Notes: The last chapter. It's been weird. If it hasn't been terribly obvious yet, I've been mixing various mythologies with the OMG universe (well, mostly the anime universe, anyway).
Broken Dreamers
An Ah! My Goddess Miniseries by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Part 8: A Last Wish
Being Heaven's Guardian of Fate was not nearly as exciting as Lind had hoped it would be. While she did not exactly hope for situations that would require her expertise, she enjoyed feeling useful and cutting loose occasionally as much as anyone. But the simple fact was that she, Welsper, and Hecate (Hild's teenage clone, who had been named so only after "Hild: The Sequel" was unanimously rejected) were enormously powerful. Common sense had to prevail after a certain point, and apparently the point was located somewhere just outside of the tower they called home.
There had been a few skirmishes, of course, but nothing that hadn't been dealt with in a matter of seconds.
For all his complaints of itchiness and irregularity with his new body, Welsper's forehead laser had only grown in accuracy and power (although it did tend to ruin his "look," so he'd taken to wearing his hair in a single, long braid again, and mostly ignoring Hecate's taunts of him being a girly man).
Hecate, not surprisingly, knew nothing of restraint, and was only allowed to attack from the top of the tower, since that was really the only way to ensure that she didn't accidentally kill anyone on her side. She seemed to prefer ridiculously large missile launchers, and despite Skuld's best efforts, had yet to use a weapon that didn't level everything in the surrounding area.
Lind liked to think that she was the most normal one of the bunch, but was starting to doubt even that. Despite their differences, serving alongside Welsper and Hecate for what seemed like forever had more or less made them friends. At least, they were good for finding ways to pass the time, even if it was only something as normal as card games or cleaning up another of Hecate's messes after target practice.
Truthfully, there was very little guarding that they actually did. The Norns were not exactly powerless, at any rate, so the Guardians were there more for appearances than anything else. One of them accompanied any Norn that left the tower, and even that was more because Belldandy and Skuld liked their Guardians, while Urd did her best to hide from Hecate, for all the good it did.
One thing that Lind had been prepared for was the minimal contact that the Norns had with anyone, including their Guardians. Frequent contact bred strong feelings, which lead to the temptation of altering individual fates. Ultimately, it was simpler and less painful to avoid people entirely. Of course, as all three Guardians had been born long before Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld assumed their duties, the Norns could not alter their fates, anyway. More than likely, they all belonged to Atropos, The Last of the Moirae, the only other Fate present in the tower aside from the Norns.
Belldandy had never gone into detail about the Moirae, and no one else had offered any information on them. Still, it was fairly obvious that Atropos would remain in the tower at least as long as she had any strings of fate left to cut. And despite a nearly disastrous first meeting, Skuld spent the majority of her time with the old woman, learning the tricks of trade. For her part, Atropos was either fond of Skuld, or simply resigned to passing on her art to the youngest Norn. Either way, Skuld no longer had any reservations about taking lives, and at times even seemed to enjoy it. That had bothered Urd, until Belldandy reminded her that it was better for Skuld to like the work, than to fear it for as long as she had to do it. Atropos had certainly not been old when she started, and that was quite a sobering idea, considering how old she had to be now.
Atropos lived in the "bowels" of the tower (a phrase she was fond of cackling rather loudly), or the lowermost levels, all of which were below ground level. She had never liked venturing up any higher, and now that she had a small army of Banpei drones to serve her, she had a perfect excuse. Skuld could usually be found at her side, peering over the old woman's shoulder as she worked. This ultimately meant two things: first, that Skuld now almost always smelled faintly of mothballs and an odor that Urd insisted came from frequenting dark, damp places. Second, that Lind was the one sent to fetch Skuld, as Atropos would tolerate no one else entering her domain.
That was the case on this particular day, but for once, Lind was happy to do so. It was the first time in a while that all three Norns had a reason to leave the tower together, as Skuld was usually left behind while Urd and Belldandy worked as a pair. And while Lind had no doubt that Atropos was quite wise, she was also concerned that such wisdom had become a little stale over time (it was nicer than calling the old woman insane, anyway). It could only do Skuld good to get some fresh air with her sisters, who she was spending more and more time away from.
But Lind had only made it to the ground level when she bumped into Skuld on the stairs. It took her a moment to realize that the person was, in fact, Skuld, for that matter. Skuld was almost a head taller than she recalled, with severely pale skin and hair in tangles that hung limply over her eyes.
