Oh My Goddess: Wisdom's Eye in the Ring of Fire

By

John O. Smith (paladin313)

To Hotelkatz, my beta reader and inspiration to keep working on "Oh My Goddess" despite purist fools who know nothing about writing. Thank you for the encouragement and the ideas for this new story.

Preface and Disclaimer

First, I would like to say, "thank you" to all those that flocked to the first story that I wrote for the world of Oh My Goddess. I thank you for all the positive reviews and even some of the rough, and yet constructive criticism that I received that helped me make the first story better and better as we went along, (including from the person to whom I dedicated this work. Without Hotel's feeding me some concepts with which to start a new story, this would not be happening.) As some of you read in the first part of the first story, I placed the story as either a side story to the current arc currently in print, or something that was just after it. Now that this has been done, we settle in on our favorite characters some months after the latest arc. Now, if what I write turns out different from what they do, consider this also as either a side story, or an alternate universe. When Oh My Goddess was first conceived, they decided to base it loosely off Norse mythology, and they poked some fun at it as they went. This I also tried to do and I hope I did succeed. Because of the stories out there in myth, there is much to be played with in this universe. This is where it becomes fun, and I hope that I can create a few laughs along the way as well.

However, before I continue, there is something I would like to address, and that is the issue of people putting in original characters and the "Mary Sue/Gary Stu" stigma. Now, in the preface of the first story, I explained the reasons for my adding original characters, and that stance has not changed. I would also like to say and admit that in my early days of fan fiction writing, there was a story series where I did make a Mary Sue kind of character, and he did take over the story. What is ironic about that is the fact that, despite that, they ended up with somewhat of a readership anyway. How I pulled that off with so many Mary Sue watchdogs out there is beyond me. What is more ironic is that, though I learned my lesson from those early works, and though I have tried to avoid doing this from that day forward, I get hit with those kinds of accusations! Is that not silly? I make one, don't even think about it, people love it, but I try to avoid it, and I get fingers pointed at me! Such is the case of Ian McGovern, of whom, if you read and loved the first story, you know him well. Though he is empowered, he is not the central character of the story, nor did I ever intend him to be. Some chapters did not involve him! Though some chapters were spent establishing him, once I felt that that had been done, I mixed him into the scenery with the rest of the characters. He is an active part of things, but it is not about him, it is about Belldandy and Keiichi, first and foremost! Despite that, he was called by a few as a Mary Sue, and specifically a God Mod Sue and a Relationship Sue. How they came up with the first one, I don't know. The second one was because I put him into a relationship with Megumi. Yet, why could this not happen? She was available, and they actually had some things in common. They were a fit. Yet, for some people, if one creates an original character, then that character has to have nothing special about him or her, that the character has to be a weakling, the character cannot have a relationship with any cannon, period! In fact, what I really think it is, is that some don't like ANYONE creating any original characters whatsoever. Their attitude has to be, "When I read about my favorite story, I want to see those characters, and not your piece of crap!"

In other words, how could anyone have the audacity to think they could be as creative as they that created the characters? That is a strange way to think, considering you are reading fan fiction…FAN fiction. Do you get the point? This was an original tale written by a fan of the series, movie, book, or whatnot based on that what he or she loves. If someone has the aforementioned attitude, then why is he or she reading fan fiction to begin with? That makes no sense to me.

Sadly, what I really think it boils down to is the fact that those who cry "foul" against original characters, or who are quick to label something a Mary Sue, are really people who have tried to write themselves, find they don't have nearly the imagination they think they have, find out just how hard it is to do something like this, and then lash out at those who seem to do it with ease. It's jealousy, pure and simple! They are whom I call the purists. These are people that sit there and run a slide rule up one side of you and down another, and demand that it has to be this way, that way, and no other way, or else you are going to Hell! Okay, so I'm being a little harsh, but that's how it feels to be on the other end of it. Well, Virgil Fox had those kinds of critics because of the way he interpreted Bach on the organ. They did not like how he presented what he called a "red blooded Bach." They told him that Bach could not be interpreted because no one really knew his personality, so one just has to play the notes, and the music takes care of itself. Don't put any emotion into it. He said they were full of it, saying that the emotions that the music conjures are how Bach intended it, and thus, how he plays it. He said that purists are people who talk about it and can't do it! I agree with him. They point fingers over critically and jump down your throat if you come up with something more creative than they could ever do, and rip you to pieces. Well, here is how I see the whole thing, and the rules under which I operate.

