"Ai Shiteru"
An Ah! My Goddess/Ah! Megami-sama Fan FicBy: icezer230, a.k.a Shu.
E-mail: icezer230@yahoo.com (C&C welcome)
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHT STUFF
This story right belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the 'Oh! My God!' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a Brett Handy) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of Ed Sharpe. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so give me all the gory details on spelling, grammar, and other errors. If you haven't read chapter 1, please do so.
*****
Urd and Brett managed to get out of the room unscathed (which was a miracle, considering the thousands of invisible daggers the two teenagers were throwing at each other) and since Brett wasn't around when Kenji made his last visit, Urd had a little bit of explaining to do up in his room. Belldandy had gone to her safe haven in the kitchen and Keiichi was at the garage, fixing his newest racing motorcycle. From their previous experiences, they knew when to stay out of trouble when they saw it.
"Chia-Yao, this is Kenji. Kenji's a…friend I met here in Japan. He's Keiichi's cousin. Kenji, meet Chia-Yao. Chia Yao's a friend from where I originally came from," Skuld said nervously. She wasn't sure why the two were staring each other as if they were going to kill each other, but she knew deep down in her heart that it was going to be a _very_ long day. For her, anyway.
"No one feels another's grief,
No one understands another's joy.
People imagine they can reach one another.
In reality they only pass each other by."
--Franz SchubertCHAPTER II: THE RIVALRY BEGINS... "Can I talk to you alone for a moment, Bug?" Chia-Yao asked, not really trusting the man introduced to him simply as 'Kenji.' *Who _is_ this person? He's so...normal* Chia-Yao thought as he looked at Kenji. Kenji, on the other hand, was wondering who Chia-Yao was and how he could be friends with Skuld. After all, Chia-Yao's uniform stood out amongst the mortal clothes everyone else wore.
"Uh, sure. Kenji, why don't you get yourself a cup of tea from my sister? I'm sure you must be thirsty," Skuld said, still uncomfortable.
"Okay, Skuld…" Kenji said, not really wanting to. He knew when he was unwanted. Kenji closed the door with a face full of questions. With Chia-Yao and Skuld left alone in the room, the atmosphere in the room only seemed to tighten as a moment of silence appeared.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Chia-Yao?" Skuld asked, her head still a little dizzy. She wanted to get right to the point so she could relax later. She had propped herself up against her futon so she could lean back on it without falling back down on the bed.
"Um…Skuld. I know we've been good friends for a long time-ever since we were kids, remember-and I've never kept a secret from you. I know I've been busy lately with all those demons violating the peace pact, but I still read my e-mail! So why didn't you tell me about him?" Chia-Yao said, wanting to start out clean but unable to hold his feelings about her not telling him about something as important as this. He wanted to tell her about his feelings towards her, but he couldn't. Not before knowing what she felt about Kenji, the mere mortal. *Surely she won't fall for him like Belldandy did! I mean, Keiichi's a cool guy and all that, but…Skuld?*
"…I'm sorry, Chia-Yao. I was sort of busy dealing with all those bugs popping up everywhere, too. That's why I got this stupid epidemic going on in me right now… I wanted to. Really. I just didn't know how to tell you. After all, you're…you're a guy!" she said, blushing furiously. *You know that I care for you, Chia-Yao, but I care for Kenji too…*
*Great. Now she brings up the gender thing. No wonder Brett complains about Urd being so secretive all the time… I'm going to settle this once and for all…* he thought.
"So what if I'm a guy!" he roared. He was furious. Never had he been so humiliated in his entire immortal career. Or life, for that matter.
The glassware around the temple started to tremble with furiosity, but Chia-Yao never noticed it. Urd looked at Brett with a raised eyebrow and got out of the room. Keiichi frowned and Belldandy only sipped her tea in silence. Kenji only looked at the direction of Skuld's room, sighing. *What the hell is going on around here!*
"Stop, Chia-Yao! You're going to make the whole temple collapse if you don't control your temper!" Skuld pleaded with Chia-Yao, restraining him by hugging him around the waist. You could literally see the fire burning in Chia-Yao's eyes. His fists were clenched as tightly as they could. Then he closed his eyes, trying to control his power.
