"Ai Shiteru" An AMG Fan Fic By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu.
E-mail: icezer230@yahoo.com (C&C welcome)
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEGAL JARGON)
This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, and Nao belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The demonic twins Morgall and Raich are a conception of Feir. The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the 'Oh! My God!' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a Brett Handy) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' If you haven't read chapter 1 AND The Unspoken Journey, please read them. NOTE: You might also want to reread the last segment of The Unspoken Journey to understand the future vs present sections in this chapter.
A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.
**=thought
""=speech
()=explanations
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author!*****
Skuld pondered at her situation. She was the Future--at least, ONE version of the future, barging into the body of the Past. It would be a delicate time, she knew, for both her and her past self. The Manifest. She would be having Visions, convulsions, and other anomalies of the sort. And she would be vulnerable, because the powers she knew she had invested in her was from the Future, and not the Present. That made her body very unstable. She could feel her molecules stir a bit, fizzing out from time to time. It would be time soon.
But for now, she could only wait. Wait and see. She was in the past. The same past she had relived twice, in the hopes that she would not make the same mistake; this time, she hoped that she would have a better beginning with Kenji by deciding not to tell him about her state of being. But knowing that the past Skuld would not have known what she had known, she knew Skuld would be bound to tell Kenji before he proposed to her. And then, she would have to relive this past, trying to make a better future for herself. Again. And Again. Like a temporal paradox.
Her eyes lit up. What if she fixed the paradox _here_? Then nothing would ever happen to her future, and everything would be all right...she hoped. If she could not be happy with Kenji, why not just tell him just that, and wipe his memory of her ever existing...?
A day later, Future Skuld was sitting on her favorite spot on the roof (a habit acquired from one of her friends who used to do it in another dimension, long ago in the past when she had gone dimension-hopping for a second time), thinking over what she had done the day before. She had finally did it. She had finally broken up with Kenji. She could still remember his face, his expression when she told him about how she felt about him. She knew that it was right for her: the paradox she had come back into the past to fix was taken care of.
She had hated not telling anyone--not even her sisters--that she was from the future; everyone would be asking her what it was like, what they looked like, and what happened (or would happen) in between her present and their present. She didn't like talking about it. There were obviously dire consequences to such a move; if the information fell into the wrong hands (or heard by a certain Demoness), it could cause some serious trouble in the past, which would ultimately change the timeline. _Then_ where would she be?
She knew that she could now go back to the future when she finished her job, but the truth was, she didn't know how. She supposed it was to do with her past counterpart and her ability to go through the Manifest. Well, that was how she remembered her past, anyhow.
But since all she was doing was waiting and hoping to hear from the Past Skuld...
Why not make a little visit to Rhiana? If she remembered correctly, Rhiana had extended an invitation to come visit her once her 'travels' were done...
"Some are born great;
Some achieve greatness;
And some have greatness thrust upon them."
--William Shakespeare, Twelth NightCHAPTER VI: REVELATIONS "Mistress Rhiana, there is a Goddess who wishes to see you," the humanoid assistant in strange attire informed her, lowering his head in reverence to signify her greatness.
"Who is it?" Rhiana asked, not looking up as she was still quite busy with her paperwork regarding her latest wishes, making sure that they were fulfilled in a manner that was correct. During these few months, she had matured a little more and had cut her hair into a more fashionable style (well, according to the Japanese it was more fashionable). There seemed to be endless amounts of paperwork in her line of duty; she was practically surrounded by mountains of papers and folders. *Maybe I shouldn't have accepted that promotion…* she thought miserably. She was now in charge of the wish-granting operations, directing the other gods/goddesses who would grant the wishes in the mortal realm. *But I'd never thought it would be so much work!* she groaned inwardly.
"It is Skuld of the Norns, mistress. She has returned from her soul-seeking journey, as you said she would," the humanoid form bowed again out of respect. The last time she had 'showed her wrath' (for the reasons why this might have occurred, see Rhiana's Interlude called 'An Innocent Wish') she had been...
