Treasa lay down on her secluded bed of flowers. The park's woods had a fair number of such hidden, hard to reach places making it a favorite haunt for supernaturals like her. Of course any supernaturals that frequented the park knew by now to stay away from her, and her favorite spots. Treasa closed her eyes and dreamed. She walked the pathways of the waking dream world. Treasa mused. She wondered what was happening to her favorite playthings. She found the girl Setsuna first and tried again to enter her mind, but this time via her waking dreams instead of her night thoughts. Today she decided she would see if she could shape Setsuna's waking conciousness more to her liking. Treasa was startled when she realized that someone was also trying to peer into Setsuna's psyche. "The girl interests you?" a disembodied male voice spoke. "She is my plaything to do with as I choose," the warning note was obvious in Treasa's voice. "What is she to you?" "Your plaything had a hand in the death of one of my minions, and even more unfortunate for her she seems to possess the power to resist my will. I'm afraid I can't allow your plaything to live," the male voice did not bother to hide its mocking tone. Treasa chuckled. "Your arrogance is ill-founded. Here, let me enlighten you." Treasa's mental form shifted from nothingness to a mirror image of her pale, dark-haired beauty, except for her arms, which had become elongated and stretched a few feet longer than normal. Vicious claws lining her fingers completed her mental form. "Ah, the vampiress Treasa, I should have guessed it was you or perhaps one of your progeny." The male voice sounded pleased at its discovery, then the voice too gained visual form. A swirling gray cloud appeared, four metallic tentacles emanating from its lower body. Pulsing blue eyes appeared on the cloud's surface while the hint of a mouth showed on its gray features. " A Mihstu," spoke Treasa, her mouth curled into a frown as she thought. It knows who I am, and yet does not try to flee. What arrogance thought Treasa, perhaps it knows some new tricks. Treasa suddenly smiled at the vampiric cloud liking the idea of seeing something new. "Mihstu, do you have a name? Or shall I just call you blue eyes?" Treasa began to slowly clap her elongated arms in anticipation. A smirking mouth formed on the cloud to answer her, "My name is Nanatsuki. Shiro Nanatsuki." Treasa only nodded, then began to silently stare at the mihstu, her yellow cat-eyes began to glitter. Nanatsuki blue eyes centered on Treasa, and stopped moving. After a long moment, Treasa spoke, "Begin!" Treasa's psychic form flew forward, her fangs showing, her elongated arms rushed forward, bristling claws extended. Nanatsuki's own form turned into a whirlwind dervish spinning forward like a top, it's tentacles shone with a jagged edge. Vicious claws and razor sharp tentacles slashed and parried at each other. Despite having more weapons Nanatsuki was soon on the defensive. Treasa was too fast, too strong. The fight dragged on each slash from Treasa hurt the mihstu, while each occasional hit from a tentacle weakened Treasa, and restored some vitality to Nanatsuki. Treasa curiously wondered when Nanatsuki would realize the truth. She was stalking him, hurting him, weakening him, but not enough to seriously injure him. Treasa smiled viciously when eventually she saw that Nanatsuki understood. "Yes little spirit, Treasa the cat wants to play with the little mouse, but if you don't show her a new trick very soon, I won't let you escape." Treasa's fangs seemed to have grown larger. Her expression was openly gleeful. A harried Nanatsuki suddenly assumed a smug and superior tone. "Very well I will show you the source of my true power." Treasa snickered, and backed off to see what the mihstu would do. "Show me," purred Treasa. Nanatsuki's glowing blue eyes suddenly brightened to near blinding capacity. He spoke one word, which Treasa overheard. Treasa's hackles rose at the mention of the name spoken. That name thought Treasa in shock, then before she could react a huge bolt of psychic energy struck her. Her body flew almost a hundred feet away before she managed to reorient herself. After that blast all trace of vicious playfulness vanished from Treasa, the only thing left on her pale white face was a mask of stone. She stalked forward with grim determination, her yellow cat eyes lit up the dreamscape battle area, and her