Credits:
Ah! My Goddess! copyright 1988, 1998 by Kousuke Fujishima.

This is a non-profit work of fan-fiction.  As such, I'm getting no 
compensation for writing this fiction other than my own enjoyment, 
because the thought of getting sued is rather unpleasant.

Disclaimer:  All characters *I* have created are purely a work of 
fiction.  Any resemblance to persons living or dead is pure 
coincidence.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is probably just a grouch.  
Also, please do not try and distribute this story in a lame 
attempt to make a buck; it would be bad karma to say the least.

C&C appreciated!
Send them to Michael McAvoy 
http://www.angelfire.com/va3/shenandoah/
Last updated October 15, 2001. 



                        Ah, My Goddess!
                     "In Search of a Wish"

                A Fan-fiction by Michael McAvoy


	Living in a house
	Near the Black Forest
	Without any clocks, she’s begun
	To listen to the Wolves;
	Her neighbors have clocks,
	Not one, but twenty clocks apiece.

	Listen to the Wolves;
	Wind your watch.
	Poor Love, Poor Love, 
	Have they caught you?
	By the pendulum,
	Have they got you stopped?

	Living near any Black Forest,
	She gets by on cups of borrowed Time.

			-- Venessa Daou

			-* Chapter 5 *-

	The glen was old by human and immortal recollection alike.  
Born from mortal imagination, men, women, and children had passed 
through this glen.  However, no man, woman, or child had ever laid 
eyes on the grasses and trees that made up the secluded forest area.  It 
was an unseen and momentary pause on a journey that started in one 
world and ended in the next.

	It had been abandoned and forgotten from most mortal and 
immortal memory for some time.

	From deep within the forest, a figure emerged into the glen, 
stepping from gray mists that clung to the ground as a child clung to a 
mother’s skirts.  Sunlight rained down from the middle of the glen, 
where outstretched limbs to trees retreated in respect to the power of 
the radiating orb above.  No sound was made from under bare feet on 
the grass, thick but not overgrown in wildness.

	Stopping in the sunlight, the figure closed his eyes and 
listened to the silent echo of song that he imagined he could still 
hear.  It trumpeted in his mind with a thousand memories of a time long 
past.  He opened his eyes.

	Most of those who once resided here were gone now.  Some 
survived still.  None who remained came here any more, letting the 
memories of their past slip away in any attempt to dull the loss of an 
age lost and gone.

	Moving further into the glen, he came upon a massive tree.  
Perhaps not so tall as the other trees of the forest, it was heavy and 
thick with limbs that caressed the earth and full of wide, green leaves.  
At its mighty base, three roots rose up from the gnarled truck before 
piercing the earth again.  The sound of water ran quietly around the 
great tree and its roots.

	Each root was watered by a separate spring.  Two springs ran 
naturally from the earth, itself, and the third from a simple fountain 
well.  The well’s waters were clear and sparkling, splashing over the 
side of moss covered stones to one of the roots beside it.

	He let his hand dip into the water a bit, feeling the coolness 
and life of it.  Then resting both his hands on the mossy stones, he 
again closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.  A moment later he stepped 
away from the well, awash in his own memories.  Moving away a 
discrete distance from the tree, the figure found a comfortable place in 
which to sit hidden at the edge of the woods, the tips of his long wings 
coming to rest in graceful folds behind him.

	The time was still early, but the wait would not be long.

			*	*	*


	It had seemed a good idea just a little while earlier to Bonnie.  
Not only that, but it had also seemed like the right thing to do.  
Rescue a poor soul from the bony clutches of Death, plop down a magical 
entrance to Paradise, and discover the nature of her heart's desire.

	But that had been a little while earlier.  Now, just a short time 
later, the engineer was fairly tired of the whole thing.  The world they 
had entered through the manhole in Shinjuku Station was unlike any 
service tunnel or basement she had ever been in.  Absent were the 
smooth faces of concrete walls and precisely placed tunnel lights.  
Gone were the lengths of cable or steam lines she would have expected 
in the underground workings of a train station.

	Instead, Bonnie made her way through a rank and slimy 
subterranean passage that seemed to be made out of rough-hewn stone.  
The only light that was available was that which glowed faintly from 
moss or fungus on the walls.  Hefting a passed out Japanese woman 
that Urd had identified as Sayoko, Bonnie slogged with her dead 
weight through a thick and cold muck that ran up to her knees.  Her 
feet were chilled, and something definitely unpleasant had worked its 
way into her boots, where it squished between her toes in a less than 
pleasing fashion.

	It did not help that her newly found ward was something less 
than a bed of roses, either.  Sayoko, in addition to smelling like a 
rank gutter and flopping like a lifeless doll, had already managed to 
puke well within splatter range of Bonnie.  While Bonnie's jacket kept 
the gastric enhanced alcohol from soaking into her under garments, it 
was still another smell to be endured.  The vapors from the acidic 
mixture stung at her eyes.

	Bonnie looked ahead and saw Urd slogging through 
the dark muck in the passage, grumbling to herself.  The goddess was 
more than just a bit put off about Bonnie's decision to drag Sayoko into 
their adventure, and having to guide a couple of humans into Asgard 
by walking was not improving her mood.

	The American engineer tried to orientate herself to their 
distance and direction in Tokyo, but it was obvious to her that as far 
as they had walked, they could not possibly be in a city.  For one, the 
train station could not have held passages this long, and to get under 
the city streets, they would have had to been traveling downhill quite a 
bit.  Since entering the dark passage, the way had remained level.

	Something sleek and unfamiliar swam by Bonnie, brushing 
up against her leg in the process.  The engineer grit her teeth and 
resisted the urge to scream like a little girl.  She was wet, cold, and 
something slimy had just dripped into her hair from the low roof of the 
passageway.

	"Urd!" she hissed through clenched teeth.  "Where the hell 
are we?"

	Urd mumbled something rude as she pushed through the 
filthy water of the dark passageway.  Bonnie bristled at the comment 
and stopped to shift Sayoko into something of a more comfortable 
position.  It was fortunate the Japanese woman was fairly light, else 
the task would have been all but impossible.  She thought about trying 
to get Urd's attention again, but decided against it.  After all, Urd 
was not likely to tell her any more than she already knew.

	They were in a magical tunnel designed for immortals to 
guide mortals to Asgard should the need arise.  One thing Bonnie and 
Urd both had in common was the vast annoyance that mortals could 
not get directly to the immortal realms.  The engineer was still 
fantastically mad at the goddess, but still quite a bit bewildered about 
her lot in life.

	After all, it was a lot to ask of someone to take a leap of faith 
about wishes, immortals, and traveling through television sets.  It was 
yet another to drag them through the bowels of nowhere on the way to 
Paradise.  All in all, Bonnie felt she was dealing rather well.  No 
thanks to her immortal guide, though.

	What seemed like several hours later, though a sense of time 
was all but lost on Bonnie, the wind in the passage began to pick up 
noticeably.  Soaked to the core, even the semi-conscious Sayoko 
shivered from the air gusting over wet clothing.  The passage seemed 
to tighten down, forcing Bonnie and Urd to have to crouch just a 
bit.  As Urd edged her way forward, up to her waste in slime, Bonnie 
looked around edgily at several pairs of red eyes that stared at her and 
Sayoko from the chinks and crevices in the walls.  Bonnie shivered 
and hefted her dead weight companion forward.

	Struggling to catch up to Urd, the engineer was breathing 
heavily.  Bonnie had half-carried, half-floated Sayoko for an unknown 
distance, and her arms and legs were aching in pain.  Never once had 
beautiful goddess offered a hand or even seemed to care.  Finally 
reaching Urd, Bonnie felt the water around her waist and legs starting 
to move forward of its own accord.

	"Hey, this gunk's flowing all the sudden," she said to Urd's 
back.

	"Yeah, I think we're almost there," the goddess mumbled over her shoulder.

	"We're almost in Paradise?" asked Bonnie with 
disappointment.  "Not to be too critical, but if this shit-hole is the 
Promised Land, I think I'll take the reincarnation option on Earth 
when I die."

	"As long as I don't have to grant you a wish in that life, too," 
Urd retorted, but without much enthusiasm.  "This isn't Asgard, 
anyway.  But the climb up to it is just ahead, I think."

	"Climb?" echoed Bonnie without getting an answer.

	Urd moved forward again as Bonnie got a better grip on 
Sayoko.  The wasted women made a little groaning noise, and for a 
moment Bonnie thought she was going to dry-heave again.  In all her 
life, Bonnie had never seen anyone throw up as much alcohol as 
Sayoko.  For her part, Sayoko quieted back down.

	Bonnie dragged her charge forward again after Urd.  It was 
not too much longer that the watery sludge began to move faster and 
faster around their legs.  As they moved on, the water's speed 
increased, while the passageway stream became shallower.  No longer 
being able to take advantage of the buoyant nature of the water, 
Bonnie was forced to shoulder more of Sayoko's weight, until she was 
carrying the woman completely.  There was a rushing sound ahead of 
her that eventually grew into a loud roar.

	Struggling ahead through a fine mist, Bonnie once again 
made her way up to Urd.  Where the goddess was staring, water 
seemed to be streaming from the ceiling.  At the same time, the 
rushing stream around their ankles was disappearing into the floor.  
Across a roughly circular hole in the ceiling and floor of the 
passageway, not more than 3 feet across, there was a rough wall.  It 
was obvious going forward was no longer an option.  The echoing 
nature of the roaring water was not quite deafening, but Bonnie still 
had to shout to be heard.

	"What do we do now?" she yelled.

