Chapter 29: Guiding Lights
"... Stay away..."
Keiichi looked around, but he did so in vain, for there was nothing for him to see. All around him was a cold nothingness. "Where... where am I?" he thought aloud as the cold flowed through his chest and fear grabbed at his heart. "Did I die?"
"Don't come near me... please... just stay away."
"Wait...that voice..." Keiichi squinted. "Hope...?" Just as he saw the slight contour of a figure, he vanished from that place as sudden warmth came over his body.
Three days had passed since the lucky few on Earth were able to witness what looked like a super nova in the night sky. It was the talk on every news show; at least it would be for a few days until a celebrity scandal kicked up. What fools these mortals are. They did not know that this nova they spoke of was the death of a planet, a death that one of their own had rendered. And she, whom rendered this act, had vanished from the face of existence. Leaving many immortals scratching their heads and searching in vain for the goddess of revolution. It was the least they could do, for they owed their lives to her and as a courtesy to a distressed mother, and wife.
"I've linked your laptop to every possible power source in the household, it's linked to Yggdrasil... and we're still pending for Nidheg..." Skuld said in-between bites of her vanilla ice cream. "Kira, I'm not sure you'll be able to track Hope down with that laptop."
Kira rubbed his bloodshot eyes, with his left hand still clacking away at the keys. "Just because I couldn't track her down on DemiGoogle doesn't mean that I've run out of search engines."
Skuld shook her head. "The least you could do is to go get an hour or two of sleep. You've been awake for three days straight, you'll burn yourself out."
Kira reached in front of her and snatched up a box of Pocky. "Here we go! Who needs sleep when you've got Pocky? Eh?" He asked as he chomped down on the chocolate covered cookie stick and went back to work. "You get sleep; you're not used to staying up a few days in a row like I am."
"Stay up a few..." Skuld stared at him oddly. "Kira why on Earth would you train yourself to stay up this long?"
"Because of many years living with an insatiable succubus." He said as Aura came into the room.
"...Oh... ahem!" Skuld coughed with a blush and got up. "Aura, is Kioshi asleep?"
She sighed and gave a little nod. "Poor little guy, for some reason he's blaming himself for all that's happened." She looked down sadly. "No matter how many times I told him that it wasn't his fault he just wouldn't hear a word and cried himself to sleep."
"Kioshi loves Hope very much..." Skuld said.
"We all do, go get some sleep. I'm a little handy with computers... if something goes wrong I'm sure I'll be able to help Kira out." Aura patted the tired goddess on the shoulder and escorted her out of the room.
"Alright, alright."
"You might want to sleep in Kioshi's room in case..."
"A nightmare." Skuld finished. "I know, um... don't let Kira work TOO hard... okay?" She whispered.
"Don't worry, I have my ways." Aura winked and closed the door before she looked back at her husband, still tirelessly working away on his laptop, searching. "Honey?"
Kira sighed and reached for another stick of Pocky only to feel Aura's soft warm hand.
"Stop torturing yourself like this... you need to rest."
"You don't have a problem keeping me up for days..." Kira said.
Aura looked to the side. "Well, I can't help it if I get a little hungry now and then, I am a succubus after all..." She looked down at him. "...But at least then I wasn't torturing your mind, your every waking thought."
Kira's hand stopped tapping. "I'm not so sure of that..."
"Kira, stop joking." She grumbled. "You've been thinking about her for the past three days, cursing at yourself and wishing you had done something different. Honey, there's nothing you could have done to prevent what happened. It was fate... destiny." Aura held her hand under his chin and made him look up from his screen at her. "Please... you know that Hope wouldn't want you to do this to yourself..."
His eyes wavered for a moment before he tried to look back at his screen. "N...no, I need to keep..." His eyelids felt heavy, Aura was enchanting him with a song of sleep. "A-Aura... cut that... out..."
Aura rested his head on her lap, and straightened his hair out with her fingertips. "Hon..." She smiled down at him then noticed the family picture Kira had placed near his laptop for a constant reminder. "...it wasn't your fault..."
Meanwhile and Nekomi Regional Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit, Belldandy waited patiently for Keiichi to wake from his coma. When he was catapulted from his motorcycle, he fractured his right leg and wrist on impact, and his helmet cracked open. He had a fifty- fifty chance of survival at that point, but with his wife at his side, it seemed his chances grew more and more in his favor.
"Keiichi..." Belldandy's fingertips brimmed with a soft warm energy as she held his left hand, healing him ever so slightly, making sure that the doctors would only be able to pass it off as something natural, that maybe vitamins actually do work.
"Mrs. Morisato?" A nurse whispered at the door way. "Your sister needs to speak with you."
"Thank you." Belldandy nodded to the nurse, and looked over Keiichi before she got up and left the room. "Please dear, wake up soon..."
Urd waited outside of the hospital with Hope's cell-phone in hand. "Hold on... I think she's coming."
Belldandy stepped out of the hospital entrance and saw Urd marching towards her.
"Can you believe that they don't allow phones in the hospital?" She asked and handed it to her sister. "It's Peorth."
Belldandy sighed heavily, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what news Peorth had, it was most likely bad. Though she found her courage and took the phone from her sister. "Hello, this is Belldandy."
"Belldandy, just a moment mon ami." Peorth responded, just as the phone clicked.
"Peorth? Are you there?" Suddenly a ray of light poured down from heaven and around the goddess. "Ah!?"
"She needs your help, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Keiichi." Urd called out.
"Urd, does this have anything to do with-"
"Hope? Yes, they may have pinpointed her location, but the problem is they can't find a way to get there!" She finished, just before the beam vanished.
"Oooh..."
"ERK!" Urd turned to stone when she realized an old man had been sitting on the gravel stairs leading into the hospital. "Eh... how you doing old timer?"
"Oh? Just fine, what happened to your friend? She sounded cute!"
"Um..." Urd waved a hand in front of his face and sighed in relief. "He's blind..."
"OHO!! Now I don't need to see to know you've got one nice rear!" He cackled as he grabbed her butt.
"Y... You..." Urd growled and zapped him with a massive static shock. "Old fart!"
"Hey now! These young girls now a day sure are feisty! Hyeh heheh!" He commented with what little hair he had standing straight up.
Back at the temple, Aura had fallen asleep on the table. She was too weak to stay awake any longer, but she had reason to want to stay awake and watch over Kira, and that reason lost its purpose as Kira gently placed a blanket over her. "Mm..." Aura shrugged slightly with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry about me..." Kira thought as he rubbed the back of his neck. Perhaps a little moment to stand outside and get some fresh air would energize him for the long hours ahead. With that in mind, he quietly stepped outside and gazed to the night sky. Among the millions of stars bright enough to shine down on Nekomi, he saw the faint glimmer of a red star. That was Hope's star, the only thing she left behind of herself. "Hope... why won't you let us find you?" He asked. "Are you afraid? Why? What is there for you to be afraid of?"
Suddenly, a sound that was too low for him to hear before slowly rose from the darkness. It was a deadly growl that came from the gut and through bared fangs. Before he could react, his eyes were met with yellow eyes that forced him against a tree. "YOU!!"
Kira's eyes flashed silver as he recognized his assailant. "...Leamen."
"I smelled you in the hallways of Hope's school, and then I learn you were the one that took her to that forsaken planet!! WHY!!?" She demanded, with that growl mixed in her voice. "You dare call yourself her Uncle!? When you KNEW that she would be in danger in that place!?" Her eyes were overfilled with fury. "ANSWER ME!!"
Kira looked down, away from her eyes in a solemn manner. "How could I..."
Leamen tightened her grip.
"...How could I... resist fate?" He answered "I had no choice, when she looked me in the eyes... those little blue sapphires, begging me to let her stay so that she could achieve peace?!" His fists clenched. "What if you had been in my place Leamen? What would you have done then?" He looked down on her. "Could you have resisted the planet's force moving you like a marionette? Could you have summoned the strength to resist its call? Could you have told her to her face that planet was doomed for all eternity by her Grandfather's will!!?" He waited for the answer, as Leamen slowly lowered him to his feet.
"..."
Kira sighed and shook his head. "I didn't want this to happen, it's been killing me."
Leamen was quiet, she could feel the pain he tried to conceal in his heart because it was resonating with her heart's pain as well.
"Leamen, it's all my fault... I don't... I don't blame you for hating me... But please, if you love Hope, you'll help me find her."
"It's not your fault..." Leamen whispered.
Kira's eyes widened.
"You were right, you had no control... neither did I." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I just... I wanted a face, I wanted someone I could blame, but even if I had that face it wouldn't bring her home any sooner."
"Leamen."
