"You are sure this is safe?" Varaeir muttered as they walked.
    Kichigaisakka chuckled quietly.  "Perfectly, my friend.  I have ways of
keeping track of people as well, you know."
    "Hmph.  ...And you are sure I should meet her?"
    Kichigaisakka looked at his companion and sighed.  "You should relax,
Varaeir.  Seriously.  All this worrying, it can't be good for your...blood
pressure."  His mouth quirked.
    "Yes, very funny," Varaeir snapped.
    "In all seriousness, you'll have to meet her eventually.  Now is a good
time...she will get to know you as a friend of mine, and trust you.  ...And
after all, she's the one you have to thank for taking the kitsune's place in
the Pentagram of Change."
    There was silence for several moments.  Then, "I...must admit, that...
there is wisdom in this course of action."  Varaeir frowned.  "Though you
should have explained it earlier."
    Kichigaisakka chuckled again.  "Well, I apologize.  Now...be careful,
we're almost here."
    The two stole down the forest path like shadows.

=====

    Yet, there was another shadow even they missed.  Any observer would brush
it off as a trick of the lack of light...a fleeting darkness in the darkness,
gone before it impressed itself on the mind.
    Gyoshi paused beside the trunk of an old oak, and scanned the area.  The
path they were on led up a small hill, to a building...
    "A shrine," the Kobun whispered to himself.
    Definitely worth investigating.

=====


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                     Dark Star, Chapter 24: Night and Dawn

written by John Evans (jevans@alum.mit.edu)
originally presented by ImproFanfic (http://www.improfanfic.com/)
now hosted by Beware the Radish (http://www.chaoseed.com/btr/)
Dark Star started by Chandra Rooney

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


=====

    Kyoku darted into the alley, then skidded to a halt just before the
entrance.  He flattened himself against the wall and strained to listen.
    "If I were you, Kurayamino, I'd be worried about having to explain myself
to Hitomi."
    "Oh, really?  I nearly knocked you off the building and *you* didn't do
anything."
    "Well, I may be the Star of Vengenace...but sometimes she scares even
*me*."
    Kyoku grinned, the light from his right eye dancing on the wall in front
of him.  He raised his hand, gathering the energy--
    And a searing pain stabbed through his head.
    Kyoku doubled over, clutching his face.  He heard the voices stop, and
then approaching footsteps.  Snarling, he tossed his hand to the side, forcing
the spell forward.  The pain nearly blinded him again, but there was a
satisfying explosion.  Ignoring the shouts, he ran shakily toward the other
end of the alley.

=====

    Queen Yasha tapped her chin with one finger, and smiled.
    "I'm very excited to be working with you, dear Hoshi."
    Kuroi Hoshi smiled softly.  "I suppose the appropriate proverb is, 'Keep
your friends close, and your enemies closer?'"
    Yasha chuckled, like crackling flames.  "Something like that, yes.
...Well, then."  She looked over to the other occupant of the room.  "You
fully understand, Kousenteki?"
    The demon bowed.  "Yes, Your Majesty."
    "Good," Yasha purred.  "And now...I think we should take a break."
    Kuroi Hoshi blinked.  "What?"
    "I have work to do as Queen of this realm," Yasha said in an almost
chiding tone.  "Whatever else must wait for that."
    "...I'm sorry, Yasha-san," Kuroi Hoshi said.  "I didn't realize...your
obligations would interfere, or I wouldn't have asked--"
    "Oh, please don't worry."  Yasha waved a hand carelessly.  "I can always
delegate authority if I need to."  She rose from her throne, then walked to
the entrance, gesturing for the others to follow.  "I am the judge of the
dead, of course," Yasha continued as they traversed the halls of her realm.
"Although most of the work is done by delegated assistants.  Still, there are
often some special cases that require my personal attention...We do have some
of those at the moment, don't we, Kousenteki?"
    "Yes, my Queen," Kousenteki said softly.
    "Excellent.  So I will have to judge them myself, and decide their fate.
It's simple, but there's a lot of ritual involved which I always enjoy..."
Yasha's eyes gleamed as she smiled.  "You could even assist, Kuroi Hoshi.
You'd make a wonderful Keeper of Wisdom."  She chuckled.
    "...Actually," Kuroi Hoshi said suddenly, "I don't think I should
participate...but I'd be quite interested in watching how exactly this process
works."
    Yasha blinked, and looked at the mother of Stars.  For several moments the
three walked in silence, through the dark stone corridors.  Finally, Yasha
smiled slightly.  "You realize, of course, that any interference in my divine
duty of judgement will not be allowed."
    "Of course," Kuroi Hoshi replied.  "I would never stand in the way of such
a thing.  As I said, I wish merely to...watch."
    Yasha tilted her head to the side.  "Well, then...you may."  She smiled.
"You're fortunate you caught me in a good mood."
    "I know," Kuroi Hoshi said.

=====

    Vincent stared at his painting.
    It was finished...that he knew.  There was nothing else.  Yet...it
bothered him somehow.  The two images of Nesuni...both shadowed in their own
way, and the strings and other figure in the painting...It bothered him more
than the demons and dark visions that had been flowing from his brush
recently.
    Suddenly a bird alighted on the top of his canvas.  Vincent jumped, then
wiped his forehead, heedless of the paint he was smearing on himself.  He
stared at the bird.  It was a magpie, staring back at him...fearfully?  It let
out a low cry, never taking its eyes from him.
    Vincent looked back at the painting.  The slouched Nesuni, with the merest
suggestion of wings around her, the cruel puppetmaster Nesuni, and the strange
man, heedless of his doom.
    "It's not...right," Vincent whispered.  The magpie cried again.  "It's...
this is, how it is...but...it's not right.  It shouldn't be..."
    Slowly, with shaking hands, Vincent picked up a new brush and began to mix
together some white and yellow.

