AMG: The Bet
by Michael Chen
$Id: amg-the_bet-1.txt,v 1.1 1999/11/25 21:00:21 zenki Exp $
Note: This sample is a draft. It in no way represents the final version
of this little fic.
Chapter 1: The Bet.
"Dear sibling, I take it that your presence indicates
interest in my proposition."
Kami-sama sighed, as he stirred the sugar into his cup
of coffee. "I am only interested in preventing your
propositions from hurting people. Your proposition does not
interest me in the slightest."
A laugh. "You seriously think that I would believe that
you would leave your office, leave Yggdrasil unattended, and
just to chit-chat with me over a cup of latte in Midgard?
No, you won't bother with this mere trifle unless you were
genuinely interested."
<<
Question from me to you. Is Midgard the proper terminology for Earth?
He turned away and sipped a bit of coffee. "I'm only
interested insomuch as to the threat that you pose to
humans."
"Me pose a threat?" The Devil put on an air of pain.
"You must recognize that without humans, I would have no
means of entertaining myself at all. Destroying Midgard is
the last thing on my mind."
<<
Question: I couldn't find an appropriate "name" to use for "The Devil"
Perhaps someone can enlighten me and tell me the appropriate name?
"Somehow I don't feel relieved."
"It's just a bet. Nothing more, nothing less."
Kami-sama sighed and eyed his brother. "Bet's never
exist without a payoff. What exactly do you have in mind?"
"Perhaps something simple, like the looser has to do the
winner's bidding."
Kami-sama raised an eyebrow.
"Ok ok, for a period of time equal in length to one
Midgard day, and it can't include stuff overly destructive
like burn Yggsadrasil to the ground."
"Slightly better. And what exactly is this bet?"
But Kami-sama's brother wasn't exactly paying attention,
his attention having been conveniently diverted by the
waitress who was cleaning the table next to them.
"Later brother dear, after I," and with a smooth motion,
he sent his cup of coffee on a crash course with the ground,
"gratify myself."
The waitress gave him a look, and in response, he oozed
innocence and crouched down to pick up the pieces.
Kami-sama sighed and buried his face into his hands.
* * *
Keiichi sighed as stared out the window. It was early,
it was Sunday, and he still had a problem set that somehow
remained unfinished before him due tomorrow. For strange
reason, he didn't feel any particular urge to do his
homework, and was quite safe from feelings of pain that
procrastinators oft feel.
But still, with slight effort, he lifted the pencil and
half-heartily scratched out a few guesses on a piece of
scrap.
A few problems later, he chanced a look outside and
found impeccable weather, weather that begged to be taken
advantage of.
Giving in to desires, he slammed the books shut.
Standing up and working the kinks out of his back with a
quick stretch, he walked off to find Belldandy.
He found her working on something in the living room.
"Say, Belldandy, are you up for a walk? I feel I need a
quick break from homework."
She smiled as if she had been waiting for him to ask
that question. "Sure, let's go. The weather is absolutely
beautiful today."
The two of them walked to the front door, and carefully
donned their shoes, when the phone rang.
Belldandy took off her shoes and rushed to pick up the
phone. Keiichi could hear silent talking, Belldandy
speaking into the phone with a hushed voice. A minute or
two later, she hung up the phone.
"So who was it?" he asked as she slowly approached, her
footsteps deliberate, her head bowed down concealing
emotions from him.
She looked up, her sadness overwhelming him. He tried to
comfort her, but a sudden fit of sleepiness overcame him,
and he succumbed to deep, dreamless slumber.
* * *
Keiichi woke up literally with a start as he felt a hand
slap him. Still smarting, his eyes clenched shut, he
uttered the first thing that came to his mind. "URD!"
And surely enough, Urd, far away, shouted, "What now?
Can't a goddess watch some tv in peace?"
He opened his eyes and found himself looking at two very
angry eyes. Mara, his goddess, his one and only, angry?
"Geez, we were going out on a walk, and you just had to
fall asleep and plant your face in my bosom," she screamed,
while struggling with her dress. "Why does Belldandy have
to like restricting..."
He pleaded for forgiveness. "I'm sorry. It's still
nice out, why don't we go for a walk? It's a beautiful day,
and maybe you would like a break from routine?"
Mara sighed as she remembered the stipulation that she
was supposed to follow -- she had to be sweet and nice.
"Very well, let's go."
The two barely made a step when Urd decided to see what
the commotion was about. "Hey, Bell, what's with..." She
froze still when she saw Mara not in her usual leather but
rather in a nice, frilly dress.
She laughed, rather enthusiastically, and barely spoke
between spasms. "Mara... you're... in... a... dress!"
Mara growled. "Well, let's see you try one of these on,
and we'll see who's laughing! If I could, I would..." Her
voice was laced with threat.
"Oh, a little fight is what you want? Well, you're
going to get a fight!" And the two of them cocked back
their fists in preparation to unleash fury.
Keiichi stepped between the two. "Please stop. Maybe
we should..." He never finished, interrupted by the two
fists that collided into him.
The two "goddesses" watched Keiichi slowly sink to the
ground, his face distorted from the force of two punches.
"Look at what you did to poor Keiichi," shouted Urd as
she picked up what was left of Keiichi and thoughtfully
hugged him close and tight.
"Well, you punched him too!" retorted Mara, as she
pulled Keiichi free from Urd. He was still quite dazed and
came along without resistance.
As the two of them strolled through the park, Mara
couldn't help but mutter colorful descriptions of what she
thought about Urd.
Keiichi sighed, as this walk was anything but
comforting. He hadn't expected Mara to be in such a
negative frame of mind. "Mara, are feeling fine? Are you
tired?"
Mara was genuinely surprised for his concern, especially
after she had smacked him and then punched him. "I feel
different, trapped almost."
"Know how you feel," said Keiichi. "I feel trapped."
"You?" She was quite incredulous.
"Yeah, pressure from my parents, pressure from my
friends, and sometimes pressure from your sisters." He
angled away from the path and settled down next to a tree.
Silence.
He looked up at her, she had remained standing and did
not sit down when he did. "Why don't you have a seat here?
There's such a great view here."
She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not tired."
He stared far away, and fell silent.
Mara looked down, and eventually her patience ran out,
and swiftly, she settled next to him, perhaps a bit too
close to him.