"Hmm... ah, hah!  Here we go."  The little raven-haired girl 
punched in a sequence of code.  "There."  

	Light shimmered around the tall, longhaired man looking over her 
shoulder.  A stylized tattoo of a closed eye appeared on his forehead as 
he seemed to grow a little in size, and the large war-hammer in his hands 
shrank somewhat, its head distorting to a certain degree and its straight 
handle curving in certain places to improve the divine ergonomics of the 
weapon.  The dark old steel of it changed somehow, and its rough, pitted 
surface lightened, smoothened, shone, and became white.

	"Hmm.  Feels a little lighter..." the man ventured.

	"Nah!" she shook her head.  "That's 'coz the power's flowing more 
smoothly through you now.  The hammer's just as heavy as it used to be.  
It's a little smaller because it's also denser.  And the software of that 
model of the Mjolnir that you carry has been streamlined and 
restructured.  Your coding sigil is now in the mark on your face instead 
of in your hammer, although the hammer still retains a lot of its old 
abilities."

	He took a few practice swings after eyeing the 'Mjolnir Mark III - 
copyright Skuld' inscribed in the side somewhat dubiously.  "Hmm... yes, 
what a difference the new aerodynamic head makes.  And it's much more 
comfortable in my hands.  So what's my job again?  As I understood it, 
Thor was the god of storms and stuff, right?"

	She shook her head.  "Well, that position's been taken up by this 
other god from London, see?  Rob McKenna handles all the weather now - 
nice fellow, a little gloomy..."

	"Great.  I'm a god who's also a bum."

	She whapped him lightly on the head with her own hammer.  "You 
didn't let me finish."

	"Well, SO-rry."  He rubbed the sore spot slightly.  

	"Anyway, there is a vacancy... and given the skills you already had 
before you found the hammer, I guess its rather appropriate for you.  I'm 
not quite sure, since it's a new position."

	"What is it already?"

	"Mousse, former Chinese Amazon, former Thor, God of Thunder, you're 
exact title is... hmm..."  Her eyes scanned a few lines down the monitor.  
"Yeesh.  What's with the code?  It's really strange...  Ummm."

	He glanced at it.  "It says that I'm the God of Secrets."

	She turned to him, irkedness visible in the set of her brow.  "I 
thought you didn't know anything about the computers?"

	He shrugged.  "It's a secret."  He blinked.  The new job had 
obviously taken hold of him already.  

	She sighed, "Of course it's a secret.  Okay, here we go..."  She 
scrolled down a little.  "You are currently to reside where you wish on 
the mortal plane for a few decades as your training period.  
Tentatively... you are class... what the heck?" she stared at the screen.

	Mousse looked at it as well.  "My license says that my power level 
and class are secrets, too.  Cute.  So why isn't my brain exploding with 
all sorts of secrets if that's my job?"

	The girl tapped at the side of her mouth.  "Well, your skills will 
take time to develop, and so will your special duties.  Umm... from what 
I can figure out, you're pretty much going to have to find out what your 
duties are yourself because..."

	"Because they're secrets, too.  How... droll.  Don't I get a coach 
or teacher or something?  There isn't exactly a 'how to be godly' manual 
that they sell in bookstores, you know."

	"Well... I guess the three of us could sort of help you get settled 
and stuff... but it says that there are special rules for you, and that 
we can't even teach you our spells."

	"Well that's just fantastic.  On-the-job-self-training.  I hope I 
don't mess up too much..."

	An older, darkly sensuous voice intruded, "You worry too much, Tho-  
Mousse.  It looks like the Ultimate System Force is directly intervening 
in your development as a god.  It'll prevent you from making too much of 
an ass of yourself."  Her voice always made a faint flush creep up his 
neck.

	"Greetings, Urd.  What about my curse?  Am I still going to turn 
into a duck every time I -"

	Skuld nodded.  "I checked up on that as soon as Urd told me about 
your case.  Sorry, Mousse.  Jusenkyou is tied into the Ultimate Force.  
It's not going away."

	"Well," he sighed, "after the last few failed cures, I've come to 
expect that it'd never go away.  I guess I was right."

---
Yes, it took a long time coming, but here it is...


The Adventures of Mousse:  God of Thunder
(okay, so he's the God of Thunder no longer, but he can still thunder, 
right?)

by 

Nikholas 'Rain Man' F. Toledo
Overseas Correspondent 


Author's Shpew:
Yes, I'm home.  I'm on vacation.  I'm writing.  I'm working on lots of 
things.  The Philippines is rainy at the moment, which is good for me.  
But Erap is president... which tells me... that my homeland is doomed =P  
Oh well.  He couldn't do too much damage in six years, could he?  I 
certainly hope not.

And for those of you who remember the Three-Fold God's Path and are 
wondering why the heck nothing's come out in months, it's because I've 
finished writing the next five episodes but am going re-write it all and 
co-write some new parts with Switch to improve the over-all quality.  It 
should be out in August... I hope.