	Urd turned to look at her, every inch a drowned rat.  Her 
magnificent hair was plastered to her face, and her already revealing 
clothes clung to her body in a manner that under normal 
circumstances would have been shocking or fairly interesting, 
depending on the viewer's perspective.

	"We go up!" the goddess yelled back.  "We're in an old well!  
At the top, it lets you out in Asgard!"

	Bonnie brushed the streaming, cold water out of her face.  
"What's at the bottom?"

	Urd shook her head.  "It goes to Hell, I think!" she said 
loudly.  "If you fall, I'm not coming after you!  I can levitate myself 
and viper-girl up, but unless you want to sit here, you're going to have 
to climb!"

	Dropping Sayoko gently in the rushing stream of shallow 
water, Bonnie gave Urd an incredulous look.

	"You mean I'm gonna have to climb up this well on my 
own?" she demanded.

	Urd shrugged.  "What's the big deal?  I thought Belldandy 
said in your file that you were a climber or something?  This should be 
easy!"

	Bonnie shook her head vigorously, water slinging from her 
hair.  "I haven't gone climbing or caving in three years!" she shouted 
over the roar.  "And I'm dead tired from lugging Sayoko around!  This 
water coming from up there is also a lot colder than what we've been 
wading in!  Without a wetsuit, I'll go hypothermic in no time at all!  
Can't you levitate me, too?"

	Urd made a sour face.  "Yeah, but I thought that'd be a lot 
more work for me!"

	The engineer stared hard at the goddess for several moments.  
Urd finally sighed.

	"Okay, whatever!" the goddess yelled.  "Have it your way!  
Grab onto the snake and try not to move around a lot!"

	As Bonnie did as she was instructed, grabbing on tightly to 
Sayoko, Urd closed her eyes and mouthed something too quiet to be 
heard over the roaring water.  The goddess began to glow with a 
brilliant sheen that almost hurt Bonnie's dark-acclimated eyes.  
Without warning, Bonnie felt her feet come up off the ground as she 
and Sayoko rose just a little bit.  Stumbling in panic, the engineer 
latched down hard on Sayoko.

	"Relax!" yelled Urd.  "Stop struggling!"

	Reluctantly, Bonnie did as she was told.  Not releasing her 
near death grip on Sayoko, though, Bonnie held her breath as Urd lifted 
up off the tunnel floor and moved over the dark abyss.  Through some 
force Bonnie could not feel, the goddess tugged her two passengers 
along and began to rise into the hole in the ceiling.  As Bonnie and 
Sayoko drifted over the dark hole, Bonnie could not help but look down.  
Fortunately, it was like the caves she had been in during college, 
where it was so dark you could not see more than a few feet, even if 
the hole dropped all the way to Hell.  At least there were no flames 
down there.

	Rising up after Urd, Bonnie and Sayoko were inundated with 
the cold water that streamed down from the darkness above.  It was 
not a deluge, but it was steady enough to soak Sayoko immediately.  
Bonnie's jacket was repelling most of the water from her torso, but 
some of it was getting around her collar and chilling her neck.   As the 
tightly confined stone walls of the well slipped past, Bonnie knew that 
the water would sooner or later penetrate her jacket if they were in 
this too long.  She drew Sayoko in tighter to help the poor woman keep 
body heat, shielding her as best she could.  There was not much room 
to move, however.

	Their progress was excruciatingly slow.  Bonnie risked 
looking up to see if Urd could hurry, but was promptly blinded by 
falling water.  Coughing and sputtering violently, she ducked her head 
forward and held on to Sayoko.  Her exposed hands and jean-
soaked legs were already quite cold.

	"Urd!" she yelled as loudly as she could.  "If you don't hurry, 
we're going to go hypothermic!  That's a BAD thing!"

	Up above them, Urd grunted in annoyance.  Mortals were 
such a pain, she grimaced.  Aside from the inconvenience of being 
soaked, Urd did not really notice the temperature of the water.  
Immortals were made of sterner stuff and more resilient, when not cut 
off from the Ultimate Force, of course.  Nevertheless, Urd concentrated 
and sped up their progress a bit more.  It was one thing for an 
immortal to ascend in a tight squeeze, since they had the natural 
ability to avoid running into things.  However, her lateral control was 
not as precise with Bonnie and Sayoko.  If she rose too fast, she risked 
bouncing the mortals off the stone walls, which might knock 
them right out of consciousness.  As tempting as that thought was...

	Time seemed to drag forever, and Bonnie was very cold.  
Despite her best efforts, Sayoko was shivering almost violently, the 
water pulling her body heat away.  Bonnie was not in much 
better shape, but it was obvious that at least they were ascending a 
little faster through the dark well.  She found that it was easier to 
close her eyes and not concentrate on the stones that were sliding past 
their bodies, only inches away.

	A different kind of shiver went through Bonnie as they were 
rising.  The air on her face that went rushing by seemed to be different 
somehow.  There was a hint of freshness to it that had not been there 
before.  Bonnie was hesitant to believe it at first, but her imagination 
also seemed to say that it was the slightest shade warmer.  At the same 
time, however, the water streaming down seemed to be getting 
heavier.  In fact, frighteningly heavier.

	"U-urd!" Bonnie chattered as loudly as she could.  "The 
water!"

	"Yeah! I know!" Urd's voice shouted back down.  "I think 
we're reaching near the top!  You might have to hold--!"

	Urd voice was suddenly cut off as the water streamed in ever-
greater torrents.  Yelling back up at Urd through the roar, Bonnie 
opened her mouth only to get it filled completely with water.  It was as 
if they had just entered a surface of water from the underside, and 
quite hard.  The force of hitting the water stunned Bonnie, and she 
swallowed a fair amount it as she gasped for air that was no longer 
present.  Fear ripped at Bonnie hard as she panicked at the unexpected 
lack of air.  Forgetting Sayoko completely, she let go and flailed, but 
nothing could stop their upward motion.  Bonnie thought her lungs 
were going to burst.

	With an explosion of water, Bonnie and Sayoko were ejected 
into the air.  The sudden brightness was dazzling to Bonnie, and she 
could not open her eyes.  Coughing and gasping for air, she struggled 
for breath, only to be deposited on the ground roughly.  Doubly 
insulted by having the breath knocked out of her by the impact, Bonnie 
curled up in a warm patch of grass and heaved violently, calling out 
with distress between coughs.  

	"Welcome to Paradise," Urd grumped, ignoring Bonnie's 
upset and somewhat vulgar cry of dismay.

	Urd paused and looked around the small meadow.  To the 
best of her knowledge, she had not been here before, though part of the 
goddess seemed to think the place was familiar.  The well they had 
come out of was old, moss covered, with many unfamiliar designs on 
it.  And yet, Urd thought she had seen them before as well.  Thinking 
about it made her frown and restless in a way she was not too certain 
of.  The tree that sat beside the well looked damn familiar, too.

	"Hell with it," Urd complained, walking away from the well 
and the two humans.  Snapping her fingers absently, Urd gathered 
power and surrounded herself with it.  Instantly, in a small flash of 
light, the wet clothes she had been wearing were replaced with fresh 
ones.  Her hair and body, which had been drenched, were perfect once 
again.

	In one hand was a glass.  In the other was a flask.  
Wandering off a short distance, for reasons she did not care to explore, 
Urd sat down and began to steadily drink.

	On the other side of the well, Bonnie lay on the warm grass, 
coughing and looking up through water filled eyes.  Her breath had 
come back to her, and the coughing subsided.  Tired, worn out, and 
wet, Bonnie was able to take some little stock of what was above her 
after she rolled over on her back.  The sky was a brilliant color, the 
upper branches of lush trees ringing the edges of her vision, swaying 
softly in a wind she could not discern.  The engineer was very still for 
quite a while, her eyes growing heavy as the minutes dripped past.

	"Well, that was grim," she finally said to no one in particular, 
before easing off to sleep.

	Had someone told Bonnie before yesterday that the one thing 
she would want to do more than anything if given the chance to go to 
Paradise was take a nap, she would have said they were nuts.

			*	*	*


	Skuld firmly believed she did not get angry in any sense of 
the word, ever.  

	She would be the first to grudgingly admit, after having numerous 
people point it out, of course, that maybe she did lose her 
temper on an infrequent basis.  The young Norn goddess might even 
go so far to acknowledge that she instigated some of the numerous 
catfights she and her sister Urd got into.  And if the stars and planets 
were all in alignment, Skuld could be heard underneath her breath 
muttering that maybe it was not Keiichi's fault for being attacked by 
whatever latest Banpai sentry she had built.  But goddesses of Skuld's 
caliber and talent, according to her reasoning, were above getting angry 
and losing their temper.  Without question.

	Nevertheless, Skuld was pissed.

	Bent.  Vehemently irate.  Ticked.  These did not even begin 
to describe her state.

	"Goddess First Class?" she almost screamed.

	Keiichi looked around apprehensively as several dishes and 
other items in the temple house rattled at the strength and pitch of the 
young goddess's voice.  His wife and beloved Belldandy sat patiently 
with her hands in her lap and watched as her younger sister lost it 
completely.  It was early in the morning with the sun having just come 
up, and Urd and her mortal charge had only departed late the night 
before.

	Skuld continued a tirade that included comparing Urd's competence 
as a goddess to everything from cat litter to imitation 
processed cheese.  The youngest of the three goddess sisters was 
finally outgrowing her adolescent years and now had the features of a 
young adult.  Belldandy noted with some distress that her younger 
sister was still prone to un-adult-like outbursts.  Keiichi referred to 
them as downright bratty.

