"That's alright.  Perhaps you can tell me where Furinkan high
is?" Ryoga asked, holding up a nearly worn-out map.

"Furinkan high?" Dorllir said in amazement.  "That's way over in
Nerima district in Tokyo!  This is Nekomi City!  You're miles
away!"

"Really?  I'm sorry to bother you, then." Ryoga said in resigna-
tion as he turned and walked into the temple compound.

"Wait a second!  That's not the way!" Dorllir called as she
followed after Ryoga.  As soon as she set foot onto the temple
grounds she spotted Skuld in the distance with her back turned
and realized that she forgot to turn invisible.

As Dorllir leaped into some bushes near the gate, Ryoga also
spotted Skuld and decided to ask her for directions as well. 
Unfortunately, he didn't see Banpei-kun with his water-hose
attachment and got sprayed with water meant for a rosebush behind
him.  The only mitigating factor was that neither Skuld nor
Dorllir saw the transformation.  Realizing his predicament, he
hid in some bushes.

While Dorllir and P-chan hid in seperate bushes, Skuld walked on
over to check up on Banpei-kun.  "And how are we doing....what?!"
she yelped as she spied a pile of clothes lying on the ground by
a backpack and umbrella.  "Ack!  Some pervert left his clothes
here...and they're wet!  Geez...gotta go get Urd!  Banpei-kun,
stay here and keep an eye out for that sicko!"

As Skuld picked up the clothes ran into the temple, P-chan
stepped out from his hiding spot and looked at the temple. 

That's just great...how am I supposed to get my clothes back?<,

he thought.  >Looks like I'm going to have to be careful.< 
Before he could move, though, he was picked up by some invisible
force...

(Author's side note: >blah, blah, blah< indicates thoughts if you
haven't figured it out)

While all this was going on, inside the temple, Urd was inspect-
ing the piglet that was in Jun's basket.  "So you turned your
brother into a piglet by accident, huh?  You've got to admit,
though, he's probably more manageable this way...not to mention
cute."

"Yeah, I thought so too." Jun replied.  "Though I don't think mom
shares that same opinion.  Ow!  Watch the language, Joe!"

"Eh?  I didn't hear anything." Urd said in confusion.

"Oh, even with the shape-change, the mind-link worked after all. 
Right now, he's not liking what he's hearing from both of us,
even if you're supposed to be some avatar or whatever mom said
you were."

"Ooops!" Urd said teasingly to the piglet.  "Didn't mean to upset
you there!  But you really shoudn't take it too hard when a
goddess calls you 'cute', right?"

"Well, he's flattered, but he'd rather be human." Jun said after
a moment of apparent deep thought.  "So you're a goddess, huh? 
Even mom's wrong from time to time."

"That's right.  I'm second class, second category goddess Urd,
and my realm is the past.  Now, then, let's go take care of
reversing the spell...eh?"

As she stood up, Urd saw Skuld running up to them, dragging a wad
of wet clothes.  "What's the matter now?  Did your stupid robot
wash someone's clothes while they were still wearing them or
something?"

"No!" Skuld cried.  "There's a pervert around here!  He left
these lying out in the yard and he's probably sneaking around
here naked!"

"Alright, alright." Urd said in irritation.  "I'm sure you can
probably handle him with your mallet or something.  You're not
going to make first class if you keep running to me or Belldandy
with your problems!  If you really need me, I'm going to be in
the kitchen with Jun and her brother here," indicating the
piglet, "and we're going to reverse a shape-change spell.  Okay?"

"Okay, okay...I'll just go and re-equip Banpei-kun to deal with
the pervert if he shows his sick face around here again."
As Skuld skulked off, Urd turned to Jun and asked, "You have any
little sisters or brothers?"

"Nope...just Joe, and he's a fraternal twin."

"Be glad.  Sometimes, they can be a real pain in the neck, you
know?"

"Tell me about it.  Right now, Joe's being a pain by saying that
I'm one!"

