Disclaimer: I do not own DanMachi or any of the Omori's original characters, nor do I make any profit off of my writing.
"One insistent on dying in the dungeon."
Riveria's head whipped around to the goddess, "wh- what?"
"He wishes to die."
"Why would you let him go down into the dungeon then?"
Loki clenched her fists but continued walking, "Hestia and I have agreed to grant his wish."
That made Riveria stop, she had expected many things from her goddess over her years. That was not one of them. Getting drunk, yes. Sexual harassment, yes.
Encouraging a child to kill themselves, no.
She was furious, she doesn't even know the boy but how could they? He was a kid!
"Loki! What the hell are you– "
"Don't mistake my words, Riveria. This is not what either of us want."
She ground her teeth together in frustration, "then why? Why would you not keep him safe instead?"
Loki paused and turned back to her, regarding her through one eye, "he'll die regardless. We do not know when but his body is already giving out. He ran from his father to have a death worth something. He throws himself into the dungeon day after day so he will be strong enough to save somebody's life."
".. "
"That's his wish, Riveria. He wishes to die in place of another."
"B- but– "
"We're supporting him so he can pass on happy, that is all. Until that day comes the Loki familia and its members will back the Hestia and Bell."
Riveria watched as her goddess turned back around and continued walking toward Babel.
"Let's go, Riveria. I do not know when he'll come back out tonight, but I'd prefer not to miss him."
The high elf was quick to catch back up, matching pace with the red-haired goddess.
".. and if he doesn't?"
"The only way he does not come out of those caves tonight is if somebody needs saving. The dungeon will not kill him so easily."
"Loki– "
"What?"
Riveria recoiled slightly as the goddess snapped at her, her emerald hair curtaining her face off as she bowed her head in shame, "I'm sorry."
Loki smiled fondly at the high elf, "just take care of the boy, i's not like yer gonna last much longer than either Hestia or I did be'fer fallin' inta line."
".. I'm afraid I don't understand."
Loki rolled her eyes, "I don't call you 'mama' only 'cause it amuses me, the boy will have ya wrapped 'round his finger in no time."
Riveria had the nerve to act offended by the statement as if it were not one-hundred percent accurate. She scoffed under her breath, "I'd like to see him try."
"That's the thing, he won't even hav'ta try."
Riveria's glare faltered at Loki's rueful smile.
".. why is he dying?"
"Now that's tha question, isn'it?"
"You know what I mean, Loki."
The goddess shrugged, her expression turning serious once again, "honestly we don't know, he coughs up blood frequently and he struggles with eating, so I'm guessing he has damage to his stomach or something too."
"And he hasn't sought treatment?"
"Hestia says he told her that his mother was killed by the same thing, magic and potions only worsened the condition."
"What? How?"
Loki sighed, "I spoke to Dian Cecht, he says it sounds similar to a patient he had fifteen years ago."
"Who?"
"Meteria of the Hera familia, a non-combatant member who was terminally ill. She was exiled by joint order of the Freya and Loki familia."
".. "
"Her and her unborn child."
".. fuck."
"Fuck indeed, though I wouldn't let any elves hear you speaking like that."
"Other elves can piss off right now, what are you going to tell Bell?"
Loki gestured toward a bench off to the side of the tower's exit, one that would be in perfect view of Bell when he is done for the night, "the only thing I can tell him, the truth. He doesn't know yet because we haven't had the chance to speak, I asked Hestia to wait for me to tell him."
".. and if he hates is for it and wants nothing to do with us?"
"I already have proxies set up to step in and support Hestia."
The high elf slumped down onto the bench with none of the dignity or poise expected of somebody of her status. Then again, the woman next to her had already reclined fully with her head facing the stars, one foot pulled into the bench, and her legs spread.
And she was a goddess. Shouldn't they be more proper?
Either way, Riveria couldn't care less about ladylike behavior right now.
"If healing worsens his condition, then why am I here?"
"To make sure he at the very least doesn't bleed out and then we're getting him home."
