Vortex World,
Okinawa Prefecture, Shintoshi Hill Apartment Complex
Kagatsuchi 2/8 Waxing
"This is exciting." Belldandy beamed. "I've never sung with an angel of the Fourth Aethyr before." She beamed at Kiyone, her expression filled with glee. She bounced on her feet with an energy Kiyone didn't feel, radiating a joy which was lost on the teal-haired woman.
"Please don't call me that." Kiyone requested, her smile strained, uncomfortable, and closer to a grimace of disguised irritation.
"I'm sorry!" Belldandy did not sound sorry. "It's just I'm so-so…!" She hummed, clasping her hands together as if trying to contain her joy. "Never in all my days had I ever thought I'd have the privilege of singing with a choir!"
"…Right…." Kiyone grunted. "I…guess but…it's really not-not that big a deal. I'm not even a trained singer or anything." She ran her hand through her hair in distress, and felt Chamrosh, perched on her right shoulder, nip playfully at the fingers, the creature's raptor beak gentle and empty of malice. The woman took a breath, taking comfort in the tiny spirit's presence. The tiny creature was a burr on her clothes with how oft it was near her, and the while the ex-cop remained uncertain if it was tied to the blaster it was born from or if it had imprinted on her-it was as much bird as dog-she was grateful for it none-the-less. It always helped having a friend close by. "Why…am I doing this again?"
"You wished to learn about the Fourth Aethyr and what capabilities your ancestors held—which you may yet have inherited, if not in body than in spirit."
"Right." Kiyone remained tense.
"…And you also displayed guilt for the comments Keiichi-chan and I overheard from Yosho-chan and yourself and thought this an ample way of apologizing given my own interest in you.."
"Right." Kiyone winced. "That's what it was." She rubbed her temples.
Belldandy smiled at her. "Nothing wrong with a sense of humor. Its good to see you both opening up to each other. Trust and communication is the foundation of any strong relationship, regardless if its platonic or romantic."
Kiyone rolled her eyes. Belldandy laughed-a gentle, soft sound that eased Kiyone's own discomfort. Though it was small, a smile tugged at the corner of the ex-cop's lip.
"So explain to me this whole thing. You want me to sing. I mean…why?"
"Angels-Niphilim, if you prefer-commune in song." Belldandy revealed. "You speak your native tongue, "Loagaeth", yes?" She glanced at Kiyone, and at the woman's nod continued, "How does it sound when you speak it compared to shall we say…Japanese or Juraian?"
"I don't think I follow." Kiyone said.
Belldandy hummed. "You speak English? From your time in North America?"
"Yeah, but I'm a little rusty. Been a couple years since I had to use it."
"Speak to me in English for a time."
"About what?"
"A topic you find passion with. Say…a favored food or experience you cherish."
"New York City bagels are shit." Kiyone paused and scowled. "Wait, that's not right, I forgot…Fucking English, I swear." She tried again. "New York City bagels are the shit. Warm, fresh from oven, crunch and soft and sublime, not like store-bought dough crap-taste like…" The woman stopped, "I'm loosing it. Is that good enough? I'm forgetting the words."
"Yes, that's fine." Belldandy beamed at her. "How was the inflection?"
"The inflection?" Kiyone stared at her in bemusement.
The Norn nodded. "State it again in Japanese. What do you notice about the inflection?"
"You kind of…sing the words in English." Kiyone mumbled. "Japanese and Juraian, which are so similar you wonder if the Juraians don't have more interaction with the local natives, are more…factual. You're just…talking. There isn't as much inflection at all."
"And how does that compare to Loagaeth?"
Kiyone frowned. "It damn near is nothing but inflection." She stated, rubbing her chin in consideration. "How the tone of a word is spoken can change its entire meaning. A sentence's timbre and pitch can dictate the entire topic of conversation."
"Can you say that same phrase in Loagaeth?"
Kiyone scowled at the goddess, who smiled back. "I haven't used it since leaving Caosg." She grumbled.
"It is your native tongue though, yes?" Belldandy inquired. "It will return to you."
"You say that…" Kiyone grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest with a sigh. "Fine. New York City bagels are…shit, what was it, that's the wrong pitch, it needs to be higher…New York City bagels are delicious. Hot and new from the coals…what was it…divine? No, that's English again, damn it…" She could feel her cheeks warming as she grew flustered, and found it harder by the second to concentrate on the old, archaic language of her people. I'm some so-called Niphilim that can't even speak her own language. She thought, and am making an absolute fool of myself in front of a literal goddess. I should have just let Yaksini kill me. A death by an outer space toilet seat would be preferable to this right now.
Yet Belldandy was already contracted to Keiichi and was unable to grant Kiyone her wish no matter how hard she prayed for it.
Instead, a voice, one familiar only in the most vague of senses, rose to join the Norn's. "New York City bagels are delicious. Arising hot from the coals, a taste sublime, a duality of hard shell surrounding hot softness."
Startled, Kiyone looked up, finding the angel from before peering over Belldandy's shoulder. Both angel and goddess wore matching gentle smiles on their faces. "You're doing well, Kiyone-chan." Belldandy murmured, and the angel emerging from her nodded in turn.
"Speak with me." The angel continued. "I am Holy Bell, as named by Verthandi, of the First Aethyr. I reflect that which is hidden within my host, serving as both Nemesis and Rainbow Vessel." The angel nodded to her in something akin to a half-bow, and Kiyone could here the gentle whisper of feathers as her wings swayed overhead. "It is a wonder to meet a descendant of the Fourth Aethyr."
"Okay…" Kiyone started, leaning away from both of them. "This is weird, even for me. I can barely speak Loagaeth anymore yet I'm understanding you just find. Is this some other kind of weird-ass magic you can do?"
Holy Bell shook her head. "Is the spoken word not a language of magic?" She asked, "For in breath, we grant life, and through our thoughts grant action. We given the direction of the spoken word, we bring our will and intention into the material world, birthing life to our desires." She smiled at the ex-cop. "And through song, we give life to our soul, allowing us to unite through those very barriers which would keep us separate." The angel's eyes danced. It is my will to be understood by a sister. So too is it your will to understand yourself and your relationship to beings such as me." She said.
Kiyone felt the hair rise along the nape of her neck as she stared at the entity, speechless. The words were as chilling as they were eye opening, and in her minds eye her memories returned her to Yaksini, of leaping towards the demon woman with one thought and one thought alone: I'll kill you. Of speaking the name of the spell into existance, "Madness Nails!" and feeling the maddening itch of black, spear-like talons as her her nails grew and grew and grew. Of the infernal relief she'd felt as the nails bit into flesh and bone and muscle, slicing through anything and everything and relieving her of the maddening itch which arose from her fingers-one so deep, so terrible that she would not have cared if the nails had struck Yosho or rocks or the building-so long as they releived her of the terrible itch and burn of the elongated nails…
The woman shook herself, rousing herself from the memory and burying it back into the depths of her subconscious.
