ukyoukwnji@aol.com This story's a little different, and maybe a little dark... I dunno. Anyway, all the characters belong to Kosuke Fujishima this time, and no offense is intended. Thanks to everybody at the FFML for their comments and support. Hope y'all enjoy this change of pace... *** DAME FORTUNE LAUGHS an Ah! My Goddess fanfiction by Ukyou Kuonji *** Toshiyuki Aoshima inspected his reflection in a storefront mirror. Tie straightened, jacket adjusted, every hair in place; yes, he was ready. His suit was dark, in keeping with the circumstances, but not so much so that it looked like he was going to another funeral. If all worked according to plan, this was to be a date, not a dirge. Keiichi Morisato had been a worthy rival. An honest, upstanding chap, if a little possessive of his woman -- of course, who was Aoshima to talk about such things as possessiveness? Certainly, he had done everything in his power to wrest the glorious Belldandy from his rival's clutches, all to no avail. Indeed, he noted to his irritation, some of his plans merely served to drive the girl closer to 'her Keiichi.' Even more annoying to some extent, Belldandy's affections toward Morisato had begun to intrigue his cousin Sayoko, and propel *her* towards him. What did Sayoko see in that little pipsqueak? Actually, Toshi didn't think she saw anything in him at all, but if such a creature as Belldandy thought him worthy of her, there had to be something to him, and Sayoko *would* find out what it was. In that, she became an ally: the idea was that eventually she would take Keiichi, and he would have Belldandy to himself. A fortnight ago, all that changed. *** No one would have anticipated it to end this way -- even the gods may have been taken by surprise. After all, it seemed at times as if Morisato was indestructible. Certainly, with Belldandy at his side, he lived a charmed life, impervious to trials divine or diabolic. But apart from her, Keiichi Morisato was as vulnerable as any other mortal. It was late on a Saturday night. According to the police reports, his motorcycle was sideswiped by car being driven by some drunken salaryman on his way home to the exurbs after a long bender with some business cronies. The jolt caused him to lose control of the bike and fly off the bridge they were on into a culvert. Toshiyuki shuddered at the thought. The seconds of cartwheeling horror as the bike drove off into midair, the realization that there was no power in heaven or on earth there to come to his rescue, the impact onto the stubborn concrete below. A horrible way to go. After a long pasue, Aoshima shrugged. Well, were there any *pleasant* ways to die, after all? *** He was sorry that things happened this way. In his efforts to sabotage Belldandy and Keiichi's relationship, he was more than willing to do things like draining Morisato's gas tank so that *he* could drive off with Belldandy, but deeds like, say, cutting a brake line, were far beyond the pale for him. Physical harm was not his style. And it was as much a relief to him as everybody else concerned when the drunk driver was apprehended. Some people were starting to talk... accusing *him*, of all people, of setting the accident up! Well, he couldn't deny that Dame Fortune had smiled down upon him by removing Morisato from the picture. Drunkenness is taken a little more in stride in Japan; it's the salarymen's safety valve, after all. But an outraged NIT student body demanded justice, and Aoshima even went so far as to hire lawyers to argue for a severe sentance for the guilty party. It took the gossips by surprise, and even Belldandy and her sisters seemed impressed by his dedication to the cause. It gave him hope. *** As he approached the gate of the temple grounds that Belldandy and her sisters called home, his mind drifted back to the funeral. He had borne some of the cost of that, too; partly to make amends for the grief he'd caused Morisato in life, partly to continue to quash the rumor mill, and partly for Belldandy's sake. During the ceremony, however, he had decided to keep a reasonable distance between himself and Belldandy, who was sobbing on Urd's shoulder. This was just not the time for thos sorts of thoughts. Besides, Sayoko needed attending to... She was thoroughly distraught. And somewhat drunk. And -- most curious -- enraged at him. "I s'pose yer happy now, arrrntcha?" He maintained a flat expression. "Should I be?" Sayoko wobbled and thumped her chest, as if trying to release something. "Ooooh yeah. He's gone for good, so she's alll yers, hmm? Go ferr it, tiger, why dontcha?" Toshiyuki closed his eyes and sighed as he sat down next to his cousin. "Look, Sayoko. I'm really sorry about this, okay? I don't know what to tell you. Yeah, I guess I'm in luck, but this isn't what I had in mind when I wanted to catch her on the rebound. He departs this way, and he's a martyr... she'll never get over him, she'll practically deify him. I don't think I could compete with that." Sayoko dragged herself out of her chair and levelled an accusing finger at him. "You couldn't compete with him when he was alive, Toshi! He was too good, too sweet for this world. I wasn't worthy of him, and you... you think you're worthy of the one person who was? Well, I've got news for you, buster..." Toshiyuki stood up and clamped