Emerald eyes turned to face the sky. They watched the few clouds that decorated it pass by slowly, a gentle breeze blowing them to the west.
Her chest rose and fell quickly as she let out a sigh.
There was an entrance to the bottom floor of Babel at each of cardinal directions, namely for easy access to each of the main streets of Orario. Loki had sat them down on a bench on the western portion, though Riveria couldn't tell if that was because it was the closest or she knew which the boy would be exiting from.
Still, it gave her a good view of the sun as it sank over the walls that lined the perimeter of the city. As time progressed the sun dipped further and further, the afternoon sky soon shifting to evening before finally coming to a rest at night.
The beautiful arrangement of oranges and purples that sprang up was replaced with the same, dull purple that came over them every night. The magic crystal lanterns that hung down from the wall above them ensured that Riveria would never get to see the stars overhead while she waited.
A shame, really. The constellations were one of her favorite things to watch. As a princess – locked away in that forest full of nothing but bitter, old elves – the stars were her only constant. She knew that whenever she looked up at them that they would be looking down on her, watching over the world from above. A world she longed to explore.
She spent seventy years in her family's woods, surrounded by all the luxuries life could offer. She'd felt empty then. Unmistakably so.
Nothing had any meaning.
She couldn't help but feel that right now – as she waited for a dying boy to come back to the surface – that she was in the right place for herself. She'd come to love her life inside the walls of Orario, even though she effectively traded one set of walls she couldn't leave for another.
But she could make a difference.
A foot scuffed long the stone somewhere within the tower. It was faint, but Riveria was just able to pick up the noise with her level six hearing. Her ears danced around on the sides of her head as she focused on listening.
Quietly, she rose from her seat and dusted herself off. Just because she was staying around to heal this boy does not mean she shouldn't look any less proper (she ignored how it hadn't been more than a few hours since she'd thought the exact opposite).
With small, tentative steps she walked forward. Her long, green robes fluttered around her legs as she kicked against the fabric. She turned the corner to face Babel through the western arch and turned right back around on her heel when a bloody girl came into view.
She could walk it off.
Riveria only made it halfway back to the bench before she sighed and approached the girl instead. Loki already said she wouldn't need to heal the boy entirely so she could afford to drain a little bit of mind on the poor girl. Normally, she wouldn't even bother, she needed to focus on her own familia after all, but she couldn't just ignore somebody in pain and bleeding. Well, she could but that'd weigh on her conscious and was just a hassle.
She caught the girl as she collapsed and groaned, isn't that just swell.
".. Nine.. Hells?"
Well, the girl at least was aware of who she was, that spoke well for her brain at the very least. She was slurring her speech horribly though.
The high elf carried the girl over to the infirmary in Babel with a shake of her head.
Honestly, what possesses these children to ignore their wounds like this? There is an infirmary for a reason!
Two doctors rushed over to her the moment she drew close, and she wordlessly handed the girl off to them, waiting for one of the receptionists to approach instead. They did so soon after and she quickly explained what she knew (which amounted to very little).
Thump!
The elven princess didn't even think before she turned and rushed toward the stairs, sliding along the smooth, stone floor to the side of the crumpling boy as he rasped out shaky breaths. He was covered in sweat from head to toe and his teeth were speckled with blotches of blood, dried and fresh alike.
"Foolish boy," she got to work removing his tattered shirt and checking over his chest even as she hissed out more curses than she thought she knew. Bell simply watched through dazed and unfocused eyes as she moved with practiced ease. Any of the weak protests that threatened to come from his mouth died as she continued to work, pointedly not using any magic.
It wasn't that he thought anybody who would have found him would have healing magic, but he could faintly see.. four? Six? He could see a lot of pointed ears, surely one of the pretty elves above him would have a spell?
Why weren't they using it?
A cough tore from his throat when one of the elves above him pressed gently on his chest, she retracted her hand quickly with a wince as he rasped.
Three of his fingers dragged pathetically across his sternum as he clawed at his skin. Riveria quickly grabbed a hold of his wrist and moved it away, preventing him from further hurting himself (not that she thought he could in his condition).
