Goddess In The Mirror

Wow. It's been ten days now. Feels like a lot longer than that, though--and I'm not sure that's a good thing. It's just ... Mara can be so *mean* sometimes. I've never met any divinity before her, but I guess I kind of expected goddesses to be nicer than that.

Who am I to complain, though? Most guys like me never get a chance to be with a woman like her in their entire lives--and here Mara is, willing to stay with me, Keiichi Morisato, for the rest of my life. I can only hope that some day I'll be good enough to make her happy.

Then there's Verdandi. I don't think I've ever met a nicer girl in my whole life. What a contrast. If there's ever anybody who *should* be a goddess, it's gotta be her. Not based on looks, of course...she's all right, but certainly not a head-turner like Mara is. But her personality. She's so sweet and innocent, and she always knows just what to say.

I can't really place it, but it almost seems like there's something more to her. I kinda get a feeling of Deja Vu when I'm talking to her--like we met in some previous life. Heck, maybe we did. I mean, up until a week ago, I'd never seen a goddess, and wouldn't have believed they even existed. Now, well, anything's possible.

Either way, she makes an excellent roommate for Megumi. They seem to get along really well together. A lot better than Megumi would get along with Mara, that's for sure. Whenever the two of them are in the same room, you can almost *feel* the tension. I asked Meg about it a couple days ago, but I couldn't get a straight answer out of her, which was strange. Usually she doesn't avoid questions like that.

And then there's Mara and Verdandi. For the life of me, I can't figure out what's going on between those two. I mean, Mara's kinda rude to everybody, but she takes it a step or two farther when Verdandi's around. It's like she's got some kind of grudge or something. And Verdandi doesn't seem like she knows what to make of it. She just kind of takes it, and goes on like nothing's the matter.

Case in point--yesterday, Verdandi invited Mara and I over for dinner. She's a wonderful cook, as I've discovered. Anyway, Mara, Megumi, and I were all sitting down at the table, when Verdandi walked out of the kitchen carrying this tray of--get this--Italian food. I've never really been one to like Italian all that much, but man, when I smelled her cooking, well, count me as converted!

"Wow, that smells great!"

"Oh, thank you Keiichi!" Her smile really does light up a room. I wonder if Mara's does as well. It's hard to tell though, since she seems to spend all her time glowering at everyone. I wish I could do something to make her smile like that.

So anyway, Verdandi passed our plates out. There was some sort of breaded chicken with cheese and tomato sauce, some ravioli, and a really nice salad. She had even put a little piece of parsley at the side of the plate as a garnish. Everything looked so nice I almost felt guilty about eating it.

I think Meg felt the same way I did, but Mara basically turned her nose up at it. She took a bite, and then made a face and started pouring salt and pepper all over it.

I went ahead and tried it myself, expecting the worst after seeing Mara's reaction. All I can say now is that I think she needs to have her taste buds checked.

"This is excellent!" I really meant it, too, but I could tell by the way Verdandi was glancing back and forth between myself and Mara that she didn't believe me.

And then to make things worse, Mara goes and says, "Oh, he's just being tactful."

I looked up at her sharply. Let me just say that Mara's gaze is a difficult one to meet. I saw those eyes boring into me, and I had to look away. I felt so ashamed of myself. I really *did* like Verdandi's cooking--a lot, actually--but I couldn't tell her that with Mara staring at me.

"Keiichi, when you say things like that to people, you do more harm than good. It's best that someone be honest with Verdandi about her cooking so she'll stop and other people won't have to suffer through it."

Verdandi excused herself after that--her voice was trembling a bit. I could tell she was on the verge of tears. She ran into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. I'm not sure, but I think I could hear her crying from inside.

Megumi was furious. Sometimes I really wish I had my sister's courage. She leaned right over the table and slapped Mara across the face ... and not just a little slap. She did it like she *meant* it.

Now, Mara looks mad most of the time, but this was the first time I'd ever seen her *really* ticked off. I could almost imagine little flames burning in her eyes when she wound up and slapped Meg back. It was enough to knock her backwards a bit, and I think it actually drew a little blood from the corner of her mouth. Meg was stunned--and scared too, unless I read her wrong.

Mara looked back and forth between the both of us with a level gaze, and then stood up and walked out the door, leaving us there in the dining room by ourselves. Meg just kind of looked at me, like she didn't know what to think. Verdandi's sobbing from the bathroom finally broke the silence.

"I think I should--" Meg trailed off, looking back over her shoulder at the bathroom.

