Cynic

by ketsugami

Not quite SM -- genre parody. Mary battles daemons from video games and anime with the aid of an overactive magical girl and a sarcastic demon.

Cynic

                "And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

                                -Shylock

Chapter One

                The air parted with a sound like 'whaum', and Kei dropped the remaining few inches to the carpeted floor.  She'd made it back mostly in one piece -- one hand was pressed against her side, and a pale green, oily fluid was dripping slowly between her fingers.  The air had the hot, dry feel of magic, and smelled faintly of cinnamon.  The floor underneath was soft with layered carpets, whose ancient patterns were now soaking up the blood.

                This, thought Kei, as she ground her teeth together in an effort to ignore the pain, is it.  This is the last time I follow that long-haired lunatic.  No more taking his orders, no more idiot traps.  I'm done.

                It took her a moment to find her voice; teleporting back from the Timestream was always difficult, and Kei hadn't been in the best of shape to begin with.  It came out as a cynical growl.

                "Hello?  Lord and master bleeding to death on the doorstep?"

                "Lady Kei?"  The high, lilting voice came from another room, divided from the entrance hall by an archway and a curtain.  "Are you in need of assistance?"

                "Get your ass out here."  Kei grimaced.  "And can the 'Lady Kei' business while you're at it."

                Cynthia swept the curtain aside gracefully.  She did everything gracefully, particularly for a girl of sixteen -- she moved as though her feet didn't actually touch the ground, merely gliding across the surface.  Her silver hair fell loose or tied itself, as the mood demanded; at the moment it was a glistening metallic sheet down past her shoulders.  All in all, Kei thought, she was quite an impressive piece of work.

                At the moment she was carrying a clean towel in one hand and a crystal vial of purple liquid in the other.  As soon as her servant was close enough, Kei reached out and grabbed the vial with both hands, gulping it greedily down while Cynthia pressed the towel to her side and let it soak up the blood.  Kei closed her eyes and waited for the healing draught to take effect, the flesh of her side reknitting where blades of compressed air had shredded it.  Once the process was done, she shivered and let out a long, clean breath.

                Cynthia waited patiently with the towel while her mistress climbed to her feet and brushed out her hair, irritably.  Kei looked down at her uniform and found the black fabric stained with green across the side; she snapped her fingers with a sigh and let the whole thing dissolve into nothingness.  Naked, she stalked towards the bathroom, her servant padding silently behind her.

                "Fucking Tsuiren," Kei muttered, not really speaking so much as thinking aloud.  It was a bad habit she allowed herself within the confines of her own domain.  "Fuck him and fuck Myrgai too.  Who does she think she's impressing, anyway?"

                The bathroom was just that -- a room containing nothing but an enormous marble bath, tall enough that Kei needed steps to climb over the side.  She tested the water, found it lukewarm, and raised it to the boiling point with a flick of her little finger.  Steam billowed outward, filling the room.  Another half-hearted gesture set the tub to swirling.  Kei settled into the water gingerly, with a noise halfway between a sigh and a moan.

                "Ahhhhh."

                Cynthia stood by the side of the tub, waiting as always for some indication of her mistress's bidding.  Over the years, she'd become very adapted to Kei, and in situations like this she knew what was required of her.

                Her conversation's gotten pretty good.  It's almost as though she really understands.  Kei sank a little lower in the water and wondered why she ever bothered to leave the bath.  She'd tried staying in it, actually, and managed for almost a month before boredom drove her elsewhere.  Boredom, and having to fend off endless messages from that puffed-up moron of a Dark Lord.

                "Tsuiren is the worst excuse for a battle commander in a century and a half."

                "You have made comments to that effect many times, my Lady."

                "He's obsessed.  There's no other word for it."

                "Indeed."

                "I mean, it's just one city!  Forget it!  Why can't we just go somewhere else?"

                "That would seem to be the best course of action, my Lady."

                Kei flopped forward, sending a wave of boiling water over the edge of the tub.  She rested her chin on the opposite side, eyes closed.  "The worst of it is, this won't be the end of it."

                "Oh no.  A defeat will only make things worse."

                Kei raised an eyebrow at her servant.  "That was almost an original contribution, Cynthia."

                "It is something you've said on many occasions, my Lady."

                "Mmm.  I suppose."

                "Will my Lady be requiring anything else?"

                "Not at the moment.  If I need you, I'll holler."

                "Of course."  Cynthia made her exit.  It was all part of the conceit, of course -- she wasn't really going to do anything other than stand outside the door and wait for a job.  Having her standing silently felt kind of creepy, though, so Kei had instructed her to leave whenever the opportunity presented itself.

                Despite her best efforts, Kei found she couldn't help thinking about the battle.  Her white-hot rage was fading, though, and underneath there was a disturbing undercurrent.

                Kara.  The green-haired woman had been crushed by a falling I-beam, and Kei was fairly sure she'd been killed outright.  She'd still been lying there, in any case, when everyone else teleported.  The thought was somehow disquieting.

                So what?  Kei turned over angrily.  I never liked her anyway.  Too picky.  She was always going on about this writer or that poet, and how much better she felt after sucking them dry.  Stuck-up bitch.

                But…

                The thought that she might one day end had not occurred to Kei in a long time.  Not since she'd clawed her way out of Limbo and carved out a space in the Domains, anyway, and that had been so long ago she barely remembered it. 

                "Fuck."  She said it quietly, almost a whisper.  Six inches farther to the left, and that blade would have cut me in half.  I could have still made it home, though.  She swallowed.  Probably.  Kei tried to work up her rage again, but all she found was an aching gap.  I wonder if this is how humans feel all the time?

                The 'snap' of an opening vortex brought her out of her reverie with a start, sending another wave of water washing across the tiled floor.  By the time she regained her footing, Ayre was already staring bemused through the circular window that hovered above the water, a few feet in front of her.  He was clearly enjoying the view, she realized belatedly; Kei rolled her eyes.

                "Honestly, Ayre.  You could give a girl some warning."

                He smiled, and brushed back cobalt-blue hair that fell limply to just above his shoulders.  His eyes were odd -- one so pale it was nearly white, the other as dark as though he were wearing sunglasses under his skin.  "Ah, but this is much more fun."

                "Do you enjoy looking at my naked body that much?  Would you like a copy?"

                "Thanks for the offer.  I'd miss your scintillating personality, though."

                "Really."  She sighed.  "What do you want?"

                "Just making sure you made it back alive.  I heard this latest fight was a disaster."

                "Fucking Tsuiren."  Rage returned for a moment.  "He walked right into a trap.  We had her outgunned, finally, but--"

                "I heard Kara didn't make it out."

                "Yeah."  Kei shook her head.

                Ayre paused for a long moment.  "Kei, this can't go on."

                "I know."

                "She's beating us.  It's one girl, but somehow--"

                "I know.  But we don't have to go back and fight her every time.  There's a thousand places we could go where she'd never find us."

                "Tsuiren won't allow it.  He's obsessed."

                "He's fucking crazy."

                "But--"

                "Kara died, Ayre.  Who was the last person you know who died?"

                "But what we can we do?"

                Kei had not followed her thoughts to their logical conclusion, but she replied at once.  "I'm not doing it anymore.  He can go fuck himself."

                "You don't mean that."

                "I do."

                "Do you know what he's going to do to you?"

                "Let me worry about Tsuiren."

                "Kei--"

                "Enough.  Stop bothering me in the bath."  She concentrated, and the vortex collapsed, cutting off Ayre in midsentence.  Kei was once again alone in her domain, idly stirring the bathwater with flicks of her wrist.

                Tsuiren will be pissed.  But there has to be something I can do. 

                Something.

                Moments later, an audacious idea occurred to her.

                It was a dark but not quite stormy night, the sky pregnant with the threat of rain.  Mary looked up at the roiling thunderheads and wondered if she should have brought an umbrella after all.

                "Well?"

                She turned back to face the three thugs she'd brought with a bright smile.  She thought of them as thugs, anyway, even if they were really just members of the football team.  Either way they towered over her -- Mary was tiny, barely five foot two, with short hair dyed a brilliant white-blonde and thin, delicate features. 

                The second thug stepped forward and spoke in a rumbling bass.  "What's going on here?  You said some girl wanted to talk to us."  The three of them had leapt to the conclusion that 'talk to' was a euphemism, so there was a certain amount of chortling at this.  Mary smiled.

                "Exactly.  I wanted a quiet word with you three."

                "Did you, now?"

                Inwardly, Mary couldn't help but groan.  I can't believe anyone would actually fall for this.  I mean, three burly jocks corner some helpless girl in an alley, and you've got to expect them to coming flying out feet first.  But they never seem to learn.

                The lead thug, boldest of the three, put one hand on her shoulder and shoved her up against the crumbling brick wall of the convenience store.  He leaned in close, subjecting her to a nasty view and the stench of alcohol.  Mary made sure her smile never wavered.

                "Take your hand off me, please?"

                He snorted.  "You've got a lot of nerve.  Why the hell did you ask us out here?"

                "Like I said: I wanted to talk to you."

                "Right."  He leaned even closer, eyes closed; Mary lithely slipped from his grip and ducked deeper into the alley.  The thug turned on her angrily.

                "Look--"  She raised her hands protectively.

                "Shut up and come here.  We came all the way out here, so you--"

                "Just listen for a second.  Do you know Robyn Masters?"

                The conversational tone took him aback.  "Sure.  She's in our class, isn't she?"

                "What do you think of her?"

                "She's a freak."  That got a laugh from his companions.  "You've seen her, haven't you?"

                "Sure.  I saw her last night, in fact.  I'm wondering if you guys did too."

                "So what if we did?"

                "She got beaten up pretty badly, I hear."  Mary tilted her head to one side.  "You guys do that?"

                Now his expression turned dangerous, and he took a step nearer.  "So what if we did?"

                "So you admit it."

                "Sure.  Between us and the walls, sure.  But you'd better make damn sure you don't tell anyone else, or you'll get worse than she got."

                She rolled her eyes.  "I don't need to tell anyone, don't worry."

                "So what are you doing here, sticking up for her?"

                "Pretty much."

                "Really."  His hand shot out and grabbed her arm.  "I think this is going to be fun after all, guys."

                Her smiled remained.  "Ooh.  Is this where we exchange vague threats?  I love that part."

                "What?"

                "How about: I'm going to chop off the top of your head with an axe, scoop the insides out, and fill your skull with hornets.  Or is that not vague enough?"

                "She's fuckin' crazy."  He turned away from her, which was probably a mistake.  "This girl is crazy."

                "Pretty much."

                The hammer of solid air that rammed into his gut was something of a surprise, and he folded neatly in half, catching her elbow in the back of the head on the way down and splashing into the muck.  His companions didn't do much more than blink.  Before they could move, the larger of the two was lifted into the air by his collar and slammed into the wall.  The third, to his credit, ran for it -- Mary let him get to the end of the alley before yanking his legs from under him.

                For a moment, things were quite still.  Mary bent, so she could whisper in the leader's ear.

                "So here's the deal.  Touch her again, and I'll kill you.  Mention this to anyone, and I'll kill you.  Nod if you understand."

                "You…"  He lacked the breath to speak, but managed to force through a few words.  "Bitch.  How…"

                "Do you understand?"

                His eyes went wide as he found himself rising into the air, unsupported.  Mary smiled wider as he nodded frantically, and tossed him back to the floor.

                "The same goes for your friends, too.  So play nice."

                Thunder growled, and the rain began to tattoo an insistent beat on the flat roofs of the convenience store and the pizza parlor next door.  Mary glanced heavenward for a moment, and above her drops of rain flashed into steam.  The corona of nearly invisible fire followed her out of the alley; by the time she left, she was whistling a jaunty tune.

                "Hello?  Anybody home?"

                It was a moment before anyone answered, and Mary found herself automatically preparing to unleash a wave of razor-sharp white-hot death.  She relaxed visibly when Lia answered from the couch in the living room.

                "Yo.  Where were you?"

                Mary shook out her coat, which was barely more than damp, and hung it on the rack in the hall.  Hardwood floors creaked gently as she tiptoed into the living room -- one of the drawbacks of living in an elderly monster of a house was nightingale floors.  On the other hand, it's not entirely a drawback -- it helps avoid being caught in awkward situations.

                The television was on, but muted, and Lia was sprawled in front of it on a couch so decrepit it was barely more than a skeleton of wood and improvised cushions.  She raised a hand in greeting, and Mary flopped into one of the basket chairs that completed the room's complement of furniture.

                "Having a chat with some people.  You didn't need to wait up."

                "I'm meeting Darren at half past one."  Lia smiled thinly.  She was three years younger than her sister at sixteen, with shockingly red hair that Mary had always envied.  Her wardrobe tended towards t-shirts and jeans, carefully tattered for optimum effect; Mary looked her over and nodded grudging approval.

                "I take it Dad's asleep?"

                Lia rolled her eyes.  "Of course."

                "And who're you going to tell if Prince Charming tries anything untoward?"

                "Come on, Mary."

                "Answer the question."

                "You."  Lia looked sulky.  "Of course."

                "Good."  Darren, in Mary's opinion, was kind of a jerk.  He treated Lia well enough, though, and she tried not to be judgmental.  "Where's Robyn?"

                "Upstairs.  She looked pretty tired, so I told her to use your room."  Lia looked suddenly sly.  "I don't see why I have to sneak out of the house while you get to have your girlfriends over."

                "Right."  Mary raised one eyebrow.  "You know me and Robyn.  Insatiable.  Actually, we were thinking of asking you to join us."

                "Mary!"  Lia mimed shock, and both girls broke down in quiet laughter.  Mary shook her head.

                "Seriously.  How was she doing?"

                "Fine.  I think it looks worse than it really is."  The younger sister was suddenly serious.  "Did you really go to sort out whoever did that to her?"

                "Sure.  I figured I'd just duke it out with them, right?"  She raised her fists, and Lia giggled.  "Well, not exactly.  It's not like I did it personally.  I do have a lot of friends who owe me favors…"

                Lia whistled the first few bars of the Godfather theme and did her best Italian accent.  "Mary Corleone."

                "Maybe now you'll think twice before making fun of me."  She got to her feet with a sigh.  "I'm going to bed.  If Dad asks, Robyn's just spending the night for fun, okay?"

                "Just keep it down.  If your moans wake him up, we'll both be in trouble."

                "That's about enough out of you." 

                Lia flashed a last smile as Mary trudged up the stairs, avoiding by instinct the loudest places.  The second floor of the house was cavernous and dark, with only three of a dozen bedrooms in use and the rest fallen into disrepair.  She found her way to her own door by feel and let herself in as quietly as she could, but apparently this was not quietly enough -- covers stirred in the darkness.

                "Mary?"  Robyn's voice was a whisper.  "Is that you?"

                Mary choked back a sarcastic rejoinder, remembering that Robyn was probably not in the mood.  "Yeah.  Sorry if I woke you."

                "Nope."  She chuckled half-heartedly.  "I'm finding it hard to get to sleep."

                "Feeling any better?"

                "Aching."  Robyn paused.  "I'll be all right, I guess."

                "You will."  She yawned.  "I need to get some sleep.  I hope you don't mind…"

                "It's your room!  I couldn't…I mean…"  Mary could almost see Robyn's blush, even in total darkness.  "I can sleep on the floor, or something."

                Mary was already undressing.  "Don't worry about it.  The bed's big enough, and I trust you to be honorable."

                "O…okay."

                The first part was true, anyway.  All the beds in the house were huge, to match the scale of the place, and there was more than enough room for the both of them.  Mary yanked the covers over herself and lay back with a contented sigh, complaining muscles finally assuaged.  Robyn lay next to her, close enough that she could feel the warmth.  That alone was enough to make her drowsy, but Mary knew her friend well enough to sense when she needed to talk.  Sure enough, it was only another few moments before Robyn cleared her throat softly.

                "Mary?"

                "What?"

                "Thanks."

                "No problem."

                "Really.  If not for you…I…I don't know what I'd do."

                Mary shivered.  "Robyn, please don't talk like that."

                "Sorry."

                I really should tell her.  The urge to tell someone had been building for months now, and Mary wasn't sure how much longer she could resist.  At least I can trust Robyn to keep it quiet.  If I told Lia it'd be all over the school by the next morning.  She wasn't sure how Robyn would take it, though.  She might be scared of me.  Hell, I'd be scared of me if I didn't know me so well.  Even so, it bore thinking about.

                They'll probably try again tomorrow.  Mary smiled to herself.  I'll have to bring a note for my teachers.

                It was typical of Tsuiren to demand that all meetings be held in his own domain, instead of some neutral spot.  What galled Kei even more was that nobody bothered to stand up to him.  They were all as eager as he was.  So what the hell is wrong with me?  Am I the only one who sees what we're up against?

                The gathering was in a massive conference room that Tsuiren had created for the occasion, mimicking a high-tech office tower.  He's always up on the fashions of humans, I'll give him that much.  Some of his guests, who were gradually popping into existence around the big table, were not so current.  Byore and his party, for example, were still decked out in skulls and black iron, while Tsfair had apparently set his heart on the cloak-and-big-shoulderpad craze that had been popular a couple of Temporal years ago.

                Tsuiren himself, of course, was immaculate in an exquisitely tailored gray suit and a body that was an amalgamation of a half-dozen movie icons.  His hair was limp and brown, arranged with a perfection that seemed nothing but natural; his eyes, behind semi-circular black glasses, flickered from brown to green to red as the mood suited him.  All-in-all he looked more like a model for some new line of men's fashions then absolute master of a motley gang of semi-deities.

                Tsuiren's assistants were both humans, which was a not-so-subtle display of his power.  Keeping an environment suitable for long-term habitation by humans was not a task that many would undertake willingly.  Kei herself had never bothered -- humans were such fragile creatures that keeping them alive was an enormous headache.  Semiauts like Cynthia were far superior in most cases, anyway, though their conversation skills were somewhat lacking.

                Ayre appeared next to her with a hum, dressed in his usual non-descript brown.  For her part, Kei had reluctantly chosen a tightly fitted off-the-shoulder dress that showed off her figure to good effect.  Given what I'm trying to pull off, impressing Tsuiren a little can't hurt.  Myrgai had gone over the top, as usual, and was wearing a tawny cat-woman body with perfect grace.

                "I'm surprised to find you here," Ayre commented quietly while the guests were still assembling.  "Given how you're talking."

                "It wouldn't do to miss a meeting."  Her face was sour.  "Tsuiren made the invitation somewhat obligatory anyway."

                "I doubt you'll have to go along this time.  This lot is out for blood."

                It was true.  Stories of the fiasco on the last expedition had spread, and quite a few of tonight's guests looked armed and dangerous.  Kei shook her head.

                "I just don't get it."

                Ayre shrugged.  "The thought of a human beating us is intolerable to them."

                "And to you?"

                "I pride myself on liberal thinking."  He grimaced.  "I still can't say I like the idea, though."

                "Please don't tell me you're going to volunteer."

                "Hardly."

                "Good."

                Most of the guests seemed to have arrived, and Tsuiren raised a hand for silence.  One by one, the lords of the Outer Reaches sat back, quieted down, and waited for him to speak.  Kei was already vibrating with barely suppressed rage.

                "My friends," he began.  "I'm glad to see so many of you here today.  I assume you are all aware of our situation."

                There was general murmuring to that effect, and Tsuiren continued.  "As of late, more and more of our procurement expeditions have been terminated at the source.  We have gradually become aware of some party opposing us.  Someone from the Timestream."

                More murmuring, although almost everyone knew perfectly well what was going on. 

                "At one point the very idea of one of them challenging one of us would have been laughable.  But things have changed.  Now our way of life -- our very existence -- is threatened.  By a human."

                This brought shouting from around the table, as he must have known it would.  Tsuiren played the crowd like a master, waiting for things to rise to a fever pitch before gesturing for silence.  He got it, eventually, and there was a hushed silence as he continued.

                "Expeditions on the part of individual lords proved fruitless, so I directed a group of our most powerful daemons and a few lords to look into it.  They were ambushed, and defeated."

                More clamor threatened to cut him off, but Tsuiren raised his voice.  "Wait.  That is not all."  He favored everyone with his dazzlingly white smile.  "I have devised a plan."

                General cheers.  Kei felt sick.  Do they actually believe for a minute he's come up with something new?

                "The problem last time," said Tsuiren, "is that we were caught by surprise.  So this time we will turn the tables.  I have chosen three targets, rich in the energy we need, and we shall dispatch a force of daemons to each.  Daemons that we can easily spare.  A fourth force will consist of the strongest daemons I personally can devise, with the assistance of a few chosen volunteers.  This fourth force will wait for the enemy to contact one of the sites, then ambush and destroy her."

                No need to specify who 'she' was -- the room was already filled with shouting lords, each demanding the honor.  Tsuiren smiled and spread his arms.  "Please!  As you know, we can only send a few at a time, to avoid creating turbulence in the Barrier.  Rest assured I will choose only the best."

                After that, the meeting pretty much dissolved.

                Ayre and Kei were left sitting alone as the crowd clustered around Tsuiren, anxious to see who he'd choose.  Ayre shook his head, slowly.

                "Well?"

                Kei snorted.  "Tsuiren couldn't plot his way out of a paper bag.  I'd put odds on the human being smarter than him any day."

                "True.  And she's already demonstrated her prowess."

                "Tsuiren's daemons have plenty of raw power, but he lacks imagination.  I'm not surprised they get beaten so easily."

                "Also true."  Ayre sighed.  "It's a knotty problem."

                "Not for me.  I'll just wait till everyone else gets killed off, then become the Dark Lord myself."

                "Good idea, except that you know he'd send you and everyone else into the breach before risking his own hide."

                "I don't hear you chiming in with suggestions."

                "Give it time."  He raised an eyebrow.  "The meeting appears to be over.  Would you care to join me in my domain?  There's a couple of humans I've been keeping in stasis for a special occasion -- I could thaw them out and make them fight to the death."

                "Appetizing as that sounds, I think I'll pass."  Ayre's company was better than most, but at the moment Kei wanted to be alone with her thoughts.  "Another time, perhaps."

                "As you wish."  He vanished in a swirl of colored fire, and Kei waited only a moment longer before retreating to her own domain with a 'whaum'. 

                When this next batch comes running home with their tails between their legs, things are going to get ugly around here.  I'd best be ready.

                I suppose this counts as a change for the better.

                Robyn stalked through the corridors of Wakarton High School and for a moment felt big and bad as people scrambled out of her way.  Whatever bizarre neurological disease was causing this behavior hadn't affected everyone, but it was definitely noticeable -- John Friedman, who last week wouldn't have spared the opportunity to follow her with a sarcastic quip, scrambled into a classroom doorway as she passed.  Robyn could almost feel the tide of whispering rise up behind her and fall silent when she turned to stare.

                What is it this time?  Did someone tell everyone I caught Ebola, or something?  It was probably an elaborate practical joke -- from past experience, she knew this was the most likely explanation for anything strange.  Still, there was something vaguely satisfying about watching people shut up as she approached and seeing the freshmen scurry out of her way.

                First period was History, which was code for sleep.  History, in Robyn's experience, consisted of one class worth of names and dates followed by ten of useless drivel, so she'd taken to bringing a novel and letting it wash over her.  Mrs. Smyth was so happy to have one student who didn't fail even the least strenuous of quizzes that she was prepared to overlook almost any impropriety, and in any case Robyn always sat all the way in the back, next to the radiator and the shelves full of last year's textbooks.  The seats around her were normally empty, and today was no exception -- she made her way to the back and sat down amidst a storm of curious stares and hushed conversations.

                Once Mrs. Smyth started to lecture -- today's topic being the legal codes of 12th century France -- it was usually safe to escape.  Nothing new, reading material wise, had come along lately, so Robyn pulled out a copy of Neverwhere that was so well-used you could have shuffled the pages.  Moments later the rhythm of the familiar words washed over her and 20th century America, not to mention 12th century France, vanished safely into the background.

                "That kid in the front row looks like a tomato."

                It took her brain a moment to process these words and figure out where they'd come from, and in that moment she became aware they were part of a low-grade stream of running commentary.

                "Look at him.  Why did he shave his head?  It looks idiotic.  And the kid next to him is so fat he might explode at any moment.  And what's with that girl in the third row?  What is that thing she's wearing?"

                These questions were asked in an off-hand manner, as though the speaker didn't really expect an answer.  They were also, Robyn realized belatedly, in Japanese, a language which she understood by dint of much effort but to the rest of the class might as well have been ancient Greek.  She risked a glance sideways and found an Asian girl she'd never met before sitting beside her; her new neighbor gave her a brittle smile before turning back to Mrs. Smyth and continuing her sotto voce monologue.

                "And what, exactly, am I supposed to gain from this?  Though I'm not sure anyone else is getting more out of this lecture.  I'm already bored out of my skull.  This is so stupid."

                Without thinking, Rachel muttered a response.  "You don't know the half of it."

                There was a moment of shocked silence.  The new girl looked around wildly before focusing on Robyn.  The teacher still wasn't paying them any attention, and Robyn turned sideways.

                "You did just say that, right?" asked the newcomer.  "I'm not going crazy?"

                Robyn nodded uncertainly.

                "Thank god.  'Cause I figured, not talking to anyone for days, I might be hallucinating."  She licked her lips and leaned forward a little bit.  "You can understand me?"

                "Mostly."  Practiced as it was, Robyn's speech lacked the fluency of a native, but the girl didn't seem to care.  "Who are you?"

                "Sumiko, Ishiyama Sumiko.  Nice to meet you!"

                "Robyn Masters.  Robyn is fine."

                Sumiko nodded eagerly, then suddenly blushed.  "Oh.  I hope I didn't insult any friends of yours."

                "Don't worry about it."  Robyn shot another glance at the class to make sure no-one was listening, then felt a bit silly since they wouldn't have understood even if they had been.  "I hate most of them anyway."

                "Excellent.  So how come you can speak Japanese?"

                "Uh…"  She swallowed before deciding to tell the truth.  I imagine she'll find out eventually.  "To be honest, I like to read manga…"

                "Manga?"  Sumiko had an odd expression, and Robyn blanched inwardly.  And that about wraps that up.  Maybe she'll be too polite to ditch me before the end of class.  These black thoughts continued until Sumiko reached under her desk into her bag and pulled out four thick volumes.  Robyn had to consciously stop herself from drooling, and her new friend laughed.

                "Ms. Ishiyama?"  Mrs. Smyth adjusted her glasses with one hand as though zeroing in her target.  "I know it's your first day, but you might consider the importance of making an initial impression.  No talking during my class."

                Sumiko snapped to attention.  "You resemble a bipedal pig!  I will do as you say, Mrs. Sow!  Please do not chop me up and feed me to your numberless young!"

                Robyn struggled to keep a straight face as Mrs. Smyth nodded, uncertainly. 

                "Y…yes.  Well…as long as you're getting adjusted…"

                And then, a solution presented itself.  Robyn's hand shot up.  "Mrs. Smyth?"

                The teacher turned to her with obvious relief.  "What is it, Robyn?"

                "She said she needs to go to the principal's office and fill out some papers."

                "Oh."  Robyn waited patiently for the appropriate idea to occur behind Mrs. Smyth's wire-rimmed glasses.  "Would you mind accompanying her?  I wouldn't want her to get lost on her first day…"

                "Not at all, Mrs. Smyth.  I've already studied this chapter anyway."

                And just like that, grabbing the uncomprehending Sumiko by one hand, she swept out of class past two dozen suddenly jealous peers.  Robyn managed to make it out into the hall before she started laughing so hard she bent almost double, while her friend looked on in bewilderment. 

                "What just happened?"

                "I told the teacher you had to go and see the principal, and she told me to go with you."

                "Ah.  And now we cut and run?"

                "Exactly.  Under the circumstances it's almost expected of us.  Follow me, and keep up a good pace, and try not to look guilty."

                They made it out of the school without encountering anyone authoritative enough to question them, and once the building was out of sight Robyn heaved a sigh of relief.  Thespin Street paralleled the school fields for most of its length, and was thus a favorite after- and during-school hangout, crowded with pizza parlors and Chinese takeout joints.  Robyn and Sumiko strolled along its comparatively deserted length, trading their favorite manga titles and authors to the general bewilderment of passersby.

                "So what are you doing here?"

                "You mean here at school?  Or here in Wakarton?"

                "The latter, I guess."
                "Cosmic forces, which control my destiny, conspire to bring me wherever I'm needed most."

                Robyn stared blankly until Sumiko broke up giggling. "Sorry.  My dad works at the IBM plant in Haverville.  Just transferred in last month."

                "Ah.  And you just got dragged along?  That doesn't sound like fun."

                "I could have stayed behind, I guess.  I don't know.  I was bored."

                "This is a long way to go, just because you're bored."

                "Yup.  It's been a lot of fun, though.  School just feels kind of stupid."

                "How much English do you actually speak?"

                Sumiko switched languages, enunciating each word carefully.  "I…can …understand …if… you…speak…slowly."

                Robyn stayed in Japanese.  "I'll stick to this, then."

                "You have no idea how much of a relief that is."

                The walked on in silence for a moment.  Robyn was just about to suggest a pizza stop when Sumiko's bag started to emit a shrill ringing.  The Japanese girl cursed and dug frantically until she came up with a tiny pager-like device, which she slammed against her palm to stop the irritating sound.  Sumiko frowned at the screen, then shook her head.

                "Shit.  Robyn, I'm sorry, but I have to run."

                "No problem!"  Robyn waved her hand.  "You helped me get out of class, that's good enough."

                "Here."  Sumiko extracted a business card from her pocket and passed it over.  "Call me later, if you're around.  I've got nothing else to do, so perhaps you can rescue me from total boredom."

                "Sure.  Any idea when you'll be home?"

                "That depends on how long this takes."  There was something odd in her expression, Robyn thought -- as though she found the situation darkly humorous.  "Try after five or so."

                "Got it."

                "Thanks a lot!"  Sumiko broke into a run.  "I'll see you later!"

                "Later…"  Robyn trailed off as her friend rounded the corner and was lost to sight.  She was feeling a tad overwhelmed by the suddenness of events, but that was slowly wearing off.  And now I'll have something to do tonight.  I should invite Mary.  I bet those two would get along.

                The office building two blocks from the high school was six stories high and was only ineffectually locked, so Mary often used it both as a lookout and a convenient place to think.  She stood on the edge, unaffected by vertigo, the afternoon breeze catching the edges of her long leather coat and blowing it behind her like a cape.  She wore only a t-shirt and shorts underneath, and the chill air raised goosebumps.

                Aku snapped into being beside her, starting as a single pinpoint of white-hot flame that expanded outward, sketching in the form of a six-inch high man with bat-wings folded over his shoulder and a cloak that danced and leapt like living flame.  He hovered in mid-air over one of her shoulders, cross-legged, and shook his head sadly.

                "How sure are you this attack is actually going to happen?"

                "Pretty sure."  Mary sat down on the edge.  "I know how they think."

                "And?  Enlighten me."

                "They can't stand to be beaten.  They've had a day to regroup, that's long enough.  They have to attack tonight."

                "That's all well and good, Maer.  But what if they're smarter than you think?  Maybe they'll hit somewhere else."

                "I doubt it.  The guy running this thinks he's clever, so they'll have a plan -- wherever they show up first will be a throwaway, before they spring the trap."

                "Okay."  He put his chin in his hands.  "Even if you know the trap is there, what are you going to do about it?  Those were some pretty heavy hitters they brought last time.  If they get the drop on you…"

                "I'll just have to make sure they don't manage that, then."

                Aku shivered.  "Look.  Maer.  I know I'm supposed to encourage you to fight them, watching out for the integrity of the Timestream an' all--"

                "Whatever that means."

                "Right.  But I'm a little worried."

                Mary stared intently into the distance, only vaguely paying attention to the little demon.  "Oh?"

                "About you."  He shifted easily.  "Look.  Helping Robyn was okay, I guess, and picking locks and whatnot is fine, but you're not really supposed to use your powers for stuff like that…"

                "You're no fun."

                "I think you're getting too into this."

                "It's just a game, Aku."

                "A game?  You could get killed!"

                "That's what makes it a good game."  She licked her lips, slowly.  "Relax.  I can give it up any time I like."

                "Oh, and that's supposed to reassure me?"

                "Not really."  Mary's eyes suddenly focused, and a brief, soundless wind swept over the tower.  She got to her feet with a sudden, decisive motion.  "There they are."

                "Three groups."  The little demon zoomed into the air.  "At least.  Maer, be careful."
                "I'm always careful."  Mary stepped off the tower into infinity, letting her black coat billow behind her.

                Deus grunted, and Rin nodded assent, blinking rapidly.  The feeling of portals opening in the Great Barrier always flashed pins and needles behind her eyes, a distinctly unpleasant sensation.  It happened twice more in rapid succession.

                "Three groups?"

                "They've got energy to burn, then."  Deus adjusted his sunglasses, which were nearly opaque; if she'd met him on the street, Rin would have assumed Agent Deus was blind.  As far as she could tell, he never removed them.

                In many ways, Deus was the strangest partner she'd ever had.  But as her life had been in general pretty damn strange since coming to work for the Bureau, Deus was more of the latest highlight than anything else.  He was extremely -- almost frighteningly -- competent, had no apparent vices or even interests outside of his job, and hadn't hit on her once.  That alone was worth putting up with his little oddities.

                "So are we going in?"

                "Negative, Agent Rin."  Deus leaned back.  He was sitting on top of their car, a Bureau-issued black sedan, which was parked on a rise that overlooked I-95 and most of Wakarton.  It was early evening, and lights were beginning to blink on in the valley below.  The wind was also starting to pick up, and Rin pulled her coat a little tighter.

                "So…"

                "We must proceed with caution.  If, as we suspect, the denizens of the Outer Reaches are engaged in some kind of protracted struggle with someone in this area, I imagine they will be quite aggressive."

                "I think we can handle a few demons."

                "A few demons is not an accurate description of what we're up against here, Agent Rin.  That last penetration of the Barrier contained at least seven individuals possessing powers in excess of Category Five."

                She let out a long, low whistle.  "You aren't kidding."

                "I'm rarely kidding, Agent Rin."

                "So what, then?  Call for backup?"  Seven Cat-5s was a lot of firepower, but nothing a trained Hunter team couldn't deal with.

                "Also negative.  We have insufficient data.  We need to investigate further."

                "So we do move in."

                "But carefully."  He swung his legs off the car and hopped to the ground, the sheet metal of the roof popping back into shape afterwards.  "You are to take no offensive actions with my express orders.  Understood?"

                "Yes, sir."  Being a junior partner sometimes rankled, but under the circumstances Rin was glad not to be the one in charge.  If there really were gangs of Cat-5 demons down there…

                "Agent Rin?"

                "Sorry, sir."  She shook her head and swung into the driver's seat, backing the car down the hill and back on to the road.  Deus never drove.  Rin wondered if he had eye problems after all.

Chapter Two

                The first gate opened in one of the cavernous sub-basements of Wakarton Public Library.  It wasn't much to look at, no swirling colors or fire and brimstone -- ten half-height creatures appeared with a 'pop' of displaced air.  They were about two and a half feet tall, and looked shorter, with wrinkled gray skin and eyes like little black beads.  Almost comical in appearance, the little things moved smoothly, one of them jumping to catch the doorknob to the forgotten storeroom they'd appeared in while three more pulled the door open.  Then they were out into the hallway in a swarm. 

                Sumiko rounded the corner panting and out of breath, and was met by a hovering, fluttering blur of orange and green that spoke in a tiny, piping voice.

                "Sumiko!  Quickly!"

                She nodded.  "Right.  Which way?"

                "Follow!"  The hummingbird darted to the left, and she sprinted after it.  A couple of nearby pedestrians watched the odd sight of a Japanese girl chasing a hummingbird down the road until she hopped up the front steps to the public library.  The bird darted in an open window and Sumiko pulled the door open and ducked inside. 

                For a moment, looking around the first floor, she thought she was too late; one of the librarians was sprawled across the counter and two grade-school girls lay in a huddle in the stairwell.  Sumiko hurriedly checked the old woman's pulse and found it steady.  She heaved a sigh of relief.

                The hummingbird fluttered around the floor, dodging between the stacks with marvelous agility.  Satisfied that there was nothing waiting to spring out and no civilians hiding in a corner, it darted back to Sumiko.

                "Transform!" 

                Sumiko nodded again and took a deep breath.

                "Eternity!"

                Her body jerked as the magic took hold, covering her in a swarm of swirling fireflies.  They lasted only a moment before fading, but a faint glitter outlined Sumiko's clothes and followed her every movement, leaving glowing trails in the air.  Her body felt light, almost weightless, and it moved almost instantly into any position she willed without the slightest effort.  She curled one hand into a fist and felt coiled power ripple.

                "Alright."  Whatever monsters were waiting had heard her shout, so the element of surprise was already lost.  Not that I need it.  She took a step towards the stairwell before another thought occurred to her.  There might be someone still awake down there.  Another wall of glittering lights rose in front of her face, subtly masking her features with a shimmering glow.  "Time to go.  The portal was below, right?"

                The hummingbird bobbed in mid-air.  "Be careful!"

                "Always."  She let her bag slide from her shoulder to the ground and padded closer, peering down the stairs.  A single wan light burned overhead, throwing long shadows.  "Come out, come out wherever you are…"

                The stairs bottomed out in a moldy corridor, dusty with disuse.  Sumiko proceeded slowly, checking the doors on either side and finding them still tightly locked until she was almost at the end.  The last door on the left opened at her touch, revealing an old, empty storeroom.  Lying on a table in the center of the room was a young man in a janitor's uniform, and standing over him--

                "Get away from him!"  Sumiko's voice boomed in the enclosed space, and the nasty little creature looked up from its feast.  Hair-thin lines of yellow energy connected it to the unconscious human, pulsing with power as the thing drew off his life force.  It tilted its head to one side as it regarded this strange girl who had interrupted it during its meal, and Sumiko took a threatening step forward.  "I'm warning you!"

                The creature did not respond.  I wonder if the demons here speak Japanese?  The question was probably irrelevant anyway.  She pushed off into a charge, moving so quickly she was a blur and vaulting over the corner of a table with a kick that caught the little thing in its midsection and flung it so hard it splattered against the wall in a spray of yellow-green blood.  The lines of yellow energy stretched for a second and then snapped, winding back into the hapless janitor.  Sumiko came to rest in a ready stance, looking hastily around the room.

                Uh-oh…

                "Got it."

                The group that had assembled in the alley behind Wang's Universal Grocery was odd by human standards.  It included a tall Caucasian in a business suit, a heavily bearded and fierce-looking little man in a spiked helmet wielding and axe almost larger than he was, a bored-looking woman in jeans and a t-shirt, and four massive cyclopean monsters.  These last were almost eight feet tall, with short legs, huge bodies, and massively oversized arms that almost reached the ground.  They possessed a single eye apiece, which blinked stupidly from within folds of armored flesh.

                The businessman was staring intently into the distance, while the woman looked at him and affected a yawn.

                "Are you sure?"

                "Team two is already fighting.  They should be able to keep her busy until we arrive."

                "Good."  The axeman hefted his weapon.  "Let's get moving, then."
                "Stick to the alleys.  I'd rather not have the authorities after us."
                The odd little gang headed off, deeper into the darkness.  Behind them, a long-coated figure detached itself from the deeper shadow of a dumpster.  Mary thrust her hands into her pockets and followed at a safe distance.

                The little things were clinging to the walls, a swarm of them, and Sumiko barely had a moment to prepare before they dropped on all floors and scuttled towards her.  Luckily, a moment to prepare was quite a long time with her heightened reflexes, and by the time they were moving she was already a blur, heading for one of the corners.  The creature immediately in her way made a grab for her foot, which she avoided with a standing jump that landed neatly on top of it with a 'crack'.

                Two more of the things leapt into the air; Sumiko ducked one and met the other head-on with a sideways chop that smashed it against the wall.  Before the second could get up she turned the motion into a spinning kick, catching it in the back as it recovered from its leap.  She turned hastily to face the rest of them.

                While two of their number climbed onto the table, three of the nasty creatures threw themselves along the floor and grabbed for her legs while the last jumped off the back of one of its companions and launched itself at her chest.  Sumiko caught it in mid-air by one arm and swung it aside, but the other three had closed the distance and wrapped their arms around her shins.  Their touch was raspy and cold, but she was forced to leave them there for the moment as she ducked away from the flying leap of the last two.  Managing to catch one by the scruff of its neck on the back-swing, she brought it down on top of one of the things on the floor with great force.  Both of them almost exploded in a spray of gore.

                Another of the things reached up and raked its claw down her thigh hard enough to draw blood.  Sumiko grimaced and kicked it off the end of her foot, then bought that foot down hard on her other tormentor.  The one behind her, having failed to jump on her back, had been slightly stunned by impact with the wall, and she crushed it to a pulp with an offhand blow.  Her hands snapped back into the guard position before the lack of immediate threats registered -- slowly, she let out a deep breath and looked over a room splattered with bits of demon and covered in oily yellow-green blood.  It was all fading away, though, as demons always did -- the place would be clean by midnight.

                "Well," she said, more or less to herself.  "That wasn't so hard."  Maybe demons in America aren't so tough after all.  She checked the janitor, who was weak but otherwise healthy since the thing hadn't had the chance to drain him completely.  Lucky for him I showed up, though.

                "Aku!"

                The little demon snapped into existence, as usual hovering over Mary's left shoulder.  She'd often thought that she should get an angel for the other side, just for the sake of balance.

                "Yeah?"

                "What the hell is going on?"

                "What do you mean?"

                "You saw that brute squad show up, right?"

                "Right."

                "And they showed up at the same time as the other three groups.  So my guess if they were waiting to ambush me when I went to whack the little ones."

                "Seems reasonable to me."

                "So where the hell are the going?"

                "Oh."  Aku shaded his eyes.  "To the library, it looks like."

                "I know that."  Mary made an effort to control her temper.  "But why?"

                "To get a book?"  The little demon squeaked and discorporated bare inches ahead of her irritated swat.  Mary dropped from her perch on top of the apartment complex across from the library, landing softly on a cushion of air.  The last of the demons had disappeared into the building, so she cautiously crossed the street and made her approach.

                This is a bad plan.  If they were waiting for me, they have to be pretty sure they can take me.  If all seven of them are sitting on the other side of this door, I'm walking into a deathtrap.  But on the other hand…  There was only one reason she could think of that they'd spring the trap early, and that wouldn't be pretty.  If someone else whacked their little goblins, they might think it was me.  But whoever-it-is is going to get butchered when this lot shows up.  There were very few reasons to go in, and every reason not to -- if you go in without adequate preparation, you get what you deserve.  But I suppose I can't just leave it at this.

                The door was unlocked, and she pushed it open with a stiff breeze and waited by the side.  Her caution was rewarded when a monster snuffled out, a huge mass of muscles and armor plate with one stupidly blinking eye.  It looked out across the street, leaned outside to see if anyone was waiting, and quickly ducked back -- not quickly enough, however.  Mary caught it in the eye with a spear of compressed air as sharp as diamond and so hot it was almost plasma, and the thing barely managed a bubbling shriek before it slumped to the ground.  Mary smiled tightly and stepped over its body into the building.

                This was almost the end of her.  Whoever planned this operation is smarter than I've been giving them credit for.  A second creature was waiting against the wall, having observed the fate of the first, and as she stepped in it lowered its shoulder and charged, catching her in the chest and slamming her up against the concrete wall.  Mary barely had time to soften a blow that would otherwise had reduced her to goo, and she ducked to one side as the thing backed up and swung at the wall with one clawed hand, leaving inch-deep scores in the concrete.  She ran to the side, tossing a hundred little razor-currents almost as an afterthought; they had little effect on the monster, which turned clumsily and lumbered after her.

                One she was given a moment to catch her breath, though, the demon was not really Mary's equal.  This time she stood up to its charge, and constructed a thick wedge between its two claws before they could close on her head.  It blinked stupidly as its blows failed to connect, and the brief pause was all she needed to drive another white-hot needle through its eye and out the back of its head.

                Mary took a long breath and spoke aloud.  "Not bad."

                "I could say the same for you."  The voice came from the stairwell, and she spun hurriedly.  Another of the massive creatures lumbered forward, followed by a young woman and some sort of axe-wielding maniac.  It was the woman who'd spoken; she nodded as Mary turned, as though in recognition.  "I'm impressed you dealt with our daemons so easily."

                The dwarf -- she had to think of him as such, between the axe, the height, and his accent -- gripped his weapon and grimaced.  "I hate ta kill a good-lookin 'uman girl.  But enough is enough.  My name is Heightman, little one.  You should know tha' before ya die."

                Mary shrugged.  "I won't bother to tell you my name, then.  If I'm just going to die anyway."
                "Ya could always come back wi' me, and we--"

                "Heightman, enough."  The woman frowned.  "I'm afraid you've caused too much trouble already."  This was punctuated with a shrill scream from below.  "That was your friend expiring, I believe.  Now stand still and die like a good little girl."

                "You…"  Mary did her best to fake a devastated expression.  "You killed…" 

                The woman smiled and raised one hand.  "Die."

                This, of course, was exactly what she'd been waiting for.  Power flowed along the woman's arm as she sighted, and Mary waited until just before it leapt to act.  Her own power snapped out, faster than thought, and slashed through her opponent's somewhat lax defenses as though they weren't even there.  Taken by surprise, the woman barely got off the beginning of a scream before the spray of energy caught and punched her backwards into a bookcase.  Through a bookcase would be more accurate, as it slowly collapsed on top of her and covered the spreading pool of gray-green blood.

                "You--"  Heightman didn't bother with more words; he just charged, and the big demon did likewise.  Mary hastily danced back, dodging the first stroke and blocking the second with a hemisphere of force that shivered under the impact.  She struck back at the dwarf, but he blocked her half-formed constructions with contemptuous ease until she was forced to dodge a swipe by the giant creature.  This won her a few moments, though, and she took the time to summon a blade of ice to her hand, freezing to the touch and raggedly sharp at the edges. 

                Heightman smiled, and approached more cautiously.  "So, girl.  You want to make a fight of it, then."  He gestured the demon to the left, and began to circle right.

                Mary pouted.  "That's hardly fair."