"I'm so sorry..." She rubbed away her tears then looked up at him with determination. "Let's search for her together. Two heads are better than one right?"
Kira and Leamen stared at each other for a moment, and smiled slightly. To think that after all these years they'd be working together. "I guess I could use your help..." Kira shrugged and walked back towards the temple. "Come on, let's get to work."
"...Right." Leamen nodded.
"Very good Granddaughter." Ulric's eyes peered through the darkness.
"You were right Gramps, this wasn't his fault." Leamen smiled slightly. "I feel like such a fool."
"There's no need for such feelings, now go, you are needed." Ulric closed his eyes and vanished from sight.
"Thanks Gramps." Leamen nodded and followed after Kira.
"She lies within darkness, a place beyond the reach of immortals... but within reach of the living... and the dead."
"What?" She looked back, but his scent had vanished. "Beyond living... and beyond dead?"
Peorth rubbed her eyes and yawned tiredly. "After this maybe I should consider taking a vacation..."
"A vacation well deserved." The three worker goddesses agreed.
"Huh... right." Peorth nodded, though she couldn't help but notice how hard at work Nauthiz was. "Perhaps Nauthiz is the one deserving a vacation."
"No Ma'am!" Nauthiz sounded off. "I shall receive no greater rest until I know Miss Hope is back home with her loved ones."
Belldandy walked into the control center dressed in her goddess garb, instantly fingers stopped strumming against the system cords, feet stopped frantically clapping on the ground, it was silent.
"Belldandy, it's nice to see you're doing well." Peorth floated down from her seat and gave the goddess a hug. "How is Keiichi?"
"He's recovering, Urd and I have been healing him with hope that he'll wake up soon." Belldandy said, hiding her pain with a gentle smile.
"That is good, but listen to me." Peorth stood back from their hug and held Belldandy's hands firmly. "We may have pinpointed Hope's location."
Belldandy waited, her heart beat grew faster.
"That red star in the night sky, that's the exact location of where Hope vanished after the incident. Several immortals have been sent out to analyze it and have determined that it IS Hope's gateway back to this realm."
"She's still alive then." Belldandy sighed in relief. "Oh! Thank the heavens..." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
"Yes, but still the question remains as to what lies on the other side of this gateway besides Hope. We've had volunteers to attempt to go through the portal but whenever they do they reappear in their respective realms..."
Suddenly the doors to the control room were thrown open, Tyr came stomping in. "Mother, have you received any new data?" He asked with his reddened stare.
"Tyr... what's happened to you?" Peorth stared at him in shock; he looked as though he had walked through a war.
"I've been through the star fifty times..." He looked over at Belldandy. "...Mrs. Morisato."
"Tyr." She nodded to him. "Are you alright?"
"I can withstand my own pains, Mother?" He looked back to Peorth.
She frowned and rested her head in her right palm. "Not anymore than when you came half an hour ago. What new information do you have?"
Tyr shook his head. "Nothing... everytime I went through the star I heard the same thing before I reappeared in Muspelhiem."
Belldandy walked over to him and looked him into his eyes. "Tyr? What did you hear?"
"..." He wasn't sure if he should tell her, but those eyes were definitely the eyes Hope had inherited. "Hope begging me and all of the volunteers to... to stay away."
Belldandy looked away from him.
"Mrs. Morisato, I shouldn't have told-"
"No, it's alright. I think perhaps I understand now why no one can reach her, not even me." Belldandy looked to the monitor screens.
"What are you saying?" Peorth was shocked. "Don't tell me you're giving up hope! You can't!"
"I never will!" Belldandy stated firmly. "I know that I will see my daughter again, I'll hold her in my arms and tell her how precious she is to me. I love my daughter so very much, and it is that love that will remain lit as a beacon through all the realms and dimensions to guide her home!" She looked back at Tyr. "Peorth, if you love my daughter as well, you will let your love shine out to her, just like mine and my family... and your son." She turned to leave. "That is something data cannot do."
"AAACHOO!" Kira sneezed.
"YIPE! You okay?" Leamen yelped in surprise and handed him a tissue.
"Oh yeah like that's going to withstand a blast from my nostrils!" he grimaced and went back to work.
"Cut me some slack, I'm just trying to help you out!" Leamen huffed, though she couldn't help but use this as an opportunity to tease him. "Maybe after hacking all these years you finally caught a bug?"
Kira stopped attacking his key board and glared to the side. "Are you implying that my skills have gotten sloppy?"
"What if I am? Nobody's perfect." Leamen grinned slyly then shrugged her shoulders. "I knew that one day you're mishaps and evil doings would come back to haunt you."
"Oh, and this wouldn't apply to Kenaz now would it?" Kira grinned evilly as Leamen's sly workings came to an end. "Heh..." suddenly his temple throbbed, making him close his eyes tight to make the pain stop. "Ugh..."
She was quick to shrug off her agitation, this was the first time in her life she had seen Kira look so tired and pale. "Kira, are you alright?" She held onto his shoulders, they were cold to the touch. "Kira!!"
"I'm fine!" He growled stubbornly. "Would everyone just leave me alone so I can...? I can..." and then the world around him fell apart, shattering to pieces into the darkness.
"KIRA!! Kira!! Kira....kira....ki....ra..." Leamen's voice echoed. He could feel himself growing more distant from her. "Leamen? What's she so worried about? I'm just taking a nap... I think." He looked around tiredly. "What is this place? There's no light... I can't..."
"... Why?"
The gentlest light Kira had ever seen poured over a figure, elegantly, almost as if this figure was a revered being.
"...why are you here?" The figure asked. "... It's... not safe."
Kira's eyes widened, he wanted to thrust his arms out to grab this figure, this young girl. "Hope!!" He shouted in his head. "I've found you!!"
"I... I am..."
Kira couldn't move.
"...a murderer." Light reflected from the tears rolling down her reddened cheeks. "...I will stay here, this is my prison... everyone will be safe from me this way..."
"Kk...gagghh!!" Kira struggled to get the words out, but he was not meant to be in this place. This was a place were only mortals could tread.
"...Go away, forget me... I don't... I don't want to hurt anyone anymore..." She lowered her face. "...I should not exist..."
"Hope?" Suddenly Kira felt a rush through his body, he could move again, though Hope seemed to grow farther away from him. "No... NO!! WAIT!!"
"KIRA!!"
He awoke completely startled, thrusting his arms forward. "AAAGGGH!!"
Leamen and Aura were outlined in sunlight as they stared down over him.
"Kira! OH GOD!!" Aura fell over him and sobbed onto his chest.
"What... what happened?" Kira asked, shielding his eyes from the light.
Skuld glared down at him without tears of joy. "This is why I told you to get some rest because a stick of pocky now and then won't save you from energy withdrawal!!"
"En... Energy withdrawal?" Kira stared at her blankly. "Only mortals need rest I-"
"Worked three days straight after returning from that forsaken planet during your five year honeymoon! You've been so far away from both Yggdrasil and Nidheg that they haven't had time to accept you back into the servers and allow you to tap into their energy storage!!" Skuld took in a deep breath when she had finished. "You fell into a state of coma last night; lucky for you Leamen was there and brought Kenaz over to..."
Kira's eyes had completely widened. ".... HOPE!"
"WHAT!?" Leamen's tail hairs bristled.
"I... I heard her voice!" He held out his arms, thrashing them through space. "And I saw her!! She was... Agh!!" He grabbed his head; it was too frustrating to comprehend. "I couldn't reach out to her... it was so dark... she wouldn't let me...DAMMIT!!" He slammed his fists on the ground.
"...dark?" Leamen repeated.
"She is in her own prison, a place beyond the reach of living but at the fingertips of the dead."
"Gramps! That's it!" Leamen smiled brightly. "Kira! You couldn't move right!?"
He stared up at her, not sure of what could be making her smile so much at a time like this. "I just said that didn't I?"
Leamen was sure; ever since the first time Hope and she had made their connection as not friends but sisters they were able to understand each other. "Hope... She's in limbo."
"Limbo!?" Aura exclaimed.
"Her prison..." Kira remembered that word, with all of his strength he forced himself up on his feet and stared into Leamen's eyes with determination. "She's beyond our reach... but I think I know someone that can grab hold of her..."
"Are you sure?" Her tail bristled slightly as a cold chill went down her spine. "Kira... that might be too dangerous."
"So you know what I'm aiming at then?" He grinned. "And... I'm very sure, because we don't have any other choice."
Aura and Skuld were at a loss. "Um, you mind filling us in?"
Leamen scratched her head, though she knew that wouldn't make the cold-numb feeling in her forehead go away. "We're going to go to the hospital..."
Later at Nekomi Regional...
