I sighed contently, savouring the heavenly taste of my cake. There was a reason this place was my favourite. I'd tried a fair few of the cakes they sold and every single one tasted amazing. Though, in my honest opinion, the best by far had to be the strawberry shortcake. Every bite was sweet and creamy and just the word delicious personified. I loved it. There was no other way to say it. I just loved it, and now I was getting the chance to share this experience with Ichii ad Zero. Just by taking fleeting glances at their faces I could tell they were enjoying it just as much as me. It was amusing to watch their expressions morph into absolute delight, just from the very first bite. Feeling a happy smile tugging at my lips, I reached for the last piece. However, before I could even touch it, the cake was pulled out of my grasp. "Hey." I said quietly, a whining note in my voice. Evidently, Zero also had his sights set on it.

"Beat you." Zero teased, poking his tongue out at me. "This piece is all mine, now!" I managed to smother my scowl before deciding to unleash my ultimate weapon. I blinked, fixing him with an unmoving stare, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks and my eyes well with tears as I allowed my bottom lip to protrude slightly in an obvious pout. Zero froze. For a moment, he was unable to look away but with a little bit of effort, he managed to.

"No. I know what you're doing and I'm not going to fall for it. Not this time. Uh-uh. No way. No way in hell." I pretended to sniffle, which caught Zero's attention and made him chance a small peek, something I could tell he instantly regretted. "Nope. It's not working. Not working! Your eyes have no effect. None at all! I am strong. I can and will defeat the puppy dog eyes."

As it turns out, he couldn't defeat them.

Fake tears gone, I happily munched on a strawberry, only half listening as Zero, now slumped in his seat, mumbled under his breath about stupid puppy dog eyes and really good guilt trips, while Ichii carefully reminded him that, despite Zero's pride, he'd never before managed to resist falling for them. I easily cut the cake in half and nudged the larger section to the edge of the plate, manoeuvring the whole thing into the centre of the table.

"Zero, here, you can have half." He bolted up in his seat, failing rather spectacularly to hide his excitement. "I was planning to split it all along, silly."

I'd never before seen anyone devour a cake quite that fast in my life. It was almost as if he thought that if he didn't hurry, I'd say I was joking and take it away from him. Which is the reason why he had cream smeared across his face, complete with a tiny blob on the end of his nose. I couldn't help but giggle as I threw him a napkin, which landed lightly in his lap. He removed most of it, while Ichii just shook his head and sighed, helping to guide him to the remaining areas. I consumed the rest of my cake at an acceptable pace, managing to avoid creating a massive mess. Obviously, that appeared to be too much of a daunting task for Zero, who left crumbs and cream everywhere.

"Uh, Zero? You've got a little something right here." I said, motioning to my nose. Zero's cheeks flushed as he quickly removed it, scowling as I laughed.

Ichii rolled his eyes good-naturally as he finished his cake, pushing back his chair as he rose to his feet, promptly ending our playful fight across the table. "C'mon, you two, quit messing around. Let's go pay." Obediently, we followed, handing over the money, taking our change and calming exiting the shop. Thankfully, both Ichii and Zero seemed to have fallen into the habit of slowing their speed to one I could easily match, so for once I wasn't really struggling to keep pace with them. "I can see why you like that place so much Hikari. You weren't lying when you said the cake was amazing."

"I bet it's the best in the whole world." I said, while Zero nodded his head in agreement. "Oh, yeah. Can we stop by the pet shop on the way home? I just remembered I need to buy some more food for Tabby. We're running out and you know she won't be a very happy kitty if she gets hungry."

"Whatever." Zero replied, offhandedly. "Just don't take too long."

I smiled.

I wasn't bothered at all by Zero's aloofness, since I already knew the reason for it. He was excited to see the lizards- something which he wanted to hide at all costs and wasn't aware that we knew. He had a pretty good plan, he'd wait around for a while, looking bored and then when he thought we weren't looking, he always slipped off to go see them. Unbeknownst to him, a while ago, Ichii had noticed Zero's disappearances and had become curious. It was fairly easy for him to coerce me into his plan to follow him. So, we secretly watched while Zero peered through the glass, his face displaying the most endearing expression of utter joy in existence. That was one of the main reasons why I made every excuse I could think of to frequently visit the shop.

