RO8

A/N: Augh! I'm sorrysorrysorry for taking so long! –bows- My reason? Science Fair. The two words that strike fear into all eighth graders. T-T –grabs random tissue- Anywhoos… I'm sorrysorrysorry! Did I get around to telling you that? –blows-

-blinks- mm… I should stop talking! XD ehehe…

… Happy reading! –gigglesnort-


Chapter 8: Note to self: I miss you terribly… Part III

"How do you know my middle name if you can't remember your own?" the abashed looking could-be male model interrupted her incredulously as Annabelle mentally smacked herself; furious and gulped as she gazed into his eyes.

"...Uh," she stammered as the murderous steely glint of jade orbs drilled into hers, making her feel like a cornered puppy; vulnerable and defenceless.

"The nurse said you had amnesia," Dean continued as he caught on quickly to what she had planned.

He looked at her accusingly, the implication of the message was clear.

"I won't tell a single soul...for a price," Dean grinned, as a predatory look crossed his features, illuminating his angular cheekbones as Annabelle fought the urge to scream.

-Hannah McLeah's Falling For Your Sworn Enemy Isn't A Smart Thing To Do, chapter 12

A flock of birds flew as a scream erupted from a nearby house.

"YOU'RE A WHAT?"

The girl inclined her petite head politely.

"A—"

"I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! WHY'RE YOU TELLING ME AGAIN?"

A pause.

"… eh…but, you just asked me—"

"WHAT? DO YOU THINK I'M CONFUSED? I'M PERFECTLY FINE! YOU'RE MAKING ME CONFUSED NOW! WHY'RE YOU MAKING ME CONFU—"

"—Quiet, please, Zeffy."

The flaxen-haired huntress spun around fiercely.

"Shii! Did you hear what she said? About—"

"— about her being a goddess. Yes. I have perfectly fine ears."

"THEN HOW CAN YOU BE CALM? HOW CAN YOU—"

"When Shii told you 'quiet, please, Zeffy', she meant 'shut up, now, Zeffy'."

Zeffy whirled in the other direction.

"Yuzie! You of all people! How can you stay so—"

"I'm screaming inside."

"… Oh."

"Hush, both of you. Carry on, please, Lady Aine."

" 'Lady'?" the girl hooted with laughter. "Ahah! Ahahaha! Please, just call me Ai."

A moment of silence.

"… But you're a goddess."

"So?"

"…"

"…!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'SO'? A GODDESS—A GODDESS IS THE MOST HIGH—"

"—deity. They were part of the beginning of creation itself, watching over every motion of the people. Each of them bring a different gift or curse upon the land, blahblahblah. Hah! Humans. That's what you all think."

Yuzuna raised an eyebrow. "Okay. I'm going to ask a very common and stupid question, used when something confusing and dramatic like this situation happens: What do you mean?"

"I mean that Goddesses aren't all that. We're just like normal humans."

"Uh… then, wouldn't that make you 'humans'?" Zeffy's eyelids lowered in exasperation.

"Yeah. But we're called Goddesses."

"Er… okay."

Aine patted Zeffy, beaming. "Don't worry… you'll get it soon enough."

Zeffy slid further down the floor.

"… I have a bad feeling about this."


Another flock of birds flew as a scream erupted from the nearby house again.

"YOU KNOW HOW TO WHAT?"

The girl inclined her petite head politely.

"How to—"

"I KNOW YOU KNOW HOW TO DO WHAT! WHY'RE YOU TELLING ME AGAIN?"

A pause.

"… eh…but, you just asked me—"

"WHAT? DO YOU THINK I'M CONFUSED? I'M PERFECTLY FINE! YOU'RE MAKING ME CONFUSED NOW! WHY'RE YOU MAKING ME CONFU—"

"—Quiet, please, Zeffy."

The flaxen-haired huntress spun around fiercely.

"Shii! Did you hear what she said? About—"

"— about her knowing how to cure Senuta. Yes. I have perfectly fine ears."

"THEN HOW CAN YOU BE CALM? HOW CAN YOU—"

"When Shii told you 'quiet, please, Zeffy', she meant 'shut up, now, Zeffy'."

Zeffy whirled in the other direction.

"Yuzie! You of all people! How can you stay so—"

"I'm screaming inside."

"… Oh."

"Hush, both of you. Carry on, please, Lady Aine."

" 'Lady'?" the girl hooted with laughter. "Ahah! Ahahaha! Please, just call me Ai."

A moment of silence.

"… But you're a goddess."

"So?"

"…"

"…!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'SO'? A GODDESS—A GODDESS IS THE MOST HIGH—"

"—deity. They were part of the beginning of creation itself, watching over every motion of the people. Each of them bring a different gift or curse upon the land, blahblahblah. Hah! Humans. That's what you all think."

Yuzuna raised an eyebrow. "Okay. I'm going to ask a very common and stupid question, used when something confusing and dramatic like this situation happens: What do you mean?"

"I mean that Goddesses aren't all that. We're just like normal humans."

"Uh… then, wouldn't that make you 'humans'?" Zeffy's eyelids lowered in exasperation.

"Yeah. But we're called Goddesses."

"Er… okay."

Aine patted Zeffy, beaming. "Don't worry… you'll get it soon enough."

