For the Love of a Mortal: Chapter 1
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A Colliding SYmphones production... 
  
by Anand Rao


Characters mentioned here are Property of: Kosuke Fujishima (Ah! My
Goddess) and Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½)

Used without permission for fan purposes only.
________________

In a brightly lit, large coliseum somewhere in Heaven, a lone figure sat in
quiet meditation, sweat running down his face.  His long, black hair, tied
in a pigtail, was damp with sweat as well.  It was as if he had just
completed an incredible undertaking, and rest was his reward. His breathing
was slow and steady, an aura of power growing from his center.  Suddenly, a
young girl with flowing black hair, burst through the main gates of the
coliseum and gleefully ran towards the quiet young man.  

"Ranma-niichan!  I got another one ready!  This one will be at you for
sure!"  The young girl called out.  

The young man opened his eyes, sighed in exasperation, the glow leaving him
completely.  "Well, save it for tomorrow!  I -just- finished tearing apart
that last Bang-bon of yours!"

"It's called BANPEI!  NOT Bang-Bon!  And THIS is one is better, I promise!"
The young girl insisted.

"I'm sure it is, Skuld-chan."  Ranma said, rolling his eyes.  "We will find
out for sure tomorrow.  I don't want to fight another stupid robot today."  

"Stupid. . ,"  Skuld said, her voice breaking.  "Oniichan, you think my
inventions are stupid?"

"No no no. . ,"  Ranma hastily said, grabbing the young girl in a hug.
"I'm just tired, Skuld-chan.  You're Bon-Bon's aren't stupid. My training
has gone -very- well since you've been creating sparring robots for me!"

"BanPei.  It's called a BanPei,"  Skuld said, snuffling as she fiercely
returned Ranma's hug.

"Ara, isn't this sweet!"  A voice called out from behind Skuld.

Ranma looked up and saw a woman standing behind Skuld.  She had long, dark
brown hair, and was wearing a long yellow summer dress.  "Kasumi!  When did
you get here?"  Ranma asked. He was never able to figure out exactly what
Kasumi's method of travel was.  She just appeared out of no where at the
most inopportune times.  What unnerved Ranma the most was the fact that he
could never feel her presence until he actually saw her.  

"Just now, Ranma-kun.  I just finished making this beautiful rainbow! I'm
thinking of using it in the Amazon rain forest this year. . ,"  Kasumi
replied.  Kasumi, being the Goddess of Nature, was always creating new and
lovely experiences for mortals to enjoy.  She was always optimistic that if
mortals were surrounded with enough natural beauty, they would stop
damaging the earth.  Most of the other gods felt that she was wasting her
time, but Kami-sama loved her for it.  

"I'm sure it's lovely."  Ranma replied neutrally.

"Oh!  Well, I came here because Kami-sama has requested your presence."

"I guess I'd better get going, he doesn't like to be kept waiting," Ranma
said, releasing Skuld and standing.  "Are you okay, Skuld-chan?"  Ranma asked.

"Yes, Oniichan, I'm fine.  But when you get back, you'd better spar with my
new Banpei!  Or I'll tell Akane-neechan that you were flirting with
Kasumi-neechan again!" Skuld threatened.

"Oh my!  Last time she destroyed that lovely little island, didn't she
Ranma-kun?"  Kasumi asked.

Ranma shuddered as he remembered what Akane had done to Pompei after -that-
little misunderstanding.  Akane was the Goddess of Destruction and one of
Kasumi's sisters.  She complemented Kasumi very well.  Where Kasumi created
life, Akane destroyed it, thus completing the life cycle of the universe.
It was a very important job, but Akane tended to go overboard at times.
Kami-sama had held Ranma partially responsible for the damage that Akane
had caused and both of them had ending up losing their Qualifications for a
while after that.  It was definitely not one of the brighter spots in
Ranma's immortal life;  all because Akane thought he was cheating on her.  

"I'll be back Skuld-chan, I promise,"  Ranma said weakly, praying that the
little girl wouldn't make good on her threat.  He shook his head to clear
away the unpleasant memories and started to walk out of the coliseum.  

