Chapter 13
"And just what do you think you are doing?"
Mara froze at the icy voice coming from behind her. For the past two months, she'd been coming to a little used part of the Palace to access Nidheg. She had thought that no one would notice.
Unfortunately she was.
And by the worse possible person.
"Well?" the voice said again.
"Umm…research?" Mara said as she slowly turned around to face her Queen.
Hild glared at her.
"Research." She spat. "Am I to believe that?"
"With the Messengers back, I thought I'd read up on them." Mara lied.
"Oh?" Hild eyed the Demoness. "And do you plan on sharing any of this information with…..oh…..a certain thorn that has been in our side for a few years now?"
Mara inwardly cringed, but tried to keep her face neutral.
"Of course not my Queen."
Hild grunted. "Of course not. Sharing information with them is practically treason. Why, you could find yourself in an even worse form then Welsper!"
Mara maintained her neutral expression, but inside she was practically crying.
"You are a most useful servant." Hild continued, "I would hate for your usefulness to end because you weren't careful enough." The Queen turned towards the door.
Mara let out a soft sigh.
"Oh!" Hild had stopped just before the door, but was facing away from Mara. "One more thing. Please send my congratulations to the thorn."
"My Queen?" Mara asked confused.
Hild turned to face Mara.
"Walk with me a moment."
Mara flipped off the workstation and quickly followed the Queen down the hall and out onto a battlement overlooking Hell.
"We are in a rather unusual time." Hild said, looking over her domain. "History has shown us that we alone cannot defeat the Messengers. Yet it took an act of betrayal for the Messengers to be defeated." Hild sighed. "What is between us and them is business. For some it has become more personal then it has others. While she is a constant thorn in our side, she usually has everyone's best interests at………heart." Hild shuddered. "Give whatever you find to her. Perhaps she can make use of it." Hild's eyes then narrowed. "If you ever share what I have said with anyone, I will use your lungs to decorate my throne room."
Mara gulped. "Yes My Queen." She quickly bowed and left.
Hild stood alone at the battlement for sometime before another Demon approached.
"Yes Sitri?" she asked, keeping her gaze from the Demon.
"My Queen." Sitri began, "I have a report from those you wished to watch Lord Barbas."
Hild turned to face the Demon.
"Very well. Let me hear it."
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Christmas week
"I know you told me this had been going on for the past month, but I still can't get used to it."
Keiichi looked over at Skuld from where he was making breakfast. Skuld had just returned that morning from a month and a half of working on Yggdrasil.
"Was that a complaint?" he asked, "Cuz I can always let Urd make breakfast."
"How would you even get her up before eleven?" Skuld asked, "Besides……. She isn't exactly a domestic Goddess."
"Point." Keiichi agreed, "How's things upstairs?"
"Yggdrasil is still has bugs in it. But it's running better then it has been since it went 'poof'."
"That's good."
"How have things been here?"
Keiichi sighed.
"I'd like to say things have gotten better but……"
Skuld blinked.
"It's worse?"
"Much."
"Just how bad is it?"
"She cut her hair."
"WHAT?!?!?!" Skuld shrieked, "But she loves her hair! Why would she cut it?"
"She's been having……..difficulties with it." Keiichi answered.
"What do you mean?"
"Ever tried to get three feet of hair into a ponytail?"
"Well of course I……"
"Without magic?"
"Oh." Skuld frowned. "What about Lind and Selene? Couldn't they…..?"
Keiichi raised his hand, cutting her off.
"Belldandy doesn't want to interfere with their training. Though Lind did tell me she would have helped if Bell had asked her."
"Ah. What about Selene?"
"Gave me a dirty look."
"The Morisato Goddess magnet not working?"
"Quiet you."
Skuld smirked. Keiichi shook his head, then looked at the wall clock.
"Almost time to wake her up."
Skuld blinked.
"It's 9:30." She said, "Why isn't she up?"
"Because she has a hard time sleeping at night."
Skuld frowned. "Well you two shouldn't be doing those kind of things while she's….."
Keiichi threw his hands in the air.
