Avenging

Act 5

Chapter 13

The Truth Revealed

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tsommer

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Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters or other characters from the numerous animes which are within.

Last Chapter: Reporter Abe Kosaka who was looking into Councilwoman Ariyoshi's doing was assassinated by said Councilwoman. The story isn't dead yet…, but we'll be delving into that later.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Five Avengers flew through the air high above Tokyo on their way to a disturbance of the costumed villain variety. Thor, Wasp, and Iron Rose traveled under their own power, while Thor held a dangling Captain Japan by her free arm and Tigra clung tightly to Iron Rose's back.

Captain Japan looked nervously down at the ground. "Maybe we shoulda taken the Quinjet."

"Why?" Thor asked. "Our foe is so near we'll arrive before we could board and prepare our conveyance."

"It's a well-known fact people who can't fly under their own power aren't as comfortable as those who can. It's kind of like being in the ocean but not being able to swim," he explained as he estimated how he would survive a fall at this height and not liking how many bones would break if he did. At least it couldn't exceed 206, since that was all there were in the human body.

Iron Rose sounded upbeat as she stated, "Worry not. If our esteemed goddess drops you, I will catch you before you hit the ground."

Thor scowled as her passenger suddenly gripped her arm more tightly. "You already carry Tigra and might drop her if you tried."

"If being an Avenger has taught us anything, it is that sometimes sacrifices have to be made."

Tigra said, "No worry. Will hang on by digging claws into eyeholes. Claws long though and might reach real eyes, but like Shellhead say, 'Sometimes sacrifices have to be made,'."

Before further snippy banter could occur, and bodies started dropping from the skies, Wasp informed the team, "We're here, and there's our foe."

Down below they saw a scene of confusion. On the street there was a slender man in a skin-tight outfit with a pattern of diamond shapes on it. Everything was either black or white. Only his mouthpiece was cut out. He stood amongst a dozen police officers who stood still, gazing off into space.

Wasp focused her attention on their foe. "I'll fly in and take him down first. Cover me."

Captain Japan said, "Wait. All those cops are just staring like a bunch of zombies. Let's see if we can villain monologue him into telling us his powers and then we can figure out how to snap them out of it."

"Let's just shoot him and splash water on them. That usually snaps people out of a trance," Wasp insisted.

"But it might not. Let's try the monologue."

"It would be best if we consider the regard of those who tried to champion the people first," Thor said. "I would not see these enforcers of the law suffer if we could help it. Tis our duty to risk ourselves to help them should this villain have some measure of prowess, though given his slender frame, I doubt this overmuch."

Wasp pouted but conceded the point.

The group landed a short distance away from their foe and spread out, surrounding him.

Captain Japan acted as spokesman, "Okay, buddy, you want to let us know who you are and what you can do before we kick your butt?"

The man shrugged. "Why not? My name is Masashii Kishamoto, but you can call me Flashback."

Captain Japan rolled his eyes. This guy smelled of lameness. "I can't wait to hear this. Why would you call yourself that?"

"Because I can cause a person to have a flashback within a flashback within a flashback."

This guy was a second away from eating shield. "What does that even mean?"

Flashback waved his hand.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The barren stone corridors bore a sort of emptiness one would expect on the bottom of the ocean or the surface of the moon. Not a single path was distinguishable from another. An infinite number of carbon copies all leading to some place, or all of them branching off in separate directions never to meet. It had the feel of a Byzantine Labyrinth that would make a Minoan weep in joy or envy.

Captain Japan looked around in shock at his new environment. It took several moments for his super hero training, which was probably just behind Tigra in quickly adapting to a bizarre situation, to assess the matter. It could be some form of mental attack and he could only be dreaming all of this, but he wagered it was more along the lines of outright teleportation. Creepy old castle added to the idea this was a bad guy, rather than some neutral party that wanted to enlist him for some venture by using an unorthodox manner. No welcoming committee greeted him, which was a plus. It gave him time to think and prepare for what might happen next.

