Part 5: Missing Part
Mara stared in amazement, how was it that Hope, a hybrid that had the energy equivalent to nothing was able to stop her Hellfire Thunder Blast? Especially now that it was boosted by the power of her Lord Surt? "The...power of..." She gasped. "Revolution!?"
Hope's eyes flashed and she sent the blast up into the sky. "Ggk...Hahh..." She grabbed her head as if she were in pain and glared at Mara again.
"MARA!" Surt's voice echoed in her ears.
"Yes My Lord?"
"I gave you strict orders to capture the hybrid! Not kill her!"
Mara dropped Tyr to the ground and groaned.
"I...I can't...I can't stand it anymore!" her body drifted off the ground and straightened out. "I...all I want..."
Mara stared at her with puzzlement. "Now what...?"
Tyr coughed then tried to focus his vision on Hope as night began to envelop the forest. "It's, it's happening...!" He gasped in shock.
More images flashed through Hope's mind and finally she released an ear-piercing scream, and slumped over in the air.
"Are you done yet?" Mara grinned as she formed another blaze of fire in her hand.
Hope didn't respond; she just hung there in mid air with a blank look on her face. "...All I want..."
"Hmm?"
Hope clutched her waist and felt it was damp, with blood.
"Yes, that wonderful blood is the key!" Surt's voice chuckled.
Mara ignored him and waited.
Hope stared at her hands, and she stared at Mara with a gentle smile.
"What!?" Mara's smile vanished from her face.
Hope slowly drifted down to the ground and held a hand out. "Hellfire Thunder Blast!" The attack swerved down and stuck Mara hard.
Tyr stared at Hope in horror and moved back from her as she walked near him. "H...Hope...c...calm...era...get a hold of yourself!"
Hope smiled at him. "It's okay Tyr, it's all okay now." she said then heard Mara shout in rage. "I heard my mother's voice...and she told me what I have to do..."
"Hybrid!" Mara shot towards her and caught her neck.
Hope's smile remained on her face. "Mara...you're in pain..."
"Shut UP!!" Mara barked as Hope's blood began to run down her arm.
"No....let her go!" Tyr jumped to his feet.
All of a sudden clouds formed over the forest from which a barrage of lightning bolts slammed down on the demon.
Hope was hit back and landed on the ground. "Aunt...Aunt Urd?" Hope's eyes widened. "Mara!" She quickly staggered to her feet and held her hands up and cast a spell that froze the bolts.
Mara stared in disbelief. "Are you...crazy? I'm your enemy!"
"No you're not..." Hope smiled as she struggled to ward Urd's thunderbolts off. "My Mother...she said that all I can do now, is forgive you. And I do."
Mara stared at her for a moment and felt tears burning in the corners of her eyes before she vanished.
"Miss Mara! Wait for Senbei!" The god panicked and vanished.
"Hope...?" Tyr stared.
She started to shake then fell to her knees.
"Hope?" Tyr walked over to her as she fell face down on the ground. "Hey! Snap outta...huh!?" Her face was pale white and she was almost as cold as ice.
"Tyr!" Peorth landed next to him and picked up Hope's body.
"What's happening to her!?" Tyr shouted.
"She's lost half of her blood supply! We have to hurry and get her help before it's too late!!" Peorth shouted.
"Blood supply? I don't understand!" Tyr said as Peorth shot off.
"She's dying!"
Urd stood in the forest, smoke was rising up from the ground she stood. "Hah...hahh...hahh.." She panted and lowered her hands. "Hope..." she collapsed to the ground. "Why...did you stop...me...?"
The Almighty sat quietly in his throne and thought repeatedly about Hope, ever since the day she was born he watched her, always with a smile, for she was his grandchild, but now she was slipping even further away from him than before. "If only...."
"My Lord!" Peorth darted into the commerce room and bowed before him.
"I know what troubles you Peorth, it troubles me as well."
"She's dying my lord, Tyr said that for a moment her powers emerged, but she..."
"Was bleeding during the battle, and instead of destroying the demon she saved it...."
