All was dark within Yuri's house. As it should be when people are 
sleeping. It had been a few hours since the girls had retired for the night, 
and most were sleeping soundly. Mandy couldn't sleep. Something was bugging 
her. Perhaps she just needed to pay a visit to the bathroom.
     So, with much effort to not make any noise, Mandy crawled along the 
ceiling, pausing for a moment to regard the two humans huddled together on 
the floor. Why Yuri had invited them, she'd never know. As it was, being in 
such close quarters with her food without actually trying to eat it...it 
would be so easy just to swing down and take a little bite...maybe Yuri 
wouldn't notice?
     Mandy quickly dismissed the idea. She was a guest in another's home. It 
would be bad manners to eat the other guests.
     And so Mandy continued her upside-down trek across the ceiling. 
Reaching the hallway outside, she lowered herself to the floor, and 
scampered down the corridor. A soft light and some low murmurs coming from 
the open basement door partway down the hall caught her attention though, 
and made her forget all about the bathroom at the current moment. Yuri had 
specifically told them not to go into the basement. Yet none of the others 
had been awake...had they? Time to take a closer look.
     "Yasuko? Is that you?" She hissed, not loud enough to wake the others.
     The murmurs stopped. The light dimmed slightly.
     'I guess it is Yasuko then. Probably planning some trick of one sort or 
the other for Yuri.
Old habits don't die fast with her.' Mandy thought to herself. 'May as well 
put an end to this right now.'
     Mandy skittered around the corner of the door, to confront Yasuko face 
to face. What she saw was NOT Yasuko. What she saw was revolting. What she 
saw made her want to scream. So she opened her mouth wide...sucked in a deep 
breath...and was enveloped by a rather large tentacle, which snaked around 
her throat and mouth, blocking them. Mandy's multiple eyes widened before 
the tentacle lifted her off her eight legs, and pulled her down the stairs 
into the basement.

***************************************************************
Dark Heart High
Netherworlds Educational Institution For The
Universal Propagation of Evil

Started by Mads
This Chapter by: Smlee

Chapter Twenty-seven: Deceptions!

****************************************************************

     Yuri woke in the morning with a sense of accomplishment. She had done 
it! The party had been a success. And to top it all off, nothing had gone 
wrong!
     She propped herself up on her elbows and took a look about. Somehow, 
Amy had found her way into the spot right next to her sleeping bag during 
the night without Yuri noticing. So Yuri cautiously slid out of her own 
sleeping bag, careful not to wake Amy. She got up anyways.
     "Good morning, Yuri-oneesama!" Amy enthused, loud enough to rouse the 
other guests.
     "Feh. And here I was just able to fall asleep even with the stench of 
lesser beings around." Yasuko chimed in, seemingly her usual cheerful self, 
as Amy leapt to her feet to envelope Yuri in a bear hug.
     "Breakfast time," Reika sighed, and then continued in a mumble, "And 
then maybe I can get out of here."
     "Aw come on Reika! Its just breakfast! What can possibly go wrong?" 
Atsuko replied as she dragged the other girl from her bedroll.
     "Remember the last time we were here for breakfast, and you ate those 
fried eyeballs because you thought they were hardboiled eggs?"
     "...I thought we weren't going to mention that one anymore."
     "...Right."
     Yuri watched the two leave the room for the kitchen, then turned her 
attention to Mandy, who seemed to still be sound asleep in her web. She 
paused to reflect on her reasons for inviting her to the party. Mandy was 
the odd one out at school. It wasn't that she was anti-social or 
anything...it was just that she had the tendency to try to stick her friends 
in cocoons. Yuri supposed it was easier to eat them that way. Not that Mandy 
had actually succeeded in eating any friends...but still, the rumors 
persist.
     Yuri remembered the conversation as if it were yesterday. In fact, it 
was two days ago...

