A/N: Same disclaimer applies, please, read and review. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 4.
Urd was the first to wake, a warm bed the only thing saving her from more pain. She sighed, it was so wonderful, and her head was pounding. This was it's own piece of heaven it seemed, her own little well of knowledge. She knew there was a cool cloth draped over her forehead, idly, she heard voices in the background, although truthfully, she didn't know who they were. Skuld was still asleep nearby, the girl's breath something she both knew and welcomed. Sound from other rooms were also apparent, although, Urd couldn't be sure who it was, or why they were making such a racket. Holding her head in her hands she tried to sit up. "Geez, you think you people could shut up? I need to sleep off this hangover." Urd groaned.
"I doubt you have a hangover." A voice rang out, a familiarity among the unknown. "Although, I suppose that the feeling is likely similar. Universal travel is quite the difficult task." Her cool voice was smooth as silk, though dark, and seemingly lonely. The noise in the house told otherwise though, Setsuna had many people in her life, and although Urd hadn't ever met them, she knew well the mage was not a completely solitary being.
"Well, isn't that just lovely." Urd spat in both pain and confusion. "Did you come for a visit?" The question wasn't filled with the joy Urd thought she would have possessed on this occasion, and that's when something struck her. "This... isn't the shrine. Where is here!" Urd coughed abruptly shocking herself out of her momentary delirium, "Rather, where the hell am I!" The bed was dressed in silken sheets, and the room was most assuredly a master bedroom. Skuld was asleep next to her, and all the while, Urd was in denial, she knew she wasn't in her own home. "This isn't good."
"One for understatement, aren't you." Setsuna's deject monotone answered before taking another sip of her milk tea. "It's been years Urd, and all you can do, is sit their gawking. This was what you wished for, wasn't it?" Setsuna knew this was going to happen. She had been preparing for such a wonderful day, a day when she would finally be welcomed home among her more unworldly family. Sadly, her wish wouldn't ever be gifted. Setsuna knew this, and yet, it became quite the quandary to find Urd, and the goddess's company plopped in haphazard glory across the front lawn. "This is breaking quite a lot of laws you know."
"Well, duh." She was never a fan of statements made for dense people, especially when she herself was quite intelligent. "We both know Fate likes to get her kicks, looks like this time, she had a little to much to drink." It was then Urd rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her blurry vision, and her clouded memories. "Speaking of fate, where are we, because I know this isn't heaven, and there's no way it can be hell."
"I can't say I know who this "Fate" of yours is. In my eyes, fate is only a calling in which I serve. I've never met anyone who embodied such a role." The next comment was added with mirth. "As for your location, you are in Japan." For Setsuna, that much would have been clear. "As far as where you belong, I've no idea. My universe is far different that yours, and the only way you could possibly exist, is if the gods above allowed you to do so." This was her home, a cozy little place she shared with her family, although the term was a loose one.
"Fate's a bitch." Urd sighed, she didn't much care for that woman. "Always trying to make things harder than they have to be, and let's not forget how much she enjoys the drink." Feeling ill aside, Urd's major worry fell to her youngest sister. "She's alright, isn't she?" Peaceful sleep came for a goddess no matter what her condition was, and Skuld had clearly seen better days.
"All of your travel party arrived in one piece, more or less in the same condition." Setsuna answered. "The male is resting in another room. The woman Belldandy is enjoying tea in the sitting room. It is only you and Skuld that are still having difficulty, but I assume that is because of the power you consumed. Hotaru tried reviving you, but she found that nothing worked. You're bodies are different from a human, and unlike us, we can't seem to heal you."
"Did you give her ice cream?" Urd asked nonchalantly.
"Why on this green earth would I give an unconscious child ice cream?" Setsuna's sigh told Urd more than any of the words had. It was then that Urd realized her sister's level of tolerance was quickly wearing thin. It was that truth, if nothing else, that made Urd comply with the unspoken, yet profound question.
"I.." Urd hadn't a clue how she would be able to get out of this one. What she would admit aloud became an almost childlike admission, one she often repressed. "I wanted to see you." Feeling like a scolded child, she coughed, trying to change the subject. She would grasp at any straws if it saved her from trouble. "Nice room, by the way. Sure attracts plenty of men, eh?"
"Gather your wits about you Urd." Setsuna remarked crossly. "This is no time for play." Softly, hesitantly, a smile fluttered upon Setsuna's face. "I will find a way to see that you get home. Until then, my dearest sister, please stay out of trouble." More noise and mindless chatter made its way to their ears, and with a resigned sigh, Setsuna finally gave up the inevitable. "You should meet my companions, I doubt sending you back home will be easy, you may be here for quite some time."
