Broken Dreamers

An Ah! My Goddess Miniseries by

Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)

Part 7: Will vs. Way

After she became a demon, Peorth became accustomed to waking up in certain ways. Usually, it was along the lines of an angel or two playing with her hair, or being sprawled across Keiichi's chest, both of which were pleasant in their own ways. Keiichi was in full agreement that alarm clocks had to be one of Hild's more diabolical ideas (and even if it wasn't true, Hild gladly took credit for it), and there was not a single one left in the temple.

There were, of course, other acceptable ways to wake Peorth, but as she hadn't been a demon for very long, Hild still felt that she deserved to be spoiled, and wasn't shy about telling Keiichi as much. Naturally, Peorth had no problem with that. The only problem there was that none of them had really factored in Belldandy, for obvious reasons. Keiichi had never really mastered the art of saying no to her, and Peorth hadn't thought to fix that oversight. She didn't mind that he still loved Belldandy, so long as it didn't eclipse any of his other relationships.

Even then, Belldandy would've been polite enough to wait while Peorth made herself presentable. But with Urd and Skuld present, there was little chance of that happening.

So when Peorth awoke to find Keiichi lightly stroking her arm, she didn't immediately realize that they weren't alone.

"What is it, Kei?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep. "I still need a few more hours."

"Sorry," he apologized, leaning close to her ear, "but we have company."

Peorth noticed two things right away: that Keiichi didn't greet her with a kiss, and the tense silence that followed his statement. Moaning, she closed her eyes again. "Make them go away. I'm tiiiiiired!"

"I know," he said sympathetically. "But they insist." In a softer tone, he added, "They're just worried about you. A few minutes wouldn't be too bad, right?"

She glared at him. "You are SO rubbing my feet later."

He blushed slightly. "Um, okay."

The somewhat hesitant response only annoyed her more. Normally, he was all too happy to agree to such an honor. With a loud groan, Peorth sat up in bed, only to find Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld staring at her. "What?! You've never seen someone rudely awakened before?!"

Skuld turned to Urd. "She doesn't LOOK like she's being held against her will..."

Urd nodded. "Yeah, she looks about the same as she always does, which is to say a royal bi-"

"Peorth," Belldandy interrupted loudly, shooting Urd a look, "we were concerned."

"And now that you're not, you can go, right?" Peorth asked hopefully.

"Why does Keiichi have Gorgeous Rose?" Skuld asked, glancing at him in an obviously uncomfortable way.

Peorth sighed. "Kei, can you leave for a bit? Make sure Hild doesn't get bored and start cursing monks again." Keiichi was a little too eager to leave the room, she noted. There would definitely be an extra long foot rub in his future.

The moment Keiichi was gone, Urd practically pounced on Peorth, grabbing her head and staring intently at her forehead and cheek markings. "I don't believe it! You really are a demon now!"

"And you're really not making me regret it right now," Peorth growled, shoving her off. "Now, to answer Skuld's question, her name is Glamorous Rose now, and she's with Kei for my own comfort."

"What are you talking about?" Urd asked incredulously. "You should be in a coma without her!"

"I'm a demon now, Urd," Peorth reminded her. "We can live without angels. The rules are different."

"Well, let's hurry and get her away from Keiichi!" Skuld declared.

Peorth frowned at her. "I appreciate the rescue attempt, but I'm not going anywhere."

"You don't actually WANT to stay a demon, do you?" Urd asked slowly.

Peorth looked expectantly at Belldandy. "You didn't tell them ANYTHING?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Urd demanded.

"We aren't here to save Peorth," Belldandy replied softly. "We're only here to restore Noble Scarlet."

"But we can't just LEAVE her!" Skuld cried. "Onee-sama, she's our friend!"

"Then do me a favor and leave once you've settled things with Kei," Peorth grumbled. "You people ruined my beauty rest, and I could really use it right now."

Skuld stared at her in disbelief. "Why aren't you worried?"

"Why should I be? I have everything I had when I was a goddess, except now I have a good man at my side. I'm happy. Can't you girls accept that?"

"She's been brainwashed!" Skuld shouted. "Urd, make a barrier so she-"

Peorth threw a pillow at her. "I am NOT brainwashed, I'm pissed off! Now would you please just go?!"

"You're going to have to tell them, Peorth," Belldandy said. "It's the only way they'll accept it."

"Shouldn't you have done this already?" Peorth asked accusingly.

