Copyright Notice:

	All characters and concepts that pertain to Ah! My Goddess are
copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima.  The characters and concepts that 
pertain to Stepping Into Keiichi (Mika, Topper, and the like) are
copyrighted by b. b. brittain, 1997.  Copyrighted material not owned
by the author of this FanFiction story is used for entertainment 
purposes and Anime praisement only.  I.E. don't sue me, please? ^_^

	* * *


	Stepping into Keiichi
	by
	b. b. brittain

	An Ah! My Goddess FanFiction Story


	* Chapter 2 *


	Halfway through reading the first OVA script for the fifth 
time, Topper had drifted back to sleep.  His energy was rather 
drained after the bumps on his head and the excitement of the first 
day in this new...whatever it was.  He tossled on the couch, turning 
into the cushions.  But as his mind wafted through a dream, the 
intercom by the door erupted with a buzz.

	Topper moaned softly, his eyes opening but struggling to stay 
that way.  He listened to the buzzer curiously as it buzzed at him a 
few times before his mind registered exactly what the buzzer was.  
His eyes went wide and looked at the clock on the wall; it showed 
6:35.  /Damn, Mika's buzzing up!/  He jumped off the couch and rushed 
over to the intercom.  Pushing the button down he said, "Can you give 
me 5 minutes?"

	Mika's voice boomed on the intercom, "Yeah...but try and hurry 
up, we're cutting it close as it is!"

	Topper pulled out his keys and tossed them to the coffeetable 
before he rushed into the bedroom, turning for the closet as he 
reached the door.  He sighed loudly as he shuffled through the 
clothes that were in there, trying to find something that suited 
him; he finally found a pair of bluejeans and a plaid top near the 
back of the closet.  He pulled off his clothes, and slipped the new 
ones on quickly.

	He went into the dresser and pulled out some socks, slipping 
them on quickly.  Topper then rushed into the bathroom for the obvious 
reasons and to give himself the once over in the mirror.  He turned on 
the water and splashed some cool water on his face, wiping it down with 
a towel before looking at himself in the mirror.  He suppressed a shiver 
as he looked at his new image. /That still gives me the creeps.../ he 
thought as he turned off the lights and left for the living room.

	He took his keys from the coffeetable and shoved them into his 
pocket and snatched the script from the floor.  He made sure to turn 
off all the lights, and bolted for the door.  After he slipped on his 
shoes he was out the door and jumped into the elevator as it arrived to 
his floor.  As the elevator doors opened in the lobby, Topper noticed 
Mika tapping her foot on the floor and looking at her watch.  She shot 
him an impatient look as he rushed out of the elevator.

	"Sorry, was re-reading the script last night." he said, smiling 
weakly towards Mika's slight frown.

	"Well...if we're lucky, the director won't kill us and replace 
us.  Let's go." she said, turning towards the door.  Topper 
followed, biting his lip.

	They walked towards Mika's car and hopped in.  She wasted no 
time in pulling out and drove at a rapid speed towards the movie 
lot.  The scenery blazed all about Topper and in the early morning 
hours it gave a calm sereneness to the empty city around him.  He 
kept quiet throughout most of the ride, because of the look upon 
Mika's face.

	It wasn't a look of actual anger, but the slight pursing of her 
lips and her brow furrowed just enough gave him the impression of someone 
that he did not want to mess with.  But she did take great care not to 
direct it at him.

	* * * *

	As Mika and Topper rushed to the set, Topper couldn't suppress 
the uneasiness in his stomach.  He wasn't the type to act in front of 
a group of people, much less a camera.  Even if he thought this was 
a dream, standing in front of a camera still didn't agree with him.

	"Where are they!?" the two heard from the director's assistant 
by the makeup area as they rushed through the doors of the building.  
Before they knew it, they were dragged away to wardrobe and then 
makeup.  Flurries of clothes assaulted them within one room and a 
dustcloud of makeup attacked them in makeup.  They both walked to the 
set in a slight daze as the wardrobe and makeup crews collapsed 
behind them, the clock on the wall just turning 7:00.