"Yes...please, you're the only one that can save her now." Peorth pleaded.
"No."
"But...."
"Hope's life, places a burden on the Universe, as much as it pains me to say...perhaps this is for the best."
Peorth dug the courage to say what she was about to. "If you let Hope die, Belldandy will never forgive you or the heavens!"
His eyes shot wide; he could hear Hope trying to hold onto her life in the depths of his mind. "SILENCE!"
Peorth cringed and averted her glare. "For...forgive me...."
"Peorth, if Hope truly desires her right to live...then she shall live...this is something I have no control over."
Subconsciously Hope could hear children laughing and shrieking with joy. "What...what's happening...is...this a dream?"
"Hope...I love you always..." Belldandy's gentle voice sang out.
"...Mother..."
"I love you..."
"Mother..." Hope's eyes closed tightly as tears began to force through.
She was alone, slowly drifting down this cold vortex. "Why...why were you taken away...why...?" Hope asked as the vortex was filled with light.
Hope lay in her bed and stared at the door idly, she wanted to go outside and play even though it was dark, but she knew better and just imagined. A beam of light stretched into her room, she knew her mother and father were doing the routine 10:11 PM check to make sure that she was okay, but this time something was different.
"Belldandy, are you sure about this?" Keiichi whispered.
"I want Hope to have a wonderful childhood Keiichi, and I don't want Mara to find out about her...." Belldandy whispered. "...Over the past few days, Urd, Skuld, and I have been sensing an unusual wave coming from somewhere in town. That wave sends a chill throughout my soul, and fills me with worry."
"Belldandy, let me come with you just in case."
"Keiichi, I don't want you to get hurt." Belldandy whispered then walked into the room.
Hope quickly closed her eyes and rhythms her breaths to act as if she were asleep. Belldandy gently lifted her up and cradled her in her arms.
"Belldandy...I..." Keiichi stared.
"Stay here, and protect her." She whispered then put Hope back onto her futon, walked out of the room, and slid the door shut, but not before saying. "I love you...my precious daughter."
Hope laid there silently for hours, something wasn't right, and she felt it when her mother held her in her arms. Slowly, she stood up and peeked her head into the hallway to see her father waiting at the front door with a hamaya arrow in hand. "...Poppa...?"
He quickly looked over at her and forced a smile but she knew something was bothering him. "Hope, why are you up so late? Did you have a nightmare?"
She walked out into the hall. "Where did Momma go?"
He looked down. "She..." At that moment, a tremor went through the entire town, followed by the sounds of crashing thunder. "...Oh no!"
Hope's eyes widened. "Momma!" she ran past Keiichi and out the front temple door.
"No! Hope wait!" Keiichi ran after her.
Hope couldn't hear his cries, her heart was pounding and her feet were flying, she didn't know exactly where she was going, but she knew whom she was running to. Through the forest she went, her father's cry fading and fading. "Momma! Momma! Where are you!?" Hope cried as she saw an orange glow breaking through the trees. "MOMMA!" she ran out but was brought to a halt by a sudden outburst of fire.
"ARRROOOOOOOOOO!" A wolf like beast shot into the air and struck Belldandy with its monstrous paw.
"MOMMA!!!" Hope screamed.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Mara laughed hideously. "You three still don't understand! The people of this planet were meant for making pacts with us demons! However, since you three won't leave my turf I'm having a lot of trouble fulfilling my job!" She laughed then shot out a finger. "Fenrir, drain every bit of Belldandy's power away!"
The wolf shot it's head down and chomped down on Belldandy's body, her power draining from her into his fangs.
"No....NO! STOP IT!" Hope cried.
"Hope!" Keiichi ran out into the opening and his eyes widened in horror. "BELLDANDY!!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" The goddess screamed in pain as the wolf forced its fangs down as if it were trying to penetrate her immortal flesh.
"NO! STOP IT!! STOP IT!" The symbols on the sides of Hope's face began to light up.
Mara continued to laugh hideously until she saw an object glowing in the corner of her eye.
"Hnnnnngggg..." Hope's feet drifted off the ground and she formed an orb in her hands. "STOP LAUGHING!!! STOP HURTING MY MOMMA!!!!!!"