First of all, there is always room for interpretation. In other words, you have to stay within certain parameters. You have to keep the personalities as they are supposed to be. The only exception is if you logically develop the character in such a fashion as could be possible within the context of the story. Sayoko, for example, if she had gone through what I put her through in the last story, that could be a possible outcome. There was a change to her personality, but only because it was something that might have happened. That is not to say that she is still not proud or arrogant, but she has a different outlook to life now, and her pride and arrogance only drives her to better herself and other people. That does not mean that she is still not competitive, but it is not in a selfish way anymore. Well, that was how it went in my tale. She still wants to be better than Belldandy, but not to where she hurts her, but to where she can truly be a better person. In short, I foresee her becoming a savvy businesswoman who understands the cutthroat world within which she lives and has the ability to be just as vicious as she needs to be, yet, because of what she had faced, turning her focus to business success, knowing that trying to win some petty war against Belldandy is foolish compared to that. She knows she now has bigger fish to fry. Thus, she is different, but she is not, and only because the situations that I put her in led me to think that it could go that way. She is who she is, but her energies are directed more towards being constructive than destructive. Skuld, as another example, if presented with the right logic, may be one to back off. Indeed, in the original cannon, she learned to ease up on Keiichi, but I looked at the relationship they started between her and Sentaro. Even though he moved to the other side of town, they still saw each other, and thus, there was the potential for that relationship to grow. If that happens as I depicted in my story, I had to ask myself just how she would feel and react to Keiichi and her sister. I would think that there would come a point where she would feel like a huge hypocrite, and there would be some point where she would have to just let go of her sister, because, there might come a day where she could end up in a similar situation, and what would she do then? I combined the two, and decided to make a way for a contract to be formed between her and Sentaro, and thus, things just seemed to follow a logical progression. If someone did not like that, then I guess he or she could try their hand at writing their own thing and interpret it his or her way. The bottom line is that you have flexibility, but if you to go certain routes, it has to make sense. In other words, if you move the whole crew to, say, Toledo, there had better be a good reason for it. Stay within what is given unless you have a believable way of changing things, knowing that you do have some flexibility to develop the cannon characters, but only as logic would dictate. Don't deviate too far from who they are, or if they do change, keep enough of the traits of how they began so that they will still be recognizable.

Secondly, when creating original characters, they can be whatever you want, but, in order to avoid REAL Mary Sue situations, keep the following in mind:

First, they can be as powerful as you want them to be, yet, there needs to be character flaws, and a weakness here or there. In other words, they need to be tangible enough that the reader can relate one way or another to the original characters. For example, he or she needs to have the ability to be hurt, and even die if that is what is needed. They need to have some quirks and maybe an eccentricity that makes him or her within reach of the reader. Making them godlike to the point where they can never be hurt or never fail is rather boring. They need to be believable, but they can be whatever you imagine as long as you can get away with it.

Second, do not displace cannon characters for your own. You really know if someone is a Mary Sue when the original character becomes the new romantic interest of one of the central characters, especially when it becomes real hot and heavy right away. In that case, sadly, what you have is an author living out some kind of perverted fantasy with his or her favorite character in the story. In other words, one ends up infatuated with someone who really does not exist, and makes some way where they can live out this fantasy through a character that is everything he or she would want to be for real. The only ways you have an original character get into any relationship with a cannon character is, first, if the cannon is not involved romantically with anyone in the story, and second, if they truly would be a good match. Again, such things have to make sense.

