There was fire.  And pain.  She screamed in agony
as it ripped through what was left of her body.  The red
and orange of the fires caused by her hated enemy.

	Her enemy, it had come from nowhere, that rolling
mass of darkness.  It had said nothing, just cast dark fire
where they stood, as they were preparing to do battle with
It.

	But It had struck first.  She had seen Indigo Pixie
Heart Skittle ripped in two from the first blast, but then
there was light, and then there was dark.

	And now she was here, her eyes, even if they were
open, could not see anything through the blood that covered
them.  She could feel the heat of the fires that still
raged around her.  And she knew she was going to die.

	This was her last thought;

	Damn you, Hellstorm.

**********
Dark Heart High

Netherworld Educational Institution for
  The Universal Propagation of Evil
    founded by Mads

Omake:  When Troi met Hoshiko...
  by JonB.
***********

	She heard her mother singing.

	Hoshiko Ibuki then knew that she was in heaven.  She
was content to let the beautiful voice of her mother wash
over her, to sooth her pain, to let her rest gently on the
waves of the ocean.

	A touch, and a spike of pain.  She screamed again as
something was ripped out of her, Her eyes opened for a
moment, and she with clarity of those who knew truly
nothing, saw her mothers concerned face.  The sanitized
green of a hospital emergency room, and the man in the
dress of a surgeon who held a bloody piece of re-bar in his
hands.  She knew, moments ago, that shaft of metal had been
millimeters from her heart, and that maybe she wasn't going
to die.

	And then she died again.

	*	*	*

	Hellstorm returned to his war camp.  He was
satisfied.  Those blessed Heart Skittles Cheerleaders (Who
could keep track of what they called themselves these
days?) would bother his minions no more.  But what
possessed them to summon him?  Then his stomach rumbled.

	O.K.  So, Peach Sprite was going to trouble him for
another few days.  But it was worth it!  Blood pressure be
blessed.

	*	*	*

	"Who did this?"

	Hoshiko looked at her mother with her one good eye.
The doctors, both mundane, and the ones called in by Sakura
Arts had told her that the other one would recover, as
would the rest of her body.  The scars would fade, even the
one which nearly killed her.

	Hoshiko whispered a name, and her mother leaned in
closer.  "Who?"

	'hellstorm'

	Mrs. Ibuki leaned back.  Instinctively, her hand when
to the chest that contained her sacred armor.  Being a
magical woman had some advantages, but she still needed her
armor nearby in order to transform.  Hence the chest that
went nearly everywhere she did.

	"Hellstorm.  Don't worry, my beautiful Hoshiko.  His
time will come soon enough."  The elder woman told her
daughter as she closed her eye, falling asleep under
the influence of the spells the medical staff from Sakura
Arts had cast.

	The doctor looked at Mrs. Ibuki.  "Hellstorm?  Not to
be rude Mrs. Ibuki, but your daughter's team wasn't strong
enough to handle him under ideal circumstances.  Why did
they believe they could beat him?"

	"I don't know."  Mrs. Ibuki sat back thoughtfully.
Hoshikos friend Violet's condolences had sounded sincere
enough, but there was something off about them.  However,
that was something that could be dealt with at a later
date.  Today, she would watch over the sleeping babe of her
daughter.

	*	*	*

	Hoshiko got up and flexed her legs.  They were still
occasionally stiff, but given enough time, they would
return to their proper fitness.  As she did this, she was
looking over the notes her friends had brought over.  What
notes there were, as most of the class couldn't keep track
of what was going on in class.  What was it about magical
girls that they couldn't keep track of their classes?
However, by filtering through a dozen or more helpful sets
of notes taken in class, and ignoring the personal remarks
made in each set, she was able to reconstruct the actual
study for the day.

	She looked up at her pride and (hidden) joy.  A
certificate she hid at the foot of her bed proclaimed that
she had successfully completed the Tokyo Business
Institute's studies in Business and Personnel Management.
And a personal letter of congratulations from the Dean of
the institute for her fine work in obtaining this
achievement while she was only barely 18.

	After her fateful encounter with Hellstorm, and while
her body bay broken in the ICU, and later at home, she had
spotted this flyer advertising the course.  With nothing
better to do with her time (ice cream was out of her diet
thanks to 'Doctors Orders'), she applied, and found she had
plenty of time to work on the certificate when her mother
wasn't around.  Nine months was plenty of time for an over-
achiever like herself.

	She knew now that she couldn't be a Magical Girl
Forever.  But why didn't they tell them in school?  She
needed something to help get her life back together, and
that was it.  If only her mother understood.

	She returned her attention to the notes her friends
had taken for her on the last day of classes.  Her mother
insisted she stay home and rest up in preparation for the
Last Ball.  The ball was tomorrow, and she felt she could
do it.  A ceremony that signaled the true end of the school
year and for the graduating class, it meant much more.

	That, and Knight School was holding it's Last Dance
in conjunction with Sakura Arts.

	She glanced at the dress her mother had given her for
this event.  A white silk gown that would be just like
everyone else's.  Hoshiko shook her head.  No originality
whatsoever.  Perhaps she should wear something a little
more business-like, and see where that got her.  But her
mother was going to chaperone this event, and the entire
schools will be there.

	Her heart didn't flutter when she went to her
wardrobe to find something to wear.

	*	*	*

	Her dress was a dark gray, knee length skirt, and a
navy blue blouse, her transformation broach pinned over her
left breast.  It seemed to glow with it's own light, but in
that regard, it was like so many others.  A peach coloured
hair ribbon made a net of her hair, now grown shoulder
length since the fire.

	At first it was a chore to convince her mother to let
her wear this.  But after Hoshiko complained that the dress
her mother got her was to tight, and she couldn't take a
breath that her mother relented.  Of course, the colour
scheme was a much easier matter.  She wanted to remember
her fallen teammates, and these were their colours.

	It had seemed like an eternity into the dance, but
the clock had only ticked by half the hour since the
dancing began.  Hoshiko had spent the time wandering
around, wondering who would die next.  It was morbid, but
she couldn't help it.

	The current dance ended, and she turned to look in at
the dance floor.  Violet waved at her, and she waved back.
Violet made an excuse to her date, Thorson 'Thunder'
Ringoshima, and walked towards Hoshiko.  She recalled the
gossip that had reached her ears about how there were
'sparks' between the two of them.  But that thought was cut
short.  Violet approached.

	"Lavender..."

	Hoshikos skin turned cold at that name.  "What do you
want, Violet?"

	She reached out, and took her friends hand.  "Listen,
after your battle with Hellstorm..."

	Violet didn't get a chance to finish.  Hoshiko
twisted and reversed the grip on the Violet Valkarie.  A
move she learned watching Knight School over the past three
years.  To any outside observer, it would look like the two
were supporting each other.  "It wasn't a battle."
Hoshikos memories were still vivid in that regard.  "It was
a slaughter.  It came and it killed my three best friends
before they had a chance to react, and only shear luck
prevented me from dying."

	"I'm s...s..sorry.  But I can help."  Violet regained
her composure.  Hoshiko loosed her grip, and Violet worked
her hand free.  "Listen.  After...  that, I went looking.
And I found something."  She took a half step back, and
reached into her purse.  She pulled out what looked like a
stone, but one that seemed like it was made of dried blood.

	"What is it?"

	"It's a key."

	"Key?"