"Well," Kiyone began, locking the memory behind a smile that felt as strained as it looked, "Prepare yourself. I live to disappoint."
Her words were met with two laughs-of both Belldandy and Holy Bell, "There will be no disappointment. Please don't speak so negatively of your own repute." Holy Bell murmured. Belldandy nodded in agreement. "What you speak of yourself is what you become." She said, and Kiyone found the words ominous. "Please, try again if you will." Belldandy coaxed. "Not in Japanese, in Loagaeth."
Kiyone frowned, then bowed her head, running her hand through her teal hair. "I guess." She grumbled.
"They only way to improve is through proper repetition and good practice." The Norn lectured. "And the best way you will learn more of your own ancestry will be through interaction and song with an angel of one of the Inner Three Planes."
The ex-cop shot the woman a dubious look, then nodded. "You're the boss." She said, voice tight with tension. "Just…be prepared. You're going to be SOL if you think I'm going to hold any kind of conversation well."
"If its your cursing, I can assure you, it bothers neither Holy Bell or myself." Belldandy replied, the smile on her face easy and carefree.
"You're infuriating, you know that?" Kiyone asked.
"She does." Holy Bell replied, her tone amused as Belldandy smiled cheekily. "Its how she gets back at those who aggravate her. Be so infuriatingly supportive and nice that they cannot stand her."
"Navigating too equally infuriating sisters will do that to a goddess." Belldandy murmured, looking up at the angel with a warm smile.
"I weep for my sisters." Holy Bell said.
"Wait, you have-"
"Loagaeth." Belldandy reminded.
Kiyone sent her a reproachful look, then continued once more."You…have…sister?" She tried, speaking the words with slow and careful deliberation. They sounded like the sharp notes of alarm from a bird sighting a predator. "Like…fucking hell, what's the word for it…Like you-you have sisters, not you-her?" She gestured to Belldandy.
Holy Bell nodded. "Like all the Fourth Aethyr are kin, so too are those of the First Aethyr kin to each other. We are all born of the Infinite Void, formless and without consciousness until we are pulled into the Tenth Dimension by the Deity of our Aethyr." The language came back easily to Kiyone as she listened to the angel speak, and she listened carefully, picking up on the way the angel's voice dipped and rose in pitch, reaching the highest highs and the lowest lows with a ease and fluidity another person would struggle to reach even in their prime. "There, we are removed from the Void, molded, shaped into an egg, and presented to a deity. The deity serves as host for us, as we serve as power amplifiers and guides through their lives. Yet through it all, we remain linked to our kin-to every god, a brother, to every goddess, a sister, and to those in between, one equally as fluid and marvelous." She smiled brightly at Kiyone, and only then did the teal-haired woman realize that, as Holy Bell spoke, so too did Belldandy sing the words, granting her voice to Holy Bell as if allowing the creature to speak through her. The Norn spoke—sang—with an ease that was confounding to behold, and yet so-so pure that it felt almost blasphemous to interrupt her song.
Kiyone nodded, rendered mute.
Belldandy nudged her with a gentle, friendly smile. "Stop." She said. "You're letting my own nature overshadow yours."
"Am I not supposed to?" Kiyone demanded.
"You have your own illumination, if you would take the time to feed it." Belldandy replied. "I am a goddess, yes, however I am not trying to steal your own brilliance; I am not Coronzom. I want to feed your inner light and see it burn through the Veil of Illusion you and your kin have enshrouded yourself in, that you may once more be enveloped in the light of Divine Flame."
Kiyone stared at her, at a loss for words, then looked away with a sigh. "And if I want to be wrapped up in Illusion?"
"It is not my place to deny you that." Belldandy nodded. "Yet I would question why you would approach me to begin with; it was your request to learn of your divine ancestry. Yet with that comes Illumination; awakening, a crossing of the void which may be required of you to learn the full extents of your heritage. One cannot gain true insight to their own divinity and remain shrouded in the Illusion of the Ego. True understanding comes with Death of the Ego-of the I, the me, the Kiyone, in order to understand the true essence of Origin. To understand your heritage is to divest oneself of the Ego, even if only temporarily."
"Death, huh?" Kiyone grunted. "All this just to understand what I am?"
"If you wish for a complete understanding-one not just of the knowledge we provide but also the understanding, yes." Holy Bell said. "Niphilim are creatures of the Void, the source of Oneness from which all emerges and to which all is destined to return. In order to understand the Void, one must understand on a fundamental level how they and everything around them are connected to that essence."
Belldandy returned her gaze to Kiyone, and there was a hardness in her gaze which had not been present before. "I need you to understand this, Kiyone-chan. If you come to me seeking illumination on your ancestry, I shall accommodate you in that endeavor; it was a rouge goddess who stole the light of divinity from your people, and likewise, I feel a personal and professional responsibility in you reclaiming it. Yet I cannot guarantee that it will be easy, or enjoyable, or that your own illumination will not bring with it it's own terrible burden; if anything, I must warn you that it could bring about those exact things; The Fourth Aethyr were guardians of their own type of divine flame-one masked in chaos beneath the dangerous realm that was their world, and which is very likely beyond the Uninitiated's understanding."
"So with that said…I shall ask you again Kiyone-chan, whose name is synonymous with Pure Song of the Rich Vessel," The Norn leaned forward, her gaze intense and piercing; to Kiyone it felt as if the goddess was not so much looking at her as through her, the gaze passing through the outer shell and to the fragile soul within. "Do you wish to learn of your connection to the Fourth Aethyr?"
Kiyone felt her heart skip a beat, the hair on the nape of her neck rising like an alarmed cat's. The gaze was sharp; like a knife which had been stabbed into her chest, slicing it apart like a scalpel fused with a bone saw to see the heart within. With it came a vision, both familiar and alien: a black hound, scales, and a heart. "Usekh-nemmt, Hept-khet, Fenti, Am-khaibit, Neha-her…" She heard the strange words in her mind as much as her ears, recognizing it as one of the reoccurring dreams she so often suffered from. That's my heart. She thought, and felt a shiver worm its way down her spy, leaving her both cold and hot in the same instant.
The woman rubbed her eyes, feeling the thrum of her heart in her chest-where it belongs-and found Belldandy watching her, the gaze no longer piercing but instead one of concern.
"Kiyone-chan?"
