The sun had risen on another day, bringing with it a promise of bounty and lasting memories for those that awoke to greet it. In one household a teenage girl, Yuri T'Glath Mikagami, awoke uncharacteristically early, her mind frothing with conflicting thoughts and emotions. One such thought (we'll get to the rest later) concerned the bare spot on her front porch; it was a thing that had been there the day before, and, more than likely, would be there again today. It might have been comforting to the recipient of those thoughts that her beloved gave so much consideration to an admirer. However, that consideration might have counted for more if it had been offered two days previous. But the past was the past and that admirer, Amy Angeleye, could only feel one thing at the moment: despondency. Her day begins like this... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Knock. Knock. "Amy," said the woman, "you're running late." No reply. Andrea Angeleye, matron of the household, folded her arms across her chest and sighed, "Amy, dear, please try to remember what your new school's punishment for tardiness is; I don't want to have to run out for hydrogen peroxide again." Again, no reply. The middle-aged woman tenderly rubbed her wrinkled brow. "I'm coming in, try to be decent." Slowly, Andrea Angeleye opened the door to her daughter's room and peeked her head. After spotting the powered lights the matron stepped inside, moved across the cluttered room, and sat down at the foot of Amy's bed. One of the fringe benefits of being a (partially) transdimensional being with triclops vision was that, in her duties as a mother, she could diagnose spot-on the ifs and whats involved in raising a teenage girl. Right now she could see the turmoil and pain in her daughter's soul, and also the reasons behind it. Still, one had to use words to actually deal with life's problems, and, as any member of the Angeleyes knew, words were clumsy, ineffective things. "I know you're awake Amy, that drool on your sheets isn't even an hour fresh." "GhhaaAhAhom," issued the muffled reply. She shook her head. "No, I won't go away. You need to talk to me about...her." No physical response came from the pillow-impacted head, but on the level of the soul there was a sudden spike of emotion. Andrea looked away from her daughter, grimaced, and then turned back. "You must have 'it' bad for this girl." Amy pulled her loose sheets back over her shoulders, enclosing her head in a muffle of linens. "You remind me of myself after I met your father," she said sadly, unconsciously twirling the ring on her left hand. This got her daughter's attention. "You...you never told me how you met daddy." Amy's mother smiled. "It's nothing romantic, really." "No!" the teen blurted, "Tell me." "Well," she mused, "it was right before I graduated from Sakura Arts. By that time your aunt had transferred to Zeros Academy and I was already giving SA trouble: flying solo, ditching the girly codenames, that kind of thing." "One day I was chasing some minor demon lord through the subway; I had caught him off-guard near this grade school and followed through three districts. His name was...Lacri...Lacrima...anyway, it was something latin-esq. The only thing memorable was his aura; very pale and faint, almost like, well, evil waxpaper." "Eventually I cornered him in some construction yard. We fought, both of us getting some good punches in, but he got the upper-hand and KO'ed me." Amy stared at her mother in disbelief, "He...beat you?" "He almost killed me," her Mother chuckled, "but, from nowhere, an I-beam drops out of the sky and crushes him. A lone construction worker, the only one who hadn't run off willy-nilly like a good mortal, had saved me. When he came down with that med-kit, I took one look at him and _knew_." "Daddy?" She nodded, "Of course, then we had the whole courtship thing, and your grandparents weren't exactly thrilled with me marrying outside the tribes, but we got through it." "Now I don't know about this girl, so I'll have to trust your judgment. You've always been good with your instincts...well, except for a sense of direction-" "I'm a GPS girl now," the younger Angeleye quipped. "-anyway," the older woman said, carrying on, "you'll have to trust those instincts if you want to get 'it' right." Amy mulled over this. "Now get dressed," the matron patted the bedding. "You might just have time to strip and clean your sniper rifle before you have to leave." "Yeah," chirped the teen, glancing over at the high-powered firearm, "MistyPuff always takes my mind off things." At this point Amy's Mother was already out the door, "Breakfast is on the table. I won't be in until late tonight; I've got a Wiglaf League meeting to attend." "Whatever," Amy said softly, opening a drawer at her desk. Carefully she removed a much-loved pendant, one that had just spent an entire lifetime continually at her side. That is, until last night. "Yeah," the teen said, trying to convince herself of something, "but you were a magical girl. Me, I'm just...a..." "...a nothing." ********************************************************* Dark Heart High Netherworld Educational Institution for The Universal Propagation of Evil (Founded by Mads) ********************************************************* Part 34: Bilocations! by Doublemint ********************************************************* In her first period class, Yuri Mikagami eagerly awaited the end of the school day. Usually this was her best and favorite subject, but today she had trouble concentrating on the lesson. Other events, other people, occupied her mind. "Now Yuri, repeat what I just said." "Uh," blinked the girl in question, "What was the question?" "Miss Mikagami," snapped the teacher, "You _will_ pay attention in my class. If you don't master the art of taunting riddles, you will never make it past Basic Villainy." "I'm sorry Kurosawa-sensei." "Apologies are for the weak," declared the instructor. "Now, while I can appreciate that this is the first time you've had a blood relative hunting you down like small game, I will not except it a valid excuse. Consider yourself warned." Yuri dully nodded. "Yes, Kurosawa-sensei." "Now," the conservatively-dressed woman drawled, "who feels they can do justice to Enigma's classic 'Thirty Days Past September'? Miss Wareme?" While the succubus went about her demonstrations, Yuri Mikagami's thoughts slid back to the previous day's Game Theory class, back to her telling conversation with Ki... *************************** She stared hesitantly at the young assassin, "Y...you mean that Bala did hit Amy? He wouldn't do something like that!" "He probably would," Ki replied, removing his opponent's remaining knight. "Though the specifics escape me, I would guess that the bad blood between those two would be reason enough." "'Bad blood'? Why-" Ki cut the girl off. "You know why; not that Angeleye doesn't make it obvious." Glancing over her shoulder, Yuri spotted a weepy Amy conversing with her chess partner, who, oddly enough, happened to be Yasuko. "I don't understand..." "Just remember: Bala and Leilei lied to you, that's a fact." She turned back to face Ki, her face heavy with sadness. The scion of the Steel Thorn Clan said nothing; instead he merely gazed into Yuri's eyes. Quickly glancing down at the board, she grabbed the first chess piece she could reach; "It's my move, right?" "Yes." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Back in the present, an important discussion was taking place at the highest levels of Dark Heart High. "He's still out there," the monstrous form announced, peering nervously out a window, "stalking us, waiting for weakness to show." Principal Amakusa sneered, "You're wasting your time with the theatrics, Akurei; I am well aware of the Mikagami situation." The reptilian thing turned away from the schoolyard vista. "Sir, he dodged an Imprisoning Bottle spell. If that devil can do something every law of magic says can't happen, I think my concerns are justified." "Melvin Mikagami is a being of mindless chaotic energies, we must expect the unexpected when dealing with him. Anyway, we already know what he wants: his niece." The simply dressed man looked up from his desk, eyes zeroing in on those of the Vice-Principal. "But until he comes, we have a school to run, or do I need to remind you of that?" "No sir," it gulped, "Dark Heart High is my first priority." "Good." A knock came from the office's door, signaling the arrival of the day's attendance sheet. Akurei quickly jumped to retrieve the list, knocking aside a coat rack and atomizing a long-dead potted plant in the process. Stepping over the clutter, the demon scanned the absentee list. "Hmm," the noise rumbled in its throat, "not too many among the freshmen, seems they're learning. None in the upper--wait, those three sophomores are still unaccounted for." The Principal guessed, "Glasses and his two minions?" "Yes sir." "Letting them transfer in was a mistake," Amakusa sighed, then added, "Be sure to crush Glasses if you get the chance; we don't need to deal with the fallout of his latest petty revenge scheme right now." The Vice-Principal nodded. "Of course." Amakusa swiveled his chair about, turning to face a darkened corner of his room. "Before that, though, get Hellstorm on the phone. I have a feeling we'll be needing another one of those bottles soon." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Amy Angeleye didn't feel much like eating lunch today, a mood overpowered any urge to eat and her sudden recognition of the evil souls inside the Dark Heart High cafeteria didn't help matters. Still, if she skipped the meal her stomach would protest through the rest of the day, so the teenager grabbed her brownbag and headed outside. She found a lonely perch under a thorn tree and plopped herself down on the grass. Slowly, she dug into a small box of rice. "Odd," declared a disembodied voice. "Aren't magical girls supposed to have appetites likened to great-white sharks?" Amy's eyes shot to the sky, then, upon finding the source of that voice, she sneered, "What do you want, assassin scum?" In the branches of the thorn tree, perched on a well-concealed spot, sat Ki Tamaida. "Eating my lunch, nothing else. Why are you out here instead of inside, basking in Mikagami's glowing presence?" "I needed the fresh air," she replied, "What about you?" "It's U'Vorth the Unclean's Spawning Day; he'll be trying to devour anyone that's ambidextrous. Until he malts, I'll be doing my best to avoid him." "Ah." Ki sipped his thermos of bloody mead. "I'm surprised you're sitting here, what with my aura of evil tainting you and all." "Please," Amy chuckled darkly, "You're hardly a corrupting influence; maybe lukewarm evil, at best." "Really?" He speared a fork into his salad. "I would've thought I'd have ranked up there, maybe alongside...say, Yuri." "Yuri ISN'T corrupting me," she declared a little too loudly. "She's the only decent thing at this school!" "Is that, now?" The teen nodded. "Of course, that's probably why you're after her too." Ki almost smiled at this. "I'm 'after her'? What possible use would she be to me?" "I didn't mean it _that_ way." The scion of the Steel Thorn Clan frowned at this, the meaning escaping his attention. Then, in realization, "You think I'm chasing her skirt?" "You wouldn't be the first." "Balabalalde," he said, enjoying the sudden twitching in Amy's left eye. "Anyway, I have no romantic interests in her. I couldn't, I don't have a heart." Now it was Amy's turn to enjoy watching her opponent squirm. "Yes you do, and you know it. Otherwise, what would be the point of coming to Dark 'Heart' High?" "It's just a metaphor." "But a telling one," the girl observed. "People come to this school to learn, but that's secondary for most. What your kind gets out of this place is the deep taint of evil; it just seeps into you..." Amy stopped at that point, lost in thought. After a moment, Ki stepped in. "You're in love with Yuri, but she'll never love you back, not the way you want. Right now, all she seems to care about is Bala, isn't that right?" Amy said nothing; she merely shook her head. Ki went in for the kill. "Yuri believed Bala's story about his assaulting you; it doesn't occur to her that he's evil like the rest of us. Speaking of which-" "WAIT! How did you know about that?" "-it doesn't matter," he continued, "Anyway, why do you abhor Mummy-boy so much? I see the way you look at him, and it isn't like anyone else. Makes me think you're sweet for him too..." "Bastard!" Amy swore. "You don't have _any_ idea what Balabalalde is, do you? His aura, his soul, it's like...like..." "What?" She racked her brain for the words, struggling to put meaning to something that was beyond the verbal. "A-A natural unnature." "'A natural unnature'?" Amy, "Uh-huh." "Pretty poor poetry sailor girl," chuckled the assassin, all the while making a mental note to remember Angeleye's words. "Anyone can tell that Mummy-boy's evil, hell, we're _all_ evil h-" "-maybe I didn't make myself clear," Amy said firmly, "I didn't just mean Bala's evil--which he is---but that he's _WRONG_." "Meaning?" Amy paused dramatically, then added slowly, "He has no concept of what a heart is; _he_ couldn't." The cries of the fall wind echoed in the air, carrying with it a calming feeling and very particular scent. "It's been nice talking," Ki said, wrapping up the remains of his lunch. "But I've got to get going." "Why-" "KI TAMAIDA! BOW BEFORE MY GIRTH AND YOUR DEATH WILL BE MOSTLY PAINLESS!" Deftly hopping down from his loft to the grass at Amy's feet, Ki slung a small bag over his shoulders and removed his katana from its sheath. He sighed, to no one in particular, "Might as well finish this." Galloping off to confront his potential devourer, he left Amy to her own devices. She shook her head, almost sadly, "Screw evil, these people are weird." Undisturbed, Amy finished her meal and returned to classes. