Chapter 23
An Undisclosed Place in Heaven
"I don't know what you're shivering about, Ilse." Baldur said. "You weren't the one who spent time in the Void. By the way, how long was I in there?"
Ilse couldn't stop shivering as she told Baldur, "You were sealed away for about eight months."
"Is that all? It felt like forever."
"Is it true that there's no sense of time?" Ilse said, voice quivering.
"There's no sense of anything. Your senses shut down, because there is nothing for them to focus on. You're just floating there. Nothing to see, hear, smell, or anything. I was on the verge of insanity when you sprung me."
Ilse showed her first sign of weakness. "It's just that I'm deathly afraid of the dark. I don't think I could survive one hour in that place, much less eternity."
Baldur could not resist laughing at the absurdity of Ilse's words.
"So let me get this straight. You are currently engaged in an act of treachery and treason that if caught, will condemn you to a place of eternal darkness, of which, you are deathly afraid?" Baldur said.
Ilse remained silent. Seeing her vulnerable, Baldur pounced on the opportunity to give her a nasty dose of reality. "You could be in the Void for a dozen eternities and you'll never get used to it. The darkness penetrates every fiber of your being. It consumes you, it slowly destroys you…"
"Stop! Stop! I don't want to hear any more!" Ilse cried. Real tears slid slowly down her face. Her bravado disappeared as the visions of eternal darkness invaded her mind and revealed her deepest fear.
"Well, if you're going to spring me and go against Kami-sama, you'd best know the consequences should you fail. We're both playing a deadly game here. At least I have some idea of what we'd be facing. If you're not prepared to deal with your failure, then you better have a foolproof plan to succeed. And from what I'm seeing so far, I think I'd be better off serving the rest of my time in the Void.
"Apparently, you didn't think this plan through very well, Ilse. Which does not do very much for my confidence in your ability to get us out of this mess. Hild saw you coming and she played you for the fool you are. Talk about Belldandy being naive? Even she would not have been as stupid as you are acting right now. I don't doubt that you have the smarts to get through field Goddess training, but your experience in dealing with the real world is sorely lacking."
" You are right, Baldur." Ilse said. "Hild duped me and put me up to getting you out. And yes, I was stupid for letting her manipulate me. As much as I hate Belldandy, I now realize that my real enemy is Hild."
"The question is, why would Hild go through the trouble of having me sent into the Void, only to have you break me out? That's what I don't understand. Are you sure that it was Hild that promised you that you'd be transformed into a demon? She tried to change Belldandy, and it didn't work."
Wordlessly, Ilse pulled out a message cube from inside her robe of Authority, opened it, and handed it to Baldur. "Here is the message that she sent me. I had to have it translated into Heaven's messaging protocol because they use a different system in Niflheim."
Baldur looked at Hild's message. It contained a lot of flowery compliments for Ilse's work and a promise that if she continued to do as she was told, the Daimaikaicho would grant the goddess her desire. And after a few seconds of thought, he said. "Hild didn't write this."
"How do you know?" Ilse said with great surprise.
"I was in contact with Hild numerous times to set up a face to face meeting in an attempt to sell her on bringing down Kami-sama using the Mjolnir Device. Some of the first messages were sent through her functionaries, but the final messages were sent directly from her. She was initially interested, but then she backed out and double crossed me by recording our conversation and slipping it into Heaven. I know the difference between her writing and one of her minions. And this isn't her style." Baldur didn't reveal that it was his big mouth and inability to sell Hild on the idea that caused him to fail.
Manipulating the cube's software and settings, Baldur said, "Besides, I can tell by the network codes embedded in the message. There's another message hidden inside of this cube. And I just have to figure out the way to reveal it." He attempted to access the cube's hidden administrative menu with his staff privileges, and to his surprise, his password was still effective. "So the fools at Main Control haven't gotten around to deleting my account yet." he chuckled. "Idiots."
Ilse said, "Aren't you worried that they'll be able to track our location by seeing the activity on your account?"
"Not when I have the ability to encrypt my traffic to make it look like normal system noise. Yggdrasil is so buggy and complicated that unless the admins in Main Control really know that they are looking for, they'll just recognize my actions as just regular operating activity. Besides, I only need just a few seconds to find what I want. Most of what I'll be doing won't go any further than the cube.
Baldur reopened Hild's message in admin mode, which allowed him to access the deeper security features of the cube's operating system. He scanned through the message and network codes until he found an unassuming 32 character alphanumeric sequence. Just a seemingly random blob of letters and numbers that gave no indication of their true purpose. To the untrained eye, it just looked like networking gibberish. Committing that to memory, he continued to scroll through the message until he found a text entry box. Pasting the letters and numbers into the box, Baldur dropped out of admin mode. The cube turned a random sequence of colors, acted as if it was going to violently self destruct, and then reopened. But this time, the message it showed was very different. Baldur and Ilse peered in.
Ilse,
If you are reading this, then I can assume that you have freed Baldur, and that he is with you. Congratulations on freeing him. However, your task is just getting started and there is still much dangerous work to do. It is important that you and Baldur get to the coordinates shown in this message as soon as possible. You will receive further instructions at that time. I cannot provide more detail in this message.
Torvald.
Baldur said, "Well, that message tells us a lot. Who is Torvald? He seems to know you."