=====

    Yuji tried his best to walk casually down the street.  He was doing a
fairly good job, although his eyes were continually scanning the area.
    "Blast Gyoshi," he muttered to himself.  "Just because he's the Mind
Kobun, he thinks he's the smartest..."  Yuji blinked, and stopped walking.
    Running footsteps...getting closer.  And then, off in the distance, an
explosion.  Yuji slid one foot back into a battle stance, and reached for his
dagger...but felt a chill when his hand touched the empty sheath.
    "Blast that Star," he muttered.  "In fact, to the Abyss with this whole
damn world.  I'll be glad when..."  But just then, Kyoku staggered into view.
"Kyoku!"  The other Kobun looked up, and began to run towards Yuji.  "What
happened?" Yuji yelled.
    "...Stars," Kyoku wheezed, drawing up to Yuji.  "And...something happened
to...me."
    "...What?  What happened?" Yuji asked after a moment.
    Kyoku shook his head.  "Don't know...weak.  Something wrong."
    "Okay...okay."  Yuji grabbed Kyoku by the shoulders and shook him.  "Okay,
calm down, this is what we do.  You go to my hotel room and disguise your
aura, and I'll hold the Stars off here.  ...You can do that, can't you?"
    "...don't know."  Kyoku stared dumbly at the ground.
    "Hey, hey!"  Yuji slapped Kyoku lightly on the cheek.  "Hey, snap out of
it!  Just go back to my room and try and sleep or something.  Do you remember
where it is?"  Kyoku nodded, still breathing heavily.  "Okay then, go on."
    "...sorry about this, Yuji."
    "Later!" Yuji snapped.  "Get going!"  He shoved his fellow Kobun in the
right direction.  "I'll hold them here!"  He watched Kyoku stagger off, then
turned back.
    A tall, thin Star with black hair pounded out of an alley, seeing him
instantly.
    "I hope," Yuji muttered.

=====

    Vincent stared at his painting.
    His brush was ready...but he was caught in indecision.  He had no idea
if he should...or even what he could be doing.
    And the magpie wasn't helping.

=====

    Nesuni raised the urn over her head.  She tilted it slowly, and a stream
of icy water cascaded onto her head, flowing down her body to return to the
sacred pool.  She shivered and shook her head, hair flying, then wiped the
water from her face.
    "Nesuni..."
    Nesuni turned, and a smile broke out on her face.  "Kichi..."  She took a
step forward...then blinked.
    "...KYAAA!"  Nesuni ducked down, holding the urn in front of her.  "Who is
THAT?"
    "...er.  Varaeir, if you could...excuse us..."
    Varaeir rolled his eyes.  "Yes, of course."  He turned, and walked back
into the shrine.
    "...I'm sorry, Nesuni," Kichigaisakka called.  "I didn't know you'd be...
well..."  He rubbed the back of his head.
    Nesuni stood up, slowly.  "...Well...I guess I can...forgive you."  She
took a step toward him...then dropped the urn and ran across the pool, flying
into his arms.  He embraced her tightly.
    "I missed you," she whispered.
    "I missed you, too," Kichigaisakka replied.  He stroked her hair gently.
"I was worried about you, all alone..."
    Nesuni buried her face in his chest.  "I...I failed."
    "...It's all right."  She looked up into his smiling face.  "You did your
best.  There will be over chances."  He held her head to his chest again.
    Nesuni frowned for a moment, when he couldn't see.

=====

    Vincent trembled.  Sweat ran down his face.  He swallowed.  The magpie
cried a final time...softly.  He moved his brush forward...
    With one stroke, a ray of brightness sliced through the thread around the
male figure's throat.

=====

    Nesuni coughed.
    Kichigaisakka blinked, and pushed Nesuni to arms' legnth to look at her.
"...Nesuni?  Are you all right?"
    Nesuni coughed again.  "I...just, the water, I think."  She doubled over
from the spasms, sounding frighteningly like she was choking.
    "...Nesuni?  Nesuni!"  Kichigaisakka shook her gently, concern in his
voice.
    Nesuni shook her head.  "I'm...I'm all right."  She coughed one final
time, then breathed deeply.  ...Then, she started crying.
    "...What...what's wrong, my love?" Kichigaisakka asked.  Nesuni embraced
him again.
    "I...I don't know," she whimpered.  "It's just...it's just hard."
    "...I know, dearest."  Kichigaisakka stroked her back.  "I know...it's all
right.  I'm here..."

=====

    High atop a tree overlooking the shrine...a shadow turned its gaze
skyward.
    "...This is getting complicated."

