Chapter 11
Queen Urd sat on her throne overlooking hell. Sayoko entered and stood by the throne, her face full of emotion.
"Report." ordered Queen Urd.
Sayoko glared at her Aunt. "How can you be this way?! You left Keima! Hell.......you SHOT Keima! And now he's......he's........"
The Queen turned and glared at her niece. "Keima was careless. He knew Skuld was tricky. He should have expected her to move out of the way."
Sayoko stared at her Aunt stunned. "You're blaming KEIMA?!?!"
"I blame both Keima and Skuld."
"How dare you...."
CRACK!
Sayoko flew across the room as a lightning bolt slammed into her, stunning her. When she finally came to her senses, she found Queen Urd looking down on her.
"Watch yourself my dear niece." said the Queen coldly, "Or you will find that even being a family member won't save you from my wraith. Now report!"
Sayoko stood up slowly. "Velsper has been returned to demon form and is currently 'conversing' with the programmers. They expect to be able to bring the doublet down within 12 hours."
"And our other Guests?"
"Urd is being held apart from my.......from the other two. Just as you ordered."
The Queen smiled. "Excellent. I will visit my younger self soon."
Sayoko turned to leave.
"Remember." Sayoko stopped and looked back at her Aunt. "Should you displease me again, you will find yourself reunited with your brother." The Queen glared coldly at her niece. Sayoko shivered and quickly left. The Queen turned and resumed looking out over hell.
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The Temple.
3 people sat around the table, each staring at the other, yet not wanting to sit anywhere near the others. One was Lind. She glared at the demon and the person she felt was a rogue goddess. Mara glared at the two goddesses before her, while old Skuld stared at the demon and the fighting goddess. Young Skuld had stood off to the side, praying that Peorth would arrive soon. She had been called just after getting the three indoors. The only movement from the three was an occasional blink, and the twitching and the occasional spark from old Skuld's left hand.
Finally a thumping noise was heard coming from Keiichi and Belldandy's room, and then a loud voice was heard.
"It is I, Peorth of the.........Where the hell is everyone?"
"Out here." called Skuld.
Peorth exited the room. "What's going on Skuld? Where have you been? And what did you mean when........." Peorth's voice trailed off as she stared at the 3 sitting around the table. Lind she knew, Mara......well......she'd heard the stories from Belldandy. It was seeing the older version of Skuld that really got her. "Ok.........What is going on here?"
About an hour later, Old Skuld finished her story for the second time that day.
"You're the only one left?" asked Peorth, who was now white in the face.
Old Skuld nodded, another spark emitted from her hand.
"Ummm you know your hand is spitting sparks?"
"Yeah......." said Mara, "I've been wondering about that."
Lind remained silent.
Old Skuld sighed. She reached over with her right hand and grabbed her upper left arm, giving it a twist. The arm came off. Skuld set it down on the table. Peorth and Mara stared at it wide eyed. Lind blinked. Young Skuld looked at the three, then back at old Skuld.
"Did I look like that when you did that earlier?"
"Yeah." replied old Skuld.
"What......how......?" asked Peorth.
"Remember when I said that Fenrir had been released? I was one of the fortunate few that survived, even if it did cost me my arm. That's why I was in the hospital for 2 months." Skuld turned to her younger self. "You have your tool kit handy?"
"Yeah I'll get it." replied the younger. She turned and hurried off to her room.
"So why am I here?" asked Peorth.
Old Skuld looked at Peorth. "You're the SysOp. I need access to Yggdrasil."
Peorth stared at old Skuld stunned. "I CAN'T AUTHORIZE THAT! I'd get busted to 4th Class so quick.........besides, why do you need access?"
"Because I've been relying on my back-up power source since I've arrived." replied old Skuld, "And as scary as this sounds, there's a limit to how much ice cream a goddess can eat."
Peorth sighed, "I'll see what I can do. But still why?"
"Because I'll need my full Goddess powers if I'm going to rescue Belldandy, Keiichi, and Urd from hell."
"You're going after them?"
Old Skuld nodded. "I am."
"How?"
"I haven't worked that out yet."
Peorth stood up. "Alright, I'll return to heaven and see about getting you your access. No promises though."
Peorth turned and walked down the hall, passing the younger Skuld who was returning with her tools. Lind then stood up.
"I should resume my watch. The demons may still decide to eliminate us." She turned and left the temple. Mara got up and went to watch TV. Young Skuld sat next to her elder self, setting the tool kit on the table.
"Can you give me a hand with this?" asked old Skuld, "I'm kind of short one."
Skuld pulled out her tools and set to work fixing the arm. As she worked, she looked over at the older goddess. The older goddess had a far away look on her face.
