Notes: Not quite comfortable with the precedent that ff.net has set
regarding censorship, I am still contemplating leaving ff.net altogether
(the thing about New Yorkers and grudges: we hold them, and WE DON'T FORGET
*g*), and setting up shop on another public archive. The conservative
paranoids can keep their squeaky-clean safe-for-children environment - or
better yet, they can stick it in a place in the body part that light cannot
reach, if you know what I mean. You will be given notice if/when I do
leave for greener pastures. So stay tuned. :)
Only Human
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)
Chapter Six: Another Perfect Day
"Keiichi!" Belldandy called out. The temple grounds were not terribly large, so she was absolutely certain that he had heard her in the three times that she tried to summon him. Belldandy could only presume that Keiichi was still preoccupied with worry and concern. So, she went to him, walking back up the steps and finding him standing in the doorway of the main residence.
"Keiichi," she insisted, "They will come back."
He nodded in return, though he continued to stare through the doorway and into the now-empty hall that connected all the other rooms. Keiichi and Belldandy, both so exhausted from the day before, did not bother to check up on Urd and Skuld when they returned from the fair very early that morning. It was only after daybreak when they woke up and discovered that Belldandy's two sisters were, in fact, gone. When they left was not so obvious, but to where they went was almost apparent.
Belldandy knew full well that her decision to remain human would have hit a nerve, if not with her sisters, then with others in the Heavens. Whatever her reasons, Urd did not approve, and Belldandy did not yet know the extent of her superiors' patience. Whether they would be accommodating or otherwise, she would find out in a matter of time, that time depending on how fast her sisters were at blowing the whistle.
Keiichi, on the other hand, was entirely ignorant of the coming storm brewing about Belldandy, and was consigned to just fix his gaze inside the temple and ponder. "It's so quiet," he said, not knowing if he should be relieved or concerned.
"Please don't worry about Urd or Skuld," pleaded Belldandy, "They did what they felt they had to do."
Keiichi looked at her, "And what about you?"
She responded by shrugging her shoulders playfully. "I have seldom asked for anything for myself," she said, "But I have only one reason to be selfish."
A gentle breeze passed through the two of them, as Belldandy stepped closer and stood right up to him, as if to press her body against his.
"You would think that Urd would approve," she whispered, "That I don't think I could be happier than this."
Keiichi's heart skipped a beat, feeling his cheek touch her cheek ever so slightly as they looked past each other. "You've never been selfish before," was all an ignorant Keiichi could find to say to her.
Silence stood between them for a long moment, until Belldandy moved back half a step, if only to giggle and admire him.
"Oh, Keiichi," Belldandy said with a half-mocking tone in her voice, "That's why I love you, you can be innocent when you need to be."
"Huh?" he said, taken aback.
"No, that's good, I meant!" she corrected herself, "Maybe you'll understand someday. But right now, we have to get to campus, there is a race that we have to practice for!"
Keiichi took her arm in arm, adoring her new sing-song tone that beckoned them off the residence and on a motorcycle towards Nekomi. "You seem so eager today."
"Shouldn't I be?" Belldandy asked as they walked, "It's barely midday, and there's so much to do! So much life to experience, so many chances to make today better than yesterday!"
"Well, if you say so, then I can't complain."
They hopped onto their seats and prepared to leave, one more confident - or at least more daring - than the other.
"Say, Keiichi, I think I'm ready for...what's the word? Intimacy! That's it!" she said nonchalantly and in almost one unbroken train of thought spoken aloud, "I'm not too sure of the specifics...but it sounds like something that we should be doing, and since the house is left to the two of us, I don't think I'll ever be more ready..."
A startled Keiichi, rolling his eyes without Belldandy looking, knew not how to respond. "I don't think I'M ready..." he said underneath the sound of the motorcycle engine.
Belldandy looked up, "Did you say something?"
"Huh?" Keiichi said, shouting above the noise of the engine pretending that her voice was indistinct. He tapped the side of his helmet, signaling that he couldn't hear a word.
"Oh," Belldandy replied, then mouthing the words "I'll tell you later, then" right before she and a relieved but wide-eyed Keiichi sped away from the temple grounds.
