Took my couple month hiatus to nail down more plot
points, but still sorry this took so long.
-Tannim Murphy

That's cool, we like short chapters. And this is the
shortest one yet! ^_^

(HINT to EVERYONE: STOP TRYING TO USE ATTACHMENTS
when you post to the FFML.
IT AIN'T WORKIN'.)

D'oh!  My bad.  Here's the actual chapter.



Otaku Muyo

(There might not be a need for this.)

by Tannim Murphy

Disclaimer:  Characters depicted herein are not used
with their respective creators� consent.  Except, of
course, for Tannim and anyone else I made up.  I made
sure to give myself permission for that.

---

Chapter 6

---

�Wallet, keys, inert cell phone... yep, that�s
everything!  Thanks Skuld!�  Tannim gave the young
goddess a pat on the head for a job well done.  It
hadn�t been one of his brightest moves to leap into a
swimming pool fully clothed without emptying his
pockets first, but it didn�t bother him nearly as much
as he thought it should have.

�Yay!  Everything found!  Mission complete!� she
cheered.  Her running leap into the pool and resulting
splash drenched the adults.  Urd chuckled while Tannim
laughed outright at the display.

�Skuld sure seems to be having fun,� Tannim remarked.

�Yep,� Urd readily agreed.  �Though I think it has
more to do with how she�s active.  She really didn�t
like being cooped up in that apartment all day, you
know.�  Urd gave Tannim a significant glance.

�I know.�  He grimaced at the look.  �I�ve been
thinking about that.  I�m going to have to make it up
to her.�  He smirked.  �And I know just how.�  He
turned towards the pool slightly and raised his voice.
 �Hey, Skuld!�

The girl came up to him with her hands behind her
back.  Before Tannim could speak, she began talking
hurriedly.  �You said anything I found in the pool
after your stuff was mine to keep, right?�

�Sure, whatever--� Tannim began, but was interrupted
by the impatient Skuld.

�Then can I keep this?�  She brought forth a small
glittering ball, a sort of reddish gold color, no
larger than a marble.

�Hey, I forgot that I had that.�  He glanced at the
object, recalling that picking it up had inadvertently
saved his life.  It seemed like the events of this
afternoon had occurred months ago.  �Yeah you can keep
it.  I found it myself.�

�Yay!�  Skuld danced with glee as she hopped from one
foot to the other.  �Orihalcon is so rare on earth!  I
didn�t think I�d be able to find some!�

�...orihalchon?�  Indiana Jones and the Fate of
Atlantis had been the game to introduce Tannim to that
metal.  But other than being used as a plot device
little was known of the stuff besides what Plato had
wrote about it in his descriptions of the Lost City.

The young goddess rolled her eyes, not quite believing
she�d have to remind someone of such basic science. 
�You know!  A derivative of naquada!�

�Naquada?!�  Tannim scrambled to the perceived safety
of the lounge chair and peered at Skuld from behind
it.  �Is it safe?  It�s not... radiating or anything?�
 Naquada was the very familiar substance used to power
the really, really big bombs in the sci-fi show he
watched called Stargate SG-1.  As such the material
also doubled as a power source, and was notorious for
killing via lethal doses of radiation.

�Duh!  That�s what orihalchon is!  A variant form of
stabilized naquada!�  Skuld peered at the boy.  �Don�t
you know the basics of chemistry?�

�Obviously not,� Tannim said dryly.

�Feh.  I don�t know what I ever saw in you.�  She
sniffed with distain.  It took her a moment to realize
her slip and clasped her hands over her mouth.

Tannim had the good grace to pretend not to hear. 
�Hmm?  What was that?�

�Nothing.�  Skuld made a valiant attempt to look
innocent.  This was hampered by the smile she could
barely keep repressed.

Tannim let it slide since she really was that cute. 
That and Belldandy was probably watching and it
wouldn�t do to embarrass her youngest sister unduly. 
In fact, now was the time to earn some brownie points.
 �Actually, what I was trying to ask was: do you want
to help me build something?�

As Skuld clasped her hands together with glee, Tannim
and Urd had to shield their eyes from the intensity of
the look.  It was like staring into the sun.

Her eyes sparkled.  �Could I?�

�Sure!� he replied.  �Why wouldn�t I want the help of
the second-greatest scientific genius in the
universe?�

Skuld turned away blushing.  �Really?  You think so? 
Me?�  She paused.  �Wait... second?�

�Oh, look at the time!�  Tannim glanced at his wrist,
devoid of a watch.  �Yep, time to get going.  That
is... if you�re still interested in building that
machine with me.�  The look he gave Skuld was one of
calculated uncertainty, as if doubtful of her
intentions.  �You still want to, don�t you?�

�Yes!�  In an instant she teleported to Tannim�s side
and firmly attached herself to his left leg. 
�Yesyesyesyesyes!�

He smirked.  �All right then.�

Urd shook her head in bemusement as they marched their
way back to the apartment, Skuld clamped onto Tannim
for all her worth as if afraid the man would rescind
his offer.  Only after marching up the stairs did
Tannim finally put a stop to Skuld�s actions by
shaking his leg until she let go.

