Little Angel Lost A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Ryo Oki ryo_oki@pacbell.net Disclaimer: All characters and places not created by me are probably owned by someone else. Authors Note: This story is an alternative universe / crossover story set roughly 4 months after the wedding. Ranma and Akane are now juniors in high school. ********** Chapter 1 Fallen Angel Ranma and the rest of the students sat quietly in class waiting for their English teacher Ms. Hinako to show up. It was not like her to be late for class, even if this was the first day of a new school year. Most of the students, including Ranma did not seem to be too upset though. Most were still half asleep, having spent their summer getting up later than they did during the school year. Outside of the classroom and down the hallway, near the stairwell, a rather small 8 year old girl in a poor fitting yellow dress leaned against the wall. She was breathing heavily and seemed to stop walking every few steps in order to keep her balance. "Of all the days to get sick, It would have to be the first day of school. Those little delinquents are probably making a mess of my nice clean classroom.", the little girl thought to herself. "I wish I could stay home and have someone to take care of me, but that hasn't been an option for many years.", the little girl thought sadly to herself. Back inside the classroom, Ranma and the rest of the students saw the door to the class open and their teacher Ms. Hinako enter. It was obvious to even the most dense student in class that something was wrong. They saw their teacher almost drag herself to her desk and sit down quickly in her chair. She was sweating quite profusely and was even shaking a little. As Ranma saw his teacher move quite slowly to her desk he decided to examine her ki. He did not like what he saw. He ki was fluctuating wildly, almost disappearing completely at times. The last time he saw such an erratic ki signature was when he almost failed to save Akane from Saffron. Akane saw Ranma staring at their teacher and frowned. "What is that pervert looking at her for. He should be looking at me. That is if I even wanted him to look at me.", Akane thought to herself. "Are you alright teach. You don't look so good and your ki is unstable.", Ranma said to Ms. Hinako, surprising everyone in class. "I'm fine. It's just a little cold. It will go away in a day or two. Besides you are to learn about proper sentence structure today. My health is my own business.", Ms Hinako said. "Are you sure? It looks a little worse than a cold to me.", Ranma said. "She said she was alright, now stop harassing the teacher you pervert.", Akane said. "I wasn't talking to you, tomboy.", Ranma said back. "RANMA NO BAKA!!", Akane yelled while stomping toward Ranma with her mallet held high. "STOP IT!! I am not feeling that well today, and the last thing that I want to deal with is one of your petty arguments.", Ms Hinako said to Ranma and Akane. "But the pervert called me a....." "I don't care what he said. Sit down and be quiet unless you want me to punish both of you.", Ms Hinako said while holding up a 50 yen piece. Ranma and Akane wisely chose to keep quiet at that moment and settled for glaring at each other from their seats. "Now that, that is settle we can.....we can start that is.....", Ms Hinako tried to say but she felt her dizziness from earlier getting worse and a few moments later collapsed on the floor convulsing violently. "Ah hell, I knew it wasn't a cold.", Ranma said out loud as he quickly went over to the now unconscious Ms. Hinako. "Damn, she is not breathing.", he said causing the class to react in shock. As Ranma was performing CPR on his teacher, he noticed Akane glaring at him. "Great, she probably blames me for making the teacher sick.", Ranma thought to himself. As he continued to try and revive Ms. Hinako, Ranma noticed her heartbeat begin to slow down and eventually stop. "Oh no... Well I hope this works.", Ranma said as his hands began to glow blue. Eventually both he and Ms. Hinako were enveloped in a blue aura, causing the students in the class to move away from them. Since his return from Jusendo Ranma had been thinking a lot on how he had managed to save Akane. At first he thought that her spirit or soul has heard him cry out and returned to him, but the more he thought about it he came to realize that he had managed to save her because he forced some of his own ki into her, as he held her in his arms, thereby saving her life. At least he hoped that is what happened, for he was trying to accomplish the same thing right at this moment with Ms. Hinako. Somewhere or possibly sometime else, an adult Ms. Hinako found herself walking through a thick white and gray mist. The mist went on in all directions as far as she could see. She could not even tell what she was walking on. "Hello, Hina-chan, It's been a while.", a voice said from behind her. Ms. Hinako spun around as an elderly women in her 80's approaching her. As the woman walked closer Ms. Hinako suddenly realized who it was. "Grandma!!!", she said in shock. "But your.....dead." "So are you dear. Well at least for the moment.", the elderly woman said while smiling kindly at Ms. Hinako. "I don't understand. What happened to me. I was in my classroom, try to teach those delinquents to behave when I became dizzy and....", Ms. Hinako's voice trailed off. "Come over here dear and sit next to me.", the elderly woman said. "Sit on what?", Hinako said in confusion. There was a bright flash and she suddenly found herself in a large arboretum. She found herself surrounded by all sorts of tropical plants and flowers. "This is one of my favorite places to visit.", the elderly woman said to a very confused Ms. Hinako. Ms. Hinako sat down on a stone bench, next to a large pond, next to her grandmother. "Look in the pool Hina-chan and tell me what you see.", the woman said to Ms. Hinako. As Ms. Hinako looked into the water she saw herself laying down on her back in the classroom. Ranma Saotome hovered over her with his hands on her chest. Both of them were surrounded by a bright blue glow. "I don't understand grandma. What is that delinquent doing to me?", Ms. Hinako asked in a quiet and scared voice. "That boy is something else. He has actually found a way to call your spirit back to its body by using his own life force as a catalyst. The things that boy could do only if he didn't spend so much time obsessing over nothing but martial arts.", the women said while slowing shaking her head from side to side. "Why would he want to save me? We are always fighting. He even tries to prevent me from punishing the students by touching my.....", Ms. Hinako tries to say while blushing. "The elderly women snickers and says, "He cares about you, and all of his friends. Think about it. He even cares about those who attack him daily, such as that foolish amazon boy and that boy with the pig curse. I don't think that Ranma is even capable of hating someone." "He cares about me?", Ms. Hinako says quietly. "Yes he does, which is why he is now in the process of saving your life.", the elderly woman said. Ms. Hinako notices her body begin to shudder again and starts to feel disoriented. "Grandmother, what is happening?", Ms. Hinako says in a panic. "There is no need to worry Hina-chan. You are simply going back to your own body now.", the elderly woman says are Ms. Hinako's spirit fades from sight. "Good luck grandchild. I am sorry I was not there to help you more often.", the elderly women says as a tears begin to fall from her eyes. Alone once again, the elderly woman's form begins to shimmer and change. Where once their was a very old woman their now stands a young voluptuous woman with long silvery hair and deeply tanned skin. She has a blue triangular tattoo on her forehead and a blue diamond tattoo on her cheeks just under and to the side of her eyes. As the now young woman begins to leave a new voice calls out, "Just what are you up to now you old meddler. The young woman sighs and turns around to face the very familiar voice. Just as she suspected the source of the voice is a young girl about 12 wearing a black and red jumpsuit and wearing a large mallet across her back. "What I am doing is none of your business!!", the young woman says to the girl a lot more forcibly than she intended to, causing the girl to jump back. "I am sorry, but please do not try and interfere this time. What I am trying to do is personal, and I do not need or want any help alright.", the young woman said. "Why were you pretending to be that woman's grandmother.", the little girl asks. "Who says that I was pretending.", the woman says as she fades from sight. "What are you up to now Urd?", the young girl says out loud to herself before she also fades from sight. ********** Back in the classroom the glow slowly fades away from Ranma and Ms. Hinako. A few moments later Ms. Hinako begins to stir. "Grandma, is that you?", she speaks softly as she feels herself being supported by someone. "Now that is something that I have never been called before.", a familiar voice says. Opening her eyes Ms. Hinako sees that she is being held rather close to Ranma in the manner that a parent would hold a small child. Ranma helps her up off the floor and into her chair at her desk. "Do you know happened?", Ranma asked Ms. Hinako The young teacher slowly moved her head from side to side, still unsure of what had just happened to her. "You collapsed on the floor. When I went over to check up on you I noticed that your breathing and heart had stopped.", Ranma said quietly. "I think I remember. I was in some sort of cloud of fog. I couldn't see or hear anything until a voice called out to me. I saw my grandma, but she has been dead for many years. She lead me to some sort of garden. I saw myself in a pool there. You placed your hands on my chest and we both began to glow. Grandma said that you gave me some of your ki. If it wasn't for you I would be dead now.", Ms. Hinako said as she began to shake. "He brought her back to life?", one girl in the class said softly. Akane sat at her desk stunned. She remembered hearing from Kasumi that Ranma had brought her back to life at Jusendo, but she remembered very little of it. She was glad that Ranma had saved their teacher's life, but she was a little frightened at how strong Ranma was growing as a martial artist. Would she ever be as strong as he. If she couldn't, would he even want her around any more. Ms. Hinako tried to stand up, in order to begin to start teaching the class again, but she found herself prevented from doing so a light touch on her should from Ranma. "You are fine for the moment, but your ki is still slowly draining away from you. If it keeps up you will collapse again in a couple of days.", Ranma said to a very frightened looking Ms. Hinako. "I don't know how to stop the ki drain permanently, but maybe Dr. Tofu does. Let me take you to his office to see if he can help.", Ranma said to Ms. Hinako. Ms. Hinako nodded yes and Ranma picked her up in his arms and began to leave the classroom with her, by way of the windows. Before he left he turned to Akane and asked her to tell the office what had happened. She agreed and blushed when he had actually thanked her for helping and smiled at her, before he leapt out the window and off into the distance. From her classroom on the floor below, Nabiki sat staring out the window. She was trying to stay awake in her senior business management class. Its a shame she already knew more about the business world than the instructor did. A soft sounded outside. She looked back outside to see Ranma leap down from the floor above, apparently carrying Ms. Hinako. He then leapt across the yard and out over the wall. "Well now isn't this interesting.", Nabiki thought to herself as she smiled. *********** Ranma arrived at Doctor Tofu's office minutes after leaving the school. He was glad that for once he didn't run into any of his fiancee's or jealous rivals. He entered the clinic just as the Doctor was escorting an elderly woman out of the door. After the woman left Doctor Tofu had Ranma bring Ms. Hinako to one of the exam rooms. As he examined her, Ranma explained what had happened during class, and how the diminutive teacher had almost died. "So do you think you can do anything to help her doc?", Ranma asked. "I am not sure. By all rights she should be dead right now. It is only your own ki inside of her that is keeping her alive. From what little I have heard about her, she has the ability to drain ki from others is that correct?", Tofu asked Ranma. "Yah, that's doc. She drained us whenever we were "delinquents" in class.", Ranma said with a snort. "I wonder if her ability has lead to her present condition. I will need to consult several texts, but even then I feel that I am somewhat out of my league. Her ability almost seems like magic, and the only person I know that has some experience in that department is Elder Cologne.", the Doctor said. Doctor Tofu left the room to call Cologne as Ranma waited in the exam with Ms. Hinako. "Why did you save me?", Ranma heard Ms. Hinako say. "What do you mean?", Ranma said somewhat confused by the teacher's question. "I mean why did you save me? We have never gotten along. I hear what you and the other students say about me each day. Even the other teachers do not really want me there. If I was gone everyone would be happier.", Ms. Hinako said is a despondent voice. "Why are you talking like that. We may not get along, but that doesn't mean I would want to see you die. I already saw one person die before and I don't want to have that happen again.", Ranma said sadly much to Ms. Hinako's shock. "Who died?", Ms Hinako asked, before apologizing for asking such a personal question. "I'll tell you that story if you tell me why you thought that no one cares about you.", Ranma asked. "Except for the few times I saw Grandma, no one has ever wanted to be around me, even my parents. Daddy left soon after mom became pregnant with me. Mom always told me has this ruined her life and how much fun she and daddy had before I came along.", Ms. Hinako said as tears began to fall. "Your own mother told you that?", Ranma said in shock. "Yes, she said that and other things, especially when she was drunk.", Ms. Hinako said to Ranma. She was about to ask Ranma to tell his story now, when the doors to the exam room opened and Doctor Tofu entered with Cologne. Ranma was asked to wait outside while they examined Ms. Hinako. ********** In her room at the temple, Urd watched the scene unfold between Ranma and Hinako in the exam room. To say that she was angry was an understatement. How could her daughter threat her granddaughter so poorly. "One of these days daughter, you and I will "talk" about how poorly you have treated Hina-chan.", Urd said quietly to herself. She had an idea on how her grand daughter might be cured of her condition, but she would need to "borrow" a certain text from the vaults in Asgard. The question is, could she sneak in and retrieve the book without being noticed. As Urd disappeared through the television set in her room there was a knock at the door. Since nobody was there to respond the door was opened a few moments later and the little girl with mallet seen earlier walked into the room and shut the door behind her. She started to rummage around to see if she could find out what her older sister was up to when she heard a loud click. Looking down she saw that she had stepped on some sort of switch. A voice rang out saying, "It's not nice to search other people's rooms Skuld." This was followed by a loud bang and an equally outraged scream a few seconds later. Stepping out of