Chapter 1

Later that night . . .

Rays of moonlight quietly pierced the layers of scattered clouds covering the valley floor as its silver light poured down on the forest and city below, the light caressing the small room where the two occupants lay nestled close together. Their faces seemed a comparison of contrasts. Keiichi continuing to sleep on in blissful slumber, looking as though Christmas, his birthday, and the Nekomi Teck racing championship had all come to him at once. Beside him his partner shuffled, staring up at the ceiling once more. "Ah!" she squeaked as Keiichi rolled over sleepily flopping his hand across her bare skin.

"Huh? Wha-?" he said slowly opening an eye.

"What? Nothing! I didn't say anything," she said quickly. It didn't seem to be quite the blissful response he'd been expecting. He nuzzled closer for warmth.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Me? Nothing. What are you doing?" he whispered conspiratorially, cuddling.

"Nothing. You know, just thinking . . . Just, you know . . . thinking."

His other eye opened. "About what?"

She blushed turning to the side. "About stuff, you know . . . just stuff."

He was now fully awake - and growing concerned. She's thinking about stuff? Now?"

She rolled over a bit farther.

What could she be thinking at a time like this? Oh my god it was awful! And she doesn't know how to tell me! His heart began to pound. "Uh Bell,could you tell me what you're thinking about?" he asked as gently as possible.

She bit her lip turning further away. "I don't really think I can," she said mostly into the pillow.

OH GOD! Everything was perfect, perfect, and now I've gone and ruined it! Quickly his mind raced through what he considered her most likely responses:

Keiichi, that was terrible . . .

Keiichi, I don't know how to say this, but please let's never do that again . . .

Keiichi, are you sure you were doing that right? Because that's not what I had heard it was like . . .

From there on it only got was staring intently at the silhouette of her back. "Bell I'm sorry! Whatever it is could you please just turn around and talk to me about it?"

After what seemed to him to be an overly long period she replied, "Well I was thinking about uh . . . frequency."

Keiichi felt as though he'd been thrown into freezing water - only to jump up and be struck by an oncoming semi. "Bell I love you! You're all matters to me! Trust me we don't ever have to do that again. I promise!"

Belldandy pushed her head deeper into the pillows. "Never?" she asked.

"Never Bell I promise."

Her head came up, tears springing to her eyes clutching her pillow. "Why are you saying that?!"

"Because I love you!"

"That makes no sense! Why are you being so cruel Keiichi? Is it something I've done?!"

Only now did Keiichi begin to realize that perhaps not all was lost after all. "Cruel? You mean - it's alright for us to be together like this?" She nodded, putting her head on the pillow beside him. Relief poured through him as though from the starlight itself. He took his first breath in what seemed to him to be a very, very, long time. "Whenever you want Bell," he said leaning back putting his hand to hers feeling the warmth flowing back into it.

"Really?" she said.

"Of course," he replied closing his eyes, feeling the moonlight pour down onto the futon. "What did you think?"

"It's just . . . I'd heard something different," she said peeking up from behind the pillow.

"Oh? What was that?"

"I'd heard - once a year."

Keiichi's response could be heard through a large part of the neighborhood. "ONCE A YEAR?!" Who would have told her that? Certainly not Urd. She would have said the opposite. And it didn't seem the kind of subject she would approach Takumi on. Skuld? Impossible! If Skuld even suspected something like this was going on she would - he shuddered to think of the possibilities, most of them involving heavy machinery and his more critical parts. Wait a minute. . . "Bell you didn't get this information from - a bird did you?"

Her head ducked down behind the pillows blushing. "Well . . . it's hard to talk about these subjects you know."

He smiled relieved placing his hands behind his head, stretching out under the shared space. "I see. Well I think it's little different for people compared to birds."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. For people it's pretty much, you know, whenever."

"I see."

Thank goodness, he thought shutting his eyes.

"Keiichi?"

"Yes?"

"So . . . when-ever, she echoed." He looked over to see her blue eyes looking back at him over the pillow with unearthly intensity. He smiled back swallowing nervously.

. . .

Late the next morning Urd, Takumi and Skuld finished climbing the steps to Tariki Hongan temple to be greeted by sounds of singing from inside the house. Great varieties of singing actually.

