Chapter 4

6:30pm, October 22

She said "Yes." That's all she said. That's all she needed to say. One little word that meant so much. One little word that changed everything.

Keiichi stood up and produced a small box from his pocket. "I picked this up after leaving Chihiro's. I wasn't expecting to give you this until later, but then again, I didn't plan on proposing to you just now. But it seemed like the right time to do this. Although this isn't what I would call a romantic setting" Keiichi said as he pointed to the table full of food and Lind chowing down, oblivious to what had just happened.

He flipped open the box and presented it to Belldandy. As she gazed upon the contents, tears formed in her eyes. Her voice quivered as she was overcome with joy at what Keiichi had just asked her to do and what he had presented to her. That small token, that symbol. A bit of metal, a jewel, had said so much more than words could ever say.

"I-it's beautiful, Keiichi, please put it on." The Goddess gasped.

"My pleasure, Belldandy."

Bell turned around and moved her ponytail out of the way as Keiichi slid the necklace around her neck. He turned her around and gazed into her face as he straightened out the golden heart with the tiny diamond mounted within. The tears still flowing, as Belldandy's countenance was flushed "You already had the ring that I gave you before, so it didn't make sense to get you another one for our engagement. So I took some the savings I had left, and bought you this necklace. It'll have to do as your engagement present until we get the wedding rings."

Belldandy looked down at the simple necklace, at how the light caught the facets of the diamond and shimmered off the 18 karat gold setting. "It's perfect, Keiichi. Just like you." She rushed into his arms and held him. "So practical, Keiichi." Her voice cracked as she let the moment wash over her like a waterfall. Keiichi never failed to surprise Belldandy and always knew how to make her smile.

She released him, and said, "We have to tell everybody. We have to set a date. There is so much that has to be done. And I can't wait to get started." Bell ran off to break the news to Urd.

Keiichi looked down at the table. For a moment, he wondered whether he really understood what he had just done. Did he really propose to Belldandy? And did she really say "Yes?" And was he really ready to take such a monumental step forward in his life? The questions swirled around in his head.

But Keiichi Morisato was never one to back down from a test. When people told him he couldn't do something, that just made him work all that much harder to prove them wrong. And it would be the same with this new challenge. Belldandy was about to become his wife. And he swore to himself that he would be the best husband he could be for her. That gave him new resolve and chased the apprehension away.

He was committed to Belldandy and would see it through to the end. However long it took.

Belldandy was sitting in Urd's room still excited that Keiichi had proposed to her. Urd, being Urd reacted as only she would. "Couldn't he have picked a better place to propose?" She snorted with disdain. "Like a romantic boat ride on the river, or in a fancy restaurant? He had to pop the question in that dreadful little Tea Room in this dingy temple while Lind, of all people, was right there pigging out? I should whack him with a thunderbolt for being so clueless."

Urd violently shook her head as she pointed to the necklace. "And he didn't even buy you another ring. He weaseled out by giving you that cheap necklace. Honestly, Belldandy. I don't understand why you accepted his tacky, crass proposal. I would be insulted beyond belief. If I were you, I'd make him do it again in a proper romantic setting. And with a damn ring!"

Genuine anger flared across Urd's face. "That's it! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. If you won't set Keiichi straight, then I will. No one takes the easy way out on my sister." Urd stood up and was ready to leave before Belldandy stopped her.

She said, blocking her older sister's path of rage. "Urd, Please restrain yourself. I don't care about where or how he proposed to me. All I care about was the sincerity of his heart. I could feel that he really meant it when he said that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. That kind of feeling can't be faked. I know his heart, and I know his feelings. And they were real."

"I'm still not impressed, Belldandy." Urd said as her anger dissipated. "But you're the one marrying him, and as long as he makes you happy. I guess it's all right with me. Has he told his parents yet?"

"No, he's supposed to call them later today."

"Those two are an odd couple. Keiichi takes right after his father, and Megumi is just like her mother. Hopefully, Keima won't freak out with all the women who'll be in the wedding party. You know how he gets."

