Broken Dreamers
An Ah! My Goddess Miniseries by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Part 4: Belldandy, Goddess for Hire
It had cost him his fortune, and quite possibly his soul, but Aoshima Toshiyuki finally had what he'd been searching for the past several years.
He had the phone number of the Goddess Relief Agency.
For a service supposedly meant to aid mankind, he found it was surprisingly difficult to contact.
He had never considered the possibility that only certain people were ever meant to obtain that privilege, and that he was not among them. In his mind, nothing was beyond him, so long as he'd had the money to buy it.
How fitting it was to him, that the voice on the other end was just the one he'd been searching for.
"Good afternoon, Aoshima-san. I've been expecting your call. I'll be there in person to assist you in just a moment."
Before he could even put the phone down, a strong wind blew his bedroom window open, and in the next instant, she stood before him.
She was just as lovely as the first time he'd seen her.
Although she hadn't been carrying a broom then, or the sinister-looking black cat currently perched on her shoulder.
"Belldandy," Aoshima said, a smile stretching across his face. "You're here to grant my wish, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then you won't need those clothes, because my wish is for you to be my slave!"
He was greatly impressed that her serene expression never wavered. "I understand," she replied, "and I accept your wish. From this day forward, I will be your slave."
Grinning, he stepped forward and reached for her.
"But only in your mind," Belldandy added, tapping her finger lightly against his forehead.
His eyes glazed over, and Aoshima slowly sank to his knees, drool spilling out of the side of his mouth.
"What a repulsive creature," the cat spat in disgust. "You're sure I'm not allowed to curse him?"
Belldandy shook her head. "Aren't you already in enough trouble for flinging around curses without thinking things through? That's why I was asked to keep an eye on you."
"I have given this a great deal of thought, not that it was needed. He did not deserve the honor of summoning you, Bell-san."
"Very few do, but that doesn't mean I can't help them. It is my job."
The cat rolled its eyes. "As usual, you are far too kind. But I suppose it cannot be helped. Anyway, this is your only task in Nekomi, isn't it?"
"Actually, there are a few old friends I want to visit."
"I'd rather go back to the office and get some sleep."
Belldandy smiled. "Well, Broom-san agrees with me, so you're outvoted."
The cat scowled at her. "How many times must we go over this? It's just a broom! It doesn't get a vote!"
"By that logic, you, being just a cat, wouldn't get a vote, either."
"You know that I'm more than just a cat!"
"Then can you be sure that I don't know that this is more than just a broom?"
"...yes! BECAUSE IT'S A STUPID BROOM!"
"Broom-san isn't the one shouting and losing his temper," she reminded him, gently petting his silky fur.
The cat hissed angrily, even as it instinctively leaned into her fingers. "Sometimes I really hate you, Bell-san."
"If you keep saying that so often, I might actually start to believe you, Kaineko-kun."
Welsper had a habit of being troublesome, but he was far from being the worst demon ever. Yet there were two things that made him quite dangerous, or perhaps just extremely important, depending on whom was asked.
The first was his constant belief that he was always right, which made any opinion other than his wrong.
The second was that if Welsper died, Belldandy would die along with him.
Welsper was one of the few beings that knew that secret, and would rather die before he told anyone else. At any rate, he literally couldn't blab: the moment he tried, an alarm in Nidheg would go off, and Hild would instantly turn him into her personal pet. And if there was one thing Welsper had learned to fear about the Daimakaicho, it was that her definitions of cats were usually furless, misshapen monstrosities that couldn't think beyond their own bloodlust and hunger.
Aside from that, Belldandy was such a positive force that Welsper was convinced she made the world a better place just by existing. Perhaps that was why Hild had asked Belldandy to keep an eye on him until he learned to behave himself. For her part, Belldandy was delighted to have a new companion, even if he was generally grumpy and constantly trying to curse people he saw as being unworthy of her kindness. Fortunately, so long as he did anything short of actually cursing, Belldandy was willing to forgive him. He was still a demon, after all, and certain things were in his nature.
Mishima Sayoko came from a rich family, and married into another.
Five years into that marriage, she realized that her husband had only given her three things that mattered: two sons, and five years' worth of beatings that finally knocked some sense into her. But Sayoko could not bear to shame her family name with a divorce, so she had done something truly desperate.
She'd prayed for her husband to die.
