Only Human
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)
Chapter Ten: On A High
The goddesses had arrived later that morning to go out with the rest of the group, and Sora had found Skuld moping around the boxes of supplies she had put out for transport to the race grounds, so she asked her for help in getting the rest out of storage. In her listless state, Skuld didn't seem to mind. Unluckily for Sora, though, Belldandy's sister was so spiritless that her lack of attention dropped a small carton on her foot.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Skuld cried.
Falling to the ground, Sora held her foot in pain. "It's alright, I'm fine! I'll be a moment!"
"Let me help--"
"No no, that's the last of them, I think. Just make sure we have everything there."
"Right," she said, reverting to her state of depression.
Sora watched Skuld go through the checklist she gave her. "You're thinking about Belldandy, aren't you?" she asked when she stood up by herself again.
Skuld recoiled, unable to produce a response.
"You know her better than I do, isn't there something different about her lately?"
Sure there was, Skuld thought. She just didn't know how to say it and how it got to be this way.
"Sora!"
They both looked up, and there was Belldandy. She rushed up to the two of them, as if it were the last chance to see each other today. "I'm so glad I found you," she said, catching her breath, "I wanted to apologize for yesterday."
Sora blushed, "Oh! T-T-There's really no need."
"No, I need to confess, I was very rude to you during practice. I was tired...frustrated...but there's no excuse for it. I hope you'll forgive me," a very contrite Belldandy said.
"Well, yeah, of course, nothing to it!"
Belldandy smiled in relief, but she was not finished. "And to you, Skuld. I shouldn't have shouted at you."
"Sister..." Skuld replied softly.
"I hope I can make it up to you eventually. Can you forgive me?"
Without a second thought, Skuld leapt into Belldandy's arms. The younger sibling could never be happier, "I could never be angry at you, Sister!"
Belldandy sighed to relieve herself of all the tension. It was killing her inside and it showed, up until the resolution. "Maybe tonight I'll fix up some dessert to celebrate, alright?"
Skuld nodded, "Mm-hmm!"
"Good. I have to go, I have a race to win. Wish me luck!" she exclaimed, rushing off to prepare.
They both looked at each other, and Skuld let out a happy sigh, saying, "No, she hasn't changed at all."
---
The contingent from the Nekomi Motor Club was in full force. Everyone had a role at the competition site. Some were making final tune-ups to the vehicle. Others were among the spectators, promoting the club. Even those in the cheering section from the stands were important. Today was race day, and the club was always at its best when it was racing.
Keiichi looked all around him; he loved this atmosphere. He was quite at home, even among opponents, all who, on this day, had a halfway-decent chance of winning it all. Today was going to be the most open race in the club's recent memory.
"Ready to go?" she asked him.
"Yeah, just about--Belldandy?"
Keiichi turned his head. Besides her usual racer's gear, Belldandy was sporting a pair of sunglasses with a look on her face that revealed as little emotion as possible.
"Yes? Oh, these! There's this pressure that's bearing down behind my eyes--what do you call it?"
"A headache?" replied Keiichi.
"Yes. A headache," said Belldandy nonchalantly, "I have a headache. And the sun was bothering my eyes, so I bought these from a vendor."
"Bell, are you sure you want to race? You haven't slept for over twenty hours, that's why you're feeling this way."
She leaned on Keiichi and sighed, as if to signal that she was thinking it over. Then she looked across the racegrounds. In the distance, there were Urd and Skuld, following the rest of the club members to their seats. She lifted her sunglasses to get a good look at them.
"Yes," a resolute Belldandy said, "I want to race. And I want to win, too. C'mon, let's get going!"
Keiichi nodded, and followed her to the race track. Then it occurred to him to ask. "Bell, how did you pay for those?"
Belldandy stopped. Color filled her cheeks. Then she smiled innocently. "These?"
"Yeah."
"I, um...Itooksomemoneyfromyourwallet," she said hurriedly, right before planting a kiss on Keiichi. She walked on, giggling like a little girl.
"Oh, right," he replied, while softly running his fingers across his cheek. "Hey, wait a minute! What do you mean you took my money?"
---
The race was on. One by one, each vehicle sped through the track, with each pair of racers in search of the fastest time, all the while dazzling and winning over the spectators. Each team had two runs through the course, but it seemed that no one would be saving their best for last. Nekomi was in the middle of the running order, so its team would be able to see a good number of performances before they were called to the starting line. Some runs were successful, while a few were not, but all of them were aggressive and fearless, and awed everyone in the Nekomi camp.