"I think he'll be all right."

"Keima likes you. You're the only woman other than Megumi and Takano, he'll let stand close to him. Imagine how he'll react with me, Skuld, Chihiro, Hasegawa...hey, are we inviting Sayoko?"

"It would be rude not to send her an invitation."

"But, all the crap she put you and Keiichi through. I don't think we should."

"Urd," Belldandy said, "Deep down I really think that Sayoko is not a bad person. I just think that she doesn't have any good friends that care about her. Everybody likes hanging around her because she has a lot of money. But a truly good friend shouldn't care about how much money you have, or if you have any at all. Look at Keiichi. He's always short of money, and he has lots of good friends."

Urd laughed at Bell's words. "Belldandy, you call Tamiya and Ootaki good friends? The only reason they let him hang around is because he lets them push all their stupid money-making stunts onto him. Aoshima can't stand Keiichi because the Motor Club always shows up his Four Wheels Club. The only people who really care about Keiichi as he is, are us Goddesses, Megumi, Chihiro, and Hasegawa." Urd paused thoughtfully. "You know, for a guy who doesn't have a romantic bone in his body, he sure has a lot of women hanging around him."

"See, Urd? Keiichi does have a lot of good friends. He has us."

"Bell, he has you. Skuld and I came along for the ride, and I doubt that our little sister will ever completely warm up to Keiichi." Both Goddesses laughed.

"So, Urd. What do you think?"

"I don't think that you could do better than Keiichi. You two belong together. You complement each other. Besides, you've been living together for four years. How much different is marriage than what you're doing now?"

Meanwhile, Keiichi was on the phone with his little sister, Megumi.

"Hey, Meg. What's up?"

As Keiichi might have expected, Megumi was quite upset. "Keiichi!, Where the hell were you the last six months? Everyone has been worried sick about you! We called the police and reported you and Belldandy missing. Mom and Dad were climbing the walls. We all thought that something bad had happened. Thank God you're okay. Whatever excuse you have better be a damn good one, so spill it, Mister!"

Keiichi told Megumi the same cover story he used on Chihiro.

Megumi yelled, "They don't have telephones in San Francisco? They don't have mail service? Or is it that you don't know how to use these things. C'mon, Keiichi, you have to do much better than that."

"Megumi, we went there for a long vacation, and to meet Belldandy's parents. We got caught up in the sights and sounds of San Francisco, and we didn't want anyone to know where we were."

"Dammit, Kei! Next time, tell someone when you and Belldandy run off like that...wait a minute, you said you went to meet Bell's parents?"

"That's what I said."

"How are things with you and Belldandy? Have you two at least kissed, since I last saw you?"

"We're a little further along than that, Megumi. I proposed to her."

"Proposed as in..."

"Yup, Belldandy and I are getting married." Keiichi said confidently.

Silence.

"Megumi?..Megumi! Earth to Megumi Morisato!"

Megumi came back on the line, the shock on her voice palpable even through the phone line.

"You two are getting...m-m-married?"

"Yes we are, Belldandy's gonna be your sister-in-law."

"I don't believe it. You two are barely at the hand-holding stage, and now you're getting hitched."

Keiichi didn't have the heart to tell his sister that he and Belldandy were well beyond holding hands and kissing and were engaging in rather passionate extracurricular activities on a fairly regular basis.

He was perfectly willing to let Meg continue believing that they living a chaste, sexually bereft lifestyle as a boyfriend and girlfriend who loved each other, but were too afraid to go any further than that.

"Believe it or not, Megumi. It is true, we are getting married."

"Have you told Keima and Takano yet?" Disbelief still lingering in Megumi's voice.

"I'm calling them after I get off the phone with you."

"This is gonna blow their minds. They were surprised that you were living with a girl. Not to mention one as perfect as Bell."

"Oh yeah. I seemed to have gotten lucky."

"But they seem to like Belldandy. So maybe it'll be all right with them. But be prepared for a major butt-chewing, they're not happy that you ran off and didn't tell anyone."