"Skuld, I love you. Can't you see that I care?" he said in a soft voice, almost too soft for Skuld to hear. But Skuld heard it. And she was stunned beyond belief. Then she turned beet red. She was at a loss of words. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but found that she didn't know what to say.
"You never realized it, did you?" he said in a bitter tone, trying desperately to not cry. He knew he had just been rejected by her and he didn't know what to do about it. *Goddamnit! Why do these things have to be so hard!* he swore.
Walking dejectedly out the door and closing it, he left the temple without glancing at any of the concerned occupants and disappeared into thin air. He didn't notice Skuld's face grow paler as he spoke out his conclusion about her feelings towards him. Skuld had noticed his face though and she felt bad. *Why couldn't I say something to him? Why?* she thought to herself over and over again. She slumped to the floor, tears running freely down her face.
*****
Kenji wondered why the Chia-Yao guy had gone out in such an unruly manner. *Thinks he's the big and almighty man, huh? Well, he's definitely rude.* He smirked at the thought of Skuld scolding Chia-Yao and Chia-Yao walking out of her room in a mad rage.
He got up and went to Skuld's room, only to find it locked. He knocked on it three times, but got no response from beyond the wooden wall between him and his beloved. He frowned and pressed his ear to the door, trying to hear whether or not Skuld was in there. *She has to be, or else she wouldn't have locked the door.*
Hearing nothing, he wondered whether or not she had gone to sleep. Sighing, he excused himself, saying good bye to the other occupants of the temple and went back to his apartment, wondering what had happened inside Skuld's room.
*****
The immortal occupants of the temple, having the greater advantage of being able to hear words spoken beyond walls (although they kept it a secret from mortals), stayed quiet for a moment before pitying Skuld and Chia-Yao.
Urd gave Brett a stern look which instantly commanded him to go after Chia-Yao and try to comfort him. Brett nodded, sighed, and jumped into the nearest watch with a flash of light. *I'm going to have to talk about the lessons of love with her a little earlier than I expected*, Urd thought. *I wish I had more time to prepare for it, that's all.*
Belldandy maintained 'that sweet innocent smile of hers' but nodded at Urd when she walked past herself and Keiichi, who was too busy working on his newest motorcycle magazine to pay attention. *I'm no blind bat, but I'd rather give the job to Urd when it concerns about the matters of love,* she thought. Urd smiled sadly back at Belldandy and at the thought of receiving the enormous burden of teaching her youngest sister. *It's not going to be an easy task at all,* she sighed.
*****
"Go away, Urd!" Skuld said in a cracked voice, still in tears. Urd had magically unlocked the door and stepped inside to find her youngest sibling sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the futon, Skuld's back facing herself. She closed the door and went to Skuld, holding her as Skuld continued to release her confused feelings. She rocked her until the younger woman had stopped crying and was asleep.
*She's all grown up now. Maybe I shouldn't tease her anymore...* Urd said, running her fingers through the dark hair of her sister. Sighing, she layed Skuld back on the futon and covered the blanket over her. Using her own fingers to take away the tears from the delicate eyes of her sister, she then touched the forehead of her sister with her own and concentrated on a spell.
As Urd opened her eyes in the mind of her sister, she saw the object she was searching for sitting under a familiar tree (Skuld's and Chia-Yao's favorite spot in Heaven), looking far beyond the clouds that surrounded the place. The figure (a miniature version of Skuld, only naked) turned to face her as she approached. Skuld didn't look surprised.
"So you heard?" Skuld asked, turning back to look at the distant clouds.
"Yeah...So..." Urd said, not really knowing how to start. She sat down next to her (also naked...that's how it is in a person's mind!) and waited for a reply.
"I don't know what to say to them. I mean, I care for them and all that..." she said, hesitating.
"But...?" Urd urged Skuld to go on.
"...I don't know, Urd. I've never really thought that way about Chia-Yao before. Also...I-I kind of like Kenji too..." Skuld admitted. She never admitted these things to anyone before, let alone Urd. Belldandy just didn't seem to understand how she felt and Urd was too enamored with Brett to really pay attention with her.