flight trajectory sped straight as a bullet for Nanatsuki. For a second, Nanatsuki's eyes widened, and he took a step back as if to flee. Abruptly he screamed, and his face seemed to distort slightly, his eyes now glowed a bright yellow similar to Treasa. Treasa paused, an eyebrow raised. Nanatsuki spoke, but this time his voice seemed distorted as if coming from a great distance, " Treasa, it seems my slave has angered you. It doesn't really matter. You spurned me once, now you will join me, as you should have long ago. Now I will take your life, and power for my own." A huge continous bolt of blue energy poured outwards from the mihstu enveloping Treasa completely, while in the mortal plane the feedback from the energy surge caused the brain of Nanatsuki's host to explode. "Yes," purred the distorted voice coming from Nanatsuki. Setsuna's nearby mindscape was also affected. She immediately went for some aspirin to treat the splitting headache, which suddenly assaulted her. When the light faded Nanatsuki's eyebrows shot upward, and his small mouth pursed into a tight snarl. Treasa still stood, her arms crossed protectively in front of her, her yellow eyes blazing, her mouth showed her fangs, and an angry hissing sound escaped her lips. A faint yellow aura shimmering around Treasa slowly dissipated into the dream mists around her. "You've grown stronger," said Nanatsuki, his distorted voice betraying growing surprise. Then Treasa cut her connection to the psychic plane of Morpheus. ***** Mystery Club Part 9 "Decide The Fates Which We Rage Against" Created by Aaron Peori This Part by Cris Gomez ***** Mirumoto looked solemnly at his old high school. Over the years it had grown and expanded into a small college. Entering the college, Mirumoto walked his way up to the second floor. Third room on the right... This was where they first met... He could remember it clearly, how he helped the sweet girl pick up her dropped books... Their first "date" in this lab... "You remember it well, don't you? It seems so long ago, though, doesn't it?" Mirumoto looked up. Lyss had just appeared in the classroom. For a few moments, no one spoke. Lyss broke the silence. "... I want to talk to you Mirumoto." Mirumoto wondered what had happened. Lyss seemed shaken, and perhaps even close to tears. After a moment of hesitation Mirumoto opened his arms to his wife, and spoke in a tender voice, "what happened?" Lyss fell into his arms. She started to cry, her sobs bringing bloody tears to her eyes, and staining the old professor's coat. For several minutes they hugged each other, comforting each other, while their past haunted their thoughts. Mirumoto idly wondered why he didn't feel cold hugging her. "Tell me," asked Mirumoto, his eyes for some reason also starting to mist over. "I missed you," he added. Lyss withdrew from the embrace and composed herself before she spoke, "Mirumoto... all this time I was her plaything all along, I was her toy, and I never realized it." Lyss hugged Mirumoto again, this time with some fierceness as she burst into another round of sobbing. Mirumoto gently disentangled himself from her embrace before his ribs fractured. "Lyss sit down. Tell me everything, and this time upon my life and my love for you-this time I swear I will believe everything," Mirumoto spoke firmly, passion slowly creeping into his voice. His eyes now looked decidedly moist. Lyss took a seat, her eyes recalling the past, "Treasa is the oldest of vampires, I have existed as a vampire for less than 50 years. Her blood made me into a powerful vampire, but vampires grow more powerful the longer they have walked the earth. I have always tried to thwart her schemes and spoil her fun. All this time I thought that it was my doing, and she was never able to destroy me for it because of my power." "Now I know better. She actually wanted me to interfere in her plans. I was the unexpected spice in her existence. I was just a toy, which she enjoyed playing with all this time, which she could take control of anytime. I was watching her at Konpaku Park, when she just appeared out of the woods, she just looked at me and suddenly I was completely under her control. She showed me the truth. All this time, all this years taunting her, chasing after her, fighting her..." Lyss expression was pitiable. Mirumoto stepped forward, and comfortingly placed his arms on her shoulders. Then he kissed her. "You were never a toy to