"Pretty Princess Miyu."
Why had she left these sitting out? Heck, why did she even own these? They didn't seem the type of comic his sister would normally read. Curious, he flipped open the comic to the first page and started reading. A few minutes later he absently brushed the stale cookie crumbs off of the chair and sat down, engrossed in the tales of Miyu and her fight against the Forces of Darkness, made possible by the aid of her hidden protector and love interest, the Bishonen Baron.
After a few hours of reading, the gnawing of his stomach reminded Keiichi that he hadn't eaten and he guiltily set the current comic down on the pile and stood up. Heading over to the fridge, he thought about the comics as he rifled through the empty jars, take-out boxes, and condiment containers that were all that was left of the food in the house.
The relationship between Miyu and the Baron had just kind of come together it seemed, almost effortlessly on their parts. Oh sure, there had been some token fighting between the two early on, but all in all it seemed to smooth out quickly enough. It wasn't anything like real life relationships seemed to work out. With Sayoko, it seemed like every time things had calmed down into a routine something he did upset her and they were right back to ground zero again.
His thoughts broke off abruptly as he gave up on finding food somewhere in the house.
"Looks like it's going to be takeout again." He sighed and went to get the phone book, quickly flipping to a well worn page and running his finger down the list of restaurants. The phone rested easily on his shoulder and he started dialing up various numbers.
"Sorry, we don't... Too late to deliver, bud... That far? I don't think so... We no longer deliver..."
Sighing to himself, he went to pull his keys out, then recalled he had lent his motorcycle to Megumi for the night. Well, one more attempt at a restaurant, then he would walk down to the nearest. It would take nearly a half an hour, but he was starving. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
Flipping the page, he glanced at the number and dialed quickly, his growling stomach making his actions rushed.
"Goddess Relief Office, you've reached the Goddess Helpline. One moment please, and we shall send a representative for a consultation."
Keiichi pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it in surprise. "Hello? Hello? I think I called a wrong number. Hello?" Setting the phone down with a click after getting no answer he got to his feet. "Oh well, might as well get going."
"Oh, where are you going?"
Slowly turning his head, he stared at the head and shoulders of the beautiful woman halfway out of the mirror in the hallway. Frozen, he just stood there as she pulled herself the rest of the way out.
A smile on her lips, the strange woman bobbed her head and said, "I am Belldandy, Goddess First Class, Unlimited, and I'm here to help you."
Though she didn't show it, Belldandy was rather upset. More than upset really, and it was all that... woman's... fault. Involuntarily, she found herself digging her nails into her palms as the memory flooded back up into her mind.
"AAARRRGGGHHHH!" Setsuna screamed, her voice nearly breaking as she dropped to her knees. "I can't FIX it! It's not right, no matter how many times I try!"
The errant Senshi of Time turned her attention back to the gate again, the potent device skimming over the key individuals she was trying to once again empower. Unfortunately, it just wasn't sticking-- no matter what she did, they couldn't seem to hold their Senshi abilities.
Her latest attempt had looked for women of power who might be manipulated into taking up the burden of the Senshi, preferably kind, generous, and caring like the girls had been. She had found three women that practically radiated power, and, while they had their faults, all the indicators seemed to be positive for their assumption of the Senshi's abilities.
Now all she needed was a catalyst, something to anchor the Senshi's abilities to the appropriate candidates. She couldn't read their lives very accurately, as something was blurring portions of it out, but there was a point just after the first arrived... that should work. With a motion she directed the Time Stream with a deft touch, carefully shifting until... until... she lost them.
She blinked and looked again, and... they were gone. Her eyes widened and her hand immediately shot for the reset button, only to freeze as a tired voice rang out from behind her.
"STOP! Step away from that device, Setsuna."
Turning slowly, Setsuna took in the three women who were in a place they couldn't possibly have entered. All had long hair that might once have been lustrous but now hung limply down their backs. The youngest of the three, with somewhat matted black hair looked the best of the three, but even she was haggard. The oldest, possessed of platinum hair that looked as if it were once well cared for and scarcely older than Setsuna herself appeared, looked as if she had been dragged from her grave, beaten, and propped up on the staff she was clutching. The middle sister, for now that she looked, it seemed clear they were related, though she couldn't say what prompted the conclusion, was somewhat between the other two in nearly all manners, with brown hair that was tended towards blonde pushed haphazardly over one shoulder.
It was this sister who held Sailor Pluto's attention, however, for despite her evident fatigue, a fire flickered warningly in her eyes. "Setsuna Meioh, Sailor Pluto, Favored of Hel and wielder of the Garnet Staff. Your actions until now have been without consequence, a result of foreknowledge, rather than force. With the activation of the Gate, you have done... You have..." The young woman choked, then tilted her head up, tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes. "What you have done is unforgivable. We, the Three Norns, Goddesses of Past, Present, and Future, judge thee. For thy actions are ye banished, never again to lay your hand upon the strings of Fate or sail the seas of Time. we cannot repeal the favor of Hel, but despite all the days you wander Midgaard, never more shall your actions affect the course of history in Past, Present, or Future."