"Let her in and ask her if she would like something to drink," Rhi commanded, trying to clean up her cluttered desk a little, interrupting Jargon's train of thought. He nodded and vanished. When she had finished, Rhi straightened out her uniform and hoped she looked presentable enough for her friend. It had been what, nearly five months since they met? It was a _very_ long five months, at that.
*****
Skuld (the Future Skuld) came into Rhiana's office moments later, still in a jeans and T-shirt attire. She had changed her shirt into another tight-fitting one but she had the same jeans on. Her prescription glasses clipped to her the top of her shirt, she walked in and saw Rhi. She smiled and trotted over to her desk. She sat down on a chair that suddenly appeared by Rhi's summons and crossed her legs into a more feminine pose. A pose that raised Rhi's eyebrows just a little. In her mind, it was and felt _very_ suggestive.
"Wow, you sure changed a lot during those four months," Rhi remarked, looking at her up and down. *And I must admit, I'm kind of turned on by just being near her still… Damn it, why is this body doing this to me?*
"But we both got that tan we wanted. Where'd you get yours?" Skuld asked. They soon talked about trivial matters and Skuld talked a bit about her journey. Rhi was interested in her dimensional travels as she had never actually gone dimensional hopping herself.
"So how much standard time were you gone in dimensional travelling? I understand that it is different," Rhi remarked.
"…About four years, Rhi. Four years is a very long time. I had the chance to think over some things," Skuld said. A moment of total silence overcame the room as the two Godesses stared at each other right in the eye.
"So, for what reason do I owe you this visit to?" Rhi asked, a little nervous, breaking the silence. She knew Skuld hadn't come here to talk about their social life. She knew exactly what Skuld had wanted to do, which was to set things straight about their relationship: whether or not they would become more than friends. Skuld took a deep breath before she went on.
"Rhiana, I know how you feel towards me, even before you wrote about your feelings. Your attraction, I mean," Skuld said, staring at the ground for a moment. Rhi's eyes widened in surprise. *How could she have found out?* she thought alarmingly.
"I accidentally overheard you talking in your dreams, Rhiana, while we were in Bali. Remember that last night when you found me at the bar, drinking like there was no tomorrow? That was the night I overheard you," Skuld admitted. Rhi froze in her very position. She swallowed thickly and listened to Skuld as she continued talking.
"At first I was mortified to have you liking me. I didn't know what to do about it. So I travelled around the world and went dimensional hopping with these confused feelings still in me. There was this dimension I went to where…those kinds of relationships were normal.
I know that it is tolerated in Heaven and stuff, but I've never really actually seen the complications that went along with it. I realized that you weren't transferred out of the sector, Rhiana. You _asked_ to be transferred. Kami-sama wouldn't have done that to you, and I knew you really liked your job, but I didn't know why you would ever transfer from it then… I'm sorry, Rhi. I really am, for all the trouble I've caused you," Skuld said, pausing for a moment.
"So what are you trying to tell me, Skuld?" Rhi asked quietly. This was the very moment of truth. She knew that Skuld's answer would decide her life. She could feel her heart pounding excitedly, so she leaned back in her chair and quietly awaited the verdict.
*****
"Urd, have you seen Skuld? It's not like her to miss ice-cream," Belldandy asked her older sister worriedly.
"She's changed so much I don't really know whether or not she still likes ice-cream still or not," Urd sighed, polishing off her own bowl of ice-cream. As a welcome-back gift, Keiichi had gone to Skuld's favorite ice-cream shop and brought home a large amount of vanilla ice cream. After all, Skuld's return meant that a celebration was needed.
"Do you know where she is, though?" Keiichi said, still eating his portion of ice cream. He looked up from the newspapers he was reading aside from eating his ice cream and stared at the eldest of the three sisters.
"Yes, I know where she is. She's talking to Rhiana about some things," Urd replied quickly. Her thoughts went to last night and their talk about her relationships.
