Sorry everyone it took me so long to update. I have so busy that my life needs to rewind a little to catch up. So here it is., the conclusion of Ah! The Elements that are Among us. Enjoy! And thanks for reading.

Chapter 11

Megumi slowly stirred as her world slowly came out of darkness and colors began to appear before her. Her skin hurt as she had a compressed feeling of sharp small rocks pressed into her face, arms and hands. She slowly gripped her fingers around a few rocks trying to give herself a hold to raise her body off the ground. She got the grip and after one failed attempt to lift herself up, the second time she rose to her knees, resting on her rear calves. Her world was still blurry as she sat up, she felt something trickling down the side of her forehead and she put her hand over the trickle and took a swipe. Megumi pulled her hand towards her eyes and all she saw was her hand and the blood that was covering it.

Her eyes had trouble readjusting, but even when they had finally focused she still had low visibility. A brown haze had settled on the temple grounds making Megumi's attempts to locate exactly were she was more difficult. After a minute of scanning through the haze she finally saw something that gave her a location marker: a broken section of the outer wall. The wall had received a beating; large cracks were seen through the brown fog, and other things included debris both large and small that lay near the wall. Also a few sections of the wall had small and large holes through the thickness of the wall, and many pieces of the wall were scattered through out the grounds.

Megumi and slowly got up on her feet and turned around, her visibility furthered declined as she looked towards where the house once stood. Megumi looked at the thickness of the haze and with a breathe she smelt dust, dirt and smoke in the stuffy air. She slowly took one step forward and slowly moved her self through the haze, the haze was getting thicker and she began to taste it in her mouth. Megumi finally only had visibility in less than three feet; she had to drag her feet on the ground to make sure she did not step on anything. She heard the scrapping of rocks most of the time, but occasionally it was mixed with the sound of wood and paper.

As she walked through the brown haze and her visibility dropped to only a foot, she had to rely more and more on her dragging feet for navigation. As she walked and her feet dragged, she hit something in the darkness and unable to regain her balance; Megumi fell back to the ground, but this time she did not lost consciousness. Megumi lifted herself back up to her knees and felt what she landed on, it was warm and soft. Megumi scooted back over and found Skuld lying face-first on the ground completely knocked out and unresponsive. Megumi tried to wake her up but all her efforts were in vain, as she did Megumi also found Belldandy lying close by. Both Belldandy and Skuld both looked pale as they lay in the brown haze, looking comatose.

Suddenly Megumi felt the wind on her face; pushed aside the stifling, dead air that had covered the grounds. As the wind blew it lifted the brown haze like a curtain revealing the true extent of the damage that was done to the temple grounds. Keiichi, Urd and Peorth lay only a few feet away from Belldandy and Skuld, both looking just as pale and dead as they had before. Megumi also saw Sigel and Banpei-kun also lying broken on the ground, but very few minis were left in the grounds. Megumi looked around and noticed that very few things were actually left standing that was above the measurement of four feet. Both the temple and the house were eradicated and their ruins was scattered all over the grounds. The forest that had once been green and lush, were now completely stripped of almost all vegetation.

At the site of where the house once stood was now a long crack in the ground and in the middle of it was a small crater that barely stretched over the old foundation. The crater looked deep enough, but Megumi was not about to go over and investigate the true depth. Megumi watched as small streams of dust and smoke vented from the crater and from around the crater as well. The damage to the outer walls was also devastating, large cracks were seen on the walls and even a few holes that were once hazy now were clear to see.

Megumi felt the wind continue to brush right past her and continue to push the last of the dust out of the grounds. The fresh breeze was refreshing through her hair and skin; it was also nice to get some clean air into her lungs. She observed was the winds did not feel like they came from the west or the east; but from above. Megumi looked up and what she saw made her fall backwards and filled her very being with fear. Megumi saw a large ball of light that doubled in size with every blink and it was heading directly for her.

The ball of light that was above Megumi screamed across the sky like a comet in space, its light glowing throughout the atmosphere. The ball got closer and closer with every blink and before she knew it the ball was only a few hundred feet above her. As the ball got closer it suddenly exploded into six smaller lights and continued to rush towards the temple. As it reached ground level four of the light blasted right into the crater and vanished, and the remaining two landed right in front of Megumi. When the last two landed the light faded and two women appeared before Megumi, both she did not know.