A minute later, Urd led Jun into the kitchen and started getting
several potion ingredients together into a large pan she borrowed
from Belldandy.  "This should be really simple, since it's just a
minor shape-change spell, and no passwords were invoked in it's
casting.  Believe me, trying to undo a shape-change spell that
uses a password can be a real pain."

"Really?  I didn't even know spells had passwords." 

"Well, don't feel too bad about that.  Mortal magic-casting
techniques aren't exactly the most sophisticated ones these days. 
Anyway, that should do it.  Let's get this over with.  If you'll
place Joe over there on the counter, I'll begin."

As Jun set Joe down and stepped back Urd raised her hands and
invoked the spell.

               Spirits of the air, I command you to do my bid-
ding.
               I, Urd, greatest of the Norns, 
               bid you to undo what was done.
               Cross forms once again,
               and make things right!

A clound of smoke filled the kitchen briefly.  While Urd stood
there coughing, Jun was calling out, "Joe!  Did it work?  Are you
alright?  Answer me!"

The reply they got was a long string of even higher-pitched
squeals than what Joe was capable of before the casting.

* * * * * * * * * *

Outside, P-chan was very confused and alarmed.  While he was
suspended in mid-air behind a bush, he felt as though someone was
holding him.  In fact, it was almost as if Akane was holding him
close.  The thought of Akane redoubled his efforts to break free
of whatever it was that was holding him.

"Ohhhh...is the little piggy scared?" a phantom, yet familiar,
voice whispered.  "I'm sorry to frighten you.  Here, will this
help?" 

With that, Dorllir reverted to being visible again and P-chan
calmed down, recognizing her as the girl who tried to help him a
few minutes ago.  "Queee?" he said, trying to voice a question.

"I'm Dorllir, you cute little piggy." she said, beaming with joy. 
"I can't wait to take you home as a pet.  I'll bet Marller and
Sayoko will just adore you as well!  Let's see...what should I
name you?"

As Dorllir took a moment to think, P-chan started squirming
again.  >This is no good!  I can't let her take me to her home! 
I've got to get my stuff back and get back to Akane!<

As P-chan managed to get free and darted off towards the temple,
Dorllir turned invisible again and ran after him, shouting "Wait,
Blackie!  Come back here!"

Rounding a corner, Dorllir came to a stop as she saw that P-chan
was heading towards Skuld and a heavily modified Banpei-kun. 
Skuld spotted the piglet and caught him.  "What are you doing out
here?  Don't tell me Urd cast a teleport spell instead.  Guess
I'll have to bring you back in.  Banpei-kun!  Keep an eye out for
any perverts, okay?"

"Yes, mistress!" Banpei-kun called back.

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Urd and Jun had their hands full with a little piglet
darting around the kitchen and squealing its head off.

"It was a mistake!  Honest!" Urd called out, trying to calm Joe
down with little success.

"He's not buying it, Urd." Jun called back.  "Be glad you don't
have a mindlink with him...I don't think I've heard filthier
language inside a locker room!  Come on, Joe, it's not the end of
the world!  I'm sure Urd will find a way to switch you back from
a female piglet!"

"QUUUEEEEEE!!!" Joe screamed out, extremely upset at her new
status.  Instead of a reverse-shape-change spell, Urd ended up
casting a reverse-sex-change spell.  Since there was no sex-
change spell to begin with, the spell Urd cast by accident merely
acted as a regular sex-change spell, leaving Joe as a female
piglet, instead of the male one she was a few minutes ago.

Not wanting to listen to either Urd or his sister, Joe darted out
of the kitchen before either one of them could catch her.

"Aw, geez...we've got to catch him before the spell has a chance
to become permanent!" Urd cried out.

"Gotcha!" Jun shouted, running out the doorway that Joe dashed
out of.  "I'm not sure I can get used to having a twin sister
who's a pig!"

As Urd followed Jun out the door, they ran across Skuld, who was
carrying P-chan.  "Did you lose something, sis?" Skuld sneered.

