Leilei shifted uneasily from foot to foot as she waited on Bala's 
portalstep, the heavy satchel on her back with his missed 
assignments and notes seeming to get heavier by the second.  As if 
it hadn't been enough to keep it with her while threading through 
the dangerous reaches of his yard, but for some reason the 
infernal thing felt even more back-breaking when she was 
standing still.  Leilei sighed, watching the eddies of black smoke 
swirling in the portal and hoping that her friend would come down  
soon.

Suddenly, the portal whirled open to reveal the form of 
Balabalalde's father, his eyes glinting red in welcome.  Although 
they tended to glint red in any case, but after four years of 
knowing Bala and his rather odd family, Leilei had come to 
recognize this particular shade as welcome.  "Ah, Leilei," he 
boomed.  "How nice to--uh-oh."  With a sigh, the red orbs 
rolled back, and were replaced with the ice blue crystals that 
were Bubala's eyes.

"Leilei, my dear girl!  Whatever ARE you doing, just standing 
around like that?  You'll catch your DEATH of radiation!  My 
bumbling son, oy vey, to leave you out there like that!  He shames 
the manners I taught him, shames his poor dear departed mother!  
Come inside at once, there are brimstone latkes just finishing up, 
and we can chat while I wait for that reckless grandson of mine!"

Leilei grinned.  "Hi, Obaba-san!"

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

Netherworld Educational Institution for the 
Universal Propagation of Evil

founded by Mads (the Beast)
*******************************************
Part Forty-Two: Assignations!
by Sharyna Tran (Da Penguin)
*******************************************

Ki paced down the street, mechanically stopping at and glancing 
inside the café Yuri had been known to frequent.  He was, as his 
unfocused eyes and solemn demeanor proclaimed, deep in thought.  
So deep in thought, in fact, that he had forgotten to remove his 
dreadful "normal" attire.  It didn't matter to him, not right now.  
Much more important issues were at hand.

"Hey, kid!"

He looked up with a start, his hand going reflexively to where his 
sword hilt usually was, but slapping only the denim of his belt 
loop instead.  The back of his mind noted that if he were going to 
continue with this charade, he'd better get adjusted to it, and fast.  
"Yes?" he answered, trying to look inquisitive and polite rather  
than ripping out the interruption's throat.

Said interruption, a girl that didn't look older than him herself, 
gave him a "you're weird" look, arms akimbo.  "You realize you've 
been staring in our window for like five minutes already, right?  
Either get in here, or if you don't have enough money move along!  
You're starting to freak out paying customers here!"

Ki drew in a deep breath, on the verge of killing her outright and 
to hell with witnesses, but let it out in a long sigh.  "You know, if 
that's the way you treat potential customers, I'd be surprised if 
you're still working here a week from now."  And with that, he 
leapt onto the roof, not bothering to glance behind.

"Hey, Reika!  You done with that guy yet?  We've got a line here!"  
Reika's manager stepped out, looking around.  "Hey, where'd he 
go?  And who was that mysterious hoodied guy, anyway?"

Reika shrugged.  "Eh, dunno.  Some bum or freak or something.  
Maybe both."

"Huh, oh well."  Junko grinned.  "He was kind of cute."

Reika favored her with a withering glare.  "Didn't you say there 
was a line inside?  Let's get back to work."

Listening on the roof, Ki scowled thunderously.  Bum, eh?  Or 
freak?  The latter was understandable, he supposed, as the girl 
knew little of the workings of the underworld.  And it was true that 
the other girl's impression of him had assuaged his ego a bit.   
But...bum?  Him?  Scion of the Steel Thorn clan, heir to his 
parents' name, second in swordsmanship only to his older cousin?

As if his thought had summoned her--which wouldn't be at all 
surprising, she acted as if she could read his mind half the time 
anyway--a prickly feeling crawled up his neck, and he turned to 
see his cousin sidesaddling the roof arch, casually eating an apple.

"What's the matter, Dawson?  Not going to stop in for a cone and 
coffee?"  

Ki pursed his lips and blew out his breath explosively.  "No."