"Yeah," I replied. "Um, I better go. I'm really sorry about this, Meg. You gonna be all right?"

Megumi picked up her napkin and dabbed another drop of blood away from her mouth. "Yeah ... don't worry about it, Kei. It's not your fault."

I nodded dumbly, thankful that I had a sister like Meg, whom I could count on. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I said, standing up to leave.

"Yeah. Bye Kei."

I waved half-heartedly as I shut the door behind me.

*

Urd was bored. She sat down in her chair in front of her designated computer terminal, propping her head up with one hand. It wasn't that there was nothing for her to do in Heaven, it was just that her job could become extremely tedious at times. Usually it consisted of watching the log files fill up, correcting any errors in the database as they came along, then repeating the process. After scrolling up and down through her email for what seemed to be the hundredth time, it dawned on her that there was a way she could relieve her boredom. She would go visit her younger sister.

The walk from Urd's post in the Yggdrasil System Administration building to the Goddess Relief Office was not a very long one. Just follow the path under the crystal arches, turn left at the World Tree, and walk straight on until you see a skyscraper built in the metal-and-crystal architectural style of the first millenium, with massive, ornately-carved ebony doors and the words "Goddess Relief Office" in gold script just above them. A casual observer would have been amazed at the sights, but to Urd, it was nothing new.

The four front doors led into a lobby built with gold and white marble. The front desk, an impressive stone affair with famous scenes from various religious texts inlaid in well-polished bronze, was staffed by five eager, young, smiling goddesses in training. A giant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bathing the entire room with a soft blue glow. Urd just shook her head; it was ridiculous how far they were willing to go just to impress people.

The actual splendor, however, ended just inside the elevator, where good business sense finally managed to outweigh the desire to overwhelm. The elevator was fast, at least, and shot Urd up seventy-two stories in a matter of seconds without so much as a flinch, using some sort of antigravity field to dampen the effects of the acceleration inside.

The doors slid open to reveal row after row of cubicles, just like one would expect from a modern office building down on Earth. Urd meandered over to Belldandy's office, expecting to find her inside; she was surprised to discover that it was actually vacant. Normally Belldandy was a very neat person, but it struck Urd as odd that all the photos and knick knacks her younger sister had accumulated in her office were missing. After checking through a few drawers and finding them to be empty as well, she came to the conclusion that Bell must have been transferred elsewhere.

Wondering why she had not been informed of this, she proceeded to ask a few workers in nearby cubicles to see if they could shed any light on this situation. Most just shrugged, said they didn't know where her sister had gone, and continued on with their business.

Urd was confused. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was a mystery.

Giving up on that particular line of searching, she headed back to her own cubicle in at the squat, gray Systems Administration building, where she sifted through logs relating to her sister and recent duties. After a brief search, she discovered that Belldandy had been assigned to grant the wish of one 'Keiichi Morisato', but the wish was marked as yet unfulfilled. Strangely enough, Belldandy's current location was not listed, most likely due to yet another bug in the system, which would have to be fixed later. She browsed through the mortal database and found that this Keiichi was a college student who had been living in the Nekomi Institute of Technology's Mens' Dorm. Just recently, however, he had moved out and gone to a small apartment complex called 'Northwood Tower.'

Where Keiichi is, she decided, Belldandy is most likely to be near. It was time she pay them both a surprise visit.

*

"Delivery!" The postman walked to the front desk and rang the service bell.

The receptionist looked up in annoyance since she was sitting right there reading a book and fanning herself, most obviously in view. She really didn't like that bell, and she guessed that visitors just felt the need to ring it regardless of whether she was sitting there or not. She concluded that this man was a jerk and thought nothing more of it.

"Sign here please," he said, handing her an electronic pad.

She took it and scribbled a few characters in the signature box, then handed the pad back and watched with mild distaste as he walked out the door. The label on the package read 'Morisato'--no first name was given, and the writing looked as if it had been scrawled there hastily. She started to get up to put it in its rightful mailbox, but at that moment Megumi wandered into the building.

"Hey Megumi, I have a package for you!" she said, pointing at her surname on the label.

Megumi gave her a confused look as she accepted the small item.

"Who's it from?" the receptionist asked.

Megumi turned the package over a few times, scanning it for a return address. "I dunno--it doesn't say." She waved it in front of her face, fanning herself in the summer heat. "It sure is hot outside. I think I'm gonna head up to my room and change into something a bit lighter. Catch ya later!"

"Hey Meg," the receptionist called after her, "is everything all right?"