the room Skuld was now covered from head to toe in a bright green and pink neon dye. As she staggered out of the room, eyes swirling and mumbling something about ice cream, she walked straight into her other sister Belldandy. The older girl was at first shocked to see her little sister in such a mess, before she began to giggle then laugh. "It's not funny.", Skuld pouted. "You were looking around Urd's room again weren't you?", Belldandy asked. "Maybe...", Skuld said evasively. "Skuld, you know that you are not supposed to spy on your sister. Now why were you invading her privacy.", Belldandy asked. Skuld explained how she had "somehow" stumbled onto Urd speaking to the astral, (spirit), form of a young girl and who the girl turned out to be. Belldandy sighed and shook her head as if she knew who the little girl was and why Urd seemed to upset. "Do you know who that little girl was, Belldandy?", Skuld asked. "Yes, I do.", Belldandy said quietly. "Who was she?", Skuld asked, while wondering why Belldandy now seemed a little sad as well. "I can not say. If you want to know you will have to ask Urd.", Belldandy said. "It's probably something perverted again. She is always into things like that.", Skuld said. ************ Meanwhile up in Asgard, Urd was presently fleeing as fast as she could from a rather large groups of angry Valkries. In her arms she held a rather large and glowing book. She skidded to a halt in front of Freya's Sports Bar and Grill and was about to leap into the large screen TV when the Valkries burst in through the door. "Stop her, she has stolen the Book of Osiris.", one of the Valkries said. Urd soon found her path bared by a large blond man holding an equally large hammer. "Urd, you know you are not allowed to "borrow" books such as that anymore after the last incident.", the man said. "Sorry Thor, no time to talk.", Urd said as she leapt toward the man and kissed him straight on the mouth. Thor's eyes went wide, and so did his arms causing his hammer to fly into the Valkries knocking them down. A few moments later he fainted with a rather large smile on his face. "Heh, heh, still got it.", Urd said, as she posed briefly before leaping though the TV and back to Earth. She had momentarily block the view of the game being shown, but since it was only a Viking's game and they were doing as poorly as usual, nobody really seemed to care. In his office Kami-sama received word at what had just happened concerning on of his more troublesome offspring and a certain book. "Well she wants to save her granddaughter on her own. Well I won't interfere yet. But I hope she realizes what may happen if she is not careful with that tome.", Kami-sama thought to himself. ********* Back on Earth in Dr. Tofu's office, he and Cologne had just finished examining Ms. Hinako and were not pleased by what they had found. "Ranma, will you please come back to the examination room.", Dr. Tofu asked as he entered the waiting room. As Ranma entered the exam room, he saw Cologne trying to comfort a now crying Ms. Hinako. "I take it you do not know how to cure her.", Ranma asked the doctor. "No, not yet. Cologne and I have discovered that Hinako's ability to drain others is somehow responsible for her present condition though.", Dr. Tofu said. "So it might be the old pervert's fault that she's so sick now.", Ranma said to Dr. Tofu. "Cologne-san and I are not quite sure of that yet, but it is a strong possibility, so until you can determine exactly why Hinako's condition is deteriorating and then come up with a why to halt and reverse its progress, we require your help.", Dr. Tofu said. "What can I do?", Ranma said. "I am glad you asked son-in-law. For the next week you are going to provide our patient with a little bit of your ki as you did earlier today. This should allow her to live without growing weak for the time being. Hopefully by the end of the week Dr. Tofu and I will have made some progress of solving her condition.", Cologne said. "I suppose that's not too bad. It didn't take long to help her the first time.", Ranma said. "That is not quite all that you will have to do.", Cologne said with a grin. "What else do I have to do?", Ranma asked. "Since her body is now under some strain, to say the least, Hinako-san will not be able to drain anyone for the time being. The shock of changing forms could kill her in fact. Because of this, she will be defenseless for the time being. She has told both Dr. Tofu and I how she is usually treated at the high school and it would not surprise us if someone chose to take advantage of her weakness. Because of this you are going to lookout for her and walk her back and forth from the clinic to the school each day.", Cologne said. "So I have to be a bodyguard and a babysitter as well for the next week. Oh joy what fun that will be.", Ranma said sarcastically. "I'm sorry I am , such a bother. I don't mean to be in the way, but it always seems to turn out that way.", Ms. Hinako said sadly. "Great, now I am making children cry.", Ranma thought to himself. Ranma walked over and sat down next to Ms. Hinako berating himself for forgetting so quickly about what Ms. Hinako had told him about her life growing up. "I guess it must be hard being a 30 year old in an 8 year olds body.", Ranma thought to himself. "Ms. Hinako, I am sorry I made you cry. I didn't mean to.", Ranma said, surprising everyone present with his sincerity. "You don't have to feel sorry for me.", Ms. Hinako said. "It's not that. Its just.........well, you know what you told me earlier about your life.", Ranma said. "It's ok, I can forgive you this time if you do something for me.", Ms. Hinako. "What is it?", Ranma asked. "I want some candy or maybe ice cream.", said a giggling Ms. Hinako, as Ranma picked himself up off the floor. "That sounds like a good idea. Go for a walk in the park after too. Its important to retain a positive frame of mind if you wish to be healthy all long as possible.", Dr. Tofu said. Ranma left the clinic walking hand in hand with Ms. Hinako. They looked liked they could be brother and sister to all who saw them pass by on the way to the ice cream shop. "Sigh, what a weird day this has been. At least nothing else can happen.", Ranma thought to himself. "RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!!!!", an irritating and very familiar voice rang out. "Why am I not surprised...", Ranma thought to himself, as he moved Ms. Hinako out of the way of the incoming idiot. "So Ryoga, to what do I own the displeasure of your company today.", Ranma snickered "Curse you Ranma, you make my life hell!", Ryoga exclaimed. "Yeah, what else is new. So what is it this time. Did Akane throw you out of bed? Were you served bacon for breakfast? Oh, wait a minute I know. You have an itch in an embarrassing place.", Ranma said. "How did you know...", Ryoga started to say before stopping. Ranma snorted once and Ms. Hinako fell over laughing. "Oh.....He is a naughty delinquent.", Ms. Hinako snickered. "Jeez Ryoga, you're even more of a pig than I thought.", Ranma said. "Ranma, how dare you embarrass me.", Ryoga said as he finally charged Ranma with his umbrella. "You don't need me to do that P-chan, you do a good enough job of that on your own.", Ranma said as he casually ducked to the side. "As least I don't go out with little girls. Shame on you cheating on Akane with her.", Ryoga said as he pointed at Ms. Hinako. "Even you can't be stupid P-chan. Oh that's right you followed me all the to Jusenkyo for a bread fight. Never mind you are that dumb.", Ranma said to a now enraged Ryoga. "That's is piggy get nice and mad. I have a present for you.", Ranma thought as he started to lead Ryoga into a spiral. Ms. Hinako was growing very impatient as the fight went on. Although she had the intelligence of a 30 year old, she more often than not had the patience of your average 8 year old, when she was in her child form. This meant that she was tired of waiting for her ice cream. She wanted it NOW. The best to get it she thought is to stop the fight, but since she can not drain anyone at the moment, without hurting herself she had to find another way of stopping the fight. Laying against a nearby building she saw the answer to her problem. She grabbed a hose and turned on the faucet. She then ran over toward the two immature, in her opinion, martial artists and squeeze the trigger on the nozzle. Water shot out into both fighters producing a now wet red headed girl and a small black pig who was trying to bite the redhead. "What did you do that for?", A soggy Ranma-chan said to Ms. Hinako. "Your fight was taking to long and I'm hungry." Ms. Hinako said as she picked up the little pig and glared at it. "You're a very bad delinquent piggy picking on Ranma. He saved me and was taking out for ice cream. You should be nicer like him.", Ms. Hinako said to a shocked Ryoga. "Curse you Ranma. How dare you brainwash this little girl.", Ryoga tried to say. Unfortunately all that came out was a few loud "Bweee's". "Better put the piggy down and wash your hands before we eat. After all you don't want to catch whatever gave him that little itch of his.", Ranma-chan said with an evil grin on her face. Ms. Hinako "eeped" once and threw P-chan into a nearby alley with the rest of the garbage and went over to rejoin Ranma who was complaining about being a girl again. "You shouldn't complain about being a girl. You look cute that way, sister.", Ms. Hinako said. "Sister?!?", Ranma said in confusion. "Yes, you are going to pretend to be my sister. That way we can get lots of free ice cream from the nice man behind the counter when he sees us walk in.", Ms. Hinako said with a gleam in her eye. "You've done this before, haven't you?", Ranma asked. Ms. Hinako only smiled in reply to that question. ********** Back at her room in the temple Urd was presently looking through the book that she had just "borrowed" with a wide-eyed expression on her face. "So many spells, so little time.", she said softly with a grin on her face. "Now lets see what we have here. Lightning storm. No that's not it. Transmute to diamond. Hmmm.... No Belldandy would only complain about not working for it. Raise dead. No, not quite what I am looking for. Ah, now what this... Soul Transfer and Restoration. Now that sounds like an interesting spell.", Urd said while licking her lips. "The purpose of this spell is to regenerate the soul or spirit of an individual who through spell or natural causes is losing their life force. A donor gives a little bit of him or herself to the injured each day until the injured is restored to normal.", Urd read the passage in the book to herself. "I wonder how this would affect Hina-chan, especially given her unique condition.", Urd thought to herself. After several hours a bleary-eyed Urd put the book down and sat back on her bed. The Restoration spell seemed to be the best bet to save her granddaughter's life. The only question was how to cast the spell without drawing attention to who she really was. If necessary she would reveal herself to the mortals, but Kami-sama might be a little upset if she just walked in, proclaimed herself a goddess and cast a spell on the shocked mortals. "I could write it down on a scroll and disguise it as a chi technique. After all some of these mortals seem to believe that anything can be done if one was an experienced enough martial artist. I think I know just how to deliver the scroll as well.", Urd thought to herself, as she began to copy the spell from the book to the scroll. ********** At the ice cream shop Ranma-chan watched his teacher inhale a sundae that was almost as large as she was. "I know I eat a lot because of my training, but how do you manage to eat so much and stay thin?", Ranma asked in his usual subtle fashion. My chi drain ability give me a rather strange metabolism. I can eat as much as I want and never gain weight. All the excess energy I can just fire off or use for other things as if I drained someone.", Ms. Hinako said. "What sort of things?", Ranma said suddenly interested in the chance of learning new techniques. "I can show you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. People think I am already weird. I don't want to make it worse.", Ms. Hinako said sadly. "You don't need to be so sad. I've been called a lot worse than that, mostly by my own father. It only matters what you think of yourself.", Ranma said to Ms. Hinako. "Not off of us have your level of self confidence, but if you promise I will show you a small example of what I can do.", Ms. Hinako said as she stood up from her chair. "Were going now?", Ranma asked. "Of course, I am not going to put on a show for everyone in this shop. Come to the park, I know a secluded section where we won't be disturbed.", Ms. Hinako said. ********* It had been a couple of hours since Ranma had first carried Ms. Hinako away from the school and rumors were starting to circulate about what had just happened to the little chi vampire. Nabiki had sent out of her underlings to scout out Nerima, but so far no one had seen either Ranma or Ms. Hinako until one of Nabiki's new freshmen recruits happened upon them as they were walking to the park. Ms. Hinako led Ranma to a deserted area of the park that bordered a new industrial area. This part of the park seemed to be suffering by being so close to the new area as several trees and flower beds were obviously dieing. "Why are we here?", Ranma asked Ms. Hinako. "You will see.", Ms Hinako said as she started to glow. The trees and plants seemed to gain their color back and in many instances started to grow as waves of warm yellow energy spread out from Ms. Hinako. Ranma could only stand their and gape as the area seemed to regenerate itself. Eventually the glow faded and Ms. Hinako almost collapsed on the ground breathing heavily. Ranma was so busy watching the grass grow, literally, that he failed to realize that as Ms. Hinako began to glow, so did he. Ranma wasn't the only one who was stunned. Nabiki's newest recruit sat stunned behind a row of hedges, the video camera in her hand still running. What she saw bordered on magic that she had seen in some anime or manga series. "See I told you I could do some strange things with my chi.", Ms. Hinako said to Ranma. "I don't think it was chi or ki. I can usually detect its use, especially since you were obviously using a large amount of something when you healed those plants.", Ranma said. "If it wasn't my ki or chi, then what was it.", Ms Hinako said. "I don't know, maybe magic.", Ranma said. "In any case, whatever it was it obviously has drained you a little, so we should return to the clinic to have Dr. Tofu look over you.", Ranma said. "No, its not necessary, I am always a little tired when I do things like this. I don't think it will hurt me. Can't you just take me home for now, we can see the doctor tomorrow before school when you give me my next chi treatment.", Ms. Hinako said. "Are you sure, I don't want to see you collapse like you did before.", Ranma said to a now smiling Ms. Hinako "Its nice to know that someone cares. Maybe grandma was right when she said that you were not a delinquent.", Ms. Hinako said. "I don't know if I would go that far, after all I have a reputation to live down to.", Ranma said as Ms. Hinako giggled. Ms. Hinako's smiled seemed to fade and she turned toward Ranma with a serious expression on her face. "Ranma, remember what I asked you before. Please don't tell anyone about what I showed you today, people already think that I am strange enough as it is.", Ms. Hinako said. "I'll have to make up something then. If I don't tell everyone, especially Akane, I'll just get pounded again.", Ranma said sadly. "I thought you