"Oh, and have I mentioned how much I like your outfit?  
Very....urban." Midori smirked, glancing dismissively at his 
hooded sweatshirt and loose jeans. "Seriously though, coz, 
whatever possessed you to pursue this track?  And how can you 
possibly show your face in public wearing that horrendous garb?  
Not to mention that disgusting cologne.  It really reeks, you know."  
She wrinkled her nose, then paced around him with a critical eye, 
her steps not faltering in the least as they traversed the tilting, 
rather unrepaired roof tiles.  "Honestly, Ki.  I know I rag on you a 
lot, but this is really scaring me.  Do you actually think that it 
will help you win over Mikagami?"

"It's been working!"

"Has it really?  Let's take that last 'success' of yours, the 
party...from the gossip that was buzzing as people heard who was 
going to be there, she was on the list even before you asked her.  
You think that her acceptance in that case was really so 
surprising?" she asked, biting into her apple.

He glared at her.  "What about the first time?  She said yes to that 
one, and I know she wasn't already going to be there."

Midori sighed.  "Ki, I hate to break it to you, but this Yuri 
Mikagami....she's a nice girl.  And not 'nice for an evil girl' nice, 
from what I've seen...I'm afraid she might be 'just overall nice' 
nice.  That's one of the reasons you think she's such an easy target, 
that's what her innocence is due to.  And nice girls are violently 
allergic to saying no, at least directly.  It's all about body language 
and polite demurrals, with them.  You're not going to get a straight 
'no' unless you offend her."

Ki crossed his arms.  "So what do you expect me to do, make her 
angry and then ask her out?  I thought you prided yourself on your 
sensibility, dear cousin."

She rolled her eyes at him.  "Don't you think you're putting just a 
little bit more effort into this girl than she's worth?  Look, if 
you're getting this sudden hankering to lay a nice girl, I suggest 
you go out with that Yasuko chick again."

The Steel Thorn boy recoiled violently, barely keeping his 
balance.  "Yasuko?  There's nothing nice about her!"

Midori beamed.  "Exactly!"

He sank his forehead into his hands and sat on the roof arch,  
favoring her with a puzzled glare of suspected insanity.  "...come 
again?"

"The family thinks that you've been wasting way too much energy 
on Mikagami, and I'm sorry to say that none of us really thinks 
she has the potential to be as incredibly important to your future 
as you make her out to be.  Think big, Ki.  How important can one 
possible relationship with someone who is so unlike you be, in the 
course of high school?  I know that right now it seems incredibly 
essential, believe me.  But when you get older, you realize that 
those things don't last.  They don't mean anything."  She drew to a 
stop, bitter memory curving her lips downward in a thin scowl.

Ki took a deep breath.  "Look, Midori, Yuri's far more powerful 
and potentially important than she seems.  Ama--"  He stopped 
himself, blinking.  "Wait...'the family'?  Who have you told about 
this?"

His cousin took another bite of her apple, shaking her head sadly.  
"Don't be foolish, Ki.  I haven't needed to tell anyone.  You've been 
making yourself pretty obvious, and it's not like the Mikagami 
girl's been a very private figure these past few weeks.  Auntie 
Koko's asked me to try and keep an eye on you lately, or do you 
think I've been checking in on you for my own amusements?  
Despite what you may think, I *do* have more of a life than that."

He sputtered in disbelief.  "My *mother*...!"  Although it 
explained the sudden lack, on his parents' part, of annoying 
questions about his recent activities.  And he had been wondering 
why his cousin had taken such an interest in his affairs.

"Sorry to break it to you," Midori said, not sounding at all 
apologetic.  "Apple?"   

Ki eyed the half-eaten fruit with distate.  "No, thanks."

She shrugged.  "Suit yourself."  She stood up, negligently tossing 
the apple over her shoulder.  "At any rate, keep what I said in 
mind.  It's not just a matter of family reputation--no-one wants 
to see you completely screw up."

He narrowed his eyes at his cousin.  "Don't worry, I won't."