"I'm guessing Keiichi is awake," Urd whispered relieved. "I knew I felt something."

"I'm gonna go see!" Skuld shouted taking off ahead of them.

"Yeah, good . . . give us a break," she muttered taking Takumi's hand.

Entering the kitchen, Skuld saw that this morning's breakfast would be like no other. For one thing it seemed her sister had recruited a sizable number of the local animals to assist her in making sure all was perfect that morning. Pots clanged, kettles boiled, and dishes stirred to the tune of a surprising number of winged and terrestrial creatures gathered around Belldandy and Holy Bell as they prepared their dishes. Belldandy turned spotting Skuld in the doorway. "You're here! Wonderful!" she shouted, happily scooping her up in her arms perhaps with a bit too much enthusiasm.

"Uh yeah, hi big-sis," Skuld replied extricating herself from her grip.

"Throw me an egg -" Belldandy said over her shoulder as a Tanuki which Skuld had somehow failed to notice to this point lobbed an egg to her while perched atop the sink. "One, two, three – yes three big ones!" she laughed catching them in a metal bowl on the far side of the kitchen. "Look at that Skuld!" she said as though something funny had suddenly occurred to her. "Which one of you likes eggshell in your eggs? Is it you? Urd? Ah well one of you anyway-," she said merrily picking out what she could before frantically mixing.

"Uh sis - are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm just making a special omelet," she answered splashing the mixture down onto the pan. She squinted at the resulting pattern, "It's like a smiley face-," she mused cautiously flipping an edge, "and a missing tooth!" At that moment two airborne messengers flew close to Skuld's head nearly colliding with each other. "What? No, use the other ones - the ones with the bamboo pattern," she said as they zoomed back out through the doorway.

"Umm, you're sure everything's okay sis?" Skuld asked looking over her shoulder at the rest of the house.

"Of course! Everything is fine. It's a beautiful day outside. Don't you feel it?!" She opened the window as several more singing birds flew in.

"Sis, how many colas have you had this morning?"

"Well not that many," she shrugged looking deep inside the cabinet.

"Um, I'm just going to go outside - for a minute," Skuld said backing away.

A moment later Urd's head popped into the kitchen, "What's going on? Skuld says you're acting weird."

"Weird? Weird?! What's so weird?" Belldandy said waving her arms about (rather weirdly) before the gathered menagerie. "It's a glorious day that's all. A wonderful, glorious day! The kind of day that makes you want to sing – la - what? Yes of course you can," she said tossing napkins into the air as three birds swooped in causing Urd to duck to avoid being struck by one as they zoomed past her to begin folding them on the table. "Careful with that," Belldandy cautioned the Tanuki as it marched between Urd's feet into the living room balancing a soy sauce container on his back.

The older goddess looked at it twice before turning back to her sister. "Belldandy are you - drunk?"

"What? Pshhht - no!" she said laughing putting her head against the wall only making her appear more drunk. "Of course not - mom!" she said beginning to laugh hysterically now as she heard her own words, "MOM!" she howled.

Now Urd knew something was up. That word never came up between them in normal conversation. She turned her head looking down the corridor seeing reflected light. "Is Keiichi's door open? Is he awake?"

Belldandy eyes widened, ducking out of the kitchen and through the living room to place herself between Urd and the corridor with surprising dexterity. "There's no need to bother him," she insisted. "I think he's still asleep,"

"I see," Urd nodded. "He does seem very quiet."

Belldandy sighed relaxing just long enough for Urd to slip past her. She pranced down the hallway triumphantly peeking into his room. "OH MY GOD!" she cried seeing the result. The room looked as though it had been hit by a cyclone. And there in the middle of it all lay Keiichi Morisato, asleep and content curled up under the edge of the futon. His naked body wrapped in the remnant of a sheet. Urd looked back at her younger sister in mock horror, "Belldandy of the Western Winds! Did you - take advantage of Mr. Morisato?!"

Belldandy looked back retreating in the corridor.

"Something happened last night didn't it?" Tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me!" insisted Urd.

The goddess bit her fingernail as Holy Bell sprang behind her considering the question. Thinking she nodded, holding up three fingers.

"Oh my God!" shouted Urd.