were getting along better now. I even heard rumors that you had saved her life.", Ms. Hinako said. "Well we aren't fighting as much as we used to but she still gets jealous over the slightest things. Its hard at times wondering if what you are going to say, even by accident, is going to get you pounded or punted over Nerima.", Ranma said. "It can't be all bad?", Ms. Hinako said in a concerned voice. "No, not all the time. When she smiles I can't help but just stand there stunned and smile as well. But if I try to hold her hand or even talk to her, something always goes wrong. Either someone interrupts, or Akane gets mad for some reason, or even worse, our two idiot fathers ruin the moment by talking about planning a wedding, since we now "getting along" together.", Ranma said. "It will probably work out, but if it doesn't, well you are only 17, you can still meet someone else. Either at Furinkan or in whatever college you choose to. We can talk about this later. Now you have to take me home. A little girl like me shouldn't be out after dark.", Ms. Hinako tease as Ranma snorts in response to her joke. ******** After dropping Ms. Hinako off at her home, Ranma ran back to the Tendo Dojo and decided a short nap on the couch was in order. For some reason he felt very tired. "Must be that healing technique I tried out.", Ranma thought to himself as a large bald martial artist was in the process of trying to sneak up on his snoozing son. As Genma's foot lashed out he was surprised to find it caught with little effort by his still sleeping son. He was soon thrown through the back door, into stone wall surrounding the property and bounced off into the pond. Ranma, through all this still appeared to be asleep. Genma could only Growf in frustration as waited outside for his panda form to dry off somewhat. If he came inside wet, Kasumi would refuse to feed him until he cleaned up the floors. A couple of hours later Akane and Nabiki came home from school to find still asleep on the couch and a now only somewhat damp panda walking toward furo to change back to its human form. In her left hand Nabiki was holding a small videotape and smiling much to Akane's confusion. Moments later Ranma woke up to see Nabiki hovering over him and smirking about something. Not his first choice of people to wake up to, he admitted to himself. Now on the other hand if it had been...... "How is Ms. Hinako doing?", Akane asked Ranma, thereby interrupting his thoughts. "Its kind of a long story. How about I tell you and everyone else at dinner, ok?", Ranma said to Akane. "Alright Ranma.", Akane said as she walked off. "Did you want something Nabiki?", Ranma said as he stood up from the couch and stretched. "We will talk later Saotome.", Nabiki said as she walked away wondering exactly what it was that she had seen on the tape, and how she could use it to her best advantage. "Now what was that about?", Ranma thought to himself as he watched Nabiki walk away, while admiring the view. "She is almost as cute as Akane, but with a sexier edge to her.", Ranma thought as his eyes went wide with what he had just thought about the too sisters. "Why would I think 'that' about 'them'?", Ranma mumbled to himself. ************ Looking on from her room in the temple, Urd caught a brief of Ranma's thoughts and smiled. "Now I wonder what could have caused him to think that?", she thought to herself with a smile on her face, while already knowing the answer to that question. Outside Urd's room, her sister Belldandy stood, with a slight frown on her face. She had just received a message from one of the Valkries, that she knew, that Urd has borrowed something that she shouldn't have. Belldandy didn't like to interfere in her sister's life, but Urd sometimes had a tendency to act at times without thinking. She meant well, most of the time, but she tended to be reckless as well. Belldandy sighed, knocked on her sisters door as she slid it open and said, "Urd can we speak for little while?" Urd smiled and tried to look sincere. "What do you want to talk about Belldandy?", Urd said. "I have heard that you have just returned from Asgard with something that you borrowed from the archives.", Belldandy said. "Oh.....Who did you here that from?", Urd said. "A friends of mine, whose job it is to guard the archives.", Belldandy said. "One of the Valkries then.", Urd said with a snort. "She said that you borrowed the item in question without permission and then ran away from the guards and even molested poor Thor before escaping.", Belldandy said with a blush. "I molested no one. All I did was kiss the poor fool. It's not my fault he has such a low tolerance for affection. As if I would actually need to do that to someone to get them to faint.", Urd said in no small modesty. But why did you go to Asgard in the first place. It's not like you to do something do reckless....well most of the time.", Belldandy said quietly. "I need to help someone.", Urd said. "Who is it?", Belldandy said, already knowing the answer. "It's personal, I'd rather not talk about it.", Urd said. "Urd, please I am your sister. If you need help with someone all you have to do is ask.", Belldandy said as she put her hand on Urd's shoulder. "It's very difficult to talk about. I need to correct some mistakes that were made several years ago. Maybe then, 'she' will have a better life.", Urd said to Belldandy. "Who are you talking about Urd?", Belldandy asked. "I am talking about my granddaughter, Hinako.", Urd said to Belldandy. "Maybe this time she will finally tell me the whole story of what happened sixty years ago.", Belldandy thought to herself. "What!!! A granddaughter!!!", a high pitched voice yelled just outside the door to Urd's room. "So much for privacy.", Urd said as she watched her younger sister Skuld enter her room without permission yet again. Urd was still somewhat amused by the sight of her sister. The dye the girl was covered with was resistant to magic and would take another 3 days to wear off. "What do you mean 'granddaughter' you old woman?", Skuld rudely said to Urd. "Mind you manners squirt, or next you turn plaid if you come in again without permission.", Urd said with an almost evil grin on her face. Skuld 'eeped' and jumped behind Belldandy, who could only shake her head in frustration at the antics of her two sisters. ********** In a place far removed from Earth or Asgard for that matter, a young woman with blond hair and wearing a curious leather outfit, was busy typing away on a computer while lamenting her lot in life. "Stupid, Lilith, stupid H-sama, everyone else gets to leave for the day, but do I....Nooooo, I get stuck get doing paper work. Its bad enough I haven't had a date in 300 years, but to stuck in the office for probably the entire weekend. My life sucks.", the young woman thought to herself. "Mara, come to my office.", A voice shouted out from behind the young women, causing her to sigh audibly and rub a strange v-shaped scar on her forehead. "What is it now Lilith?", Mara says with no small annoyance in her voice. "Now that is no way to talk to your superior. You had best improve your attitude little girl. After all your performance as of late regarding a certain three goddesses has been rather pathetic.", Lilith chastised Mara. "So what is it you want me to do?", Mara asked a suddenly smirking Lilith. Lilith's formal light attitude seems to disappear suddenly and she looks harshly at the younger demoness, causing Mara to flinch back. "Something very important has recently come to my attention. Father, err.. I mean H-sama has requested that you and another be put in charge of retrieving a run-away from Tartarus. To make things more interesting, you will be working with an operative from Asgard.", Lilith said to Mara, who could only look on in shock at that announcement. "Who will I be working with?", Mara asked, hoping that it wasn't who she thought it would be. Lilith smiled evilly and said, "You will be working with your dear cousin Urd of course." A loud torturous screamed echoed throughout the hells for several minutes, warming the hearts of the demons within. They weren't sure who was being tortured, but they were impressed by the results. "Are you done now?", an annoyed Lilith asked Mara. "Why her?", Mara asked. "Because Hild has a special hatred for the run-away in question and while she trusts her daughter enough to capture the demon in question, she doesn't trust you.", Lilith said with a smirk on her face. "So who, or what is the run-away and why does ol' Hild hate the little creature so much.", Mara asked. "The creature's name is Xverfm. He is a demon fourth class of perversion. As to why Hild wants him caught, well he.....", Hild whispers the rest to Mara. "You must be joking. Everyone is in an uproar over that. There must be more to it.", Mara said while not believing that she had to waste her time retrieving such a useless creature. "There is, but it would take far to long to explain, but I can tell you this. If this creature is caught and the damage he has caused not cured, the doublet system might be revoked and the heavens and hells will be at war with each other for the first time in over 5000 years.", Lilith said to a now very white and shaking Mara. "You can't be serious?", Mara managed to squeak out. "Very serious.", Lilith said ominously. "So where is the demon presently hiding at.", Mara asked meekly. "He is in a small, but very chaotic district of Tokyo, Japan, know as Nerima. You are to meet with Urd at the temple she is living at and proceed to Nerima. From what I have been told Kami-sama himself is contacting the goddesses to let them know of your arrival, so you shouldn't need to worry about being attacked.", Lilith said to Mara as the later prepared to leave for midgard and her appointment with her "dear" cousin. Mara appeared outside the temple where her, cousin lived and was about to enter when a metallic clanking was hurt nearby and a strange small, snowman, shaped robot stepped in front of her and began to point some sort of tube-like weapon at her. "Get lost you little junk pile, I have permission from Kami-sama himself to be here.", Mara said to the little robot, who did not appear to believe her. "Fine, you want to do things the hard way, be my guest.", Mara said as a fireball began to form in her hand. Inside the temple a loud series of "booms" were heard and three goddesses and a mortal rushed out to see what was happening. They were further shocked to see a large lightning bolt streak down from the heavens and forcibly separate Mara from Skuld's 'pet' robot Banpei. "A little late with the message aren't you?", Mara yelled to the sky. ********* Meanwhile back at the Tendo Dojo, dinner was ending and Ranma was explaining to everyone present what had happened at school earlier and what condition Ms. Hinako was in. "So Ranma I heard that the little chi vampire got sick in your class today and you had to take her to see Dr. Tofu.", Nabiki said. "Nabiki, you should show more respect toward your teachers.", Nodoka said. "Actually, it was worse than that. During class she stopped breathing and her heart also stopped. She was actually dead for a short time, before I used my ki to revive her.", Ranma said as the family now starred at him. "You brought her back from the dead?", Nabiki almost screeched. "My dear son, is so manly.", Nodoka gushed. "So is she alright now Ranma?", Soun Tendo asked, somewhat surprising everyone at the table. "She will be for a week, after that I don't know.", Ranma said. "What do you mean, Ranma.", Kasumi asked. "Dr. Tofu wants me to come in each day for the next week with Ms. Hinako and use my ki to help her survive, but he and the 'old ghoul' said that it would only be effective for one week only.", Ranma said. "What happens after that?", Kasumi asked. "She will probably get weaker, and after a month Dr Tofu believes that she will die.", Ranma said sadly, surprising himself and others. "Of course she can not use her chi draining technique anymore. The strain might kill her, so Dr. Tofu wants me to walk her back and forth from her home to school, to make she that nothing happens to her. "That's very noble of you son, I expect you will protect her to the best of your abilities.", Nodoka said. "Does Ono, err... I mean Dr. Tofu know why she has suddenly become so ill?", Kasumi asked why blushing lightly. "It's the old pervert's fault. When he taught her that technique it messed up her ki some how. Whenever she drained a person, a little bit of her ki was permanently lost. She has very little of her own ki left and it is draining away. Stupid old man. Because of him she will probably die. If this is what "Anything Goes" stands for I'm sure I want to be part of it any longer.", Ranma said as everyone, except for Nodoka face faults hard. "You can't be serious boy, think of the future of the school.", Genma said in a panic. "I can always create my own school.", Ranma said. "No the schools must be joined.", Soun's girlish voice yells out. "Ranma, you are at the age now, where you must begin to make some important decisions about your life for yourself. Think carefully before you give up the family's school though. Even if that disgusting old man has shamed the school, you can still bring honor to it. Perhaps starting your own branch of it, free from "his" teachings.", Nodoka said. "I don't know, mom, but I'll think about it.", Ranma says much to the delight of the two fathers who dance around the room singing about the schools' being joined. "Idiots...", Ranma sighs quietly to himself. As the two foolish fathers are celebrating and Ranma is mumbling to himself, Nabiki thinks about the videotape in her room that her underling gave her today. She is not quite sure exactly what was happening in the park, but from what Ranma has just said about Ms. Hinako's condition and what Ms. Hinako said on how she is treated on the tape, Nabiki decides that maybe she will just hold on to the tape for a while. If Ms. Hinako does die, when then there will be no harm in selling the tape, after all after all she does need to make money to support her family. At least that is what she is trying to tell herself as she begins to feel somewhat sick to her stomach for some reason. Ranma looks over at Nabiki he asks her what she wanted to talk about earlier. She tells him to forget about it for now. She will talk to him later if she needs him. Ranma, used to Nabiki's rather callous attitude toward him, just ignores it while wondering if there is anything he can do to hel save his teacher's life. Authors Note: Well here ends the first part of a new Ranma fic, which I hope will be a little different from the crossover fics that people have read before. As you might have guessed Ranma, Ms. Hinako, Urd and Mara will play larger roles in this story that the rest of the Ranma and OMG characters probably will, but I can not guarantee anything yet. Next chapter will focus mainly on Urd and how she first met her husband during the closing days of World War 2. It should be interesting. Hope you have enjoyed what you have read so far. Ryo Oki ryo_oki@pacbell.net Little Angel Lost A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Ryo Oki ryo_oki@pacbell.net Disclaimer: All characters and places not created by me are probably owned by someone else. Authors Note: This story is an alternative universe / crossover story set roughly 4 months after the wedding. Ranma and Akane are now juniors in high school. ********** Chapter 2 First Meetings Part 1 Mara slowly raised herself off the ground and onto her feet. As far as she was concerned this day could not get any worse. It was bad enough that she had to work with her erstwhile cousin, but now Kami-sama