Midori shook her head.  "Well, just remember to be sensible 
about it.  Remember, no plan is worth risking everything.  And--
go easy with that cologne.  In excess, it can have side effects I don't 
think you want.  Even aside from the smell."  And with that, she 
walked off across the rooftops.

Ki glared after her, then leapt down from the rooftop into the 
narrow alley beside the café.

"Oh!  Excuse me, I didn't see you!"  Ki blinked and turned to see 
a dark-haired girl silhouetted in the alleyway, holding a trash 
bag.  "I was just about to throw this in the dumpster, I'm sorry..."

Ki flashed a smile at her, as it seemed like a good idea.  "Oh, go 
ahead.  I apologize if I am in your way."

She grinned at him and walked slowly past, obviously having 
a difficult time handling the large trash bag.

"Here, let me help you with that," Ki offered, struck by a sudden 
impulse.

"Oh, I couldn't--"

"Please," Ki smiled at her.  She blinked, then grinned back 
hesitantly and stepped back, allowing him to lift the heavy bag 
up and over into the dumpster.  

"Wow, thank you," she said, impressed with the ease with 
which he had done it.

"It was no problem," he told her.

She blinked at him again, tilting her head to the side a bit.  
"Say, you're the guy that Reika chased away from the window 
earlier, right?"

"Ah, I suppose so," he replied.  "Although I was about to move 
on anyway.  I was looking for a friend, but I guess she wasn't 
there."

"Girlfriend?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ki hesitated.  "...No."

"Ah."  The girl extended her hand.  "My name's Junko.  Junko 
Matsuki.  I'm the manager of the café.  Well, for this shift, 
anyway."

"Ki Tamaida," he told her, shaking her hand.  "And I can see how 
you would be the manager, rather than your friend."

"Heh," Junko shrugged.  "She's really not that bad once you get 
to know her, but she can be kind of abrasive sometimes."  She 
glanced at him, and cleared her throat.  "I know we just met and 
all, but my shift ends in a few minutes, and I was wondering if 
you wanted to...well, hang out and all."

It was Ki's turn to blink at the girl now.  She wasn't as pretty as 
Yuri, but she did have some of the same innocent air.  And what 
better way to prove that his plan would work on Yuri than to test 
it with someone else?  He smiled.  "Sure."

*** 

"Now, Leilei-chan...I haven't seen you in the longest time!  What 
have you been up to?"

Leilei half-shrugged, eyeing the brimstone latkes with 
trepidation.  It wasn't their taste--the latkes were actually pretty 
good--but their tendency to spontaneously combust tended to make 
her wary of them.  "Aw, Obaba-san...I walk home with Bala every 
day, you know that."

"Yes, but you never stop to chat anymore.  Children these days, 
always rushing around so much!"

Several clanking rattles echoed through the kitchen, and Leilei 
and the body of Bala's father turned to see the newly-rebound 
form of Balabalalde trudge slowly down the stairs.

"Balabalalde!"  At his grandmother's shout, Bala stopped and 
raised a bloodshot eye questioningly.  "HOW many times have I 
had to tell you not to drag your chains on the stairs!  You know 
what a mess it makes!  Pick UP those shackles properly!  And 
straighten your back!  Do you want to be crooked?!"  Bubala 
sighed.  "Honestly now.  Come here!"

Bala reluctantly picked up his chains and walked--back 
straightened--over to his possessed father.  He blinked at him, 
ignoring Leilei, who was suppressing a giggle.  She had always 
enjoyed Bubala-san's Jewish side, which had come about after 
she had seen her Jewish foster mother in action.  Impressed with 
the amount of power the woman had wielded, Bubala had adopted 
her method of parenthood and now used it with ease.

A grin spread over his father's usually morose face.  "There, 
that's my grandson.  Don't look so gloomy!  Do you want people 
to think you're depressed all the time?"

Bala glanced from side to side, then twitched his facial muscles 
into what he hoped would look like a somewhat more cheerful 
bandaged boy's face.  

