mire herself in trying to decipher an existential paroxysm. Not only would that introduce a series of complexities...it would certainly confuse Urd and all the others. Now was not the time to be casting about obfuscations. Thus, the only real question of importance was whether to tell the truth as she knew it...or to comb out another veil of lies to obscure the truth, covering it like the coral reef rising from the ocean floor to conceal the sea bed. And if she had to tell the truth...then *how much* of the truth? "Well...we're waiting!" Benten urged impatiently. "Lum, Oyuki...Benten. My sister and I *are* Goddesses," Skuld began. "Boy are you!" Ataru added, moving his hands in the curvy-curve gesture guys use to describe girls. *BONK!* * * * * * * * * Of the three alien girls, Skuld sensed that Lum seemed to be the most freaked out by her disclosure. The nature of her and Urd's divinity had obviously usurped Lum's most commonly held views with complete recklessness. And with good reason...in this reality, Lum was an Oni Princess, belonging to a race of Demons whose counterparts were another race of Gods, modeled on the Seven Lucky Gods. Lum and her kind were eternally pitted against the Gods of Fortune in a perpetual intercourse of comic competitive battles and syrinx coexistences. Lum's bewilderment was understandable, as her conception of the Gods was confined in keeping to that of the 'universe' of the manga. To Lum, the 'battles' between her kind and the Gods were more akin to amateur sports contests than actual fighting; the stakes being more or less who bought the celebratory meals and sake. There was no place in Lum's cosmology for *another* set of Goddesses... Namely herself and her sister. Skuld had to gulp down several glasses of water because Lum's exasperated questions were almost like rabid fox-bites, edging her towards nervousness. Naturally, Skuld had to conceal many particulars, especially those concerning the possible existence of the Lord. *That* would be a sure-fire "Bust of the Millennia" if she mentioned anything about Him! She also refrained from informing Lum and the others about the nature of her responsibility as Norn of the Future. However, she did tell the truth about how it was that she and Urd came to be here. And she definitely didn't mention a word about the whole issue with Isilblius... During her explanation, Skuld reiterated that Urd was experiencing an intense amount of grief because of the loss of her mortal boyfriend, hoping that an emotional appeal would convey a persuasive influence on Lum and her friends. As expected, Urd became so upset at the reminder of Cevn's death that she had to leave the room. Lum also got teary-eyed as she felt her own loss of Keiichi. Skuld lied about the blue gas...explaining that it was merely a form of chemical defense against Belldandy, were she to attack Oyuki's UFO. After this, it was easier going for her; she mixed her answers with bites of teriyaki. Curiously enough, a small stack of manga collections caught her eye as she spun out her detailed explanations to the three teenaged girls and a half-comprehending Ataru. She had to give the mortal guy credit, he was holding up pretty despite the circumstances. But the manga...that was curious. The topmost tankouban were wrinkled from cover to binding...someone had spilled something on the manga collection. Once she exhausted Oyuki of asking questions, the Neptunian Princess brought several trays of delicious food from the galley. Skuld's stomach was still grumbling, this time from stress, as she ate the meal with a Goddess-like relish. She felt sorry for Urd, who had exiled herself to the observation room...probably for another bout of crying debts. As she savored a cheesecake dessert, Skuld noticed that one of the manga issues was wet with a bluish fluid. Urd's 'potion'. * * * * * * * * Skuld mused over her regrets about bringing Ataru aboard the UFO; his presence jeopardized the whole 'mission'. After the initial episode of insults and thrown plates, Ataru had blatantly threatened to expose them, promising that he would "go straight to the Asahi Shimbun with the location of your UFO". Of all the mortals on the Earthrealm, it seemed that they had happened to select a confirmed xenophobe. Skuld had completely forgotten that Benten and Oyuki were *not* part of humanity's cosmological Pandora's Box. They were strictly Section 51...unknown entities to the rest of the world. Entities known only to Lum, Keiichi and their immediate circle of friends. Even worse, Ataru was a chatterbox of inanities. His babbling wore so heavily on everyone's thoughts, Oyuki ended up coaxing him into a freezer under a pledge of a "make out session". Bested by his lust, Ataru readily agreed. Once in the freezer, Oyuki locked him within so she could freeze him into suspended animation. Otherwise, any possibility of enjoying a good night's sleep would be faulted. The next day was spent in debate concerning "what to do with the idiot", as Benten so delicate put