Ah! My Goddess is owned by Kosuke Fujishima
Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi


For the Love of a Mortal
-------------------------------
by Anand Rao

Chapter 2: Choosing Sides
______________________


"I'll -kill- him!  No!  I'll destroy Japan, -then- I'll kill him!"  Akane
raged. 

"It's not like it's his fault, Sis," Nabiki explained dryly.  

"How in Kami's name did that wish get approved?"  Akane demanded.

"How would I know?" Nabiki asked.

"You're the goddess of Knowledge!  You're supposed to know these things!"

"I'm the goddess of Knowledge all right, and I know enough not to question
the wisdom of Kami-sama's decisions," Nabiki stated.

"I -knew- he shouldn't have gone back down there!  He didn't even -like-
working in the Relief Office!  All it took was a pretty face, and he
melted!  Ooooh. . . that. . . that. . . god!"  

"The girl wasn't even thinking clearly, Akane.  She fell, and Ranma saved
her.  She was making a comment more than a true wish."

"I'm going to go talk to Kami about this!"  Akane said.

"That's a very good idea Akane-chan.  Kami-sama wants to see you anyway,"
Kasumi called out from behind Akane.

Akane jumped up in surprise, then turned around to look at Kasumi, her
glare softening.  No matter how upset she became, she could -never- direct
that anger towards Kasumi.  "Oneechan, " she said in a pained voice, "I
-told- you not to sneak up on me like that!"  

"I'm sorry, Akane-chan!  I didn't mean to startle you. . ," Kasumi apologized.

"That's okay, Oneechan," Akane sighed, "Kami-sama wants to see me?"  

"Yes, He's waiting for you now," Kasumi replied.

"Good.  There -has- to be a way to bring that idiot back here," Akane said,
stomping off to Kami-sama's office.

"She's not anywhere near as angry as I thought she'd be," Kasumi said
brightly.

"You didn't see here earlier, Sis," Nabiki pointed out, "I think she
created at least a half-dozen hurricanes on earth since she found out."

"Oh my!  I guess I'll be able to use my rainbow earlier than I thought!"


			***********************************************

"Akane, goddess of Destruction, Second Class, Limited, reporting as
requested!" Akane barked out in front of the large double doors.

The doors slowly opened the bright light appeared, but Akane was in no mood
for the majestic entrance.  She stormed into the office and glared at
Kami-sama.  At least, it would have been a glare if Kami-sama was not
looking straight into her eyes.  She flinched, then averted her gaze.  The
Lord could see into her entire being with that one gaze.  "Why?"  She asked
softly, still refusing to meet Kami's gaze.

"Are you questioning my decisions, daughter?"  Kami asked.

"No, but- but I don't understand!  Why did you approve that stupid wish?
How can I bring Ranma back?"  Akane demanded, then lowered her voice again,
thinking that she had gone too far.

Instead of being angry or rebuking Akane, however, Kami-sama simply asked,
"Do you love Ranma?"

"What?  Of -course- I love him!  I wouldn't have put up with him for all
these millennia if I didn't love him!"  Akane exclaimed.

"Do you really? "  Kami asked again, then continued before Akane could
reply, "Do you ever wonder why I personally don't do anything about
Lucifer, or Loki, for that matter?"   

Akane was startled by the change of subject, but replied anyway, "I guess.
. . Sure, all of us have wondered at one time or another why you don't just
destroy Lucifer and hell with him."

"Lucifer was my child once, just like you and Ranma are, Akane, and I love
all my children," Kami-sama said a bit wistfully.

"What?!  You -love- Lucifer?  But- but, he's a -demon-. . ," Akane said,
totally flabbergasted.  

"Dear child, All the demons were once my children.  By following Lucifer,
their evil has twisted their bodies as much as their souls."  

"I didn't know. . ," Akane replied.

"You're not old enough to remember, my child," Kami-sama said with a sigh.

"I. . . understand, but what does that have to do with my loving Ranma?"
Akane asked.

"Dear Child!  More than anything else, love is freedom and trust.  I love
all my children, so I -trust- them to make the right choices.  I give them
the freedom to make those choices.  Sure, they make mistakes, and sometimes
even hurt me.  Yet, I am -always- willing to forgive.  You see Akane, love
is forgiveness as well."

"I trust Ranma!  I give him freedom!"  Akane protested.

