[FF][A!!MG] More Ice Cream

Still not light, and still not done (although I hope to correct this
situation in the near future).

Characters are created by Kosuke Fujishima, and are used without his express
permission.
The song 'Ice Cream' was written by Sarah McLachlan, and are used without her
permission or knowledge.
Sue me at my peril (although I'd appreciate it if you didn't, and it really
wouldn't be worth your time from a financial standpoint).

And now, More Ice Cream!

Ice Cream:

Your love is better than ice cream.
Better than anything else that I've tried
and your love is better than ice cream
everyone here knows how to fight
and it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place where we started from.
Your love is better than chocolate
better than anything else that I've tried
and oh love is better than chocolate.
Everyone here knows how to cry
and it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place where we started from...
do do do...

Bugs are funny things, aren't they? I don't mean the regular type, I
mean the sort that happens in computer systems. Big systems. Systems that control
reality, like the Yggdrassil system. Let me give you an example- it involves three
goddesses, and a young college student named Keiichi.

*
*
*
Skuld was alone- a situation she found intolerable. Belldandy was with
(ugh!) Keiichi, they had gone to see some movie together or something (a date!
face it, they went on a date). Urd, well Skuld did not want to know where she
was, nevermind actually do something with her.
Really, who else was there? No one, now that her older sister was being
taken away by that foolish mortal. Just poor little Skuld, moping away by herself
at the temple.

"I wish," said Skuld to herself (after all, who else was there?), "I wish
Keiichi made a different wish."
An explosion of light and sound later, and Skuld's wish was granted.
Funny thing about bugs, isn't it?

"I wish I was successful." That's what I want, isn't it? Keiichi thought.

"Your wish... is granted." Oh Keiichi, you really don't remember, do you?

A thin beam of light burned through the mark on her forehead and soared
into the heavens, not heeding the nigh invisible tears of the goddess it came
from.

Skuld shut down the monitor; she did not need to see anymore. Belldandy
would be back soon and they would be together again, forever, as it should be.

*
*
*

Time passes, as it often does. Belldandy stayed in heaven, which meant Urd
did not get banished to Midgard for interfering with the Ultimate Force (although
there was that little thing with trying to get Idun to make apple cider, but that
has nothing to do with us).
Belldandy threw herself into her work, even moreso than before, but she
always had time to help her little sister, Skuld. Belldandy took on more and more
assignments, she was on the fastrack, and the Almighty noticed it.
Skuld... was happy. Debugging was a lot easier with her sisters to help
(much as Skuld hated to admit it, but Urd helped her too, sometimes, not often, and not a lot of help that definately was not worth it). Belldandy was in heaven and all was right with the world. There was actually time for Skuld to do some research, like why she got a wish in the first place. After all, goddesses granted wishes, they didn't recieve them, right?

On earth, in Japan, Keiichi Morisato drove the Miata home from his Motor Club meeting, so he could get changed for his date with Sayoko. Things were definately on the rise for Keiichi and Nekomi Tech's Motor Club. Getting Aoshima to handle the treasury was all it really took, and that wasn't hard with Sayoko helping. Now the club had no monetary problems. The members were so glad that they immediately made Keiichi president of the club, and as their star racer he drew in more and more members.
Strange thing is, Tamiya and Ootaki did not mind at all. Maybe not so strange after all, when Keiichi thought about it. They didn't have to worry about
money for the club, or even running the club. Those two got to spend their time
and energy on making newer and better vehicles, which Keiichi usually won with. A
few design teams had been sniffing around lately, and Tamiya and Ootaki had
already recieved a few offers, pending graduation, of course. No, those two had
nothing to complain about, they were in seventh... ... heaven.

Who was she, Keiichi wondered. That girl with hair the colour of wheat and
the markings on her face. That girl who claimed to be a goddess and offered him a
wish, and her name, Belldandy, was oh, ever so familiar. Keiichi quickly put those
thoughts aside, he had his Sayoko, the most popular, and arguably the most
beautiful woman at Nekomi Tech. Keiichi had his own place, a good job with a
better one guaranteed after graduating, the adulation of many with his racing,
Sayoko (and Keiichi thought she was really starting to get serious about their
relationship), not to mention being in the top ten percentile in his class. His
future was so bright he had to wear shades. So why couldn't he get that (ever so
beautiful) Belldandy out of his head, and why did he think he made the wrong wish?