"You shouldn't have come, Lind," Skuld said quietly. "I'm not going."
"But, Skuld-sama, this is Peorth's baby!"
"All the more reason why I shouldn't go. What if I get The Call while I'm there?"
Lind had no immediate response to that. Each Fate just knew where she was needed next, and merely referred to such instincts as "The Call." It would not have been the first time that Skuld had come along, simply to be with her sisters, and ended up claiming the life of some child that they'd just guided into the world. It was one of the aspects of her duty that Skuld had never gotten used to, although Atropos seemed optimistic about her future chances.
"Of course you're coming," Belldandy said as she suddenly appeared behind Lind. "It may be Peorth's last chance to see you, Skuld. You must come."
"I'm not," Skuld insisted, backing up a step.
Belldandy beamed at her. "Urd and I will wait for you outside."
"Onee-sama, I'm not-"
"Don't keep us waiting too long." Belldandy turned and started walking up the stairs.
Skuld scowled after her.
Lind sighed. "You know they'll stand out there for weeks if you don't go. I hate to think what would happen to Peorth's children if they were late."
"Traitor," Skuld muttered under her breath, but she stomped her way after Belldandy, anyway.
Keiichi had not slept since his first child was born. It had been two and a half days since then, and he wasn't even tired.
More than anything, he was afraid.
He had stopped worrying about things like fate a long time ago. But he was quickly learning once again that unexpected twists of fate were just as big a problem as they had been back when he was still human.
He'd left the naming up to Peorth, as when he'd first asked, she'd come up with a list of potentials that was longer than he was tall, and trusted her to pick a good one. Anyway, she'd said it was either that, or HE would carry their next children.
The birth had been messy (although according to Hild, they all were), but Keiichi had witnessed it solely because Glamorous Rose had wanted to. He didn't regret it, although he was fairly certain that the resulting stress had contributed to a heart attack somewhere down the road.
Nothing would ever replace the memory of seeing his son's head for the first time.
Although the memory of a tiny, unexpected hand clinging to the baby's foot was a very close second.
Peorth had never said anything about expecting twins, and from the accusing look on her face after delivering two babies, suspected Keiichi had snuck one into her while she wasn't looking.
All things considered, Hild was more than likely capable of that, especially since she delivered the babies herself, but denied any involvement.
After she'd calmed down, Peorth had named the boy Hjuki, and the girl Bil.
They were, at first glance, completely normal children, save for the matching red diamond markings on their foreheads and cheeks. Hjuki had a bit of bad balance from the start, and Bil, forever in his shadow, would follow faithfully, even when her brother tumbled headlong into things. Each time Hjuki began to scrunch up his face to wail after a fall, he would notice Bil beside him, in an equally ridiculous position, and giggle uncontrollably, his own troubles completely forgotten. Naturally, Bil would join in because her brother was laughing, and neither one would be able to stop unless they were separated. Such was the strength of the bond between them.
The Norns returned to the temple exactly three days after Peorth gave birth, although only they were fully aware of it.
Belldandy and Urd chose the front entrance, and even waited to be admitted. This was, of course, completely unnecessary for Fates, but Belldandy insisted that that was no excuse for a lack of manners. At any rate, she wanted Keiichi and Peorth to be fully aware of what they were doing there. Urd thought this was a very bad idea, and Skuld agreed with her.
Which was why Skuld entered the temple ten minutes after her sisters, neither asking for entry nor allowing herself to be seen by anyone who didn't know to look for her there. Hild saw her, but thankfully remained silent on the subject. Peorth even confessed to being disappointed that Skuld wasn't there to hold the babies, and Belldandy assured her that wherever Skuld was, she was feeling the same way.
Once Belldandy and Urd had done what they were meant to do, the three sisters returned to their tower.
Along the way, Skuld turned to Belldandy and asked softly, "Are you happy now? I told you it was a bad idea."
"I would not have your first time seeing Peorth's children also be the last time, Skuld."
"There's no point in fighting over it," Urd sighed. "We did our jobs, and Skuld will do hers at the appointed time. There's nothing else we can do, is there? For all the power we supposedly have, we're powerless."
The problem with appointing a lifelong Guardian of Fate was that it put a severe drain on the combat forces. After which, there was generally a scramble to produce some high-ranking individual to fill the void. The Daimakaicho had nor problem here: demons were always squabbling and climbing over each other for power. Welsper's spot was filled in exactly three seconds.