seem to be using her for target practice. At least the little junk pile was down for the count as well. The phone rings in the house and Belldandy goes inside to answer it, already knowing who might be calling. "Why are you here Mara?", asked a somewhat annoyed Urd. "Now is that anyway to treat your favorite cousin?", Mara asked with her eyes wide, trying to look innocent. "Don't call me that?", Urd yelled. "What you two old women are related?", Skuld said a little too loudly for Mara's still ringing ears. "Her mother Lilith, is my mother, Hild's, sister. So we are cousins.", Urd said, much to her mortification. "No wonder both of you are so much alike.", Skuld said to Urd and Mara. "Such a little rude little girl you are. No matter, we have ways of dealing with such rudeness where I come from.", Mara said as she advanced toward Skuld, while holding a rather large bluish colored fireball in her left hand. "Stay back or I'll let you have it.", Skuld said as she pulled out her trusty mallet. Mara made her fireball disappear and grinned evilly at Skuld. "Why that's an even better idea. Thanks for the idea squirt.", Mara said as she pulled out a large wooden spatula, which resembled one carried by a certain chef in Nerima. Mara pulls out a large black marker and writes something on the spatula and shows it to Urd who begins to snicker. "What's so funny?", Skuld asks nervously, wondering why her dear sweet old sister isn't fighting the nasty evil demon for her. Mara spins the spatula and show the words written on it to Skuld. "Board of Education for Skuld", Skuld reads the words out loud, before her eyes suddenly go wide. "You would dare", Skuld says while beginning to back up at a faster and faster pace, while Mara follows. "Belldandy help!!!", Skuld screams out, as Mara is chasing her around the yard with her rather large wooden spatula. Urd, in typical sisterly concern, is presently rolling on the ground trying to not laugh herself half to death. "Oh Urd Kami-sama is on the phone and he wants to speak....to...you", Belldandy manages to barely speak out as she watches her youngest sister being chanced around the yard by Mara. "Thanks Bell, I have it.", Urd says, as she takes the phone from Belldandy. Urd listens quietly for a moment before suddenly yelling out, "Are you out of your mind.", into the receiver of the phone. This proved to not have the best of ideas as shortly thereafter another large lightning bolt streaked down from the heavens and stuck a certain Norse 'goddess of love'. Skuld seeing her sister suddenly somewhat crispy on the ground stopped short causing Mara to slam into her and fall on top of her. "Oh My!", Belldandy said. "Get off me you pervert!", Skuld yelled from underneath Mara. "Oh please, as if I would even be interested in you. Even your little robot has more curves than you do.", Mara said as climbed off of Skuld. A short time later Urd woke up and found herself staring up at the living room ceiling in the temple. As she sat up she noticed Skuld glaring at Mara and Mara smirking back at Skuld. Belldandy was nearby looking at Urd with some concern. "Are you alright Urd?", Belldandy asked. "I'll live Bell. I just have to remember not to yell at the Boss to his face anymore.", Urd said. "You yelled at Kami-sama!", Skuld practically screeched. "Tsk.Tsk. Cousin, dear I am disappointed in you. Surely you know that you never insult your superiors to their face. You do it behind their back. You are not thinking clearly. It must be that goddess blood interfering with your demon half.", Mara said with an evil grin on her face. "So why are you here Mara?", Belldandy asked, hoping to get to the bottom of the matter before any more fights or accidents broke out between her two sisters of Mara. "As hard as this maybe to believe Hild asked Kami-sama to help her track down a run-away demon. One who's presence in Japan right now could lead to the repeal of the doublet law. At least that is what Lilith told me. She didn't exactly go into details.", Mara said to three now stunned goddesses. "Now as for why Hild wanted Asgard to get involved, well.....she.... that is she doesn't exactly trust me and wants to daughter to help out.", Mara said in a disgusted tone of voice. "Why did you call Urd your cousin?", Belldandy asked Mara. "Because her mother, Hild is the sister of Lilith, who as you know is H-sama's daughter and my mother.", Mara said. "You are the princess's of hell daughter, and you are related to Urd?", Skuld asked. "Yes and you have no idea what it is like living with that woman constantly staring over your shoulder. I swear she treats me like a little fourth class demon at times.", Mara pouted. "Hmmmmm, I always wondered why you two were so much alike, now I know.", said Skuld with a smile on her face. "We are not the same.", Mara and Urd said at the same time, causing Skuld to fall over laughing. "So who is this demon that we are supposed to capture?", Urd asked Mara. "Lilith said the little creature's name was Xverfm, or something like that. He used to be an incubus, that somehow collected enough power to become a fourth class demon. So he shouldn't be much of...a....problem.", Mara managed to say as she watched Urd began to glow blue and arcs of electricity began to flow out from her in all directions. "His name is Xverfm?", Urd asked in a cold, almost dead voice, that caused Skuld to hide behind Belldandy and Mara to back away from the suddenly very scary goddess in front of her. "Not only is that bastard responsible for my granddaughter almost dieing, but he caused me to break a very important promise long ago. When I see him next I'll kill him. I'll rip his head off and shove up his..", Urd tried to say as tears began to fall form her eyes, shocking everyone around her. "Urd please stop.", Belldandy said, worried over her sister's sudden psychotic behavior. Mara felt a cold chill go though her. If what Urd said was true, then the little demon had injured an agent of the heavens and if she should die, the doublet system falls. "If what you say is true, Urd, then we have to capture the little incubus and prevent your granddaughter from dieing or we are all screwed.", Mara said. Urd managed to calm down a little. Well at least electricity wasn't arcing through the room anymore. "I already have a plan which should save her, without any problems hopefully. But I will need you to help with my plan.", Urd said to Mara. "If you want me to help you with that, you will have to help me with the little demon, without complaining, and I want to know how exactly you came to have a granddaughter.", Mara said with a slight tinge of jealousy in her voice, that only Belldandy seemed to notice. "Alright, if that is what it takes, I will tell you how this all started over 60 years ago.", Urd said. **************** (Flashback, Tokyo Japan, 1939) On a small farm just outside of Tokyo a young boy, almost 11 years old is checking on his family's meager crop growth this year. It not been a good year so far. His father had been called away to fight some war going on in Mainland China. Rumors were circulating that a small group of American pilots were now helping the Chinese and Japan was in danger of losing to the pilots in battle. The boy sighed and looked toward his house where his mother and younger sister were busy with the daily chores. He wished his father was still here. He didn't understand why his father had to fight, especially since he was always told to avoid fighting unless no other option was left. He couldn't remember anything about the Chinese attacking his country, so why were they fighting. His aunt had even married a Chinese man and was currrently living in mainland China. When the fighting had first started, his mother told him to forget it about and never mention her sister and her new husband in China. If word got out about this, the family might be shunned by the neighbors, or worse "investigated" by the government. People tended to disappear, his mother said after these "investigations" were concluded. It was nearing noon, so the boy started to head back toward the house in order to get cleaned up for lunch. Once inside he was greeting by his mother. "Get cleaned up Hiroki, lunch will be ready in a few minutes.", the boy's mother said. "Mother, when will father be returning home?", the boy said as his mother sighed in annoyance. "Hiroki, how many times have we gone over this. Your father will return when his duty to the army is finished.", she said. "But you have never told me why he had to leave to begin with.", the boy said, while wondering if his mother would actually explain something to him for once. "Hiroki, you know that our country is suffering from a shortage of many goods and land enough for farming. Your father is helping us and the rest of our countrymen by fighting to secure new lands and goods for ourselves.", the women says with obvious pride. "But what about the people who already live there. If we have to fight them in order to take their lands, isn't that stealing?", the boy says in confusion, oblivious to the fact that his mother seems to be turning a fascinating shade of red due to her son's question. "Hiroki Kurata, how dare you say such a thing! We are not a country of thieves. We are fighting to protect and improve our way of life.", Mrs. Kurata said. "But, does that still make it right. After all Aunty and Uncle are over there now. What if they are hurt of killed in any fighting.", Hiroki said. "Do not talk back to me young man. You are far too young to understand what is going on, and I told you never to mention your aunt and uncles again. She disgraced our family by marrying that man.", Mrs. Kurata said excitedly. Hiroki could only sigh and roll his eyes at his mother's stubbornness. His aunt was the nicest woman he had even known. She even treated him better than his own mother did most of the time. How could a person like that cause his mother to shun her so? He quickly finished his lunch and hurried back outside. As usual his sister had taken their mother's side. The boy was so distracted with his thoughts that he did not notice a flash of light nearby and the sounds of cursing that soon followed. Urd, goddess second class, and Norn of the past, was presently having a very bad day. A massive outbreak of bugs had occurred in the world tree computer and all simulations run had showed that this would lead to chaos on midgard for the next several years. No one was quite sure how bad it would get, but their were talks about it leading to another war, like the one that had happened a little over 20 years ago when the computer was first being tested. She and her sister Skuld had tried to minimize the damage, but there was a power surge and she soon found herself physically blown away from the computer and deposited in some muddy field in the middle of nowhere. Looking around she noticed a young boy about 100 meters away, who appeared to be talking to himself. She might as well talk to the boy to find out where she was. First though she might have to change her appearance. She noticed the boy's manner of dress and Asian appearance and made herself resemble a your girl of about 12 years old. As Urd approached the boy she began to scan his aura. She caught glimpses of sadness, pride, confusion, and traces of anger. Hardly any happiness. "I wonder what is causing him to be so sad. I wonder if he could use a friend. Besides Mara, I haven't had a friend since I was his age. Besides he is kind of cute. Bet he will be a real stud in a few years.", Urd thought to herself, before blushing at the boldness, even for her, of her thoughts. Hiroki was started out of his daydream when he heard a girl's voice behind his loudly say, "Hey could you tell me where I am?" As Hiroki turned quickly toward the voice he was stunned by what he saw. A cute, no very cute girl about his age was standing near him. She looked Japanese except for the fact that she had emerald green eyes and black hair with silver streaks running through it. She was smiling at him and blushing slightly. He knew it was wrong, but he could not help but stare at her. Urd noticed the boy staring at her and could not help but tease the boy a little. "Well I know I am beautiful, but there is not need to stare that much.", Urd said to the now blushing boy. "I'm sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.", Hiroki said while bowing. "Feh, no need to be so formal. If you want to apologize all you have to do is answer a question for me.", Urd said. "What's the question?", the boy said. "Could you tell me where I am at the moment?", Urd said. "Um...., well you are on my family's farm. Tokyo is about 20 miles to the east of here.", Hiroki said. "Tokyo... That's is Japan right?", Urd asked as Hiroki boggled at her silly question. "How could you not know that?", the boy asked in shock. "Well you could say that I am not from around here?", Urd said with a smile that had the poor boy blushing again. "Mind if I ask you a question?", Hiroki said to Urd. "What's the question?", Urd said. "What is your name?", Hiroki said as Urd almost fell over in embarrassment. How could she have forgotten to introduce herself. "My name is Urd, Urd Omikami", Urd said, while hoping the last name she made would satisfy the boy's curiosity. "My name is Hiroki Kurata.", the boy said while bowing formally. "There is no need to be so formal, after all we are friends", said in a confident tone of voice. "We just met. How can we be friends?", Hiroki asked. "You mean you do not want to be my friend?", Urd sniffled while pouting in a manner all "young" girls are experts at. "I'm sorry, of course I'll be your friend, please don't cry.", Hiroki managed to say to Urd, who was now smiling again. "Heh, I'm so shameless.", she thought to herself. "Well since we are now friends I can show the proper way that friends, in my homeland, greet each other.", Urd said while developing Hiroki in a full body hug. Back at the Kurata home, Hiroki's little sister Kagomi was looking at the back door when she saw that her older brother was talking to some foreign girl. At least she though she was foreign. After all most girls do not have large streaks of silver in their hair. She was further shocked when the girl hugged her brother a few moments later. Mother would not like this. She always told them to avoid foreigners, especially after aunty ran away with one. Yes mother must know this, and if Hiroki got in trouble for it, well that was his fault. Back in the field, Urd noticed that her new friend was not moving for some reason. "Now you can't possibly that shy can you?", Urd said to the presently immobile Hiroki. "Well then if that is the case, then there is only one way to wake you up then.", Urd said as she smiled evilly at Hiroki who managed to look nervous, even without moving. Urd leaned over and gave Hiroki a gentle kiss on the cheek, which not only served to wake the boy , but somehow also managed to cause him to leap five feet up in the air in shock. "Ah good, you are still alive. I was beginning to worry about you.", Urd said to a still somewhat shocked Hiroki. "You kissed me?!?", Hiroki managed to squeak out. "You didn't like it?", Urd said teasingly. "No, I mean yes, I mean....", Hiroki trailed off. "Would you like me to do it again?", Urd asked, while starting to wonder why she was being so agressive with a boy that she had just met. Hiroki nodded in response. As Urd approached Hiroki and bent down to kiss the shorter boy's other cheek she heard a voice practically shriek out behind her say, "Get away from my child you Gaijin whore!" A little while earlier Mrs. Kurata was in her home when her daughter told her the shocking news of what was going on