Chapter 4:
Everything must have its downfall after a prosperous start, and that's how Celestin and Mythalia met their fate. Love was evidently existent between the both of them in their actions slightly, but mostly in their eyes. It wasn't overdone, but more of a deep, spiritual love in which their souls were practically inseparable. Graduation came upon them swiftly, Celestin graduated with the highest honors as expected and Mythalia as a goddess with a first class, first category license. Yet that happiness was short lived, the heavens had come under attack by a supernatural force that covered the sky with darkness in their region. Celestin had been called to fight against it, but she knew in her heart that something was wrong with all of this.
The trees sang a solemn song in their departure, as the two lovers stood under rain that dropped down their faces as tears. Naught a word had been spoken, only the conjoining of hands spoke their words.
"It is necessary that I go Mythalia…" Celestin said an aura surrounding him that she understood as his duty to fight against this and preserve the world in which they lived.
"I understand whole-heartedly…be careful…" she kissed him softly, taking one of her bracelets, as it formed a bow and arrow. Taking his hand he placed it up to her cheek, watching her in the eyes and nodding. "I love you Celestin. Return to me please." Mythalia said watching as he floated into the sky heading for his battlegrounds, and closing her eyes as the trees wrapped their branches around her causing her transformation. The battle continued on for a long period of time, Mythalia watched the mêlée from a far enrapt by Celestin's endurance, speed, and ability as she fought a battle of her own. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, a dark fairy appeared in the distance, flying straight at Celestin's back.
"CELESTIN!" Mythalia cried in the distance, standing up and flying straight in that direction as well. When she arrived at the battlefield, it was horrible. Horrific. Unexpected. Celestin had been pierced by the poison of the darkness, and it was evident in his eyes. "Celestin…call my name!"
"Mythalia…take my memories and hold them close to you." He said giving her a simple platinum ring, "Within this seal my memories, and all thoughts of me."
"No…if I do that…you will…"
"I do not want my memories of you to suffer in vain. Take them. I would rather perish than turn against Heaven…" He gasped with the pain of darkness engulfing his diminishing soul, biting out the words of love before they melted into smoldering hate.
"I would prefer death over losing the beauty of your voice telling me one last time…'I love you Mythalia'."
She held his fading form across her lap, gripping his hands with the one that now wore the circlet of their stolen happiness. The tears created a soft glow around them in the midst of raging battle, and Mythalia kissed Celestin for a final moment, a final memory of their brief engagement of souls.
"I love you."
His last breath was taken with the darkness surrounding him, and Mythalia's cry as an angel of nature appeared. Vines protruded out of her hands in an attempt to reach for Celestin, but they were rejected by the force field that surrounded the fairy and her only love brainwashed by the forces of evil. As the two sailed away into the distance, Mythalia continued her pursuit of them stopping when they reached above the clouds.
"By the power of this ring…invested in me sealed with our never ending love. This is my prayer to those Almighty…" Mythalia said watching as the dark fairy took on the defensive. "Potere vestire ina notalia versuma redemnia triena…power of the heavens invested in me/take this offering which I present/to whom I beseech/this blessing and to this ring make memories of Celestin sent." She cried out keeping her head bent as tears rolled down her cheeks like spring's rain. A flash of light emitted from the ring that had been placed about her finger in Celestin's final moments. Concentrating on Celestin's fallen and empty vessel, the light beam began the extraction and just when the process was in its final stages…
Mythalia eyed the ring on her finger that never left its position for many years. Belldandy with a handkerchief in hand dried her eyes, while Skuld used the sleeve of her shirt to dry her eyes. Urd, on the other hand, remained tearless not feeling any pity for the traitor whatsoever.
"And what happened?"
"They disappeared. The extraction was never completely finished. A fraction of a second and I would have contained his thoughts and memories in this ring, but no such luck." Mythalia said placing her hands on the table and standing up, "That's my story."
"And what is it that you would like us to do for you? Celestin is gone…there is naught…" Belldandy began.
"There is a chance. It's selfish, and risky on my behalf. Either way however I would not have a high chance of survival. I would like to resurrect Celestin…"
"WHAT?!" Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld all exclaimed watching Mythalia in disbelief.