"Have you thought of Kenji as...let's be frank, okay, Skuld? Have you EVER thought of him as a lover? A boyfriend? You know how he feels for you--mortal's minds are so easy to read...," she said, hoping Skuld would tell her so it wouldn't be so hard on her. Her and Chia-Yao both.
After a few moments of thinking, Skuld answered, "I...well, I've never really thought about the future between me and Kenji. Well, I don't want to. I just want our relationship to stay like this. I mean, we can go out and stuff...I'm just not to sure about accepting him as a husband and all that... Urd, I've never really been so confused in my entire life! What should I do?" Skuld asked, turning her head so they could meet eye to eye.
"...Would you LIKE Chia-Yao or Kenji as your future husband?" Urd asked again.
"They're both nice in their own way. The thing about Kenji is that I haven't told him about me being a goddess yet... I don't know what would to happen to us if I told him. I'm scared, Urd... Chia-Yao's...well, Chia-Yao's Chia-Yao...You know how he is..." Skuld said. She couldn't lie in her own mind. Urd knew that.
"You mean Chia-Yao might be a possibility?" Urd smiled at the thought of the two short brats...oops!...
"Urd, please..." Skuld just said. Since they were in Skuld's mind, she could read Urd's mind and vice versa.
"I think you should tell Kenji the truth. It's about time, anyway. A relationship should be based on truth and love..." Urd began lecturing, but was interrupted by Skuld.
"Truth? I think your little act on being a guy went just a little TOO far, don't you think?" Skuld said smiling, thinking of the time Urd had disguised herself as a guy so that she could be friends with Brett at the beginning. When Brett realized what happened, he was really hurt and that was one scar in their relationship. Urd blushed.
"That's not the point! Okay, so it was a little minus on me an' Brett but we were truthful most of the time, weren't we?" Urd argued. Skuld just smiled that mischevious little smile of hers and whistled an innocent tone.
"OK, so...just MAYBE I went a little overboard sometimes, but that's basically what a relationship's based on! Trust is the most important thing about relationships. I trust Brett, he trusts me. The start's usually a little shaky but the rest usually goes uphill unless you guys aren't made for each other..." Urd said, drifting off. Her previous relationships were shaky all along. *The good thing about Brett is that he's always dependable* she thought, hoping Skuld wouldn't notice.
"What about Chia-Yao? I think his feelings were really hurt this time..." Skuld said sadly. She could still clearly see how he had left her. He was frustrated, mad, and...she didn't do anything to try and help him!
"I've sent Brett to hopefully calm him down and let him see things more clearly. It wasn't your fault that you were weak at that moment, Skuld. Chia-Yao...well, he said he cared for you and I, for one, believe him. I think he cares about you more deeply than anything. I only hope that he...well, if you don't make your mind soon, I hope you guys can still be friends..." Urd couldn't say anything beyond that.
"…Now can you get the hell outta my mind? My head hurts…" Skuld said, clutching her head. Urd knew that it was time for her to stop pushing her sister. She retreated back to the mortal realm and went outside of Skuld's room, closing it slowly as to not awaken the troubled goddess.
*****
"Chia-Yao? If you're in there, let me in!" Brett yelled into Chia-Yao's pocket dimension. Echoes of what he just said went all around, but there seemed to be no response. Then the drawbridge was let down. He entered the castle and went straight to Chia-Yao's bedroom, where he was certain he would find the heart-broken god. He was wrong.
"I'm over here, Brett. Weapons department," Chia-Yao's distinctive voice said on the intercom (which was wired throughout the castle).
*What the hell are you doing in the weapons department?* Brett wondered. He didn't know Chia-Yao well enough to understand that the weapons department was where the god and Skuld had spent many days, maybe weeks, trying to create the ultimate and perfect weapon. Of course, the results often led to certain wrath by Kami-sama…
[Note: The writer seriously doesn't know why they keep blowing up His Garden.]
As Brett entered the weapon-filled room, he noticed Chia-Yao fiddling with a REALLY BIG GUN! The barrel (the long part) was nearly as big as the room (which was well…just about 1 acre). Chia-Yao was in his 'mad-scientist outfit' (that's what Brett called it anyway) and he was hunched over a bunch of machinery at the handle of the gun.