	"Yes.  I found it, and learned that it would take you
to Hellstorms realm."

	Hoshiko stared at the stone for long moments,
thoughts twisting in her head.  If she was paying
attention, she would have seen the barest of grins pass
along Violets face.  But it was far too late.

	"You can repay the Hellstorm for his crimes.  Take
the last battle to his own realm, and slay the monster.
Make your teammates proud."  Violet put the blood colored
stone into Hoshikos hand, and closed it for her.  "Take it.
It's the least I could do."  With that she turned away and
was satisfied that this problem would finally solve itself.

	*	*	*

	She stood on the roof.  Not of the school.  There
were far too many couples confessing their love up there.
No privacy for what she had in mind.

	Revenge.

	She looked at the blood stone in his hand.  Violet
had told her how to activate it.  She had promised to tell
the others should she actually go through with this.

	After the dance, Hoshiko had gone home and changed
out of her dress.  It would do her no good to walk into a
demons realm dressed in a gown.  It was taught that
sort of thing was quite acceptable, but it just wasn't her.

	She briefly considered becoming Lavender Fairy Heart
Skittle, but she had learned something from Knight School,
and the ninjas they trained.  Like the value of a low
profile.  She had decided that going in magic blazing was a
great way to invite every demon in Hellstorms army to
battle.  Blowing through all of them was an excellent idea
if she wanted to get exhausted before her final battle.
And she could no longer trust herself, or rather Lavender.

	So she had dressed in a business suit, and had
prepared a story designed to get her as close to the vile
monster Hellstorm as possible.

	With a word, and a drop of her blood, she vanished
from the world in a swirling portal of black and red.  The
only trace left of her was a scorch mark on the roof of her
house.

	*	*	*

	At first, she thought that nothing had happened, but
then she took a breath, and nearly choked on the sulfur in
the air.  She pulled a neckerchief out of her jacket
pocket, and held it over her face to try and filter out the
worse of the smell.  Hoshiko looked around her, and saw
nothing but a blasted, desolate landscape.  Just the sort
of place for that cursed spawn called Hellstorm to make his
home.

	The !bampfh! of exploding air came from her right,
and Hoshiko twisted around, hand reaching for her
transformation pendant, the words on her lips.

	"Oh, you must be here about the job."  The little red
imp floated on leathery wings about chest high a few feet
away from the nearly panicking magical girl.  He gave her
an appreciative once over, and snapped back to reality.
"Yes, you must be.  The bloodstone please."  He held out a
clawed hand expectantly.

	"The bloodstone?"  Hoshiko asked.  All her training
taught her that demons and youma attacked first and asked
questions later, unless they were sent to deliver a
message.  Yes, that must be it, this imp was here to
deliver a message.

	"Yes, the bloodstone.  You know, about the size of my
fist, colored like human blood (hence the name). You put a
drop of your blood on it to come here, and as a by product,
summon me here.  You know, that bloodstone?  We need it
back, there may be other applicants for the job."

	Numbly, Hoshiko took the stone, and handed it to the
imp.  Job?  Applicants?  What was this monster talking
about?  The imp took the stone and pocketed it.  "Thank
you.  Now, if you will please come with me, I will take
you to your interview."

	Hoshiko stood dumbfounded as the imp created a portal
with a few mumbled words and arcane gestures.  A ring of
pale green fire opened up, and she could see through it.
There was a war camp there.  And it looked full.  The imp
turned back, and read the obvious expression on her face.
"Don't worry, it's a rear base, Lord Hellstorm is currently
there.  Just step through."

	She stood there for a moment, her story forgotten.
This was either a trap or something too convenient for
words.  She took a step forward, and found her legs taking
her farther than she had anticipated.  With a mind of their
own, they took Hoshiko between the edges of the portal.

	A moment of heat from the flames, then it was cool.
She could feel the portal close behind her, the imp by her
side.  "This way.  I will show you to your tent, then I
will tell Lord Hellstorm of your presence."

	The imp led her to a red tent near the center of the
camp.  She kept her head pointed down, not wanting to see
the gruesome sights that she was sure adorned the tents and
poles around her.  They would be heads of fallen heroes,
enemies of the Lord of this place.

	She was afraid of seeing her friends up there
somewhere.

	She went into the tent, leaving the imp behind.  She
could hear it flap away to summon the Hellstorm.  Her eyes
opened wide.  It was going to come here.  She grasped the
pendant, and almost said the words when a more calm
thought.  What if it wasn't Hellstorm itself.  What if it
was some functionary?  Patience, she reminded herself.  So
instead she sat down.

	The chair was uncomfortable.  Not so much that you
got out of it to stand, but just enough to make you fidget.
Evil.  She passed the time trying to find a comfortable
spot, and failing to do so.

	An indeterminable time later, the flap opened.
Instantly, she leapt out of the chair.  "I'm sorry, I was
just trying to find a comfortable spot to sit."  She bowed
apologetically.

	"Humph.  Come with me."  Hoshiko looked up at the
vision of evil that haunted her dreams.  It was the
Hellstorm.

	"eep."  She paled.  Here he was, the evil Hellstorm
that killed her best friends.  Before she knew it, her hand
was on the transformation pendant, and she was recalling
the words through her fear.

	"You, apparently, are the only applicant for the job.
Therefore it is yours, assuming you are up to the task."
The Hellstorm twisted as well as an amorphous blob of black
smoke could, and left the tent.  Hoshiko just stared.  He
didn't attack, but was more like a businessman than a
Warlord bent on world domination.  She repressed a shudder,
then stepped outside the tent.  The Hellstorm had gone
left, and Hoshiko ran to catch up.  She would have to learn
his habits to know the best moment to strike; that was
another lesson taught at Knight School.

	The Hellstorm moved through his camp.  If he
recognized the presence of the magical girl trailing him,
he didn't give a sign.  "Listen.  I will only say this
once.  I have seen your credentials.  They are
satisfactory.  Now, take notes."  He said this all with out
turning back to look at her.  "I will require Three (3)
Weather Witches to make sure it does not rain on my army
staring in three days, and lasting for one week.  I also
require…"

	*	*	*

	"… and also there is the matter of a present for your
Aunt Venom."  Hoshiko looked up from her notepad, resting
her aching fingers.  Her first day on the job was hell
(literally).  She sat across from the Hellstorm in his
HQ tent.  She felt tired, exhausted, weary, and a few other
adjectives that she couldn't think of at the moment.  She
couldn't tell what he was felling.  How do you read the
emotions of an evil darkness?

	"It's Venoma.  But put that down as the last thing to
do."  Hellstorm looked at the table in front of him, with
the maps piled high.  Dealing with his aunt was one of the
last things he wanted to do.  He looked up, the pinpricks
if glowing red eyes appeared and disappeared.  This young
woman just radiated goodness and purity.  That might make
her a decent assistant.  But he would have to do something
about her alignment before the camp was reduced to total
chaos. "Do you want the job?"

	Hoshiko startled awake.  "Huh?  Job?  Sure, sure.  I
just need some sleep."  Her head nodded forward, and the
Hellstorm tried his best to filter out the snoring coming
from her.  He summoned one of his more competent guards,
and had him carry her to her tent for the evening.

	But he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen
her before.  One of his Captains came in then, and the
Hellstorm didn't think of it for quite some time.

