CardCaptor Sakura Remastered II Episode 3 (10)

CardCaptor Sakura Remastered II Episode 3 (10)

In the span of a few seconds everything fell apart.

Eliza, possessed by Sword, attacked and injured Nina.

It was now attacking Sakura (as she tried to defend herself).

And Tomoyo was filming the whole thing (grabbed her camera when she heard the commotion).

Eliza slowly backs Sakura into a corner, holding her at bay with Sword.
Suddenly something darts out of the side of Sakura’s vision and knocks Eliza over, both Eliza and the attacker hitting the floor. As Eliza regains her footing, but her attacker (Nina) isn’t so fortunate as she withers on the floor in agony. Sakura makes good her escape and
gets clear of the corner she was trapped in (barely avoiding another swipe from Sword).

“Eliza? Don’t worry! Everything’s going to be OK! Don’t worry!” Sakura calls out, backing away from Eliza as she does, “Have to get her to drop Sword somehow---”

Sakura hiolds out the key, and powers up. “Key of the Star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff and shine your light! RELEASE!” (As the power releases, the staff grows longer. Quickly Sakura grabs a card and uses it fast.) “Illusion! Form the image in my
mind’s eye and hold yourself in check.”

As the card forms on the floor (glowing pattern) Eliza looks at it oddly, then sidesteps it. “N-no good!” Nina rasps from her place on the floor, “She knows that trick! And what she knows Sword knows!”

“Alright then--- FLOWER! Distract Sword with a storm of flowers!”

As Flower comes up and dazes Eliza with a flower whirlwind, Sakura grabs Nina and tries to move her, “Forget me! Get out of here!”

“B-but!”

“GO!!” (Kero, flying down from upstairs, darts past Sakura as he
screams at her).

“Right---” (pulls new card) “--Jump!” Quickly Sakura spins about and ducks out the door, dodging Sword’s swipes as Eliza follows behind her out into the huge yard of the Daidouji Estates. Each slash clearing the path between Eliza and Sakura, going through anything to get to the Cardcaptor. Finally, on top of the roof of the mansion, Sakura tries to catch her breath. “I can’t attack Eliza! We have to get her to drop Sword somehow!”

“Show her an illusion of her beloved--- oh, wait, the real thing is bleeding in the hallway. Never mind, that won’t work---” Kero ponders, “---maybe you should run until you wear her out?”

Sakura - “I can’t leave her like this! And I have to get back to save Nina!”

The next thing she knows Eliza is standing next to her, Sword at the ready.

“Guess we forgot she’s got her own powers---” Kero laments.

As Eliza swings at Sakura a blur of metal obscures Sakura’s vision for a second, followed by the clang of metal on metal and the glint of light off as Sword is caught between the hard glint of two Glocks.

Sakura - “Rebecca?!?”

Rebecca - “Trinity insisted I come over and apologize to you, but I couldn’t build up the courage to do it… until now.“ (Rebecca kicks Eliza away, coming face to face with Sakura) “I’m sorry I hurt Tomoyo, and I’m sorry I threatened you…“ (frowns) “…but I’ll never forgive Fly for what it did to Trinity. Never.“
Rebecca suddenly thrusts herself off the roof right at Eliza, catching Eliza off guard and knocking her to the ground. As she lands on the ground stunned, Rebecca straddles her and points both guns at her head. “Let’s finish this up quick-like.”

Sakura - “REBECCA NO!!”

Quickly Sakura jumps down off the roof, grabbing Rebecca off of Eliza before she can shoot, “Sakura?!? What the hell are---”
With one bound she takes into the air, the Jump boots still on, carting Rebecca with her for the ride. “AIGH!! SAKURA STOP!!”
Both women hit the roof, Rebecca not too happy about the flight. “What are you doing?! You could have gotten us killed!”

Sakura - “You can’t hurt Eliza! I won’t let you!”

Rebecca - “I wasn’t planning on hurting anyone! I know what I’m doing! She can survive grazing shots but it‘d screw up her body to the point that Sword would be immobilized!”

Sakura - “All we need to do is to get her to drop Sword for one--- Nina?”

Everyone turns to watch Nina, bloodied, stumble out of the side and grab Eliza from behind, holding tight against her bucking and straining. “No--- you--- don’t!!” (Nina grabs hold of Eliza’s sword hand, prying the fingers open as she does), “LEAVE--- HER--- ALONE!!”

Sakura, jumping on her chance, quickly jumps down from the roof and rushes towards the two, batting Sword aside as she does. “Clow card return to your power confined! Sword card!”