Changing the subject, Keiichi said. "I heard that new boyfriend of yours is a pretty good cook."

"Hiro? He works in a three star restaurant Downtown. He's a very good cook. Why do you think I haven't been mooching meals around the temple lately?"

"Do you think that we can borrow him to cook the wedding dinner and bake the cake?" Keiichi inquired.

"I'll ask him, but I'm pretty sure he'll accept. That is if we can keep Belldandy out of the kitchen on her wedding day. You know she's gonna want to do all the cooking."

"You're right. Belldandy does love to cook."

"What kind of wedding are you two having?" asked Megumi.

"I don't know, I just proposed to her a few minutes ago."

Keiichi continued, "We're probably going to have it here in the temple. We'll keep it simple and inexpensive, not too many guests. Same with the reception."

"Are you having a traditional Japanese or a Western style wedding?"

"Dunno, I'll have to discuss it with Belldandy. She was looking at a bridal magazine with a bunch of wedding gowns in it earlier today. She might be leaning towards Western."

"Ooooh, that's gonna be expensive." Megumi chuckled. "Her gown alone will cost a bunch."

"The kimono for a Japanese wedding won't be much cheaper."

"True. What about the clothes for the bridesmaids and the groomsmen?"

"Damn! I hadn't thought about that. And then there's the photographer, and the flowers, and...you know, maybe we're better off just eloping." Keiichi said, half in jest.

"Right, Keiichi. Megumi warned. "You'll have everyone in the family and at the temple pissed off at you, including me. I've never been part of a wedding before, much less my big brother's. And I'm not missing it for the world."

"So you'll help us get the preparations done?"

Megumi hesitated, "I'll try, but my time is limited."

"I'll hold you to that. I gotta get going and break the news to the parents."

Keiichi rang off. He thought that this whole wedding business could be just him and his Goddess, in the temple, surrounded by his closest friends. But then reality set in, and he realized that it was going to cost a lot more to pull this off than he had saved up. Belldandy wouldn't care whether her wedding was a massively formal affair with hundreds of guests and a six foot tall wedding cake, or just a simple gathering, or even just him and her. After all, all she cared about was having Keiichi by her side.

But it wouldn't be right in his mind to just run off, have his vows witnessed by a government official, and have done with it. This was going to be a one-time occasion. So he wanted to do it up right. Belldandy knew the depths of his love for her when Keiichi confessed his feelings in Heaven before Kami-sama and every Goddess there. But down here on Earth, there were still those who wondered why he had been so slow to show them how much he loved his Goddess. To them, they were still the reluctant boyfriend and girlfriend, scared to death of showing their true feelings. Megumi still thought that they had never kissed. Still in the 'elementary school' phase of their relationship.

If Meg could see what Keiichi and Belldandy were doing in their private love nest on a regular basis, she'd deem that the couple were well beyond the college level in terms of the physical intensity of their relationship. Not to mention, she'd probably blush at some of the hi-jinks they would get up to.

Kei and Bell were still making love at least once a week. And their fire hadn't cooled in the least since that first night. Belldandy was still insatiable and she gave as good as she got. She was still a screamer and a moaner. But she learned to be more accommodating in giving Keiichi a break after some of their more frenetic activities. And Kei had become much better in meeting his Goddess's needs in that area.

Keiichi called his parents, and as Megumi predicted, Keima read his son the riot act for at least a good five minutes before Keiichi could get a word in edgewise. And no sooner had Keima had his say, then Takano took the phone and picked up where her husband left off, and then some.

All told, it was about ten minutes before the exasperated parents finally let their son speak. Keiichi calmly repeated his alibi, making sure that he answered every question as completely as possible. He had all his bases covered. He explained why he had to go to San Francisco, and he also fabricated a believable profile of Belldandy's parents in spite of the fact that he had never met them, much less seen them at any time in the few times he had been in Heaven.