"WHAT IS IT?!" cried Skuld running in, hearing the commotion. Urd turned firing at her, instantly dropping her unconscious to the ground.

"Oneesan!"

"Oh don't worry she'll be fine," Urd said waving lightly at Skuld's form slumped over face down on the floor. "This is huge!"

"Uh . . . yes I suppose so," Belldandy replied folding her hands in front of herself nervously.

"So tell me everything. Everything!"

"Well you see, Keiichi woke up late yesterday afternoon -."

"Uh-huh."

"And of course I was so relieved to see him -."

"Of course."

"Because there was just so much I needed to tell to him -."

"Naturally. Was one of them your clothes had become dangerously unstable and needed to be removed immediately so that you could make hot passionate love to him? Remember you're under oath."

Skuld's body began to shuffle on the floor behind them. "Huh? Wha-what happened? Why am I on the ground? I remember coming in and then - hey URD did you -?"

Urd swept back striking as Skuld slumped back on the floor.

"Urd stop doing that! You're going to stunt her growth!"

"Ah - short things are cute," Urd shrugged.

"Well I guess we should finish making breakfast," Belldandy said reaching for a towel.

"Hold it! We're not done here."

"Oneesan!"

"But I'm pretty close so far, right? So, how was it?" she said folding her arms.

"Well . . . I mean he - and then I - and thenwe – well there was just so much Keiichi!"

Urd raised an eyebrow, "I see. So there was a lot of Keiichi," she muttered pensively.

Belldandy looked at her puzzled for a moment before her eyes grew wide. "That's not what I mean!" she said blushing furiously.

"Ah and to think, you guys are only just starting. Wait until it starts getting good!"

Belldandy looked back at her with a smile bordering on panic. "That's crazy talk! How could it get any better?!"

"Well I mean you're just starting out. Can you imagine what it will be like when he starts kissing you?"

"Oh we kissed," Belldandy replied assuredly. "We kissed plenty."

"Really? Every square inch of you?"

The goddess stopped her face going blank, eyes suddenly widening as a whole new set of possibilities only now seemed to occur to her. Her toes began tapping the floor. "We need to wake up Keiichi immediately - for breakfast!" she said emphatically.

Breakfast that morning was indeed a more active and confused affair than normal for the household, both with the array of animal helpers in the house and Belldandy and Keiichi sitting across from each other blushing furiously speaking in barely intelligible whispers as they moved items between them.

"How uh . . . do you like the breakfast this morning Keiichi?" Belldandy muttered not able to look at him.

"It's good, really, really, good," he answered also not daring to look back causing Belldandy to blush even more furiously.

"I mean the food is all - well I mean not just the food but of course everything," he corrected quickly as Skuld's eyes darted suspiciously between them.

"Seriously what's going on?" Takumi muttered in Urd's ear only half-interested. "The kid's acting weirder than usual."

"Tai, do you remember the night when you came back from Takkoku no Iwaya?" she replied whispering.

"Yeah, the night I brought you the stone. So?"

"Afterwards -."

"Well afterwards we – oh my god you're kidding!"

"What are you two saying over there?!" growled Skuld. "Why is everyone around here muttering today!"

"Are they? I don't notice anything," Urd said innocently. "Do you notice anything Tai? Maybe it's you? Can you hear me Skuld?" she asked purposely changing the pitch of her voice.

"What?!"

"Well, I suppose we should take you to a doctor . . ."

"Well if there's anything wrong with me it's because I keep getting knocked out!"

Takumi shook his head. "Maybe some sunshine will help," he suggested ushering them both out looking back at the couple.

"Why do you keep looking at Belldandy?" Urd questioned as they moved into the hallway.

"What? No I'm not!" he said pushing her through the door.

Belldandy waited until they had gone. "Keiichi?"

"Yes?"

"We - we're doing that again," she muttered rushing out.

Keiichi looked down at the plate. "Yes ma'am."

. . .