Kiyone waved her off, and grew aware of Chamrosh trilling in concern on her shoulder. She almost shrugged the tiny spirit off—she felt claustrophobic; trapped in a space too tiny to contain her body, trapped in a body too small to encase her spirit.
"I'm fine." Kiyone whispered in a voice that was not.
"Perhaps it is best if we do not begin then." Belldandy's voice was solemn, and her expression one of quiet concern. "You…still bare the wounds of trauma." She said, her words careful and thoughtful. "Until you can face that trauma and come to terms with it… it may be unwise to seek out your ancestry and the generational trauma it has sustained."
Kiyone let out a sigh, uncertain if it was relief or regret she was expressing.
"One cannot sing if their heart fears their soul." Holy Bell murmured, and Kiyone flinched as if stung. "Loagaeth is a language of music, to speak it is to lay one's soul bare to those who would hear it." The angel looked sad, and worse yet, disappointed; as if the Kiyone's words had indeed brought into reality the actions of another, and the teal-haired woman flinched, wishing she could take back the words.
Belldandy pursed her lips. "Kiyone-chan…what scares you so?" she asked. "I saw a glimpse, but…it was one of anger, of hate. And that was a mere glimpse; one provided by accident and without context in a moment of unconscious memory." She stared at the woman with earnest blue eyes, and Kiyone struggled to hold her gaze, looking away from the goddess instead. "Please, I wish to assist you. To grant you a chance to heal, and with it, the opportunity to stand strong through this world." She pursed her lips. "You and Yosho-chan need each other if you are to survive this place. Please let me help you."
Kiyone stared at her in mute horror, feeling as if she'd been read like an open book and recalling in that instant her first observation of Belldandy-a bullet, a force, a facet of nature granted a human face with which to commune. "She's the Wind." Morisato's voice whispered to her, and saw the truth of the words behind that statement.
Holy Bell and Belldandy, the sound of bells dancing through the wind, giving voice to an invisible presence and life to the world around it. Lifting the hair and stealing her breath, sending her words to the four corners of the world and rising above its sisters elements. Uncapturable, the essence of freedom, the enterprise of spirits and-
With a grimace, Kiyone closed her eyes and shook her head, banishing the strange thoughts from her mind. "What am I?" She whispered.
Belldandy and Holy Bell watched her in silence.
The woman looked at the two. "What if your right?" It felt like the words were stolen from her-stolen like her breath, stolen like her voice, rising to the heavens and ringing like tiny bells across the Vortex World. "What you said about the Fourth Aethyr. That thing you told me-about being a-a Niphilim or a descendant-" She ran a hand through her hair. "What does that mean for me? For my race? That I'm not human? That I'm some kind of-of celestial spirit trapped and bound?" She looked at Belldandy accusingly. "I brushed off the stories my family, hell, my entire planet spoke of for years. It was a myth, a legend, something to comfort families who still suffered from the irradiated zones across Caosg, to make them feel better about the hellish nightmare world we lived on, something to help serve as a moral compass so that we could be better than our forefathers who ruined our world."
"And now you show up and just-just-fuck it up." She hissed. "And I don't know what it means-I don't know what it means for me, for my family, for the people who I left behind and for the entire planet which is now fucking nonexistent because of the world ending!" She threw her hands up in anger, further enraged when Belldandy and Holy Bell both remained calm and stoic, unmoved by her outburst. "Weird shit has haunted me since a goddamned ship blew up on me and I survived, and I've brushed it off-it's luck, it didn't count, I almost died but didn't-but…but…" The woman lapsed into silence, gritting her teeth so hard her jaw popped as she fought back frustrated tears.
"I did." She bit out. "Die." She took a deep breath, and found the admission-something she'd been hiding from herself for so long-hurt. "I died. Over and over and over—On a ship-twice-thenin an escape pod, in shootouts from New York City all the way through Roanipur, by demons roaming Okinawa prior to the End of the world, and at the world's end—I've died. People have died with me-friends, partners, enemies, demons…But I keep coming back." Kiyone whispered. "I thought I was-I told myself I was human—I'm not. I'm told I'm a Niphilim—I'm not." Tears slid down her cheeks, ignored in the desperation and the overwhelming fear which spawned them. She felt vulnerable in front of the goddess. Vulnerable and small and insignificant. "You meet me and tell me I'm a descendant of something that isn't human, but isn't an-an angel either. Some strange hybrid that possessed corpses and the corpses bred and created something new. Something that can't die, and after experiencing itBelldandy, it terrifies me…What am I?"
Belldandy stepped forward, and Kiyone stood her ground, trembling beneath the Norn's serene gaze. First one, then two pairs-one a warm and real presence, the other so light it was like that of a ghost, and felt herself drawn into a gentle embrace.
With a sob, Kiyone felt the last of her baring break, and began to weep in earnest; the first such tears shed since leaving her family for the GXP, knowing in her most secret of hearts that she would never see them again.
"I do not have the answers you seek." Belldandy murmured. "I know you only as you are now: As Kiyone Makibi, the Pure Song of the Rich Vessel, holding the last of the inherited nature of a race which is no more." It was not a good answer-they both knew that-yet it was an honest one, and in that moment perhaps it would be enough."Right now, that is all you need to be. That is all I will ask you to be. Not what you were prior. Not what your ancestors were. Not who you may become. Be simply Kiyone Makibi—exist here in the now. Tomorrow is a mystery and yesterday is history. Today is a gift; the you that is present here before me as I stand."
The goddess held the woman at arm's length, supported by an angel who embraced the mortal with warm acceptance.
Kiyone scrubbed at her eyes with one hand, her eyes red as she looked over her arm at the Norn. "Then what do I do? What can I do?"
Belldandy and Holy Bell shared a look. "Well…" She began, looking back at Kiyone. "We examine alternatives." A small smile spread across her lips. "Tell me…do you know any instruments?"
Vortex World,
Minatogawa Stateside Town, Assembly of Nihilo, Urd's Well
Kagatsuchi 3/8 Waxing
"Hey."
Marller looked up as she dragged herself-bruised, charred, and beaten but otherwise unharmed, back into the bar. Urd stood on the other side, waiting for her with her hands crossed over her chest. Marller stared at her.
Urd jerked her head to the back room.
Sighing in defeat, Marller nodded, refusing to meet the Norn's gaze and following after the woman as Urd turned and walked back into the bar's living quarters. In silence, she trailed after the goddess, staring at the small of Urd's back as her ears strained for the others who'd invaded her home. She could hear nothing though, and with the bar's silence, felt her initial trepidation begin to fade.
The damn kids were gone.
Urd led the way into the Norn's bedroom, and Marller closed the door behind them, knowing that at least Loki would respect their need for privacy.