	*	*	*

	Hoshiko rolled over.  Someone must have spiked the
drinks last night, because she was quite sure that she had
taken a portal to the realm of the Hellstorm, found herself
applying for a job she didn't know existed, and then
working a full day because time didn't match up here.  She
also recalled agreeing to take the job.

	"What a dream."  She rolled over again, wondering why
she fell asleep in her clothes.  It was to hot, so she
tossed off the sheets, and winced behind closed eyes of the
bright light.  She opened them, and saw the thin leather of
what had to be her tent.

	"What dream?"

	Hoshiko yelled in surprise, rolling away from the
voice.  She hit the ground hard, but bounced up into
standing position.  The realization that her dream wasn't
made for a rather shocking flashback.

	"Jumpy, aren't you?"  Hoshiko looked at the other
occupant of the tent.  A female stood there, leaning on a
rather evil looking sword.  It made her feel sick just to
look at it.  Stacked to one side was what had to be her
armor.  "Don't worry.  Hellstorm runs everyone ragged on
their first day.  Sometimes the first week.  I'm Eve.
You?"

	"Eve?"  Hoshiko bowed.  "I'm Ibuki Hoshiko."

	"Japanese, huh?  Well, I'm from the U.S.  Hellstorm
hires all types.  Guess that makes you the replacement for
Ix'tna."  Eve put down the sword, and began to strap on her
armor.  "There's a note for you on the table over there.
Some grunt left it earlier."

	Hoshiko turned her back on Eve, modesty as well as a
desire to see what was in the note making her turn her
back.

--
Your workday begins at 8:00 AM.  Be at Lord Hellstorm's
tent on time.

You will find the supplies your predecessor ordered outside
your tent.  Deal with them appropriately.

There is also a contract waiting for you at the logistics
station.  Sign it today.  Failure to do so will result in
disciplinary action.
--

	Disciplinary Action?  She didn't like the sound of
that.  "Eve, what time is it?"

	The woman looked up at her tent mate, "Almost eight.
Why?"  The last word was snatched away by the vortex of air
that signaled the passage of a young woman for whom old
habits died hard.

	She arrived at the tent just as Lord Hellstorm
stepped out.  He noted the trail of devastation left in her
wake.  He approved silently of her on time, if destructive
arrival.

	The day went on, not as bad as the first, and Hoshiko
found herself to busy trying to avoid revealing herself,
as well as doing this job she found herself doing.  Not to
mention she couldn't find the time to transform and destroy
Hellstorm.

	Her job was a cross between secretary and personal
assistant.  Take notes, messages, and act as a filter for
all the people who wanted to see the Hellstorm.  It was a
thankless job, and one that she realized was going to kill
her sooner or later.

	Later that day, while Hoshiko was getting supper,
Lord Hellstorm summoned Eve to his tent.  She arrived
exactly on time, knowing how well he didn't take people
being late.

	She waited, standing at attention while the General
finished dealing with the latest news on the motions of the
enemy.  Finally he turned the red pinpricks that were his
eyes upon Eve.  "We have a problem."

	"Sir?"

	"You share a tent with my new assistant."

	"Yes, sir."

	"Your opinion?"

	"Of her?  She smells of goodness.  I can't place it
though.  But I haven't really had a chance to get to know
her."

	"Astute observation.  Her obvious affiliation with
the forces of good is a problem if she is to stay here.
Her credentials check out, and she is over qualified for
the job she has.  You will work on shifting her alignment
away from good.  Or at least knock it down to a point were
her mere presence won't cause lesser beings to get sick.
Dismissed."

	"Yes sir."

	That night Hoshiko was going over the contract that
was standard for these things.  So far it was standard, if
convoluted.  She crossed out a clause she deemed to be
anachronistic, and wrote in a substitute.

	The flap opened, and in walked a radiant Eve.  Well,
as radiant as one could expect from a blood and gore
covered warrior.  "Had a nice day?"  The polite question
was out of her mouth before she could consider it.

	Her tent mate looked at Hoshiko with a joyful gaze.
"Oh yes!  The enemy came at us like lambs to the slaughter!
Those 'heroes' and their followers."  Eve bitch-laughed for
a long minute.  She eventually calmed down.  "Listen, I
just stopped by to make sure you were still alive.  I gonna
clean my stuff, then be back.  See ya."

	She turned and left, leaving Hoshiko wondering just
why she was being nice to this homicidal maniac.

	She came back from dropping off the edited contract
to find Eve polishing her sword.  "Ah, glad to see you
still here.  How was your day."

	"Hell."

	"Glad to hear it."  Hoshiko took her first good look
at the sword in Eve's hands.  It was a flat gray with
arcane symbols etched into it.  It also had a very jagged
edge that must be impossible to sharpen.

	"So, umm, why are you here?"  Hoshiko dropped onto
her bed, and began to get ready to sleep.

	"Me?  I'm taking an internship with the Hellstorm.
I'm a third year at the DHULA, taking Empire as my major.
I'm here for another few months, then its back to school.
You?"  The sword was given a couple practice swings.

	"I'm from Tokyo, I went to the Tokyo Business
Institute, and got a certificate in Business and Personal
Management.  A friend of mine told me how to get here, and
now, here I am."  Hoshiko slipped under the covers, casting
a glance at the sword.  "And I'm not feeling too well."

	Eve said nothing, but in the fading light, her mind
worked on this unusual opportunity.

	*	*	*

	For the next couple months, while the job didn't get
easier, it didn't get any worse either.  It took a couple
weeks for the camp to get used to her passage as she dashed
each morning to her job.  And she never got the chance to
transform and destroy that monster that was her boss.  To
this end, she had stopped carrying around the
transformation pendant, instead leaving it safely hidden in
her tent.

	Soon after she had got there, she had noticed that
people kept avoiding her if they could avoid it.  She never
had a problem in lines or finding her way through crowds.
They seemed almost allergic to her.  Hoshiko attributed
this to the fact that she was new here, not to her previous
occupation.

	The camp had shrunk slowly as more sections moving
out to join the war.  Hoshiko was actually enjoying the
time spent working, and even the black clothing she wore
now as part of the dress code wasn't that bad.  Eve was off
on one of her raids, and Hoshiko had helped her new friend
get good reviews from Hellstorm in exchange for her help
adapting in the first couple weeks.

	Speaking of whom, The Hellstorm himself was getting
more annoyed as the days went by.  Subtle checking revealed
that there was action by the enemy, but no one was quite
sure what.  The tenseness in the air was something you
could cut.  As a result, everyone had been issued weapons
and armour just in case.  Hoshiko had a saber strapped to
her hip, while a thin layer of leather was hidden under her
shirt.  She wished that she had her own sword here, but it
was far too late to get it.

	She finished her lunch, and tossed the box into a
trashcan.  Checking her notepad and other supplies, she
left to find Hellstorm.  All this worry about heroes had
already resulted in a couple of deaths among the troops,
but nothing extraordinary.  But the paperwork was annoying.
Even Eve had offered her condolences for working on that
thankless task.

	Hellstorm would be over by the mages compound.  He
was trying to negotiate for more services, but they were
holding out for an unreasonable fee increase.  Even her own
attempts at being nice were being met with little success.

	She nodded at the newest recruits as she passed them.
Then backtracked to take a second look.  There was a
certain air about the people here, something that she
couldn't place her finger on.  Something not quite evil.