"Are you sure about this? Why couldn't you just transport into the ICU through shadows?" Leamen whispered in a harsh tone, she was beginning to question Kira's methods again.
"Too risky, even for me. There's too much security, even if I shut down all the cameras that would just raise suspicion. Besides... I've always wanted to test mortal security" Kira stepped out of a closet, wearing scrubs and a coat that a Dr. Yamazaki was kind enough to lend to him after Kira knocked him out. "Nurses..."
Leamen and Skuld stepped out of the closet; fortunately for any of the nurses in the hospital they were able to acquire scrubs from storage. "Let's hurry! I want to get this over with ASAP!" Skuld whispered.
"Just a sec... Aura..." Kira looked back at the closet. "I know you don't like it but remember who it's for."
Like a tomboy wearing a dress Aura came sulking out of the closet in the disgusting green scrubs. "Kira... don't even use that excuse on me, you're treating me and your niece to an all expense paid shopping spree after thmm!!" Leamen and Skuld quickly slapped their hands over her mouth.
"What was that? Anyway, let's get going shall we?" He asked as he made his way to the intensive care unit.
"Well..." Skuld gulped. "Anyone as terrified as I am?"
"More than I've ever been..." Leamen let go of Aura's mouth and gave her a glare to make sure to keep her voice down. "If we mess up... he might..."
"Don't!" Skuld closed her eyes tight. "... Let's just get this over with, and hope that we don't lose him."
Kira made his way down the hall, he wasn't quite sure if he was confident or not, much less if what he was doing was out of genius or insanity. These three days exposed a side to him that he never really cared to expose or acknowledge. However, just by tapping into the smallest fraction of it, he could and would do anything no mater how crazy it seemed.
"Here we are." Leamen whispered. "..."
"Keep to plan; Skuld will tap into the life support systems to make everything appear okay... You will manage our time... literally, and Aura will keep watch out for Skuld." He slowly walked in as the doors to the ICU came open. Instantly he was struck with waves of the most desperate hope he had ever felt. "..."
"Kira, in there..." Leamen tugged on his sleeve and pointed to a room.
There it was, a glass room like the others closed off by teal drapes. Kira proceeded on until he was stopped by a nurse. "I'm checking up on Mr. Keiichi Morisato's condition."
"He's doing fine sir, you might..."
"I said..." Kira gazed deep into her eyes. "I am checking up on Mr. Keiichi Morisato... I would hope that you wouldn't prevent me from taking care of my patients based on a brief glimpse you gave him a hour before your last coffee break." He said with a growl.
The nurse slowly stepped away from him, pale from a sudden rush of guilt that overwhelmed her body.
"Scuse me'." Leamen whispered as she followed behind Kira. "Did you really have to fabricate a false memory of guilt in her mind? I mean she IS a nurse..." she stated firmly, with her heal grinding into his foot.
"Even so that doesn't mean she actually enjoys being a nurse...like the ones behind that desk do." He growled. "Get off my foot.
"Hmph!" Leamen lifted her heal then walked into Keiichi's room. "Ah!?" Seeing Keiichi in the condition he was in reminded her of the frailty of humans. "Oh Keiichi..."
Kira sighed and took another step.
"I've been waiting for you."
He froze. "...Belldandy..."
Belldandy was sitting at Keiichi's bedside, shocking the half demon that he didn't even notice her in the first place. "I know why you're here Kira...Leamen."
It took almost every ounce of strength he had to walk to her side. "Belldandy... Keiichi is the only one that can reach out to..."
"I know." She sighed. "I..." Belldandy held her hands together. "I want to speak with Keiichi before you do this... I want to make sure that he's okay with it..."
"Keiichi shouldn't have to be the one to do this, I would give anything to be the one to take this risk... but there's nothing I can do."
"Kira..."
"Belldandy, I'm sure Keiichi knows what's going on... in his state of coma, Hope is barely beyond his reach. It must be driving him crazy that he can't do anything to ease his daughter's tears and take her home. I can make it so that he can hold her in his arms, so that he'll have time to console her... What we really need to know is if you're okay with this?"
Belldandy trembled; Kira could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. "..."
"Belldandy, Keiichi is strong, he'll make it back." Leamen said tenderly and held the goddess's shoulders. "He has SO much to live for, he didn't even let a motorcycle wreck take him out... let him do what he has to do."
The goddess nodded and placed her hands gently over Keiichi's left hand. "Keiichi... please, bring our daughter home."
His hand twitched; slowly it balled into a loose fist with his thumb out.
Kira smiled at his strength and unfolded his laptop. "Ready to go..."
"I'm in the system..." a text message from Skuld appeared on his laptop.
"Tell Keiichi I said Good Luck." A message from Aura appeared over Skuld's.
"..." Kira typed into his laptop. "Leamen, are you ready?"
Leamen held onto Keiichi's other hand. "I'll slow down time around his body, that should give him a little more time... but I can't emphasize how big a taboo this is."
"Rules are meant to be broken." Kira grinned as he typed up the final command, his index finger hovered over the enter button for a moment. "Go!" Keiichi's life supports switched off, though a program kicked in to make it appear they were still running. "It's your turn... Keiichi."
"It's so dark..." Keiichi gently drifted down this place that was like an abyss, until his feet firmly planted on an illuminated pathway. "Huh? What is this?" he thought. "No time to question Keiichi, you have to save your daughter!" He nodded to himself in confirmation and took a step forward. "Hmm... seems sturdy. Maybe this is my way... NO! It IS my way to her!"
"That's the road to death..."
"EEP!" Keiichi held out his left foot and spun around. "Okay... then I'll go this way."
"That is the road to life..."
He huffed and glared around. "Okay! Then where is my daughter! Which road do I follow!?" He demanded.
"You must choose life or death. Which of these two roads has she taken?"
Keiichi thought it over. "This has to be a trick, Hope hasn't chosen either, so the path my daughter has taken is this one!" He stared out from the roads, a red glowing pathway lit up.
"That is correct."
"My heart is never wrong!" Keiichi barked at his unknown guide and ran down the red pathway. "I know she's down this road!! She has to be!!"
"Aunt Urd? Will Onee-sama be home soon?" Kioshi asked as he was tucked into his futon.
"I think so, you know she can't stay away too long, she'd miss you too much." Urd smiled and tapped him on the nose.
Kioshi smiled slightly and hugged onto Gan-chan. "Is... is she okay?"
"Well she should be, as long as you have her in your heart."
"Why is everything so difficult for her? Why do bad things happen all the time?"
Urd was taken back at this question. "Ki-Kioshi, your big sister is a VERY special goddess." She looked down. "And, because she is so special, she can't help it that others become jealous or misfortune is thrown at her now and then."
"I'll help."
"Hmm?"
"I'll help her with her troubles; I'll make it so that she'll be able to come home and not have to fight monsters anymore! I'll keep her in my heart forever an' ever!" Kioshi stated boldly.
Urd gave him a gentle hug and nodded. "You're such a good boy Kioshi, but all good boys need some rest, so go to sleep."
"Okay." He nodded and rested back on his pillow as Urd pulled his covers back over his shoulders. "Nighty Night Aunt Urd."
"Good Night Kioshi, have sweet dreams." Urd got up and walked to the door. "Just you wait; Hope will be home before you know it."
Kioshi nodded and closed his tear soaked eyes with a small yawn.
"Hope, your little brother has been so strong for the past three days, but those tears of his, you have to make them stop flowing..." Urd gazed up at the ceiling.
"HOPE!! Can you hear me!?" Keiichi shouted out as he ran tirelessly down the road. "HOPE!! Please answer me!!"
"Stop..."
He slowed down and came to a stop. "Hope?"
"... Poppa..."
His eyes lit up as he stared around. "Hope! Oh thank god!" he breathed in relief. "Hope, where are you?"
"Go away..."
His brow rose as he took steps down the road. "Go away? But, I can't..."
"Please just... just go away..." Hope's voice was growing intense, and closer with each step forward he took.
"No way!" Keiichi asserted himself. "I'm not leaving without you, we're going home together."
"I said.. go AWAY!!"
A gust of wind struck him back. "UNGH!! HOPE!!" Keiichi braced himself with his arms and stared out. "I can't leave here without you, you have to come home!" Keiichi took another step forward.
"I-I can't, Poppa... I've done something... terrible."
The wind died down, Keiichi looked down at his feet then continued a slow pace forward. "What?"
"I destroyed... I took so many lives, I..." Her voice trembled. "I killed them all, I'm a murderer!!"
Keiichi's heart ached to hear her say such things, and then there before him; sitting at the end of the road was a fallen angel with broken wings. "That's not true."
