Disclaimer: AMG is not mine. "First End" was written by Yumi Touma. "The Man Comes Around" was written by Johnny Cash.

Second Dawn

Chapter 4

Belldandy's Unlikely Escape

Belldandy ran.

Hopping from light pole to light pole, tears in her eyes, the goddess fled from Megumi's apartment as fast as she could, silently berating herself the entire time for cowardice.

You left them there! her mind screamed accusingly at her. You left them with that demon! How could you?!

Before she could succumb to the angry voice in her head, the more rational side of her came to her defense.

And what was the option? it asked. Stay? Fight the Duchess of Malebolge right there? Turn the apartment into a battleground? Was there any other option where that wouldn't have happened? Was there any option that didn't end with Sitri using those two mortals to force me to surrender?

She hated herself for leaving, but at the same time knew that it was the only thing that could be done. But now she needed help. She needed a phone.

Hearing music nearby, she looked down and found a public eatery near the docks. Thinking there might be a phone she could use, she hopped down onto the sidewalk and rushed to the door.

A young woman in a white, button-down shirt bowed as she entered and offered her a menu. "Welcome to The Wharf," she said with a bright smile. "How many?"

"I need a phone," Belldandy said quickly as she bowed.

"There's one in the back," the girl said. "I'll show you."

888

"I wonder where she went," Megumi said, genuinely puzzled by her new roommate's bizarre escape.

Keiichi scratched the back of his head as they re-entered the kitchen. "Maybe... Maybe she wanted to give us some privacy?" he ventured.

"Maybe..." Megumi relented. "But... there's a door, you know. All she had to say was, 'hey, I'm going to see a movie...'"

The boy sighed. What a weird way to start the evening. He turned to Sitri and found his girlfriend lost in thought.

"Sitri? You okay?"

She turned and smiled brightly. "Hai!" she replied. "It just seems so odd that she would run out like that."

"Yeah," Megumi agreed, regretting even having to say it. She liked Belldandy, but the girl was definitely weird.

"Well, we shouldn't let the dinner she made go to waste," Keiichi said, pulling a chair out for Sitri.

The demon smiled, but didn't sit down. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to powder my nose first." She turned and started down the hall toward the bathroom, leaving a vaguely perplexed Keiichi and Megumi alone.

Entering the bathroom, she shut the door and checked herself over in the mirror before almost casually reaching out to her right and closing her fingers around someone's throat.

The Earth Spirit, watching the demon since Belldandy's narrow escape, was caught unawares as the Duchess channeled power into her hand to bring him into phase with the mortal plane. His hands clutched at hers as he tried to pry the demon off of him.

Sitri continued to examine her face in the mirror as the Earth Spirit fought, unable to even cry out for help as she squeezed. Without facing him, she asked, "Where is she?"

The Earth Spirit croaked out, unable to breathe a coherent answer.

The demoness finally looked at him and smiled. "Oh, my apologies," she said, relaxing her grip so the spirit could summon breath, but not letting him go. "Now where is Belldandy? Where did she go?"

"I would never tell you such a thing!" he replied, his voice hoarse.

Sitri sighed. She, of course, had known about the Earth Spirit trapped in Megumi's apartment since the moment she walked into it the week Keiichi's sister arrived. Of course, she didn't feel any particular need to tell Megumi about her unwelcome guest, and if it helped drive the mortal girl away, so much the better.

But if Belldandy had been here, then she must have learned of his presence as well, perhaps even spoke to him, and it looked like that bet had paid off.

Frowning, Sitri forced the spirit to the ground, his hands still clutching at hers as he tried to get away.

"You defy me?!" she hissed quietly. "Where do you get the courage to defy me!?" She squeezed harder and channeled painful, dark energy into the Earth Spirit, who thrashed on the floor but was unable to cry out for help.

"I allowed you to live thus far out of the generous nature of my heart!" she hissed. "And you repay my kindness with this defiance?!" She shocked the Earth Spirit again. "I will have your skin hanging from my wall before sun-up tomorrow!"

There was a knock at the door, and Keiichi's voice floated in.

"Sitri? Are you okay? I heard some weird noises..."

The demon smiled and called over her shoulder. "Just making myself beautiful for you, Keiichi san!" she sang happily. She turned back to the Earth Spirit and her smile vanished. "If you love life, you will tell me where the goddess bitch went!"

The Earth Spirit coughed in reply. "I will not... betray... Lady... Belldandy!" he gasped out.