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In her mathematics classroom, Yuri sat in her usual seat. As the room's clock ticked off the seconds to the beginning of the period, the teen nervously awaited the arrival of Bala and his assistant. She had missed the pair at lunch, and this was the first class the three would share today after homeroom. It was with a curious mixture of disappointment and relief that Yuri greeted the sight of Leilei alone. As the young assistant took her seat, readying a notebook for class, Yuri asked the obvious. "Where's Bala?" "He was excused this period," Leilei explained, "for a special training session." Yuri cocked her head to the side. "Training? For what?" Leilei giggled, "The sports festival, remember?" "Oh, yeah," Yuri smacked her forehead. "I forgot about that." The school bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. As mathematics got under way, Yuri's eyes slowly drifted from her notebook over to Leilei's face. "Now, we take the multi-variables and apply them..." Eyeing the girl's studious expression, Yuri hesitated in saying anything. Finally, though, an inner need won out. "leilei," Yuri whispered. The young girl's eyes never left her notations. "yes?" "yesterday, when you explained about what happened with Amy, were you...lying?" Leilei's eyes widened, her expression betraying her, and she twisted her head to face Yuri. As she regained her composure, the girl went for the simplest answer. "N-" "Miss Leilei!" announced the teacher, "Are you taking notes in Balabalalde's absence?" "YES!" The girl shouted, nerves overtaking her. The teacher blinked. "Well...OK. When you see him though, tell Balabalalde that the Faculty is rooting for him. It always bring a smile to my face when we hand Knight's School their heads, especially in a literal sense." "Ah," said Leilei, "Sure, I will." "Excellent," said the teacher, nodding. "Now, who would like to demonstrate the formula I just outlined? Miss Hiago?" A student in the third row raised his hand. "She got eaten." "Someone *ate* the Blackhole of Knowledge?" "Yup." "EXCELSIOR!" the teacher pumped a fist into the air. "No longer will rows one through three suffer low test scores!" In the back of the class, Leilei snuck a glance at Yuri. "nothing happened, really." "truth?" "yeah," the little girl said, her tone settling the matter. After class, as the two girls turned to go their separate ways, Leilei came up to Yuri and said, "Say, could you help me after school? I got roped into helping Nurse Sybil with some restocking and I'd appre-" "I'll help," replied Yuri, "I need to stop by the Future Accountants Club first; Ryuji said something about Unbidden scoring something big time." "OK," the young girl chirped, "I'll see you later then." Turning around, Leilei disappeared into a stream of students, already moving to meet up with Bala's at his next class. Yuri stood where she was, eyes futilely searching for the little girl. Finally, she said something, her voice carrying no small bit of sadness. "Yeah." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ When the end of the school day finally rolled around, Amy made a quick beeline for the main entrance. At this point all she wanted to do was go home and do some mindless work on her hobby. The last person she wanted to see, at least consciously, was her love. Naturally, Yuri _had_ to talk with Amy at this point. "Hey!" She called out, "Wait up!" Amy looked over her shoulder, identifying the voice even against the blinding shield of her own brown locks. Yuri jogged up to her friend's side, face red from exertion. "You...look tired," said Amy, "Where did you run from?" "Club *huff*huff* Room, had to *huff* get new schedule." "Anything interesting?" Presenting a balled fist cloaked in white cloth, Yuri continued, "G-guest speaker later this week; gotta convince my parents to let me go to the meeting." Taking the shirt, Amy unfolded it and read the logo. "'Arthur Anderson'? *Damn*, this place covers all the bases." "I know," smiled Yuri, "I gotta get a couple autographs for my parents, they're big fans." Amy almost shuddered, then said, "Listen, I've got to get going; my Mom needs some help around the house and-" Yuri put a hand on Amy's shoulder, causing the girl's heart to flutter. "Could you wait a minute...I need to talk to you about something." Amy gulped. "Sure, what?" Before she could open her mouth to speak, another person made their presence known between the two girls. "Bala!" said Yuri, in surprise. The triclops was less forgiving, pronouncing his name like a slur, "Balabalalde..." The boy in question glanced over his shoulder, coldly eyeing the teen for two long seconds, then turned back to Yuri. "Bala," whispered Yuri, "what do you want?" He blinked. "Oh," she slapped her forehead, "that's right, Nurse Sybil's supplies! I'm so, so sorry...it completely slipped my mind." Yuri peered over Bala's shoulder. "Could you give me a minute with Amy?" He blinked. Amy blinked. At this point the young Angeleye was developing a pulsing headache; today of all days, Bala's dark aura finally broke past her mental barriers. It was not an experience she cared to repeat. Amy clamped a hand to her clammy forehead. "Y-Yuri, I don't feel s-so good." Yuri moved around Bala, concerned with her friend. Consequently, Bala turned around to directly face the two girls. 'It couldn't be just him,' Amy winced inwardly, 'could it?' "Amy, what's wrong?" Suddenly a new voice spoke out. "Well, well, well...what do we have here?" Amy, Yuri, and Bala turned to face the newcomer. He was dressed in casual clothing, as far as such goes at Dark Heart High, and wore a distinctive pair of sunglasses. The teen in sunglasses chuckled, "Maybe the dumpy-looking chick can't handle my new attitude." Yuri snapped at the boy, "Leave Amy alone! Can't you see she's not feeling well?" "Oh, I can see that." "W-who," gasped Amy, "are you?" "Come on," shrugged the newcomer, "you people gotta remember me after all the trouble I caused you." Bala blinked. "I'm sorry," uncaringly said Yuri, "but who are you?" The boy laughed. "Come on! I tried to kill you." "That doesn't really narrow it down." "Heh-heh, you're funny," said the boy in sunglasses, before he noticed the confused expression decorating the three's faces. He then added in a matter-of-fact tone, "You don't remember me at all, do you?" Yuri and Bala shook their heads. Amy simply said, "G-guess I was o-out that day." The boy chuckled, quietly cracking his knuckles. "Well, I g-guess I'll have to re-re-remind you!" Faster than the eye could follow, Bala threw a preemptive punch. It struck with a mighty 'SMACK', wet with the sound of blood and torn skin. For the first time either girl could remember, Bala's face exploded with emotion, in this case pain. "Well now," said Glasses, casually squeezing Bala's trapped fist with one hand, "wasn't that special?" Yuri's eyes went wide, picking up her dropped jaw she screamed, "NO! LET HIM GO! PLEASE!" Glasses smiled. "With pleasure." Releasing Bala's bloody hand, which the boy cradled against his chest in shock, Glasses drew back his other hand into a fist and sent it thundering in the boy's chest. The air itself seemed to rip apart as Bala was thrown from the Earth, high into the air, and into an arc that brought him smashing into the midsection of school's bell tower. "BALAAAA!" All around the bell tower students fled away as the structure in question titled on its side, then collapsed inward, imploding in billowing cloud of concrete dust. Glasses wiped some stray particles from his trademark item, then said, after a long dramatic pause, "Now, where was I? Oh yes, I was going to remind you of something..." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Akurei picked himself of the receptionist office's carpet, took one glance out a broken window, and stumbled into the Principal's Office. "Sir-" "-I know," said Amakusa calmly, despite frantically digging in a storage closet for his Bastard Sword. "He's here." Suddenly Amakusa withdrew the sword and held it aloft; in the afternoon light it was still possible to see the stains of Yuri Mikagami's blood on the black metal. The Principal spoke definitively, "No time for the armor. Akurei, get Hellstorm on the line, tell him it's happening." Had he been driven by either duty or goodness, Akurei would've saluted. Just to be safe, he did so anyway, "Sir!" Amakusa ran a finger down the blade's edge. "Time to end this." With that he sprinted out the door. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It was an odd feeling, Ki thought, running against a tide of people (and things) towards a disaster. Almost made a person feel like a hero. Despite himself, Ki chuckled. Then he heard that familiar voice scream, "BALAAAA!" Yuri. Doubling his speed, Ki made great headway though the crowd, though then he had to contend with a cloud of debris cutting off his vision. That didn't matter, vision was only one of his five senses. Soon he was past that obstacle and was zeroing in on Yuri's cry of distress. What he found was some upperclassman---whose identity he couldn't place---taunting Yuri and Amy. Two other upperclassmen, a large muscular man and a squinty-looking fellow in a leather jacket, flanked the leader. "...was going to remind you of something..." Not bothering to slow his breakneck dash, Ki threw himself on the courtyard surface, deftly sliding under the legs of the muscular one. However, his precise slashing, which should have taken off a leg and most of the teen's groin, barely indented the fellow's flesh. "Argh!" bellowed the large one, "Puny thing stabs at Maug!" "Suck it up Maug," the squinty one snapped, "a little girl like him can't hurt you anymore." Ki brandished his sword in the afternoon sun. "Wanna bet?" That, of course, was when Craig attacked. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ With his newfound reflexes, Glasses easily sidestepped the first blow of his armored opponent's opening attack. He began the fight with a smile on his face, but when he tried to parry Maimsworth's third strike with his left hand, Glasses experienced something unexpected. "ARRRGH!" he cried out in pain, blood wildly spurting from his severed wrist, "WHAT THE HELL?!?" Before the flesh even began its rapid healing, Glasses angrily punched through Craig's armor one-handed, lifted the boy into the air, and hurled him over the school wall. Glasses turned to his minions, eyes avoiding the new bone growths on his stump, and said, "A little help guys!" "Maug SMASH puny girl-fly!" "We're busy here," declared Jacket, attempting to grasp Ki's form as he darted between the two sophomores. "This freshie's too fast for us to kill." "Whatever," shrugged Glasses, turning back around, "I just w-" Yuri Mikagami and her companion were nowhere to be seen. "Where they'd go?" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Amakusa surveyed the ruins of the campus bell tower, searching for the presence of the human missile that a fleeing student had informed him of. He knew that whatever had happened, Melvin was involved, but regardless of that fact, Balabalalde must have survived. If he hadn't, it would have proved most...disappointing... In the midst of the wreckage, a single bloody hand burst through a slab of steel-reinforced concrete. Amakusa smiled; it was as he suspected. Clawing his way out of the destruction, the once bandaged boy showed no signs of serious injury aside from a gory hand and an unseen gash in his scalp. Dusting himself off, the heir to both the Wargmere line and the demonspawn of Agherukk staggered towards the Principal. Amakusa gripped his sword. "Where is he?" Bala blinked. "YURI! Com' on! We have to get out of here!" Another voice, presumably the Mikagami girl's, wailed, "Bala! I have to see if he's-" Turning a corner, Yuri spotted the boy standing atop a collapsed pylon. Frozen, the shocked girl could only whisper, "bala..." Right behind the first girl, another, Amy Angeleye, dashed forward. Guardedly, she eyed the boy, then said, "...See, he's fine. Now let's GO!" In the distance, a straggled cry was heard. "Ki!" Yuri suddenly realized. "He's still fighting them!" Principal Amakusa approached the two girls. "Melvin, he has minions with him?" "N-no," said Yuri, eyes tearing, "it's just some upperclassmen." "What did they look like?" "The one that hit Bala has sunglasses, and then there were two-" "Glasses," spat Amakusa, "I should have suspected..." "Excuse me," said Amy, a confused and harried expression on her face. "Yuri's uncle escaped? When did this happen?" The Principal regarded the girl with an appraising eye. "What are you talking about, Angeleye? You were there when he escaped." "No, I remem-" "GLASSES," a throaty voice announced, eager for his enemies to attack, "LEAVE THE ASSASSIAN, HE IS INCONSEQUENTAL. GET ME MY NIECE." Amakusa leveled his gaze into the distance. "He's here." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Grumbling, Bala wiped blood out of his eyes. Glasses had hurt him, not much, but worse than anyone in a long time. He would need to return the favor. Walking a steady pace, Bala followed the Principal and the two girls back into the forward courtyard. It was there he spotted his attacker along with two others. One of them, a muscular one, was using a single large hand to hold a classmate aloft by his head. That classmate was Ki Tamaida. Hmm. And there, floating to the side of that group, was the vaporous form of Melvin Mikagami. "A pleasure to see you again," the thing said, addressing Dark Heart High's principal, "my dear friend." Amakusa replied, "Prepare to suffer, Melvin." "What?" said the Angeleye girl, craning her neck about as she searched for the presence of the demon, as if ignorant of its obvious presence, "Where?" The boy in sunglasses, whom Bala assumed to be the Glasses referred to by his Principal, turned away from taunting the captured assassin. He took one look at dusty, bloody Bala and said, "Man! You never knew when to quit, did you Bala~bal~alde? I guess I'll have to learn you a lesson." Ki retorted, "It's 'teach' you a lesson, moron." The muscled one intelligently responded by squeezing Ki's skull; to the boy's credit he did not utter a single note of pain. "Fine then," smiled Glasses, adjusting his shades with a finger, "I'll 'teach' you a lesson." With a burst of speed, the sophomore threw himself at Bala. But as he prepared to meet his foe, he ducked around the sword-brandishing principal and aimed himself at Yuri. Amy shrieked, "NO!" "Well now," said Glasses, holding Yuri against his attackers as a human shield, all the while grasping the girl's neck with a free (and regenerated) hand, "didn't expect that, did you?" All around Bala, the world grew quieter. Angeleye babbled something to Yuri's captor, and the school's principal remained poised in a battle stance. The two things that remained were Yuri's muffled cries and Glasses' gloating voice. The sophomore chuckled to himself, "You know, when my friends and I are done with you, maybe we'll be having some 'fun' with her before we let Melvin ice her." It was then the world crystallized itself. He, Balabalalde, stood 'here'. His enemy, Glasses, stood 'there'. And she...Yuri...was *always* here. For a moment and meaning that would be lost, the conflicting world finally made sense. Somewhere inside him, something broke. And Balabalalde was set free... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Glasses chuckled to himself, greatly enjoying the situation, "You know, when my friends and I are done with you, maybe we'll be having some 'fun' with Yuri before we let Melvin ice her." "NO!" cried the other girl, digging a hand into the pocket of her strange uniform. "Monster! She didn't do anything to you!" "Yes she did," replied Glasses, then added quietly to himself, "Even though no one seems to remember...strange that..." Bala uttered a tiny grunt. Glasses turned back to face his foe. "So what about you Bala, maybe we can be friends and split a piece, eh?" "I don't _think_ so." At this point, everyone, including tortured Ki, blinked and did a double-take. Elsewhere, the Damned enjoyed snowball fights in hell. Behind his shades, Glasses eyes went wide in disbelief. "Wh-what did you...you...s-say?" Balabalalde grinned wickedly. Glasses step backwards was met by two of Bala's forward; frightened more than anything else, his hand began to close over Yuri's throat. A girl screamed. A girl that was not Yuri. "FORCES OF LIGHT! I BESEECH THEE! GRANT ME THE POWER OF LOVE!" The world exploded in white light. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Mikagami Household's gas-guzzling SUV screeched to a halt outside the main gates of Dark Heart High. Inside the vehicle, Mr. Mikagami turned to Mrs. Mikagami. "Spellbook and empty bottle?" "Check," she held up a leather-bound book and a bottle of swirling black mists. "Magical sword?" She tapped the item on her lap. "In the box." Two glowing red orbs bobbed. "Let's g-" Despite the fact there was only one sun in the afternoon sky, another rose over Dark Heart High. It's glow spreading outward, it enveloped most of the surrounding block, including the Mikagami's SUV. In an instant it disappeared, returning reality to normal. Troi 'Hellstorm' Mikagami suddenly felt a bit itchy. "What in the nine Layers was *that*?" "Maybe," said his wife, "it was the cavalry." The two looked at each other, thoughts in synch. "Yuri." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Craig Maimsworth blinked, and blinked again. "WOAH! Where did *he* come from?" He pointed to the phantom form of Melvin Mikagami, alone in his surprise at the fiend's reappearance. 'I thought he was imprisoned', thought Craig. 'Oh well, no matter really. At least _now_ I get a chance avenge my Father.' He held his sword in a battle stance. "Melvin Mikagami! You killed my Father, prepare to DIE!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Maug turned away from the light, shielding his eyes as he cried out; as consequence he dropped Ki, who quickly slipped away. "Melvin Mikagami!" defiantly declared a boy's voice, "You killed my Father, prepare to DIE!" "MAUG! JACKET!" cried out Melvin, who limply dragged his misty body behind the shield of his minions, hiding from Craig Maimsworth. "Kill that fool!" "Maug's eyes! Maug's eyes!" "NOW!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Amy Angeleye looked down at herself, tears in her eyes; once again she was unchanged, once again failing to protect those she loved. "GURK!" Balabalalde tightened his grip on his enemy's throat, distracting him as a terrified Yuri stumbled away from her captor. Glasses blindly threw a punch in desperation, but Bala caught the mighty blow with a free hand. Smile widening, he squeezed both with a shallow pressure, enjoying the moment as long as he possibly could. "MAUG! JACKET! Kill that fool!" "Maug's eyes! Maug's eyes!" "NOW!" Amakusa turned away from Glasses, Balabalalde already having the situation well in hand. Instead he prepared to strike at Melvin, providing the needed distraction for the recently arrived Mikagamis to perform the Imprisoning Bottle spell. Wiping tears from her eyes, Amy looked to the center of the courtyard and said, voice in shock, "Melvin! He got of the bottle!" Inside the Principal's head, wheels of thought began to turn. "So you keep saying, but you should remember we already failed once trying to imprison Melvin." "Why do people keep saying that?" asked Amy, throwing a arm out towards the demon in question. "And isn't Melvin looking a little...I don't know...limp?" Amakusa frowned and the wheels began turning faster and faster. Something was wrong, but what? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Troi drifted about in front of his wife, protecting her when Melvin finally realized what he and his wife were up to. Strangely, he was not needed, as the Maimsworth boy proved distraction enough for Melvin's minions. Meanwhile, his wife grasped the cork of the bottle, chanting the final verses of the spell. "Neuga, ziena, zamber, zom..." Inside that bottle, just beyond that cork, dark mists excitedly churned about. It's waiting at an end... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ki rushed back into battle, comprehending what actions Yuri's parents were about to undertake. He covered Craig's back, an action not needed as the boy seemed to be fending off Melvin's minions better than Ki himself could. "Girly-girl!" roared the muscled teen, "Maug SMASH you!" "NOT HIM YOU IDIOT!" bellowed Melvin, "KILL MAIMSWORTH!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Melvin's escape, Amy's comments, Maimsworth's newfound success in battle, the minions' powers, and the failed magical girl transformation...of an *Angeleye*. Amakusa cried out across the courtyard, voice echoing as far the winds could possibly carry it, "HELLSTORM, STOP THE SPELL! MELVIN'S BILOCATED!