He exited the room down one of the stone corridors. If the trap had already sprung, he'd deal with it. If it hadn't, he might be able to get out of it before it did. Take the battle to the enemy was the motto in this case. He mentally went down a list of people the Avengers had crossed that could teleport him, but he was coming up blank. Likewise if this was all in his head, same problem. No illusion casters he knew about, though there were some out there.

Illusion. Heh, he remembered that time Kasumi dressed up like a hooker and nearly had him fooled….

Xxxxxxxxx

The surveillance had gone off without a hitch thus far. He'd waited at home until Kasumi departed to supposedly meet some co-workers and wouldn't be back until very late. Nabiki delayed her long enough for Ranma to don his disguise and slip out. He then followed his target at a discrete distance. Though curiously he had caught the eye of several people. He couldn't imagine why since his disguise was impenetrable. Perhaps they hadn't seen someone who worked out like him.

Kasumi walked a direct course, determined and with no side trips. It was as if she had to be somewhere promptly. Ranma followed as she entered a tram station, but then finally veered off course to a coin operated locker. She pulled out a key and removed a bag, then entered a women's restroom.

Minutes passed by. Ranma became impatient as Kasumi took forever. Surely if she had to use the facilities for this long, she would have used the ones at home. Unless she had mistakenly eaten some of Akane's cooking. That could mess up the digestive track for days, as he found out firsthand. She had even gone so far as to say if they were ever officially engaged, she'd make every meal for him herself.

He'd rather go ten rounds with the Battling Bantam and the Gamecock again than subject himself to that torture.

Finally the door opened as Ranma prepared to take up the chase once again. Except it was some other woman dressed in a revealing top that simultaneously showed off a lot of cleavage and a lot of midriff. Her skirt made it past the curve of her bottom, though not by much. Thigh high leather boots were the only piece of clothing that covered more instead of way less than average. Given how little her clothing covered, he noted she was in great shape. She even had an angel tattoo on one shoulder, and a devil on the opposite one.

As he returned his attention to the door, something nagged at him. That girl had been familiar. Yet he was certain he'd remember someone who looked like that. But the feeling worsened. He examined her again (like most of the men she passed). Definitely familiar. It wasn't the clothing, it was that body…

Of course! He pictured the girl naked and it was a dead ringer for Kasumi. And since the odds of her doppelganger using the same bathroom at the same time she did were astronomical, that meant it was her in disguise. Clearly, she was on some surveillance mission herself. Or was it something more sordid?

Sordid. He got accused of that enough, like that time when he was Bucky and lost nearly all her clothes thanks to that idiot Quagmire….

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The loading ramp had barely touched the floor when Bucky walked out, covered nearly head to toe in some sort of grey, viscous substance that clung to her athletic form. The thick residue even adhered to her shield. Close behind her was Thor, appearing none the worse for wear.

The moment her foot left the ramp, Bucky turned and snapped at the goddess, "I can't believe you threw me at that Quagmire Guy….

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thor flew the skies of Asgard, on his way back from his adventure involving the World Tree. Almost as adventurous as the combat were the dalliances with the many nymphs who bestowed their attentions upon him for rescuing them from their dire fate. But such rewards were the right of the conquering hero, which was one of the reasons he loved being the conquering hero. From Svartalfar to Jotunheim. From Olympus to Hades, his was the name hailed wide and far as the greatest of the gods. And if it wasn't yet, then given time it would since it was inevitable.

The God of Thunder was in a pleasant mood. Too long had he been absent from his home and its gleaming halls. But first he would drop in on his woman, Belldandy. Surely, she was heartsick from his absence, and he would allow her to bestow her attentions upon him for his long-awaited return, putting her mind at ease.

He landed outside her home, a simple structure she constructed herself of mud and thatch. Expertly done, to be certain, but she was worthy of so much more. Many times he had invited her to move into the palace with him, but she refused. At some point he really needed to insist until she gave in, though even he found it difficult to argue with Belldandy. Nearly all did. He suspected she could bring even Odin to his knees should she put the effort into it. She was just so… nice. Really, she could have done with a *bit* of naughty like her sister, Urd the Enchantress. Now there was a woman. But at the same time she was no Belldandy. There was only one of her.

