At a desk somewhere in Niffleheim a loud noise was heardà
ôIÆve had it!ö was the loud affirmation made by Hild, queen of hell. It was official now, without time of in almost 2000 years, she was getting frustrated. Even to this day she couldnÆt stop swearing when she heard Budhha, Jesus or other such names. They just had to add paper work to her desk, didnÆt they?
It had taken her almost all her time to partially mend the damage done to her business, but now she had enough. I was time for her to take a long, well deserved vacationà maybe with a few trysts in the middle.
It didnÆt take long for her to plan it, and though initially she planned on going as herself, she quickly realized thatÆs not going to happen, too many treaties were in place for her to be allowed to have some good old fashion fun. Damn those lust demons! They just had to go around and father those tentacle demons didnÆt they?
With this option out of the list, she started approaching the situation at a different angle. Just a few moments later as a Chibi Hild was created to tend to a important file, a grin appeared on her face.
In the bowels of Hell, all was quiet, with the exception of the usually tortured soul of course, when a shrill laughter could be heard.
The demons ducked for cover, the devils started running and the others just started praying, for the last time they hear that laughterà it was snowing in Hell.
---
Once her new plan of action was established Hild wasted no more time, two volunteers *read scared out of their minds demons* were explained the plan:
ôYou two will accompany me on Earth on my vacation. IÆll pretend to be a young girl of 5~6 years of age and you two will be my ælovingÆ parents. I selected a place in Japan called the Hinata Inn, the strong magic running there combined with your presence should be enough to hide me from any unwanted eyes. Do you have any questions?ö
ôàö
ôGood, we leave in five minutes.ö
A soon as she finished her words the two demons scrambled to prepare themselves for the æmissionÆ. Both of them had rather pressing issues to deal with, but when the Queen of Hell says jumpà you just ask how high.
Four minutes and a few seconds later, both demons were back and ready to go, ænobody likes to wait, especially not HildÆ and with a last transformation on HildÆs part, the group was underway to earth.
---
The arrival went smoothly, if you donÆt take into account the poor kids whose memory they had to erase because he saw too much. So what if he was going to lose his sense of direction for the rest of his life? ItÆs not like he needed to get somewhere.
So, after dealing with that small interruption, the group continued their road towards the Hina Inn, with Hild perched on top of one of her employees as to avoid ôtiring her feetö as she called it at the sight of the stairs leading to the inn.
To an outsider, it might have looked like the perfect family picture, the father carrying the little daughter on his shoulders, but if one would have looked closer, they would have noticed how the æfatherÆ was watching his every step and sweating like mad.
It was shortly after that the family found itself in front of a welcoming old lady who greeted them warmly:
ôWelcome to the Hinata Inn! I presume youÆre here for a room?ö
ôYes, weÆd like to stay here for a few weeks; weÆd like to rent two rooms.ö The ôfather repliedö unusually polite for one of his status.
ôHow wonderful! You are in luck, just a few minutes a couple called and canceled their reservations mumbling something about fried electrical appliances,ö she told them, not noticing the evil grin on the face of the family æchildÆ.
It didnÆt took long for the formalities to be solved, and in just a few minutes the Devlin family was hosted at the Hinata Inn, together with their daughter Hild, though the old lady couldnÆt understand what normal couple names their child Hild out of all things.
It was so that the Daimakaichou begun her vacation, free to relax as her heart wished for. Everything was perfect and nothing could spoil her time offà or at least thatÆs what she thought, until one child threw a whole bucket of sand at her.
Her first reaction was to zap the insolent twerp, but she managed to reign in her impulse, she wasnÆt on Earth to do what she did every day! So with an offended expression, the queen of hell decided to proceed with her payback the old fashion way, by grabbing a shovel and pouring sand over the other children in the playground.
It was this way that Hild started hanging around with the kids there. Being childish was fun! Not to mention that no matter what she did, she just couldnÆt understand how a certain child could have such a fixation on watermelons. It was as if the kid was a goddess or maybe even a demon, but she felt no such signs around her!
