Arc I: Chapter Four

Alone in the Dark

They were everywhere, all around her, wailing and crying out in terrifying fashion. So many that they formed a discordant symphony of horrific pain and anguish. She couldn't see them with her eyes, but every other sense that she had confirmed their presence.

The moment she felt that first chill Urd felt an urge, a need, to hide. She wanted more than anything to cower under her futon, but her stubborn pride would never allow that. Now the Goddess could feel that pride slipping away, her stubborn will ebbing with each drop of fearful sweat that was now soaking her clothes.

They were becoming angry, furious at her. Why hadn't she suffered as they had? Surely she wasn't better than they were, her life was worth no more than theirs. She felt them edging closer as they raged around her. The white haired Goddess was deeply afraid that they would instantly descend on her if she moved an inch.

Like tidal waves lashing a mound of sand, their violent screams and pained howls were wearing away at her mind. Again she tried to force the sounds from her mind, but their relentless force crushed her feeble attempt before it began. She began to see flashes, horrible scenes that were gone too fast to identify, but made her shiver none the less. All the while, the view of her surrounding grew darker and darker.

The only thing she had left to anchor her was that her sisters were with her, though both were even worse off than she was. Skuld still lay in her arms, though she didn't know when the girl had stopped crying. The young Goddess was still, only her breathing against Urd's breasts showed that she still lived.

Keiichi was still beside her, she could feel his warm arm around her shoulders and could hear his voice, but she didn't know what he was saying anymore. Belldandy was unconscious in his lap, passed out in the first seconds of this hell they were enduring. Normally the Goddess of the Past would have grinned and joked about her sister sleeping through everything, but the terror squeezing her heart wouldn't even allow a smile on the inside, let alone on the outside. At that moment, she truly envied Bell.

She flinched as the voices again screamed, demanding she reveal herself to them. They were right next to her now, and she knew it wouldn't be much longer before they found her. She felt tears stinging her eyes as feelings of helplessness stabbed at her.

She couldn't hear Keiichi's voice anymore, nor could she feel his touch. Looking, she saw only a smoky black, an angry orange glow behind it. He and Belldandy had vanished. With a tear falling down her cheek, she looked down to behold her own empty arms. Skuld was gone, too.

The proud Goddess broke, tears streaming down her face as she cried freely. It didn't matter anymore, they had already found her. Their voices now coalesced as they spoke, a chorus of unholy anger and cruelty.

We took them all away from you. You will never see the ones you love ever again. They are learning the suffering that is our existence. You will feel it, too. You know nothing of pain, but you will learn. You will know only the agony that we have endured. Forever.

She curled her knees to her head, hugging herself tightly as she trembled. Her mind screamed out, hoping desperately that she would be delivered. Bell! Skuld! Kei! Don't leave me alone! Help me!

How long had this gone on? Minutes, hours, days, or was it even longer? It didn't seem to matter anymore. Time had no real meaning here. Forever meant that a thousand years could pass, and the time left to suffer was still the same.

As the last of her hope faded, she felt something. A presence that was unidentifiable, yet familiar. Out there, in that black haze, was something she knew, she could feel it now. It was a kind voice, one that she cared about.

"…Urd…"

Was it real? Did she really hear it, or was it her imagination?

"Urd! Urd can you hear me?"

She was beginning to feel a dull pain, and the haze was becoming lighter. Confused, she mumbled out, "Kei…chi?"

"Yeah, it's me. It's Keiichi." He sounded close by.

Another, more distant voice reached her ears, "Keep her talking, Keiichi." It was a woman, someone she knew.

"Are you alright, Urd?" the human asked, "Do you feel any better now?"

"I can't see you," she managed, only slightly louder than before. "Where are you, Keiichi?"

"I'm right here, Urd," he answered, squeezing her right hand. "Just open your eyes."

Confusion still ruling her mind, the Goddess complied and slowly her vision started to focus. His outline still blurred and dark, she saw Keiichi's relieved smile. "Welcome back."