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Mrs. Mikagami practically shattered the bottle as she jerked her hands away from the cork. Inside the bottle, light sparked as the entity contained within raged at its fate. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ While Jacket nursed a (nearly healed) sucking chest wound, Maug raged at Ki, who danced around in front of the giant walking muscle. This proved to be a suitable distraction for Craig, who took advantage of the situation to stab at Maug's right shoulder. When the sophomore twisted about to smack Craig, Ki leapt atop Maug's massive frame and wrenched the injury, dislocating the arm in the process. "Maimsworth!" the Principal's voice commanded, "Go for Melvin, while you have an opening!" Craig nodded, totally concentrating on the battle at hand. Turning to face the slow retreat of his mortal enemy, the boy readied his sword and prepared to do what he had trained all his life for. With a final battlecry he dashed forward and leapt into the air, his momentum carrying him into the vaporous body of Melvin Mikagami. Slashing downward with all his might, his ancestral sword seemed to eat away at the demon's very being. Melvin issued no cry or final declaration as his body split in two, nor did he do anything as his remains dissolved from a thousand points on reverse light into nonexistence. Craig Maimsworth sheathed his sword, a solemn smile on his face. "Father," he said, "you are avenged." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Yuri put a hand on Balabalalde's shoulder, shaking him. "Bala, you can stop now, I'm safe." He didn't stop. "Please Bala," she said, "stop for me." Balabalalde released Yuri's former attacker. "*Wheeze*," croaked Glasses as he fell to the pavement. The boy turned to Yuri and blinked. "Yeah," the teen replied, understanding her friend for once, "I want to know what the hell just happened too." Boots crunching on dust and debris, Principal Amakusa strode up to his students. "I can explain everything." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "...so everyone thought Melvin was free when he really wasn't?" "More or less," said the Principal. Amy Angeleye scratched her head. "Then why wasn't I affected?" "Or me," chimed in Craig. "Indeed," boomed the dark mass of Troi Mikagami, "why were these two children left outside the Bilocator's influence?" "It has to do with the spell Melvin used," explained Amakusa, "Chaos spells like Bilocation are notorious for their side-effects, namely, in this case, blanket amnesia. He let his physical body be captured in bottle, leaving his powers behind as a free-floating 'entity' for us to chase. Everyone believed Melvin still to be free; only these two children remembered what had actually happened. "As I am loathe to admit it, Melvin was very clever in using the side-effects of the spell to his advantage. If Mrs. Mikagami had popped that cork, Melvin would've been made whole again and we'd have been left exhausted from our efforts to 'capture' him for the 'first time'." "Not to mention vulnerable," added Ki. "My brother was always too clever for his own good," growled Troi, "That, and he was insane." Yuri pointed at her two classmates. "But you didn't explain why they remembered what really happened." Amakusa cast his sight upon the two teens in question. "If I'm correct in my assumptions, Maimsworth was unaffected due to a technicality. Namely, when Melvin originally cast the spell, his gaseous body was enveloping Craig's. Since the spell's side-effects were meant to confuse the outside world, and Craig wasn't 'outside' of Melvin's aura, he was naturally left alone." "Sloppy," observed Ki. "As for Miss Angeleye, he natural abilities let her see past the veil of chaos energies cloaking Melvin's deception. When she tried to transform into a magical girl, some unknown factor caused her spell's energy field to become tainted with her aptitudes as a triclops. The resulting explosion of exotic magics allowed us all to see 'Melvin' as both existing and not existing. Those same magics stunned the Melvin caricature, greatly slowing its escape." "At which point," proudly declared Craig, "I cleaved the bastard in two." It was then Mrs. Mikagami stepped up. "Craig could destroy the phantom Melvin because he was the only unaffected, right?" "Yes." "So," said Yuri, "it was Amy's spell that let Craig see Melvin; does that mean it made him vulnerable to Craig too?" "Possibly," answered the Principal, "Though I can only guess at the specifics. By definition, chaos magics are unpredictable, so there is some flexing when it comes to the hows and whys of the matter." "Wait, wait, wait," said Amy. "Does this mean Melvin's dead?" "Unfortunately not," echoed the dark mass of Yuri's father, "we Mikagamis are made of sturdy stuff; a schoolboy's sword wouldn't normally make a dent in Melvin, let alone me. Rather, it's more like my brother received a cut-rate lobotomy." "Ouch," chuckled Yuri, "that was a bad one Dad." "Thanks." Ki swept a hand to the bottle held in Mrs. Mikagami's hands, its dark contents lazily swirling about. "So he's dumb and utterly powerless now; I'm confident he'll be disposed of properly so nothing like this ever happens again?" Amakusa turned to Troi. "Indeed, where are you going to store your brother until a more permanent solution can be found?" "Oh, don't worry," laughed Troi 'Hellstorm' Mikagami, levitating a white box aloft in his dark mists, "I know a sunny little layer of hell for Fed-Ex to ship my brother off to." "Well," sighed Yuri satisfactory, "at least it's all over." Suddenly, in the clear afternoon sky, there was a non sequitur rumbling of thunder and lightning. Amakusa frowned. "Not quite." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Glasses was a smart boy; smart enough to command two (semi)capable minions, smart enough to excel in the academic fields of debauchery, and smart enough to grab at opportunities when they presented themselves. He was also smart enough to know when he was royally screwed. "Maug no like this," bellowed his friend, nursing a dislocated shoulder. "Yo, Glasses, what's going to happen t'us now?" He nervously glanced at Jacket, his look answer enough without needing to elaborate. Not that he needed to, what with the Principal and three underclassmen---Balabalalde, Ki, and Craig---entering the gymnasium. Principal Amakusa calmly walked over to the three sophomores, then began, "You know why you're here, so do you have anything to say in your defense?" Glasses said nothing; his comrades were not as intelligent. "Maug possessed!" "Yeah, yeah!" yelled Jacket, grasping at straws. "We were possessed by Melvin, we couldn't help ourselves." "Really?" said Ki, arms folded across his chest. "So when Glasses told Yuri you'd be 'having some fun with Yuri' before you 'let Melvin ice her', you weren't in control of you faculties?" "Err...no?" "We all know the conditions