�The only woman I carry across my threshold will be my
wife,� he grumbled to himself as he turned towards the
door unencumbered.  A heartbeat passed before Skuld
latched onto his back.  �And small children that I
don�t see as adults,� he hastily amended.  She
reluctantly loosened her fingers from around Tannim�s
neck and dropped to the ground.

�So, what is it that you need the little brain over
there to make?�  Urd asked as she entered the
apartment.

�I�ve got to improve my training methods past the
point of insanity that only a mechanical device can
provide.  Training is pretty close to torture in the
martial arts world.  I hope that something that is
automated will give me an edge in learning the
technique that much faster.  Or at all, really.�  He
pinched the bridge of his nose.  �I haven�t trained in
martial arts my whole life; I don�t even know if
deviating from the current training will work and
still let me learn the technique.�

�What�s wrong with the way you�re training now?� Skuld
piped up, eager to get to work.  She wanted something
to fix!

Tannim considered.  �Well, the main problem with my
current method is that it requires my physical
participation.  At the point from where I knock myself
out on, those are hours that I�m not getting any
training done.�

�Don�t you need some sort of break?� Urd cut in.

�I can have a break while at work,� Tannim countered. 
�Right now the most important thing is getting an edge
in combat, and this is the easiest thing I know to
learn.�  He sighed and shook his head.  �Truth be
told, I don�t really think I�ll be able to learn the
technique itself, so I�m praying the training will pay
off.�

It soon settled into Urd acting as sounding board as
Tannim bounced ideas off of her.  Rather than be drawn
into the discussion, Skuld sat pondering in her own
little world, looking out the window.  Her inquisitive
little mind was going over the details as the older
two discussed them, and filed away each specification
as they were noted.  While she had never before in her
life been allowed to construct an object bigger than a
breadbox, she had often dreamed of the task.  One of
her old plans came to the fore as her eyes settled on
one particular terrain feature.

�I...�  Her shocked whisper quieted the two adults,
and they turned to her.  �...I... have...�

�What is it?  Spit it out already,� Urd demanded.

Though still very low, Skuld�s words reverberated
perfectly throughout the apartment.  �...i have an
idea....�

With each progressive repeat of the phrase her voice
rose.  �...I have an idea.  I have an idea.  I have an
idea!�  She was shouting at this point.  Rather than
simply continue to manifest her glee with words, the
rest of her could take no more of the joy it felt and
leapt into action.  Her lithe body sprang out the door
and flew down the apartment steps in a flash.

�I HAVE AN IDEA!� Skuld shouted to the world.

Tannim looked at Urd and shrugged; she returned the
look and the gesture.  The two followed Skuld out the
apartment and the down the steps.

�She�s certainly excited,� Urd remarked wryly.

�Woohooo!� Skuld hooted as she ran by.  The two
tracked her movements in perfect unison.

�I think we should give her time to wear out her
enthusiasm.�  Tannim scratched the back of his head in
idle thought.

�Yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaw!� Skuld hollered as she
dashed by the duo once again.  Somewhere along the way
she had lost most of her clothes, decency preserved
only by her swimsuit.

Urd sighed.  �Yeah.  I�d give her about ten minutes.�

It took Skuld only eight minutes to calm down, but a
full half an hour to completely sketch out the plans. 
Every scrap of blank paper in the apartment had been
commissioned for the blueprint on a monstrosity that
appeared like it might do the job, and the overall
design looked to be some sort of wheel and pumping
system.  Tannim squinted at the corner of the
blueprints.  There were some runes, but above that
scratched out in English was presumably a name.

�Karl Ragnafodir?  What�s that?� he asked.

�It�s Old Norse for �Mr. Doom of the Fodder,��
answered Urd as she rolled her eyes.

Skuld�s eyes glittered dangerously.  �If only they�d
let me build this, we�d never have problems with bugs
ever again.�

Urd snorted.  �There wouldn�t be anything left
standing, either.  Sorry about my little sister, she
had a tragic accident with a bug when she was four.� 
Urd glanced over at the man, before turning fully
towards him with a concerned expression.  �Hey, what�s
wrong with you?  You look like you�ve seen a ghost.�

�It�s nothing,� he waved it off.  Whenever he was
online his moniker was usually �TannimFodder,� because
he thought it sounded humorously close to �cannon
fodder.�  What a strange coincidence.  

But why had he felt like someone had stepped over his
grave?

---

In Ancient Times, when Indians roamed the lands and
the west was wild, a mill had been built on this
river.  Time had passed it by for the most part, as
each successive owner of the land never could really
find a reason to tear it down.  It was a testament to
its construction that it still functioned.  Rather
than being used for its original purpose, however, its
current owners mainly used it as a storehouse.

And since it was visible from Tannim�s two-story
window, it was this waterwheel on the riverbank that
provided Skuld with inspiration.  The original plans
called for a giant wheel with Skuld riding in the
middle, and twin pistons pumping on either side, so
she could smash bugs as she drove by.  So she figured
the waterwheel would make a good substitute since it
was self-powered, and she wanted to convert that
energy into a pump that would smash the trainee
vertically rather that horizontally into the rock they
set beside the stream.

Skuld quickly discovered Tannim to be a near-tireless
workhorse when it came to receiving instructions.  As
long as they were detailed, complete, and simple,
Tannim could accomplish any task set before him a mere
fraction of the time it would have taken a normal
person.  The two settled into a rhythm that allowed
them to modify the waterwheel and turn it into the
training device Tannim needed it to become in record
time.