                "I'm na too concerned with fair."  The two of them charged, and Mary took the only option she could and danced to the side.  Heightman nearly caught her on the backswing in any case, but he had to slow to avoid crashing into the clumsy demon.  Mary's own blade lashed out and severed the thing's arm at the shoulder, leaving it reeling in pain.  Heightman cursed and came forward again, swinging wildly.

                This time Mary parried, the impact sending bolts of pain down her arm.  The dwarf swung again and again, heartened by the chips of ice flying from her blade, and Mary backpedaled carefully until she was next to the fallen bookcase.  Then she tripped on a book, toppling backwards; her blade slipped from her hand and flew into the air.

                "You're mine!"  Heightman lunged, and she rolled to one side as his axe split the floorboards where her head had been.  The icy dagger, in the meanwhile, hovered a moment at the ceiling, gathered speed, and lanced downward to bury itself in the back of his skull.  The dwarf toppled, and Mary climbed slowly to her feet.

                Okay.  That's four down.  She glanced at the demon, which was staggering slowly closer, and shredded it with a gesture.  Five down.  Two more downstairs.  Plus someone else who may or may not be alive.  The stairway was dark, and no more sounds filtered up from below.  Here goes nothing.

                Ironically, this was not a situation Robyn was unprepared for.

                There's something about reading science fiction and fantasy all your life.  It warps the mind.  So when something crazy happens, you just think 'Of course.  This is just like the time Jim Johnson was teleported to Cairn and became Yorrick the Barbarian!'  But…

                I mean…

                Fucking hell.

                The little goblins -- years of Tolkien-esque associations wouldn't let her think of them otherwise -- didn't look particularly strong.  They were half the height of a human and maybe one quarter the weight, but they made up for that in pure viciousness.  The one customer who'd tried making a run of the door was now huddled in a corner, bleeding from the matched pair of heavy slashes in his leg.

                In fact, the whole setting was vaguely surreal -- the restaurant looked like a relatively normal diner in which an interior-decorator-slash-old-newsprint-enthusiast had simply gone berserk and covered every flat surface with bygone headlines or other knickknacks.  This was considered perfectly acceptable décor for a family restaurant, though, and Robyn had barely glanced at it.  She'd just gotten her cheeseburger when the swinging doors to the kitchens had slammed open, the wait staff had run screaming from the room, and little goblin-things had come boiling out of the woodwork.

                This is the part where Scully always says, 'Come on, Mulder.  There has to be some scientific explanation.'  She peered at the closest creature, which was perched on one of the fake-plant-infested bartops keeping a careful eye on a group of huddling customers.  Her own hiding spot beneath an overturned table afforded Robyn quite a good view of the thing.  And if that's a robot, or a midget in a suit or something, this is the best special effects job in history.

                Three of the goblins returned from the kitchens, without the woman they'd dragged after them.  They sauntered over to the nearest group of customers and grabbed a screaming ten-year-old, yanking him away from his parents and towards the back.  The boy's mother shrieked and tried to go after them, but two more of the things held her down.  Child and monsters disappeared back into the kitchens, and Robyn swallowed hard.

                Shit.  It was easy to get caught up in the excitement of the fact that there were strange little creatures and forget that they seemed to be evil.  She hadn't heard any screams from the kitchen, but whatever they were up to couldn't be good.  This can't go on.  I have to do something.

                She shook her head frantically.  No!  That's the way idiot comic-book heroes think!  Why do I have to do something?  I'll just get myself killed.  It was hard to fight against the cliché -- it was typical, at this point, for the heroine to reveal her hidden powers and waste the monsters in a spray of magic.  God damn it!  I don't have any hidden powers, this is not some dumb fantasy novel, and I need to stay put until someone rescues us.  A few customers had gotten out at the beginning, so the police were surely on their way.  It's only a matter of time.

                As though to punctuate this point, the front door blew in.  The goblins had locked it, and dragged a few chairs in the way, but this proved about as effective as a wall of wet tissue paper.  A lot of the debris that sprayed outward was on fire, and what was left of the doorway was outlined in flickering flames.  Standing just behind it was a figure, roughly humanoid, and composed entirely of living flame.  The goblins turned on it and hissed almost as one, and the newcomer strode forward, unconcerned, as they jumped across the room to meet it.

                At this point, quite sensibly, Robyn pulled back as far as she could under the table and hid while the air was filled with horrible shrieks and the ever-present hiss of the flames.  Only once things had quieted down did she dare poke her head out again, just enough to see who had won.

                The flaming figure had stopped moving, still and nearly silent in the midst of a circle of charred goblins.  Bits of the little creatures were strewn all over the room, and a number of small fires had started up and were burning merrily.  The strange entity had been joined by two more people, too, a man and a woman in identical black suits and dark glasses.  The woman's eyes were glowing a nearly blinding white, visible even through the sunglasses; as Robyn watched, she gestured peremptorily and both the glow and the fiery apparition faded away.  The woman let out a long sigh, as though in relief.

                "Very impressive, Agent Rin."  This was from her companion, who was making a slow circuit of the room.  The groups of other customers had just started to realize that the fight was over, but no one had yet dared to speak.  

                The woman, Rin, acknowledged him with a nod.  "Thank you, Agent Deus.  Is that all of them?"

                "Indeed."  He tilted his head to one side, as though listening to something.  "Interesting.  The category-fives I mentioned earlier appear to have been terminated."

                "We picked the wrong site, then."

                "It appears so."  Deus' slow circuit of the room had brought him nearly to where Robyn was hiding.  "However, I think that it may not have been entirely unlucky."  He stopped, and looked directly at her despite the intervening tabletop.  "Would you come out here please, young lady?  No one is going to hurt you."

                Somewhat to her astonishment, Robyn believed him.  There was something kind about his features, despite his dark glasses and somewhat threatening appearance.  She stood up slowly, clambered over the table, and made her way over to him.  

                Deus looked with down an expression that almost seemed amused.  "What's your name?"

                "Robyn Masters."  She hesitated, feeling like something else was required.  "I'm a student at the high school.  I was just here to pick up dinner on the way home--"

                "I understand."

                "Agent Deus?"

                He half-turned to face his partner.  "Yes?"

                "What do you want to do with all these people?"

                Deus waved one hand and muttered a few syllables under his breath.  The patrons of the restaurant all slumped to the ground in unison, as though they'd been practicing.  Robyn blinked.

                "They're just sleeping."  Deus shrugged.  "And they won't remember any of this when they wake up, so don't be surprised when you don't find any mention of this in the morning papers."  He straightened his sunglasses with one hand, took one last look around the room, and turned towards the exit.  Rin followed, looking almost as bewildered as Robyn.

                "Wait--"

                Agent Deus stopped on the threshold.  "What?"

                "What about me?"

                He shrugged again.  "You're free to go."

                "But--"

                Before she could finished the sentence, the two black-clad agents were gone.  Robyn stood in stunned silence for a full minute before she dug her backpack out from under the table, edged out the shattered doorway, and ran for it.

                Mary summoned her disguise into being as she walked down the stairs, wincing at every creak.  After all, someone may still be alive down there.  The corridor in the basement was dark, but a wan light streamed from the third doorway and Mary crept towards it.  The fact that a conversation was in progress became apparent as she approached.

                "I'll give you credit for perseverance, little one."  This was a male voice, as smooth as suede.  "Most humans would have given up by now.  Just say the word and I can end this."

                The girl who Mary had heard screaming before answered, her tone shaky but full of conviction.  "N…Never."

                "I'm curious as to what gives you such confidence."

                "I am…the chosen of Eternity.  A pathetic demon like you can't…can't hope to defeat me."

                "Really?  Daemon, break her arms."

                The girl gave a little yelp, cut-off halfway.  Mary took a deep breath.

                God damn it.  Some amateur who thinks she's the savior of mankind.  Some people watch too much TV.  The voice started to whimper, softly at first.  Mary edged closer to the doorway.  After I waste these guys, I'm going to give her a good talking to…

                The whimpering grew louder.  Mary concentrated her power into a white-hot ball a few inches across and leapt around the corner.  As she'd suspected, there was a girl -- dressed in a silly looking white outfit, covered in frills -- with one arm twisted behind her back by another of the one-eyed demons.  A man in a business suit looked on with obvious pleasure; the girl's face was contorted in agony.

                A quick tactical analysis flashed through Mary's mind.  The guy is the obvious target.  He's the more powerful of the pair, I'd guess that even if I didn't already know, and the demon is occupied.  I should waste him while I have the element of surprise.  The problem with that was, of course, that the demon was likely to rip the girl's throat out in passing.  Damn it all to hell.  This thought process took about a quarter of a second, and before either man or beast realized she was there she tossed the little ball right into the back of the demon's head.  It shrieked in pain moments before the tiny mass of compressed air exploded, scattering bits of its upper torso all over the room.  The girl standing beside it was sheathed in sticky green blood from the waist up, and she stood perfectly still, as though stunned.

                The man reacted faster.  Mary was already weaving a defense as he brought his hands forward and lashed out with bolts of neon lightning; the power split just in front of her and earthed itself in the doorframe.  She fired a few razor-currents back at him, mostly just to keep him busy while she ducked back out of the room and into the corridor.  Mary prayed he'd follow blindly instead of offing the helpless bystander.

                She was half-right -- he stepped out into the corridor, but not blindly.  Instead of coming out shooting, he had his shield up and ready, and her stream of blistering air merely knocked him back a few feet.  Trapped in the narrow corridor, with nowhere to dodge, Mary threw everything she had into her defense and barely deflected another stroke of lightning.  The two stared at each other, breathing hard; Mary surrounded by glowing motes of vapor, the stranger's hands crackling with electrical power.

                "I thought she went down a little too easily."  The businessman shook his head.  "Poor kid just walked into the wrong place at the wrong time."

                "If it's me you're after, you've got me."  Mary spread her arms.  "Come on.  If you think you can."

                He chuckled.  "We haven't given you enough credit, girl.  You've earned yourself a few more days.  Enjoy them while you can."

                "If you've got a boss down there, and I know you do, tell him not to bother sending progressively stronger minions one by one."  Mary cracked a half-smile.  "He should come up here himself and get this over with."

                "I'll give him the message."

                The pair tensed.  Then Mary lashed out again, slashing currents through the hallway, but not fast enough.  The businessman blocked the initial rush, then contracted to a point as though folding in on himself.  The point winked out a moment later, and Mary was left alone in the library.

                Almost alone, that was.  A bubbling laugh from inside the room brought her running.  The girl was on her knees, still covered in blood, rubbing at a cut on the side of her cheek and laughing hysterically.  Mary surveyed her with increasing annoyance, noticing vaguely the other's features were concealed, like her own, under a blurred, shifting mask.

                "What are you laughing about?"

                It took a moment before the other girl managed to respond.

                "I was just standing there, you know.  With the demon behind me.  And then it exploded, and the only thing I could think was, 'Damn, it's going to be hard getting all that blood off my uniform.'"

                "That seems more crazy than funny to me."

                "The funny part was when I realized that since the uniform isn't real, I wouldn't have to."  She smiled weakly.  "It was funnier when I was scared half to death."

                Mary shrugged.  She was not in the mood for that sort of thing.  "So who are you?"

                "Eternity."  The girl took a deep breath.  "I am the Guardian of the Cosmos, Enforcer of Destiny."

                "Really."

                "And you?"

                "I am the Dark Lord Lucifer, symbol of Evil Incarnate and ultimate corrupter of mankind."  Mary chuckled and waved her hands as Eternity's fists snapped up.  "Relax.  That was a joke.  Just think of me as the local sheriff."

                "What's your name?"

                "Reaper."  She was proud of the name.  It carried a kind of panache that 'Mary' didn't quite summon.

                "Reaper."  Eternity considered for a moment.  "Well.  Thank you."

                "No problem.  In exchange for saving your life, can you do me a favor?"

                "I…it depends on the favor."

                "It's easy.  Stay the hell out of my business.  Okay?"

                Eternity only looked stunned, and Mary sighed.

                "Look.  I'm guessing you're new in town, because I've never seen you before.  Let me explain things to you.  I've got this place handled.  No problems.  You seem like a nice enough kid, and I'd hate for you to get ripped limb from limb, but that's what's going to happen if you keep messing around with this stuff.  Okay?"

                "But…"

                "No buts.  I know you're the defender of love and friendship and all that, but trust me.  I've got love and friendship covered for this sector of the map.  Go somewhere else and fight demons, that's great, have fun.  But that guy got away today because I had to save your ass, and if you get in the way again, you're going to find yourself at some fireball's ground zero."

                For a moment, Mary thought she had her convinced.  Then Eternity straightened up, and Mary sighed inwardly.  I hate it when people are stubborn. 

                "I appreciate what you did for me, Reaper, but I can't agree with your request.  I have to do what I have to do, no matter the consequences."

                "Fine.  Just don't say I didn't warn you, when we meet up in the afterlife."

                Mary turned on one heel and trudged out of the room, leaving Eternity sputtering in her wake.  She fumed quietly to herself.

                God.  This is going to make things so much harder.

                After such a momentous event, Robyn expected to emerge from the restaurant to find the city in flames, with ogres stalking the streets and dragons around every corner.  This turned out not to be the case.  Everything was perfectly, disturbingly normal -- she was blocks away from the place before she heard the wail of sirens closing in.

                She actually contemplated, for a moment, going back to talk to the police.  After all, if what Deus said is true, no one remembers what happened there but me.  They deserve to know what's going on.  Two things stopped her: first, the almost certain knowledge that she would be laughed at.  It's not like I have any proof.

                Second, and perhaps more importantly, was the fact that she had been spared.  Somehow. 

                But…why me?

                Deus walked around that room like he was looking for me, in particular.  He didn't know me by name, but he treated me differently.  Why?

                The answer -- the only possible answer -- was too corny, too self-interested to be possibly be true.  If this were an anime, the heroine -- me -- would find out that she has magical powers, or is the chosen one, or something like that.  Of course, if this were an anime Deus and Rin would have to be the bad guys.  People in black suits and sunglasses were never out for the common good.

                Okay.  Let's get realistic for a second here.  What, exactly, was going on in there?  Are we talking magic?  Actual, abracadabra, hocus-pocus blow 'em away with a 10d6 fireball magic?  How is that possible?

                Could I have had some hallucination, or something?  Maybe I got some bad steak, and it was all a dream.  That explanation never seemed plausible, but it was trotted out every time some mundane wanted to disbelieve the evidence of her own eyes.  No.  I'm not going that way.  I like to think I have as good a grip on reality as the next person, but I believe the evidence of my own eyes.

                In the interest of being honest with herself, Robyn had to admit there was another reason she wanted to believe what had happened was real.

                It means the world is a more interesting place than I thought it was.  That wasn't even it, exactly.  There's magic, and monsters, and someone who can erase memories with a wave of his hand thinks that I'm important.  Or worth noticing, at least.  If my life is going to turn into a movie, it's a relief to know that I'm the heroine instead of Victim #6.  The thought of being different, somehow in a separate class from all the idiots at school and morbidly dull adults with which she found herself surrounded was unbelievably attractive.  Almost frighteningly so.  Come on, Robyn.  Let's not get carried away here.

                So.  Thinking logically.  What's my next step?

                I have to tell someone.  The choice of who was obvious -- this afternoon's events aside, Robyn really only had one friend she could trust with a secret of this magnitude.  God.  Mary is going to freak.  Not literally, of course -- she had the feeling it would take more than this to shake Mary, who came across as genuinely unflappable.  But still.  It'll be nice to see her surprised, for once.  Robyn leaned on her friend more than either cared to admit, and sometimes it galled.

                She should still be up.  I have to tell someone.  There was an oddly urgent feeling, as though if too much time passed she might convince herself that it had been a dream or a hallucination after all and forget the whole thing.  I hope Deus won't get mad at me for telling Mary.  She can keep a secret.  And if I can't tell anyone, what good is it?

                Weaving unsteadily across the sidewalk, lost in her own thoughts, Robyn gradually threaded her way towards Mary's house.

                Mary took a moment, outside her door, to flick the layers of blood off her skin and onto the grass.  There was no getting it out of her clothes, but she usually stashed those under the bed until the blood had faded into nothingness like the rest of the demon's body.  In the dark, no one would notice.

                So I hope, anyway.  Dad'll be asleep, but Lia will presumably be up and about.  Unless she's gone out with Darren again.

                Aku popped into being, just above her shoulder.

                "Nice work, Maer.  Very nice work."

                "Praise from Aku.  How touching.  Have I mentioned that I don't want you hanging around while I'm in public?"

                "Relax!  There's nobody watching."

                "Still.  You have to be careful."

                "I don't see why you're so focused on hiding anyway.  You've got power, you should rule these people as a god.  The last guy I worked for had them carving fifty foot statues in his image."

                "That's not exactly what I need."

                "Still, Maer, you worry too much."

                "Weren't you the one that was worried, not an hour ago?"

                Aku cleared his throat.  "Yes.  Well.  I mean, I forgot how good you are.  They didn't have a prayer."

                "Except that Eternity, or whatever her name was, interfered."  Mary shook her head.  "I have a bad feeling about this.  Idiot amateurs usually get killed in messy ways, but she might hang around long enough to attract trouble."

                "Aw, what's to worry about.  It can't hurt to have some extra cannon fodder along when the demons show up, right?"

                "Has anyone ever told you you're cruel and heartless, Aku?"

                "You forgot handsome."

                "Right.  Now get lost, I'm going inside."

                "You're the boss."  He vanished to a glowing point, and Mary pushed open the door as quietly as possible.  Sometime I feel like I spend half my life creeping around, even in my own house.

                The ground floor was filled with the gentle radiance and soft whisper of television.  So Lia is here.  Mary headed for the living room and almost shouted a greeting before remembering the sleeping parent upstairs.  Instead she tiptoed closer, which turned out to be just as well.

                Lia was indeed watching TV, but she was not alone.  She was sitting on Darren's lap, the both of them bathed in the flickering glow but neither actually watching.  Lia was naked to the waist, and her boyfriend had a breast in each hand.  Her mouth was open, but any sound was masked under the grumble of late-night.  Mary mouthed a silent 'O' and couldn't help but watch for a few seconds before retreating up the stairs.

                I hope she knows what she's doing.  Mary couldn't help but feel paternal towards her younger sister -- her father was absent so often as to not even be a factor, and her mother had been dead since before either of them could remember.  Still, there were certain lines she really couldn't cross, and this was one of them.  She'll just have to deal with it herself.

                Once she was ensconced in her own room, she let out a long breath.  God.  What bothers me so much about that?  I should be happy for her.  She's got a nice boyfriend -- not very bright, but nice -- and they're having a good time.  I didn't think I was such a prude.  That wasn't it, and Mary shifted uneasily before admitting the problem to herself.

                I'm jealous.  Actually thinking it made her feel awful, but it was hard to deny.  When was the last time I kissed a guy?  Freshman year?  Back than things had been easy -- pick off the occasional demon on weekends, terrorize a mugger or two who barely knew what hit them.  I had time for stuff like this.  Now?  They're trying to kill me, and if I ever let my guard down they're going to do it.  It's fun, but…

                Maybe I should sleep with Robyn.  Mary was pretty sure her friend had a crush on her, even if she wouldn't admit it.  I mean, how bad could it be?

                Has it really been three years?  An unpleasant memory surfaced.  Not counting that guy who almost raped me last year.  She'd killed him afterwards, but it hadn't really felt satisfying.  A knife in the head is too good for people like that.

                I just wish I could tell someone.  The catch, of course, was that anyone who was in on the secret was in danger.  Plus I can't trust anyone to really keep it quiet.  I guess I could always do what Aku says, tell everyone and just let the chips fall.  The thought was too terrifying to contemplate.  I can't.  She closed her eyes.  Just be calm, Mary.  There's an end in sight.  These are heavy hitters they're sending after me now -- there can't be too many of them.  Sooner or later the big boss is going to show up, and we can finish this once and for all.  Then it'll be back to just whacking random critters, and I'll have plenty of time to get laid.

                Sometimes I wish someone else would just find out.  I mean, I don't really -- but if they did…

                She sat down on her bed and curled up, wrapping her arms around her knees.  The TV was still blaring downstairs, but she could hear footsteps on the stairs.

                Her door opened to reveal Robyn, disheveled and out of breath.

                "Robyn!  Are you okay?"

                "Mary.  I need to tell you something."

                Mary sat up, trying to keep her earlier thoughts out of her face.  "Go for it."

                "Okay.  Magic is real."  Robyn let out a deep breath.  "Also, your little sister is having sex with some guy on the couch downstairs."

                "I know."  Mary put her hands flat on the bed, and there was an odd look in her eye.

                "You…know?"  Robyn was floored.  "But…"

                "I was just thinking about it myself.  Darren's kind of a jerk to me, but Lia seems to like him so I guess I can't interfere."

                "Oh."  Robyn deflated.  "You did hear what I said before that?"

                "Yeah."  Mary sighed.  "I know about that, too."

                "You do?  But…how?"  Robyn looked at her friend helplessly.  It kind of takes the sting out of an announcement like that when the other person already knows.  She felt a little bit giddy, not quite rational.  So what the hell has Mary been up to?

                "It's a long story.  But let's start at the beginning.  What exactly happened to you?"

                "Okay."  Robyn took a deep breath and began, relating the events of the evening as accurately as she could.  Mary was nodding slowly while she described the goblins, and gave a little hiss of breath when she got to the fiery figure and Deus and Rin. 

                "Black suits and sunglasses?"

                "Yeah.  They looked like secret agents."

                "I'm not surprised."  All at once Mary looked worried.  "Are you okay?"

                "I'm fine."  Robyn was surprised to find and undercurrent of fear bubbling to the surface.  She'd been running on pure adrenalin since she'd left the place, overwhelmed by the strangeness of what had happened.  It was only now becoming apparent how close she'd come to getting killed, and she felt herself shaking.  Mary leaned forward, concerned.  "Really.  I'm okay…"

                "Robyn.  Come here."

                Robyn stumbled forward and sat down next to Mary; the bedsprings creaked.  Her friend put an arm gently around her shoulder, and Robyn leaned against her gratefully.  She felt tears in her eyes, and blinked them away angrily.  God damn it.  I got this far, why am I falling apart now…

                "Just relax."  Mary squeezed her tightly.  "Nobody's going to hurt you here."

                Robyn sniffed.  "I know.  It's just…I'm a little…"

                "I get it.  Just relax."

                There was a moment's pause.

                "Mary?"

                "Hmm?"

                "This isn't a dream, is it?  Because if I suddenly wake up now, I am going to feel so shitty."

                Mary responded by pinching Robyn's shoulder; she yelped, and smiled.

                "I guess not."

                "So are you okay now?"

                "Yeah."  Robyn wiped her eyes.  "Sorry about that.  I'm just feeling…you know…"

                "A little overwhelmed.   I get it."

                "I still want to know how you know about this sort of thing?  Are you a sorceress or something?"

                Mary laughed.  "Not likely.  Let's just say I have some strange relatives."

                "Oh."  She paused.  "Do you have any idea why Deus let me go?"

                "Nope.  I'd like to check something, though, if you're up to it."

                "Check something?"

                "Come with me."

                Mary open the door of her bedroom a crack, to make sure no one was waiting in the hall, then beckoned for Robyn to follow.  At the center of the hallway connecting the four bedrooms on the second floor there was a trapdoor that led to the attic, one of those old pull-down-from-the-ceiling things.  Mary jumped to grab the string and pulled it down without a sound, somewhat to Robyn's surprise.  Everything else in the house creaked.

                "Watch your step.  It's kind of dusty up here."

                This was almost immediately obvious.  Everything, including the steps themselves, was covered in a thick layer of grime, and Robyn found herself holding her breath as she tip-toed up the stairs.  Mary flicked a switch at the top, and one light bulb came on in some corner, doing little more than outlining the shadows.

                The attic was filled with junk, like most attics.  Crates of old pictures, racks of old clothes, defunct boardgames and boxes to appliances that had long since been thrown out.  Mary made her way to one corner, where the ceiling sloped inwards, and started rummaging in a large open box.

                "Give me a second."

                "Sure."  Robyn kept looking around, somehow fascinated.  At first glance, it looked like anyone's attic, even her own, but--

                There was a crystal ball, on a little stand.  Two carved dragons leered at each other, tossed carelessly on top of an old bedsheet; beside them, gems glittered on a bracelet that sparkled even under all the dust.  A little metal ball, on top of an old bookcase, seemed to swirl from color to color as she watched it.  And there was a sword leaning against the railing around the stairs.

                A katana, to be more accurate, maybe four feet long and menacingly curved.  The scabbard was slick and black; the guard was also black, with the occasional red thread woven in.  The whole thing looked so dangerous, so unbearably cool that Robyn was afflicted with a desire see the glitter of the steel.  She took a step towards it, hesitantly.

                "Please don't touch that."

                Mary's voice brought her back to reality, and Robyn took a hasty step back.  She was still unable to take her eyes off the blade.  "What is it?"

                "The legendary za'Tsaravor, forged for the Black Knight Taurus himself.  I chucked it in my attic for safekeeping."

                "It's magic?"

                "It'd be a pretty dumb legendary sword if it wasn't."

                "And it's…cursed?"

                "Yup.  So don't touch."

                "I think I can manage that."  The strange attraction was still there, but now that she knew about it it seemed almost unnatural, frightening.  Robyn turned her back on the sword with relief to find Mary holding a faceted crystal the size of a fist.

                "And what's that?"

                "Basically just a toy.  It helps people who aren't gifted, like us, visualize a magical aura.  Now hold still."  Mary put the crystal to her eye and looked through, the image of her face refracting oddly.  She looked Robyn up and down, carefully, then shook her head.  "Nothing."

                "Nothing?"

                "I was afraid Deus had put some spell on you, but it doesn't look like it."

                "Can I take a look?"

                Mary almost tossed the crystal over, without thinking, but after a second's consideration she chucked it back into the box.  "Better not.  It takes a while to learn to cope with what you see through that -- not something you want to try on a full stomach, trust me."

                "So…"  Robyn shook her head.  "Where did you get all this stuff?"

                "You know how crap builds up."

                "All this magical stuff?"

                Mary shook her head.  "Listen.  I know this all seems fantastic to you right now, but most magic is pretty worthless.  And what isn't useless is dangerous."

                "But…"  Robyn tried to parse Mary's expression.  It was a little too fierce, and a little too worried.  "I mean, it can't all be useless.  You can't just expect me to forget this.  Just the fact that any of this stuff exists means the way we think about the world is fundamentally wrong."

                "I don't expect you to forget it."  Mary kept her voice gentle.  "I just don't want you getting out of hand.  We'll take things slowly, that's all."  She smiled, somehow sadly.  "I'm actually kind of glad you found out.  I was getting lonely -- no one to talk to about all this stuff."

                Robyn felt her heart expand.  "You should have told me earlier, Mary.  If you could tell anyone about this, it's me."

                "You know, you're probably right."

                I can't tell her.

                Mary sat in her chair, swiveling back and forth.  Robyn had taken half the bed, and as usual rolled over to occupy more like three-quarters of it.  In this case it was okay, because Mary was not, in fact, asleep.  She was swiveling, and thinking.

                I can't.  She was mostly trying to convince herself.  Somehow telling Robyn the whole truth, about the demons and her own powers, felt so right.  But she'll just get herself killed, I know it.  Just look at her -- she was happy to find out all this existed.  She thinks this is a game.  If I tell her I spend most of my time keeping the town safe from monsters, she'll want to come along.  And then, someday…

                She was holding a pillow in her lap, squeezing it tightly.  God.  I never thought this would be so complicated.  As it stands, she may find out anyway -- Robyn's pretty smart, and I don't exactly have a good cover story.  I should have acted surprised when she told me.  That split-second decision was long past, and there was no use worrying about it.  Too late, too late.  And now that's she's on to me, I may lose everything.

                God.  I need to find a boyfriend, get nice and drunk, and go without a monster attack for five damn minutes.  One of the bastards got away -- that means they'll be back, and soon.  One of these days they're going to get the drop on me.

                She shivered.  When did I get so morbid?  It's time for sleep.  Everything will look better in the morning.

                "I sense from your manner, Agent Rin, that you wish to ask a question."

                "Yes.  If you don't mind."

                The black sedan sped along the highway, towards the flophouse on the edge of town where they'd obtained accommodations.  The streetlights blurred into a flickering line in a way that was almost hypnotic, and Rin had to keep concentrating on the road.

                "Not at all."

                "Why did you let that girl Robyn go?  She knows about us, and about the demons.  I doubt anyone would believe her, but still…"

                "It is against standard procedure."

                "Exactly."  Rin felt relieved.

                "However, in this case I believe the reward justifies the risk."

                "Reward?"

                "My informants have been watching this town for some time, particularly children of around high school age.  As you know, this is when supernatural powers tend to develop.  There have been a disturbing number of unexplained incidents surrounding this girl."

                "So you did know she was at that restaurant?"

                "No.  That was a happy accident.  It seems clear from the reports that there is some supernatural force interested in protecting her, however, so letting her go seemed justified."

                "Now that she knows…"

                "She will undoubtedly seek more information.  All we have to do is follow her."

                Rin nodded in admiration.  "Very clever, Agent Deus."

                "It is something of a spur-of-the-moment plan, Agent Rin, but the best I could come up with under the circumstances.  It may take some time until we can observe another demon attack, so until then we may as well pursue alternate angles of approach."

                "I see."

                "Have I mentioned," said Ayre, as he materialized in Kei's bedchamber, "that you have some weird tastes?  Some might call them depraved."

                "Shut up."  Kei waved away the viewscreen on which the one hundred thirty-fourth episode of Sailor Moon was playing.  "I'm looking for clues.  And if you want depraved tastes, go and look in your friend Tsuiren's basement."

                "I've been there, and the less said about it the better."  Ayre straightened his suit, uncomfortably, then glared at it until it dissolved and reformed into his more customary brown robe.  Kei smiled -- she was wearing her bedclothes, which were only one small step up from nothing, and lounging on an invisible cushion of air.  Cynthia, similarly attired, sat quietly in one corner.

                "I take it the meeting didn't go well?"

                "Meeting?"  Ayre shrugged.  "What meeting?  We showed up and he shouted at us.  This last mission was a disaster.  Only one of the three strike teams came back with any energy at all.  It looks like someone else is interfering now, too, but we don't have any evidence as to who.  Black was the only one who made it out alive, and he said there were two of them."

                "Great."  Kei's face twisted into a snarl.  "Just fucking great.  And I suppose Tsuiren is all hot for a follow-up."

                "He's insisted on it.  Some of the senior lords are going in person this time."

                "I don't suppose he's risking his own precious hide."

                "No."  Ayre's odd mismatched eyes, black and white, were unexpectedly serious.  Kei hesitated.

                "You aren't going along, are you?"

                "He asked for me personally."

                "So?  Tell him to fuck off.  You've got more power than I do, Ayre, even if you don't show it.  If anyone can give Tsuiren the finger, you can."

                "It's not that simple."

                "Why?"  She jumped off the air-cushion and stood in front of him.  "Why do we listen to him at all?  Sure, he's got power, but me and you and a couple of others working together could waste him."

                Ayre shrugged.  "How could you trust anyone else?"

                "I trust you."

                "In that, I think, you're the exception.  I could sell you out to Tsuiren anytime I wanted, and he'd reward me."

                "You won't."

                "So you claim."

                He leaned a little bit closer, and Kei almost took a step backward.  Even here, at the heart of her domain, she could feel the power radiating from him.  She'd often wondered how strong Ayre really was -- she'd never seen him in a situation that had come close to pressing him.  The staring contest went on for a good long time, but Kei finally broke away and flopped back on to the invisible bed.

                "Fuck.  I'm nervous enough about this, and now I have to worry about you too?  You were supposed to stay behind and distract Tsuiren."

                He stepped closer.  "Are you still fixed on this mad plan?"

                "You know I am.  It's the only thing that makes sense."

                "You know what you're giving up."

                "I'll still have power in the Timestream."

                "Not power like this.  What's the longest you've ever been away from your domain?"

                "I can handle it."

                "What about the locals?"

                "I think I can deal with a bunch of humans."

                "What about her?"

                Kei shivered, just a little.  "I've thought about that."

                "Enlighten me."

                "I'm going to talk to her."

                Ayre stopped, incredulous.  "That's it?"

                "That's it.  No one has ever tried it before."

                "But…"

                "Look, Ayre.  My mind is made up.  It's a risk, sure, but I think less of one than waiting around for Tsuiren to think of ways to kill us all."  She smiled viciously.  "And if I didn't know any better, I'd think that you were worried about me."

                "Just pointing out the flaws in your logic."  His expression went wooden.  "I still think it's insane."

                "Maybe I'm insane."  She lounged on the bed.  "Either way, you're not going to convince me."

                He sighed.  "I didn't think that I would."

                "So now what?  When's this next attack?"

                "Two days.  Tsuiren wants to keep her on her toes."

                "Two days.  So I'll make my move then, I suppose."

                "Kei…"

                "Enough.  I'm tired of arguing."

                "Shall I leave, then?"

                She shrugged.  "Stay, if you like."

                "Going to continue with your 'research'?"

                "Probably not."

                "Then what?"

                Kei shrugged again.  "We could have sex.  You've admired this body often enough."

                Ayre raised an eyebrow.

                Afterwards, Kei floated in darkness, alone with her thoughts.

                I wonder what it's like, being human.

                She raised one hand and turned it, slowly, though she couldn't see it.  She knew what it looked like, in every detail, because she had crafted it out of nothingness and raw power ages ago.  An effort of will, an expenditure of energy, and it could become a pair of scissors, or a tentacle, or a sword.  Here, in the heart of her domain, reality bent itself to her will.

                And yet I wear this form.  Why?

                There were lords who didn't, but that was a fad that never seemed to last.  Everyone, eventually, returned to some variant on the humanoid.  And the older one got, the less one changed bodies.

                You get used to them.  But therein lay the paradox.  However familiar the flesh of her human form became, it wasn't her.  I am somewhere else, something else.  I think of this as merely a convenient extension.  But…

                She couldn't get that stupid show out of her mind.  Is that how we really seem to them?  Ridiculous bogeymen, cackling over crystal balls?  Silly copies of the worst of their history?  It's…

                Well…

                You've seen the lords, in all their finery, whispered some traitorous internal voice.  What do they have that's their own?  They copy the humans, they twist and pervert what they've created, they disdain them as weak and stupid.  But ultimately, they're nothing but parasites.

                Like daemons?  Daemons were nothing, power-wrought bodies animated with simple instructions, suitable for killing and being killed.  No one ever wondered if they were real, since everyone had manufactured his or her fair share of mindless servants.  But…

                Where did I come from?

                She couldn't remember, not really.  Lords came, and went, and no one really knew why. 

                What if we're all just toys?  Bogeymen, for them?  We think our world is real, but we can't talk without their languages, think without their metaphors, can't even be without using their bodies.  We're parasites.

                Kei curled up on the bed and closed her eyes, though this made little difference.  Her body still throbbed warmly, and her domain was adjusted to the most comfortable temperature, but even still she felt chilled.  Kei hugged her knees to her chest and tried to smile.

                I'm just nervous, and with good reason.  It's been a long time since I was worried about dying, actually afraid of anything.  Now I'm manufacturing fears out of the dark.

                Of course we're real.  I'm real.

                Of course.

Chapter Three

                Sumiko looked as though she'd fallen down the stairs; there were a couple of heavy bruises on her arms, and a thick white bandage above one eye.  For all that, she was cheerful enough, bouncing in to school and collapsing in the seat next to Robyn's.

                Robyn raised an eyebrow, and took a moment to readjust her brain to Japanese.  "What happened to you?"

                "Got into a fight with some thugs."

                "Did you win?"

                "Yup."  She caught Robyn's expression and laughed.  "If I tell you the real reason, promise you won't tell anyone?"

                "Sure."

                "I got into a fight with my cat and accidentally knocked over some furniture."

                "I didn't know you had a cat."

                "Yup.  I brought him from Japan.  His name is Moron and he hates everything."

                "Really."

                "You'll meet him."

                Robyn started.  "Oh!  Sorry I didn't call last night.  Something came up suddenly, and I wasn't around, but I shouldn't have left you waiting anyway."

                "Don't worry about it.  After this business"--she gestured at the bruises--"I wasn't up for much anyway.  Had a nice long bath and read some manga."

                "Are you around tonight?  We can go out to dinner."

                "Sure.  Come back to my place afterwards?"

                "If you want."  Robyn hesitated.  "Do you mind if one of my friends comes along?  You really have to meet her."

                "Not at all."  She dropped her voice to a whisper.  "Look out, here comes Professor Eyebrows."

                Robyn couldn't help laughing.  Dr. Mercy, who taught first-period biology, was tall and thin with an unfortunately pale complexion that made him resemble one of the specimens in his jars.  He also, as Sumiko had commented, was possessed of a pair of impressively large and brown eyebrows and was in the habit of pulling on them while he searched for a word.

                "The earthworm," he'd say, "is one of the most"--tug, tug--"most…amazing of creatures.  Yes.  Um.  It's digestive system…"

                And so on.  It was amazing how quickly school went past with Sumiko sitting next to her, exchanging wry comments without the knowledge of anyone else in the room.  Robyn could honestly say she hadn't had this much fun in class in years.  Several times she had to restrain herself from telling her friend what had happened the previous night; only the memory of Mary's expression stopped her.  I'm not supposed to tell anyone.  Though I'm sure Sumi can keep a secret.  She barely speaks English anyway.  She smiled to herself.  I'll ask Mary tonight -- I'm sure she'll agree with me.

               

                After school, they wandered the town.  Sumiko asked Robyn to show her the sights, such as they were, and Robyn gladly provided a guided tour.  They also discussed important issues in today's anime, such as whether Utena could beat Allen Schezar in a swordfight and whether or not the two of them would make a cute couple.

                "What do you want for dinner?"

                Sumiko considered.  "Anything but Chinese food.  I've been living on takeout for a week."

                "How about--"  Robyn stopped.  I wonder if they've got that place cleaned up yet?

                "How about…?"

                "How about Italian?"

                "I'm not sure I've ever been to a real Italian restaurant."

                "I know a good one, and we can walk there.  Let me call Mary."

                Sumiko snapped open her cell before Robyn could look around for a payphone, and Robyn bobbed her head in thanks and punched Mary's number.  It rang and clicked almost immediately.

                "Yo."

                "Mary?"

                "Hey, Robyn."  Mary sounded a little on the tired side -- given how late they'd been up, that was no surprise, though Robyn herself was still feeling energetic.  "What's up?"

                "A new friend of mine and I are going out to dinner tonight.  Care to join us?"

                "A new friend?"

                "She's a transfer student from Japan.  Isn't that cool?"

                "Really."  For some reason Robyn thought Mary sounded suspicious, but her voice changed almost instantly.  "Sure, I'm up for dinner.  Where and when?"

                "JoJo's at seven."  Robyn looked at her watch.  "Can you make that?"

                "No problem.  Wait"--Mary cursed softly--"damn.  I forgot something.  Is it okay if Lia comes along?  I'm supposed to be watching her tonight."

                Robyn translated quickly for Sumiko, who nodded eagerly.  She spoke into the phone again.  "Sure."

                "See you then."  In the background, she could hear Lia's voice.

                "Where am I going now?"

                Robyn hung up and passed the phone to Sumiko.  "All set."

                "Are you up for playing translator?"

                Robyn hadn't thought about that, but she nodded firmly.  "Sure.  But you should practice your English, too."

                "Right.  Should we start over?"

                "Sure."

                This guy's face had seen better days.  A faded bruise ran all the way down his cheek and onto his neck, and one of his eyes was still slightly swollen.  Without the injuries he'd actually be pretty good-looking, Rin decided, though young and near-fatally self-absorbed.

                Deus sat back and let her do most of the questioning.  Finding this kid had been easy enough -- everyone knew something mysterious had happened to him and his friends, and that he didn't want to talk about it.  Luckily, most people were willing to tell the Bureau things they wouldn't spill to their closest confidant.

                "So, we were in this bar, right?"

                "Which bar?"

                "The Toasted Frog.  It's down on Willard."

                Rin noted that down, more for form's sake than anything else.  "And who's we?"

                "Me an' Chris and Jake."

                "I'll need full names later.  But go on."

                "So, we were in this bar.  And this chick comes up to us.  She's wearing a trenchcoat and stuff, but I can tell that she's, you know.  Hot.  And she's like, 'So, you want to come have a talk with me in the alley?'  Or something like that."

                "Okay."

                "So me and the guys were like, damn, she has to be a hooker or something, right?  I mean, I get my share of action"--he puffed up visibly--"but I don't like have random chicks propositioning me in bars.  So I said, 'All three of us?', and she was like 'Yeah,' and we were like 'Dude! '  So we followed her out."

                Rin stopped herself from rolling her eyes.  "And then what happened?"

                "That's where I don't remember so good.  I was pretty wasted, remember.  But this huge guy jumped out of nowhere with a bunch of his friends, and they beat the shit out of us.  And then they said if we ever told anyone or hassled this one girl again, they'd kill us."

                "Which girl?"

                "Robyn.  She's a senior in school, pretty hot but a total geek."

                "Have you ever bothered her?"

                "Well…"  He tried to look crafty.  "I mean, Dane asked her out one time, just for kicks.  You'd think she'd be happy, but she just walked away.  So we had to get her back for that, right?  We never tried to kill her or nothing, though."

                "Okay.  And you never told anyone about this?"

                Deus stood from the couch and started walking around the living room, peering at the family pictures on the mantle.  The kid watched him nervously for a moment before wrenching his eyes back to Rin. 

                "Nah.  We figured that Robyn was the daughter of some Mafia dude or drug dealer or something, so we haven't been fucking with her.  I mean, who cares, right?  It's okay if you get beat up if it's by the mob."

                "Right."  Rin closed her notebook with a snap.  "That's all I need for now.  Any questions, Agent Deus?"

                Deus didn't look around.  "Not at this time, Agent Rin."

                "Okay.  We may be back if something else comes up.  I'd like to thank you for being so helpful."

                "No prob."  The kid stood up and shook her hand, leering a little now that the scary part of the interview was over.  "You gonna catch those fuckers?"

                "Chances are," rumbled Deus, "that they're already in custody.  If they are who we think they are."

                "No shit?"

                "We're trying to gather evidence to keep them behind bars.  Right now it looks as though they'll go to jail for a long time."

                "Nice."  His eyes gleamed.  "I'm going to have to tell the guys."

                "Good day, Mr. Jacobson."

                "Yeah.  Later."

                Rin closed the door to the house quietly behind her and stood on the doorstep with Deus, admiring the clear day and savoring the fresh air.

                "I think I get it."

                Deus smiled.  "Enlighten me, Agent Rin."

                "You don't think there was any 'huge guy', right?"

                "Correct."

                "So if some girl beat up three big guys, she has to be supernatural."

                "It seems likely."

                "So she could be the one we're looking for."

                "It is possible."

                "And, like you said, she's protecting this Robyn."

                "Yes."

                "So you tell these lunkheads that the goons are gone, and they're going to go make Robyn's life a living hell."

                "Quite possibly."

                "That doesn't sound very nice, Agent Deus."

                "We are not paid to be nice, Agent Rin.  However, I suspect your sympathy is misdirected.  My plan revolves around the fact that Robyn's mysterious benefactor will not let her come to much harm."

                "So when the magical girl shows up to trash these guys, we grab her?"

                "Very perceptive, Agent Rin."

                "I think I'm beginning to get the hang of how you work, Agent Deus."

                JoJo's Bar and Grill was something a misnomer, presumably a holdover from an earlier phase of the restaurant's existence.  There was no bar, and the food they served was wider than might typically be described by 'Grill.'  The owners had kept the name nonetheless, and served up a fine mix of traditional Italian cuisine as modified by the boundless American appetite for fried crap.

                Mary had been there often enough that she was on nodding terms with the staff, and they waved her over to Robyn's table in the corner.  Her friend was already seated, talking animatedly to a diminutive Japanese girl with short hair and a friendly expression.  Their conversation sounded off, somehow, and with a sinking feeling Mary realized they were speaking in a language she wasn't supposed to understand -- Japanese, presumably -- and meaning was being automatically rendered by the translation magic built into one of her bracelets.  She hurriedly extended the spell to cover Lia and the girl herself and stepped forward, hoping to catch Robyn before she noticed.

                "Mary!"  Robyn gestured animatedly.  "Mary, this is Sumiko.  Sumiko, this is my friend Mary."

                Mary nodded.  "Nice to meet you."

                "Likewise."  Sumiko bobbed her head, and Mary saw Robyn's eyes widening. 

                "Uh, Robyn?  Can I talk to you for a second?"

                "S…sure."  Robyn got slid out of the booth, and Lia plopped down resignedly in her place.  "What's up?"

                "Privately.  Just for a second."  Mary gestured back to the booth.  "This is my sister Lia, by the way."

                Lia raised a hand.  "Yo."

                Once they were safely away, Robyn practically exploded.  "What's going on?  Sumiko understands you--"

                Mary held up one finger.  "Magic."

                "And…"  She trailed off.  "Magic?"

                "Right.  And Lia doesn't know about it, so let's not mention it, shall we?"

                "She really won't notice?"

                "I doubt it.  And we don't want to let either of them in on this."

                "Are you sure about that?  I've been thinking, and if we told Sumi…"

                "No."

                "No?"

                Mary shook her head.  "It's too much of a risk.  You have to realize we need to be careful with this, Robyn."

                "O…Okay."  Robyn took a deep breath.  "Sorry."

                "Now let's get back to the table before the waiter shows up."

                "So," Sumiko was saying, "how come you're hanging out with your sister tonight?"

                Lia rolled her eyes.  "Don't ask me.  Dad is away on a business trip, and he has some idiot idea that I'm safer if he's asleep in his room.  So I have to tag along."  She turned to Mary.  "Though I don't see why we can't just tell him--"

                "Nope.  No lying to Dad."

                "I already lie to him about tons of stuff."

                "You shouldn't do that, either."  Mary smiled.  "What about you, Sumiko?  Nothing to do on Friday night?"

                "I just moved here a week ago, so I'm not exactly into the nightlife.  Plus"--she rolled her eyes--"I'm kind of a manga freak anyway.  My idea of a good time is curling up with the latest couple of issues and a few gallons of soda."