And for those pro-Erap goofs out there... don't flame me.  It's just my 
opinion.  Who knows... maybe he'll be a good president.  I'm just not 
optimistic.  

By the way, the description of the bronze chape and throat is pretty much 
lifted from John Maddox Roberts' "Conan the Valorous."

Anyway, here we go:

Part 4:  The Female of the Species

---

... Oh, she deals in witchcraft 
and one kiss and I'm zapped,
Oh, how could heaven hold a place for me
when a girl like you has cast a spell on me?

-Space

---

	"Urd?" she asked, still sweeping the porch, peering at the cracks 
between the seasoned wooden boards.  Her hands tightened around the 
wooden handle, imperceptible to anyone except one of her sisters.  Her 
eyes were shaded by the way she hung her head and if she was smiling it 
was dimmed like the rain, which was falling, softly.  "How did it go?"  
It was not too cold today, but she might have shivered a little beneath 
her yellow sweater.  

	The elder sister stopped walking as she pushed her silver white 
hair back and rested her umbrella against her shoulder.  The umbrella was 
gray, and strange patterns of black spots formed vortices scattered 
across its surface.  "He's the God of Secrets now.  Nothing about him is 
Thor... except for the hammer.  And his eyes."

	"Urd, why are you, ah, dressed like that?"  

	Urd's fingers went to her black slacks nervously as her eyes 
flickered to her loose, gray blouse.  "Anh, the ah, my job - yes, that's 
it!  My job.  You know.  It would be better for the shop if I looked... 
more respectable."  The word felt distasteful in her mouth.  Can't lie, 
she remembered.  Not anymore, and not to her sister, not about this.  
"And," she added in a small voice, "Mousse is uncomfortable with how I 
usually dress."

	"Oh," Belldandy whispered.  "Does he... does he remember anything 
at all?"

	"It was a long time ago."  She looked at her sister, brows arched 
higher than she'd ever seen them.  "Bell...  Do you still...  What I mean 
is, Keiichi, ah."  Urd thrust her hands into her pockets, twiddling her 
fingers in concealment.  "Well, I thought, you're destined to be with 
Keiichi, and I thought maybe..."  She noted the look the other's eyes, 
and said, "Look, you do realize that the earlier contract was nullified, 
right?  It's your current one with Keiichi that's binding."

	Bell nodded slowly, leaning on the broom for support.  "I... I'm 
not doing anything, Urd.  Really, I'm not.  I love Keiichi... I just 
wanted to know if he's..."

	Urd's eyes softened.  "Gomen...  It's just that, the way you were 
looking at me just now and asking me about him - it brings back 
memories."

	"We were different people then, Urd," she protested.

	"But we are still us, aren't we?  It's still our souls, and we 
still have those memories from before..."

	"If Thor remembers, Urd, I-" 

	"His name is Mousse.  You told me yourself - that's not Thor."  The 
dusky-skinned beauty straightened the collar of her gray wool overcoat 
slightly and resumed marching away.  "And if he remembers... I guess 
we'll deal with that when it comes, neh?"  She smiled at her sister once 
before closing the gate behind her.  "Look on the bright side, Belldandy.  
At least you aren't in Sif's position."

---

	"Kasumi, are you sure about this?"

	She smirked.  Her father was so over-protective at times, so silly.  
"Sure Dad!  I mean, it's just concrete, right?"

	"That's my girl!" his deep voice encouraging.  "Now, remember to 
visualize the target beneath the block - your hand must aim there, not 
at-"

	"Daaaaad!  I know all that!"  Kasumi smiled cheerily.  "It's not 
much different from breaking wood, right?"

	"Yes, but you must rem-"  Soun felt his breath catch in his throat 
as his eldest daughter raised her arm up, lines of tension threading 
towards her shoulder and arm from the pit of her stomach, her hara.  With 
a smooth, effortless grace, her fist swept down quickly, no fear at all 
in her eyes.  His gaze widened - she had drawn much, much more focus than 
he'd seen her try before...  He thought he might have seen a faint flash 
of white light around her hand...

---

	Kasumi put the cleaver aside and put her thumb under a stream of 
tap water.  She drew in a shallow breath, tongue caught lightly between 
her teeth - the only indication of pain.  It was only a shallow cut, but 
she stared at it, the glassy red tint to the flow of water and within 
herself, she was displeased.  An offending slab of cold, pink, slippery 
pork lay beside the cleaver on her wooden cutting board.  A faint sheen 
of frost glazed its surface and on one end of it, a drop of blood beaded 
and slid down the depression where Kasumi had started to cut.

	"Careless," she said quietly.  "I shouldn't have tried to force it.  
Day-dreaming again," she sighed.  "Why am I doing that so much today?"

	Kasumi shut off the faucet and reached with her other hand towards 
a drawer by the sink.  There was a package of bandages in the back - 
mostly for when Akane tried to cook as she rushed so much that she'd 
usually cut herself at least once each time.  