Meg turned around. "Sure--why?"

"You've got a bit of a bruise on your cheek there."

Meg reached up and touched the side of her lip. It still felt a bit tender. "Yeah. Don't worry--it's just a little bump."

She ended the conversation with a quick wave goodbye, and darted up the stairs, leaving the young receptionist alone in the lobby again.

*

Verdandi glanced up from her homework, hearing the door to their apartment open. She stood and stretched for a moment, then walked out into the living room, only to find that her roommate was nowhere in sight. She was just about to return to her studies, when she noticed that there was a small parcel sitting on the table. Curiously, she picked it up, intending to check the address; the instant she did so, however, she felt something almost like a jolt of electricity running though her body, and she nearly dropped the package in surprise. When the sensation faded a moment later, she checked the label, found her roommate's family name on it, and placed it back on the table. She began to walk away, but then stopped, feeling almost compelled to turn back. It was strange, but she really felt like she needed to know what was inside.

"Megumi, are you here?" Verdandi called out.

Megumi's muffled reply came from behind the closed door of her bedroom. "Yeah, I came up here to change into something a bit cooler. None of these colors match, though ... give me a few minutes and I'll be right out, okay?"

Verdandi looked at the package again, still wondering about it. "Hey Megumi," she ventured, "did this package come in today's mail?"

"You mean that little box? I was wondering about that myself. Go ahead and open it up if you want ... I'll be out in a just a sec."

Again picking up the package, Verdandi tore through the thin brown paper and removed its contents.

"It's a video tape," she said aloud. "It says 'Goddess Productions' on the label."

"Doesn't sound familiar," came Megumi's reply. "Why don't you pop it into the VCR, and I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Okay." Verdandi slid the TV room door open and then closed it behind her, carefully loading the strange tape into their old video cassette player. She flipped on the television, hit play, and then sat back and placed her hands in her lap.

The sultry music and decidedly racy title that issued forth from the TV immediately brought an embarrassed flush to her cheeks.

"Sexy Sister?" she wondered aloud. What kind of pervert would send her and Megumi *this* sort of tape?

Just as she was reaching for the stop button on the VCR, the title faded to reveal a pair of shapely legs on the screen. The camera then slowly panned upward to their owner's face.

Verdandi stopped for a moment. Something was oddly familiar about the woman on the screen, although she couldn't quite place it. She sat down close to the front of the TV, trying to figure out where she had seen this woman before, when something totally out of the ordinary happened.

A foot popped out of the television set.

Verdandi rubbed her eyes, just to be certain her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. When she looked again, the better part of the woman's calf was also sticking out of the television, accompanied now by her other foot. Backing away quickly to a corner, Verdandi watched, frozen in terror, as the lights flickered and the woman slowly eased her way out of the screen. She was tall and slender, with piercing eyes and wavy, platinum-blonde hair.

As the lights returned to normal, the woman, now fully emerged from the TV set, knelt with her head inclined and her cloak wrapped around her in a position that reminded Verdandi of an old vampire movie she had once seen. Slowly, deliberately, the mysterious woman glanced up at her.

Something appeared to startle the stranger a bit. She stared at Verdandi incredulously, as if sizing her up somehow.

"Bell? Is that you?" she asked finally.

Verdandi screamed.

Seconds later, Megumi burst into the room brandishing a baseball bat.

*

"Did you hear that?"

Mara looked up from her TV program and glanced at Keiichi, who had been immersed in his schoolwork. "What?"

"I thought I heard a scream ... yeah, I definitely hear something. It sounds like my sister!"

Without waiting for a response, Keiichi bolted out of his apartment and into the hallway, banging on his sister's door. There was definitely some sort of commotion going on within.

Hearing no answer, he tried the doorknob, and was relieved to discover that it was unlocked. Mara, by this time, had strolled out to observe, so she followed him as he ran inside.

The disturbance, as far as he could tell, was coming from the TV room; he bounded in as fast as his legs would allow, and took quick stock of the situation.

"Get out!" Megumi was yelling. "Get out now, or I'll call the police!"

The recipient of Megumi's threats, a tall, slender woman with wavy blonde hair and markings on her face, appeared to be paying Megumi no mind. She was instead concentrating on Verdandi, who was cowering in the far corner of the room.

"Bell," she was saying, "what's wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that?"

A fraction of a second later, Mara wandered in behind Keiichi.

"Urd!" said Mara, alarmed.

At the sound of her name, the woman looked up sharply to see Mara standing in the doorway. "Mara! What's going on here, and what the hell happened to my sister?!"