With one strike the staff releases tendrils of energy, capturing Sword in it’s grip and yanking it in to be sealed, changing it back into card form. As the card flies free it lands in Sakura’s hand. Eliza, shaken, quickly grabs Nina as tears flow down her face. “Nina? NINA!!
Oh goddess I’m sorry! I’m sorry!!”

Rebecca helps Eliza get Nina inside as Tomoyo (watching from the sidelines the whole time) steps forward. “You OK?”

Sakura - “Yeah. Tomoyo? Why didn’t you use Gaia to catch---”

Tomoyo shook her head, “I tried. While you were arguing with Rebecca. Sword cut through Gaia’s restraints like a knife through butter. It only slowed Sword for a second, but I guess a second was enough in the end.”

“And thus my point is proven.”
Everyone looks around, until their gazes falls upon Rebecca (standing off to one side, also an active “audience” in the capture but not as active as Tomoyo) “These cards are far too dangerous! If it isn’t Fly it’s this Sword card! Nina’s going to make it but the next time somebody could die because of these damnable cards…“ (sneers) “…still think they’re innocent things?“

Tomoyo steps between Sakura & Rebecca, angry, “That’s a lie! Sword is only confused from being seperated forcefully from Sakura! And Sakura did her best to stop Sword! You have no right to say that the cards are monsters!“

“Say what you will.” Rebecca remarks nonchalantly, “Love tends to blind, and the kind of love you share is quite blinding. You can’t see for yourself that it took everyone to make an opening in Sword’s defensese where it should have been stopped back in the house when it first showed up! And there’s still more cards to capture, more chances for innocent people to suffer because of someone else’s magic.“

Kero takes over, “What would you know about it! She’s the most powerful mage on Earth!”

“On HER Earth.” Rebecca quickly countered, “Here, she’s just another girl with a bag of tricks and a job that’s too big for her to handle alone. She’s not impressive here, she’s just another liability that might get innocent people killed. Period.”

“Nobody’s dead yet.” (Kero)

“Do you want to wait until it’s too late?” And, with that, she turns and walks off without another word. Almost--- her cellphone goes off and she answers it. “What? Trinny I… did I invite them to dinner? Trinny!! I--” (sighs) “---hold on.” (walks back to everyone) “Oh, and
Trinny wants to invite you to dinner next week. It’s potluck so bring something with you that doesn’t stab people in the gut. Bye.”

Trinity (phone) - “And apologize for scolding them and being nasty!”

“Sigh-- I’m sorry--- there.” (Rebecca walks off) “I still say we’re going to be stuck catering the whole thing! They’ll probably bring nothing but jell-o being slackers and all!”

Trinity - “Then we’ll order out from Olive Garden! Won’t that be fun?”

“Actually--- yes. Get on your slinkiest thing that shows off the most cleavage because I’m cranky and your hot. Let’s go, I’m starving’.”

* * * * * *

“Hi. You busy?”

“Busy for a girl lying around and reading all day, Eliza.” Nina remarks as she looks up from her book, “If that’s busy them I’m just wading hip deep in work. Oh, yeah.” (sighs) “It’s only the second time I ended up on the disabled list, Sakura, and your not in the doghouse this time either so come in already. I know your hiding behind Eliza” (motions for Sakura to sit next to her) “What’s up?”

Sakura - “You OK? That stab you took.”

Nina - “Wasn’t as serious as it looks. Really, the only one really damaged in all this was Eliza. She hasn’t stopped wanting to serve me since the incident.” (rubs Eliza’s head as she sits next to her) “I keep trying to tell her it’s OK and she didn’t do anything wrong, but she’s been feeling kinda crappy ever since she tried to skewer me so I’m just letting her work off her guilty conscious until she’s ready to be forgiven and move on.”

Sakura - “How long will that be?”

“Not long. Nina?” (Eliza), “Your bath’s ready, and I got my french lingere maid outfit on underneath for you.”

Nina - “I don‘t know, I could live with this just for a little while longer. Go on, dear, you know I like you all frilly and ready when I get there.”

Eliza smiles and nods her head meekly, stepping out bowing as she does.

Nina - “It’s not so bad except she insists on wearing the outfit all the time, and wants to do EVERYTHING for me! I know she’s kinda guilty conscious and all but there’s somethings a girl’s gotta do on her own--- like my hygiene.”

Sakura - “She washes you?”

Nina - “Well--- not that it’s your business but it’s a--- well it IS none of your business. When I’m talking hygiene I mean she brushes my teeth. Litterly makes me open wide and brushes for me. Now I love her and all but I prefer to handle my own dental hygiene if it’s all the same to her.”

Sakura - “Oh.”

