Chapter the Thirteenth

Dark Chihaya had been frustrated the second Chihaya and her friends burst through the wall. By now, the Flame Witch was just plan annoyed.

Every attack she sent was absorbed by the twins or Iori, and Chihaya's ice kept her taking damage. What she could use was some backup, but Karasu had left her, Dark Makoto was nowhere to be found, and Dark Chihaya wasn't sure Riffa was even in the castle.

She hissed. "I hate you all, you know."

"We hate you more," Ami announced.

"Yeah, like…way more," Mami added.

"What will it take for you to roll over and die?"

"You actually succeeding in killing us," Ami answered without delay.

"Yeah, like…really killing us," Mami agreed.

"Then stop living."

"No."

"Yeah, like…no."

Dark Chihaya rolled her eyes. "Fine!" she snapped. Her hands suddenly burst into flames, lighting nearly the whole room with her intense fire. She let out a battle screech and leapt at Chihaya, hands extended. Ami and Mami started towards the Ice Mage, but Dark Chihaya kicked them away, and same with Iori when the Flame Mage tried to help. Chihaya gasped.

It wasn't until the flames engulfed her completely that Chihaya understood why her brother's screams had been so agonized.

*.*.*.*

The room was as black as the Shadow Warlock's soul, which meant it was pretty darn dark. Takane and Hibiki had no trouble maneuvering because of their abilities, but Ritsuko seemed to be struggling.

"Oi, Takane! Where is he now?!" the Stone Mage yelled.

There was a pause. "Ritsuko, to your left, but he's quickly moving right," Takane's voice called.

"I got 'im!" Hibiki shouted. "Takane! My tenetacle's got his arm, fire away—huh? H-he's gone!"

"You three are horrible in darkness," Karasu sighed. "And I thought you were supposed to be skilled, Takane."

"I AM skilled," Takane replied. There was a thump, a light "oof", and then a grunt of annoyance. "Now you are on the floor."

"And, now I'm IN the floor."

"What?" Takane blinked. "Curses, the blasted warlock is right. I cannot even see him."

"All this power and he doesn't even have Rune Eyes," Ritsuko muttered. She felt something grip her ankle and cocked her head, confused. "Hibiki, get your tentacle off my foot!"

"I ain't touchin' ya!" Hibiki snapped.

"Weird, I'm sinking," Ritsuko noticed. "…I'm sinking…c-crap! Takane!"

Sure enough, the Stone Mage felt herself being dragged down into the floor itself. The added hand on her other ankle didn't help.

Takane hissed something under her breath. Hibiki cursed.

"Ya have superior knowledge, think o' somethin'!" the darkness wizard ordered.

Ritsuko thought for a moment, already waist-deep in the floor. "Got it!" she shouted.

The ground around her suddenly morphed into solid stone. There was a loud, anguished scream, then the hands released her ankles and Karasu's shadows vanished, leaving the room in light. The Shadow Warlock materialized next to a fallen table, breathing heavily and clutching a bleeding left arm. He growled, his expression one of dull anger and annoyance.

"I actually hurt him!" Ritsuko cheered, sounding proud. "Not even shadows can pass through a Rune Eyed mage's solid stone."

"So they can't," Karasu hissed. "You're not bad for a mage."

Takane smiled proudly. "Your main strength comes from your manipulation, your mind games, the fear you cause in others. We are immune to these games. You are near powerless against us."

"I'm not shabby on the actual powers either," Karasu said smoothly. "Alright, you want a real fight? Because I can give you a real fight."

"Bring it on!" Hibiki challenged.

Karasu chuckled and his usual smirk returned. "As you wish."

*.*.*.*

"We have three options here," Makoto whispered to Yukiho, who nodded. "We fight, we run, or we die. I'm thinking the first option is best."

"We're so weak," Yukiho breathed. "…Makoto-chan, I'm scared…"

Makoto let out a battle cry and sent a gust of wind at all the assembled Riffas. The copies and girl squealed in annoyance, and all but one vanished. The real Riffa growled.

Makoto grinned in triumph. "Yukiho. We're weak, but we have guts. And when you have guts and a will to win, it's impossible for you to lose." The Wind Mage offered Yukiho a smile that would make most girls melt. "And besides, I'll protect you if something happens. It's my job."

Yukiho felt herself blush. "…M…Makoto-chan…"

"You guys are no fun!" Riffa whined. " Fine, fight me two against one! I'll allow it even though it's unfair. I'll win anyways!"

Makoto slid into a fighting pose. "You're not the only one here with skills besides your powers, Riffa."

"Yeah, but axe-wielding is cooler. Now die!"

Riffa threw a sharp-looking axe at Yukiho. The air wizard gasped and screamed, cowering against the wall. Makoto leapt in front of her and caught the axe out of the air, then sent it flying back at Riffa, using her powers to boost the speed of her throw. Riffa was too slow, and the axe slammed into her arm. She screeched in pain.

Makoto let out a breath of relief and turned to Yukiho. "Are you hurt?!"

Yukiho slowly relaxed, though her face still looked terrified. "I'm fine…"

Makoto faced Riffa again. "Don't leave me doing all the work. I know you're really weak right now, but…" The boyish mage cut off at the sight of another two axes. One of them was quickly blocked and the other one slammed into the wall only inches from Yukiho's face. Yukiho screamed.

"Y-Yukiho…!" Makoto gasped, looking over her shoulder again. "Be careful!"

"I-I'm fine!" Yukiho insisted. She worked at tugging the axe out of the wall.

Riffa giggled. "This is fun!" she cheered. "Your turn!"

