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-8-
A dirty white Ford pickup was in Keiichi's driveway by the time his Chevy pulled down the driveway that lead to Keiichi s house. A large, burly man rested against the Ford's driver's side door, and two of the Chevy's occupants recognized the stranger as LCDR McGuiness. The man fixed a scowl at the vehicle from beneath a thick, curly brown beard as they pulled up, and even before Keiichi could hop out the man was lumbering towards the truck, his deep, green eyes heated with coiled fury.
"Goodness," Belldandy breathed, staring at the man with wide eyes. "He's almost as large as Tamiya."
Skuld looked at her. "Who's Tamiya?" she asked.
Keiichi hopped out of the truck and Urd followed him a moment later, catching Keiichi's OIC off guard. He paused ten feet away from Keiichi, and his eyes roamed from the SEAL to Urd, then to the vehicle. His gaze rested on Belldandy for a moment, and the goddess flinched back at the anger in them, her mind bringing whispers of Aoshima's own temper as the man's voice began to ring in her ears again. You worthless piece a shit! What the fuck is wrong with you? Her mouth dried, and she could feel her heart as it began to quicken once more before a hand moved to rest on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.
The goddess jumped, then looked behind her to Skuld, who'd scooted to the middle of the back seat in a gesture of support. The goddess grasped the hand on her shoulder like it was a life jacket on a seaman overboard and squeezed it tight, taking strength in the comfort her sister brought. "You're fine, Sis," Skuld murmured. "Let Urd and Keiichi take care of this. I'm here for you."
Belldandy nodded, then glanced back to the stranger outside. The edge of the man's anger had faded somewhat, and in it's place was a more thoughtful expression as he observed first Belldandy, than Skuld. Finally, he directed his attention to Keiichi and Urd. Belldandy sucked in a shuddering breath, recalling Keiichi's words from earlier that morning; Whenever you're starting to feel out of control, stop and focus on something that isn't connected with whatever's scaring you, okay?
The Norn swallowed. Her throat felt like sandpaper. Taking Keiichi's words to heart, the goddess began to focus on the steering wheel of the Chevy.
Outside Keiichi approached his boss. "Sir." He fell into a tense 'parade rest' stance, his arms folded behind him as he addressed McGuiness. He'd screwed up by not answering his phone, and the tension was evident in his stance, where years of military discipline had made such actions second nature. Another day, another time, when McGuiness wasn't in sheer 'raging bull' mode, Keiichi's stance would have been more relaxed. Yet until the man had a chance to clear the air with his OIC, he needed to play it safe.
Urd's departure from the vehicle had helped somewhat. The presence of a civilian, even one as familiar as Urd, had forced McGuiness to reign in his temper a bit, but he still scowled, he still smoldered, and he still glared as the woman came to stand by Keiichi's side.
"Well now, will you be explaining yourself proper-like?" The man spoke long and slow, making an effort to enunciate his words without his accent. "And will you be introducing the ladies in your vehicle, Morisato?"
"Yes Sir." Keiichi didn't flinch. Didn't so much as blink. "The woman in the front passenger seat is Ms. Belldandy Tyrdotter. She's one of Urd's cases." Fuck, what the hell was he saying? If Urd didn't pick up some of the heat he'd start yammering away and shoot himself in the foot. "The woman behind her is Skuld…" He paused there, uncertain of what to say. Belldandy and Skuld were sisters, but the cover story they had distanced them from such a relationship.
Urd came to his rescue. "Special Agent Skuld Highkin," she said, digging into a pocket and withdrawing a wallet Keiichi didn't even know she owned. "And allow me to properly reintroduce myself, Commander McGuiness. I'm Special Agent Urd Hildborne of the International Humanitarian Relief Center." She flashed something at McGuiness, and the man stared queerly at her. "Skuld Highkin is my partner." She pocketed the wallet once more. "We're a branching organization under the United Nations dealing with illegal activities that happen outside the jurisdiction of countries who are not a part of the UN. Primarily we deal with Black Market activities ranging from the iillegaldrug trade, weapon trafficking, or human trafficking."
"I have not heard of you." McGuiness narrowed his eyes. "And I have a good many years of experience working with the UN, Ms. Hildborne."
Urd nodded. "And you wouldn't," she continued. "Ours is not well-known, even to those people whose spent years working in the United Nations because of the missions we conduct."