"Skuld, I know you're hiding something from me. Something happened in those travels that you wouldn't tell Belldandy or me. I can feel the hesitation in you. I saw it on your face. Tell me about it. We're both adults, aren't we?" Urd asked as she sat on the floor next to her in Skuld's room that night.
"I am? The last time you saw me you thought that I was still a little brat," Skuld replied sarcastically, trying to stall some time. She was in no mood to talk to Urd tonight. Too many things to do, and so little time to do it. *Has the paradox finally been fixed?* she thought to herself. It wasn't an easy task to reject Kenji but it was better her rejecting him than him rejecting her...like he did, then.
"Don't play those games with me, Skuld. I'm serious. What actually happened while you were away that could have caused you to reject Kenji? I don't understand it," Urd snapped. *Damn it, why can't you leave me alone?* Skuld thought. She sighed and took a deep breath before she went on.
"Urd, do you remember that disease I had before I left on my travels?" Skuld said, swallowing thickly. *This isn't the best way to do it, I know. She'll find out sooner or later, so I might as well go for a lie...It's easier for her then* Skuld thought. Urd froze. *I don't like the sound of this* Urd thought.
"Yes?" Urd said anyway.
"I…I met Washu during my travels and she remarked something about it, how it would affect my body. Urd, I don't have much time left. The bugs I've been exposed to have mutated and are feeding off my cells like parasites and at multiple speeds when they reproduce.
There's no known cure for it at the moment. Washu's working off her brains trying to slow it down, but I don't think it's possible…" she said, her head bent low. A solid tear dropped on her jeans as she curled up into a ball. *I hope Urd still falls for this trick* Skuld thought. She didn't like lying to her sister at all but it was the only way to let her carry out her job while her past counterpart fought her own devils. She had taken over Skuld's body in an attempt to fix her paradox but in reality, it was something she had to do so the Past Skuld could face her own devils in the Manifest.
Urd stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to do. Her tears were flowing already, unable to stop. She tried to say something, but her jaws would not work. She found, however, that her arms and legs could, and soon hugged her from behind, like a protective layer of cocoon, as they cried on through the night. And then, the final bomb was dropped.
"Did you know Rhiana was bisexual?" Skuld had stated as a matter-of-factly out of nowhere. Urd looked shocked for a minute but recovered, wondering whether or not the she had an attraction for… *No way* she thought. She must have said it aloud because Skuld had nodded and looked away.
"Well?" Urd asked, still impatient for Skuld's answer.
"I'm going to see her tomorrow...and talk things out with her," she said.
"What are you going to say?"
"I...I can't tell you that."
"Why not?"
"I just can't." Urd nodded and had left then, leaving Skuld to think things out for herself. Her thoughts went back to the present, however, as Kenji asked her what about what kind of things. She looked into her ice cream cup as she said this.
"You know, girl stuff." And left it at that.
*****
"Kenji, I don't see you moaning and groaning about how Skuld doesn't love you anymore recently. What happened?" Kenji's mother asked, grinning. *So they're boyfriend-girlfriend now, huh?*
"Mom, I seriously don't know who and what you're talking about. Why are you saying it like the person's my girlfriend or something?" Kenji asked, annoyed at another of his mother's attempts of guessing on his love life. *Who was this _Skuld_ person?* he thought.
"Kenji, you were just telling me about her the other day to me. The last time you mentioned her, you had received a phone call from a young lady named Belldandy and your rushed to where she lived, but you didn't tell me anything when you got back. You said Skuld was Keiichi's girlfriend's sister and that you liked her a lot," Kenji's mother replied, confused at her son's sudden denial.
"Mom, I don't remember a Skuld while I was in Keiichi's temple, but I do remember this really beautiful woman at the temple. He introduced her as his girlfriend. Keiichi sure _is_ one lucky guy!" Kenji said, sighing as he climbed up the stairs. *I think Mom's gone nuts* he thought.