"Torvald?, Never heard of him."
"Well, whoever he his, this was written by him. He obviously is one of Hild's demons."
"Interesting. So what do we do?"
" We have to figure out how to get to this Torvald character and find out what his deal is."
Ilse looked at the message again and said, "Wait. There's more." At the bottom of the message Torvald added a postscript.
P.S. Ilse, you may not know me as Torvald. I have been communicating with you under the psuedonym, "Munin."
All the color drained from Ilse's face at the mention of the mythical raven. "If this message is real, and I have no doubt otherwise, I know Munin, er, uh, Torvald very well." Ilse said with a quivering in her voice.
Baldur anxiously said, "Well?"
"Torvald is more than just one of Hild's demons."
"And?"
"To call Torvald just one of Hild's demons is like saying that Belldandy is 'just another Goddess.'"
"He's that powerful?"
"Supposedly, he's the one demon in Niflheim that Hild truly fears."
Baldur remained silent.
"It's true that Hild recruited me as a mole to work as her inside person in Heaven. Specifically, to gather information on Kami-sama and his inner circle. I was able to co-opt one of his principal advisors and get him to pass along certain information to me."
"I assume you mean Siggur?"
"You know him?"
"Oh, yes." Baldur said confidently. "He's not only Kami-sama's principal advisor, he's also his gatekeeper, as well as his eyes and ears. Not to brag, but there are very few other people who know what's really going on in Heaven more than I do, and Siggur is definitely one of them. He can walk into Kami-sama's throne room without an appointment. He has been known to talk the Old Man out of a course of action when nobody else could. He is easily one of the top ten, if not the top five most powerful deities in Heaven. And what he doesn't know isn't worth knowing. But like all powerful people, he has a fatal flaw, and I think you know what it is."
Ilse said. "I think I know what you're talking about, but tell me anyway."
"Simple. He fancies himself as a ladies' man. He'll go after any Goddess that looks at him sideways. He tends to think that no Goddess is off limits to him due to his lofty status, but as powerful as he is in Heavenly circles, he's a sucker for a hot-bodied Goddess in a outfit that's a little too short or revealing. Problem is, he has little, if any common sense when it comes to Goddesses and the right one can get him to do anything she wants if she flashes enough boob or leg."
Ilse smiled as if to confirm Baldur's statement.
Baldur continued. "And I am sure that you, being a very attractive field Goddess trainee…"
"Ahem. Field Goddess, period." Ilse corrected.
"I thought you said…"
"I am a fully qualified field Goddess. I have the license and the credentials. The selection committee chose Belldandy over me to do contract work in the GAA. I have all the rights and privileges, I just can't legally fulfill wishes, which is why I have a Limited License, instead of an Unlimited one."
"I stand corrected." Baldur deferred. "But as I was saying, I am sure that being a very attractive field Goddess, you took advantage of Siggur's weakness to gather the information you needed for Hild, am I correct?"
"You are. It was very easy to make him my lover. A come hither look here, a sway of the hips there. I know more than a few techniques that can get a man to do or give me pretty much whatever I want." Ilse sidled up closely to Baldur, enough that he could catch her scent. Like all Goddesses, she didn't wear perfume, but had a unique scent that naturally radiated from her. It was a pleasant combination of clover, spring breezes, a slight whiff of cinnamon, and fragrant meadow flowers and grasses.
"And once we get out of here and finish the work at hand, maybe I can provide for you a suitable demonstration." Ilse said with more than a tinge of lust, while looking Baldur straight in the eye. " I also know that you also fancy yourself as somewhat of a ladies' man. The rumors of your list of conquests are many and varied. I think that we'd make quite the couple." She gently ran a finger along Baldur's cheek and licked her lips.
Baldur hesitated. This Ilse was indeed quite intriguing, and maybe, just maybe, when all this mess was cleaned up, he would explore the idea of taking her on as a consort. Or at least a bed-mate. It could be quite fun. But he had to figure out his next move and get this odd Goddess back on track.
"Well, Ilse. You bring a compelling offer. One worth taking up one day. But for now, let's focus on how we are to meet Torvald, and get out of this predicament."
"Just putting it into mind." Ilse finished and then became all business again. "Back to Siggur. While I was fulfilling his every carnal desire, I was able to extract all sorts of meaningful information about Kami-sama's recent doings, including a secret meeting with a certain God and Goddess."
"Keiichi and Belldandy?"
"The very same."
"And?"
"He was about to talk, but then he suddenly gained a spine and shut up. He broke off the relationship and I haven't seen him since."
"Hmm. What would Kami-sama want with those two?"
"I tried every little move I knew, and I couldn't get Siggur to reveal anything."
"Well, whatever it was, must have been something very big. But as interesting as this development is, it doesn't get us any closer to getting out of here."
Chapter 24
Whirlwind 8:00pm January 23.
It took an extra five hours, but Chihiro was finally able to coax the last remaining customer out of the shop. The beaming young man bought 100,000 yen worth of merchandise, and would have bought even more had Chihiro had anything more to sell, so excited was the young rider to be on the business end of one of Belldandy's smiles. No doubt that the next morning the man would wake up the next day and wonder why he had bought a helmet, a leather jacket and gloves, and a pair of riding boots for a motorcycle he didn't own. He just saw a line outside of the shop, and was intrigued about the commotion, so he went on in, took one look at a smiling Belldandy in her sexy get-up, and pulled out his wallet and started buying stuff.
