Disclaimer: I do not own the Angelic Layer characters. They belong to CLAMP. Except for Yoko and Hiroko

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You humans are so silly. You imagine you have limits, so limits are created. How stupid you are. For if you can create limits just by imagining them, then you can surely take them down. Perhaps you are afraid of what will happen if you exceed the limits. Perhaps you are afraid of things like me.


Chapter 1

Her name is Yoko. Mihara Yoko.
Mihara?
I hear you. You know that name.
Yes.
Yoko is the youngest member of the Mihara family. The one you never hear about.
Why?
Because she created me. Because she is different.
How?
She is that person you see on the street, in the mall. She is the person you stare openly at because she is not like you. She is the person you laugh at because she can't speak, can't move, can't act like a normal human being. She is also very special.
Why?
She broke the barrier. She went beyond the limits of imagination. She made me live.
Who are you?
I am the DarkAngel. Do not be fooled by my name. I was not evil in nature. It is only that you have made me so. I am the angel whom you scorn in the layer. I am the different one. So I am feared. People always fear what's different.

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Misaki ran down the street, trying to reach Kotaro's house before it started raining. She clutched Hikaru in one hand, the other hand encircling her umbrella. She and Kotaro were planning a surprise party for Tamayo for her nineteenth birthday.
"I wish Kotaro-kun would have given us more time," she told Hikaru, "He asked Tamayo to come at 5:30 and it's already 3:30."
Hikaru, as usual, didn't reply.

She reached Kotaro's house several minutes later and found a note on the door.

Misaki-chan,
I'm at the dojo setting up for the party. I forgot to get a birthday cake. Can you please do something about that? Thanks. You know where the key is if you need to get in.
Koutarou


Misaki laughed at his formality and then sighed. She didn't have any money to buy a cake and she didn't want to be caught in the rain with one. She'd just have to make something. She found the key and opened the door.
An investigation of the kitchen found a slight lack of baking supplies. Improvisation was in order. Calling on her years of experience, she decided on small cakes. As she was getting everything, the telephone rang.
She picked it up, "Hello?"
"Hey Misaki-chan," Kotaro answered.
"You could have told me about the cake sooner."
"Yeah, well, I just finished setting up. Hatoko is going to stay here and make sure Tamayo doesn't burst in unexpectedly. She has a history of doing that. Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Okay, see you soon, bye," Kotaro hung up the telephone.
Misaki got back to her task. As she was mixing the dough, Kotaro came in. Misaki ignored him and continued. Soon, however, he was getting underfoot.
"Get out of the kitchen," she ordered him.
"It's my kitchen, you can't order me out," he protested, attempting to snitch some of the dough.
"Oh yeah? Just watch me," she retorted slapping his hand away.
"What happened? You used to be so nice," he teased.
"That's what happens when you hang out with Tamayo all the time," she responded, forming small cakes on a pan.
He attempted to snitch some dough again. This time, Misaki chased him out of the kitchen with a spatula.

They got out of the house with the cakes at about 5:00. They reached the dojo twenty minutes later.
"Do you have candles?" Misaki asked Kotaro as they hurriedly set out the cakes.
"Why?"
"Because I want you to put one candle on each cake."
"But there's at least thirty."
"Do it fast."
Finally, they got set up and Misaki joined everyone else in hiding. Kotaro and Hatoko waited for Tamayo to arrive. After what seemed like an eternity, Misaki heard Tamayo's voice drifting in from the entrance.
"Hey Kotaro-chan," her greeting was punctuated by an angry growl from Kotaro, "I thought Misakichi would be here. Is she?"
"Um... er... no," Misaki banged her head softly against the door she was standing next to. Leave it to Kotaro to be so tactless.
"Come on," Hatoko said, and her voice was followed by the sound of footsteps coming closer... closer... Tamayo walked into the room and promptly jumped as she was greeted by a chorus of, "Surprise!"
"Happy birthday, Tamayo-chan," Misaki said coming forward.
"Ah-ha! I knew you were here!" Here Tamayo put Kotaro in a headlock. This action was followed by a gurgle from Kotaro.
"Let's party!" Ringo stepped forward and presented Tamayo with her latest CD.
As the music came on, Misaki drifted towards the food table and began contemplating her Angelic Layer battle the next day. She wished that Kotaro and Tamayo had angels so that they could compete too. Kotaro had gotten the supplies to make an angel, but he hadn't started yet. She leaned against the wall and picked up a glass of fruit punch. She hadn't taken more than a sip when she felt a tug at her sleeve.
"Hey, do you want to dance?" A voice asked.
"No, not real..." she trailed off as she looked up and her eyes met Ohjiro's, "Ohjiro! What are you doing here?"
"I was invited if that's what you're asking," he said.
"I just haven't seen you in awhile. You're still doing university, right?"
"Yeah. I haven't had much spare time," he took the cup out of Misaki's hand and pulled her out onto the floor where most of the other guests were dancing to Ringo's latest music. They passed Tamayo who was practicing karate on Kotaro who was desperately trying to get away.
"So you're in the tournament tomorrow?" Ohjiro asked as they reached the rest of the crowd.
"Yeah. I'm nervous. I know I haven't been beaten since I became champion six years ago, but I'm still nervous."
"I understand. I'm going to be competing too. I hope to meet you in the layer."
"Let's forget about it. It's tomorrow. Not today."