"Megumi, my name is Freyja; this is Lind, she is a Valkyrie!" Freyja said.

Freyja had a gentle face that matched her dark blue, keen looking eyes. Freyja had also long, light brown hair, but not as shimmering as blonde hair. She wore a brown robe over her body that looked more like a cloak then a robe, her attire looked more business that causal. Her boots were glimmering form the cleanliness and attention she obviously gave them.

Lind wore almost similar attire to Freyja; as her clothing completely covered her body. Her clothing was more militaric than the other Goddess attire she had seen; it was silver and white and had sections that draped down her back like wings. She had sliver gloves and shoes; she also had short sliver hair that came down to her neck except for one section that came down to her mid-torso. What really caught Megumi's attention was the massive ax that Lind was holding with her!

Megumi nodded to Lind silently to which Lind returned also silently and then walked past Megumi to check on Urd. Freyja walked in front of Megumi and touching her gash she healed it, and then went to check on Skuld as Lind went to check on Keiichi. Megumi watched as they worked on the others; as they did a rumbling noise erupted fro below the Earth. Megumi looked around for the source and as she did a ball of light shot out the crater and in a matter of seconds the ball had disappeared into the heavens.

"Good, they got Loki!" Lind said taking a moment to look at the ball and then went back to checking on Keiichi. As they continued to check on the others another rumble was heard from below the Earth, and then another ball of light emerged out of the crater. Unlike the last one this did not shoot directly upwards but more hovered over the ridge of the crater and then landed a few feet from the rim. When the light faded it revealed two more Valkyries and between them was a battered, bruised and semi-conscious Njord.

"My Lord, Belldandy and Skuld are drained of all powers and entered into their dormant state." Freyja stated.

"Urd and is also in the same state; Peorth is going to need some mending; but we do have one fatality, it is the human Morisato Keiichi!" Lind announced her statement cause Megumi's heart to turn cold.

"He-he's not dead!" Njord said weakly, he was standing on his own and slowly regaining his balance; he turned to the two Valkyries and to the one on his left, "Kelah, go to the Holding room and find Loki; around his neck you will find a gold plate bring it to me." He turned to the other one, "Joule, go to the Council room and inform the Almighty that I am assessing the damage down here and beginning clean up procedures, bring me word if he request my presence."

Both Valkyries bowed before Njord and in a second light had formed around and they both rose into the air and in a blink they were gone. Njord stood up and finally regained his balance in full and then proceed to assist Lind and Freyja. The three of them moved everyone under a patch of shade near what was left in a corner of the outer wall. Megumi sat next to her pale dead brother, his lips were now blue and his face was whiter than anything Megumi had seen before. Freyja was standing with Njord and both were talking as Lind was knelt next to Urd and was bounding up a wound that was on her arm.

After a few minutes Kelah returned in the same fashion as she first had arrived, in a ball of light and landed in front of Njord. She walked up to him and pulled out a small gold plate and Njord nodded to her and then he looked at it for a moment and then sighed. As he started to walk back over to the other that lay in the corner; the sky turned black once again. The clouds that covered the sun were much darker than the one Njord had formed.

With the arrival of the storm came a fresh wave of wind that bellowed across the temple grounds, and they were a little stronger than the winds Njord had made earlier. The darkness from the storm clouds were overpowered by the lighting that flashed through the sky with such frequency and intensity that it almost became day again. As the storm continued to brew overhead, Megumi level of fear once again raised and she cowered against the wall. Freyja stood close to her and looked up into the sky with her, but she was not fearful; but alert. Lind and Kelah stood in front of the others that lay on the ground also looking into the sky, with an expression of alert and determination. Njord stood out in the open and stared into the storm and then shook his head.

"I don't need this!" He said sounding frustrated.

"What is going on?" Megumi cried out in fear as she watched the lighting flash across the sky.

"It's Hild!" Njord simply stated; Kelah pulled out her giant ax and took a step forward and raised it up to the sky. "STAND DOWN! She's not here to fight; she only wants to talk!" Kelah lowered her ax and retook her position with Lind and guarded the others that lay on the ground.