The wolf's ears shot up and it eased Belldandy back down to the ground.
"Fenrir! I did not order you to stop!!!" Mara shouted.
Hope shot her glare over to Mara. "ATTACK!"
"AARRROOOOOOOO!" Fenrir shot over and chomped down on Mara.
"YOU DAMN WOLF! LET ME GO!!!!" Mara beat his snout.
Hope held her hands above her head and Fenrir began to hover off the ground. "KERAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She shot her hands down; Fenrir fell on top of Mara's arcade, and vanished.
"You won't...you won't hurt my Momma...you won't...." Two tears streamed down her face and Hope collapsed onto the ground.
Skuld and Urd climbed out from a pile of rubble with weary looks on their faces and staggered over to Belldandy.
"Big sister, you...you did it..." Skuld smiled.
"It....it wasn't me...." Belldandy coughed as they helped her up.
"Huh?" Skuld stared.
"She's right...that power was amazing, Fenrir was possessed by another being...but who?" Urd thought aloud.
"Belldandy!" Keiichi shouted.
All three stared up at the forest ledge and gawked, streams of energy were being emitted from the body in Keiichi's hands.
The next morning, before the heaven's council.
"Belldandy, step forward." The almighty beckoned.
She nervously approached. "Father?"
"You are aware of why I summoned you here are you not?"
"I am."
"Last night, Hope unleashed a power that was unlike anything the heavens have ever seen, a power that bends even the largest unholy beast to it's will...Belldandy, you know that Hope's birth was highly praised, but at the time even we were not aware..."
Belldandy's eyes widened.
"We were...not aware, that this blessed child, is she who holds within the power of revolution."
Urd and Skuld fell to their knees and were paralyzed with shock.
"Belldandy, you have brought upon this universe a Pandora's box, you have committed a sin that not even I have the power to undo, and so it is with a heavy heart...that I place this punishment upon your shoulders..."
"Father!" Urd and Skuld objected.
"Silence!" He barked then looked back to Belldandy. "Belldandy, goddess first class, unlimited, I hereby banish you from the mortal plains...until the day that this universe is eradicated of Hope's presence...until the day...that she dies."
"But what about her contract with Keiichi!?" Skuld cried. "Father! Belldandy had no control over what fate would be decided for Hope! THIS ISN'T FAIR!"
Tears hit the floor, Belldandy was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Her contract will be placed into files, and as for you Urd and Skuld..."
Later Keiichi sat on Earth and cradled Hope in his arms when he heard someone walking to the door. Belldandy walked into the room and kneeled next to him. "Belldandy...what...did he..."
"Oh Keiichi!" Belldandy wrapped her arms around him and cried.
"Belldandy?" Keiichi put an arm around her.
"I'll always love you Keiichi."
His heart sunk. "Belldandy...."
She looked at him with tear soaked eyes then held Hope. "Live Hope, always cherish this life that you have been given, no matter what anyone says and no matter what happens, because you are my precious daughter...and I love you...always..."
Hope woke up, Keiichi, Skuld and Urd sat around her, all with tear's rolling down their faces.
"Poppa?" Hope sat up and looked around. "Where's Momma?"
Keiichi looked down. "...Hope...she can't be with us anymore...."
She stared at him with confusion.
"You see...heaven decided, that she had to be up there, to watch over and protect you, so...Momma is in heaven now..."
"...She'll...she'll come back home soon right?"
Keiichi shook his head.
Hope felt like a dagger was stabbed into her heart, and a lump formed in her throat. "Momma..." She wiped the tears from her eyes with her arm but couldn't control herself. "MOMMA!!"
"...You shall return to Earth, and protect Hope from harm. Never tell Hope of her godhood, and never mention what happened that night, for her memory of that night will be shut tight to her for as long as we can manage." He sighed. "Hope Morisato, shall live the life of a normal mortal girl, until a time that we should see fit."
Three tears flew from Hope's face, it was all as clear as day now. "Mother...it... its all my fault...because of this retched power that exists within me..."