God chose another route. As the Norns were all goddesses, along with Lind, he had lost four virtual powerhouses. They would be tricky to replace even under the best circumstances. Wanting to avoid any power struggles, God quickly solved the problem Himself.
He made an angel, wrapped it in a pleasing body, gave it all the necessary abilities, and had it join the Valkyries.
In one day, the angel had risen to the top of their ranks. By the next, it was regarded as the most powerful fighter in Heaven, and was given command over all of Heaven's armies.
The angel had many names, and wore them like badges of honor. The most common, and the one it preferred most at the time, was Aurvandil.
For the most part, Aurvandil was a beautiful and peaceful angel. It carefully weighed its options before making a decision, and then pursued that choice with all of its considerable might and cunning. Many considered Aurvandil to be the perfect angel. Whether that was true or not, it certainly seemed to be the case. And perhaps that is where the trouble began.
Aurvandil was fairly simple-minded by necessity. It could not be bothered with complexities that might distract from its ultimate purpose. For example, it understood that demons were the enemies of Heaven, and that while there were rules of engagement, there was really only one option when encountering them.
Unfortunately, this also meant that there were no special cases or exceptions in Aurvandil's eyes. And when it turned those eyes onto Earth, Aurvandil's heart was greatly troubled to find that the Daimakaicho seemed to have such free reign there. Rather than share those feelings with anyone, Aurvandil approached its Maker, and asked if it might be allowed to descend to Earth, in order to re-establish Heaven's domain there. God granted it permission, and Aurvandil eagerly accepted its new task. It did not, at any point, entertain thoughts of engaging Hild directly. To do so might very well destroy the Earth in the resulting battle, after all. No, Aurvandil's first targets were both largely defenseless and yet extremely important to the Daimakaicho: the children of her most beloved demons.
Skuld's duty as a Fate was not as straightforward as many liked to think. It was true that she could only work within the limits that Belldandy had already decided upon, but even that usually gave Skuld some creative control. For example, if Belldandy had foreseen that a person wouldn't live past 65, Skuld could sometimes claim them as early as 60. She made a point to carefully consider the person's entire life before making such judgments.
Strings of fate came in a wide variety of colors, but Skuld always saw the area under her influence as black. Her axe could cut anywhere within that area, and how delicately or violently she did so determined the nature of death.
The only real problem with this was that Skuld could see her area of influence from the moment that Belldandy rolled out a person's string of fate. She had learned it was best not to be present during those times, but of course Belldandy had dragged her along to see Peorth's children for the first time.
And the only consolation was that even if Belldandy couldn't see Skuld's area of influence, there was no way she wouldn't have noticed that one of the children's strings was tragically short. So at very least, Skuld would not have to suffer the weight of such knowledge alone.
Hjuki and Bil grew fast, almost as if they had something to accomplish in a hurry. They displayed none of the demonic powers expected of them, but Hild had still insisted on applying seals, as a precaution, once they reached the age of two. Since she was the one that would know about such things, Keiichi and Peorth agreed. If nothing else, the seals would prevent the twins from hurting each other, and Hjuki was accident-prone already.
Belldandy was a constant presence in the children's lives, for better or for worse. It didn't take Urd long to figure out what that meant, although Skuld's reluctance to be around the twins may have told her just as much.
"You know nothing good can come of spending time with them, don't you?" Urd demanded each time that Belldandy asked her to come along. "It'll only make it harder to let them go."
But Belldandy's response was always the same. "Nee-san, you don't keep your love from a child because it won't survive. If anything, you love them more, because they only have so little time."
"That's what they have parents for, Belldandy! You should just stay away from them! They aren't your kids!"
"No, but they could've been easily enough."
There was nothing that would keep Belldandy away from the twins, and they all knew it. But Urd felt she had to try, because there were some things that even their Guardians couldn't protect them from. Just because Belldandy was accustomed to allowing herself to be hurt didn't mean that it had to go on, not when it could be avoided so easily.
Skuld never participated in such arguments, though each one made her blood boil. Belldandy and Urd could say whatever they wanted, but in the end, she would be the one to feel the most pain. She would be the one responsible for taking Peorth's child away, and nothing else mattered.
A few weeks after her tenth birthday, Bil woke up in bed to find a woman with an enormous axe gazing down at her. Right away, she knew two things: first, that she'd never seen the woman before, and second, that the woman was still somehow familiar to her.
"Go back to sleep," the woman ordered, turning away. "You'll need it."