Three months later, her husband was dead, his family accused her of foul play, and Sayoko lost everything but her boys. And that, she was amazed to realize, was all that she really needed. They lived in a small apartment, and Sayoko actually had to work hard for a living, but she was oddly happy. Her boys loved her, and so long as that remained true, she didn't care if anyone else did.
It was far from the perfect life she'd assumed she would have, and things were so very different now. Once, she hadn't given a second thought to how much luxuries cost. Now, she was amazed at how expensive necessities seemed, although that was due more to her being disowned by her parents.
Sayoko knew she was lucky, though. Because she'd never really been in love, she'd also never gotten her heart broken. What she'd gone through with Keiichi was little more than repeated disappointments. Having seen what Keiichi was like without Belldandy, she felt sorry for him. She still believed that Belldandy was a witch, and had cursed Keiichi for the rest of his life.
But what bothered Sayoko most was how nice Belldandy had always been to her. Sometimes she still woke up in a cold sweat, expecting to see Belldandy standing over her with a pleasant smile and scalding hot tea. But it never happened, and just when Sayoko began to think that Belldandy was gone for good, she came back.
It happened in the grocery store, of all places. Sayoko only knew that she looked away for an instant, and suddenly there was only one child where there had been two.
"Ichiro, where's your brother?" Sayoko asked, determined not to let the panic she felt slip into her voice.
Her oldest son blinked and turned his head, obviously shocked that his little brother wasn't right beside him. "I-I don't know. Kaa-san, the store won't sell him if he's lost, will they?"
Sayoko smiled and rubbed his head. "No, I don't think so. But let's be quick about finding him, anyway."
"Maybe he went back to the aisle with the ice cream?"
It was a very likely situation, and Sayoko was about to agree with him when something caught her eye.
Her missing son was at the far end of the aisle, being led towards her by an attractive woman holding his hand. At first, Sayoko felt nothing but relief to see that Jiro was safe. But it all turned to dread when she finally recognized the woman.
"B-Belldandy?!" Sayoko shrieked, clutching Ichiro to her side instinctively.
Belldandy looked at her and smiled warmly. "Sayoko-san, it's good to see you again. Your children are beautiful."
Sayoko could think of nothing to say to that, and even if she had, was fairly certain that her mouth wouldn't have cooperated enough to say it.
"Try not to wander off again, Jiro-chan," Belldandy said to the boy at her side. "I'm sure your mother was very worried about you."
Jiro nodded gravely, walked over to his mother, and sucked his thumb while clutching her dress with his free hand, as he usually did.
Belldandy paused, perhaps waiting for Sayoko to say something, but it didn't happen. "Well, I have some things to take care of. Sayoko-san, if you should ever find yourself in need of help, feel free to call me anytime." She drew a business card out of her pocket, glanced at Sayoko's limp hands, and then handed the card to Ichiro with a smile.
Ichiro turned bright red as their fingers touched, quickly stuffing the card into his mother's pocket.
"It was lovely to see you all. Take care of yourselves, Sayoko-san, Ichiro-kun, Jiro-chan." With that, Belldandy turned around and walked out of their lives.
"Kaa-san, I never told her my name," Ichiro whispered once she was gone.
"Of course you didn't," Sayoko whispered, doing her best to stay upright.
Very few people realized it, but the Nekomi Institute of Technology's Motor Club was a living, breathing entity with no remorse. It simply hunted down and sucked in the most random people to be its members these days, and would only turn them loose if they fought hard enough to escape. Morisato Megumi had tried and failed: the moment it went public that she was Keiichi's sister, Otaki and Tamiya had kidnapped her and carried her into the Motor Club on their shoulders. Even upon graduation, she had been dragged, kicking and screaming, into becoming the faculty advisor, and while she was certain there was a class somewhere she was also supposed to be teaching, she had never been allowed to go and find it while Otaki and Tamiya were around. But she got paychecks in the mail, a key to the faculty lounge, and students waved and called her "Megumi-sensei" as she passed them on campus, so in some weird, twisted way, she was indeed a teacher.
At least, that's what she told people, since telling them she was just a faculty advisor had resulted in way too much explaining.