That is, until it was their turn to race.
---
"--And don't screw up!" were the last and only words from Chihiro that rung in Belldandy's ears as she settled herself into the vehicle. The real thing had a different feel that all those practices didn't prepare her for. Of course, Belldandy lacked confidence in herself and in Keiichi during those test runs. But this time, the pressure was on, and everything was on the line. So time moved a little faster. The noise from all the spectators was a little louder. And the watchful gaze of the Assistant was a little more offensive.
When she turned her head, though, Keiichi's smile brought her back down to reality. Belldandy had never needed anything from him before. Now, it was all she needed, and what she needed most of all. She was ready.
The lights before them flashed, one by one, until green was shown, and the inseparable pair took off.
---
From a distance, the Assistant watched Belldandy speed away with Keiichi on the race vehicle heading into the course. All the sensations of the moment were mentally discarded; she didn't care much for the race at all, and the fact that Belldandy cared about it a great deal puzzled her. She was the best among all the other goddesses, and her accomplishments as Goddess First Class would have been boundless, and yet she chose to live her life with a human, the most ordinary one could ever meet, to her mind.
The Assistant just could not grasp the logic, of this and her desire to be just as ordinary herself. The choices the Assistant made were far different than Belldandy's, and she was defiantly proud of the path she took. She had surrendered her license, renounced her name, burying it so deep into oblivion that, when she was reborn, she had forgotten what it was. In return, she had greater power that came with her new responsibilities. She enjoyed unconditional access to Yggdrasil's most sacred resources, and the ability to speak for the Almighty in the fiercest of disputes. In time, the Assistant was feared and respected.
But after all this time, it was Belldandy who was loved. Everyone loved her, but oh, how the Assistant envied her! She could not and would not give up her power just to know what that would feel like, but she had spent the last few days, much less a great part of her life in which she had known Belldandy, wondering endlessly over why it was so desirable, and why it was the one thing she could never have.
Everywhere the Assistant walked, people kept their distance. Since her arrival, she had not endeared herself to the people that knew Belldandy, especially after word had traveled that she was there to take her away. The Assistant hadn't noticed it until now, but when she looked at them, they had on their faces a terrible look of dread. They couldn't possibly understand her responsibilities, of course.
But even Belldandy's sisters, whose support she had when they presented their dilemma to the Almighty, reversed in their eagerness to save Belldandy, so much so that they were now urging her on to a race victory. Now they were among the Nekomi faithful, joining the fanfare that awaited their drivers at the finish line.
The very thought of it infuriated her. Skuld always stood by her elder sister, so her change of heart was understandable. But Urd knew better, at least in this inquiry. She was, after all, the one who requested her. The eldest sister was quite conflicted about it once the Assistant had come down to Earth, and when she had snapped at her the night before, it was clear that Urd no longer wanted any part of Belldandy's involuntary recall. But most importantly, it was also clear that the Assistant was all alone, and for the very first time she had taken notice of it.
The Assistant folded her arms, watching from afar that to which she did not belong. She did not belong to the throngs of cheering spectators, or among the closest friends of the race's drivers. The Assistant just did not fit. She was only doing her duty, and she did it faithfully and with absolute loyalty. Yet, never before did her work bear so little reward. Either that, or the rewards of her responsibilities no longer seemed valuable.
Belldandy and Keiichi's vehicle was in sight, making the final turn and crossing the finish line, slowing to a halt only when the whole of the machine was over the painted stripe. Then it echoed in the Assistant's ears of her firm prediction that the goddess would not finish the race in first.
"Three forty-one!" cried one spectator, reading off the official clock.
The Assistant turned around, and all the people not already standing rose to their feet as the leaderboard indicated the new time set by Nekomi. She hardly knew what to say after that.
---
Belldandy slowly got up off the vehicle, catching her breath and still unaware of the result. In fact, her first words were contrite. "I'm sorry, Keiichi," she said, "I guess I wasn't paying attention to those last few turns--"
Keiichi, on the other hand, heard nothing that Belldandy had said. With very little sleep in the past two days, he was exhausted and his parts were sore, and he was jumping up and down as a child would.
"We did it! We did it!" he said.