McGuiness scowled at her. It was hard to believe he'd raised a bottle in toast with her a couple of nights ago. The level of tension here was palatable, and the man straightened, folding his massive arms behind him in his own 'parade rest' stance as he broadened his shoulders, staring down at Urd from his massive six foot seven height. The Commander could be an intimidating son of a bitch when he wanted to be, and right now he was in full-blown 'asshole' mode, his intentions to cow the slim woman before him into submission obvious. "And pray tell, what missions are you doing here, Ms. Hildborne?"
Urd remained steadfast. "I'm not at liberty to discuss that here," she replied, and Keiichi was given the strange impression that the woman was somehow laughing, somehow mocking his OIC despite the somber expression on her face. "If we have access to a more secure area, I may be able to discuss that at greater length, however at this time I can only reveal that my intentions were under orders from my own superiors, and that GM1 Keiichi Morisato was a target of opportunity during that time to aid me in our own efforts to conduct a very specific mission."
The man released a rumble in his chest as his gaze moved from Urd to Keiichi. It sounded like something more fitting an angry bear. "And I am to be led to believe that is why you were unable to answer your phone?" He demanded. "You vanished with Shel-" he caught himself. Any sense of comradery that had been nurtured throughout the five years Urd had known him was gone in the wake of this new revelation, this new betrayal. "—Ms. Hildborne for some reason detailing the women in your truck?"
"Yes Sir." Keiichi wisely held his peace. Whatever Urd was talking about seemed to be working some sort of magic on McGuiness, and he wasn't about to spoil that by opening his big trap.
"I requested his assistance in a matter detailing the current case I'm working on," Urd continued, her tone all business. "If he was unable to access his phone during that time, than the fault lies with me and me alone." Green eyes darted back to Urd, who met his gaze with cool, dispassionate violet. "It is a matter that we can discuss in further detail alone, however due to the sensitivity of the matter, I ask that you do not inquire further into the subject until we can acquire a more secure area. Is that acceptable?"
It was an invitation, Keiichi recognized. An offer to acquire a better explanation and further details of whatever lie Urd had whipped up on such a quick basis. Fuck, she almost had Keiichi himself believing that shit. He had to remind himself that Urd wasn't human, he'd used a hairdryer as a makeshift raygun, and that the woman in his passenger seat had beaten the crap out of a demon in nothing but her birthday suit. Yet Urd somehow made that seem like a dream; a story of fiction more believable from the minds of Hollywood rather than something he'd experienced first-hand. Urd's explanation was more appealing, more rational, and so it came as no surprise when McGuiness grumbled, relaxed, and seemed to somehow loose some of his intimidating bearing.
"I want your card," he demanded. As if by magic a small, a light colored business card appeared in Urd's hand, and she handed it over to the Commander without comment. He scrutinized it through narrowed eyes, then sighed further and stuck it in his wallet. "I'll be in touch," he said icely, then looked at Keiichi. "You will report to the SCIF in building 5019 at 0700 sharp tomorrow," he ordered. "Where you will tell me everything that transpired from the moment Ms. Hildborne approached you to the moment I met you here, at your house." He glared at Urd, his gaze challenging, but he continued to address Keiichi. "Is that understood, GM1?"
"Yes Sir," Keiichi replied. Urd did not meet the Commander's challenge.
McGuiness cast one more glance between the two of them, then looked off in the direction of the Chevy. The Norns in the truck had not moved. The man frowned. "Morisato, you had best not have gotten into something outside of your league," he warned, and with that stalked off, his appearance that of an angry bear who'd been awoken during its hibernation.
Keiichi did not relax until McGuiness climbed into his old Ford and drove off.
He ran his fingers through his hair, finding his scalp slick with sweat. "That… could have gone better." He sent a look to Urd, who similarly blew the air from her cheeks, no longer Special Agent Urd Hildborne but Sheila once more. "Fuck, that was intense. Too intense for my taste." He shook his head. "What the hell was that, Urd?"
Belldandy and Skuld were leaving the truck now. They were holding hands. Keiichi didn't blame them. "Who was that?" Skuld demanded, looking over her shoulder at the fading yellow dust trail the Ford had kicked up in its retreat. She sounded…impressed.
"My boss," Keiichi responded lamely. "My pissed-off, mean-mugging, intimidating bear of a boss. Lieutenant Commander Christian McGuiness."
"I like him," Skuld said bluntly. Everyone froze and looked at the goddess with wide, disbelieving eyes. "He scares the shit out you, doesn't he, Magilla?" she inquired. "I like that. Always good to see someone who can intimidate a guy like you."
Keiichi's mouth fell open, but no words left his mouth. Even Urd looked stumped. Finally he shook his head. "We can discuss him later," he grumbled. "Come on, let's get the groceries inside before the food spoils."