                "Sounds like someone else I know."  Mary threw an exaggerated glance at Robyn, who laughed.  Lia rolled her eyes again, in a 'how did I get lumped in with these weirdos' gesture. 

                "You girls ready to order?"

                The waiter -- the only one on duty tonight -- cut something of an odd figure, so heavily muscled his shoulders sloped almost diagonally into his neck.  He put the plates on the table, surprisingly gently for someone whose forearms Mary couldn't have wrapped her fingers around, and whipped out his little pad. 

                "Um…"  Sumiko hurriedly glanced at the menu, but Mary shook her head.

                "We'll just get a couple of pizzas.  One cheese and one"--she flipped to the specialty section, where all the pies had funny names--"'The World.'  And coke for everyone.  Right?"

                There were nods all around, and the waiter flipped his pad away.  "No problem.  Should be out in no time."

                The drinks were delivered after a longish pause, and Mary sipped at hers before asking another question.  "So you're the new transfer student, huh?"

                "Yeah."  Sumiko shrugged.  "It's a pain, let me tell you."

                "I don't know about this.  Aren't transfer students usually demons or the villains in disguise or something?"

                "Hey!  The heroine can be a transfer student, too."

                "I guess."

                Robyn cut in.  "Sometimes the transfer students are new allies or something.  Or a bad guy who ultimately gets converted to being on the other side."

                "Hopefully not the latter."  Sumiko mock-shivered.  "Usually converted bad guys don't last too long."

                "Earth to planet nerd!"

                "What, Lia?"

                "Pizza's here."

                There was a long period of cheesy, doughy silence.

                "And this," said Sumiko, throwing open the door, "is my place.  Total hellhole, right?"

                In fact the room was startlingly clean, if small.  A tiny kitchenette bordered on a living room equipped with a TV and a stack of interesting black boxes, plus a couch and a couple of chairs.  Mary raised an eyebrow.

                "Actually, this is pretty good.  You should see my room when I lose interest in cleaning."

                "Mary."  Robyn glared.  "You live in a mansion."

                "Yeah, but it's so big there's places that never get vacuumed--"
                "Wow!"  Lia darted forward, catching sight of a narrow set of shelves stacked high with plastic games cases.  "Look at all this stuff!"

                Sumiko shrugged nonchalantly.  "I brought my stash from Japan."

                "I haven't even played II, and you've got IV."  She looked up, eyes bright.  "Can I try?  Please?"

                "Go for it."

                While the gaming machine booted up, Robyn flopped onto the couch and Mary followed Sumiko behind the counter to the fridge.

                "Can I help you with anything?"

                "Not really.  Just getting some drinks."  Sumiko started handing out long-necked bottles.  "Just grab one that suits your fancy and pass the rest along."

                "You mean--"  Mary read the label and raised an eyebrow.  "Oh.  Drink drinks."

                "I've got soda and stuff, if you'd rather not."

                "I don't mind, but Lia probably shouldn't."

                "I can answer for myself, thanks!"  Lia shouted from the living room.  Sumiko waved a hand dismissively.

                "Come on.  We're all underaged in this stupid country, right?  My dad keeps me well-stocked whenever he comes to visit."

                "Nice guy."  Mary tried to select one of the more harmless-looking bottles and popped the top with a fizz.  Robyn's hand snaked up over the counter to grab one without looking, and Sumiko stacked the rest on a tray and walked into the living room, where the game was just getting underway.

                One hour later.

                Mary was still on her first bottle, though she doubted anyone else had noticed.  Robyn had a healthy glow, and the pile of empty bottles in the corner was growing.  Lia was still engrossed in the latest technical wizardry that Japan had to offer.

                "So what do you think of America?"

                "America I like fine."  Sumiko smiled crookedly.  "I hate Americans, though.  All Americans are jerks.  Present company excluded."

                "That's not exactly fair."  Mary shook her head disapprovingly, but Robyn raised a finger.

                "Let's be fair, Mary.  Most Americans are jerks."

                "And you drive on the wrong side of the road."

                "And we drive on the wrong side off the road."  Robyn seemed to be getting a kick out of this.

                Sumiko took a long pull from the bottle.  "And it's impossible to find decent pornography."

                "And it's--"  Robyn colored, and Mary raised an eyebrow.

                "I've always found that the internet provides all the porn you could ever I want."  Mary coughed.  "Not that I've researched the matter."

                "I've used your computer before."  Lia leaned back and grinned.  "She's a pervert."

                "You should talk."

                "At least Darren's in full 3-D."

                Sumiko giggled, and Robyn turned even redder.  The Japanese girl punctuated her points by gesturing wildly with her bottle.  "Internet porn is crap."

                "Can we please change the subject?"

                Three hours later.

                "--and, well…"  Lia shrugged.  "That was about it."

                Robyn was still red, though some of it had to be from alcohol rather than embarrassment.  Sumiko was leaning way back on the couch, and despite her best efforts Mary was feeling a bit on the tipsy side.  The video games were long forgotten, and the conversation had taken its inevitable turn for the worse.

                "And nobody ever caught you two at it?"

                Lia shrugged.  "Mary has."

                "Don't remind me.  My little sister topless is not high on my list of wonderful sights."  Mary endured Lia's slap with good humor, and Sumiko turned to Robyn.

                "What about you?"

                Robyn shot a look at Mary and the pair of them broke up giggling.  Lia and Sumiko stared, blankfaced.

                "What?  When was it?"

                Robyn was still laughing, so Mary had to answer.  "Gaming convention."

                "A gaming convention?  You're kidding."

                "I still can't believe you actually went through with it."  Mary shook her head sadly.

                "A bet is a bet."  Robyn opened another bottle, still blushing but trying to ignore it.  "My honor was at stake."

                "As I recall, it was."

                "Okay."  Sumiko glared.  "What, exactly, happened?"

                "Robyn made a poorly advised bet."

                Robyn shrugged.  "I was drunk at the time."

                "A bet on what?"

                "DDR."  Mary broke out giggling again.  "You almost beat him, too."

                "You bet--"  Now Sumiko couldn't help laughing, too.  "Really?"

                "Yup."  Robyn leaned back against the couch.  "I mean, I ran out of money.  What else was I supposed to do?"  She glared at Mary.  "And you can stop laughing, too.  You lost to a grade-school girl in a Taruto costume."

                Sumiko switched targets for her astonished gaze.  "You…did you really…"

                "I was willing."  Mary drew herself up with an expression of injured pride.  "She chickened out."

                "Yikes."  The Japanese girl sat back, impressed.

                "What about you?"

                "Yeah."  Robyn leaned forward.  "What about you?"

                Sumiko lowered her voice.  "Actually…"

                The other three girls leaned forward even further.

                "…that's a secret."

                She had to flee into the kitchen to escape the storm of bottlecaps and hoots of derision.

                Six hours later.

                Mary looked around, sadly.

                "You're going to have some cleaning up to do."

                Sumiko nodded gently, leaning against the base of the couch.  "I'll…do it…in the morning."

                "I think it's about time for me to go."  Mary lurched to her feet and was pleased to find that she could walk with only a few wobbles.  Lia was fast asleep, curled up in front of the TV, and Robyn had collapsed on the couch again.  Mary nudged the latter.  "Robyn.  Wake up."

                "Mrgfl."  Robyn turned over.

                "Let her sleep."  Sumiko waved a hand.  "I don't mind."

                "As long as you promise not to take advantage of her."

                The other girl giggled.  "Sure."

                "Then I'd better collect my belongings and go."  Slinging Lia over her shoulders took a fair bit of doing.  Mary's sister wasn't really that much smaller than she was, but by surreptitiously supporting her with blocks of hovering air Mary managed to carry her comfortably.  "Thanks for having us."

                "Had a great time."  Sumiko waved, a little unsteadily.  "It's been great meeting you."

                "I'll see you again, I'm sure."

                "Absolutely."

                Outside, the air seemed wonderfully clean and cold.  Mary stood for a moment in the lee of the doorway, then started slowly walking towards home.  It was full night by now, and stars burned overhead in a cloudless sky.

                After a while, Mary cleared her throat, then thought for a moment and checked whether her sister was really asleep.  When a few prods proved her to be thoroughly unconscious, Mary spoke.

                "Aku."

                "Yes, your highness."  The little demon popped into existence, clutching his hands together.  "Thy wish is my command."

                "Can it."

                "Okay.  Whaddya want, boss?"

                "I've got news." 

                "Shoot."

                "Sumiko is Eternity."

                "Really?"  He floated next to her, looking suspicious.  "I knew there was something up with her.  Transfer students are always no good."

                Mary shrugged.  "That's just a cliché.  But I think it's a pretty good guess."

                "Based on what?"

                "When I was in her bathroom, I saw a bloody sailor uniform in the hamper.  Either she has a fondness for fighting people in obscure costumes, or…"

                "Right.  So what are you going to do about it?"

                Mary sighed.  "Robyn's involved with her, and there's not much I can do about it."

                "I still think you should just tell Robyn about all this."

                "No."  Her eyes were hooded.  "Trust me.  It's not worth it."

                The demon was about to press the matter, but thought better of it and shrugged.                 "So what are you going to do about it?"

                "I'm going to drop Lia off at home."  Mary sighed again.  "Then I'm going to go and have a talk with Sumi."

                "Sumiko."

                Sumiko twisted in her sleep as a burning figure took shape in her dreams.  She knelt, instantly, as it pulled aside its veil of fire to reveal the features of the Queen.

                "My Queen.  What would you have of me?"

                The Queen was beautiful, no doubt about that -- perfect features and long black hair that sizzled in the eternal fire of her garments.  She looked exactly as she had always looked.  Sumiko had first seen her when she was fourteen, after a particularly awful fight with her father, and her life had never been the same.

                And I don't regret it for a minute.  Still kneeling, Sumiko smiled.  She gave me what makes me who I am.  I owe her everything.

                "Eternity.  I am glad to see you have made it here safely."

                "Of course, my Queen."  Though it was a near thing, yesterday.  "The demons have been interfering again."

                "As well they might.  We are so close, Eternity.  Already the chains are weakening."

                Sumiko's heart thrilled.  "My Queen…"

                "The few obstacles that remain, however, will be the most difficult yet.  You must prepare yourself."

                "My Queen, I am always prepared."

                "Good."

                The vision started to fade.  Sumiko hesitated, then spoke up.

                "My Queen…"

                "What is it, faithful servant?"

                "What about this…Reaper?"

                The Queen put on a thoughtful expression.  Her mismatched eyes glittered in the light of her own fire.

                "I think that, though deluded, she is ultimately a warrior on the side of Light.  Encourage her to join our cause."

                Sumiko nodded, unconvinced.  "And if she refuses?"

                "Then she is an obstacle, nothing more."  The Queen shrugged.  "Remember.  The path to salvation is watered with the blood of the innocent."

                "No sacrifice is too great, my Queen."

                The visage of the immortal faded away, and Sumiko felt herself turn over happily.  Her peaceful sleep lasted only a few moments longer, however -- there was a sudden noise at the window.

                Mary rapped on the window, hard enough to make the frame rattle.  Aku hovered over her shoulder, looking worried.

                "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

                "Of course I'm sure."

                "I mean, this Eternity person is on our side.  Shouldn't we be trying to recruit her?"

                "'We?'  I don't recall the last time you helped smash some demons."

                "Fine.  But still--"

                "Look, Aku.  I work alone.  I always will, and you know it."

                "I just don't see why--"

                The window slid open with a prolonged screech, revealing a disheveled-looking Sumiko wearing a long T-shirt and an expression that implied a killer headache.  She shook her head irritably and focused on Mary.

                "What?  What do you--"  Her breath caught.  "Reaper!"

                Mary bowed, thankful for the blurring mask that hid her face.  "At your service.  I'm here to deliver a message."

                "You--"  She realized, suddenly, that her outburst had given away her secret.  "I mean…"

                "Relax.  I know who you are."

                "Okay."  She was clearly relieved.  "Look, I've been thinking about what you said last night.  I don't mean to move in on your territory, but surely you can see how we could benefit from working together.  I mean--"

                "I'm not going to rehash that.  If not for me, you'd be dead."

                "Well--"

                "That means you owe me your life.  So do me a favor and keep it."

                Sumiko rolled her eyes.  "So what are you here about?"

                "Her."  Mary thrust a finger through the window at the sleeping Robyn.

                "Her?  What about her?"  She looked suddenly sly.  "Do you know her?"

                "Don't start.  And you can think of me as her guardian angel.  So here's the deal: she can never know about this."

                "About--"

                Mary conjured a tiny tornado on her palm.  "About this.  About you.  Understand?"

                "But…I think she could keep a secret, and--"

                "It's for her good, not ours."  Behind her mask, Mary's eyes were raw with pain.  She was glad they were invisible.

                "What if I don't agree with you?"

                Mary took a deep breath.  "Then we have it out.  Now."

                There was a long pause.  Sumiko broke eye contact first.

                "Fine," she muttered, turning away.  "You've been here longer.  I respect that.  Robyn will never know."

                "Good."

                "But you can't stop me from doing my job."

                "Since when is it your job?"

                "I serve at the behest of my Queen.  She--"

                Mary held up a hand.  "Fine.  I don't care.  Just don't expect me to save you next time."

                "I never expected you to--"

                Mary didn't stay around to hear the end of that remark.  She turned around and walked away, and heard Sumiko close the window behind her.

                It seemed to Robyn, over the next few days, that Mary was avoiding her.  Usually they met up after school at least every couple of days, a time-honored ritual that had persisted despite Mary's graduation.  But without making it obvious, Mary had drawn a bit farther away, until Robyn realized Sunday morning that she hadn't even spoken to her best friend since the party on Friday.

                Sumiko had been similarly unavailable -- a call to her house had been met with silence, leaving Robyn to stew alone for the weekend.  She used the opportunity to catch up on things, watch some anime she'd been meaning to watch, and put a real dent in A Storm of Swords.  But fantasy, disturbingly, was starting to remind her of things in real life, and sometime Sunday morning she put down the book with a sigh and stared up at her ceiling.

                It all seems like a dream.  She knew that wasn't possible, but it almost felt like she'd merely gotten drunk and imagined it -- the goblins, the conversation with Mary, the somewhat blurred party with Sumiko and Lia.

                This isn't how it's supposed to go.  How it's supposed to go is: I find out magic is real, then I learn that my friends are involved in a desperate battle to save the world, then I turn out to be the chosen one who leads us to victory.  She smiled weakly.  Okay.  Maybe not quite that bad.  But I've never read a story where goblins attack one night and the next day it's back to school as normal.  How can I go to school?  How can I even take any of this 'real life' crap seriously?

                I have to talk to Mary.  Her resolve suddenly hardened.  There has to be something.  I'll get her to tell me where all her magic stuff came from.  A tiny worm of doubt quivered in her heart, a certain dark suspicion -- could she be hiding something from me?  It doesn't seem likely.  Still, she hesitated before picking up the phone, and finally rolled out of bed and started pulling on her shoes.  I'll go and see her in person. 

                Robyn hadn't realized, before she moved, how frustrated she was.  It was something that had been building for some time.  There was something under the curiosity, under even the nervousness -- anger.  If she is lying about this…what right does she have?

                She pulled on a light jacket, pushed up her glasses, and tied her hair back into a tail.  There.  Halfway presentable, even.

                The day was overcast, the air heavy with a hint of rain and enough chill to make it unpleasant.  Robyn wrapped herself tightly in the jacket and set off without noticing the black sedan that pulled out and followed, at a leisurely pace.

                "Mary?"

                Mary's house was big enough that knocking on the door simply had not effect, and the doorbell was eternally unreliable.  By far the easiest method of getting someone down was to aim in the general direction of their window and shout, or throw snowballs in wintertime.  Robyn had gotten used to this long ago and no longer considered it impolite.

                It took three or four calls before the window shuddered open and Mary stuck her head out, blinking sleepily in the morning sunshine.

                "Hey, Robyn.  What's up?"

                "Wanted to talk to you about some stuff.  Can I come in?"

                "Sure.  Give me a sec to put some pants on."

                A few moments later the front door creaked open and Mary, still a little bleary, ushered Robyn into the living room.  Like the rest of the house it was cavernous, with ancient hardwood floors and Salvation Army furniture.  Robyn took her accustomed place on the couch while her friend pulled some soda from the fridge.  Mary finally settled down and leaned forward.

                "So what's up?"

                Robyn glanced around.  "Is anyone else up?"

                "Nope.  Dad's out of town until tomorrow, and Lia was up until four in the morning playing some idiot game."

                "Good.  I wanted to talk about…what we talked about before.  You know."

                Mary sighed.  "Okay.  And?"

                "I just wanted to know…more.  You know.  There's got to be something more to it."

                "Look.  There's not much to say.  Magic is real -- fine.  I've got a trunk full of magic crap upstairs.  Most of it is useless, and what is any good is mostly good at blowing stuff up.  How useful is that, really?"

                "But--"

                "Where does it come from?  I don't know.  We inherited it from my grandmother.  How does it work?  Search me.  What good is it?  Not much."

                "But…don't you get it?  Just the fact that this stuff exists means there's a whole other world we know nothing about!"

                "So?  Who says it's better than this one?"

                "God!"  Robyn shook her head.  "You're not curious at all about this?"

                "I used to be.  Curiosity doesn't get you anywhere."

                "I was almost killed by goblins."

                "I know."  Mary quieted.  "I'm sorry for that."

                "Why?  It wasn't your fault."
                "Right.  And it's not likely to happen again."

                "So I should just forget about it?"

                "Exactly."

                The two exchanged a heated stare, which Mary finally broke.  Robyn shook her head, harder. 

                "I don't believe you."

                "What?"

                Robyn was watching her friend's face carefully.  There wasn't much there -- barely a blink of an eye, but it was enough.  Her expression hardened.

                "You're lying.  You're lying to me, Mary."

                "I…"

                "Do you not trust me?  Is that the problem?  I swear--"

                "I trust you."

                "So why won't you tell me what the hell is going on?  This isn't some stupid little secret, Mary, this is a big deal."

                "Calm down."

                "What?"  Robyn was almost shouting now.  "Why?  My best friend is keeping what is possibly the most important thing in my life to date a secret.  Why should I calm down?"

                The anger welled up inside her so quickly it made her realize how long she'd felt it.  She always knows best.  She's always looking out for me.  And I owe her for it, but God…

                Mary put her chin in her hands.  "Robyn.  Will you listen to me for a second?"

                "Go ahead."  She was still nearly vibrating with suppressed rage, but she managed to hold it in for the moment.

                "Suppose that I was keeping something from you.  Don't you think I'd have a good reason for it?"

                "Sure.  I bet I know what it would be, too."

                "Oh?"

                "It's too dangerous, Robyn," she parodied.  "You might get hurt.  So just stay wrapped up in your safe little world and ignore the man behind the curtain."

                Mary's face was expressionless.  "Something like that."

                "So here's my question, Mary.  What makes you so fucking qualified to deal with it?  Lia's your little sister, you know.  I'm supposed to be your best friend, not someone you have to protect.  And for something like this--"  She trailed off, weakly.  "I just don't get it."

                "I know."  Mary's voice was almost a whisper.

                "Don't try that 'knowledgable mentor' crap on me.  I'm tired of this.  I'm tired of you constantly doing me favors."

                There was a long, awkward pause.  Robyn seethed, hurt and angry and somehow afraid at the same time.  Finally, hesitantly, Mary shrugged.

                "There's nothing to tell."

                "God!"  She surged off the couch, heading for the front door.  "Fine.  I'm going to go find it myself."

                "Robyn--"

                The front door slammed, hard.

                "Be careful."

                Mary let her hand fall and slumped back onto the couch.  Unbidden, her little familiar appeared with a 'pop'.  He clucked sympathetically.

                "Maer, I'm telling you, you got something good going with that girl.  You should let her in on it -- we could use some backup."

                She took a deep breath, with some effort.  "Aku?"

                "Yeah, boss?"

                "Shut up."

                "Okay, boss."

                The little demon vanished in a flash.  Mary put her head on the armrest and sobbed for a while, quietly, before stumbling to her feet and starting breakfast.

Chapter Four

                "What the hell is that?"

                "Bladething."  Ayre kept his voice to a whisper.  Kei wasn't supposed to be here, after all, and while normally Tsuiren would not exact horrible vengeance on someone who wanted to catch a glimpse of his departure, he was currently not in the best of moods.  "Tsuiren built it himself."

                Not to mention I'm planning to blatantly defy his authority.  If he knew that, though, I'd be dead by now.

                The creature in question was almost ten feet high, with an outer skin that glittered and rippled like mercury.  It was only vaguely humanoid, two stubby legs and a pair of arms that ended in four-foot blades, skewer-thin and razor-sharp at the edges.  Its face was a blank metallic mask, and its elbows and knees were adorned with cruel barbed spikes.  All in all, Kei thought, it seemed to be a damned effective killing machine.

                Maybe I'm wrong.  Maybe they'll catch her this time.  This could all be a big mistake.  She shook her head, trying to drown that feeling out.  I'll show them I'm not some toy.

                "Who are you taking?"

                Ayre ticked off the name on his fingers.  "Myself, Pyros, and the daemon."

                "That's it?"

                "Tsuiren says more would only get in the way."  Ayre's face showed what he thought of that.  He caught Kei's expression.  "What are you looking all worried for?  You're the one running off to commit suicide."

                "Right.  I'd forgotten."

                Her stomach, assuming that her body possessed such a thing, was twisting into knots.  Tsuiren was putting the last few finishing touches on his daemon while Pyros stood quietly in one corner of the massive Hall of Departure, a grand name for what was essentially a landing pad.  Ayre and Kei were off to one side, staying out of the way and avoiding the Dark Lord's attention.  This wasn't hard, since the Hall was crowded with statues and works of art Tsuiren had looted down through the ages.  Kei concealed herself behind a marble statue of a woman embracing a slavering wolf-thing and kept her eye on the portal.

                "You'll have about five minutes," whispered Ayre, "so don't rush.  Tsuiren will open a hole in the barrier to send us through -- all you have to do is follow."

                "I know."

                "Once you get to the other side, run for it.  When the enemy shows up, we'll be handling it.  You can stay out of the way."

                "Ayre, we've gone over this a hundred times.  It's not that hard."

                "Okay."  He patted her gently on the head, an odd gesture from the normally unemotional lord.  "Be careful."

                "Likewise."  Kei crouched further behind her statue as Ayre walked to the portal.  Tsuiren waved his demon aside and spoke to the pair, but Kei was too far away to hear what was said.  Finally the Dark Lord waved his hand grandly and opened the portal into the Timestream.

                Kei felt her mouth go dry.  With as much disdain as she had for Tsuiren's intelligence, she sometimes forgot how powerful he was.  The great Barrier that separated the Timestream from the Outer Realm was hardly easy to pierce, but the Dark Lord swatted it aside with barely an effort, providing the energy for the daemon, Ayre, and Pyros to jump into the other world.  She tensed as the bladething stalked through, unconcerned, followed by the other two.  Tsuiren watched a moment longer, then faded from view -- presumably returning to his chambers.

                It's now or never.  Kei was already running, her feet skidding across the marble.  This is idiotic.  The stupidest thing I've ever done in my life.  Likely to be the last stupid thing I do in my life.  Halfway to the glowing pillar of light.  Ayre will kill her, I'm sure of it.  Why bother with this?  Tsuiren will hunt me to the ends of the Earth -- I know how petty he can be.  Almost there.  Stupid, stupid stupid.

                Kei dove into the pillar.  The unpleasantly familiar sensation of being wrenched apart instantly and just as quickly reassembled passed almost before it had time to hurt.

                Mary was trying to read a book and failing.  Fighting with Robyn had rubbed her raw, and she'd spent most of the day closeted in her room.  Now she looked up, eyes still a little red, and stared out the window across town.

                "That's it."

                Aku popped into being.  "You feel that?"

                "Yup."  Mary jumped off the bed and wrestled her shoes on.  "Looks like a big one."

                "Like lambs to the slaughter."  Aku rubbed his hands together.  "You ready to kick some ass?"

                "I don't recall you doing much ass kicking."

                "I'm an advisor."

                "Right."  Mary opened her door, bounded down the steps two at a time, and streaked past an amused Lia in the living room.  "Going out, see you later!"

                "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of me?"

                Mary stopped in the doorway.  "Take care of yourself."

                "Fine.  I'm having a coke orgy while you're gone."

                "Plenty of coke in the fridge."  She let the door slam on her sarcastic little sister and started down the street at an easy jog until she was well away from the house.  Then Mary summoned her power and leapt into a jet-assisted parabola that ended on the nearest rooftop.

                Aku hovered alongside as she moved in a series of easy jumps, outrunning the traffic on the lazy streets below.  It was already well past sunset, and the town beneath her was like a distant ocean of light, accompanied by the staccato bellows of car horns and the shrill whistling of the traffic lights.

                "Maer.  You sure you're okay?"  The little demon looked embarrassed to even be asking the question.  "I mean, you seemed kind of upset earlier."

                "I was."

                "So…"  He paused.  "Anything I can do?"

                "Not really."

                "You seem a bit cheerier now."

                Mary smiled, her hair whipped back around her by the speed of her passage.  "That's because I like blowing things up."

                Rin woke up with a start, the gaping wound in the barrier throbbing in her head.  She twitched the covers aside, dressed only in an over-sized T-shirt, and glanced at the other bed.  It was empty, and she was alone but for the cracked, staring eye of the television.

                "Agent Deus?"

                Robyn found herself dawdling at the entrances of alleyways to make out.

                Her partner, a stick-thin but well-muscled college freshman by the name of John, was enthusiastic if not particularly effective.  She endured his pawing and kissed him back mechanically, tasting beer and cigarettes.

                Moping had been the order of the day.  The fire she'd felt at Mary's house had faded shortly thereafter, leaving Robyn with a desperate need to go back, to apologize.  Only a few smoldering embers of anger and a stubborn pride kept her walking all the way home.  Let her feel bad for a while.  She deserves it.

                That, however, left her with the question of what to do for the rest of the day.  Unable to concentrate on books or TV, not interested in games, Robyn found herself taking to the streets in search of distraction.  While she'd never really done something like this before, she had read about it enough times to understand how it worked.  Her plan was to find a bar, start drinking, and not stop until one of the guys that hit on her seemed halfway attractive.

                It had worked, at least as far as that went.  Now, halfway home, the alcohol was wearing off and Robyn was starting to wonder why she'd bothered.

                John pushed her against another wall, and Robyn closed her eyes and tried to ignore him.  His hands started at her shoulders and slid slowly lower; when they got to her hips, she pushed him away.

                "Aw."  He looked hurt.  "Come on."

                She shrugged.  "Not here, we're in the middle of the damn street."

                "That's right."  This voice was more of a rumble.  "You never know who might be watching."

                Robyn's breath caught as three over-sized shapes detached from the shadows.  John turned angrily, aggravated by drink and desire.  "What the hell do you want?"

                The leader, still just a shape in the darkness, chuckled nastily.  "We've got some business with your friend here."

                "You got a problem?  Fuck off!"

                Robyn squeezed her eyes shut just in time.  There was a nasty crack, and the sound of a body hitting the floor.  When she dared to open them again, the three shadows were standing closer, barely recognizable in the glow of the distant streetlight.    

                "Ed."  She nodded, slowly.  "Chris.  Jake."

                "What a coincidence, meeting you here."  Ed loomed closer; his companions sniggered. 

                "Y…yeah."  She tried not to show anything in her expression.  "What's up?"

                "Sorry to spoil your plans for the evening.  I seem to have knocked out your little boyfriend there."

                "He was boring me anyway."  Robyn pushed off the wall and tried to walk past him.  "I think it's time for me to head home."

                "Not quite."  Ed pushed her by the shoulder until her back was once again against the brick.  "I said I had some business with you."

                "So talk."  She was proud that her voice didn't waver.

                "See, the guys and I didn't really have anything against you.  And we were real sorry about the other night; that just got out of hand.  But you had to have your fuckin' goons teach us a lesson, didn't you?"

                "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

                "Right."  He slammed his other hand against the brick for emphasis.  "Well, here's the thing.  Some fed was asking me questions, and he says your daddy and his pals are all in jail.  So we figured, well, fair's fair.  We need to teach you a lesson."

                "What are you talking about--"

                He raised his hand, an inch from her face, and Robyn suddenly got very quiet.

                "Good.  Very good.  I like a girl who knows when to shut up."  He grabbed one of her wrists.  "Now come with me."

                They managed to get into the alley without her arm actually being wrenched out of its socket, and finally Ed tossed her to the ground while his two friends blocked the exit.  Robyn closed her eyes for a moment, not quite believing what was going on.

                Jesus Christ.

                "Get up."

                She obeyed, hesitantly, and Ed leaned closer again. 

                "Okay.  We can do this the fun way, or the not-so-fun way.  Get it?"

                Jesus Christ.  This is not happening.

                He shrugged off his jacket.  "And in case you get any funny ideas about running for it, just remember it can always get worse.  Now…"  He twitched the collar of the jacket aside and put one hand on the top of her T-shirt.  With a sudden, violent motion he pulled downward, the collar nearly throttling her before it snapped and the whole front of the shirt tore away in his hands.

                Oh.  Jesus.  I can't believe…

                She could feel his hands on her breasts, but distantly, as though she were drifting away.

                This is not happening.  This is where I find out I have magical powers and kick their asses.  Or when the prince on his white horse shows up.  She squeezed her eyes closed, tears leaking through, as he slid the jacket off of her shoulders.  Please…

                "I hate to be involved in such a cliché, but I'm going to have to ask you to take you hands off of her."

                Another figure was outlined against the light at the entrance to the alley; Chris and Jake turned on him with a snarl.  The figure shrugged.

                "Please.  When one man challenges three muscular thugs in a dark alley to save some girl, there's only one way it can turn out.  Do we really have to do this?"

                Ed took a threatening step forward, and the other two charged.  The figure raised his hand, and Robyn felt the hair on her skin rise as electricity crackled around her.  There was a crackle, muted like distant thunder, and the sudden sweet scent of burned flesh.

                Robyn hardly dared breathe out.  It happened.  It actually happened.  The heroine never actually gets raped, it's all just a game--God, Robyn, you're merging fantasy and reality again.  She opened her eyes.  Although, given the circumstances, I might be forgiven.

                The man at the end of the alley shrugged his shoulders, and power crackled off him in little sparks, crawling along the edges of his coat before earthing itself.  He was thin but well-built, with dark blue hair to his shoulders and a faintly knowing smile.  One eye was pale, fishbelly white, the other the black of smoked glass; aside from this minor irregularity, Robyn noted absently that he was actually quite handsome.

                He walked down the alley slowly, so by the time he spoke she'd managed to collect her thoughts somewhat and draw her jacket closed.

                "Good evening."  He nodded politely.  "I'm sorry to interfere, but I'm afraid I just can't stomach"--he waved a hand vaguely--"this sort of thing."

                "No.  I mean, God, no.  Thank you."  Robyn shook her head violently.  "If you hadn't shown up, I don't know what would have happened."

                "I suspect I do."  He nudged Ed's recumbent body with his foot.  "Feel free to kick them, if you'd like."

                "I…I think I'll pass."  She stumbled past the three of them, almost falling against the wall; the stranger put one hand gently on her shoulder.  He was wearing gloves, black leather, but she could almost feel the bite of electricity even so.  Robyn took a deep breath.  "That was amazing."

                He shrugged.

                "No, I mean, really amazing.  You just--"

                "I know."  They'd reached the entrance to the alley, and he stopped.  "Will you be okay for the rest of the evening?"

                Robyn stared at him, almost in shock.  No.  It is not getting away this fucking time, I not going to let it.  "W…I mean…"

                "I'm afraid I have things to take care of."  He settled his coat around his shoulders.  "If you'll excuse me--"

                "No!"  It came out more forcefully then she meant it to.  "You can't."

                "No?"

                "Look.  You're a wizard, or a magician, or something like that."

                "Something like that."

                "You can't just pull a stunt like that on me and walk off into the fog, okay?  I'm tired of this!  You people have some weird game going that I'm not part of.  I want in, okay?"  She was aware this was not totally coherent, but it was the best she could do on the spur of the moment.  I can't just let him walk away.  "I'll do whatever it takes, whatever you want.  Just…please."

                The man seemed taken aback.  After a moment, though, he shrugged again.  "Well.  If you put it that way."

                "I'm sorry.  I just wanted…I want…"

                "I understand."  He put one hand on her shoulder, and again she felt the little crackle of power.  "What's your name?"

                "Robyn.  Robyn Masters."

                "Hmm."  He looked her over carefully.  "My name is Ayre."

                "Ayre."

                "I assume you don't mind following me, then?"

                "No!  I mean, not at all."

                "Or that it'll be dangerous?"

                Robyn shivered a little.  "I…no.  I don't mind."

                "As you will, then.  Come with me -- I suspect we'll be too late as it is.  Kei screwed up the balance, and the portal went a little funny…"

                He started down the street, and Robyn trailed after him, holding her jacket closed at the front and barely able to think. 

                "Where are they, Aku?"

                Another rooftop passed underneath.   Mary looked over the town as her demon calculated frantically on his fingers.

                "I don't know, hang on--something screwed up the dynamics, there wasn't enough energy for a stable transport…"

                "I don't care about the physics.  Just find where they came through!"

                "It looks like they split up.  Or got split up, anyhow."

                "Where?"

                "Two are pretty close.  Over by the mall."

                Shit.  "It's only nine.  There might still be people there."

                "They'll probably just drain energy--"

                Mary doubled her pace.

                The mall hulked dark and silent against the skyline as Mary cleared the last line of houses and landed in a crouch in the parking lot.  She covered the rest of the distance to the building at a dead run, and paused for breath next to one of the doors.  There were only a few cars left in the lot, and the building seemed reasonably deserted.

                Count your blessings, Mary.  She summoned her disguise and readied a few daggers of white-hot plasma before entering.  Like any empty public place, the mall at night had a dead feeling that was made even eerier by the décor -- everything was hung with silly, cuddly dragons in celebration of some marketing gimmick.  She stepped carefully into a corridor lined by darkened shops guarded by metal grilles and walked towards one of the major plazas to get a better view.

                "There she is."  The voice was high-pitched and giggling, and it came from above -- Mary's gaze snapped upwards.  A man, dressed all in white and bald as an egg, was sitting on the railing of the third floor.  His eyes shone with their own inner fire, and she would have pegged him as a demon even before he opened one hand to reveal a ball of flame.

                "We don't need you here, demon.  Run along home."

                The man smiled thinly.  "My name is Pyros, girl, and I'm afraid I've been sent to make sure you leave chargrilled.  Don't take it personally."

                He closed his hand, quenching the little fireball, but Mary was already moving.  The ground behind her erupted in a towering sheet of flame that marched closer almost as fast as she could run, and she retreated towards the plaza after hurling her own counterattack into the maelstrom.  Pyros swatted the plasma bolts aside playfully -- not much surprise there -- and stepped off the railing into the air, floating along at a leisurely pace.  Mary turned and sprinted forward.

                Okay.  Let's get some room to dodge and we'll see if this guy likes ice as well as fire.  She skidded around a corner, catching sight of the open space of the plaza ahead of her, and made it there just ahead of the wall of flames.  Pyros followed, cackling; his barrier remained at the edge of the corridor as he unfolded himself and sent out a rapid-fire barrage of nearly solid blasts of heat.  Tiles cracked and exploded as Mary dodged, and one of the fountains took a hit and instantly flashed into steam.

                Her last jump took her over the edge of a wishing pond, and Mary splashed across, dipping one hand into the water as she ran.  A handful of flying droplets solidified in mid-flight and became scything daggers of ice; the demon melted the first couple, then ducked aside as the rest slashed past him.

                Not so tough.  She dodged behind a kiosk to gather her thoughts for a moment, feeling the whole thing jump as fire slammed into it from the other side. If I can catch him off-guard--

                For all its size, the bladething was nearly silent.  Mary had only a moment of warning as it charged from a narrow corridor between two storefronts, swinging one of its razor-arms at waist height.  The position was wrong for a dodge, and she threw everything she had into blunting the blow.  The impact still picked her up and tossed her across the plaza.

                Sumiko watched from the rafters as Pyros aimed at the area where Mary had landed and engulfed it in a wash of flames.  She shook her head, cursed silently, and mouthed:

                "Eternity!"

                The dust cleared, slowly, and Mary got to her feet.  One of her hands was pressed against her stomach, and when she leaned on a wall for support she left a crimson print.  She was also coughing and rather heavily singed, and it took her a moment to find her balance.

                Sloppy.  I'm getting sloppy.  That could have cut me in half.  She was safe for a few moments longer, lost in the billowing cloud of steam rising from the fountain Pyros had incinerated.  There was enough water in the air now that she no longer needed to dip her fingers into the pool -- moisture shimmered for a moment and solidified into a sword wrought from ice, whisper thin and hard as diamond.  Mary gathered energy in her off-hand and smiled.

                It's been a while since they challenged me.

                The steam was clearing, and she caught a flash of light off the bladething's metal carapace.  Mary charged out of the cloud, sword raised, and skidded to a halt on catching sight of the other slim figure.

                Christ, no.  She's trying to get herself killed.

                Sumiko dropped noiselessly to the floor and crept up behind the monster, wrapped in her yellow aura.  The bladething was intent on its prey, stalking forward through the steam cloud, and she was almost able to get to it before it noticed her.  She aimed a kick at the back of its left knee, and immediately noticed two things: first, it was fast.  The bladething spun aside, taking the blow on its shin; the magical force behind it was still enough to send cracks racing through the monster's metal armor.

                The second thing was that the other demon had been watching her from above.  Pyros gave a cackle and spread his hands, raining down fire from the heavens, and Sumiko was forced to jump, dodge, and jump again as miniature meteors blasted craters in the floor.  In the confusion she barely noticed the shrouded figure of Reaper charging out of the steam, sword in one hand.

                "You idiot!"

                The bladething spun again, back to its original opponent, and Mary met its first stroke on her own sword.  Her arm shivered with the impact; even with all her power behind the block, it was still unbelievably strong.  It was also faster than it had any right to be, given its size, and she was quickly forced to reassess her plan as the creature drove her tirelessly backwards, looking for a corner.

                "Reaper!"

                It took Mary a moment to recognize her assumed name as she ducked under one stroke, countered with a lunge that took a tiny chip out of the demon's side, then dove frantically to avoid having her head removed by its other hand.

                "Get out of here!  I warned you!"

                "You need the help!  You can't--"  Eternity's answer was momentarily drowned out by the roar of flames.  "We can take them--"

                "Damn it, Sumiko, I told you I work alone!"

                The bladething advanced, forcing Mary to give way; its arms flickered almost faster than her eyes could follow.  She didn't dare distract herself, even for a moment, to try to attack, and it was quickly becoming obvious that her current situation was untenable.  She seethed inwardly.

                "All right.  If you're going to help me, do something!"

                "I'm on it!"

                And Sumiko suddenly jumped, high enough to reach the balcony on the second floor.  Pyros shifted his aim, but she only landed long enough to jump again, this time up to the third level.  Railing and faux-stonework exploded as the demon fired again, always one step behind her.  Sudden realization hit, and Mary dodged the bladething's strike and danced back, out of range momentarily--

                Sumiko finished another jump, this time alighting gently on the metallic creature's head.  It spun with silent rage before she could jump again and caught her in the leg just after she pushed off, slicing through with a spray of blood.  Pyros completed his turn and fired again as she crashed to the floor, the firebolts knocking the bladething off its feet and slamming back into a wall.  Before he even realized what he'd done, Mary darted forward.

                "You're mine."

                She snapped her hand forward, lobbing the icesword towards him -- in mid-flight it shattered into a thousand razor shards that slashed forward with preternatural speed.  Pyros wailed and tried to turn in time; he didn't make it.  The demon vanished in a spray of steam and gray-green blood.

                Mary stalked over to where the bladething had fallen before it could regain its feet, summoning her power into a white-hot plasma lance.  The creature rose, whirled with startling grace, and took the thin line of destruction in the center of its featureless faceplate.  Another small explosion later, the mall was once again quiet.

                Quiet, that was, except for muffled cursing in Japanese.  Mary shook her head and hurried to where Sumiko had fallen.

                "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck that hurts."  The floor was awash in blood; luckily, Mary had long ago overcome any inherent queasiness.  She knelt next to Eternity, who was still cursing.  "Fuck."

                "Shut up and hold still for a second."  Mary did a quick evaluation.  Not great, but not as bad as it could have been -- from the power behind the bladething's strikes, she'd half-expected to find the girl's leg all the way across the room.  Instead a deep horizontal slash went almost to the bone, dripping blood in heavy pulses.  "God.  What did I tell you?"

                Sumiko managed a shaky smile, with gritted teeth.  "We…won, didn't we?"

                "By rights I should just leave you to bleed to death."

                The other girl's smile remained fixed.  "If that's what you need to do."

                Mary rolled her eyes.  "Come on."  A cushion of air floated the injured Eternity, wrapping itself tightly around her leg.  Sumiko squeezed her eyes shut, breathing in ragged gasps.  "You want to go to the hospital?"

                "No."  She spoke very deliberately.  "Back to my house.  Got some healing stuff there."  Sumiko let out a tense breath.  "I think I'm going to…pass out, now.  Okay?"

                "Go for it."

                Mary paused for a moment to catch her breath.  Then she glanced at the magical girl hanging limply in mid-air, shook her head again, and ran for the exit.

                After all, it wouldn't do to be around when the police get here.

                It was a cold night, and wandering around town with no shirt on was not exactly the activity Robyn would have chosen. 

                Reality was beginning to reassert itself, in the underhanded way that it always did.  Ayre, after his initial display, seemed to be doing nothing but walk and mutter to himself.  The silence gave her too much time to think, letting the impact of what had almost happened hit home.  Robyn felt herself shivering uncontrollably.

                God.  I almost…he was…

                What the hell am I doing here?  She was afflicted with a sudden desire to run home and hide under the covers, or more accurately to run to Mary's house and hide under her covers, which was her traditional response to adversity.  It took Robyn a moment to remember that she was mad at Mary, and even longer to remember why.

                I'm sure she'll forgive me.  I'll go to her, tell her how stupid I was, and she'll forgive me.  She always has.  Robyn shook her head, silently.  Stupid.  I'm so stupid -- how can I blame her?  She's never done anything but protect me.  I was the one who went crying to her every time some little thing went wrong, so what the hell did I expect?  Of course she doesn't want to get me involved in something dangerous.  She must be so sick of my whining.

                The thought of going to Mary was suddenly repugnant.  Crying on her shoulder again?  But…  Robyn tried to rein in her feelings.  No -- this isn't getting teased in school.  I was almost raped; this is serious.  She'd come to see me, wouldn't she?  If something similar happened?

                Robyn tried to picture Mary on her doorstep, frantic and crying.  It didn't fit.  She tried to picture Mary in the alley, being menaced, even raped; that didn't fit either.  The only image that worked was her beating the thugs to a paste, it was the only thing that fit with her image.  But real life doesn't work like that.  No matter how cool someone acts…

                Ayre pulled up short, and Robyn almost bumped into him, tied up as she was in her own thoughts.  They were walking on the verge of a highway, headed, as best she could tell, towards the mall.  Why Ayre had chosen to walk instead of taking a bus was a mystery; she'd been following him, blindly, as she tried to work things out.

                "Damnation."

                He stood in silence for a moment, Robyn afraid to interrupt his thoughts.  A police car approached at high speed, lights howling, and dopplered into the distance.

                "Um…"

                Ayre shook his head, decisively.  "That's it, then.  Time to go home."

                "Time to…what?"

                "Go home."  He waved a hand.  "My reason for being here has vanished; my friends started the party without me and were duly defeated.  So now I get to go home, probably to a scolding."

                "Okay…"  Robyn let out a deep breath.  "Look.  I'm sorry if I've bothered you, and I really do want to know more about…what you do, but…I'm not exactly in the best of states right now.  You understand?"

                "Not really.  The emotional states of humans have never been of much interest to me."

                "The…of humans?"

                Ayre took a step forward and put one hand on her shoulder, his mismatched eyes twinkling.  "You're going to want to hold on tightly, I think.  If you let go of me I don't know where you'll end up."

                "But…I just wanted to go…"

                She could feel the static charge building around him, making her hair stand on end.  Little crackles of power started to run along the grass and concrete.  Ayre smiled.  "A bit late for that now."

                "Oh sh--!"  Robyn could feel the discharge coming, and she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the stranger as tightly as she could.  There was an odd moment of hyper-awareness -- her heart thudded like a bass drum, and she could feel the scratchiness of Ayre's clothes against the bare skin of her breasts.  Then energy erupted from the ground like a reverse lightning bolt, scything into the sky.  The heat of it was incredible, enough to vaporize her body instantly; she had only a moment to wonder why she was still thinking before the fabric of the universe split long enough to spit the two of them through and then sutured itself over the gap.

                In short, Robyn teleported out of the Timestream.

Chapter Five

                Click.

                "Hey, Dad.  Just wanted to let you know -- one of my friends is sick, so I'll probably stay overnight to help her out.  Nothing serious, just thought you ought to know.  Lia knows how to get in touch with me if you need to.  I should be back tomorrow night.

                "Love ya!"

                Beeeep.

                Sumiko awoke, after some prodding, long enough to point Mary towards a cabinet which turned out to contain an impressive array of healing potions, ointments, and related magical gimcrackery.  Sumiko managed to drink a couple of the tougher-looking concoctions and fell asleep immediately.  The flesh of her leg knitted visibly, and after a few minutes Mary was able to release the pressure and slump exhausted onto the couch.

                "I'm hurting, too," she said, to the unfeeling world in general.  Not seriously, of course.  Just singed and bruised, not to mention exhausted from throwing that much power around.  "But of course there's no one to take care of me."

                 I should just call up Robyn, tell her that I'm a lonely magician dedicated to protecting the planet from demons, and demand sympathy.  Mary tried to picture her friend's face and giggled.  I bet she'd believe me, too.

                It's not that I'm bitter.  But it would nice if someone, someday, said "Good job, Mary," or "Nice one, Mary", or even "Thanks for not letting the demons consume my immortal soul.  I owe you one, Mary."  It's kind of a thankless job.  And it's not even like I signed up for it.

                "Aku."

                The demon appeared with a pop.  "Your wish is my command!"

                "I'm in the mood for some self-pity.  Cheer me up."