"Oh Ranma-kun?  You might want to get a glass of cold water before you go,"
 Kasumi suggested.

Ranma blanched at the thought as Skuld giggled.  "You knew that this would
happen sooner or later, Oniichan,"  Skuld pointed out.

"I know I have to do it, but I -don't- have to -like- it!"  Ranma grumbled
as he stalked out of the coliseum.

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

A young woman walked down a deserted sidewalk on her way home.  She had
long light brown hair and was wearing a white silk blouse and long sky-blue
skirt.  She carried three large text books under one arm and was using her
other hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the setting sun.  She
always loved this time of day.  All her classes were completed, she could
sit back, enjoy an early dinner, and get down to some serious studying.  

It was a simple life, really;  wake up, go to school, come back, eat
dinner, study, then sleep.  Most people might consider this to be a bit of
a rut, but she enjoyed her simple life.  Sure, she was a bit lonely
sometimes, but she dealt with it.  She finally stopped at the front gate to
her property.  As she unlocked the gate, she glanced up the large house
that had been her home since birth.  The paused as the gate swung open and
stared at the seemingly huge mansion.  Every time she looked at it, she
thought about her parents, dead two years past, and a new wave of
loneliness descended upon her.  The house was so empty now, and was really
much larger than one person needed, yet she didn't have the heart to sell
it.  

She smiled and silently greeted her parents, a daily ritual, and walked on
to the front door.  After shuffling through her keys for a few minutes, she
unlocked the door, took off her shoes, and walked inside.  She gently
placed her books on a table in her living room and then walked upstairs to
her bedroom.  She picked up a  thin booklet off of her desk along with a
pen and sat down on her bed, bringing the telephone with her.  (Time to
register for classes again,) she thought, browsing through the well worn
booklet.  She was studying to be a doctor and was finally going to be able
to register for some advanced biology classes.  She became excited as she
picked up the phone, imagining a framed degree hanging on her wall.
(Belldandy Misaki, MD,) she thought happily, dialing the number to the
automated registration system.  

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

Ranma walked up to the huge front doors that were the outer boundaries of
Kami's office.  Up until a few centuries ago, a receptionist used to
announce any visitors that the Lord might have.  

"God of Justice, First Class Unlimited, reporting as requested,"  Ranma
stated in clear, confident voice.  The two doors slowly, but smoothly
opened and a brilliant white light blinded Ranma for a few moments. (I
-hate- these new automatic doors,) Ranma thought as his eyes adjusted to
the light. Kami's office obviously had Kasumi's touch.  Beautiful trees and
wild life were intertwined everywhere in the office.  Kami sat in the
middle of the office, surround by monitors that allowed him to keep in
touch with his various gods.  

Kami stared impassively at Ranma for a few moments and the god of Justice
swallowed nervously.  There was no demon, no god, no mortal, or beast that
Ranma feared; but when it came to Kami-sama. . .

"Why haven't you changed?"  The Lord finally asked.

"Well, I was meaning to talk to you about that. I mean, I know I agreed to
be an alternate and everything, but is this -really- necessary?"

"Considering that I hold you responsible for the current problems at the
Relief Office, yes, I'd say this is -quite- necessary."  Kami replied.

"Current problems?  What happened?"

"Akane baked some cookies for you yesterday, didn't she?" Kami asked directly

"Uh, well, maybe.  I didn't actually -see- Akane yesterday,"  Ranma
replied.  It was the truth too; Ranma knew better than trying to lie to
Kami-sama.  Skuld had been kind enough to tell Ranma that Akane was busy in
her kitchen.  Ranma prudently decided to spend the rest of the day in hell,
fighting with some minor demons.  

"Well, while you were off playing in Hell, Akane left a plate of her
cookies at the Relief Office.  Unfortunately, none of the goddesses were
aware of the cookies' origins and today, two-thirds of the office is out
sick!"  

"How is -that- my fault?"  Ranma demanded angrily, then suddenly looked
meek, remembering just who he was talking to.

"Akane is your mate."  Kami replied simply.

"Why not make -her- work in the Relief Office?"

