Chapter 2

The moment Belldandy returned to Heaven she as ordered to report to the High Council Room. The only thing she was asked was about her experiences she had on Earth, and nothing gave her a clue as to why she was called back to Heaven. After the questions Belldandy was told she would be assigned to work in the Yggdrasil Control Room with Freyja and a few others. Freyja was there and after she was excused from the Council Freyja and Belldandy walked out of the room and to the Control Room.

Belldandy and Freyja were assigned to work on a new prototype scanner that was being developed. The Scanner was a new level Nine Scanner for Yggdrasil that had been built but remained untested. Belldandy and Freyja were assigned as leaders over the research team that consisted of Ere from the Control center, Asher who was an Yggdrasil Debuggers and a young looking Goddess named Noghin. The scanner was set up in Yggdrasil mainframe so Ere was responsible to run the actual test with Freyja; Noghin and Asyer set up the scanner in the mainframe and Belldandy's job was just to collect the data.

The first test went off with out any problems and the data that was collected proved to be very insightful. The new scanner according to the reports was able to detect about fifteen percent more that the Level Eight scanner. Belldandy gathered the data as Freyja watched her from inside the Control Room; she could see that something was bothering her. Belldandy was very well at trying to hide her feelings from the others, but Freyja was able to see right through.

"Belldandy!" A voice called up from the floor. Freyja and Belldandy walked over to the railing and looked down. Asher was standing there at the bottom with Urd; Urd looked up and smiled at her sister. "You got a visitor!"

Belldandy smiled back at Urd and then turned around and looked at the pile of reports that waited for her to collect. Freyja looked at the reports and then looked at Belldandy and said, "Go on I got this!"

Urd and Belldandy sat down in the shade of a tree that was near the Administrative Building that housed the Scanner. The tree was in a small garden that dotted along the buildings and few people walked through this garden. Urd looked around to make sure that Belldandy and her were alone and then Urd looked at her sister and said, "How are you holding up?"

"I miss him Nee-san." Belldandy said honestly to Urd. "When I accepted the wish in the beginning I did miss home, and I looked forward to when I could come home. But now after all the time I had been with him and everything we had done, I miss him more."

"I know you do." Urd said comfortingly to Belldandy, and then asked, "At your hearing's parliamentary questions did they give you any hint as to why you were called back?"

"No." Belldandy simply said hanging her head low.

"Did you even get a chance to ask him?" Urd asked in a shocked tone referring to the Almighty.

"No, as soon I was done with the questions, he gave me the reassignment and I was sent to the Control Room." Belldandy said in her honest fashion as she kept her eyes on Urd.

"Well then, looks like daddy and I need to have a chat!" Urd said; she sounded completely menacing.

"Urd don't." Belldandy said shaking her head at her sister.

"Well if he's not going to tell you then he's got tell someone!" Urd said, sounding completely passionate. "No one separates anybody from someone they care about and not tell them and expect them to fall in line!"

"Urd if you do that you will get in trouble." Belldandy said pleading to her sister.

"Why, your all alone on this, I am not going to let him do this to." Urd repeated with sheer determination.

"I'm not alone in this!" Belldandy said to Urd.

"What?" Urd said looking confused at Belldandy comment.

"Before I left the Council room, Lord Njord pulled me aside and told me that he would handle this." Belldandy announced. Urd looked at Belldandy and was shocked at her announcement.

"Njord said he's going to handle this?" Urd said sounding unconvinced, but a reassured look from Belldandy eased her anger. "Well Njord's a good guy, so I guess I can handle that and leave this to him."

Belldandy nodded in assent and then looked at Urd and asked, "How's Keiichi-san?"

Belldandy was surprised by Urd's reaction to that question and watched as Urd turned away and then looked back at Belldandy as she said, "I hate to be the one to tell you this but, Keiichi went back to Hokkaido."

Belldandy felt her heart drop and her body go numb at Urd's announcement and then she asked, "When?"

"In Earth time-" Urd said; thinking in her head. "About a week ago, he just bolted and Megumi told us that when he gets like this he would hang out in his room. Skuld tracked him down had a talk with him. She would not tell me much, but it must have been some talk."

