This is a story written by a friend of mine, any C&C would be greatly appreciated.
I enjoyed it greatly, and hope you do too.


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

                              Christmas Encounter 


     The day was warm and clear.
     That in itself was unusual, since it was only a couple of days 
before Christmas.  No matter, though.  Hordes of people were out in the 
city, doing last-minute Christmas shopping, running errands, or simply 
enjoying the welcome break in the winter weather.
     Among those out running errands was a young woman in her mid-teens.  
She was not classically beautiful, but she was amazingly cute.  Her hair, 
which was cut short, was light brown in color with grey highlights. Large 
blue-grey eyes accentuated an attractive face.  Normally, her eyes were 
filled with warmth and laughter.
     Not today, though.
     Today, those eyes were serious and sad.
     Ai Amano had plenty to think about in the last few days.  As she 
made her way to the art supply store to pick up some illustration boards, 
she pondered on what she shoud do, what her options were.
     Options?  What options?
     In five days, she would vanish.  Disappear from the face of the earth.
     As a Video Girl, the prospect shouldn't bother her.  Ai was a 
professional.  She was played to comfort, and she did that.  A Video Girl 
was played, she did her job, she went back to the video world, maybe to 
be played again in the future.  Ai did her job to the best of her 
ability.  That was it.  Period.  End of story.
     Normally.
     Youta.
     Just thinking about his name filled her with a sense of longing and 
dread.  There was no denying that Youta Moteuchi was not perfect.  He was 
sometimes clumsy and socially inept.  At times, he lost his temper.  On 
the other hand, he was incredibly sweet and gentle.  He was loyal to his 
friends, to the point where it cost him emotionally.  Even when he was 
badly hurt, he fought his way back.
     She liked him.  A lot.  In fact, she even...loved him.  
     That was what was filling her with dread.  Even now,she was 
violating the prime directive of Video Girls.
     A Video Girl is not supposed to love a man.
     Could that be causing her problems lately?
     She shuddered as she recalled the memory.  Of her writhing on the 
floor just outside Youta's room, her features contorted with agony as 
electricity played over her.  Of the shock of seeing her hand begin to 
vanish.  She had barely managed to avoid screaming out in pain; she 
didn't want to let Youta know what was going on.
     It might mean that she had less than five days left.
     It wasn't the thought of disappearing that scared her the most; she 
was resigned to that.
     As she sat down on a nearby park bench, Ai knew what it was that had 
her so upset.  It was the possibility of her disappearing without seeing 
Youta again.  
     Without even a word...or a goodbye.
     She bowed her head as a tear formed in the corner of her eye.

     A few yards away, another young woman was taking a walk in the small 
park.  She appeared older than Ai, in her early twenties, with long brown 
hair and clear, penetrating blue eyes.  Her appearance marked as a 
foreigner, an effect accentuated by the odd markings on her forehead and 
below her eyes.  She radiated a calm and serene beauty about her.
     Beneath her calm surface, though, the young woman was also 
troubled.  She had been working on her boyfriend's Christmas present for 
some days now, not taking any real breaks until her older sister 
practically pushed her out the door.  She needed the break, her sister 
said, to recharge and soothe her troubled spirit.
     Her sister had been right, the young woman mused.  She had been 
working too hard.  While her problems were still there, she felt a little 
better about them.  Her older sister's ideas didn't always work out, but 
sometimes, they were good ones.  
     She felt something.
     Sadness...where?
     There...that girl sitting on the bench...Her aura of sadness was 
palpable.
     For a second, she debated on whether or not to intervene.  It 
wasn't her problem, and she had troubles of her own.  Besides, the 
young girl might resent the intrusion.  
     It didn't matter, though.  Once, she helped people by granting 
wishes.  She couldn't turn her back on that.