Kami just gave Ranma "The Look".  It was a look that Ranma was used to
receiving.  "The Look" said that Ranma was an idiot.  

"I guess. . . that's not such a good idea, huh?"  Ranma said lamely.

Kami-sama smiled gently at Ranma and said, "This isn't just about Akane.
My son. . . you still have not come to terms with what has happened.
Working in the Relief Office will help you."

Ranma sighed and silently relented.

"Now.  Get going, you have a phone call to interrupt."  Kami-sama commanded.

Ranma bowed towards Kami-sama, then turned around and left the room.  As
the automatic doors closed behind the god of justice, Kami-sama wondered
aloud, "I -do- hope he remembers to change first."  

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

"The section you have selected, course number 893891 is closed," the female
automated message droned.  

Belldandy sighed as the registration system took her back to the main menu.
 She wearily crossed off another class on the list of courses she had hoped
to take.  (One more time. . . Then I eat!)  Belldandy punched in another
course number and there was a loud click on the phone.

"Hello, you've reached the. . . Goddess Relief Office, a representative
will be with you shortly,"  a bored male voice responded.

Belldandy sat back away from the phone, staring into the receiver.  (What
in the world. . ,) she thought as she put the receiver back against her
ear.  "Hello?  Is anyone there?"  She asked.  

"The section you have selected, course number 893892 has been added,"  the
familiar registration voice said.

Belldandy blinked then exited the registration system.  She giggled as she
gently hung up of the phone, "I must really need some food if I’m
hallucinating!"  

She put her notes and the registration packet back on to her desk, then
walked out of her room.  She sang softly as she walked down the stairway
and entered the kitchen.  Belldandy had led a sheltered life.  She was her
parents’ only child and they tried to protect her from every possible harm
that the world could throw at her.  Her parents did not let her go out very
often, so Belldandy took solace and found entertainment in cooking and
doing household chores.  She was a very lonely girl and doing these tasks
at least allowed her to be close to her mother.  

Belldandy’s mother was a very traditional woman and she deferred to her
husband in most matters.  The home, however, was her domain.  She was a
very efficient homemaker, and a kind, loving mother.  Belldandy’s father
was frequently away from the home on overseas business trips, so the only
friend Belldandy really had was her mother.  Deciding to go to college had
been a big step for Belldandy.  If her parents had survived, she would be
married by now, instead of being in school.  In a sense, she felt as if she
was betraying her parents by going to school.  Yet, deciding to become a
doctor was the first decision she had made for herself, and she planned to
stick to it.

Belldandy carefully placed a pot of water on the stove top, turned on the
stove, then turned to retrieve some carrots from the refrigerator.  She
placed the carrots on the counter top, then reached into a basket near a
pantry and pulled out a couple of onions.  She checked the flame level
under the pot of water, then started washing the carrots.  After the
carrots had been washed, she took a cutting board out of her pantry.  It
was at this point that the water in the pot started to glow a bright blue.  

Curious, and a bit scared, she peeked into the pot and gasped at what she
saw.  A miniature whirlpool had formed in the center of the pot; it grew
with each passing second until the water seemed to disappear altogether.
Belldandy jerked back as someone, or -something-, started to rise out of
the whirlpool.  Belldandy gaped as the figure continued to rise.  It was a
man; a young man actually.  He looked to be a bit younger than Belldandy,
but his deep blue eyes held a mark of experience, and a little wisdom.  His
whole body rose out of the small pot, and Belldandy wondered how he was
able to fit through such a small opening.  Just as his head was about to
hit the ceiling, he stopped.  He took one step forward in mid-air, then
landed lightly on the ground in front of Belldandy.

"Uh, hi.  Belldandy Misaki, I am from the Goddess Relief office, I’m here
to grant you a wish,"  the young man intoned formally.

"I must be under more stress than I thought,"  Belldandy murmured as she
fainted into the young man’s arms. 

"Oh perfect. . ," Ranma muttered as he held Belldandy.

