Chapter 20
Belldandy was still in a state of confusion. One moment she was following Keiichi through the temple helping him to look for Urd and Skuld. The next moment, a blinding light flashed and rendered her senseless, and she ended up in this dark cave. She was imprisoned in a cell dug out of a wall of the cave. It was just large enough to confine her securely and gave her little room to move. The force field that held her was transparent enough for her to see out into the rest of the cave, and she could see that to her right, Urd and Skuld were also trapped in subterranean cells. She tried to call out to her sisters, but they couldn't hear her.
Bell could see Urd waving her hands in complex gestures, Words of Power forming on her lips as she conjured up her strongest spells to try and escape. But the crystal clear force field merely absorbed her best efforts. Skuld was pulling out invention after invention trying to see which one of her gadgets would work, but even her most sophisticated devices were rendered useless. Failing miserably, Skuld fell to her knees and cried bitterly. Not to be outdone, Belldandy also tried to use her magic, but joined her sisters in defeat, The Norns of Time, the three most powerful Goddesses who ever lived, rendered powerless by a mere force field.
A moment later, Keiichi appeared. Her face lit up in anticipation. Keiichi would find a way to get her and her sisters out. She'd never lose faith in him. Bell could see the face of her lover change from confusion to rage as the cells and their precious prisoners were revealed. She could see by Keiichi's face, that he was in conversation with an unseen person. His lips moving and head nodding as he spoke. She saw him take a posture of defiance, only to snap back into an unwilling submission. Belldandy saw as the black gun-like device appeared at Keiichi's feet. She could see the light consuming blackness that covered the infernal thing as if it was alive and would swallow up anything it touched.
And she knew that whatever it was, it was an object of great Power to be used for evil purposes. He hesitated to pick it up, but when he did, Belldandy saw Keiichi's features flash into an insane rage. She had only see that once before. Seared into her mind, never to be forgotten. And it chilled her to the core to be reminded of it again.
As quickly as the rage came upon him, it went away, as she saw Keiichi wrestle mightily to hold the madness down. Bell began to speculate about what was going on. She could see Keiichi wrestling with his emotions as he heard the unspoken words in his mind, and the gun in his hands. As he was listening, his face grew graver and graver. But then Belldandy saw that Keiichi had achieved the final and ultimate moment of clarity. As if he knew what was supposed to be done and would carry out the task with no reservations. It seemed as if he was at peace with his decision.
At that moment, Belldandy knew what was about to happen. She opened her mouth to scream out her beloved's name as he mouthed the words, "I Love You" and he put the weapon to his head and fired. A red beam shot from the device and burrowed into Keiichi's head with a tremendous roar of energy pouring forth. She saw Keiichi's mouth open widely in mid-scream, his eyes rolled up into the back of his head as his legs gave way, and he pitched forward to land on his face. Urd and Skuld were petrified, screams of pain and loss forming on their lips. But Belldandy's was the loudest of them all.
"KEIICHI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I!"
Did she actually see what she thought she saw? Were her eyes playing tricks on her? Did her wonderful husband just kill himself in her presence? Immediately, Belldandy fell to her knees and wept. Overcome by her loss, the tears and screams flowed freely. All three Goddesses were racked with pain as they saw Keiichi's suicide. What was said to him to make him consider this action? What insane suggestion did the unseen visitor plant in his mind to drive him to destroy himself?
While her emotions flowed forth, Belldandy's mind began to analyze. Was it something she did? Was Keiichi angry with her in some way that he could not confess to her? Did she fail him yet again? Urd and Skuld wondered the same thing. They knew that Keiichi didn't always enjoy having them around, and that they were a handful to deal with. But Keiichi always tolerated the sisters' arguments and wacky experiments. Urd's delight in getting under Keiichi's skin. Her endless attempts to get Kei and Bell to raise their relationship to a more adult level, while Skuld labored with equal intensity to keep Keiichi's hands off her "Big Sis."
Did Keiichi have enough of their meddling that the only way clear was to kill himself instead of ordering them back to Heaven? Not that they would have gone back that willingly. They knew that Kei didn't have the guts to send them back. But Belldandy did. And if Keiichi would have asked her, she would have sent her sisters packing without hesitation.
Belldandy was still in the throes of hysteria when Torvald's voice invaded her mind again.
"Dry your tears, Goddess! He passed the test."
"This, this was your test, Torvald? To have Keiichi kill himself?" An enraged Belldandy sneered.
"No, you fool. I wanted to test his loyalty. I wanted to see if he could make the toughest decision that could be made. His test was to sacrifice one of you to let the other two go. Knowing that to destroy one of you would upset the balance between you and your sisters and cause Heaven and Earth to fall, he took the only acceptable way out. Instead of sacrificing you and your sisters, he sacrificed himself so that you three would stay together and save the worlds. The needs of a universe outweigh the desires and needs of one person. He proved that he is truly selfless. I didn't think he had the balls to do it. I was sure he'd sacrifice Urd or Skuld so that you and he would finally be able to live your lives without their distractions. But apparently the balance between the Norns was more important to him than his relationship to you. He gave that up to save all of you."