Mara smiled a dark half-smile. "That's a very good question, hon. But the thing is, I really have no idea. You see, I'm just here on contract with Keiichi here." She placed a hand on Kei's shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly.

"On con--" Megumi started, but never got the chance to finish.

"Quiet, girl!" Mara snapped, silencing Megumi's question. "Now, Urd, I suggest you leave this apartment right now. You're scaring poor little Verdandi here ... and I wouldn't want to have to remove you forcibly--I don't think Verdandi and Megumi could afford to pay the damages on this place."

The woman named Urd was nearly trembling with rage, a hint of burgundy showing through her olive skin. "Mara," she said very quietly, "I don't know what you've done here, but when I find out what it is, I'm going to come looking for you, and personally tear you to shreds."

"Urd, darling," Mara replied, all smiles, "don't make me ask you to leave again."

Urd drew in a deep breath and walked out of the TV room. Keiichi and Megumi poked their heads out into the dining area and watched as she left the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

"What just happened here?" asked Megumi, at length.

Mara sighed. "Her name's Urd," she explained. "I met her a long time ago ... she's always been a bit loopy, but lately she's gotten a lot worse. She's a danger to both herself and other people--and on top of that, she's delusional. If you meet her, your best bet is to just get away as soon as possible."

A small whimper from the corner drew their attention back to Verdandi, who was seated against the wall with her knees pulled into her chest, crying. Keiichi immediately went over and knelt down beside her.

"It's all right, Verdandi. She's gone now."

Verdandi looked up at him and gave a small nod.

"She'll be fine, Keiichi. Now let's go home, and let your sister handle it."

Keiichi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder for a moment, then stood and went back over to Mara. "Hey Meg, gimme a call later tonight so I know everything's okay."

Megumi nodded. "Sure, Kei."

"I guess we'll see you guys later then."

Quietly, Megumi showed them to the door.

*

"Mara?"

She was too engrossed in applying her make-up to respond, so Keiichi walked over and took a seat on the couch next to her. She turned to look at him, a hint of irritation in her eyes. "What do you want, Keiichi?" she snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Keiichi could tell she was in a bad mood again, but decided to continue regardless. "I just got off the phone with Megumi. She seemed pretty skeptical about it when she told me, but apparently Verdandi told her she saw Urd come into the apartment from inside the TV!"

He gave pause for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Actually, Urd had those markings on her face just like you do. Would that mean Urd is a goddess as well?"

Mara looked shocked for a moment but quickly feigned an expression of indifference. If Urd were to spill the beans now about Mara not being who she said she was, then her little game could very well be over.

"Absolutely ridiculous," she stated, looking away for a moment. "My dear Keiichi," she added, in a voice typically reserved for explaining something to a slow child, "Urd is no more of a Goddess than I am a Demon."

She pursed her lips, peering into her compact's small mirror. "Urd is evil. She lies, cheats, steals, and uses people," She continued on, waving her hand in a chopping motion at intervals while itemizing Urd's bad points, her voice a steady crescendo.

Finally she calmed down, her anger subsiding as she peered at her reflection. She touched her finger just below her eye--her mascara was running slightly--and wiped it off on a handkerchief.

"You shouldn't trust her at all." she said, her voice wavering. Mara looked up, eyes pleading with him to agree with her, "Keiichi, please tell me you'll stay away from her. Please?"

Keiichi was unsure about this sudden change in events. One moment, Mara was going on about an unpleasant subject with her usual gusto, and the next, she was surprisingly small and vulnerable. If Keiichi didn't know better, he would almost say she was about to break down in tears. Tentatively, he reached over and put an arm around her shoulder, nodding reassuringly. She flinched slightly at his touch--surprise, perhaps--but she did not object.

The two of them sat there for a few minutes without speaking, a sniffle from Mara occasionally breaking the silence.

Finally Keiichi spoke, hoping to help Mara stop thinking about Urd; it was obviously causing her great pain. "Ya know, Megumi mentioned that she was going to the beach tomorrow ... she wanted to let us know we're invited to come along too. I thought you might like it. Fun in the sun, leave your worries behind, and all that." He smiled at the thought.

Mara pulled away from him, her eyes hardening. "Is Verdandi going to be there?"

Keiichi grew nervous. He wasn't sure how to answer that one.

*

Urd could not, for the life of her, figure out what was going on.