An angel flew down the vortex and came to her. The expression on her face seemed happy yet sad, she didn't want Hope to die.
"You..." Hope stared.
The angel smiled and hugged her; she was warm and filled Hope's heart with a beating melody. "You're...my guardian angel...Beautiful Melody." Hope's hands drifted up and she hugged her back. A bright light emerged from them both, and they vanished.
Peorth walked into the Yggdrasill maintenance hall only to hear the cries of many goddesses over Belldandy's lost child.
"Damnit!" Tyr growled angrily and looked away from Hope's body.
"Miss Peorth!" Ex ran to her. "Did he say anything?"
She sadly shook her head.
"Oh no..." Ex burst into tears.
For a moment, Hope just lied there limp and dead, until. "HAAH!" She took in a large gasp of air and floated up.
"What!?" Tyr stared in shock as angel wings emerged from Hope's back.
"Unh...huh?" Her eyes slowly opened as she stared around the room.
"Hope!" Peorth shot over to her and gave her a big hug. "Why you little! We were so worried that you were dead!"
Hope backed away from her and just stared at Peorth for a moment.
"Hope?"
"I know now...the truth..." She smiled.
Skuld ran out into the forest and saw Urd lying on the ground. "What the, Urd! Wake up! What did you do!?" She shook her.
"Stop it already!" Urd sat up but was still panting.
"Urd!" Keiichi ran out to her.
"It...hahh...It was Mara..."
"What!?" Keiichi and Skuld gasped.
"I'm not sure why...but she wasn't herself, I could see an aura of true hell in her...she...hahh...she's been possessed..." Urd panted.
"Is Hope alright!?" Keiichi got down on one knee next to her.
"You know that kid...I bet my life on it that she's okay."
That next morning....
Hope sat at an odd balcony that hung over heaven in a way. Her face looked tired and expressionless as she hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees.
"Little spirit?"
Hope stared around then looked back to see the tree spirit smiling at her. "Tree spirit!" she jumped up and gave him a hug. "I've looked all over heaven for you."
He smiled and got down on one knee. "I'll always be here for you when you need me most." He laughed slightly. "What's troubling you?"
Hope sighed and sat back down on the balcony. "Everything, I just found out last night that a long time ago, I committed a terrible crime from which my mother and aunts were punished."
He sat down next to her. "What crime did you commit?"
"Existing..."
"Nonsense." He laughed.
"Eh?"
"Hope, listen, your mother and father loved each other very much, and still do to this day." He said then patted her shoulder. "You are a representation of that love, and when I look at you, I can see years of their love that have raised a lovely and thoughtful girl. So never look at your existence as a burden, you are a gift to this universe, the sign of true love."
Hope blushed. "Thank you." She then smiled and they stared out into the heavens for a short while. "Tree spirit, how did you...know my mother?"
He didn't respond.
"Tree spirit?" She looked over, but he was gone.
"Morisato? Whom were you talking to?"
"Huh?" Hope stared back out the balcony and saw Freya and Ran staring at her. "A...spirit."
"Oh." they both nodded then landed in front of her. "We heard about what happened last night and just wanted to see if you were okay?"
Hope smiled and nodded. "I'm feeling fine." Just then Beautiful Melody came out from Hope's back.
"Wow! An angel!" They both gawked. "I thought you only got one when you reached a certain level of power or age or something..."
"No, Beautiful Melody isn't that kind of angel, she's my guardian angel." She smiled and held her hand.
"Well, here." They both held out two flowers. "We're also sorry about the way we treated you the other day and...would you like to be our friend, you're a lot nicer than Loki is!" They smiled.
Hope looked to them and smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that very much."
Surt sat at his throne and glared down at Mara with utter anguish. "All I asked of you; was to bring the hybrid back." He growled then slammed his fist down. "SO WHERE IS SHE!?"
Mara rose to her feet and sighed. "I...couldn't...I just..."
"Tsk....hmm?" he stared at the red coating on her clothes then grinned. "Never mind Mara my dear...I see her now...." He chuckled then burst out into laughter.
