"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.
*****
FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS LATER...
"Brett, do you think we should look for Skuld now?" Urd asked for the hundredth time. Brett just sighed and looked at his notebook full of work he still had to complete for the university in order to graduate.
Since he had been busy trying to finish his immortal duties recently, he had no chance to finish his university assignments. That was why he had a lot to do. He started to say something, but then the doorbell rang and Belldandy shouted from the kitchen that she would get it.
"I don't know, Urd. I'm sure she'll come back on her own. She's an adult now, after all," he said after a few moments. Urd scowled at the lack of participation in whoever she had asked that same question to. If that brat didn't come back this week, they were going to do things HER way and barge into Kami-sama's office to get him to locate her where ever she was and summon her back to them.
She smiled at the thought and stood up to go to her room to make some plans in the eventuality that Skuld wouldn't come back at the end of the week. When she came down the stairs, she was surprised to see Belldandy standing right in front of the open door and not doing anything. Her curiosity got to her and she went to investigate. She soon found herself also standing in the same position (in shock), and with perfectly good reason, too.
"The past is history,
The future is a mystery,
And now is a gift.
That's why we call it
The present."
--unknownCHAPTER V: THE WINDOW TO THE TRUTH Urd's eyes were fixed at the figure just ouside the door. It was Skuld, but…in the same sense, it _wasn't_ Skuld. The younger goddess had grown as tall as her and had changed, in those four and a half months, in more ways than one. She was wearing a more revealing and fashionable T-shirt (which meant sleeveless, daring, and tight as ever), torn-at-the-knee jeans, and had the perfect tan—which made her look amazingly more like Urd than ever before.
She had dyed her normally black hair slightly reddish brown and let it down (which reached to her knees) so it matched her tan (more like the normal Japanese teenager). In a way, the dying of her hair made her look like Belldandy since she was the one who had brown hair. As Urd eyed the muscles which bulged slightly on her arms due to a slight movement from Skuld, she realized that Skuld must have had exercised a lot or had a really tough time where ever she had been.
Skuld was wearing fashionable rectangular-shaped blue-rimmed glasses but they were not the sunglasses a normal teenager had. They were prescription ones. She looked not a bit haggard (even though there was a tiredness in her eyes, Belldandy noted) and was looking back and forth from her elder sisters for what they were going to say to her. As Belldandy was the first to go into shock mode, she was the first to recover from it. She quickly hugged the young goddess and cried the tears of joy of finally being reunited with her sister.
Urd watched as her two younger sisters embraced. Skuld hugged Belldandy but she didn't seem to be hugging as much as she would normally. Urd realized that she was waiting for Urd to react, so Urd decided to go out of her own character for a minute. She hugged her youngest sister, almost suffocating Skuld because she was being hugged by two people. *What the hell* she thought. *She's my sister, isn't she?* It was then that Skuld started hugging back and smiling a little. It was good to know that the three sisters still had a close relationship with each other in spite of the fact that Skuld had left them for four and a half months.
"Who was at the door, Urd? Was it the mailman?" Brett yelled from his room. The three broke their embrace and stared at each other. Then they all sported a mischevious little smile on their faces as they trotted to Brett's room. He was going to be in for a little surprise.
*****
"Did you see the look on his face!" Skuld laughed, tears coming out of her dark brown eyes. The three sisters had been laughing non-stop after seeing Brett's reaction to Skuld's appearance. Brett had looked at Skuld for a moment and suddenly fainted dead on spot.
"Yeah. It was hillarious!" Urd said, her stomach starting to hurt. She hadn't had a good laugh like this since Brett had started to seriously prepare for his examinations in the university. Then, Belldandy stopped the commotion by raising one of hands, palms up.
"Please, sisters. You must calm yourselves down. We have a lot of things to talk about," Belldandy said, wiping the tears from her eyes. It was a rare moment, the three sisters laughing at the same time. Soon the fit came to an end and the conversation started.
"So where have you gone to for the last four and a half months?" Urd asked Skuld excitedly. Skuld seemed to have a more mature attitude about her and she seemed to have experienced a lot in that period of time. That would explain her change in physical appearance. An immortal literally grew up with the degree of maturity in their minds.