	That was part of the reason, Kasumi thought, that Akane would get 
so upset at Ranma when he insulted her cooking.  In a manner of speaking, 
Akane really did put her blood and pain into her efforts.  It was more 
than the cooking itself that Akane felt that Ranma attacked - it felt 
like he belittled the soul and emotion she tried to put into it.  There 
were times when Kasumi wondered how she would feel if Ranma teased her 
about her cooking - then again, it wasn't like she was engaged to him.

	Applying a small Band-Aid to the cut, Kasumi brought the covered 
wound up to her lips, and remembered her mother as she smiled wistfully.

---

	Unsurprisingly, the block shattered in a wingbeat, a cloud of gray 
dust following the impact.

	What was surprising was what had happened to the floor.  The wooden 
surface close to her was completely pulverized, and beneath that, a web-
like network of deep cracks spread outwards from where her knuckles had 
slammed hard into the concrete base, continuing for two yards all around 
her.  Mesmerized, Soun worked his mouth open and closed, only brought out 
of his trance by his little girl's voice.

	"Oh dear..." Kasumi's face was quite pale.  "Anh... Papa... I-I 
think I hurt my hand..."  She bit her lip.  "Umm... sorry about the 
floor, Daddy."  Her voice was quite small.

	"Ka-Kasumi!"

	"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," she sniffed.

	She almost jumped when her father's strong, heavily callused hands 
gently cradled her cheeks.  "Kasumi-chan, it's okay.  But next time," he 
smiled, "remember that concrete isn't that much harder than wood."  She 
felt gentle lips press against her forehead, her father's bristly 
mustache rough, warm and soothing against her skin.  "You make me proud, 
daughter.

	"Now, let's get your mother to see to your hand, okay?"

---

	"Urd-san, thanks for helping me move into this apartment.  And for 
the talk about Shampoo."  He bowed his head slightly.  

	"How come you didn't bow to me too, huh?" the younger girl piped 
up.

	"Ah," he grinned as he ruffled her hair, "because, kid, you're too 
cute to bow to, and-"

	"I'M NOT A KID!"  

	He was expecting it when the mallet came rushing towards his face.  
He caught the head easily in his palm.  "Oh esteemed goddess, I doth give 
thee my everlasting appreciation for thine assistance with my Hammer and 
with this terminal to the Yggrdasil system.  For that, and for thine kind 
presence, I thank thee," and he bowed deeply.  
	
	Urd sniffed at Skuld's beaming expression.  "I need to talk to 
Mousse for a bit alone, okay?"

	The other stuck her tongue out as she walked away, disappearing 
into a convenient cup of cold tea and Mousse blinked.  "Hey, did I just 
say all that?"

	"Yes."

	"Hmm.  Must be that Kuno moron's language rubbing off on me."

	"Mm-hmm," she paused and decided to ignore Mousse's use of the 
variation of ancient Scandinavian when he'd thanked Skuld.  If he had not 
noticed it yet, she decided that it was not her place to rush him.  She 
turned a sidelong glance at the screen of the computer Skuld had brought 
for the new god's job.  "So, what do you intend to do first with your 
position, god of secrets?"

	He frowned.  "I was kind of hoping that you'd be the one to help me 
with that.  Not to mention the fact that I need a real job...  I only 
have a week left to scrape up the money to pay for the rent of this 
place.  We don't exactly collect paychecks, do we?"

	"No.  Actually, that's why I started the herb shop nearby.  Would 
you, ah... like to work for me?"  Her fingers twitched inside her coat 
pockets.  "It doesn't pay much, so you'd have to find another place to 
live that's cheaper, but I thought it would be, ah, easier.  I mean, if 
you had questions and - would you please stop looking at me like that?"  
Urd lowered her eyes, the warmth in her cheeks an unfamiliar sensation.

	"Like what?"

	She bit her lip.  "You're staring."

	"Oh, am I?  Well," he shook his head, "I've known you for a few 
weeks now and it's the first time you've worn anything like that..."

	"Mm-hmm.  So what do you think?"  Hesitantly, she turned around 
before him, feeling his eyes on her.

	Mousse arched an eyebrow.  "You look good, but then you always do.  
I was just thinking that you're acting kind of funny."

	"Oh.  Well, it's been a funny kind of week.  Well... almost a month 
now, isn't it - since you first walked into my shop?"

	He sighed.  "I often catch myself wondering if this isn't all a 
mistake.  I'm no god - I'm an obsessive, half-blind martial artist and 
well... why me?"

	Urd shrugged as she removed her coat and hung it on the rack beside 
the door.  "Destiny, I guess.  Anh, are you feeling okay?"

	"What do you mean?"