He decided his musings were irrelevant. He shouted out Belldandy's name at the top of his lungs. Neighbors a league away could hear him announcing his arrival. He waited for her to emerge from her home and throw herself into his arms, telling him how much she missed him, and would allow her to show just how much she did.

But the door remained closed.

Perhaps she was not home. He opened the door and entered, intent on searching it briefly and if she didn't turn up, simply make himself at home and await her return. At least for a while.

However, from the moment he entered he could tell something was amiss. There was a feeling of emptiness and abandonment to the domicile. That was the inverse of what it should be. Even when she wasn't present, Belldandy's home felt alive in an indescribable way. Vibrant, as though the lovely woman's pleasant demeanor had been absorbed by the walls and furnishings, making visitors feel much the same way. It was one of the many reasons she was respected by everyone. Even Loki grudgingly never attempted one of his pranks or deceptions with her.

He made a closer examination of his surroundings. There was a coating of dust on everything, and that was how he knew something was terribly wrong. While technically the goddess wasn't a 'neat freak' she was meticulous on making sure her home was spotless. She simply showed that which provided shelter for her respect, like she did all things.

He needed information fast. Hurling Mjolnir, he flew to her nearest neighbor and announced his presence with a loud, angry bellow. The inhabitant wisely answered his summons in haste. "What has happened to Belldandy?"

The man, a farmer, suddenly became very uneasy. As in uneasy enough to soil himself. "She left her home for somewhere else."

"What?! Where?!" he bellowed.

Now there was a better than fifty percent chance the farmer had gone with the soiling. "I'm not sure of all the exact details. I think it had something to do with the All-Father. Perhaps you should visit him?" The last came out mostly as a piteous plea for mercy.

Thor wanted to level the farmer's house, and the farmer as well, he was so enraged. But a small part of him reminded him that this was not the farmer's fault. While flattening people might make you feel better, there was no call for it in this case. He only administered well-deserved beatings.

So instead he hurled Mjolnir in the air and towards the palace in the gleaming city of Asgard. There was none like it in the universe, with streets of gold, buildings that reached up to the heavens wreathed in beauty and visually stunning to the eye. It was the envy of all, which was why so many had attempted to assault it over the years. Storm giants, dark elves, even Surtur and his fiery demon troops, all had failed thanks to the call of arms the Asgardians raised. One had to be prepared for war when one had something of value, and he was at the forefront of all such battles.

He would go to war to get Belldandy back. He would strike down anyone that got between them. Even the All-Father himself should he stand in the way.

Thor landed in front of the giant doors to the palace, which stood open an invitation to the residents of the gleaming city, though none entered unless it was for some official business. While Odin would hear petitions from the citizenry, as a ruler should, he did not enjoy trifle idiocies, and was quick to share his annoyance with the party in question. Odin was known as being just and fair, not easygoing and merciful.

The guards at the palace door saluted the Prince of the Realm, but Thor took no notice of them. He had more important matters to attend and had no interest in rabble. As he strode the halls in open anger, all who came into sight of him quickly found a reason to go another way. He was left unchallenged until he approached the doors to the royal chamber. They were perhaps the most resplendent in the Realm Eternal, many gold engravings which seemed as though they would come to life and jump off the doors etched them. Decades had been spent forging them. A pair of guards, the elite among the elite of the army, stood next to them.

One of the guards stated. "Odin is in a private discussion and by royal decree has ordered he not be disturbed by any, including you, Odinson."

Thor walked up to the doors and batted the soldiers aside into the nearest walls as though they had been composed of nothing but air. Neither rose.

He kicked open the doors with such force had they been less formidably constructed, they would have shattered into a dozen pieces. He strode into the room as though he were the ruler of Asgard instead of a mere scion of the royal family.

Odin stood before a giant brazier whose flames rose high. He wore bright golden armor that, while glorious to the eye, was also clearly functional rather than merely ceremonial. A large helmet adorned his head, and a leather eye patch covered his left eye.

There was a space within the center of the fire that showed a scene of another world. A figure in resplendent robes of his own, his head wreathed in a fire which hid his features, turned at the sound of the intrusion, indicating this was no mere image, but rather a portal to another world which allowed both parties to communicate.