"I went to Bali for the first two weeks with Rhiana and that was fun and relaxing for a while. Then…" her face faltered for a while in the memory of Rhiana's mumbled words that night.
Then she continued, "she had to leave because Kami-sama had promoted her. I spent the rest of the time travelling the mortal world as well as going dimension hopping solo, seeing and experiencing things." Skuld talked a little more about her travels but she seemed to be hiding something. Urd noticed it but kept silent about it.
"I see you had fun," Belldandy said, her smile never faltering.
"Yes, Belldandy. I _did_ have some fun," Skuld answered. Urd raised her eyebrow as she heard Skuld call Belldandy other than the respected oneechan for the first time. Belldandy was surprised but was pleased at the fact that her younger sister was finally growing up. Urd also thought she heard a change in tone that would not normally be Skuld's happy tone and realized that she was hiding something. Something that she didn't want her to know about.
"So how'd you get the tan? Bali? I thought the conditions for a perfect tan was harder there because of the temperatures and everything…" Urd wondered.
She alone had ultimately travelled to all of the mortal world's beaches and it was only try after try that she finally achieved the perfect tan. It was only unfortunate that she did not find out how she had actually achieved it. She had fallen asleep after the numerous calculations had tired her.
"I went to the mountains to ski but I found out with my calculations that the conditions were perfect there," Skuld replied swiftly. She saw that nothing had changed during her tim away. What she found amusing was that her oldest sister's attitude towards her had changed for the better. *I wonder if it's because she thinks I'm more mature* she thought silently. Yet she liked that part about coming home—her sisters clearly showed concern over her.
"…So have you made a decision yet?" Urd asked her abruptly in the old language. There was no need to ask what decision Skuld needed to make. It was concerning the Chia-Yao and Kenji business. Skuld was surprised that Urd had asked in such a straight-forward manner, but she nodded anyway. Belldandy and Urd gave each other a look and said no more. Skuld excused herself so she could unpack her things back in her old room. The two elder goddesses reluctantly agreed to it as they wanted to talk with her more.
"What do you think is going to happen?" Urd asked her sister after Skuld was safely out of hearing range.
"I do not know. What happens just happens," Belldandy said in the riddle-like tone she loved to use. Urd raised an eyebrow at the statement and went back to Brett's room. It was time to wake him up and tell him what had just happened.
*****
"Skuld's back? Thank you very much, Belldandy!" Kenji yelled into the receiver as he received her call. Then he hung up (to Belldandy's dismain) and hurried to change his clothes so he could go to the temple and see his beloved Skuld. He had been thinking of her every single day and his love had never faltered, even if she had left without a word. Today would be the day he would tell her of his feelings towards her. Today would be the day he would make his love happy. Today would be the day…
*****
"Skuld has returned? I see. Thank you very much for informing me, Belldandy. I really appreciate it. I'll come by tomorrow to visit you," Chia-yao's voice said, almost strained. Belldandy thought that he was just nervous and anxious. *At least he's got better manners than to hang up on me now* she thought with a sigh.
None of the occupants of the temple had seen Chia-yao since his exit in the temple except for Brett. Brett himself hadn't seen Chia-Yao after he had gone to his pocket dimension to console him. Syliana had been the last one to see him but she did not come to visit him after that.
"As always, you will be welcome in our temple," Belldandy said with a smile, admiring the young God's manners. They both hung up, but Belldandy's trek back to the kitchen was interrupted by a loud doorbell. She sighed and went to open the door for the young and inpatient Kenji.
"Hi Belldandy. I'll just go see Skuld now," he said as he rushed by her when the door opened. Belldandy's face faltered for a moment as she became annoyed with the teenager's rudeness but it went back to its normal smile after she spotted Keiichi coming up the steps of the temple. *That boy will ruin my mask one day and I won't be able to hold back...* she thought sadly.
