Only Human
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing ([email protected])
Epilogue
Keiichi took the week off from his usual duties at the club and at the shop. The break was easy to grant once word had gotten around that Belldandy hadn't left her room in four days, except to eat or bathe. The story was Urd and Skuld had to fly back home in an emergency, which was partly true. The real problem was that she and Keiichi would never see them again.
Belldandy didn't even have the power to appeal. As a human, she was unable to communicate with the heavens through her usual means, and after three days it had become quite clear that no one was being sent down to explain why the redundant recall order had taken effect.
Day four, then, was the quietest in the Morisato residence. Belldandy hadn't come out of her room all day long, and nothing Keiichi had done to persuade her to eat or at least talk to him had worked. Day quickly turned to night, and by early evening Keiichi fixed dinner for himself, setting aside another serving just in case Belldandy was hungry.
It wasn't long after he sat down, however, when he heard her door slide open, and she tiptoed out into the dining room.
"Belldandy?" Keiichi said.
She nodded weakly, walking past the dinner prepared for her. She sat down next to Keiichi, looking at him with a sullen expression on her face.
"I was a fool," Belldandy said.
Keiichi shrugged. He replied simply, "I don't know."
She sighed. "I didn't even think to have them check for me. But even so, I started all of this. I don't know why Urd looked like that the other day. She knew. The Assistant...maybe she forgot to rescind the recall, or maybe she couldn't, I don't know. But Urd knew. I was such a fool!"
"I don't know what to say."
"It's alright, I understand. There's nothing that can be done about it. My sisters are gone. Forever."
The tone of finality was on Belldandy's lips as she stood back up and walked out. Keiichi looked about ready to follow her, but she waved him off on her way out.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"It's time to move on," she replied.
Keiichi was curious, but eventually thought it best to leave her alone for the time being. He picked up a morsel of food on his plate, but put it back down again as he considered her response. What did she mean?
A large thud shook the floor, followed by the sound of dragging across the hallway. Now Keiichi had to look. There, in the hall, Belldandy was carrying her mat into Keiichi's room.
"Don't mind me," she said with half of a smile on her lips. Keiichi raised an eyebrow as she let herself into his room.
He stood in the doorway, turning on the lights and watching her rearrange the furniture. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Belldandy continued to work. "They're gone," she said, "It's a very quiet house all of a sudden. I can't deal with that all by myself in my own room. Besides, there's been a bit of draft in there for some time. Gets cold at nights. Skuld's room is too small, and really, do you want to tinker with whatever potions Urd has in her room? So it has to be your room, Keiichi."
Keiichi looked around as she made short work of the arrangement of his room. Knocking over several objects in the process.
"Oops, sorry about that."
"You weren't needing that, were you?"
"Oh, I'm sure we can put that somewhere else."
"Belldandy!" Keiichi finally said.
She looked up at him, replying, "Yes?"
Keiichi stared at her inquisitively. "Where am I going to sleep?"
Belldandy's jaw dropped slightly, and she laughed. "Right here, silly!" she exclaimed, "I want to sleep here with you, if that's fine with you."
He remained in place, speechless.
"Wow," was all he could utter.
She smiled. "Keiichi," she said, "I don't know what will happen to us now. But I don't want to face it alone. And since my sisters are gone, you're going to have to make do all by yourself. So what say we start a new life together?"
Keiichi liked the sound of that, and repeated it to himself just to make sure it was real.
"Alright," he said.
"Good!" Belldandy replied, "Hold that thought, I'll be right back."
She walked around Keiichi, towards the living room. "So," Keiichi asked her, "What are you going to do now?"
Belldandy turned around and looked at him. She walked right up and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Anything we want," she said resolutely.
END.
---
Writer's notes:
Well, that just about concludes this story. It began in March of 2002 as an innocent enough project revolving around a simple "what if?" Twelve chapters and 40,000+ words later, I am quite pleased with the result.
The following are just some of the many people I wish to thank:
Chan Wei Lik, for prereading some of the early chapters.
DB Sommer, for generously providing much-needed comments and criticisms on the FanFiction Mailing List.
Kevin McHorney, Schobronics and SmkViper, for prereading both Chapter Twelve and the Epilogue, making sure that the story ending was ready for the masses.
Some people have suggested that a sequel was in order. I wouldn't necessarily rule it out. :)
Thanks to everyone for reading this fanfic from start to finish. Until next time!