Immediately, Bil was reminded of Urd, who, despite being Belldandy's sister, always seemed to be in a foul mood. "Are you related to Bell nee-chan, too?"
The woman froze, and then slowly turned back to her. "She is my older sister. Go to-"
"Then you're Skuld nee-chan!" Bil cried happily, pointing at her.
"Who told you to call me that?" Skuld demanded, frowning.
Bil blinked, clearly surprised by her anger. "Bell nee-chan did."
Skuld said nothing, but her frown deepened as she turned away again.
"Want to play?" Bil asked, hoping to ease the mood.
"Not particularly, no."
"Then what do you want to do?"
"What I was meant to do," Skuld murmured, glancing back at her. "Just for today, I will walk with you."
Bil thought about that for a moment, then climbed out of bed, intending to cross the room and wake her brother.
"Don't bother. He can't see me."
"Why not?" Bil asked, pouting.
"Because he doesn't need to, and it's easier that way."
"For who?"
Skuld glared at her. "Go. To. Sleep."
Bil didn't, but she was really starting to wish that Skuld was more like Urd, who at least gave her potions to play with as a distraction.
Aurvandil's body was a work of both art and genius. It was somehow simultaneously perfect for housing an angel, and yet in no way restricted the angel's power by itself. True, Aurvandil wore seals like any high-ranking individual in Heaven, but did not necessarily use them as the others did. For Aurvandil's service had earned it something only a handful of God's Chosen had ever even glimpsed.
Aurvandil had earned the Almighty's Favor.
It was, quite simply, God's faith in a select few to carry out His Will, and ultimately, in certain situations, to represent the Will of God Himself.
The Almighty's Favor was as powerful as it was mysterious. It had no one definite shape or feel, but was rumored to allow its wearer the power to do virtually anything they wished, so long as it was in the interest of upholding God's Will.
For example, Aurvandil had no problem descending to Earth and landing directly in front of the temple, breaking through Hild's barrier as if it had never even been there at all. With a simple gesture, the angel erected its own barrier, one that would completely suppress any demonic power within it. Even if the children's parents tried to interfere, there was nothing they could do without their powers.
Aurvandil found the twins easily enough: they were still in bed, although wide awake and very confused. Without a word, the angel extended its hands, intending to end their existence with twin bursts of holy fire.
The angel never even saw Skuld until her axe was buried in its back.
"Your determination is commendable, Fate-cutter," Aurvandil said calmly, "but you overstep your bounds. I am doing the Master's Work. Surely it has not been so long that you've forgotten-"
"You're only supposed to kill one," Skuld growled through gritted teeth.
Aurvandil slowly looked over its shoulder at her. "As you wish. First one, then the other. Interfere with me again, and you will be sorry."
"That isn't what I-!"
"Be gone." Aurvandil flexed the muscles in its back, and both Skuld and her axe were driven through the wall by a small but powerful storm of snow-white feathers. The angel turned back to the children, who were clinging to each other in fear. "Do not be afraid, little ones. My Master has granted you His Mercy this day, undeserving as you are. Your deaths will be swift and without pain." It stretched out its hands again.
"NO!" Skuld shouted as she dove through the hole in the wall, axe in hand.
Aurvandil did not even turn to look at her, and this time the swing of Skuld's axe halted mere inches from the angel's side. "You cannot oppose me. I am shielded by His Favor."
"It didn't stop me the first time!" Skuld snapped.
The angel frowned, as if this hadn't occurred to it. "True. Perhaps I should deal with you first." Aurvandil drew a flaming sword out of thin air, and then slashed it across Skuld's forearms, forcing her to drop the axe and backpedal. "I will not kill you. I am not allowed to. But whatever it takes to keep you down is acceptable."
"What you're doing is wrong!" Skuld hissed, covering the wounds in her arms in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. "I've seen their fate! Only one is meant to die now!"
"Perhaps you were wrong about their fate, and yours as well." Aurvandil swept its sword at her legs, but Skuld leapt over weapon and rocked the angel's head to the side with a vicious kick. However, if Aurvandil felt any pain, it did not show in its eyes.
"You've forgotten your purpose," Skuld gasped, stumbling a bit as her vision blurred momentarily. "I was made to severe strings of fate, just as you were made to replace my sisters and I. There's no reason for you to do this!"
"There is every reason. If you had done your jobs correctly, I wouldn't need to take such drastic steps. Now you get in my way as I try to correct your mistakes. You cannot be forgiven. Feel the Wrath of the Almighty!" The angel's body went rigid as an enormous pair of wings burst from his back, destroying nearly everything in the vicinity with a single, powerful flap. Everything else was sent flying wildly into the air, Skuld and the twins included.