his hand over his cousin's mouth. "Cut it out, willya? This is a funeral, for Kami's sake! A little respect for the dead, if you don't mind..." His hand was batted away. "Respect for the dead? *You're* asking *me* to have respect for the dead? Look at her, Toshi..." and she pointed at the three sisters. "I *know* what you're thinking about right now, and I'm pretty sure that's not very respectful of the dead!" She turned on her heel and stalked out as best she could, given her condition. Actually, she was quite wobbly. Toshiyuki hurried after her. "Sayoko, please, let me drive you home. You won't remember a thing of this in the morning. Believe me." *** Indeed, the incident did seem to have been forgotten, and after two weeks had passed, Toshiyuki Aoshima decided the time was ripe. "What do you think, Sayoko? Have I given her enough time to recover?" "Toshi,what do *you* think? *I* haven't recovered, and he wasn't even mine." Sayoko's face was somewhat grim. "Yeah, well, I imagine she needs some comfort beyond that which her sisters can give her. You know what they say about widows..." "No, what *do* they say?" "Ah..." Aoshima's mind went blank. He couldn't think of a single epigram. "Well, you know, they have certain... needs, after all. They're accustomed to... various activities that his, er... absence deprives them of." A wan smile began to creep over the grey mask. "And what makes you think she and Morisato ever...?" "Well, she's familiar with love hotels, that much I know." Sayoko's eyes went wide. "No kidding? How d'ya know that?" "Well... I took her to one once, and she understood where she was, and I think what was expected..." "Get out! *You* took her to a love hotel? No *wonder* you think you have a shot at her!" Sayoko leaned forward. "What happened there?" "Uh..." Toshiyuki scratched the back of his head. "It's a difficult story to tell... I think she threw me out." Sayoko facefaulted. "You haven't got a *prayer*, Tosh'." Aoshima drew himself up defiantly. "Well, I'm going, anyway." "Whatever. Good luck, I guess." *** The sun shone cheerily as he crossed the temple courtyard. Yes, it looked as if through all these disastrous events of the past couple of weeks, fortune was finally smiling down on him. Maybe she would give him a tumble. Maybe she would actually like him. Maybe... Maybe she would answer the door. Toshiyuki stood there, tapping his foot impatiently, checking his bouquet to make sure it hadn't wilted yet. Finally, he could make out a tall shadow approaching the door, followed by a shorter figure. his gaze narrowed: could it be? Could Morisato's amazing luck have allowed him to even cheat death? He shook himself slightly as Urd shunted the door open. Oh, and that was Skuld following behind. His imagination had been running away with him again. He placed his hand to his forehead in disgust at himself. With his hand over his face, neither of the two sisters recognized him right away. "Can I help you?" asked Urd. Her voice, smooth as satin, calmed his agitation, and he dropped his hand and lifted his face. "Here goes nothing...> "Is Miss Belldandy in?" A pained and irritated look crossed Urd's face. "Oh... it's you. Go away, little man." "Yeah! Belldandy's gone!" Skuld chimed in, and she looked as if she was about to cry. What? Toshiyuki Aoshima was not about to be dismissed so easily. Not when the prize was so nearly in his grasp. "Oh, she's here all right..." He walked into the temple, right between the two sisters. "I can tell..." He sniffed the air. "She can't have left; I know her scent, and the trail ends here." He put his hand to the door of what he believed to be Belldandy's room. But before he shunted the door open, he turned to face Urd and Skuld. "I'm really terribly sorry about this intrusion, ladies... But I really must speak with Miss Belldandy." Urd shook her head. "You won't find her in there." Aoshima faced her, defiant, his hand still on the door. "This *is* her room..." Urd nodded. "And she just walked in here not too long ago... I can tell." Urd cocked her head, surprised at his perception. "That's true, but..." "Fine, then." And he turned to the door, opened it, and stepped into,,, an empty room. A number of boxes of memorabilia had been piled up into a corner, and a mirror hung on the opposite wall, but apart from that, the room was completely bare. "B-b-but... where...?" Urd walked over to him, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "She's gone home, little man." "Home?" He knew the three girls were gaijin, but their native land was just one of the mysteries about them he had not yet been able to ascertain. "Where's that?" The older girl rolled her eyes, with an expression of 'you-don't-get- it-do-you' "No, she's gone home... to be with Keiichi. Home to be with our Father." The phrase sounded vaguely Christian, like a Western euphemism for... no! Toshiyuki Aoshima's eyes glazed over, and he staggered from the temple grounds, grief-stricken. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the mocking laughter of a woman, a cross perhaps between Sayoko and Urd. It must be Dame Fortune herself, he thought to himself, as he ran desperately into the night. ***** Comments and criticism are welcomed, nay, begged for. Please send to: ukyoukwnji@aol.com Until next time, I am yours. Itsu mo, Ucchan