=====

    Yuji stumbled out of yet another alley into yet another street, and looked
around crazily.  All the roads and pathways in the town seemed to look
alike...especially this late at night.  Fortunately, no one was around to see
the pitched battle...
    Yuji stopped, and blinked.  Then he began running in a new direction.
"Naoto!" he called.  A figure ahead of him stopped, and turned.
    "What?" Naoto said, as Yuji ran up.
    "I need your help."  Yuji coughed.
    Naoto folded his arms.  "With what?"
    "Damn it, *not now*, Naoto!" Yuji snapped.  "There's a Star after me!"
    Naoto sighed.  "I was going to help Gyoshi with the Taisei tonight..."
    "...Okay!  Fine!"  Yuji grabbed Naoto by the shirt, then released him
after a moment, and turned away.  As Naoto straightened his clothes, Yuji
turned back.  "Okay, if you don't want to fight, fine.  But I need help!"  He
looked over his shoulder nervously.  "A charm!  A weapon!"  Naoto shook his
head.  "...Hell, do you have *any* kind of blade I can use?" he said
desperately.
    Naoto considered.  "Well...if all you want is a blade...I suppose..."
    "Fine!  But HURRY!"  Yuji looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened.
"Oh, no...here he comes..."
    As Atsuri closed in on them, Naoto was patting down his pockets.  He
checked front and back, thigh and calm and even elbow pockets, before finding
what he was apparently looking for in his shirt pocket.  With a small tug, he
managed to turn it inside out, and half a dozen razor blades dropped to the
ground, making a small clatter.
    "Great!"  Yuji bent and scooped one up.  "Well, better than nothing,
anyway."  He turned toward the approaching Star and began to chant in a low
voice.
    "What are you doing?" Naoto asked curiously, peering at him.
    "Watch."  Atsuri stopped a few meters in front of them, watching warily.
Yuji waved the razor blade through the air, leaving a strange trail of shadow.
    Then he put the blade to his forehead and drew it across with a quick
motion.  Blood spurted from the wound, streaming down his face in rivulets,
then suddenly froze in place like a mask.
    Yuji took a battle stance, dropping the blade.  "Come on."

=====

    The front door opened.  Zellar looked up, though Junta and Joodan kept
their eyes on their cards.  "Kurayamino!"
    "Tadaima," Kurayamino said, holding the door open for Tenkou.  He grinned
a lopsided grin at Zellar.
    Junta looked up, then stood and walked over to Kurayamino.  "Kurayamino!
We all thought you were dead!"
    "Yeah, I know.  Sorry...hey, quit it, Junta," Kurayamino said as Junta
hugged him.  Tenkou giggled.
    Junta released his brother and smiled.  "Well, Zellar told me you were
back, but it's good to see you just the same."  He looked at Kurayamino's
forehead and raised his eyebrows.  "And this is?"
    "A secret," Kurayamino replied.  "Actually, it's a really long story."  He
looked around.  "He could have told you about it."
    Joodan quickly put down Junta's cards and looked up.  "Well, you're the
main guy in the Star of Change, I thought it was your prerogative."
    "Ah, of course."  Kurayamino walked over to a chair and sat down, sighing.
    "Well...it's nice to see you back."  Junta's forehead creased.  "Did you
happen to see Atsuri anywhere, by the way?"
    "Yeah, he's fighting a Kobun."
    There was a pause.
    "He's fighting a Kobun...and you just LEFT him there?" Zellar said.
    Kurayamino winced.  "It's been a long day.  Besides, I couldn't stop him,
he was all 'I'll hold them here' and everything.  Come on, Zellar, you know
what a badass Atsuri is, he can take care of himself."
    Just then, the door slammed open, and Atsuri stumbled in, clutching his
side.
    "See, I told you," Kurayamino said, as everyone except Joodan rushed over
to the Star.
    "What happened?" Junta asked, reaching to support Atsuri.  Atsuri hissed
and waved him away, as well as Zellar and Tenkou, and staggered over to the
table.
    "Damn Kobun," he growled.  "Two were ganging up on me."  Atsuri shook his
head and slumped into a chair.  "And they're powerful."
    Kurayamino leaned forward and peered across the table at Atsuri.  "Am I
really hearing this?  Atsuri, Vengeful Star is admitting that he *ran away*?"
    "Kurayamino!"  Kurayamino blinked as Tenkou walked over to him and put her
hands on her hips.  "Atsuri was hurt protecting us, and you're *insulting*
him?"
    Kurayamino sort of looked away.  "Sorry, Ten-chan," he muttered.
    "Don't you 'Ten-chan' me like that!  Now apologize to Atsuri!"
    Kurayamino looked across the table at the Star.  "...sorry, Atsuri."
    Atsuri looked at Zellar and Junta in bewilderment.  Zellar chuckled, and
Junta smiled.
    "There...that wasn't so hard, was it?"  Tenkou pushed some hair back from
Kurayamino's face, and smiled.  Kurayamino smiled up at her.
    "...Well, I think I'll be going before this gets too sugary," Joodan said,
standing up.
    Atsuri chuckled as Kurayamino and Tenkou jumped.  "Yeah, I gotta get some
rest.  Come on, Zellar."
    "Sure thing," Zellar said.  "You two have fun now."  He supported Atsuri
as they walked across the room to the stairs, and climbed them.
    Kurayamino and Tenkou looked at each other.  After a moment, Tenkou
blushed, and folded her arms.  Kurayamino cleared his throat.  "So...um..."
    "Kurayamino," Tenkou said suddenly.  "I mean...Kumi."  She smiled.
    Kurayamino smiled as well, and stood up.  "Yes, my Queen?"
    Tenkou's face fell, and she turned away.  "...Kumi..."
    "...I'm sorry, Tenkou," Kurayamino said.  He put his hands on her
shoulders.  "I...I know you don't think..."
    "It's not that," Tenkou said.  She turned to face him.  "I know I keep
saying that I'm not the Queen of Heaven...but the truth is..."  She looked
down.  "...the truth is...sometimes I feel like there might be something,
but..."  Tenkou looked into his eyes.  "Right now...I'm just me.  I'm just
Tenkou."  She blinked as Kurayamino leaned forward, and kissed her...then,
after a moment, she closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms.
    They stayed together for several long moments, before breaking the kiss.
Kurayamino stroked her hair.  "That's all right," he whispered.  "That's all
that I want..."
    They kissed again.