Sitri snarled and reversed the flow of energy in her hand. Instead of pouring darkness into the spirit, she took light in, draining the deity of his power until his life force faded into nothingness, leaving no trace behind.

The demon spat a hateful breath before rising to her full height. Her mother was not going to like this. Not only had Belldandy escaped from right under her nose, but she and Keiichi had met, the exact event Hild had worked so hard to prevent.

Sitri took a breath. This wasn't as bad as it seemed. Using logic, she could deduce two key facts.

One: Keiichi didn't know Belldandy was a goddess. If she had told him, he would have mentioned the fact to Sitri in order to either try to confirm it or to see if they knew one another. After all, even though he wanted to hide her "goddesshood" from other mortals, there was no sense in hiding it from other goddesses. Which meant that although they had met, they were not aware of one another's significance.

Two: Belldandy now knew who Sitri was, which meant she was either calling Heaven for help or was fleeing back there as fast as her little, white wings would carry her. Either way, she could expect Heaven to respond in some way and soon. She would have to be on guard.

Of course, this also meant she had to move quickly to cement her hold on Keiichi. She decided to start by mending fences with Megumi. This would both please her mortal boyfriend and at the same time, perhaps, pacify the younger Morisato. Then, a few months from now, when Megumi meets with a senseless and horrifying motorcycle accident that takes her life, Sitri could grieve alongside her Keiichi and seem totally believable.

She flushed the toilet and stepped out of the bathroom. Time to get back to work.

888

The restaurant was crowded, and the music was loud, making it hard for Belldandy to hear the pay phone's dial tone until she punched the volume button three times. She dialed in the one-hundred-forty-three digit number to reach the Help Line's main office in record time and fidgeted as she waited, her eyes constantly going to the door as if Sitri would burst through any moment.

By the third ring, she was starting to despair. In her flight from Megumi's, she hadn't had time to think about her situation. In the few minutes since she entered The Wharf, that had changed, and the full impact of what was happening, what could happen to her, was starting to frighten her. Of all the stories she had heard about the Duchess of Malebolge, very, very few included the word "survivors." However, nearly all of them included "victims."

Finally, there was a click. "Goddess Help Line, this is Freya," her boss said.

"Ms. Freya! It's Belldandy!" the goddess cried into the receiver. Tears of relief sprang to her eyes.

"Belldandy?" The elder goddess must have heard the fear in her voice because her next question was, "Are you all right?! What's wrong?"

The goddess's eyes went to the door again. "I'm on Earth," she said quickly. She swallowed, not really wanting to say the woman's name lest it somehow summon her. "Sitri is here. She's looking for me."

"Sitri?!" The barest hint of disbelief entered Freya's voice. "Belldandy... are you sure? Sitri is..."

"HERE!" Belldandy cried. "She is HERE!" Tears were running down the goddess's face now.

"All right, Belldandy, I understand," Freya told her, trying to speak in a soothing voice for her goddess. "Where are you now? Are you safe?"

"H..Hai, I think so," Belldandy said, giving the restaurant another look.

"Good. Stay there. I'm going to call Commander Lind. I want you to call me back in exactly five minutes. Do you understand?"

"Hai."

"All right. Five minutes from now." With that, the line went dead. Belldandy hung up and choked back a sob. Five minutes... it might as well be five years.

She needed to talk to someone, to prove to herself she wasn't alone.

Picking up the phone again, she dialed another long series of numbers and waited.

"NOSC. This is Urd," her sister's voice came over the line.

"Thank you, Almighty," Belldandy whispered. "Urd, it's me."

"Belldandy? Belldandy? Is that you?"

"Hai! Urd... I... I'm in trouble..."

"What's the matter?! Are you okay?!"

Belldandy swallowed and tried to regain her composure. Her sister's voice helped. "Hai... I just... I just needed to hear a friendly voice..."

"What's wrong? Belldandy, where are you?"

"I'm on Earth," she answered. "In a little restaurant in Nekomi... I... There's a demon here, and..." She shut her eyes. "Urd... I'm afraid..."

Her eyes found the clock on the wall and realized that she only had twenty seconds left.

"Urd, I have to go."

"Belldandy! Wait! Where are you?!"

Belldandy hung up and redialed Freya's number. This time, the phone only rang once before the Help Line's director picked up.

"Belldandy?!"

"Hai."