	"How could the Almighty give HER a higher rating than 
ME?" demanded Skuld to the ceiling, shaking her fists mightily in the 
general direction of Paradise.

	"Now, Skuld," Belldandy tried to calm her sister down.  "It's 
just temporary until Urd can complete her assign--"

	"Assignment?" screeched the goddess.  "Urd couldn't 
complete a fragment of Yggdrasil source code if she had it stamped on 
her face, much less an assignment for a mortal wish!"

	Normally, Keiichi would have kept silent during one of 
Skuld's tirades, not wishing to bring the mecha-freak goddess's 
wrath down on his head.  But a lot had changed since he and 
Belldandy had been married, and Keiichi felt their household deserved 
a break.  Actually getting though the marriage without losing his 
sanity, health, and not to mention Belldandy to another god had been 
more than enough to last a lifetime.  With all of that behind them, 
Keiichi felt their lives needed a break from constant interruptions and 
explosions from Skuld.

	"Still, Skuld," he spoke up, drawing her attention to him.  "It 
was the Almighty's decision to make.  Don't you think He knows what 
He's doing?"

	Skuld lanced a wicked glare that made Keiichi nervous, but 
he held her gaze nonetheless.  After marrying Belldandy, Skuld and 
Urd had more or less moved out.  Urd because she understood 
Belldandy's need to be alone with Keiichi, and Skuld because the idea of 
being in the same house where her sister was having sex was more 
than her immature mind was able to handle.  Besides, the Almighty 
had recalled them both back to Paradise as Yggdrasil needed 
maintenance and the Goddess Relief Office was noticeably 
understaffed.

	The youngest of the Norn sisters took a deep breath and 
prepared to start a massive windup at Keiichi, despite a warning frown 
from Belldandy, but was suddenly interrupted.  Streaking from an 
adjacent room, Skuld was abruptly grabbed by a young woman in a 
wet suit.  She had short brown hair that flew around her face, a 
disturbingly innocent expression, and a flowing set of working wings 
that sprouted from her shoulder blades.

	"Ohmygod, Skuld, youhavetocomeseethis!" she exclaimed 
excitedly, yanking the goddess up off the floor and dragging her along 
into the next room.  "There are creatures and pictures in this box- 
thingy that move around and speak!"

	Taken off guard, Skuld was hauled away from Belldandy and 
Keiichi, barely able to squawk in protest.  Keiichi sighed in relief and 
slumped his shoulders.

	"Things haven't been this loud in a long time," he noted.

	"I'm sorry Keiichi-san," Belldandy apologized automatically.

	"It's okay, Bell-chan," he replied.  "I more or less expected 
this outburst from Skuld.  Glad your friend was able to interrupt 
Skuld, though."

	"April has that effect on a lot of immortals," the goddess 
confessed.  "She has a natural way of defusing anger."

	Keiichi nodded and looking into the other room.  April all but 
had Skuld in a headlock, pointing excitedly at a television.  The news 
was on, and replays of April and Belldandy's 'interview' were being 
broadcast on CNNN.  Keiichi watched as the angel's massive wings 
managed to just avoid hitting everything in the room.

	"I can't get over how they never knock anything over," 
he observed.  "Still, her wings sure look better after you healed them, 
Bell.  With all those broken feathers fixed, they really look nice."

	Belldandy crossed her arms and did the best job she had ever 
of looking mad.  "I'm not sure that I like you admiring 
another set of wings that aren't mine," she told him point blank.

	Predictably, Keiichi began stammering and stuttering, trying 
to find a way of taking back any hint of admiring April's wings too 
much.  Letting him squirm for just a few moments more, Belldandy 
relaxed her features into a mischievous smile.  Leaning over and 
wrapping her arms around him, she whispered into his ear.

	"Don't worry, my Keiichi-san," she said.  "I'll give you the 
chance to admire my wings later sufficiently to make up for it."

	Keiichi felt himself weak at the knees and lightheaded.  It 
was always a whirlwind being married to a goddess.

			*	*	*


	It did not take long for Bonnie to get pissed off after waking 
up from a halfway decent nap.  While she had dried off in the warm 
air and sunshine somewhat, her mortal companion was still sleeping it 
off.  To Bonnie's great annoyance, she discovered her immortal guide 
had done just the opposite and downed three entire flasks of something 
that smelled very strong.  With a slack smile plastered on her features, 
Urd lay face down in the grass, totally smashed.

	Bonnie sighed and rubbed her head.  Despite the nap, she felt 
completely wiped out.  Still, the engineer took stock of the world 
around her.  The well and giant tree were the center of the meadow, and 
the well bubbled over merrily.  The waters ran out of the meadow in a 
twinkling stream and disappeared into the dark forests.  Bonnie explored 
the meadow for a little while but found little of interest, which 
disappointed her expectations of Paradise.  After a while, she tried 
exploring the edge of the woods around the meadow, but each time she got 
close, some unseen force gently prevented her from moving forward.  The 
harder she pushed at it, the more firmly it kept her at bay.  Growing 
more frustrated by the minute, Bonnie finally stepped back and drove her 
fingers through the hair at the sides of her head.

	“Just what the hell kinda place is this?” she almost screamed.

	“An old place,” a voice said from somewhere behind her.

	Bonnie whipped around, half-startled.  A little gasp worked 
its way out of her, fading in a small choking sound.  Before her was a 
man.

	A man with a pair of incredibly long wings.

	“But certainly not Hell,” he assured her.  “Though once upon 
a time you could get there from here.”

	Bonnie stood in mute amazement, drinking in the site of the 
angel she saw.  He was tall, but not overly so, with wavy brown hair 
and green eyes.  Dressed in soft colored clothing of no particular 
fashion, missing were the stereo-typical robes and halos and harps and 
divine light and...

	“Michael,” the angel said.

	“Wha-wha, huh, wha?” chattered the dazed engineer.

	“My name,” he repeated with a smile.  “Michael.”

	Knees went from weak to wobbly, and Bonnie plopped to the 
ground more or less like a wet noodle.  Hyperventilating, a peculiar 
mixture of excitement and nausea crossed her face.

	“Y-you mean, *the* Michael?” she quivered.

	Michael smiled.  “What?  They still talk about me down there 
after all this time?” he joked lightly.

	“Holy s-shit!” Bonnie swore loudly.  “No-no!  WAIT!  I 
didn’t mean that!  I’m sorry!  Oh, Christ!!  No-no! WAIT!  I didn’t 
mean that either!!  Oh damn, oh damn!”

	The angel appeared fantastically non-pulsed by Bonnie 
coming unglued.  Little did Bonnie know, but most immortals had 
gone through mortal breakdowns more often than they cared to 
remember.  Michael tried to be a little more understanding than most 
immortals, however.  Gathering his wings carefully behind him, he sat 
down a scant few feet from the panicking Bonnie.

	“Tea?” he asked, more or less gently forcing a cup into her 
trembling hands.

	Slowly taking the cup up to her lips, Bonnie gulped quite a 
fair amount.  Swallowing hard, her face puckered like a prune.  
Coughing and hacking, Bonnie made a face any ogre would have been 
proud of.

	“That’s awful!” she complained in horror.

	Michael nodded in apology.  “Yes, it is,” he agreed.  “Try it 
again.”

	Bonnie looked half-frightened and half-suspicious.

	“It’s really quite good,” assured the angel, taking a sip from 
his own cup.

	Looking down at the steaming beverage in her hands, Bonnie 
examined cautiously.  The cup was plain, but very beautiful at the 
same time.  It was one of those things that tickled the back of her 
awareness for no particular reason.  A quick glance out of the corner 
of Bonnie’s eye revealed Michael pleasantly observing something or 
other in the distance, while taking another drink from his cup.  It was 
a real challenge not to become fixated on his wings.  Instead, Bonnie 
slowly lifted her tea, sniffed it just a bit, and took a small quaff.

	Soothing her mouth in a perfect combination of sweet and 
bitter, the tea dribbled down the back of her throat.  It tasted nothing 
like before.  Closing her eyes, the small of Bonnie’s back arched just a 
tad in slow delight.  It was like drinking...

	“Home,” Bonnie breathed, turning to look at Michael in 
content puzzlement.

	The angel smiled a little.  “Once upon a time, I shared a cup 
of tea with mortals quite often,” he relied.  “I think your description 
of this immortal brew is the most accurate I’ve ever heard... though 
it’s hard to say.  I believe mortals taste things differently than we 
do.  At any rate, it looks like you are no longer nervous about being in 
my presence.”

	Bonnie shifted her bare feet in the grass, looking down.  
There was a growing look of conflict and guilt on her face.

	Michael shook his head knowingly.  “Do not worry about it,” 
he said.

	“H-how do you know what---oh,” she said.  “Right, reading 
my thoughts.”

	“Forgive me.”

	“No problem,” answered Bonnie almost glibly.  “I’m getting 
used to it with her.”

	Bonnie nodded off in the direction of a passed out Urd.

	“But...” she continued slowly.  “I mean, this is kind of a 
shock, I guess.  I mean, I’ve never been religious, and then blamo, 
here is proof sitting in front of me that I should have gone to church!”

	“Why?” the angel asked.

	“W-well,” she stammered a little.  “Isn’t it obvious?  I mean, 
I am guessing that the rest of those angels and everything else in the 
Bible must be real, right?  So, having not believed in all that, I would 
guess I’m sorta... you know... up a creek?”

	Michael looked up into the sky thoughtfully.  “How is it 
mortals put it these days?” he pondered out loud.  “Don’t believe 
everything you read?”

	Bonnie blinked.