"There!  Much better!"  His grandmother looked fondly at him, 
then reached out and tousled what hair peeked out of his 
wrappings.   Bala sighed inwardly.  Sometimes his grandmother 
was as good as Leilei was for picking responses out of the air.  
Or was that the other way around?  In either case, it was no 
wonder his grandmother had hired the pink-haired little-
seeming girl to be his caretaker in junior high.  "Now, you just sit 
down and have some brimstone latkes, and then you and Leilei-
chan can be on your way."  And with that, Bubala faded, leaving 
Bala's father to slump forward in his seat.  

After a few minutes, the nominal head of the Wargmere-Agherukk 
clan sat up and rubbed his temples.  "So, Leilei-chan," he 
rumbled.  "How has school been for you?  Has Bala missed much?"

Leilei shook her head, taking a brimstone latke.  "Not really.  
Some of the homework looks kind of hard, but I think we can figure 
it out.  Isn't that right, Bala?"  She grinned at her friend, who 
nodded slowly back.

"Although there is one assignment from Feng-sensei..."

***

" 'The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.'

Study Portia's above speech from Shakespeare's "The 
Merchant of Venice" and evaluate how the value of 
forgiveness can be used for evil.  This assignment is 
worth....50 points?!!"  Yuri slumped down at her 
desk, clutching the worksheet with a limp hand.  
"Feng-sensei wants us all dead..."

***

Yasuko sighed, glancing wistfully at her array of skimpy 
clothing before stepping out, dressed simply in a neat blazer, baby 
T-shirt and a loose pair of dark jeans.  Although Mordred's break 
was about a week long, they'd eventually decided that the day after 
the party would be the best time for a little...meeting.  The 
succubus grinned at the thought, licking her lips.  

A puttering roar arose, and a souped-up green car pulled up to 
Yasuko.  "Ready, mademoiselle?" Mordred smiled, his teeth a 
gleaming white and his armor spotless.  He hopped out of the car 
and walked around to the passenger side door, opening it and 
bowing her in.  

"Why, thank you," Yasuko blushed, laying her hand on Mordred's 
metal-covered one as he climbed back into the driver's seat.  

This was going to be quite fun.

***

She turned around, eyes widening for just a second at the sight of 
the young man in the bright robes before settling into a calm, 
blank expression, although an undercurrent of anger seemed to 
have snapped into the situation.

"Mimi-chan!"  Seichorou laughed in surprise and lifted her up 
with ease, swinging her around in a little circle before placing her  
back on her feet.

Midori, her tousled hair the only side effect of his greeting, gave 
him a saturnine look.  "Seichorou-kun, you know I don't like it 
when you call me that."

"Actually, I know you *used* to not like it when I called you that. 
Hey, things can change."  He raised an eyebrow at her teasingly, 
although his eyes glowed with fond respect.  "Aw, come on now.  
Don't be so formal, Midori-chan."

Midori rolled her eyes and shook her head with exasperation.  

"What, not that either?"  Seichorou the Ninth wrapped an arm 
around his ex-girlfriend's shoulders.  "See, that's what I've 
always thought, that you need to loosen up a bit.  Live a little, 
you know?"

Midori twitched away from Seichorou's grasp.  "How long are 
you here on break?"

"Here?  I'm only staying at Mordred's for a few days.  Then I 
gotta go home for the funeral.  Not long enough, really."

Entirely too long, Midori thought to herself, but nodded.  "I am 
sorry for your brother's death, by the way."

A wince flickered across Seichorou's handsome face.  "Eh, knowing 
him, the little twit probably had it coming long ago."  He shifted 
his weight.  "So, were you there when it happened?"

She shook her head, smoothing her dark hair back as she did so.  
"I left the meet before the halftime show, right after I picked up 
my trophy."  Knowing his family's traditions, she didn't mention 
that the identity of Sakazashi's killer was common-knowledge 
gossip throughout the school.  After all, why should she help him? 

Seichorou raised his eyebrows.  "Trophy, eh?  What did you place 
in?"

"I won Armed Technique," she shrugged.  "As usual."

He grinned.  "That's my girl."

