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Between Heaven and Hell
A O!MG / A!MG shortfic
by Deunan@aol.com
*note, I worked on this during my break from Homecomings
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The Almighty looked down upon the Earth realm with increasing distress. The
war for its souls looked bleaker with every passing day. The Dark Lord's
influence was slowly but surly inching its way out from the foothold it had
established long ago in the hearts' of man.
'He' loved all of his children even his wayward ones. But, to loose the
mortal world...even he would sacrifice his love for them.
It was too late. Too much time had passed, too much darkness had infected the
souls of the children he lost. No longer would he try to win them back or
wait for them to storm the gates of Heaven...
His anger grew and storms grew in the Earth realm in response.
***
54th assistant sy-op, Jhensin of Yggdrasil was the first to see the message
flash across his screen.
RECALL ORDER 666
His jaw dropped at the implications. -Then...then...the mobilization order
would not be long behind...- "Okay let's get moving crew!" He shouted to the
staff supporting the massive computer. "Bring'm back, bring'm all back! We
have a job to do!" One by one gods, goddesses, and demi-gods began recieving
orders to return home.
***
Keiichi Morsato yawned loudly as he entered the kitchen. Oddly enough, the
pleansant smells of Belldandy's cooking didn't greet him. "Huh?" A feeling
of uneaseness swept through him. Only the sounds of his own breathing met his
ears. He took a deep breath suppressing the rising anxiety that began to
course through his viens. -There has to be a rational explanation for this...-
He thought unconvinced. "Then why are Skuld and Urd not here either..."
Methodically, he checked every room in the house from top to bottom and even
went as far as climbing on the roof only find a nice view of the surrounding
area nothing more.
Defeated, he climbed down the ladder and through himself onto the couch
inside. "Why would they just get up and leave?" Tears threatened to overcome
him. -Did The Ultimate Force revoke my wish?- "No! Belldandy would never
just get up and leave!"
"Only if The Almighty commanded her too...temporarily of course," a new voice
interrupted. Keichi's head whipped around to see Mara standing by him with a
smug look on her face.
"What have you done with them!" He yelled leaping up at her. Easily enough,
she restrained him.
"I haven't come to torment your life, this time mortal. I am only a
messanger with very specific instructions concering you," the demoness paused
for a moment composing herself. It took all her will to be...'nice' to the
boy, "Bellandy, Skuld, and Urd are in heaven for the moment."
"Why? Why didn't they tell me anything?"
"I don't have the answers to that. But I know who does..." Mara trailed off.
"Who!?" Keichi asked desperation edging into his voice.
"The same being who ordered me here and ordered me to bring you too him, The
Dark Lord himself."
***
Keiichi stared up at the ceilig of his room through the light cast by the
pale full moon. He had never felt so alone. His mind reeled with the
decision at hand. Eight hours he tried to sleep but failed. In a mere twelve
more he would have to decide whether to challenge everything he held dear and
join forces with everything he had ever fought against or let the world be
destroyed...his mind drifted back to the afternoon he spent in the depths of
the underworld.
[
The Dark Lord looked at the young man. He was handsome to the ladies and
seemed to emanate goodness too much for his own liking. -So this is the one
who challenged The Almighty for the love of a goddess.- 'He' noted. But
those with the strength of will often did not embody the strength of the body.
-I pray he proves worthy...-
"Greetings Morsato Keiichi," the Dark Lord greeted bowing. Keiichi blinked
and squinted his eyes focusing on the lord of the underworld.
"I expected something more...," he trailed off trying to find the words. The
Lord simply appeared as a finely dressed buissness man. Only the ever
wavering shadow and unwordly eyes hinted at his supernatural nature.
"Impressive is the word you are searching for. My form is merely a reflection
of my desires at hand nothing more. I have no desire to scare you as a demon
of enough monstrocity to drive your mind within itself festering in the
deepest pits of your own nightmares," the Dark Lord stated matter of factly.
"I'll take your word for it," Keichii stammered. The Lord's only response
was to bellow with laughter. 'He' took a moment to compose himself before
continuing.