Skuld's eyes went to her axe, which slammed into her waiting hands with nearly enough force to take her arms off at the elbows. Then she looked to the twins, and was horrified to see that Aurvandil was closing in on them, his sword extended and heading straight for Hjuki's chest. There was no way she could reach them in time.
Just as she had known, long before she'd come here.
"I'm sorry," Skuld whispered, closing her eyes. When she opened them, Noble Scarlet had emerged and was gently stroking her bloody arms. "Guide my hands, Noble Scarlet. I can't afford to miss."
Aurvandil's eyes gleamed with triumph as it drew closer to its destiny, in the form of two frightened, soon to be deceased demon children.
And then it was all stolen away in an instant.
The demon boy had gone rigid with terror, and made for an easy target. That he had placed himself in front of his sister was perhaps admirable, but still pointless.
Aurvandil's sharp eyes caught a flash of light in the demon girl's eyes, and in a blur of motion, she suddenly appeared in front of her brother, shoving him away with one hand and holding out the other in a meaningless attempt to prevent her own death. She would be cut down just as easily.
And she was.
Just not the way she was supposed to.
An instant before Aurvandil could reach her, the Fate-cutter's axe flew directly over the girl's head, taking two dark brown hairs with it. The girl stiffened at once, her eyes first growing dim, and then dark. Then she dropped out of the sky like a rock.
The demon boy was screaming her name, doing his best to reach her before she hit the ground.
Aurvandil felt cheated. Perhaps it shouldn't have mattered, since the girl was still dead. But it did matter. Destroying these children was a destiny that the angel had crafted for itself. To be robbed of that was an unforgivable offense. The Fate-cutter would be dealt with.
But only after the boy was dead, too.
Skuld sank heavily to the ground, allowing pain and fatigue to finally overtake her. More than that, there was guilt weighing her down as she watched Noble Scarlet carefully lower Bil's body the ground. She had thought things could get no worse.
Then Hjuki landed next to his fallen twin, and they did.
"You... YOU DID THIS!" the boy screamed, clutching Bil's lifeless body to his chest. "WHY?! WHAT'D SHE EVER DO TO YOU?!"
Skuld had no words to offer him, and even if she had, she wouldn't have bothered.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"
Briefly, she thought about explaining that she had done Bil a favor. That dying an instant, painless death from her axe was infinitely more merciful than feeling a flaming sword plunge through the heart. But Skuld decided against it. Some part of her felt she'd earned his hatred. If he never forgave her, she would just have to live with that on her conscience.
She almost didn't notice when Aurvandil touched down behind Hjuki. But Noble Scarlet did, and as the flaming sword swept towards Hjuki's back, Skuld's angel threw herself in its path.
Pain unlike anything Skuld had ever known stabbed through her body, and a choked scream was all she could manage before she collapsed beside Bil.
Hjuki whirled around, his eyes widening in fear as he watched the two angels struggle against each other. He didn't want either one to win, for fear of what might happen to him afterwards. As far as he knew, he had no allies in this place. If his parents hadn't come yet, it had to be because they couldn't. There were only two other people that Hjuki knew for sure would come if he called, so he did.
"BELL NEE-CHAN!!! HILD BAA-CHAN!!! HELP!!!"
Technically, either one could've arrived instantly, had they chosen to ignore certain restrictions, and had they not minded the idea of potentially ripping the planet in half along the way.
Belldandy obeyed the restrictions, because she was supposed to, and because she knew Hild wouldn't.
Consequently, Belldandy, along with Urd and Lind, arrived five seconds after Hild. They really only had to follow the stench of burning air and ruined ground. They descended just in time to see Hild raising Aurvandil's own flaming sword for what could only be a fatal blow. All that remained of the angel's wings were large, blackened stumps on its back that resembled overgrown warts more than anything else.
Urd immediately went to tend to Skuld, while Belldandy and Lind slowly approached the Daimakaicho.
"Hild-san," Belldandy said softly, "please stop."
Hild didn't look at her, but she did pause. "Sorry, Bell-chan, but I really want to do this right now. Part of you does, too, I'm sure."
"There has been enough death today."
"That's your opinion. Now, I'm sure you're going to tell that there's a dead goddess out there somewhere because of the Doublet System, but that doesn't make things even this time. And that's the real beauty of it: this angel isn't connected to anyone else. It'll be a clean break."