"Not any more," she stated, staring coldly at the man she had, 
in her freshman year, thought to be the key to high school 
dominance.  She'd spent that entire year carefully laying plans 
to catch him, and had succeeded the beginning of the next 
year--his senior year.  Even now, it puzzled Midori why it 
had taken her until he graduated to realize how useless it had 
been to try and use him as a grappling hook to power.  Why depend 
on others, after all?

The corners of his mouth turned down.  "Why so cold, Midori-
chan?  I really thought we had something, even if it was only 
for a year.  Is it because of college?  You only have, what, a year 
and a half left..."

"No, Seichorou-kun.  Didn't we already settle this when you 
graduated?"

"Well...yes...but..." He sighed, then looked at her again.  "Or is 
it someone else?  Did you find someone else?"

"I am currently unattached," she told him.  "Look, Seichorou.  
We had our time."  For all of the good *that* had done her, she 
thought derisively.  "Things just didn't work out.  Let it go, 
all right?"  

He sighed and stepped back, looking soulfully into her eyes.  "You 
Steel Thorn girls are all so cold."

Midori shrugged, eyeing him challengingly.  "There is a 
problem?"

Seichorou sighed again and walked away, glancing once over his 
shoulder at the unmoved girl.

"Huh, I guess you really do have a life after all."

Midori didn't even bother to look behind her.  "Hello, Ki."

He stepped around her cheerily, a pretty dark-haired girl in 
tow.  "Junko, this is my cousin Midori.  Midori, this is Junko 
Matsuki.  She goes to Daikan High."

Midori gave the girl a nod, her eyes alight with curiosity as she 
glanced inquisitively at her cousin.  A tiny shake of his head asked 
her not to ask about Yuri at this point, and she obliged, just to see 
what he was up to.  "So, what are you two up to?"

"Ahh..." Ki stalled.  He had actually not given this phase of the test 
much thought.  She worked at the café, so going there would be 
rather pointless, and he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to push 
for a date yet...

Noticing that her new friend seemed to be out of ideas, Junko put 
forth a suggestion.  "Well....do you want to go through the new 
shopping center with me?  I just need to get one or two new 
shirts for work."

"Umm...all right, I guess," the Steel Thorn boy said.  A cautious 
prick of apprehension crept up his spine, encouraged by the 
malicious gleam in his cousin's eyes that appeared at this 
suggestion.  "If it's just one or two..."

Midori snickered to herself as the girl led her hapless cousin off.  
So, the cologne was already starting to affect his judgment, 
bringing a thread of what seemed suspiciously like chivalry 
floating up through his personality.   Still, she supposed it was 
safer that he was now trying his experiment with a "normal" girl 
rather than the Mikagami.

***

The bat-winged, armored teenager slouched grumpily in the 
principal's office, a scowl pasted on her face.  

"Maimsworth-kun, both of your parents were graduates of this 
school.  I'm sure you were taught better than to resort to such 
childish tricks."  The principal sighed.  "Really, Maimsworth-
kun.  Tripwire?  Your mother tried that stunt once on me.  She 
learned, and in time I suppose you will too."

The girl let out a long, heaving bored sigh, her armor clanking 
as she scratched a wing.  "Yeah, yeah.  Look, can I go now?  That 
arrogant bastard is probably rooting through my locker as we 
speak, trying to find my underwear."

Principal Mikagami looked at Anita Maimsworth and shook her 
head in exasperation, her short bob cut bouncing.  "You may go."

Eagerly, Anita snatched up her backpack and walked out of the 
office, only to be promptly tackled by a werewolf who was in 
turn being chased by a ninja.

"Hey!  No running in the halls!"  Principal Mikagami called, 
stepping out.

"The Dingo took my backpack!" the ninja accused, in a rather 
whiny, un-ninjalike voice.