"We are not having sex now!" he shouted, "She's having a hard time getting into a comfortable position to sleep in."
Skuld looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see." Keiichi said as he carried a breakfast tray out into the dining room.
He placed the tray at Belldandy's usual spot at the table, then proceeded down the hallway towards his and Belldandy's bedroom. Skuld carried her own tray to the table, sat down, and waited.
She was on her feet in an instant when her sister appeared.
Her now much more noticeably pregnant sister.
"Onee-sama?" Skuld asked wide-eyed.
"Hey Skuld." Belldandy said sleepily as Keiichi helped her to sit down at the table. Skuld realized she'd never seen her sister sit at the table before. She always knelt. Skuld also noticed her sister's hair. While Keiichi had warned her about it, she hadn't quite been expecting it to be that short. The middle Norn's once long flowing honey brown hair now came to an end almost level with her shoulders. She was so distracted by her sister's new haircut that she completely missed the next question.
"Huh?" Skuld blinked and looked around. Keiichi was back in the kitchen while Belldandy was giving her a slightly bemused look.
"I wanted to know how things were going with Yggdrasil." Belldandy said, "But it seems my hair is going to be the likely topic of conversation."
"Sorry." Skuld said sheepishly, "But you have to admit it's a bit unusual."
"I got tired of the twists, tangles and snarls." The Goddess shrugged, "And it's not like I can magic them away at the moment." Belldandy then frowned at the table.
Skuld and Keiichi both winced.
Though she willingly had given up her powers until her pregnancy had ended, Belldandy was far from happy at being without her powers. And like she had done in the past, she had hidden her disappointment under her usual cheery self. Her close family and friends could tell that something was wrong, all knew what she had given up, but she would only confide in Keiichi her true feelings. He in turn kept her sisters informed through Skuld (Urd was either working in Yggdrasil or getting drunk).
"Skuld." Keiichi said softly, "Would you go and get Lind and Selene? They should be out back training."
Skuld quickly got up, and headed out the door without complaint. Despite being her sister, Belldandy was more likely to open up to Keiichi then her. It hurt, but at least Belldandy wasn't holding it in like before.
Skuld found Lind and Selene just where he said they'd be. Lind was calling out while Selene assumed a fighting stance with a wooden quarter staff.
"One. Two. Three. Four." Lind shouted. "One. Two. Three. Cleaner! Four."
"Lind?" Skuld called out as she grew close enough to the fighting Goddess. "Breakfast is ready."
"Very well." Lind answered. She then turned to Selene. "Rest."
The Fighting Goddess Trainee's only response was to fall to her knees, breathing heavily. Lind gave a small smirk, then turned and walked towards the house.
"I wonder what Keiichi has made today." She wondered out loud.
Skuld watched Lind vanish into the house before turning back to Selene. The trainee had finally begun to return to her feet, using the quarter staff for support.
"How is it?" Skuld asked.
Selene only glowered at her.
"Skuld?"
Skuld and Selene both turned to see Megumi Morisato walking nervously up the path.
"Megumi." Skuld answered in a neutral greeting.
Megumi looked over at Selene.
"I don't think we've met. I'm Megumi Morisato, Keiichi's sister."
"I am Selene." The trainee answered, "And you are correct. We've never met." She then turned and walked away.
Megumi blinked and looked back to Skuld.
"Bit rude isn't she?"
"What do you want Megumi?" Skuld asked, her face and voice still neutral.
Megumi looked down at the ground.
"I….came to…apologize. I said some things…I shouldn't have." Megumi looked back up at the young Goddess. "I know you would never intentional do anything to hurt us. I was….."
"…..angry." Skuld finished. "You had just lost your parents, you were upset and angry and lashed out at the first person who wasn't family."
"But you are family." Megumi said softly. "And I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Skuld finally let a smile appear on her face.
"Family forgives each other." She said.
"What about Keiichi and Bell?"
"You know them how long? What do you think they'll say?" Skuld's smile then grew bigger. She wrapped an arm around one of Megumi's and began to lead her towards the house. "Besides, There will be a nephew or niece that needs all their Aunt's around to help out."