XXX
It wasn't until later that evening, after the bags had been unpacked and new towels came to hang in the bathroom that Keiichi got his second guest that day. It almost made him wish for the relative normalcy McGuiness brought with his anger. At least he could deal with McGuiness. McGuiness was an old hand, a familiar beast, and in the end anything his Commander did was for the benefit of his team, regardless of what strange and horrible situations they managed to weasel themselves into.
Not this one.
Keiichi didn't know how to deal with a Valkyrie.
She came as Keiichi was bringing out the rest of the TV dinner stands. There were four of them in all, and the ones not in the living room had been repurposed for other tasks. Belldandy had attempted to start dinner for everyone that night, and was then ganged up on by both her sisters. Keiichi had watched in amusement as Belldandy was coaxed into playing several rounds of ro-sham-bo with first Urd, then Skuld in the living room, while either sister slipped away to get dinner started while the Middle Norn was distracted. By the time Belldandy had caught on to their little game, Skuld had already cut and prepped several vegetables and chicken, and Urd had started sautéing them while Skuld went a couple rounds with her. Keiichi himself was tempted to join the little game to help keep Belldandy distracted, but by then the smell of chicken began to waft from the kitchen, and the game came to an abrupt end.
Then it was Keiichi's turn to distract the goddess, who'd grown visibly upset by her two sisters antics and the realization that once again, she'd been denied the 'opportunity' to fix Keiichi a meal. The SEAL passed the time by pulling out a chess board that'd been a birthday gift from his younger sister, Megumi, and after some encouragement Belldandy joined him for a game, him one white, Belldandy on black, at the goddess' insistence. "Aoshima preferred white," was all she said before clamming up again, and Keiichi wisely let the topic drop.
He wasn't very good. A vast amount of TDY's and deployments with a lack of challengers had left Keiichi with little opportunity to hone his skills, though it was something he'd always wanted to do. He'd gained a renewed interest in the game after giving in and seeking help from Mental Health, and the SEAL enjoyed the way the game entrapped his attention. He was hoping it would hold the same for Belldandy, yet despite his own terrible plays he could tell her heart was not in the game. The Norn was more humoring him than anything else with moves even someone new to the game recognized as bad, and so when the doorbell rang, it was with great relief that he rose to answer it.
He later wished he'd have let Belldandy answer it instead.
"Coming!"
He opened the heavy wooden door to his house and found a woman standing outside, her dress peculiar, her mannerisms strange, and her face blank of emotion. In that moment, some small, insane bit of him imagined the woman storming into his house, a la Terminator-style, saying in a deadpanned, robotic voice, "Come with me if you want to live."
Either that or, "I am looking for Sarah Conner."
"What?" Keiichi blinked, realizing he was staring at the woman with his own blank expression and that the Valkyrie, Lind, had spoken to him.
"I said that I am looking for Urd," she repeated. A single blue brow rose in question.
"Well hello to you too," Keiichi said, his voice was heavy with sarcasm. "And how are you doing this fine evening, dropping by unannounced on our little unassuming household?"
Lind's expression did not change. "Is Urd here or not?"
Keiichi sighed. "Come on in. She's prepping dinner." He stepped to one side to allow the Valkyrie entrance, and then closed the door behind her. Belldandy peered at her from the living room's threshold, her gaze thoughtful.
The Valkyrie nodded in greeting. "Norn."
Belldandy mimicked it. "Valkyrie. You're the one from last night, are you not?"
Keiichi walked past the blue haired woman, who nodded in agreement before following Keiichi further into the house. "I'm here for Urd."
Belldandy frowned, her gaze perturbed. "What has she done?"
"Yo Sarah Conner!" Keiichi shouted. "Terminator's looking for you!"
Three out of the four goddesses didn't get the reference. From the kitchen Skuld poked her head out. "Who's Sarah Conner?" she demanded, then caught sight of Lind and paled. "Oh. Ooooh shit on a biscuit." She turned back into the kitchen. "Urd! It's for you!"
"I heard someone call for the last hope for humanity." Urd's voice grew louder, and Skuld vanished in place of the silver-haired Norn, who peeked out and paled considerably when her gaze fell upon Lind. "You know, when you said 'I'll be back', generally you're supposed to wait for the sequel," she joked weakly.
Lind stared, showing no comprehension of what Urd was hinting at. In a manner that was almost identical to the Keiichi of a few minutes ago, Urd sighed and stepped into the hallway. "Can this at least wait until after dinner?" she asked. Her tone was strained, reminiscent of the night of the rescue with Urd ill at ease beside Lind.
