[Episode 114148] [Episode 114148]"Belldandy," Athena said, standing up. "This isn't ending any time soon, I'll have to take care of matters myself." She walked to the door and slid it open, heading out into the "storm."
"What's she going to do?" Megumi asked, eyebrow arched. "Tell the wind to stop blowing?"
"Mara, if you can, oh good, you're dressed," Belldandy said.
Megumi blinked in confusion and whirled about to look at Urd and Mara, who'd both somehow pulled on clothes in the second or two that her head was turned the other way. She worked her jaw in confusion for a bit, pointing and looking to the others while trying to sort things out.
"How did they get..." Megumi stuttered. "When...how did you?"
"Yeah," Mara said noncommitally. "What do you want."
"I think another perspective will be helpful in searching for this spice of Urd's," Belldandy said.
"But," she started to point towards the other goddesses on hand.
"Athena is handling the situation outside," Belldandy said. "Peorth has to call in to get updated on the situation at Yggdrasil and I'm sure Megumi and the others have many questions for Urd."
"You've got that right," Skuld said firmly.
"Please," Belldandy said, gesturing emphatically, a pleasant smile on her face.
Mara grumbled, but stood up regardless and swished across the room, motions drawing several pairs of eyes to her own personal moon as she vanished into the kitchen with Belldandy.
"ACK!!" Skuld's voice rang out shortly afterwards, about the time it took for her to realize what she was appreciating. "Urd! This is your fault!"
"Hey, I made it strong," Urd said. "But I didn't know it would be THIS strong."
"Somebody please tell me what's going on," Megumi demanded desperately, not really expecting an answer any longer.
****
"Now," Belldandy said, mostly to herself as she reviewed all the spice bottles and tried to identify which one was out of place.
Mara, with narrowed eyes, glanced at her for a moment, rolled her eyes and reached out to take the bottle of nutmug down from the rack. She glanced at it a moment and sniffed.
"It's this one," she said.
"Oh," Belldandy said. "How do you know?"
"The same way you do," Mara said. "There's a second bottle hidden behind the flour." She pointed at the indicated substance and continued. "We should form a spell to check of course, but..."
"But what?" Belldandy asked.
"That isn't the issue," Mara said cautiously. "Why did you call me in here?"
Belldandy sighed and decided to forget the act she had come in here intent upon. She looked seriously towards Mara, a heavy question in her eyes.
"Do you want to be here?" she asked.
"What?" Mara asked, astounded at the question. Her wide eyes narrowed again almost immediately. "You mean that YOU don't want me here."
"Of course not," Belldandy said. "I've welcomed you to my home even before. I'll certainly not turn you out now. But, when you awoke and Peorth mentioned you had changed sides..."
Mara shuffled a bit uncomfortably at the attention and seemed about to edge for the door. Belldandy saw it and moved to intercept her, laying both hands upon the demoness's shoulder.
"You didn't know what she was talking about Peorth," Belldandy said. "So I ask, do you want to be here. If this is your true wish then I would celebrate it highly, but...if you were stolen...if the will wasn't yours...then disaster will result. You'll grow resentful, prideful, and you'll 'betray' us. Only it wouldn't be a betrayal, it would be a resistance. Still, the results would be the same regardless of semantics. I'd rather you were alive and healthy in that place's employ than destroyed and broken in Heaven."
Mara tried to avoid Belldandy's eyes, moving her head about, but not really trying hard. Belldandy moved in close and cupped Mara's chin, turning the demoness to face her.
"Do you want to be here?" Belldandy asked, honest concern filling her eyes.
Mara's demeanor softened reluctantly but quickly, and she released a deep breath.
"I was ready to be bound to Keiichi," Mara said softly. "I was ready to submit to a master, to become a slave to a mortal. Instead he made me a partner. He let me decide when things were to happen. He had to have resisted the potion to do that...for me, after everything I've done to him."
Belldandy nodded and brushed a bang from out of Mara's hair, urging her to continue.
"He made me feel warm...protected..." Mara said. "A first class demon, protected by a mortal. I...I wanted that feeling to last forever. I wanted that more than anything...and...I did make a plea to the Heavens."
She slumped, feeling almost exhausted at that admission, and then she was surprised as Belldandy enwrapped her in a tight, comforting embrace.
Mara's hands twitched a moment before wrapping about Belldandy in response and burying her head into the goddess's shoulder. They stood there for a few moments, just holding each other. Then Mara slowly released the goddess and Belldandy gently let her hands fall away from the demon, pausing only a moment to kiss the hot-cold skin of Mara's forehead.
Outside the sounds of windstorm had subsided.
"It sounds like Athena settled the matter outside," Belldandy said.
"I guess so," Mara said, shrugging.
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(Posted Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:58)
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