                "I'm a demon, Mary, not a jester."

                "Pfeh.  So remind me why I took this job again?"

                "How should I know?  You're the one who yanked me out of a perfectly good non-existence just because you needed someone to talk to."

                "Some help you are."

                The demon relented, sitting cross-legged in mid-air and drifting closer.  "Why?  Something bothering you, Maer?"

                "Not really.  It's just…"  She sighed.  "I almost got killed today, Aku."

                "What else is new?  You almost get killed every time you walk out the door, but it's never actually happened."

                "Not like that.  I…"  She poked at her stomach and winced.  "I was being careless.  Making assumptions.  I'm losing my edge."

                He waved a hand dismissively.  "Come on, Maer.  You won!  You always win."

                "So far.  But if I lose, it's not like I get a second chance."

                "Geez.  Why so morbid?"

                "I don't know."  Mary summoned a tiny tornado and passed it from hand to hand, aimlessly.  The gentle wind was soothing to her scalded skin.  "I just realized, today, that sooner or later I'm going to die."

                "Sooner or later we're all going to die."  Aku sniffed.  "At least, you people all seem to.  I don't plan on it."

                "I suppose."  She shook her head, to clear the cobwebs, and hooked a thumb at Sumiko.  "What about her?"

                "What about her?  She wants to help, let her help."

                "But--"

                "Listen, Maer.  You're worried about getting killed?  Taking some backup along might not be such a bad idea."

                Mary let the tornado dissipate and hugged her knees.  "But…"

                "But?"

                "What if she gets killed?"

                "It's not like you forced her into this."

                "I'd still feel guilty."

                Aku leaned closer.  "This isn't really about Sumiko, is it?  This is about Richard."

                "That was my fault."

                "There was nothing you could have done."

                Mary stood, forcing Aku to float frantically backwards.  "That doesn't matter.  Now get lost.  I need to get out of these charred rags and take a shower."

                "Oh, I can see how you wouldn't want me to watch that.  Wouldn't want a six-inch-high demon watching you and getting ideas, oh no.  Hmph."  He crossed his arms.  "I wouldn't find you attractive anyway -- not enough scales --"

                "Aku."

                "Right."  He vanished, and Mary took a deep breath.

                "Is that your familiar?"  Sumiko's voice came unexpectedly from the corner.  Mary almost jumped, and waited a moment before answering.

                "I suppose.  I've never really figured out what he is."

                "He's cute."  Sumiko levered herself weakly into a sitting position.  She looked pale, but a lot healthier than half an hour before.  "Mine is a hummingbird.  He's not very smart, I'm afraid."

                Mary nodded.  "Do you mind if I use your shower?"

                "Go ahead."

                Once she was safely in the bathroom, Mary let her disguise drop with relief.  I'm going to have to tell her.  Concealing her identity from random passersby was all well and good, but Sumiko could hardly help but guess at this point.

                She had her hand on the curtain before she realized what that thought meant.  Aku's right, damn him.  I need someone else.

                The water was so hot that a spray of steam rose from the chilled porcelain.  Mary accepted her punishment meekly, eyes closed.

                Agent Deus straightened his tie.  It was already straight, of course, it always was; the gesture just meant he felt like he needed something to do with his hands.

                "Agent Rin."

                She blinked in the early morning sunshine, and slipped on her Bureau-issue sunglasses.  "Agent Deus.  What happened to you last night?"

                "I regret my absence.  I was out purchasing provisions when the breach occurred, and thought it best to proceed there as fast as possible and gather information."  He proffered a bag filled with bagels, and Rin snagged one as she slipped into the driver's seat.

                "So you were there?"

                "I was close by."

                "Find anything out?"

                "The supernatural defenders are at least two in number, with at least one Category-Six individual."

                "Cat-6?"  Rin raised an eyebrow.  "Are you sure?"
                "Certain."

                "No wonder he can handle gangs of demons."

                "She, Agent Rin.  Both the people I saw were female."

                "Really?  That's unusual."

                "There is a great deal about this case that is unusual."

                "No kidding."  She turned the key, and the car started with a roar.  "So what's the plan for today?"

                "I think we should check on our unwitting accomplices."

                "Gotcha."

                Robyn woke up cold and aching, with a mind-numbing headache and a sinking realization of what she'd gotten herself into.

                Wind whipped past her as though it had knives, and she automatically clutched her jacket closer over her ruined shirt.  The sun -- wasn't it night-time a few minutes ago? -- was clear and bright, the sky the cloudless blue that only comes right after a thunderstorm.  She levered herself off the ground, slowly, and tried to remember what had happened.

                I was with Ayre, and I said I wanted to go home.  And then he--  Her memory was confused after that, a blur of pain and actinic fire.  He said he was going home.  She blinked in the sunshine.  So is this where Ayre lives?

                This was a mountain peak, looking down on a valley far below.  The valley floor was a brilliant emerald green at this distance, with the deep blue of a river winding down the center.  In the distance, near the headwaters of the flow, she could see a castle.  Aside from that, the place was devoid of civilization.

                Robyn raised an eyebrow.  Nice place.  But somehow…it doesn't seem quite right.  She shook her head.  Anyway.  What am I doing here?  I thought he said he would take me with him, but…

                She looked around, and ventured a tentative shout.  "Ayre?  Hello?  Anybody?"

                The little ledge of rock she was sitting on was bare, but one corner of it showed evidence of a path, leading down the mountain.  She moved to the edge and looked down -- the climb was dizzying, but gentle enough to be possible.  Robyn considered a moment, looking back and forth between the mountain and the castle in the distance.  She thought for a long moment, then spoke out loud.

                "Okay.  I think I get it."  Robyn paced back and forth on the edge of the cliff.  "This is a test, right?  You're the magician, and you have to see if I'm 'worthy' for whatever you're going to show me."  She shrugged.  "Fine.  I can play along.  It's not even vaguely original, though."

                The world did not give an immediate reply.  Robyn took a deep breath and shrugged off her coat, pulling it on backwards and tying it behind her.  It looks dumb, but at least this way I won't be flashing the entire world every time I let go of it.  With that done, she rubbed her hands together and started a slow, careful descent down the trail.  Most of it was walkable, snaking back and forth across the cliff face, but occasionally she was forced to resort to hands and knees.

                Oddly enough, Robyn found her mood improving.  It took her a moment to figure out why.

                It's because this is the sort of thing I was expecting, when I first got into all of this.  One minute I'm walking along a highway, the next minute climbing down a mountain.  A little disorienting, but far more appropriate than just going on with my normal life.  At least this is more interesting.  A rock slipped under her hand, bouncing down the cliff to shatter on the boulders below.  Robyn swallowed.  Dangerous, but interesting.

                After a surprisingly short time she reached the bottom of the nearly-vertical cliff and crossed onto a section of the mountain that was gently sloped and forested.  Walking through the gentle woods was a relief after hanging from her fingertips, and before she reached a clearing she was all but humming a tune.

                About time I got to have a real adventure.  Ahead, sunlight broke through the trees and dappled the ground a brilliant green.  The light glinted off something metal, and after a few more steps it became obvious that it was a sword.  The weapon was about three feet long, light and gently curved, sticking point-first into the ground.  The grip was wrapped in black fabric, and glittered oddly as she moved.

                Robyn's mouth was dry as she approached.  O…kay.  I think I understand what I'm supposed to do.  She reached for the hilt of the sword, took a final look around the clearing to make sure there was nothing about to jump out and eat her, and put her hand on the pommel.

                The result was disappointing -- no magical lightshow or rush of inner knowledge.  The grip felt rough, almost sticking to her hand, and the weapon came out of the soil with the lightest of yanks.  Robyn waved it around, doubtfully -- it was light enough to use easily with one hand, as though it were hollow and made of plastic.

                In theory, of course, she knew how to use a sword.  It wasn't difficult -- you held on to one end and tried to jam the other into whatever you wanted to die.  But she'd always thought there would be a long way between theory and practice.  Presumably the enemy would try to avoid it, and if he managed to do so, what then?  Repeat?

                But this sword seemed to give that the lie.  She swung it, tentatively, and it split the air with a hum.  On a hunch, she stalked to the edge of the clearing and swung the blade at a sapling; the wood parted before it as though it were air, and the top of the tree crashed to the ground.

                Okay.  So it's a magic sword.  I can accept that, I guess.  She remembered, suddenly, the magic sword in Mary's attic.  za'Tsara'vor.  Though why I remember that…  This made her glance at the weapon in her own hand, and shiver.  It could be cursed.  Though if this is in fact a test, I don't know why that would be.  It's too late now in any case.

                There was a trail, leading out of the other edge of the clearing.  Sword in one hand, Robyn followed it.

                "So how long are you going to stay?"  Sumiko accepted the cup of ice-water with a grateful nod.  Mary picked up her own cup from the counter and sank back into the cushions of the armchair.  She was dressed only in underwear and an overlarge T-shirt borrowed from Sumiko, since Pyros' flames had not treated her own things kindly.

                "The night, at least.  You look like you're doing okay."  It was true -- whatever potions Sumiko had kept around the house packed a powerful punch.  Mary had borrowed a sip for her own burns, and was feeling worlds better, though still nearly exhausted.

                "Thanks."  Sumiko hesitated.  "You don't really have to stay disguised.  I won't tell anyone who you are."

                Mary rolled her eyes.  "I thought you'd figure it out."  Dropping the disguise was a relief -- the constant low-level power output made it hard to relax.  Still, showing her face brought on a twinge of nervousness.

                Sumiko nodded, slowly, as the blurring mask fell away.  "I thought so.  Since I only know two people in this town…"

                "It could have been Robyn."

                Sumiko chuckled, and after a moment Mary, trying to picture Robyn leaping across the rooftops fighting evil, did likewise. 

                "So you're not mad at me?" asked Sumiko, after a pause.

                "Not really.  Hard to be, when you helped me."

                "Good."  She shifted on the couch.  "I'm glad we don't have to fight."

                Mary raised an eyebrow.  "Were you planning to?"

                "Not literally.  You know what I mean."

                "Yeah."

                There was another long pause.  Mary took a sip of wonderfully chilled water.

                "So how did you get in to this business?"

                "Me?"  Sumiko looked startled.  "I mean…"

                "Do they have schools for this sort of thing in Japan?  Magical Girl Academy, Posing 101, stuff like that?"

                The other girl laughed.  "Not really."

                "So how, then?  Just woke up one morning and decided to save the world?"

                "I was contacted."

                "By whom?"

                "The forces of Light."  Sumiko gave a mischievous grin.  "Weren't you?"

                "Nope."

                "So then why do you do it?"

                "You want my usual response?"  Mary took another sip.  "Or the real answer?"

                "Both."

                "Well, the usual response is true, sort of.  I've always known I was different.  When I found out about my powers, and really managed to control them, I realized I could feel the demons when they arrived in our world.  That was in middle school, and I've been doing this ever since."

                "But why do it at all?"

                "Well…I mean, I had the power, and it's not good for much besides fighting.  I knew where they were, all the time, like a headache that wouldn't quit.  It was pretty obvious what I was supposed to do."

                "You think God"--Sumiko pronounced the word in English, carefully--"meant for you to fight them?"

                "Nope.  But maybe it's fate."  Mary stretched, embarrassed.  "Or something like that."

                "So what's the real reason?"

                "You really want to know?"

                "Sure."

                Mary leaned closer, and dropped her voice to a whisper.  "I like blowing things up."

                Sumiko blinked.  "Really?"

                "Pretty much.  It's a little more complicated than that.  It's like"--she waved a hand, vaguely--"when I'm actually doing it, it's terrifying, and often quite painful.  But afterwards, I almost can't wait until the next time.  Everything else seems kind of dull by comparison."

                The other girl considered this for a moment.  "I guess I can understand that.  It seems a little frightening, though."

                "Sometimes.  Occasionally I wonder if one day I'll wake up and not care if the people I fry are human or not.  So far it hasn't happened."

                There was silence, after that.  Mary finally broke it. 

                "So, tell me.  What are you really doing here in the U.S.?  I assume that stuff about your father is just a cover story."

                "Yeah."  Sumiko shrugged.  "I go where the Light wills me."

                "So some big glowing ball in the sky told you to come to Wakarton?"

                "Yeah."

                "Any idea why?"

                "I don't know."  Sumiko raised an eyebrow.  "Maybe I was supposed to find you."

                That brought on another silence.

                "Well," yawned Mary, "this is all too heavy for me to understand at this time of night." She glanced at her watch.  "Of the morning.  I'm off to bed."

                "Likewise."

                "Need any help?"  Mary pulled herself out of the chair with some difficulty, but Sumiko waved her away and slowly stumbled off the couch, favoring her injured leg. 

                "No -- I'm okay.  Should be fine by morning."

                "Great."

                "There's an extra bed in my room, if you want."

                "Good enough for me."

                The trail through the forest wound slowly through the trees, and just when Robyn was getting a bit bored it opened out into another clearing.  This one was furnished with a log, and on the log sat a troll -- she easily recognized the creature by its long hook-nose, green skin, and thin, gangly limbs.  It looked up as she approached and smiled, which in the troll's case meant baring a mouthful of long, discolored fangs.

                Robyn felt her heart pick up its pace, and tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword.  Calm down.  It's just a test.  Some stupid game that Ayre cooked up -- it has to be.  Otherwise none of this makes any sense.

                "Hullo," said the troll.  Its voice was harsh and grating. 

                "Hi."  Robyn raised her free hand.  There was a pause.  "So -- I guess I can't just walk past you, huh?"

                "Not without answering my question."  The troll grinned even wider.  "Do you want to try to answer?  I'll eat you if you guess wrong."

                Robyn looked doubtful.  "And if I guess right?"

                "You can keep going."

                It hardly seems worthwhile.  But then again, I have nowhere else to go.  "Okay.  Hit me."

                "Here goes."  The troll took a deep breath and recited quickly and with remarkable locution.  "Given a Turing Machine A, provide an algorithm that determines whether A halts on all inputs."

                Robyn blinked.

                "You have one minute."

                "But--"

                "Fifty seconds."

                "But!"

                "Forty-five."

                Okay, Robyn, think for a second.  How much do I remember about Turing Machines?  Not much, it turned out -- they'd been a barely-mentioned topic in Computers and a side note in a few of the readings.  She suddenly wished she'd paid better attention to the theory.  Even if the basic facts were as she remembered them, though, it was difficult to concentrate with the troll running its thick blue tongue up and down the length of its fangs and staring at her hungrily.

                "Twenty seconds."

                This is ridiculous.  I'm getting quizzed by a troll on computer theory in a world that doesn't really exist.  Why am I taking it so seriously?  Think about it -- what would Yorai the Barbarian do?  She wasn't sure, since Yorai had never counted Turing Machines as among his specialties.  Alright, then, what would Mary do?

                Then the solution came to her.  Robyn smiled. 

                "I've got it!"

                This time, the troll blinked.  "You do?"

                "I do!"  She beamed brightly and took a step forward.

                "Tell me."  The thing's confidence was returning.  "If you're wrong, I'll eat you."

                Robyn shrugged.  "See, I thought about running Turing Machines in parallel on all possible inputs, but I assume an algorithm that never halts is no good.  So then I thought -- screw this."  At this point she brought the sword around in a lazy horizontal sweep that removed the troll's head from its shoulders; it landed a few feet away and rolled into the bushes.  There was no blood, and the monster's body wobbled a moment before collapsing.

                Her smiled widening, Robyn stepped over the body and continued down the trail.

                It's just a test.  Just a game.  And the best thing to do in a game is not to play by the rules.

                Ayre sat behind his viewscreen, watching the girl tramp through the forest.  He held his chin in his hand, absently, but looked up at the 'whaum' of someone appearing behind him.

                "Ayre."  Tsuiren, as usual, had just the right mix of Dark Lord and Backstreet Boy in his voice.  "I'm glad to see you returned safely."

                "I never got into the fight."  Ayre turned and shrugged.  "Your portal seems to have made a mistake."

                "Really."  Tsuiren accepted this deadpan.  "I'll have to look into that."  He gestured to the viewer.  "And who is she?"

                "My latest acquisition.  What do you think?"

                Tsuiren peered interestedly at the image of Robyn hacking her way through a swarm of oversized hornets.  "What's she doing?"

                "Having an adventure."

                The Dark Lord rolled his eyes.  "Don't play with your food, Ayre."

                "You should talk."

                Their search had taken them to the high school, the hospital, the police station, and now, finally, the morgue.  The black sedan rolled to a halt, and Rin turned to Deus.

                "You really think she killed them?"

                He shrugged.  "It seems the only logical explanation."

                "But--"  Rin stopped.  It did make logical sense, but it was just wrong, somehow -- it didn't fit the mental profile she'd been building on the mysterious protector.  "I don't know.  It doesn't feel right."

                "Supernaturals can be very temperamental, Agent Rin.  It is important that we not rule anything out at this stage."

                They were met at the door by a chipper young police officer, who nodded politely and asked to see some identification.  Deus pulled out his badge, which the officer read carefully, noting the details on his clipboard.  Then they were admitted to a clinical, metallic room with three bodies, on tables.

                Rin raised an eyebrow.  "I think we can rule out the Mafia."

                "It certainly looks that way, Agent Rin."

                The three boys were burned, horribly, over almost their entire skin area.  What was left was hardly recognizable.  Deus pulled a pencil from his pocket and poked one of them, flaking off fragments of ash.  He nodded, slowly.

                "Electricity, I'd say, rather than traditional fire."

                Rin nodded.  She didn't see it, but Deus was never wrong on such calls.  "You think it was her?"

                "Inconclusive.  Although this level of injury suggests an attacker of at least Category-Five, possibly higher."

                "The girl was a Cat-6, wasn't she?"

                "Indeed."

                "What I don't get is why she killed them.  With that kind of power, it's not like they were any threat.  And she let them run the last time."

                "Maybe they hurt her friend, this Robyn."  Deus smiled, faintly.  "Or maybe she's grown so enamored of her power she can't bear not to use it."

                "That doesn't bode well."  Rin shivered.  If a Cat-6 were to go serial killer…  The results were too frightening to contemplate.  Even the Bureau might have problems handling a full-fledged Cat-6, if she was smart and had a lot of combat-applicable powers.  "So what's our next move?"

                "I am still thinking on that, Agent Rin.  I suspect we are out of options, at least until the demons launch another raid.  I didn't expect these three to move against Robyn so quickly."

                "Is it possible they weren't actually after her, and just got wasted by some unrelated force?"

                "Possible, but not plausible.  The chances of these three particular young men being killed in an unrelated incident are too low to merit consideration."

                "Okay.  So--"

                "Now we wait, Agent Rin.  And watch, very carefully."

                Robyn had finally cleared the forest's edge; she plopped down on a boulder that jutted out of the plain with a sense of vast relief.

                Now I know how Mario feels.  Trapped in a strange world with rules that made no sense, where all the local wildlife was inexplicably hostile.  She was covered in grime from head to foot, splattered with the blood of every random animal she'd encountered in the last four hours.  The sword was clean, though -- things just flowed off of the glittering, razor-sharp surface.

                On the plus side, it's not like they were attacking me effectively.  She had bug bites, hornet stings, and a few nicks on her arms from the giant badger, but what the creatures had gained in homicidal mania they seemed to have lost in combat ability.  Maybe it's me.  Maybe this sword awakened my secret powers, and made me into some invincible warrior.  She glared at it doubtfully.  All I do is swing it back and forth.

                "Okay."  After a few moments rest, she clambered back to her feet.  "Ayre, or whoever you are.  Let's get on with this, it's getting boring."

                The castle, the only notable landmark in the cloud-rimmed valley, was just ahead.  It was a more realistic place than Robyn would have expected, just a single large keep and watchtower surrounded by a crude stone wall.  There was a moat, and a lowered drawbridge, and standing in the center of it was a solitary figure.

                Great.  She knew what he'd look like even before she got close enough to make him out clearly.  Black platemail, closed visor, and a voice like something from the shadowy pits of hell -- the archtypical Black Knight.  Robyn hefted her sword and stalked towards him, muttering something about dungeon masters who lacked originality.

                "Right.  You're the black knight."

                The huge figure nodded slowly.  "I Am The Black Knight."

                "And I'm not allowed to pass, correct?"

                "You Shall Not Pass."

                "Care to explain why?"

                The knight nodded again.  "I Was Commisioned To Guard this Drawbridge In the Reign Of--"

                Robyn waited for him to start talking, then used the opportunity to dart past him. 

                "Hey!  Wait A Minute!"

                The knight tried to turn around, and found himself in some difficulty because, as she passed, Robyn had chopped off his left leg at the kneecap.  Hopping on one foot in platemail is not really a viable form of movement, and she smiled at the tremendous splash as he toppled into the moat.  The gates of the castle opened before her.

                Whoever had furnished the inside of the place had gone heavy on the white marble.  There were arched doorways everywhere, and pure white statues of unclothed men and women staring nobly into the distance.  Robyn felt like she was dirtying the place just by entering, and found herself looking around for somewhere to wipe her feet.

                "Robyn."  Ayre's footsteps clicked neatly on the marble.  "I'm glad you could make it."

                She stared at him, irritation warring with something like awe under her eyes.  Finally she twisted her mouth into a smile.  "Thanks.  I figured it was you."

                "You're remarkably perceptive.  Also refreshingly direct."  He cocked his head.  "The Black Knight had a lot of backstory, you know, and some interesting lines."

                "He's not real, though.  None of this is real."

                "There you've hit the nail, as they say, on the head."

                "So where are we?"

                "Where is something of a tricky question in a physical sense.  Observe."  He held up a hand, and the entrance hall dissolved around them.  Robyn found herself standing in front of a comfortable green armchair, facing Ayre seated in another.   Around them was a field of endless grain, waving in a tangible and quite comfortable breeze.  "Sit down."

                She did, feeling sticky and out-of-sorts.  "So.  Where are we?"

                "We are in my domain.  Where I live, if the term may be applied."

                "It's not on Earth?"

                "No.  We are contiguous but not causally linked.  I created this place by putting energy into a raw chaos, and therefore I can reshape it as I like.  So it's 'real' in the sense that you can see it, taste it, smell it, touch it, but not in the sense of 'naturally existing.'  Nothing exists naturally, here."  He smiled brightly.  "Would you care for a drink?"

                She nodded.  "Something cold and alcoholic, please."  Ayre snapped his fingers, and a frosty glass of something appeared on the armrest.  Robyn took a sip and found it refreshing.  "Next question -- who are you?"

                "As I said, my name is Ayre.  What I am is hard to describe in terms that you're familiar with, but the most accurate would probably be 'god'.  In the Greek rather than Biblical sense."

                "Ah."  She suddenly realized that her clothing consisted of a ripped pair of pants and a backwards jacket with nothing underneath.  "Greek gods have a bit of a bad reputation.  Should I be worried?"

                "Not at all.  I mention them only for comparison's sake."

                "Good."  She took a deep breath.  "Here's the big one: why am I here?"

                "That is the question, isn't it."  Ayre leaned forward and steepled his hands.  "How would you react if I told you we needed your help?"

                On the surface, that was the most ridiculous thing in the world.  But somehow she'd been expecting it.  "Okay.  And all that stuff out there was just some test?"

                "Yes.  Not of your fighting ability but of your personality."

                "I take it I passed."

                "With flying colors."

                "So why, exactly?"

                "That is probably best left until later.  You look a bit uncomfortable."

                "Sure."  She ticked off points on her fingers.  "I'm hungry, tired, and filthy."

                "In what order would you like those problems resolved?  We're in no hurry."

                "Really?"

                He nodded.

                "And you can create anything here?"

                "Anything mundane.  Living creatures are complicated and require more effort."

                "Then first I need a bath.  Can I get a nice big pool of hot water?"

                "Of course."

                "Then dinner.  Steak with mushrooms, and all the trappings."

                "As you wish."

                "And then you can tell me what the hell is going on."

                Ayre nodded, and waved a hand.  The scene dissolved again, and cleared into the interior of a rocky pool, filled with water so hot it steamed on meeting the air.  Just looking at it practically made Robyn melt; Ayre was still standing there, looking amused.

                "Um…"

                "Yes?  Is something the matter?"

                "Do you mind going somewhere else?  I don't exactly have a bathing suit with me."  She'd been thinking in terms of a bath, actually, but this was more the size of a pool.

                "Of course.  Call if you need me."

                Ayre faded out of existence with no fuss whatsoever.  Robyn looked around, though to what end she wasn't sure.  After all, if he wants to peep I'm sure he can just make himself invisible or something.  There's not much I can do about it.  She took a long breath before stripping off her makeshift jacket, and a longer one before pulling off her pants and jumping quickly into the water.  Just touching it sent shivers down her spine.

                So…this is definitely the weirdest day in my life to date.  I almost got raped; then I met a God who seems to want my help.  Robyn smiled.  This time, when I tell Mary, she is going to freak out.

                It was after noon by the time Mary awoke, and she slipped out of the house as quietly as she could.  Sumiko, still half-asleep, stumbled with her to the door.

                "Mary.  Thanks for staying."

                "No problem.  Thanks for saving my ass."

                The Japanese girl smiled sleepily.  "No charge, this time."

                "I'll see you later -- I've got things to take care of."

                "Busy, busy.  Good luck."

                Since it was broad daylight, jumping from rooftop to rooftop was not to be thought of.  Instead Mary took the bus, garnering many stares given the state of her attire, and stopped briefly at home; a nice change of clothes later and she was back on the street, headed downtown.

                There was another portal.  She couldn't have ignored the demon even if she'd wanted to -- its mere presence was burning a hole in the back of her skull, though the feeling was slowly going away.  The portal energy fades with time, as it gets adjusted to our world.  I have to take care of it soon, or I'll never find it.  The fact that the thing was still here at all was worrisome.  Typically the demons favored hit-and-run tactics, sucking a few people dry and then fleeing beyond the Barrier with the energy.  Lord knows what they do with it.  I have a hard time picturing life out there.  Mary had only read about one wizard who made it beyond the Great Barrier, and he reported a swirling maelstrom of chaotic power in which nothing could possibly survive.  Though the damn things have to come from somewhere.

                Tracking the demon, at least for the moment, was not a problem.  Mary got off the bus at a stop in the center of downtown, turned in a circle until she found the direction in which her head hurt the most, and set off.  She quickly left the shopping district and found herself on a street of motels, catering to the wealthier out-of-town visitors. 

                Definitely an odd one.  She stopped in front of a Holiday Inn, looked left and right to confirm that she had the right building, and sauntered through the revolving doors trying to act natural.  The presence of numerous bystanders and the fact that she wasn't wearing her disguise conspired to make her more nervous than the situation really warranted.  It's one demon.  All I need to do is get it to a nice, quiet place and take its head off, end of problem.  The feeling was above her, she realized, somewhere on the residential floors of the hotel.  If it's in a room, that makes things easier.

                The elevator, of course, was out -- too hard to feel what floor it's on.  After trudging up ten flights of stairs, and finally feeling the presence up close, she had to stop for a moment to catch her breath.  Damn demon.  Couldn't have been on the second floor, oh no.  She blew out a long breath.  Now I'm just irritated.

                The lock on the door of the room, when she finally found it, also did not present a great obstacle.  Mary glanced from side to side to make sure no one was wandering by, covered her features with blurring mist, and blew the entire lock into the room with a gesture.  The door swung open, slowly, and Mary stepped cautiously inside, a trio of hovering razorblades at the ready.  The presence throbbed.  She walked past the bathroom door, turned the corner--

                "Wait!"

                Fired.  A woman shrieked and dove for cover as the wall behind her exploded into chunks of plaster.  Mary blinked, and hesitated -- the presence was right there, and the woman felt like a demon, but--

                "Would you wait?!"

                Mary held out one hand and concentrated the air, forming it into a razor-thin, white-hot disk.  She rose onto the balls of her feet, ready to dodge, and waited.  The woman's voice came from the other side of the bed, near the floor.

                "If I stick my head out, is it going to get chopped off?"

                Mary sighed.  "Not immediately, no."  She held the disk at the ready, and made sure her disguise was intact.

                "Okay.  I'm going to trust you on this."  The woman slowly stood.  She was tall and thin, pretty in a dark-haired, too-pale sort of way, and dressed in black jeans and T-shirt.  It was one of the best attempts to pass for human Mary had ever seen on a demon -- if not for the power that pulsed just beneath the woman's skin, she would never have guessed.  She held up her hands, fingers spread, and stared interestedly.  "So you're the one who's given us so many problems.  I never got a good look at you before."

                "God."  Mary rolled her eyes.  "If you stopped me just so you can give the 'I'm impressed, it's a pity I have to kill you,' talk, can we stop it here and go to the part where I chop off your head?"

                "Do you get that a lot?"

                "You wouldn't believe."

                "I'm not going to say it, don't worry."  Her eyes flicked to Mary's hand.  "I'll admit, though, that you're making me a little nervous.  Could you put that thing away so we can talk like civilized people?"

                "I'd rather keep it."  Somehow, Mary felt she was losing the initiative.

                "Okay."  The woman sat down on the bed.  "Let me ask you a question, then.  What are you doing here?"

                "What?  What do you mean, what am I doing here?"

                "Well -- you busted into my room and threatened me with decapitation.  I think its fair of me to ask why."

                Mary lowered her hand, slowly.  "You're weird."

                "So I've been told.  Nevertheless.  The question remains."

                "You're a demon.  You came here to kill people and steal energy.  I'm here to stop you.  Clear enough?"

                "Okay.  Okay!"  The demon raised her hands.  "I get it.  Can we talk about this?"

                Mary opened her hand and let the bolt of energy fade away.  "Talk about it?"

                "My name," said the demon, "is Kei."

                Mary took a sip from her coffee and let her eyes wander around the lobby.  It wasn't half-bad coffee, actually, and the demon was nibbling on some sort of Danish.  There were people everywhere, and she'd let her disguise lapse out of sheer necessity.  The feeling of being watched was raising hairs on the back of her neck, but there was nothing to be done about it.

                "I'm Mary."  There didn't seem to be much point to concealing her identity from a demon, since it presumably didn't know who she was in real life.  "I thought you all had names like Baelzebub, Lord of the Thirteenth Pit."

                "We used to, back in the Middle Ages.  One has to move with the times."

                "So what's this all about?"

                "Where should I start?"

                "You're not here to grab energy and flee."

                "No."

                "So why are you here?"

                "I'm hiding."

                "From whom?"

                "Well, ultimately, from you."

                Mary raised an eyebrow.  "You're not doing a very good job of it."

                "Let me start from the beginning."

                "Sounds good."

                The waiter interrupted briefly to serve Mary a slice of chocolate cake and refill the two coffees.  Afterwards, Kei continued.

                "Tsuiren, who I doubt you've met, is the Dark Lord.  This basically involves beating up anyone who denies it, something which he has grown to be exceedingly good at.  He has enough power to open portals in the Great Barrier and send people through to gather energy."

                "Why?"  It was something she'd always wondered.

                "We need it to live.  Out there, maintaining an ordered space in which matter and energy can exist takes energy.  Without it, we're nothing."

                "Okay."

                "So Tsuiren sends these gangs to the Timestream--"

                "Timestream?"

                "Here."  Kei waved a hand vaguely.  "All this."

                "Okay.  Go on."

                "He sends them here, and one day one of the teams doesn't come back.  That happens from time to time, so he sends another.  They don't come back either.  Before long he's drafted everyone he can get his hands on into going through the Barrier four or five at a time, looking for whoever is getting in our way."

                Mary chewed her chocolate cake and swallowed thoughtfully.  "Me."

                "Right."

                "Why doesn't he just go somewhere else?"

                "He doesn't think that way.  The idea of giving up is totally alien to him."

                "So where do you fit in?"

                "I don't know if you recognize me, but I was in on the attack about a week ago."

                "I don't, but I'll take your word for it."

                "A woman I knew died on that one.  Kara."

                An odd feeling flickered across Mary's mind.  "I…I'm sorry."

                "Don't be.  I never liked her."  Kei flashed a half-hearted grin.  "It's just…"

                "What?"

                Kei paused.  "How old are you?"

                "Twenty two."

                The demon nodded.  "You're a human.  It's different for you.  I have definite memories that go back at least a thousand years, and I suspect I've existed for a long time before that.  The idea that I might end, somehow, is more than I can bear."  She shivered.  "I never even thought about it until then.  Never even considered it.  And afterwards, I realized I couldn't do it again."

                "But then--"

                "Tsuiren would not have agreed with me."  Kei shrugged.  "So I escaped.  It was either this or wait around for him to get us all killed, or protest and have him execute me.  He can't possibly track me here."

                "But I'm here."

                "That's the problem."  She sat back and took a long sip from her coffee.  "So I'm surrendering to you."

                "Surrendering?"  Mary felt a little overwhelmed.  She got the feeling that Kei was nervous, but had practiced her little speech.

                "If you want to kill me, go ahead."  She swallowed, nervously.  "I'm not going to run away.  Or impose whatever conditions you want, and I'll live with them.  I just need to stay here."

                Mary sat back, chewing her lower lip.  "Let me be blunt.  How can I trust you?"

                "Trust me?"

                "In a few days the Barrier trace will have faded, and I won't be able to find you anymore.  What's to stop you from killing people then?"

                "I don't know.  I didn't even know you could track me.  But you can execute me, right now, or leave me alone."

                Mary stared at her.  Kei's form was almost perfect; knowing what she was, though, there were a few differences too subtle for the untrained eye.  Her breathing was a bit too slow, she didn't blink often enough, and her stare was curiously direct.  She's not human.  Not even superhuman.  She's a demon -- they exist to hunt and kill.  I should dice her where she stands.  But…

                The problem, she knew, did not lie in Kei.  If I cut her down…  I think I'm doing it for the right reasons, but how do I know it's not just killing for the sake of killing?  I can feel myself drifting that way.  I can't let it happen.

                Demon or not, she hasn't done anything.  I can't.  But what then?

                "If I let you go…"

                "Yes?"

                "I need you to stay close by.  So I can keep an eye on you."

                "Fair enough."  Kei shrugged.  "It'd be nice to have someone I could talk to.  Have I mentioned that this place is crazy?  I don't know how you people deal with it."

                Mary nodded.  "I might also need to ask you questions.  About your…friends."

                "Please.  If there's anyone I have no sympathy for, it's Tsuiren."

                "In that case, you can stay."

                Kei nodded, and Mary could feel the tension drain out of the situation.  The demon finished her coffee in a single gulp and raised her hand for another.  Mary took another bite of cake and tasted it for the first time.

                "So.  You're going to be okay, living here?"

                "Probably."  Kei gestured around the lobby.  "It's a nice place.  Not as good as being back home, but…nice."

                "How are you paying for it?"

                "I had the foresight to manufacture a healthy quantity of gold and bring it along with me."

                "And…energy?"

                "I can get what I need without hurting anybody.  It just takes some self-restraint.  Nobody will ever notice it."

                "Good."  Mary pointed at her now-empty plate with her fork and mumbled with her mouth full.  "This is pretty good."

                "Is it?  I'm working my way through the menu.  I didn't eat much before I got here, so it's all a bit new to me."

                "You're blending in pretty well, I must say."

                "Thank you.  I watch a lot of TV."

                "Ayre?  Can you hear me without actually appearing?"

                Robyn sank down below the surface of the pool, just in case.  Ayre's voice sounded right in her ear.

                "Of course."

                "I'm about done with this.  Can you magic up some clothes for me?"

                "Any particular variety?"

                She almost automatically asked him to duplicate what she'd been wearing, then changed her mind.  "Can I get a cool robe?  Black silk, with red trim."  She hesitated.  "Maybe a little…showy.  But nothing too much."

                Robyn could hear the smile in Ayre's voice.  "As you wish."

                "And a mirror."

                Ten minutes later, Robyn emerged with her hair in a careful ponytail and clad from head to toe in elegant black.  Ayre was waiting for her on the other side of the door from the pool, which hadn't existed an hour before and stopped existing just after she left.  He'd changed clothes, too, to a nice black-on-black suit.  There was another man with him.

                Unlike Ayre, who looked at least vaguely like a real person, the newcomer was so ludicrously handsome he literally took her breath away.  His face was incredibly familiar, some movie star or singer hovering just beyond her ability to place; she half expected him to be a cardboard cutout instead of a living, breathing person.  It didn't seem possible that someone like that could exist in real life.

                Idiot.  This isn't real life.  If he has power anything like Ayre's, he can look like whatever he wants to look like.  Still, she felt her pulse racing.  Idiot.  Calm down.

                "Robyn, I'd like you to meet Tsuiren.  My lord, this is Robyn."

                He gave her a perfect smile, and the light glinted on his teeth with an almost audible 'ting'.  When he spoke, it was in a deep, smoky voice that she associated with movie trailers and CNN.

                "Pleased to meet you."  He offered his hand, and she shook it hesitantly.

                "L…Likewise."  Robyn cursed herself for hesitating, then again for caring that she hesitated.  God!  Get a hold on yourself.

                "Tsuiren is in charge around here, as much as anyone can be," Ayre cut in.  "My colleagues are a somewhat garrulous lot."

                "I guess I can imagine."

                "Ayre told me you asked to come with him."  Tsuiren raised a perfect eyebrow.  "That's a bit unusual."

                "Is it?  I wouldn't know…I mean--"

                "Can I ask you why?"

                "I…"  Robyn took a deep breath and composed a decent answer.  "I just wanted to know more about how the world really works.  When stuff like this is around, everything else just seems so shallow."

                He smiled wider, and Robyn shivered.  She couldn't help looking into his eyes and finding something vaguely disquieting -- they were perfect, of course, limpid and blue, but there was the faintest hint of an unpleasant expression.  Not hate, exactly, or contempt, but something of the attitude of a hunter towards his dogs, or a scientist towards his experimental germ cultures.  Then he put his head to one side, his dark hair framed his already brilliant face, and her breath caught in her throat.

                I didn't think I was this flighty.  Some inner part of Robyn watched in disbelief.  I mean, sure it's a pretty face.  Really pretty.  But I'm practically drooling.  Snap out of it!

                "A good answer."  Tsuiren straightened up.  "Ayre thinks you can help with our little problem."

                "I'll give it a shot."  She snapped the line off before realizing what she was saying.  Idiot.  "He hasn't told me what you need yet, though."

                "Let me get your food ready, and I'll try to explain."  Ayre snapped his fingers, and a laden table appeared in front of them.  Robyn's stomach rumbled, a reminder of how long it had been since she'd last eaten, and she started digging in immediately.  Ayre smiled benevolently and launched into his explanation, while Tsuiren looked up.

                "As you might expect, my colleagues and I have enemies.  These enemies seek to oppose us, to destroy us if possible, and have hit upon a novel means of doing so."  He crossed his arms.  "My kind need to travel to Earth, from time to time, to gather natural energy that has accumulated in order to sustain ourselves.  It has never been a major problem until now; our enemies have decided to deny us this resource.  This is more serious than you might imagine.  Without energy, we cannot maintain our domains, our forms, or ultimately even our existence."

                "Okay," said Robyn, in between bites of butter-slathered steak.  "So what's stopping you from going and taking what you need?"

                "Between the Outer Realms and Earth lies the Great Barrier.  The name is somewhat misleading -- it's not a wall so much as an energy slope.  In order to enter the Timestream, an object must be charged with a great deal of power.  We cannot do this to very many people at once, so our ability to access the Timestream is limited.  By contrast, coming back is relatively simple, since traversing the energy slope backwards takes no additional power."

                "I almost understood that."  She swallowed half a mushroom in one bite.  "So only a few of you can go at once."

                "Correct.  More precisely, we send daemons to do our bidding."

                "What's a daemon?"

                "A creature composed entirely of energy, built for a specific purpose and programmed by the creator.  Think of them as robots -- they can act only as directed, and take almost any form imaginable.  We use them to fight our enemies."

                "That sounds humane."

                "Yes.  No one is hurt if a daemon is destroyed.  But"--he leaned forward--"this cuts to the heart of the matter."

                Robyn blinked.  Ayre's gaze was curiously intense, and Tsuiren looked as though he was finally interested in what was happening.

                "What?"

                "It pains me to admit this, Robyn, but my kind are not terribly…imaginative.  The best of what we can do, the best daemons we can create, are merely copies of things from your culture.  Things that humans are frightened of.  And lately, selecting models has become somewhat difficult; you have a very prolific culture.  So I, in something of a spur-of-the-moment decision, decided to enlist a human to help us."

                "Me?"

                "Exactly."

                "You want me to create daemons?"  She shook her head.  "Isn't it hard?  I mean, don't you need magic?"

                "I can provide all the necessary power.  We merely require your design."

                "Wait a minute."  Robyn couldn't help smiling, a little.  "So -- there'll be some kind of box, right, and I chuck an object into it, and out comes some demon?  That the general idea?"

                "If that is the form you wish it to take."

                She was trying to hold back laughter.  "And your problem is picking the most effective things?"

                "Essentially."

                Now she was chuckling out loud.  "Have you already tried Youma Boxer Shorts and Youma Crayonbox?  Or Youma Schoolbooks, I always liked that one."

                The two gods had blank faces while Robyn chortled.  Finally Ayre interrupted.

                "What's so funny?"

                "Nothing."  She wiped her eyes.  "I'll explain later."

                "So you'll do what we need?"

                "Sure."  If Robyn's grin had been any wider, the top of her head would have fallen off.  "I may need to stop at home to pick up a few things first."

                Mary looked pensive, perched atop the ten-story bulk of the Emerson Building and looking down at the afternoon traffic.  It was a good spot -- nice flat roof, easy to get up to, almost always deserted.  She waited, patiently, until Aku popped into being.

                "Maer?"

                "Go ahead and say it."

                "Okay."  He took a deep breath.  "Have you lost your mind?"

                "Maybe."

                "She's a demon.  How can you trust her?  Demons are evil."

                "You're a demon, too."

                "Exactly!  So I should know!"

                "I realized it comes down to what my purpose here is, Aku."  Mary took up a cross-legged position and looked at him seriously.  "Am I defending the world from invaders?  Or killing a group of apparently intelligent beings just because they don't happen to be carbon-cycle life like I am?"

                "Uh…both?  The difference has never mattered before."

                "Exactly.  It's never mattered before.  Now it does."

                "I still don't think you can trust her."

                "We'll find out."  Mary stretched.

                "That's a pretty blasé attitude.  We're playing with people's lives here.  You have a responsibility."

                "Do I?"  She smiled -- it wasn't pretty, more like the grin of a carnivore.  "Why?  Who said I have to use this power for the good of mankind -- aren't you the one who's always saying I should rule them as a god?"

                "Even rulers have responsibilities."

                "Bah."  Mary stood up and brushed herself off.  "I do this because I choose to do it.  If I wasn't here, all those people would be dead.  I think I'm entitled to be blasé."

                Aku nodded slowly.  "So what are you going to do?"

                "Invite her over after dinner."

                "To your house?"

                "Sure."

                "What if she tries to kill you?"

                "Then I'll fight her."

                "But what about--"

                "I don't think she will, though."  Mary shrugged.  "It's my decision, and I'm responsible for it."

                "Maer…"

                "Enough, Aku."

                The little demon vanished.  Mary paused on the raised lip of the roof, looking down at the blinking lights below.  Aku never was very good at reading me, or he'd know how nervous I am.  Nervous or not, though, the decision seemed somehow right.  I can't just kill someone out of hand.  I can't.  Not even a demon.

                She stepped off the edge, and wafted down on currents of air.

                "My Queen."

                Sumiko bowed low, and the Queen glared at her with mismatched eyes.

                "Eternity."  Her voice rumbled.

                "Are you displeased, my Queen?"

                "No.  Only worried."

                "Worried?"

                "The time of my resurrection is nearly at hand, Eternity.  Only a few more challenges stand in our way, but they are the most formidable of all."

                "We will defeat them, my Queen."

                "I'm sure you will."  The Queen nodded slowly.  "I'm sure you will…"

                Robyn tried to look calm as she walked out of Software Etc. and down the stairs, making a sharp right turn into the bathroom.  She felt, somehow, as though she were doing something wrong -- like the police were about to stop her, though what possible reason they could have she had no idea.  It's just exciting.  If a bit ridiculous.  She checked that the box was still in the bag, for the dozenth time, and reached into one pocket for the tiny purple amulet Ayre had created for her.

                 A disorienting moment later, and she was standing in the same marble hall she'd left.  Ayre had enhanced it in her absence with a tall column of clear crystal that featured a circular opening the size of a watermelon at its base.  She looked at it curiously.

                "Is this it?"

                "I tried to make it look like you expected."  Ayre shrugged.  "Its actual physical form is of course irrelevant."

                "So what do I do?"

                "Put whatever physical objects you want to draw from in the hole.  Then sit in front of it and think about what you want to create."

                "That's it?"

                "That's it."

                "Okay."  Robyn looked around.  "Now?"

                "If it's not a problem."

                "No."  She shook her head.  "Just a little nervous."

                "You may not get it to work the first time.  Do not be discouraged."

                "Right."

                Slowly, almost reverentially, Robyn pulled the box from the bag and jammed it into the opening.  Then she sat down to think, hard.

                "You've come up with a lot of crazy ideas, Ayre," said Tsuiren, "but I think this may be the craziest."

                "Wait, and watch, before you judge."

                The pair stood well back from the column, which was starting to glow a gentle white.  Robyn was in an almost trance-like state, sitting on the floor, eyes closed.  They whispered just out of earshot.

                "You really think this girl, this human, can come up with a superior daemon?"

                "I have no doubt in the matter.  Humans have imagination, my Lord.  It is something that we have never gotten the hang of."

                "Still, it rankles.  Having one of them do our work for us."

                "You can always kill her afterwards, my Lord.  And if she defeats our enemy…"

                "Yes."  Tsuiren licked his lips in anticipation.  "After all, we only need to get lucky once."

                "Yes, my Lord."

                There was a short, sharp snap, followed by a sputter.  The column and Robyn were suddenly surrounded by billowing clouds of gray smoke, forcing the pair to quickly back away.  Tsuiren glared at Ayre.

                "Did your machine malfunction?"

                "I don't believe so.  In fact--"

                A pair of blue lights came on, somewhere deep inside the cloud.  They were curiously penetrating, and cast odd shadows.  A moment later, something spoke, its voice rumbling and synthesized.

                "Witness my perfection."

