There was something mysterious about the season of spring. Life returned to things once thought dead. Flowers and trees blossomed and bloomed nearly overnight, giving color to a once monochrome world of white snow and grey sky. Gone was the chill of winter, replaced only by the mild warmth of the new season. Japan was as much abuzz with springtime as any other nation. Cherry blossoms bloomed in the warmth of the spring sun as evidence of new life could be seen everywhere. In a small temple on a hill, secluded from the hustle and bustle of life in the big city, trees and flowers blossomed under the warmth of the same sun… and so did a puff of smoke that rose slowly overhead like a spring thunderstorm. Passersby stared at the cloud, some in wonder and some in alarm. Some attempted to dial the local fire department, fearing a catastrophe, but mysteriously none of their calls appeared to be getting through. Those close to the temple could hear a girl's shrill voice crying out in anguish and anger.
"Urd!" Skuld yelled, a broken machine sitting before her in ruin. It's blackened structure reflected the blackened appearance of her clothing and face. "I thought I told you not to mess with my Auto-Decorator Mk. III! Geez, this is the third time this week I've had to repair it!"
The tall, lanky goddess appeared out of thin air, lounging on a tree branch above her half-sister's head. "Aw, don't get so angry with me! I was only trying to help out!"
"The last time you tried to help out we spent two weeks convincing the cat to come out from hiding! And the time before that Keiichi had to wear a baseball cap for a month until his hair grew back in!"
Urd's face darkened. "It's not my fault that that happened! I told you that Kerosene was in that can, not water, but you didn't listen to me!" Her voice was starting to rise and her temper to flare. If Skuld pushed her too far, the consequences would likely be disastrous.
"Well, who put it there in the first place?" The younger sister retorted, face reddening. "It was there when I brought the machine in to finish testing!"
"What's the problem this time?" A third voice, melodic as any singer, silenced the first two voices cold. On the porch of the temple, the goddess Belldandy stood, watching Urd and Skuld argue amongst themselves. It was to be expected, she thought to herself, with the wedding only weeks away. Everyone was getting tense with anticipation, herself included, but it was no time to let an argument brew when there was still so much planning to be done!
"I was testing my Auto-Decorator, Mk. III for the wedding, but someone," Skuld shot an accusing glance up the tree, "messed with the settings."
Urd threw her hands up in the air innocently. "All I did was to add black to the list of colors!"
"Black!" The goddess of time and machinery sounded incredulous. "You didn't just add black; you added zebra-stripe, cheetah-spot, and Mardi Gras to the list as well! I told you it could only handle five selections at a time, not nine!" Stomping her feet down on the ground in prelude to a tantrum, Skuld's face was beet red and she looked ready to do unspeakable things to her older sister.
Before any such unspeakables could be performed, Belldandy put her proverbial foot in the middle of things. Holding up her hands, she looked at both sisters as they fell silent, realizing she was about to say something. "We only have a few weeks left," she said as calmly as she looked, "And there is still so much to do! We don't have much time until the wedding. Urd, go to the dress fitter's and see if they have our dresses ready." She looked up into the tree, silently imploring her older half-sister to get the message and take some time to cool down before worse things happened.
"Skuld, the phone line is on the fritz again. Can you look at it for me?" Belldandy's attention turned to her younger sister.
Urd nodded. "I'm on it!" She called as she vanished again, reappearing at the door to the temple.
The younger sister, meanwhile, looked down at her feet as her assignment was given. She seemed clearly upset. "I… I guess, sis." Her voice was wavering on the edge of tears, and Belldandy could tell that there was definitely something bothering her that was probably at the root of the argument that had just happened.
"What's wrong?"
Skuld sniffled and looked up at her sister, whom she dearly loved and, at one point in time, had tried to convince to return to Yggradsil. "It's nothing…" She paused for a second, then continued quickly. "I just can't believe that in a few weeks you'll be getting… well… married!" Impulsively she crossed the short distance to Belldandy and hugged her tightly.
Returning the hug, the elder goddess smiled, fighting back tears of joy. She was quite good-natured about the whole thing, a trait hard to find in humans. It was a known fact that Belldandy hardly ever got angry or raised her voice. And it was hard to stay angry in her presence, for she always carried a smile on her lovely face. Even now, with tears in her eyes, the goddess was still smiling.
"I can't believe it, either," she confessed in a sister to sister. "The years certainly have flown by." A wistful look came over her face as she thought of her husband-to-be who was off working. Looking up at blue skies and the beginnings of spring, she silently prayed a prayer of thanks and joy to the Higher Powers.