The Norn gestured to a small vanity display, complete with a spinning chair that had been re-purposed from the original bar's discovery. "Sit." She ordered.
Without a word of protest, Marller did as bid, sitting down and turning to face the goddess. She looked up at the woman and bit back a snarl of pain; her neck, shoulders, and upper back throbbed painfully from where Loki had tossed her through one of the more desolate surrounding buildings.
Urd turned to the vanity, grabbing something which looked like a perfume bottle and popping the top off. She stuck a thumb across the bottle's opening, then flipped it, coating the tip of her thumb before setting it back down once more. "Look at me."
Grimacing, Marller tilted her head up at an angle, and saw Urd frown. "Hold still." Though there was little denying the authority behind the Norn's words, Urd's voice had grown soft. She cupped Marller's cheek with her free hand, and with a sigh Marller leaned into it, her upper lip twitching in pain as the goddess dabbed gently at the swelling around one eye.
The demon sucked in a long, breath, and then released it with slow control, allowing her eyes to drift shut as she felt Urd's gentle touch-like butterfly kisses-drift across her injuries, the blossoming pain fading with every dab, every touch, every gesture which danced across her face; Goddess of the past and Yggdrasil Administrator she may be, but Urd's true strength, as far as Marller was concerned, always shined in the potency of her potions.
"Are you okay?" Urd asked. "You've been…off since the kids arrived."
Marller grunted.
"I sent them out. They left their gear in the Amala Drum, and I gave Tenchi permission to leave their possessions in the guest bedroom. They'll be out for a while; I asked some of our locals to keep them distracted."
Oh thank Nidhogg for small blessings. Marller thought, and drew her arms around Urd's waist. Urd's hand dropped, and the Norn stepped forward into her grip, allowing Marller to drag her close. The demon rested her head against the Norn and closed her eyes, listening to the strong, slow beat of the woman's heart as Urd reciprocated, drawing the demon into her own embrace.
The two stayed like that for a small eternity, and Marller allowed herself a moment's peace, letting the guard that had been up since the newcomers' arrival melt away. She could feel herself unwind with it, and knew Urd sensed it as well; the creature beyond the physical shell which housed her spirit, the True Self expanding to fill the room and surround its occupants like the warmth of the sun burning through a thick fog. She felt and heard Urd sigh, the Norn's grip on her physical body tighten.
"Must be serious." Urd murmured. "To what do I owe the honor?" She asked, "It's rare for you to release your seals."
"M'Sorry." Marller mumbled, releasing her grip around Urd and rising to her feet. Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead against Urd's, and felt the strange and vulnerable static which accompanied the act. "Kids make me tense."
"I know." Urd ran her hands through Marller's hair, and the greater presence which surrounded them pulsed in response. "What I don't know is why."
"Hitoshura." Marller grumbled, and sighed, nuzzling the goddess's neck. "It's a sign."
"A sign of what?"
"The End."
Urd looked at her in silent question, and Marller sighed, running her hands through the Norn's long, silver hair. Bit by bit, the demon's spirit returned to her physical body, and the heat of the room faded, leaving in its wake a comfortable, residual warmth. Marller pulled away to look at the goddess, and saw the confusion in the woman's eyes. "The Hitoshura is ultimately the one who decides the Reason for this world." She said.
"You've said that before." Urd replied. "Whoever the Hitoshura allies with holds the future of the universe in their hands."
Marller looked away.
"Do you think the boy's already aligned himself with someone?"
"The girl he's with." Marller stated. "Otherwise…its too early to tell. None of the Holders have begun making moves against their competition."
"Than its fine, isn't it?" Urd asked. "He's unaligned still. There's still time."
"Time yes, but time is ticking down." Marller replied. "…He's a reminder of what's at stake."
Urd pursed her lips, then rested her arms on the demon's shoulders. "We've already decided to remain neutral." She reminded. "In a game of Reason, there are no winners. Just death."
"Yet we sit within the shade of one such Holder." Marller reminded. "We need to find a way free ourselves of Kagatsuchi's influence. This place will soon not be safe for us."
"And you know I'm working on that, right?" Urd asked. "But it takes time, and more importantly resources and the people who are willing to go out and hunt for them for us. I can't leave here because I need to be stationary for my sisters. You won't leave here because of your own reasons, and Loki is…Loki.
"Unreliable."
"In kinder words, yes."
Marller fell silent, closing her eyes as she leaned into the woman.
Urd sighed. "I know there's something more to it than just the kids."
"Can't talk about it."
"I know. Its why I haven't pressed."
"The kids need to go. Its dangerous to have the Hitoshura around here." The demon opened her eyes and looked at Urd with concerned red eyes. "He doesn't even know that the man who ended his world is sitting in the same obelisk protecting him from Kagatsuchi's light."
Urd frowned. "What do you think will happen?"
"He'll find out." Marller replied. "Sooner or later, he'll find out, and the boy will confront the man over what he'd done. The Obelisk will fall, Urd, and we need to be prepared for that before it happens."
"So you want Tenchi to leave."
Marller nodded. "The longer he's here the sooner he'll discover Hikawa's presence. The boy has a space pirate for a mentor and companion; you can't tell me the Hitoshura will simply 'forgive and forget'."
"No." Urd mumbled, and her gaze grew distant. "I suppose he won't."
"He'll seek blood. For the kin he's lost. For the world destroyed. To grant closure for his own sense of failure at having been unable to prevent the world's end."
Urd grimaced. "You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you." She stated.
Marller began to hum, and it sounded like a warm, vocal purr. "I've seen it happen before."
The goddess gave a wane smile, "I…forget sometimes how often you've been stuck in vortex worlds."
"Usually as an Observer, yes. It sucks." Marller replied. "I know how this song and dance goes."
"It was you who called you to Okinawa, wasn't it?" Urd said.
"It was." Marller kissed the woman, finding the Norn's lips plush and inviting, burning through the tension in her body with such ease and comfort that the demon wondered how she did not melt against the goddess.
"Thank you again for that…it would have destroyed Belldandy to lose Keiichi so soon after marrying him."
"You know I didn't do it for her."
"I know. You can't stand my little sister." Urd sounded amused. "I appreciate it none-the-less."
The demon sighed. "The Vortex World is a cold, dangerous, and lonely place. Still…Keiichi would have survived because he's too stubborn to die wherever your sister's involved. He'll have a Reason of his own…"
"I know. And I'm still heeding your advice. Belldandy will side with Keiichi regardless of what comes, and I'm remaining neutral. No one wins in the game of Reason."
"No one but the Hitoshura and those who have allied with him." Marller stated. 'And even then…it is only the lucky few who live to see Kagatsuchi expire and the world that follows."