"It wasn't my news to tell," Belldandy reminded her.

"Fine! Even if I wanted to be a goddess again, I couldn't. And I DON'T want to be one again, just so we're clear."

"But you can!" Skuld insisted. "Once we put up the barrier, we just have to-"

"You can't, because I won't let you. You might... you might..."

"Might what?" Urd asked.

Peorth looked away. "You might... hurt the baby."

Skuld immediately fainted, hitting the floor with a loud thump.

"You're PREGNANT?!" Urd gasped. "You mean, THAT'S why you've been so-"

"GET OUT!" Peorth shouted. She turned her furious gaze on Belldandy. "I hope you're happy now! Or is that what you wanted? To make me feel ashamed of the most wonderful gift that anyone has ever given me?!"

Belldandy didn't even blink. "I'm happy for you, Peorth. And it is a wonderful gift, isn't it?"

The color drained out of Peorth's face. "Belldandy, I-"

"Nee-san," Belldandy said, turning to Urd, "Peorth is right. We should conclude our business and leave."

Urd stared at her, then glanced at Peorth. "Sure." She picked up Skuld and threw one last worried glance at Peorth before leaving the room.

"Belldandy, you know I didn't mean it that way!" Peorth wailed desperately. "Please..."

"We will always be friends, Peorth," Belldandy murmured. "Nothing could change that. Be good to your family, or I'll know."

Keiichi was watching Glamorous Rose inspect the rosebushes when Urd came out of the temple, carrying Skuld in her arms. "It didn't go well, then?" he asked.

"It could've been much worse," Urd sighed, sitting down beside him on the porch. "I imagined it would be."

"That doesn't surprise me. You only knew that your mother was involved."

"Why did you join her, Keiichi? Why do you still serve her?"

"It's very simple, Urd," Keiichi replied. "God wants me to be miserable. Hild took away my misery."

Urd shook her head. "You sound so sure."

"I've had a long time to think about it. I was miserable before I met Belldandy. So why did God send her to me at all, just to take her away? Why not just let me remain the way I was before? It's because God is cruel, Urd."

"He may be, but I think He sent Belldandy more for her sake. You taught her what truly being in love is. She didn't have that before she met you, trust me."

"It sounds nice," Keiichi said with a sad smile, "but it only means that my feelings never mattered to God in the first place. That's even worse than wanting me to suffer, not caring at all. But I'm fine with it now. I don't regret serving Hild. Whatever else she is, she's been good to us."

"What about Skuld?" Urd asked quietly. Seeing Keiichi flinch was not as satisfying as she'd hoped.

"An accident," he said truthfully. "I didn't have enough experience controlling my angel then. And I didn't keep the stolen power out of malice. I just didn't ever expect to see Skuld again. But of course I'll return it now."

"It's not that simple, Keiichi. You took the power from Noble Scarlet. She's the one you have to give it back to."

Keiichi didn't question the statement at all, despite it being a lie. "Is there any way to do that without waking Skuld? I don't... I don't want her to look at me that way again."

"Noble Scarlet just needs to be drawn out," Belldandy announced as she finally joined them.

"And you can do that?" Urd asked in shock.

Belldandy smiled as Holy Bell emerged from her back. "Not alone, no. Noble Scarlet is just being wary, and above all, stubborn. She truly is Skuld's angel." She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. "A dear friend desires to greet you, and extends a hand of warmth and affection."

Holy Bell reached into Skuld's hand, slowly but surely drawing out a reluctant Noble Scarlet. Her wings were folded around her body, but it was still easy to see the black, pebbly sections where feathers either refused to grow, or simply could not do so any longer. Noble Scarlet immediately lowered her head, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes. She flinched when Holy Bell gently embraced her, but made no effort to resist.

Keiichi watched with a mix of horror and guilt on his face. He was sorry for what he'd done to Noble Scarlet, but that was only a small part of what had shaken him so deeply. The very idea of such a withdrawn angel belonging to Skuld, who almost required physical affection, for any length of time, would haunt him, to some extent, for the rest of his life.

It was only a gentle touch from Glamorous Rose that reminded Keiichi of what he was meant to do. Even then, he couldn't bring himself to get any closer to Noble Scarlet, so it was Peorth's angel that returned the stolen power, merely by joining in on the already awkward hug. Noble Scarlet didn't seem to enjoy that one bit, but new feathers immediately grew in were there had only been sores before, and she was able to move her damaged wing more easily.