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

Belldandy was standing in the middle of huge ballroom.  She was wearing
yellow-cream colored evening gown, and her hair was curled and tumbled down
her back, a few of the wheat-colored tresses caressing her checks.  She was
staring into the deepest set of blue eyes she had ever seen.  Hard,
muscular arms, with warm certain hands held her waist.  Soft, beautiful
music played, but Belldandy wasn’t dancing.  All she wanted to do was lose
herself in those blue eyes.  Gently, and slowly, the young man in front of
her released his hold around her waist and stepped back .  A warm smile
tugged at his lips as he bowed and said, "Your wish is my command."

The images blurred and faded as Belldandy opened her eyes.  Confused and a
bit regretful, she sat up, noticing that she was lying on a couch in her
living room, with an Afgan comforter wrapped securely around her.  She
looked up to see the young man in her dream standing in front of her.  He
was wearing a red silk shirt that was closed tightly around his torso with
a gold draw string.  It was a sleeveless shirt and Belldandy could not help
but admire the definition of his muscular biceps.  All of a sudden,
memories came crashing down on her and she realized that this man had
literally risen out of her cooking pot.

"Are you okay?"  He asked softly, standing a good distance away.  

"Who are you?"  Belldandy blurted out.

Ranma sighed and  said, "My name is Ranma, the god of Justice, from the
Goddess Relief Office."

Dozens of emotions and questions filled Belldandy’s mind.  She felt
everything from disbelief to fear, from amazement to slight hysteria, but
all she could say was, " -Goddess- Relief Office?" 

"Yeah, yeah. . . just a sec,"  Ranma replied as he turned around and walked
back into the kitchen.  

Belldandy took the opportunity to collect her thoughts and silently waited
for Ranma to come back.  She had considered running to the phone and
calling the police, but seeing as how Ranma had not hurt her,  she decided
to just wait.  After a few minutes, Ranma walked back to the living room.
He was carrying a glass of water in one hand and pot of water she had been
heating in the other.  He dumped the glass of water over his head and . . .
shrank.  "Presto-chango, Instant Goddess,"  Ranma-chan said dryly.

Belldandy’s eyes widened at Ranma’s transformation.  Where a muscular and
handsome young man stood before, there was a smaller, buxom young woman.
Her hair was the same black color and tied back in a pig-tail just like
Ranma’s hair.  The clothing that was form fitting on Ranma was a bit baggy
on this girl.  Seeing that Belldandy was speechless, Ranma dumped the pot
of warm water on top herself.  This time, the girl transformed back into
Ranma.  

"So you’re really a girl?"  Belldandy asked, a bit disappointed.  

"NO!"  Ranma yelled vehemently, then softly continued, "I’m a guy, but. . .
I was cursed.  Cold water turns me into a girl.  Hot water changes me back."

"A curse?  How- what. . ,"  Belldandy trailed off, her curiosity
over-riding her fear and rationality.

"It’s not really something I want to talk about,"  Ranma said uncomfortably.

"Oh, I- I see, "  Belldandy said, a bit downcast, then remembering
something that Ranma had said, she looked up and asked, "You’re a god?" 

"Yeah."

"Why are you here?"  Belldandy asked, a bit of fear and apprehension
creeping back into her.

"I’m here to grant you a wish," Ranma replied.

"Oh,"  Belldandy said.  She had forgotten about that part.  

"You’re, uh, taking this really well.  I kinda expected you to freak out
and call the police or something,"  Ranma replied.

"Well, that idea did occur to me, had you had just knocked on  my door and
said you were a god, well, I might have called the police, or at least, an
asylum," Belldandy giggled then continued, "but seeing as how you rose out
of a small pot of water and then your transformation. . .  Let’s just say
that you convinced me."

"Guess that makes sense," Ranma agreed.

"So, I can wish for anything I want?"  Belldandy asked.

"Um, uh- yeah. . . Pretty much anything,"  Ranma replied.

Belldandy nodded silently and contemplated what to wish for.  After a few
moments, it was obvious to Ranma that nothing was coming to mind.  He tried
to remember what the Wish Granting Handbook had said about handling such
situations.  He never actually read the Handbook, but was -very- thankful
that Kasumi had decided to read it to him.  Wincing at his lack of memory,
he decided to engage Belldandy in some small talk.  Conversation wasn’t
really Ranma’s strong point, but it always seemed to work for Kasumi.