Third, original characters, no matter how involved in the story the character is, are not what got people to read your story in the first place. They came to see the characters they have come to love. This is not to say that your character cannot have a central role in the plot of the story. What I am saying is that the character cannot be the one who resolves the final conflict. That has to go to the central characters that were there to start with. They can help, but they cannot be the one to save the day. It is best that they are less powerful than the cannon characters. They are supporting cast, not the main reason for the story, no matter how involved they become. For example, Ian nearly dies at the end of my tale, though his near loss was because he wanted to protect Belldandy and Keiichi at any cost, even if it meant his life. Belldandy was the one to win the day, because she is one of the two central characters. Ian will be in this story, but I do not foresee him having as much of a role in this one because he is now well established, his modus operandi is known, and there is no need to thrust him into the center of the story because of that. He will be as one of the supporting cast that is already in the cannon, and that's how it should be. He may get a chapter or two, but only if there is any need for that, yet, his role will not be a cameo either.

These are the three basic rules I follow for avoiding Mary Sue, and if one can stay within this, they can create a great original character that adds to the story and does not take from it.

This has been a lengthy preface, but because of all that I have seen, I felt it was necessary to go this route just to get something off my chest and to help others understand that I don't do things with out rhyme or reason. This is why it is called creative writing. How can it be creative if some critic out there wants to say you are not allowed to create? I also hope that this may help others become better writers and how to let the critics that wish not to be constructive, or who have no ability to think outside the box, (or in this case, the cannon,) and their comments roll right off their backs. For anyone like that who wants to cram me into some kind of a box and say, "This far and no further," they need to go stick it up their nose, because that just means they need to learn how to get an imagination. I mean, they did this to Bach, to Mozart, to Beethoven, to Picasso, to Rembrandt, to Scott Joplin, to Van Gogh, and so forth, and I am so glad they did not listen, because, if they thought like the people with no vision that criticized them for how they did things, this world would have been a really colorless and dull place!

Chapter 1: Don't Look Back…Something Might Be Gaining On You

For months now, Hagal had been fighting her way through the Abyss. Each layer was worse than the other was, and it was taking everything she had not to be consumed by the gloom, darkness, and wicked spirits she faced. Indeed, months had passed, yet, the concept of time had been lost to her by this point, and she was a razor's edge from complete and utter madness. She had no idea if she had been there for days or centuries. Even worse than that was that she knew she had only gotten through a handful of layers, knowing that there was yet hundreds more to go. She had just gotten past her latest challenge and she stood at the next door, one step away from lunacy, and truly not wanting to go into the next layer. Right before she lost her mind completely, she heard a voice say, "Well…aren't we in a pretty predicament."

She wheeled around, looking for what had spoken, not certain if she could handle another fight. The voice spoke again and said, "Yes, you are not who you thought you were, are you?"

"Shut up!" she screamed, "Hagal needs not this taunting!"

"Ah, but you want more power," the voice retorted, "Yet, you know not how to gain it."

"Who are you!" she screamed, "Leave me alone!"

"Oh, so sad…I see such a kindred spirit in you. I think you want what I want."

"All Hagal wants is to get her hands on that little dog's throat and choke the life out of her using her lover's intestines!"

"Ah, but why stop there? What about that meddling family of hers, and the one that condemned you here? How about them?"

She sighed and snarled, "Yes, them as well."

"Why take over the surface world? Why not just eliminate it, if only to get at the one who is ultimately responsible for your misery."

The only one that came to that description is the Almighty, and in a way, she wanted to dig at him as well. She said, "What do I have to do."

"Hmm…now you are being reasonable," answered the voice, and she then saw a vision of a well. He then said, "In that well lies the answer to your problems. If you can gain that which is in the bottom of the well, you will have part of what you need."

She then saw the vision of the river Rhine in Germany, and then the image went underwater to the river maidens who were keeping watch over a pile of forged gold. There were various vessels, plates, and other such things, as well as a chain mail coif, and a golden ring. The coif and the ring she knew, and she said, "Yes, I know what those are."

The voice then said, "Combine that which rests at the bottom of the well with those two items, and you would displace even the Almighty himself. Hild would be no problem for you. By getting them, you can help me eliminate the surface world as well, and that would be your repayment to me."

"Repayment for what?" she asked, "What are you saying?"

"I shall free you from this torment if you help me with the other thing. After that, you can do as you wish."

"What is the catch? There has to be a catch."