His condition wasn't great but it wasn't horrible either. She knew at the very least he wouldn't die, at least not tonight.
He had only a few cuts and bruises along his arms, there was a far larger gash over his collarbone and another one on his hip, but other than that he was mostly clean. Remarkably so for a boy who is pushing his body past its limits on a crazed quest for purpose.
She shook her head sadly as she bandaged the wound over his shoulder, it came from a War Shadow if she had to guess – nothing this boy should be fighting if what her goddess said was true.
"Why must you do this?"
The words were whispered, not meant for anybody but her to hear, but it would seem he had other things in mind.
"..e.. ro.. "
Her fingers paused in their movements as she glanced up, her emerald eyes meeting his bloodshot rubellite ones.
"What was that?"
".. I.. wan.. be.. h.. ro.. "
With a sigh, she leaned over him and placed her pointed ear closer to his mouth to try to hear him more clearly, his voice was far too strained and tired to make much of anything out of if not.
"I.. want to.. be a hero.. "
Of course, you do.
Silently, she returned to her work, being careful to watch his reaction to each of her movements and prevent him from hurting anymore, heaven knows how much pain he's already in on a daily basis.
She moved one of her arms under his neck while the other snaked beneath the crook of his knee, supporting him in a bridal carry. She moved slowly and carefully, hoping to not shift him too radically, and reopened any of his slowly healing wounds.
Loki had appeared by her side at some point as she worked, hovering nervously as she watched over the elfess's shoulders. She'd suck in a breath every time he'd wince, and her fists would clench each time he recoiled from the woman's touch. Yet, she said nothing the whole time, instead choosing to watch with a worried brow and pained expression.
She hated this.
She was aware that it wasn't like her at all to care this much for anybody, especially some random kid from outside of her family, but something about him just struck a chord with her.
She wanted to help him reach his dream before he met his end, it wasn't even out of guilt or obligation after the part she played in his unfair life. It was just the least she could do for a stranger who deserved better.
Her hands kept reaching out unconsciously to touch his face or head before she quickly pulled them back to her side. She kept her head down as she and Riveria turned back to the east and walked through the quiet streets. The stars twinkled dimly overhead, occasionally brightening slightly but remaining far darker than typical.
A few clouds spread across the heavens, sweeping over the upper layers of Babel as the winds blew them eastwardly.
"Do you know where we're taking him?"
"West."
"Loki– "
"Yeah, I know, okay? I haven't been to Hestia's place yet. If I hadda guess, the little worrywart s'probably running all over the place already, just keep yer eyes peeled."
Riveria shook her head with a sigh, her emerald hair dusting over the child's face and causing him to scrunch up his nose as it tickled him. A small smile crossed her lips as she watched him fidget in response, it was unfairly cute.
She shifted closer to the side of the street as they neared the Hostess of Fertility, dipping further into the shadows. She wasn't sure what or who Bell had told about his condition, but she wasn't about to reveal anything without him knowing beforehand.
He needed help and she would–
Damnit!
Loki smirked beside her as she walked with her hands tucked behind her back, "he already gotcha, hasn' he?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Mhmm. Sure, definitely not a 'mama.'"
"Lest you wish for me to force everybody in our familia to find a new goddess, I suggest you stop."
Loki rolled her eyes at the threat, it's not like Riveria would actually kill her.
She eyes the high elf out of the corner of her eye.
Probably.
Her faze shifted to the staff as it thunked along the cobblestone streets, the intricate head adorned with magical crystals glinting under the lamplight.
Maybe.
She shifted just a little bit further away from the level six adventurer as she carried the boy, no need to test her limits. She wouldn't be able to touch any more of her children's boobs if she were recalled to Tenkai, not until they died at the very least.
The staff stopped striking the stone and Loki paused to glance back at Riveria with a tilt of her head, "what is it?"
"You're leading us into ruins, Loki. Nobody lives here."
The goddess looked around, it really was all ruins. Why the hell did Hestia say she lived out here?