Urd helped out where she could.  She surprised Tannim
by not attempting anything with magic, simply settling
for pitching in where she could.  Perhaps more
surprising was that she was giving it her all, and not
slacking off like he thought she would have.

During the process Tannim always asked questions about
what they were doing since Skuld seemed happiest when
explaining her own genius.  He didn�t always listen to
her, but he tried to at least fake paying attention.

It was nearing nine o�clock by the time the machine
was finished.

�...so I added just enough sawdust and wood clippings
that were left over to add just enough weight to slam
you into the rock only slightly harder.�

�I see.  I think I�ll rest here a moment.�  Tannim
fell to the ground without bothering to catch himself.
 It didn�t hurt worse than the pain his over-used
muscles were already feeling.  Experience taught him
that they would be fine if given a minute�s rest... it
was just trying to get that minute around Skuld that
proved to be the problem.

�Yay!  I�m finally done!  Finished!  Complete!�  She
posed with her fingers in the classic �V for Victory.�
 �I am the best!  I am the greatest!�  She yawned
suddenly.  �I am... I am...�  She yawned again, more
powerfully this time.  �I am going to take a nap,� she
declared, curling up on top of the machine like an
oversized cat and promptly falling asleep.

�Is she out?  Is that it?� Tannim wondered as he
panted from where he was sprawled-out on the grass.

�Finally,� Urd grumbled from her position, back
resting against the machine.  If questioned she�d
claim she was testing its structural integrity.  �I
thought the little brat would never run out of
energy.�

It took a bit of effort, but Tannim stood and
stretched after getting his forty-odd second wind.  �I
got her,� he said as he gathered Skuld in his arms. 
Besides, he had decided that needed to go back and get
Rukia anyway; she�d want to do some training while he
was knocked out.  �You want to stay here?�

�Uh, sure,� Urd replied with a dazzling smile.  �I�ll
be right here.�

Tannim nodded tiredly.  �All right.  Be back in a
bit.�

It didn�t take long, and Skuld slept like a rock the
entire trip.  He took an extra moment to tuck her into
the couch before grabbing Rukia�s book and leaving.  

On the way back he tried discussing techniques with
Rukia, with less than optimal success.

�Look, I�m just not getting it,� Tannim finally
interrupted, exasperated.  �You�ve been referring to
things that we�ve probably been talking about in my
sleep and that I can�t currently remember.�

The lines shook slightly in frustration.  �I�m not
used to trying to describe this with just words.  If
only I had my colored pencils and some paper...�

Tannim screwed his eyes shut, and had to resist a
large urge to slap his forehead.  �Master?  You�re a
book who communicates through making pictures.  That�s
all letters are, after all.�

�...�

�And the reason I know what you look like is because
you showed me your face, remember?�

�Well.  Okay then.�  The words paused for a few
moments longer than normal before dissolving, and the
show began to start.

It was an interesting one, to say the least.  It
featured a bunny with a glowing fist punching a bear. 
Despite its inherent flaws, it did convey what Rukia
was trying to get across, and Tannim was able to mimic
a bit of the glow in his right hand.  He held it up
for inspection, before nodding with approval.

The words were written a trifle smug.  �Do you finally
get it now?�

�I guess...� he replied slowly.  �But the really
crappy animation quality made it hard to follow.�

The next few pictures made Tannim wince.  �Jeez, I get
the point already.  The very badly drawn and animated
point, but I get it none-the-less.  You don�t like
criticism, and you�re gonna hurt me when I fall asleep
tonight.�  He smirked.  �Too bad for you I can�t
remember it in the morning.�

If anything, the carnage intensified.

�Ew.  That�s not right, even if I�m being portrayed by
a crappy substitute for a bear, and you by a poorly
drawn bunny.�

�Just get back to training!� the book snapped.  

Along with her words something on the book made a
small black line below them.  Tannim saw it out of the
corner of his eye and automatically tried to wipe it
away with his thumb, but whatever it was it wasn�t
coming off.  He ignored it in favor for continuing to
read.

�Why is your light so dim?  It should be brighter!�

�Well, it�s just that--�  He paused as he realized
something about her text.  �Wait a second... what was
that in the corner?  That teeny tiny line?  Was that
fine print?�

�GET BACK TO YOUR TRAINING!�  Rukia stated in large
bold letters.

He squinted to read.  ��...and stop being so damn
perceptive.�  Hey!  You are saying stuff in fine
print!�  He peered.  ��...if I could mutter more
quietly to myself I would.��

�Well I would!� the book shot back in more reasonable
print.

�What�cha lookin� at?�  Urd asked from over Tannim�s
shoulder.  This wasn�t the smartest thing to do all
things considered, as he still had his fist glowing
and raised from earlier.

Tannim winced as his startled reflexes punched Urd in
the forehead and set off the Gaijin Smash he�d been
holding, knocking Urd to the side as he swung into
her.  The goddess stumbled slightly but didn�t fall as
the force of the blast was light and uncontrolled.