"Brett? That you?" Chia-Yao asked in a strained voice without turning towards him. He couldn't let Brett see the tears that just couldn't stop running down his eyes. *I'm just SO pathetic! I can't stop crying because of a girl? And that girl's Bug? Aw…Geez…Pull yourself together, Chia-Yao…* he said to himself silently. He cursed and wiped his eyes so he could continue working on the BFG.
"Yes, it's me. Are you…all right?" he asked in a concerned tone. He was unsure of how to approach his brother. Even though he had plenty of experience counselling, advising, and being the 'one you could turn to' back with his friends in Australia, he didn't really know what to start. *Nothing in practice is like the real thing* he thought to himself.
"Oh, I'm fine. I just got dumped by Bug, a call from Kami-sama he wanted to see me about something about another hole in His Garden, an e-mail bomb from Tupinixua & gang, Bug just told me she likes a mere mortal…How the hell could I be so stupid to think that she actually loved me as something more than a friend!" he started out in a sarcastic voice. He then broke down and sobbed, releasing his tools from his hands, which fell with a 'clang' to the floor. He just couldn't keep on working on the BFG in this state.
"Stop it, Chia-Yao! You KNOW you guys were great friends! It's true! You guys are! I know she likes you, but I'm not sure how far. Did she even say ANYTHING to you when you confessed your love?" Brett said, shaking Chia-Yao by the shoulders. Yet Chia-Yao was still unnerved by what Brett had said to him.
"I saw her face. You didn't, Brett. She doesn't love me. She loves Kenji…" he said bitterly, banging on the machine with his right fist, denting the metal a little bit.
"BAKA! How do you know that's true? She didn't say anything! Look, I may not have known Skuld as long as you have, but she cares for you! Remember all the times she defended you in front of Kami-sama when your weapons blew up His things? You don't know this, but she's probably compared you to every single guy she's met! Even me!
Can't you calm down at least a little? All I'm saying is that you're not giving her a chance to tell you how she really feels about you. You're making up things so you can get out of actually finding out what it's like to be in love, and finding out what it feels like for someone to love you back! Give her a chance, Chia-Yao. That's all I'm asking," Brett pleaded. They were both silent for a long time after that.
*****
Long after Keiichi was asleep, the two sisters met outside in their sleeping clothes (although Urd's was definitely more revealing) to discuss the day's events without the fear of Keiichi overhearing their conversation. Just in case he woke up, the two goddesses talked in the High Language, or in other words, immortal talk.
"So what do you think, sis?" Urd asked her sister.
"It's not my duty, Urd. I'm glad you talked to her about love and relationships, but I don't think it's our duty to help her decide who she should be with. I know that you favor Chia-Yao. Kenji's not a bad person either. Urd, Skuld's the one involved, and Skuld will be the one to decide. If we interfere, everyone will get hurt…and Skuld will be the one hurt most.
We both know that. Can't you accept that she's a young lady already? She's a teenager now and she needs to accept the responsibilities of making the right decision. We can't decide for her, not this time," Belldandy said, looking down at Nekomi's lights in the darkness. The lights seem to dance and tease on forever.
"I don't know, I still can't shake the feeling that she's still…well, a kid! It still feels like only yesterday that we helped her on the swings in Heaven…" Urd drifted off. The only reason why she teased Skuld so much was because that was the only way Urd could say she loved Skuld.
"She'll always be our kid sister, Urd. Always," Belldandy said, hugging her older sister. Urd squeezed Belldandy lightly and both shed tears, feeling sorrow for their youngest sister.
***** END OF CHAPTER 2 *****
'Till next time, au revoir!FOOTNOTES
Final comments!:Kudos to Brett for helping me out with Chia-Yao's and Brett's character during the consoling session! I wouldn't have gone this far without him! I know that Kenji's pretty much neglected in this section but since Skuld's pretty much devastated by what Chia-Yao has told her, I don't think Skuld would have said much to Kenji anyway if she had actually let him come into her room. I thought Brett was the most logical choice to calm Chia-Yao down. After all, the man-man bond thing makes it stronger. I don't know if this is what guys do when they try to console another guy (since I'm not one myself!).
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