The next few weeks seemed to fly by as a spring of happiness engulfed the temple. Megumi returned, running from her bike barely able to contain her emotions as she hugged her brother. They sat together in the fall air holding hands at the back of the shed talking for some time until they were interrupted by Belldandy, who shyly stood at the corner of the house. From the wall Takumi watched with relief as Megumi warmly waved over a reluctant Belldandy who cried at their embrace. The three sat together there for a long time talking; about what he could not guess. But then each of them had been on a journey, and now was the time for them to talk it through. Over the next few days the members of the Nekomi Tech auto club all appeared at the temple, sometimes alone sometimes in groups to verify with their own eyes that Keiichi Morisato had indeed returned.

Arrivals tended to reflect personality, with Tamiya and Otaki appearing the next day, attempting to act casual, almost aloof as they came to the door; yet they were probably the biggest babies of all when Keiichi appeared before them. Hasegawa and Chihiro rushed to him unreservedly, to the point where Belldandy had to politely squeeze herself between them. Many of the rest came in groups, which was good for Sayoko who relegated herself to standing, somewhat painfully, at the back; though to Takumi it appeared she wished to be very much closer. As for journeys, Takumi and Urd had their own to make in the form of a mysterious pledge which appeared one day on the grounds of the Nekomi Tech library, providing support for the 'recent and unusual' water damage which had recently occurred there.

"Uh, another party?" Urd asked returning to the temple that night. It was true that some level of partying was becoming a regular event at the temple of late.

"I think they just like parties," Takumi replied trying to sneak past into Urd's room.

"Let me just check on Bell," Urd said breaking away. As soon as he heard the shouts of 'URD!' coming from the other room at her entry he knew he should not wait up.

However the next morning he suspected he had missed something seeing the way the elder sisters were eyeing each other. "What's going on Skuld?" he asked pouring tea.

"Oh Bell just has a few naïve ideas about how relationships actually work," Urd interrupted coming to his side. "Apparently she's an expert now."

"Oh?"

"She believes partners should never lie to each other."

"Should they?" he asked folding his arms.

"Hey, don't you start with me. Otherwise there's a few things I'd like to ask you about –."

"Well, I suppose it depends on the nature of the thing."

"Exactly. But never lie? I mean that's just crazy."

"I can see I'm going to have to keep my eye on you," he said putting his arm around her and sipping his tea.

Urd waited to prove her point, which came, as it happened, in the form of a letter from Var. After recent events many in the heavens (at least among younger goddesses), were anxious to repair ties with Belldandy; Var among them.

"Big-sis!" Skuld exclaimed picking up the envelope.

"Wax seal. Don't see much of that these days," said Takumi.

"Who is it from?" asked Keiichi.

"Var. She's an old friend of mine from school. We . . . had a chance to speak recently," Bell responded.

He looked at the intricate mandala adorning the card. "Well it's certainly nice of her to think of you."

Urd smiled sensing her opportunity. "Well of course she'd think of her," she said casually sipping her tea. "After all, Belldandy was her first girl-on-girl experience."

Takumi and Keiichi both spit out their tea instantly as the entire group went silent. Belldandy looked down blushing dropping her chopsticks to the floor.

"What?!" shouted Skuld.

"Oh didn't you know?" Urd said innocently. "I just thought I'd mention it, you know in the interest of complete honesty."

Belldandy and Keiichi each tried to speak at the same time only to stop.

Could what Urd said really be true? thought Keiichi, trying to imagine Belldandy's delicate frame leaning back into Var's strong arms, their eyes turning to meet slowly as their mouths - What am I thinking?! he cried sitting up.

"It's not – uh quite as it sounds," Belldandy replied hurriedly. "It was mostly Urd's fault."

"My fault?!"

"Why does that not surprise me?" murmured Takumi. "Look I think we can all agree that the only way to be certain about this is to go over it - in detail," he said eagerly leaning over the edge of the table. Urd's eyes narrowed. "What? I'm just trying to make sure that neither of you are being innocently defamed," he explained, his mind going over the possibilities.

"Well, it was just before winter break," Belldandy began.

"You mean around the Festival of Light?" asked Skuld.

"Yes. It was just before we -,"

"Quiet! We need to focus on the key elements of the story and understand exactly how Belldandy and Var first started wrestling in their pajamas," Takumi said as the group looked at him blankly. "Oh was I the only one that heard that part?"

"Oh you're going to hear something alright - later," Urd muttered in his ear.

"Actually there weren't any pajamas," replied Belldandy.