�Sorry there Urd,� said Tannim sheepishly.  �When did
you get here?�  He looked around the clearing, finally
noticing he was already back at the machine.  �I mean,
when did I get here?�

Rather than respond the goddess started crawling
around on her hands and knees.  Needless to say Tannim
was intrigued; the view was certainly very nice.  �Um.
 What are you doing?�

�I�m looking for my contact lens.�

�Oh, a contact lens.  I see.�  His voice dripped heavy
with sarcasm.  �If you don�t wanna to tell me, that�s
just fine.�

Urd sub-vocalized a growl and turned to glare at
Tannim.  �I can�t see anything without my contacts,�
she stated emphatically, her words clipped short by
anger.

Tannim blinked in honest surprise.  �You�re serious? 
I thought all Goddesses have perfect forms.  And
vision.�  He peered at her intently, searching for an
outward form of a blemish.  She certainly looked like
she would from the anime and manga.

Urd blushed slightly under the scrutiny; in a round
about way he just complimented her on her figure.  She
went back her search.  �Well, normally we do.  I have
a...� she struggled to find right word to describe her
situation.  �Problem, that interferes with my sight.� 
She brightened.  �There it is!�

�Is it because you�re half...?� Tannim trailed off
meaningfully.  He wasn�t certain how sensitive a
subject her being a half demon was at this point, or
if she�d rather just deny things and just move on. 
You never knew with Urd.

The goddess gave a hesitant nod before placing the
item back where it belonged.  She tilted her head back
carefully and inserted the object.  �Belldandy told
you?�

He smirked and took on a condescending manner.  �Do
you really think that in the short time we�ve known
each other Belldandy would have told me all about you
and Skuld?  And all your little... quirks?�

�Yes,� Urd deadpanned in response.

�Oh.�  Tannim lost his superior attitude and scratched
at his chin thoughtfully.  �I guess you�re right.  But
honestly the topic never came up.  Nah, I have another
source.�  He tried to recover with a poor attempt at a
mysterious smile.

Urd turned a half-lidded stare towards the man. 
�There�s no possible way for you to know outside of
Belldandy.�

�Sore wa himitsu desu,� Tannim quoted with a grin.

The goddess gave a most un-ladylike snort of
disbelief.  �You can�t quote Xelloss and automatically
be believed as being mysterious you know.�  She jabbed
a finger at Tannim�s chest.  �You gotta impress me.�

�That hurt you know,� Tannim rubbed irritably at the
sore spot.  He was still in the stages of his training
where getting hit was painful.  Just for that...
�Fine, I�ll prove it to you by telling you something
that Belldandy would not have told another soul,
especially not in casual conversation.�

�Ha!  Obviously you don�t know Belldandy; she�ll talk
about anything.�  Urd glared at the man, daring him to
contradict her words.

�Then what would it take?� Tannim was exasperated at
Urd�s petulant attitude.  �Something that Belldandy
doesn�t know about you?�

�Yes.�

�Hmm... that�s pretty limited.  I don�t recall that
you had many secrets from her.�  Tannim scratched the
back of his head in thought.  �Well, if I remember
correctly, the name of your angel is World of
Elegance,� he remarked off-handedly.

Urd reacted as if Tannim had slapped her.  In spite of
her heavy tan she paled visibly, with eyes glazed over
in shock as her mouth worked open and closed. 
Unsteadily a hand rose towards Tannim�s direction.  

�...how...?� she croaked out.  �...how could you...? 
How?�

Oh, he was a terrible person.  He knew it.  But it was
an immense relief to see someone else flummoxed by a
situation totally out of their control.  Tannim
grinned from ear to ear and had to choke back a laugh.
 He couldn�t help but add, �A partial reason is that I
know the future.�

This snapped Urd out of her stupor as she focused on
an incongruity.  �But your file!  You�re not--!�

�Well, about that...� Tannim trailed off.

Urd blinked rapidly and leaned forward to better catch
the fading voice.  �Yes?�

�...that...� repeated Tannim, his voice barely above a
whisper.

�That?� she prompted impatiently.

�That... is a secret!� he finished with his best
shit-eating grin.

The fall to the ground in shock as Urd lost muscle
control from surprise did little more than rob her of
her dignity.  The goddess recovered quickly and sprang
to her feet, blushing fiercely with a combination of
rage and embarrassment.

�Fine!  Be that way!  See if I untie you in the
morning!� Urd snapped as she turned away.  Rather than
say anything more she stormed off, visibly shaken by
Tannim�s words.

As soon as he made sure that the goddess was out of
earshot Tannim began laughing so hard he was forced to
clutch his sides in pain.  The bitter truth was that
misery loves company, and he couldn�t think of a
better person to share his misery with.

�Oh, oho, heh, I better start training for real.�  He
wiped away a tear and continued onwards towards his
destination.  In no time he reached the waterwheel and
began preparing for his training.

It was easy enough to strap himself into the device. 
Getting out would be the problem, as all the cords
wrapped around him were designed to tighten when
pressure was applied.  His right arm remained free
while his left was fastened down with the rest of his
body.

As his hand rested on the start cord of the
monstrosity that he and Skuld created, he chuckled at
an errant thought.  �Wait, I know the future right? 
Heh.  I wonder if there�s an opening for a Tuxedo
Pluto?�  He snorted.  �Ha!  Tuxedo Pluto!  I kill
myself...�

With that amusing thought he gave the cord a firm tug.