She looked all around her, seeing the entire club engulf the two of them and their vehicle. She watched as volunteers posted their time on the giant leaderboard; only then did she believe the reaction from Keiichi and the others. Belldandy was ecstatic. On instinct, she let out all of her emotion in one loud scream. Animated by the earth-shattering time, she embraced Urd and Skuld, who were standing in the inner circle of the crowd around them.
"Can you believe it?" she said, "This is incredible!"
Despite everything, Belldandy's sisters were happy for her, and joined everyone in celebrating, long before the competition came to an end.
---
Not long after their first run, Keiichi and Belldandy found themselves in a open, public field of trees and grass that neighbored the racegrounds. They were told to stay near; the second run was a formality by now, but they were required to run it.
The feeling of sitting against a tree and having Belldandy sitting beside him, leaning on his shoulder to rest, was unfamiliar to Keiichi, though he was quickly getting used to it.
"It's nice like this."
"Yes, it is."
"So what do you think?" he asked.
Replied Belldandy, "I think we're going to win."
Keiichi laughed. "Well, yeah, of course. But I meant--" he said.
She looked up at him as he trailed off in mid-sentence. "What is it?"
"I mean...it's just that, after this, you'll go back, right?"
"Back to what, being a goddess again? What for?"
"W-Well," Keiichi stammered, "I would think that you would like your sisters to--"
"My sisters!?" she cried, sitting upright, "Who told you about that?"
"Belldandy..."
"Because if it's the Assistant, I can tell you that I won't change for her! I mean it, Keiichi, I won't be bullied by that creature, I don't care who she dares to speak for!"
Keiichi watched her spout off, letting it out until she could calm down.
Belldandy bowed her head, looking only at her feet. "It's another strange feeling...pride," she said, "I can't help it, I'm sorry."
He nodded, "I understand. But Urd, Skuld...you'll never see them again, will you?"
"I suppose not, not if I remain human," she said, resting her head on his shoulder again, "Oh, Keiichi, I love being like this. I love being a goddess, too. My whole life has been about helping people. It's all I've ever known. But lately I've realized...maybe there's more to life than a goddess could face. There's so much I haven't done, that I couldn't do as a goddess."
"That sounds so strange," Keiichi said.
"I know it does," she said, "But it's true. What if you hadn't made that wish? I would've missed out on so many experiences. And they've all been wonderful, but I've never understood what they meant to you. I learned how to ride a motorcycle this week, Keiichi. The sense of achievement was incredible. I didn't use any magic or process the numbers in my mind to imitate the act. Only with your help, I did it all on my own. And it felt great."
"I think I understand."
"Yes," Belldandy said, placing a hand on his cheek, "Someday I'll make it up to you, for helping me to learn about humanity, putting up with me for all this time."
"You're wrong. You're not a bother to me. Not now or ever," he said, smiling.
"Don't say that," she said, "One day, you might not like the human I become."
Keiichi scoffed, "Will you stay with me, no matter what happens?"
She looked at him, saying sincerely, "Of course."
"Then how can I ever resent you?"
Belldandy smiled, "Thank you."
She leaned in closer against his body, closing her eyes to rest for a while as Keiichi did the same. Their ears picked up a faint roar from the racegrounds.
"What about Urd and Skuld, then?"
"I'll talk to the Assistant after the race. I hope she'll be reasonable. I'll cancel my license if I have to, I won't need it anymore anyways."
---
"Cancel your license? But...why?"
"You know why. Besides, what good is it for a goddess who has but only one wish to fulfill?"
"Yes, but...why don't you simply do as the Assistant says?"
"Oh, Urd," Belldandy said, playfully clicking her tongue, "You used to be so defiant, so troublesome. What happened?"
Urd watched her sister wrap her arm around her, holding her close and making light of their dilemma.
"C'mon, where's that annoying, irresponsible big sister I used to know and love?" she nagged.
"Annoying?" Urd thought to herself.
"In spite of everything," Belldandy said in a more serious tone, "You had this light about you. Where has it gone, Urd?"
She turned away even as her sister tried to make eye contact. "I think," she replied, "I think I began to see a bit of myself in you."
"Oh, well. We're sisters, what do you expect? Unless there's something you haven't told me," she joked casually.
Urd laughed a little, then reversed herself. She broke from Belldandy and walked around. This is serious, of course!
"I don't think I've been a good example for you lately."
Belldandy scoffed, "What's that?"