needed for possession," said Principal Amakusa. "When a subject is unwilling, more power is drained as the master assumes direct control. When the subject is willing, they command powers and abilities far beyond their natural aptitudes. It all depends on the master, and, of course, the subject." Glasses said nothing; all he could do was stare into the unreal glare of Balabalalde's eyes. Principal Amakusa looked over each of the sophomores, one at a time. "I have no distaste for revenge, however petty; it's simply another lesson we teach here." "However, you made three mistakes." "First, you willingly allied yourselves with Melvin Mikagami, Chaos Bringer, known enemy of all that is Evil *AND* Good in this existance." "Second, you knowingly brought his war to this school, endangering not only your classmates but the _institution_ itself." Amakusa's eyes narrowed into tiny slit, his voice dripped with the disgust, "Finally, and most grievously, you _failed_." The Principal let that pronouncement sink in, among both the three sophomores and the three freshmen. After a satisfactory pause, he went on with his final pronouncement. "As of this moment, you three are hereby expelled from Dark Heart High. Whatever you might have achieved is lost to you now; I will see to it that no fiend on the Eleven Planes will ever employ you, even as cannon fodder." "If I ever see on these grounds, or any other, again, my resulting actions will redefine your definition of *evil*." The Principal of Dark Heart High turned away from his former students and walked away. Talking over his shoulder, he said to the three freshmen, "Gentlemen, show these incompetents what we do to those who threaten our school." Three pairs of eyes swung from the Principal's back to the faces of the freshmen they had recently tried to exterminate. Bala quietly cracked his knuckles. "Oh," he added, "and try not to make too much of a mess; we're going to have a sports festival to host very soon." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Back in his office, the Principal sighed as he overlooked the damage to his school. Even with 'good' contractors it would take a month, at least, to rebuild the bell tower that stood at the center of the campus. Until then he would have to rely on an underling to use the PA to announce the beginning and end of periods. Speaking of underlings... Akurei entered the head office, shutting the door behind his massive frame. "Everything's been take care of." "Good," said Amakusa, then, remembering, he frowned. "But that's not everything." This confused the reptilian thing. "Sir?" Down in the courtyard below, Yuri Mikagami and Amy Angeleye made their way around the assorted rubble. Along the way, Amakusa's eyes diligently followed the first girl. "Sir?" "Balabalalde has awakened." Akurei drew back in horror. "Wh-wh-what?" "It seems today's events have finally triggered the needed emotional response in the boy. Yuri Mikagami will soon reap what she has sown." "We've to do something! Get the boy back in the wards and wrapping!" Amakusa was silent for a moment, then, "No." "'No'?" the Vice-Principal echoed incredulously. "Those would only temporize the situation, at best," he reached for the adjustor, drawing the window blinds shut. "Besides, we're not going to interfere." This left Akurei at a loss for words. "Then...what...are we going to do?" The dark man turned around to face his subordinate, a terrible smile of glee framing his face. "We're going to *watch*." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "Thanks for offering to walk me home," she said, "even after everything that's happened." "Oh, it's nothing," replied Yuri, "I wanted to make sure you didn't get sick again with no one to help you." Despite spending this time with Yuri, she shuddered at the thought of Bala's soul. "I don't think that'll happened again." "Why's that?" The two girls turned a corner, now a decent distance from their school. "You seem to being doing pretty good," said Amy, changing the subject, "for someone who almost...almost had their neck...broken." Yuri shrugged, "I guess I am." "You know," explained Yuri, "a couple weeks ago this all would've completely freaked me out---insane lost uncles, superhuman battles, attempted murder---but now it all seems...pretty normal." "Life at Sakura Arts might've been ungodly irritating," she said, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes, "but ever since I've come here it's been...I've been..." Yuri turned to her. "Yes?" "It's nothing," she sighed. The two girls walked on in silence, nearing Amy's home. Half a block later, Yuri started up, "What you did back there, that was pretty good." She frowned. "What stuff?" "You know, figuring out about my uncle and using you magic to help get rid of him." "That," she chuckled, thinking out loud, "was just me failing." "Huh?" Her face went red as she blushed uncontrollably, tears coming to her eyes. "Y-you don't want to know." "Yes I do," said Yuri, an urgency in her voice.... ...adding one last straw to the camel's back. "Ever since I've gone to that damned school," she gushed, unable to stop herself, "it's been *changing* me. I can feel the evilness of that place seep into me, so much so I think it's responsible for my not...not being able to transform." "Wait, what do you mean you can't transform?" She wiped her eyes with a sleeve. "Pathetic, isn't it? The daughter of one of the few magical women in the world and s-she can't even be one herself." She stood there, head bowed crying in near silence. Then Yuri put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you." A sob racked her body. "About _what_? "For...for believing in Bala over you." "W-what," she said, not wanting to look at her beloved, "did you say?" Yuri's voice grew quiet, "Ki talked with me yesterday, he said he had overheard Leilei telling Bala to...to keep the truth from me, so that it wouldn't...hurt me." Amy blinked under the shield of her bangs, red eyes growing dry. "So, you believed _Ki_ over me?" The other girl sighed, her voice full of guilt, "Yeah." Amy Angeleye looked up, brushing aside her hair so as to look at the one she admired; what she saw amazed her. Yuri Mikagami appeared to be on the edge of tears, her face heavy with guilt. Beneath that though, on a level only a triclops could see, her luminous soul seemed to dim slightly, as an unknown burden spoiled its shine. Amy's mind turned to a day not far in the past... *************************** "Ah, um," Yuri fumbled for words. "Sure, Amy, whatever you say." She thought quickly. "Um, oh no! I'm going to be late! Bye!" She rushed off. Amy looked curiously after Yuri, thinking. 