     It took a second for Ai to become aware of a presence besides 
her.  She quickly turned to see a beautiful foreign woman gazing at 
her.
     The stranger asked, "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" in flawless 
Japanese.
     For a second, Ai was nonplussed.  She never met a foreigner, 
much less one as exotic-looking as this young woman.  And she spoke 
so well and politely...
     Whoops!  Better answer...
     Ai quickly said,"No, the seat is available."
     The foreigner replied, "Thank you," and sat down.  
     After a moment, the stranger said, "Beautiful day, isn't it?"  
Ai was too lost in her own thoughts to do more than absently nod 
her head.  Thus, she was caught completely off guard when the 
stranger turned to her and said, "My name is Belldandy.  What is 
yours?"
     Annoyance flared through Ai like a lightning bolt.  Who was 
this stranger, and why is she bothering me?  She turned to snapat 
the foreigner, only to stop.
     If there was one thing that Ai was good at, it was reading 
people's faces and minds.  While she was best with men, she was no 
slouch with women.  What she read in Belldandy's face surprised her.
     There was no guile, no hidden purpose in Belldandy's face.  
Only sincerity, kindness, and the desire to help.  It struck Ai with 
the force of a physical blow.
     Ai looked away, embarrassed.  "Uh...my name is Ai Amano.  Pleased 
to meet you."  She looked at Belldandy closely.  "You are from abroad, 
aren't you?"
     Belldandy easily replied, "Why, yes.  I'm a student at Nekomi 
Tech."
     "I see."  Ai smiled at the stranger.  "You speak Japanese 
very well."
     "Thank you."  Belldandy considered for a moment, then took the 
plunge.  "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
     Ai looked at Belldandy suspiciously, but there was no doubting 
the sincerity in her eyes.  "Ah...All right.  Go ahead."
     Belldandy whispered a silent prayer, then went on. "Are you 
all right.  You seemed so sad a moment ago."
     That startled Ai.  "How did you know?"
     "I could feel it," Belldandy simply stated.  "Is there anything 
I can do about your sadness?"
     Ai considered Belldandy's words.  Perhaps...perhaps talking 
about it might help.  After all, when Youta was down, he talked 
with her.  
     But could she trust this stranger?
     Maybe it'll help.
     "Well...there's this guy that I like.  I really like him a 
lot...But I'm going to have to leave him soon.  And...I...don't 
want to."
     Belldandy gave a slight start.  So similar to her own 
situation with Keiichi!  How could it be?
     "Why do you have to leave?"
     Ai briefly considered not answering.  She could hardly lie to 
this stranger, but would she believe the truth?  Still, there was 
something in Belldandy's eyes...it filled her with trust...
     She decided.
     "Well...you'll probably get a laugh out of this...I'm a Video 
Girl."  
     Instead of laughing, Belldandy simply said, "I see."
     "You believe me?"
     "Yes.  I have heard of Video Girls before.  You help pure-minded people 
who have broken hearts and comfort them."
     It was Ai's turn to be startled.  "How do you know that?"
     Belldandy looked at Ai steadily.  "I'm a goddess."
     Ai believed her.  If Video Girls could exist, why not goddesses?  
Somehow, Ai knew that Belldandy was telling the truth.  
     "I see."  Ai looked at the ground.  "If you know about Video Girls, 
you know that we aren't supposed to fall in love with any particular guy."
     "Yes."
     "And I fell in love with the guy who rented my tape."
     "He must be very special if you love him."
     "He is.  But I'm not supposed to love him!"  Ai's voice broke even 
as she said the words.  "I'm going to dissappear in five days...maybe 
sooner.  I don't want to leave him...but I have to!"
     Soft as a whisper, Belldandy said, "I understand."
     "How?"  That one word held a universe of pain.
     "Because...I'm having to leave the one I love, too."
     Ai gazed into Belldandy's eyes...and saw truth.  Truth..and 
something else.
     Pain.
     The kind of pain caused by a seperation from the one you love.
     "Tell me," Ai said. 
     Belldandy smiled sadly.  "There's not much to tell.  I've been given 
a recall notice.  The lord is calling me back into the heavens...and I 
don't know if I'll ever see Keiichi again."
     "I'm sorry," Ai quietly said.
     Belldandy went on.  "I have faith, though.  I truly believe that, 
somehow, I'll see Keiichi again."  She gazed at Ai steadily.  "I 
believe that you'll be with the man you love as well.  I know it."
     "Really?" Ai said in a small voice.
     "Yes."
     "His name is Youta."  Ai voice faded as she and Belldandy embraced. 
     As they held each other, they felt the love and strength flow from 
one to the other and back again.  Belldandy could feel Ai's spirit and 
brightness, like that of a flame.  Ai felt Belldandy's gentleness and 
serenity, so like Youta's, yet different.
     Finally, reluctantly they let go of each other.
     Ai quietly said, "Thank you."
     Belldandy replied, "You're welcome.  And I thank you as well.  You 
helped me as much as I hope I helped you."
     "I have?"
     "Yes.  You've given me strength to face the future."
     "And you've given me faith...faith that Youta and I will be 
together again."
     Belldandy rose from the park bench.  "I have to go.  I need to 
finish Keiichi's present."
     "That's okay.  I have to go finish running an errand."  Ai smiled 
as she also got up.
     "Are you going to be all right?"  Belldandy asked.
     "I'll be okay.  And you?"
     "I'll be fine, the Lord willing."  As Belldandy turned to leave, 
she said, "I hope everything works out with you and Youta." 
     "Good luck with Keiichi...and thank you."
     Belldandy simply nodded, and turned away.

