Hild growled in frustration at the demon before her.
"She hasn't told you ANYTHING!"
The Demon cowered before his Queen's anger.
"No Milady."
"WHY NOT!" Hild shouted, "YOU'RE THE BEST TORTURER IN HELL!"
"Well Milady...you see..."
"SHUT-UP!" Hild turned and looked at Mara, "You've been present while this fool has been working. What's going on?"
Mara shrugged. "Every time he tries to do something painful, she laughs at him. He broke her arm in four different places, and she just laughed."
Hild rose from her throne.
"I have to see this to believe it."
Minutes later, Hild walked into the cell where the goddess was being kept. The goddess looked up at the Queen, just barely able to see her through the blood that covered her face, as well as her left eye that was swollen up.
"Hello your Majesty," the goddess said with a smirk, "What's new?"
"You will tell us what we want to know." Hild said, "Or we will resume your torture."
"Torture?" the goddess replied, "You call that torture! HA!"
Hild took a step back from the goddess.
"If you call that Torture, your demon there is a little leaguer." The Goddess said with a smirk, "Why don't you go get someone who's played in the big leagues."
Hild stared at the Goddess, then turned and looked at Mara.
"Is she insane?"
Mara shook her head.
"No, if I remember what I overheard when she and that demon were talking, she was captured by a demon in her universe."
"She's more of a demon then the either of you combined!" the goddess shouted at them.
Hild grabbed the goddess by the front of her outfit and lifted her into the air.
"What Demon captured you?" Hild demanded.
The goddess smiled.
"You demons gave her a far better title then her name, you called her the Soultaker."
Hild dropped the goddess and recoiled from her as if she had the plague.
"Milady?" Mara asked confused.
Hild's mouth open and shut several times, before she turned away from the goddess.
"Bring her." Was all Hild said as she walked out of the cell. The guards outside the cell raced in and grabbed the goddess and pulled her out, following their Queen. Mara quickly raced to catch up to Hild.
"Go get the brat." Hild said, not even acknowledging Mara walking beside her. "Bring her to my throne room. We'll see how long that goddess holds her tongue."
Mara bowed slightly, then raced off to retrieve the young goddess.
"Hell sucks."
"You've said that before."
"So?"
"Since we are in the past, it obviously hasn't improved."
"Since we are in the past, I've never said it before. So I said it now."
"That's just silly."
Mana let out a sigh, then turned and glared at Asuka and Rei.
"Do you two mind?"
"What?" the red head and blue head asked together.
"We are in Hell." Mana said, "You six don't even fit in here. Shouldn't you be silent or stealthy or something?"
"Good point." Asuka said. She nodded at the other guardians, and all five vanished.
Mana looked over at the sixth person.
"Well?"
The person shrugged, then vanished as well.
"You guys make it so difficult." Mana said.
"Hey."
Mana turned to look at the seventh member of the group. The person pointed up ahead.
"She looks familiar."
Mana turned and watched as Mara walked down a hallway behind two demons, dragging a young Sayoko with her.
"Perfect." Mana said with a smile.
"Get the brat." Mara muttered, "I always get stuck with the brat."
"Stop complaining." One of the demons in front of her said.
"Sure, you would say that." Mara mumbled, "You don't know what I've gone through against her parents..."
"Shut up."
"Listen you, I... HEY!" Mara's voice suddenly cut off.
The two demons stopped walking and turned around to glare at the blond demon.
"What's wrong with you?" the demon asked.
"Nothing." Mara replied, "I slipped."
"Slipped?"
"Well it's hard to follow you while dragging the kid here."
The demon thought that over, then turned and continued walking. Mara gently grabbed the young Goddess' hand.
"Come on munchkin." Mara said softly.
Sayoko lay on the floor of the throne room in pain. Dozens of Demons surrounded her, members of Hild's Royal Court. Upon arriving, each Demonic member of the court was allowed to punch her down. While it hadn't been as painful as the torture by the Soultaker, it did wear her down. She'd probably have bruises for days unless she was able to get enough power to heal herself.
The doors to the chamber opened, admitting two large guard Demons, and Mara walking alongside her younger self. Sayoko thought she saw Mara's eyes widen when they she saw her, but just as quickly the shock vanished.