	“What I mean, Bonnie,” he explained, “is that just because 
you aren’t Christian doesn’t mean you are out of favor with Him.  
Being Christian doesn’t mean you ARE in His favor. There are a lot 
of other religions out there, a lot of them older than Christianity.  
Does my existence invalidate the rest of those religions?  Not in the 
least.”

	There was a look of knowing in Bonnie’s expression.

	“I think you see this already,” Michael acknowledged.  “I 
think you can remember when you were eight, and you came to the 
conclusion that the ‘devout’ children in your neighborhood wouldn’t 
have been so into the righteousness of their belief had they been born 
to a culture with a different set of religious ideals.  There is 
complete truth in that.”

	“I can, actually,” relied Bonnie in wonderment.  “Those kids 
told me I was going to Hell for not going to church...  You are a real 
archangel, but who is right? I mean, if not Christianity—”

	“Or the Jewish faith for that matter,” he interjected.  
“Remember, I am a product to two divergent cultures.”

	“Yeah,” murmured Bonnie.  “So which one should I be... I 
mean, which one is... right?”

	Michael shook his head.

	“It doesn’t quite work like that,” he explained.  “Every 
immortal is borne of a common belief generated by mortals, if that 
belief lasts long enough.  Myself, the other angels, Urd and the Norns, 
and every other immortal came into existence after their particular 
religions had already been formed.”

	“And those religions?” queried the engineer, leaning towards 
the angel slightly.

	“Your kind came up with them all on their own,” he said.  
“Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the Almighty instilled in 
mortals a sense that He should exist, but the details were all created 
in the minds of your kind.”

	“So we humans create you?” Bonnie gaped.  “For real?”

	“More or less,” Michael agreed.  “I’m sure He has a bit of a 
hand in it as well.”

	“Astounding,” Bonnie whispered.

	“And your next question will be, why doesn’t He do 
something about the way things are down there?” offered the angel.

	“Well...” thought Bonnie, “okay, sure, why not?  Why does the 
Almighty allow suffering and pain and evil?”

	“Why do mortals allow suffering, pain, and evil?” countered 
Michael.

	“Uh... I guess... we’re not good enough to do better.”

	Michael crossed his arms and scratched his chin absently, 
looking thoughtful.

	“Perhaps humans just do what is natural?” he offered.

	Bonnie nodded.  “Sometimes I think that.  I mean, I’ve never 
bought into the whole thing about being good all the time, or that there 
is a devil tempting people... oh wait, is there?”

	The angel looked apologetic.  “Afraid so, but not exactly in 
the way you and other mortals imagine.  Immortals either serve the 
Almighty or the Dark Lord, and we are locked in a constant battle 
with the dark immortals to prevent Armageddon.  It is during these 
matches of wit or strength that mortals sometimes get swept in and 
motivated to great or evil deeds.”

	“And the rest of the time?”  asked Bonnie.

	“The rest of the time mortals motivate themselves into the 
fires of great good or great evil... or great apathy.”

	Bonnie slumped a little.  “Into the fires on our own...”

	Michael looked archly at the human.  “You are disappointed?  
Even surprised?”

	She shook her head.  “No...” she replied.  “I’ve always 
thought our actions come from within... maybe I was just hoping for 
our sake that some big devil was the cause of all of our problems.”

	“Once upon a time, not so long ago, we were all on the mortal 
plane frequently,” the angel said.  “We interacted more with mortals, 
whispered to them, marveled at their life and their devotion to us.  
Horrified at the evil and suffering they imposed upon their own kind... 
but at the same time, it was no less barbaric than some of the greatest 
immortal battles.”

	“Are you a reflection of us?” asked Bonnie in wonderment.

	“Perhaps...”

	“This is all too much to think about,” Bonnie said, putting 
her hands to her temples.

	“At least you don’t have to feel bad about being who you are, 
or let other people make you feel bad.”

	“There is that,” Bonnie smiled.  “Not that I have really ever 
let people do that.”

	Michael nodded in agreement.  Stretching one of his legs, he 
moved his left foot around a bit as if getting the circulation back in 
it.  The whole effort looked almost comical, considering that the notion 
of angels having to regain circulation bordered on the fantastical.  The 
angel noticed Bonnie's staring and paused his efforts.

	“You have a second question,” he noted.

	Bonnie really began to look apprehensive and turned her eyes 
away.  She was wondering exactly how much Michael was gleaning 
from her mind.

	“Only what you let me,” Michael responded, wings flowing 
just a bit.  “And to answer your unspoken question, you may not see 
them.”

	Bonnie sat up straight with an unhappy look.  “But why not?” 
she demanded.  “I mean, they’re here somewhere, right?  In Heaven?”

	As Michael sat impassively, an awful dread poured over 
Bonnie’s face.

	“My parents,” she faltered.  “They’re not in... are they?”

	The angel sighed and shook his head.  “No, they are not in 
Hell,” he replied.  “Nor are they in Limbo or any other immortal 
realm that I am aware of.”

	“So where?” demanded Bonnie almost angrily, the corner of 
her eyes moist.  “Where are they?  Don’t people go to Heaven or Hell 
when they die?”

	“Some do,” Michael said softly.  “They go there or some of 
the other realms not of Earth.  The Almighty has not revealed why, but 
those souls that brought into the immortal realms are somehow 
important to the balance that keeps Armageddon at bay.  These souls 
may eventually be sent back to Earth in another life, usually with no 
memory of anything before.”

	Bonnie sniffed, wiping her nose with a sleeve.  “And those 
who don’t get brought here,” she pushed.  “What happens to them?”

	“Those mortals, such as your parents,” he started to say.  “In 
truth, Bonnie, I do not know the answer to that.  Only He knows, and 
that is a mystery He has chosen not to reveal to us.”

	A woozy look came over the human’s face, her eyes glazing 
over a bit in sadness and disappointment.  The angel’s expression 
softened as he leaned forward and touched the side of Bonnie’s face.  
Bonnie felt a warm sensation spread down her features from his touch, 
calming her nerves.

	“Have a brave heart, Bonnie,” Michael said, stroking her 
cheek.  “It has been lonely and tough for you, I know, but it will not 
always be so.”

	Bonnie’s every muscle wanted to melt at that moment.  The 
intoxicating proximity of the angel pulled at her with an incredible 
intensity, making her ache.  She desired nothing more than for 
Michael to envelop her with his wings and protect her forever in a 
blissful fantasy.  Michael could sense this, as it was a reaction he had 
gotten from countless mortals over ages past.  It made him sad for 
mortals, that they were in such dire need for comfort and happiness in 
their lives, but there was little to be done for it.

	“Come now,” Michael finally spoke, releasing his hold on 
Bonnie.  “I would like you to meet someone.”

	Bonnie looked up with longing at the angel, finding the 
absence of his touch a withdrawal unlike any drug she could ever 
imagine.  Slowly turning her head from side to side around the 
clearing, she tried to see whom Michael might be referring to, but the 
only two she saw were Urd and Sayoko still passed out in the green 
grass.  Without warning, there was a flash of gold right in Bonnie’s 
face.  Feeling a heavy weight suddenly on her chest, she was pushed 
over onto her back with a cry.

	Peeling one eye open with a half-frightened expression, 
Bonnie peered upwards at the creature that was now sitting on her.  It 
was furry, with large paws, whiskers, tufted ears, and very sharp teeth.

	“L-l-l-” she stammered.

	“Lion, yes,” smiled Michael pleasantly.  “Lion cub, to be 
more precise.”

	The cub, its full attention on Bonnie, was busy sniffing her 
face like she was its next meal.  Bonnie had her hands partially up off 
the grass in near panic.

	“He’s just getting to know you,” the archangel assured the 
mortal engineer, whiles patting the cub on the head.  “You’re the first 
mortal he’s ever met.”

	“The p-pleasure’s all his, I’m sure,” Bonnie croaked.  “And 
he’s your friend?”

	The angel nodded.  “Indeed,” Michael replied.  “He’s a very 
young immortal, just brought into existence, and I’m raising him.  As 
a matter of fact, that’s more or less been my job with many of the 
newest immortals the past few centuries.  Apparently, He thinks I 
make a fairly decent nursemaid.”

	Bonnie looked up at the angel, trying to decide if he was 
pulling her leg or not.  The lion cub, satisfied with his inspection of 
Bonnie, continued to sit on her chest without much in the way of 
concern.

	“Um, great,” she finally replied.  “Does he, uh, you know, 
have a name?”

	Michael nodded and looked at the cub for a moment.  The cub 
shook its head with a deep little growl and then sniffed.  Yawning a 
bit, he then stepped off of Bonnie’s chest onto the grass with a heavy 
plod of his paws.  Meandering a ways away, he began a rather noisy 
inspection of the unconscious Urd.  Bonnie watched in fascination.

	“I’m afraid he thinks you’re not ready to know his name yet,” 
Michael answered apologetically.

	“Not ready?” she blinked.

	Michael shook his head.  “Do not worry about it, Bonnie.  He 
is confident that when the time comes during your journey, you will 
know what to call him.”

	The cub was now busy licking Urd’s face, rocking her head 
slightly with each rough tongued pass.

	“My journey,” Bonnie repeated.  “You mean... he’s joining 
us?”

	“I’m afraid so,” Michael smiled apologetically.  “He’s at the 
age where curiosity often runs him to distraction.”

	There was a muffled groan from Sayoko, drawing both 
Bonnie and the angel’s attention.  Shifting weakly in the luxurious 
meadow grasses, the smashed woman lifted her head blearily.  There 
was something unpleasant where her mouth had been laying.

