Yasuko stormed around her bedroom. Nothing seemed to be going right for her any
more. But then, as she took the time to stop and think, just when HAD things
gone right for her since she'd come to Dark Heart High? Certainly not while she
was plotting evil deeds against Yuri Mikagami, that was for sure. And indeed not
very often otherwise, either. Even while dating Mordred, the time when things
had seemed to be going best of all, it had all come crashing down around her.
He had not been all he had been cracked up to be, indeed in the end she could no
longer really stand him any more. But worst of all, he had had the hide to
insinuate that a week's worth of her... attentions... was worth less to him than
the chance to kill his brother. That had been the final straw. Oh, and then he
had tried to kill her.

Rage filled the succubus, but she resisted the temptation to smash something.
After all, this was HER room, so anything she smashed was hers and would almost
certainly require replacing. Instead she hurled insults about the late Mordred
in an inhuman screech that put most banshees to shame. It had taken the combined
efforts of herself, that Merkla demon Ryuji and the infuriating Craig Maimsworth
to defeat Mordred. And then things had only gotten worse as rumours abounded of
her "involvement" with the younger Maimsworth, only for him - THE CLASS CLOWN,
for Hell's sake! - to publicly humiliate her by "dumping" her in front of the
entire year. Yasuko knew that Maimsworth would have to pay. How, though, she
knew not. But it would have to be subtle.

He had not mentioned it for a while, but Craig had in his possession photos of
Yasuko on dates with a magical girl from years ago. It was strange, she mused to
herself, at first she had utterly despised the idea of dating a magical girl.
Sure, the only reason she had done it was to get back at her parents. But 
something had happened. During the date, she had surprised herself. As a result,
she still held tender feelings... no, she couldn't lie about this, not even to
herself. She still LOVED Heavenly Marshmellow Princess Cherry Bomb. Loved her
deeply. So the last thing she wanted to do would be to soil her memory by
allowing the Maimsworth fool a chance to spread those malicious tales about her
that he had wanted to. She must be very careful not to arouse his suspicions,
but the fact remained the same. Craig Maimsworth must pay.

Her rant brought her back to the mirror. Stopping for a while, the succubus took
a long hard look at her reflection. Mordred had convinced her to stop hiding her
natural instincts in non-descript, casual clothing. As a result, she had gone
back to her former style, tight-fitting clothes and such, just the sort of thing
people expected of succubi, but also the sort of thing that would have made
Andrea, her forever-lost girlfriend, run off screaming. That was one thing she
could change. Back when it had first been suggested to her, she had rejected the
idea out of hand. But she had done it. And people had approved. Her popularity
had increased. Well, perhaps it was time to go back to that. Forget Mordred, and
his false advances, his lying hide.

Taking the microsecond or so required to remove her current garments, Yasuko
strolled over to her wardrobe. She withdrew a loosely-fitting T-shirt and a pair
of modest jeans, topping this with a jacket. As she finished tying the laces on
her pair of sneakers, she returned to the mirror to study the effect and smiled.

The Sensitive New-Age Succubus was back.

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

Dark Heart High

Netherworld Educational Institution for
The Universal Propagation of Evil

Started by Mads
This chapter by: Kobbie Renklauf

Part Sixty-One: Celebrations!

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

The door opened, and an elderly head popped out.

"Don't worry, Yuri dear, it's not here yet."

The head was quickly withdrawn. Standing not far from where the head had been, a
boy blinked. Wrapped in bandages and chains, and with dozens of ofuda attached
all over his body, Balabalalde was standing on the Mikagami front porch. And had
been all night.

'So,' he thought. 'The cloud of darkness lied.' He narrowed his eyes, and let
off a glare that threatened to pierce a hole straight through the wall. But then
the full implications of the situation got through to him. 'Yuri's here?' Well
then, better get this over with. Maybe then things could settle down a little.
Maybe then that Angeleye girl would get off his back. Maybe then... this whole
mess could be over, and Yuri could be with him. As it was supposed to be.

Bala blinked again. This time, though, it was in annoyance at himself. Here he
was, the heir to two powerful evil lines, and a GIRL had him trembling like so
many foes had before his ancestors? Mentally chastising himself, Bala prepared
for the task at hand. It was going to take nerves of steel to do what he was
about to do. Drawing a deep breath, he walked the two steps up to the door, and
knocked.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

"I wonder who that could be," Yuri commented as she went to answer the door.
"Grandma, did you see anyone outside?"

"No, dear," her grandmother responded. "But then, I was only looking for the
cab on the street."