Although it seemed all was right with the world, the heavens had far more going on. In a meeting room, locked away from most of the populace, a great annoyance was unfolding. The table was long, the guest list even longer, as many seats filled with gods and goddesses who kept the banter lively. Hours had past by now, and many were growing weary with the discussions. Even more bodies stood along the walls, listening to the constant arguing. So many things could go wrong. "I keep telling her not to break the rules!" A woman's shrill voice screeched across the long table. "I keep having to punish her. This time, that stupid half breed that gets involved. How am I to govern what my name implies when I have unruly subordinates?"
"Now, now." Chronos warned, his elderly body sagging with unease. "Setsuna didn't plan for this to occur. Your wrath should not befall onto her." His wrinkled hands held fast to his chair as he tried to sit up further. "For quite some time, our rules and laws have kept servants in check. However, as you know, Setsuna isn't just a normal servant." This was quite the predicament. "As long as misfortune continues to spread by Setsuna's actions, Hild will not take a liking to any recourse you take. If you punish Setsuna this time, balance will fall and Hild will be favored."
"How could anything positive come from this!" Fate shouted, throwing her alcohol across the room, crashing into the monitor currently playing. "The goddesses have moved location. We will lose shares!"
"And that, dear Fate, will appease Hild." The Almighty spoke up. He had called for this particular meeting. "Shares will also increase for us, if we allow the freedom of choice. Those blessed with powers, are only so gifted, because good can come of them. The Sailor Senshi fight for things that our scriptures teach. Although they have mortal sins, they, like Keiichi, are pure souls, with pure intentions. With the help of goddesses on their side, we will surely gain more shares than Hild. A good outcome indeed."
"Oh dear, I sense this to be a bad idea." Chronos sighed. "Can't we just return the goddesses to their own place in the universe. Think of all the corrupt data that Yggdrasil will have to restore. The amount of paradoxes that would have to be fixed would be insurmountable. That would only be the start. If we send them back now, we can revert the kinks in a short time. My powers would ensure that no one would even remember this little event even happened."
"I agree." Fate nodded, floating around in the air non nonchalantly. "Not only that, but Setsuna has laws she must abide by for a reason. We can't let the other Senshi believe that they actually hold power over the universe. Plus, what if Urd or Skuld blabs our secret?"
"Then we would put a gag order out. I would personally see that the Senshi are properly dealt with." Almighty told them. "Besides, we all know well by now that we've given them our gifts because we trust them."
"If I may," A great god's voice boomed as he spoke. "I see very little reason why we should fear their powers. It was only after much deliberation that we agreed that Sailor Warriors should be part of creation in the first place. I can not speak for all of the Senshi, but the girl who wields fire, only does so, because we, those of the gods and demons she represents chose her to do so." This discussion had gone on many times before. "She is a strong warrior with only the strongest and most powerful gods lighting her flames of passion. Those of demons gave her powers of destruction. We tempered her well."
"The woman of Mars is a gifted soul indeed." A woman spoke this time, a simple voice among the ciaos. "Those who gift Venus her powers have also done so, because we feel she embodies our souls with absolute perfection." It was Aphrodite, a goddess well known, and highly respected. "Love is a complex feeling, just as diverse as the girl herself. I agree we should take caution, but those of us who gave these girls powers, well, we chose them for reasons that should not be questioned."
"You simply do not understand." Fate sighed. "You gave them powers, yes. But, they are still mortals, with sins and darkness." It was a deep truth all had to accept. "Just as our scriptures rule their powers, a darkness from Hild lies within. There's no possible way we can trust them. Especially with Urd close by."
"The crystals they wear, as you all know, are power limiters much like our own." Almighty reminded them. "Without them, they could not use our gifts, and would be rendered normal. We picked these souls because we trust them to act in our steed in the mortal realm. For now, we will not take any action, Setsuna shall not be sealed." Almighty ordered, looking directly at Fate. "We shall conclude this meeting with the understanding that we shall merely observe. As long as the Senshi remain normal, and use their powers only for emergency, or to do our bidding, we have little we must fear."
"Hild will likely stick her nose into this." Warned Fate, knowing full well the woman would love doing just that.
"That is why we will take things slowly." Almighty told them, standing from his seat. "This meeting is adjourned."
To Be Continued.