Seiko turned the envelope over in her hand. Plain white and without adornment, it was the size of a greeting card and just as stiff. "Loki Cult, hmm?" she said. "Never heard of them." She stood at a street corner close to her house, leaning against a streetlamp. The yellow light centered on her, and illuminated a small circle of the world. An evening fog had set in. She looked up from the envelope and out into the darkness. Her eyes narrowed. The shadows seemed to... Seiko shook her head. That was impossible. She returned her gaze to the envelope. "A proposition?" Shrugging, she slipped a finger along the top of the envelope, reached in, and pulled out the card inside. Seiko stared at the card and flipped it over. It was plain white on both sides. Nothing was written on either one. The card did not open. A grimace stole across her face as she balled the card and envelope into a wad. "What kind of joke is this?" She drew her arm back. "I would not do that if I were you." The voice was smooth and calm. "You might regret it." "Who--?" Seiko spun around, drawing her arms up into a defensive position. The figure stood in the middle of the street, just outside her circle of light. It raised a hand, palm facing her. "Peace, Sakurobi Seiko. We do not threaten." The figure chuckled lightly. Seiko could not determine its gender. "We merely advise. You have answered our, ah, proposal... To throw it away now would be slightly premature, don't you think?" Seiko stared at the crumpled paper in her hand, then back up at the figure. "How did you... Who are you?" "We are the Loki Cult. We are willing to offer you the power to overcome your enemies." Seiko narrowed her eyes. "Come into the light." For an imperceptible moment, the figure hesitated, as if weighing the options. But then it stepped forward, light washing over it and bringing details into view. Seiko had to admit that the figure's voluminous cloak and wide-brimmed hat prevented her from discerning much. "Not much help," she said. That light laugh answered her. "Do not mistrust us. The Loki Cult has certain enemies. Were our identity revealed, your welfare might be... endangered." "I can take care of myself." "True. Were that not the case, we would not be interested in obtaining your, ah, help. However, even you must admit that there are certain obstacles..." A hand waved and the fog shifted, momentarily taking on the features of Yumeko, then dissipated. "...that even you cannot overcome easily. We seek to remedy that. We offer an alliance that will mutually benefit everyone involved." Seiko stared at the cloud, now nothing more than more fog. Was she seeing things? "Power... what sort of power?" "To explain would take us quite some time. Suffice it to say that it is beyond your dreams and can face down nightmares. It will give your visions life." Seiko could not see the face, but imagined a smile in the shadows beneath the hat. "We can explain further, if you are willing to learn." "What must I do?" A half grin spread across Seiko's face. "Give you my first-born son or something?" "Something, definitely." The figure held out a hand, palm up, open, and empty. "You may wish time to think over your decision. The Loki Cult understands possible apprehension on your part. Here..." The figure flipped its hand down and back up. On the palm rested a bracelet. At first glance it seemed to be a single cylindrical band. The figure held it forward. Seiko picked the bracelet up and turned it over in her hand. Upon closer examination it proved to be two tightly intertwined strands. It was a dull grayish-red, but did not quite shine like metal. She looked up at the figure. "What's this? Don't think that your little sleight-of-hand is going to impress me." The figure chuckled. "Oh, we would be worried if it did. You are an astute individual, Sakurobi Seiko, intelligent and clever. We respect these traits in you. Your doubt shows those strengths. We offer that as a gift while you consider our offer." The figure turned away and stepped out of the light. Seiko stared at the bracelet for a moment. "Wait!" She looked up. The figured paused. "How will I contact you?" "We will be in contact when you have decided." "But how will you..." Seiko stopped. The figure had vanished, sucked in by the shadows. "...know?" she finished. For a long while, Seiko didn't move. Her eyes gravitated back to the bracelet. Quietly, slowly, she slipped it on her wrist. A vision flashed in her mind, one of herself. She wore a short light gray skirt, extending just below mid-thigh. Dark gray leggings were below that with light gray boots rising to mid-calf. In lieu of a blouse she wore an abbreviated light gray jacket over a short, dark tee-shirt that left her midriff