"There is no catch. I'll set you free, you gain the items, and you repay me by helping me eliminate creation as it is known on the surface world."

Hagal still did not like this, but, if it got her out of there, she could try to do what she wanted once she was free. She had to take the chances where they came, and she said, "Fine, then let us go…but first, tell Hagal your name."

There was a small laugh, and then he said, "Some call me Abaddon, others call me Exterminans, but most know me as Apollyon."

She swallowed hard on hearing this. Now, she was not so sure about this. If this was the spirit she knew him to be, he may want more than just the surface world, for the only thing he knew was to destroy. Yet, the voice became more firm and said, "Do not even think about backing out now! You have already agreed! Because I am freeing you, I call the shots! Betray me, and I shall ensure that, not only shall you be eradicated; I shall also ensure that no one ever has the ability to remember that you even existed! Now, let us go…we have work to do!"

Final exams had finished for the semester, and because Ian had a good job now working at the Whirlwind parts warehouse in the logistics department, he decided not to take summer classes and to take the time to train and to get to know Megumi even better. A successful hockey season was over by this point, and now he could focus on what was really important. Skuld, however, still had a month and a half of school left to her, but because Sentaro was with her, it was not a burden. They had become closer and closer, and there were some in her class that were jealous similar to how Sayoko had once been of Belldandy. Yet, it was not as severe, because, though he was popular for his love of extreme sports, he was not exactly the campus prince, and so there was not as much competition. However, Skuld had more friends than she had enemies, and her time was actually pleasant. She asked herself why she avoided contact with people for the couple of years she had been living on the surface world, and realized she had missed much. She was also a top student in her school, though not in all subjects. In math and science, she had no equal, as well as in history. However, she lacked in her knowledge of the social sciences and home economics, though her brother and sister were more than willing to help her with all that. Despite that, she ranked high, and she was indeed having fun. So focused was she on her new contract with Sentaro and school that she did not even give one thought any longer to the things that Keiichi and Belldandy did together. She was learning to love in many new ways now, thanks to her exposure to other kids, and thus, she had bigger fish to fry. Indeed, she was very helpful to others, and she was really finding her niche as a goddess. Urd was moving up in the pharmaceutical world, and there was talk in her shop about a company wanting her on the consultation board for the creation of new medicines. She was also finding her way in the world, and it sure beat sitting at home doing nothing, though she still recorded her favorite shows to watch at a later time. Belldandy and Keiichi were now closer than ever, and because of how things had changed, were now even sleeping in the same bed together. Although they still had not become physical, Belldandy's special gift that they had shared not months before far made up for it. Many said they were now joined at the hip, and that they would not be surprised to hear wedding bells very soon.

This particular day was a day off for Belldandy, and Skuld came bouncing in with a smile and a song, and said, "Hi, big sis!" enthusiastically as she could. The pair embraced warmly, and Belldandy said, "Well, I see that you have had a good day today! Come and I shall put out some ice cream for you!"

Skuld squealed in delight as they went into the kitchen and Skuld revealed the details of the day, most of them centered on Sentaro. Belldandy smiled and said, "Well, I can see that someone is going to have her unlimited status very soon if she continues to work hard!"

"Do you really think so, big sis?" she said, all anxious.

"Oh, of course I do!" responded Belldandy, to which Urd said, (who had just come home,) "Now that would be a frightening sight—you with a first-class unlimited."

"Oh?" snapped back Skuld, all pouty and mad, "What's so scary about that?"

"If you operate with that in the same way you make your gadgets," responded Urd, "The universe had better watch out for disaster."

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" snapped Skuld, now standing up with her Skuld bombs, ready to fight.

"Oh, please," begged Belldandy, "This has been such a great day for Skuld. Please do not spoil it for her."

Skuld then gained a sneer on her face and said, "You're just jealous because I'm going further than you!"

Urd turned angry as electricity sparkled across her fingertips and said, "I have my reasons…little girl!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE?" shouted Skuld, but, before it could get going, the door opened and Keiichi said, "Come on, you two: I would like to come home just once and not have to worry about there being a crater."