me. You are the bravest and most beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and you haven't aged a day too," Mirumoto chuckled at his feeble joke trying to lighten Lyss' mood, surprisingly it worked. Lyss smiled softly and kissed him back. "While I hear on the other hand that you have become on old pervert." Both of them laughed quietly. Lyss expression then became serious, "Mirumoto, do you know of a mihstu by the name of Nanatsuke?" After an initial look of surprise Mirumoto nodded, Lyss continued, "He wants the girl Setsuna dead. Treasa considers Setsuna to be another one of her playthings, so she doesn't want her to die just yet. She sent me to help you." Mirumoto frowned. "Is there some reason that she felt that we couldn't take care of this on our own?" "Treasa did not give me a reason." Lyss shook her head. Mirumoto took a deep breath. "Lyss, can we trust you?" Mirumoto seemed to draw into himself as if he expected Lyss to explode in anger. For a moment Lyss remained silent, but when she looked up her emerald eyes were clear. "Treasa told me my old life of aimless mischief against her was over. If I succeeded in accomplishing her goals whatever they might be, then she would leave me alone forever. She told to tell you that until the coming darkness passes, we are allies. She didn't explain to me what that last part meant as well." "Mirumoto, when Treasa makes a promise she likes to keep it. If we survive whatever is coming, then we can be ..." Lyss looked away, her eyes downcast. Mirumoto cupped Lyss jaw in his hands and gently made her face him. "Look at me Lyss. I am very happy we have reconciled. Don't let it bother you. We'll burn that bridge when we get to it. Now come with me, I'll introduce you to the others. Welcome to the Mystery Club, Lyss." And welcome back into my life thought Mirumoto. As they left the school Lyss spoke, "First, you have to go home hon, I'm afraid I got your clothes all bloody." "Yes dear," answered Mirumoto meekly. They both looked at each other. Then they started to laugh quietly again. In the end they were kissing and ... ***** After searching the school for almost an hour Setsuna finally found Akumu studying in a currently unused classroom. "Hi Akumu, I need to talk to you about Mitsurugi." Akumu looked up startled. "What brought this up?" " Mitsurugi, I-," Setsuna was quickly cut off by Akumu' shaking head. "I can't really tell you anything. The person to talk to about Miturugi is Mitsurugi himself. Setsuna I'm sorry." Akumu's eyes looked sad. "Fine, okay." Setsuna smiled, whirled and ran out of the room. Outside a frown found its way to her face. She wondered what was so disturbing that Akumu didn't want to be the one to tell her. She thoughtfully headed back to the club headquarters. A few minutes after Setsuna left. Akumu felt a pair of dainty hands cover up his eyes. "Guess who?" Akumu spoke, a frown on his voice. "Junko, I'm studying." "Close." Junko snickered. ***** Setsuna paced around the meeting hall. She wondered why the professor wasn't here yet. She received her answer when Professor Mirumoto soon arrived with Lyss the vampire in tow. They were moving hand in hand. Setsuna's eyes widened at the sight of the vampire, and she would have screamed a warning if the Professor had not quickly spoken first. "Setsuna, please call the others. I have some new information. But first," Mirumoto turned to Lyss. "I believe you have something to say to Setsuna." Lyss nodded solemnly, then straightened herself. She walked over toward the young girl, and just as Setsuna was about to bolt, Lyss knelt and bowed down to Setsuna over and over again. "I have wronged you please forgive me, please forgive me." Setsuna just stood there rooted to the floor. "What, What's going on here?" Wondered Setsuna. When Professor Mirumoto moved as if to join Lyss on the floor. Setsuna had had enough. "It's okay, it's okay, I forgive you," a very embarrassed Setsuna found herself helping a kneeling Lyss to her feet. "And don't you try to kneel too," Setsuna warned the Professor. Setsuna wondered in surprise why she was no longer afraid of the vampiress. She decided that maybe it was because Lyss apologized to her, which meant that vampire no longer wanted to harm her. A cold voice spoke, "Setsuna move away." Realizing whom the voice belonged to, Setsuna screamed. "NO, Mitsurugi don't shoot her, she just apologized to me." She immediately stepped in front