	"Well, ah.  Well... you're a lot, um.  More calm then you were when 
we first met."  She glanced around the cramped space of his apartment, 
several cabinets taking up much of the space along one wall, weapons of 
various types, bladed, chained, blunt or combinations of the three 
spilling out of one of them.  The walls were painted an ugly sort of 
greenish-blue, less like grass or the sky and more like a color 
associated with yuppie toilets - though at least it was all clean, and 
relatively new-looking.  Several polearms and spears rested against the 
side of the refrigerator, the metal dull and unpolished but the edges 
quite visibly sharp.  A knee-high pile of chains of varying sizes lay 
beside his bed, which was unmade, and right beside that was the desk with 
the new computer.  Books littered the floor.  The room smelled vaguely of 
incense and weapon oil, and there was an easel in the far corner, a 
stained piece of cloth obscuring the canvass upon it.  "I didn't know 
that you painted."  She took a careful step closer to him, almost 
tripping over the black man-catcher on the floor.

	"Eh?  Well.  I guess choosing to be away from both Shampoo and 
Ranma is doing some good for my disposition."  He laughed tunelessly.  "I 
just realized how long it's been since I've been able to do the things I 
liked to.  I mean, if I wasn't fighting, the old ghoul or Shampoo would 
have me running around doing errands or cleaning the restaurant all the 
time...  It's been a long while since I've been able to just sit around 
and read, or paint."

	"You read a lot?" she seemed surprised.

	"Actually, more than I used to.  It's kind of neat having all these 
other languages starting to go through my head...  So much I can read 
now!  Do all gods start picking up languages so quickly?"

	"Ah.  Actually, no.  Well, we have a much greater capacity for 
things like it because our duties often take us all over the human world, 
but it still takes some time."  Urd looked troubled.

	"Hmm.  Guess I'm just lucky.  Or maybe it's because secrets come in 
many languages."

	"I suppose..."

	"Now," he sat down on the chair before the computer, and turned 
about, putting his hands on the back-rest, "I don't know about the job 
your offering.  I'll think about it, though I've had a little too much of 
all the herbs and spices lying around a certain ramen house I'll not 
mention.  But, Urd, seriously, what do you think about my duties as a 
god?  I don't know where to start..."

	She started to walk by the walls, looking at the various weapons he 
had hanging upon them.  "Well, I have told you about the simplest task a 
god can do."

	"Wish granting, eh?" he chewed on the idea for a bit.

	Urd took a scimitar off the wall, examining the characters carved 
into the jade handle.  The sheath was covered in onyx and precious 
stones.  "Well, it's a place to start, isn't it?"

	"How many people on the list?"

	Urd smiled as she walked closer to him and tapped in a few commands 
on his terminal with one hand.  "There are special qualifications a human 
must have to be considered worthy of a wish.  And this small number of 
people only get one wish each.  So the list is always small.  Actually, 
at the moment there is only one name on the list scheduled for this whole 
year.  Personally, I think she's been overdue for a long time now."  She 
pointed out a name on the screen, causing him to blink.

	Mousse tugged at the stiff, high collar of his robes.  "Gee, I 
don't know about this..."

	She arched an eyebrow.  "You don't think she's worthy of a wish?"  
She drew the blade from its scabbard, hefting it in her hands 
experimentally.

	"It's not that," he shook his head.  "But I don't really know how 
to do this yet, and well, I wouldn't want to mess up her wish."

	The tall woman sliced through the air tentatively with a couple of 
half-speed strokes.  "Were you always this insecure?  I've already told 
you before - the Ultimate Force is what does the wish-granting once 
Yggdrasil approves the contract.  That's why it's the simplest duty a god 
could have.  In the case of granting wishes, we serve only as channels 
for the magic.  You won't have to do a thing other than tell her about it 
and listen to her response.  By the way, the balance of this sword is off 
- it's a little too heavy towards the point."

	"I know."  He stood, took it from her hand and returned it to its 
hanging place on the wall.  "This one's mostly for show.  Jade handle, 
gold inlays, mirror-shiny blade to hide the defects.  All my real weapons 
are in the cabinet, on me and in a couple of hiding places."  He opened 
the door of the first cabinet and tossed her a straight sword with a bone 
grip, ugly, unadorned gray crossbars and a simple black scabbard of 
stiffened leather, which she caught.  "This one's better."

	The bronze chape and throat had not been polished in a long time, 
but upon drawing the sword, Urd saw that the wood inside the scabbard was 
lined with close-sheared fleece, and the bronze throat was properly cut 
away so that the edges of the blade didn't touch the metal in drawing or 
sheathing.  "Hmm."  She made a few graceful thrusts and smiled.  "This 
one's excellent, balance, weight and everything.  But does it have to be 
quite so, ahh..." 

	"Plain?  It's for fighting with, not for looking at.  Anyway, the 
quality of the blade is all the beauty one should need in a sword."

	Roaring vibrations shook the room, and Mousse cursed as they waited 
for it to pass.  Urd glanced out the window, watching the train go by.  
Afterwards, she laughed lightly, throatily.  "You are paying far too much 
for this place, you know."

	"I was happy just to find a place this price on such short notice."

	She sheathed the sword and offered it back to Mousse, handle-first.

	He shook his head.  "Keep it.  I need to repay you somehow for 
taking care of me.  Skuld told me that it was rather unlike you, and I 
guess I can't say I've been the most pleasant of company.  Besides," he 
grinned, "a beautiful woman needs something to fight off all the weirdoes 
that hang out around here."