With that, he disappeared. His mother was left to ponder whether or not her many conversations with him about Skuld had happened or whether or not he was just making it up. Frowning, she was determined to find out herself. Grabbing her car keys, she opened the door and slammed it shut. A few moments later, sounds of a car being started and driving away could be heard.
*****
"Rhiana...I-GURK!" Skuld said, doubling over in pain. Flashes of memories--both painful and happy--both of which happened before and has not yet happened--flashed through her mind. She felt lots of Pain. Strong bouts of Anger. No small amount of Frustration. And finally, overwhelming Confusion. Her mind blacked out, although her body still convulsed uncontrollably.
"Skuld!" Rhiana exlaimed, rushing to help her. She summoned Jargon.
"Yes, Mistress Rhiana?"
"Get my brother here, fast! Skuld-"
"I'll do my best to pry him away from his current duties." A brilliant flash of light followed as he vanished, and returned only moments later with Aska, Rhiana's brother, who looked rather weary.
"What's happening to her, Aska?" Rhi asked her brother in a demanding tone.
"I've never seen anything like this...but...hey, isn't this Urd's little sister?" he asked, recognizing the facial features of the goddess. *She sure's changed since the last time I saw her...*
"Yes! Help her! Do something!" Rhi said, almost panicking. If this continued, she would go into shock. *That wouldn't help at all* he thought and used a calming spell on Rhi. Then, he turned his attention to Skuld, whose eyelids fluttered widely as if undergoing through some mental torment while dreaming away.
"I...Oh Great One! She's...not actually Skuld. She's a temporal version of her. Which means...Skuld is somewhere in the future...and her body here is going through the Manifest. I think it's something to do with a future temporal copy being in the past. I...I don't know what to do! Nothing like this has ever happened before!" Aska said in a worried tone after conducting a scanning spell.
"You mean..." Rhi said in a worried but more relaxed tone, grateful for her brother's insight.
"She'll have to cold cut it. We've got to restrain her and keep her for more observations in the med section. The only thing we can do is wait and see what turns up. We should tell her sisters though...they'll be worried sick about her."
"I'll get Jargon to go get them now-" she said, before being interrupted by a familiar sensuous voice, as if on cue.
"Hey, people...Long time no see...Skuld!?" Urd's voice exclaimed, seeing her sister's unconscious but still moving voice.
*****
Belldandy left her station at the kitchen where she was making some tea for herself when she heard the doorbell. It was kind of strange when Urd and Skuld was still nowhere to be found, but she trusted them enough to not get into _too_ much trouble. *I suppose that's one of them coming back* she thought.
"Welcome...Oh! Hello," Belldandy said, surprised that an unknown and yet determined-looking woman was at the temple door.
"Excuse me, is this the residence of Morisato Keiichi?" the woman asked politely. *I wonder who this foreigner is* she thought. *Is this the woman Kenji told me was Keiichi's girlfriend? She certainly looks friendly enough. I wonder whether or not Keiichi's parents know who she is...*
"Yes it is, but he is not here right now. He should be back in about five or ten minutes. Would you care to come in?" Belldandy asked. She didn't know who this woman was but she wouldn't deny her the hospitality of her home.
"Thank you very much, but I don't know whether or not Keiichi-san can help me, miss...?" the woman inquired.
"My name is Belldandy. I am Keiichi's girlfriend. And you are...?" Belldandy asked.
"My name is also Morisato, Belldandy-san. I believe you know my son, Kenji? He has been here for frequent visits lately but recently he does not seem to be himself," Kenji's mom said as she went inside the temple following Belldandy. After depositing Kenji's mom at the living room, Belldandy excused herself to get some tea from the kitchen. This allowed Belldandy time to think about her actions. When she got back, she smiled and sat down on a cushion on the opposite side of the table.