bare, a single button holding it together. She wielded a long, red military fork; the two-edged prongs intertwined to form the handle. Seiko blinked and the vision was gone. ---------- Nightmare Fighter Yumeko Chapter 5: Static ---------- The midnight-black whip snaked out and stabbed into the wall. The demon stopped and turned. The taut black line quivered slightly, tracing back to the scepter in Yumeko's hand. She flicked her wrist back and the tendril retracted to her aura. "Peek-a-boo," she said, narrowing her eyes. The thing grinned, black ichor dripping from pitch-colored teeth. "You would do well to let me be, Dream Fighter." Its voice brought visions of oil- coated stones grating against each other. "My quarrel is not with you." Yumeko stared at it for a moment. The mouth did not move in conjunction with the words; she could not even tell if she heard the words in her ears or her head. "Tough," she said finally. "My quarrel _is_ with you." Yumeko drew her arm back. A tendril of blackness slid out from the scepter and hung limply. She smiled, and the tentacle quivered, as if in anticipation. She swung her arm. The whip arced in towards the demon. It leapt above the strike, which slid along the wall. Dust and chunks of brick spat out behind the attack, thickening the light fog of the night. Yumeko cursed and brought the tendril back. The demon leapt over her and landed on hands and feet, its legs bent and splayed out. It hopped off like a frog, leaving the alley in two bounds. Yumeko spun around and chased after it. She exited the alley and turned, seeing the demon bounce into a park. "Damn it! How does that thing move so fast?" She grit her teeth and gave chase. *** "It isn't here," Miwako said, spearing Hiro with a glare. The spirit bird ruffled his feathers under her scrutiny. "Now what?" she asked. "It could be anywhere." "I am your spirit guide, Dream Warrior. I will guide you." The bird's head shook slightly. Miwako thought she heard his tongue click. "Follow me," he said, and flapped into the air. Miwako turned to follow him and bumped into a pedestrian. The man stumbled slightly and looked around. His gaze passed by her twice before he shook his head and continued on. She stared at him as he muttered something about "Too much." "Dream Warrior! Come ON!" "Wait." Miwako narrowed her eyes. "He didn't see me. Why?" She imagined that Hiro would have shrugged at her, if such a thing were possible for a flapping bird. "Probably because he was too drunk to tell he hit someone. And if we don't hurry, someone might be too DEAD to tell." Miwako frowned. "That's not it," she muttered. "Okay," she said louder. "Let's go." "THANK you." *** Yumeko crept slowly through the park. The lights from the street were distant and dim, and the trees blocked what little starlight made it through the fog. Both made the park a very dark place. But the lack of light did not inconvenience her. She distinguished the features of the park -- the trees and rocks and paths -- easily. But she could not see her prey. She heard the gasping, animalistic cackles echoing through the trees, but could detect no direction. So she moved slowly, fighting the urge to lash out and cut down the obstacles in her path. She could do this, she told herself, with subtlety. A light caught her eye. It twinkled from behind the trees as she moved along. She turned and made her way towards it. As she got closer she heard the buzzing, like a thousand wasps had been turned inside out and fed through a computer. It grated against her very nerves. Her hand tightened around her scepter. "Whatever it is," she said through clenched teeth, "I'm going to..." She stopped as she stepped out from the trees. The light of the restroom building at the center of the park flickered and buzzed, lending a strobing effect to the clearing. Yumeko sighed. Idly she flicked her whip out. The black tendril shattered the light, plunging the building in darkness and killing the buzz. Something snapped behind her. Immediately alert, Yumeko spun, bringing her scepter up defensively. She did not even make it halfway around before something ran into her. She slammed into the building and felt the wall give way behind her. Sharp claws dug into her shoulder. Coarse, stinging fur scratched against her. She felt the thick, oily breath on her face. Yumeko recoiled and immediately craved a shower. The demon's weight pressed her backwards, squeezing her against the wall. "It's over," she thought. "No," she rebelled, "not yet." Yumeko forced her body to work: pushing away at the demon, snapping the black tentacle around. It wrapped around the thing's body. The demon squealed in pain and let up slightly. Yumeko tugged with her scepter, and the body