---

In Japan, Setsuna Meiou sneezed.

�What is it, Setsuna?�  The speaker was Kaname
Chidori, age sixteen.  Her clothes marked her as a
student of Juuban High School while her light blue
tresses and fair skin provided a remarkable contrast
to Setsuna�s green locks and dark complexion.

�It�s nothing, Kaname.  Just my allergies is all.� 
Setsuna, aged seventeen, rubbed her nose absently.

�Maybe a BOY was talking about you?� Kaname teased.

Setsuna snickered and glanced around.  �If that was
the case, we�d both be sneezing non-stop.�

Kaname turned a flat look towards the assembled crowd.
 As per the usual custom for lunch, she and Setsuna
were enjoying the shade of one of the school�s many
trees.  Surrounding said tree was a solid wall of
onlookers and gawkers, comprised mostly of boys but
still had a few girls.  This sort of effect occurred
every time the two of them got together.  �True
enough,� she admitted.

Setsuna playfully jabbed at Kaname with her
chopsticks.  �C�mon, you know this is the price we pay
for being the two most popular girls in school.  You
should enjoy it a little.�

�I just wish all those dumb jocks would stop asking me
out.�  Kaname took a bite of her lunch a bit more
forcefully than she needed to.  �Seriously, I had to
turn down thirty-seven people yesterday!  I swear some
of them put on disguises and asked me twice!�

The older girl shrugged.  �You were the one who gave
that speech about assertiveness....�

�It�s not my fault they were acting so pathetic...�
Kaname sulked.

�...and now you�re in the fallout,� Setsuna finished
with a knowing nod.  Her voice lightened, �You should
know by now, Kana-chan, that no good deed goes
unpunished.�  She smiled to take the sting out of her
words.

�Yeah, well, I don�t see you beating guys off with a
stick,� Kaname noted irritably as she shot a glare
towards her friend.  �Some of them should be asking
YOU out.  What�s your secret?�

Setsuna gave an enigmatic smile as her eyes flashed
with mirth.  �Why, my mysterious aura of course.  It
keeps the boys so impressed that they�re too flummoxed
to speak.  It was cute to start with,� she grimaced,
�not so much now.�

Kaname patted Setsuna�s back comfortingly.  �Still
don�t have a boyfriend yet?�

�Not that I�d go with any of the boys here.�  She
waved a hand dismissively.  �They�re way too immature.
 Besides, you�re one to talk.�  Setsuna threw a
pointed look in Kaname�s direction.

�You caught me!�  The blue-haired girl admitted
ruefully and forced a nervous laugh.  To cover up the
embarrassment of being reminded of her own
romance-related problems, Kaname took a few more bites
of her bento.  The boxed lunch was held up close to
her face so that she could safely eat the rice without
spilling it; this had the incidental effect of cutting
off the line of sight between herself and Setsuna so
she wouldn�t have to look her friend in the eye.

In the end, it mattered not.  When Kaname lowered her
lunch she was greeted with the sight of Setsuna mere
inches away and staring hard at her.  Setsuna�s eyes
narrowed and her voice deepened to an ominous tone. 
�What kind of boy are *you* looking for, Ka � Na � Me
- Chan?�

Kaname recoiled in surprise as she tried to hide her
blush.  �I, I, I just, I just don�t know, okay!  I
don�t know!�  She was twiddling her fingers
self-consciously and looking away.  Desperate to
change the topic she shot back with, �What about you,
Setsu-senpai?  What kind of boy would you like?�

�What kind of boy would I like?� Setsuna repeated,
obviously lost in thought, and sat back with a finger
placed artfully on her chin.  �What kind of boy...?�

Kaname rolled her eyes at the display.  She knew that
the only times that her friend ever used that pose was
when Setsuna had already thought long and hard on a
subject; it was so she could fully recall each detail.
 Many a person in the past mistakenly believed the
green-haired beauty slow-witted because of that habit.

�He has to be a foreigner,� Setsuna finally began. 
�No way am I getting stuck in this country.  American,
preferably.  He also has to be rich, handsome,
physically and mentally strong, as well as great in
bed.  A must is that he has to know me and understand
me, and be sensitive to my needs.  But I also wouldn�t
want some loser who couldn�t hold their own in a
fight.�

The blue-haired girl sat stunned for a few moments. 
�...wow.  That�s, uh, a pretty tall order there.�  She
shook her head and pointed out, �Realistically, if
such a guy like that did exist, he would already be
taken.�

�I know.�  Setsuna nodded seriously and paused to tuck
an errant green strand of hair back into place.  �But
nothing worth having is easy.  I realize love is a
battlefield.�  Lunch was ending, and rather than
simply stand she planted her feet and thrust a finger
towards the horizon to the east.  �For that man, I�d
fight heaven and earth!� she declared.

---

Back in America, Tannim Murphy sneezed.

�Damn allergies,� he muttered irritably and rubbed at
his nose.  When he pulled back his hand it was damp,
and his vision blurred a few seconds as he tried to
focus on it.

�Oh.  Blood.  Cranial bleeding or broken nose?� he
asked himself.

With no one around to answer Tannim shrugged and
continued on with his training.  In the end it didn�t
matter anyway.  He winced as he impacted against the
rock once more.