	Topper really didn't have time to think from when they entered 
to the moment he set foot upon the stage.  /This is crazy...they're 
gonna find out...!/ he thought as he stood on the set, looking from 
where he was supposed to be sitting to the mirror in which Mika was 
supposed to appear from.

	He shook his head and decided to take a deep breath as he 
closed his eyes.  /Topper...you know the lines.  If not from the 
hundreds of times of watching the episodes back home, then from the 
cram course you did last night.  Just go out there and...do it./  He 
nodded once to himself and started towards his appointed spot.

	He walked over to his spot and sat down, taking another deep 
breath.  He looked over to the director and smiled briefly.  "Ready 
when you are." he said with a an almost inaudible trace of fear, and 
with that the cameras started to roll.  An aide walked onto the set 
and yelled, "Action!" as she slapped the clapper to start the scene.

	Topper feined to jolt awake, as the phone started to ring.  He 
turned slightly towards the phone, and picked it up.  "Hello...?"

	The first few lines just blurred over Topper's lips; he didn't 
realize until after hanging up the phone that he just uttered his first 
lines.  He layed back on the wall, sliding his hands behind his back.  
/What next...?/ he thought, then something occured to him.

	"I shouldn't have to take messages for them!" he muttered, 
before his stomach growled.  Toppers thoughts became entwined with 
the character he portrayed, namely Keiichi, as he started to rattle 
off his lines, suddenly very hungry for something to eat.

	He picked up the menus beside the phone, deciding upon 
takeout.  Looking through for a few seconds at the menus, he came 
to a conclusion.  "All right.  I'll settle for Shanghai fried 
noodles and dumplings."

	Topper set down the menus and picked up the phone.  A brief 
conversation later, he reached over to dial another number.  "Oh 
well.  In that case, Fukushin's ramen lunch..."

	"Not again!" he muttered, as the restaurant's machine replied 
that they were closed.  Topper dialed again, and again, as 
restaurants phones ceased to pick up.  But the last time, one 
finally did, or so he thought.

	"Hello...?" he asked into the phone.  But the reply instead 
was a curious, "Hello.  This is the Goddess Helpline.  I will visit 
you for a consultation."

	"I'm sorry!!" he quickly blurted out.  "I dialed the wrong 
number!" but the other side didn't answer.  "Hello...?  Hello...?"

	The response when it finally came, didn't arrive by phone.  
It arrived from behind Topper.  He turned curiously around to the 
mirror beside him as a woman with deep blue-green eyes replied back 
to him, "Hello!"

	This would shock any person in such a situation; Topper was 
no different.  He screamed loudly before scrambling away.  He 
tumbled over the table, trying his best to get away from what 
surely was his imagination.  But a curious thought slipped into his 
mind as he made it to the far wall. /Why is this so familiar...?/

	He glanced back at the young woman who said to him, "Do not be 
startled, Morisato Keiichi." she slowly pulled herself out of the 
mirror, and righted herself.  As she gently floated to the ground, 
Topper took a moment to look at her.

	A gossamer young woman of about five foot four, she was clothed 
in a costume that he could only describe as breathtaking.  Swathed in 
a white gown, it fitted to her body tightly.  About her as a cloak, 
another layer of white silk wrapped around her, but also trimmed with 
blue and a gold leaf pattern.  Her face seemed innocent and pure, 
streams of dishwater blonde hair cascading down her back and beside 
her face, what wasn't caught up in a scarf of red and white.  She 
had three triangular and diamond shaped marks of deep azure upon 
her forehead and beside her eyes...her eyes...!  If anything, those 
eyes could...

	Topper almost missed what she said, as he blinked his eyes to 
wake himself from his gaze.  "Excuse me for not introducing myself 
sooner.  I am Belldandy, a goddess."

	He blinked a few more times, as he stammered out, "A...a 
goddess?!"

	"Yes!" she said simply.

	"No way!  You gotta be kidding me." he said.  He flinched 
slightly, as Mika walked closer.

	Mika stopped inches in front of Topper, as she replied, "Our 
job is to rescue people in distress, such as yourself."

	Topper's mind whirled, as he looked up into Mika's face.  
"B-but...I was just hungry...and was trying to order takeout..."