flew away, crashing through trees. "Gotta... press the attack," she said, taking a step forward. Masonry flaked away as she left the wall. Her leg buckled slightly and she stumbled. "It's not over. Not yet." She forced herself to her feet. *** Miwako peered into the darkness. "You sure the demon is in there?" "It's there, Dream Warrior," Hiro said impatiently. She hesitated. "Er... I can't SEE anything in there." "Your spirit blazes with light," Hiro intoned, "And so you may have powers over such things. Search within your soul, and bring your light forth to illuminate the physical world." Miwako ran that through her head. "I can create light... Right." She shut her eyes and concentrated. "From within my soul burning bright, light my path." Her shield blazed, illuminating the area around her. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times. "With time... you will become more used to your powers. Now, go quickly. The demon has started to move again." Miwako swallowed once and stepped into the trees. *** Yumeko's rib had started to sting. She pressed her arm across her chest below her breasts, trying to squeeze out the pain, but each breath drew ragged up her side. She stopped moving and blinked away the moisture in her eyes. Then she spied the tracks -- pitch-black imprints on the deep-black ground. A smile slid across her face. She padded through the woods, the shadows falling like silk across her body. A shiver ran up her spine and she let herself sink into the welcome nether. The pain began to bleed away from her. She blinked... And the tracks disappeared. Yumeko's head swiveled quickly to both sides, her eyes narrowing. "Where did it..." she whispered. She stumbled and the pain came back instantly, slamming into her side and along her body. Eyes tearing, she fell to her knees. She heard a hiss and the whisper of movement. Through the blur, she saw a form filling up her vision. She tried to push herself up, but her arms felt leaden. The demon landed on the ground, legs splayed to either side of her. A thick, smooth hand wrapped itself around her neck and slowly lifted her up. Hot, damp breath slid across her face. The hand squeezed tighter around her neck. The edge of her vision started to go red. She noticed her hands grasping the arm, but could not feel anything in their grip. A fist buried itself in her gut, and the hand abruptly released her. She had a half moment to suck in a wonderful breath, then she crashed to the ground. *** Miwako paused. She had heard noises, but for the moment the park had gone silent. She opened her mouth to say something to Hiro... Then she had to scramble away from a falling body. It hit the ground limply, bones and flesh landing with no coordination. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared down at it. The tiara immediately caught her eye. It sat atop the girl's head and was bent out of shape. Her hair was messed up and spread out in a perverse halo around her head. It seemed she was dressed for the night in a black evening gown. The outfit was strange in a way that Miwako could not quite pin down. Miwako squatted next to the girl and nudged her arm, eliciting a soft moan. "At least she's still alive. Wrong place to be walking at night. I wonder if the demon got--" Hiro flapped down and alighted on her shoulder. "Dream Warrior! That's the Ni--" He was interrupted by a deep growl. They turned their heads slowly to the side and peered into the darkness. Two slivers of crimson light shown from the shadows. They grew, slowly, irising open to become glowing blood-red eyes. The growl grew from a slight bass vibrato to a full rumble. Miwako forced the lump down her throat. She held up her shield to lengthen the circle of light around her, but it seemed to twist away as it approached the eyes, leaving whatever owned them shrouded in blackness. She pressed her hand to her shield. "Power of the Dream Realm," Miwako incanted. "Grant me the weapon needed to purge the land of this unclean one!" Her soulsword appeared as she drew her hand away from the shield. Suddenly, the darkness leapt out at them. Hiro squawked in confusion and flapped away. Miwako flinched and started to step back, then the shadowy form was on top of her. It bowled her over, smashing her painfully on top of the other girl. She heard a crack and winced, but did not feel any accompanying pain. The thing drew its arm back and struck out at her. Her arm moved to deflect the blow instinctively. As quickly as the attack had started, it subsided. Miwako's arm shook slightly as it pressed against the demon's arm. Her shield was thrust tight to its chest. Her sword was in an easy position to slide across the demon's neck. She turned her head just slightly