Odin turned in irritation at the intrusion. While keeping his good eye focused upon glaring at his son, he said, "It appears an important matter has come to my attention, Dread Dormammu. I beg forgiveness in ending our dialogue at this time."

The being sounded casual. "Worry not. The meat of our business had been concluded. Let us take time to allow the ramifications of our decisions to sink in and finalize details later." His face disappeared.

Odin waved his hand and the image disappeared on this end. He walked so he was standing before the throne of Asgard. While the doors had been impressive, they paled in comparison to the majesty that was the throne, which in turn paled in comparison to the majesty of the ruler of Asgard.

"I left specific instruction not to be disturbed." Odin's voice rumbled. "I take it you bludgeoned the guards who did only their sworn duty?"

Thor took no heed of the tone, so angry was he. "They tell me Belldandy has left her home for good. Why and where is she?"

The anger that had been present in Odin's form suddenly disappeared, so ephemeral it might not have ever existed. "I see you received word of her absence. Yes, my son. It is with a heavy heart that this is indeed so. She is gone. Departed for Midgard."

"Why?"

His voice was more akin to a tired sigh. "Personal reasons. The most personal. It was with a heavy heart that I gave her permission to emigrate there. Forever."

"Forever?!" He raged. "Why? Midgard has nothing of any true meaning. Perhaps in the past when we were worshipped, but now it is but a place of low born mortals of little interest or worth. It is no place for a goddess of her stature."

A frown marred Odin's features. "There is far more of value and import there than you realize, but clear vision has ever eluded you. She did bid me, nay, pleaded with me, to allow her to go. I questioned her thoroughly, but her vision was clear and her reason sound. I did attempt to persuade her to merely visit or remain for but a while until time claimed what she sought, but she was most adamant. She determined that her course had to follow the one she had mapped out. In the end, I had no right to deny her her wishes. It is the burden of a leader to allow even the most loyal to be released from their vows when the time has come. It had." And proud Odin's shoulders sunk slightly.

Thor was the opposite. He shook with an almost epileptic fury. He spun on his heel and intoned. "I will bring her back."

Now Odin's shoulders squared. "You are forbidden by royal edict to interfere with Belldandy in any way."

He turned back to his father. "She is mine!"

"She is not your possession! She is her own person and can choose the course she sees fit!" Odin shouted back.

Thor leveled his hammer at his father. "You decrepit relic! In your doddering old age you have failed to grasp the situation and seek to keep me from the woman I love! I will never allow you to interfer-."

"ENOUGH!" And Odin's voice boomed so loudly it must have reverberated the length of Asgard, from the Rainbow Bridge to the highest peaks of Jotenheim to Limbo itself.

Even Thor was given pause as he had never seen such fury on his sire's face.

"I have left you to your own devices hoping, nay praying, that in the course of your travels you would learn the touch of dignity, the burden of responsibility, the embrace of humility! Instead the exact opposite has occurred! You're incapable as future leader of the Realm Eternal, and only disaster can follow!

"You have dared insult the All-Father of Asgard in his own throne room! I have laid waste to nations, cast others into pits of eternal damnation, for lesser transgressions! And to have my own offspring commit such acts! I say thee nay! For this breach you will be punished, and by The One Above All, perhaps in the course of your punishment, you will learn something of worth and become one of worth instead of the useless offal you are now!"

A nimbus of energy surrounded his form, and with each word it grew as did the power he summoned. "Since you show such contempt for mortals, you will be stripped of your godhood and given a mortal's form! You who carry such pride in your strength or arms, shall be denied any, crippled! Let us see if you can become someone of merit by character alone!"

Thor went pale as a fear unlike any other overcame him. His, "Fath—", was cut short as energy leapt from Odin's body and consumed Thor's.

And then what was once the God of Thunder ceased to exist.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Flashback admired his handiwork. All five heroes stared off into space, jumping back and further back to moments in their lives. Most people thought his power silly, but it was actually a form of cruelty to make people experience a flashback within a flashback within a flashback endlessly. Why, it could be called an especially frustrating form of madness.

Then Thor startled him by shouting, "At last I know the truth!"