So, I was quite surprised when our usual routine was rudely interrupted in the form of the wind suddenly morphing into gale-force gusts, which forced me to find a secure hold- which just happened to be Ichii's arm- in order for me to stop myself from falling backwards. My other hand was grasping at my skirt in an attempt to keep it steady. God knows how embarrassing it would be for my skirt to flip during this. The wind was so strong, it appeared to be knocking both Zero and Ichii back a couple of steps. And that was an impressive feat in itself.

"Hikari, are you alright?" I could barely hear Ichii's voice over the roaring wind, which had now helpfully formed tornadoes- and made me wonder how they were not destroying the houses nearby- but I could feel his arm snaking around my back, firmly keeping me in place, something which I was extremely grateful for. It had began to feel as if my arm would be ripped out of it's socket. Which, obviously, I was not particularly keen on.

He released me, evidently confused, as the wind just stopped and surprised screams filled the air. Four people dropped out of the sky, exactly where the previously mentioned tornadoes had been just moments before. "San? Forte?" Not only that, but also Gou and Rokka, the latter instantly attaching herself to Ichii in the form of a suffocating hug.

"Oh, give me a break." Zero said, his voice highlighting his annoyance. "You guys are going to try to steal Hikari again, aren't you?"

"No way. We almost got abducted by some weirdo!" Forte exclaimed, as he examined San for injuries.

I couldn't help but edge slightly closer to Zero. A bad feeling was beginning to twist in my stomach, something which wouldn't be easily ignored. "What weirdo?" Understandably, Zero was wary and not at all impressed with this rather weak excuse.

"Excuse me. But I take offence to you calling me a weirdo." Another tornado and unnecessary evil chuckle later, a weirdo- and there was actually no other words to describe him other than as a weirdo, which meant that Forte really was right on the mark with that one- was floating in the sky. I blinked exactly three times before it even occurred to me that he was a sorcerer. It would explain the magic tricks. And the lame tornadoes. "You may address me as Will. I'm a professional-" It seemed Zero couldn't help but jump in with a quiet whisper of weirdo, which almost had me doubling over in laughter. "- Sorcerer. What's more, I am an inspector sent from the Sorcery Test Headquarters."

Ichii narrowed his eyes. "Why exactly did they send you here?"

"Hey- wait. The test isn't even close to being over." Zero said. "We have until the end of the year!"

"True. You still have several months to complete your finals. But I've gathered you all here today to take a mid-term exam. And if, for any reason, you're unable to pass the mid-term today, you will be disqualified." Evidently, Zero and Ichii were pissed. It seemed as though they had been completely unaware of this. Having something so unexpected sprung on you would leave anyone angry.

"Hikari?" I flinched at my name, taking a small step backwards. I didn't trust this Will. Not one bit. True, I didn't really trust anyone, but this feeling was something raw, right in the pit of my stomach. It felt like every inch of my body was commanding me to leave right there and then. And I was inclined to obey that little voice. "Am I correct in assuming you swallowed the Crystal Pearl?" I couldn't force the words out, so instead I nodded slowly, keeping wary eyes fixed on him the entire time. "Then may I please ask for your assistance?"

I edged back again. A big, obvious step. "W-what?"

He raised himself up from his polite little bow. "You are the most important part." My hands instantly raised to defend myself. Zero quickly placed himself between us. His fists were clenched tightly as he glared. His message stood firm. You're not laying a finger on her. Zero rushed him, in an attempt to attack, but he was easily pushed away.

I yelled his name, concern showing clearly in my voice. Though I only managed to take two steps towards the boy before I felt a strong hand grasp my upper arm and drag me backwards, preventing me from running to his side. In a swift flick of his cape, I found myself whisked up, balancing awkwardly on top on the telephone pole. "The objective of this mid-tern is simple. You must retrieve Hikari from me by the end of the day. The team that manages to get her back by sunset will pass the mid-term exam. Those who fail to do so will be disqualified. So, good luck everyone."