Chapter Six

                Kei stood on Mary's doorstep, feeling foolish.  She wasn't sure what to do -- the Outer Realms were a bit short on doorsteps, or doors for that matter.  Without the ability to pop open a vortex to see whoever you wanted, life was much more complicated.  Getting the hang of the telephone took me all afternoon.

                "Kei?  Is that you out there?"

                The voice came from the upper window of the house.  Kei waved and shouted.  "It's me."

                The door opened a few moments later to reveal Mary, looking relaxed.  "Why didn't you ring the bell?"

                "Bell?"  A brief mental picture flashed -- a large, oddly-shaped object struck to produce a pleasing sound.  Such a thing was not evident on the doorstep.  "What bell?"

                "Nevermind.  Come on in."

                "Thanks."  Kei stepped across the threshold, suppressing a shiver as she did so.  She reminded herself, firmly, that this was just Mary's house and not her domain.  She doesn't have any special power here.  At home, entering someone else's domain was the ultimate act of trust.

                "Want something to drink?"

                "No, thank you."

                Mary flopped into an old recliner and gestured Kei to the over-padded sofa.  "Everyone's asleep, including my sister, so it should be okay to talk here."

                "Okay," said Kei, uncertainly.  Why it wouldn't be okay to talk escaped her for the moment, but she let it pass.  "What exactly did you want to talk to me about?"

                "I had some questions for you, about where you come from.  I hope you don't mind."

                "It's the least I can do, since you're letting me stay in your world.  What have you got?"

                "First things first: what are you people, anyway?"

                Kei gave a half-smile.  I wish I knew.  "It's hard to explain."

                "Where did you come from?"

                "I don't remember, exactly.  Very few of us do."  Of all the lords she'd ever spoken with, only Ayre remembered his own origins.  Maybe that means he's younger than me.  I don't remember when we met.

                "Okay."  Mary sighed.  "Let me get a little more basic.  Who's in charge?"

                "Tsuiren."

                "What's he like?"

                "Good-looking, obsessive.  Not very bright."

                "I'd gathered that.  Why do you keep coming here?"

                "Technically, to gather energy."

                "You mentioned that."

                "Nowadays, though I think Tsuiren's obsessed with you.  He can't stand the thought of you beating him."

                "How do I stop him?"

                "You've been doing a pretty good job so far."  Kei smiled, to show that she took no offense, but Mary leaned back in the recliner, deep in thought.

                "Any chance of him showing up in person?"

                "Not unless you make him really mad."

                "Okay."  Mary paused.  "The things that come on these jobs.  Are they all…people, like you?"

                "No."  Kei waved a hand dismissively.  "Most of them are daemons, power-wrought constructs we use for cannon fodder."

                Mary nodded, looking somewhat relieved.  I wonder why?  "What do you think he'll try next?"

                "I don't know.  Knowing Tsuiren, he'll come up with some half-baked plan he thinks will lure you into a trap, or some new monster he thinks is unbeatable.  I don't think he'll manage, though…"  She trailed off as Mary stared intently into the distance.  "What's wrong?"

                "They're here."

                "They -- how do you know?"

                "I can feel them, after they break through the Barrier."  She stood up.  "Time to go.  You want to come along?"

                "I…"  An odd thought wormed its way into Kei's consciousness, something she barely dared consider.  "I guess.  You might need help."

                "Possibly," Mary agreed.  "Let's move."

                I can't attack her, because she'd almost certainly beat me.  And my help on our side wouldn't matter so much.  But if she happens to get herself killed, I'm sure Tsuiren will welcome me back with open arms.  Kei smiled as she followed Mary out the door.  Then I can get out of this hell-hole and back where I belong.

                Mary made it to one of her favorite vantage points in a series of long, lazy leaps that simply floated through the sky.  Kei followed, looking at the lights of the town spread out beneath her as though she'd never seen a city before.  Of course, Mary reflected, she probably hadn't.

                Sumiko was waiting, balanced on top of a flagpole on the balls of her feet.  She jumped lightly down to the roof and nodded to Mary.

                "Not really a good night for it."  The Japanese girl waved vaguely at the sky.  "Too overcast; no moon."  She blinked, noticing Kei for the first time.  "Mary?  Who--"

                "It's a long story."

                Kei stepped forward.  "I'm Kei."

                "Eternity."  Sumiko shook her hand warily.  "Mary, she's--"

                "I know."

                "And she's on our side?"

                "For the moment."  Kei smiled.  "Mary did me the favor of not chopping my head off, and I'm trying to repay it."

                "Okay…"  Sumiko shook her head.  "So what have we got?"

                "I'm not sure."  Mary concentrated.  "Feels like only one.  Why would they send only one?

                "Maybe it's some sort of extra-big one?"  Sumiko sounded almost happy at the prospect.  "Like a giant robot or something?"

                Kei shook her head.  "That seems unlikely.  Tsuiren has never gone in for robots."

                "We'll just have to find out."  Mary closed her eyes and pointed, then opened them again.  Her finger was aimed straight down Main Street, currently choked with cars.  "I think he's in the square.  Come on."

                Wakarton had a modest town square, a theoretically grass-covered space by Main Street that sported a number of churches and upscale businesses.  In its center was a statue of one of the less popular early patriots who had probably not done anything to deserve being visited by pigeons all day.  Mary covered the distance to one of the buildings adjacent to the square in a couple of jumps, with Sumiko and Kei just behind.

                The demon was waiting for them, she noted.  It was a massive, metallic shape, eight feet tall and broad to match, and looked like a humanoid encased in some kind of articulated armor.  Twin blue spotlights topped its shoulders, and in one hand it held a multi-barreled gun longer than Mary was tall.  All in all it cut a somewhat intimidating figure -- a gang of teenagers, who normally hung out on the green to smoke and gripe, were watching it from behind the statue.

                "Okay."  Mary blinked.  "What the hell is that?"

                "I…don't know."  Kei looked astonished.  "It's a daemon, and it has a lot of energy behind it.  But…"

                "Who cares what it is."  Sumiko leaned forward off the rooftop, eagerly.  "Let's waste it.  Eternity!"

                This last was a shout that echoed across the square.  Sumiko was enveloped in yellow light, and Mary barely had time to curse as the demon turned.  Its voice was booming and synthesized, with strange reverberations.

                "I am the Alpha and the Omega."

                And, that amount of conversation having apparently exhausted it, the demon opened fire.  Mary was already jumping to one side as the minigun spun up and spat a howling line of bullets that demolished the wall of the building she was standing on and cut a sizable chunk out of the roof.

                The plaza erupted in screams, and people were suddenly running in all directions.  Mary hit the ground with a roll and started running through clouds of dust, keeping the sparking flare of the gun to her left.  As soon as the demon left off shooting, she shouted to Sumiko.

                "I'll take the right, you take the left.  I'll draw his fire.  Go!"

                She winged a dozen slices of air at the thing, which it completely ignored; they left little scores on its armor.  Before she had time to generate something more devastating, it swung towards her and opened up again.  Mary rolled desperately behind a parked car, thought better of it, and scrambled out of the way.  Holes appeared in the sheet metal of the door, pock-pock-pock, before something punched through and the vehicle erupted in a spectacular fireball.

                Smoke obscured all vision for a moment.  Mary hit the ground behind another car, hoping to avoid notice, and started thinking desperately.

                Holy shit.  Holy shit.  What the hell is that thing?  This was not a promising line of inquiry.  Okay, okay.  What have we got?  He's got enough armor to shrug off anything I can hit him with from here, and I can't get close without being perforated.  Sumi might be able to take him in hand-to-hand -- assuming she hadn't gotten hit already, Mary thought with a chill -- but the problem is not getting killed on the way in.

                The sudden silence almost hurt her ears -- the unholy growl of the minigun wound down with a whine.  Mary risked a glance around the bumper and saw nothing but billowing darkness.

                How fast can he turn?  She pressed her memory.  With the minigun firing, the massive figure had set his legs apart to handle the recoil.  I wonder…

                Kei coughed in the smoke, flinched at the sound of a heavy footstep nearby, and retreated to the edge of the plaza.

                I should get out of here.  Every instinct screamed at her to turn and make a run for it.  She shook her head firmly.  Mary's still out there, somewhere, and she may beat this thing.  I need to hang around, until one of them gets killed.  She padded slowly around the edge of the smoke cloud, nervous and ready to twitch in any direction.

                Maybe Mary pulled out.  I mean, fighting this thing is ludicrous.  I don't know where Tsuiren dreamed it up -- I didn't think he could put together a self-consistent daemon with power like this.  She shifted uncomfortably.  He must have some new trick.  That hardly seems like him, though; he never learns.

                The smoke was clearing, revealing a plaza covered in shredded lines of grass and soil.  There was no sign of the daemon, which was far from comforting.  Kei suddenly felt very exposed, and was looking for cover when she heard a soft curse from behind her, followed by footsteps.

                "He's up there!"

                A number of things happened very quickly at this point.  Kei spun to face the tallest building on the square, a three-story Barnes & Noble, and caught a glimpse of twin blue lights on the roof.  One story down, on the building next door, there was a gentle yellow gleam.  Almost immediately after noticing this, she was punched in the back very hard and landed flat on the muddy ground, with her assailant on top of her.

                "Move!"

                "Mary--"

                She barely had time to recognize the voice before it was overwhelmed by a supersonic crack that shook the windows of the buildings around the square.  The weight lifted from her back, and Kei was dragged to her feet.

                "Mary, what are--"

                "Move!"

                Mary darted forward, leaving Kei to follow at a slower pace.  Another crack shivered through the air, and the ground just ahead of her foot exploded in a fountain of grass and mud.  She stopped, suddenly realizing what was happening and involuntarily freezing in place.  Mary half-turned.

                "Kei!"

                Everything was clocked in half-seconds, the time between deafening booms and the flash of the sniper rifle.  Mary turned, grabbed Kei's hand, and pulled -- boom, drilling a foot-deep hole in the turf -- and stepped back and pushed her from behind.  Kei stumbled a few steps forward -- boom -- and collapsed gratefully behind the solid stone pedestal of the statue.  She raised her head just in time to see Mary cover the last few feet and collapse drunkenly against the stone.  Boom.  Another round cracked against the base of the statue, raising sparks and whining away into the night.

                "Mary, are you--"  Kei leaned forward.  Mary had her back to the pillar, one hand pressed flat against her skin just above the breast on her left side.  Her breathing came in short, fast gasps, and her eyes were closed.  "Dark Gods Below.  Mary?  Can you hear me?"

                After a long, long, moment, the girl opened one eye and nodded shakily.  Kei relaxed for a moment before remembering that she was a human -- as long a lord was conscious, she could probably repair any amount of damage to her body, but humans got wounded and just died, for no reason. 

                Idiot.  This is your chance.  Kei blinked as events reinterpreted themselves.  All I have to do is finish her.  She can't even move.  Then there's nobody left to stop us -- I can leave this town, Tsuiren will never find me, and it'll be feasts every night.  Blood, as brilliantly red as the TV shows depicted it, pulsed lazily between Mary's clenched fingers.  Do it!

                "Did you…"  Mary gasped for breath.  "Did you see…the glow, up on the roof…"

                "Yes."  Kei leaned closer.  Kill her!

                "Sumiko's up there."  Mary closed her eyes again for a moment.  "She's getting close…to him.  We have to…keep his attention.  Just another few seconds.  I'll run right, you run left.  Just go."

                "Just…what?  Are you insane?"

                "Not going to get…another chance."  She smiled, shakily.  "If it doesn't work, we're all dead.  Fucking campers."

                She doesn't know.  Kei was almost stupefied.  She doesn't even consider the possibility I might hurt her.

                "On three."  Slowly, painfully, Mary lurched to her feet.  She winced, and her left arm hung limp at her side.  "One."

                I'm not going to actually do this, am I?

                "Two."

                Coming to Earth was bad enough, but this is just madness.  Kei looked at Mary again.  Dark Gods.  I am going to do it.  What the hell is wrong with me?

                "Go!"

                Mary stumbled out from cover, hand still clutched just below her shoulder.  Kei found herself scrambling forward, looking at the top of the building as she ran.  She could see him, dimly, lying flat on the roof behind the long, simple shape of his rifle.  The yellow glow was at the corner of the building.  She's right.  Another couple of seconds.

                Boom.  She felt the tug as the round whirred past, shattering a windshield behind her.  It startled her so much that she lost her footing -- Kei tumbled to the ground, cursing and half-expecting another blast before she got up.  Stupid, stupid, stupid…

                "This is the police!  Throw down your weapons and come out with your hands up!"

                A half-dozen police officers had piled out of three cruisers pulled up onto the verge of plaza and were advancing across it, pistols drawn, looking for the perpetrators.  Kei tried to scream a warning, but it just came out as a half-hearted shriek -- three of the cops started to jog towards her.  She finally got control of her voice, climbed to her knees--

                "Look out!"

                --and the leading officer's face exploded outwards in a spray of red.  Warm blood splashed against her arm, and Kei took an involuntary step backwards as the other two cops paused in shock.

                "Head shot."  The voice boomed out across the plaza from the top of the bookstore, and the police officers oriented on it and started firing.  The rifle answered, its echoing boom making their nine millimeters sound like popguns.

                "Double kill."  One of the officers was hit in the chest so hard he flew backwards and hit the ground rolling.  "Multi-Kill."  The third cop was turning to run before he dropped.  Kei was already running, towards the bookstore.  More shouts echoed around the square.

                "M-M-M-Monster Kill.  Unstoppable."

                "Snipers!  We need back-up!  Officer's--"

                "By the Guardians of the End of Time, you will be punished!"

                "Die, bitch."

                "By the Guardians at the End of Time," said Sumiko, "you will be punished!"

                "Die, bitch."

                Shouting a challenge before attacking, she realized quickly, had probably not been a good idea.  But the armored figure was lying prone, and fast as it was the length of the sniper rifle was cumbersome.  Sumiko vaulted across the roof, touched down only for a moment, and jumped into a spinning kick that caught him right on the chin as he tried to rise.  Her kicks carried more force than mere physics would have dictated, enough to send a normal man flying, but the daemon just staggered.  She hit the ground and bounced to her feet, instinctively ready for a counterattack.

                It didn't come.  Whatever the demon was planning, punching her wasn't part of it.  Instead it reached behind its back and pulled out another weapon, a menacing black-and-red thing far longer than could have realistically fitted back there without showing.  It clicked one as Sumiko ducked forward, grabbing one of his gauntleted hands and twisting it enough so that the heavy thing fell to the floor.  As he released the trigger, some hidden sense screamed -- Sumiko jumped backwards as the thing fired directly into the floor and enveloped the space they'd been standing in a massive explosion.

                The demon had jumped, too.  She'd ended up on the back side of the roof, and he was on the other side, slipping his hands to the small of his back and yanking out a pair of nasty-looking pistols.  At fifty feet, he could hardly miss, so she was left with only one option.  Sumiko dropped off the roof, bouncing against the wall of the bookstore to slow her fall, and landed amidst a maze of dumpsters in the back parking lot.  She quickly rolled into hiding, and heard the heavy thud as the demon landed behind her.

                Okay.  She smiled tightly.  This is good.  Close terrain -- if I can sneak up and disarm him, I've got a chance.  Mary's probably on her way over here right now.  I just have to stay out of sight.  She rolled underneath one dumpster, stood up, peeked around a corner and almost immediately ducked back as bullet stitched a pattern of holes into the metal behind her.

                She looked around frantically.  Aside from the exit she'd just tried, she was trapped in a long corridor formed by dumpsters and the edge of the building.  I could jump over, but that'd make me a perfect target.  That leaves the other end.  She couldn't hear the heavy footsteps of the demon, but he was there somewhere -- her own steps beat a tattoo to the end of the line and skidded to a halt.

                The demon was standing exactly where she'd wanted to go, and before she could move he put away an odd saucer-shaped device and pulled out the twin pistols again.  Sumiko skidded frantically, all her momentum going the wrong way, and willed all the energy she could into the energy field that surrounded her.  The guns blazed.

                I've never been shot before, she thought, flying calmly through the air.  It's not as bad as they say.  The force of the bullets picked her up, energy field and all, and smashed her into the concrete back of the bookstore.  She remained on her feet, barely, and a half-dozen spent bullets dropped to the floor in front of her with little clicks.  But that's all I've got.  Yellow light gradually faded away, and Eternity was gone, leaving only Sumiko.

                She blinked, dully, in the twin blue lights.  The demon sighted carefully.

                "0 \/\/ |\| z 3 d," it said, effortlessly pronouncing a string of punctuation.

                Click.  Click.  Click.

                The sound was somehow familiar.  The demon hesitated, looked up.

                Click.  Click.

                Click.

                Mary, up on the roof, released the trigger on the rocket launcher.  The spread of rockets were perfectly aligned; they blasted giant holes in the pavement, frizzled Sumiko's eyebrows, and reduced the demon to flying chunks of meat.

                After a long moment, Sumiko breathed out.  All around the plaza, sirens were converging.

                Deep in the Outer Realms, the fireball gleamed in Ayre's mismatched black/white eyes.  His lip quirked, ever so slightly, and one of his index fingers began to tap.

                Sneaking past the police cordon was not as difficult as one would have imagined.  The police were reticent to close in, for obvious reasons, and since the suspect was a eight-foot tower of armor and heavy weaponry they didn't bother with three young women on foot.  After that, making it back to Mary's house was just a matter of fighting the flow of reporters, cops, and interested bystanders.  Sumiko found the door open and slipped into the house with relief just after midnight.

                A moment later, a black sedan cruised slowly down the street.

                "Matters appear to be resolved for the moment, Agent Rin."

                Rin ground her teeth and kept her voice carefully neutral.  "It was still an unnecessary risk, Agent Deus."

                "A gamble we would appear to have won."

                "Except that those police officers are dead, along with God knows how many others."

                "Our intervention might not have prevented those losses."

                "We would have had a better chance.  We could have pulled rank and kept the local cops away from the scene, at least."

                "Not without revealing ourselves.  Stop for a moment, Agent Rin."

                She stopped the car as soon as they'd rounded a couple of corners, and Deus leaned closer.  His eyes were unreadable behind tinted plastic.  Rin swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable.

                "Agent Deus…?"

                "I just want to impress upon you the importance of this enterprise.  This girl, Mary, is a Category Six supernatural.  To my certain knowledge there are twelve Category Six individuals in the United States, all of whom work for the Bureau.  There are perhaps one hundred in the world.  And more to the point, Agent Rin," Deus allowed himself a brief smile, "she is defending this town, this place, against the demons.  She has obviously caught their attention.  Remember that this is the exact scenario that the Bureau was designed to guard against."

                Rin looked at the floor.  "I know.  I understand, but…"

                "But?"

                "In that case, why don't we just grab her?  Call for backup.  She got hurt fighting that thing, we should be able to take her easily."

                "And then what?  What happens when the next demon arrives?"

                Rin was silent. 

                "Should we fight that too?  Save the town?  Then what about the next?  The Bureau does not have the resources to win a full-scale war against the demons, Agent Rin, no matter how much we would like to."

                "So what do we do?"

                Deus smiled like a lizard.  "We wait.  And we watch.  And then, at the right moment, commit ourselves."

                "How?"

                "The only correct solution to this problem is for the demons to kill her."

                "Wh--"  Rin bit off her protest.  It was true, as far as Bureau doctrine went.  "So you're going to attack her?"

                "Possibly.  But carefully.  We must not be seen working against her.  Only if the demons believe they honestly won this fight will things return to normal."

                "That's…"  She wanted to say 'awful', but something in her partner's expression told her it would not enhance her career prospects.  "That's going to be tricky."

                "Indeed."  Deus sat back in his seat.  "In the mean time, we have some other problems to consider.  First among these is where that demon came from."

                "Right."  Rin was relieved to change topics.  Something about Deus' plan, logical as it was, rang false, but she pushed those thoughts away.  "I've never seen anything like it."

                "Nor have I.  There's something new here, Agent Rin."

                Lia was practically in tears from the moment they stumbled through the door.

                "Jesus Christ.  Where have you been, Mary--"  She caught sight of the blood, and the fact that Mary wasn't so much walking on her own as being supported by Sumiko.  "Holy shit.  Is that…is she…"

                Sumiko paid her very little attention as she hustled Mary into the living room and stretched her out on the couch.  The TV was showing an aerial view of the plaza, alive with flashlights and the sultry glow of burning cars.  Lia trailed behind her, still mostly in shock, while Kei closed the door quietly.

                "This sleepy town's business district erupted into violence tonight, as unidentified assailants opened fire on citizens and police officers.  We're coming to you live from the scene, and while the police have made no statements yet, we can--"

                "Someone turn that thing off."  Sumiko, relieved of her burden, wobbled as though she were about to fall over.  Lia hastily complied, and without the television the silence rang loud.

                "I…is she going to be okay?"  Lia's voice was barely audible.

                "Yes."  Sumiko closed her eyes.  "Give me a second.  I just need to run back to my house and get some stuff."

                "Get some stuff?  We need to call the hospital!  And the police--"

                Sumiko shook her head, tiredly.  "No.  Trust me.  I can--"

                "What do you mean, trust you?"  Lia stepped angrily towards Sumiko.  "I barely know you.  That's my sister lying there, and you won't…you don't want to…"

                "Lia."

                Mary's voice was a croak, but it cut through the argument instantly.  Both girls dashed immediately to her side; Lia got there first.

                "Mary--"

                "Quiet."  Mary swallowed.  "Please.  I'm going to pass out again in a second."

                "Okay."  Lia stared at the floor, her expression so distraught Mary couldn't help smiling.

                "I'll be…okay.  It's just a scratch."

                "A scratch--"

                "Quiet."

                "Right."

                "Lia.  Listen to Sumiko, do whatever she says, don't ask questions.  Okay?"

                "Okay."

                "Don't tell anyone.  Especially"--she swallowed again, and grimaced--"especially not Robyn.  Promise me."

                "I promise.  Are you in some kind of trouble?  I--"

                "Enough."  Mary closed her eyes, then opened them again.  "Oh.  Let Kei stay here, if she wants to."

                "Kei?"  Lia looked around and noticed the older woman for the first time.  Kei waved, self-consciously.  "I…I guess."

                "Good."  Now she closed her eyes again.  "Thank you."

                "Mary?"  Lia leaned forward.  "Mary?"

                Sumiko hastily checked her friend's breathing and found it shallow and raspy, but there.  She shook her head and staggered to her feet.

                "You two stay here.  I'll be right back."

                Kei blinked.  "Me?  I mean…"

                "Just…stay put, okay?"

                "Okay."

                "I'm not stupid, you know."

                Lia was talking to herself.  Mary lay on the couch, eyes closed but breathing more easily since Sumiko had returned and poured some medicine into her.  Sumiko was upstairs, in Mary's room; she'd practically fallen off her feet.  And Kei was out on the back porch after scrounging a sandwich from the kitchen.

                "You think I am."  Lia wiped the back of her hand across red, bleary eyes.  "I guess I can't be offended.  You think that everyone's stupid, and most of the time you're right.  Dad never notices.  No one else pays any attention.  But I notice."

                She was sitting on one arm of the couch, leaning against the wall.  One arm trailed down to run a finger through Mary's hair, which was matted with blood and sweat.  Her voice was barely a whisper.

                "Come on, Mary.  You come home late half the time, you're always getting hurt.  People are scared of you at school, like you were some sort of bogeyman.  And now stuff like this.

                "Why didn't you ever tell me anything?  I can keep a secret."

                Lia sighed.

                "Let me guess.  You don't want me to know, because I might get hurt.  Poor Mary.  It must be tough constantly throwing yourself between everyone else and the world."  This last came out too quick, too sarcastic.  Lia hunched forward.  "I'm sorry.  I'm just scared.  Every time you leave the house at night, or I wake up and you're not there, I get so damn scared…"  Her hand closed slowly into a fist, trapping a twist of Mary's bone-white hair between her fingers.

                There was a long moment of silence before she let go and breathed out.

                "I mean, what would I do if something happened to you?  You're the only one who cares that I exist at all.  Maybe the teachers at school would miss me for a few days, and Darren would have to find some other girl to feel up.  And Dad might notice by Christmas or so.  But you're the only one who really  cares."

                She shifted uneasily.  "God.  Now you've got me talking to myself.  When you wake up, we're going to have a serious chat.  Okay?"  Lia leaned over and kissed her sister on the forehead.  "Okay."

                She wandered into the kitchen, wiping her eyes again and feeling simultaneously silly and sorry for herself.  There was a box of instant hot chocolate on the counter, a bedtime staple of hers for many years, and she went through the motions of making it on autopilot.  Once it was finished, she drifted out onto the back porch with the steaming mug in one hand, looking for company.

                Kei was leaning on the railing, looking up at the stars.  Lia savored the cool breeze as she walked over; a creaking board made the older woman jump before she realized who was behind her.

                "Hi."  Lia waved her free hand.  "What'cha doing?"

                Kei took the question at face value.  "Contemplating the idiocy of the universe in general and myself in particular."

                "Ah."  Lia stuck out her hand.  "I don't think we've been introduced.  I'm Lia.  You're Kei, right?"

                "Right."  Kei shook gingerly.  "You're Mary's…sister, correct?"

                Something about the way she said the word sounded strange.  Lia nodded.  "Yes."

                "I see."

                Kei went back to leaning on the railing, and Lia joined her, sipping her drink and smiling at the almost-bitter taste.  Finally she sighed.

                "Look.  I'm not going to ask about whatever business you're mixed up in, because you won't tell me."

                Kei looked surprised.  "Okay."

                "But I'm lonely, and a little scared, and I'd like to make conversation.  So talk to me about something."

                "I was thinking about the stars."

                "Oh?"  Lia looked up.  This close to the city, the night sky wasn't particularly impressive, just a sprinkle of glittering dust across the black velvet backdrop.  "What about them?"

                "They're giant balls of flaming gas, thousands of light-years away."  Kei shrugged.  "Or so I am given to understand."

                "So?"

                "Doesn't it all seem a bit wasteful?  Billions of suns, untold reaches of empty space, just to make a pretty display half the time on a tiny little rock like this?"

                Lia half-smiled.  "That's an odd way to think about it."

                "You'd think there'd be an easier way to do it."  She shrugged.  "But…"

                "But?"

                "This is the first time I've ever really seen the stars.  For real, I mean.  And I find myself impressed."

                Lia blinked, and finally nodded.  The two stood for a long time in a more companionable silence, staring at the night sky.

                Finally, Lia said, "You're weird."

                "Really?"  Kei smiled.  "I'm sorry.  I'm not from around here."

                "Ah."  Somehow, she'd already guessed that.  "Your English is good."

                "Thank you."

                "How long are you staying?"

                "I don't know."  Kei put her chin in her hands, leaning on the railing.  "Maybe forever."

                "Wow."  Lia paused.  "You think you'll get homesick?"

                "I already am."

Chapter Seven     

                "I get it.  I'm delirious, right?"

                The tall, thin figure nodded.  He was dressed entirely in black, and so gaunt she could see the shape of his bones under what looked like velvet.  His eyes were mismatched, one pure white and the other a black hole.

                "So this is just some kind of fever dream."  She looked around at a freeze-frame of Main Street, at noon.  People were everywhere, stopped in the mid-stride, while driving, or sitting at café tables.  She felt a little bit ghostly as she wandered through them.  "Am I going to die?"

                The dark figure smiled.  Its voice was surprisingly melodious.  "You're tough, you know."

                "Answer the question."

                "I wonder what it would take to get to you."  He walked closer, his shoes clicking on the asphalt.  It was the only sound in the frozen twilight world.  "Mary.  What would it take to really bother you?  Not dying, that's for sure."

                "I won't say it wouldn't bother me," said Mary, smiling without humor.

                "You know what I mean."

                "I've been doing this a long time."  She sighed.  "A long, long time.  After a while it sort of gets to you."

                "So what can I show you that would disturb you?  This is a nightmare, after all.  How about this?"

                A severed head appeared at his side, hovering in mid-air.  It was Robyn's; her eyes were open and staring, and blood dripped slowly from the stump.  Mary raised an eyebrow.

                "You're lucky this isn't real, demon."

                "Or what?"  He leaned closer.  "You'd blast me to fragments?  Go ahead, if it makes you feel any better."

                There was a long pause before the demon straightened.  "However, I think this is the wrong track."  He tossed the head aside with a gesture, and Mary winced as it bounced along the street.  She kept her eyes on his skull-like face, watching his black-and-white eyes.

                "I'm getting sick of this dream."

                "We're just getting started."  He rounded suddenly.  "What else would you like to see?  Your father's head on a pike?  Your sister's heart on a platter?  Would any of that really effect you?"

                Mary let out a long, hissing breath.  "I'm getting really sick of you."

                "What are you afraid of, Mary?"

                She clenched one hand into a fist, felt the air stir sluggishly and shape itself into an infinitely thin blade.  "Nothing that you've got."

                The demon spread his hands as she hurled the razor.  It caught him in the throat, but his whole form exploded into black smoke on contact.  Mary smiled in satisfaction before she felt the odd tickle of her power stirring.

                "What---"

                More blades formed -- a dozen, a hundred, hovering around her in an intricate dance, glinting briefly in the noonday sun.  They were all oriented inwards, and Mary had a brief mental picture of what would happen if they all fell in at once.  She laughed.

                "Is this how you're trying to scare me?  With threats?  You can do better than that."

                The demon's voice came out of nowhere.  "I can, indeed."

                And all the blades reversed, and scythed outwards.  The frozen people standing closest to Mary simply exploded into fragments as the razors passed through them without even slowing.  The car she was standing next to disintegrated into a storm of metal and plastic, mixed with the goo that had been the people inside.  Her power flared again, and again, and more razors appeared; the storm of destruction marched out in concentric circles, destroying everything in its path.  Store windows shattered.  Buildings started their long, awful collapses.  And everywhere there was blood in the air, as statue after motionless statue exploded into a spray of organic debris.

                And Mary realized, with a sudden, sick certainty, that she was laughing.

                Robyn awoke to the yammering of her alarm clock, and tried to remember who she was.

                I was…  She remembered a flash of blue light, and floating somewhere timeless.  And someone -- more like something, actually -- asking questions.  Not exactly asking, either, but somehow plucking what it wanted to know directly from her mind.  And hovering in front of her was the shape of a monster.

                Not a monster.  She shifted uneasily, still not opening her eyes.  A champion.  I copied its shape, and that thing built it for me.  Somehow she'd thought it would feel uncomfortable, but the reality was anything but.  It was the ultimate act of creation.

                In middle school, Robyn had entertained dreams of being an artist.  It took her only a little while to find out she had very little talent for it, and she came away barely able to draw a passable cartoon.  But one thing that had struck her was how clearly she could see what she wanted in her mind, and how difficult it was to transfer that image to paper.  Somehow, the body interfered -- by the time a drawing was transferred to reality, it had become grotesque.

                This was different.  It was magic.  I just think, and it exists.  It was the act of creation about which everyone secretly dreams -- pick up the paintbrush for the first time and end up with a masterpiece, sit down at the piano and compose a symphony. 

                Jesus Christ.  She took a deep breath.  Is that how Ayre feels all the time?  The thought of the god in his realm, able to create anything he desired merely by act of will, made her almost sick with envy.  Calm down, Robyn.

                With that, she opened her eyes and returned uncomfortably to full consciousness.  Her familiar ceiling stared back at her, with its pattern of cracks that was an old man if you looked at it one way and a random pattern of cracks if you looked at it another.  The same old posters were half-heartedly pasted onto the walls, the same leaning pile of used books by the head of her bed.  The same computer, the power light of the monitor blinking on and off like a winking green eye, and the same sleek black video game console sitting next to it.  The same piles of manga on the floor.

                All that was different, in fact, was the cobalt-blue stone that nestled heavily between her breasts.  She fished it out, just to make sure that it was real, and admired its semi-translucency for a moment before tucking it back into her shirt.  Ayre had explained it, she remembered, before sending her home on the verge of exhaustion.

                "It's a battery, really.  Stored energy, enough to bring you back here.  Since you're from the Timestream to start with, transit either way is pretty simple.  So don't hesitate to use it -- I can always make another."  Then he'd winked, and brushed his pale blue hair to one side, and she'd found herself unaccountably blushing.

                I'm glad it's real.  I don't think I could take it, if all this turned out to be a dream.

                Robyn rolled out of bed and found herself in her pajamas.  There was another difference in the room, now that she took the time to look around -- there was black silk robe hanging behind the door.  She smiled to herself, softly, and padded down the stairs.

                What happens now?  In a way I don't even care.  Just the knowledge that she was part of something different was incredibly buoyant.  There was, she forced herself to admit, an element of conceit to it -- all those people that think their world is real, and the sum total of all that is.  I may not know much, but at least I know how much there is to know.

                The wall clock read 10:15, and she wandered into the kitchen expecting to find it empty.  Robyn was therefore somewhat surprised that her mother was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a mug of something hot and steaming and looking concerned.

                "Hey, Mom."  Robyn waved lazily.  "What are you--"

                "Shhh!"  Her mom held up a hand for silence, staring intently at the television.  Robyn blinked and focused on the scene of devastation.

                "--the police now believe they have found the remains of the culprit, who was apparently blown to bits in the final explosion.  Investigators now suspect the criminal was either wearing a suicide bomb, which he accidentally triggered, or mishandled some of his own weaponry or explosives.  No word yet on possible accomplices, though several eyewitnesses have reported unidentified figures returned fire on the suspect.

                "Rescue workers worked their way to another couple today who had been trapped in a convenience store for the last eight hours.  Authorities communicated with the trapped man via cell-phone, and report that he was in no danger.  The workers expect to find no more survivors, which brings the final death toll for this horrific crime to fourteen, including four police officers and two young children."

                The images mercifully cut to a smiling anchor in a bone white studio.  "Thanks, Jim.  We'll have more on that story in a moment -- we're getting ready for a press conference with Chief of Police Kyle Inson and Agent Sims of the FBI.  In the meantime--"

                The TV went mute, and Robyn stared in dull disbelief.  Her mother shifted uneasily.

                "I stayed home today."  She took a long pull from the mug.  "I walk through that square on my way to the bus station, and I couldn't…"

                "Are you okay?"

                "Yeah."

                Robyn moved to her mother's side and put one hand on her shoulder.

                "Jesus.  You've been asleep since I got home -- this must be the first you'd heard of it."

                "Y…yeah."  Robyn nodded, still shocked.

                "It's awful."  Her mother shook her head, slowly.  "Just awful…"

                "Yeah."

                Her mother looked up as she broke contact and almost ran back to the stairwell.  "Robyn?"

                She stopped.  "It's okay.  I just…I need to…"

                "I get it.  If you want to talk about it…"

                "T…thanks."  She practically sprinted up the steps and closed the door to her room so hard the wall shook.  It was an effort to keep her voice below a scream.  "Ayre!"

                There was a long moment of silence, and her hand darted to the heavy stone on its chain.  Before she could grab it, though, the room filled with sparkling light, there was a sound like 'whaum', and the blue-haired god faded into existence.  The bright smile he'd arrived with faded as she rounded on him.

                "Ayre."  She breathed, carefully, and kept her voice low.  "What.  The hell.  Did.  You.  Do?"

                "Do?"  He looked confused.  "What do you mean?"

                "Don't play dumb with me."  She thumbed on the TV, with the volume off.  They were back to showing aerial views of the devastation.  "What the hell is that?"

                "The aftermath of a battle."

                "Aftermath?  They said that fourteen people died!"

                "I don't doubt it."

                Robyn stepped forward until she was almost face to face with him.  "God damn it, Ayre.  What did you do with that thing I made?"

                They locked gazes for a moment; Ayre's black-and-white eyes tightened.  Before she could move he put one hand flat on her chest and shoved her backwards; Robyn stumbled and ended up sitting on the bed.  He was standing above her before she even realized he'd moved.

                "What did you expect?"  Ayre snarled.  "You may not realize this, but this isn't some fucking game for us.  There's no reset, there's no continue -- if we don't get it right, we are all going to die.  This isn't one of your twinkly little girl's shows.  We're fighting people who want power and are willing to destroy my entire race to get it.  Do you think they worry about civilian casualties?  They'd waste you people for fun if they could get away with it."  He leaned progressively closer as he spoke, until his face was just inches from hers.  Robyn swallowed.

                "But -- I mean…"  Her voice was tiny.  "I made that thing."

                "And if you hadn't, more people would be dead.  Maybe not the same people, I suppose, but if we leave them alone then they will be able to get away with it, and humanity gets hunted for sport."  He took a long breath, and straightened up, already regaining his customary bearing.  "You don't understand how close we were, Robyn.  No one has ever fought one of them like that before.  No wonder it cut loose with everything it had; you may have easily driven it out of this dimension entirely."

                "R…really?  We won?"

                "No."  His expression made her face fall.  "Almost, but not quite.  But don't you get it?  We almost stopped them on the first try -- we're finally on the track of a weapon that can win this war."  Now he smiled.  "And, frankly, you are responsible."

                "Me?"  She waved a hand.  "Not really -- I just picked some stupid game.  You made the machine and--"

                "The machine operates using your thoughts as a template.  You humans have always had a gift for inspired nastiness."

                Robyn was silent.  Ayre waited patiently.

                "Okay."  I forgot this isn't some storybook adventure for everyone.  "I'm sorry."

                "You don't need to apologize.  You don't have all the information.  As far as you know, this sort of thing is unusual, when in fact it happens all the time."

                "It does?"

                "The enemy can adjust minds.  Typically they cover their tracks.  This one, obviously, did not have that chance."

                Wow.  She shook her head.  "Still.  I shouldn't have shouted at you like that."

                "You are new to this, I understand.  Apology accepted."

                "I hope I didn't call you away from anything--"

                "Not particularly.  I was waiting for you to awaken, in fact."

                "Oh."  Robyn remembered something from his earlier explanations.  "Is it safe for you to be here?  Won't they notice you?"

                "After what happened last night, I believe I can escape their notice for some time."

                "Good."  She stood from the bed.  "I had some ideas for next time that I wanted to run by you.  But I need to shower and get dressed first, and then we need to find somewhere private to talk."

                "Excellent.  I'm anxious to hear your plans."

                Robyn smiled broadly.  "Wait outside for a bit then.  And don't let Mom see you -- that would take a bit of explaining."

                After the confrontation, sluicing down with hot water felt almost euphoric.  Robyn kept breaking into half-giggles and goofy grins.  I'm glad Ayre isn't here to see me.  Or, worse, Mary.  She let the shower rinse her hair and closed her eyes.

                Okay.  Time to be honest with myself.  Why am I so happy?  The answer was uncomfortable but obvious.  I'm happy because he told me I did a good job.  Not only did the weird gods pick me to help them, I did.  Don't I have a right to be a little proud of that?  Something felt a little off about that, somehow.  I'm just nervous.  She smiled even wider.  I have a right to be nervous, too.

                Robyn shifted indecisively.  I guess…also…  There was no doubt about it -- Ayre was handsome.  And passionate, and kind.  And smart and powerful beyond the dreams of human beings.  Not like Tsuiren, though.  But Tsuiren was cold, perfect beauty -- enough to make her knees wobble, at the time, but in retrospect nothing so spectacular.  I wonder if part of it is his presence.  He is a god, after all.  Whereas Ayre, for all his power, seemed more like a person.

                She tried to picture the little pause, his face an inch away from hers; she'd felt his breath on her cheek, and the almost physical impact of the intensity in his eyes.  It's almost frightening.  I wonder what he would have done if I'd kissed him, right then?  The thought made her giggle and shake her head.  Christ, Robyn.  Don't get too full of yourself.  He's a god, and you're just a high school senior -- count yourself lucky you even get to talk to him.

                Stepping out of the warm water was always an effort.  Robyn swathed herself in a warm, fluffy towel, opened the door to her room, and started to hunt for something to wear.

                Ayre stood on the landing, listening to voices on the air.

                "I must congratulate you on your performance," said Tsuiren.

                "I thought it was effective."  Ayre brushed a speck of dust from his robes, thought for a moment, and glared at them until they turned into slacks and a light jacket.

                "Absolutely.  I almost believed you cared about something."

                "Thank you."  He shrugged modestly.  "I try my best."

                "I admit I underestimated you, Ayre.  This project is working out quite well."

                "We almost had her this time.  I suspect we will not fail again."

                "When will your pet be ready?"

                "Who knows, with humans?  I will contact you."

                "Of course."

                Ayre bowed, ever so slightly.  "Until then, my lord."

                The buzzing of the lights slowly made Mary aware of the fact that she was awake.  That, and the tiny demon sitting on her forehead; when she sat up, he tumbled off and somersaulted hastily in the air.

                "Boss!"  Aku spread his arms.  "'Bout time you woke up.  Feeling any better?"

                Mary blinked and rubbed her eyes, then blinked again when she noticed that her left arm, instead of a font of unimaginable pain, was merely mildly aching.  She pulled open the neat bullet hole in her shirt with two fingers and rubbed the round, pink scar.  It tingled oddly.

                "Ow."

                "Maer?"  Aku tilted his head to one side.  "Does it still hurt?"

                "Just a little."

                Aku smiled broadly.  "Great!  I knew you'd be fine."

                "Aww.  Were you worried about me?"

                "Nah.  We both know it'd take more than some guy with a rifle to kill you."

                "Let's hope."  Mary grabbed onto the demon's buoyant mood like a drowning man grabs a life preserver, trying to shake off the dregs of her nightmare.  "Is everyone else okay?"

                "Sumi's a little bruised, but she's still sleeping it off.  That demon friend of yours seemed a little rattled, though.  She's around here somewhere.  And frankly I think Lia's getting suspicious."

                "Lia."  Mary rolled her eyes.  "She saw me like this?"

                "They were too exhausted to hide you."

                "Great."  It was hard to feel too bad about it, though.  Familiar post-battle euphoria was starting to kick in -- the odd feeling you got when you realized that, no matter what else had happened, you were still alive.  "What time is it?"

                "Around one in the afternoon."

                She shook her head, and as she did so realized something else.  The vague pain that signified Kei's presence was fading as the Barrier energy bled off of her, but there was something else, from the feel of it something much fresher.  Another demon.  It must have come it sometime last night, after I passed out.  She swung her legs off the couch, prompting Aku to hold up his hands. 

                "Whoa, whoa!  Where do you think you're going?"

                "There's still one of them out there."

                "Another demon?"

                "Yeah."  She pushed the blanket that had covered her onto the floor.  "We have to get him before the Barrier energy fades."

                "You have to wait, Maer.  Give it a rest -- you've got a few days.  Sumiko's magic healing stuff is good but not that good; you're still weak."

                "But--"

                "Also, the town is crawling with cops."

                "Cops?"

                "Yeah.  I don't know if you noticed, but your trigger-happy friend waxed a half-dozen of them before you got him, not to mention destroying half the town square.  The police are understandably curious."

                "I can't just let a demon wander around."

                "You don't have to, boss.  Just wait a little while.  We need to keep a low profile."

                "Didn't you want me to become dictator of the world?"

                "You gotta time it right.  After destroying half the town is not a good time."

                The phone rang, sparing Aku the answer to that comment.  Mary crawled to the edge of the couch and picked it up.

                "Hello?"

                "Mary?"  Robyn sounded a little on the hyper side, which was unusual.  Mary dredged her memory for her last conversation with Robyn, and winced.  Right.

                "Hey."  She paused.  "You still mad at me?"

                "Mad at you?"  Robyn sounded as though she'd actually forgotten about it.  At least she hasn't been sulking the whole time.  "Oh.  I'm sorry about that.  I didn't mean -- I was just being stupid.  Forget it."

                "Already done.  So what's up?"

                "Just making sure you're still alive."  Mary barely stifled a gasp, and Robyn continued.  "I didn't think you'd be downtown at that hour, but you know…"

                "Yeah."  She breathed out.  "Well, I'm in one piece for the moment, so you can stop worrying."

                "Cool.  I'll be out all day, I think, but we should get together tomorrow or something."

                "What are you up to?"

                "Going out in the general vicinity of a guy."

                Mary raised an eyebrow, though Robyn couldn't see her.  "Really."

                "I'll tell you about it later.  You'll probably get to meet him eventually."

                "I'll expect a full report."

                She put the phone back on the charger with a sigh and flopped back onto the couch.  Aku hovered back to his accustomed place over one shoulder.

                "See," he said, grinning, "and all of a sudden you're melancholy."

                "I did almost die."

                "Almost.  Pfeh.  You're jealous."

                "Of Robyn?"

                "Maybe."  The demon looked sly.  "Maybe of her new boyfriend."

                "Relax.  Robyn's always had a crush on me, and it's about time she got over it."

                "Sure."

                "Get lost, Aku."

                "You're the boss.  No running around saving the world for at least twenty-four hours."

                Sumiko hadn't gotten much sleep, and what little she had managed had been troubling.

                "Eternity."  The Queen's black-and-white eyes burned with inner fire.

                "M…My Queen."

                "You have done very well indeed.  Only a few trials remain to us."

                "I…thank you, my Queen."

                "And yet I sense that you are troubled."

                "I…"  Sumiko's throat choked closed, even in a dream.  "We failed, my Queen.  People died."

                "The monster was destroyed."

                "But not soon enough.  We are supposed to protect them -- why else do we have these powers?  But…"

                "Eternity."  The Queen's voice commanded attention.  "I know this is hard on you.  But you must remember that, unmolested, the demons would destroy the entire world.  If some few people die in the battle, we must nonetheless consider that a success."

                A success.  Sumiko swallowed.  "Yes.  My Queen."

                She'd awoken with a headache and a bad taste in her mouth, and she was trying to solve at least one of these problems with breakfast when Mary stumbled into the kitchen.  Sumiko gave her a half-hearted wave.

                "Hey."

                "Hey."  Mary pulled a chair out from the table and flopped into it.  "Thanks for saving my life, by the way."

                "Any time.  You want any pancakes?"

                "Please."  She sighed and laid her head on the table.  "I slept for twelve hours.  Why am I still tired?"

                "Healing that fast takes a lot out of you." 

                Sumiko spooned a few dollops of batter onto the frying pan.  The sizzling outlined the silence.

                "Sumi?"

                "Hmm?"  She sniffed hurriedly.

                "Are you okay?"

                "Yeah.  I wasn't really hurt -- just some bruises, and--"

                "No.  I mean: are you okay?"