	"'Order takeout?'  Is that what you desire?" she asked.  "Not 
only that, but anything you wish for, I can grant you.  But you only 
get one wish." She held up a single finger to him.

	Topper couldn't even blink now, his eyes unable to break 
away.  "Make any wish come true?!  Do you mean...really anything?"  
His might briefly flared to life with a few images.

	As Mika kneeled down in front of him, Topper looked down.  A 
small wisp of air escaped as he sighed.  /How did that happen...?/ 
He thought to himself, staying composed though his mind raced. /You 
don't normally see your sighs...this is gonna take some getting used 
to./

	He looked up towards the mirror, thinking of how Mika stepped 
through. /Okay...I have to start acting mad now...but how...?  
Wait...parents, that'll do it.../ His thoughts turned towards his 
parents, and his face started to show angry features.

	Mika looked at Topper blankly as he thought.  /Wow...Yoshi's 
really good!  He really does look mad, like Tamiya's really playing a 
trick on him!/  She waited a few seconds before replying out loud on 
cue, "Oh? Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

	Topper's expression turned bleak, though his mind rejoiced.  
/Hey...maybe I'll ge through this yet...!/ He answered softly though, 
"Okay, let's stand up for a second."

	As they both stood, Topper slid his hands behind his back and 
looked over to Mika.  "As you can see, I'm short."

	Mika slid her hands in front of her, holding them together.  
"Why is that the only thing keeping you from getting a girlfriend?  
Is it such an important thing?"

	Topper just sat down and crossed his legs.  His lips turned up 
in a wry smile as he thought to himself, /Boy, in his situation, you 
have no idea.../

	Topper brightened, as per his cue for the next line, as Mika 
kneeled down in front of him once more.  He looked up to her as he 
exclaimed, "I know!  My wish is..."

	Mika brightened as she clasped her hands in front of her.  
"Have you decided?" she asked.

	Topper continued on, as he pointed directly at Mika.  "...that 
I want a girl like you to be with me forever!"

	The two stayed in silence for seconds, before Topper rubbed the 
back of his head, smiling weakly.  "But...that's a no-go, eh...? Now 
that I think about it."

	But Mika stood silent a moment longer, before a glow overtook 
her.  The azure diamond upon her forehead lengthened and brightened; 
it pulsed out and exploded upwards, a beam of light struck out into 
the skies.

	The room started to spin about, as Topper was thrown to the 
wall.  Items started to lift up and rotate around Mika, as she too 
lifted from the ground, entranced.  But as gradually as the scene 
escalated, it simmered just as slowly, until the light slowly ceased.  
The room returned to normal, and Mika looked at Topper with a grin.  
"Your wish has been approved." she said simply.

	"Eh...?!!" Topper exclaimed, his expressions growing wide.  
"Approved?!"

	"Yes.  Now our contract is made."

	As Topper and Mika exchanged their lines that explained about 
the Ultimate Force, Topper's mind started to drift, and it suddenly 
grasped onto something.  /Tamiya...I wonder how he's like 
off-camera...and what his name is.../ His mind slipped from independent 
thought though, as the door opened to his right.

	"Hey, Morisato!  Have you been house-sitting like you were 
supposed to?" Tamiya boomed out, before him and the others in the 
doorway made face-faults.

	Topper stammered as his face grew pale.  "Oh!  Er...well...
um...I can explain...!"

	Those in the doorway turned grim, as Tamiya slowly said with 
his deep voice, "Morisato.  Rule Number 36:  He who violates a dorm 
rule shall be..."

	Topper muttered along quietly, "He who violates a dorm rule 
shall be..."

	"He who violates a dorm rule shall be...THROWN OUT!"  A rush 
of hands grabbed Mika and Topper, as other hands started to pack up 
his things into boxes.  The mass of men proceeded to bring the boxes 
and the couple through the hallway, and down the stairs.  

	They deposited them onto the front porch, as Tamiya said, 
"When you've got a new address, we'll send your stuff to you."  With 
that, he closed the door.

	Mika and Topper only had a few more lines to go, and after 
they played out the scene, the director yelled "Cut!"  