I'd had enough. I'd had enough of being grabbed, being snatched away, being held captive and generally being weak. So I simply grasped his arm and bit down as hard as I could, feeling his whole body contort in a painful spasm as I did so. It didn't matter to me whether he was wearing glasses or not. He'd threatened me, so I felt it was perfectly acceptable for me to punch him straight in the face, accompanying the blow with a loud ki-ai. Let's just say, he wasn't expecting me to fight back. Nor was he expecting that the little 4"7 girl could punch so hard.

Having the grip on my arm released was, for a brief moment, a relief. Then I realised that I was very high up in the air. And that I was deathly afraid of heights. The force of me struggling against him had tipped me backwards and now I was teetering precariously on the edge, my arms wind-milling, a terrible scream rising in my throat as I succumbed to the fact that I was about to fall to my death. I could hear Zero and Ichii yelling below me, and while I had complete faith that one of them would catch me, I couldn't help but be terrified. My shirt was grabbed before gravity could take effect and I was tugged firmly forward.

"Let me go!" I screamed. Will merely laughed and with another flick of his cape, my sight was obscured and a sickening sense of weightlessness took hold.

As soon as my feet touched the ground I was wriggling and kicking and screaming once more. No way was I letting this happen. No way in hell. I was getting out of here. I'll show him where he can shove it if he thinks I'm just gunna sit here and play the part of the scared little girl. It was needless to say, I was extremely pleased when I managed to strike him in the chest with my elbow, spin out and giving him a nice, paralysing kick straight in the crown jewels.

After that, I didn't waste any time locating the exit and sliding down the banister. When I tried the door before me, I found that it was locked, so I doubled back and launched myself through the second one I came across, which promptly swung shut behind me with a loud clang. I'd raced down another corridor, before I figured I should look in a couple of rooms, hoping that they would lead to an exit. Unfortunately, they were all just plain offices, so I continued down the hallway, hoping to find another set of stairs. Instead, the corridor split in two, so I went left and hoped for the best. I took another left and after finding a dead end I quickly backtracked and instead choose to go right. That, I was thankful to say, was a good decision since it led to me finding another staircase.

Using the banister once more, I slid down two floors before the stairs just ended. Scowling at them and their uselessness, I took off again, searching for another way to get down. I could hear Will now. I supposed he must have been using something to magnify his voice. I ignored him. I wouldn't let him distract me. I wasn't going to play the part of the helpless little girl any more. I was going to try my best to escape. If I got caught... Well, then I'll just try again and again until I succeed. Zero and Ichii taught me how to defend myself, then taught me about courage and confidence, about trying my best and never giving up no matter how bad the situation looked. They taught me about trust too. About trusting myself, about trusting them and I about trusting others too. Well, I was going to show them. I was going to show them just how much I'd learned.

Footsteps were coming down the staircase. I didn't think, I silently opened one of the doors and disappeared inside, closing it behind me. Giving the room a quick scrutinising sweep, I rushed over to the cabinet. It was spacious and more importantly, empty, so I quickly climbed inside and shut the door so not even a sliver of light could be seen. I stayed still. I stayed silent. I waited, patiently. When I heard the door open, I stopped breathing. There was a long pause in which I assumed Will was surveying the room, before it was closed again. I allowed myself to breathe once more, though as quietly as possible. I sat there, waiting, for at least two minutes until I deemed the area safe and crawled out.

Only the texture of the floor was different. I realised my mistake far too late as Will climbed down from his own hiding place and caught the corners of the cape is his hands, lifting it- and me- off the floor. I growled and snarled and yelled, but it wasn't any use. Kicking and writhing inside his make-shift bag also didn't seem to hinder him one bit, something which I was very irritated about. Finally, he reached his destination and unceremoniously dumped me on the floor.