Despite the oddness, Megumi lived comfortably. Her roommate, a rat she had taken to calling "Dai-kun," had eventually proven himself to be an Earth Spirit, Third Class. At least, Megumi had finally believed it when she found him defending her home against a harmless postman. Once she knew that he was actually helping her, they had become fast friends. It was still odd to talk and eat with a rat, though, so she insisted that he shift to his true form while they were alone.
It hadn't taken long for Megumi to get the truth from Dai-kun. Belldandy had not really sworn him to secrecy, perhaps suspecting that Megumi would find out the truth, or maybe Belldandy had even wanted her to know, eventually. But it changed nothing: Dai-kun was still Megumi's closest friend, and Belldandy was still a sweet girl that intended to spend her life with Keiichi.
At least, that had been the general idea, once.
Then Megumi had gotten a strange note in the mail, asking her to look in on Keiichi every so often. Amazingly enough, the handwriting had been Skuld's, not Belldandy's. Skuld was so desperate to keep Keiichi's spirits up that she had even begged the one human she considered her rival for help.
Megumi was used to Keiichi's moods, but this was unlike any she had ever seen before. She had seen him worried and depressed before, and knew how to fix those. There was no cure for Belldandy's absence, however, and Megumi was finally forced to admit that she couldn't handle it at all. She wasn't Belldandy, and for that matter, neither was anyone else.
It hurt, to realize that Skuld was the next best thing in Keiichi's eyes, but Megumi couldn't resent her for it. So long as it helped Keiichi move on, she was willing to try anything. Keiichi didn't even seem to mind when Megumi stopped visiting so often, and Dai-kun agreed that it was best to leave him to Skuld's care. Of course, Dai-kun thought that anyone related to Belldandy could do no wrong, so it wasn't all that comforting.
Both of them had been worried when Dai-kun could no longer sense Skuld's presence on Earth, and Megumi had gone straight to the temple. All she could get out of Keiichi, who looked worse than ever, was that Skuld had left and wasn't coming back. He refused to let her move in with him when she offered, and simply said that he'd rent a few rooms out. Megumi hadn't liked the idea of him living with strangers, but it was better than him living alone.
Although the only people she'd ever seen entering and leaving the temple after that point, other than Keiichi, all looked like contestants in some never-ending Urd look-alike contest. Megumi suspected that couldn't be healthy, either. On the other hand, practically everyone she knew had dreamed of Urd at some point, and if this was the only way that Keiichi could vent his frustrations, he was smart enough to do it safely. Or rather, he was still slightly traumatized from the lecture on safe sex that Megumi had given him years ago, on the very same day that Urd had offered to buy new swimsuits for her sisters.
At any rate, Megumi had hoped that this was her brother's way of slowly but surely getting over Belldandy. She wasn't sure how she felt about him fixating on Urd, but figured that if Keiichi hadn't been struck by lightning yet, he was probably safe from Urd.
But as it turned out, Urd was not the goddess that Megumi needed to worry about.
Belldandy had always been impressed by how quickly Megumi adapted to the most awkward of situations. She had always attributed that more to Morisato blood than anything else, although now she began to think it was something Megumi had developed on her own. It was simply impossible to startle a person like that for very long.
For example, when Belldandy suddenly appeared in Megumi's kitchen, no one said a word. Megumi's eyes widened a little, and Dai-kun nearly spilled his tea, but they both recovered fairly quickly.
"Belldandy-sama," Dai-kun said at last, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. "You've returned to Earth?"
She shook her head. "I'm only visiting. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to continue watching over Megumi-san for me."
Dai-kun immediately bowed his head. "I would be glad to do so. Megumi-san is a most considerate and amusing hostess."
Megumi blinked, frowned, and reached over to poke him in the arm. "Are you saying that you think I'm funny?"
He gave her a flat stare. "If that is what you heard, then-"
"Do you want me to drag out the photo album? Then we'll see who's funny when I show Belldandy the first time I took you to the beach. You practically had a heart attack when you saw some kids making sand castles."
"They were desecrating the land!"
"They were FIVE!"
Belldandy watched them argue for a few more minutes, unable to stop smiling. Clearly, she'd made the right choice in asking him to become Megumi's protector. Although, from the looks of it, maybe he was the one who needed protection from her.
Megumi was the first to realize that they still had company. "So, Belldandy, what brings you here? Do I get to trade in Dai-kun for a Second Class guy?"
Dai-kun's mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that!"