Makoto gritted her teeth and sent a blast of air at Riffa, quick and sharp enough to cut her if it got too close. Riffa created a spiral of darkness that literally swallowed up Makoto's attack. Her spiral grew, and Riffa morphed it into a long, particularly sharp axe. She flung her new weapon at Makoto, and the Wind Mage was hit. She screamed and stumbled against the wall, blood flowing freely from a new wound on her chest. She gritted her teeth again, forcing herself to look up from the wound. Riffa laughed and Yukiho squeaked. The air wizard hurried to her best friend's side and wrenched out the axe. Makoto let loose a cry of pain and sank to the floor, her breath coming out jaggedly and her head hanging.

"Nice try!" Riffa taunted. "You'll never beat me at this game. I always win, see?"

Yukiho tried (and failed miserably) not to cry. She grabbed her injured friend's hand in both of hers. "…Makoto-chan…"

Makoto chuckled and looked up, her face strained. "So that's her power, huh?" she muttered. "…Yukiho, I have a plan."

Yukiho nodded frantically.

Makoto looked into her eyes. "Do you still know how to shoot doors at people?"

*.*.*.*

Dark Makoto narrowed her eyes. "What do you two want?" she snapped, her ice claws extending until the tips were close enough to impale the two wizards through the throat should Dark Makoto take another step.

Yayoi flinched. "We just wanted to talk," she whimpered. "…D-Dark Makoto-san, you wouldn't—"

Dark Makoto hissed and extended her claws further, piercing the skin of the wizards and drawing blood. Yayoi let out a small scream. Azusa gasped. "I promised both of you that I would kill you the next time we met," she reminded them coldly. "No mercy."

"A-actually, you told me you probably wouldn't be able to kill me," Yayoi said cautiously.

Dark Makoto winced. "…then go home. If you don't want to die, then get out of here!"

Azusa smiled warmly. "Don't be scared, Makoto-chan," she cooed. "We just wanted to say hi. And look, I have cookies~"

Dark Makoto stared at her. "Don't think I won't kill you in an instant," she muttered evenly.

"Do you really want to murder your Onee-chan like that?!" Yayoi cried. "Think about what you're doing, Dark Makoto-san! If you kill a light copy, the dark copy dies! Do you really want to do that?"

Dark Makoto growled. "Leave me alone!" she screamed, taking a step closer. And if it weren't for Azusa, who thought quickly and used her powers to manipulate the water within Dark Makoto's ice and shorten her claws, the two of them would have been killed.

Azusa's ever-present smile was nowhere to be found as she stepped closer, and closer, shortening Dark Makoto's claws until they vanished completely. She wasted no time in flinging her arms around the Ice Witch and holding the girl against her chest. Dark Makoto began to struggle.

"No!" she shouted. "Let go…let go of me…!"

Seeing that she was freed, Yayoi quickly ran over and joined the hug. Dark Makoto continued to fight against them, yelling at them to release her, but eventually she gave up and relaxed into the embrace. Both Azusa and Yayoi noticed that she hadn't even tried to use her powers.

"I know you're lonely, Makoto-chan," Azusa murmured, ignoring her spilled cookies on the floor by the door. "And I know you want your Onee-chan back. But even if you can't have her, you can have us. So please, weigh your options. You can get back the family and the love you've always wanted, or you can slave away for revenge under people you don't even like."

Dark Makoto was silent for a moment. "I know what you're trying to do."

"Save you from a life of crime?"

"Make me join you." Dark Makoto melted into a puddle of water and moved to her door before reassembling. "It's not going to work. I'm…I'm fine on my own. I've always been alone, and I like it that way. So leave me alone."

Yayoi and Azusa turned to find Dark Makoto nonchalantly munching on one of Azusa's cookies, her eyes closed.

"…but these are good cookies."

"Thank you, I made them from scratch~."

"Anyway…" Dark Makoto opened her eyes, which instantly began to glow as ice zoomed up Azusa and Yayoi's bodies, leaving the two trapped in ice up to their necks. Yayoi screamed. Azusa whimpered. Dark Makoto stepped closer to them, her Rune Eyes still glowing. "I have a job as assassin, and that job is to kill anyone who gets in my way." The ice tightened and both wizards cried out in shock and pain.

"I thought we were friends!" Yayoi cried. "Chihaya-san was right, you were just deceiving me! How could you be so cold?!"

"I'm the Ice Witch, kid! Cold is in my blood! Literally!" Dark Makoto lashed, lurching towards Yayoi and tightening the ice around her even further. Yayoi screamed in pain.

Azusa looked like she would cry. "…Makoto-chan, what happened to you…?"

Makoto gritted her teeth. "…I fail one mission and Chihaya nearly burns me straight through. I fail a second mission and she almost kills me. I fail during this battle? She'll turn me to ash before I can counter her attacks. I can't afford to fail anymore! I won't fail! I CAN'T fail! I'm Kikuchi Makoto, the Ice Queen of Turiavita, and I will never again allow myself to fail, especially not to weaklings like you!" The ice around both girls tightened enough to make them bleed in some places. Yayoi started to sob. Azusa sniffled loudly, her eyes glistening.

"…Makoto-chan, you're crying too," Azusa realized. "…you're still…so lonely, aren't you?"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Azusa let her head drop at the same time Dark Makoto collapsed onto her knees.

"…I'm not…I'm not weak," the Ice Witch breathed. "I'm not weak like you. I'm…I'm strong…"

"If you're really strong, you can stand up to Dark Chihaya-san," Yayoi spluttered out. "She's the one…who has hurt you the most."

"Just stop pretending you can help me!" Dark Makoto ordered. She lifted her hands as though she would tighten the ice even more.

"Please stop this, Makoto-chan!" Azusa wailed. "If you kill me, you'll never see your Onee-chan again! Is that really what you want?!"

Dark Makoto only sat there, shaking, obviously very conflicted. Azusa's eyes softened.

"Makoto-chan…if only you knew how much she loves you…"