All the while, a figure watched from afar the motorcycle turning onto the main road. She marked her concerns down in her log, officially opening her inquiry.
---
"Are we going to do our best?"
"Yes!"
"And are we going to win this weekend?"
"Yes!"
"Then let's get to it!"
A roaring applause and fanfare among the members of the motor club greeted Keiichi's rallying cry. He stood in front of all of them, and couldn't help but think that he was part of something great. He was proud of his fellow club members, as they set aside the next two days to prepare and practice for the weekend race, one of the most important races on the club's calendar.
"Well?" he said, once the fanfare turned into a scattered applaused, which in turn faded into a deafening silence that kept them all waiting for another word of leadership from Keiichi. "What're you guys waiting for, let's get cracking!"
"Oh!" said one.
"Right!" another said.
"Of course!" came from a third.
The crowd before Keiichi meshed and mixed as bodies bumped together and struggled to determine where to go, and finally turned into a scattering of club members, each of who slowly attempted to ascertain their purpose for the day. It was a peculiar sight, and had it not spoiled Keiichi's moment of pride, it would have been amusing to him.
"It's difficult sometimes, isn't it?" a voice said from behind Keiichi.
He turned his head, and saw a woman standing some distance away from where the impromptu rally took place. "What do you mean?"
"Rallying the troops, giving orders without bossing others around, hoping to inspire your fellow man. It's a task, I tell you."
Keiichi watched her approach him. She was a short but slender woman, not terribly imposing and having the look of being able to blend into a crowd without standing out. The no-nonsense type that was all work but little else, while having a sense of warmth about her that made her easily likable at one's first encounter.
"I suppose so," he replied, "The leadership thing just kinda fell on my lap, though. What about you?"
"Oh, me? I was merely thinking about my boss. I'm just a follower."
"I see. I'm sorry, I didn't get your name. You are--?"
She looked at him as if she couldn't find what to say. She paused to ponder, and then laughed without an apparent reason. "Excuse me! No, my name's not important. I won't be here long, just hanging around to see what's what."
"Oh, alright," Keiichi said, "Um, you were thinking about joining the club?"
"No," the woman with no name said yet again, "Not really. Just...checking things out, that's all."
"Right...hey, you're not a spy for another club, are you? Trying to figure out our secrets before the race?"
"What?" she said angrily, taking offense and unexpectedly raising her voice, "Are you accusing me of deception!?"
Keiichi backed down quickly, "No, no, that's not it! I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it!"
"Oh," the woman replied, all the tension having instantaneously fizzled into nothing. "Well, in that case, don't worry about it!"
Keiichi looked at the woman turn from curiosity exemplified, to focused anger, to undirected contentment, bordering on happiness. He was easily confused, so he said nothing, save a small mumble under his breath to concur.
"Anyways," she continued, "I wasn't aware there was a race this weekend! Tell me, please, what's the race?"
"The race?" Keiichi asked, "Right, the race...well, seven other clubs from around town are joining in, and all of us compete on a road course. The course has been designed specifically for sharp and sudden turns, and the natural inclines make it difficult to handle the curves if you're not expecting them."
"Sounds like an ugly metaphor," she said.
"I guess. Two-passenger machines are equipped to handle courses like these, but we suspect it's going to take some creativity to handle the type of curves that are on this course," Keiichi replied, looking at everything before him, the club members, the drawing boards, the scattered parts, everything. "We have to build a machine completely from scratch, one that's built for speed, control and reaction time. Sometimes you can make up for bad reflexes with good control, but a course like this will be very unforgiving."
"So it's not just about speed?"
"Exactly. Fastest time wins the prize. But if you deviate from the course, the race is over for you."
"I get it! That's why Belldandy is riding left seat with you, right?"
"Yeah, that's right," he said, then pausing for a moment before asking, "You know Belldandy?" The woman took a half step back, startled by the question and not being able to catch herself. "Me? No, I don't!"
"Then how--?"
"Well," she said, fumbling for the right response, "You mentioned her in your little pep talk, remember?"
Keiichi pondered it some, then answered, "No, not really."
"I could've sworn you mentioned Belldandy! You said something like, 'Let Belldandy and I be just a small part in your victory this weekend!'" she said, trying to imitate Keiichi, "Right?"