Her sister was without memory or identity, that much was clear--and she looked different as well. This difference in her appearance was subtle, but at the same time quite distinct. Gone from her face was the angelic glow that could put to shame goddesses and mortals alike. In its place was the visage of a weak, confused girl, bereft of the charm and magic that had so defined Belldandy's demeanor.

And of course, there was Mara. She was behind it all somehow--anyone with a brain larger than a walnut could figure *that* out. It was no coincidence Mara was living across the hall from Belldandy, with the man for whom she was supposed to have granted a wish.

After storming out of Bell's apartment, Urd had shrunk herself down to miniature form and crept back in when Keiichi and Mara left, her idea being to quietly observe her sister and hopefully garner some information about what had been done to her. She discovered soon afterwards that Bell's aura was almost gone--there was only a faint trace there, as if her younger sister had somehow lost faith in her powers. No other forms of magic were present--at least, nothing that Urd was capable of picking out with her limited divination abilities.

Bell eventually recovered from her state of shock with some gentle prodding from Megumi. The young, spunky, dark-haired girl seemed to have a way with people--her cheer was infectious, and as far as Urd could tell, there wasn't a bad bone in her body. She might make a good friend, if there were ever a chance to get to know her better. Belldandy was in good hands, at least.

Soon after Bell recovered, Megumi picked up the phone and dialed Keiichi--her brother, apparently--and gave him a quick report on Bell's welfare. Poor Bell. Megumi didn't believe her about Urd crawling out of the television set; and who would, really? Mortals just don't get to see the supernatural all that frequently, and more often than not, it's passed off as the product of a disturbed mind or, at the very least, an overactive imagination.

From her vantage point between the curtain and the window, Urd listened to Megumi suggesting a trip to the beach tomorrow. She even asked Keiichi to invite Mara along, although it was evident from the sound of her voice that she didn't particularly want to. An agreement was reached, arrangements were made, and then Megumi Morisato hung up the telephone.

Urd waited around for a few more minutes just to be sure that everything was all right, and then switched the television on and slipped through the screen while no one was looking. Tomorrow, she would return and stow away with the four when they went to the beach; it was time she gave Mara a taste of her own medicine.

*

Keiichi's former dorm mates, contrary to popular belief, are not totally useless and nonproductive people (although sometimes they do manage to come pretty close). Keiichi, despite his recent eviction from his onetime residence, was still owed a few favors by some of the guys at the Nekomi Auto Club. Tonight, he decided, was high time he cash in and get some arrangements made for a pleasant day tomorrow. A few telephone calls and several thousand Yen later, he had managed to land reservations for a day's stay at a small beach house just south of Yokohama.

Mara seemed nonplussed by the whole idea; judging by her reactions to just about everything else, though. a lack of reaction was favorable. She was oddly quiet that night, her eyes distant, apparently lost in thought; Keiichi could only guess what was on her mind.

Tossing a TV dinner into the microwave, Keiichi finished his homework early that evening so that he could get a good night's sleep. As fun and relaxing as the beach sounded, he somehow knew that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

*

Taking a bus ride while stowing away in a duffel bag was not Urd's idea of a great time, but it was either Megumi's duffel or Bell's suitcase. The former at least allowed her to poke her head out for some air, although she had to stiffen up and pretend to be a doll whenever someone looked in her direction.

The bus ride lasted about a half hour, and then there was another twenty minutes of jostling around while the group walked to the beach once they had disembarked. By the time Urd's unwitting carriers had checked into their small beach house and the bag had been tossed onto one of the two beds, Urd felt as if she had spent the last two hours inside a sauna during an earthquake. As soon as she was sure no one was looking, she pulled herself out of the bag and sprawled out on the bed to cool off, still in miniature form.

When she had finally cooled to a point where she felt like moving again, she took to the air and found a hiding spot in a potted fern that was hanging from the ceiling. From her perch, she watched the four of them--Mara, Keiichi, Megumi, and her younger sister.

Mara seemed a bit more subdued and introspective than usual, a fact which Urd surmised could be used to her advantage when she put her plan to learn the truth of Belldandy's plight into action.

Keiichi, meanwhile, lay down on the bed closest to the sliding glass door. The view off of the second story balcony was nothing short of breathtaking.

Verdandi slid the door open slowly and took a deep breath of the cool, pleasant ocean air. "Wow, it's just beautiful!" she exclaimed.

Something about the way the morning sun played upon her hair in the breeze caught Keiichi's eye. For a brief moment, it seemed almost as if a different woman had been standing in Verdandi's place. He rubbed his eyes and looked again; it was certainly just Verdandi standing there--a trick of the light, perhaps.