Belldandy stood up and walked over to the gate to the garden and looked out over the vastness of heaven. Urd stood up and slowly approached her and heard soft sobs that came from Belldandy, but then they stopped. Belldandy turned around and with a smile on her face she said to her sister, "This is not farewell, and he does not have any desire to leave. This is my hope and as I even stay here he wants me by his side and he is waiting, and so I will wait too."

"I'll tell him that!" Urd said as she and Belldandy walked out of the garden. In one of the buildings that was near the garden there was a row of pillars that was lined up outside. From behind one of the pillars Lord Njord stood behind and listened to the conversation and holding on to his forearm he breathed a despairing sigh as he leaned his head against the pillar.

Njord sat in his chair as another Council Meeting as underway, this time the meeting was about the new Level Nine Scanners first test. Njord wasn't even listening as Erda gave the report before the council; his mind was else where. As Erda finished the report to the council; Keiichi's words flashed through his mid, 'she was everything to me!' and then came Belldandy's words, 'I miss him.' The words cut Njord to his core and even sparked a fresh pain in his arm; Erda finished the report and the Almighty opened the floor to questions. The meeting became an echo of voices as Njord seemed to slip into his own void of lost thoughts. Njord did not even try and formulate a question, but one did come up that did bring him out of the void.

"So did the scan find the pocket that Loki used in his insurrection?" Dagr asked Erda.

Erda answered the question as Njord was brought out of his void, not by the question in general, but by the name, Loki. As Loki's name rang in his ears, the memories swarmed through Njord's mind of his fight with Loki. Njord had called down a massive tornado and then Loki tired to escape with Keiichi's soul. Njord chased him to upper atmosphere and then grabbing him he slammed him into the ground from more than fifty thousand feet! Njord grabbed his arm as it winched in pain from just the memory of the impact with the ground.

The anger that flowed from Njord was enough to consume his body rather quickly and almost felt like a poison in his veins. Before he allowed to completely consuming his whole being he was able to control it and then suppress his angers. He then looked around to see if anyone may had sensed his anger; as he scanned the group no one else's eyes met his except the Almighty himself! The Almighty and Njord's eyes met for a moment and then Njord lowered his eyes and his head away from the Almighty and did not look at him for the remainder of the Council.

"Very well, I will call this council adjourned." The Almighty said after a few more minutes. The Council rose, in unison, but it was Njord that arose the quickest and made the attempt to leave first. "Njord, stay a moment!"

Njord looked at the Almighty and then nodding to the creator he sat back down in his chair like an obedient child. The room cleared out at this point as the last of the Council members left the Council room leaving Njord and the Almighty alone in the room. The Almighty turned and looked at Njord and both looked at each other rather uncomfortably for a while until the Almighty broke the silence.

"Njord I am giving you a chance to explain yourself." The Almighty said not sounding sharp, but more calm.

"Perhaps if I knew your question, My Lord?" Njord responded sounding respectful in his confused tone.

"During the meeting, Lord Dagr stated Loki's name and I felt a surge of hatred form you, and I am giving you a chance to explain yourself." The Almighty expounded for Njord.

"My lord, Loki's betrayal affected many, some worst than others and in the course of our fight Loki and I injured each other with wounds that will take some time to heal. My anger is only the result of that fight and of his betrayal and those he hurt. That is my explanation my Lord." Njord said sounding truthful.

"I see." The Almighty said sounding quite contempt with Njord's explanation.

"Will that be all My Lord?" Njord said suddenly. The Almighty looked up in surprise at the quickness of Njord's question and the sudden eagerness that was found in his voice.

"Yes, you are free to leave." The Almighty said; Njord rose form his chair and bowed to the Almighty which was returned. Njord left the Council room as quickly as the words had left his mouth, leaving the Almighty alone in the Council room with a sense of doubt that began to swell inside him.

Disclaimer: All original characters of 'Oh! My Goddess' belong to Mr. Kosuke Fujishima and are under copyright of Dark Horse Comics. Njord and Loki and other characters as related are of my own invention and not associated with Oh! My Goddess.