**************

     Yuri paused for a moment outside of chem class. She still had one more 
invitation to give. Unfortunately, Mandy would be a tough one to convince. 
But there was always Amy, who was standing next to her like usual, to 
provide the moral support she needed to go forth with her plans.
     Yuri walked through the doors and immediately turned to her right. It 
was here in this unused, dusty corner of the room that Mandy spun her webs.
     "Hello?" Yuri called out, looking up towards the ceiling as she did so.
     A rustle from the left caught Yuri's attention. Sure enough, there was 
Mandy, lowering herself down on a thin thread, carrying what Yuri could only 
assume was lunch in two of her legs.
     "What do you want?" Mandy said, glaring suspiciously at Yuri, then Amy, 
then back to Yuri, then both at the same time.
     "Um...well, you see, I'm holding a sleepover at my place tomorrow. 
I'd...appreciate it if you chose to attend." Yuri finished her short speech 
by handing Mandy an invitation.
     Mandy glanced suspiciously down at the invitation. "What trick is 
this?"
     "No trick. It's just a party. Seriously."
     "But nobody invites me anywhere, unless they want to play some sort of 
practical joke on me. Its not like I have any guarantee that this isn't a 
set up."
     Suddenly, Amy's clearly angry face came into Mandy's field of vision, 
and with she whispered, "Yuri-oneesama would never consider doing anything 
like that. It would make her sad if you don't come, which would make me sad. 
You don't want to make me sad," just loud enough for Mandy's spider hearing 
to pick up on, but not loud enough to be heard by Yuri.
     Mandy was not about to argue with that one. Amy was too scary for 
words. Mandy tuned back into Yuri's chatter.
     "...my place at 6. It's not a big sacrifice, and nothing bad is going 
to happen if you come."
     Mandy gave one more glance towards Amy, around whom the very air seemed 
to shimmer with her anger, and one more to Yuri, who seemed oblivious to the 
entire thing. "Ok. I'll go. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got something I 
need to do."
     Mandy walked out of the room, brushing past an again happy Amy. Once 
she was in the hallway, she let out the spine tingling shiver she'd been 
holding back since Amy had threatened her. What was up with that girl?

**************

     "Hey!" came a yell, breaking Yuri out of her reprieve.
     "Stop that!" The voice yelled again. It was coming from the kitchen.
     Yuri sighed and walked off towards the kitchen. At least the night had 
been uneventful.

**************

     Reika plunked down into a chair. She was just about to let herself 
relax, considering that all the freaks were in the other room, when Yasuko 
walked in.
     "You there," Yasuko said, pointing at Reika, "make me breakfast."
     "Erm. Excuse me?" Reika responded.
     "Fix me breakfast. And be quick about it, or I'll be forced to eat your 
soul."
     "..." Knowing Yuri's...'strange' friends, Reika did not doubt for a 
moment that Yasuko might be able to back up that threat. Yet giving in to 
that threat would acknowledge the existence of said 'strange' things.
     "Are you listening to me? I said to fix me breakfast!" Yasuko was 
sounding annoyed.
     Reika didn't really want to provoke her, but the word, "No," clearly 
from her mouth. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor, holding the 
side of her already reddening face, looking up at Yasuko finishing the 
follow-through on her slap. Not surprisingly, Reika became angry.
     "You will not disobey me! I am a Wareme! You, a minor human. You are 
nothing compared to...me?" This last word came out as Reika tackled her to 
the floor.
     Reika delivered a slap to Yasuko's face. It felt good to fight back 
against...her imagination. Yeah.
     "Hey!" Atsuko yelled. "Stop that!"
     Reika laid another slap across Yasuko's face, mirroring the other.
     Yuri walked in, just in time to catch Reika laying a third slap on 
Yasuko. This wasn't the exact situation she'd been worried that was 
happening, but still, she had to stop Reika. Yuri moved in to grab Reika 
from behind, but Amy, being always one step ahead, got there first.
     "That...that...bitch!" Reika yelled as she was pulled off of Yasuko.
     "You have to stop Reika!" Came Atsuko's concerned voice.
     "Let them fight." Chimed in a new voice. Yuri turned to Mandy as she 
strode into the room.
     "What?" both Yuri and Atsuko said at the same time.
     "It's the best way to work out differences. Plus, I haven't seen a 
fight in quite a long time. Thinking about it, how much have I missed?"
     Yuri blinked a few times, trying to work out the cryptic way Mandy was 
talking. Why was it everyone Yuri knew had to be acting strangely today?
     Meanwhile, Amy still had her firm grip on Reika, and Leilei, who nobody 
seemed to have noticed before now had Yasuko pinned to the floor. Both 
didn't seem eager to let the two combatants continue.
     Mandy, seemingly disinterested in the whole situation as they were no 
longer fighting, shuffled over to a calendar hanging from the wall, and 
seemed to be deep in thought while regarding the current date.
     Yuri sighed, and moved to the fridge to pull out some things for 
breakfast.

