Disclaimer: I do not own Ah! My Goddess! The wonderful story of Belldandy and Keiichi belong to Kosuke Fujishima, whom has a wonderful gift and talent. I am simply writing this for your enjoyment, so don't sue me. If you don't like this story then don't read it, simple as that. I hope you do like it though! ^__^
A Love That Casts A Shadow
Chapter 4: Adjusting to Love
Afternoon came, shining the bright sun over the temple. The soft breezes carried the curtains upon the windows, so that they ruffled slightly. Laughter was heard through the hallways. Keiichi and Nova sat together, studying some old photos. The one Keiichi held was a shot of him with ice- cream all over his face. Belldandy had left to pick up the bottle of milk Keiichi had forgotten yesterday.
'Oh well�' he sighed. 'It would have smashed anyway. I still need to get the bike back and fix it.' A moan of irritation escaped his lips as he leaned back against the couch.
Nova was happily eyeing the pictures one by one. Her eyes were lit up with enthusiasm. Even without memory, she was happy. Such nice people had taken her in, and were now trying everything possible to help her. Not to mention how peaceful the temple was. Nova paused and touched a picture slowly.
"What is this?" She questioned Keiichi.
Keiichi leaned forward over her shoulder. It was a caption of him and Belldandy gazing at the ocean from a balcony. Urd had taken it, claiming it to be the most romantic setting. He smiled and answered, "The beach. How about we vacation there for a couple of days?"
"Really?!" Nova's eyes lit up even more as she clung to his neck tightly. "Thank you so much Keiichi!"
"We'll just have to wait for Belldandy to return," Keiichi laughed nervously. The last thing Nova needed was stress, and the beach was just the remedy for that. He shuddered at the thought of him going in the water.
'I still don't know how to swim�'
*************
Belldandy quietly hummed to herself as she strolled downtown. The streets bustled with people running errands or hanging out with friends. Trees swayed in the winds, their fallen leaves creating a blanket on the earth. Dressed in a simple outfit consisting of a skirt and light sweater, Belldandy fit right in with the crowd. Save for her markings, which were never noticed anyway.
She turned to enter a food store. A small bell rang as the goddess stepped through the door.
"Ah! Belldandy! Welcome," the shopkeeper greeted. "Is there something I could do for you?"
"Oh, hello," Belldandy responded with a bow. "I'm just here to pick up some milk."
As the owner went to go retrieve the item, Belldandy could not help, but feel a negative energy. The same as last night in fact. Glancing around the store, she saw no one else.
Pushing aside the vibes, Belldandy quietly paid for the milk, and left. While on her way home, the negative vibes hit her senses again. Soft breezes soon transformed themselves into terrible gusts of wind. The cold air stung against her face as she turned to face whatever it may be.
Not in the least surprising, Mara stood there with her usual grin.
"Belldandy! How are you?" She asked in a delightful tone that was all-too- fake. Seeing the two were alone, Mara sat in mid air with her legs crossed. Her leather outfit made small noises when she moved. "I heard that there is a fourth goddess in Keiichi's household."
Belldandy nodded, knowing all too well that this meant trouble from the demoness.
"Well, I stopped by to greet her and�" Mara paused while twirling a lock of silver hair between her fingers. She glanced at Belldandy, hoping to have captured her attention; and was pleased to know she had. "I saw how much Keiichi adores her. They were practically all over each other!"
The goddess grew frustrated, clenching her fists together. "Please leave us Mara, your tricks won't work anymore."
Mara yawned rudely. "Don't take my word for it, go see them yourself." With a wave of her hand, the winds died down. She gave Belldandy a mischievous smile and then disappeared. The world appeared brighter with the demoness' absence, yet Belldandy only saw shadow.
*************
Nova shut the photo album with a delightful sigh. All those pictures held wonderful memories of Keiichi and the three goddesses. She enjoyed every one of them. Especially the ones taken at Christmas, when the family sat together for gifts. There had been such love within those pictures. If only Nova could experience them all.
"Thank you, Keiichi," Nova said while handing him the red covered book. He took it with a smile.
Nova went to get up, but felt something from behind her push her down. In her mind, she heard a wicked laugh as she fell onto Keiichi.
Surprisingly, Nova found herself unable to move. Instead, a wave of emotions flooded her soul. Desire rose above them all. The two were frozen to their places, gazing into each other's eyes. Keiichi could feel his heart pounding faster and faster with each breath. His breathing rate itself increased rapidly. Why was he feeling this? It almost felt as if he were a puppet, and desire was playing the strings.
Nova gulped, feeling her cheeks turn red. She lowered her head closer to Keiichi's, parting her lips for a kiss. Then hesitated as the sound of broken glass was heard.
Belldandy was home�
****************
Mara gave a chuckle to herself. Having Nova around would give her some entertainment with the couple. Always bothered by their love,
Mara would pay visits every now and then to try to ruin them. Most of the time she annoyed them. Now, however, her simple plots were going to increase a notch. This made her grin with satisfaction.
"Mara!" Came a stern voice in the darkness, in which the demons lived. Hild, demoness of the underworld, stepped from where she had been standing. Mara's gaze fell upon Urd's mother. She held cat-like eyes with a head of white hair. A star and two triangles marked her face. Before thinking any further, Mara knelt before her queen. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just having some fun, My Queen," Mara responded.
"Don't get them suspecting you, Mara. We cannot let them find out what Hell is up to. It won't be long now."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Then, Hild turned on her heel and vanished.
Chapter5 coming soon!!
Author's Notes: Here's chapter 4, I hope everything is getting interesting. ^-^" Chapter 5 and 6 will be up real soon, and then I have to write chapter 7. I will try to keep the story interesting. 'Prays it will work out' ~Riona
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