I instantly hissed and retreated away as far as I could. I knew I had the desperate air of a cornered animal and glaring at him was doing nothing to help. "This building looks ordinary to the naked eye but barriers surround it so that no one may enter. In other words, this is my fortified castle. And I guess that makes you my captured Princess. So, how does that sound?" I smiled sweetly. And then promptly threw my left shoe at his face, to convey exactly how I felt about that. "O-kay... That's the second time. You know, I would've thought you'd be more civil. Your behaviour is most unbecoming of a lady." In response, I threateningly held up my remaining shoe.

"Let me outta here, right now."

"Just shut up." That wasn't Will talking. My eyes were drawn down to his little black cat.

Now, thanks to everything that had happened to me over the past couple of months, my tolerance for weirdness had increased considerably. Since the boys practically lived with me, I was around Zura a lot. So, I wasn't exactly too surprised at the fact that the cat started talking to me when I'd been exposed to a talking seahorse 24/7. Weirder things had happened, after all. So, I simply glared at it. While I love animals and all, I was pretty done with everything by this point, which would explain the sass and the rudeness and generally any other vices I'd picked up from Zero.

"Zip it, cat."

"I told you to stop talking. And how dare you call me a cat! My name is Aquamarine and I'm Will's fabulous apprentice. And I'm a professional Sorcerer's helper, that little seahorse your friends have is just an examinees assistant."

"Well, looks like they're here already. And so now it begins." Thankfully, Will interrupted before she could go on anything further. There was no doubt that she would boast about her excellence and what not. To be honest, I wasn't really in the mood. I didn't want to be here and I was going to get out the next chance I got. I watched, on Will's cliché little Crystal Ball the scene that was happening just outside the building and almost face-palmed as Zero ran into the magical barrier and then yelled angrily at Zura for not warning him. Such... and idiot!

"You should've realised that yourself, Zero." And of course, he made the same mistake again, despite both Ichii and Zura warning him. He ran straight through the hologram and hit the barrier. This time, I really did face-palm. "I suppose I have to give you at least a little credit for managing to find this place so quickly. And now, as I'm sure you're all aware, both Hikari and I are on the top floor of this building. To get to us, you have to keep your wits about you and use your abilities to overcome the traps I've set along the way to keep you from reaching the top. I wish you all good luck, because believe me you're going to need it." Surprisingly, Will very easily ignored the fact that I lobbed my remaining shoe at the back of his head.

Kudos and brownie points to anyone who saw my Lilo and Stitch reference. Also, to anyone who noticed my subtle reference to a certain American Rock band in the chapter title.

A/N: And that concludes my 11th chapter. This one returns to the usual anime/manga plot, though as you can see I've added my own touches which I hope you all like.

Guest: Thank you, I'm glad you liked that last chapter. I hope you like this one just as much!

Breebreebabygirl: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking the story so far, I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

Moka: Forget smart, you seem to be psychic! This is what, the second time you've guessed what I was doing? Yeah, the arc was just some bonding between the three and a chance for Hikari to learn some new moves, since I thought it'd be strange if she was suddenly some Kung Fu master without any prior notice. I also hated the fact that Nina just sat there and waited. Sure, it was so it could show her trust in Zero and Ichii or whatever, but she could've at least tried. I really hope you liked this chapter.

Crimson Moon of Darkness: Thank you for your review! I do love it when my story brings in new people. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, I read your Inuyasha story, and while I didn't understand much of it because I haven't yet seen the anime, you seem to be quite adept at writing. Well done!

AJPJweallluvJJ: That's a good idea. If I do that though, I'll leave it until the end of the story. You wouldn't want some random data sheet popping up in the middle of it.

LoveInuyasha22: I'm happy you're a fan of that chapter arc! Well, I figured Hikari would be really interested in learning all these techniques, and since she was being taught one-on-one she'd learn a lot faster. (I remember taking Karate classes when I was about 10 and I didn't really learn anything new because the younger kids took so long to grasp what they were being taught. Most mind-numbing experience of my life so far.) I'm happy you liked it! There will be a couple more arcs that are my own original ideas, so I hope you like them too. Thank you! I'm happy you can see that I'm improving. Writing this story is really helping develop my writing style and expanding my vocabulary, it's a pleasure to write!