"I don't think I ever said anything like that," he insisted.
"But, but,"
"Aw, but who cares about details, right?" he said while checking his watch, "Anyways, I'd love to stay and chat, but there's a lot that needs doing. Take a look around if you want, just don't touch anything, we got some very delicate stuff we're working on!"
The woman breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him run off to do his task. Almost caught.
Twice, that is. She quickly ducked behind an obstruction in reaction to the sight of Belldandy walking nearby. For a very brief moment they exchanged the slightest-possible passing glances in each other's direction. The unnamed woman could only hope that she was not recognized.
---
Belldandy intercepted Keiichi in the clubhouse overlooking the makeshift work area, as others outside worked to get parts together and assembled in short order but in top condition.
"Keiichi?" she asked, "That woman...who was that?"
"Hm? Oh, just someone who was curious, she wanted to know what was going on."
"I see," Belldandy replied, unconvinced.
"Belldandy?" Keiichi asked curiously, smiling at her, "You're not jealous, are you?" She looked at him, failing to keep underneath the surface a hint of disdain, "If I was jealous, surely I would let you know it."
Keiichi backed away, apologizing, "I'm sorry."
A long face wrote itself all over Keiichi, and Belldandy couldn't help but watch the consequences of her words. She had never made him feel that way before. "No, I'm sorry," she said, quickly coming over to be close to him, "I don't know why I said that."
He shook his head, "It's okay, it's nothing."
"It's just that...I could've sworn I've seen her before."
"Not me," Keiichi said, "Who do you think it is?"
"I don't know," Belldandy replied, "Ever since the - you know - my memory has been clouded. It takes a little more effort to recall. Names, faces, even memories...they're all there, but it's just not so clear anymore. One of the drawbacks of being...ordinary, I suppose."
"Well, let me know if you remember who she is, and if you need any help."
"Alright," she said, before taking Keiichi by the arm and stopping him on his way out. She asked, "Why do you put up with me? I mean, after everything the past few days."
Keiichi took a good look at Belldandy, and replied, "When we first met, you asked if you were a bother, remember?"
She nodded her head.
"After all this time, I haven't changed my mind. But, even if you don't believe me, at least let me take care of you when you are a...bother. It's the least I can do for, well, everything."
She knew Keiichi long enough to recognize a response that came from the heart. Her heart flew as she, out of instinct and without much notice, planted her lips firmly on his before she could change her mind about it. It was a very brief moment of contact, and not much passionate about it, but it was a pure display of affection, and it was enough to leave Keiichi absolutely paralyzed.
Belldandy, on the other hand, was frantic. She laughed hysterically, "That was...that was...that felt so...oh, wow! I have to, uh...excuse me, I'm just going to..."
Her voice trailed off as she happily left the clubhouse, not noticing that Keiichi was in a state of delusion that could only be created by a dream come true.
---
"Belldandy!" Sora said as she approached to her.
"Oh, hello, Sora," Belldandy replied while still in a state of euphoria.
"I-I just wanted to say," she said, demonstrating that she was always in awe of Keiichi's girlfriend, "You look different today. It's very nice."
"Why, thank you. I...feel different. It's a great feeling."
"What is?"
"Being human."
Sora looked at her curiously, "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's...it's..." Belldandy tried to say, attempting to explain it to Sora, but recognizing that she wouldn't understand her circumstances, "Never mind. What are you doing right now?"
"Me? I'm just taking this box of parts over to the garage to get them assembled onto the machine."
"That sounds like fun!" she quickly presumed.
"Nah, it's a lot of work. I don't mind, but I think the fun is in the racing. Until then, it's work."
"Nonsense!" Belldandy retorted, "Let me help, I can always try something new."
She looked up at Belldandy, "Really? You mean it?"
"Sure! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can try it out, right?"
Sora nodded, "Right! I could use a helping hand anyways, let's go!"
---
The woman found that she did have some sort of a fascination with these primitive machines that were caught in her observation as the day wore on. They were not the primary focus, of course. She stuck to the job that she was given without hesitation. All day, she managed to avoid meeting Belldandy's gaze while still keeping an eye on her as she moved from task to task, from component to component as mechanical parts acted like puzzle pieces, grouping together to form larger pieces until, eventually, the finished product is complete. The woman saw in Belldandy a look of satisfaction and pride as she worked handily on a number of mechanical components, flowing from one area to the next while having a good time.