"I must thank you for trusting Mara and accepting my invitation to visit me
in my realm. I know how she has tormented you in the past."
"I don't trust her, but I knew I could trust your word in this instance.
Their was something in the urgency of her voice." The young man replied. "I
want to know what happened to them," he demanded referring to the Norns he
resided with.
"The are making preperations along with all the other deities of heaven," the
Lord said grimly.
Keichii saw the hintings of fear in 'his' features. "Preparing for what?"
"Jihad, Keichii, a holy war against the forces of Hades or Hell if you like
that term better." 'He' ignored Keichii's expression of disbelief, "A war
which its flames will consume your Earth and bring about an apocalypse to
appease those morbid fanatics of your religons are always waiting for."
"Your evil incarnate. Your trying to trick me into selling my soul," Keichii
countered in disbelief. There was no way Belldandy could take part in a war
such as this.
"Evil yes and utter selfish as well. I do not wish to send my forces into
combat. We can not stand against the full fury of Heaven. It has been only
through the Almighty's love of his 'wayward children' that he hasn't
exterminated us outright. It was a war of minds and faith, but the Almighty
is determined to make it out of power and strength. I can only guess at 'his'
reasoning, but I do know that your people will slaughtered like sheep in the
cross-fire. It will make all your petty-wars seem like minor incidents." The
Dark Lord explained in all-to-clear tones. A pained looked crossed onto his
face. The Lord had no reason to hide 'his' own feelings, "I do not want to
die. If it means begging you for help, I would fall upon these knees for it.
I'll promise you immortality, riches, women, anything your heart desires."
"You know my only desire is my friends and family," Keichii said resolutely,
"How do I know you aren't lying about Earth? Maybe its for the better that
Heaven fights you."
"Keichii, you are one of the righteous mortals on Earth. They say those like
you can see the true into the hearts of even the blackest souls. I can only
ask of you to trust me."
]
***
And he did trust him. It was a matter of faith. Heaven's war would destroy
Earth, period, unless he could infiltrate it and somehow stop it. Beyond
getting to Heaven via one of the Dark Lord's contacts hidden 'Up Above', he
was on his own. His status as one of the so called 'rightous ones' could keep
him above question. No one else on Earth (whom 'he' knew of) could infiltrate
Heaven.
The Dark Lord explained it very simply that he risked his very soul by doing
so. As a mortal, his only powers in the realms other than Earth would really
completely on his soul.
'Think of it as a battery of energy. You can use it to create blasts,
shields, weapons, create food, anything you want as long as its power lasts.
It is also your life force. Any prolonged fight will drain your soul into
oblivion. Even we divine beings do not know what happens when one crosses
into there. Even if you don't drain your soul fighting them, you'll die and
what is left of your immortal soul won't come too me. It is too deep in their
realm and as a traitor to their faith, I am sure they can devise of unpleasent
things to do to you.'
Keichii stared up at the ceiling and closed his eyes listening to his heart.
***
"I'll do it. Not for your demons or for you. I'm doing this for the
billions of lives on Earth."
"So be it boy," The Dark Lord replied. 'His' features softened, "Return
alive, and I'll see to it that Mara has something better to do with her time
than torment you and the Norn sisters."
***
Keichii ducked behind a corner pulling the white hood of his cloak to cover
his face. He wasn't sure whether or not the other denizens of the 'Up Above'
knew of him, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Heaven wasn't like he imagined it. Maybe it was because he was sneaking
around like he didn't belong here. Maybe he didn't belong here at all. He
was, in a way, serving the forces of evil. But, the prospect of Jihad
instilled a fear in him that chilled him to the bone. It would mean the death
of everyone on Earth, his friends, his sister...everyone.
He had overheard groups of gods and demi-gods going over battle plans. All
of them relied on speed. In order to get to the realms of darkness, they
needed to pass through the mortal realm first. They hoped they would surprise
the demons and pass through Earth without any resistance. It was a grim
reality that the demons would most likely mobilize and intercept them on
Earth. Then the slaughter would begin. The whole scope of the destruction
boggled his mind, but he had seen enough documentaries in school to understand
that war was a thing that never should be experianced.