"Funny you didn't see someone, though, they would have had to have been on the
path to the door at least." Yuri strode over to the door, and turned the handle.
There, standing waiting for her, was Bala.

"Hi," he said.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

Craig wandered down the hall towards lunch in the very best of moods. Once again
he was going to meet with Atsuko, as had become their daily ritual. Day in, day
out, they enjoyed their lunch together and discussed various things. Often, Yuri
Mikagami was their prime topic of conversation. Well, ok, Yuri was ALWAYS their
prime topic of conversation. Each of them had gained a lot of insight into her
character from the various perceptions of the other during the time they had
each known her.

This was not what had him in such a buoyant mood, though. Not that it hurt. But
they were now entering the third week of this vacation schooling, and Craig's
major project was coming along beautifully with no hassles whatsoever. Working
as part of a group still felt a bit strange, but, together with Liza and Hikaru,
they had made great progress on their project, and he was very confident that at
the end of the four week course, he would have a great deal to show for it. He'd
certainly learned a great deal.

Reaching the lunch hall, Craig scanned the room quickly, and smiled when he saw
the girl with the glasses waving at him. It was such a change to the normal
reaction he received when girls looked his way. Whether or not they waited for
his first sentence, the simple fact remained that almost every girl in existence
would run screaming from him. One of the very few exceptions, though, was waving
to him.

"Atsuko, konnichi wa," Craig greeted her, "how was your weekend?"

"Oh, you know," Atsuko's smile remained in place, testimony to how much Craig
truly HAD changed. "Same old same old. What about yours?"

"Actually, that reminds me." Craig reached inside his armour, to a concealed
pocket. Atsuko's smile dimmed slightly, and her eyebrows drew slightly closer
together. Ok, so maybe he hadn't changed THAT much. "This is for you," he
continued, handing her a piece of paper he withdrew.

Atsuko blinked, and took the paper. "You are invited to a celebration to mark
the end of Craig Maimsworth's freshman year at Dark Heart High," she read. "The
festivities will take place at the Maimsworth Manor, this Saturday evening, from
7:00 pm."

Craig watched her with anticipation. Some instinct of his had indicated that he
should probably hide the TRUE reason for the party from Atsuko. Sure, the party
was to celebrate the death of Mordred, his late (and rather unlamented) brother,
but Atsuko didn't really need to know that. And if she knew that the murderer
was sitting across the table from her, well... let's just say that he had a
hunch that her reaction would have been more like what the old Craig was used
to.

"Sorry it's taken me so long to get this to you, it had totally slipped my
mind," he said, to cover the sudden silence as Atsuko finished reading. "But
it's going to be great. Most of my friends have already indicated that they're
coming, Yuri included."

Again, Craig was going off a hunch. Over the last few months, he had noticed a
few things, and was seeking to add them to his repertoire. Name-dropping that
Yuri would be there was part of Craig's idea of how to introduce Atsuko to his
friends. Who'd be laughing then, when he turned up with an honest-to-darkness
DATE? Well, ok, when his date turned up, seeing as it WAS at his house. But the
point would have been made. Craig Maimsworth would be a laughing-stock no more.

Atsuko read over the invitation again, mostly to delay her response and compose
herself. While she was no longer completely shy and introverted, she'd just been
asked around to Craig's place. It was a big step. She was keen to go, especially
if Yuri would be there, but she didn't want to rush things either. And a part
of her still held reservations.

'Reika would have already rejected this as not happening', she thought bitterly,
and perhaps a little unfairly. 'But this is my chance to get a fresh start with
Yuri's friends. I mean, look at Craig. Look at how well we get on together now.
Perhaps I should do this.'

By now the silence from Atsuko had been long enough that Craig's earlier elation
was ebbing excessively. Blushing bright red at Craig's almost melodramatic
facial expressions, Atsuko made up her mind.

"I'd love to come."

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

Hours had passed, and the eloquence of the conversation that had taken place on
the doorstep of the Mikagami household was the stuff of the classics. Authors
would have made a fortune by writing dialogue such as this. Or not. After all,
the conversation was between Yuri Mikagami and Balabalalde. So, "Hi" was as far
as it had gotten before the awkward silence had set in.

"Where is that blasted cab?" muttered Mrs Ibuki, breaking the silence. "It was
supposed to be here hours ago!"

Yuri looked relieved that her grandmother had spoken, as she had been getting
rather nervous about the whole situation. Bala, on the other hand, was as stoic
as ever, and was waiting for Yuri to take the initiative.