The unnamed figure kept one eye on Keiichi as well. Keiichi, despite doing the same routine of working on various pieces of the vehicle in development, was unaware that Belldandy had joined in the preparation. All he knew that, instead of having time to make suggestions and get feedback in order to improve the initial designs, he had to spend time trying to fix a costly fault created by subpar workmanship each time he was lucky enough to catch it. To say nothing of the faults that he had not yet caught, six hours into assembly. It was the simple things: parts were not being welded properly, nuts and bolts were not securely fastened, or delicate components were damaged in the process of being assembled.
Whatever the reason, Keiichi didn't know who was responsible for putting the wrong effort into assembling parts. Maybe it was one person, maybe it was several people. With the full membership of the motor club coming together for this big race, Keiichi couldn't tell who it was. Not that he wanted to chew them out, but time was slowly becoming a factor in the hours of the late afternoon.
"Run for cover, everyone!" a person said as he and several others scrambled out of the garage. Keiichi picked his head up to see what was the matter. From the garage, bits and pieces of metal came flying out in all directions, and a cloud of black smoke slowly drifted outwards and up into the sky.
"Say, Sora," Keiichi said, quickly getting used to the growing predicament, "That big chunk of metal, would that happen to be the engine?"
Sora turned her head at two angles just to be sure, "I think it is, sir."
The incredulity continued to mount on top of Keiichi as a club member ran across the work area.
"Help me! Somebody help me! AIIIIEEEEEE..." was the sound he made as he inexplicably ran from the passenger seat, somehow running on wheels and under its own power, prematurely supplied.
Keiichi looked on, just stunned, "Well, I've never seen it do that before."
"Me neither," Sora replied, if only to fill up an awkward silence.
Belldandy came into sight, coincidentally after the episode of mayhem died down. She kept her hands together, clutching her sore palms and fingers. She and Keiichi exchanged looks.
"I'm sorry for keeping you, we should've been out of here one or two hours ago," Keiichi said. She looked around, "What happened?"
"Well, among other things, we need to replace the engine, chase down the passenger seat, and last time I looked, remove a heck of a lot of added parts from what was supposed to just be the steering wheel."
Luckily for Belldandy, Keiichi wasn't looking at her. He would not be able to see, for the first time, her look of wide-eyed shock, and the internal attempt to keep herself calm. The natural response that came to mind was to just not say a word, something that may haunt her later, but Belldandy could not possibly worry about that.
Especially when she could focus on another matter.
"That IS her!" she cried to Keiichi. She pointed the woman out while she was not paying attention to them but rather the bit of chaos engulfing one part of the work area. "I can't believe I didn't recognize her at first, but it's her!"
"Who?" Keiichi said.
"Wait here."
"What, what is it?"
"Just wait here, I'll take care of this," Belldandy said, exhibiting a bit of undirected anger. Keiichi watched her storm away. Given the tone of her voice, he certainly didn't want to argue with her, let alone get in her way.
---
"Whoa, this is pretty amusing," the woman said to herself as she examined the mess all laid out in front of her. Under the pretense that she didn't want to interfere with the important work handled by the club members, she stayed more or less an observer tucked away largely unseen by most. She laughed a little at the comic atmosphere of it all.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," said one voice behind her.
She knew that voice, and could only turn around to see the face of one seeking answers and fast.
"Belldandy! How nice to see you!" the woman said. She had never seen Belldandy angry, but something inside told her that it was better not to know what it would be like.
"What do you want? Are you spying on me?"
"Take it easy," she said, "I was going to let you know in good time!"
"I'm sure you know by now I won't go back. At least not now," Belldandy insisted.
"That's ridiculous! Do you imagine what you're giving up, and what that means to the rest of us?"
"If you could only realize what I have been through in the past few days, maybe you wouldn't be so quick to judge."
The woman scoffed, "Come now, Belldandy! You know that it is not up to me to judge. And it may not be your place to choose either!"
"Who sent you to come look for me? Was it Urd?"
She nodded, "Urd got called up, yes."