"Ara...Yes, I know Kenji-san quite well. Keiichi is quite fond of him," Belldandy said carefully with her trained smile. *Skuld, I hope you come back fast. I certainly don't want to handle _this_ problem!*
"My son mentioned a girl named Skuld, who I am led to believe is your sister, is it not?" the woman asked, carefully watching Belldandy's face. She noticed a certain tightening of the jaws but nothing else. *Um...this is kind of scary, Skuld! Where are you when I need you!?* Belldandy thought, cornered for the first time in her life. She decided to make a decision, right there and then. She hoped she was making the right one.
"Would you like to come in for a minute?" she asked.
*****
A drop of water descends on the surface. Waves ripple, in rhythm, through the clear blue liquid. Warm. Soothing. A transparent being rises out of the water, beckoning me. I feel strangely drawn to it, and somehow make my way to it, although I've never learnt how.
-Who are you?-
Who are _you_? -Where am I?-
Where are all of us? -What is this place?-
What are all of these places? -Am I still alive?-
Are all of us? -This place...that voice...I've seen this before.-
We've all seen it before. -The Manifest...-
Your manifest... -What does this mean?-
What does everything mean? -It is my end, then? And her beginning?-
Whose end and whose beginning? How can you tell? -You evade everything I say and answer with riddles. Answer me: Is it time?-
You, on the other hand, evade your problems and shall answer with pain... It is no matter, for it is time.
She comes...
*****
"You all remember your own manifests, of course?" Aska asked Rhiana and Urd. The eerie silence gave him reason to continue. "Then you well know what sort of trials she is going through...Unfortunately, the manifest is occurring at a level where she is too young...This may lead to unforseen events in the near future."
"What do you mean, unforseen events?" Urd asked. At the back of her mind, she wondered whether Brett's fainting earlier on could have been caused by this. He still hadn't woken up yet when she had last saw him. *His mind must be overloaded by this paradox, just by seeing her!* she thought.
"If you do not know yet, this is a future template residing in Skuld's past body, fully equiped with her powers and knowledge, having undergone the Manifest already. Nothing would have happened had there had not been a Mental transfer fo the two templates instead of a physical transfer...but I think the actual force of returning these two mental states to their proper places in the timeline requires...a bonding, a mixing of the two minds...and that's why unforseen things are currently happening to them. The Future Skuld is presently waiting at the Edge of the Manifest, as she should, for Her to come-"
"Her?" Rhiana interrupted.
"The Past Skuld, which is currently residing in the future template's body. It is possible that the two will black out from time to time until they meet at the gates and enter their test together."
"But that's nearly almost impossible! No immortal has ever done something like this before! This means..." Urd thought.
"Yes, at this time, her body is at its most vulnerable position, worse than a mortal would...if anything attempts to enter her mind at this stage...Let's just say that our Future will be in grave danger, for He who Controls Skuld Controls the Future."
"And so you are right."
The lights dimmed before anyone could react, replaced with a soft, washed-out glow of color that hovered in the center of the chamber, gradually taking shape. Forming a tight circle, the three immortals watched warily as the outline of sphere began to appear.
"What is it?" Urd asked.
"Warp bubble," Rhiana replied, voice strained. Something was nagging at her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. That voice... "Last I heard, those were still being tested --"
With a muted 'pop', the warp bubble completed its materialisation and gently descended, the outlines of two humanoid figures crouching behind the semitransparent membrane in a clear state of expectancy. As soon as the sphere made contact with the ground, the first of the sphere's occupants emerged; a deceptively frail collection of rune-encrusted rags with two flame-red pupils glowing beneath a heavy cowl. The fires in his eyes danced as he moved; flickering ever so slightly.
And beside him, stooping slightly as he pushed through the layer of energy--
"Jargon?"
"Fate moves in strange ways, doesn't it?" the hooded figure remarked, throwing back its cowl to reveal Loki's face, bearded and smiling in the universal language of triumphant arrogance. Jargon's expression was unreadable.
"Loki!" Urd snapped imperiously. "What is the meaning of this?"
The god gave a dismissive wave with one hand. "I think my intentions are fairly clear. Jargon?"