"Belldandy," Freya said in relief. "I have Lind on the line. I want you to tell her everything you know."

The goddess closed her eyes and took a breath before telling her every detail of her trip to Earth, ending with her phone call to Freya. By the end, tears were running down her face.

"Belldandy, you did the right thing," Lind's calm, measured voice came through. Though nearly devoid of emotion, Belldandy took comfort from it. When it came to dangerous situations, Valkyries were experts. If Lind said she was on the right track, then she was. "You said you were in a restaurant, a public place?"

"Hai," Belldandy answered.

"Are there people, or are you the only customer?"

"It's crowded," she said, taking a quick look around as if to reassure herself of her answer.

"Good," Lind said. "Now I want you to listen to me very carefully. From what you've said, Sitri's mission appears to be one of subterfuge. That means she won't strike if it means exposing herself. As long as you're in a public place, you should be safe. Stay there. Don't go anywhere by yourself. Do you understand?"

"Hai," Belldandy breathed.

"Good. I'm ordering a strike team to your location, but it will take time for them to assemble," Lind went on. "When they arrive, I need you to take them to Sitri's lair, where that young woman told you to go. Can you do that?"

The Norn gathered her courage. "Hai!"

"Good. In the meantime, remember what I said. Don't go anywhere alone. Stay there! If... If she arrives there, don't engage her. Run. Do you understand me perfectly? Do not attempt to fight her off yourself."

Belldandy nodded even though Lind couldn't see her. "Hai."

"Belldandy, it's me again," Freya said with concern. "Do what Commander Lind says, okay? Don't risk yourself."

"What about Keiichi Morisato sama and Megumi san?" Belldandy asked.

There wasn't an immediate answer. When Freya finally spoke again, it was with a nonanswer.

"Listen to Commander Lind," she said again. "All right?"

"Hai."

"I want you to call back every twenty minutes so we know you're okay."

"Hai."

"Okay," Freya said quietly. "Twenty minutes. Good luck, Belldandy."

There was a click, and Belldandy was alone again in the crowded room. Hanging up, she searched the dining room for a place to sit and sat down at a small table near the phone. Swallowing, she bit her lip and set about waiting, unaware of the silver-tressed woman approaching from behind her.

888

Sitri re-entered the kitchen and smiled. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to make you wait."

"It's okay," Keiichi said with a smile. Megumi looked less than pleased, but Sitri expected that.

"Before we begin," Sitri said, preventing the siblings from eating once again. "I'd... I'd like to say something." She put enough trepidation and nervousness in her voice to pique their interest.

Megumi shrugged. "Shoot."

The demon bit her lip demurely and hesitated for a moment. Finally, to the surprise of both Morisatos, she dropped to her knees in front of Megumi and lowered her head to the ground.

"Forgive me, Megumi san," she said with just the barest hint of a sniffle.

Megumi looked as if a Lagoon Creature had burst into her kitchen. "Um... What?!" Even Keiichi looked shocked at his girlfriend's behavior.

Sitri didn't look up from the black and white linoleum. "I beg your forgiveness," she said formally. "I... I have not been kind to you... and I did not realize why until today."

The younger Morisato cleared her throat, unsure of what to expect at this point. "Oh?" she asked noncommittedly.

"Hai," Sitri replied softly. "Before coming here, Keiichi san told me why we were coming to dinner here. He said something that gave me pause. He said the two most important women in his life couldn't be in the same room together. It was then that I realized why I have been acting the way I have." She paused and looked up at Megumi. "I have been jealous of you."

"Jealous?!" Megumi asked in disbelief.

"Hai!" Sitri responded forcefully. "You see... I love Keiichi san. I want very much to be the most important woman in his life, but you... you and he have a bond that I can never know or be a part of. No matter how large a role I play in his life, you will have always been there first. You knew him as a child, have seen parts of his life I never can... and that made me jealous." Her head hit the floor again. "So please forgive me! Our relationship should not be adversarial! You are no rival! You are his sister, and one day... I... I hope you will be mine!"

It was the stuff Oscars were made of, and it had the desired effect.

Megumi blinked, stunned by the apology and the revelations. "Sitri san... I... I had no idea..."

Her face hidden by her bow, Sitri smiled.

The younger Morisato knelt next to her and took the demon's hands, pulling her up so that she could face her.

"I'm sorry too," Megumi said. "Maybe... Maybe I was just so used to... protecting... Kei chan that I... that I... I don't know... Maybe I set the bar so high that no woman in his life would ever be acceptable to me and..."