"And to the fallen, a trip to the Underworld, where memories of the Vortex World are dissolved with their bodies to be remade for the New World." Urd continued. "Right?"
Marller nodded. "And to the Observer, who shall remain uninvolved, to document and record the trials of the Vortex World and those who fall within it."
"Who do you think is the Observer this go around?" Urd asked. "They aren't allowed to pick the same person twice in a row, right? And you were an observer last time?"
"When I was last in a Vortex World, yes." Marller said, and looked uneasy. "Pity them, whoever they are. Kagatsuchi's light was not so hazardous in the last world I was in, yet they alone remain unaffected by it as an Observer. They alone will bare witness to atrocities and horrors which few have had to record before." She sighed. "I've never witnessed such a savage Egg in any of the prior worlds before."
"Not even when the sun turned everything beneath it to stone?"
"…That was a close contender." Marller admitted. "Yet even those…most of it was a silent death-one of internal madness before the human victims succumbed to the Sun Virus and turned to stone; an internal madness that consumed the mind and left the body unresponsive, empty of the violence which haunts this place. When the Atma Virus was released to counter it, only around ten percent of the global population still lived, and of them only around three percent were possessed by tenth-dimensional entities. The remaining seven percent were left to watch and wait and repopulate when Brahma was soothed. The violence among the three percent was bad, yes, but it was paltry compared to the violence of a world encased by Frenzy."
"I'd only read about it." Urd confessed. "And I'm glad my sisters and I weren't drawn into it."
"I drew you into this one."
"You were looking out for me." Urd replied. "We'd been on the third dimension at the time of its demise and would have been drawn into it regardless. The only question would have been if Keiichi was alive with us in the Vortex World or wandering around as a displaced spirit instead."
"Belldandy frets over him. You fret over her." Marller reasoned.
"…And I become dangerous to everyone and everything around me in turn." Urd nodded. "You did the right thing, and don't think for a moment you didn't."
Marller nodded against the goddess. "Send the kids out."
"Hm?"
"Kill two birds with one stone. Send the kids out for resources and fund their venture. We get resources and keep an eye out for your sisters, they stay away from here and word of Hikawa's presence."
"And you get peace of mind with the Hitoshura gone?" Urd began to rock, and the two women swayed against each other in gentle ease.
"Yes." Marller said, and Urd chuckled. "You can test the veil you've been working on. Give it to Ryoko; if she comes through Full Kagatsuchi whole, you know you're on the right track for yourself and your sisters."
"And you." Urd reminded.
Marller nodded. "She trials the product-it works, we send them out to gather more resources for additional veils. They have a place to come and rest and we prepare for the inevitable. We advise and supply them and give them some of your own potions based off what they bring back, and they have reason to continue on their own expeditions."
"And if by chance Ryoko finds…That Woman?"
Marller shrugged. "What can be done?" She asked. "She's not allowed to enter the Vortex World so long as Kagatsuchi shines. She can end worlds with the sweep of a hand; by the first laws laid out amongst Daimakaicho and Daitenkaicho, such power is not allowed in the Vortex World because it defeats the World's purpose. Let the kid search. If she succeeds she succeeds and we can't control that—but you met her first, and have more sway on her that She does right now; when the girl's here, nothing's stopping you from guiding her and giving her a perspective which counters Hers. If not, than there's no problem, is there?"
Urd raised a silver brow. "…Who's side are you on, Demon?" She teased.
"No side." Marller replied. "Just as I've always done in worlds like this."
Urd sighed. "Fine." She said. I'll take your words into consideration." She cupped the woman's cheek, and leaned her forehead once more against Marller's, allowing their sigils-their connections to Yggdrasil and Nidhoggr-to touch, interrupting the flow of power and higher consciousness and leaving them both vulnerable and exposed. A Niflheimian demon's intimacy, for only with those closest to them would they intentionally expose themselves to such weakness. "I don't like how riled these kids are making you; its worrisome. So I'll think about it. But not before I speak with Ryoko-she wants to figure out what she is, and I refuse to let the opportunity pass up, Kianga."
Marller smiled, leaning into the gesture before kissing the woman on the cheek "Thank you." She whispered.
Vortex World,
Okinawa Prefecture, Shintoshi Hill Apartment Complex
Kagatsuchi Half Waxing
"Do you feel it?" Thor towered over Yosho, his arms crossed as he stared down at the man.
Yosho nodded, his eyes narrowed in fierce concentration.
"Good." Thor gave a slow nod in turn. "Now grasp your weapon."
Steeling himself, Yosho did as instructed, hefting the massive blade with both hands before him.
"Focus on the blade, and speak, just as practiced." The god instructed.
The Juraian took a deep, soothing breath, feeling a pleasant tingle work up his left arm and into the palm clutching the hilt. It was different from the pins and needles of a limb falling asleep-rather instead like tiny pinpricks of warmth traveling across the nerve endings, feeding them energy rather than the numbing cut-off of blood that followed a sleeping arm. I feel it. He thought, a surreal calm overwhelming him. It originates in my chest, and I can feel it seeping into my left arm. Now I just need to…push it into the sword.
"Logi." Yosho commanded, and started as The Duke's Blade burst into flames like a sword dipped into oil and ignited.
Watching off to the side, Keiichi yelped, "Holy shit!"
Yosho stared at the weapon with wide burgundy eyes, his jaw growing slack with shock. He lost his concentration on the warm hum in his chest and arm, and the fire was extinguished, leaving in its wake a sword of simple, cool steel once more.
He was panting. From adrenaline or the strange essence which had been pulled from him, the man was uncertain.
"Good!" Thor clapped him on the shoulder, the action so jarring that the sword fell from Yosho's grip. "You know the sensation now, next comes maintaining the concentration to make the spell stick."
"I am uncertain if I am ready for that." Yosho rasped, bending to retrieve the weapon and burying it's tip in the earth. He leaned onto the weapon as his body trembled with a sudden rattling exhaustion. "I-I understand now why Makibi-san's spell so destroyed her. Is all magic so-so draining?" He looked at Thor, recalling how effortlessly the god had called a bolt of lightning down upon him in their first meeting.
"Only if you rely on your own energy." Thor explained, "True mastery comes when you no longer draw on your own reserves, but that of the heavens or the earth, for such power is infinite compared to what a mortal shell can hold." He pointed to the sword before holding his hand out. Straightening with a grunt, Yosho passed the weapon onto the man, and watched Thor snarl at the weapon as he wrapped a hand around the hilt. "Bah, cursed demon's blade. Wretched thing, it is."
He lifted it, examining its edge on first one side, the the other. "It does not help you hold such a dark piece of steel. The thing would feed on you if given half the chance-how did you come by it?"