**************

     Ryuji wandered the hall aimlessly.  As he was a corpse, he didn't need 
to eat anything at all for breakfast.  What Ryuji was more worried about at 
this point was the state of his current vessel, but still, it wasn't like 
there were any corpses around here that he'd be able to transfer into, and 
it would be terribly rude of him to leave now, without sticking around for 
the rest of the day's festivities.

Ryuji tried to work out some of the stiffness he was feeling in his arms, 
but then one of them fell off. Which would explain the stiffness, he 
supposed.  He was definitely going to need a new body soon. Ryuji sat down 
on the floor, and pulled out a sewing kit from his belt. Taking the fallen 
arm in his teeth, he began the tedious process of sewing it back on, which 
was more difficult than he would have liked.

When Ryuji was about halfway done with the task, he felt it. A corpse. And 
it was close. Perfect!

Ryuji forgot all about finishing his arm reattachment.  But then, he 
wouldn't need it in the new body, anyway.

**************

     Yasuko and Reika sat opposite each other at the table. Yuri supposed 
that a staring contest was better than a fistfight, which she had no doubt 
would end up with Reika's death. But Yuri trusted both to control 
themselves.
     Amy leaned over to whisper into Yuri's ear, "What's up with Mandy? 
She's been standing there for the past twenty minutes. It's starting to 
freak me out."
     Yuri tore her glance away from Yasuko and Reika to observe Mandy. She 
was still staring at the calendar, deep in thought. What was it about the 
date that interested her?
     Mandy finally turned her head away from the wall, and stared right back 
at Yuri. And grinned. But there seemed to be something...off about that 
grin. It seemed a bit too...evil? Then again, that's exactly what she'd been 
trained for, so Yuri gave it no more thought.
     "Mandy, are you going to eat anything?" Yuri said.
     "No, I prefer live prey, so that I am able to tear the still beating 
heart out of it, which I can then consume." Came Mandy's straight-faced 
response.
     That broke the staring contest at the table, as Reika turned green and 
fled the room. Atsuko followed, clearly also sick, yet trying too hard to 
hide that fact. Yasuko laughed.
     "If you'll excuse me." Mandy said with a slight bow, the grin finding 
it's way back onto her face, then left the room as well.
     Yuri shrugged and returned to her meal. It wasn't until Yasuko spoke up 
a moment later that she choked on that food.
     "Aren't you going after them? Mandy's going to try to feed on the 
humans."
     Yuri was out the door in a second.

**************

Ryuji stopped in front of the reinforced oak door that was clearly marked 
'Basement'. The corpse was behind it. But Ryuji was hesitant to go after it. 
After all, Yuri had warned them ahead of time that the basement was most 
definitely off limits.

But she wouldn't mind if he just peeked in to get another body, would she? 
After all, what could possibly be down there that was so bad?

Ryuji cracked open the door. He tried to peek through the crack, but it was 
much too dark. He proceeded to fling open the door and hit the light switch. 
He moved swiftly down the stairs. Sure enough, there was the corpse, lying 
right at the bottom.

Ryuji decided to take a look around before attempting the body switch.  The 
room was completely empty, aside for the corpse on the floor of course. Why 
was Yuri so insistent that no one comes down here?

Ryuji put the puzzle aside until he completed the transfer. It was a bit 
odd, since he had known the corpse personally, but still, it was a corpse, 
and it was just begging for Ryuji's spirit.

