I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series
Asgard, Yggdrasil command complex
The reverberating sound of alarms filled the vast control room of the celestial supercomputer. Several dozen sysops were struggling to fight back the demonic programs that overwhelmed their systems in a distributed denial of service attack, but to no avail. The Gate of Asgard was once again shut, just like a couple of days ago, during the Niflheim's coup.
However, there was one significant difference this time around. Their sensors had picked a large object entering Alfheim, and apparently it matched the profile of a battleship. This was the first occurrence of an invasion since the establishment of the doublet system, and most of the celestials in the room had no idea what to do about it; not that it really mattered. Without the Gate, moving between realms was a very problematic and slow process, with the only alternative being direct point transfer.
That was by no means an effective method to send the much needed reinforcements to Alfheim, meaning that for the time being, they were literally on their own. Coupled by the fact that the realm in question never had a strong military presence, their situation seemed rather bleak.
"The firewalls aren't responding!" shouted Ere from her console.
"Gate control network error rate at 100%" added Ex, as she kept typing on her harp-like keyboard. "Remote access to the Gate control module is impossible at this point!"
"Alfheim's defenses are standing by!" said Chrono, a bit less confident than her colleagues. She had experienced another emergency a couple of days ago, but this time, the demons had very different plans.
Hlin couldn't believe her ears. It was unthinkable how easily their countermeasures were taken out of action. The first class goddess had served as an administrator for several millennia, yet she had never experienced this kind of humiliation. 'It's almost as if there were no defenses at all... What's going on here?'
"Order a manual reboot of the Gate systems immediately!" she ordered, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Ask the Daitenkaicho's permission and send a team on the mainframe at once! We don't have time to spare!"
All three sysops nodded at the same time, turning back to their consoles.
"Yes, ma'am!"
XXX
Alfheim's central city
"Status report!"
Freyr was devastated, as this was the worst possible moment for such an incident to occur. With his battleship missing, his realm was practically at the mercy of those demons. Skidbladnir was the mightiest ship the gods possessed and it was often used as an excuse by the Councils to deny him more war vessels. The only things currently at his disposal were a bunch of outdated frigates, a mere joke compared to the battleship that materialized some five hundred miles away from them.
"We've got a response from the target's IFF! It's identifying itself as MMV-X Naglfar!" said the chief administrator Byggvir, staring at his terminal in front of him. While they were directly connected to Asgard's supercomputer for most of their everyday needs, Alfheim still had their own subsystem to respond to emergencies; just like the current one. As such, they also had their administrators and sysops to handle that much smaller computer.
"What? Did you say... MMV-X?" asked the incredulous Freyr. Those initials stood for Muspelheim's Military Vessel, which made very little sense, given that the fiery realm almost never staged an assault on their own, given that they were the demons' special forces. Most of the time they were assisting the military units of either Jotunheim or Niflheim, whenever they needed some extra help. As such, they rarely had to use their own war ships outside of their domain. Even more importantly, the X in the name indicated an experimental craft, not a regular one. It was absolutely unheard of to use an untested ship in a real world scenario.
"Yes, my lord. I'm fairly certain this is the case," replied Byggvir, checking the codes again.
The ruler of Alfheim was utterly lost. There was nothing of particular interest in that specific area of his realm, which made him wonder why the demons chose that destination. 'Wait a second... Now that I think of it...There is something there, even if it doesn't belong to us...'
"Byggvir, tell me, how close is that ship to the Evergreen Grotto?" asked the blue haired god.
"Um... That should be... Twenty five miles, my lord," said the administrator, as he glanced at the tactical map in front of him. "Freyr-sama... you don't think..."
"That's got to be where they're heading," said the ruler of Alfheim, narrowing his eyes. Near the Grotto was a small town built by a group of Earth Spirits that were forced to leave Midgard millennia ago. It was about the same time when humans had discovered the use of tools and fire, allowing them to tame the wilderness around them, turning lush forests into raw materials for their ever increasing needs. The spirits residing in those forests complained to the gods, who were assisting humanity, claiming that their favoritism was leading to the loss of their homes.
To put an end to that situation, Daitenkaicho Tyr allowed some of them to take residence in Alfheim's vast forests. This led to the creation of a small community at the Evergreen Grotto, built around the gigantic trees that reached high above the ground, their canopies so big that plunged the entire surrounding area in perpetual twilight. Despite all that, it was merely a few dozen tree houses that were connected to each other with a network of suspended bridges, nothing that could be classified as a strategic target.
"Have they completely lost their minds? Why on heavens are they heading there of all places?" wondered Freyr, trying to make sense of what was going on. "An invasion, just for the sake of getting to the Earth Spirits? They're supposed to be neutral... What's the point of attacking them?"
"My lord! We've got confirmation from our orbital observation station!" said Byggvir. "That's exactly where they're heading!"
Turning to his own console, located right next to his seat, the blue haired god decided to see what his options were, before he made any potentially fateful decisions. "Skirnir! What's the status of our defenses?"
The second class god and personal assistant of Freyr, frowned looking behind him at the war gods and Valkyries present. "We've managed to establish a perimeter, but... How should I say this?... There's not an awfully large number of warriors here..."
"That won't do... Byggvir! Any news for reinforcements?" asked Freyr, staring at his head administrator.
"None, my lord. The Gate of Asgard is still under blockade," said the first class god. "I've also tried to reach Vanaheim, but, it seems that the entire Bifrost network was affected. They can't send anyone through."
Freyr let a defeated sigh, rubbing his temples in frustration. As much as he hated to do this, there simply wasn't any other way out of his situation. "Skirnir..."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Maintain the perimeter, and take all the celestial population to the emergency bunkers. All we can really do is hope that this situation won't end up in a massacre..." answered the lord of Alfheim, as his subordinate nodded, before his image disappeared from his terminal.