Belldandy shook her head. "I doubt the Almighty will see it that way."
"Do I look like I care?" Hild snapped. "Who do you think Made this thing, anyway? It's a mistake that needs to be put down, and I'm going to do it!"
"Will you stay your hand as a favor to me, then? I would be most grateful."
"Bell-chan, if I let you owe me for this, you'd NEVER be able to pay me back what that kid was worth. So don't even bother."
"Then will you do it simply because we are friends who have both suffered a similar loss?"
Hild considered that for several moments. "Under one condition: you tell what's keeping you from tearing Aurvandil apart."
Belldandy frowned. "Hild-san, I do not-"
"Bell." Hild finally turned her head, and Belldandy was startled to see the start of tears in her eyes. "This monster tried to kill our Bil-chan. Maybe you can lie now without being punished, but I won't let you do it here, not while Bil's body is still warm. Tell me the real reason."
Belldandy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Some things are worse than death."
That meant nothing to the others that heard it, but Hild smirked and lowered the sword. "Sure you won't come back to work for me, Bell-chan? Sometimes I think you'd make a perfect demon."
"You know I won't. But I do appreciate the appraisal of my talents, as always." Belldandy then turned to Lind. "Peorth and Keiichi-san should be nearby, but Aurvandil's barrier will have severely weakened them. Please go and assist them."
Lind nodded and quickly flew away.
"There was a barrier?" Hild asked in surprise.
"I'm sure you must have smashed through it without noticing," Belldandy explained. "It's no longer a concern, at any rate. What I don't understand is how Hjuki was able to call out for us while it was still functioning. It should have prevented him from doing so."
"Yeah. Funny how that worked out," Hild said, not sounding at all surprised.
Belldandy stared at her. "Hild-san, do you-?"
"You're asking too many questions today, Bell-chan," Hild interrupted, tossing an arm over her shoulders. "You should, as they say, have a little faith. That is how it goes, right? Not really my area, you understand."
Belldandy smiled patiently. "I suppose you are right."
It was only as Skuld opened her eyes that the realization hit her.
If today had been the day she was meant to die, she would have no way of knowing it. Atropos certainly wouldn't have said anything. Skuld had only known for sure that Bil was going to die. If Aurvandil had managed to kill them both, would she have been prepared? She didn't know, but fate had smiled upon her this day.
More or less, anyway.
Skuld got a rude shock when a pair of brown fingers pinched her ear, hard.
"OW OW OW!"
"And if you EVER do something that stupid again," Urd growled, punctuating her words with sharp tugs on Skuld's ear, "I'm going to use your little robots for target practice again. What were you thinking, Skuld? Were you even thinking?"
"I had a job to do!" Skuld protested as she sat up and clapped a hand over her aching ear.
Urd glared at her. "You could've asked us for help. You could've warned us. You could've said you were going to nearly get yourself killed by the Almighty's most powerful angel ever!"
"But it was my duty!"
"We're all Fates, Skuld. More than that, we're sisters." Urd's voice trembled slightly. "You stupid little brat. What if you had died? Where would that leave us? What would you have me do without my baby sister to boss around?"
Skuld was unable to meet Urd's eyes, and made no move to pull away when Urd drew her into a tight hug.
"Don't you ever do that to me again, Skuld. I mean it!"
Skuld suddenly had a new appreciation for how much Hjuki had to hate her now. "Say whatever you want, Urd. But I know what I did was the right choice. If I had shared the burden with you, we would also share Hjuki's hatred. I spared you from that. You should be thankful."
"It isn't your job to protect me, Skuld," Urd replied. "You were just trying to make me look bad again."
"Not everything is about you. Anyway, if I had brought you along, I would've been too worried to do things right. You can barely take care of yourself as it is without one of us to watch you."
Urd's eyes narrowed, and she raised a threatening fist. "You little-"
"Belldandy! I found them!" a voice shouted.
Skuld paled as Lind returned, having to support Peorth and Keiichi as they were still recovering from the effects of Aurvandil's barrier. She briefly considered running, and Urd must have been thinking the same thing, because her grip on Skuld's shoulders tightened.
"No running away, little sister," Urd murmured in her ear. "You wanted to handle this by yourself, so go ahead."