	Immediately, Tamiya opened the door.  "I hope we weren't too 
rough back there!" he said to both Mika and Topper.  Topper blinked 
at Tamiya, looking back at him.  "Oh...um...no?" he managed to say.

	Topper was very much surprised.  Not that Tamiya was asking if 
he was too rough, or that he even came back to ask.  What struck him 
the most odd was, Tamiya was speaking at least two octaves higher than 
he was just a few minutes ago.  Over the dozens of times Topper has 
seen the OAVs, the gruff voice has always accompanied the husky frame of 
Tamiya; it fit him perfectly.  But at this turn of events, all Topper 
could do was blink at Tamiya.

	"Is something wrong, Mister Katawa?" Tamiya asked him, in the 
same high pitched semi-squeal as before.

	Topper blinked once more, before he finally realized what he 
was feeling.  With that, he erupted in laughter.  Mika and Tamiya 
looked at him curiously in return.  By the time the two turned to look 
at each other, Topper was rolling on the ground, holding his sides.  

	Mika just shook her head, and turned to the director.  "Sir, 
I think we'd better call it for today.  Yoshi's getting light-headed 
again..."

	* * *

	The director decided to call things until tomorrow, much to his 
regret.  The scene that they had completed was good enough to print, 
but having a star still so light headed as Katawa seemed to be, was 
not going to do production any good, especially later on.  He just 
waved off the crew to get ready for tomorrow, and sat in his chair 
with a half resigned, half angered look on his face.

	Topper was already headed towards the parking lot, after the 
nurse pronounced him okay to drive home by himself.  He wanted to 
take a good look at the area he was now in.  Unfortunately, in the 
rows of cars in the parking lot, he had no bloody clue as to which 
was his car.

	Fortunately, the keys in his pocket contained a car alarm 
trinket, to which he depressed.  A cherry red 1969 Mustang 
convertable beeped back at him, and Topper just sighed happily.  
/At least he has great tastes in cars.../ he mused with a grin, and 
walked over to his 'new' car.  He opened the door and got in, 
immediately letting the top down.  He started it up, flipped the 
radio on, and pulled out of the parking lot.  But he didn't get 
underway until scaring a bus driver to death by driving on the wrong 
side of the road.  How American.

	Topper wasn't sure, but as he drove down the city road he 
seemed to notice that it was very much familiar somehow.  Like a 
collage of anime scenes floating past to him; helter-skelter in bits 
and pieces he seemed to notice a series here, a series there.  He did 
a double-take at seeing Furikan High School off one road to his right, 
and about fifteen or so minutes later he was pretty sure he passed by 
the Junk Jungle.

	While not every block seemed familiar, all of it amounted 
together seemed to mesh scenes from many anime Topper saw in the 
past.  But one thing did bother him, and that was the fact that he 
still didn't know exactly what city he was in.  There wasn't anything 
to give him that information and while it wasn't something 
alarming, it was something that was on his mind.  As he was about to 
park his car to find a newspaper, his eye caught a tobacco shoppe on 
the corner of the street he was now on.

	/What if.../ he started in his mind and with that, Topper 
kept going.  He started to weave through the city, in a general 
direction towards the suburbs.  As he drove, he carried a lopsided 
grin on his face and shook his head every once in a while.  /If 
this works, this is one twisted dream.../ he thought to himself, 
thinking this sidetrip was just wishful thinking.  But an hour or 
so later, when he finally parked his car and looked off to the 
right side of the road his mouth slowly fell open, awestruck.

	On the edge of the road lay the entrance to the temple, 
which housed Keiichi and the goddesses in the Anime.  He never 
truly bulieved that he would find it there just like in the 
Anime; he just thought of the directions Belldandy gave Keiichi 
and tried to follow them the best he could.  But yet...there it 
was. /I'll be...this really is twisted.  Funny, but twisted.../

	Topper jumped out of the car and slowly walked across the 
street, through the entrance.  The grounds looked awful however, as 
it looked before Belldandy had done her magicks to it.  In the lot 
next to the temple, there were trucks and trailers moved in for what 
would probably be for the upcoming shoots.  He looked up the broken 
path and walked upon it towards the temple, peeking in.