"What's wrong?" asked Skuld.
Her older self looked at her. "I was just thinking about Keima. I helped raise him and Sayoko until they were 4 and 7. They were great kids, until Urd twisted them."
"You said they blamed you for Belldandy. What happened?"
"That's just it." replied old Skuld, "I don't know. I was in the hospital when she and the kids disappeared." She sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't gone with the others to stop Fenrir." She shook her head. "Alright, enough of my past. Lets fix my arm. Then we figure out how to get Bell, K and Urd out of hell so that you have a future to look forward to."
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Hell
Keiichi stood at a window pounding on the bars, using his shoe to protect his hand. The bars had begun to move out of place, but only by a small amount. It would take a lot longer before these bars would be removed. Keiichi stopped and let out a sigh. He then looked over at his cellmate. Belldandy had been sitting quietly on the floor in the corner since they had arrived. Nothing Keiichi had said could get her to break her self-imposed silence. She had been that way since seeing Urd as a demon, as well as demons that looked like younger versions of herself and Keiichi. But the worst shock had been that the rogue Goddess had been whom she had feared. It had been Skuld.
Keiichi went over and sat down next to Belldandy.
"Bell, please talk to me." He said softly, "I want to know what your thinking."
Belldandy looked at him, but still remained silent.
A loud clank then sounded in the door. Keiichi looked over to see the door to their cell opening. Keiichi frowned as he saw who entered. The demoness Sayoko stepped in, closing the door behind her. The demoness looked over at the two, and then turned away, refusing to meet Belldandy's eyes.
"What do you want?" asked Keiichi.
"I....." began Sayoko, "......I don't know." She turned back towards the door. "This was a mistake....." She started to reach for the door.
"Wait."
Sayoko froze. Keiichi looked over at Belldandy in surprise. Belldandy continued to stare at the demoness.
"Please, who are you?"
Sayoko slowly turned, finally looking at Belldandy. "I am Sayoko, Demoness of the Present."
"But that is not who you originally were, is it?"
Sayoko turned away. "I shouldn't be speaking to you."
"Then why did you come? Truth."
"Truth." replied Sayoko, "I.......wanted to speak to you, to find out what you're like."
"Why?"
Sayoko turned and sat down in front of Belldandy. "What do you know of the events of these past days?"
"I know that a Goddess arrived from the future, a goddess that ended up being my sister, Skuld. And that my other sister has apparently become the Queen of Hell."
Sayoko nodded. "They are my Aunts."
Belldandy and Keiichi's eyes widened.
"Does that mean.....?" began Keiichi.
"You were mine and Keima's parents." Sayoko said quietly.
"But......." Keiichi looked at Belldandy, then back at Sayoko, "shouldn't you be a goddess?"
Sayoko's face went dark for a second, as if being called a goddess angered her, but that darkness soon faded. "I was born a goddess, as Keima was born a god."
"Why are you now a demon?" asked Belldandy quietly.
"Because we were abandoned by heaven." replied Sayoko angrily. She then began to pace. "Skuld went off to fight Fenrir. She wasn't even ordered to go! But she went, leaving mom alone with me and Keima. Mom cried at night, missing dad, her sisters.......and then we found out Skuld was injured, almost dead." Sayoko stopped pacing and looked out the window. "What happened next is kind of fuzzy. I know there was a fight. When it was over, Keima and I were alone in the temple." Sayoko looked back at Belldandy and Keiichi. "If Skuld had stayed, maybe mom wouldn't have lost. We were there by ourselves for days. No one from heaven came, not even Skuld. After the 7th day, Auntie Urd showed up and took us with her. She took care of us, was there when we needed her. As a result, both Keima and I decided to become demons, to punish the heavens, and Skuld, for abandoning us, and my mom."
Belldandy remained silent.
"Where is our Urd?" asked Keiichi.
"She is meeting with someone else." replied Sayoko.
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"Greetings."
Urd turned around and frowned. Entering her cell was the older version of her, the Queen. "Why am I here?"
The Queen smiled, "We have much to talk about."
Urd crossed her arms, "Unlikely."
"I thought much the same way long ago, but that changed."
Urd glared at the queen, but remained silent.
The Queen continued. "I had an, enlightening experience at a museum, and discovered my true path. It did not lie with the heavens. I left the temple because I knew Belldandy and Skuld would notice my new attitude and try to change my mind." The Queen smiled, "I became a demon, craving the power I once had as the Lord of Terror, only without being under his control. You'd be surprised how easy it is for a demon to get power, you just hack their system. Within a year, I had enough power to rival Hild. So I took the next step: remove Hild and become Queen. Oh there were several protests from high level demons, but I defeated them and locked them up in their own sections of hell. No one ever questioned my rule ever again."
