Prelude: From Memory to Dream

Disclaimer: Ah! Megami-sama © Kousuke Fujishima, Kodansha, AIC, Animeigo, Studio Proteus, and Dark Horse Comics.

Notes: It's an alt, as should become apparent shortly, since I've read most of the U.S. manga, seen some of the OAVs, and not watched the movie.

And back to Rursus Iterum once this is done…

A flash of light. Her older self knew what that meant, and she raised her hammer in a warding position, invoking her own protective magics.

The spell fizzled harmlessly against her protection, and she peered about her, the swirling mists of time only parting to her future sight. Behind her, her sisters stared about. The eldest could see through the past, and the middle could see through the present…

Together they were able to see, and even then, they were safe. The Lady was with them, and as long as the Lady was there, the three sisters would always be safe. Nothing could hurt the Lady, except…

The mists parted, her sisters' shared sight warning her, and she threw all of her attention and power to shielding, while the eldest sister waited, and the middle attacked. A lone enemy, unable to stand against the united forces.

She was felled quickly, left to lie prone, quivering, and unable to control her drifting through the void. "Justine…" she whispered. "Des—" the rest she choked off, closing her eyes and allowing her tears to drift.

As if bidden, a cloaked figure emerged from the chaotic swirling mists, scowling darkly at the Lady. The cloaked figure said nothing, sweeping up his fallen servant, and kissing her gently on the forehead, his lips brushing against the demon mark on her face. "Rest easy, small one. Quit this field, and thy sisters. I shall stand. It is…" his lips quirked in a sardonic grin, as he glanced at the Lady.

And in a house, a much younger girl stirred, shivering uncomfortably at some passing dream, quickly fading as she fell into a deeper, dreamless slumber.

…fallen. The bitch had finally been beaten. She longed for nothing more than to destroy her, but knew that it was wrong to do so… and even had it been right, the doublet system made such impossible, lest she wanted to destroy her allies. Sister, they had called her…

She wrenched her attention to the enemy, as he comforted the fallen. "It is… my Destiny."

He turned his attention to her. "You," he said slowly. "What name you wear this time… you should not have interfered. You should not have run from me, and joined their side."

She stiffened, shaking her head. "I did what was right, and just."

He sneered at her, his aura flaring darkly to conceal the demoness' escape. "'Right', you say, and 'just'. Fah. Destiny is Destiny, and I shall not be thwarted." He spared a momentary glance towards the youngest of the sisters. "You, too, shall see."

In the house, shared with her younger sisters, a woman murmured softly to herself, not wanting to acknowledge the dream until it passed.

She said nothing, simply holding herself at the ready. She did not trust the Lady's brother, even if the Lady was certain that she would win. "Sister, dearest," he said mockingly, sneering at the Lady, of equal height to himself. "There is no chance… thou cans't hope to defeat me."

Licking her lips nervously, she glanced between her sisters, the youngest standing bravely to her right, and the eldest to her left. Not truly a sister, she knew, but she had joined them, deserting the man before them and turning the tide of battle.

The Lady behind her spoke softly, her voice lyrical and smooth, "Brother dearest… thy fell minions are no more upon this field. Thou must realize… thou have lost."

He smirked. "Indeed. It was… Fated. But it is of no consequence. For now, I shall win."

Shivering herself out of her dream, another woman sat up, trying to push away the half-remembered instance, and the weaker memories that followed it. Perhaps she should see that her sisters were resting well, and then…

"Brother!" she insisted, staring directly at him, her lesser goddesses arrayed before her protectively. To shield her from attack, he knew, but…

"What?"

"Be you so petty? The King should not have been allowed to die there. Why must you always kill him before he is allowed to fulfill his Fate?"

He shook his head. "He was — and is — the Once and Future King. It was his Destiny to die. He will always be reborn to try again."

"But it was his Fate to change the world!" she cried out.

He tired of listening to them. "It is of no import. You have interfered with me, and by the Great Rule, I promise you this; I will destroy you in every way that I can as retribution for what comes next." And with that, he gathered the very stuff of the chaotic sea that surrounded them, and flung it with all his might at her.

He sat up suddenly, soaked in sweat, not able to remember the dream, and shivered uncomfortably anyway.

A soft knock came at his door a mere moment later, and a soft voice asked him if he were well.

She was only able to stare in astonishment as he attacked. Such an act was foolish beyond belief — the combined might of the three sisters was easily enough to weather any attempt he could make.

They cried out as one, uniting themselves, and his spell touched upon their shield, pushing, but their combined will was greater, and it rebounded to strike him instead. He took the blast, laughing softly as the force unmade him, scattering his essence into the sea of chaos.

"Oh, no!" the sisters exclaimed, turning to stare at her worriedly, as she felt herself beginning to unravel.

"Brother," she whispered, feeling herself come apart. "Why?" But the doublet system was too strong to resist, and everything began to fade… The two were as one, and then…

Nothing.

She sat up quickly, scratching the back of her head and looking around warily. The dream was quickly fading, but… "Keiichi?" she mused, wondering if she should call her brother.



To be continued.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: January 7, 2006