"I mean it. I'm supposed to be your sister, and as immature as I am, I'm not getting any younger."
"Actually," Belldandy said, "You're not really getting much older, either..."
"Belldandy!"
"Urd," she said, looking up at her from mere inches away, "Do you think you're responsible for me?"
The elder goddess bobbled her head and mumbled under her breath, searching for the right verbal response.
"Urd!" she replied with delight, "That's so sweet to hear you say that! Of course, I've always known, but I don't think I've ever heard you admit it until now."
Hearing this, Urd smiled as her sister placed her hands on her shoulders, looking eye to eye at her.
"But you're wrong," Belldandy said bluntly.
Urd's face quickly fell. "What do you mean?"
"You have your own mind, and so do I. I've let you do as you please because that's who you are. I hope that you will do the same for me."
"Ha!" Urd said, "And what about Skuld?"
"Skuld? Well, I love her, but she's gonna need plenty of guidance from the both of us!"
They both laughed, and it took the both of them a while to settle down, and only because it hurt inside to laugh so much. When one was able to talk, though, she did so.
"Urd," Belldandy said, "You don't have to take care of me. You don't have to feel guilty or feel that it's your fault if I do anything wrong. You're my sister, and if I ever need help I know where to turn. But don't protect me."
Urd searched the look on Belldandy's face for a moment or two, and found it to be sincere. She cracked a smile once again, right after letting out a great sigh.
"Well, that's a relief!" said Urd, "I was beginning to worry for a while!"
Belldandy grinned, "Good. Now. Only one left to worry about is...her."
They both frowned. They had not seen the Assistant all day, although they were sure she went with the rest of the people from Nekomi. At last count, she was still determined to put Belldandy in her place.
---
Behind the stands, she paced back and forth in front of Belldandy. Her arms were folded together and the look on her face was as stern as ever. The Assistant would not make eye contact with her, even as she pleaded with her to reverse her decision.
"You know, you look really nice with those human clothes," Belldandy said. It seemed like the only natural thing to say.
"Quiet."
"Sorry."
The Assistant sighed. Looking at her, she was obviously so happy here on Earth. But it just wasn't that simple.
"I can't accept a Goddess First Class to be compromised by humanity," the Assistant said.
"You said it yourself, it does not interfere with my duties," replied Belldandy, "But I will accept expulsion if I have to."
"Don't you understand? You are the best of us, and if you can leave at will, then--then...then every goddess in the system can abandon their responsibilities for their own sakes. And I can't allow that!"
"I know. But I know I must follow my humanity, wherever it takes me. Whatever I become, just please don't take my sisters from me!" she pleaded.
The Assistant shook her head. She examined Belldandy's look of desperation and felt a terrible sense of guilt.
"I don't know. It's so difficult. Someone would need to take your place. A gap like this among the membership is just too large to ignore."
"Well," Belldandy suggested, "You could become a goddess again."
"What?" the Assistant said, scoffing at the idea.
"I remember. You received a perfect grade in training. You worked so hard to earn your license."
"Belldandy--"
"You had a bigger heart than I did, perhaps. But you didn't think you could do enough as a mere goddess, and so you decided to work in direct contact with Yggdrasil."
"It was the only choice I could make," the Assistant said.
"Yes. But I hear the whispers. You have been so alone all this time. It must be painful to have no one as your equal," Belldandy said, walking up to her even as the Assistant turned her back, "But it doesn't have to be this way."
"It does," she replied, "We all have our roles, we cannot change who we are."
"I did," Belldandy said softly, "So can you."
They stood silent like this for a moment, with one's back turned away from the other. The Assistant was a half step from giving way, but it was that half step that was the most difficult. The weight of the entire system was on her shoulders. And the thought of becoming a goddess again was enticing. Despite her most fiery efforts to bring down Belldandy, in her seemingly weakened state that was humanity, it was Belldandy who was turning her around. All she had to do was say it, and the recall of her sisters would be nullified.
"Belldandy!"
The two looking behind them, and it was Keiichi approaching them, his helmet on his head and hers in his hand.
"What's wrong?"
"C'mon, we have to make our second run," Keiichi said.
"Don't worry, Keiichi," Belldandy said, "We're going to do fine."
"You don't understand," he insisted, putting the helmet into her hands in a rush, "I don't know how it happened, but they've beaten the time on our first run!"
TO BE CONTINUED.