Glancing around, he thanked his luck. A simple door marked the entrance to
the main server of Yggdrasil , the computer than ran the universe. Opening it
and acting like he belonged there (*author's c&c you wouldn't believe how far
that can get you.*), he slipped in unoticed.
"I expected something more impressive," he found himself muttering. A simple
tower, monitor and keyboard sat in the middle of an immense room on a computer
desk." A sign indicated that things in heaven appear in terms that you can
understand. -That's an easy enough explanation.- Idly, he wondered what it
would look like to Belldandy.
A crushing feeling of betrayl swept over him. He fell to his knees tears
coming to his eyes. He tried to deny it all along; he refused to accept it,
but it was true. Belldandy was taking part in all of this. Belldandy would
wage a war that would have most likely killed him if he had not accepted the
Dark Lord's plea for help. -I thought you loved me!- He sobbed mentally and
broke down in tears.
Long minutes passed. The sound of foot steps shook him out of his grief. He
had a mission, to save the world. He hurrily ran to the computer. He reached
it in seconds, but a glance back showed he had crossed almost a kilometer from
the door. It was truly a massive room.
Stack of computer manuals sat by the keyboard. Quickly he flipped through
one then another then another. The sound of footsteps stirred him on, but
each book contained a language he could not comprehend. In frustration he
swept the books off the desk. The corner of a piece of thin laminated paper
poked out from under the keyboard.
Quickly, he pulled it out.
Yggdrasil REFERANCE CARD
It was written in standard Japanese and outlined every major command
including the stand-down-return orders and a mass e-mailer to all supernatural
realms. A standard looking CD also sat by the keyboard. The words
BATTLEPLAN: ALL GROUPS was clearly marked.
"I can end this. I can end this without anyone dying or bringing down
Heaven," he whispered to himself. The sound of footsteps faded away. His
fingers pounded the keyboard as entered the stand-down-return .exe and
attached the CD's files to the mass emailer. Within moments it was done. The
computer would instantly send every god, goddess, and demi-god back to their
posts in the many realms and Earth. The mass e-mailer would guarentee the
Demons had a copy of the battle plan. With the confusion and the loss of the
secret plans, the Almighty would have no choice but to call off the war...at
least for the time being. It was the best he could do.
He set the program and e-mailer to activate on 20 minute locked out timer.
It would give him enough time to get away via an artifact he was given and
prevent any user from deactivating the programs. "Maybe Belldandy wouldn't
even realize that it was me that stopped them," he mused. They could go on as
if nothing had happened.
"But I'd know," a low voice replied. "I thought taking my sister away from
me was the worst thing you could do."
Keichii turned quickly in surprise, "Skuld!" The short raven black haired
Norn stood before him hefting her ever presant hammer."You don't understand."
"I 'understand' perfectly, Keiichi. You were using her. You were using her
all along just to get to us." She lifted the hammer into a ready position.
Her eyes seemed to study him searching for weak points.
"You've got it all wrong. I didn't want any of this. I love your sister
more than life itself." He stepped back arms thrown out in front in an
attempt to ward off any blows.
"Then why conspire to destroy her home? Her family!" Skuld screamed
launching herself at him. The hammer's blow struck him full force in the
chest sending him flying. It felt like a freight train had struck him. "I'm
not going to kill you, but after I'm done I'm dragging you to Belldandy to
show her what you really are, a spawn of hell!" She stood over him and raised
the hammer again. This time the pointed end faced down.
Keichii rolled onto his back and weakly looked at his chest expecting to see
it collapsed and sucken in. The pain from the blow seemed to quickly fade to
that of a strong punch.
'In the other realms, the only powers a portal has is powered by its soul.
It is also your life force. Your body is nothing. What you see and feel is a
reflection of your soul.' The words of the Dark Lord echoed in his mind.
Instantly, he rolled out of the way as the hammer smashed into the floor. He
felt power coursing through him as he realized just how strong his soul was.
The Dark Lord called him a 'righteous one' as if it was something to be
reckoned with. He hoped it proved true. Before Skuld could recover, he
lashed out with a kick to the stomach. Skuld stumbled back losing her balace
as he rolled to his feet.