"So, Keiichi is really dead?" Belldandy asked. Still not believing that her best friend was gone forever.
"Actually, Belldandy. He's not really dead. The device that I gave him merely knocked him out, and gives the illusion that he's dead. Remember, Belldandy. This was a test. A test that had to be as realistic as possible. The fact that he turned the weapon on himself and did so in perfect peace with his decision to sacrifice himself for you and your sisters was the proof I needed to see. I am sure that if that weapon was a real 'God Killer', and Keiichi was given that same choice of sacrificing one to let the other two free, he would have arrived at the same conclusion. He passed the test, and because I am a demon bound by Lady Hild to keep my word, I have left his mind and removed the second Token spirit as well. Go and tend to your man."
"But, b-but..." wept Belldandy.
"Belldandy, did you really think that I wanted to destroy Heaven and Earth? If that were to happen, what would happen to Niflheim? There can be no light without darkness. And there can be no darkness without light. What's the use of having a Demonic Realm without a Heavenly one to torment, and an Earthly Realm to battle over? As much as I hate to admit it, both sides need each other. We're both after the same thing. Human wants and desires. Now, I believe that our demonic objectives are more in tune with what humanity really wants, instead of the No Strings Attached wishes you Goddesses go around granting, but it's all the same thing. We both have what humans want, and they have what we both need. Now, no more blubbering and no more questions. Go and take care of Keiichi. And no, I won't show you how to get out of the cave. You're Goddesses, figure it out."
And Torvald's voice abruptly and none too subtly exited Belldandy's mind. The force field fell from the three cells and the Norns rushed to Keiichi's side. Bell got there first and turned Keiichi over on his back. She cradled his head in her hands and looked into his dead eyes and for a moment, refused to believe that Torvald was telling the truth. "Keiichi? Keiichi? Wake up. Please wake up." Belldandy whispered to her husband. Keiichi wasn't stirring.
"Stand aside, Belldandy. I know how to wake him!" Urd said arrogantly as her hands suddenly flashed with lightning energy. Ready to jolt Keiichi back into the land of the living.
"Urd, get out of the way." Skuld shouted and elbowed her elder sister out of the way as she pulled out a bizarre looking contraption that looked quite scary indeed.
"No!" Belldandy said with a tinge of anger. "I will wake him. You two try and figure a way out of here."
"Ewww! You two aren't going to make out, are you?" Skuld protested.
"Hey, if you are, can I watch?" leered Urd. But a look of disgust by an emotionally rattled Belldandy cut her snide remarks short. "Okay, Bell. I'm only joking, Geez." She and Skuld shuffled off to discuss how to get out of the cave.
Bell looked down at her Keiichi, who still was motionless. What courage he showed. That he was so willing to give himself up so that she and her sisters could stay together for the sake of the universe filled her heart with so much pride. If she didn't already know, she now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she married the right man. "You are so wonderful, Keiichi. And I am so unworthy."
"Nonsense, Belldandy." Keiichi said. His eyes blinking rapidly, he shook his head to clear out the cobwebs. "So I guess I'm not dead?"
"No, Keiichi, you are very much alive. And I am here for you."
"I don't hear Torvald in my head, so I guess I passed the test?"
"You did. You proved that you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save my sisters and me. We are in your debt."
"You're not in my debt, Belldandy. But Urd and Skuld owe me 50,000 yen. Did you see the bill they racked up at that inn?" Keiichi complained while Belldandy collapsed in laughter.
"I'll be working at Chihiro's for months to pay off that thing." It seemed that the more Keiichi complained, the more Belldandy laughed.
"Do not worry, Keiichi."Belldandy said between giggles. "I'll be working at Whirlwind with you. I will help pay off the bill too."
"I'd talk Chihiro into hiring Urd and Skuld on at the shop, but she had to get rid of Ootaki and Tamiya because they were too crazy for her, could you imagine Urd and Skuld working there?"
Belldandy continued to laugh even harder. Tears of joy replacing the tears of pain and heartache.
It made Keiichi feel much better seeing his Goddess laugh after so many of the last few hours and days were filled with tension. And seeing him die before her eyes must have really sent his love over the edge.
"It looks like we need another vacation to recuperate from our honeymoon." He looked into Bell's eyes and let himself be lost in the bottomless depth of their ocean-blue magic. Bell continued to stroke Keiichi's brow as she cradled his head in her lap. Atter a few moments, Kei had felt strong enough to get on his feet and with a mighty stretch and a yawn, he and Belldandy joined her sisters in figuring out how to get back to the Temple.