But parents have an innate ability to know when their progeny are lying, and the Morisatos were no exception. Keima and Takano had found the one hole in Keiichi's tissue of lies. They would only give their blessing if they met Belldandy's parents. Keiichi had no answer for that one and to save face, he quickly told Keima and Takano that he would call them back when he could get in touch with Bell's parents to arrange a meeting. After hanging up the phone, Keiichi was sweating bullets. How was he going to get himself out of this jam?

Chapter 4

A Conference Room in the Palace of Heaven.

"Do you think that he is the one whom we can count on to head this?"

"If not him, who else? He has proven his worth and his dedication multiple times. And there is no one else like him."

"This plan is very dangerous. Hild will be extremely upset."

"I don't really care about what Hild thinks right now. We'll deal with her when the time comes."

"I do hope you know what you're doing?"

"That's a rather rude thing to say to me."

"I beg your forgiveness for my words. But a plan of this magnitude would have anyone with a sound mind questioning the sanity of even one such as you."

"Apology accepted, and I only forgive you because you are one of my most trusted advisers. I have to admit that this is a very audacious venture, and if I were you, I'd also question the mindset of the one who would propose such a plan. Even if they were the Almighty. But I have been thinking about this for a very long time. And I feel that now is the best time to do this, especially with the catalyst of our plan right at our fingertips."

"Heaven can use a little fresh blood, some new thinking. Maybe this could work after all."

"Quite. When all is ready, let me know, and I'll make the first contact."

8:00pm, October 22.

Keiichi's Room.

After all the excitement of the day, Keiichi decided to relax for a few moments in his room before turning in. He wanted to get a good night's rest and be ready for his first day back at work. But he wasn't drowsy enough to fall asleep, so before heading off to his room, he snagged one of Skuld's manga books she always kept lying around. He started reading it, when Belldandy walked in. She was already dressed in her pajamas and was heading towards the Tea Room to turn in, but decided to check in on Keiichi before going to bed.

"Keiichi, what are you reading?" Bell asked sweetly, as she bent over to look him in the face.

"One of Skuld's mangas." Keiichi laughed. "It's about this guy who's a real loser with women, and one night, a Goddess appears to him from a mirror and gives him a wish. I know, it sounds kinda sappy, doesn't it? Pretty lame. I don't think it'll sell very well."

Bell smiled and said, " I don't know. The idea sounds very cute to me. I'd like to read it one day." She inspected the cover of the manga and said, "Hmm. Kosuke Fujishima. He sounds familiar."

"Yeah, he did a manga about a couple of crazy policewomen. That was one of his better works. I don't think this one's nearly as good." He tossed the book aside and said, "Is everything okay, Belldandy?"

She said. "All is well, Keiichi. How did your parents take the news of our engagement."

"They have no problem with it, however, we might have a problem."

Belldandy sat down cross-legged next to Keiichi, and with a look of concern, asked. "What kind of problem?"

Keiichi held his head in his hands and rubbed his cheeks, then said, " They'll give us their blessing, but only if they can meet your parents. I've never met your parents. How would I know if they'd approve of me?"

Fidgeting slightly as she posted a nervous smile, Belldandy said, "I'm sure that my parents will have no problem with you at all."

Keiichi queried, "Is Kami-sama...?"

Belldandy quickly replied, shaking her head. "Oh, no, he's not my father. You know that Skuld, Urd and I share the same father, but have different mothers. But Kami-sama is no relation to me."

"Is there any chance I that I could meet them, so they can give me their blessing?"

"It's possible," Bell hesitated. "But they are always very busy. They are highly placed in the administration, and it might not be possible for them to come to the wedding due to their commitments."

"I've noticed that in all the years I've known you, you've never talked about them other than to explain how you and the other Goddesses are related."

Belldandy bowed her head and said quietly, "We're not that close, Keiichi. Our parents raised all three of us to be very independent of them. It's not that I don't love or respect them, but i-it's that we don't talk very often." She slowly turned her head away from Keiichi and said nothing further.

Keiichi could easily tell from Bell's actions that she wasn't comfortable talking about her parents. Something about them obviously caused her more than a little bother. And by the way she killed the conversation, nothing more about the subject was to be said.