of Lyss, arms wide, turning herself into a barrier for a possible crossbow shot. Professor Mirumoto quickly embraced Lyss trying to ward her as well, "Mitsurugi, Ibuki stand down. Lyss is now our ally." They could now see Mitsurugi on one knee with a crossbow aimed at Lyss. Ibuki was right beside him looking ready to attack as well. Mirumoto spoke, "Lyss is here because I asked her to come. Mitsurugi put away your weapon and I'll explain. Mitsurugi reluctantly lowered his weapon, but he didn't disarm it. Ibuki took a seat at the meeting table. "This should be- interesting." Professor Mirumoto wordlessly gestured toward the table. Mitsurugi and Setsuna slowly found seats for themselves. When everyone was seated Professor Mirumoto began. He first gave formal introductions to everyone who had not met Lyss before. Then he described his meeting with Lyss at his old school, of Treasa's warnings, her offer, and his reconciliation with his "wife" Lyss. He glossed over his more private moments with Lyss earlier. "Lyss will be joining the Mystery Club, which I believe is a good thing because aside from her special abilities, this also makes us a group of five again, a sentai. Perhaps you might consider me... superstitious, but I believe that this can only bring us good luck." Mirumoto chuckled at his feeble joke. Setsuna frowned, but hid it by cupping her hands to her mouth. They never mentioned a fifth member before, why didn't they tell me about this before? She pondered the possible implications, and finally decided to ask later when the opportunity presented itself. " I have already made arrangements for her- feeding problem. Lyss will be staying with me from now on. Does anyone have any objections? Sorry, I mean questions?" Professor Mirumoto held Lyss' hand firmly, and in his eyes was the look of steel. Setsuna realized that a wrong answer could tear the Mystery Club apart. After a short silence Setsuna found herself and everybody else with the exception of Lyss eyeing Mitsurugi while trying not to be obvious about it. Mitsurugi uttered an exasperated sigh. "First Setsuna, I want you to touch Mirumoto-sensei and Lyss, and just in case make sure you have skin contact." "Huh, what?" squeaked Setsuna. "Really?" exclaimed Professor Mirumoto, his eyes gleeful. Lyss lightly bapped him on the back of the head. Mirumoto fell, temporarily losing his seat. "Your spoken for remember." Lyss then turned to Setsuna. "Go ahead, I don't mind. You have the ability to cancel the powers of paranormals, right? That's why Treasa is so interested in you. Go ahead hon, the boy just wants to see if I'm controlling Mirumoto... in a supernatural manner that is. "Or if Lyss is being controlled by Treasa," finished Mitsurugi. Setsuna nodded her understanding as she helped the Professor stand up making sure to make physical contact with his skin. Setsuna concentrated, as Lyss offered her hand to her, while Mirumoto rubbed his sore head. After finding his seat again, Professor Mirumoto declared, "I am not under any form of paranormal control." Lyss repeated Mirumoto's declaration. Then Professor Mirumoto asked, "Are there any other questions?" Ibuki coughed into her hand to get everyone's attention. "Can we really trust Treasa's word? From what you told us she could easily gain control of Lyss with just a look." Professor Mirumoto ruffled thru an old book until he reached a marked page. "I see no reason to doubt Lyss' words concerning Treasa's promise. Old records like the one in this book here show her as completely honorable when she gives her word, and totally amoral concerning everything else. Her distinction of Setsuna and Lyss as her toys sounds just like her. Is there anything else?" Ibuki continued. "Old man, you aren't seriously considering having her live with you in your car are you? Professor, the girl deserves better than that." Lyss blinked. "A car?" A sweatdrop somewhere almost appeared. "Ehehehe. I'll be getting a nice apartment very soon. There's no need to worry." Ibuki then turned to face Lyss. " I don't know you, but if the Professor trusts you, then I'm willing to give you a chance." Ibuki smiled at her and Lyss responded in kind. Setsuna copied Ibuki's earlier gesture and coughed to get attention. "Since you no longer mean any of us harm, and you apologized to me for your earlier actions, I am willing to give you a chance as well." "Thank you," answered Lyss. She bowed solemnly to the