Principal Mikagami sighed again.  It looked to be another 
head-wracking day at Dark Heart High.

~~~

Yuri jerked upright with a start, rubbing the sleep from her 
eyes.  That dream *must* have been inspired by Mordred's 
little speech, she decided.  It was entirely too weird to be 
anything else.  She blearily shook her head and tried to refocus 
on her worksheet.  "'...and so, forgiveness can out the window 
strange'?"  Yuri shook her head again and hastily erased the 
last bit.  "Definitely need to stop doing homework when I'm tired."  
She looked out the window.  It was still light outside; maybe she'd 
go for a walk before finishing this up.  And, she thought, 
brightening further, maybe she could invite Leilei to come along.

***

"So," Yasuko cooed, "What is it like, being in college?  I imagine 
it must be very exciting..."

Mordred shrugged. "Tch."

Yasuko pulled back, perplexed.  Mordred had been acting bored for 
the past while, and bored was not something other people usually 
were when on a date with her, of course.  What was wrong?  
"What's wrong? You seem a little...ahh...unstimulated."

He turned on her, glaring.  "Well, why SHOULDN'T I be?!  What 
are you?"

Yasuko blinked.  "Ahh..."

"You're a SUCCUBUS.  What the HELL are you doing, acting so 
innocent and sweet?!  Be what you ARE, girl!  Or are you 
really such a limp, useless excuse?"

The bat-winged girl sprang to her feet, her eyes flashing with 
anticipation.  Now, this was indeed more like it!  "Far from it..."

And she pounced.

***

"So..." Yuri essayed tentatively as they walked through the 
small block of shops.  She hadn't realized that Bala would be 
ungrounded so soon, and so hadn't anticipated that he'd be coming 
along with Leilei.  Upon seeing him, her mind had gone blank.  
There was really nothing she *could* say, not with Leilei 
there and now with Bala rebound.  And even if she could...after 
what had happened, the half-time show, the park, the date with Ki, 
and the party...Yuri's emotions were, simply put, a mess.  

As for Bala, his eye was squarely upon Yuri.  She hadn't really 
spoken to him since he and Leilei had met up with her.  Oh, she'd 
talked and rambled on about all sorts of minor things, but she'd 
avoided his eye almost the entire time.  

For what was perhaps the first time, he was glad of his bindings.  
They kept him in control while he tried to figure out how to 
handle the Yuri situation, kept him from doing what he'd 
discovered that a part of him wanted to do.  A part that, although 
it was linked to his full power, he discovered that he did not really 
like.

It was seeming more and more to Yuri that this was a bad idea.  
Rather than being relaxed and able to think better, she was 
tensing up and becoming even more confused.  This wouldn't do at 
all...she looked aside into one of the clothing shops and giggled.  A 
tall, dark-haired bishounen was staggering under the weight of 
several large shopping bags and boxes.  Several steps ahead of him, 
a pretty dark-haired girl made her way through the shop, 
accumulating more clothes as she did so.  

Yuri grinned.  It was easy for her to see the pair as herself and, 
well...Ki, especially since the guy looked...like him...anyway...

No, surely it couldn't be.  She watched as the girl stepped closer 
to him, trying to catch a glimpse of his face.  He said something 
to the girl, making her laugh and blush, and turned.

Yuri stopped in her tracks, stunned, but then continued walking 
quickly, so that he wouldn't see her.  It *was* Ki!  And she was 
sure the girl with him wasn't his cousin--this girl was too 
short.

What was going *on*?!  

Someone tapped her shoulder lightly.  Bala shifted his eye over 
to an ice cream shop nearby, and back to her, the invitation 
evident.  

Yuri blinked.  She wouldn't be betraying Ki if she accepted, 
because they weren't going out and in any case he was with 
someone else.  And in any case, she'd already--and she 
suppressed a blush at the memory--kissed Bala, so it wasn't 
as if it was wrong, was it?  

Blergh.  She shook the confusion from her head and nodded 
at Bala, smiling.

Hey, ice cream was ice cream.

***

"Never again!"  Ki slumped against a wall, exhausted.  The Junko 
girl had run him ragged with her crazed shopping, and had finally 
stopped only because he had run out of places to be able to carry 