to the side to get a better look at its arm; the demon did nothing besides press against her. Then she realized that it had not been attacking her, but the unconscious girl. The extended claws hovered bare centimeters above the girl's bare neck. They flicked back and forth slightly, as if grasping for their goal. Hiro landed next to the trio. "Kill this demon, Dream Warrior! You have a chance." "Can't..." Miwako grunted, "Gotta save... the girl." Her arm gave way a slight bit. The thing's face spit open in a wide grin of jagged teeth. "That's the Nightmare Fighter!" "Her?" Miwako almost turned to study the girl better, but stopped when the demon's claw grazed the girl's neck. Red welts rose where the claws traced lines on the flesh. "Kill it quickly, Dream Warrior! It will only get stronger if you wait." The idea raced through Miwako's mind. It would be easy for her to kill the demon, but only by releasing its arm so she could attack. The Nightmare Fighter would die before she could kill the thing. "No." Her gaze hardened. "I won't do that." A second moan escaped from the Nightmare Fighter. She shifted underneath Miwako. The demon's arm jerked to the side and tapped against the girl's neck twice, drawing two beads of blood, black against light flesh. Miwako's arm burst to the side from the shift in weight, leaving the demon free to attack again. Miwako grunted and forced herself up with her shield arm. The demon's weight was unearthly; pressing back against her so hard that her eyes welled up from the strain. "Not... going to give up," she hissed. She pushed again, and the demon shifted. Blood pounded in her ears and the tears became great enough she could not see anything. After what seemed like hours, Miwako found herself standing over the Nightmare Fighter in a defensive pose, panting deeply. The demon had retreated, but Miwako stayed tense. The Nightmare Fighter shifted again and slowly came to her feet. Miwako watched her warily as she brushed herself off, seeming calm. She saw a wince cross the Nightmare Fighter's face as her hand passed over her ribs. "Are you in pain?" Miwako asked. "I may be able to help." A sharp glare answered her. "Where is it?" "Gone, for now. Where are you hurt?" Miwako took a half step towards the girl. "Stay away from me," the girl growled. "I'm fine." She held up a scepter between them. A tendril of black energy slid out of the end, lengthening towards the ground. Miwako edged away a step as it writhed. "That thing almost killed you," Miwako said. "We can team up against it." "What?" Hiro squawked. The other girl regarded her carefully. "Shut up, Hiro," she said, then to Miwako: "Fight this thing, and that's it." "We both had trouble alone." Miwako nodded. A thin smile crossed the Nightmare Fighter's lips. "I have a plan." *** Yumeko watched the other girl -- the Dream Warrior, she reminded herself - - creep slowly forward ahead of her. She noticed the girl had a near perfect stance for defense: center of gravity kept low, steps short so as to not overbalance, and head panning slowly to each side with eyes wide to take in all the details. Her ankle flared in pain. She winced and favored her other leg as she followed the Dream Warrior. She noticed the other girl's garb was much better suited for combat than her own gown and high heels. Why...? She almost asked Hiro about it, but chose to ignore the bird altogether. He had all but abandoned her, after all, and she didn't need him. Yumeko caught a stitch of movement. "Up above you, to your left," she murmured. She did not know how good the demon's hearing was but figured it prudent not to tempt fate. The Dream Warrior's eyes darted to the area indicated a shade faster than the light from her shield did. Yumeko felt a moment of smugness at her heightened senses. Then the cat she had spied disappeared, frightened away by the light. The Dream Warrior let out a breath. "Misfire," she said, "Keep loo--" The demon exploded out of the bushes and tackled her. It raked its claws across the white-clad girl's midsection. No blood sprayed out, however, and she did not go limp. Her sword was brought around in an attack, but the demon was far to close for it to be effective. Yumeko hesitated for an instant, then lashed out with her whip. It wrapped around the thing's arm, pulling it back from a more vicious attack against the Dream Warrior. The energy line went taut as Yumeko hauled back on it with her scepter. "Dammit," she swore, "How strong is this thing?" The demon jerked its arm and she barely released her hold on it to avoid being thrown. Yumeko doubted she would be able to walk away from another landing like the last one. The Dream Warrior took this brief moment of respite from the demon's