Nina - “Well, no use putting it off.” (Nina crawls out of bed in her nightgown and walks off) “Might as well face the bath. I’m feeling rather frisky right now anyway. See ya’ around.”

Sakura - “Sure. And Nina? I’m sorry.”

Nina - “For what?”

Sakura - “Nothing. I’m just--- sorry--- that’s all.”

“Shake it off.” Nina remarks, saluting Sakura as she walks out the door, “It’s better that way for all of us if you‘d just shake it off.”

“Easy for you to say.“ Sakura remarks glumly, waiting a few seconds before leaving Nina’s room.

“May our love give us strength to carry on even at our darkest moments.”

* * * * * *

Keiko leans back in her chair positioned in front of the door leading out with a strange expression on her face. “She’ll never believe it, she’ll never believe it…”

The door opens and in walks Mirra-chan, groceries in hand.

Mirra - “I’m home! Everything for dinner was easy to get and…”

“Hey, Mirra-chan.”

“Keiko? What are you doing---?” Mirra gasps silently to herself, noticing for the first time how mature and worldly Keiko appeared. Everything about her from her orderly hairdo to her strong legs caught Mirra’s attention. ‘She’s--- beautiful---’ Mirra thought to herself
excitedly, ‘Not as beautiful as Hikaru-chan but she’s---’

“Nice hat by the way.” Mirra snaps to attention as Keiko’s voice brings her back to reality. “Tomoyo made that for you, right? Rabbit? Sorta like one Sakura had?”

“The cap is a different color and there’s a stripe of fur down the center---” (blushes slightly) “What are you doing? Where’s Sakura-Papa?”

Keiko - “She’s in the garden”

Mirra - “She doesn’t like gardening.”

Keiko - “I know.”

Mirra-chan dashes past Keiko without waiting for a longer explanation.

“Told them that wasn’t going to cut it. (Heh, “cut it“, now I‘m talking in cliché---)”

In the huge living room (with gigantic glass doors leading into a sunny place with a table/chairs set up to enjoy a good day out in the yard) Mirra-chan found Tomoyo/Sakura. They had set up a huge blanket on the ground and a chair, Tomoyo was busy cutting Sakura’s hair a little shorter while (to one side) Nina runs her hand through her own recently cut hair. “Is there something wrong?” Tomoyo asked.

“No, no, Tomoyo. I’m just admiring it. Have to keep it a certain style for shooting my scenes in Pink Panties dontcha’ know… if we ever get back to filming it.”

“HI!” Mirra-chan gasped, looking on in awe at how comfortable and relaxed Sakura looked under Tomoyo’s gentle hands. “What--- uh--- hi Tomoyo-mama, Sakura-papa, uh--- hi?”

“I was cutting Nina’s hair as a favor to her and Sakura-papa wanted a trim.” (leans close and rubs her cheek to Sakura’s cheek) “Right?”

“---uh-huh---” (Sakura blushes under the attention)

“---wow---” (Mirra looked excited watching Sakura getting her hair cut, as her thoughts raced---)

‘Is that how they show affection? Maybe--- oh goddess, I wish Hikaru-chan would cut my hair!!’ she thought with a gleeful breathless giggle.

Tomoyo looked over Mirra and motioned for her to come closer, “Want me to cut your hair next? (You could use a little trim)”

Mirra - “CAN YOU???”

Tomoyo - “Uh-huh.”

“OK!” (Mirra silently curses herself for blurting out the answer so frantically)

Tomoyo - “I’m almost done so have a seat and your next.”

As Mirra sits next to Nina, her hands begin to tremble. “Never had a haircut before?”

“Uh…” (touches her hair) “Actually I never needed one before. My hair never grew before.”

Nina - “Oh, really? Well it’s not that scary (though you better keep a check on your pubic hair just in case that starts growing awkwardly). Just relax and follow Tomoyo’s
instructions and you’ll do fine.”

Mirra, already not looking all that comfortable after Nina‘s comments, said only “Right.”

Minutes later Sakura steps down (with a loving kiss from Tomoyo) and it’s Mirra’s turn.

“It’s your first trim so I’m going to just even up the ends and not do too much first time out. Is that OK with you?”

“--o---o---okay---” Mirra stammers.
As Mirra relaxes, and lets Tomoyo work, her cheeks redden.
‘If only it was Hikaru-chan, I’d be in HEAVEN!! Sigh---’

Eliza walks in with sodas for everyone. “Command sent a new batch of things to watch on the cinema mode of the holochamber. Why don’t we take a break tonight , pick some movies, and watch them?”

Nina - “Sounds like a plan to me, eh?”