"Well," Hild said from her throne, "now that we are all here. I believe you are going to tell us a few things."
Sayoko turned and found Hild's eyes directly on her. She managed a chuckle.
"What makes you think I'm going to tell you anything?"
Hild relaxed back in her throne.
"Well I want to find out about that world of yours." The queen said, "Much has obviously happened over there. Why would a Goddess and Demon work together otherwise?"
"Things change over time." Sayoko said, "Things like relations."
"But that is what I want to know." Hild said, "And you're not telling me. So, until you tell me, I'll just have to satisfy myself with hurting the little one here." Hild pointed at the young Sayoko, "Unfortunately, she apparently doesn't have the experience you have had regarding torture, but then again, we all must start somewhere."
Sayoko's eyes widened and she turned and looked straight at her younger self in Mara's hands. The young goddess still had tears running down her eyes and seemed to be shaking. Sayoko turned and looked back at Hild.
"What do you want to know." She asked, defeated.
"Well first off your name would be nice, as well as rank."
Sayoko looked up defiantly at Hild.
"I am Sayoko Aida, formerly Morisato, Goddess Class 0, Type 2, Unlimited."
Hild's eyes widened and the other demons began to murmur amongst themselves.
"You are the daughter of Keiichi and Belldandy Morisato!" the Queen shouted, "The Mortal and the Goddess!"
"Small universe isn't it?" Sayoko said.
Hild leaned back in her throne. "Very small."
"And getting smaller by the minute." Came a voice from the doorway to the throne room.
Sayoko and Hild turned to see Mana, walking calmly up the aisle from the door. On either side, demons growled at her.
"Ahhh." Hild said, "The traitorous traveler comes."
"I'm only a traitor in your eyes." Mana said, "Not to my true Queen."
"Oh?" Hild said, "But then you must be a very foolish Demon. Though you are Class 0, you cannot stand up against so many other demons of your rank."
The other demons murmured in agreement with their Queen.
"She has you there Mana." Sayoko said softly to her friend, "What were you thinking coming alone?"
"What makes you think I came alone?" Mana asked, "I brought friends."
With a sudden flash, the Guardians appeared behind Mana, weapons drawn. Hild was on her feet in a second.
"HOW DARE YOU BRING GODS HERE!" Hild shouted, "YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE NOW! ALL OF HELL KNOWS..."
"Knows what?" Mana asked, "I hear no alarms."
Hild went silent. It was true, the alarms that should have gone off with the arrival of the gods didn't. Of course, the system had been set to allow the two goddesses, Sayoko in her weakened state and the younger Sayoko for the fact she had no powers, but no more. Hild reached out, but other then her demons, she could not sense either the half breed, nor those behind her.
"What are you?" Hild whispered softly.
"In my universe, "Mana said, "They are the Guardians of Heaven. They also happen to be good friends of Sayoko there."
"Heh." Hild said with a laugh, "You wouldn't dare to try anything. If you do, both your goddess friend and that child will die."
Mana just smiled, then turned to look at Mara. "You can go now Mara."
"Later Mana!" Mara said with a smile. She turned and smiled at the Queen. "Sorry, but this universe's Hell sucks." With that, Mara and the Young Sayoko vanished.
"WHAT!" Hild cried out, standing up.
"You think I'm stupid?" Mana asked, "Then again, it wasn't my plan so..."
Hild let out a cry of frustration, "DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE ALIVE!"
The demons in the room pulled out weapons and slowly began to approach the Guardians, Mana, and Sayoko.
"There's too many Mana." Sayoko said, "We can't kill them, and they can kill us. This is going to be messy."
"Your Mom planned for this too." Mana said. "Asuka."
Asuka nodded, then glanced over at a seemingly empty spot beside her.
"Arael, time to do your thing."
With a flash, the Angel appeared beside Asuka. The demons froze for a second, taking in the grey haired individual. The Arael opened her eyes, now brightly glowing red. One Demon charged forth and swung his blade at the Angel. Before he came anywhere close, an orange hexagonal barrier appeared, blocking his sword, before throwing him across the room.
Alarms from Hell to Heaven all went off at once.
Hild stared in shock and fear at Arael.
"A Messenger." She whispered.