That never happened. No one could just break out of… what had she experienced? One flashback? He started to wave his hand at her, but she waved her own, in the form of a backhand, and swatted him away, rendering him unconscious effortlessly.

On her part Thor focused on the hammer. Early in their relationship, she had tuned Mjolnir to Belldandy's specific lifeforce. Her unique 'signature' in case she was in peril and needed rescuing. It took a great deal of concentration, to the point of which it hurt her mind, but she endured and through the haze of pain the Goddess of Thunder located her. To the north, and not very far away.

She used Mjolnir to traverse the distance. At last to be reunited and delve the mystery of why Belldandy had come to Midgard in the first place and why Odin insisted they not see one another again.

It took little time to arrive at the speed she was traveling. Chiba, was the name of the area. She flew over a small college and at last discovered the location where her love lay. It was an old-style temple on the top of a hill surrounded by a large amount of greenery. It had a warm, lived in look to it which practically cried out, 'Belldandy Residence' to any that knew her. Just as Thor was about to land in the walkway, the goddess in question appeared, almost as if she had been alerted to his coming. She wore sedate Midgard clothing, a dress to the ankles, her brown hair drawn back in a pony tail.

The instant Thor landed she rushed to the Norn's side and embraced the long lost love of her life almost as though she would crush her, though she was careful not to harm a hair on Belldandy's head despite her prodigious strength. On Belldandy's part she held the Thunder Goddess in light affection.

Finally Thor brought herself to release the embrace. She looked down upon the target of her adoration, then immediately noticed a change which shot a bolt or horror through her the likes of which she had never known.

"You have aged!" the blonde woman gasped. Tiny lines etched her features slightly, where there had been none before. Five thousand years would never have left such marks upon her. And in the span of less than twenty. It was impossible!

Belldandy seemed unperturbed by the declaration. "Let's go inside and talk. You need to be enlightened."

Astounded, appalled, confused: every emotion bouncing back and forth like a child hurling a small rubber ball in a closet as hard as he could. Thor could barely follow her own thoughts, though she was able to follow Belldandy to the kitchen where she poured some tea in two cups. She offered one to Thor, then indicated she should sit at the table set up in the living room where they would converse.

Just as Thor started to collect enough of her wits to speak, Belldandy cut her off. "I will explain everything to you. I don't know if it will be to your satisfaction, but it is the truth and you need to hear it from me. I know you have difficulty in listening, but I must insist you try your best."

Thor nodded. No matter her impatience, she needed the truth, and quickly.

Belldandy seemed relieved at the acquiescence. "I shall begin the tale of what happened shortly after you left to do… what you always did when you departed for some grand adventure and what you did for entertainment afterward."

Thor blushed at that, and was about to protest, but something in Belldandy's eyes made Thor stop.

"As the Norn governing the present, I travelled to many places to share my gift with mortal and immortal alike, as was my duty. On this occasion I found myself compelled to travel to Midgard and contact a young mortal in Japan, Keiichi Morisato. He was pure of spirit, and I was to grant him a boon. I appeared before him in mystical fashion, which was perhaps not the best course of action since he thought it some practical joke his friends were making upon him. It fell to me to try and convince him so I could carry out my duty.

"Little did I know at the same time some of Malekith's minions had decided my presence was more desirable to them in Svartalfheim, so they stalked me to Midgard and intended to kidnap me. When they appeared and momentarily incapacitated me, Keiichi intervened and prevented them from absconding with me. A mere mortal challenging Dark Elves. And he was not of a warrior's bent, but that of a builder. Truly it was rash.

"Fortune smiled upon him, though, for as a builder he kept a quantity of cold iron on hand and he chose that as a weapon. He disabled two of my attackers before the third rallied and retaliated, injuring the courageous hero. However, in turning his attention from me I was able to slip my bonds, and even given my own normally passive nature, I could not allow this transgression to pass. And… let us say I did not. I saw to it they were returned to Malekith. I suspect this was a far more dire fate than any I could have visited upon them. I chose not to use my abilities to see if that was so.