"And my big sister told you to find me and convince me to change my mind, is that right?"
"Well..." the woman said, drifting away.
Belldandy looked in her eyes and insisted, "What? What's going on?"
"Don't you get it, Belldandy? EVERYBODY sent me after you!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Only Human
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)
Chapter Six: Another Perfect Day
"Keiichi!" Belldandy called out. The temple grounds were not terribly large, so she was absolutely certain that he had heard her in the three times that she tried to summon him. Belldandy could only presume that Keiichi was still preoccupied with worry and concern. So, she went to him, walking back up the steps and finding him standing in the doorway of the main residence.
"Keiichi," she insisted, "They will come back."
He nodded in return, though he continued to stare through the doorway and into the now-empty hall that connected all the other rooms. Keiichi and Belldandy, both so exhausted from the day before, did not bother to check up on Urd and Skuld when they returned from the fair very early that morning. It was only after daybreak when they woke up and discovered that Belldandy's two sisters were, in fact, gone. When they left was not so obvious, but to where they went was almost apparent.
Belldandy knew full well that her decision to remain human would have hit a nerve, if not with her sisters, then with others in the Heavens. Whatever her reasons, Urd did not approve, and Belldandy did not yet know the extent of her superiors' patience. Whether they would be accommodating or otherwise, she would find out in a matter of time, that time depending on how fast her sisters were at blowing the whistle.
Keiichi, on the other hand, was entirely ignorant of the coming storm brewing about Belldandy, and was consigned to just fix his gaze inside the temple and ponder. "It's so quiet," he said, not knowing if he should be relieved or concerned.
"Please don't worry about Urd or Skuld," pleaded Belldandy, "They did what they felt they had to do."
Keiichi looked at her, "And what about you?"
She responded by shrugging her shoulders playfully. "I have seldom asked for anything for myself," she said, "But I have only one reason to be selfish."
A gentle breeze passed through the two of them, as Belldandy stepped closer and stood right up to him, as if to press her body against his.
"You would think that Urd would approve," she whispered, "That I don't think I could be happier than this."
Keiichi's heart skipped a beat, feeling his cheek touch her cheek ever so slightly as they looked past each other. "You've never been selfish before," was all an ignorant Keiichi could find to say to her.
Silence stood between them for a long moment, until Belldandy moved back half a step, if only to giggle and admire him.
"Oh, Keiichi," Belldandy said with a half-mocking tone in her voice, "That's why I love you, you can be innocent when you need to be."
"Huh?" he said, taken aback.
"No, that's good, I meant!" she corrected herself, "Maybe you'll understand someday. But right now, we have to get to campus, there is a race that we have to practice for!"
Keiichi took her arm in arm, adoring her new sing-song tone that beckoned them off the residence and on a motorcycle towards Nekomi. "You seem so eager today."
"Shouldn't I be?" Belldandy asked as they walked, "It's barely midday, and there's so much to do! So much life to experience, so many chances to make today better than yesterday!"
"Well, if you say so, then I can't complain."
They hopped onto their seats and prepared to leave, one more confident - or at least more daring - than the other.
"Say, Keiichi, I think I'm ready for...what's the word? Intimacy! That's it!" she said nonchalantly and in almost one unbroken train of thought spoken aloud, "I'm not too sure of the specifics...but it sounds like something that we should be doing, and since the house is left to the two of us, I don't think I'll ever be more ready..."
A startled Keiichi, rolling his eyes without Belldandy looking, knew not how to respond. "I don't think I'M ready..." he said underneath the sound of the motorcycle engine.
Belldandy looked up, "Did you say something?"
"Huh?" Keiichi said, shouting above the noise of the engine pretending that her voice was indistinct. He tapped the side of his helmet, signaling that he couldn't hear a word.
"Oh," Belldandy replied, then mouthing the words "I'll tell you later, then" right before she and a relieved but wide-eyed Keiichi sped away from the temple grounds.
All the while, a figure watched from afar the motorcycle turning onto the main road. She marked her concerns down in her log, officially opening her inquiry.
---
"Are we going to do our best?"
"Yes!"
"And are we going to win this weekend?"
"Yes!"
"Then let's get to it!"