To add to that, she recognized the other kid almost instantly, Keitaro Urashima he was supposed to invent Nuclear Cold Fission or something, improving life for mankind and giving her yet another headache. But for now, she decided to put these thoughts at the back of her mind and just enjoy.
---
ôNe, ne! Do you know?ö
It was for the seventh time that she heard the same question from the watermelon loving Mutsumi, and frankly it was starting to get on her nerves. Thankfully the other child in the playground prevented a serving of microwave Mutsumi by asking a simple question:
ôWhat?ö Keitaro asked in a happy voice.
ôIf two people promise to go together to Toudai, theyÆll be happy together for the rest of their lifes!ö
ôOhàö was the almost speechless reply of Keitaro.
ôNe, ne, letÆs make a promise! LetÆs promise weÆll go to Toudai together!ö
At she heard the childish belief, Hild couldnÆt stop but stifle a laugh, the okinawan girl was so much fun!
ôYou too Hild-chan! Promise youÆll get into Toudai together with Kei-chan!ö
At this, the demon queen looked in disbelief at Mutsumi. Did the girl expect her to believe in fantasies for children?
ôPromise Hild-chan!ö Mutsumi insisted and soon afterwards Hild caved in, it wasnÆt like this mattered to her.
By the end of her time on Earth, Hild all but forgot about the stupid promise she made about entering Toudai with Keitaro and what that implied. It was not like it was of consequence for her.
But not all forgottenà
---
17 years later, Hinata Sou.
Keitaro was happy, after so many years wasted studying he had finally made it! He passed the tests for Toudai, and only finding out who his promise girl was could make him happier.
As he waited for the opening ceremony to begin it was just this thought that passed through his mind:
He got into Toudai! Nothing could go wrong now!
Oh how wrong he wasà
A few hours later, as the doctors placed his leg in a cast, the ex-ronin couldnÆt help feeling cheated. It was as if some unknown divine force was preventing him from entering Toudai! That was the only conclusion he could get to.
For years he was the smartest child in school, a bit clumsy, but still, he managed to create over 100 new recepies for chocolate cake in under one week, yet in his final year of high school his grades plummeted to the ground.
He did his best, he really did but when the exam came, it was as if every question he marked moved on the paper. But such a thing was impossible, wasnÆt it?
So he found himself as a ronin, working hard to pass on the second try, learning everything he could for the test, but as luck would have it, the only two history lessons he didnÆt read were the only thing in that section of the exam.
It was then that his parentsÆ patience dried up, they both tried to convince him to try another college, he could see the reason behind their pleas but for some reason, he just couldnÆt move from getting into Toudai.
It was this why he was forced to move at the Hinata Inn. At first it was shaky relation between him and the girls especially as they discovered his lie, but he slowly made himself accepted, though many times he had to wonder what will come first:
Naru & Motoko accepting him, or getting a long all expenses paid rest in a padded room.
Then, his third exam came, the first time he actually felt he was somewhat unprepared. The Hinata Sou ate a lot of his study time, the constant need for repairs, Naru & MotokoÆs attitude towards him, SuÆs experiments and KitsuneÆs constant flirting did nothing in that sense. All in all it was as if someone was trying to distract him from studying.
At first when he saw the exam paper, he was surprised about the subjects. They were easy! It was this why he allowed himself to indulge into day dreaming for a bit, only to wake up too late and find out that time was almost up. Yet another botched exam... it didnÆt help that Naru also failed her exam.
And then, after another year of studying and living with the ladies of Hinata Sou the fourth exam came up. It was probably during this time that he got to know the girls the best, met Seta and found his passion for archeology. He couldnÆt understand some of their behavior, and he was somewhat saddened by the fact that little Shinobu hid something from him. The play at the tea house gave him the perfect opportunity to get closer to Naru, yet it was as fate itself had something to say. Keitaro wouldnÆt admit it to anyone, but he was getting tired, he wanted more and somehow he didnÆt realize what.
As the fourth exam came, he was almost scared that he will fail again and even made a half assed promise to himself that this was the last time. He was surprised however when the girls found him in Mol Mol and announced him that he passed the exam. It was the best news he heard in a long time!