Zeffy slid further down the floor.

"… I have a bad feeling about this."

There was a very long pause.

"Hey," chorused the four at the same time, "didn't we have this conversation before?"


"Humph. Well, she sure is taking her time."

"… She is Ai, after all. You can't change that."

"I know that, but I want her to hurry up! She's wasting my time!"

"… You know, Head, you don't have to watch her twenty-four seven."

"Jeez, what do you think I am? Stupid?"

"… Well…"

"… Don't you dare finish that sentence. I'm far intelligent than any one can be! Why, I graduated with the highest honors in my grade!"

"… uh..."

"And I know perfectly well that I don't have to watch her twenty-four seven! It's just that knowing that she's doing the job makes me have anxiety attacks."

"Oooh… someone has a little crush on our Ai—"

There was a loud 'thwack'.

"Shut. Up. I don't have a crush on her. Odin forbid."

"—ow. You didn't have to hit me that hard."

"Well, you see, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to—"

"—shut up. I know. And besides, if she was going to cause you trouble, why didn't you just send someone else in?"

"… you know perfectly well why."

"… the time she dumped salt instead of sugar into your coffee?"

"Hey! I'm sensitive about such things! Furthermore, it tasted horrifying. My taste buds didn't recover until a month later."

"… Head, I swear to Odin, you have the longest long term memory ever."


After a while of calming everyone down, Shivon turned back to Aine.

"… Are you sure about knowing how to cure Senuta?"

Zeffy interjected quickly. "And how did you know that Senuta was cursed in the first place anyhow?"

Aine clasped her hands in front of her. "Well… anyone who has known Senuta for awhile would have known that something was emotionally wrong with him. And I don't—or should I say, didn't—know how, until Head told me."

"Then you must have known Senuta for a long time, then?" Shivon raised an eyebrow.

The goddess smiled, cocking her head. "No, but Head knows all. He becomes quite emotionally unstable when he doesn't know every little thing about every little thing."

Zeffy's brows lowered. "Who is this 'Head' anyways? Have we ever heard of him before?"

Aine eyes widened dramatically. "Head? Of course you've heard of him! Eh… but I think you would know if I used his name as he is known here. Have you ever head of… Heimdall?"

Shivon, Yuzuna, and Zeffy fell over.

"HEIMDALL!" Yuzuna was the first to recover. "YOUR 'HEAD' IS HEIMDALL?"

The goddess blinked owlishly. "Why, of course! He has always been, and will always be!"

Shivon placed her hands over her face. "Ai…" her voice was muffled. "… Aine, darling, please… next time… use the human names for your god acquaintances."

"Ehe...!" Aine rubbed the back of her head. "I suppose I should, huh? Head told me to, but I kinda forgot."

"Yeah." Zeffy looked at Aine strangely, before jumping up. "Hey! Are you also a well-known goddess?"

Aine laughed. "No, no… I'm only a Mihn-goddess."

"'Me-ehn?'"

"Mihn," Aine confirmed, nodding her head. "It's a name used for subordinate gods and goddesses who serve under more powerful gods and goddesses. I just so happened to be one of the Mihn for Head."

"Jeez." Zeffy looked drained. "I hope I never become a goddess. I'll die before I know what to do."

"Ehe…" Aine looked as if she didn't know how to reply. "… it's not that hard—"

She stopped short, brows furrowing as she cocked her head, listening hard.

Yuzuna stared at her. "What?"

The goddess looked back at them with a seriousness that they had never seen until now, reflecting in her eyes. "Do you hear that?"

They all paused and strained their ears, listening to whatever Aine had caught.

All was silent, except for the low whistle of the north wind, blowing outside on the streets.

Zeffy blinked, leaning back. "Er… the wind?"

Laughing softly, Aine's scarlet eyes narrowed. "That's not just the 'wind' that you're hearing— it's the call of Loki."

"What—?" Zeffy spluttered, looking at the others for support, who only shrugged, obviously as confused as her. "LOKI!"

Aine got slowly to her feet, fingers twisting nervously. Looking at them, she smiled brightly.

"Don't worry! I'm going to go outside to send a quick prayer to Head. In the meantime, please gather the rest of you, and meet me outside the East Gate."

"W—why?" Shivon also rose to her feet, looking worried, despite Aine's condolence.

The sound of the wind grew louder as Aine forced open the door. Before slipping outside, she gave them another of her mysterious goddess-like smiles, though this one was filled with assertiveness.

"You'll see. This is how you defeat a ravaged one by him."


15 March 2006
A/N: hehe… I have come to a conclusion: I am going absolutely nowhere with this fic. XD and that's probably what I love about it! –beams- I hope you guys're loving it as much as I am! Hang in there! –lassos a Happy Meal-

… what're so happy about those, anyways? o.O

-shakes head furiously- eh… back on track! Mm… I don't know when the next chapter will probably be out, due to massive homework and the –dreaded sound of doom- Science Fair. –shudders- I hatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehate science fair time. Hatehathatehatehate! –coughs slightly- erm… yes. Ehehe… -shifty eyes- I really eh… let you guys get back to your lives, huh? T-T

Mouu--- come and visit me sometime! –waves tissue in air-

Yay! Let's stab science fair with my Spork of Doom! –evil cackle-

-hopelessmine!