Head still bowed, Jargon tapped a few buttons on his controller; out of nowhere, three more warp bubbles flickered into being, encapsulating the small group of immortals.
"Don't waste your time," Jargon announced in a hollow voice as the goddesses attempted to blast free of their confinement with spells and summoned weapons. "Those bubbles are one-way permeable only. The only way to get out of those is the master controller here--" He indicated the small black box. "--which you aren't getting to anytime soon." Noticing Rhiana's outraged expression, he added, "My apologies, Mistress Rhiana."
"Damn you! All this time, I trusted you...How could you do something like this!?" Rhiana demanded; inwardly cursing herself for not putting the pieces together sooner. That false assignment that had led to her first encounter with the Gillain twins Raich and Morgall could have only been created by someone with close access to her files -- and as her assistant, Jargon was the only one had the capacity and know-how to make the ruse work. And then there was the question of Kenji's capture by the demons...
"I am bound to promise, as all of us are..." At this, the servant's head dipped fractionally. "And I made a promise long ago to serve him as I would all immortals -- in exchange to see a loved one..."
"That was your price... for helping bring about Ragnarok?" Aska asked incredulously.
"My great masterplan," Loki nodded. "Ragnarok -- Armageddon -- the Apocalypse. Whatever you call it... it begins now. Jargon -- the heart!"
Still cringing, the servant pulled a small but sharp dagger from his belt and approached the bubble trapping Rhiana, expression growing more and more apologetic with every step. Finally, they stood face to face.
"You realise what's going to happen if you take that heart out of my body, don't you?" Rhiana said.
"Yes. You will die. And the world as we know it will come to an end." Jargon's face took on an almost puppyish quality. "If it's any consolation to you... you always were my best mistress. I'll remember that, no matter what."
"Good show," Loki remarked wryly. "Now do what I have commanded. No more delays."
Jargon averted his face as the knife punctured the warp bubble, a little mewling noise rising up in his throat as Rhiana dropped to her knees, staring at the humanoid in blank horror. The wound expanded almost immediately, fountaining a stream of hot liquid energy that splashed into Rhiana's bare skin with all the immediacy of boiling acid. Staggering to her feet, the Valkyrie had barely regained her balance when Jargon's hands were already inside her chest, grasping, tearing, pulling until the energy sphere she had stolen from Raich popped free. Urd and Aska were visibly shaken by the display; Loki delighted, his grin glittering like frozen malice in the iight of the heart's energy.
The demon heart ascended lazily, distorting its surroundings as it went, hovering under the watchful eyes of the immortals. Neither Loki nor Jargon seemed to be in any particular hurry to claim their prize, however - the small ball of power remained in its place, casting its wild light in a steady, throbbing pulse.
"What...what's going on? What are they waiting for?" Aska whispered to Urd.
Before the other goddess could reply, the mystery solved itself in an explosion of blue sparks. Standing in the center of the fading glow were two black-clad, dark-haired demons with expressions of barely-contained rage. The female of the pair clutched a wicked-looking broadsword, the male a deceptively thin whip; and neither of them looked as if they would hesitate for a moment to use them.
"We've come to reclaim what is rightfully ours," the demons announced in unison.
"Raich's heart is mine now," Loki replied coldly. "You're wasting your time."
Morgall glared at the god with barely disguised contempt. "We had a deal, Loki."
"One which you and your dear brother failed to live up to, despite my generous assistance in the matter. As far as I'm concerned, we're even."
The male stalked towards his former employer, face a death-mask in the shadows cast by the hovering heart. "As far as I'm concerned, Trickster, I'll be prying that heart from your cold, *dead* fingers in a minute..."
"I'm getting sick of your posturing," Loki announced, snatching the demonic power source out of the air with one fluid movement. "Come to me, Jargon."
Raich moved to intervene, but without warning, two warp bubbles wrapped themselves around the Gillains, leaving them as trapped as their immortal counterparts.