"It was gifted to me by its master, Goetia Duke Aym." Yosho replied. "He wanted to even the playing field with me and granted it to me that I might give him an honorable dual."
"So it is a gift. A relief-had it been a trophy or a weapon stolen or found even, it would be preying on you. It's aura hungers for violence; had it been anything other than a gift, where it may see you as its new master, it would have overwhelmed and likely possessed you." The god rose the blade into the air and released a shout. Lightning struck the steel, blue bolts of electricity dancing across its metallic surface in a deadly discharge, and there it stayed, the bolts never dissipating nor traveling past the hand guard and onto Thor's gauntlet. The blade seemed to purr with a passionate hum, and after a few experimental swings the electricity dissipated.
Thor gave the weapon an appraising look. "It sees you as its master." He revealed. "Though it no longer has a name." He glanced at the man. "Have you considered naming it?"
"I have not." Yosho said, and took the blade once more as Thor offered the hilt to him. "Is it recommended?"
"Are you not a warrior?" Thor asked. "Does a warrior not make his bed twice: once with his weapon, next with his woman? Of course it needs a name!"
Keiichi grunted. "Isn't it the opposite?"
Thor bellowed with laughter so obnoxious Yosho feared Belldandy and Kiyone might hear him. "Of course not!" He exclaimed. "A warrior is married first to his weapon, which shall never fail him, then to his woman once the battles which would steal his life have ended."
Keiichi raised a disbelieving eyebrow, shooting a flat look to Yosho. Can you believe this guy?
Yosho recognized the expression, and chose to ignore it. "I…had not considered it 'my' blade until recently." The man explained. "So the thought to name it had not crossed my mind."
"Name it." Thor instructed. "A dog which does not know its name will not come when called. Likewise, a blade which remains nameless will care for its wielder as much as its wielder cares for it. Is that not true?"
Yosho pursed his lips but nodded. "…It is." Tenchi-ken had served him well, and he had always acknowledged the blade not only by its name, but as a key to the greater Jurain royal family. Even Kiyone-not a warrior in the traditional sense-had named her weapon, and he'd seen first-hand the spirit born of that blessing. Yet what name would best suit a demon's blade?
"Wait, are you actually gonna name it?" Keiichi asked, his own curiosity getting the better of him as Yosho regarded the blade with silent consideration.
"I am." He said. "Morisato-san, you have stated yourself that you are no warrior, but…Thor-sama is correct. Your life relies on two things in the battlefield; The weapon you wield and your own profession with it. If you are better than your opponent and the weapon is strong, you win. If either are weaker, you die." He shrugged. "I have lived it myself. I am sure Thor-sama has as well. To have great skill and a great weapon is what keeps a man alive in the heat of battle." He frowned, observing the weapon carefully. "It is just…I do not know what to name a weapon of demoncraft."
Keiichi frowned and stepped forward. "Can I see it?"
Both Yosho and Thor stared at the short man in surprise. It was the first interest the Keiichi had expressed in any kind of weapon since Yosho's first meeting with him. Too baffled to consider anything else, Yosho hefted it up, holding it's hilt with one hand and the long flat of its blade with the other, and offered the weapon to Morisato.
The mechanic took it carefully, and as his hands dipped beneath the weight his eyes widened. "Shit."
"Please don't drop it." Yosho requested, his hands hovering beneath the weapon.
"I'm not." Keiichi's eyes were on the blade. "Its weight just caught me off guard is all. Its heavier than I thought. This thing's gotta weigh…at least fifty pounds."
"Is that why it's so light?" Thor commented.
Both Yosho and Keiichi shot him a glare.
"Why is it so heavy?" Keiichi looked up at Yosho. "What the fuck gave you a fifty pound sword and told you 'fight me'?"
"A Goetia." Yosho replied. "He was…massive. Inhuman. A giant of three faces mounted atop a great and terrible serpent."
Keiichi's frown deepened, and he looked back down at the sword. "Figures." He muttered. "I got it, you're good." Yosho let his hands drop back to the side, and with a grunt Keiichi shifted his grip on the sword, holding it out before him with both hands as he looked it up and down. The sword was almost as large as he stood tall, yet the mechanic hefted it before him with a quiet strength. "Yeah, I can see that." He said, and for a moment it seemed almost as if the man was speaking to the blade. "Something smoky. Something hidden. Something dark and hot and mean." He looked at Yosho. "That's…kind of what I'm getting off it, at least."
"Forgive me, I am not certain I understand." Yosho said.
"It's nature." Keiichi said. "That's kind of the impression I'm getting off it. Something hot but hidden, smoky and murky." With deliberate care, he shifted the blade back to the way it had been presented to him, offering it back to Yosho. "Name it off its nature." He recommended, "Don't we all become what our names speak of us?"
Yosho stared at him.
Thor chuckled. "You continue to surprise me, Keiichi Morisato." He commended. "Just when I think you a boring man, you impress me with a level of insight that is divine."
"Comes with being turned into a moped, being possessed by an Ultimate Destruction Program, then turning into a woman, meeting sentient alien tools, almost drowning after getting charmed by a siren, and then getting married in Hell after restoring its leader to power following a extra-dimensional coup." Keiichi replied, and smiled when Thor laughed.
"And with a sense of humor, too!" Thor roared.
Yosho sent the man a sidelong glance. Something in Morisato's tone hinted at him being serious.
Keiichi met his gaze and winked.
One day, I will sit this man down and we will swap stories over drinks. Yosho promised himself, taking the weapon back, Yosho observed it with fresh scrutiny, trying and failing to perceive whatever it was that had captured the young man's attention. Whatever Keiichi sensed was beyond him though, and despite his best efforts he could sense nothing from the weapon.
The man sighed. "Keep your secrets then." He told it, half-expecting the weapon to respond and disappointed when it didn't.
"Want to take a break and see how the girls are doing?" Keiichi asked. "You've been going at it pretty hard and progress has been pretty slow. Could help to take a break and get your mind off of the sword."
Yosho frowned, and next to him Thor grunted, "Is it that you merely wish to see Verthandi?"
"Is that a crime?" Keiichi retorted. "I enjoy being with my wife, so sue me." His expression grew sombre. "But…I actually want to speak with Makibi-san, if I'm serious." He said. "There's so much focus being placed on weapons and how to use them…I was…kind of hoping Makibi-san might give me some pointers with the gun you gave me, Yosho-san." He paused, then added, "You…really are giving it to me?"
"This is the fifth time you've asked and my answer remains unchanged, Morisato-san. The weapon is yours to keep." Yosho replied. "I am far from as proficient with it as I am a sword, and if I am honest…with how you speak of 'system forces' and what not, a part of me wonders if I was not meant to give it to you."