"With my unexpected champion injured, I used my powers to heal him. That convinced him of my authenticity, as if the Dark Elves had not been enough. However when I asked him what boon I could grant, to my surprise he asked if I would remain a while longer so we could talk. That was all. Such a simple thing, yet it spoke volumes of his character.

"I granted his wish and I did. I found him unlike anyone I had ever known. There was something enrapturing about him, not in some grandiose ability like we gods, but rather in being so basic, yet complex at the same time. It was a contradiction and I found myself wishing to understand it better. To that end I elected to remain even after the time the boon required had expired.

"Time passed all too quickly, even for one who had forever. What I had originally thought would be mere hours turned into days, then weeks, then it became a blur. The more I learned about him the more I wanted to learn about him. Soon I discovered I wanted to know everything, not just at that moment, but everything that would happen next. And I knew I would never want it to end.

"I had fallen in love for the first time."

"What?" Thor finally bellowed, breaking the story being woven before her. "We were in love."

Belldandy shook her head sadly. "Nay, Thor. What we had was at best a passing interest, and I fear it was ever more on your part than mine. I knew despite our relationship, there was much about you I could never love, and on your own part, for one you claim to have cared for so much, you fornicated with many others."

"But, I mean…." And then Thor stopped. It was true. She had done so on many occasions with no hesitation or remorse. Fidelity was not a word that held meaning to her. And in hindsight, while she remembered her mentality then and had no qualms about it, now she found it repellent. How had she been so insensitive and uncaring to one she would have claimed she cared for so very much?

"I see you have some sense of the ramifications of your actions," Belldandy said. "That is surprising, since the God of Thunder I knew rarely did, and not on a subject such as this. It is a good change. As to Keiichi, once I realized I was in love, I probed the depths of it within me and determined that somehow, unexpectedly, that it had consumed my entire being. There was more than a touch of sadness in this, for I know how fleeting the mortal candle is. To my horror, I realized I did not want to endure an existence without this man whom I had bonded with on a level I had not thought possible. It would be a literal eternity of torture. After much consideration, I realized there was only one course of action I could take."

"No," Thor said softly.

"Indeed. I petitioned Odin to remove my immortality and allow me to live on Midgard with a normal mortal's lifespan. He was not happy about my wishes, and tried diverting me from my course of action, all but issuing an Imperial Edict forcing me to stay. One I would not have observed. Luckily, it did not come to that, and instead he saw reason and consented to my wishes. He cared for me too much to curse me for the rest of my existence with the emptiness I would be left with. My sisters were not… thrilled with my decision either. I think Urd understands, but does not approve, while Skuld will never understand nor approve. But ultimately, I must live my life, no matter how short it may be, for myself and whom I wish to share it with. I love my family but will not allow myself to become slave to it. Nor should they do so with me. Unlike me, they will be able to carry on without me. Such is their nature. And I must stay here with the man I love until, as we vowed, 'till death do us part.'. While most on Midgard speak these words as a matter of formality in ceremony, this promise was carved both upon mine and Keiichi's souls. And we would not want it any other way."

Finally she finished. Thor wanted to yell at her, scream to the heavens, return to her father and force Belldandy to accept her immortality back. But now, somehow, she knew, understood, what Belldandy meant. Never had she seen, or felt, such total focus as when Belldandy talked about what she must do with the man she loved. While she might have been one of the Norns of Fate, it seemed Fate could make decisions on its own regarding the Norns without their consent. This *was* what she was meant to do, and she was dedicated, no, consumed by it.

She loved this mortal in a way she had never loved Thor.

And, with a bit of self-loathing Thor admitted to herself she had never loved Belldandy in this manner either.

Denial paved the way to acceptance. And bitterness and anger and a feeling of being cheated of everything she held dear. This was not the world she had envisioned, but it was the one she found herself in. And now, as recent months had taught her, there was nothing she could do to change what had happened, only decide what to do next to affect what was to come.

She was as bound to the present as Belldandy was, now.

Thor finally said. "I of course accept your decisions. I apologize for any pain I might have caused in the past."

"Nothing you did in the past affected what I have become now," Belldandy assured him. "I look back on it as a learning experience that taught me the difference between ignorance and enlightenment. It was a good lesson."