	So why was there a Knight School graduate standing
there looking like he was going to fall over at any moment?
She looked again, and shook her head.  It couldn't be.
What reason would any of them have for signing up with
Hellstorm?  It was madness!

	She shook her head is dismay.  She had to get back to
work, not worry about possible alignment switches.

	A few minutes later a horn sounded in the distance.
It took a moment for Hoshiko to recognize it.  It was the
call of the Scarlet Charger!

	The Scarlet Charger was a hero that had been in the
stories for a decade or more.  A true hero, he epitomized
the idea that all strive to embody.  Some say he had plans
to be the next principal of Knight School.  And he was
here.

	"Light of the Dawn!"  The power exploded behind her,
from where she had seen the new recruits.  Instinct caused
her to dive to the ground.  That way most of the radiant
light passed over her.  What did hit her felt like a
refreshing breeze that made it easier to breath for the
first time in what seemed like ages.

	For a moment, silence, then the battle began in full
force as the hidden forces of good launched their surprise
assault.  A gout of flame ripped through a tent behind
Hoshiko, sending some poor grunt flying.

	This was her chance!  All she had to do now was get
to her tent, grab the transformation pendant from where she
hid it, transform, and join the forces of good to destroy
the General!  Yes!  That was the plan!

	She got to her feet, and began to dash off towards
the tent she occupied, going around the worse of the
battle.  There were fights everywhere, and Hoshiko wondered
how they had managed to infiltrate the entire compound.
There were supposed to be guards!

	Her tent was in sight, and she went from dash to the
magical girl 'imlateforschoolbye' sprint.  And tripped.

	Hoshiko crashed into the ground, jarring her arms in
the attempt to catch herself.  Around her feet, she could
feel the thin thread that had entangled her.  She twisted
and began to work herself free.

	"Now you shall die, Evil Vixen!"

	Hoshiko stopped what she was doing and looked around.
Eve was back?  No…  There was, however, this middle aged
man who held a net in one hand, and a trident in the other.
She recognized him, but couldn't quite place his persona.
He raised his weapon, and it dawned on Hoshiko that he was
talking about /her/.

	"Wait!  I'm not who you think I am!  I'm Princess
Lavender…  But the man refused to listen, he thrust his
trident down, but Hoshiko managed to twist out of the way.
She bend over, and ripped off the string holding her feet
together.   He tried to hit her again, but she aimed a
kicked at his stomach to buy her some time.  Instead she
struck low, and he doubled over in pain.

	She bounced to her feet, trying to plead with this
person to stop attacking her; that she was one of them, and
all she had to do was go to her tent and she could prove
it.

	But this Roman Gladiator wannabe would have nothing
to do with the lies of this evil creature.  He swung his
net to try and snare her but she dodged out of the way
again.

	He saw his chance, and swung with his weapon, but not
directly at her, just to her right, luring her to go left.
And left she did.  She stepped into a hole in the ground
that had been formed earlier in the battle by a couple
other combatants, and fell.

	He stood over her triumphantly, as good always won
over evil, and delivered the killing blow.

	But it was diverted at the last moment by the sword
she wielded.  Hoshiko had finally had enough of this crazed
hero, and knew she had to deal with him.  Her teachers back
at Sakura Arts had said that fights between heroes were
inevitable, but as long as they didn't kill each other,
it was ok.

	She swung her saber in a half hearted swing that made
him jump back.  She got to her feet, and assumed the
position that had made her the best fencer in all the
schools for three years.  Her opponent didn't realize this
or maybe he had no idea to begin with.

	He twirled the net, a makeshift trap should she
foolishly attack then.  Not that she would fall for that.
"Listen, we don't have to do this.  Please believe me.  I
don't want to hurt you!"

	The hero stabbed with his trident, laughing all the
while.  "Silly girl, you can't fool me with your false
innocence!  Your pathetic attempts only serve to amuse me!"

	Hoshiko raised an eyebrow trying to figure out just
what was wrong with this person.  Her moment of hesitation
was all he needed.  With a deft motion, he lunged and
sliced open her shoulder with the edge of his weapon.

	The pain went rampant across her body, and she
dropped in shock.  In her mind the spike didn't go along
her shoulder, but through the wound in her chest.  For a
moment, she saw the piece of rebar that had nearly killed
her, and imagined it was Hellstorm who had struck the blow.

	With a scream of rage, she ducked under the weapon,
and spun, slashing the cutlass across the chest of her
opponent to draw a long slash of blood.  It spurted over
her dress, and Hoshiko took the split second to reverse her
grip and rip open his throat.

	He fell, blood gurgling out his two severed jugulars
and died with barely a sound.  Hoshiko stood there for a
moment, hands on sword, and blood dripping down her blouse.
The fact of what she had done lingered in her head.  She
had killed a person, a fellow, another hero!  And she had
felt only the slightest bit of remorse doing so.

	No, not really.  There was no remorse.  He was going
to kill her, and she had stopped it.  It was kill or be
killed.  Eve would be proud of how fast she finished it.

	The nature of that thought was cut short as a yell of
anger reached her ears.  She raised herself, and turned to
look at the source, wiping a drop of blood from her eyes.
She saw two other so called heroes charging at her, that
they wanted to avenge their fallen comrade was plain in
their eyes.  To this, Hoshiko raised her sword, and
prepared to defend herself.  The first charged at her, and
she let him impale himself on her sword.  The other died
soon after.

	But it was all for naught as a soundless blaze of
light ripped across the compound, leaving nothing but
darkness in it's wake.

	*	*	*

	Hoshiko awoke to a killer headache.  "Good.  This
means I can stop looking after you."

	"Go away Eve, I have a headache.  And I feel like I'm
gonna be sick."

	The American woman dumped a bucket of cold water on
Hoshiko's head.  In response, she had to dodge a
retaliatory punch from the bedridden woman.  Hoshiko could
hear the smile in the voice.  "Glad to see you're feeling
better.  You had best get up; Lord Hellstorm wants to talk
with you.  Privately."

	Hoshiko thrashed.  "I don't wanna die!  Tell him I'm
still sick!  I feel dead!  That I am dead!  Plea-ea~ea~se!"

	"He's waiting outside the tent, and he has probably
heard every word you said."

	Hoshiko buried her head.  Hellstorm was probably
going to eat her for her betrayal.  She curled up, pulling
the blankets farther over her.  "Send him away."

	She heard Eve walk away, and wondered when she got
back.  And what had actually happened.

	"She will see you now."

	"I will see her."  Hellstorm moved into the tent.
Hoshiko twisted even farther, trying to bury herself in the
bed, maybe even to dig through it, into the ground below.
But she didn't get very far.

	"Ibuki Hoshiko."  The Hellstorm didn't sound angry.
But that didn't mean much.

	"Yes?"

	"I know you are healthy.  Your wound was not life
threatening.  Get up."  The darkness growled.

	Hoshiko pulled off the covers and got to her feet.
Her silence loud as she stood there, waiting for her doom.

	Hellstorms eyes narrowed, his form even more
indistinct as he stood in the shadows cast by the clouds
floating high above.  The effect was rather chilling for
the other occupant of the tent.

	"The Scarlet Charger is dead."  Hoshiko took this
news without a change in the expression on her face.  "I
killed him.  If you want to, you can see his remains at the
front gate.

	"During the attack, one of my captains happened upon
your fight from the start, and had chance to observe your
actions.