Not that Chihiro minded. She had no problem selling the youngster whatever he wanted and taking his money in return. And she also made sure to remind him that all sales were final, and that should he need a motorcycle to ride, she knew of a few dealers that could take care of him.
The ecstatic shop owner locked the door, sighed heavily and wearily shuffled over to the counter where Belldandy was busy closing out the register. By Chihiro's reckoning, today was the largest day in terms of sales in Whirlwind's short history. All that remained on the shelves were a few mismatched t-shirts, a Hello Kitty set of leathers, some stickers, and the ugliest helmet she had ever seen. No matter how hard she tried to sell the awful looking lid, no one was interested.
Keiichi was putting away his tools and cleaning up his work site. He had fixed a dozen motorcycles of varying shapes, sizes and maladies, to every customer's satisfaction. All in all, he had a very good day. He clearly was in the groove. No problem seemed too difficult, and most repairs took no more than an half hour or so. He never would have been able to complete as many tasks as he did with just human ability. He looked back on the day's activities and was very happy with the outcome. He was able to do what he wanted, with the woman of his dreams and best of all, he was getting paid for it.
Chihiro called Keiichi and Belldandy over and said. "You guys rocked today! I haven't had that many sales in one day in this shop's entire history. It wouldn't have happened without the both of you."
Belldandy beamed as she said. "It was our pleasure, Chihiro. Keiichi and I had a lot of fun. We always like helping out in the store."
Keiichi echoed his wife's excitement. "Yeah, Chihiro, we are quite the team. Hopefully, this is the year Whirlwind turns the corner and becomes a big success."
Chihiro said. "I agree, Keiichi. I have a feeling that things are only going to get better from now on. I don't know about you two, but I'm beat. I'm going to go home and take a nice hot bath and relax. But first…" She went to the cash register, retrieved two envelopes bulging with cash and pressed them into Keiichi and Belldandy's hands. "We had such a great day, that I decided to throw in a little bonus on top of your regular pay. Don't spend it all in one place." She winked. "All right, you two. Out you go! I hope you guys can come in a little early tomorrow. I have all our new merchandise arriving, and I'm going to need a little help putting it away." as she pushed the couple out the door.
Belldandy said. "Wasn't that nice of Chihiro to give us a bonus? I really like working for her. Don't you, Keiichi?"
Keiichi was weighing the fat envelope in his hands. He liked the heft of it. "Yeah, Bell. This will help a lot with our bills and other expenses."
"So what do you have planned once we get home, Kei? Dinner will be a little late if you don't mind."
"I have an idea, Bell. Instead of going straight home, how about we go out for a nice evening? We haven't had a date night in a while. We could go to a movie, or hit a nice restaurant, or do whatever you want. Your decision."
Belldandy brightened. "That sounds like a great idea. If you don't mind, there's a flower exhibit over at Nekomi Park that I've been wanting to see. Would you be interested in going with me? I know you're not interested in flowers, but I'd really appreciate it you'd come along."
Keiichi said. "Lead on, Belldandy. I'm all your's." The happy couple hopped on to the BMW and roared off towards the park.
Nekomi Park was located on the other side of town from the temple. It was a large grassy space that took up three city blocks square. At one end of the park was a large playground with all sorts of swing sets, jungle gyms, and other things for kids to climb on, jump over, and run through. The other end of the park was a large open area with park benches, a fountain, and kiosks where fast food and drinks were sold. The flower exhibit was in the center of the park and was laid out in sections where various flowers were on display. The flowers were changed out once a month, and this time of year had all sorts of early spring blooming varieties. It was a favorite area of the park for Nekomi's residents, and at any given time, people were strolling through the area taking in the beautiful plants on display. Belldandy had spent time in the flower exhibit multiple times, and never tired of the sights and smells of Nature.
She and Keiichi strolled casually through the park, arm in arm. Belldandy leaning in close to her husband with her head on his shoulder and a look of contentment on her face. Keiichi looked proud to have such a beautiful woman on his arm. Despite being with Belldandy for four years and being married to her for a little over two months, and the numerous assurances he received from everyone he knew including Kami-sama himself that he and Belldandy would be together forever, he still had a hard time believing that this wonderful Goddess was in love with him. The sun was just starting to disappear over the horizon filling the sky with bright red fire. The lights in the park were just coming on and despite being early March, it was a pleasant evening, with just a slight chill in the air. But the God and Goddess were absorbed in themselves and paying no attention to the weather.
There was still enough light to see the various flowers in full detail. Belldandy marvelled at the stunning displays. She could smell the various bouquets as they came together in an enchanting convergence. She had allowed herself to be carried away on the sights and smells, and before long she started to sing. Her melodious soprano wafted through the walkways and flower beds of the exhibit. It stretched out far beyond the flowers into the other areas of the vast park. As if they were attracted to the voice of the Goddess, the flowers seemed to stand a little taller, to bloom with a little more color. They seemed to turn their blooms to listen to the wondrous sound.
And while Belldandy had the presence of mind not to release her angel in public, her voice was still wonderful enough that people stopped what they were doing to listen to her song. Smiles broke out on the people's faces as the words of love and comfort washed over them. It was as if Belldandy was singing to each person individually a song specifically for them.