young girl. Once again Setsuna felt her own eyes and everyone else's on Mitsurugi again. With an irritated glare around the table he responded. "If nobody has any objections, I want to study her vampire physiology. I have heard it is rather rare. Lyss I cannot bring myself to completely trust you, but I am willing to give you a chance like the others." Everyone else in the room seemed to exhale when Mitsurugi gave his grudging support. Professor Mirumoto smiled briefly, and then became completely businesslike. "Good, good, now on to another important matter at hand. We need to find and destroy this Nanatsuki before he finds any other victims including Setsuna." Setsuna shuddered at the idea that a powerful monster was stalking her. Professor Mirumoto continued. "We now know that it is a mihstu, an air spirit, now corrupted into a parasitic mist-like creature. Aside from feeding on a human's bone marrow the creature also has the deadly ability to drain the vitality from a person with a touch of it's four tentacles. Be careful the mihstu can literally exhaust you to death, and even one of the undead can be driven to hibernation by its touch. Also from Ibuki's experience the mihstu Nanatsuki appears to have unusually strong psychic powers." "Setsuna, I believe you are the key element we need to negate the mihstu's psychic powers, thus giving Mitsurugi the chance to use the three sapphire bolts to good effect." Setsuna shook her head. "I'm not sure how my ability works. It just happens." Professor Mirumoto smiled encouragingly at her. "Don't worry Setsuna. I believe in this case that will be enough. Now all we have to do is find out where this Nanatsuke is hiding out." A new female voice answered. "He isn't hiding, and I know where he is." Heads turned. Junko the kitsune, her four tails showing had just made herself visible. Her face was not a happy one. "I want a piece of that baka." ***** The assault began at night, a few hours after the school closed for the day. Junko had led them to an old laboratory on the fifth floor of the school's science building. Ibuki made the first move. A roaring elbow crumpled the lab door, and then quickly sent it flying inward. Mitsurugi quickly stepped in crossbow at a ready, while Setsuna held on tightly to his shoulder. The first thing that greeted them was the rotting smell. Ibuki crinkled her nose. "What died here?" They tried ineffectively to peer into the artificial gloom of the room. Setsuna suddenly felt like a sitting duck since she couldn't see anything moving... or waiting for them. Abruptly the lights went on. Setsuna gasped then glared at the kitsune who had suddenly switched on the lights. Junko just snickered. Mitsurugi moved forward with Setsuna holding on. "We're too late." On the head table the dead body of the man known as Shiro Nanatsuki was sitting with his face down towards them. It looked like his skull had explosively been smashed open, bits of red blood, white bone, and gray-pink brain matter were scattered around the body. The stench hit them again and they had to cover their noses. Ibuki moved forward examining the body. "Does this mean that the mihstu has found another body?" She was totally unprepared when the corpse suddenly grabbed her by the throat and with both hands started to choke her. The stench started to make Ibuki gag. A sapphire crossbow bolt thudded into the corpse's right eye. A small shriek came from the thing's mouth, and even as it's knees started to buckle it held on to Ibuki. Ibuki's eyes were starting to cloud over from lack of oxygen, and nauseous stench. Mitsurugi calmly fired another bolt even as Setsuna's grip on his shoulder began to tighten painfully. Junko stood far behind them, a look of intense concentration on her face. The bolt struck a shoulder causing another shriek to come out off the animated corpse. Its head began to loll listlessly. A solid punch from Ibuki finally broke its grip on her throat and she quickly rolled away desperately gasping for breath. The last sapphire bolt twanged and hit the corpse straight to the heart. The animated body suddenly dropped lifeless to the floor. Setsuna quickly ran to help the gasping Ibuki. Junko suddenly ran past Mitsurugi and started to retrieve the crossbow bolts. Mitsurugi frowned, "Junko give me the bolts. They belong to the Mystery Club." Junko's response as she stashed the bolts on her belt was to crush a pair of contacts in her hands. Letting