"You run the risk of revoking your license…" Belldandy said, "What on earth would you want to revive him for?"
"How life threatening is the process?" Skuld asked her eyes wide in astonishment, "And how do you plan on accomplishing this feat?"
"There is a 5% chance of survival without any side effects. There is a 10% chance that I would lose my powers permanently. An 8% chance I would lose my powers and have the possibility of regaining them. A 7% chance I would only lose the power I put into the process. The other 70% is a chance of death, which I am willing to take." Mythalia explained, "In the dissolving of the soul in the final moments of a god or goddess's life, all memories unfortunately must pass with it. I happen to have a piece of his memories contained in this ring. Although that is the case, if he is revived, there is a 95% chance that he wouldn't have any memory of our past together. A 3% that he remembers a portion of it, and the slim 2% chance that he'd just have amnesia in which one action would trigger a flood of memories. Of course he would remember Belldandy, Urd, and even you Skuld. However, there is judgment passed on the one that does the ritual…"
"Are you willing to make such a risk?"
"Yes…I have thought it through…"
"I don't see why not. I mean, Mythalia…" Belldandy said watching Urd, who was still raging.
"NEVER! I would have to die first before I let him enter our lives once again Mythalia!" Urd said, as her angel of fire, World of Elegance, appeared aiming at Mythalia for an attack.
"Urd!" Belldandy gasped and scolded her older sister at the same time, "How could…?"
"STAY OUT OF THIS BELLDANDY!" Urd glanced over at the younger goddess, "I will not comply with this decision!"
"No…"
"Why are you holding back?" she scowled at the young woman who retreated in response to this want to fight.
"I DO NOT WISH TO FIGHT YOU!" she cried, as an angel appeared out of her back almost completely covered in ice except one arm and her face. Turning around away from the three astonished goddesses, Mythalia continued to speak, "YOU WANTED TO KNOW 'WHY'?! THIS IS 'WHY'! The same influence under which Celestin had fallen, I have succumbed to that same darkness. If I do not stop it, I will die and everything will perish." Facing Urd, who retreated in surprise and astonishment, she scolded her, "It's time you stopped thinking of your past experiences with Celestin and start thinking more of others. There is a whole side of the situation you don't understand. I'm not just saying this out of my love for Celestin; I'm telling you this as a goddess first class, first category with no restrictions. It is important that you worry about the welfare of others instead of your own desires. There's not much I can say except that…the reason we are here is to bring happiness to those in need of such joy. However, one's happiness may be another's pain or sorrow, as in my case."
"I…" Urd said standing down, "I'm sorry. I didn't understand…I…"
"That's okay Urd; we all make mistakes. Although you may never truly accept Celestin as I have, maybe if Belldandy would agree to my resurrecting him, you'd be able to experience a different side apart from that which had been influenced by wrong thoughts and beliefs."
"Belldandy?" Urd called to the goddess, who watched as a dispute was settled. "Your decision?"
"Belldandy!" a male voice rang throughout the house.
"Keiichi?" Belldandy stepped outside of the room to find the young man following her gesture to come inside.
"Who's this?"
"She was Celestin's love in his past life before he became my mentor…" she said holding onto Keiichi's arm, "Her name is Mythalia. Mythalia, this is Keiichi Morisato…"
"Koibitos…" Urd whispered, "I guess that it rivals the relationship you and Celestin had."
"They passed through the Judgment gate together…" Skuld said, "Made history with that act…"
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Morisato." Mythalia curtsied paying her respects to the young man that won Belldandy's heart.
"Same here. So, what is going on?" Keiichi watched the four goddesses that stood next to and around him. Suddenly, Mythalia dropped to one knee in utter pain as her eyes became distant and her angel revealed itself involuntarily and freezing further in the process.
"Belldandy, make up your mind she cannot hold much longer!" Urd called to her sister.
"We're going; however, just the two of us are going to face the council. They would yield more to an affirmative answer if I, the student of Celestin, stood before them to make the proposal on her behalf."