outside in the field. Imagine the nerve of her son, not only seeing a girl without her permission, but a foreign one at that. She would not stand for it. It was bad enough her own sister had to run off to marry on of "them", but she not allow her family's honor to be sullied in such a fashion. As she ran outside. The scene was even worse than she imagined. That horrible foreign girl was trying to seduce her son. How could such a young girl know about such things anyway. As she watched the girl try to kiss her son again she shouted out for her to stop. She would teach the impudent little girl a lesson. After Urd heard someone shriek out behind her she felt someone grab her roughly by the shoulder and spin her around. This did not please Urd one bit. Admittedly she had not been down to earth in many years, and was unfamiliar with the local customs, but she could see why someone had reason to treat her so poorly. Urd knocked the woman's hand away, glared at her and said, "Why are you trying to attack me? I have done nothing to warrant such attention." "You will stay away from my son. I will not have another one of your kind soil my family's line.", Mrs. Kurata. "Mother that is enough! Urd has done nothing but act kindly toward me.", Hiroki said while blushing a little. "How dare you speak back to your mother. What has this little slut done to you to cause you to defy me.", Mrs. Kurata said. "You will not speak to me in that manner.", Urd said softly at first. "I can understand if you are a little shocked at seeing us kissing after just meeting but I meant no disrespect toward your son, but I will not tolerate being call a 'slut' among other things, just because of your petty minded prejudice.", Urd said as her voice raised higher and her eyes because to glow blue with small arcs of electricity moving over them. The woman took one look at the 'obviously' demonic girl in front of her and ran off shrieking back to her house yelling something about Onis invading the land. Hiroki, who was standing behind Urd, could not see Urd's face and thus did not understand why his mother had suddenly started babbling about Oni. Maybe father's absence was starting to get to mother. He hoped not. Having to watch his grandmother start to lose her touch with reality before she died was bad enough. To have it happen to his mother, while she was still young was very bad indeed. Urd turned around to face Hiroki with a sad expression on her face. "I am sorry that I have caused you trouble with your mother. I only came to your home hoping someone could tell me where I was and maybe spend some time making a friend.", Urd said. "You don't have a lot of friends?", Hiroki asked Urd. "I have one, but my sisters do not approve of her, so we do not see each other that often. I wish I could see her more though.", Urd said. "It sounds like we have the same problem. Mother never approves of anyone I try to meet and your family seems to not like your friends as well.", Hiroki said to Urd. "I guess I should leave for now. Maybe I can see you again in a couple of days. Maybe your mother will calm down by then.", Urd said. "So I will get to see you again?", Hiroki said. "Yes you will.", Urd said in a more cheerful tone of voice that she was using before. She began to walk away and just as she disappeared from sight, while walking over a small knoll, she managed to regain her link with the world and faded from sight in this world, only to reappear back in Asgard. As Urd reappeared in the home she shared with her sisters, she began to feel weak. Perhaps she should have waited a day before trying to teleport back to Asgard without using a transport medium. She was still weak from being thrown to midgard by the bug infection in the world tree computer. She managed to make her way to the living room couch and lean back before she fell asleep, drained by her recent ordeals. Some time later, Urd wasn't sure how long, she awoke to find herself looking up at her sisters, who had a very worried look on there faces. "Are you alright Urd? Skuld and I have been looking for you for hours. We were about to ask Kami-sama for help when we felt your presence reappear back at home?", Belldandy said. "I'm ok Bell', just a little tired. The power surge managed to send me to Midgard and it took me a little while to get back.", Urd said sleepily. As Belldandy was about to ask Urd if she needed anything, the phone rang and Belldandy went to answer it, returning a few moments later with a confused expression on her face. "Is something wrong Belldandy?", Urd asked. "Kami-sama was just on the phone. He wants to see you and discuss the 'little adventure' you had on Midgard.", Belldandy said to a now somewhat nervous Urd. "What did you do down there?", Skuld said in an accusatory tone of voice. "That's none of your concern, little sister.", Urd said as she sat up on the couch and began to stretch. "Well I suppose I shouldn't keep Kami-sama waiting.", Urd said as she began to walk out of the room. "Urd, nothing happened down on Midgard, did it. You are alright?", Belldandy asked while placing her hand on Urd's shoulder. "No need to worry Belldandy, Kami-sama probably just wants to see if I am alright as well.", Urd said as she walked out of her house and over to Kami-sama's office. Urd stood nervously outside of Kami-sama's office. It seems that she had spending a lot of time here recently due to certain indiscretions, but she could not think of anything that she had done recently that would get her "sent to the office". As she was about to knock on the doors, they swung open by themselves and a deep booming voice from within told her to enter. "Did you want to see me father?", Urd asked. "I heard that there was a problem earlier on and you ended up being forced down into Midgard. You are not hurt are you my child.", Kami-sama said to Urd. "No father, it just took a little while to reestablish my link with Asgard, before I could return.", Urd said. "Well then that leaves us with one less problem to deal with.", Kami- sama said to Urd. "Are you talking about the bug infestation in Yggdrasil? Has it really gotten that bad father?", Urd asked, with a worried expression on her face. "Unfortunately it has become very serious. The recent outbreak will cause much grief in Midgard for the next few years. I fear a new war will break out that will dwarf previous wars. Because of this certain mortals will have to be watched. They would have normally made great strides in improving the lives of their fellow man, but because of this war their destinies will be altered. I need you to watch one such mortal. Will you do this for me daughter?", Kami-sama asked. "Of course father. Who is this mortal.", Urd asked, while hoping that this baby sitting assignment did not interfere with the time she planned to spend with Hiroki. "The mortal's name is Hiroki Kurata.", Kami-sama said while trying to keep a smirk off his face as he watched his daughter's eyes open wide in shock. "That was the name of the boy I met when I crash landed in Midgard. He was very nice to me.", Urd said very quietly while looking at the ground and running her foot back and forth over it. "What a strange coincidence.", Kami-sama remarked. "Isn't it though.", Urd said sarcastically, while getting the feeling that her trip to Midgard wasn't an accident after all. On her home Urd was confused. Mortals and immortals did not usually get together, even as friends very often. It tended to cause problems, usually of a destructive nature. A demon might become curious and pay a visit. Some local priest would sense something and usually declare the immortal a fraud and the mortal a heretic. Nope, nothing but problems. So why change everything now, and why does the chance to spend time around Hiroki seem so pleasing. "He is just a young mortal and I am a goddess. I have lived for....err a few years now. Maybe I do need a friend, who doesn't care if I am half goddess and half demon.", Urd thought to herself. When Urd returned home, her sisters were curious as to why Kami-sama wanted to see her, but she couldn't say. Kami-sama had "asked" Urd not to give any specifics on her mission, except to say that she was going to be spending some time in Midgard, off and on for the next few years. When Urd had asked Kami-sama why she had to keep her mission a secret, earlier, he had mentioned something about not giving other goddesses ideas before it was "meant to be" or some such drivel, in Urd's humble opinion. "So when are you leaving again.", Skuld asked Urd. "That anxious to get rid of me are you.", Urd said. "Well things due tend to be quieter around here when you're gone", Skuld said while smirking. "Well then you will happy to know that I will be leaving in two days to visit Midgard again.", Urd said. Two days later Urd did indeed return to Midgard, unfortunately her aiming , like last time was a little off and she landed face first in the same field she did last time. Hiroki heard a splash behind him and saw his new friend face down in the field. He snickered and said, "Are you all right Urd?" "I'm fine.", the '12 year old' Urd said. "How did you manage to sneak up on me out in the middle of nowhere then suddenly fall on your face.", Hiroki asked with a grin on his face. "I can't tell you that.", Urd said. "Why not?", Hiroki replied. "Sore wa himitsu desu.", Urd said while winking with one index finger poised on the edge of her mouth. [Thud] "Decided to join me down her.", Urd said to Hiroki, who was now down on the ground with her and now just as muddy. "Sigh.. Well I guess we had better get cleaned up. There is a river nearby where we can get cleaned up.", Hiroki said to Urd as he helped her up off of the ground. On the way to the river, Urd found herself leaning against Hiroki. She wasn't sure why, She wasn't usually this forward.... Well at least not often, but something about him was different. She wasn't sure what but found herself wanting to find out. She didn't have time to think about her feelings for long, for as they eared the river, Hiroki and Urd found themselves being encircled by five older boys. Most appeared to be about 14, but the oldest, who appeared to be their leader appeared to be about 16. "Well, what do we have here, two muddy peasants.", the oldest boy said. "What do you want Akito?", Hiroki almost sneered at the leader of the group that had surrounded him and Urd. "You will address me as Tendo-sempai as per the respect I am due as your superior in every way.", Akito said arrogantly. "Oh I am showing you the respect you deserve, Akito-chan.", Hiroki said to Akito. "You shall be punished for not knowing your place, but first I must greet this lovely young lady.", Akito said as she took a longer look at Urd. A look which appeared to be quite lustful and made Urd start to feel sick. "I want nothing to do with you, pervert.", Urd said, while not believing that he would make a pass at a girl who appeared so much younger than he. "I see my dear you are not aware of whom you speak to. I am the scion of a noble family with proud samurai lineage. You should feel proud to have the attention of one such as I. After all, I could choose amongst a number of young ladies.", Akito Tendo arrogantly said. "Noble lineage, hah!. More likely you are just a perverted little boy who has to try and seduce young girls, because no girl your own age wants to have anything to do with you.", Urd said to a rapidly reddening Akito. "Oh you have met him before.", Hiroki said to Urd as Akito seemed to be now turning almost purple now. "Very well then, I challenge your for your woman.", Akito said as Urd fought down the urge to just fry the bastard where he stood. "First of all, Urd is not "my woman". She is a friend. Second I would not insult her honor, by fighting over her as if she were a prize at a carnival.", Hiroki said to Akito. "Then I shall just smite you for the enjoyment of it and when your woman sees what a pathetic boy you are, she shall wish to be mine.", Akito said as Urd began to turn green just thinking of doing anything with the little pervert. "Defend yourself.", Akito yelled as he leapt toward the smaller Hiroki. As Akito's foot neared Hiroki's face, Hiroki pivoted to the side while wrapping his hands around Akito's outstretched leg and twisted. Akito rotated in the air and landed on the ground on his head, causing no real damage. Urd seeing the younger boy fighting off someone much larger than him tried to move to interfere, but found herself surrounded by Akito's thugs instead. "Now where do think you are going little girl.", one of the thugs said. "Anywhere I want.", Urd said while landing a rather nasty roundhouse kick to the boy's temple, sending him flying off into a nearby tree. Two more boys charged Urd head on, but were surprised when she seemed to disappear right in front of them. They were not even aware of Urd reappearing right behind and tapping a pressure point on each of the boys' necks, knocking them both unconscious. The remain boy took one look at the vicious little girl in front of him, who now even seemed to be glowing a little and took off screaming into the woods. At the sound of the other boys' screams Hiroki and Akito briefly stopped to fight to look on in shock as a small girl knocked out 3 much larger boys. "A veritable goddess. I must have her.", Akito said out loud, drawing an almost terrifying glare from Urd. "You have been hanging around that idiot Tagasuki Kuno too much Akito-chan, you are starting to sound like him.", Hiroki said in a disgusted tone of voice. "Just for that you have forced me to use my ultimate technique. Behold the mighty demon head.", Akito said as large illusion of what Urd guessed the boy thought I demon should look like. She wasn't very impressed, and quite to her shock neither was Hiroki. "Oh please, you have been trying to scare me with that since I six. You should know it doesn't work on me anymore.", Hiroki said and he walked through the demon-head image and back-handed the larger boy across the face. "Go home Akito, you are not wanted here.", Hiroki said. "I would listen to him if I were you, unless you want to end up like your friends.", Urd said, while turning toward Akito and letting the lightning flash across her eyes, as she did to Hiroki's mother. Akito began to back up slowly, before running off, abandoning his three still unconscious underlings on the ground. "Well that was fun. So do you want to get cleaned up now. I'll even help you wash your back.", Urd grinned mischievously to an embarrassed Hiroki. Walking back from the river, Hiroki was quite distracted. It was bad enough that he had to wash up next to a girl [blush], but to have her wash his back as well. Still it was nice in a way, but he did wonder where Urd had to get the soap and towels from. He didn't remember seeing her carrying them earlier. She had somehow even managed to get new clothes for them, since their old ones were hopelessly dirty and torn. "Maybe she is some sort of good luck spirit.", he thought before laughing silently at such a silly thought. When they reached Hiroki's home, his mother was waiting at the door and it was obvious she was not thrilled to see her son with Urd. "Hiroki, why are you with this gaijin again, and what happened to your clothes. You were not behaving inappropriately were you.", Mrs. Kurata said to her son. "It's nice to see you again as well. Besides you have no reason to be angry with your son. He has always been a perfect gentleman around me ,and even defended my honor from a group of thugs. The new clothes are a gift since his old ones were damaged in the fight with that perverted Tendo boy.", Urd said. "Hiroki you did not fight with Tendo-san again did you. I