"Your stronger than I expected," she said breathlessly.
"Please, just leave Skuld. When its all over you'll understand why I had to
do this. Right now there is no more time." Her only response was to take
advantage of his pleas and regain her breath. She launched herself at him
once more.
***
Keichii staggered back. How long had be been fighting? It seemed like hours,
but only two minutes had passed. Though he was strong, he didn't have the
sheer experiance Skuld had. The many hours of fighting Bugs daily had
tempered her skills. She fought as if the hammer was an extension of herself.
For every blow he'd land on her, she would counter with a combo whose
individual blows threatened to send him to his knees. Each blow sent an
empitness that was too horrible for words. It felt like pieces of him were
simply dissappearing; It left a thirst, no hunger that was unbearable.
Apparently, she was holding back with her first strike fearing she would kill
him.
"The power of a mortal soul, even on of a corrupted righteous one, is no
match for a goddess!" Skuld exclaimed as she circled him like a predator
playing with its prey.
-Have to hold out for eighteen more minutes...- He thought weakly. His body
reflected how much energy his soul had left: Blood seeped from dozens of
wounds, a gash had opened on his left arm, his right leg scremed in pain
barely able to hold his way...Then he felt it and saw it at once. Skuld's
aura seemed to echo off her. The sparkling colors were more beautiful that
words. A small piece of it called out to him in recognition. It was the part
of the soul he had left her when he gave her the love of friendship despite
all the hostility she had towards him.
-It would be so easy to take it back...- a part of him urged. With it, he
would have enough strength to carry on just a bit longer. With luck he could
survive till the eighteen minutes was up.
"NO!" He cried out at his own dark side with such intensity, Skuld paused in
her swing for a brief moment. He seized the oppurtunity. Taking a tenth of
what little power he had left, he looked within and gathered it his fist. His
fist began to glow, and he thrust it forward into the hammer's head. The
resulting release of energy slammed into the young goddess sending her into
unconciousnous.
Keichii staggered over to her side
A new voice greeted his ears, "She'll have a headache the size of my libido,
but she'll live." He felt Urd's strong arms grab hold of him slowly raising
him to his feet. "Wish I had a guy with half the endurance you have,
Keichii." A weak smile came to the young man's lips.
"So your the Dark Lord's contact up here?" He asked. Urd blushed.
"Yeah...umm...we kinda had a fling...long...long...time ago..didn't
last...still friends," she stuttered in embarassment. Her voice came back in
all seriousnous. "Don't get me wrong. I've never helped the Dark Lord before
now. Phoned occasionally that's all...I love the Almighty, but my conscience
can't have the lives of you and your sister on it."
Keichii nodded in understanding. "Looks like sixteen minutes to go. Keichii,
get out of here, I'll monitor the system and make sure no one tampers with it.
Good job with the commands, but I know of some backdoors in it that need to be
locked," Urd said urgently.
"No...I need to see her," he whispered."
"Huh?"
"Belldandy, I need to see her," he said louder.
"You nuts? See her when this is all over. It'll only be fifteen minutes now
till you see her."
Something pocessed him. He needed to see her. He needed to explain. He
needed to have her in his arms when she transported back to Earth.
"I...just need her, Urd. I can't go without seeing her." It was Urd's turn
to nod in understanding. An elevator materalized by them.
"It goes straight to the top. She's up there with him, the Almighty."
"I know; Somehow I know," Keichii said softly with a far off voice.
***
Belldandy watched from hidden from view as Keichii limped out of the
elevator. He looked in every direction for her.
:Look at him, my daughter. See his ravaged body? Every piece of soul he
lost, he lost it fighting against your family, your friends, children of
heaven.:
"No!" She cried, "Its not true. There is some explanation. Keichii isn't
like this! He's a kind man, gentle, loving..."
:An allie of the dark forces. He has come to try to stop us:
"He doesn't understand the scheme of things. He's come looking for me!
Please, I beg of you, let me explain it to him!"
:No, but see for yourself what kind of man he is. Reveal your pressance to
him with me:
Obediately, she did.