"So, Yuri dear, are you going to introduce us?" Mrs Ibuki spoke again.

"Oh, right," Yuri stammered a bit, "Grandma, this is Balabalalde, one of my
classmates at Dark Heart. Bala, this is my grandmother."

Bala merely blinked. Mrs Ibuki, having seen how articulate Bala wasn't, since
she had watched most of the proceedings thus far, accepted this.

"Bala, why don't you come inside and sit down?" Yuri finally managed, after yet
another awkward silence. Bala nodded and did so, and the two left for the living
room, while Mrs Ibuki maintained her vigil of waiting for the cab.

"So. How're things? Where's Leilei?"

"I asked her not to come."

"I see. Why?"

*blink*

"So you came, alone, to my house. Any particular reason?"

*blink*

"Bala?" Yuri sounded a little out-of-sorts now. She had been hopeful when she
saw that Bala's mouth was free to speak that she might at last have a decent
conversation with the bandaged boy. After all, she still yearned to sort out the
mess that made up her relationships. The outing with Ki had not panned out so
well after the interruption caused by Selune, after that Ki had gone rather
quiet. Now, it seemed that despite a promising start, this conversation would
not fare much better.

"I love you."

Yuri blushed bright red.

"What?"

"I love you."

The words were spoken, but completely without emotion. Yuri was momentarily
stunned into silence. Bala merely preferred to be that way. He had done it, he
had confessed his love. The reaction he was receiving (which he should not have
been expecting) meant little to him, though.

Several minutes passed, with the unnatural silence prevailing. Eventually, it
was broken by Yuri.

"Bala? This is all a bit sudden, isn't it?"

*blink*

Suddenly the words came in a flood.

"I mean, sure, you proposed and all, but we haven't even gotten to know one
another, at least not really. I mean, sure, we've been friends for a year, but
how much about me do you know? How much about you do I know? I don't think I
know enough about you to be sure how I feel. Oh, this isn't what I mean either.
Look, I'll tell you what. After the party, sometime next week, how about we go
and get some ice cream or something, and we can talk this through? With or
without Leilei, I don't mind. But no-one else. We have to sort this out, Bala."

Bala did not respond verbally, only nodded. Something inside him knew that this
would be as good a concession from Yuri as he would get, at least for today. So
he stood, and left. Yuri didn't follow, instead staying on the couch, going over
the conversation again and again. Her concentration was shattered, though, by a
cry from the doorway.

"Well, FINALLY!"

Her grandmother's cab had arrived at last.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

Craig walked into his living room, to find Ryuji and Lily sitting comfortably on
the couch. Lily was tucking into an "I Can't Believe It's Not Soul" ice cream
soda, while Ryuji was merely watching TV, and enjoying the fact that for once
his current body was actually male. Neither reacted to their landlord's entry,
much to his chagrin. He cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

Ryuji looked up from the TV, while Lily paused with her spoon halfway between
her glass and her mouth (which was wide open).

"Oh, hi Craig," Ryuji said. "How was your day at summer school?"

Craig beamed. Successful days were still a novelty for him.

"Marvellous. But there's something I need to discuss with you two. And Klein,
preferably. The party."

Ryuji nodded. "I'll go get him then."

"Please."

Ryuji left, while Lily suddenly noticed that she was dripping ice cream all over
herself. Quickly, she rescued the remains of the contents of her spoon, before
wolfing down what was left of her spider as only a magical girl could. She was
rather disappointed to have lost some, though.

Shortly afterwards, Ryuji returned with Klein in tow.

"You called, Master Maimsworth?"

"Yes, I did. I have invited an extra guest to the party." 

"Another late guest, sir?" Klein asked. "Is it another Knight School student,
perhaps? Or are we inviting a Sakura Arts student this time?" Klein had not been
too happy when Craig had informed them that he had invited Hikaru and Liza, and
had been vehement in his protests.

"And what's so wrong with Sakura Arts students?" pouted Lily.

"Present company excluded, of course, ma'am."

"Well that's alright, then," Lily brightened visibly, while sweatdrops appeared
on the heads of the other three occupants of the room.

"Anyway," Craig continued, "you probably don't know her, but she's an old friend
of Yuri's who I've gotten to know over the last three weeks."

"So, is it Reika? Or Atsuko. I bet it's Atsuko. Reika wouldn't have given you
the time of day, let alone allowed you to get to know her over that long a
period of time. And does Yuri know?"

