A/N: What? You want more? Weeeeeelllllllllll...okay, but only because I have way too much time on my hands and my muse has been gracious enough to hurl ideas at me for this epic I'm writing.
Jess: Thank you for reviewing again. I rather liked your guesses because they were...quite wacky, and I found one of them to be most marvelously ironic for what's going to happen in a few chapters. You will get bonus points if you guess it right. Here's a hint that doesn't make much sense: It's ironic because it's nearly the opposite of what's going on. My evil tradition of cliffhangering you will continue for the next 2 chapters, then the PLOT TWIST WILL BE REVEALED! Tune in, mortals, for it may melt your mind (or cause you to flame me).
Line person: I honestly couldn't think of her being any other way, and when the idea first hit me, I was thinking inchibi. But hopefully, I'll do a better job in the rest of it.
anime-raven: It's all part of my sinister plan...Muhahahahahah! But as I said before, the exposition is coming...but I do solove being confusing right now. Sadly, yes, the chapters must be short, unless you would rather wait two weeks for each chaper. I can only type this is computer lab. Thanks for putting this on your Favs list!
Now, applaude for this border! It means I will stop ranting and tell the story!
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Grim stormed back to Billy's house, muttering to himself. Most of the display was reactionary, though. Six years was enough to get used to almost anything, and he would actually start to get suspicious if the kids didn't play tricks or mess around with magical objects.
Still, despite that, to have Mandy steal the scythe, then give it back almost immediately, and lie about what she was using it for bothered him more than usual. It didn't have the aftertrace of animation spells, and whatever other residual vibes were handing aroung the enchanted weapon were already too faded to recognise.
Although death magic was a way of life for him (figuratively speaking), he didn't really want Mandy involved in it. Besides the fact that she didn't really need and more power, there were other prices to pay for becoming too deeply involved in necromancy.
In a sort of twisted way, he was actually a little worried about Mandy. She'd been acting strangely as of late. Probably hormones of some other conveniant teenage excuse, but still...
He realized that his little anger trip had all but dissapated out of concern for the audacious little brat who had made his life miserable for the last six years, a fact thatcaused hisannoyance levels to raise again to the point where he almost ripped Billy's front door off its hinges whe he opened it. All was right again with the world.
Sort of.
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Mandy lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was dark. Hours had passed and she simply hadn't bothered to turn on the light when there ceased to be adequete natural illumination. The streetlights outside provided a pale, hazy aura, leaving a reverse ghost of a window on the opposite wall, like a photo negative.
It hadn't worked. There wasn't much more to say. She had planned it out and all had fallen into place except for the fact that the spell had failed. She had failed.
Looking back, it made perfect sense. She should have known better than to try to use death magic to eradicate one of the few things dying didn't change.
Still, it wasn't like she had an abundance of resources at hand. All the spells and artifacts she could get to were black magic.
She scowledat the darkness. What was she supposed to do now? Just "live with it" like any other nomal human being? Yeah, right...
She had borne it too long already, hidden something that, for all her valued dicipline and self-control, she could not change.
She needed something else...Maybe not something, but someone else. Someone with the right powers. But how? And where? The same issue as before came up. Having access to the power of the Underworld didn't put her in any less of a bind.
What she needed was something a bit more in the other direction, but again, what? The only gods she knew were a few Norse losers, an annoying and clingy Underworld deity, and the Goddes of Chaos. Not much help there.
Wait...that was it! Eris! Not the goddess herself, but the Queen of Discord did have something she could use: Ties to an enitre pantheon of deities collectively governing every aspect of existance. All she needed to do was persuade the goddess for a favor.
Mandy's scowl lessened slightly as the thought of a way to do just that.
Persuasion can be fun...
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A/N: The next chapter is one of my favorites. Tune in next time for some real fun...
Demi