"Please tell Skuld again that I'm sorry, when she wakes up," Keiichi murmured.

"You can't tell her yourself?" Urd asked.

He shook his head. "I don't expect that she'll ever really forgive me. I'm not even sure that she should. Maybe it's better this way."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I doubt that I'm ever going to see any of you again."

Urd narrowed her eyes. "Why do you think that?"

Keiichi blinked, a little puzzled. "Hild said it was for the best. She made it sound like you'd be really busy..."

"Nee-san, we will," Belldandy said before Urd could protest. "And even if we weren't... it's for the best. For Keiichi-san, Peorth, and for us."

It was only then that Urd realized they hadn't seen Keiichi's angel once since they'd arrived. She wasn't positive as to what that meant, except that it probably had a great deal to do with Belldandy being there. "Is that an order from God?" she asked.

"No," Belldandy admitted, "but it doesn't need to be. Our new duties will make common contact with others nearly impossible."

"I thought we agreed that there wouldn't be any more mysteries, Belldandy?"

"It won't be one for long. The sooner we leave, the sooner everything will be explained."

"Right," Urd said slowly. "And you're perfectly fine with Peorth having Keiichi's baby?"

Belldandy stared at her for a long moment. "Nee-san, that was cruel," she murmured at last.

"Then I guess I'm more like God than either of us knew, huh? You didn't answer my question."

"And I'm not going to," Belldandy replied. "However I feel, the best thing I can do for everyone involved is to stay out of their lives."

"That's all the answer I need to know how you really feel," Urd sighed, startling Belldandy by hugging her firmly. "But it won't get any better, Belldandy," Urd whispered in her ear. "This kind of hurt stays with you and eats you from the inside-out."

Belldandy offered her a small smile. "It's a good thing I'll have my sisters to prevent that from happening, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Urd said quietly. "And if you tell me that was part of God's plan all along, I'm going to pinch you."

"I won't tell you, then," Belldandy practically chirped.

"Shut up," Urd grumbled.

There were very few beings in Heaven who spoke to God, face to face, on a regular basis. Mostly He spoke through others, or through objects that, if He were anyone else, might seem strange or even frightening. Some liked to think that this was because God was either too busy or just easily amused, but it was neither. The simple fact was that God, even with all the seals that He wore at every moment, was still God, and could, if the need or inclination arose, destroy someone utterly just by looking at them a certain way. And contrary to popular belief, some of the people in Heaven were just as, if not more annoying than the ones in Hell, and God, in His Infinite Mercy, decided to cut them a break, undeserving though they were. So that mostly put an end to meeting people in person.

It was safe to assume, then, that anyone allowed to meet with God in such a rare way was either getting a major promotion, or never going to be heard from again.

Lind already had already had a vague idea of why she'd been summoned that day, but it was still a huge weight off of her shoulders the moment she was safely outside of God's throne room. She was suddenly struck by the childish urge to whip out her new license and shove it into the face of the nearest person, but quickly squashed that idea.

Although when she felt Cool Mint and Spear Mint peeking over her shoulders to get a look, she MAY have held it up a little higher for them, and put a tiny spotlight on it. But only because they deserved it for supporting her for so long. As she'd thought, they were quite pleased, and in a rare show of affection, she allowed them to hug her and rub their cheeks against hers just a bit. Normally, such a thing would've been frowned upon for a Valkyrie, but that would no longer be a problem, where Lind was going.

Unfortunately, Lind was so caught up in celebrating with her angels that she didn't even notice that they were no longer alone. Not until Urd loudly cleared her throat, anyway.

"Do you guys need a few minutes? We can come back later."

Lind was just about to recall her angels when Noble Scarlet appeared and latched onto her neck. Lind's angels immediately noticed her improved attitude and healed wing, and an instant later, all three angels had joined hands and were spinning wildly through the air, grinning and sending feathers flying in all directions.

"Lind!" Skuld cried happily as she ran up. "Isn't it great? Noble Scarlet's been healed!"

"I noticed," Lind said, unable to stop herself from smiling a little. "Good for you, Skuld."

"And for you as well, Lind," Belldandy added, placing a hand on Skuld's shoulder. "Congratulations."

Lind's smile quickly faded as she tried to compose herself. "I don't know what you mean, Belldandy."