	“Lovely,” muttered Bonnie.  “I was wondering if she was ever 
going to come around.”

	The lion cub turned his attention away from Urd and plodded 
over towards Sayoko, who was still moving like a dying fish.  Stopping 
just short of the human, the cub jerked his head back suddenly with a 
pinched looked on his features.

	“I’m afraid your friend’s aroma disagrees with our little lion,” 
Michael remarked.

	There was a disgruntled growl from the cub.

	“My apologies, of course,” the angel answered seriously.

	“Something wrong?” asked a puzzled Bonnie.

	The angel’s wings shifted.  “He doesn’t like being called 
little,” he whispered in a conspiratorial tone.  “Even so, his other 
point is well taken; there is quite a darkness following your friend’s 
spirit.”

	“She’s not my friend,” Bonnie sniffed.  “I just dragged her 
along because I think I need her for something.  But, you could be 
right about the darkness thing... I think she was trying to commit 
suicide when Urd and I bumped into her at the train station.”

	Michael stood up slowly and dusted his hands off, despite the 
fact there did not seem to be any dust anywhere to be seen.  He moved 
away from Bonnie and kneeled down beside Sayoko.

	“This one has been trying to end her life for some time, I 
fear,” he said.  “But in the end, poisoning her own body wasn’t quick 
enough, or so it would seem...”

	Outstretching his hands, the archangel concentrated and 
whispered something that Bonnie could not make any sense out of.  
From Michael's outstretched fingers, a light shone quickly for a 
moment, and then was gone.  Lying on the grass, Sayoko began to 
move a little in a slow fashion.  Bonnie was amazed to see that all 
traces of whatever the Japanese woman had sicked up were gone 
completely.  In fact, Sayoko's face and clothes were clean and totally 
fresh, the holes in her stockings mended, and delicate shoes 
mysteriously covered her feet.  Michael nodded a touch and stood up 
slowly.

	"She should feel better when she wakes up in a few minutes," 
he mentioned to Bonnie.  "I have blocked away the addiction Sayoko 
has for alcohol, but it is only temporary.  In time, the impulse to 
drink will return to her."

	"Good, because I think we need her... for something," replied 
Bonnie. 

	"Perhaps," Michael shrugged.  "I feel I should warn you that 
your intervention upon Sayoko's behalf with Thanatos, while 
admirable and brave, has not endeared you to him.  Be wary, for he is 
an immortal very much living in the old ways from thousands of years 
ago.  I fear he will seek Sayoko again."

	Bonnie could only nod.  It was just something else to put up 
on the list of things way to fantastical to worry about at the moment.  
So much had happened in such a short time, she was almost certain she 
had been in her townhouse back in Alexandria not five minutes before.  
At least it seemed that way.  And as Bonnie thought more about it, she 
had hardly questioned anything at all, blindly following Urd with little 
more than a half-hearted protest from time to time.

	“I believe that is referred to as faith, if you'll pardon my 
reading you thoughts again,” agreed Michael.  “But come, this is not 
the real reason I am here.  It seems we have a common friend in a 
Norn named Belldandy.  She is why I am here.”

	“You’re here because of Belldandy?” she asked.

	“Quite so,” he replied.  “I raised Belldandy, Urd, and their 
sister Skuld in their recent reincarnation.  Because of that, I have 
quite a close relationship with all three, and I enjoy aiding them 
whenever possible.  Belldandy asked that I investigate the second soul 
you seem to be carrying, that is if you’ll allow me to do so.”

	Bonnie simply nodded.  “This has something to do with my 
wish, right?”

	“I would think so,” agreed Michael.  “Though to be honest, I 
can not say for certain.”

	“Well, I guess it would be something of a relief to know a 
little bit more about this other soul I’m supposedly carrying around in 
me,” she admitted.

	There was a rustling sound as Sayoko managed to push 
herself up into a sitting position not far away.  The little lion cub 
was sitting in front of the Japanese woman with just a touch of  interest.

	Michael stood up, his magnificent wings rippling softly.  
Bonnie was again mesmerized by how fluid and natural they looked on 
the back of a human figure.

	"Let us attend to your newfound friend," the angel offered.  "I 
believe the two of you have yet to be properly introduced, and she will 
be just a bit confused, would you not agree?"

	Bonnie could only shake her head, her short brown hair 
tumbling into her face.

	There was a smile on the angel's features.  "We'll deal with 
Sayoko, then see to this small matter of your tag-along soul."

	The angel the moved over to the wide-eyed Sayoko.  With a 
disinterested and gruff growl, the lion cub moved off to explore 
something more interesting.

	Rubbing her eyes wearily, Bonnie wandered over to introduce 
herself to the once-drunk Japanese woman.

			*	*	*


	Somewhere in the shopping district of Hell, Nagle the 
Daemon stepped out of a Radio Shock store with a satisfied look on his 
face.  Looking at a device in his hand, he adjusted the digital display 
on his demon finder.  It was like a GPS that could be personalized for 
tracking other immortals throughout the various realms.  
Inside the little device was a mini-tracking demon that Nagle could 
tune in to any demon he desired.  And right now, that demon was 
Mara.

	Nagle fiddled with the gadget for a few moments, ignoring a 
pair of drunk mortals who staggered by, using their weekend furlow 
from damnation to further delve into vice.  After all, it was not like 
being good during their brief respite from damnation was going to 
make their stay for eternity in Hell any shorter, so why bother?

	Twiddling with the demon tracker, Nagle finally got the 
result he was looking for.  On the digital display, a rather wicked 
looking mini-demon pointed in a direction off to Nagle's left.  Not 
showing any distance, the daemon had no idea how far he would have 
to travel, but at least he had a guide.  With a greasy smile, he headed 
off in the direction the tracking device was pointing, shoving past a 
couple of tourist demons from the second level of Hell.

	'Promotion, here I come!' he though eagerly to himself.

			*	*	*

	Bonnie felt nothing during the entire time the angel, Michael, 
delved into her very being.  The only sensation she could discern was 
the pleasant touch of his fingertips to her temples.  It was a touch 
Bonnie would later admit to herself could have gone on forever if she 
had been allowed any say in the matter.

	For his part, the angel's features grew drawn and troubled the 
longer he explored the nature of the second soul residing within 
Bonnie.  His eyes closed and drawing on the magical powers endowed 
to him, Michael sought to coax the mysterious soul's truth out into the 
light.  Sitting off a short distance, Sayoko and the lion cub were 
silent.  They both watched for what seemed endless moments, until 
Michael very slowly removed his fingertips from Bonnie and opened his 
eyes.

	Michael looked tired as his features slowly fell.  There was a 
terrible sadness in his wonderful eyes that seemed to reach from across 
years that a mortal could not begin to understand.  Bonnie and Sayoko 
watched in fascination, wondering what was going on.  Off to one side 
of the immortal meadow, the lion cub watched without expression.  
The angel turned away from the humans and let his eyes fall on the 
sleeping Urd.

	“I understand now,” murmured Michael.  “I see why you are 
all brought together.”

	“Please, sir,” entreated Sayoko gently.  “Please tell us what is 
wrong.”

	“Yes,” agreed a still shaken Bonnie.  “What d-did you see 
inside me?”

	The angel gathered himself.  “I saw a soul,” he replied 
slowly.  “A soul that seeks a right to an immortal injustice so 
horrible, it drowns the spirit to even remember it.”

	“An injustice?” whispered Bonnie.  “What kind of injustice?”

	“An injustice twofold,” Michael answered.  “Of mortal 
against mortal, and immortal against immortal.  You see, hundreds of 
years ago, in what you would call the Middle Ages, it was still common 
for immortals to walk amongst you on Earth.”

	Michael drew himself up straight, and half folded his wings 
around him for warmth, even though the immortal meadow was quite 
comfortable.  The chill of memory made him cold.

	“We walked amongst you, and wondered at your lives,” he 
said.  “We spoke to you as visions and as oracles.  Some of us even 
interacted directly with mortals, which set the stage for the tragedy of 
the soul within you.”

	Overhead, through openings in the thick tree canopy, clouds began 
to form rapidly, darkening.

	“There was an angel,” continued Michael.  “He let himself be 
seen by a simple young woman, a poor peasant in mortal society.  In 
her happiness, she let others know of her visitations with the angel.  
To her horror the ruling religious class of the time tortured and burned 
her alive for what they called heresy.”

	Bonnie and Sayoko sat in enthralled silence, not noticing the 
darkening immortal skies.

	The angel plowed on, eyes fixed nowhere in particular.  
“They burned her alive, and the angel was not there to save her.  
When he found out, a great sadness overcame him.  Withering in 
despair, his wings darkened to a sickly gray.  The despair hung about 
him like chains, dragging him to the depths of Hell.”

	Sayoko now looked grim, her eyes narrowing.  Bonnie put a 
hand to her breast and felt her heart hammering.  There was 
something familiar to this story, like she had heard it before, but 
could not remember any part of it clearly.  The forest meadow was now 
very dark and the trees shook in agitation.  Bonnie felt a heavy nudge 
against her arm as the lion cub pushed his sizable form into her lap.

	“A fallen angel?” whispered Bonnie.

	“Indeed, dearest,” nodded Michael, his robes swaying in the 
wind.  “Captured by the chief executive of Hell, Lucifer, and doomed 
to endless torture and torment in the domain of the Dark Lord.”

	The blackened immortal skies culminated in a savage 
thunderclap, as the entire forest seemed to sigh and moan in grief.  
After several moments of this, the wind died down and the forests fell 
silent.  Overhead, the skies began to slowly thin.