have told you that it not honorable to fight a member of a noble family when one is of our station.", Mrs. Kurata said. "Our Station? What in the nine hells does that mean.", Urd thought to herself. "Mother, Urd and I were attacked without provocation. Akito is nothing more than a bully. He even made quite rude and dishonorable comments to Urd. He acted as if she was some sort of whore to be claimed. He even wanted to fight me for her. I hardly see how someone like that is noble.", Hiroki said, wondering how his mother and father could have such different attitudes on life, yet still have gotten married. "It has been my experience that the only difference between nobility and the 'common folk' if the amount of inbreeding that goes on in the family.", Urd said in a disgusted tone, while Hiroki's sister Kagomi giggled in the background at that comment. She had to deal with Akito's little brother at her school everyday and he was just as arrogant as his older brother. "His family is still quite powerful young lady and could make things quite difficult for us if they chose to.", Mrs. Kurata said. "That won't happen mother, Akito's father knows that the boy is a pervert, and definitely doesn't approve of his actions. He has told me that himself.", Hiroki. "You have spoken to Tendo-san?", Hiroki's mother said in shock. "Yeah, he comes to our school quite often to teach Kendo to the older students, he is quite kind to everyone, and doesn't try to act like he is better than everyone.", Hiroki said. "But, he is nobility, why would he spend time with common children at your school.", Hiroki's mother said. Urd was starting to wonder what was wrong with this woman, was she insane, terminally insecure about her role in life, or did she like being subservient to others. Some people were like that you know. "Father and I have been trying to tell you that the old ways of the nobility and the samurai are dead. Tendo-san does not agree with them and has even spoken his disapproval of the military trying to bring back the old ways.", Hiroki said. "Still I do not approve of your fighting, or your associating with this girl and I want you to stop.", Mrs. Kurata said. "No I will not. There is nothing wrong with Urd. Father would approve of her and aunty would as well. The only person who seems to not like her is you I do not want to disobey you mother, but you have managed to chase away every friend I have had for some reason or another.", Hiroki said as he walked past his stunned mother into the house with Urd, who had a rather smug look on her face. Several miles to the south a small disk of light appeared in a forest near a small village. A small being stepped out of the portal smelling of sulfur. It resembled a small imp or gargoyle from the old legends of the area. As it began to move away from the portal its form seemed to change to that of a very short old man with a small mustache. The old man pulled a large sack out of nowhere and leaped off into the night with a war cry that seemed to send shivers down the spines of all the women in the nearby village. The 'old man' bounded into a nearby village licking his lips in anticipation of all the lovely young ladies he would visit tonight when he sensed a being suffering from great sadness and frustration. "Ah what wondering feelings. Nothing like misery and pain to make a this old man's night.", the old man said to himself. Peering around a corner of a building the old man saw a teenage boy with a look of dejection on his face. Curious to what was causing his misery and how he could improve upon it, the old man bounded over to the boy. "What happened to you boy? You look like you just lost your best friend.", the old man said is his best compassionate voice. Akito Tendo looked up from his pouting and saw a small and very old man addressing him. "You wish something of me honorable elder.", Akito said. "Very impressive. You show manners toward your elders. You must have a noble upbringing.", the old man said worming his way into the boy's confidence. "It is good to see that some still recognize true nobility when they see it, but to answer question, yes I am troubled by a recent event.", Akito said. "Care to tell it to this traveling pilgrim. Perhaps I could help you with your problem.", the old man said. "You are a monk, well versed in combat perhaps. Yes.... Maybe you can help me with a problem. In exchange I can provide food and shelter for you while you stay in this humble village.", Akito said. "That is very kind of you lad. I shall except your offer. But first I have some errands to attend to. If you would care to meet with me in the Sakura glade outside of village, in 4 hours, we can discuss this problem of yours.", the old man smiled evilly, which was unfortunately not noticed by Akito. Back at the Kurata farm, Urd had just left, saying that she must return her family. Much to Hiroki's shock, she refused his offer of an escort, saying that she would be in no danger, and did not want to trouble anyone. After Urd had left Hiroki's mother ushered him into her room, saying that she had something important to discuss with him. He reluctantly followed. "Hiroki there is much we must discuss before you see that woman again. I know you seem infatuated with her and think that I am being unreasonable, but I have seen her type before.", Mrs. Kurata said. Hiroki opened his mouth to replay, but was cut off by his mother. "Some girls her age like to use their new found femininity to take advantage of boys your age, either by teasing or other things. Since you are not getting to that age where you might wish to return their affections there are things that I must teach you.", Mrs.' Kurata said to a now very nervous Hiroki. Some three hours later, they had finished their talk and Hiroki emerged from his mother's room with a bright red face a shocked look on his face. "Urd wants to do 'that' with me. That cant be right. Mother must be over reacting. Sure we did kiss and she did seem to enjoy washing my back when we were down by the river, but to do 'that'. I guess I could speak to her when I see her again. I only hope she doesn't think that I am a pervert for speaking about such things though.", Hiroki thought to himself. As Hiroki was thinking about the talk that he had just had with his mother Akito Tendo was approaching the isolated sakura glade outside of town, for his meeting with the strange little monk. As he reached the center of the grove a voice rang out. "Ah good you are on time. Perhaps you might be worthy to learn a small technique of mine, provided you uphold your end of the deal that we discussed earlier.", the little man said. "I can provide you with shelter and food for one week, if you can help me with a little problem, but first I must know the name of the man that I am dealing with.", Akito said. "You can call me......Master Happosai, traveling monk ,scholar, and and expert in all things arcane.", the little man smiled. "I am not sure I wish to deal with one who can cast the dark arts.", Akito said. "I didn't say I was a mage, boy. I said I was familiar with them, and have great experience fighting them.", Happosai said with a confident grin on his face. "Now why don't you tell me your name now lad, so that I might know who I am dealing with.", Happosai said. "My name is Akito Tendo, heir to a proud and noble samurai family and I seek your aid in ridding this valley a foul little peasant who seeks to deny my noble person access the silver haired goddess, who is often in the company of the little peasant.", Akito said. "Sigh, the boy is insane. Why do I always have to make deals with idiots? Although his description of the girl does remind of dead old Hild-chan, but I would have felt her presence, if she was here.", Happosai thought to himself while shuddering slightly at what Hild would do to him if she caught him. "Very well boy I will help you fight this 'foul peasant' for you by giving you a few objects that are made in great secrecy in my order, but you must promise never to reveal where you had gotten them.", Happosai lied with a straight face. "I will not reveal your secrets monk, if I am successful in defeating my sworn enemy.", Akito said. "Then look closely at what I have for you.", the monk said as he pulled what looked like several small firecrackers from his gi. "Surely you are not suggesting I use these toys against my enemy.", Akito said in a disgusted tone of voice. "Oh they are not toys, my boy. Now listen closely to what I am about to tell you about how these little toys can destroy your enemy.", Happosai said with an evil grin that sent shudders down the spine of Akito. Back at the Kurata home, Hiroki's sister, Kagomi, was presently teasing her older brother about his new girlfriend. "So what did you and mom talk about in there for so long.", Kagomi asked her brother. "That's none of your business.", Hiroki said. "It was about you kissing that girl wasn't it.", Kagomi said in a sing-song voice. "How did you know about that?", Hiroki said. "I was the one who saw you and told mother.", Kagomi said while sticking out her tongue at her brother. "Why you little brat.", Hiroki said while advancing on his sister. "You behave yourself or I'll tell mother you are being mean to me and you know that mother likes me better.", Kagomi said in a taunting voice. Hiroki glared at his little sister, causing her to move back. He then left through the front door, slamming it on his way out, while wondering what else could go wrong. As he walked along the river bank near his home, Hiroki saw a familiar and definitely unwelcome sight approaching him. "I am not in the mood right now to play with your Akito-chan. Go Away.", Hiroki said. "Silence peasant, after tonight you will show me the respect that I deserve and that silver-haired goddess of yours will know that I am the superior man.", Akito said as he pulled what appeared to be several small fire crackers from within his coat pocket. Back in her home in Asgard, Urd felt a cold chill run down her spine. She wasn't sure how, but she knew her friend was hurt and needed her help. She wasn't about to abandon him. Without waiting to tell her sisters where she was going Urd teleported back to midgard to a sight that caused her blood to run cold. A few moments earlier, back on midgard. Hiroki looked at Akito who was in the process of lighting several small firecrackers and could not help but be amused. "So this is your great plan to show how superior you are. You really are pathetic. You do realize that don't you.", Hiroki said to Akito. Akito did not reply, much to Hiroki's surprise. Instead he threw one of the small firecrackers at Hiroki, who moved a couple feet away. It wasn't far enough. The little device exploded with a force that blew Hiroki several feet through the air to land in the mud near Akito's feet. "I see you now know your proper place. Simply turn over your silver haired goddess and all will be forgiven.", Akito said. Hiroki's reply was to roll over on to his back and bring his foot up into Akito's crotch, hard. With a high pitch squeak Akito fell over and curled into a little ball before he fell unconscious. "How pathetic. Well if I wish my free lodging for the week, I guess I must destroy you myself.", Happosai said, while seeming to appear out of nowhere. "Who are you?", Hiroki said to the strange little man in front of him. "Oh me, nobody special, merely a traveling monk.", Happosai send with an evil grin on his face. "You gave Akito those bombs didn't you. Figures the idiot never could fight his own battles. So why are you helping him? You must realize he is completely insane.", Hiroki said. "We made a deal. Beyond that is not your concern. So be a good boy and stand still so that I can destroy you.", Happosai said while suddenly lashing out with a kick that sent Hiroki flying even farther than the previous explosion did. As Happosai approached the fallen Hiroki the air began to hum and portal that seemed to formed of electricity formed in the air. Out stepped Urd in her adult form. Happosai stopped dead when he laid eyes on her. "Hild-sama..no....", the little man said as he began to back away in fear for his life. Urd, sensing that Hiroki while hurt, is still alive, turns toward the little man and says, "I smell a demon. You wouldn't be responsible for hurting this boy would you.", Urd says with each word being said louder than the previous. "Please do not kill me Hild-sama. I didn't mean to steal your lingerie, besides why do you care about this mortal.", Happosai babbled out as quick as he could. "I am not my mother, but when I am through with you, you will wish that I was.", Urd said while snapping her fingers, which caused a golden colored sphere to surround and enclose Happosai. "I my not be able to destroy your form permanently, you little imp, but I can make sure that you are put through hell before you are banished back to where you belong.", Urd said as reddish black tendrils of plasma began to move about the inside of the sphere, striking Happosai and causing him to shriek out in torment. "Now be gone with you.", Urd said, while banishing Happosai back to hopefully an unpleasant welcome back in Niflheim. Urd walked over to Hiroki and picked the smaller boy in her arms. She laid back against a tree and placed Hiroki in her lap. "I am sorry I must do this, but it is for the best for now.", Urd said as she began to changed Hiroki's memory of the fight, so that he believed that he and Akito had managed to knock each other out and to erase all memories of the little man that he met. "I promise you that I will never let any demon put you in such danger again. I will protect you no matter what, even if I have to sacrifice myself to do so.", Urd said somewhat surprised by the strength of he feelings for the boy that she still barely knew. "Maybe Kami-sama was right. You are special if you can get a 'selfish old woman' such as myself to make such a promise.", Urd said as she kissed Hiroki lightly on the cheek, then hugged him close while stroking his hair. She then teleported him back to his home and tucked him into bed. "Good night sweet prince.", Urd says, before leaving to rejoin her sisters back in Asgard. Meanwhile in Niflheim, a certain little demon is presently running for his life as several other demons are presently trying to claim the bounty that Hild has placed on his head. "Curse you Hild, and curse that bitch of a daughter of yours. I swear no matter how long it takes, I will find some way to punish you for what you have done to me.", the little Incubus, Happosai, said as he continued to run from his demonic pursuers. Authors Note: Well I had originally intended to covers Urd's relationship with Hinako's grandfather in only in chapter, but as it turns out it will take longer than that, possibly 1 or 2 more chapters. I will get back to dealing with the Ranma cast in the present time, eventually, just not quite yet. Then again, this is a cross over so characters from both series deserve some 'screen time' so to speak. If you have any comments of constructive criticism on this story feel free to right me at ryo_oki@pacbell.net Ryo Oki Here is the third chapter of my story Little angel Lost. When you have the time I would appreciate it if you could post it on your website as you have the other chapters of this story. Ryo Oki ryo_oki@pacbell.