The machine he and Skuld had made was working just as
intended.  Unfortunately it also boasted one major
flaw that had only become evident when put into use.

There was no way for him to turn it off.

�Can�t stop the signal Mal,� he warbled deliriously,
just before being forcefully slammed against the rock.
 Again.

And again.

And again.

---

�You�re so silly, Setsu-senpai!� Kaname giggled at the
display as she rose to her feet.

�I do have my moments,� Setsuna agreed.  The
green-haired high school student framed her chin with
a hand and gave her best impression of a roguish grin,
complete with the sun sparkling off her teeth.

Behind Kaname a girl cried out �Setsuna-shamaaaa!� in
obvious ecstasy, clutched at her chest, and feinted
dead away.  A few concerned students tried to rouse
the latest teen coldheartedly shot down by cupid�s
arrow, but found to their dismay they couldn�t reach
her through her self-induced fantasy.  The girl began
mumbling feverishly under her breath and twitching,
enough to keep the rest of the student body at bay.

�Not again,� Setsuna sighed and hid her face in shame.
 �That�s the third time this week.�

�Then stop making that face!� chided Kaname.

�You know just as I do that anything will set that
girl off,� the green-haired girl remarked wryly.  She
rolled her eyes for emphasis.

Setsuna Meiou had a bane, and her name was Yashima
Sanae.

Oh, it had been flattering at first.  But as time wore
on, Yashima had kept making more and more public
displays of her... affections.  The problem was that
the girl was just as shy as her convictions were
strong.  This was just the latest in a long string of
embarrassing events.

Just earlier this week Yashima tried to join the Swim
Club in an obvious attempt to get closer to her
beloved �Setsuna-shama.�  That had ended in disaster. 
At the sight of Setsuna in a swimsuit Yashima
developed a nosebleed that threatened to contaminate
the entire pool during the first swim practice.

And everyone knew.  There was no secret, could be no
secret, because it happened so often that every single
person at the school had witnessed it at one time or
another.

But it was still embarrassing.

�That girl really needs a hobby,� muttered Setsuna on
her way back to class.

---

�Teach, I�ve been thinking.�  Tannim spoke in a
detached manner that indicated he was talking about
one thing and thinking about another.  �Two hundred
and eighty-nine.  Two hundred and ninety.  Two hundred
and ninety-one.�

�Hmm?�  Rukia looked down from her position of
standing on Tannim�s shoulders.  She claimed her
slight weight actually added to the difficulty of the
pushups.  Tannim knew for a fact it was because it put
her in perfect kicking distance.

�Two hundred and ninety-two.  Two hundred and
ninety-three,� he thought to himself before asking
aloud, �Why am I doing pushups?  Why am I not
practicing martial arts movement and at least gaining
unconscious muscle memory?  I�m sure my body will
remember things where my mind does not.�  He grunted
as he hit the three hundred mark.

Rukia kicked the back of Tannim�s head with a �pay
attention, there will be a quiz later� tap.  In the
short period of time they had known each other, Rukia
had developed a variety of ways to communicate through
hitting and Tannim had become quite adept at reading
them.  Rukia was very vocal about her displeasure when
he missed something.

�We�ve been training your mind, dolt.  Everything you
do in here is helping your spiritual abilities.  When
you first arrived, we worked on control, until you
could use every scrap of spiritual energy at your
disposal.  Now we�re working on building that power.� 
She smirked with obvious self-satisfaction.  �Normally
a martial artist has to train and mediate for decades
for the kind of spiritual energy and control of that
energy that you have been acquiring in the span of a
few days.�  She kicked the back of Tannim�s head again
for good measure.  �Be thankful.�

�Oh... that�s what makes it a cheater�s guide,� he
said as understanding dawned.  But something else had
been bothering him as well.  �So, why doesn�t the
Gaijin Smash hurt?  All the other attacks I know
actually do damage.�

�Hmm.  That is a good question.�  The four foot tall
spiritual entity gripped her chin in contemplation. 
�I think it would be best if I showed you.�

Tannim could hear Rukia going through her black robes,
looking for her notebook.  If he didn�t act quickly,
he�d have to sit through another one of her lame
drawing lectures.  �No, no-no, just tell me.  Please?�
he begged.

�It�s much easier to understand with pictures for
reference,� the black-haired girl replied stubbornly.

�Just this once, I�d like to see if I can understand
without the picture guide,� he said.  �Afterwards, if
I still don�t get it, I�ll gladly let you...�

The man trailed off when he realized Rukia was
ignoring him in favor of drawing.  The scritch-scratch
of her colored pencils were unmistakable.  When she
finished she presented the booklet for Tannim�s
inspection by holding it in front of his face. �See? 
This is much easier to understand!�

Tannim bit back the first three comments that sprang
to mind.  �Okay, I think I get it.  It�s basically
like the Shi Shi Hokudan in that it uses a form of
condensed air, but instead of wasting it by tossing
it, the attack focuses it on the punch.�  Tannim tried
to make sense of the technique using references from
what he already knew.

Rukia perked at the mention of another term she didn�t
know.  Her student was a font of really strange
martial arts information, and it worked in her favor
that he was so free with it.  �What kind of move is
that?�

�It�s a ranged attack, but not very good.�  Tannim
continued, simply happy to have something to talk
about.  Those pushups were so damn boring.  �It
requires extreme amounts of heavy emotion generated by
the user in order to work.  Now on the other hand it
sounds like the Spirit Gun would kick ass with this
technique, but I have no clue what kind of training
that would entail.  Hmm, that�s odd...� Tannim lapsed
into silence as another thought struck him.