A roaring applause and fanfare among the members of the motor club greeted Keiichi's rallying cry. He stood in front of all of them, and couldn't help but think that he was part of something great. He was proud of his fellow club members, as they set aside the next two days to prepare and practice for the weekend race, one of the most important races on the club's calendar.
"Well?" he said, once the fanfare turned into a scattered applaused, which in turn faded into a deafening silence that kept them all waiting for another word of leadership from Keiichi. "What're you guys waiting for, let's get cracking!"
"Oh!" said one.
"Right!" another said.
"Of course!" came from a third.
The crowd before Keiichi meshed and mixed as bodies bumped together and struggled to determine where to go, and finally turned into a scattering of club members, each of who slowly attempted to ascertain their purpose for the day. It was a peculiar sight, and had it not spoiled Keiichi's moment of pride, it would have been amusing to him.
"It's difficult sometimes, isn't it?" a voice said from behind Keiichi.
He turned his head, and saw a woman standing some distance away from where the impromptu rally took place. "What do you mean?"
"Rallying the troops, giving orders without bossing others around, hoping to inspire your fellow man. It's a task, I tell you."
Keiichi watched her approach him. She was a short but slender woman, not terribly imposing and having the look of being able to blend into a crowd without standing out. The no-nonsense type that was all work but little else, while having a sense of warmth about her that made her easily likable at one's first encounter.
"I suppose so," he replied, "The leadership thing just kinda fell on my lap, though. What about you?"
"Oh, me? I was merely thinking about my boss. I'm just a follower."
"I see. I'm sorry, I didn't get your name. You are--?"
She looked at him as if she couldn't find what to say. She paused to ponder, and then laughed without an apparent reason. "Excuse me! No, my name's not important. I won't be here long, just hanging around to see what's what."
"Oh, alright," Keiichi said, "Um, you were thinking about joining the club?"
"No," the woman with no name said yet again, "Not really. Just...checking things out, that's all."
"Right...hey, you're not a spy for another club, are you? Trying to figure out our secrets before the race?"
"What?" she said angrily, taking offense and unexpectedly raising her voice, "Are you accusing me of deception!?"
Keiichi backed down quickly, "No, no, that's not it! I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it!"
"Oh," the woman replied, all the tension having instantaneously fizzled into nothing. "Well, in that case, don't worry about it!"
Keiichi looked at the woman turn from curiosity exemplified, to focused anger, to undirected contentment, bordering on happiness. He was easily confused, so he said nothing, save a small mumble under his breath to concur.
"Anyways," she continued, "I wasn't aware there was a race this weekend! Tell me, please, what's the race?"
"The race?" Keiichi asked, "Right, the race...well, seven other clubs from around town are joining in, and all of us compete on a road course. The course has been designed specifically for sharp and sudden turns, and the natural inclines make it difficult to handle the curves if you're not expecting them."
"Sounds like an ugly metaphor," she said.
"I guess. Two-passenger machines are equipped to handle courses like these, but we suspect it's going to take some creativity to handle the type of curves that are on this course," Keiichi replied, looking at everything before him, the club members, the drawing boards, the scattered parts, everything. "We have to build a machine completely from scratch, one that's built for speed, control and reaction time. Sometimes you can make up for bad reflexes with good control, but a course like this will be very unforgiving."
"So it's not just about speed?"
"Exactly. Fastest time wins the prize. But if you deviate from the course, the race is over for you."
"I get it! That's why Belldandy is riding left seat with you, right?"
"Yeah, that's right," he said, then pausing for a moment before asking, "You know Belldandy?" The woman took a half step back, startled by the question and not being able to catch herself. "Me? No, I don't!"
"Then how--?"
"Well," she said, fumbling for the right response, "You mentioned her in your little pep talk, remember?"
Keiichi pondered it some, then answered, "No, not really."
"I could've sworn you mentioned Belldandy! You said something like, 'Let Belldandy and I be just a small part in your victory this weekend!'" she said, trying to imitate Keiichi, "Right?"
"I don't think I ever said anything like that," he insisted.
"But, but,"
"Aw, but who cares about details, right?" he said while checking his watch, "Anyways, I'd love to stay and chat, but there's a lot that needs doing. Take a look around if you want, just don't touch anything, we got some very delicate stuff we're working on!"