                There was a long pause before Sumiko spoke, without turning around.  "We didn't stop it in time, Mary."

                "I know."

                Sumiko felt a knot inside her chest threaten to dissolve in a flood of tears, and ruthlessly clamped down on it.  "That's all.  I just…"

                "You can't feel bad about that."

                "Why?"

                "That thing just appeared and started shooting!  If we hadn't been there, it would have done more damage."

                "I guess."  Sumiko turned and sat down at the table, cradling her head in her arms.  "What if we weren't here at all, though?"

                Mary was silent.

                "They're getting worse, you know.  This isn't little goblins and tentacled things anymore."

                "I know."  That had been bothering Mary, too.  "That thing we fought yesterday was different."

                "What about next time?  How long have we got?"

                Mary grimaced.  "Actually…"

                "What?"  Sumiko's face froze.  "Not already."

                "I can feel it."

                The Japanese girl closed her eyes.  "Me too."  She let out a deep breath.  "Fuck.  What do we do?"

                "Wait.  We can't do anything with the cops so stirred up, but he probably won't either.  We wait for nightfall, and then go after him."

                "Gods."  Sumiko propped her chin on her hand.  "Where does it end?"

                "It'll end.  Sooner or later, the boss will show up.  Some guy named Tsuiren.  All we need to do is kill him."

                "But how many people get killed before then?"

                "As few as possible."  Mary shook her head.  "You're the one who was supposed to be gung-ho about this."

                "It's just…"  She sighed.  Mary cleared her throat, softly.  "What?"

                "Your pancakes are on fire."

                Robyn stepped off the bus and looked around downtown, feeling incredibly daring.  Part of this had to do with her outfit -- she'd eschewed her normal whatever-was-on-top-of-the-basket system in favor of a pair of tight jeans and a low-cut off-red T-shirt.  She wasn't sure whether Ayre had noticed, though he hadn't objected when she suggested they walk around the town.  He'd traded the brown robe he normally favored for nondescript slacks and shirt, which made him look like a model from the better class of toothpaste commercial.        

                She had a hard time not playing tour guide, pointing out such interesting sites as the library, the car dealership, and several pizzerias.  Ayre smiled, and said very little.

                "I'm sorry.  This must all be boring for you."

                "Not really -- I don't get the chance to walk around Earth much, for obvious reasons."

                "Right."  She spotted her favorite café, and pointed.  "You want to grab a late lunch?"

                "Sure."

                They passed a busy few minutes ordering before he leaned forward.  "So.  You were going to tell me something."

                "Right!"  Robyn had been avoiding the subject for a reason -- her nervousness had been growing as they walked.  What the hell do I know, to talk about stuff like this with someone like him?  She stuffed the feeling down, viciously, and got right to the point.  "I think I figured out what went wrong, last time."

                "Went wrong?"

                "When I was in your machine, I could feel"--she hesitated--"limitations.  Imposed by the source material.  I think it reads my mind--"

                "It does."

                "--and sort of borrows my subconscious ideas about how the daemon should function."   

                "That sounds reasonable enough."

                "Reasonable?  You built it."

                "True, but I'd never tested it on a human.  It's not always clear how things will interact."

                Robyn briefly considered being scared about that, but decided against it.  "Anyway.  So when I created that thing, the source material put limitations on how powerful it could be."

                "Why?"

                "Well, it wasn't anything special.  Just a random opponent from that game, roughly as powerful as the player."

                Ayre nodded, interestedly, and Robyn felt a little thrill.  "Go on."

                "So I figure, next time, we use something that outclasses its opposition."

                "Such as?"

                "I've got some ideas, but I think I'd have to show them to you."

                "I expect so."  He sat back.  "You've put a lot of thought into this."

                "I…"  She blushed suddenly, incongruously.  "I guess so.  It just sort of hit me while I was asleep…"

                He shook his head.  "Frankly, sometimes its hard for me to remember how different this must be for you.  For me, this is a new project, but--"

                "Yeah.  You've kind of changed my life."

                "I'm sorry."  He said it with a half-smile, but she could feel the pain behind the words.  His mismatched eyes glittered.  Robyn waved her hands defensively. 

                "Don't be!  I'm happier this way."

                "Really?"  Ayre moved his arms to make way for his hamburger.  "Why?"

                The question caught her off-guard.  Robyn started her own sandwich, to give herself a little time to think; it was hard to concentrate while he watched her so intently.  Even if I didn't know, I could guess from his stare that he wasn't human.  There's something odd there.  Not bad, but…odd.

                "I guess…it's hard to explain."

                "Try.  I'm curious."

                "It's like everything I've been taught, all these years, just isn't true."

                "This doesn't upset you?"

                "Maybe a little.  But when you're a kid, right, they tell you stories about dragons and wizards and so on.  Later on, you find out its not real, and that can be kind of depressing.  But now…"  Her eyes were vibrant.  "I guess you can't really know what its like."

                "Probably not."

                "How old are you, anyway?"

                "You want to know exactly?"  When she nodded, he raised an eyebrow.  "Two thousand three hundred twelve years, three hundred days, eleven hours, ten minutes, fourteen seconds."

                "Wow.  And how much of that do you actually remember?"

                "All of it."

                "Really?"

                "Yeah."

                She shook her head.  "I can't even imagine what that's like."

                "No one can."  Ayre laughed.  "Are you done?"

                Robyn realized, on glancing down, that her plate was empty.  "Yeah."  She gestured to the waiter.  "Check?"

                "My treat."  Ayre snapped his fingers under the man's nose.  "You've been paid, and very well tipped."

                The waiter blinked.  "Why, thank you, sir.  Have a very nice day."

                "Likewise."

                Robyn waited until the waiter was gone.  "That's a handy trick."

                "On occasion."

                "Kind of nasty, though.  He didn't really get any money."

                "He'll convince himself he did.  Humans are wonderful that way."  Ayre smiled, gently.  "Well.  Now where are we going?"

                Robyn smiled even wider.

                When did I go insane?

                Kei closed her eyes, thought back, and tried to remember.  It has to be sometime in the last few weeks.  Since I got back from fighting Mary the first time, when Tsuiren walked us into a trap.  But, she felt, there had to be signs before that.  Something.

                I remember when Tsuiren first realized our daemons were being destroyed systematically.  I remember, before that, when Ayre came into my domain and told me he thought there was a problem.  I remember…

                Nothing.  She closed her eyes and concentrated.  Ayre came into my domain.  Told me there was a problem.  Before that…

                Ayre came into my domain.  Told me…  Before that!

                Ayre…

                She gritted her teeth.  The memory wouldn't come.

                What's the point.  Whenever I went mad, I certainly am now.  My friends back home would barely recognize me.

                I had it.  I had the chance in my hands, to end the war and get home scott-free.

                So what the hell is wrong with me?

                She tried to recreate her thought processes and ran up against some disturbing blanks.  I considered it, and then I looked at her, and then…nothing. 

                A human, she knew, would not have done it.  Humans were handicapped that way.

                Maybe it's contagious.

                Kei leaned back.  She was sitting on Mary's roof, basking in the afternoon sunshine and looking at the bustle of the town.  The tiles were gritty and almost painful against her skin, but she welcomed the sensation -- it reminded her of where she was.

                I hate it.  I hate this place.  I hate them, these people.  All I want is to go back to where things are simple -- back to my baths, and Cynthia.  She sighed.  Back to Tsuiren and Ayre and the rest.

                But…

                There was something about the churning activity of humanity that was deeply disturbing, like opening the lid on some old jar and finding the inside swarming with maggots.  They're too complicated.  What's the point?  All those people, living separate, real lives.  In contrast to…what?

                We've never invented anything.  We've never created anything.  All we do is steal from them, learn from them, copy them.  And then we laugh at them, but our world is less then a flea-bite on an elephant.  This is reality.  What exactly does that make me?

                So what the hell am I doing here?

                Kei closed her eyes and thought about being a maggot.

                Lia closed the door, walked into the living room, and startled to find Mary on the couch flipping through channels.

                "Hey."  Mary raised a laconic hand.  "Did you get some stuff for dinner?"

                Lia set the heavy paper bags carefully on the floor.  "You know, that's really not fair."

                "What?"

                "Shrugging things off like that."

                Mary worked her left shoulder.  "I told you it was just a scratch."

                "I was really worried about you!"

                "Didn't I tell you never to worry about me?"  Mary gave a broad smile, which was somehow even more infuriating.  Lia snatched up the grocery bags and stomped into the kitchen.  She unpacked as though each jar of tomato sauce carried a personal grudge, slamming things down on the counter nearly hard enough to shatter glass.

                After a moment Mary drifted in, watching silently.  She leaned against the counter while Lia slammed the bread drawer and nearly wrenched the door off the fridge.  Finally, Mary cleared her throat.

                Lia rounded on her, a ripe tomato in one hand.

                "Look.  I'm happy you're okay, but I'm really sick of this shit.  Do you have any idea how scared everyone was last night?  Sumiko could barely walk, and you were bleeding--"

                "Lia--"

                "And then I'm all alone in the house, and suddenly some lunatic is shooting up the town square on every channel, and all I can think is, 'What if Mary's out there?', and you come in bleeding and all beat up and I--"

                "Lia, would you--"

                Lia took a deep breath and cut Mary off, slamming her fist on the counter for emphasis.  "And then. And then.  The next morning, you're sitting on the damn couch like nothing ever happened, laughing it off.  You know how that makes me feel?"  She gritted her teeth, like someone making headway into a sandstorm.  "It makes me feel like you don't give a shit.  And I mean, why should you?  Sumiko ran back to her house to get some kind of incredible medicine or something, and all I could do was sit here and hope you didn't die before she got back.  So why should you care if I'm worried about you?"

                "Lia."

                Lia ran out of breath.  "What?"

                Mary pointed wordlessly; her little sister's hand was covered in bit of red skin and slimy yellow seeds, and the tomato had exploded all over the counter from the force of the impact. Lia stared at it dully for a moment, her eyes already blurry with tears.  Then, simultaneously, she and Mary started to laugh.

                Lia turned to the sink, wiping tears from her eyes with her free hand, and washed away the bits.  She almost shivered as Mary came up and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.  The pair stood stock-still for a moment.

                "I'm sorry."  Mary's voice was a whisper.

                "It's just…it's just…"  Lia spoke without turning, as though to the world in general.  The feel of her sister's arms around her was warm and familiar.  "While I was watching TV, I tried to think of what things would be like if you were gone.  And I just…I just couldn't.  Nobody cares except you -- Dad's never here, Mom's d…dead.  And I was so scared."  She closed her eyes, and dropped into a whisper.  "I'm sorry I shouted at you.  I'm really glad you're okay."

                Lia could feel Mary's smile.  "It's okay."

                There was another moment of silence.

                "Mary?"

                "Hmm?"

                "What you said about…not having to worry.  Is it really true?"

                "Yup."

                "You'll always be okay?"

                "Yup."

                "Really?"

                Mary squeezed her sister's shoulders.  "Yup."

                Robyn wobbled a bit on the front steps, but managed to get the key in the lock on third try.  Ayre waited patiently until she got the door open, hands in the pockets of the leather greatcoat he'd materialized for himself when the night got a bit chilly.

                The living room was cavernous, dark, and silent.  Robyn checked her watch, blearily; 1:37 glowed in ghostly green script.  She collapsed heavily onto the couch, arms spread, and let out a contented sigh.

                "Robyn…" Ayre began -- she shook her head hurriedly.

                "Quiet.  My parents are sleeping."

                "Ah."  He switched to a low almost-whisper.  "I was going to ask if you wanted me to retire for the evening."

                It's not fair.  Her thoughts were not exactly coherent; she couldn't help interrupting them by staring at his face and admiring how the half-light from the streetlamps outside turned into a study in blue and white and black.  He drank at least…at least as much as I did.  But...

                Drinking had been her idea, actually -- once they'd stopped for dinner, it seemed the natural thing to do.  Whatever Ayre ordered disappeared behind his smiling face with no apparent effect, and Robyn had been so curious she'd had  bit more than usual herself.  Like back at Sumi's.  Her face colored.  I can't believe some of the stuff I told her…

                "Robyn?"

                She shook her head, and regretted it.  "Wait.  Sit down for a minute."

                "As you wish."

                Ayre obediently took a seat beside her, close enough that she could feel the power radiating off of him like static electricity.  It gave her goose bumps immediately, and Robyn shivered.

                "Let me ask you a question."  She worked carefully to enunciate the words.

                "Of course."

                "What…what are you hanging around with me for?"

                He stared at her with cobalt eyes.  "What do you mean?"

                "I'm not stupid, right.  You're a god."  She hiccupped.  "What the hell are you spending your time wandering around downtown with some Earth girl for?  It doesn't make sense…not really, anyway…"

                "Ah."  He paused.

                "I mean…I guess you could be trying to keep me happy.  Because I'm helping you, right?  If you needed my help, you might be trying to keep me happy, but I don't think you need me that much.  And if it was that, you don't need to, to, to worry,  'cause I'd help you anyway.  So--"

                "Robyn."  Ayre smiled.  "Relax."

                "I think I'm plenty relaxed."  She tried for a sarcastic grin and made it on the second attempt.  "But that's not it, you're saying?"

                "No."

                "So why, then?"

                "You don't believe I could enjoy your company?"

                "You could snap your fingers and make a dozen of me."

                "Not exactly.  Physically, of course I could, but creating really intelligent creatures is nigh-on impossible."

                "Ah.  So it's my shin…sin…scintillating conversation you like, then."

                He shrugged.  "Honestly, I couldn't tell you.  But for all our power, we're not that different from you humans."

                Robyn digested that in silence for a moment.  Ayre's gaze never flickered.

                He doesn't breathe.  He doesn't blink.  But…

                "I think," she said, "that I'm going to try something incredibly stupid."

                Robyn leaned forward.  It was like kissing a battery, a faint tingle of static across her tongue.  A little shiver ran through her when he touched her shoulders, half electricity and half the thrill of mere contact.  His pale blue hair gently tickled her face as it drifted forward.

                When she finally broke off, he fixed her with a piercing gaze.  "Robyn--"

                "Relax."  She took one of his hands in hers and pulled it to her breast, then leaned forward again, eyes closed.

                Ayre and Tsuiren stood in the marble-floored hall at the center of the former's domain, watching the sparks crawl up and down the crystal column.  Robyn sat in front of it, eyes tightly shut, connected to the thing by shimmering arcs of blue-white energy.  Mist billowed in front of it, within which a vague form was taking shape.

                "And she didn't come hunting you?"

                "No.  Perhaps she was injured in the fight."  Ayre peered curiously into the fog.  "In any case, things have worked out as planned.  And I got to spend an evening in the Timestream, which is always useful."

                "You didn't drain anything from her, of course."  Tsuiren nodded at Robyn.

                "Of course not.  We need her in prime condition.  It really is remarkable."

                The Dark Lord's smile twisted sourly.  "Save your praise for after she succeeds.  We haven't won yet."

                "We will, my Lord."

                "Have you decided what to do with her afterwards?"

                Ayre smiled.  "I'm considering keeping her around.  She's proven amusing."

                "Indeed."  Tsuiren glanced at him sideways.  "You're a very good actor, Ayre."

                "I do my best."  He felt the end of the creation process before he saw it -- the bolts of lightning snapped off, and the mist started to clear.  Robyn opened her eyes.

                "Finished."  She let out a long breath.  "I think…I got it right.  Someone out of the ordinary.  I…"

                Ayre hurried to her side.  "You've used a lot of energy -- just go to sleep."  He glanced up through the thinning mists.  "We can handle things from here."

Chapter Eight                      

                Being nearly killed, thought Mary, really throws off your sleep schedule.  She'd woken up at just after one PM, gone back to sleep at five in the morning after spending most of the day watching Sumiko mope and getting deeply involved in a nice mindless shoot-em-up game she'd borrowed from Lia.  Now it was six in the afternoon on the following day, and Mary had awoken refreshed and brimming with pent-up energy.

                Something's going to happen soon.  I can feel it.  She wasn't sure whether it was some prescient sense or just wishful thinking.  In either case, the hours passed slowly -- television had lapsed into the mid-week doldrums of Simpsons reruns and Elimidate, she couldn't sit still long enough to play any games, and Robyn wasn't answering her phone.  She said she was out on a date.  I wonder…

                That led to a hot, prickly feeling that she refused to acknowledge.  Good for her.  Robyn needs to get out more.  Still, it did little to alleviate her boredom.  It was almost a relief, therefore, when the Barrier energy blossomed white-hot and searing in the back of her mind.  Mary jumped off the couch, tore up the stairs, and met Sumiko in the hallway.

                "Do you feel that?"

                "Yeah."  Sumiko shook her head.  "Feels…big."

                Mary was too excited to care.  "I'm heading after it.  You coming?"

                "Y…yeah."  Sumiko trailed after her as she headed back downstairs.  "But Mary…"

                "What?"

                "Are you sure we should go after this thing?  Last time…"

                Mary rounded on her.  "First of all, we have to -- if we don't go after it, there's no telling what it might do.  Second of all, you can't let what happened back there get to you.  Listen."  She took her friend by the shoulders and brought her face close.  "You do your best.  No one can fault you for that.  You can't let it get to you."

                Sumiko shook her head again, in either admiration or pity. "Gods, Mary."

                "What?"

                "I don't think anything gets to you."

                I wonder what it would take to get to you.  The demon's voice from her dream echoed oddly, and she had a sudden vision of his skull-like face with its mismatched eyes.  Mary ignored it, and smiled grimly.  "After a while, you get used to it."

                "Get used to people dying?"

                "Yeah."  She shrugged.  "This is a war, you know."

                Sumiko had no further comment and Mary pulled on her shoes, fetched her jacket, and looked around the now-empty house.

                "Where's Lia?"

                "At a friend's."  Sumiko finished tying her own shoes.

                "What about Kei?"

                "I'm here."  The demon descended the stairs as though on cue.  She looked a little the worse for wear, as though she hadn't slept since the fight, but Mary wasn't sure how such things really applied to demons. 

                "Do you plan on coming?"

                "Of course."  Kei smiled thinly.  "I have to see what my comrades are up to now."

                "Okay."  Mary closed her eyes and turned her head, trying to pinpoint the sensation.  "West.  Towards the river.  Follow me."

                There's something nice, about sharing this with someone.  Aku had been right, although she'd never admit it.  It's not as bad as it used to be.  In fact, she thought, as building after building zipped underfoot in the early evening twilight, I'm almost having fun.

                "Another Barrier penetration."

                Rin snapped out of her light doze and put her hands on the wheel.  "Already?"

                "The demons are moving quickly, Agent Rin.  We must prepare to meet them."

                "Where?"

                "The railyard, near the river.  Drive."

                The black sedan came to life with a powerful roar.  "Do you think it'll be anything like the last one?"

                Deus' mouth was set in a hard line.  "We shall see.  But I am afraid that it might.  Call the MTA and have them shut down all the trains on this line -- we wouldn't want to see things interrupted."

                The long, arcing parabola of Mary's flight ended on top of an old transformer, now bereft of its black power lines and standing like the skeleton of some angular beast on the hill that overlooked the railway.  Sumiko hung beside her, one hand and one foot on the metal rail, and Kei landed lower down.  Mary peered towards the river.

                "Nothing."

                The rail station was a pit, where the actual trains ran, flanked by two long concrete walkways with an overpass between them.  Then there was a strip of grass perhaps a hundred feet wide that supposedly counted as a 'park', then the river.  At eight in the evening, the place was more or less abandoned -- there was no movement anywhere.

                "Now what?"  Sumiko kept her voice to a whisper, more from instinct than necessity.

                "He's down there somewhere."  They were nearly on top of the demon, and the Barrier energy clinging to him was enough to almost swamp her direction sense.  "I'm going to go down and see if I can bait him into the open.  When he comes out, you two try and jump him.  Got it?"

                Mary could see that Sumiko was on the point of objecting, and fixed her with a cold stare.  She subsided.  Kei merely nodded obediently.

                Not that it's a great plan.  She took a flying leap from the top of the tower and angled it gently down towards one of the platforms, just by the overpass.  But it's good enough to start with.

                Still, nothing.  Her heels clicked gently on the pavement, and Mary spun around, searching.  He has to be here…

                She looked up in time to see a figure on top of the overpass, black on black and only visible as an outline against the slowly fading sky.  Then he jumped, and she didn't stick around to see where he'd gone -- Mary jumped too, landing on the platform twenty feet away as he alighted gently.

                Now his features were visible, outlined in the harsh blue-white of the station's arc-lighting.  A good foot and a half taller than Mary, he was thin but somehow muscular.  His hair was long and white, falling perfectly straight past his shoulder to the small of his back and contrasting vividly with the perfect blackness of his cloak.  His face was perfect, angular, and cruel, and his movement carried with it a sense of grace.  On one hip he wore a sword, a blade nearly as long as he was tall and curved into a vicious half-moon, so thin it looked as though it couldn't possibly stand up to any kind of impact.  He landed in a crouch and slowly got to his feet, smiling, and his eyes glowed from the inside.

                Mary couldn't help staring for a moment.  His smile widened.

                "Prepare yourself."  She'd expected his voice to be a hiss, or a deep James Earl Jones rumble, but it came out in pleasant tones that would have done credit to a pop singer.  The demon drew his sword with a long, silken hiss, bringing the unwieldy blade up with impossible ease.

                They locked eyes for a moment, and Mary tried to take a confident stance.  "Right back at you."

                The demon bought his sword around in a lazy sweep at waist height, which Mary avoided with a standing jump.  That was very nearly the end of her -- he twisted the blade, changing direction in mid-stroke as though his weapon had no momentum at all.  Mary blew the air in front of her outwards in a miniature thunderclap that sent her flying backwards; she turned it into a flip and landed on her feet.

                "Not bad." She concentrated, pulling moisture from the air, and the ice sword slowly formed in her hand.  The demon nodded politely.

                Come on, Sumiko.  Mary took a cautious step forward as the demon dropped into guard position, waiting for her to attack.  Wait till he's distracted…

                She leapt forward, and his blade blurred, almost too fast to follow.  Cold sparks flashed as steel met ice with a hellish screech, and Mary forced the demon onto the defensive with a quick flurry of blows.  His parries were too quick, though, and she was unable to slip anything through.  Finally she slipped, and he got a breathing space wide enough to bring his huge sword around in an unstoppable arc, forcing her to once again roll backwards.

                Now!

                Sumiko jumped as though she'd read Mary's mind, plummeting from the top of the overpass towards the demon's head.  He didn't move, didn't even turn his head, just extended a hand upwards and closed it rapidly into a fist.  Fire pulsed outward in a nearly solid shell, sliding across the concrete as though it was drenched in gasoline, and the impact picked Sumiko out of the air and tossed her onto the tracks.  Mary leapt backwards again, to avoid the fire, and landed in a crouch.

                The demon stood untouched against the roaring inferno he'd unleashed, long white hair billowing in the updraft as his black cape snapped in the sudden wind.  Mary could almost hear the gothic, choral soundtrack -- his eyes glowed with living white fire.

                "They're not doing so badly."  Rin put down her binoculars and looked over at Deus.  "Are you sure you want to do this?"

                "Want does not enter the equation, Agent Rin.  Mary must lose to a demon, if not this one then the next.  And the longer we wait, the more civilians and property will be in danger.  We must act now."  He picked up the binoculars, glanced through them briefly, and frowned.  "Besides, I think we are seeing only a fraction of this demon's true power."

                "Really?"  This revelation made Rin shiver a little.  The demon was quite powerful enough, as far as she was concerned.  "Is it really wise to attack, then?  Even if we're on its side…"

                "It is a risk, to be sure."  Deus shrugged.  "But one we must take."

                I guess that's it.  Rin opened the car door and stepped out onto the road, gingerly.  Deus slammed the other door and stepped up next to her. 

                "What's the plan?"

                "You launch a frontal attack against Mary.  While she's distracted, I will destroy her."

                "Great."  Rin flexed her hands and cracked her knuckles.  For all that it felt like she was fighting for the wrong side, it was nice to finally do something after so many days of watching and waiting.  She reached into the center of her being and pulled, shaping the energy into a primal force.  A vaguely humanoid shape slowly appeared beside her, visible only as a kind of walking distortion of the air surrounded by a permanent cyclone.  Electricity crackled as it moved.  "Can you get down there okay?"

                She looked around.  "Deus?"

                The other agent was gone.  Rin shrugged.  I imagine he can take care of himself.  She reached out to her construct, and both of them lifted off the ground and floated gently towards the fray.

                Sumiko had gotten to her feet, Mary was glad to see, and a dark shadow she suspected was Kei was creeping into position along the top of the overpass.  The bad news was that nothing she could do seemed to have any effect on the demon.  He brushed her spears of hardened air aside like so many toothpicks, answering with wave after wave of dark flames or charging forward to try and skewer her with his sword.  In hand to hand I can almost match him for speed, but he's stronger, and he's got reach on me.  So what's left?  We have to double team him.  But if Sumi gets too close to this guy she's going to get killed.

                The demon turned as Sumiko clambered onto the platform, leaving its back invitingly open.  It's a trick.  The problem was, she couldn't think of anything better to do.  Mary charged, shouting.

                "Try to get his sword-arm!"

                As she'd predicted, the demon continued his turn and brought his blade around in an upward sweep that would have halved her if she'd tried to jump it.  Instead Mary ducked to one side, bringing her own sword past the demon's head.  He ducked as Sumiko came barreling in from behind, landing a good blow on the thing's side and going for a hold on his arm.  Before he could shake her off through raw strength Mary pressed him again -- he put up his off-hand and lashed out at her with fire, but in the interval Sumiko twisted his arm nearly to the breaking point.  The demon dropped his sword, which clattered to the ground with a sound more like glass than metal, and squirmed out of Sumiko's grasp.

                "Look out!"

                The voice was Kei's, from above.  Mary didn't think, just jumped, and saw Sumiko do the same.  A figure made of air and lightning descended slowly from the sky, bolts of crackling power lashing out from his hands across the platform where they'd all been standing.  They scored black marks onto the concrete, scorched the air to ozone, and arced over the surprised demon.  When the lighting cut off, Mary's eyes were ringing with purple-white afterimages.

                The demon shook itself, like a dog trying to dry off, and his smile slowly returned.  Mary landed on top of the overpass, next to Kei, and spotted Sumiko back on the tracks again -- another figure, all in black, had landed beside the shimmering elemental next to the demon.  Before Mary could strike back, the elemental turned its attention to her and blasted another twisted skein of lightning towards her.

                She jumped again, and landed back on the platform.  The demon had recovered, and had clearly had enough -- Mary could feel the power crystallizing out of the air around him as he started to hover, a crackling vermillion aura snapping into existence and lashing out at everything around it.

                "--" Mary began, before the demon's voice drowned her out.  It boomed across the railyard, rattling windows on the streets above and raising spray on the water.

                "SIN HARVEST!"

                A coruscating sphere of white light rippled outward from the demon, as fast as thought.  Mary had time to throw up one hand before it engulfed her, along with Sumiko, Kei, the elemental, and the figure in black.  There was a moment of brilliance.

                "Hey, Mary."

                Mary-of-four-years-ago looked much the same as today's version.  A little bit shorter, perhaps, and her hair was its natural light brown instead of its current white.  She had a green backpack, so decrepit that it was held together only by seams and string, slung over one shoulder.  As she turned left out of the school entrance, leaving the flow of people heading for the bus station, Richard fell into step beside her.

                Richard was a year younger, and was in the unfortunate situation of having reached his full height without the, for lack of a better word, width to back it up.  He was gangly, a bit clumsy, wore thin wireframe glasses and had a bad habit of pausing when he talked.  Mary put up with him because he displayed more intelligence then the average vegetable, which put him above most of her peers.

                "Hey, Rich.  What's up?"

                "Not much.  Happy that it's Friday.  Um.  You?"

                "Of course."

                "Um.  Anything good this weekend?"

                If Mary had been paying more attention, she would have noticed the gleam in his eyes as he spoke.  As it was, she answered truthfully.  "Not really.  I've got some little things to do."

                "Yeah.  Um.  Listen--"

                But Mary was already waving ahead.  "Robyn!"

                "Yo."  Robyn waved back and waited for the pair to catch up.  "Done for the day?"

                "Yeah."  Mary glared at her friend. "I can't believe you get out early."

                "Now, now.  It's to give me time for my independent study."

                "Which is?"

                "Soulcaliber, at the moment."  Robyn smiled impishly.  "You guys hungry?"

                "Sure."

                Richard nodded, and Robyn gestured down the street.  "Pizza?"

                A few minutes later, they were sitting around the plastic tables of Double's Pizza, trying to have a conversation over the background buzz of the arcade and the Jerry Springer show, playing on the store TV overhead.

                "So what's up in middle-school land?"

                Mary snickered at Robyn's grimace.  Her friend's continued presence in junior high was something of a joke, since she'd long ago finished or placed out of all the courses and was now spent more time at the high school than at the building she technically inhabited.  There were still a couple of periods a day, though, where Robyn had to sprint back across the soccer field to attend homeroom or something similarly idiotic.

                "God."  Robyn rolled her eyes.  "Don't even ask.  I'm so sick of this."

                "Cheer up.  Um.  Only three more months."

                "Great."  Robyn's head sank to the table.  "I'm going to lock myself in a closet and not come out till its over."

                Mary rubbed the top of her friend's head.  "Aww.  At least afterwards we get a nice long vacation for the summer."

                "I suppose."  Robyn's head shot back up.  "You guys are up for the conventions again this year, right?"

                "Sure."

                "Um.  Of course."

                Robyn continued, rapid-fire, her earlier mood forgotten.  "Great.  'Cause, I was talking to my mom last night, and I think I convinced her to let me go by myself this year.  She said she'd rent us a hotel room and bus tickets and everything, as long as you went with me." 

                Mary held up her hands.  "Wait a minute.  When did I become the responsible one?"

                "Come on, Mary.  How much more fun is the con going to be without Mom following us around and rolling her eyes?"

                Mary chuckled.  "A lot."

                "And now I can point out cute guys without getting a lecture."  Robyn was practically bouncing. "You think we should get costumes?  I think we should get costumes."

                "Ladies?"  The man behind the counter, who by universal pizza-shop law was required to be a heavily-built Italian, shouted in their general direction.  "Your pies are ready."

                "I'll get it!"  Robyn popped out of her seat before anyone could stop her and dashed to the front of the shop.  Mary leaned back in the booth, shaking her head.

                "You really think this is a good idea, Rich?"

                "Sure.  Um.  The convention, you mean?  It'll be lots of fun."

                "I guess."

                One of the arcade machines played a fanfare, and overhead the crowd chanted "Jerry, Jerry!" as someone crushed someone else with a chair.  Richard leaned a little bit closer and whispered as best he could over the racket.

                "Um.  Mary.  Can I ask you something?"

                "Sure."  She caught his expression.  "What's up?"

                Robyn chose that inopportune moment to return.  "Here we go!  What do you guys want to drink?"

                "Later," mouthed Richard, as he slid out of the booth to hit the vending machines.  Mary raised one eyebrow but didn't comment.

                Richard had been getting more and more nervous as they approached Robyn's house, though Mary was pretty sure she was the only one who had noticed.  Robyn, certainly, was oblivious, chattering excitedly about her convention plans.  The pair dropped her off and walked in silence back towards the school, near which they both lived.

                "So."  Mary had to broach the subject.  Richard was fidgeting so much she was afraid he was going to injure himself.  "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

                Please, thought Mary.  Please don't let this be what I think it is.

                "I.  Um.  Found something.  Yesterday.  I wanted to show it to you."

                "Found something?"  Palpable relief steamed off of her.  "What?"

                "I can't tell you.  I'd, um, have to show you.  But…"

                "But?"

                "Mary…" Richard took a deep breath, as though he were about to spit something out, then reconsidered.  "I mean.  Um.  You know, we've been friends for a long time…"

                Oh god.  Mary wanted to close her eyes.

                "…and, you know…I think you're, um…cute…"  His blush deepened, and he looked at his shoes like a puppy expecting to get smacked.

                "Richard--"

                "Wait."  He held up a hand.  "Just.  Um. Wait a minute.  I want to show you this thing I found, but I have to ask you first."  There was a long pause, as though the words had to build up steam, and then they came out all in a rush.  "Wouldyouwantogooutwithmesometime?  I mean, um, if it was okay with you, and…you know…"

                Now what the hell do I say?  It wasn't like she hadn't been asked the question before.  But most of the time the people asking were the popular guys, whom Mary generally despised and thus had no problem shooting down.

                "Richard…"

                He was watching her eyes, tense as a crouching cat.  As soon as she spoke, he exhaled.

                "I get it."

                "It's nothing about you, particularly…"  Mary was aware of how lame that sounded.  "It's just…I don't know.  I can't do that sort of thing right now."

                "I.  Um.  Understand.  I just wanted to…try doing this the right way.  Um.  You know."

                Mary nodded, slowly.

                "Um.  I guess I'll see you around."

                "Right.  On Monday, at least."

                "Yeah."

                She turned on a heel and walked away, desperately trying not to look at him.

                "Um.  Goodbye."

                Sumiko-of-six-years-ago, on the other hand, still looked like a little girl.  She had long little-girl hair, a little-girl body, and little-girl clothes; a sailor uniform was hung neatly behind the door of her tiny room.  There wasn't room for much else besides a little desk and a chair that had to be pushed to one side to make room for the sleeping mat, but there was a window.  Sumiko hadn't had a window in her room until her big sister had moved out, and now the never-quite-blocked light of the sleepless city bothered her at night.  She tossed and turned, eventually pushing the covers away entirely.

                "Sumiko.  Listen to me."

                Her face contorted desperately as she dropped into the dream, falling away from a pair of burning eyes, one white, one black.  A face took shape, slowly -- an old woman, hair blowing in an intangible wind, her body wreathed in fire.  The little girl cringed.

                "Sumiko!"

                "I'm sorry!" she squeaked.  "Whatever I did, I'm sorry!  Please don't hurt me!"

                The old woman did not smile.  "I am not going to hurt you, Ishiyama Sumiko."

                "No?"  She dared to look up, just a little bit. 

                "No."

                "Who are you?"

                "I am the Queen of Forever, the Master of the Guardians of Eternity.  I am She Who Waits at the End of Time."

                "Oh.  I'm Ishiyama Sumiko."

                "I know."

                "Is this a dream?"

                "Yes," said the Queen, "and no.  I have made myself known to you for a reason, Sumiko."

                "How come?"  Sumiko had come out of her crouch now, and stared at the Queen curiously.

                "You are in grave danger."

                "I am?"  Her face screwed up in thought.  "Is it Nori-chan?  He's always trying to steal my lunch…"

                "I am not referring to danger of that kind," the Queen said, testily.  "Your life is in danger."

                "My life?"  Sumiko blinked.  "How?"

                "I can tell you.  But in return, you must do something for me."

                "What do you mean?"

                "The End of Days is coming, Sumiko.  My freedom is close at hand, and I will be the salvation of Mankind."

                "That doesn't sound very fun--"

                "Be quiet and listen.  I need allies, to fight against the forces of Darkness in the name of Eternity.  The way will be hard, but the rewards will be everything you hold dear."

                "You want me to fight?"

                "Yes."  The Queen leaned closer.  "Will you take up the burden, little one?"

                Sumiko considered for a long moment.

                "I don't believe you."

                "You don't--"

                "This is just a dream."  She crossed her arms.  "I've been reading too much magical girl manga, and it's affected my dreams.  So"--she stuck out her tongue--"hah."

                "You're in danger, Sumiko.  You and everyone around you."

                "Dream monster."

                "Listen to me--"

                But she was already diving away from the face, laughing high-pitched and care-free.  The Queen descended, grumbling, into darkness, and the rest of her dreams that night were far more normal.

                Sumiko groaned, sleepily.  "Mama…"

                "Good morning, Sumi-chan.  How do you feel?"

                "Good!"  She jumped out of bed and started to help fold the sheets and mat for storage.  "I had a funny dream, though."

                "Was it scary?"  Sumiko's mother smiled gently.  Ishiyama Namiko was a kindly, soft-spoken woman, with dark hair almost to her waist tied in a complicated braid.  She folded the sheets with a deft hand, working around her daughter's less-than-competent assistance. 

                "Not really."  Sumiko put one finger to her mouth as she thought back.  "Maybe a little."

                "Good!"  They finished the task, sliding the whole stack into the closet, and Namiko got to her feet.  "Remember that we're going into Shibuya today to meet with Emi-chan after lunch."

                "Yay!  Emi-oneechan!"  Sumiko paused, deep in thought.  "There's nothing dangerous in Shibuya, is there?"

                Namiko rubbed her daughter's head fondly.  "Of course not, Sumi-chan."

                Rin-of-five-years-ago was much the same, aside from dark hair long enough to twirl around her finger as she read.  She was wearing shorts and an overlarge T-shirt with a picture of a humorous cow on the back, and reading at a desk that represented a kind of island of clear space adrift in a dark, shifting sea of piled clothes and discarded wrappers.  On her right was a pile of Jolly Ranchers, individually wrapped, and on her left a pile of foil coverings; periodically she would remove her chin from her hands, select one from the former, and add to the latter.  This was all unconscious -- her attention was miles away.

                'Where are the Category Sevens?'

                'A question that has always puzzled researchers,' read Rin, 'is the fact that in the fifty years of its existence, the BSC has never encountered a supernatural with enough power to place it clearly above Category Six.  Through the years, some have suggested candidates --  Final Doom of Minnesota is the most popular, along with the Black Knight and the inhabitants of Terminal Dogma.  Close analysis, however, shows that none of these individuals possess a power that clearly sets them apart from a high-end Category Six.  A number of solutions have been proposed.

                'First, the suggestion that individuals of this power may simply not exist.  Logic suggests that there be an upper limit to the power of a humaniform supernatural, and it is possible that we may have reached it.  Historical evidence, though, suggests otherwise.  The research of Baker and Pike provides nearly irrefutable evidence of at least three Category Seven individuals in recorded history (see Appendix N) and it is suspected that more have existed.

                'Second, Category Sevens may simply be so rare we should not expect to encounter one in an average human lifespan.  This is the most likely of the possibilities.  In general, each Category increase also represents a decrease in occurrence-per-generation by a factor of ten, but this is an observed fact rather than a hard correlation.  Still, if we follow this rough guideline, it suggests that at least one Category Seven individual should be at large in the world today.

                'Third, and most intriguingly, there may be some power that prevents us from finding them.  Theories on this side vary wildly.  Some suggest that Category Sevens may simply transcend our world to enter another.  More prosaically, their power may be such that they are simply undetectable; a Category Seven with mind-control powers, for example, could erase the memory of his existence from everyone he met and thus achieve a kind of retroactive invisibility.

                'Whatever the reason, one thing remains clear.  If a true Category Seven is ever discovered, what follows will be the defining events of our century, and possibly the history of the world.'

                Rin sighed, and rubbed her eyes.  The little circle of light provided by the desk lamp rocked slightly as she pushed away from the desk and stretched her arms behind her head.

                The calm darkness was obliterated by the door opening; Kim, Rin's roommate and best friend at the academy, was outlined in the hallway's buzzing fluorescents.  Kim was a half-a-head taller than Rin, with a bouncy ponytail and a happy-go-lucky manner her friend sometimes envied and sometimes despised.  Tonight, Rin decided, was one of the latter times.  Kim had somehow doffed her regulation gray jumpsuit for a rather fetching low-cut black dress.

                "Kim!"  Rin pulled her roommate into the room by one arm and slammed the door hurriedly.  "Jesus!"

                "What are you so worked up about?"

                "You can't just walk around looking like that!  If one of the agents saw you--"

                "You know the agents are locked up tight in their barracks."

                "And you know they run spot checks!  This is your life you're playing with."

                "One in three."  That was the figure -- one in three supernaturals who underwent the Bureau's power sealing survived more than a year.  "And anyway, they wouldn't kick me out just for wearing a dress.  You worry too much."

                "Finals are tomorrow, Kim."

                "I know."  She smiled brightly.  "I've crammed all that I can cram -- now I need to relax, or I'm going to be so uptight I won't be able to concentrate."

                Rin turned back to her desk.  "Well, excuse me for worrying about the most stressful thing in my life to date."

                "What's the worst that happens -- you have to spend another year here?"

                They looked at each other, and shuddered simultaneously.  Kim flopped down on the bed, and Rin leaned back in her chair and let her head loll over the rest.  Their gazes met; Rin broke first.

                "So?  What happened?"

                "What happened with what?"

                "You know what."

                "I don't know what you're talking about."  Kim's face was all injured innocence. 

                "The cute third-year, the one who can summon dragons.  Don't tell me you weren't going to meet him."

                Her roommate smiled.  "I can't get anything past you, can I?"

                "He's all you've been talking about for a week.  So what happened?"

                Kim's smile just widened.  Rin rolled her eyes.  "Kim…"

                "Relax.  We're going to see what happens after finals."

                "That's sensible, at least."

                "I don't see what you're so worried about, though.  You've done nothing but study this stuff for six years -- do you really think some exam is going to stop you?"

                "I know, I know."  Rin shook her head.  "I'm just naturally stressed out, I guess."

                "You want me to fix your shoulders?"

                "Would you?  It's been a long night."

                Kim picked her way across the room, and Rin sat forward in her chair.  Her friend's fingertips rested lightly on the skin of her shoulders, and Rin could feel the sudden tug of gathering magic.  She tensed, involuntarily, then gasped as Kim dumped a packet of vibrational energy into her muscles.  Her whole back quivered, and she let out a low moan.  When the energy finally faded, her shoulders were tender and achy but felt good.  Rin let out a long breath.

                "Damn.  You've been practicing with that."

                "It took me a long time to get up the nerve to do it at all, considering that I use it to shred metal in practice."

                "You're lucky.  My power doesn't have much…ahem…non-combat application."

                "I don't know."  Kim threw her an inquiring look.  "Have you ever tried…"

                "You'd get scorched."

                "You think?"

                "Trust me."

                Kei floated alone in a field of endless white.  Floated was perhaps the wrong word -- she saw only white, no matter how she moved.  She couldn't close her eyes, couldn't see her hands or body, couldn't hear or feel anything whatsoever.  It was like being buried alive in a mountain of soft cotton.  Nothing remained but the tiny silver worm of her thoughts.

                Where am I?  She'd felt the explosion of the demon's power, unlike anything she'd ever encountered.  It reached deep inside and plucked hidden strings, strings of memory and recollection.  Why?  What's happening?

                A pair of eyes appeared in the white, one as black as space, the other barely visible by its outline.

                "The demon is only peripherally of the real world," they said.  "It operates on memory and terror."

                "What's happening?"  Kei thrashed desperately, trying to turn her head, but the eyes didn't stir.

                "It shows the past."

                "But…"  She tried to focus on the white, looking for something besides the eyes.  Looking for anything.

                No.  I won't believe it.

                The eyes faded away, leaving her alone.  Kei screamed, soundlessly.

                The demon stood in the center of a field of fire and light, his long silver hair flying in the updraft.  He raised one hand, palm upwards, and the flames leaped to follow.

                "You're finished."

                He smiled, and closed his fist.  All around him, the light started to flicker.

                Sumiko was the first one off the subway, glad to escape the suffocating press.  Her mother followed at a more leisurely pace; Sumiko dashed ahead into the waiting arms of her older sister, who'd been waiting for the train.

                "Emi-oneechan!"

                Emi was a short, mousey woman almost ten years older then her younger sister.  Her hair was bound up in a braid, and her glasses hung around her neck on a chain.  At her side was Hiroshi, her fiancée, a powerfully built young man who was quite cheerful despite a perpetually bored expression.

                "Sumi-chan!"  Emi hugged her sister, then straightened up.  "Hi, Mom."

                Hiroshi bowed, first to Namiko and, exaggeratedly, to Sumiko.  Sumiko giggled.  "Hiya."

                "Hey."  He patted her head, which Sumiko bore with good grace.  "Your mom tell you where we're going today?"

                "Yeah!  We're going to the department store to get some new shirts for me, and then we're going to pick up our TV from the repair place, and then we're going to lunch!"

                Namiko smiled.  "Where do you want to go to lunch, Sumi-chan?"

                "McDonalds!"  She jumped up and down.  "Can we, mom?  Please?"

                "We'll see," said her mother benevolently.  "The department store first, though."

                "Okay!"

                The four walked down the street, threading their way through the omnipresent crowd.  Emi was talking animatedly to Namiko, about her new apartment or some such, but Sumiko paid her very little mind.  Her attention was instead captured by the displays in the shop windows, giant posters advertising some new game, movie, or product.  They had all kinds of great pictures on them -- the huge display in one shop for the latest Biohazard featured its excitingly-proportioned protagonist surrounded by a drooling horde of zombies.  Sumiko skipped that window and went on to the next, where a poster of a giant wolf, its back topped by a nest of writhing tendrils, proclaimed some new anime or other. 

                She jumped as the picture moved, just a little.  The tentacles were shifting, slowly, and Sumiko realized it must be some kind of high-tech poster.  She tried moving her head back and forth, and the eyes of the wolf followed her -- this was so exciting she ran back to her family and tugged them on ahead.

                "Look!  Come on, look at this!"

                "What is it, Sumi-chan?"  Namiko consented to be dragged along by one hand, and Emi followed, laughing.  Hiroshi strolled after, his hands in his pockets.

                "Look at this thing!  It moves!"

                The wolf was larger now, filling nearly the whole paper.  Sumiko stared at it, delighted, as the image shimmered and bulged.

                Hiroshi raised an eyebrow.  "Wow.  They've really gotten better at that."

                "Really!"  Namiko shook her head.  "It almost looks real."

                Emi shivered theatrically.  "Scary."

                "Yeah."

                "Sumi-chan…"

                The glass in the shop window shattered into a storm of flying shards.  Sumiko took a step backwards, eyes closed by instinct, and felt something sting her right cheek.  Her mother screamed.

                "Help!"  This was Hiroshi.  "Someone call the police!"

                "Sumi-chan, you're bleeding!"

                Sumiko put fingers to her cheek, and they came away red.  She felt tears building in her eyes; her mother had one hand pressed against a cut in her sleeve, but looked calm.

                "Don't worry, don't worry.  It's not a bad cut.  You'll be okay."