***
He could feel her. The fainest echoes of her aura was intoxicating. It was
beautiful beyond words. She was close.
:Keichii Morsato, behold my power: The voice boomed in his ears as he felt
the most powerful force. Unlike the Dark Lord, the Almight choice of form was
intangilbe like an evermoving nebula of energy. He was simply 'there' as a
force of pure power. :You've come to face me. Very well, your soul shall not
dwell in any afterlife. I shall send you into oblivion!
-No!!!- His mind screamed as his body limped forward, "Yes, I've come for
you!" He shouted. -No, its not like this! What's happening to me!-
:See daughter, he has not come to you. He has come to face me in futile
combat. He willingly sends himself into oblivion for the Dark Lord:
Belldandy felt something grow within her. Something malevant, evil, the
stirrings of hate... "It can't be," she moaned in disbelief staring at her
hands. A faint glow came to them.
-Belldandy!- He screamed mentally -I love you. I'm not here to fight!
Something is happening to me! Help me! Don't listen to him!-
Belldandy stared at him but could not see through her tear stained eyes the
desperation. She felt his aura shift darkness flowing and sumerging the his
previously pure aura.
Keichii reached once more into himself summoning almost every bit of his
power in an attempt to wrest control back of his body. He concentrated sweet
beading down his brow as demonic phrases were whispered by his own voice. He
summoned it into a tight ball within building it towards release.
Belldandy fought an internal battle as an edtrich bolt grew on her hands.
Her mind despretely searched for an explanation of why he was standing before
her staring at the Almighty's vaporous form muttering a demonic spell. Her
heart screamed of betrayl. Love and hate one fought for dominance.
Keichii released the ball of pure soul energy within himself at the source of
the control within him.
The demonic phrases ended as a vaporous red energy shot outwards from him.
Belldandy screamed in a torrented of emotions firing the edtrich bolt at him.
***
The Almighty looked at his failed brother, the Dark Lord.
:So he was a vessal. Your guile was impressive; You've come to face me
personallly in one final battle.
:No, I've come to tell you to look.
***
Keichii felt his will returned and looked down. A gaping hole sat where his
heart should've been. He looked at Belldandy with a gaze that spoke of only
an everlasting love and ultimately of a single regret before collapsing to the
ground. The last spark of his soul struggled to keep him a live.
Belldandy rushed forward leaving tears sparkling behind her as she took him
into her arms holding him returning his love. She begged for him to live.
Her aura expanded trying to keep the spark alive with her own power.
***
The Dark Lord continued.
:See how she holds him and struggles to save his life. You saw how he fought
against Skuld yet still refused to kill or take the part of the soul you he
left her.:
:Your point:
:You under estimate these mortals. The powers of their souls' are strong.
You under estimate your children's love for them. As they die one by one in
your war they will turn, enmasse, on not only us but my own forces in an
attempt to avert their ultimate fate. Your 'angels' or 'gods' and yes, even
some of my 'demons' hold a love and affection for them. We do not understand,
but they too will turn on us. It will be an apocalypse for both Heaven and
Hell.:
:You have given something to think about, brother:
:I shall first attend to one thing before I leave your realm and await your
decision back in my own:
:And that is?:
The Dark Lord expressed what would be described as a smile, "The Goddess
Relief Office is not the only office that can give wishes with no strings
attached."
***
Bellandy murmured softly as Keichii awoke in her arms. Her smile was the
first thing he saw. Her kiss was the first thing that he felt. "Keichii, I
love you." He was whole again, and he was alive holding the women he loved in
his arms.
"I love you, Belldandy."
***
Keichii parted from Belldandy for but a moment. He crossed the park casting
a glance at Belldandy. He sat down on a bench beside a man in a buissness
suit feeding the pigeons. "Why'd you save me?"
"I owed you a debt, nothing more."
"So your not going to force Mara to leave me alone?"
"If you didn't 'die', I would have, but your wish was to live and that was
the repayment of your debt. Things will return as they are mortal one. Watch
your back."
***
Keichii returned to Belldandy's side and took her hand as they continued
their stroll in the park. It was a beautiful day and the love of his life was
by his side.
END