Ah! My Goddess is the copyrighted property of Kosuke Fujisnima. This story is a separate work of fiction using characters from the original not written for profit under the Fair Use doctrine regarding copyrighted materials.
This story is inspired in part by Deathmvp's story What is Better? , Davner's story Second dawn and his on going epic Haloes. As well as the emails I have received from other readers.
Ah! Does size really matter?
Chapter 1:
Once, long ago Gods, Demons and Mortals were all the same save for their affinity for certain types of magic. Magic, or more precisely the energy that powers the magic, is a living thing. This living power, like all-living things needs the correct type of environment in which to grow. Like different species of plants and animals, an environment that is suitable for a certain type of magical power might actually be hostile to another. The Gods represent one such environ, the Demons the polar opposite. This power found its way onto these fertile fields and the beings in whose hearts and souls this power grew tended to its needs, nurtured it, and harvested it, bending it to their will. Like the giant trees that live deep in the forest, the longer the person whose heart and soul this power dwelled within lived, the stronger it became. Thus a symbiotic relationship was formed between the power and its wielder and longevity was the ultimate outcome.
Then came the Great Cataclysm caused by the war that shattered Pangaea and split the world in three. An imbalance was created. Where before the power that was the birthright of all living things was dispersed throughout the worlds. Now all was gone, hoarded by one side or the other, save for the one power that the two smaller realms had scorned and had left behind on the mortal plane.
Evil, the only power left in the mortal world, flourished in the hearts and souls of those left behind. Like the symbiosis that existed between the powers of the Gods and Demons, evil too granted those who embraced it with extended life.
And the evil that lived within men grew and became more powerful. And all that lived on the mortal plane suffered because of it. And the world was in peril. But a few men refused to be slaves to their desires; some recognized the danger and tried to do something to correct the imbalance. But naught could be done to halt the spread of evil as it continued to grow like a cancer across the mortal plane, and all who tried to stem this tide were hunted to extinction for their efforts.
A desperate solution was finally hit upon. As one of the last of the uncorrupted tribes of man prepared to meet their end at the hands of those who had already succumbed, the elders came up with a plan. To keep their lineage alive they used the last of their gentle power to bless their women so the evil ones would spare their lives. They blessed them with fair skin and light colored hair and other beauty heretofore unknown in the mortal world. And the evil men were smitten by their beauty and began to forsake their own kind in favor of the blessed ones. They took them to be wives and mothers and from them the next generation of man was beget to carry on into the future. However, the evil ones drunk with power and lust had allowed themselves to be deceived, for hidden within that blessing was a curse, old age!
The now dead elders of that forgotten tribe had known that in order to stop evil from spreading out of control then it must be denied the time it needed to grow. As their final act of defiance this one tribe of man cursed their own daughters and the children they would bare with death. Denying their own progeny the longevity enjoyed by the Gods and Demons. In so doing they insured that the evil that lived within them could no longer fully mature.
And all that lived on the mortal plane suffered because of it. But the world was no longer in peril. And the spread of evil was held in check. And the balance was restored. That is, until a certain young goddess met and fell in love with a certain mortal.
Now, although the spread of evil had been slowed it still grew and like all living things once denied its own place to live it adapted to its new environs and became something more sinister, more destructive, than any who lived in the two other realms could imagine. Mankind's ability to destroy, fed by the evil in their hearts, had discovered a way to do the impossible. They had discovered a way to destroy a living soul! Suddenly the mortal plane, so long ignored by both Heaven and Hell, was thrust center stage into the affairs of both realms. The first move had been made by Heaven. Urd, half demon and half god hybrid had been conceived to bridge the gap between the two smaller realms. Unknowingly, Urd had already begun answering the call of a higher destiny and had brought mortal and goddess together. A first step down the long road to reconciliation.
Belldandy and Keiichi completed each other. Two souls whose paths were never meant to cross had formed an unbreakable bond nonetheless. Love was the glue that held the bond tight and love was the fertile field in which their power grew. And a new power was born. Alloyed with the strength of man and the empathy of a goddess the two had become something greater than the sum of their two selves. Heaven knew it. Hell knew it. All feared it. All except the one goddess whose soul was constantly torn between the light and the darkness who saw through to the truth of it.