So, as a result he dressed up and prepared for the opening ceremony a few weeks later, confident that he managed to jump all major hurdles only to find himself IN THE HOSPITAL! Him, the invincible Keitaro entering the hospital, and even worse, with a broken leg! He couldnÆt even remember the last time he needed an extended time in the hospital!
It was with these thoughts in mind that Keitaro uttered that infamous phrase:
ôAt least things canÆt get any worse!ö
---
Nifleheim. Daimakaichou office.
Hild was not having a good day. Business was going as usual and she even had a chance to see her wayward daughter for the first time this century, but something was not right.
Ever since she got back from Earth she could feel it, a certain tugging in her mind, a pull to do something, but for all she tries, she just couldnÆt place her finger on what it was.
It was not the first time she felt it, and at first she suspected it had something to do with her daughter being on Earth, but it made no sense for the pull to get stronger just some times during the year when her daughter was there all the time!
Dismissing her daughter as the reason, Hild decided to search for the reason behind this pull. It was starting to give her a headache!
What had she forgotten that could have such an effect on her?
It was with this in mind that Hild started typing furiously on her work consoleà
A few hours later, give or take a few minutes:
ôNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!ö
As the sound traveled through all Nifleheim, the devils had only one though:
æWeÆre screwed!Æ
For you see, while laughing usually meant something bad for them, a yell such as this could mean only one thing:
ôNot another one!ö
Yes, the last time Hild screamed like that was when Jesus was born.
---
In her office the Daimakaichou could only stare in horror at the screen, for on it was something that Hild wouldnÆt have thought possibleà she had granted a wish! And not like any self respecting demon, in exchange for a soul or some other equally rewarding compensation, but for free!
It was unthinkable! And she was bound by the ultimate force itself to keep good on that promise!
Only after a few moments was she able to think again. Wait, she was a demon, meaning that some kind of compensation had to be paid! No matter what the screen said, if the kid didnÆt pay something, anything in return, then sheÆll find a way out!
And so she started reviewing the file of one Keitaro Urashimaà Three hours later, and a lots of new desks she was seething! There was actually payment! The adventures from the last years would have been a very happy sight for the chaos loving Hild, but it was not the case now, for she had lost all her ways out.
ôHonestlyàö she started mumbling to herself, ôHow can one attract so much misfortune! Not even one of my agents was responsible with this case, and yetà a crazy male hater kendoka, a S&M queen, a goth, a mad scientist, a drunkard and even a perfect Lolita!ö
In the back of her mind she realized just why the boy had that wonderful luck, The Ultimate Force was responsible, trying to keep him away from girls and out of Toudai till she could enter the college with him.
æLet him wait!Æ would have been her answer in normal circumstances, as such troubles normally didnÆt bother her, but now as she felt the gentle but increasing pull in her head, she knew that she had to do good on that promise, despite her increasing displeasure at the thought.
Bound to a mortal! Hah! That was more like something Belldandy did, not her!
ôWell now Keitaro ædarlingÆ! Ready or not, here I come!ö she said just before zapping out of her office and in the human world.
---
Somewhere in Tokyo, a few high tech detection instruments sounded the alarm. This was strange, as normally those instruments didnÆt work even if a normal was in ten feet from them. The only logical result threw the house in chaos! Whatever appeared was well beyond MallerÆs power.
Almost immediately Urd picked out the phone:
ôWith Father please,ö she asked the receptionist.
ôMY daughter, what can I do for you?ö
ôFather, there is a very powerful demon here on Earth, we suspect a breach in the %^&* treaty, protocol m#$#@!ö Urd nervously explained.
ôOh, is that it?ö the celestial Father answered.
ôThereÆs nothing to worry, daughter! ItÆs just your mother, she granted a wish and now she has to fulfill it.ö And with that, the Almighty ended the discussion.