"Keiichi?"

He glanced up at the sound of Mara's voice. She was leaning against the room's small table with her arms crossed, staring impatiently out the window.

"Put your bathing suit on and come meet me on the beach," she stated.

Eyes brightening at the prospect of seeing his slender, beautiful girlfriend in her swimsuit, he immediately grabbed his satchel and went into the bathroom to change.

Keiichi changed quickly and made his way outside, leaving the four ladies to themselves. Urd kept a cautious eye on Mara as they changed, waiting for a moment to present itself. The plan was simple and elegant, really. As soon as the demoness left her things unattended, Urd would swoop in and switch Mara's suntan lotion with a lotion of her own devising, laced with a potent truth serum designed to penetrate the skin and take effect almost instantaneously. It would then be a simple matter of asking her the questions outright. While a Demoness First Class could likely resist any of Urd's none-too-subtle attempts at magic, no goddess, demon, or mortal could defy the power of one of her potions.

When Mara stepped into the restroom for a moment, Urd saw her chance. In the space of half a heartbeat, she leapt down from her roost within the ceiling-hung plant and landed right in the middle of Mara's handbag. Hearing the dull thump, Megumi turned and looked as she adjusted the shoulder strap on her blue one-piece, which had been the uniform for her high school swim team. By that time, though, Urd had scrambled inside Mara's purse and was well out of view; Megumi just shrugged, opened the blinds back up, and let out a contented sigh.

Inside the purse, Urd uttered a quick matter-exchange spell, sending Mara's bottle of lotion to her lab up in heaven, and replacing it with her own. Very slowly, she poked her head up out of the bag and glanced back and forth across the room. Belldandy and Megumi were talking and giggling quietly. She was about to take to the air again and fly back up to her hanging observation post, but just at that moment, she heard the bathroom doorknob turn, and was forced to leap out and scramble underneath the bed before Mara could spot her.

After that, the three of them headed out after Keiichi. Urd, alone in the room, quickly changed into her own swimsuit and assumed her normal form. People on the beach might ogle her in her usual six-foot-tall physique, but all in all, she would blend right into the crowd. On the other hand, if someone were to see her walking around in miniature form, trouble would almost certainly follow.

Summoning a small pair of binoculars, she left the beach house and took an open space along the waterfront that was close enough to see what Mara was doing, but far enough away that being noticed would be unlikely.

*

"Keiichi, did you do something to my suntan lotion?"

Keiichi turned his head, trying his best to look at her eyes as opposed to the rest of her. She was wearing a bikini made of some kind of flimsy, iridescent black material. "N--no, why?"

She shook her head. "I could have *sworn* I had a different kind than this. Oh well." With that, she unscrewed the lid of the bottle and moved to pour it out.

"Morisato! What are you doing all the way out here?"

Mara stopped and looked at the source of the voice. A young woman, perhaps twenty-one or so, approached them. She had long, dark hair, and wore a confident--almost haughty--expression on her face. Behind her was a herd of young men, most likely members of her in-crowd. Mara slowly placed the bottle of lotion on the sand and stood up, fixing the newcomer with a hard, level gaze.

"Oh," said the girl after a brief pause, sizing Mara up, "and I see we brought some friends along as well."

When the two of them locked eyes, Keiichi could almost feel an electric charge building up in the air between them.

"Um, Sayoko," Keiichi stammered, "this is Mara. That's Verdandi there, and that's my little sister Megumi. Everybody, this is Sayoko--we know each other from class."

Verdandi and Megumi waved cheerfully, but did not stand.

"A pleasure," said Mara, in a voice that indicated otherwise. The flock of young men in Sayoko's tow eyed her, but gave her her space.

"So," said Sayoko expansively, looking back toward Keiichi. "My friends and I were planning on taking a boat ride a little later. We've got some extra room, if the four of you want to tag along."

Keiichi looked around at the three girls for approval. Megumi and Verdandi nodded enthusiastically.

Mara heaved an exasperated sigh. "Whatever."

"All right then!" said Sayoko, clapping her hands together. "We'll meet you down by the dock in twenty minutes! Don't be late, or else we'll leave without you."

Sayoko and her cohorts turned and left, leaving the four of them in peace once again. Mara, who had been standing the whole time, knelt down to pick up her suntan lotion, only to find that it had been knocked over during the conversation. Cursing quietly to herself, she lay back down on her towel and gazed up into the sky.