As a result of Hild's abortive attempt to crash Yggdrasil, Keiichi now possessed forbidden knowledge that endangered both realms. All attempts to seal his mind had failed, thwarted by circumstance or Belldandy's interference. The only real fix, Hild knew, was to end Keiichi's life but to take Keiichi's life was to take Belldandy's life as well. Both sides knew that Belldandy would sacrifice herself to save him and failing that would let death take her if he fell.
Such was the nature of the Gordian knot that faced the old god as he watched the leader of the other side feign sleep, as she too pondered her next move.
"Can't you at least fake it?" came the bored voice of Hild from the other side of the bed.
"Prickly problem we have here," he sighed, "we both need him silenced, you want him dead and I need him alive."
"It's the mortal curse isn't it? Really, they did it to themselves. You should just let nature take its course."
"That's not really true, we both share part of the blame for the original cause of that curse. Had the two realms not hoarded all the earth's magic then their lives wouldn't be so short. Besides, I couldn't afford to lose Belldandy back then and I still can't afford to lose her now!"
"Belldandy is pretty much a lost cause." Hild remarked, "Even with Heaven's advanced science you can't really extend his life by all that much. Even if you could, what do you think would happen when the Evil power growing in his heart finally came into its own? You should be thankful that she was granted this small amount of respite. Pull them apart now and hope she survives the trauma."
"No, if I were to do that, then Urd's design would be compromised. I can't help but believe that our little girl's destiny has somehow already started to outstrip both of our ideas. A setback this early on could cause the tapestry of her entire future to unravel."
"When did you become such a poet?"
"The lust you inspire in my soul makes me want to reach ever higher in order to compensate."
"I'm not really that evil dearest, I'm just better at it than anybody else. For instance, if you were to give Keiichi to me, then with a little sensory depravation, I could atrophy his soul until the curse falls away. The evil in his heart more closely aligns with Demon power anyway. After a little enforced separation, we could allow the young lovers to reunite."
"In exchange for Keiichi's soul would you be willing to grant Belldandy the title Daemon?"
"Hell no! There is no way I could allow that goody two shoes anywhere near my boardroom. The first thing she would do was make everyone start cleaning the place up."
"But you have tried usurping her power before."
"That was different. That was under my terms. If she negotiates her entry into hell then I will have to grant her concessions. Anyway, didn't you say you were going to elevate him?"
"That would be the ideal solution true, but I still need a method of connecting him to Yggdrasil. Since he is from the mortal plane the only way to do that would be to integrate his soul with someone's from heaven."
"What's wrong with Belldandy's?"
"It's too horribly scarred, to take a piece of her soul right now before she's healed could have severe repercussions."
"Then how about Urd's or Skuld's?"
"That won't work either, Urd's is in constant struggle, torn between the two of us. If I were to take a piece of hers then it would have to be from the divine half and that could very well tip her internal balance of power your way."
"Is that so bad really? I am her mother after all."
"No it isn't really all that bad, but I really want our little girl to have her freedom of choice."
"Then how about Skuld?"
"After countless iterations Skuld's soul has just now grown strong enough to support her own angel. You know the stats. better than I do. What are the odds that she could recover before I had to pass final judgment on her?"
"Pretty poor, I must admit. So then let me repeat my original offer: Give me Keiichi and I will allow Belldandy to remain with him. However, it will be under my conditions. I won't compel her to switch sides but if she decides to do so of her own freewill then you cannot stop her or require that I give her any preferential treatment."
"It might come down to Hobson's choice." he said patting her on the rump.
"You mean, 'An apparent freewill choice that is really the only course of action available?'" Hild said.
"It's possible, fortunately I don't have to make a decision right away, so let's table this discussion for now and take it up again at next months meeting."
"You know, I think you drag these negotiations on just so you can have an excuse to get me in bed every month."
"That could be true, but I don't think you have any reason to complain. We both know that your being here with me is what is keeping your board of directors in check."
"Well we both seem to know why I'm here, but why do you keep coming?"
"Primarily because I want too and of course the bragging rights."
"Bragging rights?"
"Well you know how it is, being a first class deity and all I can't lie. So if anybody were to ask what I was doing last night I can just look them in the eye and say, 'Nailing the ruler of the Infernal Realm to the bed of some sleazy love hotel,' and have them know it was all true."
This seemingly intimate betrayal caused Hild to blush angrily until she saw the grin on the Almighty Ones face as he looked back at her.