"I have been learning much of those of late," Thor admitted. "Forgive me, but this is much to take in, and I cannot remain in your presence. In time I have no doubt I will… adjust to this. Perhaps then we could meet again? Under better circumstances?"

"You are always welcome here. I don't get any visitors from home. Most are not comfortable in the presence of one who should be as immortal as they being consumed by age before their eyes. It is more a reminder of their mortality than they can bear."

"Of all the things that bother me, that is all but non-existent. My friends are mortals, but I would not squander a single of our precious moments together just because I know they must end at some point while I will carry on."

"How very… mature, of you," Belldandy said. "It seems you have changed overmuch, and for the better."

Thor gave a weak, but sincere smile. "That is oddly comforting, all things considered. Yes, once I have adjusted to this knowledge, I will seek you out and we can talk about the good things about old times."

"There were many. We will have much to talk about," Belldandy agreed.

Thor exited the temple, the day remaining bright and sunny despite her somber mood. The Goddess of Thunder bade her now former lover good bye and flew off. Belldandy remained standing, watching Thor grow ever smaller until she had disappeared altogether.

Belldandy had known this day would come from the moment she had seen a decidedly female, but still undeniable, Thor on television. It didn't take her long to figure out what happened, and why it had been done in this manner. She was grateful Thor had accepted what had to be. But perhaps that had been part of the point of the ordeal he, make that she, had endured. Or was enduring.

And there was one other, more self-centered reason she was happy Thor had been so accepting of the situation. There was the possibility Thor's Asgardian nature might aid Belldandy in a matter she found herself at a quandary with. Namely while she had been stripped of her immortality, she was still Asgardian. And thus she and Keiichi's offspring were demi-gods. Odin had been kind enough to suppress their Asgardian heritage until they came of age, but now their daughters, Faith, Chastity, and Brunnhilde were nearing that point. And it was true they took after their mother's bloodline far more than their father's. It was conceivable they would be wanting for a powerful Asgardian influence in their lives to help them adjust to things of that nature, and it would be nice to know Thor might help on that front.

Xxxxxxx

Thor flew off in a daze, so much so that she decided to land once she was out of sight of the temple, choosing a small field where no one was around. There was much to ponder, and no doubt it would take long to collect her thoughts. So much was happening so fast she didn't know what to make of it. Her entire world, no, her entire existence, was not what she thought it had been. What was she to do now?

"So, you finally remember everything."

Thor whirled in surprise. Lying on his side on the ground, smoking pipe in hand, was Happosai, acting like he'd always been there despite Thor observing no one had been present when she chose the spot. "What would you know, Troll?"

He arched a curious eyebrow. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"

What was that supposed to mean? What was the troll up to? How did he know of her memory issues?

Wait, what was the mentor of Akane Tendou's father doing speaking to the Goddess of Thunder like they were casual acquaintances? They had not crossed paths before. But this familiarity was as though they had seen each other on a regular basis. Akane Tendou, certainly. But a deity?

And then it all came together. "Father."

Happosai smiled, then stood up. There was a burst of light and in his stead stood Odin, Ruler of Asgard. Father to the goddess. He stood poised and regal as ever. "Indeed. Outside forces were threatening my plans, and just when they were going so well. I decided to personally oversee matters. And it was fortuitous I did, for now it has come to this, where I had hoped you would end up from the very beginning of this trial."

Thor looked at her father, a million conflicting emotions warring within her. It took a short while for one course to come the fore. "I confess, a part of me feels I should be most cross with you for meddling in my life in this manner. But with the gift of hindsight, I see I was in truth a god of low moral fiber and character with no improvement in sight. I needed to be humbled to be humble. And so I have been. My mortal life, and the mortals I have known during this life, have given me a perspective I knew not existed, and I am made better for it."

Odin nodded. "I may be Ruler of Asgard, but I am also a father. A parent must attempt to guide their child when they fall upon a wayward path, no matter the pain that must be endured."

Thor looked down at her hands. "It is so odd that I remember everything clearly, yet my current existence is contradictory to that knowledge. I recall being male for my entire life, yet this form feels natural, as does my mortal one."