it. Ataru's presence on Oyuki's ship had added another hassling layer of secretiveness to the whole mess. In this reality, Lum's alien brood was real...after all, they had threatened to enslave the Earthrealm several years earlier. Skuld and Urd managed to convince the Neptunian Princess to thaw out Ataru...noting that in all fairness, it wouldn't be meet to discuss his disposition while he was frozen solid. Fortunately, Oyuki's heart wasn't as ice-hard as one would think, considering her appearance. The miscue with Urd's potion really worried Skuld. Once in a great while, Urd would get the potion right...but this mishap had spelled a kiss of doom to their idea of getting Ataru and Lum together. It would have been even worse if the three alien girls found out about the *true* purpose of Urd's little potion! Any trust that she and her sister had gained with the trio would have been promptly evicted. With the 'dosing Ataru and Lum' option nixed, their second-best choice would be to storm the temple. Yet, this was an intangible proposition as well. Skuld knew she lacked the necessary arcane skills to undo the seriously heavy portal-shields Belldandy had erected around the temple entrance. And if Urd couldn't even concoct a proper love-potion, how could she possibly overcome the numerous arcane spell-locks that basted the temple doors? Frustrated at this impasse, she looked at Lum, Benten and Oyuki for support. But at the moment, all three were tight-lipped and red- eyed in response to another series of insults Ataru had thrown their way. All morning, he would occasionally refer to them as "the Space Circus Girls". Even Urd was growing weary of his stupidity... "Perhaps he's only *acting* stupid," Skuld reflected, wondering how he could be so piddling. From her observations, she knew that many mortals revert to a form of doltishness when they felt threatened. This 'idiot defense' seemed to be a form of self- protection in the face of overwhelming odds. Then again, Ataru's insults and comments seemed artless; they were either mean-spirited in conception, or birthed in a Belldandy-esque ignorance. "Hey, if everyone wants, I can go get us some pizza!" Ataru offered, interrupting the round-table discussion about getting into Belldandy and Keiichi's temple home. "Not a chance!" five female voices spoke as one. Despite the reminder that she was hungry, Skuld pressed on. She mulled over possible ways of storming the gates at the temple. In this reality, there was no Banpei-kun to ward away intruders...it would just be a matter of defeating Belldandy's locks. Too bad. If there *had been* a Banpei-kun, Skuld might have been able to hack his AI...and gain entrance to the temple for she and the others. Urd was sulking again. It seemed to Skuld that her sister's memories were trying to probe into her being, a little at a time. Once Urd's memories were resumed enough to sense the loss and pain over Cevn's death, they would recede...taking a little bit of her knowledge in their remission. At other times, events unsuggested would cause Urd to be alert and fully engaged. Skuld had to be alert, never knowing when her older sister would devolve into sheer space-cadet bouts of forgetfulness. Despite her sister's nursing a broken heart, Skuld recognized the hard reality that Urd was unreliable. Skuld felt like her own situation was unreliable as well. Back when she was...well, little...she would hate it when people would call her "kid", or "child", or "brat". Now that she was older, with a more mature feminine physique...she was still subject to untoward comments; comments which were just as disturbing. In effect, her sudden growth spurt had resulted in a trade-off...Ataru's continuing series of remarks about certain parts of her anatomy only served to make her feel even more edgy. She wished that she could drop off the planet... "Hey, if everybody wants, I could go get us some beefbowls...provided that one of you babes has some money you could loan me, eheh eh heh!" Ataru offered, a look of sheepish vacuousness on his face. "Hmmm...that sounds like a good idea! I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Skuld, since you're the one he favors, why don't you escort him on a food run," Urd suggested. "Wha..wha..wha..what? ME?! Why *me*?" "Because Ataru *likes* you, as he's so fond of constantly reminding us. Since he seems to be so entranced with you, it's doubtful that he'll try and make a run for it. Infatuated mortal boys rarely try to give the dodge to girls that they like!" Urd explained with a knowing wink. "I am not a...girl!!!" Skuld screamed, while Urd and the alien trio burst into a chamber chorus of giggles. "Of course you're not, otherwise he wouldn't be staring at you so much!" Lum noted, floating above the table. Lum's comments brought a mental image of another boy who would stare...Tomohisa. But unlike Ataru, Tomohisa wouldn't make such blatantly crude comments about her breasts and hips. Instead, his only comment was through his eyes; usually more