them fall from her bleeding hands she presented everyone with a wide smile and a pair of glowing blue eyes. Setsuna's heart suddenly started to pound. Setsuna desperately tried to drag the slowly recovering Ibuki behind a lab table out of any possible harm's way. Mitsurugi began to hastily cock another crossbow when his crossbow string snapped. Then the bolt he was holding shattered in his hands gouging them full of splinters. Gritting his teeth Mitsurugi started to throw his crossbow like a bludgeon, even as he tried to turn and run away. Setsuna's head jerked up as she heard Mitsurugi scream. Then one after the other she heard five small, sickening snaps coming from Mitsurugi. Mitsurugi slumped down onto the floor. Tears began to form in Setsuna's eyes. Setsuna was startled out of her panic by a fierce "KIAI" battle yell, which exploded beside her. Ibuki her black costume making her seem to blot out Setsuna's vision launched a flying high kick to Junko's possessed head. Before she could make contact Ibuki found herself again surrounded by a glowing blue light that succeeded once again in paralyzing her in mid-air. "Byebye mortal." Junko snickered. Ibuki screamed as she was tossed outside one of the fifth floor windows. Junko then regarded Setsuna with a chesire cat grin. "And as for you." Junko produced a small, sharp cooking knife. She easily jumped on Setsuna's lab table. Snickering madly, the possessed kitsune began to stalk Setsuna into a corner. "Hehehe." Setsuna decided she wasn't going to go down without a fight. She suddenly dashed forward, her hands desperately trying to grasp Junko's bare legs. If she could touch her and concentrate maybe she could negate whatever supernatural effect was controlling Junko. Setsuna reached. Then with a sense of hollow dread she realized she was holding empty air. The kitsune was too fast and had easily jumped off the table and was right beside her! A solid whump from behind made Junko pause. "Hey, remember me," taunted Ibuki. The female devil hunter and her dark costume were covered in sweat. Ibuki went into a combat stance. "We are--." "Not alone," finished Lyss manifesting ghostlike from under the floor. Her half visible body quickly quickly rose from the floor grabbing the surprised Junko off her feet. This was followed by the impact of Ibuki's flying kick on Junko's upside down back. The sound of a spine almost breaking made Setsuna's teeth hurt in sympathy. Lyss then threw the stunned girl into an airplane spin, twirling her around before sending her flying only to be met by a rock steady clothesline from Ibuki's shoulder. Junko collapsed on the floor, her body occasionally twitched and gurgling sounds came from her mouth. "Junko is it!" exclaimed Professor Mirumoto as he entered the room. "Restrain her while she is still unconscious. I'm going to try to exorcise the mihstu out of her body." Ibuki looked startled. "But Junko is a fox spirit, won't she suffer from the exorcism?" "Yes," agreed Professor Mirumoto. "The procedure could prove fatal for her, but I don't see any other choice if we want to save her life." "Wait professor," shouted Setsuna. "Maybe I can do something." Setsuna knelt beside Junko, placed her hands on the kitsune's ears and concentrated. Come on work thought Setsuna. A gray, cold mist began to seep out of the unconscious young kitsune's facial features. In rhythm to Setsuna's quickly tightening heart it quickly formed into a solid piece of fog. Four gray tentacles formed from the cloud, as well as a pair of glowing blue eyes, and the hints of an empty black mouth. A tentacle quickly snatched Setsuna. Screaming she found herself in an upside down position above the ground. "Oooh, they're green," time seemed to stop as everyone conscious including the released mihstu turned to stare at Mirumoto. Lyss smacked him with an elbow to the head. "You idiot now is not the time to be thinking of such things." Setsuna desperately tried to cover herself. "...Right," agreed Ibuki. Then she charged the mihstu. The mihstu snarled its eyes growing wider as Ibuki successfully smashed into it with a solid kick. The mihstu's three other tentacles quickly wrapped around Ibuki, but they weren't strong enough to restrain her as she struck again with another solid chop to the cloud, which elicited a sharp cry of pain. "The girl." Snarling in frustration Nanatsuki threw Setsuna toward the advancing Lyss who caught the dizzied