"It is true! Someone like me shouldn't exist!! No one should have such power like this!!" Hope stared at her hands. "With one stroke, I destroyed a planet... and... I enjoyed it..." She was shaking with tears. "I laughed, I was filled with so much hatred, but when I destroyed that planet, I was overwhelmed with joy... It sickens me to remember that feeling!!"
Keiichi stared down at her; slowly he reached out a hand and gingerly placed it on her shoulder. "Hope... you received those feelings from the people of that planet... those couldn't have been your own feelings."
Hope stopped trembling.
"You... my little racer, you tried everything to help those people before didn't you... before what happened?"
Hope slowly nodded.
Keiichi smiled gently. "Your mother told me everything, about that planet... Hope, a long time ago that planet was as separated by war as it was when you arrived. Because they were not worthy of neither wishes nor even pacts from demons... and because they had forsaken both your grandfather and Hild, Hild gave them the ultimate punishment. Eternal suffering."
Hope's eyes widened.
"But... your grandfather was unable to leave them with that... so he gave them one hope, that a goddess would come for them one day... and give to them an end." His grip on her shoulder seemed to loosen. "You didn't murder anyone Hope, you saved them... you gave them paradise, and I'm sure that feeling of joy that you felt... was from all of their hearts... So please... stop... blaming your-yourself..."
Crystal like tears glistened in the sides of Hope's eyes; her scar stopped burning in pain. "Poppa..."
Keiichi smiled weakly, as his hand fell from her shoulder. "Let's... go home..." his eyes closed as he collapsed on the road.
"Poppa... Poppa!!?" Hope's tattered wings vanished as she looked back at her father. "Poppa!! What's wrong!?"
"Your father will remain... his heart weakens..."
"Remain... wait, he shouldn't be here unless he's... No...." She held up his head. "Poppa! Hang on! We're going home together!! Poppa...?"
His spirit was fading.
"Poppa... No... please don't leave me!" She hugged onto him as tight as she could.
"Miss Angel!"
A soft light glimmered down on them, the light that Kira had seen surrounding Hope reappeared.
"Please don't cry! Your Daddy is going to be okay!"
Hope looked up in disbelief, the little girl she had healed on that planet, it was her voice.
"Look over there! Can you see it??"
Hope stared down the road; she could see so many lights.
"That's your friends and family! They all want you to come home!"
Many more lights joined them; it was almost like staring at a city far away.
Hope got her footing and held her father's soul in her arms. "...I..."
"Miss Angel? Thank you..."
Hope stared at the light, her heart skipped a beat.
"Because of you, I'm finally an angel! Everyone else is smiling now, no one hates anymore! Thanks so much!" The light fluttered around her. "Ah! My Poppa is telling me I need to come home!"
"Isa, come on now." Sowilo's voice called out, another orb appeared and took the form of the fallen soldier. "Ah? My goddess, what are you doing here?" He was taken back by her presence as he quickly fell to one knee and bowed before her.
"I..." Hope's eyes widened as he took her hand.
"From the bottom of my heart, I both thank you and apologize... finally my people have been given eternal peace, we are in paradise, I have waited a thousand years for this...." He looked up at her. "My daughter can finally achieve her dreams... I can show her a world without violence... thank you... from all of us, thank you. However, we did not wish to cause you such agony in exchange for our freedom... forgive us."
The tears in Hope's eyes ran down her face. "No... It's alright..."
"Okay! I'll see you again Miss Angel! Good bye!!" The light fluttered away, joined by souls that joyously welcomed her.
"Isa, you must practice your farewells and greetings! And you will address her as..." Sowilo vanished as he quickly followed after and lectured his daughter.
Hope's bottom lip quivered, as a small smile came to her face. "I... I'm going home." Beautiful white wings sprouted from her back. "Back to where I belong!!" She spread out her wings and soared down the path, to the red star with her father's soul in her arms. "EVERYONE!!..."
"Kira, he's running out of time!" Leamen whispered harshly.
"Just wait a little more!!" He growled. "Come on Keiichi, you can do it!"
"Nnn..." Keiichi groaned, shocking the three of them.
"Kei-Keiichi??" Belldandy held onto his hand firmly as his eyes slowly opened.
"Bell...dandy..." He smiled at her. "...She's coming..."
Kira's heart beat faster. "Wha...What!?"
Tyr stared at the red star; it burned so intensely, as bright as one of his flames. "Hope... please..." tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "You have to come back... I need you... we all do..." His left fist clenched tightly. "I-I don't know what I'd do without you by my side... I love you... you're the only one I want! So please!! COME BACK!!" He roared out.
Suddenly the star began to react. Fiercely it flashed and roared as two hands slowly forced their way out of its core.
"What!?" Tyr stared, he recognized these hands. "HOPE!!" He flew into the fires and grabbed hold of the arms, and pulled forth a figure shimmering with red light.
"Tyr... TYR!?" the figure stared at him in surprise, slowly the light vanished away from her face, a face the half demon thought he'd never see again.
"Ah... AHAHA!" Tyr smiled in disbelief and held onto her tightly. "Thank god! Ohoh..." Tears ran down his face.
"Tyr... I'm sorry." Hope blushed. "I could hear you but... I was so afraid that I'd hurt you too... that's why I pushed you away."
"Shut up, you don't have to apologize to me all the time. It's okay, just stay, don't ever leave me like that again!" He tried to sound fierce, but the look in his eyes exposed all. "Do you have a clue how much we all worried?"
"Tyr..." Hope began to cry as she returned his embrace. "I'll never leave you again, I promise..."
They were like that for a brief moment, but Tyr loosened his hold of her. "To your parents..."
Hope nodded.
"...You'd better hurry..." He smiled weakly. "Lady Belldandy has been... worried." He looked away from her.
Hope put her hands on the sides of his face; he looked back down at her. "Tyr..." She smiled then pressed her lips against his, her heart was burning with so much passion she had to sate it before she left his side. "I love you."
Tyr blushed as Hope slowly vanished away from him. "D-dammit, how does she do that?" he scratched his head, and then felt the urge to be with her again. "I won't last long... I have to ask her..."
A little while later, Kira left Keiichi's room, he'd had enough worry for one day much less three. "Think I'll take that nap they were all griping at me about, maybe play a computer game, take it easy..." Suddenly someone bumped into him.
"I'm so sorry I..." A young voice yelped.
"Be quiet, you know where you...are?" Kira stared down into two little blue sapphires. "...H...Hope..."
Her eyes glistened with tears. "Uncle Kira..." She threw her arms around his waist and pressed her face in his shirt. "I'm sorry, for everything, I didn't mean to do what I did... I had no control." She sniffled. "But... but why? Why did you... over exert yourself for me? Why?"
Kira stared out into space for a moment; slowly he reached up a hand and placed it on her head. "I'm... your Uncle, I'm supposed to do things like that... I guess..." He looked down at her. "But, just don't think I'll do it every time, okay?"
Hope nodded. "There won't ever be another time."
Kira smiled as she stood back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, get in there, your Pop is in pretty bad shape..."
"He is!?" Hope yelped.
"Nah, you know him." Kira grinned and pushed her through the ICU door. "Just go on."
Hope stared at him for a moment; they needn't speak of what happened ever again, they knew all too well the consequences that came with possessing hearts that could be overwhelmed by evil. It was that special bond that made Kira her uncle. A gentle smile came on Hope's face before she turned from him. "Thank you."
Kira watched as the doors closed in front of him, he scratched the back of his head and let out a relieved sigh before turning to face his wife.
"You are SO bad when it comes to such sweet sentimental moments." She grinned.
"I can't help it, you live the life I've lived and then we'll talk about sentimentality." Kira offered his arm to her, and she happily accepted.
"I should have at least given her a hug... oh well, I can always visit her tomorrow." Aura sighed as they walked down the hall together.
"Maybe..." Kira agreed. "Think we should stay here for a while?"
"You read my mind."
"HEY! That's the bastard that stole my uniform!!" A man shouted.
"Just not here." Kira added.
A Fan Author's Worthless Rant
Sorry to have left you all hanging... this was again one of those tough ones ;; and get fired up cause I AM! X3 Ch. 30 is a chapter I have wanted to do for a LONG, LONG TIME!! HUZZAH!! ;3 Are you curious? Lemme give you a little hint, if you care to know, remember the oddly themed monsters sent out by the hooded one we know only as 'mistress'? Hehe, it's time for Hope to come face TWO face with her new arch nemesis ;3. BWHAHAHAHA XD It's gonna be a good vs. bad guy throw down!
Hope: I'm sort of nervous...
See ya next time ;3
Edited by Adept Show him some love and yell at him to type more Child of Chaos!