	"I have heard his report, and…"

	"I'm sorry!"  Hoshiko bowed deeply.  "I didn't mean
to hide my…"

	"Quiet!  I will say this!"  The Hellstorm paced back
and forth across the room, "For months, your inherent
goodness has plagued this camp.  Everywhere you went, you
radiated an aura of purity and kindness that at the best of
times caused even me to feel sick.  I would have fired you
long ago if you weren't such an excellent assistant.

	"So I wanted to get the best of both worlds.  I set
your roommate the task of converting your alignment from
good to at least neutral.

	"But she had failed.  All of her attempts were doomed
to failure.  Fortunately for her, that was extra credit,
and she's not the type of person to convert someone, just
subjugate them.  She's really good at that.  She'll make an
excellent General or Warlord."

	"You're rambling."  Hoshiko quietly brought it to her
boss' attention.  If he was going to kill her because she
was good, at least he could do it without the speech.

	"Ah yes, thank you.  Now the concern over your
alignment is over.  Congratulations, you're Evil.  By the
way, you're also getting a promotion.  I'll explain the job
you're starting tomorrow."

	With that, Hellstorm left a very surprised and
shocked Hoshiko standing there.  She didn't notice his exit
nor the entrance of Eve.  "Hey!  I heard!  Well done!"  Eve
grabbed Hoshikos hand and shook it profusely.  "If I had
known you were such a good swordswoman, I would have tried
to spar against you.  Three heroes in five minutes!  I
mean, Wow!"

	"evil?"

	Eve blinked.  "Here."  She held up the handle of her
sword.  "Take it."  Hoshiko gently reached out, and grasped
the handle it was cool to the touch, but Eve refused to let
go.  "Yep.  You're evil now.  This is a vile blade, only
evil people can touch it and not feel pained by it.  And
you're obviously not in pain, I guess this means you really
are evil now.  Killing those heroes must have put you over
the edge.  See you tomorrow!  Oh, and watch out for the
alignment shock."  With that, she left as well.

	Hoshiko threw back her head and wailed with all the
feelings that she had kept inside.  "I DON'T WANNA BE
EVIL!"

	She couldn't be evil.  She couldn't be evil.  No way!
Later that night, she dug out her transformation pendant.
It was gathering dust, but still there.  She held it close
to her chest and tried to say the words.  Become the girl
she once was.  To regain her youth.  But they would not
come, her tears and sobs got in the way.  If it was true,
then her heart accepted the change as easy as she had
accepted what she had perceived to be her destiny.

	Hoshiko put the small metal framed stone back under
her mattress.  She then ran to the chamber pot, and emptied
her stomach.  Her alignment shock occupied her for the rest
of the night.

	*	*	*

	Lord Hellstorm knew something was wrong when he
walked out of his tent the next morning.  The trail of
daily trail of destruction that had arrived at his door
every morning was not there.  "Ms. Ibuki?"

	Hoshiko looked up.  "Yes sir?"

	"Excellent.  With the attack yesterday, there were
casualties.  As of now, you are in charge of logistics and
personnel for this camp.  You are no longer my assistant.
Your first order of business however, will be to find a
replacement."  And that was that.  Lord Hellstorm walked
away, slightly limping from the injuries he had received
yesterday.

	A quick check revealed that the entire section of the
camp that contained her new job had been blasted early in
the battle yesterday.  Fortunately there were backup
records elsewhere.

	Now that she was doing a job she was fully trained
for, Hoshiko found her days passing quicker.  Some part of
her mind had given up the idea of transforming and
destroying Hellstorm.  Now she was doing her job, and doing
it well.

	Her first major challenge came within the week.  She
wondered if there was some rule out there that made the
hard challenged pop up soon after getting new
responsibilities.

It was the magi.  They were still demanding concessions,
and Hoshiko happened to be their newest target.

	There were three of them waiting outside her door one
morning.  They immediately set upon her, not with swords or
magic, but with their words.

	"Ms Ibuki, this is unacceptable!  Our contract
negotiations have stalled long enough, and we demand our
due!"

	That was rather up front of them.  In the past, it
seemed like everyone was acting with duplicity.  But this
was rather honest.  She flipped open the pad of paper that
went with her everywhere.  "What are your demands?" she
said with perfect honesty.

	"Demands?"  This seemed to catch the magus off guard.

	"Yes."  Hoshiko sighed.  This was ridiculous.  She
may be young, but she wasn't stupid.  "I need to know where
you stand, and the contents of the current contract before
we begin renegotiations."

	"We demand a weekly pay increase of 15%, as well, the
living conditions we currently occupy are squalid and not
conductive towards our work in this army.  Also, we demand
a higher priority in various actions and contingencies.  I
will have my people deliver a more comprehensive list soon.
Be aware of section five."

	Section five?  Once the trio had left, she sent one
of the imps to get the current contract.  She also made a
note to see Hellstorm that afternoon.

	She quickly scanned the contract and found that
section five allowed the magic users to walk off the job
under certain conditions.  And failure to renew the
contract was one of them.

	It was soon time for her meeting with Hellstorm.  His
new assistant was some demon that had the qualifications,
but still had some doubts about its abilities.  Something
about Evil Tech U made for incompetent helpers, even if
their heart was in the right place.  Even Evil had its
dregs and they went there apparently.

	This demon showed her in, casting what had to be a
jealous glance.  "Lord Hellstorm."

	"Ms. Ibuki.  How goes your new job?  I trust it
hasn't been to much of a load.  I would hate to have to
find a replacement for you so soon."

	"Don't worry about me.  How is that new secretary?"

	"Barely competent.  But this isn't about me, is it?
This is about the Magi.  They are after more stuff."
Hellstorm shook his head softy.

	"Hai."

	"What is it this time?"

	She handed him the list of their 'requests' and sat
back down, waiting for his response.

	"Why did you come to me with this?  You could have
dealt with it."  He handed the list back to Hoshiko.

	"I wanted to know how far I can go."

	Hellstorm tried to get back to his war planning, but
failed.  "Go as far as you need to.  If you go too far, I
will tell you, and deal with you as appropriate.
Dismissed."

	And that was that.  Hoshiko found herself in charge
of something more delicate than anything she had before.
Even in her career as a magical girl, all her battles
against the forces of evil didn't seem this important.

	She must be growing up, and the thought scared her.

	Eve must have sensed this somehow, Hoshiko found her
waiting at her office tent.  "Hi Eve.  I'm kinda busy right
now, what can I do for you?"

	"You can validate something for me."

	Hoshiko tried to think about what was going on.
"What are you talking about?"

	Eve moved so fast even Hoshiko had no chance to
react.  Her sword was at Hoshikos throat, and there was a
glint of madness in her eyes that scared her.

	"You really think you're evil?"  Eve asked ever so
slowly.  To this Hoshiko shook her head in the negative.
The motion caused the blade to dig ever so slightly into
the skin of her neck.

	"Good.  'Cause you're not.  Killing heroes may make
you a villain in some books, but not mine.  You are not
evil.  Not yet."

	Hoshiko gulped.  Another drop of blood.

	"How you deal with this", a pause where Eve took the
moment to twist the sword, "this will prove how evil you
are.  I would hate for all my work to come to naught."  The
sword went back into its sheath and Eve left.