"Thank you, Skuld!  You're a life-saver!" Urd said in relief as
she snatched P-chan from Skuld's arms. leaving a puzzled Skuld.

Now when did *she* start thanking me?  Must've screwed up worse

than I thought.<  Skuld thought.

As Urd ran into the kitchen, she was trying to reassure P-chan. 
"Don't worry, we'll reverse that sex-change spell in no time. 
Then we'll..."

That was as far as she got before P-chan panicked and squirmed
out of her grip.  >Sex change?!?!  No way!!  I'm not going to end
up like that rotten Saotome!  I'm better off with that girl who
wanted a pet!  Let me out of here!!!<

"Not again!  Dammit!" Urd muttered as she started chasing after
P-chan.

"Wait, Urd!" Jun called out from the doorway.  "I don't think
that was Joe!  I got no mental contact from him at all, and I
think that piglet was a male one..."

"Eh?  What's this about the piglet being a male one?" Skuld asked
the two in confusion.  "I thought he was supposed to be a male in
the first place...wait...don't tell me..."

"Um...er...can you keep a secret, Skuld, as well as helping us
out?" Urd stammered, realizing that her sister was clueing in as
to what had actually happened.

"Okay, okay...I'll help you find the real piglet.  When you screw
up, sis...you really screw up!"

As the three ladies split up to search the temple, Joe was
stalking towards the exit.  >I'm not trusting those two again!< 
she thought bitterly.  >First, my dear sister turns me into a
piglet, and now this Urd turns me into a female one!  Can't see
how things could get worse...<

Joe's train of thought was interrupted as she found herself being
lifted off the ground by a pair of invisible hands.  She did a
quick thought-flash to check if it was her sister, but found that
Jun was elsewhere in the temple.  Squirming, she was pulled
around a corner and outside the temple to a hidden alcove.

Once hidden in the bush, Joe found herself face-to-face with a
12-year-old girl with short blonde hair and a set of v-marks on
her forehead as well as marks on her cheeks.

"You're not Blackie!" Dorllir said quietly after giving Joe a
quick look-over.  "You don't have that cute little bandanna, and
you're a little girl piglet.  Actually, this is really cool,
because once I find out where Blackie went off to, I'll have two
little piglets for pets, and you two will make such an adorable
couple!  I think I'll name you 'Minnie'!  You like that name,
Minnie?"

As Dorllir turned invisible again, Joe started to panic.  >Aw,
geez...now this girl's going to try to mate me with another
piglet!  I think I'm better off with those klutzes inside!  I'm
not going to mate with some male piglet!  Uh-uh!  No way!<

* * * * * * * * * *

"Wait...I think I got something!"

Urd walked down the hall to see what Jun was referring to.  "Was
it the mindlink at work?"

"Yeah, but only briefly.  For some reason, he was trying to see
where I was, and I could sense some alarm in the thought pattern. 
I think it was just out the door!"

"Well, let's go check it out!  Keep that mindlink open...it's our
only chance of finding your brother!"

As Urd and Jun stepped out to look for Joe, Joe found herself
being dropped and a set of invisible feet padded off.  >Can't
stick around here too long, or those two might figure out I'm
here.< Dorllir thought sadly as she snuck away.  >Can't take
Minnie with me, or they'll spot her for certain!  At least I can
still try to find Blackie!  Now where'd he go...<

"Hey, do you smell something...like burning sulphur?" Urd asked
aloud, sniffing the air.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact...wait!  I found him!" Jun replied,
taking hold of Joe before she could escape again.  "Don't go
running off this time, okay?  We're going to try to reverse that
sex-change spell before it becomes permanent.  You don't want to
end up my sister for the rest of your life, ne?"

Peter L. Ward          falcon@best.com          Kyusaku on IRC #Anime!
Caretaker of the Urd Shrine (http://www.best.com/~falcon/urdhome.htm)

"YAY, KEIICHI!!  If you lose your race, you're DEAD MEAT!!" - Urd