"Only you can answer that for yourself, Akane.  However, the wish stands;
and I would be -very- disappointed in you, my daughter, if you were to take
action against the young mortal who made this wish," Kami-sama said.

Akane bowed stiffly and quietly left Kami's office.


			*******************************************

Upon leaving Kami's office, Akane went looking for Nabiki.  "If I can't
interfere, then the least I can do is find out for sure what happens; if
that baka cheats on me. . ,"  Akane said aloud.  

"There is precious little that Nabiki can do for you, " A voice said, as a
figure emanated in front of Akane.  Her response was a long-suffering sigh,
followed by a glare.  The figure in front of her wore a green suit, with
golden sleeves.  On his head was a hat, with two large protruding golden
horns.  

"Loki," Akane growled, "I'm really -not- in the mood for you right now.
You'd better leave before Kami-sama finds out you've returned to heaven."

"Pah.  Do you think He doesn't know?  I'm beneath His notice, so He ignores
me," Loki replied mockingly.

"That's not true," Akane said quietly, remembering what Kami-sama had said.

"At any rate my dear, I didn't come here to talk about Him," Loki said.

"Oh?  And exactly why -are- you here, Loki?"  Akane asked.

"I heard about your little 'problem' and being the kind and generous god
that I am, thought that I would offer my help," the trickster replied.

"Thanks all the same, but I don't -need- your help," Akane replied tartly.

"Oh really?  I guess you really trust Ranma then, eh?  Well that's very
admirable.  One should trust one's mate.  Do you trust the mortal too?  She
is. . . quite lovely.  Even I, as powerful and as content as I am, envy the
god of Justice.  Think of it!  Her long beautiful hair, milky white skin,
silken to touch.  Innocent and pure, and desperately desiring male
companionship; Ranma's companionship to be exact.  Tell me, how long do you
think it will be before he falls for her charms?  I mean, after all, we
both know how na�ve Ranma can be.  He probably has no idea that the girl
will be after him, but then it will be too late, and all you can do is watch."

Akane glared at Loki, the veins in her neck starting to bulge.  A blue aura
started forming around her as lightning began sparkle around Loki.  "Are
you angry at what I said, or are you angry because it's true?"  Loki asked
mildly, completely ignoring the lightning around him.

"I will ask this one more time.  What. Do. You. Want?"  Akane growled,
highlighting each word with another lightning bolt.

"Let me take care of the mortal.  The same wish that took Ranma away from
you will be her undoing," Loki stated.

"What do you mean?"  Akane asked, the aura starting to dissipate. 
 
"She wished that someone like Ranma would stay with her for the rest of her
-life-.  If she dies, the contract is complete and Ranma's free," Loki said
patiently.  

"Kill her?  I can't do that!  Kami would be furious!"  Akane protested.

"Who said anything about -you- killing her?  I can take care of it," Loki
assured her.

"Ranma's going to protect her. Are you sure you want to challenge him?"
Akane asked with a smirk.

"My skills lie in treachery and deceit.  I'm not stupid enough to challenge
Ranma head on.  I have a friends 'downstairs' who may be able to help,"
Loki replied.

"You've been consorting with demons?  Are you truly insane?"  Akane yelled.

"Demons aren't so bad, Akane.  They're really kind of like you and me."

Akane silently considered what Kami had told her.  (Free will.  Choices.
Trust.  Love. )  "I don't want Ranma to get hurt," she finally said.

"As if any of those minor demons could hurt him?  Besides, those two
idiotic brothers of his went down to earth as well.  They'll protect him if
the need arises," Loki replied.

"Mousse and Ryoga?  Why did they go to earth?"  Akane asked, a bit surprised.

  "Why do you think?  In spite of how they act towards each other, the
three of them -are- brothers.  Ranma hasn't been to earth in a while.  They
just want to make sure that he'll be okay, " Loki replied.

Akane nodded dubiously.  (They might want to help, but I seriously doubt
they'll even -find- Japan,) she thought.  Her gaze shifted and she gave
Loki an intense glare.  "I don't trust you.  Why would you want to help me?
Why are you even coming to me with this?  It's not like you need my
permission to do as you please,"  she asked.

"The thought of the goddess of destruction owing me a favor is more than
enough motivation.  However, in this case, I also like the idea of
defeating Ranma.  The god of Justice has thwarted many of my plans, and
this is my chance for revenge!"  Loki nearly raged.  "As for why I'm
bringing you into my plans, well, I can't find out where Ranma actually is
on earth.  Someone cast a shielding spell on him as he left."

