Chapter 28

The Tea Room

Tarikihongan Temple.

7:45pm, January 24, 1993.

Keiichi and Urd retreated to the Tea Room to discuss what had just happened. Belldandy hurried off to the kitchen to fix a pot of tea and snacks. Skuld was still asleep in her room. Ilse went back to Heaven with a subdued Baldur in tow. The past half hour or so was very trying for all involved. A lot of powerful magic was expended, and all three Goddesses as well as Keiichi needed some time to rest and recover.

As she was wont to do, Urd floated above the table while Keiichi sat on the floor waiting for Belldandy to return. He said, "Well, Urd. I was quite surprised to see Hild show up."

Urd shook her head and said, "She's up to something. I know it."

"And she never even apologized."

"Keiichi, did you really expect one? Hild never apologizes for anything. The fact that she healed Skuld was highly unusual. That's about as close to an apology that we'll ever get."

Belldandy walked into the room with a steaming pot of green tea and some cookies. As she was sitting down, she said, "I just checked on Skuld. She looks okay. She should awaken in a few hours. I was quite surprised to see Ilse come back to help us out."

"Tell me about it." said Urd. "I thought Kami-sama would have really thrown the book at her. She did a lot of bad stuff. She should have been sealed away for a long time."

"She told me that Kami-sama had changed the rules regarding sending people into the Void. Ten years is no longer the maximum sentence."

"What is the maximum sentence now?" queried Urd.

"Eternity."

Urd whistled ominously. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it is." said Belldandy. "Apparently, Kami-sama was very angry that Baldur had been broken out of the Void."

"I wish I was a fly on the wall in his throne room while he was chewing Ilse out."

Keiichi said,"Urd, remember the last time you eavesdropped on Kami-sama? He was pretty pissed off about that."

"Don't remind me, Keiichi. I'm pretty sure that Skuld and I haven't heard the last of THAT little caper. Of course, it's her fault." Urd said as she pointed in the direction of Skuld's room. "She said that she could hack into his throne room. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen."

"Yeah, right Urd. You tried to stop her. Way to drop your little sister into it."

"But I did try to stop her."

"Urd, as far as lying is concerned, you're losing your touch. Even I could see that one coming. Better quit while you're ahead."

Urd harrumphed loudly and turned her back to Keiichi as if insulted. "Did he at least tell you what he wanted to see you and Belldandy about?"

"No. The spirit Torvald placed inside of me decided to complicate things."

"You mean?"

"Yeah, it attacked me twice while Bell and I were in Heaven. Once, on the way to his throne room and once while we were there."

Before Urd had the chance to ask Keiichi for more details, Ilse walked into the Tea Room with a large smile on her face.

Urd said, "Looks like someone got a new lease on life."

"Correct, Urd." Looking at Belldandy, she said cheerfully, "You're looking at the newest field Goddess in the GAA."

Belldandy could hardly contain her joy. "You mean...?"

"Yep! Kami-sama not only dropped the charges, but he also had a word with the selection committee to have me become a field Goddess with the Special Cases Division."

Urd laughed loudly at Ilse's announcement. "The Special Cases Division? The Almighty One decided to throw you into the Wacky Wishes Squad? Doesn't sound like he did you much of a favor. Do you know what you're in for working with that bunch?"

"Better working there than being thrown into the Void for eternity. I can handle anything that comes through Special Cases. But I definitely can't deal with the Void. "

Belldandy said, "Well, Ilse. I'm glad that Kami-sama showed mercy towards you. It would have been a waste of your skills for you to have been locked away, where you would have been no use to anyone."

"And I have you to thank, Belldandy. I'm sorry that I was such a pain."

"No need to apologize, Ilse. I'm sure that you'll be a credit to the Goddess Assistance Agency."

"Keiichi looked at Ilse and said, "Pardon me, but what is the Special Cases Division?"

Before Ilse could answer, Urd broke in. "The Special Cases Division are the unfortunates who have to deal with, shall I say, the more unusual wishes you humans dream up." Urd had intentionally referred to Keiichi as still being human despite his transformation, mostly to take a jab at him, but he wasn't biting. She continued. "They take the more bizarre wishes, so that the regular field goddesses can focus their skills and energy on the more routine stuff. Your wish to stay with Belldandy forever, for example, would have been sent to the Wacky Wishes Squad had Kami-sama not intervened."

Belldandy said, "An example of the kind of wish they would handle was, at one time, a wish came into the GAA from a human mathematician who wanted to be able to prove that a number could be divided by zero."

Keiichi blurted out. "But that's impossible! No number can be divided by zero."

Urd said, "On this planet, in this three dimensional existence, it is impossible. But there are dimensions where it isn't."

"I don't believe that."

"Would you like me to show you?" Urd said.

After thinking about it for a moment, Keiichi decided that trusting Urd to send him to a random dimension where such a mathematical impossibility was even remotely plausible, might not have been a really good idea.

"No, Urd. I-I'll take your word for it."

"Good boy. You'll find that there's a lot more to all this God stuff than you realize. Belldandy, Skuld and I have been doing this for longer than humanity has been in existence, and every once in awhile, something comes along that causes even us to scratch our heads. Other than Heaven, you haven't seen what else is really out there in terms of unexplored dimensions, and unrealized realities. All you know is Earth and the fleeting exposure to Heaven that you've had so far. Through your transformation by the Song of the Goddesses, your mind has been made able to understand the true length and breadth of this and other universes, but you have yet to experience them."

"You mean, there are more universes, than the one that Earth is a part of?"

"More than you can count, Keiichi. And one day, you'll have the chance to see them all."