=====

    There was a soft knock at the door.  "Tenshi?"  Zellar opened the door and
entered the dark room.  As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw Tenshi sit
up on the bed.
    "Zellar?...Zellar, is that you?"  Tenshi got up and walked over to him, as
he shut the door.
    "Yes..."  Tenshi embraced him, and he put his arms around her.  "...Are
you all right?"
    "...It's hard," she said softly.  "There are so many things going on...I
don't know what's...Sometimes I just want to run away.  ...But you, you wanted
me to stay, didn't you?"
    "Yes, I do," Zellar replied, holding her tightly.
    "...I want...to stay with you," Tenshi continued.  Then she looked at him,
intensely.  "...But you have to stay with me too."
    Zellar smiled.  "...Of course I will."
    "Really?"
    "Really...Tenshi, what's wrong?"  Zellar looked at Tenshi in concern.
    "I just want you to promise," she said, gazing into his eyes.
    "...Of course," Zellar said.  "Tenshi...I asked you to marry me...and then
I stayed with you for centuries.  Don't you think that's..."
    "But I want you to say it," Tenshi said urgently.  "Please..."
    Zellar looked at Tenshi, then pulled her against him.  "I promise to stay
with you forever," he murmured in her ear.  "I promise.  Forever...I'll say it
as many times as you want.  I promise..."
    Tenshi shuddered in his arms.  "Zellar...thank you.  I...I love you."
    "I love you..."  Tenshi disengaged from him, and then pulled him toward
the bed.  Zellar blinked.  "...er..."
    "Please, Zellar..."  She pulled him down into the bed and wrapped the
blanket around them.  "...I just want to be near you, as much as I can."
    Zellar put his arms around her.  "...All right.  Anything you want..."
    In the darkness, he could just make out Tenshi's smile.  "Thank you..."
She closed her eyes.  Zellar watched her with wonder.  After a few minutes,
her breath became slow and even.
    "...Tenshi?" Zellar said softly.  She continued to sleep.  After a moment,
he smiled, then closed his eyes as well.

=====

    "Yasha-sama!"
    "Ah, Hitomi," Yasha said.  "You can be the Keeper of Wisdom, can't you?"
    Hitomi caught up to the three, and blinked.  "...um...well, sure, Yasha-
sama...but I wanted to ask you..."
    Yasha raised an eyebrow.  "Yes?"
    Hitomi bit her lip.  "Well...have you seen Gyoshi?"
    "No, not recently," Yasha said.  "Are you worried about him?"
    "Er...well, it's just that I haven't seen him and..."
    Yasha waved one hand negligently.  "I have every confidence that he is
working well on his own."  She looked at her subordinate with a gleam in her
eye.
    Hitomi bowed hastily.  "I only wish to serve, Yasha-sama."
    "...Good."  Yasha smiled, showing just a glimpse of teeth.  Then she
looked ahead.  "Ah, here we are."  She gestured imperiously, and the group
walked into a hall.
    It was larger than the throne room Yasha usually spent her time in, and
laid out more traditionally.  A well-worn path led from a cavernous entrance
at one end of the room to the throne at the other.  The throne itself was
large and ornate, though uniformly gray in color, and it was perched on a dais
which was fashioned to resemble the coils of some serpentine monster.  Light
was provided by magical flames flickering in alcoves, and by a hole in the
ceiling which appeared to let sunlight down into the room, although anyone
looking up into the hole would see only a uniform whiteness.  Close inspection
would reveal that the path leading up to the throne stopped exactly under the
'skylight'.  Demonic guards were ranged along the walls and scattered through
the room, and a cluster of shadowy figures congregated at the end of the room
furthest from the throne.
    Yasha ascended to the throne, and seated herself as the guards saluted and
cheered.  Hitomi walked past the throne to stand near a scale set into the
floor, and Kousenteki took up a position next to the end of the path.  Kuroi
Hoshi stood on the floor near the dais, watching the proceedings carefully.
    "It is time," Yasha proclaimed.  "With the passing of midnight, let the
court be convened.  Guards!  Bring the first forward."  There was a commotion
at the other end of the hall, and one phantom detached itself from the group
and began to walk the path.
    "What are those?" Kuroi Hoshi murmured to Yasha.
    "Souls to be judged, of course," Yasha said, smiling at the approaching
shade.
    "I see..."
    The soul stepped into the light, and stopped.  It looked a translucent,
overweight businessman, pale and sweating.  Kousenteki held a hand out so the
ghost couldn't approach the Queen.
    "Well, then," Yasha said.  "Keeper, summarize this man's crimes for me."
    "Um, yes, Yasha-sama."  Hitomi took up a tome, opened it, and scanned the
page.  "...Well.  Uh, it seems that he was obsessed with making money, working
all hours, backstabbed his colleagues, drove his wife away, spent no time with
his kids--"
    "Was it a literal backstab?" Yasha asked.
    Hitomi flipped some pages.  "...No."
    "Boring," Yasha sniffed.  "I think I get the idea.  What do you have to
say for yourself?"
    The ghost looked around nervously.
    "...am I...in Hell?"
    "Why, yes," Yasha said, smiling.  "Is there anything you want to say,
before we pass sentence?"
    He looked around wildly.  "But I...I was just trying...successful..."
    "Yes, yes, I've heard it all before."  Yasha waved to Kousenteki.  "Soul
Worker, you may proceed."
    Kousenteki stepped up to the ghost.  The businessman stepped back, but the
demon grabbed him by the throat and put his other hand on the soul's chest.  A
red light began to shine, and...Kousenteki pulled a red sphere out of the
chest of the man.  He then walked over to Hitomi, and put the sphere on one
side of the scale.  Hitomi produced a feather and placed it on the other side.
    "And what's this?" Kuroi Hoshi asked.
    "Oh...the deceased's heart is weighed against a feather," Yasha replied.
"So we can see how evil they are.  ...Of course, every soul that comes *here*
is evil, but...ah, here we go."  The scale had stopped swinging, with the
heart markedly lower than the feather.  Yasha rose from her seat.
    "It is the judgement of this court," she proclaimed, "that your soul be
purified until it is fit for reincarnation."  She turned and smiled at Kuroi
Hoshi.  "In other words, the usual."
    "But--"  Yasha snapped her fingers and the floor suddenly gaped under the
ghost.  In an instant he was sucked away, a tower of flame shooting up into
the hall before the hole closed again.
    A babble of voices rose from the group of shades at the other end of the
hall.
    "Efficient," Kuroi Hoshi noted.