"THERE WEREN'T?!" he cried falling over the table.

"No. We were at school."

Despite his momentary disappointment, the vision in Takumi's head now changed to one of Belldandy and Var playfully prancing to school, tugging at each other's ridiculously short skirts. "Now we've got a story!" he said clapping his hands together.

"You are this close mister," the voice beside him warned.

"Will you two be quiet? Belldandy's trying to explain," Keiichi said trying to sound disinterested.

"Well like I was saying, it was just before the Winter Festival when Var and I walked down into the ruins of the old school and . . ."

"What's bothering you Bell?" Var asked as they laid their packs together beneath the old stone archway at edge of the campus.

"Oh it's Urd. Everywhere she goes these days she's always kissing, down at the stables, over by the river, under the chestnut tree, behind the apiary -."

"Err, could we skip this part please?" asked Takumi. "I'm dying a little bit with each revelation."

"Oh she's making that up," whispered Urd.

"-Because you always tell the truth," he whispered back.

"Will you two be quiet please!" said Keiichi.

"Yeah, shut it!" echoed Skuld.

"I understand," Belldandy replied continuing. Fortunately Takumi had no way of knowing how much lower the sun was in the sky now in her story, "-and even the gondola!"

"Wow. What do you think that's all about?"

"I don't know. Urd says it's about showing your feelings to the person you respect the most."

"Wow your sister respects a lot of people."

"I know!"

Var thought a moment before leaning over to kiss Belldandy.

Their lips parted as she and Belldandy stared at each other for a moment blinking.

"I don't know . . .," shrugged Var.

"Maybe we're not doing it right," suggested Belldandy. The sound of tumbling rocks behind them suddenly made them turn. "What the hell is going on here?!" cried Urd.

"Oh Urd. We were just-."

"I know what you were just! I think you've had enough 'just' for one day. You're coming with me! And you - you go that way!

"I'll see you tomorrow Var," Belldandy said as her older sister dragged her away.

On the road together now the two sisters walked in silence until Busa flew down landing on Belldandy's shoulder.

"Something you want to tell me?" teased Urd.

Bell said nothing trudging on ahead.

"You know I'll love you no matter what your choice Bell."

"Ha, ha, very funny," she said marching off.

"I'm just saying - a bird, - a girl? Kinda like you're hitting everywhere around the target," she said waving. "Wait a minute. This is about that boy isn't it?!"

Belldandy stopped, blushing.

"Oh my god. It IS about that boy! The one you met earlier this year. You know he's probably dead by now right? They don't live as long as we do. What's his name - Kenuchi?"

"Keiichi - and he's fine! And that's not going to happen so much anymore, what with unification of realm timelines at the beginning of this year. Or don't you have enough time to study history between kissing? I'm in the 5th grade and even I know that! It's modern times after all - 1995!"

"Oh so smart Bell. Maybe I'll stuff you in my backpack the next time there's a test!"

"Yeah, well maybe Dad told you to say all that stuff to me about Keiichi and the surface world - Daddy's' girl!"

Urd seemed genuinely taken aback. "Daddy's girl? If anyone's a Daddy's girl around here buster it's you! Besides I've already discovered what I needed to know."

"What's that?"

"That you remember his name," she said clicking her tongue.

Belldandy's face turned red fuming. "Good day Urd!" she said stomping off.

"Oh Bell don't be like that."

"I said good day!" she echoed storming off as Busa turned with a sweep of his wing.

"Did that bird just give me the bird?!" Urd muttered puzzled.

Back at Tariki Hongan temple the participants eyed one another around the table. "Somehow I thought your story would involve more wrestling," Takumi replied glumly.

"You mean like this?" Urd said choking him.

"So - that was what happened after the festival," Keiichi said blushing.

"Yeah," Belldandy replied looking down.

"And you kept track of me?"

Her blushing deepened, "A bit," she replied.

"I'm happy you did. You don't know how much."

"What are they talking about?" breathed Takumi.

"I have no idea. But then I rarely know what they're talking about these days," Urd said putting him in a headlock.

Exploring further: For the full story, book geography and schematics, search 'OMGterran', Oh My Goddess: Fallow', 'twilight hour' and 'mortality'.