Belldandy brightened as he came into the kitchen. She gave him a kiss, but he pushed her back a bit saying, "Hey, I'm all greasy! I don't want to mess up your apron before you're finished with dinner."

"Then you need to get to the bath right away," answered Belldandy, "Supper will be ready in an hour."

Such were things in the house now, and it seemed things could not be better. Everyone then retreated to their spaces, with Skuld starting her homework and Urd working on a couple of experiments while watching her favorite shows. However, as everyone was settling in, there were some loud explosions outside, and there was only one reason for that. Banpei must have spotted Mara and opened fire. "Hey, you crazy machine!" followed a familiar shout, "I'm not here to cause trouble! I have to warn everyone!"

Everyone was outside by this point now, and Skuld Rhineed in Banpei as everyone gathered around, along with Ian and Megumi, seeing this now poor and bedraggled demon before them. "I have been sent by Lady Hild," said Mara with much urgency, "There is grave danger on the horizon, and all of you need to know."

"Lady Hild?" asked Megumi with some confusion, and Ian said, "Hey…uh…this is an old acquaintance of theirs," (though it was not exactly a friendship by any stretch,) "I think this is a private a matter."

She still did not yet know about how things really were, Ian still not having told her about everyone's true natures, and this would tell everything before it was time. Yet, Megumi was not that convinced and said, "Hey, if it's good for them, it's good for us."

Keiichi looked at her oddly, but then said, "Hey, that Harley I was given has been acting up a touch."

"Oh, come on, Keiichi," she said, "I told said you can't drive that thing like other bikes! What's wrong with it?"

"The shift is not that smooth," he answered, "I'm not sure about the clutch."

"Can't you fix that?"

"You know more about that kind of bike than I do. I trust you more than I trust myself."

Megumi growled, but because she loved bikes as much as he did, she immediately went to grab her coveralls and tools. Ian mouthed "thank you" to them and went with her, hoping to get the news later. Once that was resolved, Urd then said, "So, what's the fuss?"

"You know what happened to Hagal, right," answered Mara.

"She was sent to the very bottom of the Abyss," answered Belldandy in return, "That is so unfortunate."

"Well, it's not that much better now!" responded Mara with some urgency, "Somehow, Hagal has managed to escape!"

Everyone now just stared at Mara, not sure what to say. Mara took that as a cue to continue, and she said, "What's worse, she is actually going to the surface of the planet Mercury as we speak to go and free Halval!"

The courts in Valhalla had condemned Halval to be sealed away and placed there forever. Urd furrowed her brow and said, "Just how did she get free?"

"No one knows," answered Mara, all worried, "However, we have our guesses. There is only one spirit outside of Hild or the Almighty that could have done it."

"Wait, you do not mean…" Belldandy started to say, but Mara said, "Yes, that's the very one we think."

Skuld started to shiver and hold tight to Belldandy, who was now consoling her, not sure what to think at this point. Keiichi, lost in all of this, said, "Hey, who could make you guys shiver like this?"

"The Destroyer is helping her," said Urd grimly, "Father could stop him, but not before much death, destruction, and pain. You see, there is only one thing he knows: destruction. He would destroy the whole universe if he could, just to satisfy his lust for destruction."

"Oh boy," said, Keiichi, "This does not look good."

"It's not good even for us demons, for even we are threatened!" exclaimed Mara, to which Urd said, "Well, why doesn't Hild Rhine him in?"

"It's not as simple as that!" responded Mara, "We have recording devices everywhere in Niflheim, even in the Pit. It was hard to decipher, but one of the places they are going to head is the Rhine River in Germany!"

That told them all they needed to know. However, Belldandy foresaw worse, and she said, "What about the well?"

Mara just looked at her, as if to say, "You know well what they would do."

It was then they understood that, if she got to any of the things she could get, it would take the combined powers of both Heaven and Niflheim to stop her. Yet, if Hagal got them all… "What do we do?" asked Belldandy.

"There is not much right now," said Mara, "We have some demons on it right now, but I don't know."

"I shall call father," said Belldandy, "Perhaps some of the Valkyrie could help."

"Please do so," said Mara, "Because we need all the help we can get!"

6