=====

    Yuji shaded his eyes with one hand and peered into the sky.  There were no
clouds; he judged it would be a warm day.
    A door opened a few houses down the street.  Yuji's eye was caught by the
figure of Miyami, exiting the building.  She looked up and down the street,
noticed him, and walked towards him with a smile.
    "Up to your old tricks, Miyami?" Yuji asked.
    "Oldest trick in the book," she replied.  "Here, I should get out of
sight."  She slipped into the entrance of a nearby alley.  Yuji walked over
and leaned against a wall near the alley, so he could talk with her and watch
the street at the same time.  "Is he there yet?" she asked.
    "Hmmm...ah, there he goes," Yuji said, as a young man in a bathrobe came
out of the door Miyami had just exited.  He looked up and down the street
blearily.  Yuji nodded agreeably at him, and the man nodded back, then went
back in the building.  "Well, I suppose without any other orders, we should
just act as we see fit," Yuji said.
    "Certainly Kyoku has been," Miyami replied, running her hands through her
hair to straighten it.  Yuji looked at her, then motion down the street caught
his eye.  He looked back to see a young woman walking quickly down the road
toward the house.
    "And here comes the rest," Yuji commented as the woman entered the house.
He winced at the slam of the door.
    "Well, my work here is done."  Miyami finished straightening her hair.
"Say, Yuji...speaking of Kyoku, have you seen him around?"
    "We fought one of the Stars last night," Yuji replied.  "He wasn't feeling
well, so he went back to my room and passed out on the bed.  I had to sleep on
the couch.  He didn't seem to be hurt, though, so..."  Yuji shrugged.
    "Oh, really?  Your room?"  Miyami smiled.  "Maybe I'll go check on him."
    Yuji chuckled.  "Yeah, go ahead, there doesn't seem to be anything else to
do yet."
    "Okay.  See you later."  Miyami slipped away down the alley.
    Yuji rubbed his chin, listening to the rising voices from the building.
    "Let's see...who do I want to kill today?"

=====

    Kurayamino opened the door.  "Hey, Zellar, are you..."  He trailed off.
    Zellar blinked sleepily, and looked up at his brother.  "...Kurayamino...
what is it?  ...Morning already?"
    Kurayamino took a step forward.  Zellar blinked some more, and started to
sit up.  "...Zellar..."
    "...yes?"
    "I can't believe you!"
    "...What?  Can't believe what?" Zellar stared at him.
    "...mmmm...Zellar..."  Tenshi snuggled against Zellar's back.  His eyes
went wide.
    "...oh."
    "I can't believe...I can't BELIEVE..."  Kurayamino stepped forward again.
"...that YOU could score before I did!"
    Zellar's jaw dropped.  "...'score'?  What?"
    Kurayamino exhaled.  "Well...I guess there's no point whining about it."
He suddenly grinned.  "Zellar, Zellar, Zellar...I had no idea you had it in
you.  But I guess you *are* my brother, after all."
    "...er...Kurayamino, you're getting this all wrong--"  He trailed off as
Tenshi's arm snaked around him.
    "No, no, no need to explain.  In fact, I'm happy for you."  Kurayamino
grinned, and leaned forward to slap Zellar on his shoulder.  ...Then a strange
look appeared on his face.
    "...Kurayamino?  Kurayamino, what are you--ack!  Hey!"  Zellar scrambled
into a sitting position as Kurayamino tore the blanket off of them.
    "...Okay, now THIS I don't believe," Kurayamino said, looking at the fully
dressed pair.  "You spent all night with this girl...and didn't *do* anything?
You slept with her, without actually *sleeping* with her?  That's so...so..."
Kurayamino blinked.  "...so *you*."
    Zellar stared.  "Zellar," Tenshi said, sitting up sleepily.  "Who is this?
He can't talk to you like that..."
    Zellar patted her shoulder.  "It's okay, Tenshi, it's just my brother."
His mouth quirked.  "He's one of the few people allowed to talk to me like
that."
    "...Oh.  Kurayamino."  Tenshi frowned at him, and hugged Zellar.  "Don't
tease Zellar like that."
    Kurayamino stared...then chuckled, shaking his head.  "Oh, man..."
    "Kurayamino!"  Kurayamino jumped as Tenkou came into the room.  "What are
you *doing*?  Can't you see they want to be alone?"
    "But they were alone all night--ow!  Hey!"  Kurayamino winced as Tenkou
dragged him from the room by his ear.  "Cut it out, Ten-chan!"
    "Don't you 'Ten-chan' me!"
    The door closed.
    Zellar stared after them, then shook his head, chuckling.