*

Urd's cursing, on the other hand, was neither quiet nor to herself; in fact, it drew a goodly amount of attention from the people around her. Throwing her binoculars down onto the sand in disgust, she summoned the small vial of remaining truth serum and regarded it closely. There simply wasn't enough here for another attempt at the suntan lotion plan, and the day would be well over before Urd could finish making more--which left her with one option.

Somehow, she would have to get Mara to drink the serum.

*

The prospect of a boat ride was something that made Keiichi a bit nervous. Not downright scared, by any means, but rather just extremely cautious as he stepped onto the vessel from the pier.

It was large, he noted, for a privately-owned craft. Its source of propulsion was a pair of impressive outboard motors on the back, probably over a hundred horsepower between the two. The deck itself was hardly expansive, but there was enough room to accommodate Sayoko and her numerous friends quite comfortably.

The young men all made a point of introducing themselves to Megumi, Verdandi, and Mara. The former two blushed shyly in quiet enjoyment of the attention, and the latter seemed to get great delight from teasing and tormenting her admirers.

This troubled Keiichi--hurt him, even--that Mara would flirt with every other guy on the boat; she seemed to be going out of her way to do so, in fact. He was gazing sadly at his girlfriend when the motors started and the boat lurched forward, knocking him slightly off-balance. The light touch of a hand on his back kept him from falling over, however.

Verdandi, thin and unremarkable even in her swimsuit, had been there to catch him.

"Thanks," he said, trying to mask the unhappiness in his voice.

"Of course, Keiichi!" What a pretty smile she had.

He looked back at Mara and let out a sigh. She was busy slinking around a tall, muscular twenty-something, with whom he could never even hope to compete. Deep down, he was hoping that Mara would at least notice his rueful glance, but if she did, she paid it no attention.

Dejectedly, he turned back to Verdandi again. She nodded to him in quiet understanding, unsure of exactly what to say.

Things continued like this for a half hour or so; Keiichi tried to make conversation with the other people on the boat so as to keep his mind off of Mara, but hardly anyone other than Verdandi or his sister took even a passing interest in him. Finally, Keiichi and his quiet little group migrated below-decks, avoiding the ruckus of Sayoko's more boisterous crowd of acquaintances. Even Mara followed them down, although Keiichi guessed that it was in order to make sure he didn't accidentally start enjoying a conversation with someone--like Verdandi, for instance.

The interior of the boat was surprisingly roomy, at least more so than it looked from the outside. It was decorated tastefully with a burgundy patterned plush carpet, dark blue drapery, and varnished oak furniture. It must have all cost a fortune.

At Sayoko's invitation, the four of them took a seat around the small table at the far end of the room. "Can I get you four anything to drink?" she asked, once they had gotten comfortable.

"I'll have a soda water," Mara stated.

Megumi raised her hand "Coke please!"

Verdandi looked at Sayoko thoughtfully. "Do you have iced tea?"

Sayoko nodded. "How 'bout you, Keiichi?"

"I guess I'll have a 7-Up, thanks."

*

"Soda water. Soda water. Which one's the soda--ah! There it is!" Urd stamped her feet and shivered. Hiding out in a refrigerator while wearing a bathing suit wasn't one of her brightest ideas, but it was the only reliable way to slip the remainder of the truth serum into Mara's drink without being seen. Quickly, she wrenched the bottle cap open with both hands and dumped the remaining few drops inside, then did her best to replace the cap as if it had been unopened.

As the refrigerator door swung open and the light came on, Urd leapt behind a champagne bottle and peeked out while Sayoko took out the drinks her guests had requested. Once Sayoko finished and closed the door, Urd opened it up again, just a crack, to observe the outcome of her scheme.

*

"Ya know," said Keiichi, after taking a sip from his tall glass of what was supposed to be 7-Up, "I think this is Mara's soda water."

It had an unfamiliar taste to it; he guessed that it was some sort of fancy flavored seltzer, imported from France or something. He touched his forehead as the room around him blurred slightly, and he felt a mild wave of dizziness overcome him.

"You all right, Kei?" Megumi asked, a look of concern on her face.

Keiichi shook his head, which seemed to help. "Yeah, I think so. Just had a bit of a dizzy spell there." He looked around the room in wonder, eyes sparkling, as if seeing everything for the first time. "Wow, Sayoko, your family must be pretty rich for you to be able to afford a boat like this."

"Well," Sayoko replied after an awkward moment, looking at him strangely, "I guess you could say that."