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Little Angel Lost A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Ryo Oki ryo_oki@pacbell.net Disclaimer: All characters and places not created by me are probably owned by someone else. Authors Note: This story is an alternative universe / crossover story set roughly 4 months after the wedding. Ranma and Akane are now juniors in high school. ********** Chapter 3 First Meetings Part 2 Hiroki awoke early the next morning, to the sounds of his sister screaming at him to get up or be late for school. "Oww! I think my whole body hurts. What was that idiot Akito doing with those bombs anyway. At least I didn't lose, but I would have preferred to not get knocked out with him. ", Hiroki thought to himself, unaware of what really happened due to his memory being altered. "I'm glad Urd wasn't there. I wouldn't want to see her hurt.", Hiroki thought with a smile beginning to grow on his face. "You're thinking about something naughty aren't you.", Hiroki's sister Kagomi said while walking in the room. "You are supposed to knock before you enter my room, you little Oni.", Hiroki said to Kagomi. "The door was already open, and mother sent me to make sure that you get your lazy butt out of bed. So what are you going to name the baby?", Kagomi asked Hiroki. "Baby!?! What are you talking about?", Hiroki asked. "Well, you kissed that gaijin girl, didn't you?", Kagomi asked. "Yeah, so what does that have to do with it?", Hiroki asked. "Everyone knows you have a baby when a boy kisses a girl.", Kagomi said with a smirk on her face. "Where did you here that from, one of your stupid little friends?", Hiroki said to Kagomi. "Myami, is not stupid, she is almost 10 and very smart.", Kagomi said. "Not that smart, if that is what she told you.", Hiroki said. "Well then, how do you make a baby then.", Kagomi asked. "Ask mom, I am sure she will enjoy answering that question.", Hiroki said to Kagomi. Kagomi left the room and a few moments later a loud "What did you say!", was heard from another part of the house. Hiroki could only laugh in response. "Maybe I'll go take a look and see how shocked mother is by Kagomi's question.", Hiroki thought to himself. After a somewhat tense breakfast, Hiroki left for school, way ahead of his sister, who was still bothering their poor shell-shocked mother. Halfway to school, Hiroki saw a very familiar face, who appeared to be waiting by the side of the road for someone. "Hey handsome, going my way.", Urd said to a blushing Hiroki. "Urd, what are you doing here and wearing that.", Hiroki said, while wondering why Urd was wearing the girls uniform for his school. She did look good in it though, especially give the modifications she made to it. He had never seen a girl in a skirt that only reached to mid thigh before. "I have some good news, father says he approves of us seeing each other and even allowed me to attend this school, instead of the private tutors that I usually have. So we now see more of each other, and maybe you can introduce me to some of your friends.", Urd said, while taking hold of Hiroki's arm. As they approached the school, Hiroki noticed that several of the students were openly staring at Urd and many of those were being quite rude toward Urd, because of what she was wearing. He wasn't surprised. Her 'modifications' to her uniform were quite scandalous, considering all of the other girls' skirts were well below their knees. Urd, also appearing to be quite well developed for a 12 year old and Akito noticed more than a few jealous stares from many male students as he walked up to the school with Urd on his arm. Up in a classroom facing the entrance to the school, two 10 year old girls were looking out the window, watching their fellow students walk by, or rather one was watching people go by, the other was just staring out into space with a silly grin on her face. "Really Kozue, can you stop that? You are embarrassing me with that silly expression.", one of the 10 year olds said to the other. "Huh... Did you say something Mitsuki?", Kozue said. "Yes, I said stop staring like that you are embarrassing.", Mitsuki said to Kozue "I can't help it, every time I think of him it happens.", Kozue. "Give it up, he is older than you and definitely not interested. He has told you so many times before.", Mitsuki said. "He is just confused. Besides how can he turn down such a wonderful girl as me. I'm young, sweet, come from a wealthy family. Why I'm almost perfect.", Kozue said. "Not to mention demure and modest as well.", Mitsuki said. "Self-confidence is a good thing. If you want something in this life you have to go get it and hold on with both hands. Besides I know he doesn't have a girlfriend yet.", Kozue said. "Yeah, that's true. I don't think anyone has ever seen him with a girl, still I doubt that he is.....Oh WOW who is that?", Mitsuki said while pointing out the window at a certain couple, who were now walking into the school's gate. Kozue looked out the window at what her friend was pointing at and her mouth dropped open in shock. The object of her affection, one Hiroki Kurata was walking into the school with a girl on his arm. "So he doesn't have a girlfriend huh?", Mitsuki snickered before noticing the sad look on her friend's face. "I'm sorry Kozue, I didn't mean to upset you.", Mitsuki. "Look at how that girl is dressed and how she is throwing herself at Hiroki-kun. Doesn't she have any shame? He can not possibly like a girl who acts like that.", Kozue said. "He doesn't seem too upset to me.", Mitsuki said. "He is just in shock, but don't worry I'll save you from that hussy Hiroki-kun.", Kozue said while striking what she thought was a righteous pose. "Well this should be interesting.", Mitsuki said as she watched her friend race out of the room to 'save' the object of her affections. Down in the courtyard Hiroki found himself surrounded by many of the students for some reason, many of which were female. Many of the students were curious about who the girl on his arm was and whether or not she was available, despite the fact that Urd still held Hiroki's arm against her chest. "Why do so many of the girls seem to be interested in talking to me now, they always ignored me before.", Hiroki whispered to Urd as they began to move away from the crowd. "That's easy. When a girl sees a boy with another girl, particularly an attractive one such as myself, she has proof that the boy is desirable in some way or another. If a girl though, always sees a boy by himself, then she may start to think that there is something wrong with him.", Urd said. "But what if he is just shy, or doesn't have that many friends?", Hiroki asked Urd. "I didn't say it was a fair way to judge someone, but that is just the way many girls and some older women think. Too bad though, because it is usually the quiet or shy guys that make the sweetest and most devoted boyfriends, vs. the arrogant loud type, like your 'friend' Akito.", Urd said to Hiroki. "I don't think I would ever call him a friend.", Hiroki said. "Hiroki-kun!", a voice shouted out, causing Hiroki to sigh. Urd turned toward the sound of the voice and saw a very excited ten year old girl rapidly running toward she and Hiroki. A few seconds later the little girl was tightly glomped onto Hiroki's other arm, much to his annoyance. "Who are you and what are you doing with my Hiroki-kun?", Kozue said excitedly to Urd. "Why Hiroki dear, I didn't know you like younger women.", Urd snickered. "Kozue, get off. I am not your 'Hiroki-kun'.", Hiroki said to Kozue as he tried to shake to the little 'octopus' off his arm. "You are just saying that because this big breasted.....girl has you confused for some reason, or you would realize that we are meant to be together.", Kozue said to Hiroki. "So Hiro-chan, who is this competition for my affections toward you.", Urd said, in a silky voice why pulling Hiroki's arm tighter between her breasts, causing Hiroki and squeak and Kozue to turn almost purple with outrage. "Stop that you hussy. I won't have you do such naughty things to him. If you do not leave him alone, I will punish you.", Kozue said while trying to sound somewhat imposing. Trying very hard not to laugh Urd said, "You sound just like that idiot Akito Tendo, my wonderful Hiroki beat the other day.", Urd said. "Yeah!!!! You beat up my idiot brother again.", Kozue cheered. "Brother!?!", Urd said while looking somewhat sick. "I am afraid so. Urd let me introduce you to Kozue Tendo, sister of the idiot you mentioned earlier.", Hiroki said. "You forgot to mention that I am your best friend and fiancee' as well.", Kozue said, while looking at Hiroki with hearts in her eyes. "You have a fiancee?", Urd asked. "No I do not.", Hiroki said to Urd. "Kozue you should stop telling people that. You know how it gives them the wrong idea. I don't even want to think about what would happen if my mother heard of such a rumor and believed it.", Hiroki said to Kozue. "I'm sorry, but I wouldn't mind it if it were true.", Kozue said with a sad tone in her voice. "I know, but we are friends alright, nothing more.", Hiroki said as he finally managed to remove Kozue from his arm. "Now why don't you get to class. I'll see you at lunch as usual, alright.", Hiroki said to Kozue. "Alright, see you then...dear.", Kozue giggled as she ran off. "You have lunch with her?", Urd asked somewhat surprised. "Everyday.", Hiroki replied. "Why would you if she is such as pest toward you.", Urd said. "Because, besides myself she only has one other friend, and they have different schedules so they can eat together during lunch very often. No one should have to spend lunch eating by themselves. That's just not right.", Hiroki said to Urd who smiled at him. "You are just too nice for your own good Hiro-chan.", Urd said while pinching his cheek as they walked into the school building together. By 2nd period, Urd was already bored and in danger of falling asleep altogether. "How do these people actually expect their children to learn anything if all they teach them to do is memorize facts from a book. They place more emphasis on following directions than learning to think for one's self.", Urd thought to herself. As she looked around the room Urd noticed that several students seemed to be having trouble keeping up with the lesson, but instead of speaking out and interrupting the flow of the class, heaven forbid, they kept silent and seemed to grow more confused as time went by. "This is stupid.", Urd accidentally said allowed. The teacher looked up from the book and said, "Is there something wrong Miss Omikami?" "Several things.", Urd snorted. "First of all, how you expect anyone to learn if all you do is read to them and expect them to memorize a bunch of worthless historical facts. Second you seem completely oblivious to the fact that several of the students are having trouble keeping up with the lesson such as it is. Do you care more about just getting through the material than helping the students?", Urd said in a challenging voice. "I suppose you can do better?", the teacher arrogantly said. "Much better.", Urd said. "Then please enlighten us with your 'wisdom'.", the teacher said. For the rest of the hour, Urd did just that. Having lived though much of what was being discussed, and having an active link to the world tree computer gave her knowledge that no teacher in the school had. Her flair for describing the past in a dramatic sense also had the students attention riveted to her instruction. By the end of the hour, she even managed to help a couple of the students catch up a little, but she would need to work with them for the next couple of days. "I wonder if they wouldn't mind being tutored.", Urd thought with some surprise at much she enjoyed teaching and helping the other students. By the end of the hour the teach was both shocked and outraged. How dare this little half-gajin, by the look of her' dare contradict his lessons. Never mind the fact that he did dare her to teach, that was beside the point. When the bell rang, signifying time for the teachers to change classrooms Urd smirked at the teacher and said, "If you need any help tomorrow I am available." The teacher only grunted in response and stormed out of the classroom. "How did you do that?", One girl asked. "Do what?", Urd replied. "Stand up to the teachers. No one even talks back to them, even if they feel that something is wrong.", the girl replied. "You never be afraid to ask questions, and you should never assume that just because someone is in a position of authority over you that they deserve respect. Attitudes like that only cause some people to be taken advantage of by arrogant fools.", Urd said as the class stared at her of saying such shocking things. "Your girlfriend is something else.", one the boys sitting next to Hiroki said.. "She definitely is not like all the other girls.", Hiroki said as he looked at Urd in a mixture of awe and affection. "Before the next instructor cam in Urd sat down next to Hiroki and said, "So how did I do." "You were amazing. You even taught Sato-san something, and I didn't think anyone could make that guy learn. But I fear that you made an enemy out of the teacher. I don't think he appreciated you showing him up in class.", Hiroki said. "He's nothing. If worse comes to worse, I am sure father can arrange for him to teach at a new school.", Urd said, while up in Asgard Kami-sama could only roll his eyes at his daughter's bravado and hubris. At lunch Kozue raced to the tree where she usually ate lunch with Hiroki, but stopped short once she caught sight of Urd, sitting on the lap of her Hiroki. The poor boy seemed to be in shock, and she was even trying to feed him. who does that girl think she is. Kozue was about to yell at the little hussy when she heard Hiroki laugh at Urd's antics and even smile at her. He didn't seem upset. Maybe her friend Mitsuki was right. Maybe he did like the little gaijin. But what about her. Who was she supposed to be with. She only wanted to be Hiroki. She started to turn away, a tear slowing moving down her cheek when she heard a voice call out from behind her. Hiroki was enjoying his lunch with Urd, even if she did tend to be a little bit more forward than he liked, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, so he decided not to say anything unless she became too forward. He looked up from eating his lunch and noticed Kozue just standing there looking at him. He was about to call out to her, when he noticed what appeared to be a tear running down her cheek. "Why is she crying?", he thought to herself. As she started to turn around and walk away Urd whispered to him, "Go get her and bring her back. All of us need to talk." Hiroki was about to ask about what they need to talk about when Urd pulled him off the ground and pushed him toward Kozue. "Kozue, what is wrong.", Hiroki asked when he was just a couple feet behind Kozue. Kozue turned around and Hiroki could see that she definitely had a few tears on her cheek. "Are you all right?", Hiroki said as he put a hand on Kozue's shoulder. "I guess we won't being eating lunch together anymore since you have Urd. I didn't believe Mitsuki earlier when she said that you and Urd seemed to be close. I guess I was wrong. I won't disturb you any longer.", Kozue said sadly. Hiroki smiled at her as he wiped a couple of tears off her face and said, "You don't have to do that. Urd and I are a couple now I guess, but that doesn't mean that I want to stop being your friend and eating lunch with you. I would miss you at lunch if didn't come around any more." Kozue's mood seemed to change quite rapidly, much to Hiroki's shock and he soon found himself glomped onto by the hyper little girl, much to his confusion. Urd could only watch the scene taking place in amusement. The poor boy didn't even seem to realize how much his words were affecting the girl. She would probably be even more attached to him as time went by, if he doesn't lay down some ground rules fast. Hiroki lead Kozue over to the tree where Urd was