Keiichi shook his head with a sigh, a rueful smile on his face. "I appreciate it, Man, I really do." The smile faded, "But no offense…your instruction sucks."
"None taken." Yosho replied. "I am well aware."
"I'm hoping Makibi-san might give me some better pointers so I don't shoot my own foot off when Marller pops out of nowhere demanding my first born."
Thor looked at him sharply. "You are expecting?" He demanded. The god sounded excited.
Keiichi held his hands up. "No, at least…I don't think so. Just a term of phrase. I just-I just want to know what I'm doing and be confident in it in case someone gets the jump on us during like…New Kagatsuchi or something. Bell does a lot for me. I need to make sure I'm not slacking on my end."
Thor rubbed his chin, his hand almost disappearing in his thick red beard. "A valid point." He said, and looked to Yosho. "Would you mind a break? I too would be interested in Kiyone's instruction with mortal weaponry."
I'm sure you would. Yosho thought. "I don't mind. Last I heard they were both heading into the inner foyer to speak of angels."
Keiichi smiled. "Belldandy might be singing with Holy Bell." He murmured, and a look of consideration fell over his face. "Thor-sama, do you have an angel like Belldandy?"
"I do not." Thor admitted. "I have no use for such creatures when Mjolnir serves me better." He patted the massive hammer which hung from a leather loop in his belt. "Though…if as Verthandi says, Kiyone is of the holy choir…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "Bah, foolish thoughts. Kiyone is her own person and should be treated as such."
Yosho and Keiichi shared a look.
Keiichi smirked. "I now angels like to sing." He said. "You think Bell coaxed Makibi-san into singing with her? I know Belldandy and Holy Bell together have an amazing song, so I can only wonder at what it sounds like with Makibi-san lending her voice to it."
Thor fell silent but for a moment, then announced, "Let us visit the women."
Yosho shook his head.
Keiichi smiled.
Thor sauntered off and the two fell in step behind him, watching the god's retreating form in thinly-veiled amusement.
"I wonder if I was this oblivious prior to marrying Belldandy." Keiichi muttered to Yosho.
"I guarantee it." Yosho whispered back. "I was of a similar…disposition prior to my own marriage."
Keiichi looked at him in surprise. "You're married?"
"Widowed forty years." Yosho replied.
Keiichi stared in shock. "You don't look a day over thirty." He accused. "You really…"
The prince nodded. "I have a grandson, if it helps."
"How old are you?"
"Old enough to know the universe has a wicked sense of humor." Yosho replied. "My daughter was almost named 'Kiyone' when she was first born. It was a coin toss between 'Achika' or 'Kiyone', and we had been leaning towards 'Kiyone' at the time." He shook his head. "When my wife went into labor though…" The man rubbed the bridge of his nose, a small lighthearted smile on his face. "Well, the labor pains were…bad. I distinctly remember her crushing my hand with enough force to break my pinkie, then blaming me for everything, and how-ah, I can still remember this as if it was yesterday-'You best remove Achika from me now or so help us all, I will dance on the fresh soil of your grave'."
"Oh, that's not ominous at all." Keiichi said.
Yosho laughed. "My daughter was born shortly after, and the name stuck. I wasn't about to correct her." The man smirked, the slapped Keiichi on the back. "Good luck with that, by the way."
"I'm more worried about Belldandy's younger sister, Skuld finding out rather than Belldandy threatening to kill me if that ever becomes a reality." Keiichi made a face. "That girl is single-handedly responsible for more near-death experiences than I care to count, and it was usually only Bell's fast action or Bell's older sister, Urd having a potion on hand that stopped shit going sideways fast."
"In-laws are the worst." Yosho nodded in understanding.
"They really are." Keiichi sighed.
"Both of you, silence your ramblings." Thor muttered. "Listen."
The two paused, the group of men standing in the threshold of the conservatory entrance. Somewhere ahead of the, faint though it was, came a song, soft, warm, and gentle. It was accompanied by the sound of music, and sharing a look, the two men squeezed past Thor's massive frame to step inside the goddess-blessed garden.
"Winter nights we sang in tune
Played inside the months of moon
Never think of never let this spell last forever"
Yosho saw Belldandy first, sitting on one of the raised cement gardens-now covered with vines and a vast array of flowers-with her angel hovering over her shoulder. The two seemed harmonized together in song, their movements and actions, from the gentle sway of hair, to the way their heads tilted, to the movement of hands and fingers-choreographed so perfectly it was as if they shared one mind. The two were a sun in a vast constellation of greenery, their song-a wordless voice-the melody of the garden which had been born from them. Flowers turned their colorful buds towards them, leaves angled themselves their way, and even the blades of grass seemed to bend towards them.
"Well, summer lover passed to fall
Tried to realize it all
Mama says she's worried, growing up in a hurry"
The man stared, enraptured by the sight and overwhelmed by the music, so unearthly in its elegance, that for a moment he forgot himself. He forgot where he was, he forgot the qualms which so plagued him, he forgot the tensions of the world at large and the company which he kept, and even, for a split second, forgot his own name. For a brief and terrible moment, Yosho felt himself on the edge of something more; a boundary between the Other and the Self, from the Ego and the 'All', and in terror found himself pulled back to his awareness and his semblance of self as Keiichi nudged him.
"Look." The man pointed.
Kiyone sat on the around the corner of the pillar perpendicular from Belldandy and Holy Bell, leaning against the vine-covered wall as if in hiding, a beaten guitar in hand-complete with a missing string and a neck which looked close to snapping-which she strummed a tune out on. The woman was playing in a manner and style Yosho had never witness nor heard before; an arpeggio, her fingers danced across the strings as if it was a harp, gliding across guitars beaten surface as if it were an extension of herself. Her focus rested on the guitar in her lap, and above her, the tiny spirit which remained connected to the galaxy police blaster sat near Belldandy, its ears perked forward as it rested its head in its paws. Yet if Yosho listened carefully, he could hear Kiyone's voice as well; a softer, supporting voice not so much hidden by Belldandy's song, but supporting it with such ease that the teal-haired woman's voice seemed to meld and merge with the Norn's, re-emphasising the goddess's natural voice and creating a strong and distinct melody which seemed to dance on the wind.
"Wait." Keiichi muttered. Yosho glanced at him and frowned at the look of confusion on her face. "I know this song. This isn't…This isn't one of Belldandy's songs."
"It's Makibi-san's than?" Yosho asked.
Keiichi shook his head. "No, It's…." He paused, his frown deepening. "…Is that Heart?"
Yosho stared at him. "Is that what now?"