Keiichi knew that it wasn't a good idea to make his Goddess reveal something she didn't want to. From her actions, she showed that she kept her feelings about her mother and father locked up tight, and she wasn't prepared to share them with anyone, even the man she loved more than life itself.

Keiichi took great pains to always allow Belldandy her space. So he dropped the subject. He could always fabricate another excuse to tell Keima and Takano as to why a meeting couldn't be arranged, but he was getting tired of having to build lie upon lie. Then again, he was of the age of majority, he didn't legally need his parent's permission to marry. But, it was considered rude not to at least ask for their blessing. Whether he chose to honor their wishes, yea or nay, was up to him. They might put up some protest, or maybe even not show up at the wedding, but they couldn't stop Kei from marrying Belldandy.

Bell interrupted Keiichi's train of thought, speaking just above a whisper. "Well, Keiichi, if there's nothing more that you need of me, I'm going to bed." Longingly, she said. "Is it possible, later this week, maybe we can...?" She stood and headed for the door.

"Of course, Belldandy." Keiichi gently answered. "I'll always make time for that. I'd indulge you tonight, but I want to be well rested for whatever Chihiro throws at me tomorrow." Keiichi also stood and gave his Goddess a sweet good night kiss. They held each other for a few precious moments, and Bell left.

A few minutes passed and Keiichi went to speak to Urd about the conversation he just had with Belldandy. He figured that she would be a little more up front about that which caused Belldandy such distress.

Urd was in her room watching some program or other on TV. And despite her standing order that she never be disturbed during TV time, she turned her attention to Keiichi when he mentioned the parents.

"The subject of our parents is one that we don't talk about very much, Keiichi." Urd said as she floated at head level before Keiichi. "You know my mother all too well. But we don't like to dwell on our father, or Belldandy and Skuld's mother too much. They're not bad deities, but they weren't the most affectionate parents. Very professional, very stern and very serious. They tolerated little funny business. They held us up to a high standard, even more so for Belldandy."

"Why, Urd?"

"Because of the three of us, Belldandy was supposed to be the shining star. Even though I was the oldest, I was always taught to try and emulate Belldandy. Of course, me being half demon, and the daughter of the Daimaikaicho herself insured that my rebellious side would always try to be the opposite of Bell. And Skuld was the exact opposite of me, she idolized Belldandy from birth."

Keiichi spoke up. "I remember when we were in Heaven, Lind told me that Belldandy was expected to take on a high position in Heaven, but she refused. Instead, she became a field Goddess in the GAA."

Urd said. "Lind was right. Belldandy was groomed from birth to ascend to the highest levels of Heavenly society. She had it all laying at her feet. She could have had any position short of Kami-sama himself. Her schooling, her magical powers, her singing, Heaven was her's for the taking, had she wanted it. Every aspect of her preparation was meant for that purpose. But she didn't want it. She just wanted to grant wishes and make people happy."

"But I don't see what all that has to do with her parents." Keiichi said. "I'm confused."

Urd said. "And that's the part Lind didn't tell you. Our parents were very disappointed when Bell broke the news that she had joined the GAA as a field Goddess. They used all their influence and connections to get Belldandy the best training and opportunities. They opened a lot of doors, pulled a lot of strings, and called in more than a few IOU's to Gods and Goddesses at the pinnacle of Heaven's hierarchy. Which wasn't easy, even as powerful as they were." Urd shifted her position slightly as she floated at Keiichi's eye level.

"And when she refused to go with their plans, they took it as an insult. That was a very long time ago, and while time eventually heals all wounds, and they had grudgingly accepted Belldandy's decision, there is still a large rift between them and her. Bell and our parents still love and respect each other and they'll treat each other civilly, but I fear any chance of a full reconciliation between the two is all but lost."

Urd continued. "You know how stubborn Belldandy can be. Well, guess who she got that from? Except our parents are a lot worse."

Keiichi said. "But Belldandy is still very highly regarded in Heaven, right?"

