...silence...


…a sensory void...


…


Keiichi wondered where he was, and was startled when he heard Urd's voice, not with his ears, but with his mind. “you're inside me.” Urd's voice said. ”in my womb.”
He was surprised at the answer, and slightly irate. But, sure enough, Urd read him like an open book.”I was forced to do it so as to repair the damage to your neck. Otherwise, we wouldn't be talking now. In fact, YOU wouldn't be talking to ANYONE, for that matter, if I had acted any later.” Keiichi wondered why.
“you'd be dead,” said Urd bluntly. Then Urd proceeded to show Keiichi her recollections of the event.
When Urd finished, Keiichi was shocked. He HAD been dead. How had he survived? Then he remembered where he was, and dismissed the question. Then another question had risen up: where was Belldandy?
“She's right next to me. She is listening to every thought you have right now. Also, she said she was eternally grateful for my action, although she wishes you were in HER womb. I told her no chance, as long as you were unconscious, you were staying in ME.”
she paused, then added, “it's decision time, Keiichi. Stay with me and finish the recovery process, or change wombs to Belldandy, risking you becoming injured fatally, to stay with the one you love? Make the choice quick, Keiichi, or Belldandy's 'window of opportunity' will shrink, and you'll be staying with me.”