her purchases.   After walking her back to her house, it was all 
he could do to stay on his feet.

"So, how's the Mikagami girl's replacement?"

He shook his head violently in response to his cousin's question, 
not caring when or how she had arrived.  "Not replacement.  
No no no no."

Midori laughed.  "Oh, come now.  You think Mikagami would be 
any better if you'd gone with her?"

Ki sighed, composing himself.  "Let's just say...better than Junko."
He eyed his cousin.  "And perhaps I'm not the one whose tactics 
should be questioned here...I met Seichorou at Craig's party, he's 
Sakazashi's brother, isn't he?"

His cousin's eyes narrowed, but she shrugged it off.  "Yes.  Old 
business."

"Not to him, judging from his expression when he left."

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

*****
Author's Notes:

Ack, ack, and ack sharp.  Thanksgiving break, family vacation, 
end result = rushed chapter.  ;-;  I'm really sorry about that.  My 
brilliant idea to bring my laptop to VA and work on the part while 
I was at my grandparents' house there crashed and burned like 
liquid nitrogen, if it crashed and burned.  Or whatever.

So yeah.  If this is lame, that's why.  Okay, and maybe it's personal 
lameness as well.

This part was certified Angeleye-free.  Why?  Because with all 
the other points I was tackling, I couldn't possibly fit her in.  
@_@

Oh.  And I can't write Mordred worth crap.  ;-;  I'm sorry!

The Midori-Seichorou thing is mostly to show why she's so against 
Ki going all-out for Yuri; she's found out her own way that it 
doesn't work, although she didn't fall for him.  Seichorou, 
however...

Junko is really a one-shot character, created partially to prove 
that it is actually possible for Reika and Atsuko to not be attached 
at the hip.  Wheee!  She's seriously not that important to the story 
anymore, now that she's scared Ki away.  By the way, her school, 
Daikan, was named as the one Reika's attending in part 4.

Yasuko's little switch isn't meant to be permanent; just a little 
adaptation to hook Mordred.

And here's to Bala's new bindings keeping his powers sealed a 
*bit* longer than his old ones did!  Whoo!

And now for the long part...the thank-yous.  @_@

First and foremost, thank you to Lawrence Chu for being such a 
kind, understanding, and above all AWESOME admin.  Thanks to 
Mads for creating the series, brainstorming help and offering to 
preread.  Thanks to Nic Juzda for brainstorming help and 
prereading offers, to NeremWorld for offering to preread, to 
Lafing_Cat, Segev, Jex, Empress, and Smlee for prereading and 
brainstorming help, to Anna, Starfire, Gin and Gretchen/mae for 
prereading, and to Jesse Ellman for helping with Bubala's general 
Jewishness.  ^^;

Thanks also go to my teachers, for giving me a light enough 
homework load that I could finish it all in school and have more 
time to do the part in.  x_x

Anyone that I forgot, feel free to murderize me.  x_x

Long live DHH, and other shiny things!  *collapse*

=====
Live well, eat chicken, and bye!

Sharyna Tran

Co-Moderator, Meek-Haiygn Press
http://meek-haiygn.relnor.com

*****

"...And so, if you forgive people, then you can gain their loyalty 
more easily than someone who never forgives.  And the more 
people that are loyal to you, and the stronger their loyalty is, 
the more powerful you become.  So, forgiveness is good because 
it can help strengthen your evil forces, in the long run."

Yuri sighed and put down her pencil.  Hopefully Feng-sensei 
wouldn't take off too many points for her answer.  It just 
didn't seem evil enough, no matter how hard she tried.  She'd only 
even gotten this far with her mother's help, and it still seemed 
a little off.

***

"Forgiveness is an overrated value.  Second chances will only 
allow your opponent another chance to strike.  So forgiveness 
really serves no positive evil purpose, unless you are the one 
being forgiven."

Yasuko chewed on her pencil eraser thoughtfully.  Of course, 
her having seen through Feng-sensei's transparent trick 
question would give her the full fifty points, but should she 
write more?

***

"Forgiveness is great because the more you're forgiven, the 
more evil you can do!"

Craig sat back and grinned.  He couldn't believe that Feng-sensei 
was giving away fifty points on such an easy assignment.  And 
all this time he'd thought the man was tough.