Allrighty, here's my contribution, consider it something of a teaser for a
fic I'm working on. <veg>

****

"Mommy, tell me about how you met Daddy."  Said Ryoko, as she climbed into
her mothers lap and gazed up at her with golden eyes. 

Her mother looked down at her with a small smile on her face as she spoke,
"Wel, pumpkin, thats a funny little story.  The first time I met him, I
almost knocked him halfway around the world with my hammer.  I guess I'm
lucky he got out of the way."

Ryoko giggled a little, and brushed a strand of her mothers long midnight
black hair out of her face.  "Why'd you do a silly thing like that?"

"Because at the time, I thought he was something other than he was.  It took
a while, but he eventually proved otherwise.  He always did have a flare for
the dramatic."

"What's that mean?"  Ryoko asked.

This time, with a broad smile, her mother replied "It means he likes to do
things with a little bit more style than absolutely necessary.  He overdoes
things a bit sometimes."  

"Oh.  So then what?"  

"You know..."  She giggled. "I'm not quite sure.  After that, it's just kind
of a whirlwind of memories.  I remember going to a small cafe, the only
place that was completely intact and with electricity in about a four block
radius.  I'm still sure that he planned that from the beginning, no matter
what he may claim."

Ryoko watched as her mother looked up, deep brown eyes gazing off into
infinity, delving deep into old memories as her mothers arms encircled her
and held her tightly.  

"Back then... I wasn't doing that well... to much had happened-the Fall, the
Joining, Moon death, and who knows how many other things.  I had too little
to hold on to.  I'm not sure what would have happened if he hadn't come
along when he did.  But he did come along, and he gave me something new to
hold on to.  New love, to help fill the void left by my sisters.  I'm not
sure when, but somewhere along the way, we fell in love.  A while later, I
got something else to hold on to."

She gazed down at her daughter and brushed her hair away from her cheek and
the blue triangle marking that was present there.  

"Someday, you'll meet my sister.  I know she's coming back soon.  I can feel
her calling to me."

Ryoko stirred, "I can to, mommy.  When's Aunt Beldandy gonna come back?"  

Her mother blinked in suprise, "Little one, you suprise me every day.  How
do you keep on doing that?  But to your question, I really don't know beyond
soon. The fields weaken a bit every day.  Soon, they'll go away entirely,
then she'll be back." 

"For now, it's a nice afternoon.  How about we go flying?"  

Ryoko instantly perked up, going from semi-sleepy to fully awake in a
moments time.  "OK!"  She chirped happily, worming her way off her mothers
lap to the floor, then running for the door. "Come on mommy!  Lets go!"  

With a smile her mother stood up and walked to the door, pure white wings
blossoming out from her shoulder blades as she did so.  A moment later,
Ryoko emulated her, and wings with feathers the color of burnished gold
streched and wrapped around her small form.  

As they stepped outside and into the warm air of midsummer, Skuld looked
around the old temple that had been her home on and off for almost four
centuries.  Even with the stumbles and problems getting here, it was good to
be alive.  As she looked from the glittering white belt of Luna's tears to
her daughter as she sprang into the air, wings out streched, she thought to
her self *Definately, it's good to be alive.* 

***

Aack.  Shorter than I planned.  This actually took about 30 minutes to
write, so I guess I've still got time to go back and tweak it some more.
Later.  8-p 
The actual story is still very much a work in progress.  Don't expect it to
soon.  If I get a bunch of "Write the story or die!"  messages I might be
enouraged to work faster though. <g> 

-Josh 
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Joshua Holmstrom                 |What we anticipate seldom occurs;|
| Mechanical Engineering Junior    |What we least expected generally |
| California Polytechnic, SLO      |             occurs.             |
| jholmstr@violin.aix.calpoly.edu  |              -Benjamin Disraeli,|
| asmodean@infinex.com             |                 Henrietta Temple|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=http://www.calpoly.edu/jholmstr=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-