A housewife burdened with two children that were constantly fighting and had driven her to her wit's end. The businessman coming home from work, tired from a long day on the job and a boss that was riding him like a beaten mule. The high school student worried about his upcoming exams, hoping to get one of the few remaining spots into Nekomi Tech. The schoolgirl who broke up with her boyfriend, and was wondering whether she'd ever find a new one.
Belldandy's song addressed each of their problems and provided solace and that little bit of happiness they needed to ease their fears or pain. Hearts lightened and spirits lifted, the crowd surrounded Belldandy and Keiichi as she sang. Some swayed in time to the song, others just stood there quietly and meditated on the meaning of the words. But all were affected.
Even Keiichi, who had heard Belldandy sing on hundreds of occasions couldn't help but become blissfully detached as his Goddess spoke to his heart. Belldandy was so focused on her singing that she had no idea that she had an audience, and when she finally finished, she gasped and blushed when she opened her eyes and saw that hundreds of people were hanging on her every word.
As the final note evaporated in the spring air, the crowd erupted in tremendous applause. Shouts of satisfaction and appeals for more rang out.
"I-i had no idea." Belldandy stammered. Did I do this?"
"Yes, Belldandy." Keiichi said proudly. "Yes you did. They all stopped to listen to you."
Happy people respectfully came up to Bell to offer their thanks. Many told her that they thought she was singing especially for them. A few thought she was a pop idol and wanted her autograph. One man claimed to be a record executive and offered to sign Bell to a recording deal on the spot, but Keiichi recognized his ruse and politely, but firmly told him that her services were not for sale at any price. Belldandy was so taken by the praise and adulation that she opened her mouth to sing another song, but Keiichi quietly said, "Bell, I think that the crowd has had enough for tonight, and we still have the rest of the night ahead of us." Apologizing profusely, the Goddess allowed Keiichi to steer her away from the crowd.
"Wasn't that something, Keiichi? The crowd just wanted to hear me sing." Belldandy said, excitedly.
"That had a lot to do with it." Keiichi said, smiling. "But I also think that the outfit you're wearing also got some people excited.
Bell looked down and realized that she was still wearing the racy outfit that Chihiro gave her. Between the scanty bright yellow crop-top sweatshirt and the short leather skirt and boots, along with her natural beauty, it was easy to see that even in her most conservative clothes, the Goddess could attract a crowd by just standing there doing nothing.
"Oh! I should have changed clothes. This outfit is completely inappropriate!" Belldandy said with embarrassment. She prepared to cast a spell to change clothes, when Keiichi abruptly stopped her.
"No! not here, Belldandy! You don't want to give these people a strip show in addition to a concert!"
"You're right, Keiichi. I wasn't thinking."
"You look fine, Belldandy. It's not like we're going to a fancy restaurant with a dress code. It is a little revealing for you, but I don't have a problem showing off the woman I love to the world. Maybe later on tonight, you can give me a private show, if you know what I mean. Keiichi leered.
Bell caught his meaning and whispered in his ear. "I'll give you more than a private show, my love. It has been a while since...you know what."
"I know exactly what you mean."
After a few more moments looking at the flowers, and dodging the glances of straggling onlookers, Keiichi and Belldandy left the park and headed into the business district to grab a late dinner. They picked a casual eatery that had a reputation for good food, but the price was normally a little out of the couple's reach. They were pleasantly surprised that the chef of the restaurant was none other than Hiro Yoshida, Megumi's boyfriend. Upon seeing that Keiichi and Belldandy were in the house, he insisted on meeting them in person, escorting them to the best table and cooking anything off the menu the couple wanted.
"It'll be my pleasure to cook for you guys tonight." Hiro said gratefully. "Since doing your wedding, our catering business has gone through the roof and bookings at the restaurant are up by at least 50 percent. Plus, the management promoted me to head chef. We're doing more business than we can handle right now. So whatever you want, on or off the menu, name it and it's yours."
Keiichi dug into his pocket, pulled out the money Chihiro gave him and said, "I think we can afford to splurge a little tonight Belldandy. Don't you think?" He did a double take when Bell pulled out her pay and he saw that Chihiro gave his wife nearly twice as much of a bonus as she gave Keiichi. While the Whirlwind owner was quite generous in terms of giving the two a cut of the proceeds from the clearance sale, it was very clear that having Belldandy behind the register in her provocative outfit ringing up sales brought in a lot more business than him sitting in the middle of the shop fixing stubborn scooters and mopeds.
But Keiichi wasn't jealous or mad in the slightest. Like him, he understood that Belldandy was very good at what she did and she deserved every bit of the money she earned, and he didn't begrudge her any of it.
"Wow, Belldandy. Chihiro took care of you tonight. I guess we know who's paying for dinner." Keiichi joked while tipping Hiro the wink, He fully intended on paying for dinner no matter what Belldandy said. But before she could say anything, Hiro interrupted. "Hey guys, put your money away. This meal is on the house. It's the least I can do for what you've done for my business."
Keiichi suggested that they let Hiro decide on what to make, and he hustled off to the kitchen to start preparing the food. A few minutes later, the appetizer came out, and the two dug in.