“There isn’t another thing about me in there---” Sakura lament.

Tomoyo - “But Sakura-chan, you’re my favorite movie star!”

“---tomo-chan---”(Sakura blushes from the compliment)

* * * * * *

Outside, watching from the backyard lawn, she watches them talking as Tomoyo continues to cut Mirra’s hair for her.

“Voyeurism isn’t something the school board approves of.”

Kaho Mitsuki sighs as she already knows who’s behind her, but only by voice recognition.

“Of all the people in the world, you’re the only one who still manages to surprise even me.”

“What can I say? I don’t like people knowing what I’m going to do before I do it.” Keiko hisses, stepping out from her hiding place as she does. “Shocked?”

“I saw you inside waiting for Mirra-chan.”

Keiko - “Oh, that…”

* * * * * *

Eve gingerly pulls the illusion ring off, Keiko’s form sliding away as her own returns.

“I can never get used to Keiko’s short buzzcut hair---” (runs a hand through her long flowing hair) “Though it is dreadfully cute on her.”

* * * * * *

Keiko - “I thought we agreed you would NOT make a repeat performance?”

Kaho frowned, “At no point did I ever promise I wouldn’t return.”

Keiko - “At no point did you ever NOT promise to stay out of the way either! Or don’t you remember the long chain of chaos you strung in your path that I had to clean up to even come near to the peace we’re in now.”

Kaho - “Your still angry over the---”

Keiko - “Yes I’m still angry over the 53rd Card incident. Why shouldn’t I be?” (watches Ms. Mitsuki walk past her) “You know as well as I do that there should NEVER have been a 53rd card! And where do you think you’re going? I could just as well call for Tomoyo’s body---” (Ms. Mitsuki draws a door handle from her pocket, clicks it into the wall leading to the street, and turns the handle opening a door inside the wall. With wide eyes, Keiko watches Kaho step through the door, and close it behind her, handle disappearing.)

“---Dimensional Door Handle. Sheesh---” (silence is all that remains as Keiko looks about at the now empty garden) “---she’s been shopping at all the right places lately.”

* * * * * *

The next day (Northwest High)

Nina runs her hand through her hair again as she looks about herself, hand poised to open the door to the janitorial room, “Slick.” she silently whispers (mostly to admire her hair again) as she opens the door, however not unseen as someone rounds the corner as she enters.

“Hey! That’s restricted! You can’t go in there!” (opens door) “You have to…” (Nothing inside) “…come out of---?”

Below the school, the hidden elevator stops at the Command level letting Nina out.

Eliza - “So did you…?”

“Of course.” (pulls fast food breakfast out of pouch she had slung over her shoulder) “Breakfast.”

As the two sit down in the monitoring room, Eliza pokes her food abit. “Considering our occupation maybe we should eat a healthier (or at least homemade) breakfast more often.”

Nina - “Blame Sakura, not me. She changed the time on my alarm clock (mostly out of spite for all the times I called her Snoozer) so it’s her fault we’re late.”

“Nina, didn’t you change the time yourself so you could sleep later on weekend and forgot…”

Nina - “Do you want to eat breakfast, or accuse me of making us late?”

“Sorry.” Eliza apologizes as Nina reaches over and taps a button. “Let’s see how the evolving soap opera of two young Elementary school kids in love is going.”

Eliza facefaults, “Your not going to spy on Sakura again are you?”

Mirra - “Good morning!”

Hikaru - “Good morning, Mirra!”

Nina - “What! What’s wrong with “As Mirra-chan Turns”?”

Eliza - “You’re a dreadfully finicky “soap opera” watcher. Last week it was “All My Clow Cards”, and now this… no shame, huh?”

Nina - “And the week before that it was “General Mirra-chan”. Yeah. Do you mind? I’m watching--- stop being such a dreadful stick in the mud.”

Hikaru - “Uh---Mirra? Did you go to Neko Toys at the mall yesterday?”

“Phwee?” (Mirra was getting good at ‘mirroring’ some of the quirky traits of her “father” Sakura) “No. I went grocery shopping then watched movies with my family at home. Why?”

Hikaru - “That’s good to know. It wasn’t you after all.”

Mirra, Nina & Eliza all blank out. “?”

Mirra - “What do you mean?”

“Somebody who looked a lot like you pushed over a display in front of the store.”

Nina was already on it. “Accessing mall security cameras. It’s going to take a minute so we might as well listen to abit more before I put my report together and call Sakura about it.”

Mirra - “…Tomoyo-mama… cut my hair for me.”

At that Hikaru blushes abit, and is lead to the side by Mirra where the two talk in low whispers and seem to draw closer and closer with each word.