offensive to launch her own attack. Her sword blade slid easily through its other arm, lopping it off just above the elbow. Screaming in pain, the thing retreated. Yumeko smiled coldly and flicked her wrist. The tendril entwined itself around the demon's neck. She jerked her arm and it fell to its knees. "I have a message for your leaders," Yumeko said, "If you happen to see them on your way to Hel. Tell them the Nightmare Fighter plays for keeps." Beside her, the Dream Warrior inhaled sharply but cut off any other exclamation. She took a step towards the demon, bringing her sword up to finish the deed. As per their plan (what remained of it), Yumeko tightened her hand on her scepter. The tentacle tightened in response. The demon's eyes went wide and turned from angry crimson to a fearful yellow. The Dream Warrior hesitated a moment, then drove her sword through its throat just above Yumeko's whip. The creature spasmed once and went still. Yumeko watched the creature melt away into nothingness. She blinked and realized that the light from the Dream Warrior's shield was blinding. Was it an effect of the creature's death or just something she hadn't noticed before? She blinked again, and the effect faded. "Good job, Dream Warrior," Hiro said as he flapped down and alighted on the other girl's shoulder. "Now..." he took a long look at Yumeko. "Now, what?" the girl asked. Somewhat tersely, Yumeko thought. "Now you could deal with our other problem." Yumeko regarded the girl coolly as she followed Hiro's gaze. For a moment, the Dream Warrior was silent, mouth slightly agape. "... What?" she finally stammered. "After she helped us? No way." "But... But that scepter is not hers, by rights!" Hiro hopped from one clawed foot to the other. "You have a duty to return it to its rightful owner. The fate of reality may depend on it." Yumeko arched her eyebrow but said nothing. Conflicting expressions crossed the Dream Warrior's face, but eventually her resolve hardened. Yumeko's grip on the scepter tightened. If this was going to be a fight... "No. Maybe later, but not now. I won't backstab someone like that. If I would, you wouldn't want me to be the Dream Warrior." Hiro squawked in anger, but did not say anything else. Yumeko shrugged. "I'll be going, then." Without another word she turned and stalked off. Despite the pain she did not allow herself to limp until she was out of sight. The walk home was painful and slow, but thankfully devoid of any other people. Yumeko transformed back to her normal street clothes. She breathed a sigh at the comfort of her black leather boots. Outside her house she saw a figure slumped against the gate. A muted curse escaped her lips. She grimaced and kicked at her father's leg with her good foot. He responded with only a groan. A louder curse erupted and she stooped and hoisted him to his feet. Her ankle protested mightily. "Come on, Father," she muttered. She used his legs to take the weight off of her bad one while forcing him into the house. "W'sat, Yume-chan? Spend some time with me?" His words slurred as he spoke. Yumeko swallowed, and forced herself not to push him away. His room was only a few feet away. "You need sleep, Father," she grunted, "You're drunk." Again, she added silently. His arm slipped off her shoulder. "Aww, tha's not a nice thing to say to your father." Dammit! Why was it taking so long to get him to his room? Yumeko spurred him on, ignoring the pain in her ankle. "You should spend more time with me, Yume-chan. This family's falling apart and it's all your fault." He pushed her away suddenly. She stumbled, rebounded off of the wall and collapsed. He stumbled and turned towards her. His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. "You take after your mother. Tha's not a good thing." Just go to sleep, please, Yumeko thought. She kept her face expressionless, despite wanting to disappear into the wall behind her. Just sleep and I can forget about this. "Da...?" a sleepy voice said. "What's going on?" Her father turned around and looked down the hall. At the end, Shinichi stood, rubbing his eyes. "Now, you..." her father said, "Are a good child." Without another word, he shuffled into his room and shut the door. Yumeko blinked. For a long moment, all was silent, then snoring began to emanate from the closed door. "'Neechan?" Shinichi ventured finally. "What's wrong?" "Nothing," Yumeko said as she pushed herself up. Her ankle flared up so much she had to pull her foot up off the floor entirely. She gritted her teeth and began to hop to her room, using her arms to balance herself against the walls. A moment later, someone followed Shinichi out of his room. "Yumeko! Oh, my God! What happened?" Misako hurried to her