	Michael looked directly at the two women.  “To speak of this 
terrible event,” he said unhappily, “brings about just such a reaction 
in our immortal realm.  Every time, an evil reaction in our skies.  As 
such, almost all of the immortals have driven the fate of our brother 
angel from their minds completely.”

	Bonnie wrapped her arms around the cub protectively, 
eliciting a small growl.

	“And this woman who was burned,” she said incredulously.  
“This woman’s soul... is inside me?”

	“The very same, Bonnie,” Michael replied.

	“Well, what... what does this have to do with my wish?” she 
demanded with an edge of hysteria in her voice.  “And why is she in 
ME?”

	“I do not know,” said Michael.  “But I can only think the 
Almighty has chosen you to help right this injustice.  That the 
Ultimate Force sent Urd to guide you strengthens my feelings in this 
matter.”

	“Ultimate Force? Guide me?” demanded Bonnie.  “Urd?  
You’re kidding!  She hasn’t done anything at all except to drag me all 
over the damn place, half the time drunk!  How can she possible guide 
me?”

	Sayoko thoughtfully put a finger to her chin.  "Now that you 
mention it," she said.  "Urd is quite a drinker... almost as bad as..."

	Not finishing her sentence, Sayoko instead became deeply 
troubled, turning away from Bonnie and Michael.  The angel shook 
his head and looked at Bonnie.

	"Shall I tell you a story, Bonnie MacMaster?" he asked.

	Bonnie shrugged unhappily.  "That's about all you've been 
doing the past while here, hasn't it?"

	"Indulge me one last time," Michael pleaded gently.  "You 
may not fully appreciate the position of Urd and her sisters, but you 
will have some understanding of why Urd is as she is.

	"Long ago, before I came into existence, there were already 
many immortals.  Strong among these for many centuries were the 
immortals of the northlands of Europe.  From a desolate land and 
harsh landscape came a people you would recognize as Norsemen.  
They carried with them beliefs in many gods and goddesses, all of 
which had constant interaction with their everyday world."

	"You're talking about gods like... Odin, and Thor, aren't 
you?"

	"That is correct, Bonnie," he answered.  "Though there are 
many more in the Norse tradition, including Urd and her two sisters."

	"I've never heard of them before," she admitted, looking at 
the wasted goddess.

	"They are not names known by many, though certainly they 
are not mysteries to your literature.  The sisters were those of the 
Norse people chosen to tend the life tree, Yggdrasil, which they do to 
this day.  Fate, Necessity, and Being, but you know them as Urd, 
Verdandi, and Skuld."

	"Verdandi?" blinked Bonnie. "Belldandy?"

	"Phonetic shift comes upon us all in time," the archangel 
remarked drolly.  "Collectively, they were known as the Norns, and it 
was said by the Norsemen that no one escaped the prophecy of the 
Norns, for they shaped the fate of all at the time of their birth."

	"Like the Greek fates?" Bonnie asked.

	"Similar, but with other aspects," Michael nodded.  "Skuld 
was the goddess of Being, the future.  Additionally, she was greatest of 
the valkyries, and led them into battle.  Belldandy was the goddess of 
Necessity, the present, and Urd was the goddess of Fate, the past."

	"Urd is the goddess of the past?"

	"More accurately, as the dark destiny and it's result; death," he replied.

	"Death?" shivered Sayoko.  "No wonder Urd's always given 
me the creeps."

	"Together, they wove the fabric of destiny," the angel explained.  
"Their power was great, as in Norse society they decided the destiny of 
all humans and the laws of cosmos."

	Michael paused for a moment and considered that.  Shaking his head, he continued.

	"I said before that we immortals are born of human belief, but 
that belief can also mold our personalities.  Back in an age where 
humans were relatively few this was especially so.  Urd and her sisters 
allowed the beliefs of the Norsemen, as did many of the older gods, to 
influence their traits and personalities.  Take this well for 
example..."

	Bonnie and Sayoko moved forward to get a better view of the 
fountain that bubbled over, feeding the great tree at its base.

	"It's name is the Well of the Fates, sometimes also called 
Urd's Fountain.  It was here for centuries that Urd, Belldandy, and 
Skuld would meet the some of the souls of the dead and judge them.  If 
they were judged worthy, they were allowed to enter Valhalla.  If not, 
they were sent through the well into the domain of Hell."

	"We came up through that well..." murmurred Bonnie.

	"Indeed," Michael nodded. "You are fortunate Urd could still remember the way."

	"Why wouldn't she be able to?" asked Sayoko.  "You said it 
was her well."

	"Take a close look at the engravings on the well," he replied.

	As the two women peered at the stone carvings that adorned 
the well, Michael nodded.

	"Most of those markings," he explained, "are thousands of 
years old.  They are ancient Celtic and other pagan symbols that was 
the language of belief of the northern peoples.  But look there..."

	Running a hand over the worn stones of the flowing well, the 
archangel let his fingers rest on a symbol much that was instantly 
recognizable to Bonnie.  The crystal waters that spilled from the Well 
of Fates caused it to glisten moistly.

	"A... a cross," Bonnie said simply, identifying the icon.  
"Why is it there?"

	Sayoko wandered around the well a few steps, examining the 
surface more closely.

	"There are more on this side, I think," she reported to no one 
in particular.

	Michael inhaled and let his breath out slowly.  "What you see 
in the stone is the beginning of the end of the Norse gods.  Not so long 
ago in your history, Christianity began to make its way into the 
northlands of Europe.  The land was hard, and full of myth and 
ancient traditions, but the missionaries were tenacious."

	Bonnie nodded with a shrug.  She had read a little European 
history in high school.  She had even researched a little about pagan 
traditions now and again, through investigation of her Scott-Irish 
heritage.  What she remembered, however, was that Christianity had 
not had much success in wholly converting the native people of the 
north.

	"The missionaries had a hard time swaying people from their 
pagan traditions," she murmured.  "From what I've read, that's why 
many pagan customs or rituals were made part of the Christian faith."

	"Why did these missionaries have such a hard time?" Sayoko 
asked.

	Bonnie stepped back from the well.  "I guess," she said, "that 
my ancestors were comfortable with their beliefs, so maybe the 
missionaries needed to make conversion to Christianity a little more 
inviting.  So they made it where the pagans got to keep several key 
rituals, but celebrated in conjunction with Christian events."

	"Sounds like a troublesome effort to go through," Sayoko 
frowned, her arms crossed.  "So, what does this have to do with Urd?"

	Michael put his hand on Sayoko's shoulder and squeezed it 
gently.  "Quite a bit, I'm afraid.  You see, as we immortals are a 
reflection of mortal belief, so are the attributes of Paradise and Hell.  
The Well of the Fates is no exception.  Would it surprise you to know 
that for countless years, the stones had only the markings of the 
northlanders?"

	The connections began to piece themselves together in 
Bonnie's mind.  Crouching down once again, she draped her fingers 
over the pagan symbols.  The stone was weathered and cool, with a 
feathered coating of moss in the shaded recesses.

	"So as the influences of Christianity grew, the pagan beliefs 
waned?" she asked, looking up at the angel.

	"Correct," Michael confirmed.  "And as that happened, the 
well changed parts of its appearance to reflect those influences.  But 
it was not only the well that was affected.  So too were the Norse gods, 
as well as many gods in the Germanic and Celtic traditions."

	"They lost those who believed in them," the engineer mused.  
"Didn't they?"

	"Yes, Bonnie," the archangel answered sadly.  "And that is 
the tragedy of the older gods.  While we are not born to be the mirror 
reflection of the mortal belief that created us, we draw upon that 
belief heavily.  Should that belief ever wane, as in the case of the 
north European gods, so will the spirit of those immortals."

	"What happens to them?" asked Sayoko.

	"Most simply spend many generations waiting with the hope 
that the mortal belief that created them will grow strong again," he 
replied.  "Eventually, they spiral into a deep despair from which they 
simply will themselves out of existence."

	"Like... suicide?" the Japanese woman whispered.

	Michael looked steadily at Sayoko, with understanding and 
passing no judgement.  

	"In a sense," was all he said.

	Sayoko grew pale and wavered slightly, her arms trembling 
just a tiny bit.  The archangel reached out to steady her, but Sayoko 
pushed his hands away and spun about rapidly.  Wrapping her arms 
around her body, she began to wander off a small distance away.  
Reappearing from the edges of the immortal meadow, the lion cub 
padded off after her in curiosity.

	The archangel turned to Bonnie.  "Such was the fate of the 
Norse gods.  Those whose names you might recognize... Odin, Thor, 
Fraya, and many more... they are no more.  A very few fell into a deep 
slumber from which no amount of coaxing would raise them.  It is said 
they will sleep until their ways are adopted again by great numbers of 
your kind on Midgard, or until Ragnarok shakes them awake."

	Bonnie felt strangely quiet.  Looking at the sleeping Urd, she 
imagined what it would be like to drop into a coma, never to wake 
until the world was ready to be destroyed.  Another obvious 
observation struck her suddenly.

	"So why are--?" she started to ask.

	"Why are Urd and her sisters still here?" Michael finished her 
question.  "Why, when all of their history and traditions from many 
centuries ago have fallen to the wayside?  Perhaps it is because of all 
the Norse gods, the Norns had the greatest sense of purpose.  Their 
being in life was in large part to sustain Yggdrasil, the life tree. 
And even though the life tree has changed in its aspect to reflect the 
new age, the need for tending it has not."

	"You said it was Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld's responsibility to 
look over this Yggdrasil," Bonnie said.  "So I guess what you're saying 
is they had a purpose to keep them from falling into that despair you 
were talking about."