	Hoshikos hand went to her throat.  It came back with
a drop of blood on it.  Looking at it, she collapsed to the
ground, her body quivering.  She looked out the open tent
flap as Eve walked away.  What had come over her?  What
plans?  Hoshiko was confused.

	She pulled herself back into her chair.  She wrapped
a white cloth over her neck to absorb the blood.  Last week
Eve was in a good mood now that she thought that Hoshiko
was evil.  Even used the vile blade to proved it.  Why the
change?

	An imp floated in.  "Ms Ibuki, the representatives of
the Magi are here.  Shall I show them in?"

	Hoshiko rapidly composed herself, wrapping a fresh
cloth around her neck to hide the injury, then nodded in
affirmation.  She would deal with this problem later.

	She stood as they walked in.  All dressed in dark
colors and wearing scowls.  Hoshiko countered with a smile.
"Welcome, I have a carte blanche for this little
difficulty, and I am quite certain we can get through this
in a friendly manner."  She offered her hand to shake with
the lead representative.

	"BY THE BLOOD OF MORGA'N'GRAK!  YOU SHALL OBEY!"
With that, the wizard threw some powder in Hoshikos face.
She coughed, and waved her hand around, trying to clear the
air.  "Now, you shall give in to all our demands, and sign
the contract we want."

	"No!  I shall not!  And what was that stuff anyway?
And who is Morgan Grak?  A guy who sells talcum powder?"
She snatched the bottle that was still held in his hands.
"Grak's Manipulation Powder?  What the hell?"

	"But…  But…  You should be under our spell now…  It
was supposed to work!  This was supposed to be easy now
that Hellstorm wasn't negotiating!  What went wrong?"

	Hoshiko stared with a very dumbfounded look on her
face.  "This is ridiculous.  You can't even cast a spell
right apparently.  And I'm supposed to take you seriously
to the point where you plan on getting more out of me?
What do you take me for?  Some idiotic magical girl?  Now,
get out before I do something to loose my temper!"

	"How…  How…  How…  ?"  One of the assistants left
while the other led the shocked leader out as well.  After
a moment the imp came back in.

	"What did you do?"  It asked with apparent concern.
It didn't want to have to deal with a new, possibly worse
boss.

	"Nothing really."  She turned the bottle over in her
hands.  There was the label with some fine print.
Intrigued, she examined it closer.  Just a standard legal
disclaimer.  But something caught her eye.  "Dosage will be
rendered ineffective if the victim had bled in the last
twenty-four hours."

	Eve nicked her.  Drew blood.  She saved her?  "How
you will deal with this will prove just how evil you are."
That was her warning.  But she didn't know the first thing
about being evil.  What was she supposed to do?  Bitch-
laugh?

	"Miss?"

	Hoshiko threw her attention at the imp.  "What?"

	"You look like you were thinking, I was wondering
then, if I could be of some assistance?"

	Hoshiko snorted.  "Sure.  If you could tell me what
it means to be evil."

	"Oh, that's easy!  To be evil you have to do what you
want, and not care who or what gets in your way!"
Confusion wrapped itself around its face.  "But why would
you ask that question?"

	Hoshiko glared at the imp.  She then said in the
sweetest, most kind voice she could muster.  "Do you really
want to know?"

	The imp paled, and fled, trying to get away from this
obviously psychopathic bitch until she calmed down, and
acted like a normal person.

	She just kept thinking about the twin events that
defined this day.  How to be evil?  The more she thought
about it, the more it seemed like Eve wanted to test
Hoshikos evilness, and this was the way she was doing it.
But how to be evil in this?

	The end of the day came sooner rather than later.
Hoshiko dragged her feet on her way back to her tent.  How
to be evil…  Evil…

	Eve wasn't in the tent, which wasn't surprising.
Since the attack she had been a little more aggressive in
her patrolling.  She came and went at all hours of the day.
It occurred to her that maybe Eve was overworking herself,
and needed a break.  That could be the reason.  She
resolved to check with Hellstorm tomorrow, and see what she
could do to help her friend.

	She slept well that night for the next morning was
bright and full of promise.  She suspected some power was
interfering in that, but wasn't about to argue.  Eve still
hadn't come back, so she went straight to Hellstorm.

	"Sir?"  She opened the flap and walked on in after
assuring he was there.

	"What is it?"  Something seemed out of place here.
It was dark, even for what was considered normal lighting
conditions here.  And the Hellstorm didn't sound like
normal.

	"Sir?"  She opened the flap even farther.  "Is there
a problem?"  She shed some light on the situation, and
Hellstorm shrank farther back into the darkness.

	"Get rid of the light."

	Hoshiko closed the door flap slowly to allow for her
eyes to adjust to the darkened conditions.  "You feeling
ok?"  There was a pause, one she recognized as like the
ones he took when he was thinking deeply.  "Hellstorm?"
She prompted quite timidly.

	"It's relatively common knowledge, so it won't hurt
to tell you.  In fact, I'm surprised you don't already
know.  I do like to eat, and sometimes what I eat tries to
get the best of me.  On such occasions, my blood pressure
goes through the roof, and I get very, shall we say,
annoyed.  And it would seem that you are the latest person
to be told this."

	"So, umm, what was it you ate?"

	"Not what, whom.  The Scarlet Charger.  Except his
head.  Had to leave something to use as a warning.  Wait.
Are you feeling well?"

	Hoshiko ripped out of the tent as fast as she could.
She knew that Hellstorm did evil, cruel, thoughtless things
to his enemies, but eat them?  And she remembered that they
never did find the body of Princess Peach.

	She leaned against a convenient pole, and emptied her
stomach.  She kept coughing and dry heaving for several
minutes.  Her mind kept going over and over this new, if
small piece of information.  How could she not have known?
She was working directly for him for a couple months.  Now
that she had a chance to actually think about it, what?
She tried to focus on it, but couldn't.

	"Hoshiko?"  She twisted and was ready to rip the
throat out of whoever it was, assuming that they said the
wrong things.

	"What?"  It was Eve.  Only she called her that.  God,
what else was so obvious that she had missed it.  Her sword
was out, and pointed at Hoshikos chest.  She looked down at
it, and a thought occurred to her.  "Can I borrow that for
a few minutes?"  She indicated the blade.

	Eve was taken back.  "This is a family heirloom!  It
has drunk of the blood of a thousand heroes over the
centuries.  What are you planning to do with it?"  The last
sentence was more friendly, playful than the previous.

	To this, Hoshiko smiled.  "Hopefully something evil."

	Eve considered this for a long moment.  She reversed
her grip, and put the pommel towards Hoshiko.  "Sure."
Hoshiko took the sword, and held it at rest behind her
back.  She strolled merrily toward the mages compound.  As
she walked, her plan forming in greater detail with each
step.

	Eve followed behind, keeping her in sight, though
just barely.  She wondered just what was going on.  That
she was going to find out was a given.

	The mages compound, for all their bluster, was a
stable place in an otherwise organic tent city.  They were
separate from the rest of the army by the mutual and
unspoken agreement of both sides.

	Hoshiko approached the section, and an apprentice
mage moved to intercept her.  A quick exchange of words,
and the apprentice ran away to seek the master of this
place.  Hoshiko stood in place there, waiting with a
carefree expression on her face.

	The magus came soon, interested in what this woman
had to say.  He approached, and stood arms length from
Hoshiko.