Belldandy, Skuld, Urd, Lind, and Peorth all fell to their knees in pain. Megumi and Keiichi looked at them helplessly.
"What's going on!" Keiichi shouted.
"Something..."Belldandy gasped, "Something is using a power that hasn't been seen since before the dawn of man!"
"It can't be them." Peorth said, wincing from the pain, "There would be more warning then..."
"Mana forgot to warn you didn't she?"
The goddesses and mortals turned to see Mara standing nearby, just behind her was..."
"SAYOKO!" Belldandy cried out, racing towards her daughter and wrapping her up in a tight hug.
"MOMMY!" Sayoko cried out, returning the hug.
Mara smiled at the scene before her, reminiscing, when she spotted Lind charging at her.
"NO LIND!"
Lind paused, and looked down at the young goddess still wrapped in her mothers arms.
"Mara is good person." The young Sayoko said.
"What!" Lind shouted, along with Keiichi, Megumi, Peorth, Urd, and Skuld.
"Mara good person." Sayoko repeated, "She's not Monster Mara."
Belldandy looked up at Mara curiously. After looking at her, Belldandy could see that the Demoness before her did look a bit older then the last time she'd seen her.
"Mara?" Belldandy asked softly.
"Not your Mara." The Demoness replied, "I'm Mara, Demoness Class 0, specially assigned to Heaven and more specifically, the Terra 2 office." Mara then smiled, "Things are a lot different over there."
"How did you get here?" Lind asked.
"Same way Yui did." Mara replied, "Except I was with the rest of the Guardians and Arael."
"Arael?" Urd whispered, "Isn't that..."
Mara nodded, "She is the 15th Messenger, or Angel as the Mortals came to know them."
"Why would you bring it here!" Lind shouted, "They're monsters! They attacked heaven!"
"And they were defeated." Mara said, looking at Belldandy, "I know you know. Asuka told me you'd looked into her mind."
Belldandy nodded, "I know. But it still doesn't explain why it is here now."
"They were brought back by rogue Demons." Mara said, "Only 4 of them decided not to fight for hell, and return to Heaven. After a long battle, Arael is the only one that remains."
"It should be destroyed." Lind said with a growl.
Mara shrugged. "Maybe at one time some felt that way, but now Arael has the protection of Kami-sama, as well as the fact all the Guardians would defend her. As I said, a lot of things are Different over there then here."
"Some things remain the same though." Belldandy said.
"Yes," Mara said with a sigh, "They do."
Demons fled every which way, trying to get away from the Angel and her power. Those that tried to fight met fierce resistance from the Guardians and Mana. Sayoko found herself separated from them by a wall of Demons. Still weakened, she was unable to resist when Hild grabbed her and pulled her off.
"I may have lost the brat." Hild said, "But I still have you."
Mana's sword crashed against that of another demons. As she fought, she spotted Hild dragging Sayoko away.
"SAYOKO!" Mana cried. She swung her blade down hard at the demon. The blade easily sliced through the other's wrist. The Demon howled, holding his wrist in pain. Mana started running after Hild.
"MANA!"
Mana paused and looked back at Asuka. Asuka knocked her opponent down, then pulled something out of a pocket and tossed it to her.
"SAYOKO WILL NEED THAT!"
Mana caught the object and found herself looking at a modified moon rock bracelet. Mana nodded at Asuka, then resumed her pursuit of Hild.
"Damn Morisatos." Hild muttered as she dragged Sayoko along. "Plan after plan ruined by him or that damned goddess of his."
"Sorry to ruin your day." Sayoko muttered.
"You really have no idea do you." Hild said.
"Nope. So why don't you tell me what you had in store for that other Sayoko, and what's in store for me?"
Hild growled to herself as she continued to march.
"Half breeds such as yourself are rare." Hild said, "You realize that maybe less then 2 of the Gods in Heaven are half breeds? Half-Mortal and half God, or even mortals who wished and became gods?"
"So?" Sayoko replied.
"There is a reason we don't have any half breeds down here." Hild said.
"You see them as being weaker." Sayoko replied, "Mixing with mortals weakens the Demon, thus they are killed."
Hild regarded Sayoko for a second.