- Roehl Sybing
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing ([email protected])
Epilogue
Keiichi took the week off from his usual duties at the club and at the shop. The break was easy to grant once word had gotten around that Belldandy hadn't left her room in four days, except to eat or bathe. The story was Urd and Skuld had to fly back home in an emergency, which was partly true. The real problem was that she and Keiichi would never see them again.
Belldandy didn't even have the power to appeal. As a human, she was unable to communicate with the heavens through her usual means, and after three days it had become quite clear that no one was being sent down to explain why the redundant recall order had taken effect.
Day four, then, was the quietest in the Morisato residence. Belldandy hadn't come out of her room all day long, and nothing Keiichi had done to persuade her to eat or at least talk to him had worked. Day quickly turned to night, and by early evening Keiichi fixed dinner for himself, setting aside another serving just in case Belldandy was hungry.
It wasn't long after he sat down, however, when he heard her door slide open, and she tiptoed out into the dining room.
"Belldandy?" Keiichi said.
She nodded weakly, walking past the dinner prepared for her. She sat down next to Keiichi, looking at him with a sullen expression on her face.
"I was a fool," Belldandy said.
Keiichi shrugged. He replied simply, "I don't know."
She sighed. "I didn't even think to have them check for me. But even so, I started all of this. I don't know why Urd looked like that the other day. She knew. The Assistant...maybe she forgot to rescind the recall, or maybe she couldn't, I don't know. But Urd knew. I was such a fool!"
"I don't know what to say."
"It's alright, I understand. There's nothing that can be done about it. My sisters are gone. Forever."
The tone of finality was on Belldandy's lips as she stood back up and walked out. Keiichi looked about ready to follow her, but she waved him off on her way out.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"It's time to move on," she replied.
Keiichi was curious, but eventually thought it best to leave her alone for the time being. He picked up a morsel of food on his plate, but put it back down again as he considered her response. What did she mean?
A large thud shook the floor, followed by the sound of dragging across the hallway. Now Keiichi had to look. There, in the hall, Belldandy was carrying her mat into Keiichi's room.
"Don't mind me," she said with half of a smile on her lips. Keiichi raised an eyebrow as she let herself into his room.
He stood in the doorway, turning on the lights and watching her rearrange the furniture. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Belldandy continued to work. "They're gone," she said, "It's a very quiet house all of a sudden. I can't deal with that all by myself in my own room. Besides, there's been a bit of draft in there for some time. Gets cold at nights. Skuld's room is too small, and really, do you want to tinker with whatever potions Urd has in her room? So it has to be your room, Keiichi."
Keiichi looked around as she made short work of the arrangement of his room. Knocking over several objects in the process.
"Oops, sorry about that."
"You weren't needing that, were you?"
"Oh, I'm sure we can put that somewhere else."
"Belldandy!" Keiichi finally said.
She looked up at him, replying, "Yes?"
Keiichi stared at her inquisitively. "Where am I going to sleep?"
Belldandy's jaw dropped slightly, and she laughed. "Right here, silly!" she exclaimed, "I want to sleep here with you, if that's fine with you."
He remained in place, speechless.
"Wow," was all he could utter.
She smiled. "Keiichi," she said, "I don't know what will happen to us now. But I don't want to face it alone. And since my sisters are gone, you're going to have to make do all by yourself. So what say we start a new life together?"
Keiichi liked the sound of that, and repeated it to himself just to make sure it was real.
"Alright," he said.
"Good!" Belldandy replied, "Hold that thought, I'll be right back."
She walked around Keiichi, towards the living room. "So," Keiichi asked her, "What are you going to do now?"
Belldandy turned around and looked at him. She walked right up and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Anything we want," she said resolutely.
END.
---
Writer's notes:
Well, that just about concludes this story. It began in March of 2002 as an innocent enough project revolving around a simple "what if?" Twelve chapters and 40,000+ words later, I am quite pleased with the result.
The following are just some of the many people I wish to thank:
Chan Wei Lik, for prereading some of the early chapters.
DB Sommer, for generously providing much-needed comments and criticisms on the FanFiction Mailing List.
Kevin McHorney, Schobronics and SmkViper, for prereading both Chapter Twelve and the Epilogue, making sure that the story ending was ready for the masses.
Some people have suggested that a sequel was in order. I wouldn't necessarily rule it out. :)
Thanks to everyone for reading this fanfic from start to finish. Until next time!
- Roehl Sybing