"I think after poor Rhiana's ordeal, a little light entertainment is in order. I propose a challenge - the two of you against my champion here." Jargon looked up at the trickster god with equal parts surprise and disgust. Even with their powers drastically reduced, the demons were more than capable of tearing him from limb to limb without breaking into a sweat. Was Loki seriously intending to gamble with the demon heart? "Should you win, you get back your precious heart. Otherwise...I get two for the price of one."
"Accepted." Morgall spat. "Now release us."
"In a moment, dear. Jargon?"
Jargon warily approached his master, trying to find some reason in those dancing-flame pupils. At this distance, Loki's eyes were almost hypnotic, drawing him in slowly, one step at a time until he became aware of the hot, burning pain in his chest. Hazily, he looked down and saw the gaping hole that had been punched in his body, spilling out light in short, rhythmatic bursts. Already, the wound was starting to regenerate.
"Now we can begin."
The summoning action was almost instinctive - he only had to imagine an object, attempt to visualise the feel and weight of it in his mind before his thoughts were replaced with reality. The rush of his newfound power was such that Jargon didn't notice the twins' approach until the sting of Raich's whip caught him square in the face.
The twins moved as a single entity; actions synchronised by years of experience fighting together. Time and again, Raich's whip snapped out, wrapping around Jargon's fighting arm and pulling it into a vulnerable position for Morgall's sword-strikes. Time and again, the servant dropped into a howling ball, swiping out blindly with a dagger or sword in great clusmy strokes that the demons sidestepped with arrogant ease. As the uneven contest progressed, it was clear that Jargon's inexperience with his new powers was rapidly becoming fatal. Only his regenerative powers kept him in the fight.
"Somehow, I would have expected more of the Trickster God's champion," Morgall laughed as another desperate slash from Jargon failed to find its mark. "I'm getting tired of this farce."
"Time to finish it off," Raich agreed, his whip already fading away as the outlines of a new weapon began to take shape.
"Do you think Loki would really let those demons win?" Urd asked as the two Gillains darted around their target, pouring the combined energies into a single summoning.
"He needs both hearts if he wants to go through with his plans." Aska watched the weapon taking shape in the center of the chamber with growing apprehension. "And I don't think he'd be willing to gamble with those kinds of stakes. He's got something up his sleeve."
Two six-foot staves now hung in the air above the battleground; each carved of solid black wood and carved with writhing, serpentine runes that slithered their way across the polished surface in eye-watering patterns.
"Behold," Raich announced, leaping over one of Jargon's sword-strokes to grasp at one of the staves as his sister mirrored the action. "The Twin Staves of Meggido!"
Both twins brought their weapons down at the same time; the wood crackling with malignant energy as it bore home. Jargon leapt aside with only inches to spare, wincing as a powerful blast of dark electricity earthed itself in the chamber's floor, leaving a shallow crater in its wake.
*That's what I need right now,* the servant thought bitterly. *Some kind of ultimate weapon...*
Suddenly, his hands were gripping polished metal, acutely aware of the demons' laughter ringing in his ears.
"Look, sis...a peashooter," he heard Raich remark from somewhere above. Very cautiously, he lifted up the weapon he now found himself holding and managed a shameful blush. It wasn't impressive by a long shot. It was a small, compact pistol; little more than a rod with trigger and sight. The barrel didn't even have an opening to it - it was just a solid cylinder.
"How pathetic is that?" Morgall sighed, lifting up her staff to strike the killing blow. "An insult to our powers..."
Jargon sighted the weapon hopelessly. How could it even fire? Was there even ammunition? Too late to worry about that now -- only enough time to pull the trigger. As Raich entered the crosshairs, Jargon fired.
For a long moment, there was nothing. Jargon waited for the inevitable killing blow, but there was only the shriek of rage and surprise from the male demon. When the servant finally dared to look, he saw that through Raich's chest poked an exact replica of Rhiana's crystal sword. The mortally wounded demon gave his attacker one last accusing stare before keeling over, the glow of his heart gradually growing weaker and weaker. Morgall stood transfixed, barely registering Jargon's movement until the humanoid had caught her in the crosshairs as well. Realisation dawned a moment too late; attempting to dart out of the way, she found a tar-encrusted skeleton blocking her way. One whale-sized rib bone skewered her almost instantly.