	"Anou... Thanks."  She colored prettily as she tied the tassels on 
the scabbard to her belt.  Its weight was oddly reassuring, even if she 
knew she of all people wouldn't need it.  "Mousse, why don't you want to 
go?"

	He sat on the pile of chains and rested his chin on the back of his 
right hand.  

	"Mousse?"

	"Because I'll be close to... that place.  And I don't know if I'll 
be able to stay away, or if I even want to.  I-I don't want to go back to 
being the way that I was around her."

	The two looked at each other for a time.

	"I should be getting to the shop, Mousse.  Just think about the 
jobs, both of them, why don't you?"  She closed the door behind her after 
taking her coat, and Mousse stared at the monitor, the name and the 
address reflecting in his eyes.

	He walked to the easel and drew the drop cloth off of the canvass.  
The preliminary sketch was there, and it might have been a face, but 
there were no features yet.

---

	"Bye, Kasumi!  Seeya later!"

	"See you, 'nee-chan!"

	Kasumi waved as she saw them running off towards school, and 
sighed.  That was it.  That's what she was missing.  Leaving the house 
early in the morning to go off to... to the rest of the day.  Home was 
what she came home to... it wasn't a prison.  "A prison," she whispered.  
"Is that how I'm starting to feel about all this?  That's - maybe I 
should just go out for a walk."  She looked around her, at the floors 
that needed sweeping, the nooks and crannies that needed dusting, all the 
little things that held her there.  Then she glanced at the rain falling 
outside.  "Oh... just for one day."  

---

	"All right, Mousse.  What's going on?"

	"Ah!  It's you."  He shook his head.  "I don't know what you're 
talking about."

	"You'd not have had the backbone to walk away from the Nekohanten 
before... or away from Shampoo," she smiled slightly when she saw him 
react to the name.  "The extra work is tying up Shampoo so much that she 
doesn't have much time to chase son-in-law.  Why don't you come back?"

	"I've got my own life now..."

	Her eyes narrowed dangerously.  "I never said you had a choice, 
duck-boy!"

	Even though he was expecting it, he only just barely made it out of 
the way of her first strike, and some of the smaller shards of rock from 
the explosion still struck him.  "This isn't about my working for you, is 
it, old ghoul?  Why are you fighting me?"  Hampered by the umbrella, he 
only thrust one hand forward when he reached the apex of his jump, 
attempting to follow the small old fighter's movement with a stream of 
shining blades.  

	She deflected them with her staff easily.  "I see you've gotten 
smarter somehow in the past few weeks.  Return to the Nekohanten, Mousse 
- willingly or not, it won't make a difference."

	"I'm not going to make it that easy for you.  You always told me 
about how useless I was, always humiliated me constantly.  But 
something's different now, isn't it?"  He perched himself atop a 
telephone pole, next to a pair of high voltage lines.  "What would you 
know?"

	Casually, Cologne lifted a withered hand above her, and a small 
glowing sphere grew between her fingers.  "You weak little man.  A 
Matriarch commands you!  Return to the cafe, now!"

	"No!"

	The ball of chi flew at him then, and he brought his hammer around, 
blocking the blast with its heavy white steel.  The shockwave was still 
enough to reduce his umbrella to tatters.  "All my life, I was FAITHFUL."  
Mousse's eyes blazed.  "I did everything I could for her, everything 
within my power!"

	The old one's gaze tightened.  "Why do you not change?"  

	The rain grew harder, slamming into them with a strange fury, and 
the wind was making it hard to keep one's footing, but Mousse remained 
above the pole.  "She betrayed me!  HRAAAAAAAAAGH!"  His voice was a roar 
like thunder. 

	Cologne gasped when she saw him tearing the two power lines free 
with one hand, saw blue streaks arcing over his skin, over the hammer.  
He trembled a little as the power seemed to make him swell, and his eyes 
seemed to change color.  His robes stretched visibly, as his shoulders 
grew broader.  He screamed when he raised the white hammer to the sky, 
and lightning struck it, almost blinding Cologne with its light.  At that 
point, she could not see it, but the mark on his forehead started to 
glow.

	She tried to leap away, but the winds seized her, slamming her into 
the sidewalk.  Almost, Cologne couldn't breathe.  Just like that, it was 
over.

	"Mousse?  Why are you so angry?"

	At that, he almost dropped the hammer, and his eyes darkened again.  
"Who art thou, lass?  Stay away!  I do battle with mine enemy!"  

	"Don't you recognize me?  I was walking through the park where we 
talked, and I saw the light.  Mousse, what's wrong?"  She turned, saw 
Cologne's crumpled form, and gasped.  "Did you do this?"  She ran to the 
old woman, cradling her carefully as she checked her pulse.  