"You shouldn't blame yourself, my lord," said Byggvir. "It's not like you have any other choice. If we split our forces at this point, and it turned to be a diversion, the consequences would be dire indeed."
"I know that," admitted Freyr, lowering his head. "Only time will tell if this was the right decision..."
XXX
Vingolf, Asgard
The sounds of the sirens had brought the ongoing debate in Ansuz's office to an abrupt halt. Staring at her monitor in disbelief, Asgard's second in command couldn't understand how this was even possible. It was unlike Hild to do something so bold without considering the consequences.
"Ha! Called it!" said Loki with a grin that almost seemed out of place, given the gravity of the current situation.
"Can it! We've got no time for your nonsense!" shot Thor back, giving his step brother a glare.
Ansuz however wasn't as dismissive as the god of thunder, turning to the troublemaker. "You knew that this was going to happen..."
"That's what I was trying to tell you for the last couple of minutes..." said Loki with a hurt expression. "At least give me an E for effort..."
"Oh, really?... If you're somehow involved in this mess, you'll get an E for exile," warned Ansuz making the troublesome god wince, before she was interrupted by her husband. Tyr showed up on her holographic screen, with a most disturbed look on painted on his face.
"Ansuz, we've got..." started the ruler of Asgard, but stopped when he noticed her guests. "What's going on?"
"Um... Family visit?" suggested Loki, undaunted by the collective groan he received from all around the room.
"Never mind him, Tyr," said the teal haired goddess. "I've noticed the emergency, but... Why is Hild doing this?"
The Daitenkaicho merely shook his head. "No idea... I cannot reach her for any explanations. Our communications are apparently down as well. Any news from the Yggdrasil command center?"
"Nothing at all," replied Ansuz, even if the question seemed to be a rather strange one. "But... Why hadn't you called them yourself?"
"I would if I could," answered the Daitenkaicho. "I can't seem to reach them, either. I only have limited access to our network and you're one of the few people I can actually call."
"What?! How is an external program affecting our intercoms?!" If the demons had infiltrated their internal systems as well, then the situation was far worse than it actually looked like.
"About that..." The monitor turned around to face the black sheep of their family, in search for answers. "Could you shed some light on this.. issue, brother?"
"Well... Someone decided that having an autonomous, isolated system for every major function of our realm was inefficient and a terrible waste of resources. And... someone else, agreed with him, signing a ludicrous proposal to unify several of our subsystems. No, I won't point any fingers at anyone in particular, but... Enjoy your efficiency." Despite his rather obvious sarcasm, Loki was still maintaining such a sweet expression, that was far more annoying to anyone that happened to be his target.
Indeed, Tyr remembered that apparently foolish decision several centuries ago. At that time it appeared to be a rather sound proposal, given that it promised to cut their energy needs to a mere third of what they previously consumed. In hindsight, he had some reservations considering that it seemed too good to be true. Regardless, it was already done and lamenting the past wouldn't solve anything.
After a few seconds of silence, Tyr let out a defeated sigh. "Ansuz, take Loki with you and get to the mainframe complex. You should have enough clearance to do as you please. So, take any necessary actions to get the Gate up and running. In the meanwhile, I'll stay in contact with Valhalla, and try to reach Hild in hopes to settle this without making things even worse."
"Yes, I'll get there as soon as possible. We need to restore order before we lose all control of the situation." Getting a silent nod from her husband, the goddess turned to her guests. "Well, Loki... You've got a chance to prove yourself, so, don't blow it."
"What, no explosives?" asked the trickster, earning an angry scowl from his sister-in-law which made him get a bit more serious. "Okay okay!... I get it!... No jokes..."
"Excuse me, Ansuz-sama," said Sif as the other goddess was about to get up from her chair. "May I come with you, too? Since I'm an administrator, I can't just ignore this crisis. I'd love to provide any assistance I can."
"Of course. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't. And the same goes for you two," said Ansuz to Thor and his son, who were also present. "There's no point to keep you apart under these circumstances."
The god of thunder simply nodded, while Magni offered a more polite bow to his aunt, before they both followed the two goddesses and the grinning troublemaker to their destination; the Yggdrasil command complex.
XXX
Evergreen Grotto, Alfheim
Located in the middle of a vast forest was a large clearance surrounding a steep hill that contained the cave, which gave its name to this peaceful corner of Alfheim. It was this place that a few hundred Earth Spirits called their home, as the majority of them were affiliated with plants. After their relocation from the mortal realm, they were allowed by the Daitenkaicho to use this specific area as their own, and within a few years they constructed a small settlement on top of the gigantic trees that framed the grotto.
Normally, the walkways that connected the numerous tree houses were crowded with all types of birds, that filled the air with their songs. Today was a different case, though, as they suddenly disappeared without any apparent reason. Most of the other residents paid no attention to that seemingly insignificant detail, but, their leader was getting worried.
First class Earth Spirit, Pandora had a different opinion, given that she was older than most of her people that lived here. Stepping outside of her house, she glanced around seeking the cause of this abrupt change in the atmosphere.
Not only the creatures of the forest had fled, but, the sky suddenly turned much darker that it previously was. While the settlement was permanently under the shadow of the forest's canopy, there was enough light during the daytime for them to see without the aid of an artificial light source. But, at the moment, the area was covered by a much thicker blanket of darkness, indicating that something was indeed very wrong.
Noticing the sudden change in the air, several Earth Spirits walked out of the houses, trying to see if it was a case of a sudden storm. Instead of the nourishing rain droplets that they were expecting, they got what appeared to be a fiery meteor shower. More than a few dozen red balls of light came crashing down from the sky, causing a shower of burned leaves and small branches, before they hit the wooden platforms and bridges.