"As I said, I'm just visiting," Belldandy said quickly. "I wanted to see how you were doing."
Megumi smiled, but it slowly faded. "Oh, that's nice. You, um, haven't been to-?"
"The temple? No. I didn't think it would be a good idea."
Megumi sighed in relief, then noticed that Belldandy was staring at her. "Oh, don't get the wrong idea! You know I'm always glad to see you, but Kei-chan isn't... he couldn't..."
"He still has feelings for you, Belldandy-sama," Dai-kun stated, just before Megumi threw a balled-up napkin at his forehead. "What? Wasn't it obvious? What human could possibly be involved with Belldandy-sama and not-"
"If it was obvious, then why couldn't you keep your fat mouth shut?!" Megumi demanded.
"My mouth is not fat," Dai-kun snapped, "and I hardly think you are one to talk, with the way that you-"
"Is it always like this between you two?" Belldandy asked suddenly.
Megumi nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Would the two of you be interested in drawing up an official contract?"
"No," Megumi said at once. "I don't want Dai-kun to think of being here as a job, or even as a favor to you. I only want him here if he wants to be here."
"I do want to be here," Dai-kun quickly agreed. "Megumi-san is my only human friend. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be entrusted with her safety. No contract is necessary."
"I'm glad to hear that," Belldandy murmured softly. "I'm glad that this arrangement worked out for you two, then."
"Belldandy, is something wrong?" Megumi asked.
"No. No, of course not. But I've already taken up too much of your time, and there is one more place I need to visit today." Belldandy drew a business card from her pocket and placed it in Megumi's hand. "Feel free to call me anytime, for any reason."
Megumi look skeptically at the card. "Are you just being nice, or do you really mean that? I mean, if I ask you to have dinner with us one day, you'll really show up?"
Belldandy tilted her head slightly, obviously confused by the question. "I'm not sure what you mean, Megumi-san, but I would love to have dinner with you two in the future."
"Then does this mean I'm entitled to a wish?" Megumi pressed, waving the card a little.
"I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't be."
"And do you promise to grant it, no matter what it is?"
Belldandy smiled kindly. "Even a goddess has her limits, Megumi-san."
"Okay. I've thought about this for a long time." Megumi took a deep breath. "I want you to make sure that no one is ever allowed to hurt Kei-chan again. You included."
It was not an unreasonable wish. Grand, noble, and rather on the expensive side, but certainly not impossible, even for Belldandy. And yet...
"That wish is within my power to grant, Megumi-san. However... it is not within my ability."
Megumi frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means that she could be stripped of her power for granting such a wish, or possibly exiled from Heaven," Dai-kun stated calmly.
"I'm truly sorry, Megumi-san," Belldandy apologized. "I do want him to be safe. But... I am not allowed to interfere with him any longer."
"Why not? Are you saying that your boss won't let you help Kei-chan?"
Belldandy shook her head. "It's complicated. Your brother has since been in contact with certain people, and so now, he is... entirely their responsibility. If I attempted to help him, it would only cause trouble for us both, and most likely would hurt him even more. That would defeat the purpose of your wish, would it not?"
"I don't understand," Megumi said at last.
"There are only so many things I can share with humans-" Belldandy began, but Megumi cut her off.
"Not that. I know there must be rules, but I've always felt like you've been honest with me, Belldandy. So please tell me... why do I suddenly feel like you're lying to me? I don't like that feeling at all."
"I am not allowed to lie," Belldandy whispered, the hurt obvious on her face. "But at the same time, I am not allowed to reveal the entire truth concerning certain matters. As for your feeling, Megumi-san, that is easily explained. The closer you are to someone, the easier it is to read their heart. Your uneasiness isn't because you don't trust me. It's because you do."
Welsper was not fond of meeting Belldandy's clients. He usually waited outside with her broom, unless of course he thought there might be some danger to her. Then he would insist on accompanying her, which would always make her smile and pet his head affectionately.
It still amazed him how Belldandy, with all of her power, could still be weakened by just a few words with no magic in them. She hadn't said a word since they'd left Megumi's place, and Welsper was starting to re-evaluate his opinion of the Morisato family. If they could make Belldandy so unhappy, they were far more dangerous than he'd ever though possible. Ironically enough, killing or cursing them would only make things worse.