sincere complement than lust. Skuld wished that it was Tomohisa instead of Ataru who was here with her. "You guys, you're embarrassing Skuld! She's blushing because of your teasing," Oyuki interjected. Skuld knew that the Neptunian Princess was trying quell the stormtide of teasing comments from the others, but pointing out Skuld's blush didn't help matters...it only brought out even more giggles. "C'mon, lighten up Skuld! He's all yours!" Benten exhorted her, pointing at Ataru before she doubled over with more laughter. Skuld followed Benten's gesture...and half-grinning as she fought with herself to keep from laughing. Ataru was looking at Benten with a mystified expression, totally unaware of the "I am not a girl!" sentences ploshed all over his clothes. When he finally noticed the words, he did a full facefall...his expression was like a blanched marble. This brought on another gale of laughter from the others. Skuld found herself smiling with mirth. Ataru's shocked expression was too funny...and she finally gave in. All it took was a few snickers...and then she was bubbling over with giggles. Ataru looked at her with a hopeless expression, "I am not a girl" written in pink kanji on his t-shirt. * * * * * * * * "Cool! Pachinko parlor sighted!" "Eh?" Skuld exhaled, surprised at Ataru's sudden shift in behavior. Up to this point, the young Earthrealm college student had been gawking at girls, chattering about cars, and flirting with her. But now, he was paused in his tracks in front of a large brightly-lit arcade. "We gotta stop in here and play some pachinko!" Ataru said, oblivious to the fact that Skuld was toting two large carryout bags of soba udon, shrimps, sweet potatoes and eggrolls...while he was walking hands-in-pockets. Skuld scowled angrily with him and motioned "get going" with her head... Ignoring her, Ataru ducked into the pachinko parlor. To Skuld's regretful amazement, he pulled several 100-yen coins out of his pocket and plugged them into the first available machine. "Since you gotta keep an eye on me, guess that means you can't leave, canya? Hah wa hee!" Ataru noted, his voice sparkling with mischief as the vertical face of the pachinko machine lit up with patterned lightflashes. Resigning herself to a headache, Skuld set down her burdens, trading them for the burden of impatience. The pachinko arcade was ajutter with machine noises, curses, and metal balls pip-papping against glass and metal stops... "He's pretty good!" she noted as the slotpocket at the bottom of Ataru's machine started filling up with steel balls. After three rounds of pachinko, Ataru had amassed two bowlfuls of balls. Rattling them in the plastic container, he went up to the counter to redeem them. "Ah...this is your lucky day, young man!" the owner remarked, withdrawing two painted balls from the rest. Apparently, Ataru's winnings included two balls that were worth 5000 yen. Skuld looked on as the pachinko parlor owner counted out 14000 yen. With a silly grin, Ataru tucked it away in his wallet, noting to Skuld that he would pay Oyuki back once they got back to her UFO. "So there's at least a decent bone in your body! Rather than simply leeching your meals from us, you decided to 'earn' your meal by winning some money," Skuld commented dryly. "Yep! I seem to have good luck at this particular pachinko stand!" "And what if you didn't win anything?" "Then I would have only been out 300 yen," Ataru answered cheerfully. "Well, in that case, you can earn the rest of your lunch by carrying *these*!" Skuld demanded, nudging one of the carryout bags with her foot. "No way! I refuse! You were carrying them to begin with...and you certainly look like a strong girl. Not as strong as that Benten chick, to be sure, but strong enough to carry our lunches home! So you're the one who has to carry them!" "You're a *total* idiot!" Skuld shouted, startling a couple of men seated at the nearby pachinko machines. "If you don't carry our lunch home, I'll *make you* carry it!" "Yadda yadda! As if you can do anything! You're just a girl!" Ataru taunted. Skuld felt her cheeks puffing out in dismay. "Hmmm...how about I shout 'I'm gay and looking for a boyfriend!'" Skuld threatened. Ataru looked at her with irrecognition for a moment...and then he caught her glancing at his t-shirt. His eyes flashed wide as he regarded the clean *wordless* shirt. Skuld had waited outside of his dorm while he changed clothes...but even while standing near the entry door, she could hear the loud laughter of mocking male voices from within. Ataru had emerged from the Men's Dorm with a new t-shirt and a blush to his face, while several of his dorm mates chortled and taunted they waved him off. Although he didn't know how his shirt and pants had been lettered, Skuld was almost certain that he was smart enough...that he *did* correlate the fact that it had been her words that had been printed into his clothes. Of course, what he didn't realize that they might not wash out...the angrier Skuld got, the more permanent