Keiichi stopped at his home, a nice apartment building close to campus. Even that was an interesting story. Sayoko decided to stop by the dorm to see him
one day, not knowing the infamous 'no women' rule. Needless to say, Keiichi had to
find a place quick. Luckily, Keiichi's job as a test driver (after winning one of
his races he was offered the job for a car magazine) put him into contact with
people, especially people who knew people, and soon enough, phfft! an apartment
was found well within Keiichi's means.
Keiichi quickly readied himself for the date, and called the florists to
make sure the bouquet was ready. As he left to get the roses (sixteen, one for
each week they had been dating), Keiichi grimaced at the Miata, wishing he had a
different car for the date. The front end reminded him of that American movie,
Christine. The almost smiling face seemed somehow psychotic, nevermind how the
car actually handled. Keiichi consoled himself with the thought that in another
two weeks there would be another car to test, hopefully something a little better.

The date went perfect, as usual. Sayoko's dress was as immaculate as ever,
and she dropped a few subtle hints that she might, perhaps, just maybe, like to
take the relationship to another level. The restaurant was good, with a chamber
quartet beside the dance floor. Keiichi and Sayoko took advantage of the ballroom
dance lessons they took together, and danced the evening away.
Keiichi escorted Sayoko back to her house, and stayed to chat with her
father a bit (the man absolutely adored Keiichi, and treated him like the son he
never had). Keiichi left, making excuses about a busy day, and studying still so
that his marks wouldn't drop.
Yeah, Sayoko's dad loved him, his parents loved her, and were so proud of
him he thought they might burst sometimes. He had the respect of his peers, good
grades, a most promising future with Sayoko, and he already had a career on the
rise. By anyone's standard, Keiichi was an absolute success. So why was it then
that he felt so empty inside?

** **

Belldandy ended the scrying spell, letting the mirror return to normal.
She sighed, seeing Keiichi with that woman again tore at her heart, but she
could not stop herself from watching it-- watching him.
He wasn't happy, Belldandy knew, she could tell from the look on his face
before he went to sleep every night, and every morning as he woke up. She could
fix that, she KNEW she could make him happy. But there were rules, and there were
regulations, and Belldandy had to follow them. Belldandy sighed.
Still, maybe just a quick visit would be okay. A quick talk, and nothing
more. Just once, surely that couldn't hurt, could it? Just a chance meeting in the
streets, or in a hallway, or something, surely nothing wrong with that, was there?
A happier Belldandy smiled secretively as she made her decision, then went to see
what Skuld was doing.

** **

When she was off-duty, Skuld found herself looking in on Keiichi.
Just to make sure everything was okay. She did not want him to suffer after all. A
few quick looks assured her that Keiichi was fine. If anything, his life seemed
better than before Skuld's wish. Maybe her wish did that. Everyone was happier
this way. Must be it, her wish was good.

Skuld researched the circumstances behind her wish, quietly, slyly. If the
Almighty found out she had been granted a wish, who knows what trouble she
would be in. Urd had never even gone that far, Loki hadn't even attempted it. But
it was an accident, she didn't actually try to get a wish... it just happened.
Still, even so.
Skuld searched on the job, a moment here, a moment there; when she could,
or course. While working, she had much greater access to Yggdrassil's resources,
and had a much better excuse should she get caught.
That was interesting, a bug. Well, in and of itself, a bug wasn't
really all that interesting, but the ToG (Time of Generation) had not happened
yet. While rare, bugs of this nature were not unique. More importantly, the ToG
was roughly the same as... oh... her wish.
Skuld quickly cobbled together a cage, and in defiance of her job, and all
the laws the Almighty had, did not destroy a bug on sight. Instead, she captured
one very particular bug, and stole away to her room with it, avoiding all eyes
and all ears.
"I can't, I just can't," Skuld heard herself whisper, looking at a very
special bug through a thin metal-barred cage. The bug didn't know what she was
saying, and just wanted to play.

Well, that's all (for now) folks!
Place another mindless plea for C&C here.