"It's been a busy day, Bell-san," Welsper said as they walked. "Perhaps we should go back to the office now, so that you can rest."
She shook her head. "There is one more place I need to go."
"But the last one didn't go so well, did it?"
"Megumi-san was simply worried about her brother, as any good sister would be."
Welsper sighed and shook his head. "Why did you let her talk to you that way? She's one of the few people that knows who you really are. She should have shown you the proper respect-"
"How much respect would you have for someone that hurt me? The only difference is that Megumi-san respects me in spite of what I've done. But I don't think she's forgiven me, and she certainly hasn't forgotten. I can accept all of her feelings, so long as we remain on largely good terms."
"But why is it so important to you, Bell-san? She's just one person."
"Because as long as person is loved by a goddess, Heaven will continue to smile upon them. I wish only good things for Megumi-san, so it is in my best interest to remain friendly with her."
"Do you ever do anything that's at least partially self-serving?" Welsper groaned.
"Knowing that Megumi-san will remained blessed makes me happy. Doesn't that count?"
"No, it most certainly does not!"
"You're shouting again."
Welsper very nearly told her that he was a demon and he could shout if he wanted to, but fell silent when saw they were approaching a park that was not quite empty, despite how late in the day it was. Two people were still playing soccer, or rather one was practicing while the other watched. Welsper assumed they were just two random humans, so he was more than a little surprised when Belldandy hurried towards them. Feeling lost, he trailed along behind her.
From what he could see, the first person was a man in his mid-twenties, and the second was a teenaged girl. Neither one seemed to notice Belldandy at first.
"You're really improving," the man said, "but you need to have more confidence in yourself. Passing is good, but don't be afraid to take a shot yourself sometimes."
"But what if I miss?" the girl asked, frowning.
"Then you fix it in practice and get it right in the next game. Now, we've got a little time left, so why don't you try to get past me again?"
The girl pouted. "But you're so good, Coach!"
"I keep telling you, I'm only the coach's assistant. You'll never get any better if you don't keep trying."
The girl sighed and started to line up her shot, then paused and gaped at Belldandy. "Onee-chan! It's you!"
The man turned around and took a step back. "Belldandy-san?" he whispered.
They both froze and then pointed at each other. "You know her?!"
Belldandy smiled and drew them both into a group hug. "Hijiri-chan. Sentaro-kun. I'm so happy to see you both doing well."
Hijiri gasped. "You got a cat! He's soooo cute! Can I pet him, please?"
Belldandy glanced at Welsper, who was firmly shaking his head. "Sure."
Welsper yowled a bit, but finally allowed Hijiri to stroke his back without hissing too much.
"H-How is Skuld doing?" Sentaro asked hesitantly. "She always told me she didn't like writing letters, and one day she just stopped writing..."
"I'm afraid that's partially my fault. Urd and I decided to move, to be closer to our jobs, and it was inevitable that Skuld would follow us. I think she must not be writing because she doesn't want to admit to herself how painful it is to miss you."
He smiled faintly. "Yeah, that sounds like the Skuld I remember. Is she happy, at least?"
"I hope so. She's definitely doing what makes her happy, or what used to, at least. But people change, Sentaro-kun."
"Even Skuld?" he asked doubtfully.
Belldandy laughed softly. "Even Skuld. Eventually."
"Did you have to let her pet me?" Welsper complained as he stalked across Belldandy's desk. "Her hands were all sweaty."
"I imagine she was nervous about soccer," Belldandy answered absently, checking the single message next to her phone. It was from Urd, asking to meet with her and Skuld the moment she had some free time.
"I don't go around wiping my paws on people! It's plain unsanitary is what it is!"
"Feel free to clean yourself the way you cats do, then. I assure you it's no bother to me." Belldandy put on the phone's headset and started to press the button for Urd, then changed her mind and pressed the one directly above it. The phone rang once, and then was picked up as a booming voice said on the other end:
"It's Me." Then, in a somewhat softer tone, "You have a question, Belldandy?"
"Ah, yes. Yes, I do, Sir. It's about-"
"Morisato Keiichi, correct?" Despite the infinitely patient tone, it was not really posed as a question.
"Yes, Sir. I-I was wondering if... if I might be allowed to pray for him?"
There was a short pause.