the word prints were. "N..n..NO!!! Don't do that! I get your drift! Message received!" Ataru quickly blurted out, looking at Skuld with panic in his eyes. He quickly grabbed the lunch bags and proceeded down the sidewalk without even waiting for her. Skuld glanced back at the pachinko parlor, a thoughtspark in her eye. * * * * * * * * To her surprise, Belldandy had readily accepted the challenge. Urd thought Skuld's plan was a bit on the juvenile side...but if that what it would take to get them in a position to perhaps catch Belldandy unawares, then it would be well worth it. She was a little taken aback; Belldandy actually received Skuld's offer of a TimeVector PosiChronic sim rematch with an unexpected vim, seemingly without a single thought as to *why* Skuld wanted to play her. Skuld actually *did* play her, in a sense...turning up every iota of her 'I want to beat my older sister' attitude to the point where it took on a charisma of its own. Belldandy seemed to have an attitude of her own, judging from her counter-challenge to Skuld. So tomorrow, they would go over to the temple, she and Skuld, to play games. Tomorrow was the final day of the ten-day ultimatum issued by Lum's father. Everything hinged on Skuld's plan...except for the fact that Lum still was obsessed with "Keiichi darling!". In view of this, Urd decided that a nocturnal visit to the temple might be appropriate. * * * * * * * * After everyone went to sleep, Urd checked on each of the sleepers, and then stole out of Oyuki's UFO... Getting near Belldandy tomorrow was a certainty at this point. But Lum's emotions would need a little prompting; the chances of her taking an interest in Ataru relied on their ability to turn her *away* from Keiichi. So it was up to Urd, the Queen of Love, to ensure that this would happen. Fortunately, Urd was well-practiced at voyeurism. Approaching the temple, Urd was hoping that she could 'catch' Belldandy and Keiichi in an uncompromising situation. If she were to provide proof of Keiichi's infidelity, Lum's illusions about him would be shattered. All throughout, Lum was laboring under the impression that Keiichi had been 'kidnapped' by Belldandy, despite numerous attempts to convince her otherwise. Hence, Urd's attempt was aimed at providing visual evidence... Lum couldn't argue with empirical facts in the form of a video. Hopefully, she could catch Keiichi and Belldandy on tape, show it to Lum tomorrow aboard Oyuki's UFO...and let Lum's own nature take its course. An emotionally vulnerable Oni girl would be ripe for the picking. * * * * * * * * The system of arcane shields and locks designed to keep Goddesses and non-Earthrealm mortal out were deployed at two places: the front gate torii and perimeter walls of the temple compound; and the front door to the temple house itself. Surprisingly, the temple house didn't have a door on the northeast end where the sunroom was. Urd encanted a number of hacklock spells to defeat Belldandy's shields. She was surprised at the lack of ingenuity employed in creating the spells. Her sister's spells and shields were much more thought-out than these; delicate works of beauty in comparison to the rudiments of shield spells she was encountering here. Once she patterned-out the final shield, she stepped in under the torii, half- expecting Banpei-kun to rush her. Using the shadows, she crept along the wall until she drew even with the "Banpei Shed" outbuilding. She dashed from tree to tree, and then hid in the shadows of the Banpei Shed. She could hear Belldandy and Keiichi's voices giggling with amorous laughter. Once again, Urd realized that this Goddess was not her sister...this Belldandy had failed to enclose the temple home in a stealthing mode of shielding! Carefully stepping around the piles of leaves, she walked up to the side of the temple. A huge crush of sadness grasped Urd as she realized she was standing next to the jalousied windows to what was Cevn's room back home. She peeked in, almost hoping beyond hope that he would be in his room, reading or playing guitar or sleeping. But he wasn't there. She sunk to the ground and started crying. * * * * * * * * "WHERE'S MY SISTER!" Skuld shouted. She had slept light last night, and was the first to awaken in the morning. Once she discovered her sister was gone, she quickly woke up all the others. Skuld could sense Urd's vibration nearby. She was at the temple. "We've gotta go to the temple! Hurry!" she insisted urgently. Of course, Benten and Oyuki were quickly awake and alert. But Lum and Ataru were sleepyheaded to the max, Lum looking at her with half- lidded eyes and Ataru grumble-yawning. "C'mon!" Skuld shouted, banging on the bulkheads. Big Sister had to be at the temple! There would be no reason why she would go anywhere else! And they would have to get over to the temple quickly, before Belldandy and Keiichi woke up. "Dammit, it's still dark outside!" Ataru groused, not noticing the pale blue early morning skies. Skuld wanted to slap him, but refrained