Kei and Bell walked over to the sisters to find them in a heated discussion, make that an argument, over which was the best way to escape from Torvald's underground cave. Urd championed a magical solution and cocked a spell of devastating power and equally devastating consequences ready for launch. Skuld pulled out yet another weird device from somewhere under her clothing, and was waving it around dangerously maintaining that her latest invention was the best yet and would surely deliver all involved to safety.
Keiichi and Belldandy decided to sit this one out and watch impassively from the sidelines. "Let's let them get it out of their system." Keiichi said while Belldandy, still feeling a little goofy from her recent laughing spell agreed with a stifled giggle.
The two quarreling sisters argued back and forth for about ten minutes before Urd broke off the debate and looked square at Keiichi. She walked over to Keiichi and said, "So, you think this is funny, Keiichi?"
"Watching you two argue is always funny." Keiichi grinned sheepishly.
"Get this, Skuld. Our boy here thinks that we're funny, that we are a source of amusement to him."
"Really, Keiichi?" Skuld's voice screeched throughout the cave. "Laugh at this!" She said pointing the device ominously at Kei. Skuld was about to pull the trigger when Urd blocked her aim. "Now, now Skuld. Watch where you're pointing that thing. You might bring the cave down around us."
Urd pulled Keiichi aside and asked him kindly, " Keiichi, dear. What is surrounding us right now?" As she swept her hand around the cave.
Keiichi said, "Rock."
"And didn't we determine by much painful and dangerous deduction that your dominant magical element is Rock?"
"Y-yes?"
"Now, being that we are surrounded by rock, and you are a practitioner of Rock magic, you should be able to put 2 and 2 together, right?"
"Oh, yeah. I forgot that I'm a Rock head."
"Good boy. Now try and figure out a way to get us out of here." Urd said, patting Keiichi on the head.
Keiichi moved to the center of the cave and looked up at the high ceiling. He opened his third eye and cast its vision around the surface looking for an area where the rock was weak enough to do what he wanted, but not so much that he'd bring the cave down. He found what looked like the best spot, called forth a Rock Drill spell. The spell's algorithm compiled in a flash, and a powerful grayish white ball of Power formed between his outstretched hands. Remembering that he was using First Class Powers which were very unforgiving in terms of lapses of control, he slowly let the ball of energy rise towards the ceiling. When it touched the rock, it started to burrow into the surface almost like a hot knife through butter. Keiichi willed the power to expand the shaft to a size that accommodated himself and the three Goddesses and with moderate effort, mostly needed to keep the spell under control, he let the power drill through the earth towards the surface.
The three Goddesses observed while Keiichi was performing the spell, and while Urd would never be caught dead looking, much less being impressed by anything, she couldn't help commenting to Belldandy.
"That's a pretty high level Rock spell Keiichi's working. I didn't think he was strong enough to pull it off." She looked at her younger sister. "You're not helping him through the Sacred Coupling, are you?"
Belldandy shook her head vehemently. "Oh no. I'm not helping him at all. He's doing this all on his own. I haven't used the Coupling to pass Keiichi energy in a long time. He needs to learn how to do magic by himself. That's what he wants. And I respect his wishes."
Urd fell silent as she watched Keiichi do his magic. He worked slowly and carefully, trying not to disturb the surrounding structure. Such a spell would have been disastrous had he just summoned the energy and let it fly. He knew that the spell could get away from him very easily, so he took a methodical approach, taking his time, planning his route with the utmost care. He started to feel a hint of fatigue. He hadn't worked a powerful spell like this for an extended period of time before. And he was still a little weak from being knocked out by Torvald's device.
His third eye told him that he only had about 20 feet to go. He took his time, watching the spell carefully as it bit through the earth. The fatigue began to increase. Keiichi started to feel himself losing control of the spell. The ball of energy was beginning to veer off its intended route. But he could not just stop the spell and catch his breath. The Rock Drill spell, once started, could not be stopped until the spell caster was finished with it. He had to keep the spell going until he broke the surface. Ten feet to go. Five feet. Keiichi felt his legs starting to give way. His mind and concentration were wandering. Urd said, "Belldandy, I don't think he's going to make it. You better give him a hand."
But to her surprise, Bell didn't move a muscle to help Keiichi. She just stood there watching her husband with concern, but not intervening.
"Belldandy, don't you hear me?" Urd shouted.
"I hear you perfectly, Urd. And I know what I am doing. Keiichi is going to be just fine. If he wants me to help, he'll tell me. Until then, I will leave him be."
"Fine, Bell. You just better hope he doesn't lose control of that spell and bring this cave down around us."
"He won't. I know my Keiichi. He won't let any harm come to us. He loves us."
"Belldandy, Keiichi loves you, he tolerates me and Skuld."
Keiichi gathered up his remaining strength for one final push. With intense concentration, he gritted his teeth together, and poured his last bit of power into the spell, and was rewarded with bright sunshine bursting into the cave.