Megumi's eyes watered slightly as a small smile appeared on her face.
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Time continued on.
Winter gave way to spring.
Seeing as she wasn't able to go to Heaven, nor could she work at the Whirlwind, Belldandy spent most of her time going over her mother's notes, as well as using Skuld's computer to access Yggdrasil for anything on the Messenger's. Skuld and Megumi helped out around the house, performing the tasks that Belldandy normally did.
Keiichi did his own laundry however.
There were just some things that a sister and Goddess of the Future just refused to do.
Urd was…….Urd. The Goddess of the Past was civil for the most part, but that was because she was usually working in Yggdrasil. When she wasn't, she could be found in front of the TV, nursing a bottle of sake. One of the few things that she did help with was the remodeling of a room from storage into a nursery.
There was, of course, a brief fight in regards to the color.
Each of the sisters had their opinion, as did Megumi and even Lind.
Keiichi recognized a lost cause and decided to remain silent.
Selene really didn't care one way or another, but kept silent as the last time she'd spoken her opinion Lind had forced her to run laps…….
……around Nekomi.
The final outcome of the nursery color:
Belldandy's choice.
Light blue. ("Belldandy always wins." Urd had muttered)
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"Everything is looking good." The Doctor said as he looked over his chart. He then brought his gaze upon the expectant mother. "The young one should be with us within a week or two at the latest. I do hope you are prepared Mrs. Morisato."
Belldandy smiled back at the doctor.
"I have been ready for this for some time now doctor."
With an agreement that she would return in a week if the child wasn't born before then, Belldandy stepped out of the doctor's office and headed down the hall towards the elevators. She only had to wait a moment before the doors opened. Once they did she heard a slight gasp from the elevator's current occupant. Looking up, Belldandy stiffened. Standing before her was a slightly thinner Sayoko Mishima.
The two stared at each other for a moment, before Belldandy entered the elevator and quickly turned to face the doors. She briefly glanced at the control panel as the doors closed, stifling a groan as she saw that Sayoko's destination was hers as well. Looking back at the doors, she saw Sayoko's reflection looking at her.
"Morisato." Sayoko said softly in greeting.
"Mishima." Belldandy answered.
Sayoko gave a silent prayer, wishing that the elevator would hurry. Belldandy shut her eyes as she heard the prayer, and then wished the same as she passed the prayer onward to her Father.
Unfortunately, that is not what they received.
A loud groan was heard as the elevator lurched before coming to a complete stop.
Belldandy opened her eyes and slowly rolled them heavenward.
'This isn't very funny Father.' She thought.
Sayoko went to the control panel and opened the door to access the emergency phone.
"Hello?" she said into the phone. "Yes. Yes we're stuck….. Umm…." Sayoko looked up at the display. "Looks like fourth floor. Yes. What?!" Sayoko shrieked.
"What is it?" Belldandy asked.
"They say three hours." Sayoko murmured.
Belldandy's eyes widened.
"Three hours?" 'This REALLY isn't funny Father!'
"You'd better get us out sooner then that!" Sayoko shouted, "There's a pregnant woman in here!" Sayoko's face suddenly became red with anger. "No it isn't me! Do you have any idea who I…." Sayoko suddenly went silent and slowly set down the phone.
"He hung up." She stated.
Belldandy wasn't really surprised.
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"Excuse me?"
The security guard stopped speaking into the phone and glared at the young man before him.
"What is it? I'm a bit busy here." he asked.
Keiichi cringed under the guards glare.
"My wife was supposed to meet me in the lobby after her appointment." He explained, "But I….."
"Look I'm having enough problems trying to get someone here to rescue the people from the stuck elevator. Maybe she got tired of waiting and…Hello?" The guard went back to the phone.
Keiichi sighed and walked back to where Lind was silently waiting.
"That was not a very friendly bedside manner." She stated.
"He's a security guard not a doctor." Keiichi said, "Any luck?"
"I have searched all the floors and stairwells between her Doctor and the lobby." Lind stated, "I cannot find her."
Keiichi frowned. "Without her powers is she harder to find?"