Emerging from them were the miniature forms of the Eldjotnar, who immediately resumed their original size, clad in their standard issue black and grey combat uniforms and a matching dark helmet with a silver visor, that fully enclosed their head. On each side of their headgear was a pair of antennae for both long and short range communication, a feature that the early humans had mistook for horns, having little understanding of technology at that period of time. Complimenting their protective suits were two daggers strapped on each leg and a short sword on their back, as part of the basic equipment.
Gathering into squads consisting of ten demons each, the warriors of Muspelheim took their positions around the settlement. Most were carrying a combat axe as their primary weapon, a shorter version of the regular battleaxe that was deemed inefficient for close quarters fights, while the rest had composite crossbows equipped with high explosive fire elemental charges that were lethal against the majority of the Earth Spirits, given that they were powerful enough to injure celestials.
Chaos ensued as some of the terrified residents tried to get away from the special forces of the demons, by getting inside their homes, no matter how futile it appeared to be. The assorted troops were uninterested at their panicked reactions, as long as none of them actually attempted to leave the settlement. Instead, one of the squads surrounded a platform, forming a magic circle at its center. Seconds later, a figure emerged from the crimson mandala, quietly inspecting the area around him.
Recovering from her initial shock, Pandora decided to take the risk and approached the dark haired newcomer, hoping for some answers. She had no idea how they've managed to infiltrate Alfheim, but without any gods around, the situation could deteriorate rapidly.
"May I inquire what the lord of Muspelheim is doing here?"
"I've decided to simply pay a visit to your... quaint village," answered Surt, stepping forward from the disappearing portal. "It's been a while, Pandora."
"Indeed. Although, if my memory serves me right, back then we met under very different circumstances. One might even say that I still owe you favor," said the brunette Earth Spirit, holding her ground as the demon walked towards her. "I've got a feeling that this won't be the same."
"Not necessarily. And it's rather interesting that you even brought that up... Unless I'm mistaken, it was the gods' involvement in your personal life that prompted Hild-sama to send me to your aid. Yet here we are, in one of their realms, where you're living under their rule," said Surt with a raised eyebrow. "The same people that wanted to subject you to the Judgement Gate for the heinous crime of loving a... mortal."
"You don't have to bring up the past, Surt. There's nothing left of that relationship, other than grief," said Pandora in an effort to silence him. "What I really want to know is whether you're here to bring the same pain to my people."
"Spare me the sermon. We're not lawless beasts, lashing out to mangle the weak, no matter how much some of your... gracious hosts make us look like. My presence is for the sole purpose of settling down a most troublesome matter. Some of your people have systematically disregarded the neutrality agreement, acting as spies, saboteurs and collaborators for the celestials; one even dared to go as far as to break entry into one of my citizen's home." Pausing for a while, the demon went on, hoping to get his point across. "That's clearly not permitted, right?"
"I would have to say that it's not. However, I don't remember anyone bringing this to my attention, and I find it strange that you're the one who's here to enforce that treaty," countered the first class spirit. "This realm is clearly outside of your jurisdiction, Surt. You can't just walk in and act as if you own the place."
"Our Intelligence Sector had repeatedly warned the gods that they not only turned a blind eye to the actions of some of your people, but actually encouraged them. Of course they denied all allegations, claiming that we were making things up and refused to accept their involvement. So, I'm simply here to apprehend the offenders, given that the celestials are unwilling to carry out the terms of the treaty," said Surt, producing a document from his uniform and handing it down to her. "There's no restriction on who gets to do it, as long as there's sufficient evidence to back our claims. And don't you worry, we've got a thoroughly detailed profile for about nineteen or so of your Earth Spirits."
Blinking for a moment, Pandora unfolded the legal document containing a detailed list of all the alleged offenders, along with their activities that got them into the demons' sights. "You're serious..."
"Of course. What did you expect? A prank?" asked the ruler of Muspelheim, crossing his arms. "I'm merely here to apprehend them. Nothing more, nothing less. I won't harm anyone else, unless they're looking for trouble and start a fight."
Storing the document into her cloak, the head of the settlement couldn't avoid but ask one rather important question. "Out of sheer curiosity... What will happen to those who are going to resist arrest?"
"We'll drag them kicking and screaming, if we have to," replied Surt with a perfectly business like tone. "Unless, they try to use violent measures against my troops. In that case, they'll be subjected to summary execution, right on the spot."
"I see... Nothing that I wasn't expecting, to be honest..." said Pandora, lowering her head. "Considering that I don't have any other options, I'll have to let you take them into custody."
"Very well." Turning to his soldiers, the dark haired demon gave them the signal to start the operation. Each squad headed for a different area of the settlement, searching one house after the other in order to locate the wanted Earth Spirits.
Looking at the demons as they harshly dragged some of her people towards the area where the portal had previously materialized, Pandora's expression darkened. "Can I inquire what their fate will be?"
"Depending on the offense, they'll have to spend some time in confinement," answered Surt, pleased with how smoothly his mission was progressing. "They should consider themselves lucky, as they'll get away with their lives."
"I don't suppose that you expect me to be grateful," said the head of the settlement.
The Eldjotunn simply snorted, taking a few steps away from her, activating his communicator. "This is Surt. We're halfway done here. What's the status of the Gate?"
"It's still down, sir," replied Hrym from the battleship's CIC.
"What are those idiots doing? Unless they reboot that blasted thing, we can't leave," mused the dark haired demon, getting angrier by the second. "Contact Loki if you have to. We can't stay here for much longer, or it'll become evident that we have other reasons for being here..."
"I know, sir. However, it's impossible to reach that god in all this chaos," said Hrym in an apologetic tone. "Plus, it's going to be problematic if we get caught while attempting to talk to him. Our cover will be blown."
"Damn it all!... Those morons!..."