Every word the Merkla demon uttered saw Craig's jaw drop lower and lower towards
the floor. How had he... oh, right. Ryuji had been invited to Yuri's sleepover,
since he'd been in a female body at the time. And in his time at the manor, he
had also demonstrated that his accountant's mind had a wonderful track record of
noticing (and recalling) obscure facts. So the names and personalities of Yuri's
more "normal" friends would certainly have drawn his interest.

"Another girl," asked Lily, excitement taking her voice almost to a squeal.
"What's she like?"

"Are there any special preparations I will need to take care of, sir?" asked
Klein.

"Perhaps," responded Craig. "Lily, Klein, there's something you should know
about Atsuko. For a start, she attends Kaien."

This was met with blank looks, until Ryuji spoke up.

"You know, a normal school? Just come out and say it, Craig. She's not like us."

Craig winced.

"She's more like us than I would have believed possible at the start of the
year, Ryuji. I mean, look at Yuri. Would you say she was not like us?"

"Weeell..."

"And Atsuko's not all that different from Yuri. They went to the same Junior
High, after all. Only stands to reason."

"Well, ok, so you've made your point. Your girlfriend is a bit like us."

Craig blinked. "Girlfriend? Wherever did you get that idea, Ryuji?"

"Ooooh, she IS your girlfriend, isn't she?" Lily leapt on the faint hint of
Craig's blush, immediately heightening it.

"But the point of what you're saying, Craig, is that you've invited a mortal. No
extra preparation is needed?"

"No, Ryuji, you're quite right. I just thought you guys should know. Look, can I
ask a favour? Can you guys just, you know... treat her..."

"Yeah, no problems Craig," Ryuji answered, and turned back to the TV.

"Of course," giggled Lily, "now tell me all the goss!"

"As you wish," said Klein, and left to get back to his previous task, as Lily
chased a fleeing Craig out of the room.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

It was a typical day in the shopping mall. Shoppers searched high and low for
that one particular bargain to make their entire day worthwhile. Some went home
happy, finding something particularly suitable. Others went home downcast, a
whole day's searching to no avail. And then there were some who were there just
to be sociable.

However, none of the above scenarios particularly applied to Yasuko Wareme, who
had come shopping not to find a bargain per se, but rather simply to augment her
wardrobe. Now that she had returned to modest clothing, she had found to her
chagrin that her selection range was really rather limited. Especially since one
of the things that Mordred had professed to be turned on by was the forceable
removal of her demure garments. While she was wearing them. Oddly enough, this
almost always led to their complete destruction. And so she had come to rectify
this lack.

Searching through clothes shops, not really knowing what she was looking for,
was not Yasuko's idea of an enjoyable way of spending a day. But still, she felt
she owed it to the memory of Andrea to continue this. No longer would she dance
to the tunes of the psychiatrist. Nor to those of her parents' expectations. In
fact, never again would she dance to the tunes of the expectations of anyone.
Yasuko pledged that from now on, she would (at least try to) become a new demon.

Not that that would spare Craig Maimsworth, when his time came, oh no.

She had been giving that particular problem a lot of thought. What she needed
was a way to destroy the Maimsworth pup utterly. Or maybe she'd settle for total
humiliation. Whether or not they amounted to the same thing would have to wait
and see. But she'd realised something, something which could prove vital. For
she had a possibility that could well prove fruitful. Due to an accident with
Liza's cloning gun, there was another who occupied an identical body to hers.

Lily Ringoshima.

Surely there had to be some way to use...

The succubus's thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt as she noticed a T-shirt
on the rack. Hadn't she seen that exact T-shirt worn by Lily? Several times?

And that one over there? And those pants?

Her devious mind started to kick in. She might not ever use them, but something
told her these clothes could have a wealth of uses. Why not be prepared, just in
case? Taking the relevant garments over to the counter, she made her purchase.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Ki Tamaida's thoughts turned back to
the incident in the park with Yuri. Why did his outings with Yuri always turn so
sour? Was he cursed to never get a chance to express his true feelings for the
girl? Or to never get a chance to form a rapport with her? It certainly seemed
that that was a possibility.

Take this last incident, for example. Everything had been going to plan, and
then that Doombringer had had to show up. Selune, or whatever her name was. Sure
enough, she had drawn on him, obedient to the will of her clan's leaders to
adhere to the Blood Duel between the Steel Thorns and the Doombringers. He could
accept that. He knew that in her position, he would most likely have done the
same thing. He CERTAINLY would have, had Yuri not been in his life. But then,
had she not been in his life, Selune would not still be breathing. He would have
killed her then and there, without a qualm.