"What's stopping me from seeing them all right now?"

"While you are now a God, Keiichi. Your mind and spirit are still bound to this Earth."

"I don't get it."

"You still have a reason to cling to this planet."

"Huh?"

"Your family, Keiichi. Your mother, father and Megumi."

"What about them."

"They are human and still part of this finite world. They still have an influence over you that keeps your true essence confined to this world and its limitations. The difference between you and us Goddesses, is that we have nothing that connects us to this place. We can come and go as we please, and if this world were to come to an end, it would mean nothing to us. We would lament its passing, but ultimately, the work of Heaven would go on."

"But doesn't Heaven and Yggdrasil need the energy generated by the contracts humans make with Goddesses?"

"Yes, it does, but if this planet didn't exist, Heaven would find other worlds with life on them that are capable of making contracts. Keiichi, there are many other planets in this and other Universes that have intelligent life on them. Many of whom are eons ahead of humanity."

Belldandy broke in, "Ultimately, Kei. You are a God, just as much as we are. That is an unalterable fact. However, as long as you have a real connection to Earth, you can't realize your true potential as a God."

Bell was about to continue with her explanation when suddenly, she and the other Goddesses all turned their heads as one towards the courtyard. Looks of confusion crossed their faces, as they nervously talked amongst themselves about what was happening. A strong sense of unfamiliar energy came over the temple. An energy that the Goddesses had never encountered.

"Someone's descending." said Belldandy with concern.

"Yeah," said Urd. "Someone really powerful."

"Could it be Hild again?" said Ilse.

"No." said Urd. "The energy signature is all wrong. The signatures of Gods and Demons are completely opposite from each other. This signature is totally different from either one. Clearly not Hild. I'd recognize her sig from halfway to Niflheim. The intensity is off the scale."

Belldandy said quietly, almost reverentially. "I know this energy pattern. I think it's…"

"Who?" said Keiichi.

"Strange." said Urd. "I didn't think that he…"

"He who?"

Urd shushed Keiichi as she concentrated on trying to decipher the powerful energy patterns that were intruding on the Goddesses senses. "It may not be who we think it is. But if it is…"

Ilse chimed in. "Has he ever visited Earth before?"

"I never heard of him doing it." added Urd.

"Who's He…?" said Keiichi with mounting frustration. The Goddesses ignored him.

High above Nekomi City, the energy patterns became stronger as the mystery visitor descended through the clouds. Night had already fallen, and a fat full moon hung over the bustling city. As the visitor dropped through the clouds, he looked below at the world unaware of his arrival. Nekomi City went about its daily routine, not knowing nor caring who was watching it. If it only knew…

The visitor watched intently as the city went about its business. He could see the cars and trucks traveling along the ribbons of concrete. Trains rolling along rails of steel, jammed full of fragile life. Curious devices they were. There was no such thing where he came from. He saw the humans as they went to and fro. Some walking, some running. Some shuffling along as if the weight of the world were on their shoulders. Others moving with a purpose, not stopping for anyone. Men coming from work. Women hustling their children home. Teens out and about going to the hot spots, looking for a good time.

Young and old, living their lives and minds cluttered with the thoughts, plans, emotions and memories. He could read them all, if he so chose. When he first emerged into the human world with its three dimensions, he marveled how these bipeds could possibly function in such a confined and finite existence. His place was in Heaven with its ten dimensions, so much more free and open. Unmatched beauty and harmony. Not like Nekomi City with its chaos and seeming disorganization.

"What a small and limited world this is." He thought as the Earth rose up to meet him. As he shifted the focus of his vision slightly, he could see new sights and wonders. His view expanded to allow him to see the activity of otherworldly beings, crossing the dimensions unknowable to the humans. He specifically focused on the work of Goddesses and Demons, as they toiled in their eternal mission of competing for the hearts, minds, and wishes of the humans. Gathering the energy that came from those wishes to power their respective enterprises. The visitor could see Goddesses descending through the Gate on their way to fulfill unspoken wishes. Conversely, he could also see Demons coming and going from Niflheim to do the same thing for Hell. He saw the eternal balance for market share sway from one side to the other, never moving too far from equilibrium. The way it was supposed to be. But what he had in store was going to change that equation.
He could see that there were eight field Goddesses working in Nekomi City granting wishes and making comtracts. Belldandy was one of them. While she was mostly preoccupied with living with Keiichi Morisato, she still completed an adequate caseload of contracts. Mostly, the short term deals that didn't negatively affect her ability to stay with her husband. The visitor smiled as he thought about the wonder couple that took Heaven by storm. He marveled at Keiichi's ability to steal the heart of a Goddess. How he was able to make her happy beyond her wildest dreams. Now, more than ever, the visitor thought that his selection of the head of this new venture that he was embarking upon, was the correct one. "The Belldandy Effect is very strong here." The visitor remarked. He continued to descend, Tarikihongan Temple his destination.

"This is unprecedented!" said Belldandy with excitement. "He must have a very good reason for coming here. As far as I know, he's never left Heaven much less come to Earth…"

"WHO'S HE!" screamed Keiichi.

"You don't have to shout, Keiichi! We can hear you just fine!" said Urd crossly.

"I just want to know who the hell you're talking about, Urd!"

"You can't feel the sudden increase in energy that occurred in the last few minutes?"

"No, I can't."

"Urd, this is something that Keiichi hasn't experienced before. Please be patient with him." Belldandy said as she took Keiichi's hand and held it to her head.

"Now can you feel it?" she said.

Keiiichi concentrated deeply for a moment before a look of recognition came across his face.

"Wow!, That's definitely him!" was all he could say.