Urd said. "Of course. She has the total package. She's beautiful, even in a Heaven where the plainest Goddess is infinitely better looking than any woman here on Earth. She is one of only three First Class Goddesses to hold Level One Song Proficiency. Her magical technique is so good, it's the standard taught in the sacred schools. You've seen her record at the GAA. No other field Goddess could touch her. She was the most eligible Goddess in Heaven until you came along. Belldandy's name and reputation still carries a lot of weight in Heaven even as a mere field Goddess.

"But imagine how much more powerful and beloved she'd be if she would have followed the path our parents had laid out for her. They asked her why she would forsake what they thought was her destiny, and she told them that she believed that granting wishes was as important as running Heaven. Obviously, they didn't agree."

"So is it safe to say that they won't be at the wedding?"

"Definitely, Keiichi. If they decided to show, it would be a miracle. Besides, from what I've read, weddings are supposed to be joyous and happy occasions. Those two would just sit there being miserable, and making everyone around them feel just like they do."

Before Keiichi could ask another question, Urd abruptly grabbed him by the shoulders, spun him around to face the door and firmly pushed him out of her room. Getting the not-too-subtle hint, Keiichi shuffled back to his room and went to bed. Lying on his futon, he tried to digest all that Urd had told him, but sleep had other plans.

Chapter 5

Three Weeks Later-November 11.

Wedding plans were starting to come into place at Tarikihongan Temple. After some thought, Keiichi and Belldandy decided to take advantage of their previous affiliation with Nekomi Tech to allow the school's Flower Arranging and Photography Clubs to take care of the flowers and the wedding photos. Keiichi knew that allowing them to take on such an important responsibility was a gamble. After all, he was entrusting a major part of the ceremony to a bunch of college kids who took pictures and arranged flowers as a hobby. In past Spring Carnivals, Keiichi had witnessed the offerings of both clubs and wasn't exactly impressed by either of them. Flowers that had no business together, no symmetry or balance, and a general lack of sophistication didn't inspire much confidence in Keiichi, and pictures that were out of focus, too bright, too dark, or had uninspiring subjects only served to convince Kei that this wasn't a good idea.

But Belldandy, who always strove to see the best in even the most hopeless situation gently reminded Keiichi that the club members were trying their best, and she believed that everything would turn out all right. She also reminded him that the price was right. In short, the clubs offered to do the wedding for free in exchange for Bell and Keiichi giving them a positive recommendation if everything turned out all right. Trusting Belldandy's wisdom and judgment in all things, Keiichi agreed to the proposal and let his Goddess take care of the matter.

The couple set the wedding date for Christmas Day. They did so because that was the day they first met, and also they believed that in the spirit of a holiday dedicated to the giving and receiving of gifts, they reasoned that the greatest thing that they ever gave to each other was their love.

Belldandy picked out her wedding gown, but when Keiichi tried to take a look at it, she quickly pulled the picture away because she wanted it to be a secret. When Keiichi asked about how much it would cost, she told him that it wouldn't cost anything except for the materials because she was going to make it herself. Keiichi could hardly believe what his Goddess was saying because while he knew that Belldandy could knit, surely sewing up something as complicated as a wedding gown was easily beyond even her abilities. Then she told him that she was going to make the dresses for the brides maids as well as the tuxes for him, his father and the groomsmen. That convinced Keiichi that Belldandy had gone completely off her rocker.

In his mind, there was no way that she could pull all this off. The gown was one thing, but to make all the clothes for the wedding party? That was madness. Keiichi offered to spring for the tuxedo rental for himself as well as his groomsmen, but Belldandy refused. She told him to relax and to trust her. With some reluctance, he did so.

Keiichi and Belldandy also completed the list of the wedding party. It was biased towards the the bride's side with Urd, Megumi, Chihiro, and Sora Hasagawa as the bridesmaids. As Keiichi didn't have many close male friends, and against his better judgment, he ended up having only Tamiya and Ootaki as his groomsmen. He could only imagine the utter destruction those two could cause, but he was rather spoiled for choice. He certainly wasn't going to ask Aoshima. And while he counted the other members of the Motor Club as friends, he didn't know them well enough to make them his groomsmen, although he did invite them to the wedding. Also, he chose to forego having a best man, because while he had no choice as to having his two frenemies as his groomsmen, he didn't trust either of them enough to be his best man.