Setsuna narrowed her eyes as the last pronouncement rang out, the child echoing the word "Future", the oldest the word "Past", and the middle sister the word "Present", despite having been the one to speak it in the first place. As the echo of the words faded from the chamber, the three women began chanting, moving in a slow circle around Setsuna. As the first thoughts of escape began to run through her head, a crystalline structure of runes began to build around her and the Gate began to recede, eventually coming to rest beside the "Goddess of the Present".
After that, things began to blur, the runes surrounding her pulsing with a rhythm just beyond her ability to comprehend. As the world began to fade, Setsuna wondered what effect her last actions would have and then the blackness closed in...
Their task finally finished, Belldandy dropped to her knees beside the Gate, her head resting against the frame as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Oh, Keiichi. What am I going to do without you..."
Skuld and Urd stood back, uncomfortable and knowing there was nothing to do to comfort their sister. Nothing but time, of the more mundane sort, would heal her wounds.
It was Skuld who was the first to notice the swirling motion of the Time Gate and recognize the face that was prominent in many of the scenes whirling through it in response to Belldandy's thoughts. "Bell! Look!"
Belldandy raised her head, startled and looked back at her sister, then towards the the Gate she was pointing towards. "KEIICHI!" Within moments, Belldandy was on her feet, her hands pressed against the Gate, ripples of energy emanating out from her palms.
Belldandy forcibly uncurled her hands and turned a sweet smile on Keiichi. She was meeting him far later in this time line, but she wasn't going to give up. Especially not to Sayoko.
"Uhhh, you're here to what?" Keiichi asked, that bewildered look he got sometimes crossing his face. It made her want to reach out and hug him, but she restrained herself.
Belldandy responded, "I'm here to help you. I can grant you any one thing you wish, but only one." She clasped her hands in front of herself. "Whatever you might desire." Some advice from Urd flashed into her thoughts and, with a faint blush, she inhaled deeply, her eyes tracking Keiichi's as they shifted down.
"So, I can wish for... well, anything? Cars, money, love?" His voice was slightly wistful as he mentioned the last, and Belldandy's hopes rose. She didn't notice as his glance shifted over to the pile of comics on the opposite side of the room.
"All of those are easily done, Keiichi-san. Anything you might desire."
Lowering his head, Keiichi paused for nearly a minute before raising his head finally, his expression firm and his thoughts traveling almost too quickly for her to pick up, though she knew the Ultimate Force would have no such trouble. "I wish I had a life full of heroism and love, danger and romance, and a girl who would love me for who I am underneath all the masks we wear in life."
Belldandy had little time to think about the thoughts passing through Keiichi's mind as the Ultimate Force seized her, a brilliant white glow suffusing the entire room as an azure beam shot up through the roof into the sky. The only thought on her mind was wrestling with the sea of energy that was the Ultimate Force, scrambling for some part of it, some part of Keiichi's life that she could claim for herself. This was as forbidden as anything she had ever done before, but she had to do it. Her desperation masked the oddities within this wish, so that even as she seized onto one of its aspects, she failed to perceive the changes that were wrought by an energy she had quite recently encountered.
As the light finally faded from the room, Belldandy was somewhat surprised to notice in the mirror that she was wearing an oddly alluring half-tuxedo, complete with top hat and mask. Upon turning to Keiichi, she received an even greater shock, however, for Keiichi, her beloved Keiichi, was... well, a girl. She rubbed her eyes, then looked again to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Unfortunately, the outfit that Keiichi was now wearing left little to the imagination, and doubt about her beloveds current gender was hard to come by with the dark blue skirt, tight white bodice, and rather large red bows.
"What happe--" Keiichi started, then clasped her hands over her mouth. A moment later her eyes drifted down to the white gloves covering her hands, and, as she removed them from her mouth, further down to the breasts quite evident just below.
Stuttering slightly, Belldandy said, "Keiichi, you... you're a..." She paused, then calmed herself, asking in as even a tone as she could, "when did you decide you wanted to be a woman, Keiichi?" Her thoughts were racing despite her best attempt to be calm and confusion seized her. Had Keiichi wanted to be a girl even when she had been with him? How could she and... she be together now! This was just too much, she needed to talk to someone, someone like... URD! Urd would know what to do, or at least she would pretend to know, which in her state of mind would almost be enough.
Keiichi's mouth worked for a moment and she managed only to mouth the word "woman" once, then fainted abruptly, the long glaive with the crescent moon blade clattering to the ground beside her.
Carefully slipping an arm under Keiichi, Belldandy eased the rather light girl up into her arms and carried her over to a chair, where she set her down. She watched the girl breath for a minute, and then took several steps backwards. "What am I going to do, Keiichi? How can we...?" Shaking her head, she turned and fled for the mirror in the hall, diving through and orienting as best she could in her confused state on Urd.
Had she stayed for a few more minutes, however, she would have noticed the glaive left lying upon the floor slowly fade away and Keiichi's features and clothing slowly shift back to normal.
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by James M. Zema
(Posted Sat, 26 Jul 2003 06:47)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.