"But that is your role!" Sitri argued, summoning tears to her eyes. "To protect him from women with... less than pure intentions..."

"Yeah, but... He loves you... so..." Megumi cleared her throat. "I should have made more of an effort."

Sitting nearby, Keiichi beamed. Seeing his smile, Sitri grinned...

But for very different reasons.

888

Belldandy nearly jumped ten feet in the air when she felt the hand come down on her shoulder. When she saw who it was, she leapt up again and hugged the woman.

"Neesan!" she cried.

"Belldandy! Are you okay?!" the elder Norn asked, frank concern in her eyes.

"Hai," Belldandy said. "But... how did you find me?"

"Yggdrasil," Urd told her, sitting down opposite her sister. "As soon as you hung up, I zeroed in on you and came down to help."

"Without permission?" Belldandy asked with a blink. "You could get into serious trouble, Neesan!"

Urd waved the thought aside. "Don't worry! I left the squirt in charge."

"Skuld is in charge of Yggdrasil operations?"

"Don't worry," Urd said. "What can go wrong? Now tell me what's happening."

For the second time that night, Belldandy told the whole story. By the time she finished, Urd had a troubled look on her face.

"This doesn't make any sense," she breathed.

"Hai," Belldandy agreed sadly.

"I mean... have you ever heard of this boy before?" she asked.

The younger goddess shook her head. "All I know is that he's to receive a wish! But many receive wishes without incurring attention from the Demon Realm!"

"And why send her?" Urd asked. "It's so... so unlike Hild," she went on.

"Did you... ever meet her?" Belldandy asked, aware she was entering sensitive territory with her half-sister.

Urd shook her head, staring off into space. "No... I don't even know if we're actually related. But even if we aren't, everything I've heard about her tells me she's special. That's why you don't see her outside of Hell. Hild saves her for... 'special occasions.' So what's so special about Keiichi Morisato?!"

"He's..." Belldandy broke off. Urd waited for her to continue. "He's a good man," she finished.

"That doesn't tell me anything," Urd growled with an arched eyebrow.

"I don't know, Neesan," Belldandy continued. "But I know he doesn't deserve whatever she has planned for him." She stood up. "I have to help him."

"No, you don't," Urd said. "You have to wait for the Valkyries to get here. Then you have to help him."

Belldandy, looking miserable and deflated by her sister's words, sat down again.

"In the meantime, I'm going to do some snooping," Urd declared. "As soon as the Valks get here and I know you're safe with them, I'm going to do an Yggdrasil search on Keiichi Morisato and find out what could possibly have put him in Hild's crosshairs. Something stinks here, Sis."

"Neesan," Belldandy whispered, "It is a seafood restaurant..."

Urd sighed. "Now that's the Belldandy I know and love." She smiled.

"Belldandy?"

They looked up as four women in grey cloaks approached them. The leader of the group, a shorter woman with closely cropped red hair, addressed them again.

"Belldandy?" she asked.

"Hai?"

"I am Bellona," the woman told her. "We were ordered to meet with you here so that you might guide us to the lair of the Duchess of Malebolge."

"You're Valkyries?" Belldandy asked in happy relief.

Bellona nodded. "Please, we should leave quickly. There is much to be done before we can move."

Belldandy rose to her feet and nodded. "I understand." She turned to Urd, who cut her off before she could say anything.

"I'm going to find out whatever I can about this guy," she said. "I'll find a way to contact you when I know more."

The Norn nodded. "And Neesan," she said. "Thank you."

Urd smiled. "Hey, what are sisters for?"

888

It was after ten p.m. when Keiichi and Sitri returned to their little house. Turning the lights on and tossing his keys on the table near the love seat, Keiichi stretched and yawned.

"Not a bad dinner," he remarked. "I mean... it wasn't yours, but..."

Sitri smiled. After her little performance, the rest of the night had gone wonderfully. Megumi practically fell all over herself to make the demon feel welcome. Now that that relationship was patched up, it was time to move onto cementing hers with Keiichi.

He faced her and smiled. "Thank you, Sitri," he said. "For making the effort. It means a lot to me."

"I am your goddess, Keiichi san," she said with an impish grin. "I would do anything for you."

She put enough innuendo into the statement to make the boy blush, a blush that only intensified as she stepped toward him.