Belldandy beamed at her. "Don't be silly. I know a 'new license' smile when I see one."

"Lind, you got promoted!" Skuld squealed, hugging her tightly. Her joy faded as realization set in. "Oh... but that means we won't be working together anymore."

"That means a parting gift is in order." Lind stretched out her hand, materializing her trusty axe. "I want you to have this, Skuld."

Skuld's eyes widened as Lind pressed the weapon into her hands. "But I can't take this! It's yours!"

"Then let's say that I'm entrusting it to you, for the time being."

"Lind, I can't!"

"Skuld," Belldandy said softly, "this is not a mere gift that you can refuse. Doing so would be a great dishonor to Lind. Giving you her weapon is a way of recognizing your growth and maturity. You must accept it, if you would continue to call her your friend."

"But if it means she'll go away, then I don't want it!" Skuld cried. "I'm tired of losing everyone that's important to me!"

"You have to let it go, Skuld," Urd advised. "Lind is a Valkyrie. You're lucky she hasn't been killed in battle yet, and it could still happen."

"That could never happen!" Skuld shouted. "Lind is the strongest goddess there is!"

"Do you love her so much, Skuld?" Belldandy asked softly.

Skuld hesitated, recognizing both the worry and the slight jealousy in her sister's voice. "She was there for me when no one else was. She never called me weak, or said I was in the way. She believed in me when even I didn't. And I'm just supposed to forget all of that?"

"It might be best," Lind said quietly. "You are of the Norns now. You aren't meant to have friends, only associates, and only a few of those. If nothing else, take my axe so that I will be able to protect you in at least that way."

"I'll keep it if you keep mine," Skuld relented, thrusting her debugging mallet into Lind's hand. She half-expected Lind to give it back, but instead stared as the mallet grew in length in Lind's grip, the head nearly tripling in size and sprouting small, silver wings on its sides.

"I would be honored," Lind replied, swinging the mallet slightly to get a better feel for it. She brought it to rest against her shoulder with a thud, apparently not noticing the spider web of cracks that appeared beneath her feet. "Now, please allow me to guide you to the appointed place. The Almighty expects you begin your new duties right away."

Goddess First Class, Special Duty, Unlimited

That was the title on Skuld's new license, and she never tired of reading it. Underneath that, in letters so big and bold they looked to be burned into the license, were the words, NORN OF THE FUTURE.

Already Skuld had discovered some surprising things about her new job, the biggest of which was that it wasn't even based in Heaven (or Hell, for that matter). All she knew for certain is that Lind had opened three different portals to get them where they were going, and not one looked at all familiar to Skuld. At the end of this rather confusing trip was what looked like it had once been a castle, if it had been blown up several times and then reassembled into a somewhat imposing tower. It had no windows, and indeed, there was no point in having them: for as far as the eye could see, the tower was surrounded on all sides by a sickly gray ocean.

Oddly enough, the tower was completely different on the inside. There was a superior automated security system that would only allow them in after they'd shown both their licenses and their angels. The floors, walls, and ceilings were composed of a polished black substance that was smooth and cool to the touch. Skuld immediately noticed that the floor would be safe for her wheel-type Banpei units. She tended to use the hovering ones more frequently, but those did require more power, and until she was settled in, it was best to stick with the basics.

Unfortunately, Lind was still giving them a tour of the tower, and so far, they'd only made it to the second floor. Worse, there were supposedly some floors below ground level that they'd skipped entirely. By the time they were done, Skuld would probably be too tired to do anything other than fall asleep, and she didn't even know where they were supposed to do that yet.

Naturally, Belldandy noticed when Skuld stopped asking so many questions. "Is anything wrong, Skuld? Are you not feeling well?"

"I-It's nothing, Onee-sama," Skuld said quickly.

"It wouldn't be bothering you if that were true," Belldandy countered. "What's wrong?"

"It's just... I wanted to integrate Banpei-kun's AI with the security system, but-"

"That's an excellent idea," Lind interrupted.

Skuld looked at her in surprise. "It is?"

"Of course. Your safety and comfort here is key. Banpei can help with both."

"But... don't I need permission?"

Belldandy laughed kindly. "Skuld, the Norns don't really report to anyone. And as for the tower's other inhabitants, I'm sure they won't mind. They don't concern themselves with such things."

"Of course you already know them," Urd muttered.

"I've spoken to one of them, and only once. But it was a long and informative conversation. I'm sure Skuld's improvements won't bother anyone."