	"Almost," conceded Michael.  "All aspects of Paradise change 
with time, and the Life Tree is no exception.  The three sisters, and 
several other Norns, managed to sustain themselves despite the decline 
of their mortal belief.  However, not long before your birth, Bonnie, 
Yggdrasil underwent a change to reflect the new age on Midgard.  For 
reasons we immortals do not even understand, the Life Tree 
transformed itself, integrating with what you would refer to as a 
massive network of mystical servers and programs."

	"Excuse me?" blinked Bonnie.

	"I know it seems fantastical-"

	"Try crazy," she interrupted.

	"--to believe," Michael continued.  "As I said, we do not 
understand why the Life Tree chose this new form, but it did.  This 
was, unfortunately, the last blow all the Norns, including the three 
sisters, could take.  In many ways, the unchanging nature of Yggdrasil 
had kept them satisfied, if not somewhat melancholy.  In the space of 
one day, however, the last thing they had from their own time was 
changed forever."

	"You make it sound like something bad happened right after 
that," Bonnie mumbled, not sure if she wanted to really know anything 
more about Urd.  Maybe part of her was worried that she might start to 
sympathize with the goddess.  After all, it was so much easier to find 
fault with her brash and drunken behavior.

	"They despaired, as you might imagine," said the archangel.  
"They wished nothing more to will themselves out of existence, I am 
certain.  But the Life Tree was still here, as it will be until the 
Ragnarok, and it needed tenders.  You see, Bonnie, the Norns were 
great friends of mine.  I admired them and their ways, as they had 
been in this world long before me or my brethren angels."

	"What happened?"

	"I spoke with the Almighty," replied Michael in an offhand 
manner, as if he had spoken with a bank teller.  "I asked him was 
there anything that could be done to save the existence of the Norns, to 
save them from despair.  His answer was to allow the Norns to be 
reborn, if they so chose.  The Almighty would also block the memories 
of their previous lives, so they might not be haunted by the past.  They 
would be reborn, grow up as immortals again, and learn the new ways 
of the Life Tree."

	"He could do that?" Bonnie asked, notably impressed.

	"He is the Almighty, after all," Michael reproached with just 
the hint of a smile.  "There was a condition placed upon this, of 
course.  He is ever so fond of His conditions, I think.  You see, not 
only was I responsible for raising and tending to the Norns after their 
rebirth, but I would also be responsible for unlocking their memories 
should ever the need arise."

	"They have no memory of their former lives?" she pressed.

	"Just the faintest of whispers, I believe," admitted the 
archangel.  "Enough so they can perform their duties with Yggdrasil.  
But it most ways, they are ignorant of their past.  And yet, it remains 
a shadow over them that they do not fully understand."

	"What kind of shadow?"

	"Traits in them from their previous lives," he said.  "For 
example, Skuld would frequently get frustrated with the fates that Urd 
wove in ages past and tear them up.  That manifests now in fierce 
arguments and fights the two still endure, without really knowing why.  
There are other nuances as well.  Skuld continues to look to the future, 
enveloped in the need to explore new technologies.  Belldandy 
continues to live in the moment, content with the simplest of daily 
activities and fiercely protective of the world around her so it may be 
preserved as long as possible."

	"And Urd?" asked Bonnie, shifting her feet slightly.

	"Urd is perhaps the most unfortunate of the three," 
acknowledged Michael.  "Where Skuld looks to the future and 
Belldandy lives in the moment, Urd must always reflect upon the past.  
She is fated to reflect for eternity on faded memories, regrets, lost 
loves, remembrances of fleeting happiness worn away by the passage 
of time... and ultimately, the destiny of death itself."

	"The dark destiny and its result," Bonnie echoed quietly.

	"This aspect of Urd's nature follows and influences her 
always," said the archangel.  "It takes whatever joy she may find in 
this world and taints it slowly, without exception.  Perhaps it is a 
particular irony that alcohol, which currently sustains her powers on 
Midgard, is also the destructive avenue by which she can dull the ache 
of her destiny."

	"Destructive..." said the American.  "Surely, alcohol can not 
hurt her, can it?  Not like Sayoko, since she's an immortal, right?"

	"No, but it can and frequently does hurt those she is closest 
to," the archangel said with some regret.  "So now you have what very 
few in this or other words have, Bonnie, and that is some 
understanding of Urd's behavior and why she is as she is."

	"How terrible, to see everything you know fall away," Bonnie 
admitted in a quiet voice.

	"You can appreciate that," Michael nodded.

	Bonnie paused and then looked up suddenly, her face clouded.

	"What difference does it make what I can or can't 
appreciate?" she demanded.  "It doesn't change the fact I still want 
nothing to do with this!"

	"I know you did not ask for this, dearest.  I also know you are 
unsure of everything you have seen.  But, I am afraid that will not be 
an option you may have for long, Bonnie," Michael sighed.  "The soul 
within you is slowly awakening.  Within you, the woman who was 
burned so long ago senses the opportunity to resolve her past.  Her will 
shall strengthen over time."

	"What are you saying?" Bonnie snapped, her temper rapidly 
growing short.  "Stop trying to soften the blow and tell me the whole 
truth!"

	"Very well," he replied sadly.  "The truth is the soul within 
you, once fully awakened, has the power to push aside your thoughts 
and actions.  Inevitably, it shall try to do so.  However, unless you 
are a willing partner to such a union, your body will not function 
smoothly as it does now.  Your soul will fruitlessly struggle against 
hers within your body.  In that time, you will be unable to defend 
yourself against the agents of darkness that surely are rising to move 
against your cause."

	"My cause!" Bonnie almost screamed.  "This is not my cause!  
I don't HAVE a cause!  I want nothing to do with this!  And now 
you're saying if I don't go along, I'll be forced into it by this - this 
soul that's squatting inside me?  Forced into going into Hell, I bet?  
Just what does that have to do with my wish?  Was that just to sucker 
me into coming here?!"

	"Miss Bonnie," Sayoko tried to begin, having returned with 
the lion cub, still somewhat unnerved by her surroundings.  The fact 
that the American was now working herself up into a tirade did not 
make Sayoko feel anymore at ease.

	"You stay out of this!" Bonnie retorted with an acid tongue.  
"And you, archangel!  If this soul and fallen angel mean so much to 
you, why don't you and everyone else in this so-called Paradise just go 
and get him?  If you're all so great and powerful, why don't you do 
what this soul wants instead of trying to force humans to rescue this 
angel for you?"

	"Because, on the day that the heavenly host or the minions of 
hell step into one another's domain, then all the world shall be cracked 
asunder and Ragnarok begin," he replied without emotion.  "It is the 
law that keeps the forces of Paradise and Hell from waging an all out 
war.  A war that, if it were to take place, would surely destroy your 
world."

	"And just how the hell am I supposed to accomplish this, 
then?" the engineer demanded.

	Michael folded his hands together.  "You will have Sayoko as a 
companion, for without her, your cause will surely fail, though I do not 
know why.  Should you, Sayoko not follow Bonnie, Thanatos will surely 
find you again, and soon."

	Sayoko paled noticeably, but made no comment.

	"The lion cub will be of help, and you will have Urd to guide you--"

	Bonnie countered with heat in he voice, "You said yourself 
gods can't enter Hell, not without starting the end of the world!  How 
can Urd do anything?"

	Michael paused and took everything patiently.  It was a lot to 
ask of any mortal to risk their life in a journey to Hell.  It was even 
worse that a mortal would be forced into it.  For that reason, he could 
weather Bonnie's outbursts and anger.  Perhaps that was why the 
Almighty had set the archangel up by way of events to be here now, 
delivering such a fate to a mortal.

	"Urd is the possible exception to us all," the angel finally 
spoke.  "Her mother was a demon of great strength, and her father an 
ancient god of Paradise in a time when humans were very few in 
Midgard.  Because of her heritage, Urd alone among the immortals in 
Paradise may be able to enter Hell without starting the end of the 
world.  The lion cub will not be able to go beyond the gates of Hell, though."

	The cub growled as if he had another opinion of the matter.

	"Lovely," fumed the engineer.  "Just bloody hell lovely."

	"The Ultimate Force will make all clear in the end," was all 
Michael could say.
	
	The archangel wished there was more he could do for Bonnie 
and Sayoko, but it was not his place to fight for the return of his 
brethren in Hell.  There was one thing left to do, however.

	"Unfortunately, in this state, Urd will not be able to fully help 
you," he continued, moving away from Bonnie and walking towards 
the passed out goddess.  "She will need to draw on experiences and 
ancient knowledge that was hidden from her at the time of her 
rebirth."

	"You're going to do that?" blinked Sayoko, watching the 
angel move towards Urd.  "I, uh... didn't you say that was bad?  What 
about the whole despair thing?"

	"Yes," agreed Michael.  "That, and while Urd can enter Hell without 
starting Ragnarok, her passage into that domain will not be without 
repercussion.  The moment Urd steps beyond the Gates of Hell, the 
world will still tremble, and many evils that have been long 
imprisoned may have the chance to escape."

	"At what point does this just all seem like a bad idea?" 
demanded Bonnie.

	Michael ignored the engineer.  "While Urd will need her 
memories to help you in your quest, so will Belldandy and Skuld need 
their memories to deal with the perhaps the greatest of the ancient 
evils that is still imprisoned.  It is from their own past that this 
evil originates, and they must be the ones to deal with it."

	"So you have to unlock their memories as well?" Sayoko 
queried.  "Any chance she'll dump Keiichi?"

	"If you heed nothing else I say, miss Sayoko," Michael replied 
gently, "give up your fantasy for Keiichi.  You have not the power to 
disrupt the Ultimate Force, and you will only dash yourself into 
oblivion trying."