"Almost impossible."
"Damn."
"I agree."
Keiichi frowned. Just where could Belldandy be……..? Then it clicked. Keiichi ran back over to the guard.
"You said the elevator was stuck?" he asked.
"Yes." The guard growled, "Now will you…"
"How many people?"
"Two."
"Is one of them pregnant?"
"Yes, but I don't….."
Keiichi grabbed the guard by the collar.
"Look you! That's my pregnant wife stuck in that elevator! If anything happens to her I'll….." A pair of hands forced Keiichi to release the guard. Keiichi whirled about to see Lind holding him.
"You will do nothing." Lind stated as she released him. She then turned to the guard. "You will call whom ever you need to get his wife out NOW."
The guard's eyes widened as Lind's eyes flared white. He quickly decided to stop arguing and get some one to fix the elevator.
Keiichi meanwhile had wondered over to the closed elevator door and looked upward.
"You think she's ok?" he asked.
"I am sure she's fine." Lind answered, "There are worse places to be stuck in."
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"When are you due?"
Belldandy opened her eyes and looked at Sayoko. For the past forty five minutes the two had sat in opposite corners of the elevator and said nothing to each other. Belldandy had decided to try and meditate to pass the time. What Sayoko had done she couldn't say, though apparently she had grown bored with it.
"Anytime now according to the Doctor." Belldandy answered.
"You know the sex?"
"No. Keiichi and I wanted to wait and see."
"Kind of hard not to know isn't it?" Sayoko suddenly frowned. "Hey wait…. You're a wi……Goddess. Shouldn't you be able to….zap us out or something?"
Belldandy sighed. "Unfortunately I do not have access to my powers right now."
"How come?"
"Pregnancy complications."
"Complications?"
"The destruction of Nekomi due to me losing control of my powers during childbirth."
Sayoko widened her eyes.
"Yes…I can see that as a complication."
The two fell into an awkward silence for a few moments.
"What were you doing here?" Belldandy asked.
"Taking your advice." Sayoko answered.
Belldandy frowned in confusion.
"AA meeting." Sayoko explained. "After our last…..chat, I ran into a bit of trouble. Some of your……people saved me. I've been sober since."
"Congratulations."
Sayoko blinked. "Wow…. "
"What?"
"I'm just….surprised is all."
"At what?"
"You actually sounded…… happy for me."
"I am."
"Why? You should hate me for what I've done."
Belldandy sighed. "I've never hated you, despite everything you have done. Not even Keiichi has said an ill word of you."
"This one of those Goddess things?" Sayoko asked.
"I suppose. But in Keiichi's case, he has a kind heart." Belldandy smiled, "It's one of the reasons his wish was granted."
Sayoko frowned. "Wish?"
"Ahh……well….that begins with a phone call I received…….."
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"We should have called Tamiya and Otaki." Keiichi grumbled as he watched the maintenance men and firemen struggle with the elevator, "They'd have had the thing opened by now."
"Why don't we just go and get her?" Skuld asked. She'd arrived at the medical building by puddle as soon as Keiichi had told her the current situation.
"How?" Lind asked, "Neither of us has a medium to travel through to her, and what about the other with her?"
"We can erase her memory." Selene stated. She had arrived shortly after Skuld.
"That is only for extreme cases." Lind told her trainee, "This is hardly an extreme case."
"But Onee-sama is trapped!" Skuld exclaimed.
"In an elevator." Lind reminded her, "That is hardly a life or death situation." She then turned back to her trainee. "Just because we have the ability to do something doesn't always mean that we should use it." She looked at Keiichi. "I'm sorry Keiichi, we just have to be patient."
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Thirty minutes later.
Sayoko let out a laugh.
"You put him to sleep? No wonder it took you two so long to get married." She then smirked at the Goddess. "So how did you finally find out what he was really doing?"
"That would be Urd." Belldandy said with a slight blush. "And she was quite…..graphic in her explanations."
"You sure you two are sisters? I mean……."
"…we're complete opposites?" Belldandy finished, "Keiichi thought that once, and then he was unfortunate enough to between myself and Urd when we fought."