**************

     Yuri caught up with Mandy in the hallway, as she had just finished 
wrapping up something in her web. Presumably, that was either Reika or 
Atsuko in there.
     "What do you think you are doing?" Yuri queried angrily.
     "What does it look like? I'm hungry, so I'm eating. It's been so long 
since I've had fresh meat. I don't take kindly to interruptions. Step aside, 
or your turn will come much quicker than I had planned."
     "Eh?" Came Yuri's confused response.
     Mandy swept her aside with one of her legs, causing Yuri great pain as 
she hit the wall. It was small wonder that Amy was right in Mandy's face 
after that one.
     "Never. Ever. Hurt. Yuri-oneesama!" She yelled, as a sort of battle cry 
as she flung herself at Mandy's head. Mandy caught her in midair with 
another leg, and threw her aside.
     Yuri drew herself to her feet. "Why are you doing this Mandy? I tried 
to be nice to you!" Yuri said accusingly.
     "You have no idea of the suffering I've gone through all these years. 
Once, I was on top of the world. Now, I'm finally free to take up that 
mantle again." Mandy responded.
     Yuri positioned herself in front of Mandy again. She had to stop her.

**************

     Yasuko sat at the table with a bored expression on her face as she 
watched Leilei find some candy in a cupboard. It's like she had a sixth 
sense devoted just to finding sweet things. Leilei came back to the table 
with an armful of goodies.
     "Want some?" She said, extending the pile towards Yasuko.
     Yasuko's hand snaked out, and grabbed a chocolate bar from the pile 
before she even realized she'd done so.
     "Something wrong?" Leilei said, noting the expression on Yasuko's face.
     "..." Yasuko just continued the silence she'd kept up since Yuri had 
left the room.
     "I get it. You're concerned for Yuri! I guess in a worst case scenario, 
Mandy could be fighting her right now, but what are the chances of that?"
     "Feh. Like I would be concerned for that whelp! The mere idea of that 
is preposterous." Yasuko said.
     Before Leilei could respond to that, Ryuji walked into the room.
     "Hey girls! Look at the new body I've found for myself! Who could 
believe that I'd be lucky enough for Mandy to kick the bucket last night!"
     Yasuko looked up at Ryuji, raised an eyebrow, and then looked back to 
Leilei. Leilei looked at Yasuko. And then they were both out the door, 
running to find Yuri.

**************

     The score so far. Mandy thirteen, Yuri and Amy zero. Still, they were 
putting up the effort.
     Mandy was slowly making progress down the corridor, towards the front 
door. And although Yuri didn't want to give up, the multiple blows she'd 
taken were really, really hurting...Then Yuri was swatted to the side again.
     "I tire of this play. I wasn't planning on killing you any time soon 
Yuri, but you've really started to annoy me. You may be my brother's 
daughter, but that won't stop me from killing you." Mandy said. Yuri heard 
it all in a really garbled form though, as her head was pounding, and her 
hearing didn't seem too good anymore.
     Yasuko and Leilei got there just in time to not miss out on the real 
show, as Mandy, or as they now knew, the fake Mandy, discarded her facade, 
and regained his true form.
     "Gaze upon my perfection and tremble, for I am Melvin Mikagami!" And 
ominous thunder struck outside, and the lights flickered for a moment.
     Yasuko and Leilei broke out in laughter.
     Melvin's eyes narrowed and he glared at the two new arrivals. "Why are 
you laughing?"
     It took a moment for Leilei to compose herself, then she gave her 
answer, "It's just that...Melvin!" She broke out in a new fit of laughter.
     "Ah yes. Long ago, I found out my parents had a sense of humor. They 
didn't have much of one after I killed them." He said with a threatening 
tone. Leilei and Yasuko took it as a clue to shut up.
     "Out of my way as I finish with these two. Then if you wish, it can be 
your turn." Melvin said, a deadly calm in his voice.
     Yasuko came to a decision then. She didn't much like this guy. "Leilei, 
get Yuri and Amy out of here. I'll hold him off."
     Leilei's eyes met Yasuko's, and she noted the determination set in 
them. It made her happy. "Sure thing, Yasuko!"
     Yasuko turned her full attention to the creature from the Mikagami 
family in front of her. "Lets go," she said as she dropped into a fighting 
stance.