	"Hey, it was just a joke," she pouted, trying to convince 
herself that was what it really was.

	"Urd is the key, isn't she?" Bonnie asked suddenly, her anger 
momentarily abated.  "I mean, before her sisters could remember 
something, the past has to be unlocked, and Urd is the past."

	"Yes, Bonnie," nodded Michael as he knelt beside the 
sleeping goddess.  "You are correct.  Fate leads to Necessity, and 
Necessity shapes the Being.  Past to the present, present to the future.  
So it is with Urd and her sisters."

	Resting a hand on Urd's forehead, Michael brushed back 
some of the beautiful goddesses stray hair from her face.  Speaking so 
softly that the two human women could not hear, the archangel drew 
the power from within himself and wove it into Urd.  The lion cub 
meandered over and watched the process with interest as Urd's color 
and condition improved dramatically, all signs of her drinking binge 
evaporating.  Within moments she was awake.

	"Ugh," she complained thickly.  "That was a pretty strange 
dream... I met this boring human, she flubbed a wish, and I had to take 
her through the back alleys into Paradise."

	"I am afraid your dream is something more akin to reality, 
Urd," Michael said quietly.

	"Huh," blinked Urd.  "Michael, is that you?  What are you 
doing here?  Haven't seen you in a while... How's the old robe 
hanging?"

	Urd looked around and spied Bonnie and Sayoko.  "Damn, 
guess I wasn't dreaming."

	"Goddess Urd," Michael interrupted.  "Please forgive me for 
that which I am about to do."

	Urd looked around blankly.  "Eh?  I thought you weren't into 
that kind of thing, Michael," she noted suggestively.  "This is kind of 
a public place for a come-on, though, don't you think?"

	The archangel rolled his eyes slightly but otherwise ignored 
her.  "The Almighty left it within my power to decide when your 
memories, and those of your sisters should be unlocked, Urd," he said.  
"And while it has scarcely been three mortal decades since your 
rebirth, that time has come, and I hope you will understand."

	"What are you babbling about, Michael?" asked Urd, sitting 
up in the grass.

	Michael stopped her with the touch of his hand to her 
temples.  Bonnie shivered, remembering with some longing just what 
it felt like to have the angel lay his hands on her.  Urd sat frozen 
under the archangels gentle touch, silent and unmoving.

	"The bonds of the Ultimate Force have been true," whispered 
Michael, once again drawing power within him.  "The Norns have had 
their former lives kept hidden, as decreed by the Almighty.  The need 
has arisen for that contract which the Ultimate Force has kept to be 
broken.  I am His instrument, and under His authority alone am I able 
to call this contract, once and forever more, cancelled!"

	To Bonnie and Sayoko, who had been watching a brilliant 
energy envelop the two immortals, the release of that power was 
strangely anticlimactic.  There was no noise, no flash of light, and 
bits of things were not flying about in the air as they had in Bonnie's 
apartment after she made her wish.  Michael simply removed his 
hands and the energy dissipated.

	"Remember," he whispered again to Urd.  "Be free to 
remember the sweetness and regret of your memories, dear Urd."

	Urd's look of bemused puzzlement drained away slowly, like 
oil paints on a canvas that had been doused in water.  The goddess 
edged away from the archangel slowly, her hands trembling.  Shaking 
slightly, Urd mouthed something, but was unable to articulate it.

	Finally finding her voice, thick with emotion, Urd whispered, 
"Damn you, Michael."

	Throwing her head back, the goddess then let out a keening 
wail that sent a pulse of energy out in radiating waves.  Bonnie and 
Sayoko struggled to keep standing, and even Michael had to readjust 
his footing.  Releasing her cry fully, Urd bent over, put her head in 
her hands, and began to weep bitterly.

	They all stood around her very quietly for some time, 
watching Urd sob.  For reasons they could not explain, each of them 
knew no amount of comfort would bring Urd any release 
from her pain.

			*	*	*


	It was late in the afternoon, and another snow shower was 
falling at the Morisato residence.  Belldandy stood at the kitchen 
counters, pouring over a recipe book.  Though in her new life with 
Keiichi, cooking was certainly not the end all be all of her existence, 
being the Goddess of the Present allowed her to take the pleasure of 
the moment, despite how mundane the task might be.

	The household had quieted down noticeably in the past few 
hours.  Skuld had stalked back off to Asgard, still smarting from Urd's 
promotion and April's rough enthusiasm.  As for the angel, she was in 
the temple grounds attempting with varying amounts of success to 
master the art of snowmen.  Belldandy, after much convincing, trial 
and error, and limitless patience, had shown April how to hide her 
wings while on Midgard.  Though the angel had been suspicious of 
this, her trusting nature and Belldandy's persistence finally gave way.

	Without warning Belldandy stood straight up, her spine 
arched and tensed.  A powerful force of energy moved through her 
body and into her mind.  Too stunned to even move, much less cry out, 
Belldandy stood frozen as the force invaded her thoughts.

	There was a click inside her mind, as if a switch had been 
thrown.  She stood that way for quite some time, not moving as the sun 
went down behind the snow covered treetops.

	"Oh, Michael," she said sadly to herself.

			*	*	* 


	The terminal was smashed.  LED's flashed sporadically under 
shattered glass and plastic.  Warning lights and audio messages were 
being repeated as Yggdrasil automatically routed around the damaged 
terminal.  Streams of source code ran down the monitor, which 
flickered on and off like a dying insect in a bug zapper.

	Before the ruined terminal, Skuld stood with her fists pushed 
into the interface.  Whether she had injured herself was not apparent, 
because Skuld was focused somewhere far away.  Ignoring the 
warnings from the system, the goddess stared off into space, retracing 
memories that she had not had seconds before.  Several other 
Yggdrasil coders arrived into the terminal room with looks of shock 
on their faces, complaining loudly to Skuld.

	She ignored them all.

			*	*	*


	The wave of energy that raced outward across Asgard from 
the Norns' resurfacing memories did not go unnoticed by another 
ancient god from the north.  He had slept for centuries, since when the 
decline of his mortal civilization had been spiraling out of control.  
He had decided he would not be like the others, like Odin and the rest.  
He would not will himself out of existence.  Rather, he would sleep 
and await a time when events on Midgard, be it Ragnarok or some 
other event, stirred him from his sleep.  The reawakening of the Norns, 
however, was just enough to rouse him.

	Slowly, in a secluded part of Asgard, the trickster opened his 
eyes.  Looking around his surroundings slowly, the first thing he 
observed was the close surroundings of the cave he had placed himself in 
centuries before. The second thing he observed was a thick layer of 
moss that now covered him almost completely.

	"Thought it was warm in here," he said drolly through a voice 
thick with sleep.

	Pushing himself out from layers and ages of time, the Norse 
god Loki rose unsteadily to his feet and walked out into the bright 
light of Paradise.

			*	*	*


	There was a place where times of old were not forgotten.  
Indeed, memories seethed and boiled, waiting for the moment of 
release that would bring terrible action.

	Threading through a labyrinth of underground passageways, 
chasms, and caverns, ghostly sets of eyes moved with viscous 
eagerness.  The dark of the nether world was no impedance to the 
groups of wolves that raced heavy and panting, steam pouring off their 
coats in the humid subterranean air.  Finally, a mile deep within the 
Earth, the pack came upon a large grotto where many other wolves lay 
resting.

	Their sudden arrival caused a great stir of activity within the 
large room.  Passing all the other wolves, the largest of the newly 
arrived pack moved to the center of the cavern where a great rock sat.  
Attached to the rock in many links and loops was a soft thin ribbon.  
The ribbon was fashioned of six peculiar elements: the footstep of cat, 
the roots of a mountain, a woman’s beard, the breath of fishes, the 
sinews of a bear, and a bird’s spittle.  It was incredibly strong and 
had been fashioned by the Nordic Dwarves of Old.

	Its name was Gleipnir, and it had but one purpose: to prevent 
Ragnarok.

	On the other end of Gleipnir, a massive monster lay on the 
ground, the ribbon tied around its neck.  In the shape of a wolf, the 
beast had a razor sharp sword in its jaws that prevented it from biting.  
The Norse gods had used the ribbon and the sword through trickery to 
subdue the beast, as they had feared him greatly.  He was the eldest 
child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda.

	He was Fenris, and prophecy stated he would signal the end 
of the world.

	The lead wolf that reached Fenris prostrated itself before the 
wolf god.  Getting back to its four paws, the smaller wolf then 
communicated what it and the pack had spied in the wastes beyond 
Asgard.  There were images of a Norn and two mortals traveling away 
from Paradise and towards the Gates of Hell.

	Fenris listened with terrible quietness, eyes burning.  Getting 
up rapidly to his own feet, the beast leaned hard against Gleipnir, 
testing the ribbon’s strength as he had done every day for endless 
years.

	This time, unlike ever before, Gleipnir gave just a little, 
stretching ever so slightly.  Throughout the cavern, hundreds of 
wolves raised their haunting voices in chorus at the revelation.

	Soon Fenris might have his chance for revenge on the world 
that imprisoned him.

			*	*	*

Coming up in Chapter 6:
Bonnie, Sayoko, and Urd come to the gates of Hell with their final 
companion. Michael is faced with immortal rivals.  An Angel becomes 
a Key.  Belldandy and Skuld call upon ancient allies to prevent 
Ragnarok.

Comments and Criticisms welcome.

Mike McAvoy
http://www.angelfire.com/va3/shenandoah/
Last updated October 15, 2001.