Skuld could think of no words to explain what had happened. She watched Hjuki run to his parents and bury his face against Peorth's leg. He was sobbing hard enough that it would be difficult to understand his words, but she saw him jab his finger in her direction several times. An odd look came over Peorth's face: not one of anger or hatred, but realization. Once Hjuki was nestled safely in Keiichi's arms, Peorth quickly walked over and knelt beside Skuld, who was staring at the ground.
Peorth gently but firmly seized Skuld's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "I'm sorry you had to do that, Skuld, but thank you."
Skuld's eyes widened. "W-What are you talking about?"
"Sorry. I keep forgetting that you wouldn't know. Wait here for a minute." She stood up, turned away and, to Skuld's growing shock, began to call for Bil.
Skuld looked at Urd, who shrugged. "I-I didn't know Bil's death would hit her this hard. She was always so strong, and now-"
"Skuld," Urd said faintly, her eyes widening, "look!"
Although she had no idea what she would see, Skuld mentally prepared herself. She suspected that this day could only get worse. But her expectations were shattered by the sight of Bil, glowing like a small star, rising from her brother's back on white, batlike wings. She immediately settled on Hjuki's back, wiping away his tears and kissing his cheek.
"You really did us a huge favor, Skuld," Peorth explain with a smile. "We knew Bil was special, but neither of us could figure out how to get her to her rightful state without killing her. I guess there was no other way."
"Wait! You mean... she's okay?" Skuld asked in disbelief.
"Of course she is. Once Hjuki understands that, I'm sure he'll apologize to you. So don't be too hard on yourself."
"I don't understand!" Skuld cried. "You're supposed to hate me!"
"Hate you?" Peorth asked. "You saved her. If anything would've destroyed her utterly, it was being killed by Aurvandil. I much prefer your kind of death, frankly."
"But... none of this makes any sense! How could you know she was still alive?"
Peorth shrugged. "Hild told us about all of this a week after Bil was born."
Skuld stared at her in a combination of fury and disbelief. "That's CHEATING!"
Again, Peorth shrugged. "Did you forget which side we're on? Honestly, you should be used to it by now. Anyway, if we hadn't known, or if you'd failed, we WOULD hate you. So be glad we're a bunch of cheaters." She reached out and lightly stroked Skuld's hair. "Thank you for saving my babies, Skuld. I'll never forget this."
Skuld could only stare as Peorth rejoined her family. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was all wrong somehow. She didn't feel like a heroine, and had no desire to be one.
"I take it back," Urd said in her ear. "That little brat showed us both up."
"Got any sevens?"
"Go Fish."
Sighing, Hecate drew another card and added it to her hand. "I don't like this game anymore!"
"Well, think of another," Welsper demanded. "It's your turn."
"Strip Poker!"
"And STOP SUGGESTING THAT GAME!!!"
"But why?" Hecate whined. "It'd be fun!"
Welsper glared at her. "It'd be pointless! If you want to see me naked so bad, go into your room, take off all your clothes in front of the mirror, and imagine yourself without breasts! We practically have the same body as it is!"
"If we're the same, then you shouldn't be so shy about this!"
"You shouldn't be so interested!"
Hecate pouted and glanced over his head. "You agree with me, right, Blue-chan?"
Welsper's frown deepened. "Her name is Wasp of the Blue Lance. Blue Lance, if you must. Not... Blue-chan."
Hecate pointedly ignored him. "Blue-chan, want to split a muffin with me? It's blueberry!"
"She does not-!" Welsper gaped as his angel swept across the table and pounced on the muffin top that was offered to her. "Do you have ANY idea how many rules of reality that you just broke?!"
"All I want to know is if you can taste it."
"Yes, oddly enough, but that's not the point!"
"The point," Hecate stated, "is that she likes it. See?" She passed Blue Lance another muffin, which was gladly accepted.
"Stop feeding her!" Welsper snapped.
Both Hecate and Blue Lance stared at him with wide, watery eyes.
"Oh, forget it," he grumbled, tossing his cards on the table in disgust.
"How unfortunate," Hecate sighed. "You have a very grumpy host, Blue-chan. I feel sorry for you."
Blue Lance nodded in agreement, and was rewarded with another muffin.
Welsper thought about yelling at her not to agree with Hecate, then realized it would be pointless. Thankfully, he was saved from being alone with them when the door opened, admitting Lind and her twin angels. She took one look at Welsper's face and shook her head.
"Can't you two ever get along? You're almost related as it is."
"We are NOT! I was NOT born in this body!" Welsper roared.
"Oh. Right. Sorry." Lind managed that in a flat tone, not seeming the least bit sorry.