girl with her arms even as something small seemed to fly from the female vampire. Almost immediately Ibuki felt the three tentacles wrapped around her begin to leech away her strength and vitality. "Allow me to repeat myself, byebye mortal." The mihstu's small mouth seemed to radiate malicious pleasure. Ibuki's struggles began to weaken as the unnatural exhaustion began to take over. Her face began to turn pale, and she slowly started to look very tired and sick. Shrieks erupted from Nanatsuki as two razor sharp hands crawled, jumped and slashed off the floor and thru its metal grey tentacles. A thick brown ichor spewed from the tentacles. Lyss, whose handless arms were currently holding on to Setsuna, had a look of disgust as she wrinkled her nose at the smell of fertilezer. She nodded to her separated hands and they began to shake themselves spattering brown earthy ichor in the mihstu's general direction. Ibuki quietly rolled out of the way breathing hard. Lyss' distraction cost her as four tentacles reformed out of the thin air and entangled her body and claws. Vampire and mihstu found themselves in a tug-of-war as Lyss tried to pull away. After several moments when it became obvious to Nanatsuki that Lyss was not weakening, an angry growl grew from Nanatsuki. "That girl's touch again." Nanatsuki's mouth began to grow until a huge maw with crushing teeth formed on the mihstu's face. Lyss screamed in response, "Leave Setsuna alone." Gunshots suddenly sounded distracting everyone with the noise. Professor Mirumoto cursed as his bullets, then his empty pistol passed ineffectually through the mihstu. "Lyss, drop her." "Mirumoto catch." Lyss unceremoniously flipped Setsuna above and behind her towards Professor Mirumoto. The old man was sent sprawling even as he managed to break Setsuna's fall. Nanatsuki moved forward intent on ripping the vampire a new navel on her chest when it felt a searing pain in front of its eyes. Lyss, or more accurately her head, followed by a bleeding neck and spine had extended itself from her body, and her fangs were now viciously embedded on the mihstu's face halting its forward progress. A look of pain, then determination crossed Lyss' face as she realized what type of blood she was desperately, greedily sucking. Mirumoto, I will not fail you thought Lyss. Vampiric blood drain fought against a corrupted spirit's vitality touch. They fought on unmoving, the seconds of their struggle seemed to drag on for hours. Professor Mirumoto looked on even as he bound the unconscious Mitsurugi's hand in splint and bandages. Setsuna placed her school coat over the tired and shaking Ibuki. She looked uncertainly at the tableau of battle before her. "Who's winning?" "I don't know. No, Lyss will win." Professor Mirumoto hoped his prediction would prove true. Setsuna suddenly noticed something and scowled. "Junko's disappeared again and she has our sapphire bolts. Without them we can't help Lyss." Professor Mirumoto just shrugged helplessly. Finally after what seemed like too many tense moments Setsuna shouted, "Lyss, you're winning." And indeed Nanatsuki was starting to slowly lose his cloudlike consistency. "No, this can't happen." Nanatsuki wailed in frustration. Then he spoke a name. Goosebumps covered Mirumoto as he recognized the word the mihstu had just uttered. Nanatsuki's form started to solidify; a steady thrum of some invisible power seemed to be coming from him. His eyes had lost their blue light and instead gleamed a catlike yellow. A hollow, distant, distorted voice purred from the mihstu, "Yes, the mystery club all together, plus one of Treasa's progeny as a bonus. Shiro, I am pleased." ***** In the souplike realm of dreams, where Morpheus and the great kings of the Baku slept and dreamed, Treasa smiled viciously. "I have been waiting for this." Invisible dream energies gathered in her hands. In the blink of a mortal's eye she had crossed an entire district of Tokyo. Distance was an illusion in someone's dreams. A tendril of bright yellow energy had attached itself to Nanatsuki's psyche, and now while he was unaware she struck. A blade of darkest nightmares formed from her hands even as she slashed downward. The broken link of yellow energy scattered, sputtered and finally died. As her dream spell faded, Treasa licked her fingers. "The feedback will be- painful." Her face stretched into a smile that just wasn't humanly possible for a mortal to