All was not happiness and thanksgiving everywhere, however. Hidden away from human and goddess eyes, existing in another dimension similar to that of Yggradsil, was the Dark Realm, where evil lurked and waited for opportunities to make itself known. For countless millennia a battle had been waged on Earth among humans. Humanity itself was blissfully unaware of the battle except in their hearts and deep down in their souls. The battle was one that had been penned about by authors, sung by singers, and displayed in paintings by artists for all to see. Yet, humanity remained only vaguely aware of the threat that lurked in it's midst. The battle was the stereotypical fight between the forces of good and the forces of evil.
For as long as mankind had existed the struggle had been waged between the Gods and Goddesses of Yggdradsil and the evil that made up the Dark Realm. The Realm was slowly but surely winning the war, corrupting and destroying all goodness that could be found in the world. It had a grip on nearly everyone on Earth, and the forces of good realized that they were being driven back and losing the fight at an alarming rate. Yet a council of war had been called deep within the Realm, a gathering of the top generals. Sitting around a darkened table, six men and women discussed the fate of the war. These were the leaders and generals of the Realm, all masters of treachery, deceit, and evil.
One of the six stood, dark robes making him look sullen in the gloomy darkness. "Up until now the war has gone according to plan. The seeds of evil have spread everywhere good has been found. No human has been yet able to escape our influence." Loki looked around the table at his fellow conspirators. In lore, Loki was the god of confusion and the planter of discord. In reality, Loki kept the same traits but was the "leader" of the Realm.
"However, I have learned of a danger which threatens our progress thus far and our very Realm if it spreads. It seems Yggradsil has changed the rules." He paused to let this sink in. "They have permitted one of their goddesses to come to the planet and marry a human." This clearly alarmed the other five, who raised their voices in clamor at the thought of such an underhanded and nefarious deed. It almost made them wish they had thought of it first. Raising his hands, Loki silenced them again. "Yes," his voice was smooth and silky, "This is a grave situation for all of us in the Dark Realm."
"But who is the goddess?" asked a tall Greek-looking man with light brown hair. "If it is a lower-level goddess, perhaps we can use this to our advantage and seek some small measure of revenge on them for their plan." A wicked smile crept over his face but was quickly dashed when Loki shook his head.
"Do not expect Yggradsil to be that stupid, Nemesis. The goddess in question is none other than Belldandy." There was a hush over the table at the mention of the name, a name that many present dreaded hearing. Belldandy was considered to be one of the best and most powerful goddesses in Yggradsil. During the Celestine crisis, it was rumored that she had almost single-handedly prevented the Earth itself from being destroyed—something that the Realm had neither anticipated nor taken kindly to. Granted, it had meant that the war could continue, but it also meant a precarious shift in the balance of power. Such powerful goddesses rarely graced the "front lines" with their presences, much less lived on Earth itself with a human.
The other five considered the situation for a moment before the figure sitting opposite Loki spoke in a quiet but calculated voice. "It seems that this situation warrants reconnaissance, does it not?"
"I presume, Omega, you are suggesting that you go to Earth and see for yourself what is going on?" Loki asked smoothly with a smile and was rewarded with a nod.
Omega pressed his case. "We cannot count on our minions to do this sort of intelligence gathering. If we are to prevent such a catastrophe from happening, one of us must see for themselves what the tactical situation is." For the first time the demon general smiled. "I would recommend myself for this matter, obviously. I have walked on Earth countless times and these gods and goddesses do not faze me."
Loki nodded and considered the matter for a moment. There was surprisingly little reaction from around the table – a rare sign that the rest of the council was feeling cooperative in giving the junior of the six this mission. He knew that he himself could not undertake such a mission—too many plans were in motion for him to draw his attention to something as trivial as reconnaissance. Of the others, Omega was truly the best suited of them all, a mixture of patience, aggression, and as shrewd as he was clever. To use the earth phrase, he was a "jack of all trades".
"Very well. You have permission, but do not let your presence be known to any from Yggradsil. The last thing we need is the host of Yggradsil retaliating."
Slowly, the hooded figure at the other end of the table rose, bowing his head at the command of Loki. "It shall be done, Exalted One." He laughed, letting the room fill with dark laughter as he vanished from sight. All that remained of him was the sinister echoes of his laughter, a fitting backdrop as the remaining five resumed their planning…