XXX
Asgard, Yggdrasil command complex
The entire building was crawling with Valkyries and war gods, as the crisis escalated, just like a few days ago. Their mission was to prevent any hostile takeover, in case the demonic forces grew bold and attempted to storm the complex.
However, recovering their crippled systems was a task given to a very different team; one that was currently struggling to reboot the affected systems.
"Grr... Why won't you work!"
Nearly punching his keyboard in frustration, the Head Technician of the Yggdrasil mainframe, attempted to restart the servers. To no avail, though, as the console in front of him was filled with error messages indicating that his requests had timed out.
Regin had tried every method in the book, and yet the stubborn systems refused to acknowledge even the simplest of commands. To say that the situation was bad for him was an understatement. He had no delusions that, Tyr-sama was going to have him removed from his position if he couldn't resolve this problem in a timely manner and right now, he was already late.
"Come on you..." his anger fueled tirade was cut short, when the door behind him opened, revealing the last god he ever wanted to see. "Loki! What are you doing here?"
"Fixing other people's mess," offered the troublemaker, baiting for a reaction. "Or should I say... your mess. After all, I don't see anybody else here. What's wrong? Afraid to embarrass yourself in front of others?"
"You have no authority or place here, loser..." started Regin, before he was interrupted by a newcomer who entered the server room, along with a small group that followed her.
"I have more than enough authority to be here," said Ansuz, "And I won't need your services, so, you may go."
"B-But!... A-Ansuz-sama!..." tried the startled god. "I'm..."
"I don't care who you think you are. You were given a chance to do your job and I can't say that I'm impressed. Now... remain silent or I'll have you arrested," ordered the agitated goddess, not wanting to deal with some idiot's overinflated ego. "Loki! Reboot the system at once! We've lost precious time already!"
Nodding, the trickster god walked to the mains panel. "Um... can you give me a hand here, Ansuz?"
"What for?" Approaching him, she stood in front of the power control module of this floor. "The terminal is over there."
"Believe me, I'm fully aware of that, but, we have no time to fiddle with the system. So, the easiest way to restart the system is also the most obvious one; turn the switch off. Then we'll restart it and disable the external network, allowing us enough control to downgrade the system defense programs to the old versions. They can handle the stress of the demons' attack much better than the current ones," explained Loki. "I still need your authority to do this."
Reaching for the identification pad next to the panel, she pressed her palm on its surface for a second, until the reinforced door opened. She had some reservations about his so called plan, but at the moment there were no real alternatives. "Will they work with the rest of the current software?"
"They should. I've actually maintained them all this time, just in case of such an incident. Trying to find an actual solution at the last moment is actually impossible. I always have a plan B, no matter how much you thought that I'd stay away from the mainframes. I still have access to my programs and kept updating them." Flicking the master switch, everything around them went dark, except for the emergency lights that activated at that very moment. For the first time in several millennia, silence filled the room, as the collective hum of the all equipment around them ceased. Moments later, power was restored, causing everything to start operating once more.
"Okay, take a seat and give me a hand with the initialization process, Ansuz," said Loki pointing at the terminal. "I need authorization to restore the system to it's previous state."
"I understand," replied the goddess, logging to the mainframe's console with her personal password. "How many modules are we reinstalling?"
"Every single one of them," said Loki, getting a loud protest from Regin, who up to this point was seething in anger as he was effectively dismissed.
"What?! That's preposterous!" shouted the first class god. "You're doing this for revenge!"
"I'm doing this, because you're incompetent," said Loki as he guided his sister-in-law through the process. "The joke that your career really was, has come to an end, Regin. Now go and wallow in your insignificance. Shoo! We've got to fix your mess!"
Shaking with rage, the god was about to relent, when a tall figure got in front of him. Craning his neck upwards, he met the cold blue eyes of Thor staring down at him, a sight that even most of the demons were afraid of. Swallowing hard, Regin's resolve suddenly disappeared, knowing all too well that starting a fight with that particular god was probably a very bad idea.
"Got a problem, shorty?" asked Thor, narrowing his eyes.
"No..." Turning around, he walked towards the exit, knowing that he was no longer welcome. It was all the demons' fault; first with their coup and now with this invasion. But most of all, that damned Loki had apparently managed to exploit this crisis in order to get his job back. 'I'll never forgive you... Just wait an I'll show you who's the insignificant one... insufferable troll...'
Letting a content sigh of relief, Sif was finally happy that she and her team wouldn't have to tolerate with that snob anymore. All that talk and in the end he was utterly incapable to do anything when he was actually needed. The blonde goddess even went as far as to raise the middle finger at her former boss' general direction, in a rare and rather crude display of triumph. "Get lost... Nobody's gonna miss you."
Her spontaneous reaction made her husband laugh, considering her otherwise reserved nature whenever her children were present. After all, like many other goddesses around her age, she spent some time as a Valkyrie during the wartime, and if nothing else, old habits died hard. Including certain ways that one used to express their innermost thoughts and feeling about various situations. "Now who's setting the good example?"
Blinking in confusion, Sif turned to her husband, who was still laughing. For the briefest of moments she was uncertain what he was even talking about, before realization hit her; they weren't alone. As a matter of fact there were three others in the same room aside from her and Thor, but, it was only one who really mattered at the moment. Turning to Magni, the blonde goddess seemed a bit paler that normal. "Y-You never s-saw that!..."
"You mean... you flipping the bird at that god?" asked her son, tilting his head to the side.
"Yes! That never happened!" said the alarmed goddess.
"But, you've told me not to tell lies, mom. I totally saw you do that," objected the young god, making his father laugh even louder.
"I... Um..." Fumbling with her words, given that it was a bit of a case of conflicting orders, Sif turned to the other source of help. "Thor! Get serious and give me a hand here!"