Mara stared in amazement, how was it that Hope, a hybrid that had the energy equivalent to nothing was able to stop her Hellfire Thunder Blast? Especially now that it was boosted by the power of her Lord Surt? "The...power of..." She gasped. "Revolution!?"
Hope's eyes flashed and she sent the blast up into the sky. "Ggk...Hahh..." She grabbed her head as if she were in pain and glared at Mara again.
"MARA!" Surt's voice echoed in her ears.
"Yes My Lord?"
"I gave you strict orders to capture the hybrid! Not kill her!"
Mara dropped Tyr to the ground and groaned.
"I...I can't...I can't stand it anymore!" her body drifted off the ground and straightened out. "I...all I want..."
Mara stared at her with puzzlement. "Now what...?"
Tyr coughed then tried to focus his vision on Hope as night began to envelop the forest. "It's, it's happening...!" He gasped in shock.
More images flashed through Hope's mind and finally she released an ear-piercing scream, and slumped over in the air.
"Are you done yet?" Mara grinned as she formed another blaze of fire in her hand.
Hope didn't respond; she just hung there in mid air with a blank look on her face. "...All I want..."
"Hmm?"
Hope clutched her waist and felt it was damp, with blood.
"Yes, that wonderful blood is the key!" Surt's voice chuckled.
Mara ignored him and waited.
Hope stared at her hands, and she stared at Mara with a gentle smile.
"What!?" Mara's smile vanished from her face.
Hope slowly drifted down to the ground and held a hand out. "Hellfire Thunder Blast!" The attack swerved down and stuck Mara hard.
Tyr stared at Hope in horror and moved back from her as she walked near him. "H...Hope...c...calm...era...get a hold of yourself!"
Hope smiled at him. "It's okay Tyr, it's all okay now." she said then heard Mara shout in rage. "I heard my mother's voice...and she told me what I have to do..."
"Hybrid!" Mara shot towards her and caught her neck.
Hope's smile remained on her face. "Mara...you're in pain..."
"Shut UP!!" Mara barked as Hope's blood began to run down her arm.
"No....let her go!" Tyr jumped to his feet.
All of a sudden clouds formed over the forest from which a barrage of lightning bolts slammed down on the demon.
Hope was hit back and landed on the ground. "Aunt...Aunt Urd?" Hope's eyes widened. "Mara!" She quickly staggered to her feet and held her hands up and cast a spell that froze the bolts.
Mara stared in disbelief. "Are you...crazy? I'm your enemy!"
"No you're not..." Hope smiled as she struggled to ward Urd's thunderbolts off. "My Mother...she said that all I can do now, is forgive you. And I do."
Mara stared at her for a moment and felt tears burning in the corners of her eyes before she vanished.
"Miss Mara! Wait for Senbei!" The god panicked and vanished.
"Hope...?" Tyr stared.
She started to shake then fell to her knees.
"Hope?" Tyr walked over to her as she fell face down on the ground. "Hey! Snap outta...huh!?" Her face was pale white and she was almost as cold as ice.
"Tyr!" Peorth landed next to him and picked up Hope's body.
"What's happening to her!?" Tyr shouted.
"She's lost half of her blood supply! We have to hurry and get her help before it's too late!!" Peorth shouted.
"Blood supply? I don't understand!" Tyr said as Peorth shot off.
"She's dying!"
Urd stood in the forest, smoke was rising up from the ground she stood. "Hah...hahh...hahh.." She panted and lowered her hands. "Hope..." she collapsed to the ground. "Why...did you stop...me...?"
The Almighty sat quietly in his throne and thought repeatedly about Hope, ever since the day she was born he watched her, always with a smile, for she was his grandchild, but now she was slipping even further away from him than before. "If only...."
"My Lord!" Peorth darted into the commerce room and bowed before him.
"I know what troubles you Peorth, it troubles me as well."
"She's dying my lord, Tyr said that for a moment her powers emerged, but she..."
"Was bleeding during the battle, and instead of destroying the demon she saved it...."
"Yes...please, you're the only one that can save her now." Peorth pleaded.
