Keiichi stretched outwards from his position on his futon. His body ached as though he had been lying still for centuries. As he sat up to rub his eyes free of sleep he looked around the room that his was in.
"Home, sweet home," he stated to nobody as he saw that his dorm room was still as messy as ever.
As he got up and did his stretch the same morning ritual that he had been performing for years began as it always had. He rushed down to the community bathroom to find that it was packed and he had to wait in line for a free stall to do his business. Once he was able to get to a wash bin and clean his face and brush his teeth, he was back outside with the guys doing their morning exercise rituals to start the day. After a quick shower and listening to the demands of Tamiya and Otaki, Keiichi was off to class at Nekomi Tech.
During lunch Keiichi sat outside on one of the steps and looked around. It was the same as always, but for some reason it all felt so different. It was as though he was missing a part of his soul somewhere and he did not know where. The food he was eating did not taste right, his heart ached for something that he could not place, and for some reason he felt more alone than he had ever before.
"It's probably because of that dream of mine. Sigh I wish that I could really meet that woman named Belldandy. She was so sweet and innocent and really cute on top of that; but what are the chances that a woman such as her would actually want to be with a man like me?"
"Excuse me, sir could you help me find a building? I'm one of the new professors of engineering and I have not had a chance to get my bearings straight."
Keiichi looked up to see a woman of thirty standing before him in a white lab coat with high heels, black skirt, and a dark blue shirt underneath. She must have been at least five six with long black hair and dark brown eyes. What shocked him the most was the strange tattoo that she had on her forehead. It looked like a circle with the bottom turning into a smooth point and a white dot in the center. "She must be a foreigner," thought Keiichi as he stood up to bow before this strange woman.
"Sure, I'll be more than happy to help you. My name is Morisato Keiichi (Keiichi Morisato for Western reference). You said you're looking for the science building right?"
The woman looked at Keiichi with almost sadness in her eyes before she perked back up and smiled at him. "That's correct, Mr. Morisato. My name is professor Skuld and I'll be the new professor for Advanced Engineering classes. I understand that you will be one of my students this semester, correct?"
Keiichi nodded to this strange woman and wondered how she knew that he was in that class. Then he remembered that he had told her his name and that she must have memorized that roster for the class already to make sure that she was able to catch up with the couple of weeks of the semester she had already missed out on.
As they walked together towards the science building, they made small conversation as to get to know each other. Yet to Keiichi it felt like he had known this strange woman for years, but that couldn't be true because he had just met her and never seen her before in his life. When they reached the science building they said their goodbyes and Professor Skuld wished him the best in her class.
"Mr. Morisato, does it feel like we have met before? As in some past life," she asked the second Keiichi turned his back towards the professor
He turned to look at the professor who had turned her gaze to stare at the ground. The look of sadness was back in her eyes and he felt that there was something that he should know but did not know.
"Yes, it does like we have known each other. Perhaps we met back in my city or you have seen me around the campus. I am part of the Motor Club and many people know me around here. Besides you seem to know me through your roster and just talking right now. Perhaps that is what it is," stated Keiichi as he placed his right hand on the back of his head and began to laugh.
"Yes…perhaps." Skuld turned from him and walked through the double doors of the science and engineering building. It seemed to Keiichi that she was not happy with that answer and was off to ponder it more. Whatever the answer was, Keiichi knew that Professor Skuld would continue to work on it until she found the underlying cause.
"She's still as stubborn as Urd, but dedicated on the project at hand like Bell."
Keiichi stopped short of his walk as soon as the thought came to his head. Who was Urd and Bell? Could Bell be Belldandy, the woman that he dreamed of last night? No, he was letting his mind wander from him and he was dreaming of a life that he could never have.
Inside the science building Skuld leaned up against the inside of the classroom door that she was going to be teaching in. The tears began to flow freely from her eyes as she felt the heartache of seeing Keiichi pressing down on her. She had killed him more than once and now she was forced to live with the weight of her guilt. First it was in a dream, then in real life when it turned out to be a demon Ren, and then she wished him into Ren's body. They had to send Keiichi through a wormhole through his own emotional state to try and find Ren with their help, but it seemed that there was a trap set up by Ren to capture the Goddesses and Keiichi in some alternate universe. Now they had no choice but to find a way for them all to escape or else they would have no choice but to leave Keiichi here and return back to Heaven and see about a reset back to before Keiichi made the wish and hope for the best.