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)
Chapter Ten: On A High
The goddesses had arrived later that morning to go out with the rest of the group, and Sora had found Skuld moping around the boxes of supplies she had put out for transport to the race grounds, so she asked her for help in getting the rest out of storage. In her listless state, Skuld didn't seem to mind. Unluckily for Sora, though, Belldandy's sister was so spiritless that her lack of attention dropped a small carton on her foot.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Skuld cried.
Falling to the ground, Sora held her foot in pain. "It's alright, I'm fine! I'll be a moment!"
"Let me help--"
"No no, that's the last of them, I think. Just make sure we have everything there."
"Right," she said, reverting to her state of depression.
Sora watched Skuld go through the checklist she gave her. "You're thinking about Belldandy, aren't you?" she asked when she stood up by herself again.
Skuld recoiled, unable to produce a response.
"You know her better than I do, isn't there something different about her lately?"
Sure there was, Skuld thought. She just didn't know how to say it and how it got to be this way.
"Sora!"
They both looked up, and there was Belldandy. She rushed up to the two of them, as if it were the last chance to see each other today. "I'm so glad I found you," she said, catching her breath, "I wanted to apologize for yesterday."
Sora blushed, "Oh! T-T-There's really no need."
"No, I need to confess, I was very rude to you during practice. I was tired...frustrated...but there's no excuse for it. I hope you'll forgive me," a very contrite Belldandy said.
"Well, yeah, of course, nothing to it!"
Belldandy smiled in relief, but she was not finished. "And to you, Skuld. I shouldn't have shouted at you."
"Sister..." Skuld replied softly.
"I hope I can make it up to you eventually. Can you forgive me?"
Without a second thought, Skuld leapt into Belldandy's arms. The younger sibling could never be happier, "I could never be angry at you, Sister!"
Belldandy sighed to relieve herself of all the tension. It was killing her inside and it showed, up until the resolution. "Maybe tonight I'll fix up some dessert to celebrate, alright?"
Skuld nodded, "Mm-hmm!"
"Good. I have to go, I have a race to win. Wish me luck!" she exclaimed, rushing off to prepare.
They both looked at each other, and Skuld let out a happy sigh, saying, "No, she hasn't changed at all."
---
The contingent from the Nekomi Motor Club was in full force. Everyone had a role at the competition site. Some were making final tune-ups to the vehicle. Others were among the spectators, promoting the club. Even those in the cheering section from the stands were important. Today was race day, and the club was always at its best when it was racing.
Keiichi looked all around him; he loved this atmosphere. He was quite at home, even among opponents, all who, on this day, had a halfway-decent chance of winning it all. Today was going to be the most open race in the club's recent memory.
"Ready to go?" she asked him.
"Yeah, just about--Belldandy?"
Keiichi turned his head. Besides her usual racer's gear, Belldandy was sporting a pair of sunglasses with a look on her face that revealed as little emotion as possible.
"Yes? Oh, these! There's this pressure that's bearing down behind my eyes--what do you call it?"
"A headache?" replied Keiichi.
"Yes. A headache," said Belldandy nonchalantly, "I have a headache. And the sun was bothering my eyes, so I bought these from a vendor."
"Bell, are you sure you want to race? You haven't slept for over twenty hours, that's why you're feeling this way."
She leaned on Keiichi and sighed, as if to signal that she was thinking it over. Then she looked across the racegrounds. In the distance, there were Urd and Skuld, following the rest of the club members to their seats. She lifted her sunglasses to get a good look at them.
"Yes," a resolute Belldandy said, "I want to race. And I want to win, too. C'mon, let's get going!"
Keiichi nodded, and followed her to the race track. Then it occurred to him to ask. "Bell, how did you pay for those?"
Belldandy stopped. Color filled her cheeks. Then she smiled innocently. "These?"
"Yeah."
"I, um...Itooksomemoneyfromyourwallet," she said hurriedly, right before planting a kiss on Keiichi. She walked on, giggling like a little girl.
"Oh, right," he replied, while softly running his fingers across his cheek. "Hey, wait a minute! What do you mean you took my money?"
---
The race was on. One by one, each vehicle sped through the track, with each pair of racers in search of the fastest time, all the while dazzling and winning over the spectators. Each team had two runs through the course, but it seemed that no one would be saving their best for last. Nekomi was in the middle of the running order, so its team would be able to see a good number of performances before they were called to the starting line. Some runs were successful, while a few were not, but all of them were aggressive and fearless, and awed everyone in the Nekomi camp.