"... Stay away..."
Keiichi looked around, but he did so in vain, for there was nothing for him to see. All around him was a cold nothingness. "Where... where am I?" he thought aloud as the cold flowed through his chest and fear grabbed at his heart. "Did I die?"
"Don't come near me... please... just stay away."
"Wait...that voice..." Keiichi squinted. "Hope...?" Just as he saw the slight contour of a figure, he vanished from that place as sudden warmth came over his body.
Three days had passed since the lucky few on Earth were able to witness what looked like a super nova in the night sky. It was the talk on every news show; at least it would be for a few days until a celebrity scandal kicked up. What fools these mortals are. They did not know that this nova they spoke of was the death of a planet, a death that one of their own had rendered. And she, whom rendered this act, had vanished from the face of existence. Leaving many immortals scratching their heads and searching in vain for the goddess of revolution. It was the least they could do, for they owed their lives to her and as a courtesy to a distressed mother, and wife.
"I've linked your laptop to every possible power source in the household, it's linked to Yggdrasil... and we're still pending for Nidheg..." Skuld said in-between bites of her vanilla ice cream. "Kira, I'm not sure you'll be able to track Hope down with that laptop."
Kira rubbed his bloodshot eyes, with his left hand still clacking away at the keys. "Just because I couldn't track her down on DemiGoogle doesn't mean that I've run out of search engines."
Skuld shook her head. "The least you could do is to go get an hour or two of sleep. You've been awake for three days straight, you'll burn yourself out."
Kira reached in front of her and snatched up a box of Pocky. "Here we go! Who needs sleep when you've got Pocky? Eh?" He asked as he chomped down on the chocolate covered cookie stick and went back to work. "You get sleep; you're not used to staying up a few days in a row like I am."
"Stay up a few..." Skuld stared at him oddly. "Kira why on Earth would you train yourself to stay up this long?"
"Because of many years living with an insatiable succubus." He said as Aura came into the room.
"...Oh... ahem!" Skuld coughed with a blush and got up. "Aura, is Kioshi asleep?"
She sighed and gave a little nod. "Poor little guy, for some reason he's blaming himself for all that's happened." She looked down sadly. "No matter how many times I told him that it wasn't his fault he just wouldn't hear a word and cried himself to sleep."
"Kioshi loves Hope very much..." Skuld said.
"We all do, go get some sleep. I'm a little handy with computers... if something goes wrong I'm sure I'll be able to help Kira out." Aura patted the tired goddess on the shoulder and escorted her out of the room.
"Alright, alright."
"You might want to sleep in Kioshi's room in case..."
"A nightmare." Skuld finished. "I know, um... don't let Kira work TOO hard... okay?" She whispered.
"Don't worry, I have my ways." Aura winked and closed the door before she looked back at her husband, still tirelessly working away on his laptop, searching. "Honey?"
Kira sighed and reached for another stick of Pocky only to feel Aura's soft warm hand.
"Stop torturing yourself like this... you need to rest."
"You don't have a problem keeping me up for days..." Kira said.
Aura looked to the side. "Well, I can't help it if I get a little hungry now and then, I am a succubus after all..." She looked down at him. "...But at least then I wasn't torturing your mind, your every waking thought."
Kira's hand stopped tapping. "I'm not so sure of that..."
"Kira, stop joking." She grumbled. "You've been thinking about her for the past three days, cursing at yourself and wishing you had done something different. Honey, there's nothing you could have done to prevent what happened. It was fate... destiny." Aura held her hand under his chin and made him look up from his screen at her. "Please... you know that Hope wouldn't want you to do this to yourself..."
His eyes wavered for a moment before he tried to look back at his screen. "N...no, I need to keep..." His eyelids felt heavy, Aura was enchanting him with a song of sleep. "A-Aura... cut that... out..."
Aura rested his head on her lap, and straightened his hair out with her fingertips. "Hon..." She smiled down at him then noticed the family picture Kira had placed near his laptop for a constant reminder. "...it wasn't your fault..."
Meanwhile and Nekomi Regional Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit, Belldandy waited patiently for Keiichi to wake from his coma. When he was catapulted from his motorcycle, he fractured his right leg and wrist on impact, and his helmet cracked open. He had a fifty- fifty chance of survival at that point, but with his wife at his side, it seemed his chances grew more and more in his favor.
"Keiichi..." Belldandy's fingertips brimmed with a soft warm energy as she held his left hand, healing him ever so slightly, making sure that the doctors would only be able to pass it off as something natural, that maybe vitamins actually do work.
"Mrs. Morisato?" A nurse whispered at the door way. "Your sister needs to speak with you."
"Thank you." Belldandy nodded to the nurse, and looked over Keiichi before she got up and left the room. "Please dear, wake up soon..."
Urd waited outside of the hospital with Hope's cell-phone in hand. "Hold on... I think she's coming."
Belldandy stepped out of the hospital entrance and saw Urd marching towards her.
"Can you believe that they don't allow phones in the hospital?" She asked and handed it to her sister. "It's Peorth."
Belldandy sighed heavily, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what news Peorth had, it was most likely bad. Though she found her courage and took the phone from her sister. "Hello, this is Belldandy."
"Belldandy, just a moment mon ami." Peorth responded, just as the phone clicked.
"Peorth? Are you there?" Suddenly a ray of light poured down from heaven and around the goddess. "Ah!?"
"She needs your help, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Keiichi." Urd called out.
"Urd, does this have anything to do with-"
"Hope? Yes, they may have pinpointed her location, but the problem is they can't find a way to get there!" She finished, just before the beam vanished.
"Oooh..."
"ERK!" Urd turned to stone when she realized an old man had been sitting on the gravel stairs leading into the hospital. "Eh... how you doing old timer?"
"Oh? Just fine, what happened to your friend? She sounded cute!"
"Um..." Urd waved a hand in front of his face and sighed in relief. "He's blind..."
"OHO!! Now I don't need to see to know you've got one nice rear!" He cackled as he grabbed her butt.
"Y... You..." Urd growled and zapped him with a massive static shock. "Old fart!"
"Hey now! These young girls now a day sure are feisty! Hyeh heheh!" He commented with what little hair he had standing straight up.
Back at the temple, Aura had fallen asleep on the table. She was too weak to stay awake any longer, but she had reason to want to stay awake and watch over Kira, and that reason lost its purpose as Kira gently placed a blanket over her. "Mm..." Aura shrugged slightly with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry about me..." Kira thought as he rubbed the back of his neck. Perhaps a little moment to stand outside and get some fresh air would energize him for the long hours ahead. With that in mind, he quietly stepped outside and gazed to the night sky. Among the millions of stars bright enough to shine down on Nekomi, he saw the faint glimmer of a red star. That was Hope's star, the only thing she left behind of herself. "Hope... why won't you let us find you?" He asked. "Are you afraid? Why? What is there for you to be afraid of?"
Suddenly, a sound that was too low for him to hear before slowly rose from the darkness. It was a deadly growl that came from the gut and through bared fangs. Before he could react, his eyes were met with yellow eyes that forced him against a tree. "YOU!!"
Kira's eyes flashed silver as he recognized his assailant. "...Leamen."
"I smelled you in the hallways of Hope's school, and then I learn you were the one that took her to that forsaken planet!! WHY!!?" She demanded, with that growl mixed in her voice. "You dare call yourself her Uncle!? When you KNEW that she would be in danger in that place!?" Her eyes were overfilled with fury. "ANSWER ME!!"
Kira looked down, away from her eyes in a solemn manner. "How could I..."
Leamen tightened her grip.
"...How could I... resist fate?" He answered "I had no choice, when she looked me in the eyes... those little blue sapphires, begging me to let her stay so that she could achieve peace?!" His fists clenched. "What if you had been in my place Leamen? What would you have done then?" He looked down on her. "Could you have resisted the planet's force moving you like a marionette? Could you have summoned the strength to resist its call? Could you have told her to her face that planet was doomed for all eternity by her Grandfather's will!!?" He waited for the answer, as Leamen slowly lowered him to his feet.
"..."
Kira sighed and shook his head. "I didn't want this to happen, it's been killing me."
Leamen was quiet, she could feel the pain he tried to conceal in his heart because it was resonating with her heart's pain as well.
"Leamen, it's all my fault... I don't... I don't blame you for hating me... But please, if you love Hope, you'll help me find her."
"It's not your fault..." Leamen whispered.
Kira's eyes widened.
"You were right, you had no control... neither did I." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I just... I wanted a face, I wanted someone I could blame, but even if I had that face it wouldn't bring her home any sooner."
"Leamen."