"Wow," said Keiichi, "that was really rude of me, wasn't it? I dunno why--I mean, I was *thinking* it, but I have no idea why I just *said* it, ya know? I didn't mean anything by it at all. Hey Mara, do you want your soda water? It's really good!"

Mara reached for the glass, but stopped, looking around the room suspiciously. "No ... that's all right. You go ahead, Keiichi. I think I'd rather have 7-Up after all."

Inside the refrigerator, a small goddess slapped her forehead.

"Wow," Keiichi continued, looking at his beverage again in excitement. "This stuff is excellent! Are you sure it's not spiked or something, though, 'cause I feel kinda funny. Plus, I can't seem to stop talking, even if I want to. It's so weird!"

Keiichi, by this time, was getting odd looks from his sister, Verdandi, and Sayoko. Mara, on the other hand, remained curiously expressionless as he babbled.

Shifting his focus once again, Keiichi looked over at Verdandi warmly. "Ya know, Verdandi, you have a very pretty smile, and you're really nice, too! I'm glad that we're neighbors."

Verdandi blushed at this, but Keiichi was too busy speaking his mind to notice.

"Mara never smiles like that. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen Mara smile yet. I mean, I've seen her do that little thing where she gives you that sexy kinda look, but I haven't seen her really smile at all." His face became sullen. "I guess maybe I'm not good enough for her," he said to no one in particular. "She's a goddess, after all, and here I am, just this little short little dweeb going to college. It's no wonder I can't make her happy."

He looked up at her sadly. "Mara, I'd really like to be able to make you happy some time. I mean, it's obvious to me that you've had a rough life, otherwise you wouldn't act the way you do. I'd like to make things better for you, but I can't unless you tell me what you want me to do. I'll do whatever I can if it makes you happy. You're so pretty, I'd just--"

Mara stood up, her face bright red. "Urd!"

"--to see you smiling at me, even just once. I'd even--"

"URD!" Mara shouted. "Come out *this instant*!"

The occupants of the room, with the exception of Mara, were surprised to see Urd step out from behind the alcove that held the refrigerator--there certainly had not been anyone there before. "What is it, Mara?" the platinum-haired goddess asked. "Is he saying some things you're not prepared to deal with?"

"Urd's a demon!" Keiichi exclaimed proudly, looking at Verdandi and Megumi. "That's what Mara told me. That's why she can just pop out of nowhere like that. Megumi, I know you don't believe Verdandi about how Urd came out of the TV set and all, but I do. Urd has magic like that, and she uses it to do mean things to people. Mara told me that one time she--"

Mara, in the meantime, had stood and strode directly over to Urd.

"Urd, sweetie," she said very quietly, below Keiichi's chattering.

"Hm?"

"I know what you were trying to do here--I know that truth serum was for me."

"And if it was?" Urd asked indignantly.

"I don't want you meddling any more, Urd," she answered sweetly. "Your little sister can't defend herself, and you know very well that I would win a battle between the two of us. So," she continued, her tone still saccharine, "unless you want unspeakable things to befall your poor little sister, I suggest you stay out of my business, okay hun?"

Urd breathed in very slowly, barely able to contain her wrath. "I'll find out what's going on somehow, Mara, and when I do, you better run as fast as you can, because I'm not gonna take any prisoners."

Mara patted Urd on the cheek. "That's nice, dear. Now move along. You're scaring the kids."

Scowling with impotent rage, Urd walked past Mara and into the boat's small restroom, shutting the door behind her. The door slowly creaked back open a few seconds later; the strange woman was no longer there.

*

"I can't believe the nerve of her!"

Urd was still upset by the time she had reached the data center room back up in Heaven. Everything she had done to try to figure out what had happened to her younger sister had gone awry. She had tried several times to sneak into the apartment that Keiichi and Mara inhabited, but with little success. It was strange, really. Every time she started to make some headway, some stupid coincidence had managed to stop her--be it people in the hall, or some obstruction that had fallen on her, or that cat that somehow got out and attacked her. It was as if something was constantly working against her; every step she made forward, she was pushed two steps back.

She started to go over the two previous days in her mind, looking for clues that she could have missed. What was the demoness doing there? What did she mean when she said that Keiichi had a contract with her?

Suddenly, it clicked. No wonder things weren't working out very well for her on earth. Yes, it would be next to impossible to directly confront *that*. She would have to be careful--and she would need to discover what set everything into motion in the first place.

"How did you make Belldandy forget herself, Mara?"

She would find out--that much was certain.

To Be Continued - Chapter 3: How You Play The Game