That is, until it was their turn to race.
---
"--And don't screw up!" were the last and only words from Chihiro that rung in Belldandy's ears as she settled herself into the vehicle. The real thing had a different feel that all those practices didn't prepare her for. Of course, Belldandy lacked confidence in herself and in Keiichi during those test runs. But this time, the pressure was on, and everything was on the line. So time moved a little faster. The noise from all the spectators was a little louder. And the watchful gaze of the Assistant was a little more offensive.
When she turned her head, though, Keiichi's smile brought her back down to reality. Belldandy had never needed anything from him before. Now, it was all she needed, and what she needed most of all. She was ready.
The lights before them flashed, one by one, until green was shown, and the inseparable pair took off.
---
From a distance, the Assistant watched Belldandy speed away with Keiichi on the race vehicle heading into the course. All the sensations of the moment were mentally discarded; she didn't care much for the race at all, and the fact that Belldandy cared about it a great deal puzzled her. She was the best among all the other goddesses, and her accomplishments as Goddess First Class would have been boundless, and yet she chose to live her life with a human, the most ordinary one could ever meet, to her mind.
The Assistant just could not grasp the logic, of this and her desire to be just as ordinary herself. The choices the Assistant made were far different than Belldandy's, and she was defiantly proud of the path she took. She had surrendered her license, renounced her name, burying it so deep into oblivion that, when she was reborn, she had forgotten what it was. In return, she had greater power that came with her new responsibilities. She enjoyed unconditional access to Yggdrasil's most sacred resources, and the ability to speak for the Almighty in the fiercest of disputes. In time, the Assistant was feared and respected.
But after all this time, it was Belldandy who was loved. Everyone loved her, but oh, how the Assistant envied her! She could not and would not give up her power just to know what that would feel like, but she had spent the last few days, much less a great part of her life in which she had known Belldandy, wondering endlessly over why it was so desirable, and why it was the one thing she could never have.
Everywhere the Assistant walked, people kept their distance. Since her arrival, she had not endeared herself to the people that knew Belldandy, especially after word had traveled that she was there to take her away. The Assistant hadn't noticed it until now, but when she looked at them, they had on their faces a terrible look of dread. They couldn't possibly understand her responsibilities, of course.
But even Belldandy's sisters, whose support she had when they presented their dilemma to the Almighty, reversed in their eagerness to save Belldandy, so much so that they were now urging her on to a race victory. Now they were among the Nekomi faithful, joining the fanfare that awaited their drivers at the finish line.
The very thought of it infuriated her. Skuld always stood by her elder sister, so her change of heart was understandable. But Urd knew better, at least in this inquiry. She was, after all, the one who requested her. The eldest sister was quite conflicted about it once the Assistant had come down to Earth, and when she had snapped at her the night before, it was clear that Urd no longer wanted any part of Belldandy's involuntary recall. But most importantly, it was also clear that the Assistant was all alone, and for the very first time she had taken notice of it.
The Assistant folded her arms, watching from afar that to which she did not belong. She did not belong to the throngs of cheering spectators, or among the closest friends of the race's drivers. The Assistant just did not fit. She was only doing her duty, and she did it faithfully and with absolute loyalty. Yet, never before did her work bear so little reward. Either that, or the rewards of her responsibilities no longer seemed valuable.
Belldandy and Keiichi's vehicle was in sight, making the final turn and crossing the finish line, slowing to a halt only when the whole of the machine was over the painted stripe. Then it echoed in the Assistant's ears of her firm prediction that the goddess would not finish the race in first.
"Three forty-one!" cried one spectator, reading off the official clock.
The Assistant turned around, and all the people not already standing rose to their feet as the leaderboard indicated the new time set by Nekomi. She hardly knew what to say after that.
---
Belldandy slowly got up off the vehicle, catching her breath and still unaware of the result. In fact, her first words were contrite. "I'm sorry, Keiichi," she said, "I guess I wasn't paying attention to those last few turns--"
Keiichi, on the other hand, heard nothing that Belldandy had said. With very little sleep in the past two days, he was exhausted and his parts were sore, and he was jumping up and down as a child would.
"We did it! We did it!" he said.