"But– "
"Loki, this area was destroyed by Evilus years ago. I know you haven't forgotten that, let's just take him back to the Twilight Manor."
"N- no, it's just that– "
"Loki!"
"'Tia?"
Riveria shot Loki a raised eyebrow that was swiftly waved off as she searched the area for the pint-sized goddess.
"'Tia, where are ya?"
"Over here!"
"'Kay, that don't mean shit, girl. We're on the main road just come out, actually how the hell'd you even know we were 'ere?"
There was a pause before a bunch of stone collapsed down a mound of rubble to their right, the tiny goddess in question popped out from atop the pile. Her dress was filthy and she was waving a hand through the air and coughing as she tried to disperse the dust cloud that billowed up, but she was there.
A bright smile appeared on her face as she gave them a thumbs up, "I heard you! Have you see– Bell!"
Hestia rushed down from where she was perched, making it only a foot down the tower before she tripped and fell, tumbling the rest of the way down.
"Ya' okay, shrimp?"
Hestia smacked her hand away as she scrambled to her feet and rushed around the goddess who'd approached to help her up, "what's wrong with him? Why's he hurt?"
Loki pouted at the rejection but let it go as she spun around, "dungeon."
"Why was he– "
She held a hand up to stop Hestia's questioning, "first, let's get him home so he can rest and heal. Then we can talk about who's at fault, 'kay?"
The goddess of hearth and home glanced between them and the ruined streets to the west before giving them a hesitant nod.
"'Tia?"
"Hm?"
"Where ya goin'?"
"Home."
She continued on without another word, simply gesturing for them to follow as she silently moved through the ruined streets. Loki and Riveria shared a glance before they continued on after her.
They passed plenty of different shades of rubble.
Some of it was definitely housing.
That one right there was probably a flower shop.
Loki was pretty sure she once ate at that particular pile of rubble.
She was also fairly certain that the owner of that brown rubble owed her some money (she probably wasn't going to get that back).
Hestia stopped walking several paces ahead, her bare feet softly scuffing against the loose stones and sending them clattering around the space. Her hands wrung each other nervously in front of her before she drifted off to the side and shoulder a heavy wooden door to a.. church?
The door spun open with a horrid screech, the hinges crying out in agony after another day without oil.
Loki followed her with a worried frown, "Hestia, what is this?"
".. "
".."
".. "
She continued on toward the back of the room, bypassing the overturned and rotten wood pews. Loki could see bits of the night sky through gaps of the ceiling, a perfect view of the heavens above that they'd descended from.
A far cry from where Hestia calls home now.
A hidden wall in the back swung open soundlessly and Hestia disappeared into the hole in the wall, descending a small set of stairs into a dimly lit room. She briefly ran her fingertips along the coffee table in the center of the room before turning and gesturing toward the bed. When she spoke it was a quiet voice, a small amount of shame creeping in, "you can set him down on the bed, I'll take the couch for the night."
Riveria did so wordlessly, setting aside the previously tucked-in blankets before placing the child down in the center and wrapping him up in the cheap sheets.
"Hestia, when I said to ask for anything you needed to care for the kid, this," she spun a finger around, "this was included."
She sighed as the smaller girl's eyes fell to the ground, a softer part of her wanting to reach out and comfort her fellow goddess. She decided to follow that softer part's lead, just this once. Her rivalry be damned.
She crouched down in front of Hestia and wrapped her arms around her, tentative of her reaction in case she needed to pull back.
She didn't.
She let out a sigh as Hestia leaned into her, "he's your first member, nobody is expecting you to have it all together." A glance to her left showed her Riveria was looking through the girl's cupboards in what she could only assume was the kitchen space. At the very least, Hestia has been using the money Loki provided honestly and buying all of the foods Bell could stomach.
Riveria pulled a small box from the bottom shelf and flicked a switch on a magic crystal heater before beginning to boil a pot of water.
"You've got nothing to be ashamed of either, 'kay?"
".. but, I'm the goddess of home!"
"And I'd say you've done a damn good job with what you've got, right Mama?"