"So, you, uh, live here all by yourself?"  Ranma asked.

Belldandy broke out of her mental concentration and looked at Ranma.  "Yes,
I’ve been living here alone for two years, ever since my parents died," she
replied.

"It must get kinda lonely,"  Ranma said.

"It does, at times.  But I’m going to the university, and I have a few
friends there, so I’m okay,"  Belldandy replied with a small smile.

"University?  What are you studying?"  Ranma asked, genuinely curious.

"I want to be a doctor."

"That’s good.  You have a kind and giving spirit; a healer’s spirit,"
Ranma said, without thinking.  

A blush grew on Belldandy’s face as she smiled demurely.  "Thank you,"  she
replied quietly. 

"Uh, no prob.  Well, have you decided on a wish?"  Ranma asked hopefully.

"To be honest, there really isn’t anything that I want," Belldandy replied.

"Nothing?  I mean, you don’t have any kinda dreams or. . ."

"Of -course- I have dreams!  But I can’t achieve them through wishing.  I
live comfortably in this big house, I don’t have to worry about money or
anything.  All I really want is to be a doctor, and I’m already on my way
to achieving that goal."

"I. . . see.  Well, I don’t know what to say," Ranma replied scratching his
head.  

"I’m sorry you wasted your time,"  Belldandy apologized. 

"Oh it’s no problem, glad to be here. . .but, are you -sure- you don’t want
a wish?"

"I’m sure,"  Belldandy said firmly.

"Well, okay.  Uh, how about this?  I’ll come by tomorrow, and if you’ve
changed your mind, you can make your wish then,"  Ranma offered.

Belldandy smiled; the thought of seeing Ranma again was not unpleasant.
"Are you sure?  You won’t be busy or anything?"  Belldandy asked.

"Look, I’ll be honest with ya, I don’t particularly -like- working in the
Relief Office.  But the Boss says you deserve a wish, so I wanna make sure
you get one, okay?"  

"All right, Ranma-sama.  I’ll see you tomorrow then,"  Belldandy replied.

"Right. And Belldandy, just call me Ranma, okay?"  


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

"Stupid bucket of bolts, that actually hurt!"  Ranma winced as he wiped the
blood off of his lip.  After returning to Heaven he promptly returned to
the coliseum to spar with Skuld’s latest invention.  The young goddess had
been waiting eagerly for Ranma’s return.   The new robot was all Skuld had
promised and more.  Ranma, did, of  course, tear the mecha to shreds; but
not before it was able to get in a good blow that managed to draw blood.
That the robot would actually cause Ranma pain was something that had not
occurred to Skuld and it had taken Ranma a long time to get her to stop
crying and apologizing to him.

The latest Banpei was not a great deal stronger than any of its
predecessors, but Ranma had been rather absent-minded during the fight.  He
was thinking about Belldandy.  She was so kind and had such a pure heart.
That was rare in a mortal, and even rarer among the immortal denizens of
heaven.  In some ways, Belldandy reminded him of Kasumi.  Yet Belldandy had
a spark of intelligence that Kasumi either lacked, or did not portray.  He
was looking forward to seeing her again; looking forward to being in the
presence of that purity and innocence.  

As Ranma wiped some of the sweat off of his face, a woman entered the
coliseum.   She had short black hair and was wearing skin-tight, yellow
leather pants with a matching cut-off shirt.  "Hello Lover,"  she purred
seductively.  

"Hi Akane, uh, so, what have you been up to?"  Ranma asked, his voice
quivering and his knees turning weak.  

Akane snuggled up to Ranma and playfully twirled her index finger on his
chest.  "Oh nothing much.  I was just playing with this little fault line
in California.  I believe the locals call it the San Andreas.  The mortals
there are so much fun!  They run away screaming at the slightest tremor,"
Akane said.

Ranma nervously wondered what Akane considered to be a "slight tremor".
As he stared into his mate’s eyes, apprehension and lust began to build in
him.  Akane affected his mind and body in ways he could not begin to
fathom.  She had enough passion for the both of them and Ranma was often
swept  away  when they were together.  She expressed rage and love with
equal intensity and switched from one to the other almost instantaneously.
That passion and intensity was what drew Ranma to her.  He had never felt
-that- strongly about anything; not even martial arts.  Through pain or
pleasure, Akane made Ranma feel alive.  