"Keiichi san," she whispered, placing her fingers to his cheek. "I have granted one of your wishes this evening... Will you grant one of mine?"

He cleared his throat. "One of... um... your... wishes?" he stammered.

"Hai," she whispered, leaning into him. Her body felt warm against his, almost feverish. He swallowed as he suddenly found himself sitting on the love seat with his goddess pushing him against the arm rest. His heart started to beat faster in his chest as this beautiful woman made her intentions known.

"Sitri?" he whispered.

"Keiichi san, I want to know," she said quietly. "I want to know how mortals make love."

His heart jumped into his throat. "Um... Sitri... I..."

He felt her press her hands harder against his chest, as if to prevent him from getting up. "Keiichi san, I want you to love me the way other men love their girlfriends. Show me..." She leaned down and planted her lips firmly on his.

Keiichi closed his eyes as the otherworldly woman kissed him thoroughly. He reached up to wrap his arms around her, hearing her gasp against his lips as he did so.

And suddenly...

Her face appeared behind his eyelids, with the most disappointed look of sadness he had ever seen.

Belldandy san?!

Sitri felt the change in him and sat up, straddling his legs.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "Am I... Am I doing it wrong?" she asked innocently.

He bit his lip and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't end with a fight. Keiichi wasn't that experienced with women, but even he knew that the words, "I was just thinking about another girl I know," were the absolute wrong ones to say in this instance.

"It's just..." he began. "Well... I just... I want this to be special," he said, only half meaning it.

Sitri took it and ran. Smiling broadly, she clasped her hands together. "Keiichi san! What a wonderful idea!"

"Um... it is?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Hai!" She leaned down and stared into his eyes. "We should get away! Go somewhere where we can be alone! A secluded, romantic place!"

"Um... yeah?" he asked.

"Hai," she purred. "And I think I know just the place..."

"But... I have class..."

"It'll just be for a few days," Sitri said, genuinely liking this idea. Getting him away from the only place Belldandy knew where to find him was a good start. Stealing his innocence and his virginity would be a fantastic follow-up.

"But..."

"Keiichi san," she said with a noticeable droop of disappointment. "Don't you want to be with me?"

"Yeah! Of... Of course I do!"

"Good!" she replied, clapping. "We'll leave tomorrow! Bright and early!"

With that, the demon dashed into her bedroom to pack, leaving Keiichi in the living room to wonder what had happened.

888

"Urd! That's a bunch of crap! I'm dying up here! You better get back up here before I tell on y..."

The eldest Norn hung up the third floor courtesy phone and grinned at the act. Some time in the big chair up at the NOSC would do Skuld some good. In the meantime, she had research to do.

While her sister was up on the top floor of the Yggdrasil Operations Center, the research archives occupied the third floor, practically the cellar. Turning, she headed for the research interface lab.

The automatic door opened just as she approached but, not realizing it wasn't opening for her, ran headlong into the goddess walking out.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Urd said. "Didn't seeya there."

A flash of recognition flew over the other goddess's face. "Oh," she said quickly. "No problem."

It took a moment, but Urd recognized the goddess. Though they had never actually spoken, over the course of millenia you got to know the face of just about every goddess in Heaven, and while her hair was now a midnight black to correspond with the time of night, Urd knew the face of the goddess of the dawn.

"Aurora, right?" Urd asked.

"Yes," Aurora replied carefully. "You're Urd, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me. Goddess and legend both."

Urd frowned. Aurora seemed very uncomfortable around her and figured it was her heritage. Despite Belldandy's best efforts to help her fit in, Urd never really got along with too many other goddesses and as such had developed something of a reputation.

"Well... Excuse me," Urd said, pushing past the Dawn.

As if silently agreeing to go their separate ways, Aurora walked down the hall away from her. Urd gave a quiet sigh and entered the lab, taking a seat in the interface's lone terminal.

Bringing up the search bar, she started to type.

K...E...

KEIICHI MORISATO

She blinked in surprise as the autocomplete function offered her the exact name she was looking for. Someone else had been searching for information on Morisato...

Urd brought up the search history and found the list of every search made on the terminal in the last five days, but she didn't have to look nearly that far.

KEIICHI MORISATO – FOUR MINUTES AGO

Urd leapt out of her seat and ran to do the door. It had to be Aurora! Why the goddess of the dawn was searching for information on Keiichi Morisato was beyond her, but she wasn't going to find out unless she asked.