Loki pulled back and shot a smile back at the elf's glare, Hestia too turned to look at her causing the woman's glare to drop.
"It's quite nice considering it's beneath an abandoned church."
Loki smirked and threw an arm over Hestia's shoulder, "ya hear that? You've got yourself an elven princess stamp of approval! That means you can now host his eminence, Larfal Ljos Alf, should you please."
A watery chuckle filled the silence following Loki's bow and flourish and the trickster goddess reveled in the small smile Hestia gave her.
"Thanks, Loki."
"Of course! Now, with that out of the way, you're moving out immediately."
Hestia snorted as some of the fire returned back to her eyes, she pointed a finger up in Loki's face and whisper-shouted her challenge to the goddess.
"My house will be way nicer than whatever you've got inside the Twilight Manor– "
"You've been there."
" –and it'll be way more homely."
Loki rolled her eyes, "yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just find a reasonable place and I'll buy it, try to make it closer to me though, I'm not looking to hoof it every time I want to see him."
Hestia nodded before her attention was pulled back to the boy as he exhaled shallowly beneath the comforts, a wet rasp escaping rewarding him for his efforts. She padded over to his side quietly, the mattress sinking down as she set herself down on the side. Her hand combed through his hair gently, unsticking the grimy white locks from his sweaty forehead.
Loki took a seat on the other side from her and watched his eyes move back and forth beneath their lids. She let out a heavy sigh before beginning, "my familia was at the Hostess, apparently, he was there at the same time. Bete said something upsetting and Bell heard it. He ran out and disappeared into the dungeon, I followed him with Riveria and waited for him to come, he collapsed at the top of the stairs and hasn't woken up since we left Babel."
Hestia nodded as she stood up and disappeared into the bathroom, reemerging with a damp towelette. Loki watched as she gingerly wiped his exposed skin with the cloth as he slept, wordlessly accepting the proffered cup of tea from Riveria with a nod of thanks.
".. "
".. "
The tea was good, the taste only hindered by the quality of leaves purchased in the first place, but it didn't settle the worry pooling in her stomach as the silence stretched on between them.
".. I don't blame you."
".. "
"Bell has come home and cried most nights he's been with me, I– I don't know what to do to help, he won't even tell me why. I don't know if it's just because he misses his dad or his home.. or.. "
".. or if it's because of the rumors?"
She nodded and pulled the washcloth back into her lap as she straightened up and looked over at Loki, "you've heard them too?"
A nod, "cruel doesn't even begin to describe it. He was wearing a cloak today, probably just so he wouldn't be harassed."
"Yes, well, I can't really blame your child for being mean what everybody else is doing the same."
Riveria frowned from where she stood, "everybody being cruel does not excuse any one individual for being the same."
"Maybe, maybe not. But Bell-kun would tell me to live and let lie, to forgive them. So, I will."
The three women sat in silence as they watched him sleep, the clock ticking along on the wall behind them as they did.
After a while, Loki rose from her spot, glancing over toward Hestia from her child's side.
"You'll be okay for a bit while we head home? I can get somebody to do the house hunting if you won't have the energy for it."
Twin pigtails spun through the air as Hestia shook her head, "no, no. I need to do my part too, I'll be okay. I'll talk to his guild advisor later to ask for help."
"Tulle-san, right?"
Riveria turned at the half-elf's mention, being formerly acquainted with the girl.
"Yeah, she's been good for him, though I doubt he's told her the truth yet."
Hestia heard the other two let out small sighs before two pairs of feet shuffled their way along the floor toward the exit.
"Take care of yourselves, Hestia. I'll see you soon."
"Mm."
Hestia went back to tenderly cleaning Bell's unbandaged skin from the dirt, grime, and blood of his late-night escapade into the dungeon; small tears collecting in the corners of her eyes as she worked.
One ruby eye opened groggily as she moved the cloth over his eyebrow, she murmured an apology before soothing him back into bed for the night.
She could sleep later, for now, she'd be content to watch and care for the boy.
Bell Mother Count: 3
Who do you think is next?