Lind raised a brow. "You speak as if it's your last meal."
"Are you to tell me it isn't?"
Lind said nothing, and Urd nodded. "Thought so," she grumbled. Belldandy and Keiichi looked at her in fresh concern.
"Wait, what is the meaning of this?" Belldandy asked, her own tone growing agitated as she glanced from Lind to Urd. "Urd, what did you do?"
The goddess sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose. "It can wait until after dinner," she insisted. "At least allow me that much."
"Urd, cut it out," Keiichi begged. "You're talking like you've got a date with Old Sparky or something." He looked back at Lind, who's own expression had the emotional range of a brick wall. "Just what the hell are you here for that's got Urd so wound up, huh?"
"Urd requested it wait until after you've supped." Lind inclined her head. "So we shall wait. I will return after you've had your fill, and from there we may continue speaking."
A fresh chorus of protests rose from those present, and of them all Urd was the loudest. "No!" she yelled, and Lind looked at her. "You come barging in here bringing gloom with you? Well guess what; you get to sit with us and share the mood over dinner," she snapped. "You're eating with us, and you're sitting right next to me, got it?"
A flash of discomfort passed across Lind's face, and for a moment she lost the stony complexion, and in its place was a young woman who looked as uncomfortable and nervous in her surroundings as those who were around her. "Um—"
From further in the kitchen Skuld was shaking her head, though whether she was pitying the Valkyrie, pitying Urd, or trying to dissuade the Valkyrie from arguing was anyone's guess. Keiichi brought his attention back to Lind, who was looking from one person to another with a look of deepening distress, before finally meeting his gaze. He frowned at her, and for some reason was reminded of Iraq, of Afghanistan, of the many, many times he'd accompanied McGuiness in meetings with various Village Elders. Not all of them had been pleased with the Americans who'd built a base near their homes. You come to our homes and steal our land for your eff oh be's. You tell us we cannot grow our poppy and so burn it down, then compensate us with seeds which bring us no income. You wear pig skin in our homes and add further insult by displaying your pig-skinned soles to us. You eat food that is Haram in front of our sons and daughters and feed it to our brothers whom you imprison in your camps. And you have the audacity to sit across from me and ask we speak as equals?!
This is just another deployment for her. He felt a strange sense of Déjà vu wash over him. Just another deployment, and you're a long way from home, aren't you, Lind? It was disconcerting to see things from the other side of the looking glass, and the man breathed a long, meditative breath. "Where's the rest of your unit?"
Lind looked at him with a start, and Keiichi continued. "Those other two-the green haired Valkyrie and the brown haired Valkyrie. Are they on post?"
Lind's frown was uncomfortable. "I'm alone," she revealed. The goddess looked less than happy revealing the information, and a small piece of Keiichi admired her for her integrity. Had he known he was going into a situation that might end in hostilities, even if he was alone he'd have made a bluff if he knew he could get away with it.
Keiichi nodded. "Alright. That means we should still be able to spread the meal amongst the five of us."
"I would speak with you if you've the time, Valkyrie." Belldandy kept her distance, but her gaze was imploring.
Lind frowned. "If this is about Urd it will have to wait." An irritated expression was slowly spreading across her face.
Yet Belldandy shook her head. "It is not," she assured. "I would speak of the reasons behind the assignment that led to me."
Lind pursed her lips, then looked from Belldandy to Keiichi and back again. "You know I'm not allowed to speak of much on the lesser planes." She warned.
"I'm aware." Belldandy nodded. "I only ask that you speak of what you're able."
Lind frowned, and the look of distrust on her face did not fade. At length she nodded as well, and with a gesture from Belldandy the Valkyrie followed her back into the living room. His own curiosity getting the better of him, Keiichi followed as well, hanging back to observe the two woman as Belldandy offered Lind one of the few chairs available. The Valkyrie shook her head at the invitation, preferring to stand, and with a shrug Belldandy sank back into her own chair beside the chess board.
"You were assigned overwatch of Urd to ensure she did not interfere with the wish established between myself and Aoshima, correct?" At Lind's nod Belldandy continued. "This was per my own directions to ensure no one interfered with boundaries established by that wish, yes? Because I sent instructions deliberately ordering no other deities interfere with the wish." Again Lind nodded, and this time Belldandy nodded as well, her gaze thoughtful. "Do you know why you specifically were assigned to Urd?"
"Urd was ignoring the orders sent up by you denying further divine involvement in your affairs." Lind replied.
Again Belldandy nodded. "But are you aware why you were instructed to provide overwatch of Urd?"