"I'm so sorry..." She rubbed away her tears then looked up at him with determination. "Let's search for her together. Two heads are better than one right?"
Kira and Leamen stared at each other for a moment, and smiled slightly. To think that after all these years they'd be working together. "I guess I could use your help..." Kira shrugged and walked back towards the temple. "Come on, let's get to work."
"...Right." Leamen nodded.
"Very good Granddaughter." Ulric's eyes peered through the darkness.
"You were right Gramps, this wasn't his fault." Leamen smiled slightly. "I feel like such a fool."
"There's no need for such feelings, now go, you are needed." Ulric closed his eyes and vanished from sight.
"Thanks Gramps." Leamen nodded and followed after Kira.
"She lies within darkness, a place beyond the reach of immortals... but within reach of the living... and the dead."
"What?" She looked back, but his scent had vanished. "Beyond living... and beyond dead?"
Peorth rubbed her eyes and yawned tiredly. "After this maybe I should consider taking a vacation..."
"A vacation well deserved." The three worker goddesses agreed.
"Huh... right." Peorth nodded, though she couldn't help but notice how hard at work Nauthiz was. "Perhaps Nauthiz is the one deserving a vacation."
"No Ma'am!" Nauthiz sounded off. "I shall receive no greater rest until I know Miss Hope is back home with her loved ones."
Belldandy walked into the control center dressed in her goddess garb, instantly fingers stopped strumming against the system cords, feet stopped frantically clapping on the ground, it was silent.
"Belldandy, it's nice to see you're doing well." Peorth floated down from her seat and gave the goddess a hug. "How is Keiichi?"
"He's recovering, Urd and I have been healing him with hope that he'll wake up soon." Belldandy said, hiding her pain with a gentle smile.
"That is good, but listen to me." Peorth stood back from their hug and held Belldandy's hands firmly. "We may have pinpointed Hope's location."
Belldandy waited, her heart beat grew faster.
"That red star in the night sky, that's the exact location of where Hope vanished after the incident. Several immortals have been sent out to analyze it and have determined that it IS Hope's gateway back to this realm."
"She's still alive then." Belldandy sighed in relief. "Oh! Thank the heavens..." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
"Yes, but still the question remains as to what lies on the other side of this gateway besides Hope. We've had volunteers to attempt to go through the portal but whenever they do they reappear in their respective realms..."
Suddenly the doors to the control room were thrown open, Tyr came stomping in. "Mother, have you received any new data?" He asked with his reddened stare.
"Tyr... what's happened to you?" Peorth stared at him in shock; he looked as though he had walked through a war.
"I've been through the star fifty times..." He looked over at Belldandy. "...Mrs. Morisato."
"Tyr." She nodded to him. "Are you alright?"
"I can withstand my own pains, Mother?" He looked back to Peorth.
She frowned and rested her head in her right palm. "Not anymore than when you came half an hour ago. What new information do you have?"
Tyr shook his head. "Nothing... everytime I went through the star I heard the same thing before I reappeared in Muspelhiem."
Belldandy walked over to him and looked him into his eyes. "Tyr? What did you hear?"
"..." He wasn't sure if he should tell her, but those eyes were definitely the eyes Hope had inherited. "Hope begging me and all of the volunteers to... to stay away."
Belldandy looked away from him.
"Mrs. Morisato, I shouldn't have told-"
"No, it's alright. I think perhaps I understand now why no one can reach her, not even me." Belldandy looked to the monitor screens.
"What are you saying?" Peorth was shocked. "Don't tell me you're giving up hope! You can't!"
"I never will!" Belldandy stated firmly. "I know that I will see my daughter again, I'll hold her in my arms and tell her how precious she is to me. I love my daughter so very much, and it is that love that will remain lit as a beacon through all the realms and dimensions to guide her home!" She looked back at Tyr. "Peorth, if you love my daughter as well, you will let your love shine out to her, just like mine and my family... and your son." She turned to leave. "That is something data cannot do."
"AAACHOO!" Kira sneezed.
"YIPE! You okay?" Leamen yelped in surprise and handed him a tissue.
"Oh yeah like that's going to withstand a blast from my nostrils!" he grimaced and went back to work.
"Cut me some slack, I'm just trying to help you out!" Leamen huffed, though she couldn't help but use this as an opportunity to tease him. "Maybe after hacking all these years you finally caught a bug?"
Kira stopped attacking his key board and glared to the side. "Are you implying that my skills have gotten sloppy?"
"What if I am? Nobody's perfect." Leamen grinned slyly then shrugged her shoulders. "I knew that one day you're mishaps and evil doings would come back to haunt you."
"Oh, and this wouldn't apply to Kenaz now would it?" Kira grinned evilly as Leamen's sly workings came to an end. "Heh..." suddenly his temple throbbed, making him close his eyes tight to make the pain stop. "Ugh..."
She was quick to shrug off her agitation, this was the first time in her life she had seen Kira look so tired and pale. "Kira, are you alright?" She held onto his shoulders, they were cold to the touch. "Kira!!"
"I'm fine!" He growled stubbornly. "Would everyone just leave me alone so I can...? I can..." and then the world around him fell apart, shattering to pieces into the darkness.
"KIRA!! Kira!! Kira....kira....ki....ra..." Leamen's voice echoed. He could feel himself growing more distant from her. "Leamen? What's she so worried about? I'm just taking a nap... I think." He looked around tiredly. "What is this place? There's no light... I can't..."
"... Why?"
The gentlest light Kira had ever seen poured over a figure, elegantly, almost as if this figure was a revered being.
"...why are you here?" The figure asked. "... It's... not safe."
Kira's eyes widened, he wanted to thrust his arms out to grab this figure, this young girl. "Hope!!" He shouted in his head. "I've found you!!"
"I... I am..."
Kira couldn't move.
"...a murderer." Light reflected from the tears rolling down her reddened cheeks. "...I will stay here, this is my prison... everyone will be safe from me this way..."
"Kk...gagghh!!" Kira struggled to get the words out, but he was not meant to be in this place. This was a place were only mortals could tread.
"...Go away, forget me... I don't... I don't want to hurt anyone anymore..." She lowered her face. "...I should not exist..."
"Hope?" Suddenly Kira felt a rush through his body, he could move again, though Hope seemed to grow farther away from him. "No... NO!! WAIT!!"
"KIRA!!"
He awoke completely startled, thrusting his arms forward. "AAAGGGH!!"
Leamen and Aura were outlined in sunlight as they stared down over him.
"Kira! OH GOD!!" Aura fell over him and sobbed onto his chest.
"What... what happened?" Kira asked, shielding his eyes from the light.
Skuld glared down at him without tears of joy. "This is why I told you to get some rest because a stick of pocky now and then won't save you from energy withdrawal!!"
"En... Energy withdrawal?" Kira stared at her blankly. "Only mortals need rest I-"
"Worked three days straight after returning from that forsaken planet during your five year honeymoon! You've been so far away from both Yggdrasil and Nidheg that they haven't had time to accept you back into the servers and allow you to tap into their energy storage!!" Skuld took in a deep breath when she had finished. "You fell into a state of coma last night; lucky for you Leamen was there and brought Kenaz over to..."
Kira's eyes had completely widened. ".... HOPE!"
"WHAT!?" Leamen's tail hairs bristled.
"I... I heard her voice!" He held out his arms, thrashing them through space. "And I saw her!! She was... Agh!!" He grabbed his head; it was too frustrating to comprehend. "I couldn't reach out to her... it was so dark... she wouldn't let me...DAMMIT!!" He slammed his fists on the ground.
"...dark?" Leamen repeated.
"She is in her own prison, a place beyond the reach of living but at the fingertips of the dead."
"Gramps! That's it!" Leamen smiled brightly. "Kira! You couldn't move right!?"
He stared up at her, not sure of what could be making her smile so much at a time like this. "I just said that didn't I?"
Leamen was sure; ever since the first time Hope and she had made their connection as not friends but sisters they were able to understand each other. "Hope... She's in limbo."
"Limbo!?" Aura exclaimed.
"Her prison..." Kira remembered that word, with all of his strength he forced himself up on his feet and stared into Leamen's eyes with determination. "She's beyond our reach... but I think I know someone that can grab hold of her..."
"Are you sure?" Her tail bristled slightly as a cold chill went down her spine. "Kira... that might be too dangerous."
"So you know what I'm aiming at then?" He grinned. "And... I'm very sure, because we don't have any other choice."
Aura and Skuld were at a loss. "Um, you mind filling us in?"
Leamen scratched her head, though she knew that wouldn't make the cold-numb feeling in her forehead go away. "We're going to go to the hospital..."
Later at Nekomi Regional...