It took a few seconds for Urd to register just what her father said:
ôMother granted a wishàö
ôMother NEVER grants any wishes!ö
ôItÆs a wish that allows her to stay on Earthàö
ôMother NEVER grants any wishes!ö
ôWhatÆs happening here!?ö
A few hours later, Belldandy and Keiichi found Skuld fainted and her with a hand on the phone, whispering the same words again and again:
ôHildà wishö
---
In a bus traveling towards Hinata Sou, Keitaro got a sudden chill on his back. Something bad was coming his way, he just knew it, and being able to perceive it meant only one thing nothing till now could measure to it.
The feeling of dread got stronger and stronger as the bus approached his station and for a moment Keitaro asked himself if he really wanted to get down from the buss, but in the end he passed over what his instincts were yelling at them and stepped down, it wasnÆt as if they helped him before!
A few minutes earlier at the Hinata Souà
The girls were having a normal day, well a normal day if you ignore the fact that all of them anxiously waited for KeitaroÆs return even though none of them would have admitted to the others, maybe with the exception of Shinobu, but then again, they all knew of her crush on the clumsy manager, so it wouldnÆt have been such a big surprise.
It was in this tense atmosphere that a loud bang was heard outside; prompting the girls from their thoughts and making them rush to the door.
Outside, in what looked like the remains of the Hinata porch was a dangerously looking woman, dressed in what seemed as coming out of a pervertÆs most sordid fantasies. It took a few minutes for the girls to recover at the sight, but when they did, a torrent of questions followed:
ôWho are you?ö
ôWhat are you doing here?ö
ôAre you looking for Urashima?ö
And so, the queen of hell saw herself for the first time in millennia where she wasnÆt the one asking the questions. Despite her desire to use her powers and make these girls shut upà permanently, she knew better than that. Instead she decided to calm down and take a good look at the girls. They were exactly as she expected them to be:
Motoko: the traditional samurai, didnÆt anybody tell this girl that most samurai were male?
Naru: the S&M queen, what a nice addition sheÆll make.
Kitsune: reminded her of her daughter, same flirtatious nature and love for drinks.
Su: she wondered if the girl was somehow related to Skuld.
Shinobu: a nice little girl, that if you liked a future Belldandy in training! Action had to be taken Hild decided.
And finally, the cause of all her misfortune:
Mutsumi: the water melon lover, the girl who was to blame for that ridiculous promise.
It was then that something she didnÆt expect happened:
ôAra, ara! Hild-chan, you came back!ö the okinawan girl exclaimed.
The surprise couldnÆt have been more obvious on HildÆs face even if it would have been written with a marker.
How did Mutsumi remember her? The system should have made sure that her presence here would be nothing more than a blur to those who had met her, besides at that time, they werenÆt more than five-seven years old! It was just another piece to the mystery that was Mutsumi.
---
It was the sound of voices that greeted Keitaro as he made his last steps on the stairs towards Hinata Sou. He was a bit tired from having to climb them in his condition, but he instantly became curios:
What could make the girls as loud as they were? Especially when he was nowhere near them to be at fault.
As he finally made that last step, he found his answer. Surrounded by the girls was a beautiful exotic woman who was wearing a bored expression on her face. A bored expression that is, until her eyes met his. In that moment her expression changed, and for some strange reason Keitaro was reminded of a feline playing with her prey.
Slowly with deliberate steps, the platinum haired woman made her way to Keitaro, while he was feeling a strong need to run away and the girls were looking with curiosity.
ôWhat did you do to this woman pervert!?ö Naru opened her mouth, a bit surprised by the way the woman acted.
ôAra, ara! DonÆt you remember Hild-chan, Kei-kun?
æHild-chan?Æ
ôWhoà whoà are you?ö he tried to ask, before the woman opened her mouth, and with it, the gates of hell:
ôHello darling!ö
---
What reaction can we expect from the girls? Is there more chaos in store for Keitaro? Are we going to see Urd-chan?
Honestlyà I have no idea, but weÆll see all that, and maybe Tsuruko too, next chapter.
AN:
The idea for this fic came in one of the usual crazy talk that we have on MSN.
Anyway, many thanks to Eagle Ceres, for giving me the idea and for doing the dirty work of a beta. :hail:
Also, i'd like to thank everyone who was in that chat. :mmm:
Ideas, suggestions? All welcomed!