	"Who is this Mousse?  I am... I-I..."  His stature diminished 
slightly.  The eye on his forehead opened fully, when he jumped down and 
turned his gaze on the two women.  He gestured with one hand, and Kasumi 
felt somehow that she understood, and she stepped away.  He stood above 
Cologne, the third eye burning brightly.  "Oh, aged one of the Amazons - 
thou hast overstepped thy bounds.  Thou shouldst not have tried to 
discover my Secrets...  My duties doth overshadow even the curse of 
Jusenkyou in such cases, and thou hast paid for thine impertinence.  
Forget all that happened here today, and be healed."  He touched the 
hammer to her wheezing breast, and light surrounded her.  The blood 
oozing from her nose and ears slowed, stopped and faded away, and her 
breathing grew stronger and more even.  "Sleep now, and wake when I 
depart."

	His stature shrank, almost to what it used to be, and the white 
robes were loose on him again.  Mousse swayed on his feet.  "Ka... 
Kasumi?"  He dropped the hammer, and a crater formed around it.  "Anou... 
I don't feel so good."  The third eye closed, and he fell to his knees.

---

	He was under blankets.  Warm.  Soft.  They smelled nice.  Lilacs, 
maybe?  There was light, and it was right in his eyes.  He peeled them 
open, wincing.  "Where am I?"

	"Oh!  You're awake."  She bent over him, smiling.  "I was almost 
worried for a while.  And look," she gestured at the window.  "The storm 
is over - the sun is shining."

	Her hand felt cool on his forehead.  "Kasumi?  Ahh... how did I get 
here?"

	"You fell.  Then you stopped glowing, and you turned into a duck.  
Err, I'm sorry, but your hammer was really too heavy to bring...  So I 
left it on the sidewalk."

	"Oh."  A few blurry images were starting to return to him.  "That's 
okay."  He raised a hand.  "I don't think anyone could steal it.  Umm.  
How much did you see?"

	She looked at him for a bit, and stroked her cheek softly as she 
remembered.  "Well, I think I saw a lot... but it's all getting kind of 
blurry.  Pretty fast.  It has to do with the tattoo on your forehead, 
doesn't it?  It's getting hard to think about all that stuff."

	"Ah.  I don't think I can tell you about that..."

	"That's okay.  It's about time someone stood up to Cologne anyway.  
How did you do that?  Just a few weeks ago, Ranma beat you, even when you 
had the hammer."

	Mousse replied, "I don't think it was me that beat the old ghoul.  
I'm not that good.  It was something else."  A blur shot through the 
window then, and the great weight of Mjolnir was again in his hand.  

	She smiled again, and clapped.  "That's a neat trick.  How..."

	"Um, I don't know.  Magic, I guess.  Oh, that's right!"  He sat up 
as he struck his palm with his fist.  "I just remembered why I went out 
in the first place." 

	Kasumi tilted her head when she saw him somehow fit the hammer in a 
small pocket on his robe.  "What is it?"

	She almost jumped when he closed his hands over hers.  She reddened 
slightly - her hands seemed so tiny in his.  "Kasumi Tendo, I, Mousse, 
newly-christened God of Secrets, am here, courtesy of the Goddess Relief 
Office, to grant you a wish."

	She giggled.  "Mr. Mousse, you can be pretty funny when you want 
to."

	His brow creased.  "Err.  I'm serious!  Really."

	Kasumi arched an eyebrow.  "You're a god?"

	"That's what they tell me.  Oh, but don't tell the others.  It's a 
Secret."

	"So how come you can tell me?"

	Mousse shifted his feet over the side of the bed.  "I'm here to 
grant you one wish, Kasumi Tendo.  The Almighty has chosen you to receive 
this gift from Him, and I am here to give it to you.  People like you are 
allowed to know of the gods."

	"Courtesy of the Goddess Relief Office, right?"

	He bit his lip.  "Kasumi, I don't believe I've ever heard your 
voice being quite so sarcastic before.  I get the impression that you 
don't believe me."

	"You don't look like a goddess, Mousse."

	"Oh," he chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.  
"Well, you see, this is a temporary duty for me.  I'm still kind of 
feeling out what it's like to be a servant of the Almighty, so I'm trying 
out things.  Anyway, really, you've been Chosen.  Look, could anyone 
other than a god do this?"  He lifted a hand and beamed proudly when a 
ball of white fire formed above it.  "I had to practice a bit to get that 
right."

	"Ranma could do that," she said doubtfully.

	He frowned, and let the flame fade.  "Oh.  Okay, well, ah."  He 
sighed.  "Darn, I thought this job was supposed to be easy.  Look," he 
held her hands in his again, and looked directly into her eyes.  "Can you 
trust me on this?  I really am a god, you know."

	"Since when?"  She tried to break the stare, but his eyes were 
holding her, and she felt the flush creeping down.  Kasumi hoped that he 
didn't notice.  And did he have to lean so close to her when he talked?  
Sometimes, she could feel his breath against her face, and the sensations 
were confusing her.  

	"Since I got the hammer, I guess.  Or maybe... maybe earlier than 
that, but I didn't remember until I found the hammer... or maybe until 
the hammer found me."