from doing so. A few minutes later, Oyuki's UFO was hovering near the temple, invisible to all. Skuld could see Urd sitting next to Banpei's house, looking despondent. The best chance would be to have Oyuki park her UFO partly down the steep hill behind the temple complex. They could walk downhill and then circle around the wall to the front gate of the temple. Before the others could stop her, Skuld dashed down the hill. She completely forgot that it was glazed with chill dew at this time in the morning...she slipped into a full tumble, rolling almost down to the base of the hill. Lum had to carry her the rest of the way, because she had twisted her ankle and banged her knee up when she slipped. Once they reached the front of the temple, Skuld motioned for Urd to come over. "What are you *doing here*, Big Sister! You scared all of us to death by leaving without telling anyone!" Skuld admonished her sister. She pulled up short of voicing further reprovals when she saw Urd's swollen eyes. "He's dead! I saw his room...it was empty! Cevn's dead!" "Not again!" Skuld thought in frustration. Now they would have to wait for her sister to calm down. Once Urd had regained her wits a little, she told them that she had come here by herself to try and obtain proof that Keiichi wasn't interested in Lum any more. But the memories of the temple coupled with her awareness of Cevn's death had caused her to have a breakdown. After this, she had forgotten why she had come, as well as how to undo Belldandy's shield-seals so that she could leave... But Skuld reasoned it out: if Urd had gotten in...maybe she could too. Skuld tested the shields... ...and discovered that Urd had disabled them all. She limped in through the gate and hugged her sister. "What are you doing here?!" Belldandy shouted from the front doorway. "And how did you get past my wards?!" "Oyuki, hurry! Plan B!" Skuld yelled through a cupped hand. The blue-haired Neptunian grabbed the boombox Ataru had been carrying and set it down on the ground. She inserted a mini-CD and turned the volume up full... The theme from "Tenchi Muyo Universe!" started playing. Belldandy started dancing in the doorway. "Stop this..uh..right now! This isn't..oom..fair!" Belldandy shouted, dancing uncontrollably on the wooden gallery in front of the front door. Benten took her cue and sprinted over where Belldandy was dancing, grabbing her arms and pinning them behind her back. "Lum...help me, for crisesakes! This girl's *strong*!" she shouted as Belldandy struggled under her restraining wrestle-hold. Lum floated over and helped Benten tie Belldandy's hands behind her back. "Her mouth! Don't forget to gag her mouth!" Skuld instructed. Oyuki withdrew a tag of silk from her kimono sleeve and tied it around Belldandy's face, covering her mouth. "Whew!" Skuld sighed. In less than two minutes, they had captured Belldandy and restrained her from making any verbal or gestural spells. Recalling that Urd had a weakness that could be exploited by polka music, Skuld had relied on her suspicion that Belldandy would be affected by anime soundtracks in the same manner that she and her sisters were affected by certain musics. She had become suspicious when Elder Sister seemed to always excuse herself to the kitchen during the closing credits of an OAV... She wasn't old enough to have a musical weakness...one had to be 140,000 years old for that. But now that she was manifesting in a form akin to a Goddess of 160,000 to 170,000 years of age, she probably had developed a musical weak spot. Fortunately, no one knew what it was yet...included herself. "Hmm, this ought to be easy!" Urd said as she walked up to the front door of the temple, testing it with her fingers. Skuld was surprised once again. A few minutes earlier, Urd had been distraught to the point of forgetting that she had disabled the exterior shields. Now she was suggesting that disabling the interior set of shields around the temple house would be easily managed. She watched as Urd touched one of the shield-layers, sending a visual ripple through the air. "Give me five minutes and I'll have us in the temple!" "Finally! That means that I can be reunited with my darling Keiichi!" Lum shouted excitedly. "That depends on how he feels about you! Last night, he and Belldandy were in the bath together...and they were definitely romping around!" Urd said in a cheerless voice. Skuld watched the enthusiasm drain out of Lum's face as Urd started a series of complex hand motions to unlock the arcane shielding. "Wow, this was a piece of cake! And I bet you were wondering if I could do it!" Urd announced proudly after a couple minutes. "All the wards and shields and stuff are disabled...we can go in any time we want." Skuld regarded Lum; the Oni girl's stricken expression clearly indicating that she dreaded entering her former home. She saw that Lum was finally beginning to believe that Keiichi had totally betrayed her. "So this is how the house of glass is hammered down," Skuld said under her breath.