"Of course being the AMO nobody ever asks anything about me, only things of me." he said with a mock sadness.
"For me it is much the same," Hild remarked, "nobody ever asks… if they know what's good for them!
"Okay," Hild said becoming all business, "Let's go over our talking points for this month. I have agreed to stay out of the Middle Eastern market for the short term and in exchange you will allow me to increase my marketing force in the remaining markets to compensate. Heaven will not be allowed to increase its force in the remaining regions but must instead compensate for lost market share through increased sales in their protected market. If Heaven fails to obtain overall market parity then they cannot compensate by increasing their influence in the other markets. Does that about cover it?"
"The way you make it sound it seems as if I'm giving away the farm!" the Almighty One said.
"Well that's the way I'm going to explain it to my board any way." Hild smiled smugly. "If I were you I'd say something along the lines of how you have obtained unlimited access to a virgin market for Heaven to exploit."
"Virgin market?" the old god asked quizzically, "You mean to say you don't have a presence in that region?"
"Hell no! Those people scare the hell out of me. Can you imagine the havoc they would create if I allowed them to contract with the Infernal Realm?"
"Then what you are telling me is…"
"That's right dear," Hild smiled evilly, "you just bargained away access to your already established markets in exchange for access to one that was already wide open to begin with."
For a brief second the old god's visage clouded with anger before he forced a neutral expression on his face. "You… you naughty girl!" he finally sputtered out, "I just might have to spank you next month."
"Oh, about that," Hild started to say casually, "I really don't see any need to continue with these monthly negotiations for now. So I'll just say goodbye and say that it has been a business doing pleasure with you."
With that she stood up, allowing the old god one last look at her naked body before vanishing into thin air.
As soon as her presence faded the AMO arose and joined Lind who was standing guard outside and the two ascended to heaven. Once safely back in the heavenly realm Lind asked.
"Did you get what you wanted?"
"That and more," he smiled at her, "and the best part is, Hild actually thinks she got the better of me."
"I was monitoring your 'ahem' negotiations, it did seem to me that you gave away the farm."
"True I did, but what I bought with it was so much more important."
"And that was?"
"A safe haven. Not only for Keiichi and Belldandy but for the host as well. You see Hild's reason for staying out of that market was because she is afraid that if they do start doing business with the mortals there then their clients will turn on each other and eventually her market will shrink into nothingness. By pulling out for the short term she believes that Heaven will go in and stabilize the area and then she will try to negotiate for a better share at some future date."
"And isn't that what you are planning on doing?"
"Not at all, if the need arises I intend to move the entire host into the region immediately and I won't be polite about it either. If anyone dares to oppose them they will be dealt with summarily!"
"It sounds like you are preparing for a war!"
"It's possible," the old god conceded, "Hild's focus is now on Urd, which is why she has become so cooperative, but I doubt that she will allow Urd to ascend her throne until she knows that her legacy is assured."
"So what you're saying is… You're thinking first strike!" Lind gasped in astonishment. "You are going to forcefully remove Hild and place Urd on her throne!"
Suddenly the cheerful expression on the old god's face was replaced by the cold look of stone.
"The reunification will happen!" the Almighty One declared, "The Infernal Realm can join willingly or by force but unite we will!"
This uncharacteristic admission by the old god caught Lind totally off guard. Now, if the Valkyrie could be said to be in love with anyone, then it would have been with this person. For many lifetimes they had stood side by side and the bond between them had become so strong that it transcended time. However, the person who stood beside her now was not the same as the one whose side she had fought next too so many lifetimes in the past. He had become harder and more determined, almost to the point of being ruthless. For a brief second Lind was moved to stroke his face before catching herself.
"When did this happen?" she asked him.
"I have been here so many times before and you have always stood by my side," he sighed, "did you know that you were once even my wife? The many lifetimes we lead are just nature's way of allowing the soul to continue to evolve. But the cycle isn't endless. Eventually you, I, all of us, will have evolved as far as we can. When that happens then there won't be a need for us any longer and we will rise no more. I've been here since the world was young and lately I've begun to feel fate pulling on the strings of my soul. The time is fast approaching when many of us will have lived our last lifetime. The future belongs to first-timers like Urd and Belldandy. But before we hand the world over to them we need to clean up the mess we made of it. That's why it's so important that Urd's design not be thwarted. The world must become whole again and the magic we hoard allowed to return from whence it came. To accomplish that she will need powerful allies like you and Belldandy to help work her will. Should that happen after I'm gone then it will be up to you old-timers to keep the kids from making our mistakes."