	She sat down beside him on the bed.  "A wish, huh?" she murmured 
wistfully, a far away look in her eyes.

	"Anything, Kasumi.  You could wish for riches, for power, you could 
rule the world if you wanted... but people who would make those wishes 
aren't chosen."

	"So why was I selected?"  She couldn't quite bring herself to pull 
her hands away.  They felt very nice where they were, and it was kind of 
cold, she rationalized.  'What am I thinking,' she mouthed silently.

	But she trembled when he let go.  

	"You were selected because you're special.  Because you're kind and 
generous and loving... and deep within you, there is something that needs 
intensely.  A goal, or a dream, an ideal that the Almighty deems worthy.  
What is it you'd like, Kasumi?"	

	"Ah...  Wouldn't you know since you're a god?"

	He shook his head.  "You have to say it for the contract to be 
valid.  What's in your heart, Kasumi?  What would you like, more than 
anything else in the world?"

	"B-but, I don't know!  Amh, I guess I don't really want anything...  
W-would you like some tea?  I'll get some for you, I-"

	"Are you sure?  I can't say that I know you very well, but 
Kasumi... for as long as I've known of you, you've been caring for 
others, giving of yourself to your family, to the Tendos, to the 
Saotomes, even to their friends, to people you barely knew like me during 
that Christmas party you threw last year.  When you saw me, unhappy, in 
the park, you tried to help me.  And when I passed out just today," he 
started as he looked around the room.  "You put me in your bed to 
recover, you gave me hot water to change me back.  There is so much that 
you do for other people, day in and day out.  But what is it you do 
everyday?  Don't you have dreams sometimes, things you want to do or see 
or be?  Isn't there something, anything that you want just for yourself?"

	She hesitated, opened her mouth and closed it again.  "I... I don't 
know."  She sniffed, surprised when she saw dark spots appear on her 
housecoat's sleeves as she folded her hands in her lap.  "I... I..."

	"Oh!  I'm sorry..."  He whipped a scarf from somewhere close to his 
belt, and put it in her hands.  "Oh, I'm sorry!  Oh, please don't cry!"  
His hands were trembling badly.  "I knew I wasn't cut out for this, I 
knew I'd mess it up like I always do, I-"

	"I-it's okay, Mousse."  She drew the soft silk across her eyes.  "I 
just realized that... I don't know what I want anymore.  It's been... 
it's been a long time since I've thought about what I want.  I don't 
remember.  I'm sorry.  Maybe you could give the wish to someone better?"

	"There is no 'better' about the Almighty's choice...  And I don't 
know anyone who could possibly deserve this more than you.  Look... just 
think about it, Kasumi.  I'll be by here to talk to you everyday from now 
on, and when you find out what it is you want again... well, then I'll 
grant the wish, how's that?"

	He stood and turned towards the door.

	"O-okay."  She scrunched up the scarf in her fist.  "Mousse?"

	"What?"  He looked at her.

	"I... I could use a...  I mean, I need..."  Her shoulders shook, 
and Mousse felt something click in his mind.  He sat next to her, and put 
his arms around her, and she sobbed into his shoulder, clutching at his 
robes.  

---

	"Well.  That went well," said the dark-skinned lady.  

	"Urd," the other said.  "Why do you watch him?  I can see what this 
does to you."

	"Look, I won't pretend that I'm not selfish.  I like myself.  I 
don't think of others much, and I don't care if others disapprove.  But 
just once, I'd like to be able to help someone... and not screw up.  My 
potions have messed up, my schemes have mostly gotten me into trouble... 
I want to see if I can do it right this one time.  Look at them," she 
gestured.

	"He gave you his sword, I see."

	Urd flushed, mumbling, "You make it sound so dirty.  He wanted to 
pay me back, that's all."  She touched the hilt under her coat and hoped 
she was doing the right thing.  

---

	"Mousse."

	"Shampoo."

	"Look well."

	His face was unreadable.  "Thank you.  You look good, too."

	"Have delivery," she lifted a wooden box before him.  

	"I can see that."

	"To husband - lunch."

	"I guessed that."  He stepped off of the fence.  "Well, I guess I 
shouldn't keep you."

	She raised her head haughtily, and pedaled on along the fence.  But 
a little slower than normal, and sometimes, her shoulders would shift, as 
though she were about to look back.  

	When she was finally around the corner, Mousse let loose a 
tremendous sigh and bear-hugged a street lamp.  "Shampoo, my purple-
haired goddess!"  The stainless steel warped in his embrace, and got 
rather crushed.  "AAAAAAAAAAAGH!"  He slammed his head into the post, 
causing the top half to fall completely over.  He sat on the curb, and 
put his head on his hands.  

	Then he stood, and hammered what was left of the post into the 
ground.  "DIE, RANMA SAOTOME!"  He stared at the mess disgustedly.  

	"You know, it's not considered a good thing for gods to do 
indiscriminate property damage."