ôIÆve had it!ö was the loud affirmation made by Hild, queen of hell. It was official now, without time of in almost 2000 years, she was getting frustrated. Even to this day she couldnÆt stop swearing when she heard Budhha, Jesus or other such names. They just had to add paper work to her desk, didnÆt they?
It had taken her almost all her time to partially mend the damage done to her business, but now she had enough. I was time for her to take a long, well deserved vacationà maybe with a few trysts in the middle.
It didnÆt take long for her to plan it, and though initially she planned on going as herself, she quickly realized thatÆs not going to happen, too many treaties were in place for her to be allowed to have some good old fashion fun. Damn those lust demons! They just had to go around and father those tentacle demons didnÆt they?
With this option out of the list, she started approaching the situation at a different angle. Just a few moments later as a Chibi Hild was created to tend to a important file, a grin appeared on her face.
In the bowels of Hell, all was quiet, with the exception of the usually tortured soul of course, when a shrill laughter could be heard.
The demons ducked for cover, the devils started running and the others just started praying, for the last time they hear that laughterà it was snowing in Hell.
---
Once her new plan of action was established Hild wasted no more time, two volunteers *read scared out of their minds demons* were explained the plan:
ôYou two will accompany me on Earth on my vacation. IÆll pretend to be a young girl of 5~6 years of age and you two will be my ælovingÆ parents. I selected a place in Japan called the Hinata Inn, the strong magic running there combined with your presence should be enough to hide me from any unwanted eyes. Do you have any questions?ö
ôàö
ôGood, we leave in five minutes.ö
A soon as she finished her words the two demons scrambled to prepare themselves for the æmissionÆ. Both of them had rather pressing issues to deal with, but when the Queen of Hell says jumpà you just ask how high.
Four minutes and a few seconds later, both demons were back and ready to go, ænobody likes to wait, especially not HildÆ and with a last transformation on HildÆs part, the group was underway to earth.
---
The arrival went smoothly, if you donÆt take into account the poor kids whose memory they had to erase because he saw too much. So what if he was going to lose his sense of direction for the rest of his life? ItÆs not like he needed to get somewhere.
So, after dealing with that small interruption, the group continued their road towards the Hina Inn, with Hild perched on top of one of her employees as to avoid ôtiring her feetö as she called it at the sight of the stairs leading to the inn.
To an outsider, it might have looked like the perfect family picture, the father carrying the little daughter on his shoulders, but if one would have looked closer, they would have noticed how the æfatherÆ was watching his every step and sweating like mad.
It was shortly after that the family found itself in front of a welcoming old lady who greeted them warmly:
ôWelcome to the Hinata Inn! I presume youÆre here for a room?ö
ôYes, weÆd like to stay here for a few weeks; weÆd like to rent two rooms.ö The ôfather repliedö unusually polite for one of his status.
ôHow wonderful! You are in luck, just a few minutes a couple called and canceled their reservations mumbling something about fried electrical appliances,ö she told them, not noticing the evil grin on the face of the family æchildÆ.
It didnÆt took long for the formalities to be solved, and in just a few minutes the Devlin family was hosted at the Hinata Inn, together with their daughter Hild, though the old lady couldnÆt understand what normal couple names their child Hild out of all things.
It was so that the Daimakaichou begun her vacation, free to relax as her heart wished for. Everything was perfect and nothing could spoil her time offà or at least thatÆs what she thought, until one child threw a whole bucket of sand at her.
Her first reaction was to zap the insolent twerp, but she managed to reign in her impulse, she wasnÆt on Earth to do what she did every day! So with an offended expression, the queen of hell decided to proceed with her payback the old fashion way, by grabbing a shovel and pouring sand over the other children in the playground.
It was this way that Hild started hanging around with the kids there. Being childish was fun! Not to mention that no matter what she did, she just couldnÆt understand how a certain child could have such a fixation on watermelons. It was as if the kid was a goddess or maybe even a demon, but she felt no such signs around her!