Belldandy decided to make Urd her maid of honor. Sigel, the robotic girl Skuld converted from an old welcome doll was to be the flower girl. Banpei, Skuld's first robot who was smitten with Sigel was to be the ring bearer. But the question remained as to what to do with Skuld. Too young to be a bridesmaid, and too old to be a flower girl, both Keiichi and Belldandy couldn't decide where she fit in the ceremony plans. And while she largely accepted the relationship between her older sister and Keiichi, occasionally, Skuld would make it known that she still wasn't completely on board. Kei and Bell decided to make her the usher who seated the guests. They figured she couldn't get into too much trouble doing that.

The Mishima Group Apartments

9:30am, November 11

Miss Sayoko Mishima,

You are cordially invited to

the Wedding of

Goddess First Class Belldandy

and

Mr. Keiichi Morisato.

Friday, December 25, 1992. 2:00pm.

Tarikihongan Temple

Nekomi City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Sayoko stood dumbfounded in the midst of the lobby of the luxury apartment building her father's company owned looking at the wedding invitation in her hand. It was written on thick cream colored paper in Belldandy's flowing cursive style. The first thing she thought to herself after reading the invitation was, "Who in the hell plans their wedding in December? Anyone with half a brain knows that you don't get married in the winter! Idiots!"

But soon her thoughts changed from the foolishness of her principal rival having her wedding in December, to whom she was marrying. For years, Sayoko resented all the attention that Belldandy received since coming to Nekomi City. The heiress was always used to being the center of attention, the straw that stirs the drink, and the one who every girl on campus wanted to emulate, and every guy wanted to date.

Like her cousin Toshiyuki Aoshima, she was the heir to the head of a vast corporate empire. She was rich beyond belief. There was nothing she couldn't buy. And men all over campus fell all over themselves trying to catch her eye. Concert tickets to the hottest acts. Reservations to the newest and trendiest restaurants. VIP access to the hippest clubs. Those were some of the gifts men would shower upon Sayoko in an effort to gain favor. And she would accept all of those tokens, and still not give her potential suitors the time of day. But because she was so beautiful, and so rich, the men of Nekomi Tech would keep on trying, and Sayoko would keep leading them on. She was the self-titled Queen of Nekomi Tech. Every year, she won the beauty pageant that bore that name. She had it all. Looks, talent, brains. The most eligible woman on campus, and she wasn't shy about letting anyone know it.

But all that changed the day Belldandy arrived on campus. The Goddess immediately became the hit of the school. Compared to her, Sayoko was yesterday's news. Last year's model. The leftovers on the discount rack. The attention that Sayoko basked in dried up like a pool of water in the desert.

The men of Nekomi Tech had a new object for their affections. They followed the Goddess wherever she went thrusting gifts and favors before her. But Belldandy politely refused them all and made it clear that there was only one man that she cared about.

Keiichi went from being the clueless geek who was branded a complete loser by his classmates to being the luckiest guy on campus. Everyone wondered how a lame undistinguished face in the crowd like him could end up with a girl that eclipsed the Queen in all things. But the last straw came when Belldandy unwittingly committed the ultimate crime. She stole the title of Queen of Nekomi Tech from Sayoko. Bell had no clue how much the heiress valued that honor, how so much of her existence depended on a title that meant nothing outside of campus. Sayoko never forgave Bell for taking away her royalty and all the adoration that came with it.

So she plotted and planned. Schemed and dreamed. She tried every underhanded trick she knew to dishonor Belldandy. But nothing seemed to work. Then she tried to undermine Keiichi and Bell's relationship. She tried spying on them in an effort to find out about Belldandy's magic. She attempted to flirt with Keiichi to make Belldandy jealous. She attempted to put the couple in embarrassing situations, but if anything, she ended up becoming the butt of her own jschemes.