"Me? Okay... okay... I suppose it's only fair," said the god of thunder, regaining his composure. "Listen, son. You should never repeat what your mother just did. It's plain wrong to give the finger behind someone's back. Am I clear?"
"Yes, dad," said Magni with a nod, making his mother let a sigh of relief. One that lasted very briefly, as the god of thunder went on.
"Instead, the best moment to do that is right in front of their faces, like a real god. With a steely look of defiance and a lot of attitude. Oh, and make sure you've got a spell at ready... just in case... you never know..." explained Thor, much to his wife's horror.
"What in Asgard's name are you teaching him?!" managed the blonde, not believing her ears.
"Just a bit of a life lesson, Sif," said Thor with a shrug. "It's one of the things that he's going to find useful as he grows up."
Before his wife had the chance to give him a proper reply, Loki interrupted the couple, drawing their attention. "Excuse me for ruining this... family moment, but, I would greatly appreciate if I could get an extra bit of help here."
Realizing that he meant her, the administrator decided to drop the subject for the time being. Taking a seat to another console that was adjacent to Ansuz's, Sif turned to her brother-in-law. "So, what are we supposed to do with the system's architecture? The old modules will assume that they're isolated, but, we no longer have the hardware to do that."
"We'll have to virtualize the servers, so that we can fit all of them on the fewer physical ones available. There will be a performance impact, but, there's no other way. I'll set them up and I want you to configure the sandbox parameters for maximum security," explained Loki. "And before you even mention it, I'm aware that it's going to further reduce the efficiency of the system. That's why I insisted on having them on separate racks."
"Very well... I'll do that," answered Sif, starting to type the necessary instructions on her console. "The process is going to take ten minutes, give or take one or two. From that point on, it's another five to have everything up and running. Providing that it won't go down once again."
"It won't," replied Loki. "That much I guarantee."
Watching the progress bar in her holographic display, Ansuz anxiously tapped her fingers on the desk. "Let's just hope that your confidence isn't unfounded."
XXX
Daimakaicho's office, Niflheim
Sitting on her comfortable chair, Hild enjoyed a cup of black tea with lemon. The actual throne room had been primarily designed for show, and as such, it wasn't the most comfortable of workplaces, which made an office like this one a real necessity.
Of course it remained awe inspiring with its extravagant decorations and comforts that were provided for the sake of the only person that was allowed to use it; the Daimakaicho herself. In fact it had a little bit of everything, including two large leather couches with crystal tables in front of them and a pair of matching sofas at the sides of the room for any visitors to sit, aside from the chairs that were in front of her desk.
One side of her office was covered with a massive aquarium filled with a great variety of exotic species of marine life, while the opposite wall was completely made out of a crystal facade leading to an enclosed veranda-like room, allowing her to relax in a seemingly natural area with artificial grass and even a couple of plants, despite being actually indoors.
And with a private bar equipped for making all sorts of beverages, alcoholic or not, a set of large TVs that coupled as computer monitors and even a multifunctional entertainment system, one would describe this place as the ideal work environment.
Of course, the truth was a bit different, given the large amount of work the Daimakaicho had to deal with, everyday. At best, Hild spent very little time relaxing here, preferring to just finish her daily tasks and retreat to her mansion.
However, for some strange reason there was very little paperwork to deal with, today. Nothing major had seemingly happened and she was rather happy from her avatar's visit at the temple. It was nice to see that idiot Earth Spirit get the treatment he deserved, and the weapon that her daughter had acquired was a most interesting one.
Opening the door in a hurry, Hagall rushed inside, nearly tripping on her high heels. "Hild-sama! It's a disaster!"
'Oh? We've got something, finally? Maybe this won't be such a boring day after all...' Taking a sip from her tea cup, she waited for her blonde subordinate to regain her composure. Hagall was a good girl, for a demoness at least, but she needed to know when to relax. "Calm down a bit, Hagall-chan. I'm pretty sure that whatever that huge emergency is, it's not really that bad..."
"But... Hild-sama!... Our latest battleship is currently at Alfheim, along with two entire divisions of Muspelheim's troops under Surt's command!" said Hagall, waiving her arms around. "And the Intelligence Sector had overwhelmed the Bifrost Network, sealing the celestials in their realms! We tried to monitor the situation, but the Yggdrasil mainframe seems to have gone offline!"
Hild nearly spat her tea, ending up in a coughing fit. 'Hold on! I've changed my mind! I want a boring day!...'
"Hild-sama, are you alright?" asked the concerned demoness. "Need some water?"
"No silly! It's not like I can choke from something like this. Or need air at all..." managed Hild, as she recovered. "More importantly... What was that again? Are you absolutely sure that, Surt pretty much started an invasion?"
"I'm afraid so. We hadn't noticed anything until a few minutes ago," said Hagall, lowering her head. "It seems that the Intelligence Sector must've interfered to keep us in the dark."
"Skrymir? Plotting together with Surt? Did I miss something or what?" Hild headed straight for her phone, trying to see if she could reach her former student. After a few failed attempts, she turned to her subordinate. "That ship's still not in the official lists. Do me a favor and locate it through the system. Meanwhile, I need to contact Skrymir and see what he's got to say for himself."
"I'll do that right away!" said the blonde, as she sat on one of the chairs in front of the Daimakaicho's desk, summoning her holographic terminal.
Dialing another number, Hild was actually getting rather agitated. She had never expected that her subordinates would've joined forces and stage such an operation right under her nose. Even more shocking was the fact that they had been rather successful with their plot so far. It was simply unthinkable that the celestials hadn't provided any resistance. Unless... they were unable to do so.
"Hild-sama," said the head of the Intelligence Sector and ruler of Jotunheim, as he answered the call "I was expecting to hear from you."
"That's so nice of you," offered the Daimakaicho in her fake sweetness. "Now... Just what the bloody Asgard is going on here?"