                Sumiko's eyes widened as the tentacled wolf stepped off the paper and through the hole where the glass had been.  It took her a moment to get together enough breath to scream.

                "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

                The thing was huge, ten feet at the shoulder and more with the tentacles.  It slowly emerged onto the street, its hindquarters shimmering and solidifying as soon as there was room for them, and it swung its gaze over the frozen onlookers.  Then someone else screamed, deep in the crowd, and everyone was running at once.

                Sumiko fell to her knees, her legs locked together and immobile.  Her mother was shrieking, and Hiroshi was dragging a stunned Emi away from the monster as fast as he could.  The giant wolf turned towards her and narrowed its eyes.

                "Sumi-chan!  Run!"

                Namiko's desperate scream attracted the thing's attention.  Sumiko still couldn't move; her legs simply didn't respond to the commands she was sending them.  She watched as the wolf took a step forward.  In the background, Emi was screaming and pointing at her, and Hiroshi squared his shoulders and edged slowly back in.  Distant police sirens screamed.

                You're in danger, Sumiko.  You and everyone around you.

                "No."  She whispered it, very quietly.  "Please.  No.  Don't do this."

                I had nothing to do with it.  The Queen's voice was cold.  I see the future, but cannot shape it.  Only you can do that.

                "No…"

                Time returned in a rush.  The wolf pounced, and Namiko's scream cut off with a sudden crunch.  Sumiko wanted to hide her eyes, but her body still wouldn't respond.  The monster shook its head, spraying blood everywhere, and she could do nothing but watch.

                "Sumi!  Come to me!"  Hiroshi beckoned from a few steps away, while Emi hovered in the background.

                "Run…"  Her voice was too low to hear.  "Just…go…"

                The monster turned again, and whether he heard her or not he took her advice.  The wolf followed, running him down in two quick steps and pinning him to the ground with one paw.  As it lowered its head to bite, Emi rushed it, screaming; two razor-edged tentacles shot out and transfixed her to the pavement.

                Finally, mercifully, Sumiko sank to the ground and closed her eyes.  She could still hear, though -- the screams of the victims, the shouting of the police as they finally arrived, the rapid crack of gunfire and the shrieking of the monster's death throes.  And, over it all, the mocking laughter of the Queen.

                 The black sedan rolled to a stop outside the townhouse, and a pair of agents in black suits emerged.

                Local law enforcement had already surrounded the place.  Kim pulled her sunglasses off and tucked them into one pocket, while Rin kept hers on.  Sunglasses were part of the image.

                "Good afternoon, Lieutenant."  Rin flashed her badge.  Her wallet was brand new, and still had the crackle in it, and the steel shield practically sparkled.  "BSC.  What's the situation?"

                The lieutenant had obviously been told to expect them, and barely batted an eye.  "We've got him trapped, Ma'am.  The only way out of that place is the front windows, the door, or the fire escape at the back.  We're out here"-- he waved at the collection of cops blocking the street--"and I've got snipers covering the rear entrance.  Our information indicates he's alone in there, so he shouldn't have hostages.  We can go in at any time."

                "Have you sent anyone inside yet?"

                "No, Ma'am."  He dipped his head.  "We were instructed to wait for BSC personnel to proceed."

                "Excellent.  You've done good work here, Lieutenant."

                "Thank you, Ma'am.  Shall I order a breech?"

                "No."  Rin's eyes flickered to her partner, and she smiled.  "I think we'll handle it from here.  Keep your men on alert -- if he runs, I want you to shoot him down."

                The young man saluted.  "Yes, Ma'am."  He turned to his officers.  "Clear the way!"

                Kim fell into step as Rin walked up the steps.

                "Man, that feels good."  Rin kept her voice quiet.  "I love this job."

                "Me too."

                "So what do we know about this guy?"

                "Cat Five.  Not sure what his power is, but it reads as biokinetic.  He went serial about a week ago -- it's taken this long for the cops to corner him."

                "You sure he's in there?"

                "They were tailing him, and I can't see how he could have gotten out.  Stay alert."

                "Right."

                They'd reached the door by this point.  Rin tried it and was unsurprised to find it locked; she stepped aside.  Kim put her hand on the knob, her eyes going distant for a second as she felt around inside the metal, and then the whole door shook for a fraction of a second as she blasted the lock with enough vibrational energy to reduce it to dust.  The door swung inward, slowly, revealing a dank hallway ablaze with tiny specks of light, descending in a column from a second floor window.  A pair of doors led off at one end, and a staircase, each step garnished with little piles of paint chips, led to the second floor.

                Rin entered, carefully.  The place was silent except for the gentle creak of the floorboards under her feet, but her senses stood up and screamed.  There was a feeling of tension, something ready to pounce.  She closed her eyes and concentrated, and a man-sized figure flickered into being, assembling itself from pure fire.

                "I'll lead."

                Kim nodded assent and dropped back.  Rin let the elemental go first; she could feel the heat crackling off it as it stood at her side in the doorway.  She had to open the doors herself, though, since the firey puppet's grip was insubstantial at best.  Rin tensed, but the first doorway revealed nothing more than a dilapidated kitchen, sink piled high with dishes and buzzing with flies.  It wasn't big enough to conceal anyone; she slammed the door with a sigh and opened the other.

                There was a long pause.

                "Holy…shit."  Kim sounded as though she didn't know whether to curse or throw up.  Rin was inclined to agree.   There was nothing in the second room but a bed, on which were arranged four limp bodies.  They were all grade school girls, sitting side by side with their backs to the wall and blankly staring outwards.  One pair had their heads tilted towards one another, lips touching, while the other two had had their hands entwined.  Other than their pallor and unnatural stillness, Rin wouldn't have known they were dead -- there were no marks on them.

                "Christ."  Rin gestured the elemental into the room and followed gingerly; Kim stayed in the doorway, unwilling or unable to approach any closer.  The place smelled of lemon air freshener and decay.  "When you said he went serial, you weren't kidding."

                "Shit."  Kim's eyes were still wide.

                "Kim, come on.  They're just dead people."  She pushed one of the girls, a little harder than she'd meant to, and the small body slumped across the knees of her neighbor.  "We've got to find this guy -- stay focused."

                "Right."  Her partner took deep breaths.  "Focused."

                "Aww."  The voice came from behind Kim, who spun so quickly she nearly lost her balance.  "You messed it up.  Do you know how long it took me to get them to sit still like that?"

                The man -- Rin realized she didn't know his name -- was leaning on the doorframe.  He was tall and spare, with limp black hair and a face like a skull, hollow-cheeked and bony.  His eyes were alive, though, more so than his victims -- they sparkled intelligently as he stretched his mouth into a smile.

                "Fuck."  Rin pointed at him.  "Kim, stand back.  You, against the wall."

                "I was wondering what happened to people like me."  The man giggled.  "I can't be the only one, but you never hear about us in the papers.  Are you here to hush me up?"

                Kim, by this point, had recovered her nerve.  "We're here to lock you up, psycho."

                "Psycho!"  He spread his hands.  "Ooh.  Scary.  Should I get a big knife, maybe, or one of those stupid masks?  Would that help?"

                "Shut up and get against the wall."

                He considered that for a moment, and shook his head.  "No.  No, on the whole, I think not."

                Kim reached out her hand, and the man ducked just in time.  A semi-circular section of wall and door-frame shuddered and splashed into fine powder.  Rin cursed and gestured the elemental forward, and everything seemed to happen at once.  Kim turned to try and line up another shot, and the man twisted, pressed the flat of his palm to her chest, and pushed her backwards.  The elemental raised an arm and caught him in the chest with a gout of fire, tossing him back through the now-destroyed doorway and into the kitchen.  Kim staggered back until she hit the bed and fell on top of the corpses.

                Rin blinked.

                A groan came from across the hall, where the man was desperately trying to get to his feet.  Rin gestured the elemental after him and hurried to her partner's side.  Kim had fallen between the two kissing girls, pushing one aside and the other onto the floor.  She let out a long breath as Rin knelt next to her.

                "Kim?  You okay?"

                Kim's leg kicked, once, and then she was still.  Rin stared, unbelieving.

                "Kim?"

                "She's gone."  The man had staggered to his feet.  "They're all gone.  Everyone I touch."  He giggled.  "I am the Angel of Death, after all.  An Angel…"

                Rin screamed, long and loud, and the elemental blazed in response.  For a moment the man's skeleton was visible, outlined in the rapidly expanding haze that had been his flesh, and then even that was dust.

                At sixteen, Mary's attitude was a little different.

                She'd only been doing the magical-girl thing for one year, for starters.  It had started as a series of really bad headaches that ended when she finally ran into an honest-to-god demon, which had been rather traumatic.  Despite the fact that the demon had ended up scattered around the landscape in bits, Mary had understandably been scared out of her mind.  Since then she'd taken up what she saw as an unpleasant duty with more than a little reluctance, though she had a growing appreciation for her own powers.

                The upshot of all this, however, was that Mary-of-four-years ago still got scared when she heard the tinkle of glass that announced an intruder in her house, viewing such a thing as a threat rather then an opportunity for creative mayhem.

                The tinkle was loud enough to wake her from a sound sleep, and it was followed by heavy clomp of booted feet on the carpet.  Mary clutched the blanket a little closer and wondered if the proper action was to sit tight or go and investigate.  There was no one else in the house -- Lia was at a sleepover, and her father was away on a business trip.

                Idiot.  The proper action is to call the police.  Unfortunately, the phone was on the hook downstairs.  Mary kicked the covers back and hit the floor in a crouch.  She reached for her science textbook, which was solid enough to make a passable weapon, then thought better of it and summoned a blade of razorsharp ice from the air.  It was cool in her hand, gritty, and she gripped it tightly as she opened the door to her room and peeked out into the hall.

                Nothing.  The haphazard carpeting was undisturbed.  He must still be downstairs.  She moved out as silently as possible, avoiding by ingrained instinct the boards that creaked and sticking to the solid areas near the walls.  Mary made it to the stairs without making too much noise, and peered down into the dark and empty living room.  The green light on the phone glowed invitingly, a wan beacon in the night.  Step by uncertain step, Mary edged down, trying to keep the whole room in view. 

                Maybe it was just my imagination.  A quick glance around gave that the lie -- one of the windowpanes lay in pieces on the floor.  Maybe someone threw a rock in from outside, or something.  She stood at the bottom of the stairs, scanning the shadows and trying to work up the courage to make a dash for it.  The ice blade shifted in her hands.

                Okay.  One.  Two.  Three.  Mary pushed off from the foot of the stairs and sprinted across the living room, her footsteps echoing painfully in the stillness.  She almost made it -- someone crouched behind the sofa stuck out a leg at the last moment, sending her crashing into the end table and sending the phone ricocheting against the wall.  The sword skittered out of her grasp and slid across the floor, melting rapidly.  Mary took a deep breath and tried not to scream.  Instead, she flipped onto her back and slashed at the space the intruder had occupied with a dozen razor-currents.  It's going to be impossible to get the blood out of everything…I am so screwed…

                Richard smiled, in the darkness, and the wave of solid death washed over him as though it were empty air.

                For a long moment, Mary lay on her back blinking foolishly.  Richard was on his knees behind the sofa, and he shuffled forward until he was about even with her feet.  He looked normal enough, except for an odd glint in his eye, but he was wearing a sword.  It was curved, Japanese-style, and sheathed in black leather on his hip.

                "Richard?"  Mary was incredulous.  "What the hell are you doing here?"  And why aren't you dead?

                "Yup."  He shuffled forward another inch or so.  "Um.  It's me.  I wanted to show you the thing I found."

                "You…you what?"

                "The thing.  Um.  That I found."  His hand reached out, reflexively, and touched the hilt of the sword.  Just a brush.  "I had a feeling you might appreciate it."

                She raised an eyebrow, terror draining away.  Odd sword or no, it was just Richard.  "Me?  Why?"

                "You've done a good job of fooling everyone, Mary.  Um.  But I could tell.  There's something weird about you."

                "I can't exactly deny it at this point."

                "I went looking for it."  Richard smiled wistfully.  "Um.  You know.  I just wanted to know more about you.  And I found this."  He touched the hilt again.  "I think I was meant to find it."

                "Meant?"

                He pulled his hand away.  "You know.  Um.  Destiny.  Something like that."

                "Look, Richard."  Mary shook her head.  "This isn't really something you should be messing around with."

                "Why?"

                "It's not safe."

                "What makes you so qualified to do it, then?"

                "I don't exactly have a choice."

                "But.  Um.  I do.  And I want to.  I did it for you, Mary.  I--"

                "Stop."  She held up one hand.  "I don't know what thing is, but it's obviously messing with you.  I'll get up, we'll get it away from you, and figure this out.  Okay?"

                Richard stopped in mid-word, his mouth working aimlessly.  "Um.  I.  I mean.  You know."

                "Richard?"

                His voice dropped to a whisper.  "I wanted to do this the right way."

                Richard's hand closed tightly around the hilt, and he closed his eyes.  When he opened them again, they were empty pools as black as the pits of space.

                He reached forward, and Mary was ready for him -- a bolt of white-hot energy hit him in the chest and dissipated like a puff of steam.  This barely had time to register before he leaned over her, putting one hand on each of her shoulders and pressing his lips against hers.  She didn't even have time to breathe beforehand, so she gasped for air when he finally broke away.  Her shoulders jerked, but his grip kept them tightly against the hardwood floor.  Richard had been stronger than her before, but not like this -- this was something more than human.

                "What…"  She got the word out before he shifted one of his arms across her neck, not pressing down but merely holding her to the floor.

                "I am za'Tsara'Vor."

                He moved his other hand down, slipping it under the T-shirt she wore to bed and trailing it slowly upwards.  His fingers touched her skin lightly, raising goosebumps, and Mary shivered involuntarily.  She jerked again, and a hundred fingers of air plucked at Richard from all directions.  He didn't even pause.  His hands reached her breast, enfolding it gently.  He bent down to kiss her again, and this time Mary responded in kind.

                When he pulled his head back, the black had cleared from his eyes.  Richard blinked.

                "Mary?"

                That was opening enough.  She rolled to one side, throwing off his suddenly weakened grip, and with her trailing hand yanked the sword at his side out of its scabbard.  The metal gleamed darkly, as though coated with oil, and touching the black-wrapped hilt was almost a physical impact.  She could feel it, the power of it.

                Richard rose to his feet, clutching at the empty scabbard.  Mary didn't give him a chance to move -- white light filled the room and he burned where he stood, engulfed in a cylinder of super-hot gas.  All that was left was a burned circle in the wood -- not even dust.

                Mary sank to her knees, still clutching the hilt.

                "Oh, my god…"

                Ayre frowned at the viewscreen, and Tsuiren leaned forward.

                "What the hell's going on?"  The pure white sphere the demon had generated was starting to flicker.

                "I'm not sure."  Ayre twisted his hand through a half-turn and stared at the twisted skeins of the magical field.  "We're getting some kind of resonance.  Something from the outside is reacting strongly."

                "That shouldn't be possible."

                "I know."  Ayre closed his hand into a fist.

                Resonance.  Shoved behind a bookcase in Mary's attic, the dark sword started to pulse in its sheath, radiance rising and falling in time with the distant crackle of the demon's magic.

                Mary-of-the-dream clutched the sword-hilt, felt the power rip through her mind.  She could have anything, be anything, do anything, live forever.  Richard seared to a crisp behind her eyes, mouth open in a soundless scream.  Mary, already on her knees, threw back her head and howled in agony.

                The scream bounced off the walls of the train station, the first sound since the demon had activated its power.  The sphere of white light shifted, crackled, and shattered into a thousand shards under the reflected power of the dark sword.

                The dream faded as Mary opened her hand, an the last sound she heard was the clatter as za'Tsara'Vor hit the floor--

                Mary opened her eyes.  The demon hung in the air, its arms spread wide, long hair blown in a phantom wind but now frozen in place.  It was slow to recover, slow to react, its attention still focused on its other prisoners.  Mary tossed her ice-sword forward, letting the currents of the air pick it out of her grasp and whip it into the demon's chest as fast as an arrow.  The moment strained, sheared with a sound like a finger on a wineglass, and shattered.  The demon crumpled like something made of paper, folded in on itself, and was gone.

                Ayre unclenched his hand, slowly, and his lips twisted into a frown.

Chapter Nine

                "Agent Rin?"

                Rin opened her eyes and felt like screaming, or maybe throwing up.  Kim.  She sat up, frantically, and looked around.  I have to get a doctor.  We might be able to save her.  I…I…

                "Agent Rin.  Look at me."

                Her head snapped around unbidden, and she found herself staring into Deus' square-jawed face, his eyes hidden as always behind black glass.  Reality crystallized around her with frightening force.

                "D…Deus.  I…"

                "You are uninjured, Agent Rin."  It was not an attempt to comfort her but a statement of fact -- Deus had investigated the matter, apparently.  "Can you walk?"

                "I can try."  Rin put one hand on the cold concrete and shakily clambered to her feet.  Halfway there, her knees wobbled.  Kim…  Her roommates face floated, just out of reach, and Rin felt herself falling until Deus put on hand on her shoulder.  His grip was warm, steady, with the slightest crackle of electric power underneath it.  "Sorry…I'm just, a little…"

                "I understand."  He kept his hand there, and she managed to stumble in something approximating a walking pace.  Rin took a deep breath, which didn't seem to help, so she took another.  "What happened?"

                "The demon unleashed some kind of mind-altering effect.  From the outside, I was unable to determine what the intent was, but it caught everyone in the vicinity."  Deus looked at her, filled with clinical interest.  "What did you experience?"

                "I…"  Her voice caught.  "I saw…my first mission."

                "I infer that this was not a pleasant experience."

                "My best friend died.  It was my fault…I didn't think he could kill her with just a touch…"  Tears threatened, but Rin blinked them away furiously.  This is ridiculous.  "I felt like the guilt was crushing me, like I was going to die."

                "You undoubtedly would have."

                "What happened?"

                "Mary broke free of the field."  His voice acquired a touch of emotion, like a viper's hiss.  "I don't know how.  She destroyed the demon before it could complete its attack.'

                Mary.  "I assume that…that was a non-optimal result."  She saved my life.

                "Correct.  I wanted the demon to kill her."  He turned towards her again.  "Though, of course, I had no way of knowing its power would affect you at the same time."

                Rin's heart thudded dully in her chest.  "Of course." 

                'Mary,

                                Gone to Darren's.  Be back late.  Don't wait up.

                                                --Lia'

                Mary read the note with a certain amount of grim satisfaction.  Then weariness overwhelmed her in a wave, and she staggered back to the couch.  Kei had claimed the recliner for herself -- she'd made her way back from the battle like a sleepwalker, barely able to put one foot ahead of another.  Sumiko hadn't even been able to do that; Mary had wafted her along behind them.  Now she was curled into a tight little ball on her side, hands around her knees, staring blankly across the room into the button eyes of Mr. Huggins, one of Mary's childhood bears that now occupied a cherished place on the mantle.  Mary sat down next to her, sinking gratefully into the couch's welcoming embrace, and closed her eyes.

                The demon smiled, his long silver hair whipping in the wind.  Richard opened his mouth to scream, and never got a chance.  His hand raised goosebumps on her bare skin.

                "I wonder what it would take to get to you."  He walked closer, his shoes clicking on the asphalt.  It was the only sound in the frozen twilight world.  "Mary.  What would it take to really bother you?  Not dying, that's for sure."

                Black-and-white eyes twinkled, and the demon smiled.

                "Enough."  Mary shifted on the couch.  "I've been through this already."

                "I've been doing this a long time."  She sighed.  "A long, long time.  After a while it sort of gets to you."

                Never again.  Mary opened her eyes and turned to look down at Sumiko.  She had closed her eyes, and her expression was calm; Mary was struck by how young she looked with her eyes closed.  Barely more than a little girl.

                Aku appeared with a pop, unbidden, and touched down on her shoulder.  His feet felt like tiny pins.

                "How'd it go, Maer?"

                "Aku."  She let out a sigh.  "It went…"

                He paused.  "Not good, eh?  Don't worry about it.  Everyone's in one piece, right?  That counts as success in my book."

                Mary shook her head.  "I can't stop thinking about it."

                "About what?"

                About a little taste of power.  You can't forget what it feels like -- it waits beneath you, hiding under your mind.  And it strikes when you're weak, or threatened.  You realize that it doesn't have to be like this.  It worms its way into your soul, and all it wants is everything.

                "Richard," she said aloud.  "I can't stop thinking about Richard."

                "Richard?"  Aku rolled his eyes.  "Jeez, Maer.  I thought you were over him."

                "I killed him, Aku."

                "I know.  But he broke into your house with most powerful magical artifact we've ever seen, and then he tried to rape you, so frankly I think you were justified."

                "I didn't have to kill him."

                "You were scared!  And sixteen.  Nobody would expect you to be able to pull any punches."

                Mary let the familiar waters of the argument roll over her, even though she knew better.  Watching herself, inside the demon's sphere of light -- I wasn't scared.  I wasn't angry.  I gave in to that…thing, just for a second.  And that was the end of it.

                Sumiko shifted a little bit, and Mary turned toward her.  "Get lost, Aku.  I'll talk to you later."

                "Right.  You sure you're okay?"

                "I'm sure.  Now scram."

                The demon vanished to a point and disappeared just as Sumiko opened her eyes and screamed.  Mary let her do it -- it was a good scream, and it helped work off a lot of the younger girl's surplus energy.  Sumiko sat bolt upright, stiff as a board, and Mary scooted next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

                "Shh.  It's okay."

                Sumiko's shriek tapered off, and she started to breathe again in huge, panicked gulps.  Mary squeezed her shoulders in a manner she hoped was reassuring, and brushed Sumiko's hair gently with her other hand.

                "Calm down.  You're going to be okay.  It's over."

                Bit by bit, Sumiko's breathing calmed down.  She blinked rapidly, and peered about as though vaguely aware of her surroundings.  Mary waited calmly for the next phase, which didn't take long -- her friend's eyes suddenly filled with tears.  Sumiko threw her arms around Mary like someone clutching desperately at a life preserver and sobbed; Mary continued to run a hand vaguely through her hair.

                "It's okay.  Just remember, it's all in the past.  All that stuff you saw already happened -- there was nothing you could have done to change it."  Although she didn't know what Sumiko had seen, she assumed from her own example that the experience had not been fun.  "It's okay."

                Mary continued to mumble assurances.  After some time, Sumiko's sobs became vaguely comprehensible words. 

                "…they…they all…"

                "It's okay."

                "I didn't mean for it to happen."  Sumiko looked up with huge, tear-soaked eyes.  "I didn't…I didn't mean…"

                Wow.  The cynical, unshakeable root of Mary couldn't help but wonder what had happened.  Whatever that thing did, she got quite a dose of it.  Her eyes flickered across the room to Kei, still nearly catatonic.  I wonder what she saw?

                "I know.  I know you didn't mean it."

                "I didn't…"

                "I know."

                Sumiko pushed head back into Mary's lap and lay still for a few moments.  Mary kept a hand on her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her skin.

                His hands pressed under her shirt, raising goosebumps on her bare skin…

                "The worst part," said Sumiko, muffled.  "Do you know what the worst part was?"

                Mary took a deep breath.  "What was the worst part?"

                "The sound.  The sound was the worst part."  Sumiko shifted slightly.  "I had my hands over my eyes, so I couldn't see most of it.  But she screamed, and then there was this crunch, and I remember wondering if I would hear it, too.  At the end."

                "Oh."  Mary paused.  There didn't seem to be much else to say.

                "She laughed at me.  That was also the worst part."

                "It's okay now."  Mary patted her friend on the head one more time.

                "I know."  Sumiko let out a long, shaky breath, and sat up.  "It's just…it felt…"

                "Yeah."

                The younger girl leaned back and shivered.  "It felt real.  Again."

                There was a long silence.

                "Did you carry me back?"

                "Yeah."

                "Thank you."

                "No problem."

                "Mary."  Sumiko turned.  "Really.  Thanks."

                Her eyes were huge, and still wet with tears; her mouth quirked in a tiny smile.  One of Mary's hands came up, almost of its own accord, and brushed a trailing bit of hair away from Sumiko's face, lingering a moment too long on her cheek.  Sumiko blinked, and Mary almost, almost leaned forward, put an arm around her shoulders, and…

                Mary shook her head and clambered wearily off the sofa, her heart thudding in her throat.  Sumiko leaned back again and sighed, this time with relief.

                "You were right, Mary.  No matter what happens, there's always that little bit of euphoria when you realize that you're still alive."

                "Y…yeah."  Mary shook her head again.  "I'm going to go find a real bed.  Do you want to use Lia's?  She probably won't be home tonight."

                "The couch is fine."  Sumiko stretched out.  "I don't know how much sleep I'll get anyway."

                "You'll be okay."

                "Right."

                Mary closed the door to her room with a soft click, then leaned back heavily against it.

                What the hell was that?

                She shook her head fervently.  I'm exhausted beyond any reasonable bounds.  And I can still feel that…thing.  Hiding somewhere in my mind.  There's no point in worrying about it now.

                Mary clicked off the light, kicked her shoes into a corner, and found her way to the bed by memory alone.  She flopped down, heavily, and for a moment lay unmoving.

                I miss my life.  I miss not having to fight some hideous monster every couple of days, I miss not waking up every morning and wondering if this time, I'm not going to make it out.  I miss being normal.  She laughed, silently.  My life is so far from normal.

                I miss going to school.  I miss having friends whose lives I didn't save on a regular basis, or vice-versa.

                I miss Robyn.  She tried to conjure an image of her friend's face; it was almost physically painful, like a deep hole in her chest.  I really miss her.  I want to talk to her, and go to movies with her, and just hang out at a pizza place and…and…

                Mary squeezed her eyes, tightly, and tried to empty her mind of all thoughts.  Even in the darkness, though, she could feel the tiny sliver of the black sword's power.  It pulsed, slowly, like the breathing of a sleeping giant.  All I have to do is embrace it, and I'll have power enough.  She turned over, restlessly, and pulled a pillow under her head.  Never.  It's not worth the price.  Not worth it…

                Robyn clawed her way back to consciousness, and for a moment she kept her eyes closed.  The bed she was in was very soft, almost like floating on air, and the gentle breeze felt good on her skin.  She tried to will herself back to sleep, and was almost there when she heard the voices.

                "Your little pet has failed again," said Tsuiren, his voice as calm as still water and as beautiful as crystal. 

                "You know it was not her fault."  Ayre sounded defensive.  "There was interference.  Some sort of resonance phenomenon."

                "Indeed.  But we nevertheless failed."

                "She is still learning how to use the machine, my Lord."

                "Of course."  Tsuiren paused.  "We will try one more time."

                "Yes, my Lord."

                There was a tiny crackle of thunder as air rushed to fill the space left by the departing god.  Robyn felt Ayre kneel by her side, and she shivered as he ran one hand delicately over her cheek.

                "I'm awake, you know."

                "I know."

                Robyn opened her eyes and sat up.  She was surprised to find herself still inside Ayre's domain, lying in a silken hammock somewhere in its marble halls.  Ayre was sitting on a chair next to her, his mismatched eyes staring intently.

                "So it didn't work?"

                "It almost worked.  One of the enemy managed to escape the daemon's spell."

                "How?"

                "We're not sure."

                "Tsuiren didn't sound very pleased."

                Ayre shrugged.  "He's just worried.  We all are."

                "I figured it out."

                "What?"

                "The problem.  It's in the unconscious limitations.  If I create a monster from a video game, no matter how powerful it is, it was designed to somehow be beaten.  We need something whose power can grow unboundedly."

                "And you know where to find such a thing?"

                Robyn's mind hummed with success.  "I think so, yeah."

                "Robyn…"

                She watched his eyes -- this time, she was ready when he kissed her.  It seemed to go on for a long time; she felt the not-unpleasant sensation of tiny sparks of electric power crawling over her skin where they touched.  Finally, more for lack of breath than anything else, Robyn pulled away.

                "I…"  She caught her breath.  "I need to go back to the Timestream, for a while.  To get some things."

                "I shall eagerly await your return."  Ayre handed her another of the blue stones.  "We will not fail this time."

                Robyn nodded eagerly.

                "Hey, Robyn."  Even on tape, the exhaustion in Mary's voice was evident.  "I just need to talk to you about some stuff.  Call me."

                Beeeep.

                It was so far into the middle of the night that dawn was starting to lighten the sky to the east, barely visible through one tiny, grimy window.  Mary let the door to the attic swing shut and paused on the stairs, outlined in the grainy half-light.

                za'Tsara'Vor stood in one corner, leather sheath glistening as though it had been oiled.  Mary padded toward it.

                This is pretty stupid.  Mary chided herself gently.  But I have to know.  Better it goes bad here, now, when Sumiko and Kei might have a chance of stopping me.  I have to know.

                She'd never touched the sword again.  After a few hours, she'd worked up the courage to carry it into the attic with the tongs from the fireplace, and for a couple of days afterwards it had burned fiery tracks through her mind, demanding to be let out.  Then that had all faded, and she'd thought it was finished.  Until last night.

                Mary reached out for the black sword, hesitated at the last moment, and almost pulled away.  I should set things up more carefully.  Have some safety nets.  She knew these were just rationalizations.  Three.  Two.  One.

                It's been nice knowing me.

                Her hand closed on the hilt.

                Images flooded in from every direction, obliterating the mundane walls of the attic and replacing them with vistas of glittering stars.  There was power, enough power to change the fabric of the universe and crumble the walls of reality.  Mary's hand twisted on the hilt and magic crackled and snapped as it squirreled around, desperate for escape.

                One image stood out from the swirl -- an armored figure, all in black and on one knee, accepting the sword with both hands from another man in a robe.  The background was unclear, indistinct, but the robed figure seemed horribly familiar.  Mary started to sweat when she tried to focus on his face.

                Forget that!  I came here to do something…to do…

                To take the sword, she decided.  Take it and wreak vengeance on the world, as was her birthright.  Mary grinned, slowly.

                "I want…"

                …to get out…

                The power roared, screamed, and flickered.  Mary took a deep breath and opened her hand, jerking it away from the thing.

                The attic fell back into place around her.

                I did it.  Euphoria threatened.  It seemed almost too good to be true.  I beat.  I can beat it.

                I'm not losing my mind.  Not yet, anyway.

                There was a noise from downstairs.  Mary wiped her eyes and hurried to meet whoever had awoken.

                Kei had spent the night wrapped in her own thoughts.  The horrible blankness of the demon's vision kept coming back to her, over and over, until she was surprised to find color in the world when she finally opened her eyes.  She'd listened to Sumiko and Mary, too, and inferred from their conversation what they'd seen.  That made things even worse.

                Although, most likely, the spell simply didn't work the same way on me.  Those two are human, whatever their power, and I am not.  But…

                The horrible voice again.  "It shows the past."

                And what?  I have no past?

                I won't believe it.  I'm real -- I exist.  She prodded herself with the tips of her fingers.  There is something wrong with me, that's all.  I've spent too much time here -- no one has ever spent so long in the Timestream.  I need to get out of here.  I have to talk to Ayre.

                She didn't realize, until the thought had passed, how strong that last desire was.  He knows what's going on.  He has to know.  I've heard him talk about the past, so he must remember.  He can tell me that I'm just going mad.

                But, thought another voice, slyly, how could you believe him?

                "Hey."

                Kei raised her head, slowly, to find Mary standing over her.  Mary looked a bit the worse for wear -- her eyes were ringed with dark circles -- but there was something cheerful in expression.  The demon stared at her, dully. 

                "Kei."  Mary leaned forward.  "Are you all right?"

                "I…"  Kei found that her own voice sounded odd, echoing, somehow different from what she'd heard all her life.  "I don't know.  I don't think so."

                "Did the demon hurt you?  You didn't seem like you could talk last night."

                "No…not the demon.  I…I'm just…"  She shook her head, slowly.  "Not right.  I don't feel right."

                "Is there anything I can do?"

                "Do?"

                "What do your people do when you get sick?"

                "We don't.  Get sick, I mean.  But…"

                Mary tilted her head.  "But?"

                "No one has ever spent this long in the Timestream.  It seems to be having some affect on me.  I feel…frayed.  Like I'm coming apart at the edges.  I can't think clearly."

                "Do you need energy?"

                "It's not that."  She could subsist quite well, Kei had found, by siphoning tiny amounts of power from the innumerable humans around her.  Not enough to do fancy tricks, but enough to live.  "I just feel like my mind isn't as clear as it used to be.  I can't remember some things."

                Mary paused.  "I wish I could offer some reassurance."

                "I'll probably be okay."  Kei got out of the chair, slowly, and Mary stepped back.  "We're very adaptable.  My body should eventually figure out what's causing this and react.  It may be entirely in my mind…I don't know…"  She took a deep breath.  "I need…"  I need to see Ayre.  "I need to think about it, for a while."

                "Right."  Mary nodded.  "Well, tell me if there's anything I can do."

                "I'll just grin and bear it."  Kei smiled shakily.  "I can't go back."  I have to go back.  "So it's not like I have a choice."

                Sumiko emerged from the bathroom at the top of the stairs, still wearing the rumpled clothes she'd fallen asleep in.  She also looked kind of dazed, and for a moment Kei wondered if whatever she had was effecting everyone.  But Sumiko perked up quickly as Mary called to her.

                "'Morning, Sumi."  She stopped.  "Can I call you Sumi, by the way?"

                "S…sure."  From the look of it, this had more meaning to Sumiko than it did to Mary, who nodded blithely and headed into the kitchen.

                "Breakfast-time, again.  I'm cooking this time.  Are you hungry?"

                "Yeah."  Sumiko reached the bottom of the stairs and bowed politely to Kei.  "Good morning.  Are you feeling better?"

                "A little bit."  Kei shook her head in a futile attempt to clear out the debris.  "I just feel like I'm falling apart."

                "I know how that feels."  Sumiko drifted towards the kitchen.

                No, you don't.

                The phone rang, a shrill electronic whistle.  Mary edged past Sumiko and sprinted into the living room, shouting backwards.

                "Watch the bacon!"

                "Okay!"

                "Hello?"  Mary's face lit up as soon as the other person answered.  "Great!  I'll be right there.  No, your house would be better.  Right.  See you soon."  She slapped the phone down.  "Sumiko?"

                "Yeah?"

                "Can you handle breakfast yourself?  I have to go talk to someone."

                "Sure."  Sumiko yawned.  "No problem."

                "If my sister shows up, make sure she gets some too."

                "Okay."

                Mary turned to Kei.  "Are you going to be okay here for a while?"

                "Probably."

                "I'll be back soon, I think."  Mary shrugged a jacket over her clothes which, Kei absently noted, were really quite inappropriate for the weather.  "They won't try anything else to tonight, I think, so we should be safe until then."

                "Do you think they"--we­--"will try again tonight?"

                "I imagine so.  How long before this Tsuiren comes out to fight himself?"

                Kei tried to consider this, but it was so hard to think back.  Tsuiren and the others seemed like vague shadows, mere wraiths in her imagination.  Only Ayre was solid, the rock she could hang her memory on. 

                "I don't think it'll be long.  He was…is…not particularly long on patience.  He must be getting pretty angry by now."

                "Good.  And if he doesn't come out," Mary grinned nastily, "we're going in after him."

                "We're…"  I can go home.  She didn't even know how, but the thought felt like a distant dream suddenly made reality.  "Do you really think you can challenge him on his home ground?"

                "I plan on giving it a shot."  Mary shrugged.  "Otherwise, how long can we go on like this?"

                With that, she was out the door, and Kei was left blinking in her wake. 

                Rin sat on the end of the bed, a glass in her hand.  The ice tinkled gently when she moved.  Deus paced back and forth in front of the coin-operated TV, and the floor groaned under his weight.

                "Deus."

                He stopped, and Rin swallowed hard.

                "What is it, Agent Rin?"

                "Respectfully…"  She paused.  "I think I should be transferred off of this assignment.  I am no longer confident in my ability to complete it."

                Deus raised an eyebrow.  "Explain."

                "Mary is…doing the right thing."

                "She is meddling with powers she does not understand."

                "She doesn't deserve to die for that!"

                "No?"  He leaned closer, and Rin could see her own reflection in the black of his shades.  She looked small, weak.  "What if she had lost to one of those demons?  Would you want something like that running around loose?"

                "She doesn't appear to be losing, Agent Deus."

                His lip twisted.  "Only a matter of time.  This last victory was a stroke of luck.  I doubt they will survive another attack."

                "We should be helping them--"

                He smiled humorlessly.  "Perhaps it seems that way."

                "Nevertheless."  Rin took a deep breath.  "My request stands."

                "Request denied, Agent Rin.  I picked you for this assignment because you were the best suited to it.  That has not changed.  You will perform your duties."

                Rin sighed.  I tried.  "Of course, Agent Deus."

                "Mary!"

                Robyn smiled as she wrapped her arms around her best friend, and Mary hugged her back as tightly as she could.

                "I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you."

                Mary nodded.  "I know."

                "Come on in."  Robyn held open the door to her house.  "Nobody's home but me.  You want something to drink?"

                "Sure.  Whatever's cold."  She kicked off her shoes and hung her jacket on the peg by the door that Robyn's parents had practically reserved for her use.  Robyn pulled a pair of sodas from the fridge, still attached to their plastic six-pack rings, and wandered over into the living room; Mary had already stretched out on the couch.

                "Here."  Robyn handed one can over.  "That's a nice outfit, by the way."

                "You like it?"  Mary had chosen a tight black top that accentuated her figure over low-cut jeans.  "I just kind of threw stuff on when you called."

                "Very nice."  Robyn settled into a chair.  "So.  You said you needed to talk to me?"

                "Nothing in particular.  I just felt like I hadn't seen you in a while."  Idiot.  The sentence had just slipped out.  In fact, Mary had debated on the way over exactly what she should say to Robyn, with little success.  I should just tell her everything.  Magic, demons, everything.

                "Yeah."  Robyn sipped her Coke.  Even in her relatively distracted state, Mary noticed that her friend was grinning like an idiot.

                "Wait a minute.  What are you so smiley about?"

                Robyn tilted her head to one side and kept smiling.

                "Let me guess."  It wasn't that hard, actually.  "That guy you were going out with, last time I saw you."

                "Yup."

                Mary pulled herself up to a sitting position.  "Okay…so, are you going to tell me his name, or do I have to guess?"

                "His name's Ayre."

                "What's he like?"

                "Perfect."  Robyn leaned back.  "You know, sensitive, tough, incredibly smart, gorgeous.  He understands me so perfectly it's scary."

                "So what's the catch?"

                "No catch!"  She looked slyly at Mary.  "Did I mention rich?  He's rich."

                "Not bad."  Mary tried to force herself to relax.  "How many times have you been out with him?"

                "He's been spending a lot of time here, but we've only actually been out twice."

                "'Spending a lot of time here?'  Robyn…"

                Robyn nodded solemnly.

                "Wow."

                "We made a deal, remember?  That I would tell you when I slept with a guy, and vice versa."

                "Damn."  Mary made an exaggerated grimace.  "Was that still in effect?"

                "No statute of limitations."

                No matter what the circumstances, seeing Robyn like this made Mary smile.  Her friend was practically bouncing out of her chair.

                "So he's older than you?"

                "A little bit, yeah."

                "And gorgeous, and rich."  Mary considered trying to play the cautious one, but after looking at Robyn's expression she couldn't bear to do it.  "Great.  And?"

                "And what?"

                "You know."

                "What?"

                "How was it?"

                Robyn turned pink and coughed, delicately.  Mary laughed.

                "Great."  She shook her head.  "It sounds great."

                Robyn smiled and actually did bounce out of her chair, landing on the couch next to Mary, who barely managed more than an embarrassed squeak before Robyn pulled her into a hug so tight it threatened to suffocate her.  They stayed pressed together, tightly -- Mary could smell the lilac in Robyn's hair, feel the soft curve of her breast and the beating of her heart underneath.

                "Mary?"  Robyn's voice was soft, and Mary's breath caught in her throat.  She answered in a whisper.

                "What?"

                "You're not mad at me, are you?"

                Mary pulled back far enough to look at Robyn's face, a few inches away.  Her friend's eyes were misty.  "Why would I be mad at you?"

                "I don't know."  Robyn looked down.  "I've kind of been ignoring you, the past couple of days.  Ayre's been great, but…you know…I heard your message on the answering machine, and you sounded kind of mad, and suddenly I felt awful."

                "No, no."  Mary carefully straightened Robyn's bangs.  "No.  I was just tired last night."

                "Because…I don't know.  This is more important.  Than him."  She sniffed.  "You understand?"

                "Yeah."  Mary pulled Robyn close again, so her friend couldn't see her eyes.  "I do."

                Hands thrust deep into the pockets of her leather greatcoat, Mary walked slowly away from Robyn's house.

                It's better this way.  It's better that she not be involved.  I don't know when things are going to go bad anymore.  She took a long, cleansing breath of early morning air.  Besides.  She doesn't exactly fit with my image.  Cool defender of the planet, stone-cold killer in a long leather coat.  Mary tried to strut down the street in a 'cool' manner, imagining the heavy bass soundtrack.  I need sunglasses, or something.  And probably socks that don't have Hello Kitty on them.

                "Aku."

                Pop.  "Yeah?"

                "Sing my praises, would you?"

                "Sure.  Ahem."  The little demon broke into passable verse and an awful British accent.  "She was not afraid to fight, brave brave Sir Mary!  She was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways, brave brave brave brave Sir Mary.  With her ears cut off and her eyes gouged out, her--"

                "Shut up, Aku."

                "Sure thing, boss."

                It's better this way.

                Robyn turned away from the window and let the curtains fall.  I'm almost ready.  This time, we'll beat the Enemy, everything will be happy again, and I can let Mary in on the whole thing.

                It's almost over.

                Darren was already staggering under the weight of all the bags, but Lia was just getting up to steam.  At least half the mall remained unshopped, and the night was young yet.  She shepherded him carefully to a new bench, outside the next department store on the list, and was just getting ready to plunge in when she caught sight of a familiar haircut near the escalators.

                "That's Robyn!"  She waved Darren to his seat, which he took gratefully.  "I'm going to go say hi.  Wait here for a second, would you?"

                Darren rolled his eyes, but she was already running away.  Robyn's head bobbed next to a tall man with brilliantly blue hair -- it was one of the best dye jobs Lia had ever seen.  As she threaded her way onto the escalator, and they got off at the bottom, she realized the two were together.  Robyn talked to the guy, familiarly, and from time to time took his hand in hers.  Her other hand carried a fat bag marked with the insignia of the game store on the third floor.

                Hmmmm.  Lia smiled to herself.  I wonder if Mary knows about this.  And if she does, I wonder why she hasn't told me.  She followed the pair down, curious.  It always pays to be up on the latest gossip. 

                Robyn and her boyfriend headed directly for one of the side corridors, and Lia hurried so as not to lose them.  She turned the corner just in time to see the guy ease open a utility door for the pair of them to slip through.  Lia's smile widened.

                Better and better.  Let me give them a few seconds to get started, and then I'll walk in on them.  It was sort of a cruel thing to do, but from the way Robyn had been looking at that guy they'd been going out for some time; Lia didn't think she'd mind.  She counted to fifty under her breath and then eased through the door herself.

                The corridor beyond was drab compared to the staggering tastelessness of the mall itself, and uncomfortably warm with the by-products of the heating system.  Lia glanced both ways, almost snickering at her own cleverness, and then stopped dead.

                Robyn was in the guy's arms, for certain.  They were both enclosed in a cage of lightning, bars of flickering energy slowly engulfing both of them.  They seemed to get smaller as this went on, folding in on themselves until there was nothing left but a single point of brilliant light, with vanished with a 'pop'.

                Lia stood staring for a long time.  Then, slowly, afraid the universe would shatter under the weight of her motion, she turned and left the mall one step at a time.  I've got to tell Mary.  Somehow, Mary would know what to do.  On the floor above, forgotten, Darren waited impatiently for his girlfriend's return.

                "--wait."  Robyn finished her sentence as Ayre's realm materialized around them.  "Damn.  I think I saw someone behind us."

                He shrugged.  "Even if they saw us, they won't believe it.  It's amazing what you humans can explain away."

                "I suppose."  Robyn hefted the heavy bag.  "Should I get started?"

                "The sooner, the better."  Ayre waved a hand, and the giant crystal column materialized.  Robyn stared at it critically.

                "Do you think you could make the hole a little wider," she said eventually.

                "Certainly."  It widened as she looked at it, and Robyn nodded in satisfaction.  "Why?"

                "I realized I shouldn't be restricting myself to only one source.  This time, I'm going to synthesize the daemon from a bunch of different stuff."  She rooted around in the bag.  "No more of these video game villains.  This stuff was never intended to be defeated."

                Ayre accepted the books with one hand and read the titles idly.  "'Rifts Conversion Book.'  'Heroes Unlimited.'  Where does all this stuff come from?"

                "Humans are remarkably inventive."  Robyn looked up at him with a big smile, and his expression in return was so grave, but so caring, that she couldn't resist reaching for him.  The kiss lasted longer than she'd intended, and by the time he let go her face was flushed.  "We're going to win this time."

                "I know."

                Robyn stopped.  "Ayre…"

                "What?"

                "What happens afterwards?  If we…win?"

                "My people will be able to live in peace and harmony forever."

                "No, I mean -- what happens to me?"

                Ayre looked slightly confused, and Robyn continued hastily.

                "Only I've watched too much anime where the Earth girl doesn't get to stay with the hero or something, after they beat the bad guys, and even though they're really in love with each other.  I just wanted to make sure that wasn't the case here.  I mean, this is real life, right?   I'm in love with you, right?  You wouldn't just leave, or die doing something stupidly noble…"

                He smiled.  "Believe me when I say that that will not be a problem."

                "Great."  Robyn let out a deep breath.  "Not that I was worried.  But.  You know."

                He gestured towards the machine.  "Let's get to work."   

                Robyn's eyes were closed, but her hands twitched as she manipulated the magic of Ayre's machine, picking things from mid-air and moving them in inexplicable ways.  Ayre looked on, curious, and nodded vaguely as Tsuiren appeared at his side.

                "Your human continues to impress me with her ingenuity."  He gestured to the crystal column.  "What is she using this time?"