Rukia prompted Tannim with a light kick to the kidney.
 �What�s odd?�

�Huh?  Oh, just that the more that I think about it,
the more the Spirit Gun and the Gaijin Smash have in
common.  Yusuke had to use an aid to be able to fire
the energy from his body to begin with.  It�s quite
possible I�m just learning to use the same force
differently.�

�So?  Why is this important?�  Rukia idly dug her heel
into Tannim�s unprotected back.

�Because the Spirit Gun had the force of a punch just
to begin with, and it got stronger.  Plus, it�s also a
ranged attack.  If I could modify the Gaijin Smash
accordingly...� he trailed off meaningfully.

�Ah.  I see.�  Rukia sat down on her student�s head
and stretched out her feet so they were resting on his
buttocks.  �That is a thought indeed.�

Tannim carefully bit back a remark about Rukia�s
weight.  The distant hope was if he became perfectly
still his Sensei would stay lost in thought.  He froze
in the half-pushup.

A few seconds passed before Rukia stiffened.  �Do you
hear that?�

The martial artist in training immediately zeroed in
on his hearing senses.  After a few moments of
listening to nothing but the grass rustle in what
passed for wind in this place, he asked in a hushed
whisper.  �What is it, teach?�

�It�s... the sound... of someone SLACKING OFF!� Rukia
finished with a snarl and a punch to the back of
Tannim�s head.  She flipped backwards off his body as
his face dug deeply into the ground.  �Back to work!�

The sound of thunder rumbling in the distance halted
both Tannim from getting back into the pushup
position, and Rukia from striking the boy for being
too slow.  The two turned in unison.

Tannim stared at the storm with a growing sense of
dread, and the ominous flashes of red lightning were
not comforting in the slightest.  �What the hell is
that?�

---

Urd was startled into wakefulness by her little sister
as Skuld clutched painfully on her arm.  Being awoken
from a deep slumber wasn�t a pleasant experience to
begin with, and Urd was by no means a morning person. 
�What is it now?� she snapped.

Skuld bursting into tears was not the kind of reaction
Urd was expecting, but prepared to deal with.  It was
easy to revert back to old childhood habits as the
elder goddess gently reached over to Skuld and began
stroking her hair.  Urd cooed softly into her little
sister�s ear.  �What is it?  What�s wrong?�  The words
and motion had the desired effect, and Skuld calmed
down considerably.  

Outside lightning flashed, thunder roared, and rain
pelted the apartment window fiercely.  �It�s just
lightning and thunder and rain, that�s all,� she
soothed.  �Nothing to worry about.  Perfectly normal
for Midgard.�

�I know!�  Skuld sobbed into Urd�s side.  �But I�m
still scared!�

�There, there...� Urd patted Skuld�s head and
continued her best to calm her hysterical sister down.
 It might have been the unfamiliar setting, or the
fact that Belldandy wasn�t here, but it took a very
long time for Skuld to drift off to sleep.

---

Things hadn�t improved in the dreamscape.  The
mountains were crumbling, the trees were burning, the
river had run dry and the green grass was turning
brown at a visible rate.

�This does not bode well,� Tannim muttered.

�Well understated, my student,� Rukia replied.

�What does it mean?�

�Obviously you must confront your greatest fear.� 
Rukia nodded decisively.

The man wasn�t buying it.  He turned towards his
teacher and frowned down at her irritably.  �You don�t
know what this is either, do you?�

She punched him in the face.  �Of course not!  What do
I look like, a seer?  But as you are the student you
must fight it!  Besides,� she added as an
afterthought, �it�ll probably be good training.�

The ground beneath their feet began to shake at steady
intervals every few seconds.

Tannim gaped at Rukia.  �Probably?  Probably good
training?  You�re not sure?�

�That�s assuming you survive.�  Rukia said this as if
it was the most obvious thing in the world.

�Survive?� Tannim repeated dumbly.  Rukia silently
pointed behind him, the expression on her face devoid
of any emotion.  

With no small amount of trepidation Tannim slowly
turned to face his greatest fear.  It was fifty feet
tall, made of stone, and had a large pair of glowing
red eyes fixated firmly upon his trembling form.  

It was shaped vaguely like a monkey.

Tannim got as far as �Oh shi--� before the colossus
unleashed its first devastating attack upon the
hapless individual.  It drove him into the ground like
a stake with its fist, crushing his entire upper torso
from his head to his waist flat.

He regenerated moments later looking stunned.  �Ow!�
he cried and clutched at his right arm, as it hadn�t
regenerated as fast as the rest of him.  Sure, it was
still visibly reforming before his eyes, but the fact
that he was watching the process was worrying.

When Rukia began training she had killed Tannim in as
many inventive ways as possible.  This was done for
many reasons, not the least of which a student put
under that kind of pressure gets better in a hurry, no
matter who they were.