Rushing out of the lab, she looked over the railing that overlooked the operations center's lobby two stories below. She found the goddess typing into a Blackberry near the entrance.

"HEY!" she cried, pointing at the goddess. Aurora made no sign that she heard, forcing Urd to take more drastic steps. Grabbing hold of the safety railing, she leapt over it and toward the Dawn. Normally, a goddess would slow her fall, but with time a factor, Urd let gravity do its job and allowed it to pull her headlong to the ground.

At the last second, she put on the brakes but still hit the ground harder than she would have liked. It did, however, put her right next to the startled goddess.

"Wha..."

Urd grabbed her by the front of her crimson robes. "What do you want with Keiichi Morisato!?" she demanded. All around them, goddesses twittered to one another, and Urd was sure they were already getting the latest "did you hear what Urd did?" rumor started.

She didn't care. Her sister was in trouble and she didn't have the time to deal with the cackling bimbos just now. She gave Aurora a shake.

"You were just doing a search on Keiichi Morisato!" she said accusingly. "I want to know why!"

Aurora pulled away from Urd and straightened her robe. "My research is my own!" she argued. "And is none of your concern!"

"It concerns me when my sister is being attacked because of him!" Urd growled.

"Belldandy is being attacked?" Aurora asked, blinking.

"How did you know I meant Belldandy?" Urd asked with narrowed eyes.

"Don't get snippy!" Aurora chastised. "Who is attacking Belldandy?"

"A demon named Sitri," Urd said, dialing back the rage a bit in exchange for some real answers. "She's Keiichi Morisato's girlfriend."

"A demon?! Involved with Morisato?!" Aurora gasped, biting her lip. Turning away, she muttered just loud enough for Urd to hear. "Then it is already as Oracle feared..."

"What?"

"Do you know where Belldandy is now?!" Aurora asked.

"Kinda-sorta," Urd replied shiftily.

Aurora grabbed her hands and pulled her toward the exit. "You must come with me! We must bring this to my sister!"

"Wait! What?!"

888

Standing on the roof of an apartment building near the park where Sitri first attacked her, Belldandy pointed at a small house nearby.

"I think that is it," she said.

Bellona knelt near the edge of the rooftop and examined the house critically, searching for threats or sentries. Finding none, she turned to Belldandy skeptically. "Are you sure?"

The Norn went back through Hasegawa's directions step by step. Finding the park again had been easy. Once she had done that she simply continued following what the young college student had told her, which led her right to this house.

She nodded. "Hai."

"Hmm," Bellona remarked uncertainly as she turned back to view the house again. She looked up at the sky and nodded. "It will be light soon. We'll have to move quickly if we hope to take the demon by surprise."

"What will you do?" Belldandy asked.

"We will attack," Bellona told her as casually as if she announced her intention to go to the store and buy eggs. "We will storm the house, catch the demon unawares and seal her. With luck, it will take only a few moments."

A horrified thought struck Belldandy. "But what about Keiichi Morisato sama!?" she asked. "He lives in this house as well!"

"The demon is as much a danger to him as anyone else," Bellona said.

"Yes, but when you attack he could be injured!"

The Valkyrie fixed an irritated glare on the Norn. "We'll try not to bruise him while we save his life," she bit out. "Rising to her full height, she addressed the other three war goddesses. "We move quickly. Storm the door, seal the demon and get back out." She saw Belldandy's concerned look and sighed. "And watch what you shoot at. There's a noncombatant inside. Questions?"

There were none.

"Belldandy, you will remain here, out of danger," Bellona told her.

"Hai," she agreed.

She watched nervously as the four Valkyries leapt over the side of the building and toward the danger waiting for them below.

888

Keiichi yawned as he poured himself another cup of coffee. Sitri had roused him early, impossibly happy. She smiled and hummed to herself as she made him breakfast, but wouldn't budge on where they were going so early.

She kissed him on the cheek as she put a pancake on his plate. "I'm so excited," she said. "I have everything taken care of."

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "I still don't have any clue what you're planning."

"Oh, nothing special," she purred in his ear. "Just a nice, secluded mountain cabin in Hokkaido. Just you and me and not another soul for a hundred miles."

"A cabin?" he asked, just a bit skeptically as visions of rustic hunting lodges with no heat floated into his head.

Sitri, however, had different visions. "Hai," she said softly. "A roaring fire, a bottle of wine, a cozy bear rug on the floor where we can..." She broke off and whispered more into his ear, causing the boy to blush furiously.