"Why not all go together?" Skuld suggested watching Keiichi nod in agreement, "I can take Keiichi with me, and you can take Mythalia, Belldandy."
"I don't think so…Urd take Mythalia and go immediately. Keiichi and I will go together, and I'm sure you can find your way Skuld."
"Why me alone?" Skuld pouted heading for her newly made portal.
"No time for questions. Make haste!" Urd used the television as her medium to enter the heavens. Suddenly they appeared in the heavens exactly where Peorth and Mythalia had met before her arrival on Earth. "Can you manage?"
"I'll try…" she said taking her arm off of Urd as support, but falling to her knees, "It is only a matter of hours before the process is completed and I've lost all control of my being. Quickly summon Peorth!" she said pointing to the elegant doors in the hallway, "Go…I'll wait."
"Very well then." Urd flew over to the door, and opened it to reveal the headquarters where much had been occurring. "Peorth!" she called to the goddess that sat high above everyone and everything.
"Urd! What are you doing here?" she descended down to the ground level face to face with Urd.
"Mythalia."
"She's…outside?"
"You should speak with her. There isn't much time left…" Urd exited with Peorth to the benches where Belldandy, Skuld, Keiichi, and Mythalia all awaited her arrival.
"What's wrong Mythalia?" Peorth ran to her side.
"I need you to go to the counsel and propose the situation. Judgment won't be light, but please tell them all you know and what I've told you."
"But…"
"We've all agreed on the situation. Resurrection of Celestin must be done."
"Very well, shall we go?" Peorth sighed as she walked to the council doors, opening them and calling forth Belldandy and Mythalia to follow her lead, while everyone else remained.
"Peorth…you have a request?" the omniscient voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Yes I do, or rather we do. The resurrection and revival of Celestin in god form…" she said bowing her head hearing the murmurs that scattered about the room.
"Is this your request?"
"No, sir. It is I who request that this be done…" Mythalia spoke faintly her arm draped about Belldandy.
"Step forward, Mythalia. You know the repercussions of such a request. In addition to that, that man committed an act of treason in his years as Belldandy's mentor."
"It is selfish I know…"
"That is why we cannot allow such an act."
"It is selfish, yes indeed, BUT would you prefer the revival of a man you view as treacherous, or would you rather the destruction of all in the heavens?! This is a serious matter I present to you."
"We do not follow your lead, but the answer remains…"
"The answer would not remain if you knew what was going on beyond these borders…!" Mythalia defended, coughing and freezing ice on her hand in the process.
"That is…the Permani spell…" he whispered, "And your angel?"
Her angel revealed its nearly frozen state as the room filled with gasps of astonishment from all except Belldandy and Mythalia herself, "…Here it is…I am nearing death…a few more hours and I'm gone. Those are the hours I need to recite the chant for his revival. Evil still remains. It was not Celestin who had been evil himself; it was the influence of an evil much greater than any could imagine. I am under her spell, but I am fighting against it. Unless I rid myself of such a thing, you will become my enemy, and I will have no control over my actions bringing about the destruction of all that's right in this world. None of your medicines would work. The only way to rid my body of it is by the magic only Celestin knows."
"Sir, this is not something that can be taken lightly. One man vs. the destruction of all of the heavens. It should be a clear-cut decision." Peorth pleaded with the council.
"Excuse me, sir. I am Belldandy, Goddess first class with no restrictions. Celestin was my mentor; we have all discussed this situation and I fully support his return. If not for Mythalia, you, or myself then for the people that live the happy lives they do today because of what we have done for them. Without this system, I doubt that there would be much happiness in the world. We try the best we can to do what we do, and that's what counts the most." She stood up to the platform.
"Peorth step forward…" the voice spoke, as Belldandy and Mythalia retreated holding onto Belldandy's shoulder hunched over. "This is a very important situation and I will leave it in your hands. Yggdrasil…" A soft inaudible chant was heard, when a beam of light appeared beneath Peorth's feet, as an ancient book and key appeared before her, which she took in her hands.
"I will do my best to
protect this world sir…" she said saluting the Almighty one that could not
be seen, as the other two followed suit.