At that Lind paused, then slowly shook her head. "I am not," she confessed. "At the time, I thought it strange that the Powers That Be dictated a Valkyrie police a goddess over one of the more fitting justice deities, but it was not my place to question orders." She stared at Belldandy, and a shadow passed across her gaze. "I regret it," she said. "Perhaps if I'd had an ounce of a brain, we'd have saved you sooner."
Belldandy shook her head. "Please, ignore that right now." Her voice wavered for a moment, then grew steadier. "You were a military unit assigned to a task outside your jurisdiction than, yes?"
This time, Lind hesitated before nodding once more, her gaze questioning. "Have your superiors spoken with you on the reasoning behind that yet?"
"No," Lind said. "Though now, after discovering the demon at your…previous residence, I believe that someone suspected demonic involvement with your wish."
"That is what I suspected as well." Belldandy nodded in agreement. "However, it was not until Keiichi Morisato interfered that I found actual proof of this myself, and this was while working side by side with Toshiyuki Aoshima for ten years." The goddess pursed her lips. "Yet if someone had enough of a reason to suspect…if someone could find the proper reason to assign a Valkyrie oversight of a deity rather than one of Athena's Eumenides…" She trailed off, looking at Lind expectantly.
Lind returned the stare with a blank one of her own, for a moment showing little understanding of what Belldandy was hinting at. Then her eyes widened. "Oh," she said. "Oh… wait… wait, does that mean—" She cut herself off all at once, her gaze darting to Keiichi, the kitchen, and then back to Belldandy.
The goddess met her gaze with a calm one of her own, and her expression gave nothing away. Keiichi wondered what they were hinting at, and sensing he'd get nothing more from the two woman the man shrugged and left them in peace. He caught one tentative question from Lind as he moved into the kitchen, "Does that mean the rumors are…" He didn't hear the rest of the question.
Dinner was a tense affair. Keiichi sacrificed his own chair and new dinnerware for Lind, who took the items only after a great deal of prodding from Belldandy. They dined in the living room; an awkward cluster of TV dinner stands, folding chairs, and Keiichi leaning against the wall with a paper plate. The only drinks available were water from the tap and root beer, and Keiichi wasn't surprised when the women present all decided on the water.
They dined in an awkward silence, and as Urd had demanded Lind sat right next to her. On occasion, Skuld would sneak glances at the two, yet the tension between everyone present prevented even an attempt at innocent talk. Everyone was on edge, and of them Urd the most. Not for the first time since Lind's arrival Keiichi wondered what had brought the woman to his home. He wondered what the Valkyrie presence meant for Urd.
Urd picked at her food, her face drawn and pale. It wasn't the flavor. Another night it might have been an enjoyable meal; between Urd and Skuld's combined skils, they'd managed to make a decent dinner of sautéed bell peppers and chicken tender enough to fall off the bone. Now it seemed that most of the meal was about to go into the fridge, as Urd's own discomfort had already spread to Lind and was showing signs of affecting Skuld as well. Keiichi's own appetite wasn't what it should have been either, though the man was uncertain if it was the tension to blame or something else. He certainly didn't know what was going on, or what the arrival of the Valkyrie could possibly foretell.
Only Belldandy remained unaffected by the somber atmosphere. She finished her meal with polite gusto that spoke of many meals which preceded business deals, and upon finishing collected everyone else's unfinished meals before returning to the living room. Keiichi wondered what she did with the leftovers, then decided he didn't care.
"Alright." Urd's face was knit in a tight grimace. "Let's get this over with. No more dawdling, Lind." The Norn looked sick with anxiety, and Skuld began to shuffle restlessly in her seat, staring at them both with large, dark eyes.
"Are you comfortable with this in the open?" Lind asked, "We can speak in private, if you wish."
Yet even before Lind finished speaking Urd was shaking her head. "No," she said, and her voice was quiet. "They need to hear what you have to say. They deserve to know as well."
Keiichi felt himself break into a cold sweat, and the man crossed his arms over his chest, eyes darting from one woman to the other with poorly-contained apprehension. Lind looked at him, her gaze unreadable, and Keiichi felt his arms break into goosebumps. "Even the mortal?"
"The mortal has a name," Urd snapped. "He gave it to you himself. Fucking use it." She breathed deeply, and Keiichi watched her chest rise with anxiety. "And yes I want him to hear. He's looking out for Belldandy now and he needs to be familiar with how things work with us. Now will you fucking please get on with it?"