"That... That sounds like a... really nice cabin," he finished.

The demon grinned. "I thought you'd say so," she said. "Are you packed?"

"Yeah," he said, standing up from the table. "I just need to strap my bag to the Beemer and we can..."

"Shh!" Sitri said suddenly, holding a hand up.

Keiichi blinked, wondering if this was part of Sitri's presentation. The goddess, he found, often had a flair for the dramatic. This time, however, an almost irritated look appeared on her face.

"Sitri?" he asked.

She said nothing for a moment, her gaze going to the front door. When she did speak, it was in a haunting whisper. "'And the father hen will call his chickens home,'" she said, staring at the door. "'The wise man will bow down before the thorns... and at his feet they will cast the golden crowns...'"

"Um... what?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Demons," she hissed.

"Demons?! You mean like... devils? Mazoku?"

Without facing him, she held a glowing hand up to him, and with a flash of light, the boy found a green, crystal wall between him and his girlfriend.

"Hey!" he cried, putting his hands against it. Looking around, he found that it wasn't a wall, but a four-sided crystal encasing him. "Sitri!"

She turned to him and smiled gently. "Fear not, Keiichi san," she said. "I'll protect you from them."

"Huh?!"

Sitri turned as their front door exploded outward, as if the door were pulled off its hinges by a giant, and four cloaked figures rushed in, taking up positions in a semi-circle around her.

Bellona raised a gladius to her, perturbed at finding the demon, not in bed, but awake and facing them.

"Surrender!" the Valkyrie demanded. "And submit to sealing!"

Sitri grinned, her eyes turning red. "I will not allow the trash of the underworld to harm Keiichi san!"

888

Belldandy licked her lips nervously as she watched the four Valkyries dart into the house below. The wind whipping across the roof made it very difficult to hear anything, but she could catch bits and pieces floating on the wind if she strained hard enough.

There was nothing for several moments and then...

She jumped in her skin as an explosion knocked out one corner of the house, sending one of Bellona's Valkyries out with it! The report of demonic blasts and magic spells roared up to her hiding place on the apartment roof, nearly deafening her. There was another explosion, and she heard Bellona calling out to her Valkyries.

"PULL BACK! PULL BACK!"

Belldandy covered her mouth with her hands, horrified by the feelings of fear and agony she was sensing! She heard a new sound and looked up to find thousands of flying creatures, crows and bats, midnight black, flying over her and diving down toward the house.

Another explosion pulled her gaze back to the house. The Valkyries were being slaughtered!

She knew she had to help them. Gathering her courage, she leapt over the side of the building and floated as quickly as she could toward the house.

888

Bellona watched as two energy blasts from her outstretched hand, struck the living shield of bats that Sitri had summoned around her, killing two of the creatures but leaving the demon unscathed. She limped backwards, the wound in her knee enough to cripple a regular god and still good enough to cause her untold pain.

From behind her shield, Sitri, reveling in the act of inflicting pain on others, laughed cruelly as before singing to the Valkyrie.

"'And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts!'" She recited, stepping toward the war goddess, whose back struck the wall, blocking her escape. Sitri grinned. "'And I looked and behold! A pale horse!'"

Bellona raised her gladius but suddenly found silver strands of light wrapped around her wrist and throat, paralyzing and weakening her.

"'And the name who sat on him was Death!'"

She croaked in miserable realization as the bats parted before her and she found the demoness's cruel grin laughing at her.

"'And Hell followed with him...'"

The Valkyrie saw spots appear before her eyes, followed by a cloak of darkness that fell over her like a cold winter's night.

Standing over the Valkyrie's defeated form, Sitri sighed happily and allowed the bats and crows to leave.

"Sitri?!" she heard her soon-to-be-lover calling from his prison in the other room. "Sitri! What's going on?! Are you all right?!"

"He's so sweet," Sitri noted to Bellona's body. Realizing that the Valkyrie wasn't going to answer, Sitri shrugged to her. "Not that you care now..."

888

Belldandy rushed through the hole in the wall where the door used to be, hoping she was in time to be of some help, and gasped at the carnage before her. Two of the Valkyries were lying on the floor in unnatural and painful looking positions. A large, green crystal stood at the end of the hall, splattered with blood and feathers from where energy spells had struck crows protecting the demon.

It took her a moment before she realized there was something moving inside the crystal. Through the blood, she could just make out the face.