	The inside of the temple was barren, in similar fashion and 
decor as the outside.  He stepped in a bit more and took in the 
scene.  He noted the living room and moved towards the hallway.  
Slowly he checked off what would be Urd's and Skuld's room one by 
one.  Then Keiichi's...and finally Belldandy's.  The broken down 
nature of the temple at the moment gave Topper a rather haunting 
feeling...but he decided to move on.

	He entered the garage, still in the same decrepid state as the 
rest of the temple.  But there was one thing different and that was 
the motorcycle with the passenger car on the side.  Topper smiled 
slightly at that and slowly walked over to it.

	Topper wasn't as technically in tune with engines and the 
like that Keiichi was in the series, but working with computers in 
the past had gave him a little bit of knowledge on how intricate such 
things as machines could be.  He sighed softly and looked out the 
garage entrance.  /This seems too perfect.  All it needs now is 
Belldandy calling Keiichi for dinner.../

	"Keiichi, dinner!"

	Topper jumped two feet in the air, his nerves suddenly shot.  
He spun around to see a giggling Mika in the doorway.

	"And what was the purpose of that??" he asked, clutching his 
heart.

	Mika grinned back and shrugged.  "Tension breaker?  You looked 
like you were in a haunted house or something."

	"Something..." he muttered, and turned back to look at the 
garage with a small sigh.

	"What are you looking at?" she asked curiously, her lips 
pursed slightly.  She walked over and stopped beside him, looking 
towards the garage doors.

	He shrugged, looking out at the dilapitated garden beyond the 
doors.  "Something...beyond words."

	Mika cocked her head to the side, looking at Topper 
quizzically.  "Pardon?"

	Topper shrugged again.  "Something no one would ever 
understand..." He looked at Mika, holding back the urge to call 
her Belldandy.  It almost failed, gazing into her deep blue-green 
eyes for a second.  "So, what brings you out here?" he asked finally, 
trying to change the subject.

	Mika shrugged herself, and look back towards the garden.  "I 
never got to see the temple set."  She bent down and dusted off the 
cement floor before sitting down.  "I had tests the week I was told I 
got the part.  That week was also the setting rundown, so..."

	She sighed softly.  "I really wanted to see Kasuto Beach, 
too."  She perked up a touch as she added, "I guess I'll just have 
to wait until we fly out there."

	Topper hrmed.  "You mean the beach scenes aren't held here?"

	Mika shook her head.  "Nope.  A resort island a bit south from 
Tokyo.  And just in time, too.  It's starting to get hot these days.  
It'll be a blessing to not wear these goddess robes."

	Topper smiled a little, as he sat down beside her thinking.  
/I was going to waste away my summer back home, too.../ he thought.  
/And seeing Mika in.../ He shook his head, cheeks reddening at the 
thought.

	Mika looked over at Topper and frowned.  She decided to elbow 
him in the side.

	"Hey!" Topper yelped, rubbing his side.

	"Serves you right...you could have at least waited until I was 
out of the room." she twitched her lips with a bit of irritation.

	"Not with you in that red and white striped bikini..." he 
mused, and waited for another elbow.  When it didn't come, he looked 
over at Mika.  Her expression was one of amazement and shock.

	"How...did you know I was going to wear that?  Not even the 
costume designer knew I was going to wear that for the beach shoots..."

	Topper ermed, looking away.  "Um...keen fashion sense?"

	Mika stood, looking at Topper in a rather irritated fashion.  
"There's something funny about you.  You've been acting wierd since 
yesterday."

	Topper ermed again.  "I did get a bump on the head?"  he replied, 
hoping that might explain things.

	Mika gave him a dubious look.  "That wouldn't explain why you 
knew what I was going to wear for the beach shoots.  I haven't even 
worn that bikini since last..." Her eyes suddenly went wide with 
realization.  "You've been spying on me!!"

	Topper's eyes went wide as well.  "What!?  How could I, I..." 

	He never got to finish that sentence, as Mika raised up her 
hand, ready to slap him.  "You...you letch!  You spied on me since 
last year, that's probably why I got the part, you sick..." She moved, 
her hand flying towards Topper's cheek.  Just by luck, Topper moved 
back enough that it missed connecting.