"Actually, it's rather simple," replied Skrymir. "If you give me a couple of minutes, I can offer you a detailed explanation."
"Very well... But, you better hope it's worth it," warned Hild, taking a seat on her chair, holding the headset closer. "Go on, I'm all ears..."
XXX
Evergreen Grotto, Alfheim
'They couldn't be waiting for me to get bored and leave on my own... Would they?'
Surt was pacing around anxiously and for a good reason, too. His troops had gotten almost every single person on the list and it was only a matter of minutes before the last one was captured. The gods were terribly late; far more than they had originally predicted. Which should've normally made him happy, except that in this case it was quite the opposite.
"Wait! This is a misunderstanding! I haven't done anything wrong!"
While the others had obviously objected as well, this one was by far the loudest of them all. Turning to see what was going on, Surt spotted a soldier dragging a long haired Earth Spirit, who struggled to free himself from the demon's iron grip.
"I said I'm innocent! You can't do this to me!"
It was unimportant what this oaf was yelling about, since every member of the list was thoroughly profiled, in order to minimize the chances for capturing someone by mistake. In the end, the plan was to make this operation appear to be as legitimate as possible, even if it was a cover for something entirely different.
Still, the commotion caused by that particular Earth Spirit was enough to draw the others' attention and not wanting to make him look like a poor victim, Surt motioned the warrior to stop.
"Wait a moment," said the leader of Muspelheim, approaching the soldier and his prisoner. Giving the latter a stern look was apparently enough to silence him. "What makes you think that you're innocent?"
"I-I h-haven't done a-anything t-to your d-demons..." stammered the captive Earth Spirit.
"Let's see about that..." Summoning the list, he browsed through the pages until he reached the matching profile. "Hm... Earth Spirit third class, Troubadour. Harassment on multiple accounts, intimidation of a demoness' associates and attempted application of curse with potentially lethal results. Forced entry on private property of the same demoness and attempted use of curse against one of her servants. Does that ring any bells?..."
"Uh... I-I know no d-demoness..." answered Troubadour, not liking the look he was receiving.
"Are you familiar with someone named, Urd?" asked Surt, waiting for a confirmation. As he got a nod, the Eldjotunn went on. "Well... it seems that she's half a demoness, and to be more precise... one of my citizens, as long as the law is concerned, at least. Given that her birth certificate was submitted to my realm's administration office, Urd is technically one of my demonesses. Are you following me so far?"
"Y-Yes.."
"Now... Have you committed the above offenses? And I want an honest answer or... You won't even make it to the ship alive," warned Surt.
"I-I tried to p-protect h-her..." said the Earth Spirit.
"I don't give a damn what you call it. The pact of neutrality clearly states that you're prohibited to attack a demoness without any provocation. And this also extends to her family and the close associates of them. More specifically, her sister's mortal boyfriend at the time," said Surt, dismissing the list.
"Bu-But... Her sister is a goddess..." protested Troubadour.
"The same restrictions apply to the celestials as well. Just because they didn't prosecute you, doesn't mean that I won't," said the dark haired demon, leaning forward towards the terrified prisoner. "Do me a favor and remain silent as you go into the ship. Or... the first thing I'm going to do when I get up there is to separate your head from your shoulders. That much, I promise."
Giving him a slow nod, the Earth Spirit stop struggling and let the demon soldier to take him to the portal.
Grinning, Surt enjoyed intimidating that oaf, but at the same time, he was slightly worried. There was no other reason for him to stay, and when his communicator beeped, he wished it was good news.
"Surt, here."
"Sir, we've got the all clear signal," said Hrym from Naglfar's CIC. "The gods have rebooted their system."
"Finally!" said Surt, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "Prepare the ship for folding immediately! We're leaving as soon as possible!"
"Oh! And... sir... It appears that, Hild-sama had discovered about our operation," said the half demon with some concern.
"I had no delusions that she would've missed the whole event, Hrym. But, one thing at a time. First we need to get out of here." Waiving at his troops, he watched them gather and teleport back to the ship, before he turned to Pandora who had silently been watching from the sidelines. "I suppose there's no need for me to stay here, anymore."
"I can't say that I'm unhappy to hear that," admitted the brunette, with some relief, knowing that the demons would finally leave them alone. "And I really hope that we won't have another visit like this one."
"If you really want that, then keep an eye on your people. Anyway, it's been a... pleasure, I guess." Without waiting for an answer, the dark haired demon teleported back into Naglfar, as the ship was almost ready to head back to Muspelheim.
Watching a bright light shine though the canopy, indicating the demon's departure, Pandora let out a sigh, looking around her settlement.
'Well... It could've been a lot worse...'
XXX
Nekomi, Japan
"Man... Humans are so dumb..."
Turning to the blonde demoness next to her, Urd wondered what it was this time around. "I've heard you say that, five times already, Mara. So, what have they done now?"
"Isn't that obvious? Look at that price tag of that skimpy dress! There's hardly any fabric at all. And yet, it's three times more expensive compared to that other one," said the blonde, pointing at a much more conservative outfit. "These guys are stupid I tell you!"
"Now now... Just because we price things based on the resources required, doesn't mean that everyone follows that logic," said Urd with a shrug. "Supply and demand, trends, fashions, brands and various other factors influence the mortal way of pricing items. It's a bit hard to figure it out at times and rather convoluted to be honest..."
"My explanation was shorter and yet accurate," countered Mara.
"Whatever... We're here to buy something, not ponder on the mortal's economy model," said the half goddess, before she got into an argument with her. "So, are you going to wear that skimpy thing or not?"
Checking the dress, if one could even call it that, Mara was rather reluctant. "Why would I even put that on me? It seems so uncomfortable I might as well walk in my underwear instead."