=====

    Footsteps echoed down the stairs.  "Ohayoo," Junta said, setting food out
on the table.  After a moment he looked up...and blinked.  "Hitomi?  ...Are
you all right?  I remember you said you weren't feeling well last night..."
    Hitomi smiled weakly, and pushed some hair back from her face.  "I'm okay.
It's just that the adjustment is...well, it could be easier."
    "What adjustment?"  Junta pulled out a chair for his sister.
    "Well, I was hoping to go through it when more people were here," Hitomi
said, pulling her chair up.
    "You could start eating," Junta offered.
    Hitomi shook her head.  "No, I'm not very hungry."  At that moment, more
footsteps and accompanying voices were heard on the stairs.  Hitomi smiled as
Kurayamino and Tenkou came into view, arguing.  "Hello, Kumi-chan," she said.
    "But that's why--...what?  Oh...Hi-chan.  Ohayoo..."  After a moment,
Kurayamino rubbed the back of his head.  "Um...by the way, I'm alive."
    "Oh, good, for a moment I thought you were a vampire," Hitomi said,
smiling.  "Please, sit down, I need to talk to you.  You're welcome to join us
as well, Tenkou-san."
    Kurayamino sat down next to Hitomi and immediately started eating with a
rushed "Itadakimasu!".  Tenkou sat next to him and rolled her eyes, as Junta
sat on the other side of Hitomi.
    Hitomi studied her sibling carefully.  "Now, Kurayamino...I hear you
became the Point of Change."
    Kurayamino nodded, still eating.  "Wait," Tenkou said.  "Point of Change?
I thought he was the Star of Change?  Or..."
    "I am the Star of Change," Hitomi said.  Then she smiled at the looks.
    "...You?" Kurayamino said, actually having stopped eating.  "I thought you
were the Star of Reality?"
    "There is no more Reality," Hitomi said.  Then her mouth quirked.  "What I
mean is, there are no more Points dedicated to Reality, and no Pentagram of
Reality either.  They have all changed...to Change."  She rubbed her forehead.
"Of course, because of this, anyone previously dedicated to Reality has to...
adjust to the new way things are..."
    "...Um...forgive me, Hitomi-san," Tenkou said, "but I don't know much
about all this...what do you mean by Points, and Pentagrams and all that?"
    Hitomi pushed her glasses up her nose.  "Well, it's like this."  She
gestured, and a glowing pentagram appeared in the air.  "I think you know that
there are five Stars: Love, Junta; Mind, Zellar; Justice, Atsuri; Death,
Nesuni; and Reality, myself...but Reality has now changed, to Change, so I am
the Star of Change."
    "...Was that Un-sama's doing?" Kurayamino asked.
    Hitomi nodded.  "The Light of Change, yes.  But the real point of this
plan is that it doesn't stop here."  She gestured, and the diagram shrank,
until the pentagram was revealed to be one of a circle of five pentagrams,
with one larger pentagram connecting them.  "There are five sides in this
conflict, and thus five pentagrams.  Again, they are Love, Mind, Justice,
Death and now Change."  As she spoke, the appropriate parts of the diagram lit
up.
    "...So that's the Star, the Pentagram of Change, that Kumi has to gather?"
Tenkou asked.
    "Sugoi," Kurayamino said.
    Hitomi smiled.  "Yes, that's it.  Star, Pentagram, actually the terms sort
of get used in different ways."  She shrugged.  "But to continue...There are
five Points for each Pentagram, five warriors for each side."
    "What are the sides, exactly?" Junta asked.  "The Stars, the Kobun, and
now the Star of Change..."  He looked over at Kurayamino.
    "Watch."  Hitomi gestured at the diagram again.  "Love, the Gods; Mind,
us, the Stars; Justice, Queen Yasha and her demons; Death, Shiko and the
Kobun; and presumably Change is Kurayamino and his warriors."
    "Neat how it all fits together," Kurayamino commented.
    "I thought so too."  Hitomi beamed.
    "Wait," Junta said suddenly.  "Does that mean...there's a Kobun of Mind,
a Kobun of Justice...a Kobun of Love?"  He frowned.
    "It does indeed," Hitomi said.  "It's my personal theory that the Kobun of
Love causes the death of love."
    Junta seemed to get very still.  Then, after a few moments, he rubbed his
chin.  "I see," he murmured.
    "Wow, I'm glad you explained this all, Hitomi-san," Tenkou said.
    "Oh, there's one more thing," Hitomi replied.  "Each side has one higher
Point, like a leader, leading them.  The leaders of the demons and Kobun
should be obvious; the leader of the Stars is our mother, Kuroi Hoshi, and the
leader of the Star of Change..."  She smiled.  "I believe it's you, Kumi-
chan."
    "Wow, cool.  I outrank everyone."  Kurayamino grinned.
    "...Who is the leader of the gods?" Tenkou asked, frowning.
    "Maurice," Joodan said, coming down the stairs.
    "Ohayoo, Joodan," Junta said, smiling.
    "Ohayoo."  Joodan grinned.  "Yeah, Maurice is the boss."
    Hitomi raised an eyebrow.  "Maurice?"
    "Yeah.  Great guy, a bit stuffy, but absolutely wonderful."  He plopped
down in a chair.  "So, what's for breakfast?"
    Suddenly an angel appeared in midair and fell into Joodan's lap.
    Everyone stared.  "Oof..."  Joodan's chair collapsed and the pair went
tumbling to the floor.

=====

    "Damn it, I'm better!" Kaede snapped.
    "Are you sure?" Michiyo asked.  "I think we may need to keep you here for
more...observation."
    Kaede slumped in her bed.  "Aren't there any *other* nurses?..."

