Standard Disclaimer: Ah! Megami-sama (Oh! My Goddess) belongs to Fushima 
Kousuke; a wonderful writer, and owner of an awesome imagination. Without 
him, this fic wouldn't have been possible.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Ultimate Force program was being altered. Yggdrasil, the World 
Tree, registered this instantly, and halted the alterations immediately, 
asking the user to prove they had the authority to alter such a high-
priority program. 

    The melodic sounds of one typing on a terminal echoed throughout the 
chamber quickly, and verification was established. The re-write was small, 
and, after completing it, the user logged off, and sat back in a rather 
comfortable-looking chair. Then He sighed once. 

    "It's begun..." Kami-sama said with obvious distaste, before 
reaching for the phone. 

=============================
Trials of the Heart
An Ah! Megami-sama Fanfiction
By Kagato
=============================

    "Belldandy? I'm going down to the market to pick up a snack and some 
ice cream, in case Skuld drops by. Anything I can get for you while I'm 
there?" Keiichi Morisato asked from the doorway.

    Belldandy, stitching some of Keiichi's older clothes where the seams 
had begun to fray, stopped and thought for a moment. Keiichi grinned, 
watching the thoughts dance across her face in the early afternoon light. 

    "Some celery would be good... and some eggs, too. I can't think of 
anything else at the moment," she finally responded, looking at him. He was 
grinning slightly, and she blushed happily, knowing she was the cause of it.

    Keiichi nodded and turned towards the door, lopsided grin still in 
place. 

    "Keiichi!" Belldandy called from behind him. He froze, then turned. 

    "Yes?"

    "You forgot your keys," She said, holding them up.

    "Oh, no, I thought I'd walk to the little market up the road. It's a 
nice day out, so... I think I'll just walk today," he said, nodding, as if 
convincing himself.

    "Oh, okay. Have fun!" Belldandy said, smiling at him.

    "Sure thing, Bell. I'll see you soon."

    Belldandy realized Keiichi was wearing the sweater she'd knitted for 
him more than a year ago. With that thought, she smiled a little more, and 
went back to mending, humming a little tune as she did so.

    It had quieted down quite a bit since Skuld and Urd had left, 
Belldandy reflected as she resumed stitching. Her sisters had come calling 
not too long after she'd arrived, and ended up staying much longer than 
planned. They'd left recently, ostensibly to return to Asgard so they could 
'assist with a bug problem caused by an update to Yggdrasil.' Upon 
returning, however, Urd had found her suspension lifted, and Skuld had found 
her training period complete. Urd's power was returned, and Skuld's power 
was officially recognized.

    After assisting with the World Tree's infestation, they'd returned 
to give their sister the good news. Belldandy had been happy for them, and, 
although she'd not tell them, lest they'd see fit to stay, but she'd been a 
little sad to see them leave. However, Urd's promise to return in the not-
too-distant future "so it doesn't get too dull" had helped Belldandy's 
resolve.  Keiichi had silently hoped it would stay 'too dull' for a while. 

    Skuld had been tempted to stay, but, over the time she'd spent on 
Midgard, she had realized that Keiichi wasn't all that bad, for a mortal. 
Not that she would ever tell him that. Still, she promised to return, so she 
could make sure he was treating Belldandy as one should treat a goddess.

    Belldandy looked around at the now-empty temple, and sighed softly, 
both missing the company of her sisters, and, at the same time, enjoying the 
luxury of not having to worry about them, Keiichi, or the temple itself. It 
had been a rather nice (if quiet) time around the temple lately.

    It didn't last long. She was interrupted by the telephone ringing 
out in the hallway. She stood, straightened out her dress, and walked into 
the hall with a slight spring in her step that hinted at her happy, yet 
relaxed attitude. 

    "Hello? Morisato residence, Belldandy speaking."

    "... Oh. Hello, Almighty!" she said. Then she frowned. "Yes. Now? 
No, it's fine. Alright." she nodded, looking around, apprehensively.

    "Alright, Lord, Goodbye," she said, before hanging up the phone.

    Before it had settled in the cradle, she was moving toward the 
nearest mirror. Kami-sama never said "immediately" unless it was important. 
She didn't know what to expect, but knew that she was needed in His office 
yesterday. With that, Belldandy left the temple she and Keiichi had come to 
call their home, practically diving through the mirror.

--=--

    Keiichi looked at the eggs in satisfaction, then closed the lid, 
placing the carton carefully in his basket. 

    "That should do it!" he exclaimed happily, turning towards the 
register. Everything he'd needed had been quickly collected, and, as if 
being rewarded for doing so, two of the items he'd been searching for had 
been on sale. Whistling a few broken notes from a half-remembered tune, he 
strode up and began scanning his items.

    Moments later, he was through, with enough money left over to feel 
good about. Sure, it wasn't a lot, but he appreciated everything he could 
manage to save, and the extra weight in his pocket was something he could 
smile about.

    Walking out the door, he squinted in the brighter light, and paused, 
appreciating the day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and with winter on 
its way, it was a perfect day: cool, fresh air, the gentle caress of 
sunlight, and, of course, a beautiful face to return to. He sighed happily 
at that last thought, and began the short walk back to the temple.

    Walking back, Keiichi thought about all the things he had to be 
thankful for. His luck had recently taken a turn for the better. Ever since 
he'd made his wish, to have Belldandy be his girlfriend forever, his life 
had been rather hectic. Sure, he surmised, to an outsider everything would 
have seemed wonderful. He was living with a goddess. He chuckled at the way 
it sounded when said like that.