"No."
"But...."
"Hope's life, places a burden on the Universe, as much as it pains me to say...perhaps this is for the best."
Peorth dug the courage to say what she was about to. "If you let Hope die, Belldandy will never forgive you or the heavens!"
His eyes shot wide; he could hear Hope trying to hold onto her life in the depths of his mind. "SILENCE!"
Peorth cringed and averted her glare. "For...forgive me...."
"Peorth, if Hope truly desires her right to live...then she shall live...this is something I have no control over."
Subconsciously Hope could hear children laughing and shrieking with joy. "What...what's happening...is...this a dream?"
"Hope...I love you always..." Belldandy's gentle voice sang out.
"...Mother..."
"I love you..."
"Mother..." Hope's eyes closed tightly as tears began to force through.
She was alone, slowly drifting down this cold vortex. "Why...why were you taken away...why...?" Hope asked as the vortex was filled with light.
Hope lay in her bed and stared at the door idly, she wanted to go outside and play even though it was dark, but she knew better and just imagined. A beam of light stretched into her room, she knew her mother and father were doing the routine 10:11 PM check to make sure that she was okay, but this time something was different.
"Belldandy, are you sure about this?" Keiichi whispered.
"I want Hope to have a wonderful childhood Keiichi, and I don't want Mara to find out about her...." Belldandy whispered. "...Over the past few days, Urd, Skuld, and I have been sensing an unusual wave coming from somewhere in town. That wave sends a chill throughout my soul, and fills me with worry."
"Belldandy, let me come with you just in case."
"Keiichi, I don't want you to get hurt." Belldandy whispered then walked into the room.
Hope quickly closed her eyes and rhythms her breaths to act as if she were asleep. Belldandy gently lifted her up and cradled her in her arms.
"Belldandy...I..." Keiichi stared.
"Stay here, and protect her." She whispered then put Hope back onto her futon, walked out of the room, and slid the door shut, but not before saying. "I love you...my precious daughter."
Hope laid there silently for hours, something wasn't right, and she felt it when her mother held her in her arms. Slowly, she stood up and peeked her head into the hallway to see her father waiting at the front door with a hamaya arrow in hand. "...Poppa...?"
He quickly looked over at her and forced a smile but she knew something was bothering him. "Hope, why are you up so late? Did you have a nightmare?"
She walked out into the hall. "Where did Momma go?"
He looked down. "She..." At that moment, a tremor went through the entire town, followed by the sounds of crashing thunder. "...Oh no!"
Hope's eyes widened. "Momma!" she ran past Keiichi and out the front temple door.
"No! Hope wait!" Keiichi ran after her.
Hope couldn't hear his cries, her heart was pounding and her feet were flying, she didn't know exactly where she was going, but she knew whom she was running to. Through the forest she went, her father's cry fading and fading. "Momma! Momma! Where are you!?" Hope cried as she saw an orange glow breaking through the trees. "MOMMA!" she ran out but was brought to a halt by a sudden outburst of fire.
"ARRROOOOOOOOOO!" A wolf like beast shot into the air and struck Belldandy with its monstrous paw.
"MOMMA!!!" Hope screamed.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Mara laughed hideously. "You three still don't understand! The people of this planet were meant for making pacts with us demons! However, since you three won't leave my turf I'm having a lot of trouble fulfilling my job!" She laughed then shot out a finger. "Fenrir, drain every bit of Belldandy's power away!"
The wolf shot it's head down and chomped down on Belldandy's body, her power draining from her into his fangs.
"No....NO! STOP IT!" Hope cried.
"Hope!" Keiichi ran out into the opening and his eyes widened in horror. "BELLDANDY!!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" The goddess screamed in pain as the wolf forced its fangs down as if it were trying to penetrate her immortal flesh.
"NO! STOP IT!! STOP IT!" The symbols on the sides of Hope's face began to light up.
Mara continued to laugh hideously until she saw an object glowing in the corner of her eye.
"Hnnnnngggg..." Hope's feet drifted off the ground and she formed an orb in her hands. "STOP LAUGHING!!! STOP HURTING MY MOMMA!!!!!!"