"In that case, I'll bring Banpei-kun here right now!" Skuld cheered, whipping out a very familiar-looking gun.

"Not the Ultra-Delivery Gun again," Urd sighed. "Didn't we already decide that thing was defective?"

"It's NOT defective! You and Peorth just got in the way! It WORKS!" Skuld cried, her face red. "And I'll prove it. I just need to put it in Reverse Mode to bring him here, and then-"

"Don't point that thing at me!"

"AND THEN, come to me, Banpei-kun!"

Urd dove out of the way as Skuld squeezed the trigger. There was an enormous roar, and the entire hallway shook, but in the end, there was a Banpei unit standing in front of Skuld, awaiting her orders.

Skuld grinned. "See! I told you! My inventions work just-"

"DANGER! DEMON OF ENORMOUS POWER WITHIN RANGE!" Banpei warbled. "MUST PROTECT GODDESSES AND DEFEAT THREAT!" With that, the rocket pack on his back activated, and he zoomed down the hallway, repeating his intentions as loudly as he could.

"Banpei-kun! Come back!" Skuld cried, chasing after him. As she'd feared, he didn't obey, but she wasn't surprised. There were only two conditions under which Banpei could disobey her direct orders: if a demon of great power was detected nearby, or if Skuld and her sisters were facing a fatal threat. On the other hand, if there was a powerful demon inside the tower already, then it needed to be dealt with.

Banpei reached the third basement level when his warning finally changed. "DEMON IN SIGHT! NOW ENGAGING!"

Skuld stared into the long hallway before her, and began to wonder if this particular Banpei unit had some flaws in it. The only thing she could see was an incredibly old woman in hooded black robes slowly shuffling towards them, leaning on a knobby walking stick that was as short and misshapen as its owner.

Banpei was of a different opinion, because he raced towards the woman, small rocket launchers emerging from his shoulders.

The old woman never even paused in her stride. She only made a waving motion with her stick and grumbled, "Away with ye, goblin! You'll not get the best of me today, says I!"

Skuld could think of only one way to stop Banpei from hurting the woman, and even that might fail, but she had no other choice. "Noble Scarlet, I need you! Stop Banpei-kun from hurting her, please!"

An instant later, a powerful stream of water rushed past Skuld, sweeping Banpei off of his feet and tossing him towards Noble Scarlet, who caught him with ease. Skuld quickly slapped the emergency shutdown button on his back, and Banpei powered down at once. She sighed in relief and turned to the old woman, only to get the shock of her life.

An enormous, two-headed dog had appeared just behind the old woman, his body easily filling the entire hallway. His fur was darker than night itself, and thick, foamy saliva dribbled from his gaping mouths, striking the floor with a loud, ominous hissing sound.

"We'll see what you make of this old lady now, poppet!" the old woman cackled. She then noticed that Banpei was no longer a threat, and seemed to shrink in on herself a bit. "Ah, ruined my fun, so ye have." Slowly turning around, she raised her walking stick and rapped the dog sharply on his closest head. "Away with ye, wicked beastie! You're needed no longer!"

Amazingly, the dog let out a high-pitched whine before vanishing into a column of jet black smoke, leaving the stench of burnt hair in his wake.

"What was that?!" Skuld shrieked. "I thought you were a little old lady! No wonder Banpei-kun's sensors detected a demon, if that thing was down here the whole time!"

"Who? Orthrus?" the old woman asked, scratching her cheek with a finger. "He wasn't here the whole time. I just summoned him to eat your goblin. Anyway, he be not a demon. Hellhound, says I! Two totally different creatures they be!"

"From the same place!" Skuld argued.

"And? Would ye go off and slay every demon ye find? Surely there must be one or two ye wouldn't!"

"Well... there's my sister," Skuld admitted hesitantly. "But she's only half-demon..."

"HA! So ye see! Does no good to charge around with wee goblins and the like, slaying whatever beasties ye find!"

"But Urd is a special case! How do I know you're not a demon that will cause trouble?"

The old woman snorted. "Trouble, she says! Trouble's my specialty, poppet, but it's allowed!" She reached into her robes and drew out something that Skuld was familiar with, thanks to Mara: a demon's license. It was clearly old, and very much faded, but somehow when it was pressed into Skuld's hands, it was perfectly legible.