                "Many things, apparently."  Ayre shrugged.  "She seems to believe that she can combine them into some kind of ultimate weapon.  Her instincts have proved to be dead-on so far."

                "Indeed."  Tsuiren leaned closer.  "If I were a more suspicious person, Ayre, I might worry about this plan of yours.  What will you do with her if we win?"

                "Keep her around until she begins to bore me."

                "I see."

                The Dark Lord looked as though he wanted to say something more, but Ayre gestured him to silence.  "I think it's almost finished.  I can feel the energy--"

                "So can I."  Tsuiren's voice was grim.  "There's no way she can control it."

                "She might--"

                Robyn was sweating now, her hands moving frantically.  Streamers of light unwrapped themselves from the column, hovering around the opening that was now stacked high with books and videos.  Then, fast as striking snakes, they curled around an empty place on the floor and circled into a cylinder.  A figure started to take shape.

                "She's doing it," breathed Ayre.  "I don't believe it."

                The thing seemed undecided about what it wanted to be.  It started out as a glowing human figure, wrought of pure light, but that didn't hold for long.  Forms flickered past quicker than the eye could follow -- a mechanical giant with a broadsword; a menacing shape in black plate, swinging a spiked chain; a lithe armored form with blades for arms; a human in a simple black biker jacket with a revolver; a giant slug, belching poison gas.  Robyn twitched her hands, and each form dissolved back into the nothingness from whence it came.  None held together for longer than a few seconds.

                "She's losing it."  Tsuiren pursed his lips.  "Shut it down, Ayre."

                "No.  Give it a moment longer.  I think--"

                He was cut off by a rising screech from the crystal column.  Bolts of pure energy crackled off of it, slamming into the walls and linking Robyn to the machine with a glittering arc of power.  The noise was suddenly deafening, and the air filled with the scent of ozone.  The streamers of light redoubled their circling, and another small figure took shape in the center.

                "Ayre!"  Tsuiren shouted above the rising tumult.  "Stop this now!"

                Ayre raised one hand, hesitated uncertainly.  The shriek rose to a crescendo, and Robyn opened her eyes and smiled.

                The crystal column exploded.

                Ayre hastily threw up a shield in front of himself and Robyn, felt Tsuiren do the same.  Bits of crystal whirred outwards, impaling themselves with deadly force in the marble walls of the domain.  Raw energy leaked from the base like blood from a wound, until Ayre hastily cut the flow; what was left earthed itself in a series of spectacular discharges. 

                As soon as the smoke had cleared, he rushed to Robyn's side.  She had been protected by the shield, and was thus unhurt beyond a little singeing.  Her eyes were open, but whether they saw anything was questionable, and her hands still twitched spasmodically.

                "Robyn?  Are you all right?"

                There was a tiny sound from behind him; a footstep, followed with the gentle tinkle of a little bell.  She stared over Ayre's shoulder for a moment, not really understanding, and then the realization hit her.  Robyn's grin widened further, and she laughed and laughed and laughed.

Chapter Ten

                This time the demon appeared at noon.

                It was Sunday, and the school was therefore mostly unoccupied.  There were a few teachers, finishing up their grading or working with particularly troubled students; a few clubs and other student organizations; the after-school program.  No one noticed when the ultimate weapon appeared on the roof, with barely a crackle to mark her arrival.

                There was a moment of silence, as though the world were holding its breath.

                Then a bolt of crimson power punched down into the venerable brickwork like the hammer of God, blowing through three floors and digging through subbasements until it hit bedrock.  It was accompanied by a noise so loud and deep it was barely sound -- the wave of force tossed the cars in the parking lot as though they were toys and shattered the windows of the houses across the street.  Bits of molten rock and metal splattered outwards, like spitting fat, and covered the surrounding roads in little puddles of flame and melting asphalt.

                The demon hovered, untouched, in the center of the hell she had unleashed.  A tiny bell rang, inaudible over the destruction.

                Mary screamed, and fell to her knees.

                It was as though someone had snuck up on her from behind, set the point of an iron spike against the back of her skull, and smashed it in with a sledgehammer.  The world blurred into unrecognizablity, and it was all she could do not to lash out with her power, instinctively, and shred everything within a hundred yards.  The pain spiked again, and she toppled from her knees onto her side.  Her heart pounded a fast, irregular beat, and her breath caught in her throat.

                She never actually lost consciousness, but for a time the pain obliterated all other considerations.  It subsided horribly slowly, but it did subside, and she became aware of someone shouting her name.

                "Maer!  Are you okay?  Maer?  Say something!"

                Aku.  Mary opened her eyes and found herself lying flat on the sidewalk, face-down.  She rolled a little bit and spat out a mouthful of grit.  The little demon sighed with relief.

                "Jesus, Maer.  You okay?"

                "No."  Mary completed the turn, and ended up on her back.  "I'm dying."

                "You…you're not serious, right?  C'mon.  Seriously.  Are you--"

                "It's a demon."  Mary stared up into the evening sky, stained a brilliant red by the sunset, and tried to figure out what was odd about it.  "A big one.  I've never felt anything like it."

                "I figured that, but…god damn…"

                "I have to get up."  She closed her eyes again.  "I have to go kill it."

                "Are you crazy?  You're not going anywhere near that thing!"

                "I have to."

                "You're going to get yourself killed!"

                "If I don't, someone else is going to die."  She opened her eyes again, having realized the problem.  It's not sunset.  It's noon.  Mary raised her head, painfully, and saw the vermillion tower of pure energy that reached to the heavens.  Her mouth opened, soundlessly, and for a moment she could only stare.

                "You are not going in there."

                Mary struggled into a sitting position, and Aku hovered in front of her.  The street was deserted apart from the two of them -- everyone else was, quite sensibly, running for their lives.

                "You're not going, right?  We're going to run for it."

                She turned around and got to her feet, wobbling only a little.  The pain was still there, flooding outward from the point where the demon had rent the Barrier asunder, but it was bearable.  For some definitions of bearable.  Mary grimaced.

                "Right?"

                "That tower is coming from the school."  Mary took a long breath.

                "Oh, shit."

                "Yeah.  Come on."

                "Shouldn't we go get Sumiko, at least?"

                "I think she'll find her way here, Aku."

                Rin stopped the car and stuck her head out the window to watch, unable to think of a sufficiently vile obscenity.  The sky had turned the color of blood, and the dust and smoke were ballooning outwards in a spectacular mushroom cloud.

                Overhead, a pair of police helicopters thumped their way towards the scene.  She admired their bravery -- for all they knew, a nuclear weapon had just gone off -- and she couldn't help but wince when a line of brilliant energy swept across and blotted both of them from the sky in horrible red-on-black explosions.  She fell back into her seat, speechless, and finally turned to Deus.

                "Agent Deus, don't you think--"

                Rin stopped.  Deus was gone.

                "Agent Deus?"

                A familiar figure in black jumped over the car, moving so fast she blurred and making a beeline for the school grounds.  Rin hesitated only a moment before gunning the motor and going after her.  Fuck this.  I can't just watch, this time.

                Lia pushed her way through the hysterical crowd, fighting the tide.

                Mary.  The horrible, glowering sky barely gave her pause.  I have to get to Mary.  I have to find her. 

                A fat woman, holding two children by their shirt collars, shouted something at her.  It was incomprehensible over the roar.

                She'll be okay.  She said she'd always be okay.  Lia turned sideways and slipped through any gap she could find.  A teenaged boy brushed past and accidentally elbowed her in the stomach, and she sank against the wall of a storefront, suddenly breathless.  She'll be…she said…

                The crowd ended, suddenly, and she was in the clear.  The street ahead of her was empty except for abandoned cars and shopping bags, and a few newspapers, blowing in the wind.  Lia paused a moment to get her wind back, then started to sprint.

                I have to find Mary.

                Mary jumped down from the last row of houses, across from the school, and raised her disguise instinctively.  Billowing clouds of dust had enveloped the school grounds, and something still burned within, throwing waves of heat across the road.  She walked into the cloud slowly, a white-hot spear of solid air in each hand, gripped so tightly her hands were shaking.

                The demon has to be around here somewhere.  My best chance is to get the drop on it.  In this dust, if I hit it before it knows I'm there, it'll go down no matter how tough it is.  She did her best to forget that the last part of that thought was just wishful thinking.

                Distance felt oddly distorted, as though she'd walked for hours.  Vague shapes moved inside the dust, and the air was filled with shrieks, moans, and plaintive cries.  Mary kept walking, aiming for the barely-visible glow of the fires.  She practically stumbled over a little girl, who must have been all of four years old, wandering away from the fire in a daze.  Mary checked to make sure she wasn't hurt, gave her a quick pat on the head, and pushed her away from the school.  The girl kept walking, and Mary tried not to think about her presence meant.  There are others.  Dear God.

                "The kids…"  A voice echoed softly around what had been the school's main quad.  Mary hurried over.  "We…have to…"

                "What kids?" 

                A figure, slumped against the wall of an undamaged building, looked up at Mary's approach.  "The kids.  Did…did they get out?"

                "I saw one of them.  What happened?  Did you--"  Mary took a step closer and froze in her tracks.  The woman was wearing what was left of a green dress, and half of her face was just gone; white bone peeked out from under the char.  She waved one arm vaguely, desperately.

                "Did they…get out…"

                Valiantly, Mary tried not to vomit.  She turned away and marched desperately into the dust.  The police and the ambulances are on the way.  She could hear the sirens, in the distance.  I don't know anything about helping injured people.  And if the demon's still here, no one has a chance.  I have to kill it.

                Another figure loomed in the cloud, this one sitting on a chunk of fallen masonry.  Mary approached cautiously until it resolved itself into a girl, Lia's age or a little younger.  She had short hair and was clutching her bag in her lap, hugging it like a life preserver.

                "Hey."  She didn't look injured, but Mary asked anyway.  "Are you okay?"

                The girl whispered something that Mary didn't catch, so she took a step closer.  "Are you okay?"

                "Again…"  Her voice was still almost inaudible.

                "What?"

                The girl looked up.  She was really quite pretty, Mary noted absently -- she wore an odd half-smile and had a clip in her hair on either side.  Her clothes were odd, though.  Almost like…

                "I destroyed another city today."

                Oh, shi--

                The girl started to glow, all over, and there was a sudden crackle and flash of lightning.

                Kei stumbled to a halt against a parked car, and Sumiko landed from her headlong flight and looked back at her.

                "Are you okay?"

                "I…"  Kei leaned heavily on the metal.  "I don't know.  I feel…"

                "Stay here, if you need to.  I have to go find--"

                "No."  The demon straightened up.  "I'm coming."

                If Mary goes back to the Outer Realms, I won't let her leave me behind.

                Sumiko nodded.  "Let's move, then."

                Lia hesitated on the edge of the cloud of dust.  The school was in there somewhere, and it was the quickest route home, but--

                I'll have to go around.

                "Lia Rivers?"

                Keyed up as she was, she spun around so fast she almost fell over.  Behind her was a tall, blocky man in a neatly tailored black suit and sunglasses, the villain from a thousand UFO movies.  Lia nodded uncertainly.

                "W…who are you?"

                He pulled a badge from his pocket and waved it in front of her face at eye-blurring speed.  "Agent Deus, BSC."           

                "What's going on here?"   

                "Your sister needs your help."

                "Mary?"  Lia's eyes went wide.  "Why?  Is she okay?"

                "She's fine for the moment.  I don't have time to explain."  He pointed, further into the dust cloud.  "Go.  She'll explain."

                "But--"

                "It's safe, for now.  Go!"

                Lia nodded quickly and started to run.  Deus stared after her, the corners of his mouth turning ever so slightly upwards.

                "Not bad."

                Mary climbed slowly to her feet.  The air around her was hot enough to redden her skin and smelled burned, heavy with the ionic tang of vaporized metal.  Under her shield of vapor, though, she was untouched.  The girl -- the demon -- looked nonplussed.

                "Not bad at all."  She leaned against the wall with exaggerated fatigue.  "So you're here to fight me?"

                The demon nodded.  "Yes."

                Mary stared the thing down while energy concentrated, bit by bit, in front of her hands.  "Why?"

                "Because I'm a weapon."

                At least it's honest.  Mary pretended to consider that point, then brought both her hands around from behind her back and hurled twin spears of liquid fire.  She finished the motion with a roll, to avoid the inevitable counter-attack, and this turned out to be a good idea.

                The demon didn't dodge.  It simply held up a hand, and the energy splattered as though it had hit a solid wall.  Mary stared, incredulously, a moment too long -- she had to jump hastily aside as a blue-white beam from somewhere overhead slashed down and burned a semi-circular track across the point where she'd been standing.

                O…kay.  Her mind worked furiously.  It's got some kind of shield, but there has to be a hole.  Maybe if I can take it by surprise…  She jumped again as the beam stabbed towards her, landing on the roof of the school equipment shed.  I need a distraction.

                "You shouldn't fight," said the demon.  "It's only making things worse."

                "Right."  Mary timed her next jump carefully, taking off from the top of the little building just before the blue-white laser smashed it to kindling.  Her trajectory took her right over the demon's head, and a thousand needles of ice slashed down at a gesture.  The demon didn't even blink, and the needles shattered, but Mary landed right at its feet and knocked the thing's legs out from under it with a sweep.  As the girl fell, she gathered energy -- they ended up face-to-face on the ground, and Mary blasted the thing in the face with her accumulated power.  Her vision flashed white for a moment, and her hair sizzled in the backlash.

                It didn't work.  She realized it just in time, throwing up a shield as fast as she could.  The explosion picked her off the ground and tossed her in a long, flat trajectory destined to end as a painful impact against a stone wall.  Mary curled into a ball and was braced for impact when a yellow-and-white blur came out of nowhere and fielded her with a catch that would have done credit to a wide receiver.  Two girls landed on the ground, coughing.

                "You okay?"  Sumiko sounded anxious; Mary waved reassuringly while she tried to regain control of her lungs.

                "I'm -- I'm fine."  Regaining her feet was a bit of a struggle.  Even through the shield, the blast had been impressive.  "Thanks."

                "No problem."  Sumiko peered towards the center of the dust cloud.  "What are we fighting?"

                "A demon."

                "I figured that.  What does it look like?"

                "Some little girl.  It's got power to burn -- shrugged off the best I could do like it wasn't even there."

                "So how do we hurt it?"

                "My guess is that its shield requires conscious control.  Maybe if we hit it from two directions at once, we can sneak something through."

                "Sounds good."  Sumiko crackled her knuckles, and the thin field of energy that surrounded her body shimmered.  "I'll see if I can get its attention, and you waste it."

                "Right."  Mary stopped.  "Did you bring Kei?"

                "She's around here somewhere.  Whatever she had is getting worse, though.  She probably won't be a lot of help."

                "Okay."  Mary let out a deep breath.  "Let's do it."

                The demon was glowing with a pale white radiance that shone softly through the billowing dust and smoke.  It had dropped the little handbag, and the back of its school uniform had been reduced to shreds by a pair of oddly fractal crystalline wings with which it hovered a few feet off the ground.  Mary peeked around the corner of the main school building, which was still mostly standing, and looked up to where Sumiko had perched on the third floor.

                Here goes nothing.

                A dozen razorcurrents darted forward, slamming into the seemingly impenetrable barrier around the demon with a series of pops like the explosion of a string of firecrackers.  This was distraction -- most of Mary's effort went into lifting a chunk of debris, a boulder the size of a washing machine, and lofting it gently across the quad.

                The demon, as expected, didn't fail to see that coming.  Mary was running before the girl even raised her hand, sending a swarm of tiny white lights to obliterate the corner she'd been hiding behind; at the same time, the chunk of metal and concrete blew apart in an expanding ring of dust.  The brickwork of the building shivered dangerously, but Sumiko had already jumped into the air.

                Mary stopped, shielded, and braced as a wave of energy hit her -- she managed to keep her feet this time, but not by much.  She was already breathing hard, and the effort of turning the staggering energy the demon was throwing around was not helping. 

                The beam cut off as Sumiko landed, clubbing the girl heavily on the back of the neck and driving her to her knees.  Before the demon could react she twisted lithely and kicked it squarely on the chin, hard enough to throw the thing into the air.  Mary tried to ignore the pounding in her head and pull together enough energy for a follow-through, and Sumiko jumped again, poised to stomp on the demon when it landed.

                It didn't.  Fractal wings of pure light snapped outwards so fast they blurred, and the girl hung suspended for a bare instant over their heads.  Her entire body glowed with a soft, white light, and the eyes she focused on her two opponents were disapproving.  Mary felt the power gathering, slithering over her skin, and she braced for a counterattack -- ready to jump, ready to shield.

                A familiar voice cracked across the field, recognizable even as a scream. 

                "MARY!"

                No.  She refused to acknowledge it.  It's just my imagination.  It's just--  There was a moment, a hopeless, doomed half-second, before she started to turn.

                "Lia--"

                The demon unleashed its power, a circular wall of expanding white-hot death.  Mary's shields flared under the onslaught, but held -- the power wasn't concentrated to a point but diffusing outwards, explosions marching across the town as building after building collapsed in a ring around the school.  She had to imagine the screams, since she could hear nothing over the roar of destruction, quivering while she shouted mental commands at legs that seemed to be mired in jelly.

                The moment broke, and time seemed to speed up again.  A fresh cloud of dust covered everything, whipped back and forth by scalding-hot winds.  The demon was gone, though to where Mary couldn't imagine, and she could barely make out Sumiko's crouched figure in the debris.  Mary beckoned and staggered blindly towards where she'd seen her sister.

                "Lia."  Mary fell to her knees.  The younger girl was sprawled amidst the metal shards from one end of the gymnasium, covered in enough dust that her face was already as pale as death.  Her eyes flickered open, though, at the sound of her sister's approach, and she raised her head weakly.

                "Mary?"

                "It's me."  Mary shuffled a few inches closer, and Lia's eyes blinked against the dust. 

                "You're okay?"

                "I'm fine."  Actually, every nerve in her skin was screaming as though someone had gone over it with a file.  "I'm fine."

                "I didn't…I didn't believe you.  About being okay."  Lia took a long, raspy breath.  "I knew you'd be here."

                "I told you."  Mary felt something running down her cheek -- either tears or blood.  "I told you not to worry about me."

                "Yeah."  Lia shifted her shoulders a little.  "I'm sorry."

                "I've been lying to you.  To everyone."  She realized, suddenly, that she didn't know where to begin.  "I am…I mean, I can…"

                "I figured…you were lying…about something."

                "Lia…"

                This time it was tears that filled Mary's eyes, and Lia smiled peacefully.

                "God, Mary.  Look at yourself.  This isn't…a deathbed confession.  You're going to beat that thing, and…everyone will be fine.  I'll be fine."

                Mary took her sister's hand; the fingers were already cold.  A metal shard had embedded itself in her back, and just the tip of it stuck out, between her breasts, gluing her shirt to her skin with a spreading stain.

                "Lia."  Mary squeezed, as hard as she could.  "I love you."

                Lia's smile widened.  "It's just…a scratch.  Relax.  I'll… I'll be…"

                She breathed in suddenly, raggedly, and her hand squeezed Mary's so hard her nails dug into the back of her sister's palm.  Her back arched for a sudden, agonizing moment before she relaxed, and her hand uncurled.

                Mary bowed her head, still squeezing.

                "Mary!"  Sumiko's footsteps kicked up a haze of dust.  "Are you alright?  I can't find the demon, and Kei has to be around here somewhere.  I--"  She pulled up short as she finally processed what was happening.  "Oh, shit.  Can you carry her?  If you get her back to my place, there's a few favors I can call in--"

                "No," said Mary dully.  She let go of her sister's hand, and it dropped limply to the ground.  "It's over."

                "No.  Gods."  Sumiko went to her knees in the dust, pressed her hand against Lia's chest, and hoped against hope.  There was nothing.  "Mary--"

                "I want you to go."

                "I--"  She stopped.  "What?"

                "Go.  Get out of this town.  Now."

                "What are you talking about?  You don't stand a chance against that thing alone!"

                "I won't be alone."

                "Mary--"

                "Don't argue with me, Sumiko."  Mary turned around, her eyes bright with tears and a cold determination.  "Just go."

                "I won't.  If we don't stop this thing here, this"--she gestured around--"is going to be everywhere.  Where am I going to go?"

                "You don't understand."

                "No?  You've got some kind of super-weapon that stands a good chance of taking you out along with it, and you don't want me getting caught in the blast.  That about right?"

                "Sumiko--"

                "Fuck you.  You don't have protect me, Mary.  Understand?"

                The was a long pause, interrupted only by the howling of the wind.

                "Okay.  We're going back to my house."

                "What's to stop her from destroying the rest of the city in the meantime?"

                "I will."  A dark shadow detached itself from one wall and resolved into a woman in a black suit, with sunglasses.  "Do you really have some way to destroy that thing?"

                Mary suddenly felt exhausted, drained.  She nodded slowly.  "Maybe.  Weren't you--"

                "Things change."

                Neither Mary nor Sumiko had the energy to argue the point.

                "I'll hold its attention as best I can.  Be quick."

                Mary nodded.  She bent down and pulled Lia to her, slinging her sister's body across her shoulders like a coat.  Her muscles complained, but she ignored them and started out down the street in a steady lope; Sumiko followed her closely.

                "So what are we going to get?"

                Mary licked her lips, and tasted blood.  "za'Tsara'Vor."

                It was waiting, in the dusty darkness of the attic.  Mary could feel it.  The sword was waiting, gloating -- after all, it had finally won.

                I don't have to do this.  I can still go back there, and fight.  She felt Lia's hand jerk, the memory somehow embedded in the raw nerves of her skin.  I can go back there, and die.  I might be better off.

                She ascended the steps, one at a time, and forced herself into the corner where the thing lay.  za'Tsara'Vor wasn't glowing, or pulsing with otherworldly power.  It just lay there, smugly confident.  It knew she had no options left.

                The demon won't stop at killing me.  How many more will have to die before it's satisfied?

                Shit.  When did this stop just being about me?  I don't owe these people -- I've saved them over and over again.  Why should I throw my life away?

                She unrolled the cloth she'd brought on the floor with a soft rasp, and prodded the sword with a stick until it toppled over.  Then she wrapped the cloth around it and ever-so-carefully picked it up.  Even through the fabric it felt cold, and she could feel it watching.

                Robyn's out there, somewhere.  Mary clung steadfastly to that thought.  She was going out with her new boyfriend.  Away from the town.  If I can stop this thing…

                It's better this way.  She wouldn't understand.

                Sumiko looked up as Mary descended.  Lia lay on the couch, her arms crossed under her breasts -- she looked almost peaceful, as though she was hugging herself in her sleep.  Mary could only bear to look at her for a moment.

                "Mary?"  Sumiko looked concerned.  "You're not going to fall apart on me yet, are you?  We've got a world to save.  Then you can cry on my shoulder."

                Right.  Mary took a deep breath.  If I -- somehow-- live through this, I'm going to find Robyn and just tell her everything.  Everything.  Her eyes were dry; the tears wouldn't come even if she wanted them to, as though some valve in the plumbing had rusted shut.  She tucked the wrapped sword under one arm.

                "Okay.  You have to stay away from me, Sumiko."

                "But--"

                "Listen to me.  Once I draw this thing, I probably won't be able to tell you apart from the demon.  So what you need to do is clear out and wait for me to kill it."

                "You're sure you can?  Because I don't want to leave you--"

                "I'm sure.  Afterwards, get the sword away from me.  Hurt me if you have to."

                "Got it."

                "You have to be fast, Sumiko.  Understand?"

                "I understand.  Let's go -- before that thing destroys anything else."

                Rin ducked back behind a wall and hid as the energy beam blasted her elemental into tiny, glowing fragments.  She felt its destruction like a punch to the gut, and as deep as she might dig the energy to summon another one simply wasn't there.

                I've never lost one before.  Now three, in one day.  Her breath came in gasps.  What the hell is that thing?  Category Six, at least. 

                It couldn't be a Category Seven.  There was no such thing as a Category Seven in real life.  Its powers aren't varied enough -- there's a lot of energy there, but all it can do is blow things up.

                And where the hell is Deus?

                "We're back."

                Rin's head snapped up to find Mary and the Oriental girl who accompanied her jogging down the street.  Mary had a long, wrapped bundle under one arm, which she assumed was her super-weapon.

                "Thank God."  Rin wiped her forehead.  "I think I kept her contained, but she's really pissed off."

                "Get out of here."  Mary put the bundle on the ground and unrolled it, slowly.  The black wood of the scabbard gleamed weakly in the red glare that filtered through the dust.

                "I was planning on it."  Rin stopped for a moment, then shook her head.  "Listen.  I'm going to get backup, but they're not going to get here before that thing kills you both, if it can.  So think of this as a failsafe."

                "I wouldn't have it another way."  Mary's hands hovered an inch or two over the hilt.  "If you get back here, and find me holding this--"

                "I get it."  Rin smiled grimly.  "Until next time."

                "Right."  Mary's eyes flickered to her friend.  "Sumiko.  Get lost."

                "I'll be watching."

                "Not too close."

                Mary's hands closed around the hilt.

                It was just as good as she remembered.  Better than magic, better than sex -- the flow of sheer power that hammered up her arms and blasted out through the top of her skull.  It was like being a god.  It was being a god.  The sword didn't need to offer temptation, because it knew this was enough.  Leaving it, even after only a few seconds, had been endless agony.

                For a moment, instinctively, Mary resisted.  As she had the first time, she fought the crashing tide with sheer force of personality and almost, almost wrestled it to a standstill.  But this time, I need it.  I need the power.

                Goodbye.

                She lowered her defenses, and the force of za'Tsara'Vor overwhelmed her in a wave.  Mary stood stock-still for a moment, then opened her eyes.

                "Oh, yes…"

                The demon was waiting, sitting on a rock in the center of the zone of destruction.  It was essentially untouched, though a light film of dust had settled over its school uniform and unremarkable brown bag.  It looked up as Mary approached, plodding slowly through the dust cloud, and it smiled.

                "You're back."

                "Yes."

                The demon got to its feet, and spread its hands.  Angular, fractal wings snapped into existence, and its whole body was suffused with a soft glow.

                "I need to keep fighting.  I'm a weapon, after all."

                "No."  Mary kept coming, step by step.  "Your fight ends here."

                The demon's eyes narrowed, and energy crackled across its wings.  Mary took another step, and the yellow-white beam snapped into existence, slashing past where she stood and blowing the scorched earth into dust.

                Mary took another step out of the cloud.  A singed patch ran across her jacket, from her right shoulder down to her left hip, but she was otherwise unharmed.  She looked up at the demon, and smiled.

                Flames erupted as the air itself was transformed to plasma fire, but Mary kept walking as though it were a gentle bath.  The demon frowned, and a barrage of green sparks flooded the whole plain with explosions; when the smoke cleared, Mary's sleeve had been nicked by a flying splinter, but she merely smiled and kept coming.

                Finally, a column of light speared down from the empty, red sky, so bright that it blotted out the stars.  It flashed right onto Mary's head and stayed there, and all around it the bricks sank into puddles and started to boil.  The earth shook, and cracks ran like frightened children in all directions.

                "The end of the world…"  The demon stared, proudly. 

                "Not quite."

                Mary jumped out of the center of the column, one hand on the hilt of the black sword.  She drew it, lightning-fast, in mid-air; there was only time for a single slash with a sound like the angry hum of a million bees.  There was a brief feeling of discontinuity, as though reality itself had hiccupped, and then Mary landed into a crouch.  The demon didn't land at all, bisected by a bright white line -- it's expression held nothing but blank, dumb surprise.  Then it faded out of existence, as though it had never been, and the column of light snapped off.

                The laws of physics resumed their sway.  The demon's onslaught had super-heated the air, turned it to plasma -- the largest lightning bolt in the history of the world.  Now, with no more supernatural power to hold it back, the thunderclap fell inward like a reverse shockwave.  Molten rock and metal sprayed though the air, hardening on the wind into deadly shards, and the sound alone was loud enough to shatter bone.  Mary remained on her knees, waiting.

                It was some time before things returned to something resembling normal.  Sumiko picked her way across a landscape as cratered and lifeless as the surface of the moon.  She carefully avoided places where the ground was still molten, and her power protected her from air still hot enough to blister unprotected skin.  Little pings and cracks were everywhere as the ground cooled and the debris settled.

                "Mary!"

                Sumiko jumped to the top of a large boulder, uprooted from the bedrock and hurled to the surface, and caught sight of the still figure a few hundred feet away.  She bounded down and raced to Mary's side, ignoring the heat.

                "Mary!"  The Japanese girl halted a few feet away, warily.  Mary was on her knees, the sword back in its sheath, her head bowed.  She didn't move, not even to breathe.  A cold hand gripped Sumiko's heart.

                She did it.  Her mind felt numb.  She sacrificed herself for all of them.  All of us.  And she won.  She stared, in wonder, at the buildings around her that had been fused into slag.  Somehow.

                "Mary…"

                She shook her head softly and walked closer.  Mary's clothes were battered, her leather jacket torn and hanging shredded from her shoulders.  za'Tsara'vor was untouched, without even a scuff on its scabbard.  I'm going to take that sword and hide it somewhere.  Sumiko leaned over, and put a hand on Mary's shoulder.  Her eyes filled with unbidden tears.

                "You did it."  She sniffed.  "I knew you would, somehow.  But…  Damn it, Mary.  Can't we ever just win?"  Sumiko felt her thoughts slip back to Shibuya, to the horrible crunch of bone.  "Why does it never work out right?"

                There was a long pause.  When she spoke, Mary's voice was the soft hiss of escaping breath.

                "Su…mi…ko…"

                "Mary?"  Sumiko looked down, hurriedly, hardly daring to hope.  "Are you--"

                There was a moment of frenzied action, too fast for the eye to follow, and a sudden, horrible buzzing.  Sumiko found herself face to face with her friend, staring into eyes that were nothing more than black pools.  Her smile was horrible.

                "Not fast enough."

                Her hands closed around Mary's, still clasped around the sword driven to the hilt in Sumiko's stomach.  Her mouth opened, slowly, and Sumiko tasted blood.

                Mary blinked, and a hint of green eyes peeped past the black.  She gasped, and tears glistened.

                "I'm sorry…"

                Then the power of the sword slammed back into place.  Mary gave za'Tsara'vor a vicious twist, and Sumiko died without another sound.

                Mary pulled the sword out with one smooth motion and returned it to its sheath, letting her friend's body flop face-first into the dust.  She straightened up, and shrugged off the remains of her jacket with a sigh.

                So many things to do.  She smiled softly.  So many people to kill.  But first things first. I have you to thank, Mary, so I will give you what you want.

                Revenge.

                Reality distorted as the black sword warped time and space around itself.  A moment later, the pressure relaxed -- Mary was gone, headed for the Outer Realms.

Chapter Eleven

                The Outer Realms were not exactly what Mary had been expecting.

                I don't know what I pictured, really.  Something out of Tolkien, maybe -- a warped, twisted landscape covered in horrible monsters.  After all, this is where those things come from.  But the reality wasn't bad at all -- a marble corridor, comfortably carpeted, lit by flickering braziers, adorned here and there with small, tasteful works of art, and leading up to a set of double doors that wouldn't have looked out of place in any wealthy dwelling on Earth.  Not exactly the burning pits of Hell.

                She realized, absently, that the black sword had relaxed its grip, letting her take back at least some of her mind.  The power was still there, though, and she caressed the hilt at her side and felt it bubble and spit, just below the surface.

                Oh, yes.  I will always be there, when you need me.

                Reassured, Mary approached the doors.  There were no handles, but they swung inward of their own accord as she approached, revealing a dining room so vast she couldn't see the walls.  Candles hung in mid-air every few feet, spreading out into the dark infinity like fireflies marching in lockstep.  The floor was polished silver, chased with gold, and the vaulted ceiling was lost in the darkness.  In the center of the room was a long, intricately designed table.  There were two place settings, and two chairs, both at the far end.  One of the chairs was occupied.

                Mary stalked the length of the table, one hand on the sword at her side.  The man in the chair raised his glass as she approached, as though in salute.  He was tall and handsome, with hair past his shoulders, dressed in a dark, immaculate suit.  Gray eyes glittered with intelligence and malice, but when he smiled, the almost physical force of him lashed at her.  Mary shrugged it off, and her eyes narrowed.

                If the man had expected anything to come of his attempt, he gave no sign of it.  He gestured languidly to the empty chair.

                "Please.  Sit down."

                Mary shook her head.  "I'd rather not."

                "As you wish."  He sipped at the glass, and set it down.  "I am Tsuiren."

                Tsuiren.  The one who was responsible for everything.  The Dark Lord, the end of the line.  Mary stared at him with contempt.  This is it? 

                "Might I ask your name?"

                "Mary."

                "Mary."  Tsuiren repeated it to himself, swirling the crimson liquid in its flute.  "It was a long time before we were prepared to accept that it was a lone human who was opposing us, Mary."

                She smiled humorlessly, but said nothing.

                "Somehow you've beaten us.  You've anticipated our every move, up to the last.  And now you've beaten the strongest daemon I've ever known."  He sighed.  "What am I to do with you?"

                Mary's hand drifted to rest on the hilt of za'Tsara'Vor.  Tsuiren nodded, slowly.

                "All in good time.  Would you like something to eat?  A change of dress, perhaps?"

                She glanced down at herself, amused.  Her shirt was in shreds, plastered to her skin with sweat and blood.  On one of her legs her jeans had been ripped away just above the knee, while the other side was nearly burned through in several places.  Underneath, her skin was unmarred, protected by the power of the black sword.

                "No."

                "You're really not being--"

                She cut him off with a gesture.  "I'm impressed, Tsuiren, but it's not going to fly.  I might have believed all this, before, but not now."

                "Believed--"

                "This little game."  She waved her hand.  "As though it was all beneath you.  But you're scared.  I can see it in your eyes.  So I'm not going to play."  Mary tapped the sword.

                Tsuiren's mouth tightened.  "Scared.  Of you?"

                "Even if you won't admit it."

                He waved, and the table vanished, along with the candles.  The pair stood at the center of a vast hall of black marble, totally empty and echoing with every footstep.  Another wave, and daemons appeared by the score.  These were not the carefully crafted constructs Mary had met before, but bare simple sketches adequate merely to kill.  Their bodies were misty, amorphous -- all that was clear was a floating white oval where the head should be and two blades, twisting and shimmering like liquid, in their hands.

                "Still afraid?"  Tsuiren smiled, slowly.  "This is my realm, you know.  I control everything here."

                Mary drew the black sword, and the room buzzed with echoes.  The daemons tensed.  Tsuiren's smile faded.

                "Kill her!"

                A dozen spears of white-hot energy ripped through their ranks before they could even move, shattering swords and face-plates.  The air seemed to shiver as Mary threw herself into them, and for all their numbers they never had a chance.  At the end of every instant, everything within arm's reach of her was dead.  za'Tsara'vor buzzed softly to itself, complacently cutting the constructs down, and the clash of steel doubled and redoubled through the echoes until it filled the universe.

                It seemed as though only an instant had passed.  Tsuiren took a single step back as the bodies of his minions faded from sight.  Mary sighed and returned the black sword to its sheath, and the buzzing cut off abruptly.

                "Last chance, Tsuiren.  Take your best shot."

                The Dark Lord's hand twitched, but he maintained his composure.  "Ayre!  Get out here!"

                There was a long moment of silence.  When nothing emerged, Mary blinked.

                "Ayre!  Ayre!"  The demon's calm reserve had finally cracked, and he was screaming.  "Where the hell are you?  Come out here and help me -- we can destroy her!  AYRE!"

                "Tsuiren."  His gaze snapped back to her, and Mary took a threatening step forward.  "Take your best shot."

                Fear and arrogance warred behind the demon's eyes.  He hesitated.

                "Take it."

                "DIE!"

                Even at the end, Tsuiren was calculating.  He summoned a sword of pure energy to his hand and feinted towards Mary's head, intending to block her counter-attack and cut her down.  It didn't matter.  za'Tsara'vor flashed from its sheath, its buzz deepening into a thick growl, and its edge was unstoppable.  It went through the Dark Lord's blade without even slowing and passed through flesh and bone with ease.  Mary stopped at the end of the stroke, sword extended, and Tsuiren staggered back.

                "Ayre…"  His voice was a croak.  "Help…me…"

                Then he faded, vanishing before he hit the floor.

                Mary sat cross-legged on the floor for some time.

                She wasn't really thinking.  Her mind was blank, except for the regular pulses of the black sword's power.  Eventually, though, doubt flashed a cautious fin.

                That can't be the end of it.

                The power of the sword pulsed in agreement.

                He can't have been the real leader.  The demon I destroyed on Earth was stronger than that.  And where are the rest of them?  Mary's thoughts flickered, suddenly, to Kei.  I left her on Earth.  I wonder if she survived the demon's attack…

                "It's…just a scratch.  I'll…I'll be…"

                …Sumiko died without another sound.

                Mary's body jerked as the black sword's power slammed down, cutting off that line of thinking.  She rose to her feet, automatically, and looked around.

                The hall was still there, though not nearly as impressive as it had been.  The black marble didn't quite sparkle as it had, and no longer seemed quite so immense.  There was a door, too, that she hadn't noticed before -- a simple, white, wooden door, completely out of place.  It was the only feature of interest in the giant chamber, so Mary made her way towards it, curiously.  It became no less ordinary as she approached.

                A quick twist of the handle proved that it was locked.  Mary looked at it quizzically, shrugged, and then blew the wood to fragments and stepped through.  It was dark inside, and she was silhouetted in the doorway.  She got only a brief glimpse -- a bed, a desk, a chair, some books -- before something large and heavy flew towards her head.  Mary reacted instinctively, carving the object to bits.  Shredded pieces of paper cascaded around her, and the person who'd thrown the book cowered back on the bed in horror.  Mary put one hand on the sword, took a step forward, and -- stared.

                "Please don't kill me please don't kill me."  Robyn had her arms crossed over her eyes, babbling.  "I didn't mean any of it, I'm sorry, I'm sorry--" 

                Mary grabbed her friend's arms, and tried to pull them away.  "Robyn--"

                Robyn screamed.  "AYRE!  Where are you, they're here, they're--"

                "ROBYN!"

                Robyn froze, finally recognizing the voice but hardly daring to believe it.  She didn't move her arms.  "M…Mary?"

                "It's me.  Open your eyes."

                The other girl blinked, still in shock.  "But…you…what are you doing here…"

                "I came to find Tsuiren."

                "He said the enemy was coming, and that he couldn't find Ayre…he was going to k…kill me, but he didn't have the time--"  Robyn practically jumped forward, throwing her arms around Mary's shoulders and sobbing.  Mary sat down carefully on the bed, guiding her friend next to her.

                "Robyn…"  She stopped, softly.  There didn't seem to be much else to say.

                "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."  Robyn voice was muffled, since she didn't raise her head.  "I've always told you everything, but I couldn't…Ayre didn't want me to…we were helping people, I had to do it…"  She squeezed tighter.  "You're not mad at me, are you?  Mary?"

                "No.  I'm not mad."

                Robyn looked up, eyes still half-filled with tears, her long hair in disarray.  Mary brushed one errant lock among many back into place, leaned forward, and kissed her.

                Startled, Robyn didn't respond for a long moment, then tried to pull away until she felt Mary's arms twined around her shoulders.  After another spare second of consideration, she leaned into the kiss, wrapping her body close to her friend's.  Mary could feel Robyn's hands warm on her back through the ruin of her shirt, feel Robyn's breasts pressed against her own.

                When she finally pulled away, her voice was a bare whisper.

                "Robyn."

                "Mary--"

                "Shh."  Mary silenced her with a finger pressed over her lips.  Robyn waited, and Mary felt the weight of her body: warm, vibrant, alive.  "Shh."

                A moment of silence passed.

                "When you get to hell" -- Mary swallowed, hard -- "wait up."

                A thousand razor-currents materialized in an instant and fell inward.  Robyn certainly never had time to scream, and Mary felt warmth paint her face.  She closed her eyes.

                Her hand trembled. 

                I can't believe it.  I'm afraid, now.

                The black sword raged at her, promising and threatening by turns.  She ignored it.

                After everything, how can I be afraid of this?

                She willed her hand into steadiness, and somewhat to her surprise it obeyed.  Mary swallowed, and concentrated.  Moisture condensed out of the air, gathering in a solid matrix, and a dagger of ice materialized.

                I'm not afraid.

                She positioned it carefully, right over her heart.  The tip trembled only a little.  When she breathed in, it pricked the skin of her breast, drawing a tiny drop of blood.

                Not afraid.

                The sword shrieked in her mind.  She breathed out.

                I am not--

                She breathed in, and slammed the dagger home.

                --afraid.

                There was a moment of pain.  Mary felt the breath rattle from her lungs.  Then, darkness.

                Ayre materialized in the vast, marble chamber with a 'whaum.'

                He stalked over to the little bedroom, shoes clicking and echoing in the huge space, and shook his head silently.  The place was covered with blood and bits of bone, with Mary's body lying in the center of it.

                Another 'whaum' echoed through the chamber, followed by frantic footsteps.  Ayre turned to find Kei, out of breath and somehow out of focus, as though her body were seen through smoked glass. 

                 "Kei."  Ayre smiled.  "You've come back to me."

                "What…what did you do?"  Kei stared at Mary and what was left of Robyn.  "What did you do to her?"

                "Me?  Nothing."  Ayre shrugged.  "They brought this on themselves.  Lord, what fools these mortals be."

                "I…I can't believe…"

                Kei shook her head.  Her thoughts swirled, uncontrollable, and she felt as though her mind were falling apart.  The marble hall grew fuzzy, indistinct, and only Ayre remained solid.  His eyes -- one black, one white -- looked at her compassionately.

                "Poor Kei.  You've done such a good job.  Let me help you."

                "No!  You--"  But she couldn't move, and he put a hand on her shoulder.  Everything suddenly snapped back into focus, and new energy surged through her.  Kei felt her mind sparkle for the first time since she'd left the Outer Realms, and she stared at Ayre with a mixture of hatred and awe.

                "You.  You're the Dark Lord."

                Ayre's smile widened.

                "Tsuiren was just a puppet.  You manipulated him the whole time…but…"

                "Close, but not quite."  Ayre stepped back, and spread his arms, like a magician revealing his trick.  All around him, Tsuiren's realm vanished as though it had never been, leaving nothing but blank, white space.  The marble hall was gone, the bedroom was gone -- only Mary's body and little droplets of blood, hanging in space, remained.  Kei looked around in horror.

                "I am, as you seem to have guessed, the Dark Lord.  But it's a little more than that, Kei."

                Kei's mind, once again sharp and precise, had already raced ahead to the inevitable conclusion.  Her lip quivered.  "No."

                "I'm all there ever was, out here."  Ayre sat cross-legged, hanging in space.  "It's all mine, all of the Outer Realms."

                "I don't believe you."  She straightened up.  "This is another trick.  You're playing games with me."

                "For the first time in your life, I'm not."  He put his chin in his hands.  "Would you like me to demonstrate?"  Ayre's form blurred, and Kei found herself surrounded by a dozen copies of him, all speaking in unison.  "I control all the realms, and everything in them."

                "What about Tsuiren and the others?"

                He waved a hand, and the duplicates vanished.  "What others?"

                "Myrgai…and…"

                "When was the last time you really spoke to one of them?  Tsuiren was a nice piece of work, I have to admit."  Ayre cracked his knuckles modestly.  "He did require near-constant supervision, though."

                "No."  Kei shook her head.  "I remember…"

                "Not as nice as you, Kei."

                Her gaze snapped to his face, and her voice dropped to a whisper.  "What?"

                "Nothing I've ever done has worked out as well as you.  You lived on Earth, for weeks!  Admittedly, there was some breakdown by the end"--he waved a hand airily--"but nothing that couldn't be repaired."

                Kei felt her hands close into fists, of their own accord.  "I don't…"

                "Wait."  Ayre held up a hasty hand.  "I know this all comes as a shock to you.  But if you think about it, it doesn't really change anything.  You and I can still be together.  We'll make a new realm, crush the humans beneath our heels.  If I can make something like you, Kei, I can do anything--"

                "NO!"

                Kei brought her hands up, and power crackled.  She lashed out instinctively, trying to wipe away Ayre's words with a tide of fire.  She focused on his smug, knowing grin.

                Ayre rolled his eyes and waved one hand in front of his face moments before impact.  Both Kei and the fireball froze for an instant, then dissolved into white nothingness.  He sighed.

                "Another failure.  And I was so close this time, too.  Ah, well."

                He raised one hand, and Mary's body floated into the air as though hanging from her hands.  Ayre regarded her still form for a moment, then solemnly extracted the black sword from her belt and thrust it through his own.  za'Tsara'Vor purred to itself, softly, happy to be home.

                "Now I'll have to find some other way to amuse myself," said Ayre, more or less to himself, and the only Category Seven in existence teleported back to the Timestream with a 'pop'.

                Rin sat in the driver's seat of the black sedan, staring numbly at the destruction.

                I'm tired.  So tired.  And I still have to find a way to write some kind of report about this.  But…

                She'd been waiting for hours, since the destruction of the demon, for someone to come striding out of that mess.

                Mary.  Or Deus.  I can't just leave…

                The flames were almost hypnotic -- she didn't notice the figure in the black suit, approaching from the other side of the car, until he was almost on top of her.  Rin started as his shoe crunched on the gravel and spun around.

                "Agent Rin," said Deus, gravely.

                Rin let out a sigh.  "Agent Deus.  I'm relieved that you're safe.  I was…worried."

                "Of course, Agent Rin.  I'm sorry to have troubled you."

                Deus circled the car and opened the rear door, tossing something long and cloth-wrapped into the backseat.  Then he opened his own and climbed in.

                Rin moved to start the car, then paused.  She turned to her partner.

                "Agent Deus…"

                "Yes?"

                "What happened?  With the demons, and Mary.  You were in there -- do you know?"

                Deus considered for a moment.  He reached up, carefully, pulled away his ever-present sunglasses and folded them into his breast pocket.  This done, Deus leaned back against the head-rest.

                Rin couldn't help staring at his eyes.  They were different colors -- one black, one white, with no apparent pupils.

                "All I can tell you, Agent Rin, is that matters have been concluded satisfactorily."

                After a moment, Rin nodded.  She gunned the black sedan to life, and drove away.

END