"Okay, I got it. I'll try it, then," said a smiling Urd, taking the dress with her, as she headed for the changing rooms. "You don't have the figure for it, anyway."
"I don't have what?" asked the shocked demoness. "Why you... That's way too low!"
"Hm... maybe it wasn't that much of great idea," said Urd as she returned back. One of the benefits of using magic was that she didn't have to physically change clothes, which made shopping a totally better experience. "It seems nice, but it's not really that great to walk around in it. All those straps are annoying me... I guess, you were right... for once."
"Serves you right, I'd say..." spat Mara, trying to find something that would show this arrogant goddess who didn't have the figure for some fancy clothes. "This one!"
"Wait! That's not!..." started the Norn or the past, but she was too late to stop her friend. "Oh boy..."
Moment later, the blonde marches towards the half goddess, dressed in a corset with matching stockings. "Ha! What do you have to say now, Urd?"
Her answer came from some distance away, as a furious girl slapped her boyfriend, leaving the store, with him trying to catch up to her.
"That's actually underwear, Mara..." said Urd, shaking her head. "I know that it's a viable sort of clothing in Niflheim, or rather something that looks like it, at least. But, here on Earth, you can't just walk around like that. Now, put something on, before we get thrown out."
"Right..." Spending no time to change back into her previous outfit, Mara returned from the changing rooms with a smirk. "Well... at least I'm not out of shape... You saw how easily I made that loser's life miserable?"
"That was an accident, so, it doesn't actually count," said Urd. "Besides, I've got a lot more reactions like that one, ever since I got here on Midgard."
"And? What's your point?" asked the confused demoness.
"I'm better that you in that regard. And I'm a goddess on top of that." Urd enjoyed the frustrated look on the blonde's face.
"That's so true, Ma-chan!..."
Startled by the sudden interruption they both turned to their side where the smiling childlike avatar of Hild was standing, holding a red dress Next to her was one of the shop's assistants, looking at Urd, given their resemblance. However, due to the fact that she was a mortal and therefore unaware of Hild's true nature, she simply assumed the first thing that crossed her mind.
"I'm sorry to bother you miss, but your daughter wants to buy this dress." The assistant smiled at the Norn of the past, who was staring back at her with a puzzled expression.
Grinning from ear to ear, Hild decided to clarify the situation for her daughter in the best way she could. "Yes, can I have it, mommy?"
Catching up, Mara sniggered at the sight in front of her. Apparently, her boss was back into her mischievous mood and was trying to pass as her friend's child, regardless of the fact that it was actually the other way around. "Yes, Urd. You shouldn't disappoint your... daughter."
For a slip second, the half goddess felt tempted to give those two troublemakers a piece of her mind, but the presence of the mortal woman prevented her from saying or doing anything that would've revealed her goddess status. "Okay... H-Hild-chan... Let me take this to the counter for you..."
Following her annoyed friend, the blonde demoness was thoroughly amused by the situation, leaving Hild alone. However, it didn't last long when the miniature Daimakaicho was spotted by another goddess.
"My my... What a surprise, Hild-san. I wasn't expecting you to show up here," said Frigg, approaching her former daughter-in-law.
"Is that a problem?" asked the childlike demoness.
"Of course not! It's good for Urd-chan to interact with her own mother," said the brunette. "But at the same time, I can't help but wonder if something else is going on."
Crossing her arms and looking away, Hild wasn't particularly proud to admit it, even if it didn't change the facts. "Some of my subordinates invaded Alfheim and took a few Earth Spirits in custody. That's why I decided to keep an eye on her, while we're dealing with this mess."
"I see... In that case, I won't interfere," said Frigg with a nod.
"Wait... You have no problem with that?" asked Hild, not believing how easily the goddess had accepted the news.
"No. At least as long as you're here for my granddaughter's sake," answered Frill, as she glanced at the Norn who was still waiting in the line to pay for her 'daughter's' dress. "You're not the only one who has a child that she can't frequently interact with; let alone protect."
"Thank you." However, instead of a smile, the goddess' expression darkened, making Hild wonder what was wrong.
"You're welcome, I suppose. Although, I must confess that you could've been a bit more gentle with my son," said the brunette, making sure that nobody was listening to them.
The Daimakaicho winced, as she realized that her former mother-in-law was referring to Vidarr, and their little encounter a few days ago. "Well... In my defense, he never asked for permission to enter my home. Actually, I had no idea that he even existed prior meeting him. Which is a bit strange, given that his father's explanation wasn't very helpful. I understood that you had him during one of your past vacations, yet I'm fairly confident that your husband hadn't left Niflheim since he was taken under my protection."
"Oh, that... Um... Let's just say that for a very brief period of time, you had a goddess maid..." Winking at the demoness, Frigg began to blush. "Oh my... What memories... And I've still kept the outfit..."
Staring at the brunette with a mildly shocked expression, Hild wondered if she was the same goddess she used to know. 'It's always the quiet ones... I can't believe that she actually pulled that stunt. Hm... Hold on!'
"Wait a moment... How did you manage to get inside my mansion?" asked the Daimakaicho with a raised eyebrow. "The security is pretty tight."
"My husband asked a favor from..." started Frigg, before she realized who she was talking to. "Um..."
"Let me guess... Skrymir?" spat Hild, considering that he was the only one with sufficient clearance to arrange for something like that. 'I guess that's added in the list of topics to discuss with him...'
Trying to change the topic a bit, Frigg decided to avoid that particular matter. "Still, I must admit that you've got a rather fabulous place, Hild-san. The interior decoration is rather tasteful and functional at the same time."
"Thank you, although I'll have to note that flattery will get you nowhere." Thinking about it for a moment, the childlike demoness grinned as she remembered one particular detail. "Oh, by the way... Have you tried the special maid uniform?"
"Of course!" said Frigg with a blush. "A bit risque in my personal opinion, but, I've found it to be a most entertaining outfit. For certain uses, of course."
