Athena was singing a lovely song, accompanied by a young girl, with shoulder length red hair and a white dress. The girl had been described many times before to Megan, and Megan knew that the girl must be the angel Kiokochan. As soon as they spotted Megan, Kioko disappeared, and an anxious Athena asked Megan “You didn’t see anything, did you?” Tactfully, she replied, “See what? Oh, But I did hear such lovely music! What was it?”

“It was part of ‘The Song of the Sybil’, a traditional history of Norse mythology.” Athena sounded very, very, relieved in Megan’s view. “Please, come inside”

Megan walked in, and met Athena at the door. When they reached Athena’s bedroom, Megan showed Athena the letter from Skuld. As she read it, her feet lifted off of the ground, and her hands moved forward, and the letters on the page sprouted wings and soared into Athena’s hands. She threw the letters into the air, and they flew through the roof. Athena’s eyes glazed, and an image appeared in front of her, of a man giving her a bracelet and speaking to her.

Athena’s eyes returned to normal and her feet again touched the floor. The bracelet was resting on her wrist. Megan eyed the bracelet, and she felt a terrible sense of foreboding knot in her stomach.

“Athena! Take it off!”

“Take what off?”

“The bracelet! Trust me- take it off”

“Don’t worry- its just a bracelet. I was told to wear it always!”

“It’s cursed!”

“What? C’mon Megan, this is no time for jokes!”

Megan gasped. She had to save Athena! Athena could be fooled very easily, but Megan knew she would have to save Athena, even if she didn’t want to be saved. Acting on an impulse, Megan reached out and grabbed the bracelet, breaking it off the wrist of Athena. It shattered into dust, and Athena crumpled to the ground. She transformed into a beautiful woman, she had flowing hair, a long pink dress embroidered upon which brilliantly embroidered flowers were creeping up the side, and wings, who could only be the goddess Verdandi. Kioko flew out of her back and turned on Megan, shouting tearfully at the bewildered girl. “YOUR FOOLISH ACTIONS ARE CAUSING YOUR FRIEND TO DIE! LOOK WHAT YOU DID! YOU HAVEN’T CHANGED AT ALL!”

Megan was taken aback. What the hell was Kiokochan saying to her? How dare Kiokochan yell! Megan knew she had saved her friend from a more horrible fate then death, now she just had to save friend from death itself. “Bite your tongue angel! I-,” Megan sniffed, holding back the flood of emotions, and glared at Kioko. “Don’t forget, she’s my friend.” Megan felt she knew what she could do. Oh, she knew how to save Athena… “GREAT VAL-FATHER, GREAT ODIN, BE A BROTHER TO ME! HELP ME SAVE MY FRIEND FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH! GRANT ME MY POWERS AND ALLOW ME TO SAVE HER! I REPENT MY WAYS OF EVIL! ODIN! SAVE HER, PLEASE, DON’T KILL HER!”

Megan underwent a transformation, in Odin’s mercy, into Loki. He held Verdandi tightly and soared into the sky, glancing down at their lifeless mortal bodies. He brought Verdandi to his castle and cast healing energy into her body. She no longer felt the pain, and soon drifted out of sleep.

“Loki…. You saved me! You’ve changed! But what about Odin? I must speak to Odin!”

Loki let out a good natured laugh, “Just rest now. You can talk to him in the morning, you’re still a bit weak, and I don’t seem to have my full powers...” Loki looked at his hands. *Hnn, my powers…* But Odin entered the room, “What you have done is very honorable, Loki. You have resigned your evil and saved my daughter from death. I shall let you remain in the realm of the Gods.” Odin lowered his voice so Verdandi couldn’t hear him, and ruthlessly told Loki, “I don’t know how much you’ve really changed though. I shall not grant you your full powers, but I’ll give you some. You better have changed Loki, I would hate to disappoint Verdandi if this is just another of your mindless pranks in a desperate attempt to save your hind, and be the one to tell her that her new best friend’s not here for good…” Odin’s words were filled with double meanings, and Loki caught every bit. *Or what Val-Father, or what?* but Loki simply allowed a small, kind, smile to slink into his features, and looked Odin in the eyes. “I am good now, brother. No need to worry, I shall prove myself to you.” Loki went down on his knee. “Thank you, Val-Father. You saved me, but more importantly, you allowed me to save my friend. I have recognized that a lifestyle of good far surpasses a lifestyle of evil. I must now go thank Skuld, if you don’t mind, for she did help me, but my past, it was my evil that tricked her, so please, don’t be angered by her actions.” Odin laughed.

“Young Skuld is never far away on important conversations, I must admit. Where are you now, Skuld? Can you ever keep yourself out of trouble? I would love to hear about this ‘help’”.

Skuld dropped down from the ceiling.

“Aw, dad, I only helped him a little! I just uh……uh…… told him a bit about who he was!”

“Urd…. Come take Skuld back to where she belongs. It is time for bed!”

Urd came out from her hiding place and reluctantly took Skuld away.

Odin turned to Verdandi.

“Verdandi, My Daughter and Goddess of the Present, does the present mean more to you when days are numbered than when they are infinite? Do you finally understand the meaning of present?”

“Yes I do, father, a time on earth taught me the value of living each moment to the fullest, but more importantly, it also taught me that hearts stricken with friendship and love can accomplish anything, that hearts can change, and that friendship is golden.”