*****
"Skuld? Belldandy told me you were back," Kenji said, knocking on Skuld's old room with three quick raps. There was no response so he decided to open the door to see if she was inside. The room's interior had been rearranged into so it gave a more teenage appeal, meaning there were hardly any of her old hobbies or projects and more teenage-like reading material like magazines and clothes scattered in a neat-like fashion on the floor among with a bunch of modern clothes...and some rather revealing underwear.
"Skuld?" he yelled out, his face reddening because of the sight. *Er....maybe I should have waited until tomorrow when she unpacked her stuff* he thought.
"Kenji?" a familiar but yet different voice of Skuld rang out, momentarily distracting Kenji from further thoughts. He realized that she was outside the window, on the roof: her favorite spot to sit and think (there was a ladder connecting the outside of her window to the roof). He spotted the ladder and climbed up to see an attractive tanned and brownish-red haired young woman in a tight revealing T-shirt and jeans staring at him through blue rimmmed glasses. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he gawked openly at the sight. *Wow, she's hot!* he thought. *Who the hell is she? Skuld's friend?*
"Excuse me, have you seen Skuld?" he asked after he finally regained control of his thoughts, looking around for the familiar looking figure of his beloved. There was no one on the roof except for her.
"Hi Kenji. Did you miss me?," the voice of Skuld asked through the lips of the young woman staring back at him in a most alluring manner. Kenji was so surprised that he forgot that he was holding the ladder, causing him to fall. He let out a surprised scream but he didn't feel the impact that much. Actually, he didn't feel anything. He opened one eye and saw the young woman, now on the ground, towering over him.
"Skuld?" he wondered, unsure of himself. *Shit, is that really the Skuld I know?* he swore to himself.
"Yes, it's me. You want to know how you could have possibly survived it? It's very simple. Look below you," Skuld's voice said again from the young woman's luscious lips.
Instead of looking below him like Skuld said, he gazed at his beloved up and down and just gawked. *She's practically got the best parts of Urd and Belldandy together! Shit! I hope Keiichi remembers that Belldandy's _his_ girlfriend* he thought as he eyed her body. Getting rather impatient with Kenji's immature thoughts and the oggling of her body, Skuld sighed and snapped her fingers. Kenji fell to the ground with a loud thump.
"How…" the words got out of his mouth. His eyes widened at the sensation that he had been floating in mid-air.
"I'm a Goddess, Kenji. My sisters are Goddesses too. I cannot and will not love you for reasons you will not understand," she said again, looking deep into his eyes, her eyes boring into his. Kenji felt his heart being torn apart into little pieces by a shredder. Tears formed in his eyes and they slowly fell.
"Why did you lie to me?" he said, choking his words, his words echoing a sentiment the very words he had said in the past...or in this case, the future.
"I did not lie to you, Kenji. Goddesses cannot lie," she said. She continued after a moment, "I am sorry, Kenji, but I must erase your memory of me and our times together. It will be too painful for you to remember… It will be for the good of both of us that I do this. You must understand…"
"I don't understand, Skuld! I don't understand! What happened to the love we both had for each other? What happened? Who was that Chia-Yao person you had seen when you cast me away the last time we met! Is _he_ the reason why you're dumping me?" Kenji burst out.
"Chia-Yao is another God, Kenji. He has always been a good friend to me and always will be, but no, he is not. I am sorry Kenji, but from my travels in this world and beyond, I realized that I couldn't see myself with you," Skuld said, turning her head away from the heartbroken Kenji. She was visibly shaking as well and she had one hand to her face. It hurt her, to have to do this one more time. But it was necessary, and that was the only reason that drove her to this decision.
"What happened in these few months that would make you turn me away? I was your boyfriend, for God's sakes! You can't just turn me down like that! I deserve a better explanation!" he argued, tears running freely from his hurt eyes. His hands were cletched into fists, trying to put away the pain. It didn't work.
"Do you see this new body which I have acquired, and which you seem to have an attraction to? Don't think I didn't notice your dirty thoughts, Kenji. You know more than I do that you wanted my body and you were glad that it was me. I can read your mind as easily as you can see me. I could not have gained this body in just four months, Kenji. I was away from this temple for a time far more than you think, and…things have happened to me that you wouldn't believe.