The wolf's ears shot up and it eased Belldandy back down to the ground.
"Fenrir! I did not order you to stop!!!" Mara shouted.
Hope shot her glare over to Mara. "ATTACK!"
"AARRROOOOOOOO!" Fenrir shot over and chomped down on Mara.
"YOU DAMN WOLF! LET ME GO!!!!" Mara beat his snout.
Hope held her hands above her head and Fenrir began to hover off the ground. "KERAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She shot her hands down; Fenrir fell on top of Mara's arcade, and vanished.
"You won't...you won't hurt my Momma...you won't...." Two tears streamed down her face and Hope collapsed onto the ground.
Skuld and Urd climbed out from a pile of rubble with weary looks on their faces and staggered over to Belldandy.
"Big sister, you...you did it..." Skuld smiled.
"It....it wasn't me...." Belldandy coughed as they helped her up.
"Huh?" Skuld stared.
"She's right...that power was amazing, Fenrir was possessed by another being...but who?" Urd thought aloud.
"Belldandy!" Keiichi shouted.
All three stared up at the forest ledge and gawked, streams of energy were being emitted from the body in Keiichi's hands.
The next morning, before the heaven's council.
"Belldandy, step forward." The almighty beckoned.
She nervously approached. "Father?"
"You are aware of why I summoned you here are you not?"
"I am."
"Last night, Hope unleashed a power that was unlike anything the heavens have ever seen, a power that bends even the largest unholy beast to it's will...Belldandy, you know that Hope's birth was highly praised, but at the time even we were not aware..."
Belldandy's eyes widened.
"We were...not aware, that this blessed child, is she who holds within the power of revolution."
Urd and Skuld fell to their knees and were paralyzed with shock.
"Belldandy, you have brought upon this universe a Pandora's box, you have committed a sin that not even I have the power to undo, and so it is with a heavy heart...that I place this punishment upon your shoulders..."
"Father!" Urd and Skuld objected.
"Silence!" He barked then looked back to Belldandy. "Belldandy, goddess first class, unlimited, I hereby banish you from the mortal plains...until the day that this universe is eradicated of Hope's presence...until the day...that she dies."
"But what about her contract with Keiichi!?" Skuld cried. "Father! Belldandy had no control over what fate would be decided for Hope! THIS ISN'T FAIR!"
Tears hit the floor, Belldandy was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Her contract will be placed into files, and as for you Urd and Skuld..."
Later Keiichi sat on Earth and cradled Hope in his arms when he heard someone walking to the door. Belldandy walked into the room and kneeled next to him. "Belldandy...what...did he..."
"Oh Keiichi!" Belldandy wrapped her arms around him and cried.
"Belldandy?" Keiichi put an arm around her.
"I'll always love you Keiichi."
His heart sunk. "Belldandy...."
She looked at him with tear soaked eyes then held Hope. "Live Hope, always cherish this life that you have been given, no matter what anyone says and no matter what happens, because you are my precious daughter...and I love you...always..."
Hope woke up, Keiichi, Skuld and Urd sat around her, all with tear's rolling down their faces.
"Poppa?" Hope sat up and looked around. "Where's Momma?"
Keiichi looked down. "...Hope...she can't be with us anymore...."
She stared at him with confusion.
"You see...heaven decided, that she had to be up there, to watch over and protect you, so...Momma is in heaven now..."
"...She'll...she'll come back home soon right?"
Keiichi shook his head.
Hope felt like a dagger was stabbed into her heart, and a lump formed in her throat. "Momma..." She wiped the tears from her eyes with her arm but couldn't control herself. "MOMMA!!"
"...You shall return to Earth, and protect Hope from harm. Never tell Hope of her godhood, and never mention what happened that night, for her memory of that night will be shut tight to her for as long as we can manage." He sighed. "Hope Morisato, shall live the life of a normal mortal girl, until a time that we should see fit."
Three tears flew from Hope's face, it was all as clear as day now. "Mother...it... its all my fault...because of this retched power that exists within me..."