"Whoopie." muttered Urd, "I still don't see why your telling me this."
The Queen frowned, "As much as you try to deny it, you and I are the same. Deep down, you crave the power you had as the Lord of Terror. I can help you to gain that power."
"You're crazy."
"Am I? I know you, I AM you."
Urd turned away, "I refused Hild before when she offered to make me a full demon. I will not abandon Belldandy and Skuld."
The Queen frowned. "And what if they leave you?"
"Huh?"
"The time is fast approaching when both the heavens and hell will go to war. I have fought this war once already and have won. I am ready to do so again."
Urd stared at the queen. "You can't fight heaven! The doublet system...."
"Will no longer be a problem!" The Queen pulled out a small device and then pressed a button. Urd gasped as she felt a mental connection snap.
"What have you done?!" asked Urd.
"I have severed that which has kept the demons under the thumb of gods." replied the Queen. "Now it is time for the Demons to rise and take their place as rulers of the world!"
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"What was that?" asked a surprised Belldandy.
"The destruction of the doublet system." replied Sayoko, "The Queen is now prepared to make war on the heavens."
"Why?"
Sayoko's eyes hardened, "I have told you why! They are my enemy!"
"What about me?" asked Belldandy, "Am I your enemy?"
Sayoko was startled and did not reply.
"I am a goddess of heaven," said Belldandy, "a heaven that has done you no wrong. If you do this, my sisters will die, Keiichi will die." Belldandy began to tear up. "I don't want to, but I will fight you to protect the ones I love."
Sayoko stared at Belldandy for several long moments before turning and walking out of the cell, slamming the door behind her. Keiichi moved next to Belldandy and wrapped his arms around her.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly.
Belldandy nodded.
"What do you think she'll do?"
"I don't know Keiichi, I can't read her mind. But I've given her a lot to think about."
"Will there really be a war?"
"I hope not. But if there is, I will protect you." Belldandy pulled Keiichi closer to her. "I promise."
Outside the door, Sayoko stood silently, leaning against the wall. She had heard everything that had been said after she had left the room. She closed her eyes. Belldandy was right. She did have a lot to think about.
Queen Urd sat on her throne overlooking hell. Sayoko entered and stood by the throne, her face full of emotion.
"Report." ordered Queen Urd.
Sayoko glared at her Aunt. "How can you be this way?! You left Keima! Hell.......you SHOT Keima! And now he's......he's........"
The Queen turned and glared at her niece. "Keima was careless. He knew Skuld was tricky. He should have expected her to move out of the way."
Sayoko stared at her Aunt stunned. "You're blaming KEIMA?!?!"
"I blame both Keima and Skuld."
"How dare you...."
CRACK!
Sayoko flew across the room as a lightning bolt slammed into her, stunning her. When she finally came to her senses, she found Queen Urd looking down on her.
"Watch yourself my dear niece." said the Queen coldly, "Or you will find that even being a family member won't save you from my wraith. Now report!"
Sayoko stood up slowly. "Velsper has been returned to demon form and is currently 'conversing' with the programmers. They expect to be able to bring the doublet down within 12 hours."
"And our other Guests?"
"Urd is being held apart from my.......from the other two. Just as you ordered."
The Queen smiled. "Excellent. I will visit my younger self soon."
Sayoko turned to leave.
"Remember." Sayoko stopped and looked back at her Aunt. "Should you displease me again, you will find yourself reunited with your brother." The Queen glared coldly at her niece. Sayoko shivered and quickly left. The Queen turned and resumed looking out over hell.
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The Temple.
3 people sat around the table, each staring at the other, yet not wanting to sit anywhere near the others. One was Lind. She glared at the demon and the person she felt was a rogue goddess. Mara glared at the two goddesses before her, while old Skuld stared at the demon and the fighting goddess. Young Skuld had stood off to the side, praying that Peorth would arrive soon. She had been called just after getting the three indoors. The only movement from the three was an occasional blink, and the twitching and the occasional spark from old Skuld's left hand.
Finally a thumping noise was heard coming from Keiichi and Belldandy's room, and then a loud voice was heard.
"It is I, Peorth of the.........Where the hell is everyone?"
"Out here." called Skuld.
Peorth exited the room. "What's going on Skuld? Where have you been? And what did you mean when........." Peorth's voice trailed off as she stared at the 3 sitting around the table. Lind she knew, Mara......well......she'd heard the stories from Belldandy. It was seeing the older version of Skuld that really got her. "Ok.........What is going on here?"