"I heard about -your- trip to earth," Akane continued.

"Oh?  Yeah, I had to help out at the Relief Office,"  Ranma replied.

"Pretty girl,"  Akane commented, neither her tone or manner changing.

"What was that?"  Ranma asked.

"The girl you went to see on earth.  She’s pretty,"  Akane repeated.

"Yeah. . . I guess,"  Ranma floundered.

  " ‘She has a kind and gentle spirit; a -healer’s- spirit!’"  Akane said
nastily, stepping away from Ranma.

"You- you were spying on me?"  Ranma asked weakly, resigning himself to the
pain she was about to inflict on him.

"NO! But I -should- have!  You -know- that Nabiki keeps track of everything
we do down on earth!"  Akane snarled.

"Oh man, it was no big deal, Akane.  I wasn’t doing nothing with her!"
Ranma protested.

"No big deal?  You’re going to see her again!  You were flirting with her!
You’re -always- flirting!" Akane yelled.

"Hey! I haven’t flirted with anyone since we’ve been together!"  

"Oh really?  What about that celebration we after the victory over
Saffron?"  Akane challenged.

"What are you talking about, Akane?  As I recall, -you- were flirting with
Ryoga that time!"  Ranma stated, starting to get angry.

"I flirted with Ryoga only because you were hanging all over those two
Valkyrie sluts!"  

"I was -not- hanging all over Shampoo and Ukyou!  We were all singing
together, remember?  It was a celebration!  We -all- had a little too much
to drink that night. . ."

"I remember. . ," Akane said softly, "I remember how we made up that night."  

"So do I," Ranma said, a blush growing on his face.

Suddenly Akane grabbed a fist-full of Ranma’s shirt and pulled him close to
her.  "You’re -mine- Ranma. No one else can have you,"  she growled,
leaning closely and licking the blood on Ranma’s lips.


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

"Bell-chan?  Bell-chan?  Bell-chan!"

"Huh?  What?  What is it, Yuri?"  

"Bell, you’ve been daydreaming all day!  I mean, I can understand doing it
in class, but come on!  We’re relaxing now!  Enjoying these delicious
parfaits, and you haven’t heard a word I said."

"I’m sorry, Yuri, I’ve had a lot on my mind today,"  Belldandy apologized
to the girl sitting in the booth across from her.  The trip to the café was
a weekly ritual for Belldandy and her friends.  It was one of the few
things that helped keep her loneliness at bay.

"Yeah Bell, you’ve really been out of it today," a girl sitting next to
Belldandy commented, "I mean, you didn’t even notice when Natsushida
sensei’s class was over!  It was so funny!  You were sitting there all by
yourself!  Sensei -even- turned the lights off!"  

All the girls started laughing as Belldandy turned bright red.  "It wasn’t
-that- funny, Akemi,"  Belldandy mumbled.  

"But it was!" Akemi protested, still laughing.

"What -is- bothering you today, anyway?"  A girl sitting next to Yuri asked.

"Oh, Natsuko, I bet she met some guy!"  Yuri proclaimed jokingly, then
stared with growing pleasure as Belldandy’s blush became critical. 

"You mean, you -did- meet a guy?"  Akemi asked.

Belldandy looked down, refusing to meet the eager gazes of her friends.  A
smile nearly broke out on her face as she replied, "Maybe."

The girls giggled again and leaned in like co-conspirators.  "Come on,
Bell-chan!  Give!" Yuri demanded.

"What’s he like?"  Natsuko asked.

"Did he ask you out?"  Akemi chipped in.

"Oh, I bet he’s built like a god!"  Yuri said dreamily.

Belldandy nearly choked on that comment and glanced at her watch to avoid
looking her friends’ faces.
Suddenly, she gasped and stood up. "I’m going to be late!" She exclaimed.
She gathered up her books and her purse, left some money on the table for
her food and started to get ready to leave.  "I’m sorry guys, I really have
to go now," she apologized.  