Njord and the other Goddess that were with him watched the storm with the same expression, but soon the storm took a turn. The lighting that danced across the sky was now starting to strike the area through out the temple grounds. The lighting was striking the stone blocks that had survived the tornado and in only one strike were they reduced to dust. Megumi watched in horror and amazement at the power and precision of each lighting strike and the damage that they caused. While the lighting struck; another cloud descended from the storm and landed away from Njord and the others. The wind from this tornado was equal to Njord wind and it hovered with the winds bellowing around it; the tornado just sat there.

"Whenever you're ready!" Njord said, but nothing changed for a moment and then he shouted, "WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"

This time the tornado faded away from Megumi's sight and two women emerged from the tornado, it was Hild and Mara. Hild looked like an older version of Urd and was manifested in the fact that they shared many of the same characteristics. Hild hair was long and sliver that had ornaments that were found all throughout it, with the ornaments that were seals of her true power. Her clothing was a tight dressed that had a very deep and narrow v-cut that went down to her mid-rift area. She had a childish look on her face with a smile that was not shared by her cold eyes that gazed over the temple grounds.

Mara was also like Hild, but she just looked evil to begin with, but she looked nothing like Hild. Her shaggy blond hair was all over the place, and only her face was bare, the rest of her body was covered. Both Hild and Mara looked at Njord and the rest who had stood with him, Hild looked at the group that was under the tree. She paid special attention to Megumi who sat next to her brother; Megumi looked at Hild and felt her heart freeze when she looked back.

"Was it really necessary for you to show off?" Njord said, breaking Hild gaze from Megumi. By the tone of his voice he sounded more annoyed then impressed with the demonstration.

"Well, with the scraps that you and Loki left for us to gnaw on; would you have preferred that we moved out into the city?" Hild said sounding viciously sweet as her childish tone; her voice froze Megumi's heart still. Njord stood before her but did not return a comment to her question, but forced himself a smile.

"I didn't think so!" Hild said to Njord and then looked back at Megumi, only to be blocked when Njord moved in front of her.

"What do you want, and why did you bring your little nymph with you?" Njord said his tone sounding threatening as he looked at Hild and Mara.

"We heard some commotion and we wanted to see what was happening. We arrived just in time to watch you lasso Loki in mid-air and then slammed him into the ground. I imagine that hurt." Hild said; Mara stood smiling at him as Njord gave a warning with his eyes to her.

"So Mara's here to enjoy the fireworks with you?" Njord said to Hild sounding skeptical to her explanation.

"Mara was assigned on this area and is one of the best demons in the realm of Nidhogg." Hild said turning and looking at her.

"That's the overstatement of the century." Njord said without skipping a beat, "Possible the millennium." Njord continued to stare at Hild and Mara, he looked at them and with the expression on his face he did not believe any words which they stated. Njord looked back at Hild and the said, "Now why don't you really tell me why you're here?"

Hild looked at Njord and then extending her hand a finger towards Urd who lay unconscious under the tree. "Now with out any commentary, tell me; what did he do to her?" Hild voice changed to a chilling tone and pointed to the unconscious Urd that lay next to Keiichi along the wall.

"He drained her of her powers and knocked her out, he is before the Council now; if you like I can send Kelah to get a report on the trial." Njord said still looking at Hild; his eyes not straying from her cold expression.

"You need me for something, don't you?" Hild asked suddenly in her childish sweet voice.

"Yes I do!" Njord announced, Freyja looked at Njord strangely as Lind and Kelah took a step back from Njord. "You know what help I need from you?"

"Of Course Njord, but you know that nothing from me is free!" Hild again stated in her childish voice.

"What is your price?" Njord said sounding annoyed; Hild took one step and stood directly in front of Njord. Hild lifted her finger and placed her finger over Njord's lips and leaning closely to Njord's ear.
"You already know what I want!" Hild whispered; Njord closed his eyes and then sighed as he gave his answered.

"You shall have it, if you help me!" He said sounding sure of himself, but Hild just snickered

"You know Urd-chan won't say it, what makes you think you can make her!" Hild retorted sounding unconvinced at Njord's proposal.