"Are you sure about this? Why couldn't you just transport into the ICU through shadows?" Leamen whispered in a harsh tone, she was beginning to question Kira's methods again.
"Too risky, even for me. There's too much security, even if I shut down all the cameras that would just raise suspicion. Besides... I've always wanted to test mortal security" Kira stepped out of a closet, wearing scrubs and a coat that a Dr. Yamazaki was kind enough to lend to him after Kira knocked him out. "Nurses..."
Leamen and Skuld stepped out of the closet; fortunately for any of the nurses in the hospital they were able to acquire scrubs from storage. "Let's hurry! I want to get this over with ASAP!" Skuld whispered.
"Just a sec... Aura..." Kira looked back at the closet. "I know you don't like it but remember who it's for."
Like a tomboy wearing a dress Aura came sulking out of the closet in the disgusting green scrubs. "Kira... don't even use that excuse on me, you're treating me and your niece to an all expense paid shopping spree after thmm!!" Leamen and Skuld quickly slapped their hands over her mouth.
"What was that? Anyway, let's get going shall we?" He asked as he made his way to the intensive care unit.
"Well..." Skuld gulped. "Anyone as terrified as I am?"
"More than I've ever been..." Leamen let go of Aura's mouth and gave her a glare to make sure to keep her voice down. "If we mess up... he might..."
"Don't!" Skuld closed her eyes tight. "... Let's just get this over with, and hope that we don't lose him."
Kira made his way down the hall, he wasn't quite sure if he was confident or not, much less if what he was doing was out of genius or insanity. These three days exposed a side to him that he never really cared to expose or acknowledge. However, just by tapping into the smallest fraction of it, he could and would do anything no mater how crazy it seemed.
"Here we are." Leamen whispered. "..."
"Keep to plan; Skuld will tap into the life support systems to make everything appear okay... You will manage our time... literally, and Aura will keep watch out for Skuld." He slowly walked in as the doors to the ICU came open. Instantly he was struck with waves of the most desperate hope he had ever felt. "..."
"Kira, in there..." Leamen tugged on his sleeve and pointed to a room.
There it was, a glass room like the others closed off by teal drapes. Kira proceeded on until he was stopped by a nurse. "I'm checking up on Mr. Keiichi Morisato's condition."
"He's doing fine sir, you might..."
"I said..." Kira gazed deep into her eyes. "I am checking up on Mr. Keiichi Morisato... I would hope that you wouldn't prevent me from taking care of my patients based on a brief glimpse you gave him a hour before your last coffee break." He said with a growl.
The nurse slowly stepped away from him, pale from a sudden rush of guilt that overwhelmed her body.
"Scuse me'." Leamen whispered as she followed behind Kira. "Did you really have to fabricate a false memory of guilt in her mind? I mean she IS a nurse..." she stated firmly, with her heal grinding into his foot.
"Even so that doesn't mean she actually enjoys being a nurse...like the ones behind that desk do." He growled. "Get off my foot.
"Hmph!" Leamen lifted her heal then walked into Keiichi's room. "Ah!?" Seeing Keiichi in the condition he was in reminded her of the frailty of humans. "Oh Keiichi..."
Kira sighed and took another step.
"I've been waiting for you."
He froze. "...Belldandy..."
Belldandy was sitting at Keiichi's bedside, shocking the half demon that he didn't even notice her in the first place. "I know why you're here Kira...Leamen."
It took almost every ounce of strength he had to walk to her side. "Belldandy... Keiichi is the only one that can reach out to..."
"I know." She sighed. "I..." Belldandy held her hands together. "I want to speak with Keiichi before you do this... I want to make sure that he's okay with it..."
"Keiichi shouldn't have to be the one to do this, I would give anything to be the one to take this risk... but there's nothing I can do."
"Kira..."
"Belldandy, I'm sure Keiichi knows what's going on... in his state of coma, Hope is barely beyond his reach. It must be driving him crazy that he can't do anything to ease his daughter's tears and take her home. I can make it so that he can hold her in his arms, so that he'll have time to console her... What we really need to know is if you're okay with this?"
Belldandy trembled; Kira could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. "..."
"Belldandy, Keiichi is strong, he'll make it back." Leamen said tenderly and held the goddess's shoulders. "He has SO much to live for, he didn't even let a motorcycle wreck take him out... let him do what he has to do."
The goddess nodded and placed her hands gently over Keiichi's left hand. "Keiichi... please, bring our daughter home."
His hand twitched; slowly it balled into a loose fist with his thumb out.
Kira smiled at his strength and unfolded his laptop. "Ready to go..."
"I'm in the system..." a text message from Skuld appeared on his laptop.
"Tell Keiichi I said Good Luck." A message from Aura appeared over Skuld's.
"..." Kira typed into his laptop. "Leamen, are you ready?"
Leamen held onto Keiichi's other hand. "I'll slow down time around his body, that should give him a little more time... but I can't emphasize how big a taboo this is."
"Rules are meant to be broken." Kira grinned as he typed up the final command, his index finger hovered over the enter button for a moment. "Go!" Keiichi's life supports switched off, though a program kicked in to make it appear they were still running. "It's your turn... Keiichi."
"It's so dark..." Keiichi gently drifted down this place that was like an abyss, until his feet firmly planted on an illuminated pathway. "Huh? What is this?" he thought. "No time to question Keiichi, you have to save your daughter!" He nodded to himself in confirmation and took a step forward. "Hmm... seems sturdy. Maybe this is my way... NO! It IS my way to her!"
"That's the road to death..."
"EEP!" Keiichi held out his left foot and spun around. "Okay... then I'll go this way."
"That is the road to life..."
He huffed and glared around. "Okay! Then where is my daughter! Which road do I follow!?" He demanded.
"You must choose life or death. Which of these two roads has she taken?"
Keiichi thought it over. "This has to be a trick, Hope hasn't chosen either, so the path my daughter has taken is this one!" He stared out from the roads, a red glowing pathway lit up.
"That is correct."
"My heart is never wrong!" Keiichi barked at his unknown guide and ran down the red pathway. "I know she's down this road!! She has to be!!"
"Aunt Urd? Will Onee-sama be home soon?" Kioshi asked as he was tucked into his futon.
"I think so, you know she can't stay away too long, she'd miss you too much." Urd smiled and tapped him on the nose.
Kioshi smiled slightly and hugged onto Gan-chan. "Is... is she okay?"
"Well she should be, as long as you have her in your heart."
"Why is everything so difficult for her? Why do bad things happen all the time?"
Urd was taken back at this question. "Ki-Kioshi, your big sister is a VERY special goddess." She looked down. "And, because she is so special, she can't help it that others become jealous or misfortune is thrown at her now and then."
"I'll help."
"Hmm?"
"I'll help her with her troubles; I'll make it so that she'll be able to come home and not have to fight monsters anymore! I'll keep her in my heart forever an' ever!" Kioshi stated boldly.
Urd gave him a gentle hug and nodded. "You're such a good boy Kioshi, but all good boys need some rest, so go to sleep."
"Okay." He nodded and rested back on his pillow as Urd pulled his covers back over his shoulders. "Nighty Night Aunt Urd."
"Good Night Kioshi, have sweet dreams." Urd got up and walked to the door. "Just you wait; Hope will be home before you know it."
Kioshi nodded and closed his tear soaked eyes with a small yawn.
"Hope, your little brother has been so strong for the past three days, but those tears of his, you have to make them stop flowing..." Urd gazed up at the ceiling.
"HOPE!! Can you hear me!?" Keiichi shouted out as he ran tirelessly down the road. "HOPE!! Please answer me!!"
"Stop..."
He slowed down and came to a stop. "Hope?"
"... Poppa..."
His eyes lit up as he stared around. "Hope! Oh thank god!" he breathed in relief. "Hope, where are you?"
"Go away..."
His brow rose as he took steps down the road. "Go away? But, I can't..."
"Please just... just go away..." Hope's voice was growing intense, and closer with each step forward he took.
"No way!" Keiichi asserted himself. "I'm not leaving without you, we're going home together."
"I said.. go AWAY!!"
A gust of wind struck him back. "UNGH!! HOPE!!" Keiichi braced himself with his arms and stared out. "I can't leave here without you, you have to come home!" Keiichi took another step forward.
"I-I can't, Poppa... I've done something... terrible."
The wind died down, Keiichi looked down at his feet then continued a slow pace forward. "What?"
"I destroyed... I took so many lives, I..." Her voice trembled. "I killed them all, I'm a murderer!!"
Keiichi's heart ached to hear her say such things, and then there before him; sitting at the end of the road was a fallen angel with broken wings. "That's not true."