emulate. ***** In the mortal world, Nanatski gave a hollow moan, and something seemed to explode inside him, reflexively his tentacles thrashed cutting Lyss loose and sending her anatomy into a tangled heap. Nanatsuki floated unmoving, dim blue light glowing from its eyes seemed to be the only indication of life. Setsuna looked at the mihstu, her eyes staring. "Is it dead?" A horrible mewling, screaming sound suddenly erupted from Nanatsuki and before their eyes he began to dissipate, to reveal standing behind him a badly battered and bloody Junko. A sapphire bolt dripping brown ichor was in each of her hands. "Now it's dead." "From now on nobody is going to push me around ever again." The young kitsune then collapsed face first, a smile of victory on her face. ***** In the realm of dreams Treasa clapped her elongated hands. "An excellent show." So absorbed was she by the proceedings on the mortal plane that she never noticed the impossibly long ebon whip until it had managed to snake around her throat. A surge of psychic energy surged from the whip jolting Treasa's entire body. Slowly as if fighting against an ocean current Treasa began to turn, her hands reaching for her throat. A second much more powerful surge of energy preempted her and shot all across her unprotected psychic form. The shock was too much for even someone like her when caught unawares. Her body sagged as her mental synapses shut down. Only the whip kept her upright. A triumphant chuckle rolled from the dream-like mists. "Nanatsuki was afraid something like this might happen, that's why he called for my help. Unfortunately he forgot what I do to those who hurt my Mitsu-chan. That's why I let you... hurt him." A young gaijin woman, blonde hair flaring came into view. She was clothed in a white business power suit, which made her look sleek and feline. She smiled as she licked her lips. "Hmm, maybe I should have introduced myself when I saved him during the night of 100 demons." A pair of yellow glowing eyes suddenly overlapped the woman's own cold gray eyes. A hollow, distant, distorted voice spoke from the woman's lips, "Dairoba Hikaru enough of your useless chatter. Make her mine." "I suppose I should get on with it. I have a conference at the office in an hour. I should dock Nanatsuki's pay for wasting so much of my time." Hikaru then placed Treasa in a prone position, arms to the side, face up. Hikaru then straddled the vampire and pressing her hands on Treasa's bosom she then began to chant in an old language, which only immortals living or undead should have been able to remember. Blue pulses of sickly energy danced over her body and moved into Treasa's own. Hikaru arched her head and for a moment the knobs of vestigial horns were visible from her mane of hair. Faster and faster the pulses came until she was fairly vibrating in place from her position above Treasa. A distorted voice purred almost tenderly. "Soon Treasa, you will serve me again as is my right." ***** Akumu dialed again on the cellphone number in a useless exercise of frustration. "Why isn't she answering? She was supposed to protect me." Akumu hissed violently. "Mystery Club, I will hunt you all down and kill you all in the most prolonged and painful way possible. I Shiro Nanatsuki swear it." Akumu then put on a pair of unusually dense glasses. They somehow succeeded in hiding completely from view his dim glowing blue eyes with the mist tendrils where his iris would have shown itself. ***** Author's Notes: My first official impropart,yay. ^_^ First, I would like to thank Epsilon for creating Mystery Club (I voted for it, ^_^). I had a lot of fun writing my part. Second, I want to thank Lady Brick for being so COOL, ^_^ . She checked my part for content, continuity, and warned me when some of the characters seemed to be acting a bit off. And last but not least, John Evans for being willing to preread for me. I am uhm... a bit error-prone (ehehehe). I especially want to thank him for taking the time to e-mail this beginning (does this mean I have graduated to newbieness?) author writing tips and sage advice. Thanks people. Oh! One more thing, Mirumoto and Lyss share some red, hot necro-nookie LUVLUV, Waiwaiwai. Sorry, I just wanted to say that all week. That's all, ^_^. Cris Quote: "See! I no longer switch viewpoints every two sentences." Quote#2: "After 3 hours of trying to fix a formatting mess I have come to the conclusion that MSWORD is EVIL."