=====

    "Who is this?" Yasha asked.  "A nurse?"
    "Yes, Yasha-sama," Hitomi replied.  "A so-called 'demon hunter' who
reveled in the sadistic pain she caused demons, and didn't really care about
her patients either."
    Yasha tapped her chin idly.  "She seems familiar, for some reason."
    "Um...it says here she almost destroyed Dark Star at one point..."
    Yasha inhaled.  "Well, well.  You're that one."
    Himiko looked around wildly.  "What is this place?!?...it can't be hell!
I made my life's work destroying demons!"
    Yasha chuckled throatily.  "Oh, I love your kind.  So righteous, so
indignant.  Normally I'd have something special in mind for you..."  Her eyes
gleamed.  "But seeing as you know Zellar-chan, I think I'll keep you around
for a while.  Guards!"  She snapped her fingers.  Kousenteki started, then
waved to the demons lining the walls, holding his head.  A pair of demonic
guards stepped forward to take hold of the deceased nurse.
    "W...wait!"  Hitomi struggled.  "This isn't right!  You can't do this!"
    "Oh, but I can, my dear."  Yasha smiled, showing sharp teeth.  "Now, then,
who's our next customer?..."

=====

    "I never thought I'd see you *here*, Yohko," Joodan said.
    The angel smiled brightly.  "I know!  I didn't think I'd get to see you
either, when you left...but guess what?"
    "...What?"
    "Maurice gave me your old job!"  She beamed.
    Joodan's eyes visibly bulged.  "...You?  *You're* the punisher?"
    "Uh-huh!"  Yohko nodded, her halo bobbing.  "Isn't that *neat*?"
    "...um...well..."  Joodan scratched his head.  "I mean...I never thought
of you as...a punisher."
    Yohko blinked.  "You think I can't do the job?"
    "No, no!"  Joodan waved his hands.  "It's just that you're...so nice."
    "Hmph!" Yohko hmphed.  "I can do it just fine!  Watch!"  She stood up,
almost knocking her chair over, and brandished a staff.  "In the name of
Maurice, I shall punish you!"
    "...yeah," Joodan said.  "Well, that's...what's so funny?"  He glared at
Kurayamino.
    "Nothing," Kurayamino gasped, wiping his eyes.  "Nothing at all...except
maybe that there's finally someone who can order *you* around."
    "Quiet," Joodan snapped.
    "Ohayoo..."  Everyone turned to the stairs, to see Milei descending
sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
    "Ohayoo, Milei-chan," Hitomi said, smiling.  "Did you sleep well?"
    "Hai!"  He smiled, then blinked as Yohko stood up, staring at him...then
ran forward and scooped him up into her arms.
    "You're so CUTE!" she squealed.  "What a little *sweetie*!"
    "Heh.  Kid's too young to really appreciate that...itai!  Ten-chan!"
Kurayamino rubbed his head and frowned at Tenkou.
    "This is called negative reinforcement," Tenkou said.  "It's for your own
good."
    Joodan pushed his chair out and stood.  "Well...uh, it looks like I should
have...a talk with Yohko concering this punisher thing," Joodan said.  "So, if
you'll excuse me..."
    "Have fun!"  Kurayamino grinned as Joodan shot him a glare before
escorting Yohko and Milei to another room.
    "Wow, it's not even noon and we've already confronted the mysteries of the
universe and met a punisher angel," Junta said.  "What's next?"
    Vincent threw open the front door and stumbled in, clutching a painting.
    "That's one of those questions you have to learn not to ask, Junta,"
Kurayamino said.
    "Hitomi!" Vincent gasped.
    Hitomi got up from her seat and walked over to Vincent.  "Vincent, what's
wrong?  Are you all right?  Where were you all night?..."
    "Painting..."  Vincent shook his head.  "Strange...I have to talk to you
about this..."
    "You need sleep first."  Hitomi pushed him off toward the stairs.
    "...No!"  He turned back to her.  "You don't...I have to tell you...I was
painting something that I saw, and then..."  He waved his arms.  "Then I...
then I painted something else...and it changed!"
    Junta, Kurayamino and Tenkou exchanged baffled looks, but Hitomi smiled.
"That's wonderful, Vincent, it means you're progressing to the next level of
your skill."
    Vincent blinked.  "...It does?"
    "Yes.  I'll be glad to talk to you about it, but right now rest is more
important for you."  She gently steered Vincent to the stairs.
    "...But..."  Vincent reluctantly let himself be pushed along.  "But...are
you sure?..."
    "Of course," Hitomi said.  "When you wake up, I'll be glad to spend as
much time with you as you want...just talking about things.  Now, come on..."
They disappeared up the stairs.
    Junta blinked, and rubbed his chin.  "Maybe she knows after all."
    "Are you kidding?" Kurayamino said.  "With her nose in books all the time?
I love her and all, but she doesn't know *everything*."
    Tenkou blinked.  "What are you guys talking about?"
    "Nothing, Ten-chan," Kurayamino said.  "Nothing at all..."