In short, the entire meal was incredible. Hiro took the classic Japanese delicacies and added his own personal touches to them. The result was a bold and sometimes controversial take on the old school cuisine. His style had its detractors who vocally resisted any changes to the traditional dishes, but he also had an equal number of fans who rejoiced in his rule-bending creations. He was gaining a reputation as an up and coming chef who was making waves in the local dining scene, and was almost ready to break out into Tokyo proper.
Each of Hiro's courses built on and complemented the previous one and Kei and Bell finished every morsel of the bounty. After it was over, Keiichi said, "I hate to say this, Bell, but Hiro's cooking is almost as good as yours."
Belldandy agreed. "Yes, it is. I think I might have a little competition. I'll have to work harder."
"Bell, you're a Goddess. You put that essence into everything you make. Hiro can never duplicate that."
"Thank you, Keiichi. I just want to make you happy and cooking for you is the best way I know how to do that."
"There is that other thing too…"
"Right."
Belldandy turned from happiness to concern. "Keiichi, while you were eating I noticed that you were preoccupied with something. Is there something on your mind that you wish to tell me? Is there something wrong?"
Even though Keiichi was very much enjoying his date with Belldandy, the song in the park, the fantastic meal, just the simple matter of being with his Goddess and spouse, he was still mulling over what Chihiro had told him about the possibility of children. And while he swiftly steered her away from that thorny topic, it was still stewing in the back of his mind. He really didn't want to bring up the topic to Belldandy. He knew that it would cause no end of concern to her. And he never wanted to cause her any reason to worry. But if he didn't say anything, she would get concerned that Keiichi wasn't happy and Belldandy being Belldandy, she would somehow think that the reason for Keiichi's unhappiness would rest upon her.
"Bell, Chihiro mentioned something to me, and I was just thinking about it. It's nothing big."
"Are you sure, Keiichi?"
"I'm sure, Bell."
She looked at him closely, and said, "No you're not. Please don't lie to me, Kei. I don't need to read your mind or see your aura to know that you have something important on your mind, and if that's the case, you should feel comfortable talking to me about it."
" I'm your wife, Keiichi." Belldandy said enunciating every word. "You should not have to keep anything from me. If you are worried about something, I'm am here for you. I always have been and always will be. So whatever is troubling your mind, tell me about it."
Keiichi was surprised by the assertiveness of Bell's words. He wasn't used to being challenged that strongly by her. He wondered whether marriage had made her bolder and thus, she felt that she could be more aggressive in terms of calling him out. Keiichi really didn't want to go through with this, but if Belldandy wanted him to unload whatever was on his mind, she was going to get whatever it was she wanted him to reveal.
Steeling himself, Keiichi said, "Well, Belldandy. While we were working in the shop, Chihiro mentioned the idea of having children. I didn't want to say anything to you about it, because we're still trying to make ends meet, and I didn't want to put any stress on you. I don't even know about how Gods and Goddesses go about having children. Is it done in Heaven the way it's done down here on Earth? How long is the pregnancy…?"
Belldandy laughed heartily. "Is that what was burdening your mind? Having children?"
"But Bell, having children is a major life decision!"
"Forgive me, Keiichi. I know it sounds like I'm making light of your concerns, but I can assure you that I'm not ready to start a family just yet, and I would never want to start having children until we were good and ready to do so. You have nothing to worry about, Kei. I have your best interests at heart, and I know how hard you work to care for my sisters and I. I know how much of a burden we have been since we've arrived here, and I would never want to add to that burden until we were ready. When that day comes, you'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the time is right for both of us to take that step."
Relief washed over Keiichi's face. He and Bell were on the same page.
"However." Bell continued. " It is important for you to know that there will come a time in which l must produce a child. It will not be for a long time, but it must eventually happen."
"I don't understand, Belldandy."
"Keiichi, I must eventually prepare to bring forth my replacement as the Norn of the Present."
"Is there something wrong, Bell?" Keiichi said with worry. "Are you sick, are you going to step down as a Norn?"
"No, Keiichi. Being a Norn is a lifetime calling. One that I cannot merely relinquish. It was bestowed upon me when I was born. But in the far distant future, when I am too old to function in that role any longer, I will have to give birth to my replacement."
"So, it's not as if Skuld will become the Norn of the Present and you replace Urd as Norn of the Past?"
"No. All three of us will end up giving birth to our replacements. Our makeup as Goddesses is such that we only have the traits that best suit us for the job at hand. I could not assume Urd's position any more than Skuld can assume mine. We are uniquely created for our individual calling."
"So when will you conceive and bear this child?"
"As I said, it will not be for a long time. It might not be for thousands of years in Earth time. Remember, Kei. You're a God now. Time affects you very differently than our family and friends. You will age much more slowly than them. The way you look now will not change significantly for many, many years."
Until Belldandy mentioned it, Keiichi hadn't given the subject of aging and his greatly extended lifespan much thought. It simply hadn't occurred to him that while his friends and family would grow old and die, he'd still look and feel like a young man in his mid-20s. He wondered how he would explain to a gray haired and wrinkled Megumi in 50 years, how he still looked like he had just left Nekomi Tech.
"You know, Belldandy. I hadn't thought about that. Hundreds of years from now, we'll still look the same as we are now. I'm not sure how to handle that."
"Well, Keiichi. You can alter your appearance to look any age you want. I appear to you as a young woman in her 20s, but of course, I'm much older than that."
