Urd versus the Underworld

Chapter Two: Urd Struggles with the Dark Side

Urd woke up on the cold floor of a large, damp cavern. "Oooh, my aching head," she moaned. "What happened to me?" Slowly, she crawled to her knees, her vision still slightly blurred.

As Urd's sight of the cavern grew clearer, she began to notice dark figures looming out from behind every rock in sight. Eventually, the creatures got brave enough to straggle closer to Urd. Their creepy little orange eyes watched over her carefully, malicious intent masked behind them.

"Get.away. from me!" Urd screamed as she lunged at the monster closest her. Before she collided with it, every last one of them vanished instantaneously back into the shadows.

"Quit playing games with me, Mara! I know you're doing this. If you want to fight me, than do it!" Urd yelled at the cavern walls.

A vague echo threw itself out of the shadows. It was Mara's evil and incessant laugh. "But I like messing with your mind, Urd. It's a lot of fun to watch you leap at the air, calling it names and trying to attack it."

"Mara! Tell me why you brought me here! Tell me, Mara, why are you hiding from me? Are you ."

"Do you think that I'm afraid, Urd? Is that really what you believe? Well, you're quite mistaken then."

Urd drew herself to her feet. For some reason, her energy seemed absolutely drained. Just standing there took all she had.

Mara began her wicked laughing again. "You look weak, Urd," she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Mara finally floated out of her hiding place and into the cavern with Urd.

"Oh come now, Urd. We can both see that you are trembling. Or is that a shiver of fear? Don't tell me that the great Urd is afraid of me?"

Mara's blue cloak was wrapped tightly about her, exposing bones through the fabric. She circled Urd many times, her burgundy boots clanking on the floor for every stride she took.

"You're, you're just an illu.an illusion, Mara. You didn't bring m. me here to fight with me, did y.you?" questioned Urd. It grew harder and harder for her to remain standing.

The image of Mara disappeared as the creatures had done before. "Very good, Urd. But I wish that I had brought you here to fight you. In your condition, it would be an easy battle, but, nevertheless."

Urd could barely find the energy to speak, "Mara, just spit it out, would you!"

"Tsk tsk, Urd. You're so impatient anymore. You were never like this before you became a goddess."

"So that's it, is it? You want me to become a demon again, Mara? Well I've been down that road before, and I'm not going back."

As Mara's voice rang through Urd's head, the cavern walls disappeared, leaving a black and lifeless plain behind it. "But you don't have a choice now, Urd! You will rule the underworld once more as the Lord of Terror! Every ounce of goodness left in you will be drained!!!"

The little creatures from the cavern began to show up in large numbers now, and as they drew closer to Urd, she knew exactly what they were.demons of the Underworld.

Yes, demons of the Underworld. They are the very creatures that bring death and despair to all of humanity and the ones that suck every last hope and every single dream from a person, making them believe that there was no reason to life.and no point to go on living. Yes, they were the foulest of creatures, but then again, look at who was leading them.

As their ugly, elongated fingers reached out towards Urd, and their sickly bodies heaved with the effort of breathing, she realized that this was no illusion. This time, it was real, and if Urd didn't get away from the demons soon, all of her hope would be gone, and a she would become as horrendous a demon as they were. "That is why I'm feeling so tired; I have already began my transformation!"

Urd struggled to get away from the demons, their putrid little limbs constantly pulling her down.

"What's the use? I can't get away, so I might as well join them." Urd began to think.

"Yeeeesssss.join usssss." the army of evil cried. "Come with us to a land of greatness and unspeakable deeds. What fun you will have there, and besides, what does the life of a goddess hold for you? What does it do for you?" they hissed.

Urd's mind was completely blank. She tried to think about what was happening, but the more she thought about it, the weaker she grew. "Yes, I will be a demon," she began to chant.

Then it all came together. "NOOOO!" Urd yelled. She was back to herself again, and with all of her strength back, it was time to roast some demons.

"Die, you evil little creatures! Taste my energy blasts! You want some?" Urd threw bolt after bolt of purple lightning surges upon the Underworld demons until they finally all to sank back into the earth.

"Well, Mara, I guess that would make the score: Urd, 1, Evil, 0," Urd laughed happily.

Mara began dematerializing from the ground where here followers had admitted defeat.

"Well now, miss Urd. I'm actually quite shocked that you pulled it off," Mara whispered.

Urd crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Did you really expect those things to stop me?"

"I have to say that I did. However did you fight their alluring clasp to despair, for I really am curious."

"It isn't very hard, you know," Urd began confidently, "if you have someone that you love and who cares for you to think about. Even when you begin to believe your life is meaningless, their happy, smiling faces will always pull you through."

Mara began clapping her hands and cheering softly. "That was truly touching, Urd. I congratulate you, but.it isn't over yet!!!"

"Huh?"

Just then, a massive yellow light shot out from Mara. Urd gasped and tried to dodge what was coming next, but there was no chance for her. The yellow beam blasted into her, full-force.

"AAAaarrrgggghhhhhh!!!" Urd let out an earth shattering scream, but it never helped her. As the power of the blast worked its way through her body, every piece of love, compassion, and goodness left her, just as Mara had said it would.

And so it was, Mara had succeeded in turning Urd to the Lord of Terror as before. Now it would be incredibly hard, if not impossible to change her back.

Meanwhile, in Nekomi, Belldandy, Skuld, and Keiichi were doing everything they could to reach the Underworld and to save Urd.