She looked all around her, seeing the entire club engulf the two of them and their vehicle. She watched as volunteers posted their time on the giant leaderboard; only then did she believe the reaction from Keiichi and the others. Belldandy was ecstatic. On instinct, she let out all of her emotion in one loud scream. Animated by the earth-shattering time, she embraced Urd and Skuld, who were standing in the inner circle of the crowd around them.
"Can you believe it?" she said, "This is incredible!"
Despite everything, Belldandy's sisters were happy for her, and joined everyone in celebrating, long before the competition came to an end.
---
Not long after their first run, Keiichi and Belldandy found themselves in a open, public field of trees and grass that neighbored the racegrounds. They were told to stay near; the second run was a formality by now, but they were required to run it.
The feeling of sitting against a tree and having Belldandy sitting beside him, leaning on his shoulder to rest, was unfamiliar to Keiichi, though he was quickly getting used to it.
"It's nice like this."
"Yes, it is."
"So what do you think?" he asked.
Replied Belldandy, "I think we're going to win."
Keiichi laughed. "Well, yeah, of course. But I meant--" he said.
She looked up at him as he trailed off in mid-sentence. "What is it?"
"I mean...it's just that, after this, you'll go back, right?"
"Back to what, being a goddess again? What for?"
"W-Well," Keiichi stammered, "I would think that you would like your sisters to--"
"My sisters!?" she cried, sitting upright, "Who told you about that?"
"Belldandy..."
"Because if it's the Assistant, I can tell you that I won't change for her! I mean it, Keiichi, I won't be bullied by that creature, I don't care who she dares to speak for!"
Keiichi watched her spout off, letting it out until she could calm down.
Belldandy bowed her head, looking only at her feet. "It's another strange feeling...pride," she said, "I can't help it, I'm sorry."
He nodded, "I understand. But Urd, Skuld...you'll never see them again, will you?"
"I suppose not, not if I remain human," she said, resting her head on his shoulder again, "Oh, Keiichi, I love being like this. I love being a goddess, too. My whole life has been about helping people. It's all I've ever known. But lately I've realized...maybe there's more to life than a goddess could face. There's so much I haven't done, that I couldn't do as a goddess."
"That sounds so strange," Keiichi said.
"I know it does," she said, "But it's true. What if you hadn't made that wish? I would've missed out on so many experiences. And they've all been wonderful, but I've never understood what they meant to you. I learned how to ride a motorcycle this week, Keiichi. The sense of achievement was incredible. I didn't use any magic or process the numbers in my mind to imitate the act. Only with your help, I did it all on my own. And it felt great."
"I think I understand."
"Yes," Belldandy said, placing a hand on his cheek, "Someday I'll make it up to you, for helping me to learn about humanity, putting up with me for all this time."
"You're wrong. You're not a bother to me. Not now or ever," he said, smiling.
"Don't say that," she said, "One day, you might not like the human I become."
Keiichi scoffed, "Will you stay with me, no matter what happens?"
She looked at him, saying sincerely, "Of course."
"Then how can I ever resent you?"
Belldandy smiled, "Thank you."
She leaned in closer against his body, closing her eyes to rest for a while as Keiichi did the same. Their ears picked up a faint roar from the racegrounds.
"What about Urd and Skuld, then?"
"I'll talk to the Assistant after the race. I hope she'll be reasonable. I'll cancel my license if I have to, I won't need it anymore anyways."
---
"Cancel your license? But...why?"
"You know why. Besides, what good is it for a goddess who has but only one wish to fulfill?"
"Yes, but...why don't you simply do as the Assistant says?"
"Oh, Urd," Belldandy said, playfully clicking her tongue, "You used to be so defiant, so troublesome. What happened?"
Urd watched her sister wrap her arm around her, holding her close and making light of their dilemma.
"C'mon, where's that annoying, irresponsible big sister I used to know and love?" she nagged.
"Annoying?" Urd thought to herself.
"In spite of everything," Belldandy said in a more serious tone, "You had this light about you. Where has it gone, Urd?"
She turned away even as her sister tried to make eye contact. "I think," she replied, "I think I began to see a bit of myself in you."
"Oh, well. We're sisters, what do you expect? Unless there's something you haven't told me," she joked casually.
Urd laughed a little, then reversed herself. She broke from Belldandy and walked around. This is serious, of course!
"I don't think I've been a good example for you lately."
Belldandy scoffed, "What's that?"