eating. Kozue now seemed more embarrassed, instead of sad at what had just happened. "Would you mind if I eat lunch with you?", Kozue said to Urd. "I don't mind, and I know Hiroki doesn't mind either. We should talk about a few things though, if we are to see each other every day.", Urd said. "I think I know what you are going to say, and I will try not to be so rude of jealous toward you in the future, but I am not giving up on Hiroki so easily though.", Kozue said while causing Urd to sigh and Hiroki to face fault. "I know I seem like a silly little girl to you, but I do love him and always will. He was so brave when we first met. I will never forget what he did for me.", Kozue said with stars in her eyes. "How did you first meet?", Urd as Kozue. "We met last year. I asked father to transfer me to this school, since I had grown tired of the private tutors he had hired. I wanted to be around boys and girls my own age, but their were problems. My foolish brother kept showing up at this school and bullied and threatened any boy who tried to talk to me. After that no boy came near me, and even worse many of the girls who 'boyfriends' were threatened or hurt somehow blamed me.", Kozue said. "One day they decided to get even and pulled out to a field far behind the school and began to hit me.", Kozue said sadly as Urd gasped in shock. "A little while later, I am not sure how much time had passed, but just as one girl was about to start kicking me I heard a boy's voice cry out for everyone to stop. Many of the girls were shocked at being discovered and ran off. They didn't want to get in trouble I guess. Hiroki had to physically almost pry one girl off of me. She was angry since my idiot brother almost put her brother in the hospital.", Kozue said as Hiroki shivered as he remembered that day. "Hiroki picked me up in his arms and carried me back to the school as I cried into his shoulder. He was so gentle and tried to comfort me as we were walking back. When he left me at the nurse's office I knew that I had found someone to love.", Kozue said while blushing. "So you were saved by a 'handsome prince'?", Urd said much to Hiroki's embarrassment. "Yes! Now do you understand why I care so much for him.", Kozue said. "I do, but you must understand how Hiroki feels about you and how he feels about me." Urd said. Hiroki at this point was becoming somewhat nervous. He had hoped that it wouldn't be that hard to talk Kozue out of being so affectionate toward him. He did save her, but that shouldn't have caused her to be so fixated on him, could it? Like most boys his age and some a lot older he still was confused by why girls were and were not attracted to some boys. "Maybe she will lose interest in time.", he thought to himself. He really didn't believe she would at the moment, but he could hope right? After lunch was Hiroki's favorite time of the day, Kendo class. He enjoyed the tutoring provided by Tendo-san. He thought, often of how such a man could have such an idiot for a son. Perhaps it was due to the influences of the Kuno clan. They maybe wealthy, but everyone knew how they actually made their money. It was amazing that they had not been executed for their crimes, but Hiroki guessed that the money they made from their opium trade went a long way to pay off certain officials, who would look the other way. As he was lost in thought, Hiroki did not notice, until it was too late, someone sneaking up behind him and wrapping their arms around him. See the kendo armor on the person's arms, Hiroki thought it was one of his classmates trying to grapple him to the ground. He was about to try and reverse whatever trick they were trying to pull when he felt the person behind him kiss him on the back of the neck. "What the @$$@#???", he thought as the person behind him began to laugh with a definite female voice. "You need more practice Hiro-chan. It was too easy to sneak up on you.", the person said as Hiroki spun around and noticed that it was Urd who had snuck up on him and was, for some reason, wearing kendo armor. "Urd why are you hearing wearing that armor?", Hiroki asked, while still being somewhat disoriented over the shock of the kiss. "I'm here to take the class with you of course.", Urd said. "But your a girl.", Hiroki said. "You finally noticed.", Urd said with an with a Cheshire cat grin, as she put her arms around him again. "But girls aren't allowed in the same kendo classes as the boys.", Hiroki said. "Bah, that's just because they are afraid of losing to the girls. You might be surprised how well we can do if you put our minds to it.", Urd said to a somewhat exasperated Hiroki. "You should listen to your girlfriend Hiroki-san, she sounds quite wise.", a new voice spoke out from behind the couple. Turning around Urd saw a man in his early 40's with a large brown mustache and a big grin on his face. He was wearing a kendo uniform and seemed quite amused by the way she was hanging onto Hiroki. "Tendo-sensei!", Hiroki squeaked in surprise. "Nice to see you again Hiroki-san.", Mr. Tendo said to Hiroki. "Well now, who do we have here.", Mr. Tendo said as he looked at Urd. "Could you be the 'Silver-Haired-Goddess', my idiot son has been constantly talking about for the past day?", Mr. Tendo said as he noticed that Urd wince at the mention of that name. "Has my son done anything improper young lady. You seemed somewhat upset by that name?", Mr. Tendo asked Urd. Both Urd and Hiroki told Mr. Tendo about Akito's actions the previous day, or at least what Hiroki remembered of that day. As they finished their story Mr. Tendo could only shake his head in shame at the actions of his dishonorable son. "Please accept my apologies about how my son treated the both of you. He will be punished. You have my word on that. I will also be by to see your families to apologize to them.", Mr. Tendo said. "You don't need to do that sensei.", Hiroki said. "Nonsense my boy. Besides I have always wanted to meet the family of one of my favorite students. "My family is presently away and won't be back for quite a while.", Urd said hoping that the man would accept her excuse. "You do not live by yourself I hope. You are far too young for that.", Mr. Tendo said to Urd. "Oh no, my sisters and I live with....our family servants, and father doesn't like guests to show up when he and mother aren't there.", Urd said. "Very well, but when your parents return I will want to speak to them.", Mr. Tendo said. "So shall we begin class now.", Mr. Tendo said as he began to walk toward the gym. "But what about Urd being in the class.", Hiroki said. "She is more than welcome to join us, unless you are afraid that you might lose, as the young lady said earlier.", Mr. Tendo said with a grin on his face. After class everyone was quite impressed with Urd's abilities. She had managed to defeat all who challenged her. Even the instructor had only managed to score one hit against her. "I must say that I am quite impressed with your skills my dear. Did your father train you?", Mr. Tendo asked Urd. "No, my mother saw to most of my training. Father was busy running his 'business' most of the time.", Urd said. "Well she did an excellent job. You should take some lessons from her Hiroki. After all I can not be around all the time to instruct you.", Mr. Tendo said. "I'll consider that sir.", Hiroki said. "Good, now how about tomorrow after your school is out I pay a visit to your family.", Mr. Tendo said. "I don't see a problem with that. I'll tell mother that you are coming.", Hiroki said while worrying about how that meeting would turn out. Urd, seeing the worried look on Hiroki's face said, "Don't worry Hiro-chan I'm sure your mother won't embarrass you too much." Then she reached out and tickled him in the side causing him giggle, much to his embarrassment. "Would be nice to be that young again.", Mr. Tendo thought as he watched the antics of the two young 'friends'. Urd followed Hiroki back to his home after school, curious to how his mother would react to the news that she would have a certain guest in her home tomorrow. "Mother, Mr. Tendo and I believe Kozue and Akito, his children, will be coming over for dinner tomorrow.", Hiroki asked his mother while berating himself for not thinking of a more subtle way to break the news to his excitable mother. "What!!!", Mrs. Kurata shrieked out. "Tendo-san is coming here?. How could you give me so little warning. There is so much to prepare for one of his station....", Mrs. Kurata continued to prattle on Hiroki sighed and Urd giggled at her antics. "Mother there is no need to get so excited. I don't even know if he intends to stay long. I think he is just coming over to apologize for his son's actions toward Urd and I the other day.", Hiroki said. "Don't be ridiculous child. One his ancestry does not apologize to one of 'us'. He will more than likely ask you to apologize for insulting his son.", Mrs. Kurata said in all seriousness. "Are you going to be in for a shock.", Urd snickered as Mrs. Kurata spun around and glared at Urd. "You will not be here tomorrow girl. I do not want to insult Tendo-san by having a little gaijin like you here when he honors us with his presence.", Mrs. Kurata said. "Mother, Mr. Tendo has already met Urd, and she has made a rather favorable impression on him.", Hiroki said. "Especially, since I so able to beat him every time during the kendo matches at school.", Urd said in all lack of modesty. "I find it hard to believe that the school would allow someone like her to participate in a mans' sport.", Mrs. Kurata said. "Mr. Tendo insisted on it, when the other instructors complained. You still haven't realized mother that you are the only one that keeps holding on to these outdated 'samurai traditions'. I wish father and aunty were still here. I wonder where they are right now. I hope that they are alright.", Akito said. "I am sure that they are fine Hiro-chan. From what you have told me, your father sounds like the type who could take care of himself.", Urd said. Later that evening Hiroki and Urd were once again down by the stream, but instead of needing to get cleaned up this time they were laying back against a fallen tree and looking up at the stars. Hiroki noticed that whenever he and Urd decided to go out at night, the weather always seemed to be a little warmer than usual. Almost as if someone had arranged for their 'dates' to go as smoothly as possible. Urd snuggled close to Hiroki, who began to blush in response. Normally, Urd never spent a lot of time out in the country, so to speak. She had always preferred to more lively areas of Asgard, but somehow she didn't mind the slow pace of life, when she was with Hiroki. She started to notice some of the things that Belldandy always seemed to be talking about: The sound of the wind blowing gently through the trees, The soft cooing of the nightingales overhead, and the way the moon cast a yellow warm glow over everything. "Hmmmph, I starting to think like one of the girls in those silly novels that Belldandy likes to read.", Urd thought as she frowned. "Is something wrong Urd?", Hiroki asked, noticing Urd's frown. "No Hiro-chan nothing is wrong. I was just thinking about something silly for a moment.", Urd said. Umm.... Urd...", Hiroki said. "Yes Hiro-chan.", Urd said while wondering while Hiroki suddenly seemed to be nervous. "If I know my mother she will insist on a formal dinner for Mr. Tendo, when he comes to visit tomorrow. If that happens will you come as well?", Hiroki nervously asked. "You mean as in a formal date to introduce me to your family and friends.", Urd asked with a grin on her face. "Well mother has seen us together, but still hasn't really accepted you. If she turns this into a formal occasion with Mr. Tendo and others that she will probably invite, she will have no choice but to accept you. Mr. Tendo likes you, as well as Kozue in her own way. I can't imagine anyone else not liking you.", Hiroki said. "You are very sweet, Hiro-chan. I would love to meet everyone, especially if you are my date for the evening.", Urd said as she leaned over and kissed Hiroki gently on the lips. Hiroki, already nervous about asking Urd was overwhelmed by the kiss and fainted. Urd just pulled her unconscious boyfriend closer and enjoyed the rest of the evening with him sleeping on her shoulder, before she returned him to him home later that night. Later that same night, Urd was laying down on her bed in her room back in Asgard, thinking about the upcoming party. "If this is a formal party I will have to bring someone to escort me there. It would be strange for a 12 year old girl to suddenly appear at the door in front of everyone.", Urd thought to herself. "Who could I bring though. I don't think mother would be a good choice, and father always seems to be busy. Maybe I could ask someone to pose as one of my parents, but who. It would be far easier just to ask father. Well there would be no harm in asking I guess.", Urd thought as she rolled out of bed and began to make her way to Kami-sama's office. While walking to the head office Urd kept glancing around her at all the gods and goddesses walking by while trying to decide if anyone them would or could be able to pass as one of her parents. She had already told Hiroki that her mother wasn't Japanese, but her father was. That was true at least in part. Kami-sama was a little bit off all nationalities. If only Hild could keep better control of her emotions. One wrong word or insult directed toward her and Hild would most likely do something rather unpleasant to the offender. No that would definitely not score any points with anyone at the party, especially Hiroki. Urd entered the main office and went over to greet Kami-sama's secretary. "Hey Hilda, is father in?", Urd asked already knowing the answer, but some formalities must be maintained after all. "Yes he is, would you like to speak to him?", Hilda asked. As Urd was about to answer the doors to Kami-sama's office swung open and a voice from within asked her to come in. As she entered the office Urd saw Kami-sama bending over his desk in the process of trying to shape a bonsai tree. He didn't appear to be having much success at it. "Ah daughter, please come in.", Kami-sama said, then noticing Urd looking at the somewhat uniquely shaped tree he said, "I can not seem to 'get the hang of it' as the Americans' say. Oh well I never said that I was perfect.", Kami-sama said as Urd face-faulted at his joke. Pulling herself off the floor Urd said, "Father, Hiroki's mother is going to be giving a formal party for one of the local 'noble' families and Hiroki has invited me to join him for the party, but it would look rather strange if a '12 year old' girl were to just show up at their doorstep unescorted, so I was wondering if you could possibly come with me.", Urd said nervously. Kami-sama looked at his occasionally headstrong daughter and smiled. It had been a long time since one of his children had asked him to help out with their personal life, but if her left the office for only a short time, who run things while he was gone. "Daughter I would love to help you, but there is no one to right now to run the 'office' if I were to leave. Hilda is greatly overworked. I could not trust, I am sad to say, Zeus or Odin to run things even briefly. Apollo or Athena normally could help out briefly, but they are now busy preparing for the upcoming conflict in Midgard.", Kami-sama said. "I thought you might say that, but I hoped that just once we could go out and do something together. I miss the times we spent together when I was younger.", Urd said in a melancholy voice. "Perhaps your mother is available.", Kami-sama said. "I thought about it, but you know mother