"It is true! Someone like me shouldn't exist!! No one should have such power like this!!" Hope stared at her hands. "With one stroke, I destroyed a planet... and... I enjoyed it..." She was shaking with tears. "I laughed, I was filled with so much hatred, but when I destroyed that planet, I was overwhelmed with joy... It sickens me to remember that feeling!!"
Keiichi stared down at her; slowly he reached out a hand and gingerly placed it on her shoulder. "Hope... you received those feelings from the people of that planet... those couldn't have been your own feelings."
Hope stopped trembling.
"You... my little racer, you tried everything to help those people before didn't you... before what happened?"
Hope slowly nodded.
Keiichi smiled gently. "Your mother told me everything, about that planet... Hope, a long time ago that planet was as separated by war as it was when you arrived. Because they were not worthy of neither wishes nor even pacts from demons... and because they had forsaken both your grandfather and Hild, Hild gave them the ultimate punishment. Eternal suffering."
Hope's eyes widened.
"But... your grandfather was unable to leave them with that... so he gave them one hope, that a goddess would come for them one day... and give to them an end." His grip on her shoulder seemed to loosen. "You didn't murder anyone Hope, you saved them... you gave them paradise, and I'm sure that feeling of joy that you felt... was from all of their hearts... So please... stop... blaming your-yourself..."
Crystal like tears glistened in the sides of Hope's eyes; her scar stopped burning in pain. "Poppa..."
Keiichi smiled weakly, as his hand fell from her shoulder. "Let's... go home..." his eyes closed as he collapsed on the road.
"Poppa... Poppa!!?" Hope's tattered wings vanished as she looked back at her father. "Poppa!! What's wrong!?"
"Your father will remain... his heart weakens..."
"Remain... wait, he shouldn't be here unless he's... No...." She held up his head. "Poppa! Hang on! We're going home together!! Poppa...?"
His spirit was fading.
"Poppa... No... please don't leave me!" She hugged onto him as tight as she could.
"Miss Angel!"
A soft light glimmered down on them, the light that Kira had seen surrounding Hope reappeared.
"Please don't cry! Your Daddy is going to be okay!"
Hope looked up in disbelief, the little girl she had healed on that planet, it was her voice.
"Look over there! Can you see it??"
Hope stared down the road; she could see so many lights.
"That's your friends and family! They all want you to come home!"
Many more lights joined them; it was almost like staring at a city far away.
Hope got her footing and held her father's soul in her arms. "...I..."
"Miss Angel? Thank you..."
Hope stared at the light, her heart skipped a beat.
"Because of you, I'm finally an angel! Everyone else is smiling now, no one hates anymore! Thanks so much!" The light fluttered around her. "Ah! My Poppa is telling me I need to come home!"
"Isa, come on now." Sowilo's voice called out, another orb appeared and took the form of the fallen soldier. "Ah? My goddess, what are you doing here?" He was taken back by her presence as he quickly fell to one knee and bowed before her.
"I..." Hope's eyes widened as he took her hand.
"From the bottom of my heart, I both thank you and apologize... finally my people have been given eternal peace, we are in paradise, I have waited a thousand years for this...." He looked up at her. "My daughter can finally achieve her dreams... I can show her a world without violence... thank you... from all of us, thank you. However, we did not wish to cause you such agony in exchange for our freedom... forgive us."
The tears in Hope's eyes ran down her face. "No... It's alright..."
"Okay! I'll see you again Miss Angel! Good bye!!" The light fluttered away, joined by souls that joyously welcomed her.
"Isa, you must practice your farewells and greetings! And you will address her as..." Sowilo vanished as he quickly followed after and lectured his daughter.
Hope's bottom lip quivered, as a small smile came to her face. "I... I'm going home." Beautiful white wings sprouted from her back. "Back to where I belong!!" She spread out her wings and soared down the path, to the red star with her father's soul in her arms. "EVERYONE!!..."
"Kira, he's running out of time!" Leamen whispered harshly.
"Just wait a little more!!" He growled. "Come on Keiichi, you can do it!"
"Nnn..." Keiichi groaned, shocking the three of them.
"Kei-Keiichi??" Belldandy held onto his hand firmly as his eyes slowly opened.
"Bell...dandy..." He smiled at her. "...She's coming..."
Kira's heart beat faster. "Wha...What!?"
Tyr stared at the red star; it burned so intensely, as bright as one of his flames. "Hope... please..." tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "You have to come back... I need you... we all do..." His left fist clenched tightly. "I-I don't know what I'd do without you by my side... I love you... you're the only one I want! So please!! COME BACK!!" He roared out.
Suddenly the star began to react. Fiercely it flashed and roared as two hands slowly forced their way out of its core.
"What!?" Tyr stared, he recognized these hands. "HOPE!!" He flew into the fires and grabbed hold of the arms, and pulled forth a figure shimmering with red light.
"Tyr... TYR!?" the figure stared at him in surprise, slowly the light vanished away from her face, a face the half demon thought he'd never see again.
"Ah... AHAHA!" Tyr smiled in disbelief and held onto her tightly. "Thank god! Ohoh..." Tears ran down his face.
"Tyr... I'm sorry." Hope blushed. "I could hear you but... I was so afraid that I'd hurt you too... that's why I pushed you away."
"Shut up, you don't have to apologize to me all the time. It's okay, just stay, don't ever leave me like that again!" He tried to sound fierce, but the look in his eyes exposed all. "Do you have a clue how much we all worried?"
"Tyr..." Hope began to cry as she returned his embrace. "I'll never leave you again, I promise..."
They were like that for a brief moment, but Tyr loosened his hold of her. "To your parents..."
Hope nodded.
"...You'd better hurry..." He smiled weakly. "Lady Belldandy has been... worried." He looked away from her.
Hope put her hands on the sides of his face; he looked back down at her. "Tyr..." She smiled then pressed her lips against his, her heart was burning with so much passion she had to sate it before she left his side. "I love you."
Tyr blushed as Hope slowly vanished away from him. "D-dammit, how does she do that?" he scratched his head, and then felt the urge to be with her again. "I won't last long... I have to ask her..."
A little while later, Kira left Keiichi's room, he'd had enough worry for one day much less three. "Think I'll take that nap they were all griping at me about, maybe play a computer game, take it easy..." Suddenly someone bumped into him.
"I'm so sorry I..." A young voice yelped.
"Be quiet, you know where you...are?" Kira stared down into two little blue sapphires. "...H...Hope..."
Her eyes glistened with tears. "Uncle Kira..." She threw her arms around his waist and pressed her face in his shirt. "I'm sorry, for everything, I didn't mean to do what I did... I had no control." She sniffled. "But... but why? Why did you... over exert yourself for me? Why?"
Kira stared out into space for a moment; slowly he reached up a hand and placed it on her head. "I'm... your Uncle, I'm supposed to do things like that... I guess..." He looked down at her. "But, just don't think I'll do it every time, okay?"
Hope nodded. "There won't ever be another time."
Kira smiled as she stood back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, get in there, your Pop is in pretty bad shape..."
"He is!?" Hope yelped.
"Nah, you know him." Kira grinned and pushed her through the ICU door. "Just go on."
Hope stared at him for a moment; they needn't speak of what happened ever again, they knew all too well the consequences that came with possessing hearts that could be overwhelmed by evil. It was that special bond that made Kira her uncle. A gentle smile came on Hope's face before she turned from him. "Thank you."
Kira watched as the doors closed in front of him, he scratched the back of his head and let out a relieved sigh before turning to face his wife.
"You are SO bad when it comes to such sweet sentimental moments." She grinned.
"I can't help it, you live the life I've lived and then we'll talk about sentimentality." Kira offered his arm to her, and she happily accepted.
"I should have at least given her a hug... oh well, I can always visit her tomorrow." Aura sighed as they walked down the hall together.
"Maybe..." Kira agreed. "Think we should stay here for a while?"
"You read my mind."
"HEY! That's the bastard that stole my uniform!!" A man shouted.
"Just not here." Kira added.
A Fan Author's Worthless Rant
Sorry to have left you all hanging... this was again one of those tough ones ;; and get fired up cause I AM! X3 Ch. 30 is a chapter I have wanted to do for a LONG, LONG TIME!! HUZZAH!! ;3 Are you curious? Lemme give you a little hint, if you care to know, remember the oddly themed monsters sent out by the hooded one we know only as 'mistress'? Hehe, it's time for Hope to come face TWO face with her new arch nemesis ;3. BWHAHAHAHA XD It's gonna be a good vs. bad guy throw down!
Hope: I'm sort of nervous...
See ya next time ;3
Edited by Adept Show him some love and yell at him to type more Child of Chaos!