"I see you're finally awake, Urd," the woman spoke again. Searching for its source she found Peorth slowly walking toward them. "It's good to see that no serious damage was done."

Struggling to sit up, her body felt heavy and numb. Keiichi seemed to realize what she wanted and, with an arm around her shoulders, helped her upright. For a moment she thought she might be sick as the room spun in her blurred vision. Even leaning against the mortal beside her, she thought she would fall.

Something is wrong. Nothing feels normal. It's like my head is wrapped in cloth, my senses are all dulled.

"Easy there, Urd," Peorth said as she kneeled beside Keiichi, "You've been through a terrible ordeal. There's no permanent damage, but you still need time to recover."

Urd grunted an acknowledgement, as she felt words would be too difficult right then. Fighting to focus herself, she began to observe her surroundings. She could tell that they were in Keiichi's room. The lights were off, with the glow that illuminated the room coming from several candles. Looking between Keiichi and Peorth, she saw two other futons laid out.

"Skuld, Belldandy," her speech was clearer now, "Are they alright?" Her eyes were fixated on the still features of her younger siblings lying nearby.

"Don't worry," Peorth responded, "We're pretty sure your sisters are going to be just fine. It's lucky we got here when we did. They were traumatized, but we stabilized them pretty quickly. Looks like the shock to your mind was negligible compared to what they felt."

Negligible? How much worse could it have been? "What happened to the voices? I don't hear them anymore."

Peorth's face went very somber at the question. "We modified your files to reduce your spiritual sensitivity as soon as we arrived. You can still hear them if you try."

A shiver ran down her spine as Urd shook her head, as if to shake off any chance that she would hear that horrible chorus again. After a moment, she weakly motioned to her sisters, "What about them? Did you modify their files, too?"

"No, we haven't," Peorth looked at their sleeping forms as well, "Their minds are far too weak right now. It wouldn't be a good idea to make any changes that they might not be able to adapt to."

"So it was fair game to tinker with my files, was it?" Her accusing eyes were fixed squarely on the other Goddess.

The look of surprise at the verbal jab quickly transformed into an indignant smile as Peorth spoke, "What are you complaining about? You were well enough to get the mod, so we did it. You're already starting to get used to it, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Urd replied. Her vision and her mind were slowly becoming clearer, but her emotions were still swirling wildly. Her lack of control fed her irritation. "That's not the point!"

"Well what is the point, then?"

"The point is that you're a…"

Keiichi jumped into the conversation with a nervous sort of laugh. "Hey, calm down, ladies. You need to take it easy till you've recovered, Urd. Isn't that right, Peorth?"

Peorth didn't say anything, she simply stood and moved to lean against the wall. She crossed her arms and stared to the side, miffed at Urd's near insult.

"They're going to be okay, Urd," Keiichi was quieter than before, "Peorth gave them something to sleep without dreaming, so they can't hear the voices right now." He was doing his best to put up a brave front, but his pained smile gave him away. "They'll be back in Heaven before they wake up. Nobody knows how long they'll have to stay."

Urd quietly observed the young mortal for a moment before squeezing his hand. "Don't worry, Keiichi," she said softly, "She's a strong girl. Bell's going to get that spirit mod and be back here before you know it. You couldn't keep her away from you with a nuclear bomb."

A grin crept onto his lips and a small chuckle escaped him. "Thanks, Urd."

"Lady Peorth," a man had stepped into the doorway. Urd had to squint in order to see that the man bore the blue facial markings of a Celestial. "The gate back will be opening in ten minutes. Are we still only sending those two back."

Their female commander turned toward him, "Those two and yourself."

The God seemed taken aback, "But, but Lady Peorth, there's nothing wrong with me."

Her temper already short, her voice became quite strict. "Nevertheless, you are to escort these two Goddesses back to Heaven, and you will keep them safe until I say otherwise. That means neither one is allowed to come to Earth until I give the word. Do you understand, Gilgamesh?"