Keiichi ignored him, his brow creased in concentration as his foot tapped to the beat of the music heard. "It is. They're…singing 'Magic Man'." A broad, goofy smile spread across the mechanic's face. "Oh my goddess, my wife is singing 'Magic Man' by Heart. This is amazing." He beamed, glancing back at Yosho. "This has got to be Makibi-san." He said, "I've never heard Bell sing anything that wasn't her own song, and Makibi-san told me she spent some years in America."
"I take it you know it then?" Yosho asked.
"Know it?" Keiichi snorted, "Oh no, not at all. It's just a song by a pair of sisters who became the model for female-fronted rock bands across the world." He smirked, brown eyes dancing with amusement. "Guess Makibi-san has good taste in music."
"Silence." Thor whispered. "I wish to hear this."
If anything, Keiichi's smile grew larger, and the men hung back, listening as Belldandy sang, supported by her angel as Kiyone's finger danced across the surface of the old guitar. After a verse, Belldandy fell silent, and glanced over at the small audience with a warm smile. She held a finger to her lips and gestured to Kiyone, who had not noticed their arrival, her attention focused entirely on the instrument in her hands. After a time, Belldandy began to sing once more, a final verse which was wrapped up with a large smile from Belldandy and Holy Bell both.
Holy Bell, a silent entity as far as Yosho was concerned, floated past Belldandy, perching on the ledge over Kiyone as Chamrosh raised its head and resting a hand on Kiyone's shoulder. The woman jumped and looked up at the angel, who nodded with a large, approving smile on her face. A message seemed to pass between angel and mortal, and Yosho watched in quiet curiosity as the woman stiffened before turning as red as a tomato.
Holy Bell smiled with impish delight, and as Kiyone scrambled to her feet and sending the instrument spilling from her lap as the angel returned to her host, sinking back into her host as she shot a wide, toothy smile over to the men.
"How long have you been there!?" Kiyone exclaimed, looking at the trio accusingly.
"Not long." Belldandy replied. "They arrived perhaps half-way through this past song."
"You're pretty talented, Makibi-san." Keiichi said, stepping forward with a cheerful smile on his face and catching Belldandy as she kicked herself off the cement ledge. "I've never heard a guitar played like that before." He embraced the Norn with open affection, a light flush darting across his face as the goddess kissed him gently.
"I picked it up from a bedridden neighbor when I was living in New York." Kiyone, looked away with a grimace, rubbing the back of her neck as she eyed the guitar with an accusing look. "He was from El Savador. I would fetch him groceries and he would teach me arpeggios on my days off." She scowled, and to Yosho it almost looked sad. "He liked to sing in Spanish and curse out the neighbors who'd bang on the door telling him to shut up. Would pretend he couldn't speak English when the police would respond to a noise complaint and claimed I was the only cop worth talking to." Under her breath she muttered, "Crotchety old fuck. Rest in peace Abuelito." She looked back at Yosho. "He's the one who gave me the name Cadejo. Some guys from the Force overheard one day and the name stuck." The flush was fading from her cheeks with her change of subject. "He used to joke that I was the only one woman on Earth who took pride in being called a 'bitch'."
Yosho bit back a laugh, and Kiyone smirked at him. "It seems he's left quite the impact on you."
Kiyone shrugged. "I knew him for thirty years, so yeah, you could say that. He was probably…the closest thing I had to family since coming to Earth. He was like me in a way-no family, a stranger in a strange world struggling with a culture not his own. Both of us spoke shitty English at the time and we just kind of…clicked." She glanced back at the old guitar. "I'm still pretty shitty when compared to his own talent. I never was a huge music connoisseur, but damn…the way he played put masters to shame. His music just…hit different."
"Don't sell yourself short." Yosho said. "You have your own talent. I'm sure your mentor would be most proud of you."
The flush returned in full force. "…Thanks." Kiyone muttered.
"What were you all doing, anyways?" Keiichi asked, setting Belldandy on her feet.
"Us?" Belldandy looked between Keiichi and Kiyone. At Kiyone's uncomfortable expression, the woman smiled. "We were merely talking."
"Talking?" Yosho raised an eyebrow. "Through music?"
"Indeed." Belldandy smiled at the man. "When one speaks through music, the spirits of the world speak back." Her eyes sparkled. "You would do well to learn such a craft yourself. You may be surprised by what sings back."
Catching Kiyone's uncomfortable gaze and feeling the weight of his own nameless blade on his back, Yosho ran a hand through his hair. "I'll…keep it in mind." He said.
"Ensure that you do." Belldandy replied. "The best Seiðman incorporate songs into their communion with others." Her eyes softened as they darted to Kiyone, "…and having a being familiar with similar music certainly helps in presenting the appropriate message when its needed most."
Kiyone glared at the goddess, then at Yosho. "I'm not singing for you." She said.
Yosho blinked. "I…didn't ask?"
"Good. Because I'm not doing it." She crossed her arms. "At all."
"Okay…?" He looked between the two women, wondering what he'd missed.
Belldandy merely smiled. "We'll practice more later, Kiyone-chan." She said.
"God damn it."
The Norn chuckled. "I can assure you I damn nothing. Many things are blessed by me, however."
"There it fucking is again." Kiyone grumbled.
Keiichi glanced between the two, then over at Yosho. "I think we missed something." He said.
Yosho merely shook his head. It seems no matter where I go or what life I live, the universal rule surrounding sisterhoods remain the same: they remain enigmatic and baffling to those who stand outside it. "Good to see you're making friends everywhere you go, Cadejo." He said.
Kiyone scowled. "Fuck you very much, MJ."
"I'd rather you help me figure out how to name a sword."
"…Wait, what?" Kiyone stared at him.
"What?" Yosho asked.
"Hey!" Keiichi called out. "Could you also help teach me how to shoot?"
Kiyone stared at those gathered in bafflement. "Since when did I become the popular one?" She grumbled. "No, you know what, fuck it, let's go. I need a break from the windchimes anyways."
"Windchimes?" Belldandy looked at the woman with a start.
"What else am I supposed to call two Bells who sing in the wind?" Kiyone demanded, planting her hands on hips as she sent an expectant look back to the Norn.
And to the surprised-and perhaps unexpected delight of at least one mortal in the conservatory, Belldandy began to laugh.
Though it was slow, progress was being made; progress for a sorcerer who had yet to learn the nature of his weapon and progress for a women who had yet to understand her own nature. Yet even babysteps would be equated to larger steps with enough time and distance between them, and for them both it was a necessary step; their trials had only just begun, and soon they would reach a time where they could rely on none but themselves.
Soon indeed.
Comments of a Madwoman: 'Magic Man' lyrics owned by Amy and Nancy Wilson of Heart.