Chapter the Third

Yayoi knocked lightly on the door to the Grand Mage's room. She wanted to be able to say "hello" to her favorite Flame Mage, after all. Iori would be in there right now, probably doing something important since the doors were closed.

As Yayoi was thinking this, the door swung open, revealing a girl Yayoi didn't know. She was moderately tall, seemingly a bit older than Yayoi, with long brown hair pulled into a side half-ponytail. Her green eyes were narrowed, one arm placed on her hip and the other grasping the door handle. Yayoi stared at her for a minute.

She's very pretty.

"Can I get past?"

"Huh?" Yayoi blinked. The girl in front of her frowned slightly.

"You're in the way," she announced. "I can't get past."

"Ah, um...s-sorry!" Yayoi offered the girl a quick bow before stepping out of the way. The girl shuffled past her, Iori rising from her bed to approach Yayoi.

"Oi, Yumeko! This girl here is the Sun Mage, your senior, so you should be nice to her!" Iori called after the other girl.

"Sun Mage?" The girl turned around and examined Yayoi. "This little squirt?"

"Uh-huh," Yayoi and Iori answered at the same time.

The girl blinked. "...sorry."

"I don't mind," Yayoi promised. "You were right, I was in the way. I'm Takatsuki Yayoi. What's your name?"

"Sakurai Yumeko," the brunette answered. "I'm here to train as a darkness wizard! Cool, huh?"

"Oh, definitely! Hibiki-san is so much fun-she's the wizard you'll be training with-and Takane-san is amazing! She's mysterious, but I love her, and I'm sure you will too."

"Great, I can't wait to get started! Hey Grand Mage, can I fly through walls or anything like that?"

"I don't know, do I LOOK like a Shadow Mage?" Iori lashed. "My job is to give you the charge that welcomes you to the academy, not teach you."

"Alright, alright! Geez, no need to get crabby..."

"You started it!"

"You're kinda immature for a Grand Mage, huh?"

"I'm only fourteen! I'm younger than you, and I'm the Grand Mage! Watch who you give lip to, OK?! I'd like to see anyone else do my job!"

"Yumeko-san," Yayoi cut in, hoping to stop a fight before it happened, "if you want, I'll take you to Takane-san so you can begin training."

"Really?" Yumeko broke away from her disagreement to look at Yayoi. "That'd be great. At least some people here have manners." She stuck her tongue out at Iori, who returned the gesture with slightly more fervor.

Yayoi giggled. "Iori-chan's actually really nice. She's just a little cranky sometimes."

"I-I'm not cranky! I just get a little cross when jerks like this show up!"

"Y-you're the jerk!"

Yayoi giggled again. "Right this way, Yumeko-san," she invited, starting down the hallways towards Takane's room. "This is where you'll be training."

Yumeko turned away from Iori and smiled at her, foloowing the young ginger through the halls. "Thanks, Sun Mage."

*.*.*.*

Dark Makoto lifted her finger from the intercom button. She had just finished quite a spirited debate with the new Grand Mage over their personal accomplishments and who was really the better magician. The Ice Witch had never been a fan of Dark Iori, and after a few conversations with the forehead girl's light copy, she learned she didn't much like that one either. Karasu chuckled by her side.

"Fire and water, you two..."

"Literally."

The Shadow Warlock stretched and yawned, then returned to his typing at the computer. "When do you think the best time to attack would be?"

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

"When I suggested to you that we destroy the academy, you smiled evilly and agreed with me."
"What the heck kind of parallel universe are you living in...? I slapped you and then froze your neck to the wall before warning you not to cross the academy or I would kill you."

"Well, on the inside you were agreeing with me."

"Whatever makes you happy."

Karasu sighed and lay his hand on hers. She didn't yank it away. "You know, I'm your last co-worker left. You should be a little nicer."

"Maybe as far as Turiavita is concerned, that's true." Makoto yawned. "But in case you didn't get it the first twelve-thousand times, Turiavita is disbanded and I work as part of the academy now, which means I have dozens of co-workers."

"Dozens, oh wow. That's a lot."

"More than can be said for you. You don't consider yourself part of the academy. In fact, they think you're dead."

"Exactly," Karasu complained. "It's the perfect chance to take it over completely! Without Chihaya telling us what to do, we can do anything we want."

"You're never going to give up on this, are you?" Makoto groaned. "Fine! You want to get killed, go ambush the academy. But if they ask for my help, I'll kill you in an instant."

"You won't," Karasu taunted, moving closer to her. "You like me too much."

"Seriously, what kind of parallel universe do you live in?" Makoto muttered, turning away slightly to hide her blush.

"I see that, Makoto-chan~"

"You're annoying."

"And you're a cruel, arrogant, selfish witch."

"Gee, thanks. I go through all the trouble of reforming and setting you free, and you still feel the need to act like this?"

"I'm literally made of darkness, why do you expect so much from me?"

Makoto huffed loudly. "I'm done having this conversation with you," she announced, sounding annoyed. Karasu moved closer to her.

"Come on, 'sweetheart'. Don't play cool with me. I know you'd miss me if I were gone. That's why you let me out." He reached over and slid his hand onto Makoto's cheek, forcibly turning her head to face him. "I'm not giving up on you, you know. You'll come around. I know it."

"Please, don't make me laugh," Makoto scoffed.

Karasu chuckled and began gently carressing her cheek. Makoto felt herself blush. "Come on, Ice Queen," he murmured. "For me?"

"...Karasu..."

"Yes?"

"...you're an idiot if you think seduction will work on me." A glob of ice suddenly sprang out of Makoto's hand and slammed into Karasu's chest, pinning him against the far wall. Karasu made a noise that was part yelp and part cry of annoyance. The Grand Witch rose to her feet, stalking towards the Phantom Sadist. She paused and leaned in towards his ear. "Like I said; if you want to attack the academy, go ahead. But you'll get only opposition from me," she hissed through her teeth.

This said, Makoto ended their conversation by absorbing the ice back into her body and stalking off into the hallway. Karasu straightened his collar.

"...that's what you say now, Ice Queen...but I have more tactics than just seduction," he muttered quietly. He added a dark chuckle. "One day, I'll make you mine again."