There was even a time, in which she found herself slowly gaining feelings for Keiichi herself, despite trying to drive a wedge between him and Belldandy.

Sayoko put a lot of time and effort into exacting her revenge on Belldandy for stealing her glory. But it seemed that all Sayoko really had to do was wait. Because Belldandy only attended classes at Nekomi Tech to be with Keiichi, once he left school, so did she. The furor over the Goddess died down, and Sayoko was back to being the ruler over her campus domain. Things were as they should be. Sayoko Mishima on top of the world and everyone else groveling at her feet, until now.

Sayoko was sure that Belldandy had sent the invitation to her to rub her ultimate victory in the heiress's face. Obviously, by crowing to any and all that despite all of Sayoko's machinations, her and Keiichi were still together, and were getting married, of all things, she'd declared victory over her fiercest rival.

But after a moments reflection, Sayoko decided that it wasn't worth it to get angry at what she considered an old battle best forgotten. She was poised to waltz into an executive vice-president position at her father's company upon graduation. Soon, she would be saying 'Goodbye and Good Riddance' to dreary old Nekomi Tech and its boring bush-league politics. She was ready for the big time. Dreaming of becoming Queen of a much bigger and more prestigious domain. She didn't have the time or the desire to keep clinging on to a place and people she'd outgrown.

Sayoko had thought about tossing the invitation. But she considered it rude to do so without some kind of response. Actually attending the wedding was out. She wouldn't be caught dead in that tumble-down old temple. But if she sent along some token of congratulations with a note saying that she was sorry, but could not attend the wedding due to pressing business, she'd save face as well as prove that she had let bygones be bygones. And she still did have some feelings for Keiichi. Even after all the nasty things she had done to him and Belldandy, he still treated Sayoko with respect.

Sayoko looked at her watch. "Damn, I've wasted five minutes with this invitation, and now I'm late." she thought to herself. "I'll just pick up some cheap little knick-knack and have my staff send it to them."

She once again began walking with purpose through the lobby towards the sleek black metal and smoked glass front doors. The doorman and valet were on the job today. Her silver late model Mercedes-Benz coupe was sitting in the driveway, V-12 engine purring as the doorman opened the front door so she could sweep through. The valet hopped out of the car and held the Benz's door open for its owner. Se slid in behind the wheel without so much as a thank you to her minions, who bowed low in obedience, if not in reverence to her.

Sayoko believed in making sure she didn't get too familiar with her employees. They knew their role, and she made sure of it. She tossed her Gucci purse in the passenger seat where it bounced off something that was already sitting there. Lifting the purse, she noticed that there was a small package sitting in the front seat. The package was about 4 inches square on all sides and was wrapped in red paper with a strange writing all over it. It looked like Kanji, but it said no words that she was familiar with. There was a note attached to it, addressed to her. She grabbed the note and opened it.

Dear Sayoko,

I'm sure that by now, you've received the invitation to attend Keiichi and Belldandy's wedding.

And I'm also sure that it would be beneath you to attend. But you can't just throw the invitation

away. Even one so highly placed as yourself knows how rude that can be. So I have decided to give

you a hand as it were. Please send this package to Keiichi and Belldandy along with a note stating

that you couldn't attend, but that you are sending along this little wedding present in your absence.

I must ask you not to unwrap the package or try to determine what is in it. It is a surprise. Just

send the package as it is.

Sincerely,

A Friend.

Sayoko didn't know what to make of this. The note echoed her thoughts exactly. She called the valet and asked him whether he had seen anyone put the package in her car, and in a shaky terrified voice, he answered that he had been watching her car all day, as were his standing orders, and that no one approached her car, much less put anything in it. She dismissed the man, and read the note again. She was tempted to tear open the package to see what was in it. After all, she wasn't used to sending packages containing items that she hadn't personally picked out. But as Sayoko reached for the parcel, a strange feeling of foreboding entered her mind. The closer her hand got, the stronger the feeling became. It was a subtle feeling. Not a voice, but a feeling that told her in no uncertain terms that it was a very good idea to heed the instructions on the note and just send it along.