So. I have no reason to explain this aside from the fact that I started watching Umineko no Naku Koro Ni, and I've been on a bit of a Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni binge lately. Proves that SG-chan really can come up with some twisted things when she's sick, ne? ^-^ Don't worry if you haven't watched either of those shows, or if you don't understand anything; you're not really supposed to ^^;

Oh, and a warning: SPOILERS FOR UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI ARCS 1 AND 2! Not very big spoilers, just a death or two, but yeah. Just to warn those of you who may be watching the series ^^

Also, a guide:

Regular text is present

Italic text is flashbacks when grouped, or emphasized when alone

Bold text is Japanese words that some may not be familiar with

"Ne, Kuroba-kun, do you know how the first witch came into being?"

A flash of lightning lit the parlor as Battler stood his ground, attempting to pay no mind to the manhandling of the corpses of his family around him.

"We were once human, actually. A long, long time ago, during an age when the concept of time had not yet even been thought of."

"I am only helping because I do not wish to be bored." Bernkastel took a sip from her tea, violet gaze never leaving that of a figure only she could see. "For a witch, boredom is a poison most deadly."

"Then we trespassed on territory of the gods; that which was not ours to seek." The sorceress's scarlet eyes fell on that of glazed indigo. "Then again, you know what that's like, ne, Kuroba-kun? After all, searching so diligently for Pandora all these years; you've been seeking the life source of the gods themselves!"

"I… I can't believe I trusted you!" Beautiful sapphire eyes, overflowing with tears now as words of hate spewed from her lips. And he was helpless, hopeless to stand against her, a lone tree in a hurricane of anger and despair…

Akako's lips twisted in a minuscule smirk. "Though it's true your motives were more honorable than those of those horrible, nasty karasu, hmm?" She lifted her companion's chin in dainty, frail-looking fingers which were topped with nails that looked more at home on a beast than a human being. "Isn't it time you stopped your childish game, Kuroba-kun? After all, I was so nice as to save you from becoming prey to the karasu, wasn't I, my thief? Why continue to wallow in silence?"

"I am not furniture!" Kanon shouted, angry tears brimming in his eyes as he held his mistress's bloodied body. He charged at Wrath, but the demon merely cackled and sidestepped him, a bloodthirsty smirk on her face as she disappeared in a cloud of golden butterflies. Kanon's breath caught in his throat as a metal stake drove through his chest and he fell to the floor, his eyes fluttering to Jessica in one last attempt to deny that this was happening.

"Don't worry about the others; after all, your tantei-kun is able to handle himself fairly well, as well as Hakuba-kun and our dear, brash Osakan knight." She noticed with a little distaste the slightly pooled tears in her thief's eyes. "Oh, are you afraid for Nakamori-chan?" the crimson-haired witch cooed. "Why would you be after she rejected you? And you thought she would maybe understand!"

"Beatrice told me to face the wall and sing!" Maria chirped, seemingly unfazed by the carnage around her, the disfigured gore-ridden bodies of Gohda, Kawasura, and Nanjo not even five feet away. "And you know what else she said? She said she couldn't get into the study because there was powerful magic on the door! She also said that she wouldn't hurt me, because of the charm you gave me, Battler-oniichan!"

A long, high, mocking laugh escaped Akako's lips. "Understand? That little girl could never understand! All she sees, all she would see, is the thief that ripped apart her and her father's relationship; the thief that was the cause of her father's death!"

"No; I still refuse to believe in magic!" Battler yelled, glaring at Beatrice, or whoever the hell this woman was saying she was. Why was she doing this; why make him watch his family die over and over again; all for the sake of some game?

"All witches have a title, did you know that, Kuroba-kun? Each title is based mainly on the power of the witch in question. They have complete dominion over that sector of the universe. Well, maybe not complete domain; it depends on the witch in question."

"This time, we will not lose to you!" the child-like deity swore, eyes glowing a demonic red. "We will defeat your will!"

"Some witches are silly; they play convoluted games where they kill everyone, then start over again, just to see how the lower mortals react." Her lips caressed the shell of his ear. "I am not as petty as those who play those kinds of games, Kuroba-kun. See, I am quite straight-forward about what I want, and how I will obtain it, aren't I?"

"Ah, yes, you are a man who I will enjoy spouting my praises endlessly from your lips," Beatrice sneered, eyeing the red-haired young man with a predatory hunger.

"Leave those silly witches who kill and revive endlessly to their games; I have a much more pleasurable one to play. After all, I am not known as Lady Akako, the Witch of Seduction for nothing, my beloved kaitou."

A/N: So. Does people like? This will be the last SG-chan posts besides Chapter 4 of A Beautiful Relationship (which will be up this weekend). See, SG-chan will be going on hiatus for the rest of the year. That doesn't mean she won't be online; she just won't be updating her fics. If you go to her site http: / sgchan. wordpress. com (remove spaces), I will be posting updates on how 'real life' will be affecting my plunnies/fics.

Oh, and don't forget to review, my pretties! *evil cackle* Otherwise, I may send Beatrice-sama your way, and maybe Yami-no-SG-chan and Bess would like to accompany her as she doles out eternal death on one individual...

*innocent smile* Happy Early Thanksgiving and late Halloween!

*scary voice* For Maria... }3