The woman breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him run off to do his task. Almost caught.
Twice, that is. She quickly ducked behind an obstruction in reaction to the sight of Belldandy walking nearby. For a very brief moment they exchanged the slightest-possible passing glances in each other's direction. The unnamed woman could only hope that she was not recognized.
---
Belldandy intercepted Keiichi in the clubhouse overlooking the makeshift work area, as others outside worked to get parts together and assembled in short order but in top condition.
"Keiichi?" she asked, "That woman...who was that?"
"Hm? Oh, just someone who was curious, she wanted to know what was going on."
"I see," Belldandy replied, unconvinced.
"Belldandy?" Keiichi asked curiously, smiling at her, "You're not jealous, are you?" She looked at him, failing to keep underneath the surface a hint of disdain, "If I was jealous, surely I would let you know it."
Keiichi backed away, apologizing, "I'm sorry."
A long face wrote itself all over Keiichi, and Belldandy couldn't help but watch the consequences of her words. She had never made him feel that way before. "No, I'm sorry," she said, quickly coming over to be close to him, "I don't know why I said that."
He shook his head, "It's okay, it's nothing."
"It's just that...I could've sworn I've seen her before."
"Not me," Keiichi said, "Who do you think it is?"
"I don't know," Belldandy replied, "Ever since the - you know - my memory has been clouded. It takes a little more effort to recall. Names, faces, even memories...they're all there, but it's just not so clear anymore. One of the drawbacks of being...ordinary, I suppose."
"Well, let me know if you remember who she is, and if you need any help."
"Alright," she said, before taking Keiichi by the arm and stopping him on his way out. She asked, "Why do you put up with me? I mean, after everything the past few days."
Keiichi took a good look at Belldandy, and replied, "When we first met, you asked if you were a bother, remember?"
She nodded her head.
"After all this time, I haven't changed my mind. But, even if you don't believe me, at least let me take care of you when you are a...bother. It's the least I can do for, well, everything."
She knew Keiichi long enough to recognize a response that came from the heart. Her heart flew as she, out of instinct and without much notice, planted her lips firmly on his before she could change her mind about it. It was a very brief moment of contact, and not much passionate about it, but it was a pure display of affection, and it was enough to leave Keiichi absolutely paralyzed.
Belldandy, on the other hand, was frantic. She laughed hysterically, "That was...that was...that felt so...oh, wow! I have to, uh...excuse me, I'm just going to..."
Her voice trailed off as she happily left the clubhouse, not noticing that Keiichi was in a state of delusion that could only be created by a dream come true.
---
"Belldandy!" Sora said as she approached to her.
"Oh, hello, Sora," Belldandy replied while still in a state of euphoria.
"I-I just wanted to say," she said, demonstrating that she was always in awe of Keiichi's girlfriend, "You look different today. It's very nice."
"Why, thank you. I...feel different. It's a great feeling."
"What is?"
"Being human."
Sora looked at her curiously, "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's...it's..." Belldandy tried to say, attempting to explain it to Sora, but recognizing that she wouldn't understand her circumstances, "Never mind. What are you doing right now?"
"Me? I'm just taking this box of parts over to the garage to get them assembled onto the machine."
"That sounds like fun!" she quickly presumed.
"Nah, it's a lot of work. I don't mind, but I think the fun is in the racing. Until then, it's work."
"Nonsense!" Belldandy retorted, "Let me help, I can always try something new."
She looked up at Belldandy, "Really? You mean it?"
"Sure! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can try it out, right?"
Sora nodded, "Right! I could use a helping hand anyways, let's go!"
---
The woman found that she did have some sort of a fascination with these primitive machines that were caught in her observation as the day wore on. They were not the primary focus, of course. She stuck to the job that she was given without hesitation. All day, she managed to avoid meeting Belldandy's gaze while still keeping an eye on her as she moved from task to task, from component to component as mechanical parts acted like puzzle pieces, grouping together to form larger pieces until, eventually, the finished product is complete. The woman saw in Belldandy a look of satisfaction and pride as she worked handily on a number of mechanical components, flowing from one area to the next while having a good time.