Sayoko sat upright.
"That explains the turkey that ran down the street!"
Belldandy laughed. "I forgot about that fight. I believe that was Urd's turkey that ooooh." Belldandy clutched her stomach.
"What?" Sayoko asked.
"Nothing." The Goddess answered, "I thought I….ohh!" Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Oh no…" she murmured.
"What?" Sayoko asked. "What is…." Suddenly Sayoko's eyes went wide. "No….."
"I…..believe yes."
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The guard sighed as the elevator emergency phone went off. He picked it up.
"Look lady, I already told you it would be around three hours……." The guard suddenly went pale. He then turned to the nearest firefighter. "Better alert the EMS. The pregnant woman just went into labor."
"Now is it an emergency?" Skuld hissed at Lind.
Lind clenched her hands in frustration.
"We can't teleport in." she said, "We will have to get into the shaft over the elevator and…." Suddenly Lind's face went blank as he forehead symbol glowed. After a moment the glow faded. Lind blinked and let out a sigh of resignation.
"Kami-sama has told us to back off." She stated.
"What?" the other two goddesses hissed.
"It's in his hands now." Lind said. She turned to Keiichi who was looking silently at the elevator.
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"This isn't a good time for this!"
"I didn't have any say on it either!"
"Can't you just….hold it?"
"THIS ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST HOLD!"
Sayoko pressed herself back against the wall of the elevator.
"What happened to the sweet and quiet Belldandy?"
"She got scared and left when the…..ohh….. 'giving birth now Belldandy' arrived." The Goddess stated. "I ….ohh…...need your help Sayoko."
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!" Sayoko cried out, "I've never delivered a baby before!"
"…neither have I….ohhh…." Belldandy hissed out, "But there's always a first time."
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Keiichi paced about the lobby as he waited. Selene and Skuld sat against the wall, watching as he paced. Lind spent her time between trying to calm Keiichi down and trying to get the maintenance men and firemen to hurry.
"He's right, we should have called Tamiya and Otaki." Skuld grumbled from where she sat. "We could have been home by now."
"If Lady Belldandy is in the process of giving birth I'd highly doubt you'd be home." Selene pointed out.
Skuld glared at Selene.
"Right, I'd be at the hospital watching my nephew/niece being born….." An evil grin appeared on her face. "And you'd be back at the temple training."
Selene's eyes went wide and she paled.
Skuld sat back, suddenly feeling very satisfied with herself.
Keiichi had paused in his pacing long enough to catch what was said between the two goddesses. While he didn't hold anything against Selene, considering the way she'd been treating him, he felt she more then deserved a little payback.
"I'll admit she's a little…..snobbish." came Lind's voice, "But she's learning."
"Skuld was the same when she first arrived." Keiichi mused. He looked at Lind. "Anything?"
Lind shook her head. "Nothing."
Keiichi frowned, "I wonder why Kami-sama won't allow you to rescue her?"
"He has his reasons."
"WE GOT IT!!" came a cry from the elevator.
Keiichi and Lind whirled about facing the elevator. Selene and Skuld quickly stood up.
With a ding, the elevator doors slowly opened. A moment later came the cry of a baby.
Keiichi blinked.
"I'm a father." He whispered.
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Chihiro, Sora, Tamiya, and Otaki raced into the hospital.
"We'relookingforMissBelldandy'sroom!" Tamiya and Otaki both bellowed at the receptionist sitting at the information desk.
"Eep!" the receptionist shrieked.
"Boys." Chihiro said sternly, "Heel."
Tamiya and Otaki quickly backed away from the desk. Chihiro eyed them for a moment more, before turning to the receptionist.
"Sorry about that." She said, "Can you tell us which room Belldandy Morisato is in?"
The receptionist quickly typed the name into her computer.
"Maternity, fourth floor. Room 402." She stated.
"Thank you." Chihiro turned to Tamiya and Otaki. "You two had better behave." Her eyes then narrowed. "Or else."
"Yes ma'am." The two quickly answered.
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The elevator doors opened and the group of two women and two men exited.