Due to the magic of the strange dreamscape pain was
transmitted to his brain just as if he�d been killed
for real.  The brain, after being told the news of his
demise, had never failed to double-check the
information.  It was this process that allowed him to
come back to life, and reestablish his sense of self
in this place.  So far, in every instance, each
occurrence had been instantaneous and complete.  The
pain never really left, but afterwards he�d be able to
continue to function at full capacity.

It was just like a fighting video game, really, and he
was set on practice mode against expert difficulty. 
His life bar would go down, he could be injured and
not killed, and as soon as he �died� he�d be back up
and ready to fight.  Now he was still injured after
coming back and that couldn�t be good.

�Rukia!  I need help!�  He managed to struggle far
enough out of the ground so that the next blow crushed
him flat against the dirt, rather than driving him
farther into it.

�Are you crazy?  Have you seen the size of that
thing?�  Rukia shouted from her position of safety
outside of the colossus�s arm reach.  This was quite a
distance away.

As soon as the man reformed he began sprinting as
quickly as he could directly away from the monster and
towards Rukia.  This prompted her to keep the same
distance away from him by running in the same
direction.  �Don�t you have any advice for me at
least?!�  Tannim shouted towards her.

�Hit it in its weak spot!� Rukia advised, and then
winced sympathetically when the giant monkey colossus
used its stone tail to whip around and smash her
student into a bloody pulp.

�It�s a rock!�  He shouted when he reformed.  This
time his right leg was having a bit of trouble as he
scurried away.  �It doesn�t have any weak spots!�

�If you don�t think of something quickly, you will die
at this rate!�

It was the note of real fear in her voice that caused
Tannim to pause and look down at himself.  His right
arm was nothing more than a bloody mass of muscle and
skin tissue, desperately trying to reform itself with
the help of a strange green light.

He was interrupted at this point by a particularly
nasty backhand, compliments of the colossus.  Tannim
considered himself lucky it had launched him far
enough away to give him a little breathing room to
think.  Unfortunately he couldn�t feel anything below
his waist, indicating a broken back from the blow.  It
was a testament to his recently acquired resilience
that he hadn�t been killed outright.

Tannim ignored the steady rumbling of the ground,
signaling the giant monkey�s advance on his position. 
Instead he focused his attention on his re-knitting
arm.  As disgusting as it was to watch, he felt a sort
of connection with the green energy that was trying to
heal him.  It felt calm, serine, and a bit anxious to
have him back up and running at full capacity.

�Belldandy?� he whispered to his arm.

The green light surged briefly, before settling back
to its previous luminescence.

�I�m gonna need a lot more help than that.�  He gulped
and he glanced back towards the monkey colossus.  It
was just about to reach him.  �A lot more.  Don�t you
have some sort of emergency protocol you could
activate or something?�

If possible, the green light seemed to hesitate.

�Anything, I don�t care what it is!�  Tannim cried in
desperation as the monstrous monkey reared back its
fist to strike again.  �If you need my permission I
give it!�

Power surged through Tannim�s being and a bright green
light, so bright it bordered on white, burst from his
eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as he was lifted several
feet into the air.  It was bright enough to blind his
enemy for a precious few seconds allowing his feet
time to resume contact with the ground as the lights
faded, and when he opened his eyes they were still
glowing with the green power.

Rukia noted that Tannim stood a good foot and a half
taller than he had previously, had a darker skin tone,
and hair so white it could have been formed from the
driven snow.  These changes obviously didn�t register
on the young man as he turned to face his opponent.

�ROOOOOAAAAAAR!�  The monkey howled directly in the
man�s face as only a fifty-foot tall creature can,
blowing his hair straight back for the duration of the
scream.  The ground shook and what was left of the
trees trembled.

Tannim narrowed his glowing eyes in obvious anger.  �I
am so gunna kick your ass.�

Fifty-foot colossus or not, the monstrosity struck as
fast as a regular-sized monkey.  But this time his
opponent was quick enough to dodge, and the blow went
wide by mere feet.

�Is that the best you can do?� the man taunted from
his position next to the stone hand.  After the
creature pulled back the arm for a second strike the
man shook his head as if to clear it.  He muttered to
himself.  �I know better than to taunt.�

Rather than dodge the next attack, he met right fist
with right fist.  The blow shattered the ground
beneath Tannim�s feet, kicking up dust and rubble from
the force of the strike.  Against all sense the man
remained upright, and when the colossus pulled back
the right fist began to crumble.  It bellowed in pain.

�It�s time to end this!� Tannim declared as his eyes
glowed more brightly in response to his emotions.  The
power flowing through him, changing him, enhancing him
was welcomed heedless of the consequences.  Any change
was welcome as long as it provided a means of winning.

While the colossus was still reeling from the loss of
its hand the man struck, leaping forward to attack. 
It took several successive leaps and bounds up the
monster�s legs in order to reach the glowing spot he
could now see.  His left hand dug deeply into the rock
to find purchase, and his feet were steadied by
kicking them just hard enough to lodge into the
colossus for some footholds.  By the time the giant
monkey had noticed that the small creature it had been
pummeling was now around its waist, it was far too
late.

With a cry that could be heard across the entirety of
the dreamscape, Tannim sealed the fate of the stone
creature before him by poking it with his right index
finger and screaming two simple words.

�BREAKING POINT!�

---

TBC...

Next Episode:  Major Mallrat Martial Mayhem! 
(Finally!)



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