The unnamed figure kept one eye on Keiichi as well. Keiichi, despite doing the same routine of working on various pieces of the vehicle in development, was unaware that Belldandy had joined in the preparation. All he knew that, instead of having time to make suggestions and get feedback in order to improve the initial designs, he had to spend time trying to fix a costly fault created by subpar workmanship each time he was lucky enough to catch it. To say nothing of the faults that he had not yet caught, six hours into assembly. It was the simple things: parts were not being welded properly, nuts and bolts were not securely fastened, or delicate components were damaged in the process of being assembled.
Whatever the reason, Keiichi didn't know who was responsible for putting the wrong effort into assembling parts. Maybe it was one person, maybe it was several people. With the full membership of the motor club coming together for this big race, Keiichi couldn't tell who it was. Not that he wanted to chew them out, but time was slowly becoming a factor in the hours of the late afternoon.
"Run for cover, everyone!" a person said as he and several others scrambled out of the garage. Keiichi picked his head up to see what was the matter. From the garage, bits and pieces of metal came flying out in all directions, and a cloud of black smoke slowly drifted outwards and up into the sky.
"Say, Sora," Keiichi said, quickly getting used to the growing predicament, "That big chunk of metal, would that happen to be the engine?"
Sora turned her head at two angles just to be sure, "I think it is, sir."
The incredulity continued to mount on top of Keiichi as a club member ran across the work area.
"Help me! Somebody help me! AIIIIEEEEEE..." was the sound he made as he inexplicably ran from the passenger seat, somehow running on wheels and under its own power, prematurely supplied.
Keiichi looked on, just stunned, "Well, I've never seen it do that before."
"Me neither," Sora replied, if only to fill up an awkward silence.
Belldandy came into sight, coincidentally after the episode of mayhem died down. She kept her hands together, clutching her sore palms and fingers. She and Keiichi exchanged looks.
"I'm sorry for keeping you, we should've been out of here one or two hours ago," Keiichi said. She looked around, "What happened?"
"Well, among other things, we need to replace the engine, chase down the passenger seat, and last time I looked, remove a heck of a lot of added parts from what was supposed to just be the steering wheel."
Luckily for Belldandy, Keiichi wasn't looking at her. He would not be able to see, for the first time, her look of wide-eyed shock, and the internal attempt to keep herself calm. The natural response that came to mind was to just not say a word, something that may haunt her later, but Belldandy could not possibly worry about that.
Especially when she could focus on another matter.
"That IS her!" she cried to Keiichi. She pointed the woman out while she was not paying attention to them but rather the bit of chaos engulfing one part of the work area. "I can't believe I didn't recognize her at first, but it's her!"
"Who?" Keiichi said.
"Wait here."
"What, what is it?"
"Just wait here, I'll take care of this," Belldandy said, exhibiting a bit of undirected anger. Keiichi watched her storm away. Given the tone of her voice, he certainly didn't want to argue with her, let alone get in her way.
---
"Whoa, this is pretty amusing," the woman said to herself as she examined the mess all laid out in front of her. Under the pretense that she didn't want to interfere with the important work handled by the club members, she stayed more or less an observer tucked away largely unseen by most. She laughed a little at the comic atmosphere of it all.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," said one voice behind her.
She knew that voice, and could only turn around to see the face of one seeking answers and fast.
"Belldandy! How nice to see you!" the woman said. She had never seen Belldandy angry, but something inside told her that it was better not to know what it would be like.
"What do you want? Are you spying on me?"
"Take it easy," she said, "I was going to let you know in good time!"
"I'm sure you know by now I won't go back. At least not now," Belldandy insisted.
"That's ridiculous! Do you imagine what you're giving up, and what that means to the rest of us?"
"If you could only realize what I have been through in the past few days, maybe you wouldn't be so quick to judge."
The woman scoffed, "Come now, Belldandy! You know that it is not up to me to judge. And it may not be your place to choose either!"
"Who sent you to come look for me? Was it Urd?"
She nodded, "Urd got called up, yes."
"And my big sister told you to find me and convince me to change my mind, is that right?"
"Well..." the woman said, drifting away.
Belldandy looked in her eyes and insisted, "What? What's going on?"
"Don't you get it, Belldandy? EVERYBODY sent me after you!"
TO BE CONTINUED...