"Do what you want to the girl, " Akane said indifferently, "but, if your. .
. demons hurt Ranma, I'll destroy you."  

"Relax, Akane, relax.  I wouldn't -dream- of actually hurting Ranma, I just
want to get in his way once in a while," Loki replied easily.

"Ranma's in Japan; Tokyo to be exact.  Just remember, I -don't- make idle
threats, you leave Ranma alone," Akane said, finally walking away from
Loki.   

As soon as Akane was out of sight, Loki chuckled with glee.  "It's time for
a new game!  -Everyone's- been complacent and bored for -far- too long!"
He said aloud as his body blurred, then turned to mist. 

					***************************************

"This is delicious!"

"Really Ranma?  You're not just saying that?"

"Honestly Belldandy, this is great.  Where did you learn to make
Okanomiyaki like this anyway?"  Ranma asked as he took another bite of the
food laid out in front of him.

"My mother taught me how to cook, and I've picked up a few recipes on my
own over the past couple of years," Belldandy replied.

"Well, you're a great cook!  Man!  I haven't eaten like this in a long
time!"  Ranma said, sighing in contentment.

"You must be joking!  You live in heaven!  Even table scraps must be a
feast compared to what I cook," Belldandy replied modestly.

"Ha!  -You've- never had ta eat Akane's cooking!"  Ranma chortled.

"Who's Akane?"  

"She, uh, she's a, um, a goddess! Yes!  She's a goddess up in heaven.  She
can't cook worth a damn, but she always tries.  She ends up making everyone
sick!  She just won't get a clue that her cooking is toxic."

"It can't be that bad," Belldandy objected.

"Like I said, you never tried it," Ranma commented back.

"Maybe all she needs is a little practice and some encouragement,"
Belldandy suggested.

"Encouragement?"  

"Sure, everyone needs encouragement when they fail at something. You- you
don't say those things to her face do you?"  Belldandy asked, her face
troubled.

"Well," Ranma replied, a bit shamefaced. 

"Oh Ranma. . .  you just can't do that to a girl!  Next time you see her,
you tell her to keep trying! Okay?" 

Ranma gaped at Belldandy, and for a moment, the whole situation struck him
as being ridiculously funny.  He started chuckling, and as Belldandy's face
registered confusion, his chuckle grew into a full-blown laugh.  After a
few moments, Belldandy was caught up in Ranma's humor, and she started
laughing as well.  

"All right Belldandy, the -next- time Akane cooks something, I'll give her
some 'encouragement'," Ranma conceded as he stopped laughing.

"Good!  Now, how about another Okanomiyaki?"   Belldandy asked, smiling at
Ranma's eager face.


				***************************************

"Excuse me, Miss, can you tell me how to get to Tokyo?"  

"That's a -tree- you blind idiot!  Leave this up to me, okay?"  

"Yeah, right! With -you- in the lead we'll probably end up in Antarctica
again!"

"Shut up, Mousse!  That only happened once!"  

"And it can happen again, Ryoga!"  Mousse retorted, dropping down into a
combative stance.

"Oh yeah?!"  Ryoga yelled back, getting ready to fight as well.

At this point, most of the people around them started walking away, not
wanting to get involved.  The two men were arguing in what appeared to be
the edge of a park, near a large and long red brick.  A majestic-looking
two-door gate provided an opening in the wall's barrier.  Two women,
leaning against the wall, looked, with growing dismay, at the pair.

"New students?" One of the women asked.

"I don't know; probably," the other woman replied.

"I guess Tokyo University will let -anyone- in," the first woman sighed,
moving away from the wall.  

				
				***************************************

"So what now?"  

"I dunno.  What do you usually do on a Friday night?"  Ranma asked, as he
and Belldandy sat comfortably in her living room.

"No, that wasn't what I meant.  I mean, about the wish. . . What -exactly-
did I wish for?"  Belldandy asked.

"Well, you asked for someone like me to stay with you and protect you the
rest of your life.  So until, someone comes around who's like me, I get to
fill the job.  Of course, you can break the contract yourself if you want.
At least, I think you can. . ," Ranma replied.

"Someone like you?  Is there anyone like you on earth?"  Belldandy asked.

"There is no one like me in all of creation," Ranma replied.  Belldandy
started giggling and Ranma blushed.  "That didn't come out quite right.
Kasumi explained this to me one time.  Every living creature is different,
so there -can't- be anyone like me.  Get it?"  Ranma explained.