	"What is this all about Ms Ibuki Hoshiko?  I have a
very important spell to prepare for this evening."

	If he was going to say more, only a necromancer would
find out.  Hoshiko moved far faster than he could react,
her borrowed sword cleaving his head off with alarming
ease.  The power behind her stroke finished with the blade
tip stuck in the ground.

	For a moment the body stood still.  Then fell with
absolutely no grace.  Hoshiko pulled the sword out of the
ground with absolutely no motion around her.

	"Listen up!"

	She had their attention now.  The trick would be to
survive the next couple minutes.

	"THIS!"  She indicated the body.  "This is because
you failed to realize your place.  You are here by the
grace of Hellstorm.  Nothing more, nothing less.

	"And that place is the one you know.  I won't tell
you what it is.

	"Your attempts for these so called 'contract
negotiations' have only shown just how petty and selfish
you are.

	"Selfish and Petty.  Now, that is quite reasonable
for evil people.  And no one doubts that you are evil.  But
you are also stupid.

	"It has always been true, no matter which way you
look at it, that evil is more easily divided than good.
And here, in this war against these forces of good, of this
world, our division could be our undoing.

	"Last week the enemy attacked us here, in our camp.
That they managed to get here was either a stroke of divine
luck, or planning of a very insidious nature.

	"But in this attack, they managed to take advantage
of our separation.  To great effect.

	"And now you have hopefully learned this lesson."

	With that, she calmly walked away, handing Eve her
sword back with an apathetic flip of the wrist.  She walked
back to her office, not thinking about anything in
particular.

	When she got back, she sat down in her chair and
shuffled some papers on her desk.  A cough drew her
attention to the person who had come in, unnoticed, behind
her.

	Eve sat there.

	"Was I evil enough out there?"

	Eve smiled comfortingly.  "Not bad.  Not great, but
not bad.  You should look into taking speech lessons.  Your
little pep talk certainly could use some work.  And I had
to deal with a couple idiots who were very interested in
avenging their master.  You should learn to watch your
back."  She reached over and laid a hand on Hoshikos
shoulder.  "Don't worry.  It'll get easier."

	*	*	*

	Hoshiko got out of the carriage.  She wondered when
this world would develop cars, if they ever would.  As her
feet touched the cobblestones, she looked around at
her destiation.

	The castle was huge.  Gargantuan.

	"Ah!  Hoshiko!  There you are!"  She looked up at the
Hellstorm as he came down the stairs leading to the great
hall of this place.  She smiled and straightened her hair.

	"Hello General!"  She walked towards him, the weather
starting to feel like it was going to rain.  "Glad to see
you're here.  Where's Eve?"

	"Preparing to go back.  She will be getting good
marks when she goes back to DHULA."

	"Oh, I hope her temper doesn't hit her grade to
hard."

	"Not really."

	They entered the Grand Hall as the first of the rain
drops hit the ground behind them.

	"Ridiculous.  You do so much for some politician and
then when the victory seems assured, they come and take
over, claiming the glory."  Hellstorm muttered under his
breath.

	"I agree.  You did so much, and so well.  That the
Leader would step in and take over on the eve of victory
was an insult."

	"Oh, don't I know it.  But the contract allows him to
do it.  And now, here we are."

	This place was one of the palaces where a hero of
this world used to live.  And now it was a gift to
Hellstorm for his services rendered.

	They took a self-guided tour of the Hellstorm's new
place.  Hoshiko liked the library, with its vaulting
ceiling, and the lighting.  Hellstorm mused that the
dungeons were far too polite for the intended purpose, and
vowed to make them more effective.

	It was an interesting place.  Her stuff was moved
into one of the bedrooms, and Hellstorm moved into the
master bedroom (after a very thorough unhallowing).

	For the next couple weeks, it seemed like things were
going to be very quiet while waiting for the next contract
to be finalized.

	It came with the other letters.  Hoshiko was sorting
them, those addressed to Hellstorm, those to her.  The
first stack was far larger than the second one.  But then
there was an odd one out.

	She handed Hellstorm his stack, and took her single
letter to the side.  She held the odd letter out, turning
it over in her hands.

	Hellstorm looked up from his desk at her.  "What is
that?"

	"A letter.  Must have been for the previous resident,
but I don't remember a Mikagami among the casualties."

	"Mikagami?  Pass it."

Hoshiko passed the letter.  "You know this Troi
N'Glhyn Mikagami?"  She looked at her boss while he
examined the envelope.

He began to shake.  She had never seen that sort of
thing in his attitude before.  Slowly, he opened the
envelope and extracted the letter within.  He read it for a
moment slowly going pale.  (Well, as pale as a blob of
black could get.)

"Oh. No."  Hellstorm looked like he was going to
faint.  Or something.

"What is it, something wrong?"

Her only response was to be handed the offending
letter.  She read it, read it again, and a third time
before she finally understood.

"So, your Aunt Venoma is coming for a week?"

"NO!"

"No?"

"She's crazy!  Even by the standards of our family,
she's crazy!  The only one more insane than her is my
brother, Melvin."

Wait a sec…  She flipped the letter to actually read
it.  "Troi?  Your name is Troi Mikagami?"  A smile crept
across her face, one that was more playful than evil.  The
more she thought about it, the more the smile grew.  And
she couldn't take it any more.  She started laughing.
Hard.  Her gut twisted, and she fell out of her chair no
longer trying to contain the laughter.

"What's so funny?"  Hellstorm, nee, Troi Mikagami
demanded.

"Its your name!  It's so plain!"

Troi looked embarrassed.  "Fine.  You've had your
laugh, now compose yourself.  This is serious.  Aunt Venoma
coming here is not something to be taken lightly."

"MELVIN?  You have a brother named Melvin!
Hahahahahahaha!"

The conversation went in this vein for several minutes.
When Hoshiko finally composed herself, she made the obvious
comment.  "Wait a second.  Does this mean I have to play
hostess?"

The response was immediate.  "No.  Not really.  Make an
excuse.  Tell her I've been called away on business.
There is no reason for her to come here.  Anything that
will send her away."

"You want ME to tell YOUR aunt to not come?"

"YES!"

He was still her employer, even in this down time,
and as such…  "Oh, O.K.  You want me to send you to another
world?"  She pulled out an official pad of paper, one with
a letterhead that she had designed for Hellstorm.
Something nice and evil.

	A few minutes later, she had finished a draft letter.
She handed it to Hellstorm, who nodded a silent approval.
"I'll get one of the help to send this.  Anything else?"

	A polite knock on the door, and a servant came in.
They came with the place, and Hellstorm figured they were
competent enough to not get immediately fired.  But he knew
that Hoshiko was a better judge of that sort of character,
and left that to her discretion.

	"Sir?  Madame?  There is a gentleman in the foyer by
the name of Hamaji Amakusa.  Shall I send him away?"

	"Could goodness be after me?  First my Aunt, now
Amakusa?  No, no don't send him away.  Prepare an
additional place at the supper table, and one of the spare
rooms.  We'll see to him personally."

	Hellstorm got up, and hastily followed the servant
out the door.  Intrigued, Hoshiko followed.  This could
prove to be very interesting.  On there way, she asked
Hellstorm who this Hamaji Amakusa was.

	"He is a powerful being.  Maybe even as powerful and
evil as I.  We are rivals in a way, but we haven't had any
contact since we left DHU several years ago.  Watch out, he
is very charming."