His face showed the conflict, he obviously didn't want to go. Duty quickly won out and he bowed slightly, "I understand, Lady Peorth." Moving across the room, he stood between Belldandy and Skuld. He paused for a second, then bowed toward the white haired Goddess. "I'm glad to see you are doing better, Lady Urd." She wasn't sure, but it looked suspiciously like he was blushing slightly.

Urd smiled weakly at the Templar, "Thank you, Gilgamesh. Take good care of them for me, okay?"

He nodded sharply, "I will, Lady Urd." His attention turned to the unconscious Goddesses as he held a glowing hand over each. The glow encircled the two slumbering forms and, raising his hands higher, they lifted gently from the futons.

As he carefully moved toward the hall, Keiichi spoke out uncertainly, "Uh, Sir Gilgamesh?"

The brown haired God stopped, looking over his shoulder. He quietly studied the mortal, waiting to hear what this human wanted to say.

Looking at the college student she leaned on, Urd also waited patiently. She was curious as to what he would say, though she had a few ideas.

Keiichi hesitated before he continued. "When they wake up, would you tell Skuld that I'll buy her the biggest ice cream that she's ever seen the next time I see her. And please tell Belldandy," he paused again, "Tell Belldandy that I love her."

Urd gave a small, knowing sort of laugh as Gilgamesh flashed a huge smile. "I'll be sure to tell them. Don't worry, I'll keep them both safe." Giving one last nod he left, taking Skuld and Belldandy with him.

Keiichi sighed as his love disappeared from sight, but Urd was surprised at how powerful her own sense of loss was. She wanted to be with her sisters. No, that's not it. I want them to be with me.

"Peorth?" Her voice was tighter than she expected.

"What is it?"

"Could you shut the door when you leave?" she asked quietly, "I'd like to speak with Keiichi."

The other Goddess seemed curious at this, but thankfully didn't raise any questions. "Don't forget to rest," she stated as she stepped outside, "If I wind up needing your help, I'm going to need you at your best."

The door slid shut, and she was left alone in the quiet room with the only human in the temple. She was trembling as she spoke, unable to look Keiichi in the eyes, "If you tell anyone about this, I'll turn you into a toilet."

Before he gave voice to his confusion, she embraced him tightly as she began to cry into his chest. All the fear she had felt, all the loneliness, the anguish and pain she had heard, the terrifying presence she had felt, and being separated from her family. Everything that she had forced away when she awakened was bursting forth, overwhelming her.

She felt Keiichi holding her. "You've been through a lot. Don't worry, I'm sure everything will turn out just fine. We just have to have faith and a little patience." He chuckled a little, "Doesn't that sound like something Bell would say?" It kind of did, but she couldn't stop crying long enough to tell him that. "I'll tell you what, you can sit here and let out whatever you need to let out. After that, we can go out on the porch and I'll make us some tea."

Urd couldn't help but laugh amidst her tears at that. That really did sound like Belldandy. "Okay," she choked out, "but it might be a while."

Gilgamesh made his way through the temple house, his smile quickly fading as he grumbled under his breath. Why do I get stuck with this kind of job?

Other Templars who had made the trip to Earth were bustling around the house, trying to set up their base of operations. As the young God made his way to the front door, others pressed themselves against the wall or backed through a side door to allow him to pass with his two charges.

Finally leaving the building, he stepped out toward the middle of the grounds to wait for the passage to Heaven to open. Glancing around while he waited, he saw several other armed Gods floating this way and that, peering over the wall that surrounded the Temple grounds, while others were starting to inspect their weapons. He found himself annoyed, once again, that he was being forced to leave his comrades as they prepared for battle.

"Hey, Killer," came a lighthearted voice from behind, "You don't look too happy. What's wrong?"

Meeting the eyes of his friend Xander, he let his full disappointment show, "Lady Peorth ordered me to return to Heaven. I'm supposed to watch over these two until they're well, however long that takes."