**************

     Amy stood up painfully and took note of the current situation. Leilei 
was dragging away her precious Yuri. She admired the devotion Leilei had 
towards her beloved, but only for a moment. For there was still Mandy to 
deal with. She turned away from Yuri, and locked her eyes onto the monster 
filling up the hallway. Yasuko was engaged in combat with it, dogging 
flailing tentacles and mouths that seemed to pop up from anywhere and 
everywhere.
     She studied the monster for a few seconds before realizing that she 
recognized it. Once, at Sakura Art, she had learned of the last time a 
co-operative effort was made by both 'good' and 'evil' sides of the eternal 
conflict. It had been fifteen years ago, when a group of powerful 
individuals from both sides battled the creature Melvin, who was at that 
moment, quite insane and quite possibly one of the most powerful beings in 
history, and won, banishing him to another plane of existence.
     But if this was the same demon from years past, how had it gotten free? 
A pained yell from Yuri pulled her from her thoughts. A few tentacles had 
gotten past Yasuko, and were now attacking Yuri. Amy had to put a stop to 
this. But how? She wasn't strong enough to battle that creature, if it was 
what she suspected. She only had one choice then.
     Amy reached under her shirt for the pendant she wore all the time. 
Given to her at the time of her birth by her mother, it allowed to 
transformation into a magical girl to take place. But she hadn't used it 
since the day before she had met Yuri...oh that fateful day...
     She lifted the pendant high and fed it the unconditional love she felt 
for Yuri. It was time to invoke the transformation phrase, but old habits 
die hard, and she slipped into a speech beforehand. "Monster! For truth! 
Love! And justice! I will finish you!"
     Everyone in the room stopped to look at Amy, even Yasuko and the 
monster, who had been going furiously at it a moment before.
     "Forces of light! I beseech thee! Grant me the power of love!" She 
yelled. A bright light blanked out the room for a few moments, and when the 
room was restored to it's normal light levels, Amy was...still just Amy.
     Amy looked down at the pendant in her hand in amazement. Never before 
had she failed to make the transformation. Never.
     Yasuko also looked on in amazement. That light was so...
     Yasuko's thoughts were interrupted as Melvin sent her flying out the 
house with a massive uppercut.
     "One down," he said in a flat voice.

**************

     Needless to say, when Yasuko had fallen from the sky to land in front 
of Craig, it had confused him. Thoughts about Yasuko, and what exactly she 
was doing laying face down in that crater were foremost in his mind. That 
is, until he realized that Yasuko had been attending Yuri's sleep over. 
Something must have gone wrong. So Craig's knightly instincts kicked in, and 
he went charging down the street to Yuri's place.

**************

     Yuri woke up on the cold kitchen tiles. She pushed herself up into a 
sitting position and watched Leilei make a phone call. Probably calling up 
Bala.
     "Leilei? What's going on?" Yuri said, clueless as to what the current 
situation was with Mandy.
     "Bala's on his way, Mandy is dead, and last I saw, Yasuko was tangling 
with your uncle." Leilei noted the current blank expression on Yuri's face 
as she ran past her. "No time to explain anything, Amy is still in there..."