"If she doesn't say it then I will accept the punishment!" Njord announced with a great shock to all that stood with him, even Hild was surprised by his statement. Freyja took a step forward but then stopped; even Lind and Kelah seem too shocked at the recklessness of Njord's proposal to Hild. Hild looked at Njord with surprise at his tánaistí and his willingness and with a smile that was both sincere and evil, Hild extended her hand to Njord; and Njord took it; sealing the agreement.

Njord and Hild turned towards Keiichi and started to walk over to him, both walked briskly. Njord reached into his pockets and pulled out the small gold plate that had been nestled in his pocket. As they approached the shade in the wall; Megumi stood up and then stood in their path to her brother. Hild looked at Megumi for a moment; but Njord walked past her and walked directly to Megumi; who looked at Njord and in a very determined tone said, "What are you going to do to Kei-chan?"

Njord held out the gold plate for Megumi to see; but he would not let her touch it, and then said to her, "Megumi this is a soul catcher! Only one deity in the whole universe is allowed to use this device."

"Unfortunately for your brother; that deity happened to be Loki's daughter and her name is Hel!" Freyja said

"Your brother's soul was ripped out and is incarcerated in this device; with" Njord paused and looked at Hild and then said, "her help we are going to break it open and release your brothers' soul and put it back in!" Njord explained briefly.

Megumi wasn't sure what came over her, but she moved aside and allowed Njord and Hild to approach her brother. Inside her heart and mind she was screaming in protest, but the rest of her body told her to stand aside and she obeyed. Megumi watched as Hild reopened the tear in Keiichi's shirt and as Njord placed the soul catcher on his bare chest. Hild and Njord placed there hands over his chest and the soul catcher and began to chant that turned into a song.

The song echoed through out the grounds sounding low at first, but it gradually grew louder and louder as it connected to not only the wind, but to all the Earth. The chant was only furthered by Keiichi chest and body beginning to glow green and then blue, the soul catcher fading form sight and seemed to be absorbed into the light. Njord and Hild removed their hands from across his chest and crossed their arms against there owns and continued the chant. After a few minutes of the light and the song, Keiichi's body faded out of the light, and a healthy glow overtook his once pale and dead look, but he wasn't breathing.

Njord tilted his head back and opened his mouth as Lind and Kelah took a step forward and held his arms and legs down. Hild stood up and moved back away form his body and just watched as Njord took a deep breath. Njord cupped his hands around Keiichi's mouth and then holding this deep breath he leaned over Keiichi. Njord released the deep breath and the air traveled out of his mouth; past his cupped hands and went into Keiichi; his chest rose as a confirmation that the air had entered his lungs.

Keiichi eyes snapped open and he began to thrash around in an attempt to escape from the grasp of Kelah and Lind. His arms and legs were still pinned but that did not stop him from trying to escape or try to attack those near him. His breathing had returned, but now it was in hyperventilate; swallow breath as shock overtook him. After three seconds of this Njord reached his hand across his forehead and within a second Keiichi stopped thrashing and actually feel asleep.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Megumi screamed at Njord, as Lind and Kelah released their grips around Keiichi's arms and legs.

"We brought him back to life, but that was the shock the body took from it." Njord explained and then pointed to his chest and said, "Look!" Megumi looked at his chest and tears swelled in her eyes at what she had noticed; Keiichi's chest rose and lowered in perfect harmony and frequency. His mouth also opened and closed as he breathed, Megumi could even hear what sounded like a light snore as he breathed. As Megumi watched in joy that her brother was now revived; her whole body suddenly lost all strength and she did not feel her body hit the ground when she black out.

Megumi felt her sore body begin to stir after what felt like a few minutes, and she slowly woke up. Her eyes snapped opened and found herself in a semi-lighted room; a tiny amount light flickered in the vast darkness that encompassed her. Megumi felt strength in her arms that were on a fuzzy, warm blanket, a cold wooden floor as she slowly regained feeling to them. Megumi pushed herself up her elbows and looked at the sources of the lights in the room she was sleeping; it was candles that were halfway melted down.