The blond headed God looked at the two women Gil was carrying, their feet and hands floating slightly lower than the rest of their bodies, as if they were suspended in water. "What are you complaining about? You get to watch over two idol Goddesses at once! I don't see why that would be such a big problem."

"How can you ask that?" The younger Templar sounded exasperated as he explained, "This is the first time in, what, a thousand years that we've been deployed? I'm lucky enough to be sent down here in the first group, and bam, I'm sent back to the rear. Whatever happens, I'm gonna miss it while all you guys are down here in the thick of it."

Xander chuckled briefly before saying anything else. "Maybe you should let them down for a bit," he gestured toward the floating pair while removing his green cloak, "From what I hear, they deserve to be as comfortable as we can make them."

Nodding, Gilgamesh accepted this change of subject for the time being. He removed his own blue cloak as he lowered the two unconscious ladies to the soft grass. Xander placed his rolled up cloak under Belldandy's head as Gil folded his and slid it beneath Skuld's. As he looked up, he saw his friend hovering over Belldandy's sleeping face.

"Wow," he said simply, "She's just as beautiful up close, isn't she?"

Shaking his head, Gil smiled as he dropped onto the grass, his arm around his knee, "Listen to you. I thought you were supposed to be in love with Ex."

"I am," the other Templar replied with mock indignation, "I didn't say I had the hots for her, did I? I just said she's a beautiful example of a lady. I think her little sister there is really pretty, too, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna fall for her. It's like window shopping when you have no money."

Gil couldn't help but laugh at the strange analogy. Still, it seemed that Xander was right about something. The Goddess of the Future was quite easy on the eyes, and her peaceful sleep made her almost angelic. Just looking at Skuld was oddly calming to him, like staring into a reflecting pool. He wasn't really sure why he hadn't noticed it before.

He suddenly became aware of his friend, who was now hovering a few inches from his face and wearing a particularly sly grin, "I've heard rumor that she's single."

Gil fell over from surprise. How'd he sneak up on me like that?

"She's a lot younger than you," he continued, that odd smile still on his face, "so you may want to ask Lady Belldandy if it's okay before you go and rob the cradle."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Gil replied, sitting up and trying to regain his composure, "Besides, she's not that young. She can't be more than three years behind me."

"Oooohhh!" Xander's smile grew, if that was possible, "So maybe you are interested, after all? Well, I don't know why you were so upset about being her bodyguard then. After all, it'll give you two time to get to know one another, if you catch my drift!"

"Stop saying weird stuff! It's not like that at all!" He hadn't finished his tirade, but he left it there as the gate appeared in a swirl of blue above them. Gil shot a dirty look at his friend as they stood, who responded with a smile as the two Goddesses were lifted back into the air.

"You know I was just giving you a hard time," Xander stated as they retrieved their cloaks, "But I don't think it would be a bad idea to give it a try."

Gil stared at his friend for a moment, as the next wave of Templars came out of the gate. "Well," he said, sighing a little, "I guess we'll just have to see."

Xander stepped forward and gave the other God a brotherly hug. "Do me proud, bro."

"Yeah," Gil said as he returned the embrace, "And you be careful down here. Don't be acting the hero without me. You suck at that sort of thing."

"Wouldn't dream of it," the blond haired Templar smirked as they parted. As Gil and the two Goddesses floated up toward the gate, he gave one last wave, "Say hi to Ex for me, would ya?"

Gilgamesh nodded back. "Sure thing. Take care."

"You too, Gil."

AN:

Well, we're up to chapter four. I'm happy to hear from at least a few readers, but I'm sort of dissappointed at how little response I've been getting. I'm not complaining really, but you guys know what I'm talking about. It's be nice to hear what more of you think so far. Also, don't hesitate to ask questions if anything doesn't make sense. I'll happily respond.

Sorry this chapter is a little on the short side, they will get longer later in the story. Next chapter out next week. Thanks for reading and hopefully reveiwing.

Katamari Damacy