=====

    "...That's quite a list of crimes," Yasha said to the soul standing in
front of her.
    "They are not crimes," he replied.  "It was my calling, to rid the world
of the unclean who tormented and tempted me..."
    "And your criteria for deciding who was unclean?" Yasha said, raising an
eyebrow.
    The ghost's face twisted.  "It was obvious.  Those foul women...I saw them
everywhere..."
    Yasha sighed.  "Soul Worker, proceed."  Kousenteki stepped forward and
drew out the soul's heart, a roiling mass of energy the color of old blood.
He then stepped over to the scale, and placed it on the side opposite the
feather.
    The scale hit the floor with a clank.
    "As I suspected," Yasha said.  She looked over at Kuroi Hoshi and smiled.
"For a soul as corrupt as this one, there is only one course of action..."
    "Return it to oblivion?" Kuroi Hoshi said.
    "Exactly.  Therefore..."  Yasha snapped her fingers.  "Kukan."
    And the dais moved.
    Kuroi Hoshi stepped back involuntarily.  The coils that made up the dais
Yasha's throne sat on...were coiling.  They surged and twisted, and around
from the back came a head, on a long neck...a nightmarish thing, like a short-
nosed crocodile with a wide, gaping mouth that opened on darkness.
    "What...what is that?"  The soul stepped away...and then Kousenteki
grabbed it from behind.  As it screamed, his hands folded its substance inward
to a roughly spherical shape...which he wrestled into the gaping maw of the
monster.
    There was a rush of air as the thing sucked in a huge breath, the soul
disappearing down its throat.  Its jaws closed with a snap, and the screams
died away.
    Yasha leaned down and scratched the monster's head.  "Good, Kukan," she
purred.  "Very good."  It nuzzled her face.
    "...That's how you dispose of souls?" Kuroi Hoshi said, staring.
    Yasha smiled at her.  "It's traditional."  She looked down at the monster,
which was settling back to its coiled position.  "Kukan is a very special
demon.  Its belly leads to oblivion...the abyss...the void."  She smiled.
"Nothing."

=====

    Kyoku winced as the door opened and closed.  "Don't slam the door like
that, Yuji..."
    "Well, well, well, it seems my charms must be fading if you don't
recognize me."
    Kyoku opened his eyes, and stared.  "Oh...Miyami."  He sighed, and leaned
back again.  "...sorry."
    "I heard you weren't feeling well," Miyami purred, advancing on the bed.
    "Yeah...I don't know what it is...my powers are acting all strange."  He
blinked as Miyami pulled off the sheet covering him.  "Uh..."
    "Don't worry," Miyami said.  "I can help..."
    "But I'm still hurt...er...well...oh, the hell with it."

=====

    "So...we have anything to do today?" Kurayamino asked.
    Junta shrugged.  "Prepare, I guess.  Heal, in Atsuri's case."  He frowned.
"Actually...If the figures those people came up with are correct, then we
have...seven more nights, until the final battle."
    "Probably be at midnight," Kurayamino said.  "That's how these things
work."
    "Yeah, probably."  There was a knock at the door.  "That's funny..."
    "I'll get it," Kurayamino said.  "I got nothing better to do."  He looked
around and grinned.  "Until Tenkou gets back, of course."  He walked over to
the door.
    "Hey, I hope it works out for you," Junta said.
    Kurayamino chuckled.  "Yeah, you would, I guess."  He opened the door...
and blinked.  "Hm..."  He stepped outside, closing the door.
    Junta blinked.
    Outside, Kurayamino looked around.  "...Okay, who's the wise guy?"
    "Down here!"
    Kurayamino looked down, and his eyes widened.
    "Firu?!?"

=====

    Yasha smiled softly.  "An interesting case."
    The soul stared back at her.  "...So I'm being judged?"
    "That's correct."
    "Fine."  He crossed his arms.  "I did what I had to do."
    "...You know, I agree with you," Yasha said.  "Sometimes people *do* have
to be punished...for justice to be served."  She studied the soul for a
moment.  "...I have a proposition for you."
    "...Oh?"
    "You could join me."  Yasha leaned forward.  "I am Yasha, Queen of Demons,
Goddess of Justice.  Join me in punishing the guilty and weak."
    "...I would have to serve you?" the soul asked.
    "Yes."  She leaned back in her throne.  "But you have the potential for
great things.  You could rise quite quickly through the ranks...if you so
desired."
    The soul looked, impassively, at the beings ranged around him...Yasha,
Kuroi Hoshi, Hitomi, Kousenteki, the demon guards.  "...And if I do not?"
    "Then your soul is purified before being reincarnated into another body."
She shrugged.  "Happens to thousands of them each day."
    Moments passed in silence.  Then...
    "I accept."
    Yasha smiled.  "Then approach, and kneel before me."  The ghost did, and
Yasha leaned forward to place one finger on his forehead.  "Now swear yourself
to me, and it shall be done."
    "...I swear myself, my soul, to Yasha, Queen of Demons," he said.  A white
glow built around the soul's head, and then with a flash he was thrown
backward.
    Kuroi Hoshi blinked.  Hitomi started to step forward, but caught herself,
and Kousenteki watched impassively.  Yasha smiled.  The new demon sat up,
clutching his head.  He screamed, and began to convulse.
    "What's happening?" Kuroi Hoshi murmured.
    "The transformation, of course," Yasha replied.  "It's different for each
soul.  Some become monstrous, some remain humanoid.  I've spent much time
trying to unravel the mysteries of the process, but...look!"  The soul had
solidified from a phantom to a pale human...or humanoid.  His naked skin was
totally white, and his hair an ashen gray.  After a moment, he got shakily to
his feet.  When he opened his eyes, they were uniformly red except for a small
black pupil, slit-shaped like those of a cat or lizard.
    "Not bad," Yasha murmured.  "Now...what is your name, my servant?"
    The demon straightened up, still staring at Yasha.  "...Kyo."
    Yasha smiled.  "Well then, Kyo...welcome."

=====

To be continued...

=====

Author's note:

Adhesions suck.

You probably don't know what I'm talking about, but trust me, that's a good
thing.

I would like to thank everyone who's ever written for Dark Star...ever.

Learn Japanese with Inu!  ("Hey, does Lady Chaos know you're borrowing me?"
"Oh, come on, she's got so many of you she won't miss one..."  "Hm.  You're
probably right.")

Kukan: "space"
Kyo: "forgiveness"

"Yohko" means something too, but I misplaced what...

That's all, I guess...

John Evans
11/29/99
jevans@alum.mit.edu

Beware the Radish