     As Belldandy walked away, she reflected that Urd had been so 
right.  In helping Ai, she had also been helped.  Her spirit was 
renewed.  
     No matter what happens, she thought, I believe--I know in my 
heart--that I'll see Keiichi again.

     As Ai walked to the art store, she smiled.
     Thank you, Belldandy.
     I do believe that I'll see Youta again.







                               Author's Notes      
          
     I got the idea for this fanfic from a thread in raa about who 
was better, Ai or Belldandy.  Instead of comparing them, though, 
why not see what'll happen if they simply met?  Things snowballed 
from there.
    About the timeline...This takes place in the fifth episode of the 
_Oh My Goddess_ and _Video Girl Ai_ OAVs.  The time is two days before 
Christmas, and five days before Ai's tape ends.  The timeline is a little 
more flexible in _VGAi_ than it is in _OMG!_; it never does specify on 
what date Ai's tape comes to an end.  Thus, in my view, the events of 
the last part of Ep. 5 and all of 6 of _VGAi_ take place on the same day.  
    Some _VGAi_ purists would point out that in Ep. 6, Mr. Gokuraku tells 
Ai that a week passed in the real world since she was recalled to the 
video world.  Also, it is still Christmas when Youta attempts his rescue 
of Ai. To support my view, though, 
    1) Youta never changed clothes during his search for Ai.  He would 
have changed at least once during a week.
    2) The tape was being fast-forwarded.  Surely, it would take less 
than a week.  
    3) Most important of all is the VCR display shown when Ai is in her 
room worrying in Ep. 5.  It says that she has 127 hours, 16 minutes 
left to play...or a little over five days...less than a week.  If she had 
been fast forwarded, she would have been taken back a lot sooner.  
Anyway, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.  So there. 
     Of course, Ai Amano is the creation of that brilliant artist and 
writer Mazakazu Katsura.  Belldandy was created by the equally talented 
Kosuke Fujishima.  All rights to their respective characters are theirs, 
and other legal blather.
     Before I finish, I'd like to thank James the Phule, Midnight, Joyce, 
Loki, Little Mike and the rest of the gang at Texas Tech for reviewing 
this story.  Their comments, criticisms, and suggestions were very helpful.
                       
					-Raymon Gonzales
-------------------


-=Midnight=-