To demonstrate, Belldandy caused her face to slowly age 20 years. While she still looked stunning, minute lines started to appear around her eyes and the edges of her mouth. She extended out another 20 years. The lines and wrinkles grew more prominent as she took on the appearance of a 60 year old matron. She looked like a well-maintained senior citizen. "I can change my looks to appear whatever age I wish." And in a second, she reverted back to being the familiar Goddess that Keiichi knew and loved.
"But I love that look the best, Belldandy." Keiichi said.
"So do I. But as far as my replacement is concerned, that is something that we will not have to worry about for a long time. I have been a Norn for many many years. Centuries, really. But I still have a long time to go before bringing forth my descendant." said Bell, cheerfully.
"Well, at least I know that my first child will be a little girl."
"And I am sure that you will be a great father to her."
The God and Goddess made a little more small talk, gave their compliments to Hiro for the outstanding meal, and headed back to the Temple. After a long and intense session of lovemaking, Kei and Bell fell asleep in each other's arms. It had been a pleasant end to a long day.
Chapter 25.
Nekomi City, Japan
January 24. 7:00pm
Baldur and Ilse had no idea in what place they had arrived. It looked similar to Heaven in that it had tall buildings and thousands of people walking the streets. But that's where the similarities ended. For one, the buildings were nowhere near as architecturally stunning as the ones in Heaven. There were signs all over the place that had strange markings and pictures all over them, and the people spoke a language that sounded nothing like Heaven-speak. The air wasn't as fresh and clean, and a multitude of different and unfamiliar types of odors and tastes assaulted their senses. Instead of the ten dimensions found in Heaven, only three could be experienced making the whole environment seem incomplete and limited. The ever present power of magic wasn't found here, and the two deities found this alien city quite distasteful.
"Where the hell are we?" said Baldur in disgust.
"If I'm not mistaken, I believe that we are on Earth, Baldur." replied Ilse. "From what I remember of my field Goddess training, This place is called Japan."
"Well, whatever this place is called and wherever it is, I don't like it at all. Not one damn bit." said Baldur. Looking around at the sights and sounds of the city, and finding no redeeming qualities, he added. "So this is how humans live? Pathetic! To think that the great Belldandy allowed herself to get involved with one of such a lowly species is completely beyond me. I wonder why Torvald wanted us to meet him here, of all places?"
"I don't know. But I checked the coordinates at least twice, and this is where we were supposed to end up." said Ilse.
A young voice spoke up from behind them. "You're in the right place."
The two whirled around only to see a young teenage girl of about 12 or 13 with raven black hair and dressed in a pink t-shirt, matching shorts and tennis shoes standing behind them. She looked like an ordinary teenager, but the mark on her forehead revealed that she was anything but ordinary.
"Isn't that…" asked Ilse.
"Why, yes it is. What is she doing here?"
"She's not supposed to be on Earth, is she?"
"No, her license doesn't clear to her to be here. Then again, we're not supposed to be on Earth either, Ilse."
"Well, I guess that's one more thing the Council and Kami-sama will charge us with when we're caught."
The young girl said, "Don't worry about the Council. The only person who knows you're here is Torvald."
"You know of Torvald?" said Ilse, surprised.
"I am Torvald." the girl said. "I have taken over this host's mind in order to speak with you about how we can help each other."
Baldur was impressed. "It takes a lot of power in order to take over the mind of one such as this, even though she isn't very strong, magically. You do know who she is, right?"
"Of course, I know who she is, fool!" the girl snarled, I also know who her sisters are. I recently had dealings with them and that hybrid that Belldandy's involved with."
At the mention of the word "hybrid", both Baldur and Ilse's face twisted in anger. "You mean Morisato's here, as well?"
"Yes, he is. And in good time, I'll take you to him and the rest. But for now, I need to talk to you about what I want you to do."
Baldur said, "I don't trust you, Torvald. But it seems that we have no choice. We can't go back to Heaven, the Valkyries will grab us when we appear at the Gate. We have no idea what to do here on Earth. So lead on."
Ilse and Baldur followed the Goddess normally known as Skuld down the streets of Nekomi City.
Keiichi and Belldandy had an early start to their work day. The couple had to be at Whirlwind at 8am to help Chihiro prepare the store for the new merchandise that she ordered. She had two large trucks full of stuff that had to be unloaded, tagged, stocked on the shelves and placed in the separate storeroom behind the shop. This, on top of the regular business that came in. Word of the pretty shop assistant had gotten around and the tiny store was once again stuffed to the gills with customers. Kei, Bell and Chihiro had barely had enough time to put items out for sale before they were snatched up. By the time the store closed for business, Whirlwind had made another record sales day.
Chihiro gleefully said, "Another great day of business. We're cleaning up!"
"Yeah, Chihiro." Keiichi remarked. "Word's really getting around. We're the hottest shop in town right now."
"And we didn't even have to have Belldandy dressed up in that crazy outfit this time."
Keiichi and Belldandy left the shop at closing time, and rode back to the temple. No sooner then they entered and took their shoes off when Urd came running out of her room, her face full of worry.
"Have you guys seen Skuld at all today?" Urd asked.
"No, Urd." Belldandy said. "We had to go to work early and we didn't see her before we left. Is there something wrong?"