To add to that, she recognized the other kid almost instantly, Keitaro Urashima he was supposed to invent Nuclear Cold Fission or something, improving life for mankind and giving her yet another headache. But for now, she decided to put these thoughts at the back of her mind and just enjoy.
---
ôNe, ne! Do you know?ö
It was for the seventh time that she heard the same question from the watermelon loving Mutsumi, and frankly it was starting to get on her nerves. Thankfully the other child in the playground prevented a serving of microwave Mutsumi by asking a simple question:
ôWhat?ö Keitaro asked in a happy voice.
ôIf two people promise to go together to Toudai, theyÆll be happy together for the rest of their lifes!ö
ôOhàö was the almost speechless reply of Keitaro.
ôNe, ne, letÆs make a promise! LetÆs promise weÆll go to Toudai together!ö
At she heard the childish belief, Hild couldnÆt stop but stifle a laugh, the okinawan girl was so much fun!
ôYou too Hild-chan! Promise youÆll get into Toudai together with Kei-chan!ö
At this, the demon queen looked in disbelief at Mutsumi. Did the girl expect her to believe in fantasies for children?
ôPromise Hild-chan!ö Mutsumi insisted and soon afterwards Hild caved in, it wasnÆt like this mattered to her.
By the end of her time on Earth, Hild all but forgot about the stupid promise she made about entering Toudai with Keitaro and what that implied. It was not like it was of consequence for her.
But not all forgottenà
---
17 years later, Hinata Sou.
Keitaro was happy, after so many years wasted studying he had finally made it! He passed the tests for Toudai, and only finding out who his promise girl was could make him happier.
As he waited for the opening ceremony to begin it was just this thought that passed through his mind:
He got into Toudai! Nothing could go wrong now!
Oh how wrong he wasà
A few hours later, as the doctors placed his leg in a cast, the ex-ronin couldnÆt help feeling cheated. It was as if some unknown divine force was preventing him from entering Toudai! That was the only conclusion he could get to.
For years he was the smartest child in school, a bit clumsy, but still, he managed to create over 100 new recepies for chocolate cake in under one week, yet in his final year of high school his grades plummeted to the ground.
He did his best, he really did but when the exam came, it was as if every question he marked moved on the paper. But such a thing was impossible, wasnÆt it?
So he found himself as a ronin, working hard to pass on the second try, learning everything he could for the test, but as luck would have it, the only two history lessons he didnÆt read were the only thing in that section of the exam.
It was then that his parentsÆ patience dried up, they both tried to convince him to try another college, he could see the reason behind their pleas but for some reason, he just couldnÆt move from getting into Toudai.
It was this why he was forced to move at the Hinata Inn. At first it was shaky relation between him and the girls especially as they discovered his lie, but he slowly made himself accepted, though many times he had to wonder what will come first:
Naru & Motoko accepting him, or getting a long all expenses paid rest in a padded room.
Then, his third exam came, the first time he actually felt he was somewhat unprepared. The Hinata Sou ate a lot of his study time, the constant need for repairs, Naru & MotokoÆs attitude towards him, SuÆs experiments and KitsuneÆs constant flirting did nothing in that sense. All in all it was as if someone was trying to distract him from studying.
At first when he saw the exam paper, he was surprised about the subjects. They were easy! It was this why he allowed himself to indulge into day dreaming for a bit, only to wake up too late and find out that time was almost up. Yet another botched exam... it didnÆt help that Naru also failed her exam.
And then, after another year of studying and living with the ladies of Hinata Sou the fourth exam came up. It was probably during this time that he got to know the girls the best, met Seta and found his passion for archeology. He couldnÆt understand some of their behavior, and he was somewhat saddened by the fact that little Shinobu hid something from him. The play at the tea house gave him the perfect opportunity to get closer to Naru, yet it was as fate itself had something to say. Keitaro wouldnÆt admit it to anyone, but he was getting tired, he wanted more and somehow he didnÆt realize what.
As the fourth exam came, he was almost scared that he will fail again and even made a half assed promise to himself that this was the last time. He was surprised however when the girls found him in Mol Mol and announced him that he passed the exam. It was the best news he heard in a long time!