"You -can’t- leave us like this Bell-chan!!"  Yuri wailed.

"Yeah!  You have to tell us about your new boyfriend!"  Akemi said.

"He’s not my- Oh never mind, I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow, okay?"
Belldandy replied, quickly leaving the café. 

"Woah.  She’s got it bad,"  Yuri said sagely.

"It’s about time too. . ," Natsuko replied.


Belldandy rushed home and immediately went to the kitchen.  She still had
not thought about any kind of a wish, but she -did- want to at least cook
Ranma a nice meal when he arrived.  She just wanted to show him some
appreciation for granting her a wish; even if she didn’t accept it.  She
had been thinking about Ranma all day, and wanted everything to be perfect
when he arrived.  (Oh, why -did- I go to the café today,) she asked
herself, frantically cooking up a storm.  She opened up a pantry and
reached for the bottle of soy sauce.  A small frown creased her face when
she noticed that it was almost empty.  (This won’t do at all.)

She stepped back from the pantry and glanced at the top shelf.  (I -should-
have an extra bottle up there,) she thought hopefully.  Belldandy checked
the flame over the stove, then quickly ran to a closet in  her hallway and
picked up a stepladder.  Rushing back to the kitchen,  she placed the
stepladder in front of the pantry and stepped up to the top of it.
Standing on the tips of her toes, she was able to see an unopened bottle of
soy sauce, located at the back of the pantry.  

She reached into the pantry and tried to grab the bottle, but she was
missing it by a few inches.  (Why does -everything- in this house have to
be so big!)  Stretching her arms as far as she could and leaning over, she
was able reach the bottle with the tips of her fingers.  Unfortunately, as
she tried to force the bottle forward, she lost her balance on the
stepladder and nearly fell forward.  She  quickly tried to regain her
balance, but over-compensated and ended up falling backwards instead.  

She closed her eyes and screamed in fear, but then someone caught her.
"Are you all right Belldandy?"  Ranma’s voice asked softly in her ear.
Belldandy opened her eyes, looked at Ranma, and was once again caught in
the deep blue pools of his eyes.  "Lucky thing I arrived when I did, huh?
I decided to come through your kitchen sink this time.  Are you okay?"  He
asked again.

"Oh Ranma. . ,"  Belldandy quivered holding on to his arms tightly.  "I’m
okay, just a little shook up."  Ranma smiled down at her and she could feel
the warmth and concern in this eyes.  It was a good feeling, she hadn’t
felt so safe in over two years.  "Oh Ranma," she sighed again, "I wish
someone like you could stay with me for the rest of my life."  Ranma
stiffened beneath her and she blushed, "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean. . ,"
Belldandy’s voice trailed off as a previously covered mark on Ranma’s
forehead began  to glow with a bright blue light.  Belldandy felt Ranma
rise off of his feet and into the air.  His eyes glowed with the same
majestic light that emanated from his forehead.  

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it all stopped.  The light blinked out
and Ranma was back on solid ground, still carrying Belldandy.  She looked
into his blinking, shocked eyes as he said, "Wish Approved." 

"Approved?"  She asked weakly.

"Yeah,"  Ranma replied.

"I see,"  Belldandy murmured as she closed her eyes and unconsciously
snuggled into Ranma’s shoulder.  

(Akane’s gonna -kill- me.  No, she’s destroy a small country, -then- she’ll
kill me!)  Ranma thought with growing dread.  Then, he looked at
Belldandy’s beautifully peaceful face, and he couldn’t help but smile.

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

Chapter 1: The End

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

Apply one deranged Otaku’s Kasumi fixation to Oh My Goddess!  and this is
the result! 

Hope you enjoy it!


Send all comments to anandr@earthlink.net

_______________________________
| C  S |                      |
| O  Y | "If you can't fight, |
| L  M |                      |
| L  P | and you can't flee,  |
| I  H |                      |
| D  O |   flow."             |
| I  N |                      |
| N  I |  ----Robert Elliot   |
| G  E |______________________|
|    S | Anand Rao            |
|______|______________________|