Welsper glared at her. "You know, if you just wanted to infuriate me, you only had to leave me alone with HER for a little longer."
"Calm down," Lind said as she took a seat. She glanced at Hecate, and then stared at Blue Lance, who was working on her sixth muffin. "Angels... eat muffins?"
"They do now," Welsper grumbled.
Hecate grinned and pushed a large basket of muffins towards Lind. "I brought plenty! You try some, too!"
"I don't really want any," Lin replied.
"I wasn't offering them to YOU," Hecate snorted. "Somehow, I knew you'd be just as bad as Welsper. They're for your angels!"
"Well..." Lind glanced back at Spear Mint and Cool Mint, who were trying not to be too obvious about drooling. "I guess it's okay." She immediately received a kiss of gratitude on each cheek, and then muffins were flying out of the basket as all three angels dove in.
"So how did things go out in the field?" Hecate asked.
"It was a real mess, at first. Aurvandil tried to kill Peorth's kids."
"What?! WHY?!"
"I'm not really sure. Hild stepped in, but not before Skuld killed Bil so that Aurvandil couldn't do it."
"Then... Bil-chan's dead?!"
"No, she's an angel, and quite happy, from what I saw."
Hecate blinked slowly. "How did that happen?"
Lind shook her head. "I honestly don't know. I suspect Hild does, but she didn't say anything. Anyway, the last I heard, the Almighty left it up to Hild to decide what happens to Aurvandil."
"Think there's any chance she might discard the body?" Welsper asked, suddenly interested.
"You REALLY don't like your body, do you?"
"Didn't we cover that on day one? And would you SLOW DOWN, PLEASE?!"
Blue Lance glared at him, but the effect was ruined by the three muffins stuffed in her mouth.
"Onee-sama, I still don't get it."
Belldandy glanced up from the bandages that she was carefully applying to Skuld's arm. "I've already told you, Skuld. I didn't know Bil would survive, either."
"I know. But I meant Hild. How much did she know?"
"Only she could tell you that. But I seriously doubt she would."
Skuld growled in frustration. "I HATE this! Does anything about this day make any sense at all?!"
Belldandy could see that Skuld wasn't going to get any rest being so worked up. "How about this? Ask me any one question, and I will answer it with complete honesty, if I am able."
"Do you regret leaving Keiichi?" Skuld asked at once.
"Yes, but wasn't that obvious?"
"Actually, no. You acted like it was part of your duty to leave him."
"Technically, it was."
"But you acted like you didn't mind it."
Belldandy hesitated before answering. "That was my choice. I assure you that I did mind."
"But you didn't EXPRESS that!"
"Skuld," Belldandy sighed, "there would have been no point. The Almighty knew my every thought. There was no need to express my displeasure when He was already aware of it."
"But there was a need. WE needed to know that you were upset. It was like you were dead inside."
"That was easier than expressing what I truly felt."
Skuld frowned. "Well, I don't like it when you're like that."
"Then I don't like it when you distance yourself from Urd and I," Belldandy countered. "She had a point, Skuld. You could've asked us for help. Did you think we would refuse you?"
"No, I knew you wouldn't. That's why I couldn't ask. I didn't want you to come with me."
"And because of that attitude, you'll have to stay in bed for the next few months, while Urd and I attend to you. Now, would you consider that fate, or getting what you deserve? Either way, you'd be stuck with us no matter what you did."
"But if you both had come with me, what are the chances we would've allowed Bil to die? She'd still wouldn't have access to her true power."
"But you forget, Skuld: it was Bil's fate to die, one way or another. It had nothing to do with what we would've allowed, but what had to be."
Skuld growled and buried her face in her pillow. "Nothing makes sense anymore!"
"Of course it does," Belldandy corrected with a smile, placing a tender kiss on top of Skuld's head. "Just not to you."
The End.
Endnotes:
In Norse mythology, Hjuki and Bil are twins that follow the moon across the heavens. The popular theory is that the nursery rhyme "Jack & Jill" is based on them.
Aurvandil is an Old Norse name whose root means "luminous wanderer." This is thought to originally be the name of the morning star, Eosphoros (which means "dawn-bearer"). In Greek mythology, Eosphoros is the brother of Hesperos, the evening star (whose Roman name is Vesper). Because they are both personifications of the planet Venus (at day and night, respectively), Eosphoros is sometimes called Phosphorous ("bearer of light," translated as Lucifer in Latin).