About an hour later, Old Skuld finished her story for the second time that day.
"You're the only one left?" asked Peorth, who was now white in the face.
Old Skuld nodded, another spark emitted from her hand.
"Ummm you know your hand is spitting sparks?"
"Yeah......." said Mara, "I've been wondering about that."
Lind remained silent.
Old Skuld sighed. She reached over with her right hand and grabbed her upper left arm, giving it a twist. The arm came off. Skuld set it down on the table. Peorth and Mara stared at it wide eyed. Lind blinked. Young Skuld looked at the three, then back at old Skuld.
"Did I look like that when you did that earlier?"
"Yeah." replied old Skuld.
"What......how......?" asked Peorth.
"Remember when I said that Fenrir had been released? I was one of the fortunate few that survived, even if it did cost me my arm. That's why I was in the hospital for 2 months." Skuld turned to her younger self. "You have your tool kit handy?"
"Yeah I'll get it." replied the younger. She turned and hurried off to her room.
"So why am I here?" asked Peorth.
Old Skuld looked at Peorth. "You're the SysOp. I need access to Yggdrasil."
Peorth stared at old Skuld stunned. "I CAN'T AUTHORIZE THAT! I'd get busted to 4th Class so quick.........besides, why do you need access?"
"Because I've been relying on my back-up power source since I've arrived." replied old Skuld, "And as scary as this sounds, there's a limit to how much ice cream a goddess can eat."
Peorth sighed, "I'll see what I can do. But still why?"
"Because I'll need my full Goddess powers if I'm going to rescue Belldandy, Keiichi, and Urd from hell."
"You're going after them?"
Old Skuld nodded. "I am."
"How?"
"I haven't worked that out yet."
Peorth stood up. "Alright, I'll return to heaven and see about getting you your access. No promises though."
Peorth turned and walked down the hall, passing the younger Skuld who was returning with her tools. Lind then stood up.
"I should resume my watch. The demons may still decide to eliminate us." She turned and left the temple. Mara got up and went to watch TV. Young Skuld sat next to her elder self, setting the tool kit on the table.
"Can you give me a hand with this?" asked old Skuld, "I'm kind of short one."
Skuld pulled out her tools and set to work fixing the arm. As she worked, she looked over at the older goddess. The older goddess had a far away look on her face.
"What's wrong?" asked Skuld.
Her older self looked at her. "I was just thinking about Keima. I helped raise him and Sayoko until they were 4 and 7. They were great kids, until Urd twisted them."
"You said they blamed you for Belldandy. What happened?"
"That's just it." replied old Skuld, "I don't know. I was in the hospital when she and the kids disappeared." She sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't gone with the others to stop Fenrir." She shook her head. "Alright, enough of my past. Lets fix my arm. Then we figure out how to get Bell, K and Urd out of hell so that you have a future to look forward to."
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Hell
Keiichi stood at a window pounding on the bars, using his shoe to protect his hand. The bars had begun to move out of place, but only by a small amount. It would take a lot longer before these bars would be removed. Keiichi stopped and let out a sigh. He then looked over at his cellmate. Belldandy had been sitting quietly on the floor in the corner since they had arrived. Nothing Keiichi had said could get her to break her self-imposed silence. She had been that way since seeing Urd as a demon, as well as demons that looked like younger versions of herself and Keiichi. But the worst shock had been that the rogue Goddess had been whom she had feared. It had been Skuld.
Keiichi went over and sat down next to Belldandy.
"Bell, please talk to me." He said softly, "I want to know what your thinking."
Belldandy looked at him, but still remained silent.
A loud clank then sounded in the door. Keiichi looked over to see the door to their cell opening. Keiichi frowned as he saw who entered. The demoness Sayoko stepped in, closing the door behind her. The demoness looked over at the two, and then turned away, refusing to meet Belldandy's eyes.
"What do you want?" asked Keiichi.
"I....." began Sayoko, "......I don't know." She turned back towards the door. "This was a mistake....." She started to reach for the door.
"Wait."
Sayoko froze. Keiichi looked over at Belldandy in surprise. Belldandy continued to stare at the demoness.
"Please, who are you?"
Sayoko slowly turned, finally looking at Belldandy. "I am Sayoko, Demoness of the Present."
"But that is not who you originally were, is it?"
Sayoko turned away. "I shouldn't be speaking to you."
"Then why did you come? Truth."
"Truth." replied Sayoko, "I.......wanted to speak to you, to find out what you're like."
"Why?"
Sayoko turned and sat down in front of Belldandy. "What do you know of the events of these past days?"