'That girl, Yuri, something's just so, so, *beautiful,* so *special,* about her.' Amy Angeleye's family was not called Angeleye for nothing. Her family had a special talent; they could see souls. A soul defines everything about that person, from magical talent to personal personality. Amy had been seeing souls from birth, but she had never seen a soul like Yuri's. She was determined to find out more about Yuri, her soul, and her destiny. Besides, she thought Yuri was damn cute. *************************** Amy took one of Yuri's hands into her own. "It's alright." The other girl looked at her, confused. "Huh?" "I forgive you." The Mikagami girl was at a loss for words. Inwards, her soul brightened again. "Come on," she said, pulling Yuri along, "my house is just ahead." The two walked on, quickly reaching their destination. Passing the house's gate, they walked to the porch. There, the girls stopped and Amy turned to her friend. "We're here." "Well, I guess this is goodbye," nodded Yuri. She smiled, the burning in her eyes forgotten. "I'll see you tomorrow." Amy turned to enter her house, just as Yuri turned to walk away. It was then that the first girl looked back and quickly called out, "Yuri!" The other girl turned around. "Yes? "I was wondering," she said, "could we be friends?" Yuri's brow pinched in confusion. "But Amy, haven't we've always been friends?" She started to say something, then stopped, smiled to herself, and began again, "Yeah, I guess we have." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That night, when Andrea Angeleye returned home, she would peek into her daughter's room. There she would find a sleeping Amy, content in both body and soul. And at her daughter's side, dangling on a bedpost, hung the pendant she had given her all those years ago. "Goodnight Amy," she said, quietly shutting the door. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The sun set on another day, leaving in its wake a fulfilled promise of bounty and lasting memories for those that had awoken to greet it. Tomorrow would be no different. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Author's Notes: It's been quite a ride. This is my third impro, if you care to count my recent starter in that category. Also, the chapter you just read was nearly stress-free compared to my time working on FFL. I suppose that's because DHH is a bit looser, less event-driven story than the other one. I'll definitely be writing for this again, it's a fun deal, but preferably not until after a few chapters breathing space. That, and I need to finish the timeline / character guide I'm writing for this thing. My main drive in this chapter was two-fold. The first was to advance the Bala/Amy/Yuri plot; the second was to plug the Melvin plot hole (plot hole, what plot hole?) But let me pause for a moment, to say something to the future writers of Dark Heart High... ...DON'T EVER BRING BACK MELVIN! *EVER*! NO ONE WILL INHERIT HIS POWERS! NO ONE'S MIND WILL BE TAKEN OVER BY HIS! AND DON'T EVEN *CONSIDER* INTRODUCING A VENGEANCE STRICKEN AUNT, MISSING TWIN BROTHER OR OTHER MELVIN-ESQ CHARACTER! ARRGGHHHHHH! DHH is not an action serial, like H! Classic became, but rather it's Evil-Parody Shoujo. Yes, there is room for the one-dimensional characters to grow, like I tried to do with Amy Angeleye in this chapter, but for the most part it's the story of Yuri, her friends, and their days at school. _SCHOOL_! *Ahem* Anyway, back to the story, I unleashed Bala's potential. What does that mean? It means whatever the next writer(s) say it is. As for Amy, while she isn't over Yuri (who ever gets over that first love?) I could see her becoming Yuri's best friend/protector, trying to save the girl from the evil of DHH. The only character that didn't get any real screen-time was Yasuko; originally, in my outline, she had a chemistry scene with Craig, but I cut it because I wanted to keep the focus Yuri/Amy/Bala. The demon that Andrea Angeleye mentioned she fought, along with Amy's flashback to when she meet Yuri, were taken from Chapter 15. In the case of the four paragraphs (which I did not seek permission to cut- 'n-paste, sorry) they were taken directly from the body of that chapter. Thanks must go to my prereaders: Sharyna Tran, Dolitt, and Nicolas Juzda. Their help GREATLY improved this chapter, especially grammar- wise. Special thanks goes to Smlee, who explained to me that some of my ideas were good and why others _had_ to go. Always get good prereaders, like these guys. Oh yeah, can't forget thanks to Lawrence Chu. Well, that's all. ~Doublemint REMEMBER ----------------------------------------> Sign-up now! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Far away from the affairs of Dark Heart High, in a shadowy corner on the outskirts of Tokyo itself, sat a manor built unlike any other. Aside from well-concealed security systems, which, in this case involved poison darts, buzzsaws, and retired televangelists rather than traditional cameras, the manor appeared normal. Brick, stone, and mortar made up its foundations, presenting an altogether uniform, if icy, image. Inside...inside was a different matter. Battle rooms, weapons lockers, and meditation chambers were the sole constituents of the Manor of the Steel Thorn Clan. Designed over several generations, it served as a focal point for the early studies of the Clan's members. But it wasn't here that Ki Tamaida had returned to, not specifically. Rather, his journey was one of visitation, back to a room he had not entered since the final day of his instructions: the Basement. Basements were where normal people kept old, discarded things. The Steel Thorn Clan was by no means 'normal', unless your definition of normal included assassination and megalomania, but they still kept discarded items in their Basement. It was one of these items that Ki had returned to pay his long-divided attentions to... "Frustrating," the scion said to himself, holding the clay jar in his gloved hands. "Once again I'm am upstaged by my lessers. First Mummy-boy, now Angeleye and even...Maimsworth." Ki ran a finger down the groves of the jar, gently testing for an occasional pulse from within. "I study my enemies, that's what I was taught, I even check-up on people like Amy." "Did you know the Triclops Tribes used to instruct our Clan, long before the Greater Councils were formed and they betrayed us for Good? Does that mean I should listen to Angeleye's 'sage' advice, and learn to be the better 'bad' against Bala? For Yuri?" His face clouded over with emotion. "No," he said bitterly, "When the usual methods don't work, you have to think creatively. I'll never beat Bala like this, I'll only get frustrated, weak and then...lose." "I have a plan, not the best plan, but a good plan nonetheless. Yuri will be my 'queen', and, through her, Bala my pawn. My victory will be for myself, for the Clan, and for the ages." He jiggled it, feeling the swirling of liquid from within. "Besides, when it comes to Yuri's feelings, I _have_ to win, it's simply no contest; Amy's a girl, and with 'oh-so evil' Bala...well...I have one advantage over him that even he can't counter." Ki set the item back on the ceremonial alter, where it would sit for the rest of eternity. "I have a heart, even if it's in a jar."