Demon First Class, Special Duty, Unlimited

Issued to ATROPOS, MOIRAE OF THE FUTURE

Authenticity Guaranteed by the 15th Daimakaicho

Skuld was brought out of her shock as the woman grasped her shoulder with a surprisingly firm grip.

"Demon or goddess, we're all the same in this place, poppet," Atropos growled. "We're Fates in the end, no matter where we started from, or what we started as. I was a lot like ye when I first came here: proud and flashy. But after ye watch all those ye call friend pass on by, ye come to accept that only the sisterhood lasts. Much as I hate those two at times, they've never left me. Only the bond matters."

"S-So your sisters are demons, too?" Skuld asked hesitantly.

"Nope!" Atropos replied as she let go. "Just me, poppet, and that's the way I likes it." She offered a smile that displayed a disturbing lack of teeth. "Oh, and I see ye already have the tools of the trade!"

"Tools?"

"Aye, poppet, tools!" The old woman gestured to Lind's axe, which Skuld had strapped to her back. "Me, I'm a snak-snak, but ye be a wak-wak for sure!"

Skuld stared at her, completely puzzled, until she spotted a giant pair of sinister-looking scissors tucked into the old woman's belt. They were stained with a dark red substance that Skuld sincerely hoped was rust. She could easily imagine the horrid sound they'd make as they cut through something. "But the axe isn't mine. I'm just holding onto it for-"

"For as long as ye need it," Atropos murmured. "Aye. It be the same for we Moirae, poppet. Now, on with ye! Even though ye Norns be here now, we Moirae still have ends to cut, says I. Some things be not allowed."

"Like what?"

"No handling the threads of those ye already know," Atropos answered, grinning at her. "Temptation sets in, so it does. So ye need not worry about taking care of Morisato, poppet. He belongs to me."

Before Skuld could protest, Atropos struck the floor with her walking stick, and vanished in a large cloud of black smoke. Skuld was only an instant away from reactivating Banpei to track the old woman down again, when a familiar hand touched her shoulder.

"I did tell you it would be best to cut all ties before we began our work," Belldandy sighed. "Fates cannot be partial to anyone, Skuld, not even those we love. That is why those threads of fate are entrusted to others."

"But how do we know she can be trusted, Onee-sama?"

"She wouldn't still be here if she couldn't. Atropos may enjoy her work a little more than is healthy, but not more than is wise. She will only take him when his time comes. That is her duty, and she will fulfill it. We must do the same."

Skuld bit her lip. "But... if I have Lind's axe, then... I'm supposed to kill?"

Belldandy shook her head. "The Valkyries are often asked to do the same. The difference now is a wider variety of targets, and the ability, in most cases, to choose the method of death. This is a great responsibility, and you should treat it as such. Try not to think of it as killing or murder, Skuld. Some of these people will die in other ways."

"But I'll really be the one killing them all either way, won't I?"

"Death teaches us to value the time we have to live, Skuld. It's how Peorth knows how precious the life of her unborn child is. You shouldn't always think of death as a bad thing."

"But why do I have to be the one in charge of death?" Skuld asked. "Why couldn't it have been Urd?"

"I don't have the answer to that, Skuld," Belldandy admitted. "I only know that this is what we were meant for. Try to look at it this way. If you turned away from your duty, then the next goddess to take up the role might not be as responsible as you are. People would only suffer needlessly in such hands. But the Almighty put His trust in us, and Lind put her faith in you. We cannot and will not fail. Urd and I will support you, so try not to worry."

"Do... you really think I can do this, Onee-sama?"

"You're the only one who can properly answer that," Belldandy replied with a smile. "Peorth's baby will be born in the near future. It'll be an excellent chance for you to see how the process impacts those you care for. Then maybe you'll understand how I felt when you were born."

God and the Daimakaicho did not typically occupy the same room at the same time, when at all possible. It was dangerous, for one thing, because even with the Doublet System in place, it was extremely difficult not to attack the being that was directly responsible for nearly everything that you were against.

Hild's name-calling did nothing to improve matters, either.

All that aside, some things were simply more important, and if Hild could freely admit that, then so could God. They stood side by side on this day, with arms crossed and mighty heads turned in opposite directions so that neither One would have to look at the Other.

Lind imagined that it was the sort of thing Urd and Skuld might do if they were fighting, but wisely did not allow her face to display how amusing she found that idea. She could tell by the slight arch in His eyebrow that God appreciated the effort, if nothing else.