Yuri. Everything came back to Yuri. He had known her but a year, but so much had
changed because of her. He had his heart back. He was in love. He no longer had
the ability to kill without remorse. All because of one girl.

But that wasn't the worst part, oh no. The worst part was that Yuri had stepped
in on his fight. Sure, he had been reluctant to fight Selune, but for Yuri to
step in front of him like that? It was a slap in the face for his ego. And then,
to compound it further, she had actually DRAWN his sword! A sword of a Steel
Thorn.

Steel Thorn swords had, for generations, been enchanted in such a way that only
members of the Steel Thorn clan could wield them. Hell, only members of the clan
could unsheathe them and live. While he had been disowned, Ki had not dared to
use his own sword. Instead, he had borrowed one as he advanced himself in Evil
Tech. And yet Yuri, not a Steel Thorn by any stretch of the imagination, had
drawn it without hesitation, and without repercussion.

Even Selune had seemed impressed, though she may have merely been overawed by
Yuri's reputation. One did not singlehandedly win a fencing match, let alone
survive a Blood Duel with Principal Amakusa, without attracting some infamy. And
again Yuri had confounded him by waving it away as nothing.

"I suppose I would have had to disarm her."

The nonchalance of the statement still chilled him to the bone.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

It was a warm evening as three girls walked together up the driveway towards the
Maimsworth Manor. Having never been to a boy's house before, let alone for a
party, Atsuko had asked Yuri if she would mind if the two could go together. Of
course, the fact that Craig had neglected to include his address on Atsuko's
invitation was only further encouragement of the plan. Yuri had been thrilled at
the idea, and had quickly agreed.

Atsuko's stopover at the Mikagami household had quickly turned into a marathon
makeover session, once she realised that she didn't have the slightest clue what
to expect at such a party, let alone what to wear to one. The two girls had
raided wardrobes and magazines, trying one idea after another, until they found
just the right balance between ordinary and overdone. During this time, Amy had
arrived, and she had joined the other two in their elaborate experiments with
hair and makeup. Eventually, after hours of the kind of tireless persistance
their teachers could only dream of seeing, the three girls were content that
they looked 'natural'.

So they had been in the very best of moods when the time had come to depart.
Hoshiko had offered the girls a lift to the party, since Troi had made himself
"busy" in the basement ever since Atsuko had arrived.

Arriving at the manor, or at least the driveway, Atsuko was wide-eyed. She had
known that Craig was rich, the mere fact that he'd been so willing to part with
a suitcase filled with many thousands of American dollars had proven that, but
to own a mansion this large was remarkable. That it was in Tokyo made the notion
even more unrealistic.

Yuri and Amy, on the other hand, had been here before. So while they were still
awestruck at the sheer size of the place, they were not gawking quite as openly
as their companion.

"So, what's the goss on Craig?" Yuri asked Atsuko, as they walked up the path,
having been admitted through the gates.

"Oh, you know..." Atsuko blushed, drawing a giggle from Yuri and a more laconic
chuckle from Amy.

"No, actually, we don't," Amy replied. "To us, Craig is a bumbling fool. How did
he convince you to talk to him for more than a few seconds?"

"I think the bumbling fool side of Craig's personality is mostly an act. Once
you get to know him, he can be really sweet."

Amy scoffed, while Yuri murmured something that could be taken either way. She
had to admit, at least to herself, that Craig had been changing. Dramatically.
Of course, she held the advantage over Amy in that she'd had a conversation with
Atsuko over the phone about the issue, but she still wanted updates.

"So what's happened?" Yuri pressed. "How is it that YOU, Atsuko Shizuguchi, who
so often in the past have sat back and let the others take the more active role
in such things, suddenly find yourself cast as the date of the host of this
party?"

Atsuko's blush deepened. But before she could answer, the doorway had come into
view, where three people stood. The two males of the three were standing toe-to-
toe, glaring fiercely at each other. The third, a short female with pink hair,
was desperately trying to get the two to calm down. Seeing the three girls 
coming up the driveway, Leilei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi Yuri," she said, rushing to meet her friend. The reactions of Bala and Ki,
the would-be combatants, were immediate. Forgotten was the combat as the two
strode after Leilei, though not completely, as the two still shot baleful glares
at each other every now and then. Amy found the whole thing hilarious.

"Would you LOOK at you two," her voice dripped scorn, the tone one that could
very easily have come from the evil half of her persona. "You really are
pathetic, the both of you. If Yuri-chan here hadn't made things abundantly
clear, I'm not sure I wouldn't put myself back into the race. As it is, I'll
just sit back and watch the two of you self-destruct, time and time again."