An angel flew down the vortex and came to her. The expression on her face seemed happy yet sad, she didn't want Hope to die.
"You..." Hope stared.
The angel smiled and hugged her; she was warm and filled Hope's heart with a beating melody. "You're...my guardian angel...Beautiful Melody." Hope's hands drifted up and she hugged her back. A bright light emerged from them both, and they vanished.
Peorth walked into the Yggdrasill maintenance hall only to hear the cries of many goddesses over Belldandy's lost child.
"Damnit!" Tyr growled angrily and looked away from Hope's body.
"Miss Peorth!" Ex ran to her. "Did he say anything?"
She sadly shook her head.
"Oh no..." Ex burst into tears.
For a moment, Hope just lied there limp and dead, until. "HAAH!" She took in a large gasp of air and floated up.
"What!?" Tyr stared in shock as angel wings emerged from Hope's back.
"Unh...huh?" Her eyes slowly opened as she stared around the room.
"Hope!" Peorth shot over to her and gave her a big hug. "Why you little! We were so worried that you were dead!"
Hope backed away from her and just stared at Peorth for a moment.
"Hope?"
"I know now...the truth..." She smiled.
Skuld ran out into the forest and saw Urd lying on the ground. "What the, Urd! Wake up! What did you do!?" She shook her.
"Stop it already!" Urd sat up but was still panting.
"Urd!" Keiichi ran out to her.
"It...hahh...It was Mara..."
"What!?" Keiichi and Skuld gasped.
"I'm not sure why...but she wasn't herself, I could see an aura of true hell in her...she...hahh...she's been possessed..." Urd panted.
"Is Hope alright!?" Keiichi got down on one knee next to her.
"You know that kid...I bet my life on it that she's okay."
That next morning....
Hope sat at an odd balcony that hung over heaven in a way. Her face looked tired and expressionless as she hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees.
"Little spirit?"
Hope stared around then looked back to see the tree spirit smiling at her. "Tree spirit!" she jumped up and gave him a hug. "I've looked all over heaven for you."
He smiled and got down on one knee. "I'll always be here for you when you need me most." He laughed slightly. "What's troubling you?"
Hope sighed and sat back down on the balcony. "Everything, I just found out last night that a long time ago, I committed a terrible crime from which my mother and aunts were punished."
He sat down next to her. "What crime did you commit?"
"Existing..."
"Nonsense." He laughed.
"Eh?"
"Hope, listen, your mother and father loved each other very much, and still do to this day." He said then patted her shoulder. "You are a representation of that love, and when I look at you, I can see years of their love that have raised a lovely and thoughtful girl. So never look at your existence as a burden, you are a gift to this universe, the sign of true love."
Hope blushed. "Thank you." She then smiled and they stared out into the heavens for a short while. "Tree spirit, how did you...know my mother?"
He didn't respond.
"Tree spirit?" She looked over, but he was gone.
"Morisato? Whom were you talking to?"
"Huh?" Hope stared back out the balcony and saw Freya and Ran staring at her. "A...spirit."
"Oh." they both nodded then landed in front of her. "We heard about what happened last night and just wanted to see if you were okay?"
Hope smiled and nodded. "I'm feeling fine." Just then Beautiful Melody came out from Hope's back.
"Wow! An angel!" They both gawked. "I thought you only got one when you reached a certain level of power or age or something..."
"No, Beautiful Melody isn't that kind of angel, she's my guardian angel." She smiled and held her hand.
"Well, here." They both held out two flowers. "We're also sorry about the way we treated you the other day and...would you like to be our friend, you're a lot nicer than Loki is!" They smiled.
Hope looked to them and smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that very much."
Surt sat at his throne and glared down at Mara with utter anguish. "All I asked of you; was to bring the hybrid back." He growled then slammed his fist down. "SO WHERE IS SHE!?"
Mara rose to her feet and sighed. "I...couldn't...I just..."
"Tsk....hmm?" he stared at the red coating on her clothes then grinned. "Never mind Mara my dear...I see her now...." He chuckled then burst out into laughter.