"Really? I've designed it, you know," said Hild with a smile.
Walking up to them, Urd seemed rather bored. "Seriously...Humans need to do something with those long queues in front of the counters... It takes all the fun from shopping..."
"I've told you that they suck..." added Mara with a shrug.
"Hm..." Stopping in front of her mother, she handed her the shopping bag that contained the newly acquired dress. "Here. That's for you."
"Oh, you're so sweet, Urd-chan!" squealed the childlike Daimakaicho, hugging her daughter. "You bought me a present!"
"It's not a present when you pick it for yourself..." tried Urd, but her mother was still latched onto her. Letting out a sigh, she turned to her grandmother. "So, what were you two talking about?"
"Oh... You know... this and that..." offered the elder goddess with a meek expression.
"Huh?"
"What she's trying to say is that we were discussing fashion," answered Hild, as she reaching into her clothes and retrieved a photo. "More specifically, about this outfit. What do you think?"
Staring at the picture of her mother, she was briefly reminded of that incident when Chrono arrived, dressed as a maid. Actually, when she finally left, Urd had prompted her sisters to try the same type of fashion and for the next few days, the three Norns were all posing as maids. However, what her mother was wearing in the photo was so revealing, that even Urd blushed at the sight of it. "Not... bad..."
"I know, right?" said Hild, taking the photo back. "Say... I can send you one if you want."
"Uh... Sure thing." She really doubted that this was the only topic that those two were talking about, but, trying to get more out of them would've been rather pointless. Noticing Peorth and Lind in the distance, Urd pointed into their direction. "Now, you'll have to excuse us. We're going to check what the others are doing."
"We?" asked Mara, before the half goddess grabbed the back of her dress and nearly dragged her along. "Hey! I can walk you know!"
Waiving at them innocently, the two elder beings shared a look.
"You think that she bought your explanation?" asked Frigg.
"No, not really," said Hild, as she stared at the departing duo.
"Will you stay, then? She might get suspicious," added the brunette. "I'll keep an eye on her, if you need to..."
"That won't be necessary. I'd rather do this on my own." Pausing for a moment, she appeared as if she heard something. "My main body is about to meet with my subordinates in the throne room, and then I'll have to start the negotiations with Tyr... I mean... the celestials."
"I see. Let's hope that everything will go well."
AN: I would like to thank everyone that has offered their feedback and support both here and on the Goddess Relief site.
There are a few things that I'd like to note for this chapter.
Byggvir is mentioned in Norse legends as one of Freyr's servants, and husband of Beyla. In this story he retains that status, as one of Alfheim's administrators.
Pandora (name literally means the "All-gifted") in Greek mythology was the first woman created by the gods (Hephaestus and Athena on the instructions of Zeus). She was famous for opening a jar (even though it's famously known as a box) that contained all the evils (among them diseases and plagues) even though she did it out of sheer curiosity, not malice. In this story, she's a first class Earth Spirit, and does have a past with the gods, given that she had a mortal lover. More details about her and that incident will be reserved for another chapter.
It should be noted that the vast majority of the characters come from the Norse legends, in order to fit the rest of the AMG storyline and background (something that I don't intend to change). However, any other characters will be added in a manner that won't significantly affect the overall world that I have for this story. As such, I won't just throw in random elements from various sources in hopes to add more themes. The last thing I desire is to make one huge, convoluted mess.
Now for the technical terms for this chapter: Visualization is a method of logically segmenting a system into multiple ones. A Virtual machine program can allow other operating systems to run under another one (or multiple ones at the same time). Each one of them is independent from the others and this can allow multiple operating systems to run on the same computer.
Sandboxing is a method of isolating the memory space of one or multiple applications, in an effort to eliminate the consequences of potentially malicious code. This minimizes the access that the sandboxed items have to the rest of the system (OS calls and the memory addresses outside the sandbox).
As far as the AMG canon is concerned there is very little information about the relation between the Earth Spirits and the other two factions (gods and demons). The pact of neutrality is my way of assuming that they were supposed to be impartial to the power struggle between Asgard and Niflheim. Of course, there were supposed to be benefits for them, given that the pact gave them some basic rights, preventing either side from blindly killing them (even though I haven't mentioned this on the current chapter).This doesn't mean that conflicts cannot happen, as there are some situations where it is permitted, and also, not every Earth Spirit follows the pact (there are several who didn't want to follow any restrictions). Only the groups that signed it do, and the particular one living in Alfheim certainly did (the celestials would've never let them reside in one of their realms without making sure that they wouldn't act as the demons' agents). More about this topic will be explained in future chapters.
In regards to Urd's citizenship, she's obviously a goddess and lives in Asgard. However, she's also a demoness and apparently her mother had filed her birth certificate in Muspelheim. That's not canon, of course (although, she was born in Hell, as far as we know), but, I've felt that Hild would've preferred to have her as a citizen of the same realm that she originated from, even if she spent very little time there. For the most part, Urd was raised in Niflheim, given her mother's position and responsibilities as the Daimakaicho.
Due to the above, Surt's reasoning is only technically correct, although, it was fairly certain that their laws were not written with hybrids in mind. So, for the most part it was merely an excuse and nothing more.
It should be also noted that, Troubadour had attempted to curse other individuals, as well. In the manga, Urd mentions that he did the same on a junior god that tried to court her. That doesn't count as far as this chapter goes. Only Keiichi (by his association and contract with Belldandy; Urd's sister) and Excalibur (considered as Urd's servant) count as cases where the Earth Spirit broke the pact, attacking them without any provocation.
Finally, I'd like to note that, Belldandy and Keiichi will most certainly appear in the next chapter. I wanted to include them, but, I've felt that it was better to deal with this incident first, before they're back into the story.