Atsuko, meanwhile, was watching the whole scenario with more and more disbelief.
The boy in the bandages was SCARY, yet Amy could say those things seemingly as
though she was invulnerable. She didn't seem that tough... but then Atsuko saw
Yuri enter the fray.

"Bala, Ki, come on. We're at a party, for darkness' sake. Can't you put your
differences aside for once? Look, I want this whole mess sorted out as much as
you do. That's why I'm giving you each your chance to prove yourselves next week
- a chance for each of you to state your case, get to know me, allow me to get
to know you. Then, and only then, will I decide."

Atsuko's eyes widened. The two boys had been fighting... over YURI??? Kami, but
there were some things she was going to have to get used to.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

Author's notes:

Well, there it is. My debut chapter. And let me say what a relief and a
disappointment both it is. I signed up for this chapter with grandiose ideas. I
was going to take the story to the end of the summer school (there's still a
week left there), with the party dealt with and a few more developments between
Craig and Atsuko. And I was hoping to bring Reika into a more positive light by
bringing her into the chapter later on. Now, unfortunately, that all has to
wait.

Before I explain my references (or at least some of them, I won't digress into
every little nit-picky detail), there are some people I should really thank.

Firstly, my pre-readers, who really didn't get much of a chance to pre-read, as
a great deal of this chapter was written literally at the last minute -- an all-
night sitting the only thing that prevented me from skipping.
Secondly, to Lawrence. Without the automatic extension, there is NO way this
would have gotten done, even to the state it is now, and I would have had to
skip for sure.
Thirdly, and importantly, to all the other authors out there, past and future,
who have contributed to and/or will contribute to this awesome fic. It has been
a pleasure to write some of these characters, though others have been somewhat
more of a challenge.
Finally, though, to two pre-readers in particular, who have been good friends
for many years now. To Qetuth, who provided ideas and comments right up until
the death, and without whose help even with twelve hours to go I probably would
not have made it. And above all, to Kurayami Diku, the tower of strength who
supported me all the way through this. Without him, this chapter would be barely
5k. Well, actually, without him, it wouldn't exist at all, for it was he who
convinced me to start reading DHH in the first place (and only then because of a
passing mention that he'd contributed a chapter). Not that I regret my time in
the slightest -- believe me, I don't. It has been an absolute pleasure.

Now, for some details.

Atsuko's school's name (Kaien) is mentioned briefly in #4.
Lavender Fairy Heart Skittle is of course Yuri's mother, her magical girl title
was first mentioned in #14.
Andrea (Heavenly Marshmallow Princess Cherry Bomb) was introduced in #28.

Yes, I am fully aware that Andrea is a doubled name, shared by Amy's mother.
Yes, I am fully aware that I misread a small section of Chapter #28, which I
used in my way of looking at it to DRASTICALLY affect the Yasuko scenes.
No, I am not repentent of such things, having read and re-read #28 several times
I feel that my way of thinking is a possible outcome, however remote, of the
events outlined in that chapter.

Anyway, thank you to all who read this part, I hope you find it worthy of this
fic. I'm sorry I couldn't achieve all of my aims for the chapter, but such is
life, as Ned Kelly famously uttered.

Constructive criticism is always welcome, please email me if you wish to provide
any.

Ja ne,
Kobbie.

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

"Mrs Ringoshima? I think I've found something."

Violet Ringoshima looked up from the tome she was studying to see what Sakura
had found. They had been searching for months, with barely a single thing to go
on, but Sakura had insisted on searching through every book and scroll she could
lay her hands on, no matter how old. The scroll she held now was at least ten
millenia in age, if not more.

"Well, what is it?"

"It's kind of obscure, but it's a possibility," Sakura said. She began to read
off the page. "'From two of the unlikeliest of pairings shall spring two of the
unlikeliest of children. Sired by the darkness and birthed by the light, this
independent pair shall comprise a son of the light and a daughter of the 
darkness. To each other, they shall bring balance, but to the world around them,
only change.' Tell me, is 'unlikeliest' even a word?"

"Yes, yes, read on," Violet was annoyed that Sakura would interrupt something so
important. A son of the darkness in a union with a daughter of the light. Why,
that could easily be Lavender Fairy Heart Skittle and Hellstorm. But ANOTHER
such pairing? Who could that be?

"But that's all there is, Mrs Ringoshima. There is no more of this prophecy in
the entire scroll, I've checked."