So, as a result he dressed up and prepared for the opening ceremony a few weeks later, confident that he managed to jump all major hurdles only to find himself IN THE HOSPITAL! Him, the invincible Keitaro entering the hospital, and even worse, with a broken leg! He couldnÆt even remember the last time he needed an extended time in the hospital!
It was with these thoughts in mind that Keitaro uttered that infamous phrase:
ôAt least things canÆt get any worse!ö
---
Nifleheim. Daimakaichou office.
Hild was not having a good day. Business was going as usual and she even had a chance to see her wayward daughter for the first time this century, but something was not right.
Ever since she got back from Earth she could feel it, a certain tugging in her mind, a pull to do something, but for all she tries, she just couldnÆt place her finger on what it was.
It was not the first time she felt it, and at first she suspected it had something to do with her daughter being on Earth, but it made no sense for the pull to get stronger just some times during the year when her daughter was there all the time!
Dismissing her daughter as the reason, Hild decided to search for the reason behind this pull. It was starting to give her a headache!
What had she forgotten that could have such an effect on her?
It was with this in mind that Hild started typing furiously on her work consoleà
A few hours later, give or take a few minutes:
ôNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!ö
As the sound traveled through all Nifleheim, the devils had only one though:
æWeÆre screwed!Æ
For you see, while laughing usually meant something bad for them, a yell such as this could mean only one thing:
ôNot another one!ö
Yes, the last time Hild screamed like that was when Jesus was born.
---
In her office the Daimakaichou could only stare in horror at the screen, for on it was something that Hild wouldnÆt have thought possibleà she had granted a wish! And not like any self respecting demon, in exchange for a soul or some other equally rewarding compensation, but for free!
It was unthinkable! And she was bound by the ultimate force itself to keep good on that promise!
Only after a few moments was she able to think again. Wait, she was a demon, meaning that some kind of compensation had to be paid! No matter what the screen said, if the kid didnÆt pay something, anything in return, then sheÆll find a way out!
And so she started reviewing the file of one Keitaro Urashimaà Three hours later, and a lots of new desks she was seething! There was actually payment! The adventures from the last years would have been a very happy sight for the chaos loving Hild, but it was not the case now, for she had lost all her ways out.
ôHonestlyàö she started mumbling to herself, ôHow can one attract so much misfortune! Not even one of my agents was responsible with this case, and yetà a crazy male hater kendoka, a S&M queen, a goth, a mad scientist, a drunkard and even a perfect Lolita!ö
In the back of her mind she realized just why the boy had that wonderful luck, The Ultimate Force was responsible, trying to keep him away from girls and out of Toudai till she could enter the college with him.
æLet him wait!Æ would have been her answer in normal circumstances, as such troubles normally didnÆt bother her, but now as she felt the gentle but increasing pull in her head, she knew that she had to do good on that promise, despite her increasing displeasure at the thought.
Bound to a mortal! Hah! That was more like something Belldandy did, not her!
ôWell now Keitaro ædarlingÆ! Ready or not, here I come!ö she said just before zapping out of her office and in the human world.
---
Somewhere in Tokyo, a few high tech detection instruments sounded the alarm. This was strange, as normally those instruments didnÆt work even if a normal was in ten feet from them. The only logical result threw the house in chaos! Whatever appeared was well beyond MallerÆs power.
Almost immediately Urd picked out the phone:
ôWith Father please,ö she asked the receptionist.
ôMY daughter, what can I do for you?ö
ôFather, there is a very powerful demon here on Earth, we suspect a breach in the %^&* treaty, protocol m#$#@!ö Urd nervously explained.
ôOh, is that it?ö the celestial Father answered.
ôThereÆs nothing to worry, daughter! ItÆs just your mother, she granted a wish and now she has to fulfill it.ö And with that, the Almighty ended the discussion.