Megumi looked around and she recognized her location; it was the temple itself, but instead of being destroyed it was rebuilt exactly the way Megumi remembered. Megumi looked at a crack in the open door that lead outside and saw the street lights on as the night had covered the region. Megumi looked around at the rebuilt temple and was amazed that everything seemed to be exactly the way it was, almost like she was in a dream. Megumi ran her hand over her wound and still felt the gash that Freyja had healed and Megumi knew it was not a dream.

As Megumi looked around she hear some movement behind her, and she turned around and saw something that made her do a double take. Skuld and Urd were sleeping next to each other against the wall, and both were resting on each other. Skuld was resting on Urd's left shoulder and looking peaceful; Urd was resting her head on Skuld's head and both looked sound asleep. Megumi slowly got up and moved stealthily out of the room trying not to disturb this moment, but wishing she had a camera.

Megumi moved slowly and quietly around the temple as she explored the restored ruins that the temple once was. As she turned into the main room that was lit with candles and incense, she noticed two people sitting in a corner. Moving slowly and quietly past the pillars in the temple Megumi worked her way towards the people, trying not to disturb them. As Megumi got closer she noticed one was Belldandy who was kneeling over the still unconscious Keiichi; his chest was still lowering and rising in the same pattern that Megumi had seen before she collapsed. The other was Peorth she was standing next to Belldandy with her hand on Belldandy's shoulder.

Megumi after discovering who it was; slowly began to back up and to leave them be, but a loose board gave away her position. Megumi looked down and then up as Belldandy and Peorth looked directly at her; Megumi felt her face turn red.

"I-I'-I'm Sorry! I-didn't-"Megumi stammered, and then suddenly felt Belldandy's arms wrap around her as she embraced Megumi. Megumi felt her warmth pour from her into Megumi; and Megumi reached her arms around Belldandy as well.

"Megumi, thank goodness that you woke up!" Belldandy said to Megumi. Before Megumi could even respond to Belldandy's comment; another loosed board creaking breaking Megumi and Belldandy reunion. Skuld and Urd were standing a few feet behind them, and Skuld's face was red and Urd was smiling at both of them while pointing her finger at Skuld.

"Sorry Onee-sama!" Skuld said sounding embarrassed, and then her face changed from embarrassment to anger as she observed that Urd was pointing towards her.

"Oh come on, you two are going to start fighting after all we've been through!" Peorth said teasing both of them, and both of them looked back at Belldandy and Megumi; and shook their heads like obedient children.

"Good to see that you finally woke up, Megumi!" Urd said; still holding part of her sight on Skuld.

"How long was I out?" Megumi said completely out of synch with time.

"Almost six hours!" Skuld said, also keeping a glance at Urd, "I woke up about thirty minutes after you collapsed, and then Belldandy and finally Urd woke up about fifteen minutes after that, Peorth woke about three hours ago." Skuld finished holding down a yawn, and suddenly Megumi remembered something.

"Urd did you do what that woman; Hi-ill-Hill…HILD!" Megumi shouted as she finally remembered. "Did you say what Hild wanted you to say to her?"

"No, I did not!" Urd said, Megumi was shocked.

"Why not, that is why she helped bring Keiichi back to life." Megumi said sounding almost like she was pleading.

"Hild is my mother, and if I call her that I would not be able to be a Goddess anymore; and I will not do or say anything that will jeopardize that." Urd said; sounding final about the whole thing in her tone.

"Then what was the punishment that Njord took." Megumi asked the Goddess. All four of them looked at Megumi for a moment, and then each other in shock; finally it was Belldandy who spoke up.

"Hild and Njord disappeared as Freyja and Lind fixed the city and the temple grounds, when he came back he was wearing a black glove over his right hand; he would not tell us what had happened."

"Shortly after that we moved you and Keiichi into the temple as they finished up in the house, and we have been here ever since." Skuld finished up for Megumi who finally had all her questions answered.

As the night progressed into the early morning hours, Skuld and Urd had fallen back asleep as Belldandy continued to be next to Keiichi. Megumi and Peorth had stepped outside for some fresh air; Peorth was still complaining of pains through out her body. It had been almost two hours had passed since Megumi and woke up and there had not been a change in Keiichi. Belldandy refused to sleep she said she wanted to be awake when Keiichi woke up, but having been with out sleep for more than twelve hours she was getting tired.