	"Oh, please, don't lecture me on godliness NOW.  I was that close," 
he held up his hand, thumb and forefinger almost touching, "to losing it 
to her.  That close.  A minute more and I wouldn't have been able to take 
it.  I would've been blind, groveling for a chance to prove my love 
again.  Do you know that my eyes were starting to blur, just standing 
beside her?  What's wrong with me!"

	Urd shrugged, whispering a small spell to restore the damaged post.  
"Love is complicated, isn't it?"

	He sat on the curb once more, gently setting down Mjolnir next to 
him.  "You know, nothing feels quite the same as loving another with all 
your heart, and knowing, absolutely, deep down in a place you don't like 
to see or don't like to admit exists, that the person you love doesn't 
love you back.  I'd always thought I could get her to change her mind, 
get her to see that I was the better choice - the logical choice.  I 
mean, Ranma's a better warrior, but not by much... and he doesn't know a 
thing about her.  He doesn't speak Chinese, he doesn't know our history, 
he simply doesn't care, he's callous and shallow and arrogant... but she 
loves him anyway."

	"He's also handsome, brave and oddly enough, warm when he isn't 
defensive."  Urd carefully sat next to him, choosing a dry spot.  

	They sat quietly for a long while, and Urd hesitated several times 
before saying, "There was once a god, long, long ago...."

	"How long ago?"

	"Before the first Ragnarok...  When the Yggdrasil really was an ash 
tree, and not a computer.  Yes, well, there was this god.  He was a 
strong god, you know.  Fiercely loyal, a ferocious warrior.  Courageous 
and passionate... and he loved a certain goddess with all he had to give.  
He loved her so much, that he ignored it even when he had reason to guess 
that she was not all that faithful a wife..."  Urd swallowed.  "Except 
one day, this goddess did something that even her husband could not 
ignore.  She gave her hair, her long, golden locks that he loved so much, 
to her lover... a deceitful, cowardly god who lied.  Well, he wasn't that 
bad, actually, this trickster was sort of a friend of mine.  If only he'd 
think before he did these things...  And when her husband confronted her 
with it, she laughed at him, and left him.  He cried afterwards, and his 
Father was very angry with him.  It was unseemly, He said, for one of His 
sons to weep like a mewling babe.  This was in the old times... when Gods 
fought in wars and the earth suffered them mightily."

	Mousse threw a pebble into a puddle in the middle of the street.  
"I looked through my Bulfinch's Mythology the other day.  I don't think I 
recognize this story..."

	"This is an old story.  It came down to humans distorted, 
imperfectly recorded.  Anyway, this god's Father told him about three 
goddesses...  Really, three maidens who were lonely because their duties 
kept them too busy to search Asgard for worthy companions.  One of whom 
he was to choose and marry, to show that he could be strong and move on.  
And one day, he did choose, you know.  He was very reluctant about it, 
but eventually, he grew to know the three of them, and one day, to love 
one of them.  And he married her... and they were happy, until finally he 
died at Ragnarok.  He slew the Midgard serpent, only to have it spew its 
venom upon him... and most significantly, upon his eyes.  His last dying 
moments, he was blind, and he called out for his love one last time."

	Mousse stiffened.  "The one who slew the Midgard serpent..."

	She sighed, "Was Thor.  But his mighty Hammer was indestructible, 
and though stone melted at the touch of the serpent's venom, Mjolnir was 
untouched by the flood of poison, though none could retrieve it as the 
river of deadly fluid washed it out to sea..."

	He stared at her.  "The Three..."

	"That's another story.  But Mousse... you have been through this 
before.  And you lived through it then... and you might not believe this, 
but you are a stronger man than Thor ever was."  She stood.  "And thanks 
for the sword.  Some idiot with a bokken kept on harassing me and making 
a pest of himself until I used it on him."

	He blinked.  "You didn't kill..."

	"Nah.  Not worth it.  I cut his wooden toy in half, then used a 
couple of slices to relieve him of his clothing.  It took him a while to 
notice, but when the crowd around him started to laugh at him, he ran 
off, screaming about how somehow, it was all a certain foul sorcerer's 
fault.  I could have done it by magic, but this was more fun."  She 
smirked.  "That made my day."  She brushed off her coat and started 
walking.  "I am off to have lunch at the temple where I stay...  You 
know, my sister Belldandy is an incredible cook.  You are welcome to join 
us, if you like."

	And he sat there, watching her walk away.  "Well, now I'm 
confused," he murmured, head between his knees.

---end The Adventures part 4

What's going on?  Why are people acting OOC?  Just what is Urd's plan 
anyway?

Watch out for the answers in the next parts (probably part 6, but who 
knows, maybe part 2 will come first...) whence we finally spot Keiichi 
meeting Kasumi in the street, and Belldandy has lunch with Mousse.  All 
of course while Ranma and Akane try to escape from the latest plot of our 
favorite Nerima swordsman...
The Nikholas F. Toledo Zu @ WWW: The Entertainment Capital of UP Village
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