Lind was silent a moment more. Keiichi thought he might scream if it went on a minute longer. Then she sighed, leaned forward and placed her hands on the knees of her white uniform. A change seemed to come across her person, and all at once the uncomfortable woman in white was gone, replaced once more with the steel Valkyrie. "Urd Tyrdotter, Eldest of the Norns, Chief Administrator of Yggdrasil and Keeper of the Knowledge of the Secret Well, Eldest daughter of Daitenkaicho Tyr, the Just Binder of Beasts, you have been found guilty of the following crimes: Illegal tampering of a wish bound under contract in the first degree, conspiring against a Wishgranter of the GRO in the third degree…" Lind began to list out a long line of charges against Urd, and the Eldest Norn looked straight ahead, voicing no word of protest and allowing the accusations to continue uninterrupted. Keiichi felt his mouth part in disbelief, yet he stopped himself when Urd sent a sharp glance at him, her gaze so fierce that it froze him before he could even think to get a word out.
Belldandy listened in heavy silence, her gaze thoughtful. She didn't move from her seat until Skuld moved to rise, a look of protest spreading across her own face with such unabashed fury that Keiichi though she was liable to attack the Valkyrie. And then Belldandy was behind her, her hands resting on the younger Norn's shoulder and pressing her back down into her seat. The younger deity looked up at her sister with disbelieving eyes, yet the middle Norn did not meet them, her gaze too heavily focused on Urd and Lind.
"…and you have been found guilty of releasing a tenth-dimensional form on a third-dimensional plane, risking the destruction of the entire dimension. Have you anything to say in your defense?" Lind finished, bequeathing Urd an intense look.
Urd closed her eyes and Keiichi felt his heart wrench in his chest. Something about that action, that look of acceptance, of defeat on the woman's face seemed worse than all the accusations piled against Urd. The SEAL felt a lump in his throat. This is a trial. He thought. This is a trial, and Lind is acting as judge, jury, and executioner all at once. He felt himself grow cold, and he wrenched his gaze back to Urd's sisters. Belldandy's grip still remained firm on Skuld's shoulders, and the younger goddess was gripping the fabric of her jeans with a grip so tight it trembled. The young woman looked on the edge of loosing control of herself, of breaking whatever so held her down and assaulting Lind, of dragging Urd away, of doing something to stop this madness from progressing.
And Keiichi found himself encouraging it in his silence. Do it. He thought. Do it and I'll follow. This is bullshit and you know it and I know it. Do it and we'll drag Urd out of this and fucking run. His gaze drifted to Belldandy, who even still remained impassive. Why aren't you doing anything? He wondered, he screamed. That's your fucking sister, damn it! She did all that for you! Don't you realize that? Don't you fucking care?
As if hearing his thoughts Belldandy's head whipped towards him, and in it was the barely controlled rage of a woman incapable of action, a woman who'd been denied such opportunities time and time again and had been forced to watch as whatever horror played out before her. All at once he felt ashamed, though he did not know why, and the man returned his gaze to Urd and Lind, a grimace on his face that was growing more and more into a snarl.
"Are you aware of the punishment dictated to one of your decree?" Lind continued. "That of an extended sealment for no less that a total of twenty millennia, to be re-evaluated at ten millennia to assess your level of guilt?"
"I am." Urd's voice was resigned. She didn't open her eyes, didn't move, but a look of peace came across her face. The valid had been passed and was out in the open now, and Old Sparky was polished and waiting with its gleaming metal helmet.
Skuld broke. She tore herself from Belldandy's grip before her sister could get a stronger hold of her. "No!" she roared, and to Keiichi it seemed as if the walls shook with her despair. "No! Half of those aren't even hers, those are mine, I'm guilty of at least half of what you're pinning on Urd and it was all so we could save Belldandy!" She advanced on Lind, who didn't even acknowledge the infuriated woman, only to be pulled back, pulled off her feet by Belldandy. The woman hissed and spat like a rapid cat. "It was for Belldandy's sake you bitch! You saw! There was a demonic element involved! You fucking saw it too!" She clawed at Belldandy with all the ferocity of a wild animal, yet Belldandy's grip remained strong, almost frighteningly so. "Let me go, Belldandy let me go!" she screamed. Tears glittered at the corner of the Norn's eyes, tears of rage, of grief, of defeat. "Don't let her seal Urd away!" She moaned, "Please!"