Jargon numbly watched as the weapon faded, its work done for the day. Without the adrenaline coursing through his system, he became painfully aware of the toll the battle had taken on him - and of Loki's hands, once again entering his chest to remove the power source. Overhead, the two Gillains' hearts made an erratic orbit above their owners' bodies; released by Loki's magic, they slowly moved closer and closer togehter.
"Please...just a little longer."
"There's not enough time, Jargon." Loki sighed, mock-sadly before casting the complete heart between the two broken halves, spinning in tighter and tighter loops as they moved to fuse. "Your service to me, however, is done. I release you of your oath to me."
Jargon sank to his knees, teeth bared as a dozen wounds added their weight to the growing pool of life on the floor. "I think you're forgetting something, Loki."
"Perhaps. It's a pity you won't be alive much longer to remind me of it."
Smiling grimly, the servant pulled a small black box from his robes. "Yes, but...I'm still the one with the finger on the controls."
Urd realised what was happening a moment before Loki did; the second the bubble encasing her started rising into the air, she was already bracing for the impact. But the god was amply prepared; simply ducking out of the way of rogue energy sphere, he raised his left hand a fraction of an inch. The bubble began to slow down, gradually shuddering to a halt in the center of the chamber under Loki's control. He gave his former champion a condescending look.
"A spirited attempt... but not good enough."
"Didn't...need to be." Jargon coughed viciously, a trickle of red escaping his lips. "Just needed you out of the way long enough for..."
"For...?" Loki asked mockingly. The servant didn't reply. "Ah, what a pity. The lead actor in our fine little revenge drama seems to have died before he could finish the play." Walking closer to Urd's stationary bubble, he gave the shell-shocked goddess a cold smile. "And now, for our feature presentation..."
The blow came out of nowhere; more painful for its sheer mass than from the bubble's sluggish acceleration as it plowed through the Trickster God. Loki collapsed gracelessly, concentration breaking just for a fraction of a second--
In the center of the room, the three hearts broke orbit suddenly, dipping into a dangerous spiral. The two halves collided noisily, fusing in a spectacular display of sound and light that obliterated everything in its reach with all-consuming white energy. When the blast cleared, Rhiana and the demons were gone.
"Rhiana!"
Seeing the mocking grin on Jargon's corpse, Loki short-handedly vaporised the servant's body with a single bolt of energy. His own expression was nothing short of furious.
"That fool," he hissed, stabilising the newly-formed heart's rotations once again. "He could have destroyed us all!"
Urd watched in fascination and horror as the two power sources moved to become one; eyes still hurting from the after-effects of the explosion. If the destructive energies of the divided heart were only a fraction as potent as those wielded by the hearts combined, Loki would be unstoppable.
The final fusion seemed almost like an anticlimax after the build-up; there was no sound, nothing except two balls of energy gradually melting into one pulsating sphere. Loki then approached the prone figure of Skuld, tranquilised and still, caressing her face slowly before breaking away. He smiled darkly and looked up to gaze at Urd, who looked absolutely horrified at the thought of what was going to happen next. Kissing the young goddess on the lips with almost reverent care, he began reciting the lines that would seal his power forever...
*****
'Till next time, au revoir!FOOTNOTES
Final comments!: Sorry to end it like this, but I promise you more fun and excitement in the next chapter! This chapter was redone, with several revisions, in order to fit better with the interludes (which were written after the original Chapter 6). I hope you like the final outcome. Kudos to Feir and Brett for all their feedback--I really appreciate it. If anyone wants to do fanart or spin-offs, you're more than welcome...icezer230 (31/03/00)
Version 1.0: Released 31/03/00
Version 2.0: Released 28/05/00 (significant addition in last few scenes with Feir's help)