friend's side and quickly helped her move. "It's nothing," Yumeko said, "I just twisted my ankle." Misako regarded her for a long moment. "... If you say so. Where were you? I was worried that Shinichi had been left home alone, so I stayed with him." "Thanks," Yumeko answered but did not supply any information about the evening's happenings. "You look like you went rolling around in a wheat-field," Misako noted. "Hmm," Yumeko said ambiguously. "Go to sleep, Shinichi," she added to the boy, who had continued to watch them. For a moment, he continued to stare at her. Then he turned and went back into his room. Yumeko heard him shuffling around in his bedcovers as she and Misako entered her room. "Come on, give," Misako urged as she helped Yumeko sit on the bed. She crouched to take a look at the offending ankle, but Yumeko pulled her leg out of the way. "I told you it was nothing. Thanks for the help, Misako, honest, but you'd better get going before your parents really start to worry." Misako stood and regarded her for a moment. "Fine... but I know something's going on." Yumeko shrugged. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." "If you make it," Misako said quietly. Yumeko sat for a few minutes after her friend had left, then finally took off her shoes and peeled away her sock to look at the damage. Her ankle, swollen purple and burning hot, sent jolts of pain up her leg at the slightest touch. She considered heading to the kitchen to get some ice for it, but balked at the thought of traversing the hall without any help. It would be fine in the morning, she told herself. She shucked her jacket and other shoe while still sitting, then lay back and gingerly found a position that was not too painful for the ankle. She closed her eyes and sleep quickly took her. *** The walls of the building rose far above her head. Sharp lines formed the columns and slabs of the structure. Far, far above the sun shone. Its light glinted off the surfaces of the building, reflecting and refracting to a million times its original intensity... Yet by down where she stood, it was not bright, but not dark either. She stood in an area of gray, a layer between a pitch floor and the shimmering walls. Before her, a circular dais rose from the floor. Three steps encircled it. On either side of the dais were nine chairs, in three rows of three. At first, silence reigned. She turned slowly around. As she did so, a breeze picked up and the walls began to sing. She barely noticed it at first, as light as the sound was, but in time the wind grew and the light song became a howl, and then a bizarre juxtaposition of notes with little rhyme or reason. The wind swirled around her, tugging at her clothes, whipping her hair into a frenzy. She spun and shouted into the wind, but the cacophony had amplified to the point she could not even hear what she said. As soon as the words left her mouth, she had forgotten them. She fell to her knees, hands clamped tightly over her ears. The action gave little respite. She scrunched over into a ball and held her breath, waiting for the end. Her eyes opened to find herself moved. She was kneeling in the center of the platform. From this vantage she noticed it was not black like the floor, nor white like the walls, but gray. The chairs were occupied on either side. To her west, nine faceless black figures sat. The east side contained nine blank white forms. All eighteen stared at her. Is this a judgement? she thought. As if in answer, a beam of light appeared to the north, a person in the center of its illumination. Somehow, she identified the figure as female. The person cocked her head and turned towards the center of the dais. Somehow, she knew the white figure was not staring at her. She turned, following its gaze. Almost in reverse, a lance of darkness rose from the floor. At its center was another person. Again, she felt that this person was female. One light, she thought, and one dark. What am I? She peered at the black figure and realization dawned. "Yu..." she breathed. Features exploded across the dark female's face as she took a step forward, out of the circle of blackness. Kobayashi Yumeko smiled thinly. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and flinched. She turned to look. The person behind her stared at Yumeko, face devoid of emotion except... Except for pain? in the eyes. The girl was someone she did not recognize, but she somehow felt a half-kinship to her. Even so, she shrugged the hand off her shoulder and returned her gaze to Yumeko. "She is not your enemy," the girl behind her said. "She is my opposite." Light flared and the girl was garbed in combat attire of sorts. A sword and shield appeared in her hands as she took a step towards Yumeko. "No!" she cried. She would not let this stranger interfere with her revenge. She drew her fist back to attack the girl, but paused. She had nothing to strike with. The bracelet on her wrist squirmed and came undone. It twisted into her grasp and lengthened, the two strands that formed it untwining to become twin prongs of a spear. On instinct, she thrust it forward. The white girl turned her head and blinked in surprise as the tines slid past her shield and pierced her breast. She felt barely any resistance as the spear stuck into the girl. In response the girl's eyes were questioning. Her mouth opened in a silent plea, then she faded away. "She was not yours to kill," Yumeko said behind her. "But I suppose you lack control over yourself." "What would you know about it?" she demanded, turning on her rival. "I'll beat you, now." She attacked again. The prongs of the spear punctured each of Yumeko's cheek, pulling her lips up into a grin. She jerked around on the end of the weapon, arms and legs flailing about, but her face eyes did not change, she continued to stare serenly. "Stop that! I've beaten you!" she screamed, tugging at the spear. Her hand spasmed, twisting around. The prongs turned in Yumeko's face, swirling her features together into a whirlpool of color. Quickly, the color drained away to a black point, which grew as it sucked in more and more of Yumeko, until she disappeared entirely. "What happened?" she asked, staring at her hand. It shook, the spear wavering in its grip. She tried to let go of the weapon, but her fingers would not respond. Her eyes widened when she noticed a... line extending from her wrist up above her. She tugged at it, but her arm could only sway side-to-side. Her muscles tightened but to no avail. The line would not let her any slack. Suddenly she felt BOTH her arms being pulled up by lines. Her legs, too, moved outside of her control. Her head lolled to the side, she was unable to lift it to get a better view on whatever force had gained power over her. A laugh echoed, gaining strength. It shattered the walls of light and the floor of darkness. Fragments of both intermingled around her into a jagged storm of white and black, like static. The shards ran into each other, breaking into smaller and smaller pieces, until the static became a uniform gray. And then she awoke. *** Seiko took a few breaths and stared at the ceiling above her bed. The cottage cheese texture gave a random pattern of light and dark. It was oddly comforting. She reached up to rub her eyes, but stopped when she saw the bracelet on her wrist. She reached up with her other hand to grasp at the ornament, intent on taking it off, but paused a hair's width from touching it. She felt an incredible rightness at wearing it; to take it off would be to lose an integral part of herself. Dream fading from her mind, Sakurobi Seiko rose from her bed and got ready for school. *** Author's note: Let me say that this was extremely difficult to write for. I came to the realization that it's best that NFY didn't get picked up by the main site, where deadlines are tighter, because it'd probably ruin the intense quality that the fic seems to demand. My computer went through a metamorphosis during this writing. I have dropped 100MHz off my clock speed, gotten a MUCH better sound card, added a hard drive, and reinstalled EVERYTHING. (I also lost my old Inbox and ICQ information due to DR Folly(tm) -_-;;;) This caused a few problems in writing this... but not nearly enough to excuse the incredible tardiness displayed here. It's taken me 5 weeks (^^;;;) but I've got to say that I think this is my best Impro chapter yet. I do want to write it again, and I hope to have it done much quicker next time. We shall see. I'm happy I at least managed to write the whole thing by myself. My first huge splurge at writing is almost at an end... Now that NFY is done, I just have Glorious (in another week or two, so there's a bit of a break.) It's been fun, really difficult, and a learning experience. This part was pre-read by Phoebe, Ravi, John Evans, and Ardweden. Many many more grammar and spelling mistakes would have happened if not for their efforts. Actually, this part probably would have sucked really hard if not for Phoebe and (mostly) Ardweden being there to put the fear of God(desses) in me if I screwed up. Girls, I appreciate it lots. One regret is that the scenes I had planned out for the next day couldn't be included... well, they could have, but it'd take me another two weeks. ^_^;; If future authors would like to talk about them, I'm willing to offer. Damien Roc Water Dragon Productions http://mizunoryuu.sandwich.net 3/3/00 Beware the Radish http://www.mit.edu/~johne/btr/