Belldandy was crying too, Keiichi realized. They both were, restrained and restrainer, and the moisture on their cheeks glittered like beautiful, sorrowful diamonds. Why aren't I doing anything? Keiichi wondered. This isn't right, it's obvious, yet I'm just standing here doing nothing. Why? Why can't I summon up the courage to move? Why am I just standing here and watching this shit? It was like he was pinned; like needles had been laced into his pressure points, and despite his own disbelief, despite his own grievances, he could no more move than he could speak, and why not? These were not his people, not his culture, not his laws. He could no more speak out against what was transpiring than he could understand the laws that so convicted Urd. He was a stranger whose opinion didn't matter, and nothing he did would change what was about to happen, nothing Skuld did would change that, and Belldandy, he realized, knew that fact. Knew it and was trying to save Skuld, save Urd, from the embarrassment and shame of the younger goddess losing control of herself before Lind.
"That's enough."
Silence befell the room. Urd had spoken. Had spoken with such presence that Keiichi could feel its weight baring down against him, and it ordered silence. Skuld fell quiet and ceased her struggles. Belldandy released her. Neither siblings gaze left Urd. Even Keiichi found his eyes on the goddess, not so much drawn as dragged to her, and Keiichi found he couldn't look away if he wanted to. Even Lind was staring at Urd with wide eyes, and a part of Keiichi wondered if she was even daring to breathe; she, who had just cast judgment upon the very woman who so demanded such immediate silence.
The Norn's eyes roved the room, violet eyes hard and penetrating as outside, the spring sun began to fall beneath the horizon. They moved from one person to the next, pausing long enough to observe but no more, and Keiichi flinched when they met his. He was struck with a strange thought, Belldandy is your responsibility now, and then her gaze moved on, returning to rest on Lind.
"I accept your judgment and await my fate," she murmured. "I and I alone hold responsibility for all that has been listed against me, and bare the blame on no other deity's shoulders."
Lind nodded, her mouth set in a tight frown. "Very well then." She inclined her head in a slow nod. "Then by the authority granted to me in the absence of Justice Athena, Lady of Law and Master of Furies, from this moment hence forth, you are banished from Asgard, for the minimum sentence of three millennia."
Urd froze, and her jaw dropped. "I'm what?" Her voice trembled with thinly-suppressed emotion.
Lind ignored her. "You're position as Yggdrasil's head administration operator is here by revoked. Your position as a goddess Second-class, restricted, falls under probation, and your magic from this point forward shall only be used in a time of need, as so dictated by the standards put in place by your acting probation officer."
"What?" Skuld was staring too. Staring with wide, disbelieving eyes at the two goddesses in question.
"I-I'm not getting sealed?" Urd's voice was shaking now, shaking with the bone-rattling relief of a woman who'd dodged a bullet. "I-what?" She tried to rise and failed, plummeting back in her seat with such force that the folding chair groaned. The look of disbelief did not leave her face.
Lind closed her eyes and nodded. "Justice Athena reviewed your case with a great deal of scrutiny, Urd." A small half-smile tugged at the corner of one lip. "And after learning of your efforts to foil a previously unknown plot by demonic elements, has elected a gentler punishment on word of the reports written regarding your behavior over the past ten years. It was confirmed that every action you did, legal or not, was in an effort to aid a fellow deity who might have been coerced on a demon's pressure to cut all requests for aid." She sent a pointed look at Belldandy, who opened her mouth to protest before wisely falling silent. "Unfortunately, the one thing that could not be overlooked was your access to your True Self on a dimensional plane that could not hold up under the strain, and thus you're still being punished; thus your removal from a place of authority and temporary banishment from the Heavens."
Urd released a high bought of laughter. It almost sounded like sob. The goddess buried her face in her hands. "I'm not being sealed," she whispered. "I-" She looked up again, and her own tears were leaking down her cheeks now. "This isn't a joke? Not some Valkyrie jest for your own amusement?"
Lind fought and failed to hide the spreading smile on her face. "No jokes," she said, and her voice was surprisingly gentle. "Urd, you are, by far, the biggest pain in my ass I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. But from the moment I was assigned overwatch of you-for whatever divine reason they thought that was a good idea—you have shown me time and time again that the only motive behind any of your actions was for the sake of your sister, and after learning what I now known to be true, I respect that."
For the first time since Lind had begun her little trial, Keiichi found his voice. "You mentioned a probation officer," he stated. "What's that mean?"
It was hard to tell if Urd even heard his question. The woman was trembling with visible relief. "I'm not being sealed," she murmured again.
Lind looked at him with a single brow raised. "I told you I'd be around, did I not?"
Belldandy stared at the Valkyrie with her own wide eyes. "You-forgive me, but you're a Valkyrie!" She cried, and the look on her face spoke of a similar relief intermingled with disbelief. "Why would-it is not that I am ungrateful, but, well, why?"