It took a few seconds for Urd to register just what her father said:
ôMother granted a wishàö
ôMother NEVER grants any wishes!ö
ôItÆs a wish that allows her to stay on Earthàö
ôMother NEVER grants any wishes!ö
ôWhatÆs happening here!?ö
A few hours later, Belldandy and Keiichi found Skuld fainted and her with a hand on the phone, whispering the same words again and again:
ôHildà wishö
---
In a bus traveling towards Hinata Sou, Keitaro got a sudden chill on his back. Something bad was coming his way, he just knew it, and being able to perceive it meant only one thing nothing till now could measure to it.
The feeling of dread got stronger and stronger as the bus approached his station and for a moment Keitaro asked himself if he really wanted to get down from the buss, but in the end he passed over what his instincts were yelling at them and stepped down, it wasnÆt as if they helped him before!
A few minutes earlier at the Hinata Souà
The girls were having a normal day, well a normal day if you ignore the fact that all of them anxiously waited for KeitaroÆs return even though none of them would have admitted to the others, maybe with the exception of Shinobu, but then again, they all knew of her crush on the clumsy manager, so it wouldnÆt have been such a big surprise.
It was in this tense atmosphere that a loud bang was heard outside; prompting the girls from their thoughts and making them rush to the door.
Outside, in what looked like the remains of the Hinata porch was a dangerously looking woman, dressed in what seemed as coming out of a pervertÆs most sordid fantasies. It took a few minutes for the girls to recover at the sight, but when they did, a torrent of questions followed:
ôWho are you?ö
ôWhat are you doing here?ö
ôAre you looking for Urashima?ö
And so, the queen of hell saw herself for the first time in millennia where she wasnÆt the one asking the questions. Despite her desire to use her powers and make these girls shut upà permanently, she knew better than that. Instead she decided to calm down and take a good look at the girls. They were exactly as she expected them to be:
Motoko: the traditional samurai, didnÆt anybody tell this girl that most samurai were male?
Naru: the S&M queen, what a nice addition sheÆll make.
Kitsune: reminded her of her daughter, same flirtatious nature and love for drinks.
Su: she wondered if the girl was somehow related to Skuld.
Shinobu: a nice little girl, that if you liked a future Belldandy in training! Action had to be taken Hild decided.
And finally, the cause of all her misfortune:
Mutsumi: the water melon lover, the girl who was to blame for that ridiculous promise.
It was then that something she didnÆt expect happened:
ôAra, ara! Hild-chan, you came back!ö the okinawan girl exclaimed.
The surprise couldnÆt have been more obvious on HildÆs face even if it would have been written with a marker.
How did Mutsumi remember her? The system should have made sure that her presence here would be nothing more than a blur to those who had met her, besides at that time, they werenÆt more than five-seven years old! It was just another piece to the mystery that was Mutsumi.
---
It was the sound of voices that greeted Keitaro as he made his last steps on the stairs towards Hinata Sou. He was a bit tired from having to climb them in his condition, but he instantly became curios:
What could make the girls as loud as they were? Especially when he was nowhere near them to be at fault.
As he finally made that last step, he found his answer. Surrounded by the girls was a beautiful exotic woman who was wearing a bored expression on her face. A bored expression that is, until her eyes met his. In that moment her expression changed, and for some strange reason Keitaro was reminded of a feline playing with her prey.
Slowly with deliberate steps, the platinum haired woman made her way to Keitaro, while he was feeling a strong need to run away and the girls were looking with curiosity.
ôWhat did you do to this woman pervert!?ö Naru opened her mouth, a bit surprised by the way the woman acted.
ôAra, ara! DonÆt you remember Hild-chan, Kei-kun?
æHild-chan?Æ
ôWhoà whoà are you?ö he tried to ask, before the woman opened her mouth, and with it, the gates of hell:
ôHello darling!ö
---
What reaction can we expect from the girls? Is there more chaos in store for Keitaro? Are we going to see Urd-chan?
Honestlyà I have no idea, but weÆll see all that, and maybe Tsuruko too, next chapter.
AN:
The idea for this fic came in one of the usual crazy talk that we have on MSN.
Anyway, many thanks to Eagle Ceres, for giving me the idea and for doing the dirty work of a beta. :hail:
Also, i'd like to thank everyone who was in that chat. :mmm:
Ideas, suggestions? All welcomed!
~ 