*Episode 7*
A few days later, while Keiichi was alone in his room (Around 8:30 at night), I
'blinked' in again.
"Oh, hello," he said.
"Not that surprised to see me anymore?"
"Nope. I'm getting used to it."
"Good. You've been practicing that little trick I taught you, I see."
"Yes. I can keep it up for almost twenty minutes at a time, now."
"Yes, I know. You have a few questions, I believe."
"Of course I do! Isn't that a given? You've been leaving me with nothing BUT
questions!"
"No, that's not true. I've left you with a few answers as well, and taught you more
things than you realize."
"Oh? And your so-called answers only leave me with more questions!"
"Yes, that's true. I thought I explained that I really didn't have much choice in that,
though."
"Maybe. You obviously brought the subject up for a reason, though."
"Yes, I did."
"What was it, then?"
"Another of those--"
"Things mortals aren't meant to know, right?"
"Yes."
"Why are there so many of them, really?"
"Actually, there are only three. The problem is, they lead to other things that can't be
understood without knowing them."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"What are they?"
"Well, the future for one."
"You're implying that you know what's going to happen before it does?"
"No, I'm stating it."
"So, you know what effect your actions are going to have? Doesn't that get a bit
boring?"
"Yes."
"Okay... what's the second?"
"The true nature of the Universe."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"Could you elaborate?"
"No."
"Okay...."
"Before you ask, the identity of the third is another of 'those things,' as you put it."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"And why is that not comforting?"
"And why are you asking rhetorical questions?"
"Good point."
"Yes."
"Okay... this is certainly weird."
"Yes," I said, "But what I came here to tell you is that doing the right thing for the
wrong reasons is sometimes worse than doing the wrong thing."
"Did you come here just to tell me that?"
"No."
"What were your others?"
"See reason one."
"What?"
"The first thing that mortals aren't meant to know."
"What?"
"The future. I'm trying to get you to think."
"You're succeeding at that."
"Yes, I am."
"So, what's this right thing that I'm doing for the wrong reasons?"
"Practicing."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, why *are* you practicing?"
"Well, umm..."
"Want me to answer it?"
"Umm..."
"Well, you're practicing because I told you that you should, not to mention that
Belldandy has been encouraging you to."
"I guess that's it."
"It is."
"And..."
"That's not why you should. You should practice because *you* want to, because
you want to learn. You need to do this for yourself."
"Why on earth would I spend so much effort on something so trivial?"
"Ever thought of why Belldandy wants you to practice?"
"Yes, a little."
"Ever asked her?"
"No, I just want to make her happy."
"True, you do want to. You need to understand, however, that she wants you to
learn for the simple reason that she knows how important it is."
"Important? How can a little trick like that be important?"
"Because it's the basis for many other things."
"Oh? Like what?"
"Oh, just about every pseudopsionic ability you're going to learn."
"Pseudopsionic?"
"Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, psionics are basically the powers of the mind. Telekinesis, clairvoyance,
telepathy, you get the idea."
"And the 'pseudo' part?"
"Well, I'm not teaching you the traditional psionic method of doing things."
"Oh."
"You have another important question."
"Oh? What?"
"Think."
"Hmm...," Keiichi stood and thought for a moment, "Well, if you know what's going
to happen in the future, I pretty much can't count on anything that's happened since we
met--or even before then--as having been a coincidence."
"True."
"So, Koujiku..."
"Yes, I arranged for you to meet."
"Why? He obviously doesn't like you."
"Because there are many things he can teach you."
"I thought you said he couldn't learn any of the skills you were going to teach me!"
"Not skills, Keiichi. Lessons."
"Could you please clarify?"
"Life, Keiichi. He may not be able to learn the skills I'm planning on teaching you,
but he already knows most of the rest."
"So that's why he didn't approve of my practicing."
"Yes. He's a very mature person. He doesn't mind the practice, but if you're going to
learn this, it can't be for any reason other than that you want to. Koujiku understands
that."
"You know, he said as much."
"I know. I saw it."
"You did?"
"Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not there, Keiichi," I said and
'blinked' out.