I am sorry to have misled you in the beginning, Kenji. You, I cannot love. I will remember all the times we had together, Kenji—I always had, but I do not think them as you do. You must go now and live your life as it was meant to be...with someone else," Skuld said, touching and caressing his face with the palm of her right hand. She wiped away some of his tears with it and it hurt her to have to give him up, but she knew she had to do it. Suddenly and without warning, she leaned in and she kissed him. And rather passionately, at that. Kenji closed his eyes, accepted her kiss, and enjoyed his last moment with her as long as he could.
*****
It was at that moment that Urd had walked in on Skuld, intending to talk to her alone. Urd's eyes widened at the sight of her sister actually kissing someone. Yet she shouldn't have been surprised, considering all the changes she'd seen in her newly-returned sister.
*I can't believe it. The brat actually chose Kenji over Chia-yao? Hm… Oh well, I hope she learnt how to kiss like that from all that spying she did on Brett and me…* she grinned, going towards the direction of some bushes. It was time for her to see how much more her sister gained in the aspect of love.
She found a good spot to spy on them without being noticed, but she realized that there was another figure crouching right next to her. It was Belldandy and she was crying, wiping her tears with an always handy handkerchief.
"Belldandy!?" she whispered, not believing that her sister would have done something like spy on Skuld. The tears still flowed out from her eyes as belldandy turned around to see Urd sitting right next to her. It was one of the rare moments Urd had actually seen Belldandy cry.
"Urd, Skuld just…broke up with Kenji!" she said, crying away into Urd's shoulder. *What the hell? I thought she's making out with him? Gee, she sure has a weird way of breaking up with someone!* she thought confusedly.
Suddenly she felt a brilliant flash of light and she turned towards the two teenagers. Skuld was now alone, for she had sent Kenji away with a transport spell after she had wiped his memory clean.
"You can come out now, guys. Show's over," Skuld said as if to them. Urd scowled and the two elder sisters rose from their hiding place. Skuld had a familiar and distinctive smirk on her face as she walked towards them.
"So what do you think of my acting?" she asked as she smiled. Belldandy, not really understanding what was going on but still unable to stop her tears, gave a '10' on a sign. Urd raised an eyebrow the score Belldandy gave Skuld for her 'performance' and faked a yawn as she gave her a '3', which visibly annoyed skuld. A blue aura started to form around her as her face darkened. It puzzled Urd because she never saw something like that before.
"You could have done it without the mushy stuff, kiddo," Urd joked, trying to keep a straight face. She then quickly added a '+7' on the sign as Skuld's face turned ugly and got out the familiar red hammer.
Familiar sounds of destruction soon could be heard around the temple grounds. Keiichi had just pulled up the Temple's steps with his motorcycle as he heard the long-forgotten sounds of battle. *So Skuld's back?* he thought, reluctantly climbing up the stairs to survey the damage. A thud was soon heard and more laughter filled the temple as Keiichi had reacted the exact same way Brett had to Skuld's new appearance.
***** END OF CHAPTER 5 *****
'Till next time, au revoir!FOOTNOTES
Final comments!: I know the change in Skuld is quite dramatic (well, that's what everyone's been telling me) so I've written a side story in which that is explained. An earlier but longer version was started but at the rate it was going, it would be years before I got to the real reason why Skuld changed so much. Sorry if you all read it already! This version is condensed, concise, and hopefully more interesting to read. The 'performance' Skuld gave is not real. She just says it that way because her two sisters were watching her as she broke off her relationship with Kenji. If you see the side-story, you will understand why she dumped him. Belldandy's comment about a mask: she tries to keep her anger inside (well, all the time) but Urd is the only one who knows what Belldandy's fury is like. Skuld was too small to remember (which is a good thing, or else she wouldn't know who else to turn to). Believe me, you don't want to be there. I know it's not good but hey, she has to keep her appearances. I wish I could get someone to draw me a picture of Skuld the way I described her. If someone does, I'll definitely put it up in the images section!