    However, even though it would appear wonderful, almost immediately, 
problems had begun to pop up. Along with breaking dormitory rules (and 
subsequently being kicked out) on the night of Belldandy's arrival, Keiichi 
soon found that he'd attracted the attention of numerous people who'd 
previously seen fit to leave him alone. It wasn't just human attention, 
either. Belldandy's two sisters, Urd and Skuld (and later the demon Mara) 
had threatened his sanity and safety on numerous occasions.

    Still, he rationalized, having Belldandy there for him all the time 
was something he loved more than life itself. She was there because she 
loved him. And, he added, because I love her too.

    He turned, and looked uphill toward the temple he now shared with 
Belldandy (and, of course, her sisters, whenever they dropped by). So caught 
up in his thoughts, he failed to hear, or notice at all, the truck coming 
from the other direction. Just as unfortunately, the truck driver failed to 
notice Keiichi as well.

--=--

    Belldandy's entrances were always smooth, somehow reflecting the 
perfection being a goddess implied. So it was a first when she shot out of 
the mirror so rapidly it wobbled, before falling to the floor and 
shattering. It was another first when Belldandy ran to the door, ignoring 
the shards of glass literally covering the hallway floor as she raced 
outside. 

    As she cleared the doorway, she blinked once in the bright light, 
still running to the gate, faster than she could ever remember pushing 
herself before. A look of intense worry was plastered to her face. When she 
reached the road, she turned, looking downhill, a slight moan of sickened 
dread coming to her lips, as she saw the stopped traffic, and a small crowd 
beginning to gather.

    Belldandy knew, of course, that it was inevitable. Kami-sama had 
told her, and she knew better than to doubt His word. Still, she began a 
healing spell while she was running, determined to make a difference.

    Keiichi woke up to a world of pain. His eyes protested at the amount 
of light coming through his closed eyelids, his head felt fuzzy, overall he 
felt weak, and he could barely breathe. He slowly peeled one eyelid open, 
feeling the energy lost just by doing that. Suddenly, the ability to hear 
returned, agonizingly acute. He could hear everything, and what he was 
hearing was unsettling. His breaths were ragged and shallow, and his 
heartbeat was a futile, unsteady sound.

    Suddenly, above him, something moved. A shadow detached itself from 
the others, and hovered over him, growing as it did. He felt his someone 
take his hand. "Bell... Belldandy..." he said, feeling more energy drain 
just to speak. He hoped the figure above him was... "Belldandy?" he asked, 
tentatively, a whisper, now, his lungs too weak to even power his vocal 
chords.

    Belldandy's spell went to work, then, healing his injuries as 
rapidly as it's magical properties would allow. Then, to Belldandy's dismay, 
her spell slowed to a crawl, before stopping. Kami-sama had told her to 
expect something like this, but she had hoped she could circumvent it. 
Slowly, she watched as an ethereal field of magic, neither good nor evil, 
began to surround him.

    "Belldandy?" she heard him ask, a whisper, from lips that were far 
too pale. A great sob escaped her, and she grabbed him, to hold him and 
comfort him. 

    "Keiichi!" she cried, the tears already running down her face. 

    "Don... Don't cry, Be-Belldandy. Please?" he asked. Her spell had 
eased the pain, but he was still weak. He could feel himself growing 
weaker... it was like sleep, a part of him longing for the comfort it 
promised to provide if he submitted. But he knew that to give in, to give 
up, would hurt not only himself, but Belldandy, as well, and that was 
something he couldn't do to her.

    "Keiichi..." Belldandy said. It was quiet, but the sorrow contained 
within her voice tore at him, a pain that overpowered any he'd felt since 
waking up.

    "Belldandy... I'm... I'm sorry..." Keiichi started, and Belldandy 
felt her tears come forth even faster now. 

    "No, Keiichi, it's okay. Just rest. Everything will be okay." But it 
wasn't. She knew it, and she knew that Keiichi knew it as well.

    "No... I'm sor... I'm sorry to leave... like this.. I... I just..." 
he began, a tear running down, and away to mingle with hers.  The field 
around Keiichi was intensifying, as if building up for something, and 
Belldandy knew what it meant. She held him tighter, not caring about the 
blood, or the crowd, or anything else but the person she'd come to respect, 
to care about... to love.

    Keiichi's gaze faltered, his eyes focusing on nothing, and his 
erratic breathing slowed. Belldandy started. "Kei.. Keiich-" she began.

    "I just want you to know, Belldandy, that I love you more than 
anything." Keiichi said, using everything he had left to get all that out 
clearly. It hurt again, and the growing urge to sleep wasn't giving him the 
chance to fight it. As his vision narrowed, then tunneled, the last thing he 
saw was Belldandy looking down at him, with sorrow, love, and pride. 

    The field intensified to the point that she could almost see its 
physical manifestation. Small runic characters circled the body twice, and 
then the field flashed before dissipating. Belldandy could almost feel that 
which she loved leaving his body. When the odd magic finally disappeared 
totally, Belldandy found herself holding what was left of Keiichi. 

    Belldandy couldn't think. This simple shell she held in her hands 
had housed the most valuable thing on, above, or under earth to her, and now 
it was lifeless. She closed her eyes, and cradled it protectively. She 
shuddered once, and then she began to cry in earnest.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors Notes: Yes! A whole section Completed! I have A LOT more planned, of 
course, and I'll get started soon, but I wanted to get this out. Of course, 
doing so would have not only been impossible, but ludicrous, without the 
help of my Pre-readers. I owe them a lot for all the help, and patience 
they've had, and given. So, thanks to you, GreenHooloovoo (pofft@gmx.net), 
Mikhal001R (Mikhal001@comcast.net) and Nick (nightelf@thekeep.org) for all 
your support, suggestions, and patience. 





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