A few days later, while Keiichi was alone in his room (Around 8:30 at night), I
'blinked' in again.
"Oh, hello," he said.
"Not that surprised to see me anymore?"
"Nope. I'm getting used to it."
"Good. You've been practicing that little trick I taught you, I see."
"Yes. I can keep it up for almost twenty minutes at a time, now."
"Yes, I know. You have a few questions, I believe."
"Of course I do! Isn't that a given? You've been leaving me with nothing BUT
questions!"
"No, that's not true. I've left you with a few answers as well, and taught you more
things than you realize."
"Oh? And your so-called answers only leave me with more questions!"
"Yes, that's true. I thought I explained that I really didn't have much choice in that,
though."
"Maybe. You obviously brought the subject up for a reason, though."
"Yes, I did."
"What was it, then?"
"Another of those--"
"Things mortals aren't meant to know, right?"
"Yes."
"Why are there so many of them, really?"
"Actually, there are only three. The problem is, they lead to other things that can't be
understood without knowing them."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"What are they?"
"Well, the future for one."
"You're implying that you know what's going to happen before it does?"
"No, I'm stating it."
"So, you know what effect your actions are going to have? Doesn't that get a bit
boring?"
"Yes."
"Okay... what's the second?"
"The true nature of the Universe."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"Could you elaborate?"
"No."
"Okay...."
"Before you ask, the identity of the third is another of 'those things,' as you put it."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"And why is that not comforting?"
"And why are you asking rhetorical questions?"
"Good point."
"Yes."
"Okay... this is certainly weird."
"Yes," I said, "But what I came here to tell you is that doing the right thing for the
wrong reasons is sometimes worse than doing the wrong thing."
"Did you come here just to tell me that?"
"No."
"What were your others?"
"See reason one."
"What?"
"The first thing that mortals aren't meant to know."
"What?"
"The future. I'm trying to get you to think."
"You're succeeding at that."
"Yes, I am."
"So, what's this right thing that I'm doing for the wrong reasons?"
"Practicing."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, why *are* you practicing?"
"Well, umm..."
"Want me to answer it?"
"Umm..."
"Well, you're practicing because I told you that you should, not to mention that
Belldandy has been encouraging you to."
"I guess that's it."
"It is."
"And..."
"That's not why you should. You should practice because *you* want to, because
you want to learn. You need to do this for yourself."
"Why on earth would I spend so much effort on something so trivial?"
"Ever thought of why Belldandy wants you to practice?"
"Yes, a little."
"Ever asked her?"
"No, I just want to make her happy."
"True, you do want to. You need to understand, however, that she wants you to
learn for the simple reason that she knows how important it is."
"Important? How can a little trick like that be important?"
"Because it's the basis for many other things."
"Oh? Like what?"
"Oh, just about every pseudopsionic ability you're going to learn."
"Pseudopsionic?"
"Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, psionics are basically the powers of the mind. Telekinesis, clairvoyance,
telepathy, you get the idea."
"And the 'pseudo' part?"
"Well, I'm not teaching you the traditional psionic method of doing things."
"Oh."
"You have another important question."
"Oh? What?"
"Think."
"Hmm...," Keiichi stood and thought for a moment, "Well, if you know what's going
to happen in the future, I pretty much can't count on anything that's happened since we
met--or even before then--as having been a coincidence."
"True."
"So, Koujiku..."
"Yes, I arranged for you to meet."
"Why? He obviously doesn't like you."
"Because there are many things he can teach you."
"I thought you said he couldn't learn any of the skills you were going to teach me!"
"Not skills, Keiichi. Lessons."
"Could you please clarify?"
"Life, Keiichi. He may not be able to learn the skills I'm planning on teaching you,
but he already knows most of the rest."
"So that's why he didn't approve of my practicing."
"Yes. He's a very mature person. He doesn't mind the practice, but if you're going to
learn this, it can't be for any reason other than that you want to. Koujiku understands
that."
"You know, he said as much."
"I know. I saw it."
"You did?"
"Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not there, Keiichi," I said and
'blinked' out.