"Of course it has always been My Policy to never restrict goddesses as to who they chose to pray for. But as you are well aware, Belldandy, this is an extremely delicate situation. It could very well prove to be counterproductive. Your prayers, in particular, might actually do him bodily harm at this point. So while I can appreciate your intent, and I will not forbid you, I will advise you to think this through very carefully."
"I understand, Sir."
"I sincerely hope that you do. And there's one more thing, Belldandy."
"Yes?"
Another short pause.
"I want you to know how much I appreciate the sacrifices that you've made, in the interest of ensuring that My Will is carried out. You have always been one of My Most Dependable Children, and I don't say this quite as often as I should, but..."
"Sir?" Belldandy asked hesitantly.
"I Love You."
The words hit her like a sledgehammer to the head, but one of purest warmth and eternal gratitude. It was not the first time she'd heard them from Him, and not quite the highest praise He could give, but few ever heard it stated so plainly.
"T-Thank You, Sir." Then, feeling a little silly but wanting to be appreciative, she added, "I love You, too."
"I Know. That is something I'll never question again. And please tell Welsper that any impurities in Hijiri-chan's sweat could only improve his disposition, as far as I'm concerned. Goodbye, Belldandy."
Smiling, Belldandy tapped the button to end the call, only to notice that she had another call waiting. Tapping another button, she asked, "Yes?"
"Belldandy," said a familiar voice.
"Nee-san!" Belldandy cried happily. "I was just about to return your call!"
"That's nice," Urd sighed. "Listen, Belldandy, we really need to talk. My mother is involved, and she was also involved in your-"
"I know," Belldandy said quietly.
Urd paused. "You... what? You knew?!"
"Yes. And before you say anything, it isn't her fault. The choice was mine to make."
"But Keiichi-"
"Isn't alone anymore."
"But it's a demon!"
"Nee-san," Belldandy said softly, "I wouldn't love you any less if you were all demon."
"That's different!"
"Is it?"
"...it should be! You can't be okay with this, Belldandy! What about Skuld and Noble Scarlet?!"
"They can and will be restored."
"...how do you know that?" Urd asked, her voice trembling. "How can you possibly know that?"
"I'd rather wait until the three of us are together. Skuld deserves to know, too."
"Why do I get the feeling that she isn't going to like this anymore than I do now, Belldandy?"
"Nee-san, I'm sorry, but I think you're going to like it least of all."
"Oh? And what makes you say that?"
Belldandy winced. "I'm going to have to ask you to invite Hild-sama as well."
"Can it at least be one of the little ones? She can't tower over us that way."
Shaking her head, Belldandy answered, "If you insist."
"Oh, I definitely, definitely do."
End of Part 4.
Next Chapter: Keiichi's Broken Dream
Lost in the darkness within his own heart, Keiichi finds comfort in the most unlikely places: Hild, a demon, and the arms of another goddess.
Endnotes:
Kaineko means pet cat. It's a reminder of Welsper's fate, if he should misbehave. So while it might seem mean-spirited, Belldandy is really doing him a favor by preventing him from making a big mistake.
I'm not sure why, but in both versions, Megumi's roommate is specifically called a spirit, as opposed to a god, despite apparently having a license (Third Class), markings, and even saying something along the lines of "fear the power of a god" (although maybe he was just trying to sound threatening). The only thing I can figure is that he's a god actually (or maybe contractually) assigned to Earth, which means he started off in Heaven and worked his way down (literally) to that position. In that case, "spirit" would be more a part of his job title than anything else (in the way that Skuld is a debugger). He knows enough to fear a Goddess First Class, and I think if he had met one since he began haunting the apartment, they would've dealt with him already, so the most likely place he could've learned about them is Heaven.
Megumi's nickname for the rat is short for the word "daikokunezumi," which is a white rat that serves Daikoku, god of wealth. Not that Megumi is wealthy, though it couldn't hurt.
In the manga, Belldandy actually introduces the rat to Megumi, which of course freaks her out. In the anime, the rat runs off before Megumi shows up. Either way, he's later shown to be living with her. And I like to think Megumi would eventually notice the same rat always hanging around.
Hijiri is a little girl from the anime that Keiichi and Belldandy run into fairly often. She's seen Belldandy use her powers, but it only seems to impress her (and it they ARE impressive, but most people tend to freak out). If my guesses are right, she was around 6 in the anime, and Sentaro was maybe 12 or so.