"I understand.  Who's Kasumi?  Another Goddess?"  

"Yeah, she's the goddess of Nature.  She's kinda like a big sister to me,
and she's a -great- cook!"  Ranma replied enthusiastically. 

"Sounds like you have a wonderful family, Ranma," Belldandy observed.

"Yeah, they're great," Ranma said with a sigh.

"Are- are you going to miss them much?"  Belldandy asked, unsure of herself.

"Huh?  Oh!  You mean because of the wish?"  Ranma asked.

"Yeah."

"Don't worry about it!  I go whole centuries without seeing them sometimes!
 You should have seen the time Kasumi created the Himalayas.  It's pretty
hard to get two chunks of land to crash into each other like that.  I
thought I was gonna die!  I had live on -Akane's- cooking for all that
time," Ranma said with a laugh.

"So, I guess, you're going to stay with me then," Belldandy said.

"Yeah.  Is that gonna be a problem?  I mean, I know it's really not normal
for a guy and girl to be living together and stuff."

"It- it won't be a problem," Belldandy said with a blush, "after all, it's
a big house.  I have plenty of room."    

"I know this is kinda strange, and you probably didn't really mean that
wish.  Do- do you wanna break the contract?  I'm pretty sure Kami-sama will
let you," Ranma said gently.

"Do you -want- me to break the contract?"  Belldandy asked in a small
voice, refusing to look at Ranma's face.

"No!  It's nothing like that!  I just. . . want what's best for you, that's
all.  I'll be happy to stay here, for as long as you like," Ranma assured her.

"Really?"  Belldandy asked, a bit surprised.

"Yeah. I'm yours as long as you want me," Ranma replied with a grin.

"Thank you Ranma," Belldandy said with a small smile, "I guess, I'll show
you to your room, then."

"Lead the way!"  Ranma said, standing up and gesturing to Belldandy.  


			*********************************************

Ryoga and Mousse sat against the gnarled trunk off a slightly charred tree;
the both of them too exhausted to move.  The black soot, charred clothing,
and slightly frazzled hair was barely noticeable in the moonlight. Ryoga
tiredly glanced at the ground in front of him and read the note Kami-sama
had left.  "He really was serious about us fighting on earth again, wasn't
He?"  Mousse commented.

"After last time, I don't really blame Him," Ryoga replied.

"Well, at least we -really- are in Tokyo," Mousse said.

"I told you I'd get us here," Ryoga said smugly.

"Yeah, sure, that's why Kami-sama left us a detailed map to get to this
girl's house!  After all, you're so good at finding your way around!"
Mousse retorted.

"Shut up!"  Ryoga yelled, standing up and attempting to get into a fighting
stance.

"Make me!"  Mousse challenged, standing up as well.

A bolt of lightening struck the tree and interrupted Ryoga's reply.  The
two gods gaped at each other then relaxed their stances.  "Maybe...maybe we
should just find Ranma," Mousse suggested weakly.

"Good idea," Ryoga replied, carefully walked away from the tree.


			************************************************

Loki sighed impatiently as Togeru, Lucifer's executive assistant, led him
to a waiting room.  Togeru was a female demon with long black hair and
brick red skin. Since Lucifer spent most of his time plotting some kind of
revenge against Kami-sama, he needed an assistant like her.  She was tall,
even for a demon; she stood at well over ten feet tall in her normal form.
Togeru, not Lucifer, more or less ran the daily activities of Hell. Most
demons believed that Hell would simply stop functioning without her. "You
must be patient, Loki.  One does simply request a meeting with the Crown
Prince of Hell without a valid reason!  Now, why are you here, Trickster?"
Togeru demanded.

"My dear Togeru, Prince Herb -will- see me.  I have put a plan in motion
that he will indubitably want to participate in," Loki replied smoothly.

"Herb-sama is -busy- right now!"  Togeru stated.

"Too busy to have a little fun with the god of Justice?"  Loki asked slyly.

"By all means, wait here, Loki.  I will tell Herb-sama that you wish to see
him," Togeru replied with a smile, walking out of the waiting room.

"And thus, a process that started a hundred year ago will continue!  Dear,
-dear- Ranma, prepare to become the goddess of Hell!"  Loki cackled,
rubbing his hands to together in anticipation.

**********************

End Chapter 2

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