"Which way?" Chihiro asked out loud.
"I think over there." Sora pointed to where a blue haired woman could just barely be seen at an opening along the hallway.
As they grew closer, they discovered the opening was actually a rather crowded waiting area. Chihiro quickly realized the blue haired woman was the Goddess Lind. The younger Goddess, Selene, was also present, but appeared to be trying to keep as far as she could from the non-deities in the room. Urd and Skuld were present chatting away with Megumi Morisato.
There were two additional people in the room, one familiar, the other a complete surprise. The first Chihiro remembered as Peorth, a Goddess that Tamiya had a thing for apparently. Chihiro glanced over to see that Tamiya wasn't looking at the Goddess. He, Otaki, and Sora were staring at the last person present, one they never would have expected to see.
"What's Mishima doin here?" Tamiya growled.
Sayoko Mishima blinked and took a step back. Megumi quickly moved in front of her.
"Easy big guy." She said, "Both Keiichi AND Belldandy want her here."
Tamiya and Otaki eyed the cousin of their nemesis for a moment longer, then Tamiya turned and walked over to Peorth while Otaki began to mess with the TV. Chihiro and Sora walked over to Sayoko.
"So why exactly do they want you here?" Chihiro asked.
"Belldandy and I were stuck in an elevator when her water broke." Sayoko replied, "By the time they got us out, I'd already helped her give birth."
Chihiro and Sora winced.
"Ouch." Chihiro muttered, "Not exactly an ideal place to have a kid."
"It isn't." Sayoko sighed, "I ended up in the ambulance with her and Keiichi. She insisted I come along. Keiichi just went along with her." She pointed toward the closed door to room 402. "They booted everyone out shortly after she was admitted. Her sisters weren't very happy. They didn't get much of a look at their niece."
"Do you know what they named the baby yet?" Sora asked.
Sayoko shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of."
"Then there's still a shot at the pool." Chihiro murmured.
Sayoko looked at the woman curiously.
"Pool?"
"All right people!" Chihiro called out, getting the attention of those present. "The Morisato baby name pool is still open!" She then smirked. "Unless you picked a boys name of course……"
Otaki and Urd both grumbled under their breath. Sayoko only stared at the group.
"You all bet on the name?" She asked. "And you're goddesses?"
"New Age." Came the reply from the deities.
"…and most of you figured it'd be a girl?"
"Well Keiichi IS the father." Skuld replied with a slight smirk.
"Hey!" Megumi shouted out in defense of her brother.
"While he is strong," Lind said, "He's not exactly a normal male….."
"Hey!"
"He had difficulty with all the mandated Motor Club fitness retreats." Tamiya added.
"HEY!" Megumi shouted, "That is my brother you're talking about!"
"She's got a point." Urd said.
"Well why did you bet on a boy?" Skuld asked.
Urd smirked, "You didn't see the look of bliss on Belldandy's face the morning after the honeymoon night did you?"
Megumi and Skuld suddenly went green. Tamiya and Otaki both turned their attentions elsewhere. Sayoko blushed slightly at the thought, then noticed that Lind and Peorth were blushing as well.
"Ahh," Peorth murmured, "L'amore."
Selene muttered something darkly in another language that caused the deities present to snap their attention on the young Goddess.
"Forty laps when we return to the temple." Lind stated.
"What'd she say?" Tamiya asked.
"You don't want to know." Came four replies.
"Umm…guys?"
Everyone turned to see the door to room 402 had opened. Keiichi was standing there with a smile on his face.
"There's someone in here you have to meet."
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The group silently filed into the hospital room. Belldandy was sitting upright in the bed, softly singing to the small bundle that she held in her arms. Her eyes briefly looked up as the group entered, but soon returned to the bundle. After everyone had entered, Keiichi gently nudged Skuld, Urd, and Megumi closer to the bed, before he moved up beside Belldandy.
"The Aunts ought to get the best look at their niece." He said with a smile.
Belldandy slowly turned the bundle towards the group.
"Say hello to your niece." She said softly.
The three Aunts slowly leaned forward.