"Hello, Skuld. It is good to see that you are still alive and well in this world, however you can forget about that reset in Heaven."
Skuld turned to face someone who should not have existed in that world. "He" stood at least seven feet tall with a white robe with black edges that covered its entire body and a hood pulled over its head except for the Noh mask that it wore. It was a simple mask of white with a set male face of white with no expression expressed on it. As its presence began to weigh down on Skuld she immediately fell to her knees and placed her face on the floor. She knew when a God or a Demon was to be worshiped and when it involved a Judge there was no doubt that they were to be worshiped as they were a God.
"Master Judge, I do not know what brings you to this world in this form, but your presence is greatly appreciated. Morisato-kun has been wished from his body into another's and now we are trying to get them back into the correct form. If you would be so kind as to help us with the reversal of this spell we would greatly appreciate it."
"I can not, nor will I, help with this Trial. This trial began sooner than we expected, but we could not wait for this mortal to find the courage to ask Heaven for their grace. That is why we have asked for the help of the Demon Lord. If the mortal by the name of Morisato can prove himself to the Judges of Heaven, then we will allow him to continue on with Goddesses Belldandy. If he can not prove himself within an allotted time frame, then we will reset the wish and deny his first wish. Continue what you are doing Goddess Skuld and we will overlook the breach of license restrictions that you are currently breaking by choosing a future body then what you are allowed."
Skuld slowly looked up towards the Judge and got to her feet, never taking her eyes away from the Noh mask. The realization that this was not caused by her or Hild, but by Heavens Grace scared her greater than anything else. Belldandy could loose Keiichi forever if he did not come to realize what was happening and that this was not correct.
"Master Judge…where are we? What is happening? Where is Ren?"
"Morisato-san, Yuri-san, Goddess Belldandy, Goddess Urd, Goddess Skuld, and Goddess Peorth have been pulled through a worm hole created in Heaven to an alternate time frame where Morisato was not given the opportunity to make his wish with Goddess Belldandy. His soul still remembers the life that he has lead with Goddess Belldandy and he must now remember where he came from and his love for her before the Sands of Time stop flowing and close this worm hole and prevent you all from returning back to your original life. If that happens you will all forget what has happened and begin a new life separate from Morisato-san."
"So Ren did not create these traps, it was Heaven who set up this arrangement. Where is Ren though?"
"He is with me," stated Belldandy from behind Skuld. Skuld turned to find a sad Belldandy standing next to a hard set Ren. Both of them holding were holding hands as though they were a couple.
"The Almighty One and the Judges have decided that the only way to justify a Goddess staying on Earth was if I was bound by contract with a mortal. It seems as though we have a good amount of time, but the longer Keiichi takes to realize what is happening the more it will hurt me deep within my heart."
"Skuld and Belldandy," began Ren for the first time since he had arrived. "I just wish to say that I am sorry that it is happening like this, but I have no choice in the matter as does Morisato. We have to do our best to make him remember who he is and where he came from. I have no doubt in my mind that he will remember everything within a few weeks, but the longer we take it the more it will hurt us all. Let's all do the best we can."
The two Goddesses and Ren stood together in a circle discussing what they could do to help jump start Keiichi's memory of his past. The Judge returned back to Heaven and "his" seat among the council. As he sat down he looked down to the platform where a witness for the defendant and the one who initiated this trial stood.
"It is as you have stated and your wish has been granted. The human named Morisato has been placed on trial for his love of the Goddess Belldandy and now must prove himself before us. Please make sure to keep us updated on an earthly day time frame of what is happening so we can ensure that there is no interference that is unauthorized and that he remembers who he is on his own. Please return and continue with your assignment."
The person who stood before the council only bowed before turning and returning back to Earth and where they had come from.
"May the Trial of Keiichi Morisatos love for the Goddess Belldandy within this Heavenly Court begin and may our judgment on his eternal soul be fair and justice…amen."