	Topper held up his hands, in lieu of Mika preparing another 
attack.  "Wait!!  Mika...honestly, truly...I never spied on you..." 
He looked down.  "In truth, I never met you until yesterday."

	Mika looked down at Topper for a few moments.  "What do you 
mean yesterday?  We first met at the script rundowns last weekend."  
She shook her head.  "And it doesn't explain the turnaround in 
personality.  I mean, four hours before that bump on your head, you 
were God's gift to women.  Today, you're acting like you've never made 
a series before...heck, you seem like a whole new person.  If that's 
not method acting..." she shook her head again and sighed, throwing 
up her hands in the air and turning away from Topper.

	Topper bit his lip and thought for a moment.  "You wouldn't 
bulieve me if I told you." he simply said and stood.

	Mika frowned, crossing her arms about her chest.  "Well, give 
me a try at least."

	Topper slowly walked out of the garage.  "I'm not from here." 
he said over his shoulder, as he headed towards the garden.

	Mika followed along, coming up slowly beside him and then 
matching his pace.  "You're from Tokyo origionally, at least that's 
what the papers say."

	Topper shook his head as he made his way to the garden and 
stopping at the edge.  Like the temple, the garden was an utter 
disaster area.  "I'm from Oregon, actually."

	Mika chuckled a little.  "Funny...you don't look American.  
Or talk with an accent."

	Topper chuckled along with her.  "I don't look like myself, 
and haven't since that bonk yesterday afternoon."

	Mika turned towards Topper with a curious look.  "What, did it 
mess up your vision or something?"  she asked half-jokingly.

	Topper slowly turned towards Mika and sighed softly.  "Let me 
try this again..."  He tried to find the correct words but couldn't.  
He ended up just saying, "Hello, my name is Patrick Thompson." /Or is 
that Thompson Patrick here.../

	Mika looked at Topper with a _very_ dubious look now.  "Now 
you have split personalities?"

	Topper nodded.  "Yeah...pretty much.  Actually, it's some sort 
of soul-switching with me and Yoshio.  Want to hear the kicker?"

	Mika shrugged.  "Sure...go for the punchline."

	Topper ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of the 
right way to put it.  "This isn't even my...world, I guess you could 
say."

	Mika pursed her lips.  "What do you mean?"

	"Well, I knew what your bikini looked like because I've seen you 
wear it before."

	Mika's eyebrows rose up, and she readied her arm.  "So...you 
_were_ spying on me then..."

	Topper held up his hands.  "No...!  I saw your wearing it 
because I've already seen the series!"  He braced for a slap that he 
was sure would connect this time.  But it never came.

	Mika blinked.  She then shook her head, and muttered, "That's 
impossible.  We're _making_ the series, right now."

	Topper loosened slightly, as he replied, "Not where I'm from.  
To me, all the places here, the people...they're drawings created by 
people in my Japan.  I've seen this series hundreds of times."

	Mika scratched her head.  "Okay...one, this drawing thing is 
totally unbulievable.  Two...hundreds of times...?"

	Topper ermed again, but reluctantly nodded.  "Yeah..." he 
muttered, not bothering to brace for another smack; he figured he was 
in the red with this one.  But again there wasn't one.

	Mika was biting her lip.  "Because of...me?"

	Topper nodded, and turned towards the temple entrance.  
"Sorry...I've said too much."  He started towards the exit into the 
street.

	Mika thought for a moment, before reaching out to grab Topper's 
arm.  "Patrick...?"

	"Yeah?" he said, stopping but not turning around.

	Mika slipped her arm around Topper's, and guided him towards 
her car.  "I'm not convinced by any means, but...I'm always ready to 
hear a good fairytale.  Let's grab some tea, and you can start at 
the beginning."
______________________________________________________________________
Delany Brittain
  turtyl@montana.com		--Primary e-mail
  turtyl@selway.umt.edu	--Secondary e-mail
  turtyl@otaking.org		--For use in case of bounced e-mails.
-----
	"A pat on the back isn't that far away from a kick in the ass."
	  --Doug Flutie

http://www.megami.net/~turtyl/ --looking for a new home at the moment...