Wrapped up snuggly in the bundle was their niece. The first thing that stood out was the blue markings upon her cheeks, and upon her forehead an elongated blue diamond that was a match to the one that adorned her mother's forehead. The few wisps of hair that could be seen were darker then Belldandy's. Then, as if sensing the presence of her Aunts, the newborn opened her eyes, revealing the bright blue eyes of her mother.
"Kawaii…." Skuld whispered.
"She's adorable." Megumi added.
Urd smirked. "Obviously will take after her mother."
Megumi glanced at the eldest Norn. "You mean……..?"
Urd nodded. "She's a Goddess. Same domain as her mother."
"The Present?" Lind said.
"Looks like it." Urd replied, pointing towards her niece.
Lind and Peorth quickly moved forward.
"C'est possible?" Peorth murmured, "Deux tout de suite? Est l'a permis?"
"Apparently so." Lind answered moving back. She then looked at Belldandy. "You have neglected to inform us of something."
Belldandy smiled. "Have we?"
"Oh just tell us already." Chihiro called out.
"Why? Is there a bet?"
"Ahh ehh heh heh." Most of the people present, save for Sayoko, Keiichi, and Selene, began to politely cough and look away.
Belldandy stared disapprovingly at her youngest sister.
"Skuld…..I would have expected this of Urd ("Hey!" Urd shouted), but you?""
"But Onee-sama!" Skuld began, "Urd said I had to!"
"Traitor." Urd grumbled.
"Just tell them already." Selene grumbled, "Then they can settle the bet and the Aunts will have a name to go with the face."
"Very well, " Belldandy said, "Keiichi and I had a long talk, and we decided that her name will be Sayoko Megumi Morisato."
Sayoko and Megumi both blinked and looked at each other. Everyone else blinked and looked at Sayoko.
"Why me?" Sayoko asked, "I haven't exactly been a friend to you."
"No kidding." Urd muttered softly.
"No, you haven't." Belldandy replied, "But you changed. I think our experience in the elevator has shown that."
Sayoko moved forward and knelt down beside the bed as close as she could to Belldandy.
"I've been a bad person to you for so long." She whispered, "How can……how can you……"
Belldandy placed a hand on Sayoko's shoulder, silencing her.
"Because I'm a Goddess." Belldandy replied, "And you are a person that I wish to consider a friend."
Sayoko stared at Belldandy, blinking her eyes for several moments before burying her face into the side of Belldandy's bed, crying softly. The Goddess move her hand and slowly began to run it though the crying woman's hair.
"So, Sayoko Megumi?" Chihiro said thinking. She then looked to Keiichi. "16 years till she can drive a motorcycle?"
Keiichi blinked. "Ahh…I think we'll try a bicycle first."
"She will enroll at Nekomi Tech of course." Tamiya stated, "After all, the Motor Club must continue!"
"But that's years off!" Keiichi protested.
"Besides, she's a Goddess." Peorth pointed out, "She'll need training up in Heaven."
"She was just born!"
"….they start young."
Belldandy sighed, and looked down at her daughter's face.
"Don't worry my little Sayoko." She said softly, "Whatever happens in the future, you will have the love and support of your parents." She then looked at everyone that was still discussing her daughter's future. "As well as the support of friends and family." She then looked at Peorth and Lind, before her eyes traveled down at a teary eyed Sayoko Mishima. "And even a few special Aunts."
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Night had fallen. The hospital halls were dimmed and mostly empty, but for the few nurses making their rounds. Near the newborn room, a figure suddenly appeared, stepping out of the shadows and into the light.
Kami-sama moved silently through the door and soon found himself looking down at his sleeping granddaughter.
"Welcome to the world Sayoko." He said softly, "I fear you have entered a world that is falling into shadow. Dark times lay ahead for all of us." He then smiled. "But perhaps, you can help bring a bit of the light back." His smile fell slightly. "While you may hear of me, we may not meet for sometime………but as your Mother has said, you will have all of your family's love and support……."
Kami-sama gently placed his hand upon Sayoko's head. When he removed it, her markings glowed brightly for a moment. When the glow faded, so had Kami-sama.