Unnoticed by all, Skuld gave a large whoop of joy and barreled into Urd, knocking the older goddess from her seat. The two laid where they'd fallen, laughing in disbelief as Urd placed an arm across her eyes, masking the relieved tears that slid down her cheeks. "Who cares?!" Skuld cried. "Urd's not being sealed! That's all that matters!"
Lind eyed the duo with an unreadable expression, then turned back to address Belldandy. "I've been assigned to Urd for the past eight years already." She confessed. "And so the Powers That Be decided I would make the best candidate since I already have such extensive knowledge of Urd as it is."
"I see," Belldandy murmured. The Norn approached the Valkyrie, and Lind rose to meet her. The goddess inhaled sharply, her own face unreadable, and then before Lind could react Belldandy pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank you." Keiichi had to strain his ears to catch what the Middle Norn said, her voice was so quiet. "Thank you for not taking her from me. Thank you." Lind released a squeak that was very un-Valkyrie like, and awkwardly pat the Norn's back. Then Belldandy released her and moved to kneel at her siblings' side. A pair of arms, one light, one dark, reached up and grabbed the middle sister, and with a yelp Belldandy allowed her sisters to pull her down into the dogpile. Urd couldn't stop laughing with her relief.
Lind moved to stand awkwardly against the wall beside Keiichi, and for a moment the two warriors quietly watched the three sisters.
It was Keiichi who broke the silence. "So…" he began. "Does this mean I need to buy another blow up mattress?"
Lind shook her head. "I'll just be making visits on occasion," she assured him. "If any of them warrant my spending the night, than something is wrong." The two lapsed once more into silence. Urd had finally shifted into a sitting position, and Skuld had one arm around both her and Belldandy, drawing them both close despite the look of semi-reluctance on Belldandy's face. It seemed that even with her sisters, the scars left by Aoshima ran deep, but for the moment the middle Norn doggedly allowed the intimacy her sisters brought.
"They're a pretty tight-knit bunch, aren't they?" Lind murmured, and Keiichi glanced at her in surprise. "You don't often see that level of connection amongst deities," she continued. "Much less siblings."
"That so?"
Lind watched him from the corner of one eye. Her gaze darted back to the Norns. "They're good for each other," she decided. "Keep that in mind, Keiichi Morisato."
"Jank."
Lind looked over at him, and Keiichi grinned. "You ain't fooling me, Lind," he said. "Most of those reports you were talking about had to have been submitted by you. It's 'cause of you Urd got off with this lighter sentence, right?"
Lind said nothing, but her cheeks pinkened. She stared down at the floor with sudden interest.
"What about you're unit?" Keiichi asked. "Is it okay for you to be assigned to Urd like this? By the sound of it, this isn't something normally reserved for Valkyries."
Lind fired off a question of her own. "Why do you keep asking about my unit?" Keiichi looked at her in surprise. "Do you assume the two I was with were part of my team?"
Keiichi felt silent, observing her carefully. "Sorry, I did," he said at last. "So they weren't?"
"No."
"Is that why you came alone?" Keiichi inquired, recognizing he was stepping into uncharted territory and wondering if he was about to step into a lion's den.
"I prefer not to answer that," Lind said, and her voice left no room for argument. She pursed her lips, then straightened from where she'd come to rest against the wall. "I've taken up enough of your evening," she said. "I'm going to head out. Do good by those Norns, Jank," she advised. "You do good by one, you do good by them all." She dipped her head in what took Keiichi a moment to realize was a goodbye, then headed towards the front door.
"Lind!" The Valkyrie paused as Urd untangled herself from her sisters and climbed to her feet, chasing the Valkyrie down with a large, exuberant smile on her face. She slowed just before colliding with the Valkyrie, and then engulfed the woman in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, you stupid son of a bitch." Lind released another tiny little squeak of surprise, and Urd laughed before releasing her. "Drop by anytime, seriously, You're welcome here anytime, got it?" The woman was beaming with joy, and again the light flush Keiichi had spied on Lind's cheeks earlier returned. It seemed that Lind was unaccustomed to the concept of gratitude, and Keiichi couldn't help but grin at the Valkyrie's flustered appearance.
"I'm leaving now," the warrior said abruptly, and tearing herself from Urd's grip almost ran to the door and out, leaving in her wake a trio of relieved goddesses and one amused mortal.
Keiichi looked forward to her future visits.
A/N: Yep, Lind will be stopping by from time to time. Sorry for the 'shortish' chapter. :)