Again Odin nodded. "I arranged it as such. It would not do to have you feel uncomfortable in your own body, and the Odinforce is a powerful thing."

"So what now?" she asked.

Odin said, "I am content the lesson required has been learned. I give you a choice. If you so desire, I will undo my magic and you can permanently revert to your original godly form. No longer will you change. You will be as you once were. Or I could do nothing. Your mortal self can go through its normal lifespan, and upon its end, you will revert to your original godly form. Unlike Belldandy, you will maintain your immortality and live on."

Thor considered long and hard on what to do. This was a decision that would literally last a lifetime, it was just a question of which lifetime it would be. The sun had started to touch the distant horizon, shading everything in long shadows when she finally decided. "I have learned much in being a mortal. I believe I still have more to learn. I would see this through to the end."

A rare smile broke the elderly, hard face of the ruler. "The process of learning never ends, my offspring. Some methods are harder, but more effective than others. The course you have chosen will teach you much. Some wonderful things, and some not. Such is all life, though. For what it is worth, I approve. It shows how much you have already grown, but you are right: there is room for much more. Until we meet again." And then he was gone, as though he had never been there.

Thor's mood remained somber. Necessary lessons she had learned, but it had extracted a toll on her being. In hindsight, it had been the idea of being in love with Belldandy, rather than actually loving her, that had been what she had felt in their relationship. In some ways, their break up would have been inevitable had she not met this Keiichi mortal. But while it might not have been real love, the affection had still been a strong emotion. In some ways it mirrored her feelings regarding the departed Dr. Tofu. They weren't exactly the same, but similar. Mortals viewed things so differently. It was all so transient, yet also intense. And for all her enjoyment of adventures in the past over millennia, at the same time her membership in the Avengers was more important since what they did was important. It was not to say her more godly adventures weren't, but the reason she had helped others or took care of problems that spelled doom for the land was that it was fun, not a duty, like it was now. That was not to say duty could not be fun, she enjoyed being an Avenger, but the outcome was what was of paramount importance, not that she had fun doing it. She suspected it was much the same for her father being the ruler of Asgard. Heavy hangs the head that wears the crown. No doubt that was one of the many lessons he had intended for her to discover.

As she contemplated the weight of things, it suddenly occurred to her to tap her hammer to the ground and revert to her mortal form. As she did so, she became Akane Tendou once again and her perspective seemed to shift subtly. She remembered the weight of godhood, but she was more concerned about what mortals were concerned with now. Different, but no less serious. It was hard to believe she once thought being like this was so insignificant that to be mortal was to be barely noticeable.

She also noted that at one time becoming Thor as an escape from her handicapped form was like a drug, she thought she couldn't live without. She had hated her body and its limitation which she felt had been unfair. Now, it was merely another form of being for her. No more or less important. Her leg might be lame, but her spirit was unimpeded by her physical limitations, and that was what defined her. As to being Thor….

Godhood was no longer all it had been cracked up to be.

She'd find the nearest bus stop and take that home, and enjoy being Akane Tendou… being herself, for a while.

It had been too long since she had appreciated who she was.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[End Chapter]

Yes, we finally resolved this plot line after forever. I emphasized it during Act II's Tales of Enchantment and dropped hints of it (Belldandy was who Black Mamba plucked out of Thor's mind during the Serpent Society fight), but we finally concluded it here. Not a ton different from the canon version, but with a few unique touches.

As to Odin being Happosai, I actually dropped hints along the way. He was the mystery figure that dealt with Loki being a pain in Thor's ass with the Hercules thing. It was also why while as Happi he felt up everyone but Akane and Akane let slip some Asgardian despite being mortal when they first met. Act IV Chapter 7 in the opening the figure who came to the door was the real Happosai who had finally freed himself, so Odin sent him… away. Maybe we'll drop in on the real one at some point. He's also the one that was immune to Morrigan at the strip club, and punished her for being naughty before depositing her back to hell. I have no idea if careful readers realized after the incident he disappeared, though Soun referenced the fact they were 'forgetting something'.

And yes, Flashback's character is actually based on Naruto's author for obvious reasons. Goddamn Flashbacks within flashbacks within…. AHHHHH!