**************

     Melvin slowly advanced on Amy, who was now kneeling on the floor, 
cradling the pendant that she had made the distracting light with. She 
seemed almost...catatonic. She also seemed as if she'd make a nice dessert 
after he had his main course. Speaking of which, where did he leave it?
     Melvin glanced about the room. His package was nowhere to be found. 
This angered Melvin further.
     "I will not be denied a good meal!"
     Melvin turned to the door just in time to see a knight dressed in black 
armor walk through the door. Melvin took a step backwards.
	Craig on the other hand, took another step forwards. He drew his sword and 
took up a fighting stance. "You the thing that hurt Yasuko?"
	Melvin drew himself up after realizing that this was not the 
self-proclaimed 'great warrior' Maimsworth who had been one of those who had 
taken arms against him. He was also the first of their ranks to fall to his 
might.
	"You best leave now boy," Melvin bellowed in a threatening voice, "this 
doesn't concern you. Yet."
	"Yasuko got hurt. Yuri seems to be missing. Amy is sitting there...doing 
something. I would say that something should be my concern here."
	"You want to challenge me boy? I warn you now that you will lose. The last 
time I fought someone with...that particular crest," Melvin pointed at 
Craig's family crest that adorned his armor, "he ended up as dead as you 
will be if you decide to continue."
	Anger built within Craig. This was the demon that murdered his father! 
Mikagami! The hated name! Yuri was harboring this killer in her house! When 
he had first met Yuri, he had just thought it coincidence that the demon and 
her shared the same surname, but to actually be related to this monstrosity!
	"Grah!" Craig cried out as he charged in for the first strike.
	Melvin whipped out a tentacle, but Craig leaped over it, hacking it off on 
the way over. Melvin screamed, but only out of frustration. He whipped out 
all his remaining tentacles that caught Craig and pinned him down to the 
floor.
	Craig thrashed against the pressure being placed on his chest. It was no 
use though, as the devil Mikagami was too strong. It didn't prevent him from 
yelling at it though, so that's what he did. "You bastard! You killed my 
father!"
	Melvin pondered an appropriate response to that one, for all of one second. 
"Yes...I did. And now, you will join him." He began to apply more pressure 
to the boy's fragile little frame. The cracking sound his ribs were going to 
make would be a sweet sound indeed.
	"Hey you! Get off of Craig!" came the extremely confident voice of Yuri 
Mikagami, Melvin's niece, from behind him.
	Melvin complied, only because he'd already put on enough pressure to knock 
the kid out. He turned to come face to face with Yuri.
	"Get out of my house." She lifted a rapier up towards Melvin's face.
	Melvin recognized it. It was the same blade that had laid him low all those 
years ago. The same jewel imbedded in the hilt. The same silver and gold 
trimmings. The same damn seal on the pommel. Melvin couldn't help but recoil 
in shock.
	Yuri, recognizing Melvin's moment of weakness pressed on. "Get out now, or 
I'll use this on you."
	Melvin grinned. Yuri's fighter stance was nowhere near what a trained 
swordsman's should have been. She didn't even know how to use the damn 
thing! And Melvin would have attacked, but reconsidered. Even if she didn't 
know how to use it, one lucky hit was all she needed in his current weakened 
state. Plus, Melvin could sense an approaching power. One that seemed to be 
more than enough to deal with him presently. Besides, he was still hungry. 
So he turned to leave.
	"Yuri. Don't let today fool you. I will be back. This was just too much fun 
to stay away! Ta!" On that note, he walked outside, grew some bat wings, and 
took to the sky.
	"This is bad, right?" piped in Leilei's voice.

**************

Author Notes:
	Well, survived another one. Barely. I had no idea if I could ever get this 
done. As usual, my turn came up in the worst week possible. That's why I'd 
like to thank Lawrence Chu for the one extra day (after extension) grant.
	I'd also like to thank Sharyna for the help and pre-reading of my chapter. 
As it stands now, I'm burning out from too many late nights split between 
schoolwork and getting hopelessly distracted from said schoolwork by 
wandering into the impro chat room. It's been fun though, and I hope to 
write again.
	Anyways, read and review people! And overall, enjoy!

Glad I didn't have to skip.
Saturday, May 25, 2002 (Five impro parts and I'm still tolerated! Go me!)

**************

	"Just keep running," Atsuko's slightly muffled voice said.
	"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stop and get out of that...web cocoon 
first?" Reika responded.
	"Lets just get as far away as possible first."
	"Right. This would be one of those situations we really shouldn't remember 
in the morning, right?"
	"Right."

**************

	"Spiderman! Spiderman! Does whatever a spider can!" Sang Ryuji as he 
attempted to swing from building to building. It was only a few moments 
later when he was eating the pavement.
	"Gee, Spiderman makes it look so easy..."