"As you know, Lind, the appointment of new Fates is a time of major transition for both Heaven and Hell. They essentially report to no one, yet are equally important to both sides. It is necessary for both sides to want to ensure their protection. Traditionally, this was only made possible by having one or more members of the Fates corrupted-"

"Which technically happened this time, too," Hild was sure to add.

God pointedly ignored the interruption. "We have always found that the best protectors of the Fates are those who genuinely care for them. Henceforth, you are Heaven's appointed Guardian of Fate. You must be prepared to defend the Fates against anything that might manipulate, harm, or kill them. The moment you leave this room, your angels will emerge and stay out for the duration of your term as Guardian. Do you have any questions?"

Lind nodded. "Only two. First, it was no accident that both Belldandy and Urd have experience as demons?"

"Let's just say that the tests to become Fates are a little more open-ended these days," Hild chuckled.

"Hell was awarded more control over the tests this time around, since they usually only had one member of the Fates representing them," God added reluctantly.

Lind frowned. "Second, who is Hell's Guardian?"

Hild grinned. "Lucky for me, Heaven has no say in who I choose for that, so long as the demon in question is First Class."

"I still say it's a bad idea," God grumbled.

"When have I EVER listened to YOU?"

They were still bickering when the door behind Lind opened, admitting Hell's Guardian. She didn't recognize him immediately, but the familiar cross-shaped mark on his forehead, as well as Blue Lance hovering behind him, gave him away. "Welsper."

"This body itches," the tall, brown-skinned man complained, tugging at the long, white locks of hair that framed his face. He looked for all intents and purposes like a male version of Urd, which was a rather odd look for someone known for his lack of height. "I'm going to hate this, aren't I?"

"You said you'd do anything for Bell-chan, didn't you?" Hild asked. "And you wouldn't hear of anyone else from Hell protecting her."

"But that was before you stuck me in a new body!"

"So? This body is far better suited to be the Guardian than any of your previous ones. The only way I'd ever consider doing anything about it was if it somehow kept your from accessing your full power."

Welsper frowned. "Well, now that you mention it, I don't think that-"

"Oh, I was hoping you'd say that!" Hild squealed, yanking a handful of white hair from her head. "Let's see, six or seven thousandths should be more than enough..."

Welsper paled. "You wouldn't dare! You couldn't possibly be THAT evil!"

Hild stuck her tongue out at him, and the new, teenaged Hild that appeared at her side did the same.

"I suppose this is for the best," God sighed. "Each Guardian has incentive to protect at least one of the Norns. But I still don't think it's a good idea."

"I don't remember an opinion being asked for," Hild pointed out, giggling as she brushed out her younger clone's hair. "I can't wait to see the look on Urd-chan's face when she finds out!"

Belldandy stared at the mess on the floor and sighed. "Nee-san, I'm starting to think that you're doing this on purpose. That's the seventh teacup you've dropped today."

"I told you, I can't help it, dammit!" Urd snapped, gripping her wildly twitching right hand. "Every time I start to take a sip, my demon side goes nuts! Hild is up to something, I just know it!"

"She can't be bugging you ALL of the time," Skuld groaned. "It gets boring, eventually. There must be other things that she does."

"Yeah, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'd rather have her bugging me, where I can see her, so at least I know she's not plotting to blow up the Earth or something."

"Hild-san wouldn't do that," Belldandy disagreed.

"And I suppose you're going to tell me she wouldn't because there's some good in her?" Urd asked sourly.

"Actually, she wouldn't because some of her best demons are there right now. At the very least, she'd call them back to Hell before she blew up Earth, which would give us some warning."

Urd scowled at her. "Have I mentioned I don't much care for your attitude lately?"

End of Part 7.

Next Chapter: A Last Wish

Every child born into this world belongs to the Fates. Every life follows the paths woven by their skilled hands. Every death occurs because they will it. They do not do any of this because they can, or because they want to. They do it solely because they must.

Endnotes:

Orthrus is the arguably lesser-known (at least, I just found out about him) brother of Cerberus, and both are technically hellhounds. Orthrus has two heads, while Cerberus typically has three.

Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos are the Moirae, more or less Greek versions of the Norns. To be clear, they are only mentioned as goddesses to my knowledge, but since Atropos is directly responsible for death, she is generally considered to be sinister where the other two are not. So I didn't think her being a demon was much of a stretch in this case.