"She's been gone all day. She said she was going to the bookstore to pick up a copy of Dobon Monthly. That was seven hours ago. I've looked all over the city, checked all of her usual hangouts and I can't find her."
"It's not like Skuld to stay away from the temple for such a long time." Keiichi said. "Especially not without letting someone know about it. We better go out and look for her."
The deities hurried out of the temple to search for the missing Norn, when after a few minutes, she arrived on the temple grounds with two strangers in tow. Keiichi took one look at the two, and his mind filled with rage. "Baldur! What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were sealed away in isolation!"
"You thought wrong, hybrid! As you can see, I've been set free by my friend here." said Baldur, pointing at Ilse, who was none too happy seeing her nemesis, Belldandy.
Belldandy reacted with her welcoming self at seeing Ilse. "Ilse. I'm so glad to see you. It's been such a long time…" She went to embrace her fellow Goddess, but instead, her gesture of welcome was returned with a savage slap across the face. The strike stung Belldandy as her head whipped around from the force of the blow.
"Believe me Bell-dandy, that I am not glad to see you." roared Ilse. "C'mon, you weakling! Fight me if you dare! Oh, that's right! You don't believe in going on offense!" She raised her hands as if to launch a spell.
Despite the assault, Belldandy remained composed, although it was taking all of her self-control to resist lashing out. She tried valiantly to defuse what was turning into a very bad situation.
"What's wrong, Ilse? What have I done to make you so angry?"
"You know what you've done, Belldandy. Don't play dumb with me. You took my spot in the GAA. I worked so hard to become a field goddess, but the selection committee selected you to grant wishes, and not me. I ended up having to take a job in the IT department, of all places! I'm sure that you influenced their decision in some way. I was much more qualified than you. I would have been the best field Goddess in the GAA, it was my one and only goal in this life.
"Who did you bribe on the committee, or worse, who did you sleep with? Maybe it's time for me to reveal to your mongrel husband that his Goddess isn't as pure as she lets on!"
Ilse's words affected Belldandy more than the pain of being slapped. She knew that Ilse was lying. That she was trying to sucker Bell into striking out at her. "You know that I'd never do such a thing, Ilse. I don't have to resort to such tactics to get what I want."
"Really, Belldandy? You're sleeping with Keiichi now aren't you? You made love to him on Windsong Ridge, didn't you? You don't think I know that? Everybody knows what you two did!"
"Why is it your concern what Keiichi and I do? What does this have to do with our argument? He is my husband. You know as well as I do what everybody does up on Windsong Ridge. You need to stop lying, Ilse. You could get in serious trouble. You're a Goddess First Class, you could lose your rank."
"What do I care about losing my rank compared to what I've done? I hacked Yggdrasil and set Baldur free. I've seduced Kami-sama's principal advisor and spied on him for Hild. I'll be isolated for eternity for what I've done and even more. I'm damned no matter what, Belldandy. But if I have to be sealed for life, destroying you will be more than worth it!"
Ilse reared back and cast a powerful fire spell that Belldandy blocked with some effort. Still, despite being attacked, she resisted retaliating. Ilse kept firing spells and Bell kept raising shield after shield. Magically, while the two Goddesses were the of the same rank, Belldandy was the more powerful because of her status as a Norn.
"C'mon, Belldandy. Is that all you're going to do all day? Just blocking my attacks? Pathetic."
" I have no desire to hurt you, Ilse."
"That's your problem, Bell. You're too nice. I have no problem taking you out. But you? You just stand there and take it. Okay, then. If you won't stick up for yourself, maybe I'll go after little Skuld or even better, you beloved Keiichi!"
"Nooo!" cried Belldandy. "I won't let you attack them! Answer this question, Ilse. Is being a field goddess in the GAA worth this much pain and agony? Don't you know what happened after you left school?"
"What the hell are you talking about, Belldandy?" Ilse snarled. "I know exactly what happened. The selection committee picked you over me for the only field goddess spot in the GAA from our class. And then I had to call in a bunch of favors to get hired in the IT department to patch servers all day long!" And as she fired another spell at Bell that missed, she said, "That's all I need to know."
Belldandy said, "That's where you're wrong, Ilse. I felt so bad that you didn't graduate with me that I went to the committee and begged them to reconsider their decision."
"You what?!" screamed Ilse. "What do you mean?"
" I asked them to talk to the GAA about adding you to the agency as a special favor to me. They did and the GAA accepted my request. They opened a spot for you, but you left before they had a chance to tell you, and then they couldn't reach you for so long that they eventually gave up trying to find you."
"You lie, Belldandy. Why would you do something like that for me?" Ilse said as she let her guard down for a moment, just enough time for Belldandy to rush in and envelope Ilse in a hug that pinned her arms to her side. Ilse wrestled with Belldandy and almost succeeded in escaping from her hold, but the Norn refused to let her go. Seeing that Bell's resolve was as strong as her reputation claimed, Ilse relaxed, but just a little. "I don't get it, Belldandy."
"Let me convince you, and if you do not believe me, I'll let you strike me down." said Bell. She released Ilse, gingerly put her hand on Ilse's forehead and chanted a recall spell that allowed her to see into Belldandy's mind. Ilse was able to see back in the past when Bell had gone to the committee and begged, not merely requested, but literally begged for Ilse to be added to the Agency. She saw how the Agency agreed to approve Bell's request, and searched high and low Ilse, but couldn't find her. Ilse even saw the order approving her as a field goddess employed by the Goddess Assistance Agency with the long expired request for her to accept the commission. She saw the notation that stated that the GAA had approved the request as a favor to Belldandy. Her fondest wish was in her grasp, but was snatched away from due to her bull-headedness and impatience.