After all of her attempts to keep awake Belldandy finally succumbed by the need to sleep. She had fallen asleep on her right arm and lay next to Keiichi and slept on the cold wooden floor. She slept for what felt like five minutes when a warm hand landed on her hand and woke her up. She opened her eyes and readjusted to find Keiichi sitting Indian-style looking at her as he rubbed his hand over hers. She gasped and then reaching her arms around him pulled him closes and would not let him go. Keiichi did not resist or anything but a few moments he wrapped his arms around her as well.

"I'm so glad that you finally woke up, I thought you would never come back." Belldandy said as her tears swelled up.

"For a moment I almost didn't; and…while I was there, all I thought about was you." Keiichi whispered in her ear. Belldandy came off his shoulder for a moment and looking into his eyes. "It was exactly the way you described it to me."

Belldandy fell back into Keiichi's arms and they embraced again and Belldandy whispered into his ear, "This is Heaven to me!"

The next few days everyone had their own ways of dealing with the aftermath of Loki's betrayal. Lind came back to the temple the next morning to inform them of Loki's punishment: he was stripped of his powers and exiled to the furthest reaches of space, only the Almighty knew where he was at. It was a small victory to everyone, because even as the punishment was made, Loki had left his marks on some.

Urd still struggled with her fire element in her powers for about a day and it slowly came back. Skuld was completely drained of her powers, the only thing she could do was call Noble Scarlet, but after three days she was back to speed. Peorth had spent almost a full day back in heaven, she had lost her powers when Loki froze her, and nearly killed her when Loki slammed her into the ground. Keiichi was the worst of all of them, one night the Goddess came into his room with him screaming and cold sweat running down his face. He was also grabbing his chest, shaking violently and holding his hands over his heart so tight he cut into his chest with his fingernails.

Megumi was also not free from her own memories of that day; a few days afterwards Tamiya and Otaki came over to the temple with a video they shot. The video ended up being footage of the Tornado that Njord formed they took from the roof of one school buildings. Megumi was frozen again with fear as the sound and the debris flew in front of the camera and her memory swirled of actually being in front of the tornado. Megumi also felt the same way in her apartment when she heard the whistling of the wind coming through her window; but every time she felt this fear an unknown warm breeze would encompass around her and the fear left her.

After a week had passed since that day everyone was back at the temple for something to take their minds off the incident. Belldandy had invited Megumi over for lunch and Megumi was happy for the chance to take her mind off what had happened. The house had also been rebuilt and made to be exactly the way it was before it was destroyed by both Loki and Njord. Things were the same when Megumi came over; Skuld, Urd, and Peorth were playing Uno over who could watch their program and Keiichi was working in his room.

Belldandy and Megumi worked in the Kitchen preparing for the main course for Lunch. When the preparation got close to being finished, Megumi went and got Keiichi from his room and brought him out to the tea room. Megumi and Keiichi ate and listened while Urd, Skuld and Peorth were now accusing each other of cheating in the paper, rock and scissors game over who was going to watch their program. As the just about finished Lunch, a knock came on the front door, and Skuld having lost went and answered it, she came back with Lord Njord with her.

"My Lord welcome back!" Belldandy said, "Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you Belldandy, I'm here on orders from the Almighty!" Njord said raising his gloved hands as he sounding rather distraught. Everyone turned to Njord and watched as he removed a piece of paper from a pocket on his robes and handed it to Belldandy. Belldandy took it, opened it up and read it to herself; she gasped and then looked at Njord. "I'm sorry!"

"What is it Onee-sama?" Skuld asked.

"I've been recalled back to heaven for a hearing!" Belldandy said slowly as shock came from her.

"WHAT!?" Skuld, Urd and Peorth said together

"A hearing for what?" Megumi asked equally shocked.

"To decide if whether or not to reassign Belldandy to a different department." Njord said slowly.

"For how long?" Urd asked, sounding mad more than shocked.

"Permanent!" Njord said in a final tone.

To be continued….

Disclaimer: All original characters of 'Oh! My Goddess' belong to Mr. Kosuke Fujishima and are under copyright of Dark Horse Comics. Njord and Loki and other characters as related are of my own invention and not associated with Oh! My Goddess.