"Keiichi Morisato sama!" she gasped.

"Belldandy san?!" he cried back, his voice muffled by the thick green wall between them.

She took a step toward him, but suddenly felt something grab her throat and pull her into another room. Looking up, she managed to get a glimpse of the demoness a second before her back struck the living room floor!

Without thinking, Belldandy reached up with her left hand, hoping the trick that worked last time would save her again now, but Sitri snagged her wrist with her other hand and pinned it to the floor next to the goddess's head.

"Oh no," Sitri said, clucking in disapproval. "We won't be doing that again." She grinned and examined Belldandy's hand, harshly wrenching the Norn's wrist so she could get a better look at the ring. "Is this the offending bauble?" she asked.

Belldandy didn't answer as she continued to struggle against the demon's grip.

"Very pretty," Sitri said as she regarded the ring. "Whoever gave it to you must have loved you very much." Her expression turned to one of amusement. "I do hope you didn't break his heart the way I intend to break yours." She punctuated this by squeezing the Norn's throat harder.

Belldandy whimpered, her eyes tearing up in pain.

"Sitri?!" she heard Keiichi call. "Belldandy san?! Belldandy san, are you all right?!"

"Keiichi Morisato sama," she whispered.

"Yes," Sitri noted. "My Keiichi Morisato sama," she hissed. She laughed at the Norn cruelly. "In a way, it's kind of sad," she said. "To take something so precious from one who doesn't even realize it was hers to begin with. To be trifled with by a goddess who has no idea with what she's involved herself."

Belldandy's eyes could see the far wall and could see the first wisps of sunlight coming through the window. She blinked as the light traveled slowly up the wall, outlining a new shape, a human figure.

Sitri didn't notice the figure taking shape nearby. She bent her head until her lips were nearly touching Belldandy's earlobe. "I'm going to take his virginity, his heart, his soul!" she hissed into the goddess's ear. "I will take everything good in him and twist it into something of my own! He will be my masterpiece!"

The sunlight on the wall continued to rise, giving form to the new arrival as it began to phase into this world...

"And when I'm done, I might just let you see him," Sitri continued to whisper. "But until then, I'm going to have to seal you someplace dark and unpleasant..."

"Dawn has come," Belldandy noted quietly.

Sitri blinked, unsure of what the sunrise had to do with this. "So?"

"She means watch out behind you!" the demoness heard. Turning quickly, she saw a woman with a dark orange mane of hair swing a staff with a golden orb on one end right toward her face!

The staff struck Sitri across the eyes, and the brightest light the demon had ever been subjected to burned into her eyes as if reaching for her mind. Sitri screamed, her hands flying to her eyes as she tried to rub her sight back into being.

Aurora grabbed Belldandy's arm and pulled the Norn into the hall.

"Grab Morisato and get out of here!" the Dawn cried. "To my sister's home on the Styx! I'll distract her!"

Sitri, still blinded by Aurora's light, screamed and started to blast in every direction she could think of! Parts of the roof began to fall in as Belldandy rushed to the crystal.

The goddess placed her hand on the green gem and saw a very confused mortal on the other side.

"Stand away, Keiichi sama!" she cried. Keiichi pressed against the far side of the crystal as Belldandy channeled power through her hand and into the prison, cracking it open like an egg.

Freed from his prison, Keiichi blinked at her. "Belldandy san?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the bathroom. "Quickly!" she urged. "We must leave!"

Another demonic blast struck the wall near them as Sitri, in her fury, attacked every direction indiscriminately.

"Wait! What about Sitri!?" Keiichi cried.

Belldandy found the bathroom mirror and touched the silver glass. The pane began to glow a bright blue.

"Wait! What's going on!" Keiichi demanded.

They turned as they heard a scream of fury from Sitri down the hall, a dark, hideous sound of impotent fury.

"S...Sitri?" Keiichi whispered.

There wasn't time to wait anymore. Casting a quick levitation spell, Belldandy raised the boy into the air and launched him through the mirror like a sack of potatoes. The goddess gave a last look back, hoping that Aurora had already escaped. She felt the darkness of Sitri's soul approaching and decided she had no choice anymore. She had to leave.

Hoisting herself onto the sink, Belldandy dived into the mirror just as the demon smashed through the far wall and raked her claws across it, shattering it into a million pieces.

Sitri howled in rage.

TO BE CONTINUED...