	In the foyer, Hellstorm greeted a man who, at first
glance, seemed normal.  As Hoshiko came closer, she saw the
symbols etched on his clothes, most she didn't recognize.
But one thing was certain; his entire presence was EVIL, no
matter how charming he may be.

	"And you must introduce me to this beautiful woman!"
Amakusa bowed to the Hoshiko, who returned the gesture.

	"Amakusa, this is Ibuki Hoshiko, my right hand.
Hoshiko, this is Hamaji Amakusa, a former classmate of
mine."

	"Ah, so you are Ms Ibuki.  You must be proud, the way
your no nonsense approach to certain negotiating tactics
has become near legendary, if bad for the natural attrition
of our belief system."

	Hoshiko blinked with a shocked look on her face.
"Legendary?  I was just having a really bad day and took it
out on the first person to piss me off.  It must be
completely overblown."  She tried to dismiss the story,
but Amakusas face gazed deep into her soul, only to not
find what he was looking for.

	Hoshiko finally blinked under his hypnotic gaze,
breaking it.  "And what brings you to this place, Hamaji-
san?"

	"Indeed.  I thought you were busy conquering your
world."  Hellstorm echoed the question in his own way.

	"Oh, I was.  But I finished.  Say, is that supper I
smell?"

	Hellstorm looked shocked, and Hoshiko wondered what
it was.  A servant appeared from nowhere, and informed the
group that supper was indeed ready.

	The table was huge, but the three of them sat at one
end.  Hellstorm had the head, with Amakusa to his left and
Hoshiko across from him.

	Supper was individualized to each of them.  Amakusa
ate a perfectly balanced meal, while Hoshiko whittled away
at a salad.  Hellstorm devoured a large meal of everything
from virgins blood wine to raw meat.  But he was very neat
about it, not wanting to run the risk of offending his
rival.  Hoshiko was quite certain that his meal had to be
really unhealthy.

	Dinner done, Amakusa stood up.  "Hellstorm, my
friend, I wished to tell you this in person and not by some
subordinate.  I have succeeded where so many of our
predecessors have failed.  I have fully conquered my
world!"

	Was that gloating in his voice?  Silence greeted this
pronouncement.  Hoshiko couldn't believe her ears.  And
Hellstorm, well, he seemed more upset than happy.  Hoshiko
knew she had to do something.

	"So, you say you two are friends?  How did you meet?"

	Amakusa caught the drift.  "Well, Hellstorm and
myself were students at Dark Heart High, a school you've
probably never heard of.  It's the educational institution
for people such as ourselves.

	"I was in my second year there, and Hellstorm was in
his first year.  Like all freshies, he got his share of
hazing from us upperclassmen.  Well, there is this
absolutely ridiculous test, one that tries to allow for the
rapid advancement of the truly evil.  I had 'won'
previously, and now it was his turn.

	"Well, to make a series of long stories short, I
helped him and he helped me.  As a result, we made an
agreement to not actively interfere in each others plans.
That is as about as close to friendship we have."

	Hellstorm finally worked past his shock.  "You won?
Victorious?  No more heroes?  No revolts, revolutions or
smoldering hatred that could give rise to your downfall?"

	"Yes."  Knowing how to read Hellstorm, Hoshiko could
tell that Amakusa was practically giddy.

	Hellstorm stuttered.  "But…  How?  So quickly!"

	"Well, I'm not sure if it was actually my skill or
luck, so I'm going to try again on a different world.
Besides, you know just as well as I do that a good villain
never reveals his secrets."

	Hellstorm blinked.  "Congratulations.  So what are
your plans now?"

	"Do it again to prove it wasn't a fluke.  If it
wasn't, move on to more important things."

	"Dark Heart?"

	The look on Amakusas face was all Hellstorm needed.
"Excellent!"  He laughed.  "It is time to celebrate!  Bring
the best wines!"  Amakusa smiled.

	Afterwards, Hoshiko fell against the wall.  She
twirled a finger in the air in order to keep it still.  Her
room was ahead, and hopefully she could make it before she
fell apart due to all the drinks she had.

	She had never really drunk alcohol before, and the
experience was, forgive the pun, intoxicating.  She opened
the door and fell in.  The cold stone floor was rather
comfortable.  And on it, she closed her eyes and slept.

	Here she burned.  She knew this was a dream, but
could not accept the fact.  She hung by the tatters of her
uniform, and around her, the remains of her team hung from
their own personal torture devices.  She could not bring
herself to look at their faces.

	'you betrayer'  'vengeance'  'death to the hellstorm'

	Hoshiko awoke.  In a drunken daze, she walked out of
her room, leaving her shoes on the floor of her room.  Down
the hallway, she grabbed a sword from its display rack on
the hall.  She plodded down the hall, the small tidbits of
her dream teased at her mind.  She wanted to do something,
and had to do it.

	Hellstorm's room.  She opened the door, somehow not
surprised that it was unlocked.  She stepped in, sword at
ready.  Hellstorm slept there.  She walked over, and held
the sword above his head, and prepared to kill him.

	But before she could complete the thought or action,
she yawned and dropped the sword, letting her body flop
into the swirling mass that was Troi 'Hellstorm' Mikagami.
And she slept peacefully.

	The next morning, Hellstorm was escorting his
honoured guest to the door.  They made their pleasantries,
and soon Hamaji Amakusa was headed off.

	Hellstorm wasted no time in turning on Hoshiko.  His
voice dark and threatening in every conceivable way.  "You
had the perfect opportunity.  Kill me, and place the blame
on Amakusa.  Yet you didn't.  Give me a good reason why I
shouldn't kill you here and now."

	Hoshiko looked at Troi square in the eyes.  "Why.
It's really simple.  I did this to kill a monster, an
irredeemably evil creature of the dark.  As I stood there
last night, I remembered something.

	"Your name is Troi, you have a brother named Melvin,
and an Aunt you are embarrassed of.  You worry, you try.
You have at least one friend."  She patted his stomach.
"You even have a blood pressure problem that will kill you
one day.  And you don't seem all that interested in fixing
it, so I'm going to have to help you there.

	"I came here to destroy something.  But I found that
I couldn't kill a person."

	With that, Hoshiko walked away leaving a stunned
Mikagami behind.  And she knew she had a wonderful life
ahead of her.

==========
First draft: Near 11,000 words.

I wrote this because I just couldn't figure out how a nice
and lovely magical girl such as Lavender Fairy Heart
Skittle could fall for the evil monster that killed her
best friends, let alone marry.

This is the result.  Please enjoy!

Many thanks go to Adyen for her rather thorough editorship
of this work.

Thanks also to Bradley Wilton, who made me go back and make
sure I had all the plot points in order.

Lets see, sources.

First of all, the interrogation of Yuri by Cherry Bang-Bang
at the end of part 14 was good for the set up.

Mrs. Mikagami finally got her maiden name in part 52 when
her mother showed up.  I also picked up on Violet
Ringoshima and her dealings with the dark side, so I
extended it back even farther.

There is a rather remarkable lack of information concerning
these events, which allowed my imagination to run wild.
Although I couldn't find a way to include the rutabaga.
==========

	"How am I gonna explain this to my mother?"

	"I could eat her for you."

	"Troi Mikagami!  You will do no such thing!  Besides,
you're probably allergic to her."

	"Darn."