"I mean it. I'm supposed to be your sister, and as immature as I am, I'm not getting any younger."
"Actually," Belldandy said, "You're not really getting much older, either..."
"Belldandy!"
"Urd," she said, looking up at her from mere inches away, "Do you think you're responsible for me?"
The elder goddess bobbled her head and mumbled under her breath, searching for the right verbal response.
"Urd!" she replied with delight, "That's so sweet to hear you say that! Of course, I've always known, but I don't think I've ever heard you admit it until now."
Hearing this, Urd smiled as her sister placed her hands on her shoulders, looking eye to eye at her.
"But you're wrong," Belldandy said bluntly.
Urd's face quickly fell. "What do you mean?"
"You have your own mind, and so do I. I've let you do as you please because that's who you are. I hope that you will do the same for me."
"Ha!" Urd said, "And what about Skuld?"
"Skuld? Well, I love her, but she's gonna need plenty of guidance from the both of us!"
They both laughed, and it took the both of them a while to settle down, and only because it hurt inside to laugh so much. When one was able to talk, though, she did so.
"Urd," Belldandy said, "You don't have to take care of me. You don't have to feel guilty or feel that it's your fault if I do anything wrong. You're my sister, and if I ever need help I know where to turn. But don't protect me."
Urd searched the look on Belldandy's face for a moment or two, and found it to be sincere. She cracked a smile once again, right after letting out a great sigh.
"Well, that's a relief!" said Urd, "I was beginning to worry for a while!"
Belldandy grinned, "Good. Now. Only one left to worry about is...her."
They both frowned. They had not seen the Assistant all day, although they were sure she went with the rest of the people from Nekomi. At last count, she was still determined to put Belldandy in her place.
---
Behind the stands, she paced back and forth in front of Belldandy. Her arms were folded together and the look on her face was as stern as ever. The Assistant would not make eye contact with her, even as she pleaded with her to reverse her decision.
"You know, you look really nice with those human clothes," Belldandy said. It seemed like the only natural thing to say.
"Quiet."
"Sorry."
The Assistant sighed. Looking at her, she was obviously so happy here on Earth. But it just wasn't that simple.
"I can't accept a Goddess First Class to be compromised by humanity," the Assistant said.
"You said it yourself, it does not interfere with my duties," replied Belldandy, "But I will accept expulsion if I have to."
"Don't you understand? You are the best of us, and if you can leave at will, then--then...then every goddess in the system can abandon their responsibilities for their own sakes. And I can't allow that!"
"I know. But I know I must follow my humanity, wherever it takes me. Whatever I become, just please don't take my sisters from me!" she pleaded.
The Assistant shook her head. She examined Belldandy's look of desperation and felt a terrible sense of guilt.
"I don't know. It's so difficult. Someone would need to take your place. A gap like this among the membership is just too large to ignore."
"Well," Belldandy suggested, "You could become a goddess again."
"What?" the Assistant said, scoffing at the idea.
"I remember. You received a perfect grade in training. You worked so hard to earn your license."
"Belldandy--"
"You had a bigger heart than I did, perhaps. But you didn't think you could do enough as a mere goddess, and so you decided to work in direct contact with Yggdrasil."
"It was the only choice I could make," the Assistant said.
"Yes. But I hear the whispers. You have been so alone all this time. It must be painful to have no one as your equal," Belldandy said, walking up to her even as the Assistant turned her back, "But it doesn't have to be this way."
"It does," she replied, "We all have our roles, we cannot change who we are."
"I did," Belldandy said softly, "So can you."
They stood silent like this for a moment, with one's back turned away from the other. The Assistant was a half step from giving way, but it was that half step that was the most difficult. The weight of the entire system was on her shoulders. And the thought of becoming a goddess again was enticing. Despite her most fiery efforts to bring down Belldandy, in her seemingly weakened state that was humanity, it was Belldandy who was turning her around. All she had to do was say it, and the recall of her sisters would be nullified.
"Belldandy!"
The two looking behind them, and it was Keiichi approaching them, his helmet on his head and hers in his hand.
"What's wrong?"
"C'mon, we have to make our second run," Keiichi said.
"Don't worry, Keiichi," Belldandy said, "We're going to do fine."
"You don't understand," he insisted, putting the helmet into her hands in a rush, "I don't know how it happened, but they've beaten the time on our first run!"
TO BE CONTINUED.