"I can tell you've been giving this idea a lot of thought." Lind remarked.
"Doublet was just a first step; the host still needs time to recoup its strength. When the time finally comes to once again join battle I will need every resource at Heaven's disposal.
"My immediate problem, however, is that Belldandy has promised Keiichi to remain by his side until life ends. I originally thought this was only going to be a minor inconvenience that would fix itself after Keiichi's short march of years had expired. After I took a closer look at Belldandy's true intent, I discovered that she fully intends to give up her life with his. I cannot allow this situation to stand. Belldandy must not be allowed to squander her life no matter what!" He declared.
"If that means we have to give Keiichi and her over to the other side temporarily then so be it! However, I would prefer a less draconian solution, one where Belldandy retains her purity and gets to keep her knight in shining armor for as long as she wants."
"I don't understand the strategic significance," Lind argued, "Belldandy is not a Valkyrie, she has no combat experience. From a military standpoint to lose her would be of little consequence."
"Think not? Remember she killed six, I repeat six, guardians sent to apprehend a rogue God and she was just a little girl at that time. Can you imagine the damage she could do with her current power level?"
"Put that way she could be considered a threat to all three realms."
"That's right," the old god smiled, "and her sister Urd is potentially more powerful still."
"Why do you allow it?" asked Lind in astonishment, "If they continue to evolve they could become a threat to creation itself! Hild was worried about Keiichi precipitating Armageddon; left unchecked they could bring about Ragnarok!"
"Precisely," the Almighty One said, "only by destroying all three realms and re-forging them can the three be made whole again. Subconsciously Belldandy is already aware of the potential threat she poses. I think that might be one of the reasons why she is so dead set on her current path. A path from which she must be turned."
"But why? You're risking all of creation to spare the life of one goddess!"
"Do you want to know the real reason why Celestin failed?" the old god asked, "It wasn't because of any superior logic or power on our part. It was because the world wanted him to fail, it wanted to stay as it was. All Belldandy and her sisters did was to restore to its original purpose, that which had been twisted. The world went back together because it wanted too. I can place Urd on both the Throne's of Heaven and Hell but until the world itself wishes to become whole again then it won't become so. But when that time comes, when all the pieces are in place and the forge ready for the hammer if we don't have the fire hot enough then all will be for naught! I can tolerate a certain amount of selfishness in Belldandy's behavior but not to this level. She was born destined for a higher purpose than to be some puny mortal's domestic goddess! I want her brought back into the fold!"
"The key to Belldandy is Keiichi, obviously. She will not allow herself to pass before him." Lind stated flatly, "If we can co-opt him to your cause then Belldandy will follow."
"The dealings of the Heavenly realm are not the business of some lowly mortal!"
"I don't dispute that, but Hobson says otherwise. Belldandy doesn't want to die anymore, she wants to live and she wants to live her life with Keiichi. If you wait until it is too late, until the only choice you have left is to give the two of them over to Hild in order to save her life then you will be giving the Infernal Realm a tremendous advantage. One that I guarantee Hild will exploit to its fullest potential. Keep in mind Keiichi doesn't need to play that big a role, or for that matter even be aware that he has any part to play at all. Whatever we do though, we must act quickly."
"You know," the old god said as he stared off into space, another perk of being the AMO is the duel perspective it gives you, as her father I think it may be a bit premature to do so, but as the AMO I think it's time we call on the Norn of the future."
"What would you have me do?"
"I'll leave that to you Lind. Just remember to be discreet, Hild thinks I've boxed myself in. If she discovers that we are working a solution she will act to stop us."
"Yes my Lord."
A few minutes later Lind's hand was hovering over the send key as she re-read the simple action message she composed. "I'm sorry to do this to you little one," she sighed to herself, "but the other side watches you like a hawk."
FROM THE DESK OF THE AMO:
SUBJECT: Orders for immediate action:
CLASSIFICATION: High.
Beginning immediately, Dream Casters will begin issuing a level one warning of future catastrophe to the Hokkaido region. Beginning at the lowest power level, the Operations officer will steadily increase power by .01 percent every day until further notice.
Signed: Goddess 1st Spec. Cat. Lind. Per direction of the AMO.