"And I swear to you, on my honor as a Goddess First Class, that what you saw was true."
Ilse lowered her head and became silent as she digested all she had seen and heard. And as much as she wanted to believe that her rival had been lying to her, she knew that Belldandy's reputation for truth and virtue was flawless. It wasn't in Bell's self interest to lie to a fellow Goddess.
And the Goddess Assistance Agency was very particular about whom they admitted to their field goddess ranks. It was not uncommon for the agency to refuse entire classes of otherwise highly qualified goddesses. There were many more applicants than there were positions to fill.
So If one as influential as Belldandy had cared enough about someone like Ilse to beg the committee on her behalf, Ilse had no choice but to believe that Belldandy was indeed, telling the truth. But it was still so hard for one as proud and headstrong as Ilse to believe.
Ilse looked into Belldandy's eyes and said quietly, "I believe you, Belldandy. I hear the truth in your words and see it in your face. There is no reason for you to have lied to me. It would not have benefited you to do so. B-But why would you intervene on my behalf? It's not like we are best friends or anything. We barely spoke to each other at school. Why?"
Belldandy reached out to Ilse again, and this time, she allowed herself to be surrounded by Bell's unconditional love. "It was because even though we weren't close in school, I had been watching you, and I saw a lot about you that would have made you a great field Goddess. Your drive and tenacity. Your passion, fire, inner strength. Your desire to help the humans. It is still there. You were the only one in our class that truly challenged me to become better as a Goddess.
"The fact that you risked your career to free Baldur shows that you are dedicated to a cause, although I question the sense of releasing one so treacherous as he. I don't know what you were thinking when you decided to embark on this alliance with Baldur, but I must tell you that he is not to be trusted, and that I fear that once he has achieved whatever goal he has set for himself, he will discard you."
"Yeah," said Ilse. "Seeing things with new eyes, I tend to agree with you. But I've already set my course. I've committed too many crimes against Heaven. I've burned too many bridges behind me. If I return now, Kami-sama will seal me away for eternity. I don't think that I can spend that time in the Void. I'm so afraid of what is facing me."
The enormity of what Ilse was facing caught up with her and she collapsed into a fit of tears. Belldandy brought her into herself and comforted the wayward Goddess.
Ilse said through her sobs, "I know what you're thinking, Belldandy. You want to intervene on my behalf again. You want to try and convince Kami-sama to take it easy on me. I'd be lying if I said that the offer wasn't tempting. But I can't accept your generosity a second time. I have to see this through, and accept whatever punishment Kami-sama decides to give me."
Belldandy said. "I agree that even I might not be able to persuade Kami-sama to grant you leniency. Your crimes are many and great. But you don't have to add to your punishment by aligning with Baldur. You know that he's using you, and that any future you have with him will end up going against you." Belldandy said quietly.
"I know. But how much more can be added to my punishment. What is greater than eternity? I committed treason against Heaven, Belldandy. I co-opted Kami-sama's most trusted adviser and stole secrets for Hild. It's only because Siggur realized what I was doing that he never disclosed any of the choicest secrets."
Belldandy said, "Compared to Baldur, who activated the Mjolnir Protocol in an attempt to access the Eye of Heaven to force Kami-sama off his throne. I would say that your crime is not nearly as severe. Hild used evidence of Baldur's treason to launch a virus that infected Yggdrasil and almost caused it to crash. He could have destroyed the universe."
"You must know, Belldandy that I was the one who moved your contract with Keiichi so it would escape the purge."
"I understand, Ilse. And fortunately, Keiichi was able to successfully close the contract so Hild's virus was not able to complete its task."
"So, Bell. What do I do?"
"You have to face your punishment and hope that Kami-sama will be lenient."
"Fat chance of that."
"You never know."
Ilse thought long and hard about the choice she had to make. No doubt that Kami-sama would want to make an example of her. Even if he decided to spare her an eternity in the Void, there was no way that he would let her go with merely a suspended license, or even a token sealing. She'd be going away for a long time. And the thought chilled her soul to its core. But she also saw that Belldandy truly did care for her, and even put her own honor on the line to help her.
Finally, Ilse sighed and said, "You're right Belldandy. As painful as it will be, I'll give myself up. Whatever Baldur has planned, I longer want to be a part of it. You need to attend to Skuld. Torvald has taken over her mind. I don't know what he has planned or why he did it. All I know is that he brought Baldur and I here. I'm sure he's up to no good."
We've dealt with Torvald before." Belldandy said. "He is evil indeed. He caused Keiichi much pain and almost destroyed him."
"Well, I'll leave him to you then, Belldandy." Ilse reached out to the Norn who wrapped her in another tight hug. Belldandy responded by saying, "You are doing the right thing, Ilse. You are truly a good goddess."
"You think way too highly of me, Bell. I'm glad that we became friends. I will think of you often. Thank you for what you did." Ilse looked into Belldandy's eyes for one last time, summoned the gate and disappeared into the column of light.