"I know that a Goddess arrived from the future, a goddess that ended up being my sister, Skuld. And that my other sister has apparently become the Queen of Hell."
Sayoko nodded. "They are my Aunts."
Belldandy and Keiichi's eyes widened.
"Does that mean.....?" began Keiichi.
"You were mine and Keima's parents." Sayoko said quietly.
"But......." Keiichi looked at Belldandy, then back at Sayoko, "shouldn't you be a goddess?"
Sayoko's face went dark for a second, as if being called a goddess angered her, but that darkness soon faded. "I was born a goddess, as Keima was born a god."
"Why are you now a demon?" asked Belldandy quietly.
"Because we were abandoned by heaven." replied Sayoko angrily. She then began to pace. "Skuld went off to fight Fenrir. She wasn't even ordered to go! But she went, leaving mom alone with me and Keima. Mom cried at night, missing dad, her sisters.......and then we found out Skuld was injured, almost dead." Sayoko stopped pacing and looked out the window. "What happened next is kind of fuzzy. I know there was a fight. When it was over, Keima and I were alone in the temple." Sayoko looked back at Belldandy and Keiichi. "If Skuld had stayed, maybe mom wouldn't have lost. We were there by ourselves for days. No one from heaven came, not even Skuld. After the 7th day, Auntie Urd showed up and took us with her. She took care of us, was there when we needed her. As a result, both Keima and I decided to become demons, to punish the heavens, and Skuld, for abandoning us, and my mom."
Belldandy remained silent.
"Where is our Urd?" asked Keiichi.
"She is meeting with someone else." replied Sayoko.
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"Greetings."
Urd turned around and frowned. Entering her cell was the older version of her, the Queen. "Why am I here?"
The Queen smiled, "We have much to talk about."
Urd crossed her arms, "Unlikely."
"I thought much the same way long ago, but that changed."
Urd glared at the queen, but remained silent.
The Queen continued. "I had an, enlightening experience at a museum, and discovered my true path. It did not lie with the heavens. I left the temple because I knew Belldandy and Skuld would notice my new attitude and try to change my mind." The Queen smiled, "I became a demon, craving the power I once had as the Lord of Terror, only without being under his control. You'd be surprised how easy it is for a demon to get power, you just hack their system. Within a year, I had enough power to rival Hild. So I took the next step: remove Hild and become Queen. Oh there were several protests from high level demons, but I defeated them and locked them up in their own sections of hell. No one ever questioned my rule ever again."
"Whoopie." muttered Urd, "I still don't see why your telling me this."
The Queen frowned, "As much as you try to deny it, you and I are the same. Deep down, you crave the power you had as the Lord of Terror. I can help you to gain that power."
"You're crazy."
"Am I? I know you, I AM you."
Urd turned away, "I refused Hild before when she offered to make me a full demon. I will not abandon Belldandy and Skuld."
The Queen frowned. "And what if they leave you?"
"Huh?"
"The time is fast approaching when both the heavens and hell will go to war. I have fought this war once already and have won. I am ready to do so again."
Urd stared at the queen. "You can't fight heaven! The doublet system...."
"Will no longer be a problem!" The Queen pulled out a small device and then pressed a button. Urd gasped as she felt a mental connection snap.
"What have you done?!" asked Urd.
"I have severed that which has kept the demons under the thumb of gods." replied the Queen. "Now it is time for the Demons to rise and take their place as rulers of the world!"
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"What was that?" asked a surprised Belldandy.
"The destruction of the doublet system." replied Sayoko, "The Queen is now prepared to make war on the heavens."
"Why?"
Sayoko's eyes hardened, "I have told you why! They are my enemy!"
"What about me?" asked Belldandy, "Am I your enemy?"
Sayoko was startled and did not reply.
"I am a goddess of heaven," said Belldandy, "a heaven that has done you no wrong. If you do this, my sisters will die, Keiichi will die." Belldandy began to tear up. "I don't want to, but I will fight you to protect the ones I love."
Sayoko stared at Belldandy for several long moments before turning and walking out of the cell, slamming the door behind her. Keiichi moved next to Belldandy and wrapped his arms around her.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly.
Belldandy nodded.
"What do you think she'll do?"
"I don't know Keiichi, I can't read her mind. But I've given her a lot to think about."
"Will there really be a war?"
"I hope not. But if there is, I will protect you." Belldandy pulled Keiichi closer to her. "I promise."
Outside the door, Sayoko stood silently, leaning against the wall. She had heard everything that had been said after she had left the room. She closed her eyes. Belldandy was right. She did have a lot to think about.