"That is half true." Hild replied, before resuming her march. "Many feel half breeds do make the resulting demon weak. As a result, all are killed off when they are born. But recently, I've found things might be otherwise."
Sayoko stared at Hild curiously.
"I've gotten information out of Yggdrasil," Hild said, "Hacked out really, but we only get pieces, nothing complete. It takes thousands of years of patience on the part of a Demon Hacker before he gets an entire file. We got one shortly after that brats birth, talking about half breeds." Hild kicked a door open. "Turns out, Half-Breeds are generally stronger then a normal god. It's not fully understood, but some believed it was because of the normal power given off by mortals themselves. Other's think that the mortal half allowed them to take in more energy from nature itself. Either way, the half breed could theoretically have enough power to be on par with Kami-sama himself."
"You have got to be kidding." Sayoko said.
"I thought that too." Hild said, "Then I looked over information we've stolen over the past millennia. Most of the time, when a Goddess or God have relations with a mortal, a mortal is produced with exceptional abilities. Take Hercules. Amazing strength, but still mortal. Very rarely is a God or Goddess produced. In fact, no such offspring have occurred in the last three hundred years. Then came that brat."
"I saw a chance. If I could capture that child, twist her to become a demon. I would have a half breed, but with more power then Kami-sama himself! What a weapon that would be!"
"But you don't have the child." Sayoko replied, "You have me. And I'm not even from here."
"That can change." Hild said with a smile, "Once I've broken you down and made you a demon, you'll not need Yggdrasil ever again."
"I think I've heard enough."
Hild whirled around. Mana stood in the middle of the hallway, her eye blazing red.
"Is that all you wanted the child for?" Mana said, her anger growing, "A weapon?"
"Of course." Hild said, "All true Demons dream of the day Heaven will fall to its knees."
"I don't need to dream." Mana replied, "I saw Heaven fall. And was part of the Army that restored it."
"NO TRUE DEMON WOULD HELP THEM!" Hild cried out.
"True." Mana replied, "But then I'm not a true demon, only a half breed."
"Mana." Sayoko whispered.
Hild stared at Mana in shock.
"You're a half breed!" she said.
Mana nodded.
Hild's face remained stunned for a moment, then a smile crept across her face.
"I see." Hild said, "Maybe your Queen isn't so different from me."
Mana blinked.
"What?"
"I understand now why you two were surprised I was after that half breed brat." Hild said, "Your Hild never had to go after a Goddess...when a Demon was already available."
Now Sayoko and Mana both blinked.
"Hild would never have done that." Mana said, "She sent her guards to save me from my father."
"Saved you eh?" the Queen chuckled, "Exactly how long was it from the time your father attacked, until the guards arrived? Do demons ever move that quickly?"
Mana blinked. The Queen had a point. Hild's Guards were there almost immediately after her mother had died...
"You were convenient." Hild said, "Why go through the trouble of kidnapping a Goddess, when a Demon is already available."
Mana shook her head. "No, you lie! Hild would never have..."
"And look what you've become." Hild continued, "A Class 0 Demon, one of the most powerful Demons in all of hell..."
"STOP IT!" Mana shouted, her eye glowing bright red.
"...a weapon to use against the Gods themselves!"
"AHHH!" Mana screamed as she flew straight at Hild, sword in hand and her eye glowing brighter then ever before. Sayoko could only watch stunned as she felt wave after wave of dark power flowing off of Mana, power that stirred a memory with its feel.
"Soultaker." Sayoko muttered.
Hild raised her shield and blocked Mana's attacks, but that only seemed to increase Mana's rage, thus increasing her power. Hild began to slowly back away from the angry Demoness, her mind trying to come up with someway to solve the problem she had just created.
Mana began using magic as well as her sword, trying to beat through the Queen's defenses. She was unrelenting in her attacks, not giving Hild a moments respite. Then Hild's shield weakened just enough, allowing one of Mana's force bolts to slip through, catching the Queen in the stomach.
Hild flew down the hallway, slamming hard into the wall at the end. Stunned, Hild shook her head, trying to clear it. When she came to her senses, Mana was standing over her, ready to plunge the sword down.
"Now Queen." Mana said grimly, her eye burning as hot as the sun, "Your reign ends."