Nina - “Eh? Computer! Focus on Mirra and increase volume!”

“Increasing volume and focusing.”

“Aren’t you going to check the security footage instead of try to pry into Mirra‘s lovelive?”
Eliza surmises.

Nina - “Yeah, yeah, but right now I wanna see if they’re going to make out yet!”

Eliza face faults, “---nina---”

“Security Camera Footage Obtained. Standing By.“

“Damn.” (switches to computer link) “So much for that. Scan for anyone resembling Mirra in the footage and alert me when you have a match.”

“Affirmative. Search will take 5.7 minutes to compare footage via
search parameters.“

“Take your time, take your time---” Nina leans back into her chair, her eyes focused on the huge screen before her, “I have all the time in the world---” (goes back to eating)

Eliza - “Is it---”

Nina - “We’ll see soon enough, we’ll see soon enough.”

To Be Continued

CardCaptor Sakura Remastered II Episode 2 (10)

Beneath Northwest High
Within the newly renamed Project-Sakura (formerly an old Judgment monitoring station)
Within the heavily fortified holochamber training room within the complex.

Eliza removes her uniform jacket, tossing it onto the chair to the side of the room. The only things “Active” in the holo sim being a pop-up target array set to the far wall, a chair, and a back-barrier (with Crystal Tritanium windows) set across the doorway out just in case somebody entered while she was training. Garbed in the durable cloth of her Alliance uniform, she shakes off her tension and relaxes her muscles as she prepares to move.

One hand carefully slides the headpiece into place, one finger pushing one of the buttons as it clicks into her wetware jacks behind her ears. As she waits for it to start, she slowly build starts up power. When she talked about her powers earlier (at the Taste of Tokyo event)
she didn’t say everything about it. She is a specific type of spell caster. A SpellThrasher.

Unlike other magical disciplines, SpellThrashers use music in concert with their spell casting for stronger and more potent effects. The music ranges for each SpellThrasher, by taste and by the situation. For Eliza, nothing else quite works for her when she’s in attack mode (or training mode) like hard and loud instrumental heavy/acid metal. No words, just music,
because she doesn’t like words. They throw her spell casting off.

For long seconds nothing, but it slowly begins to build and grow as the music starts. For warm-ups she always uses a slow to start song, something quiet and builds (as she builds power) to get her warmed up.
As she powers up she begins casting simple defense spells to prepare for training.

Spellcasting for Spell Thrasher & Guardian types come in two varieties. Mental casting which require slight vocalization of spell names and incantations requiring mental imagery of spell effects, and hasty spells which require the quick short hand writing (with an air-writing
ring) combined with sharp verbal chants and vocalizations to trigger the rune spell‘s effects.
Each had their own advantage and disadvantage in equal amounts. While hasty spells are faster, they also tend to telegraph a caster’s intent from a mile away (and the caster needs to be highly literate as written components of the spells often needed to be complex to trigger complex spells). This meant the spell took several seconds to “scratch” out, giving the intended target a chance to dodge or counter the spell (if they were familiar with the runes that were being cast). The harder mental casting takes a few more seconds, and more concentration, but keeps spells hidden and “under the table” so they are less likely to be countered by a rival SpellThrasher with a sharp attention span.

Eliza focuses the image of a small sphere inside of herself, and takes a deep breath as she whispers “Novashields.” As she exhales, she imagines the bubble expanding about her to form an unbreakable barrier between herself and her targets, which goes up instantly and flawlessly.

As the music jacks into high gear, she slams her powers into overdrive creating an “aura burn” (a powerful blast of energy with it’s own deflective properties) similar to what one might see in DBZ, for instance. Quickly she scans the target “range” and waits for a target.
As one pops up she quickly snaps an arm out and fires off a quick spell shot. Nothing fancy, just a quick shot of energy to snap the target in half.

The second, third, fourth and fifth targets also fall just as easily, with very little effort.

As the music fills her head and continues to jam and roar about her she becomes more serious, flexing her right hand as she waits for several targets to pop up at once. Quickly raising her hand into the air she focuses her energy into it, forming a disc in the palm of her
hand, expanding it as she focuses.

“Eviscerator Disc.”

As she spins about she whirls the disc at one end of the targets, keeping it’s trajectory locked into her mind. As it spins to one side she quickly yanks it across the room with her mind (and the guiding focus of her right hand out, at all times aimed at the disc as it
moves) slashing the targets apart, shattering as the disc hit’s the hard spell-proof wall on the opposite end of the room.

As she waits for songs to change and a new song to begin she mildly shoots off a few more shots, getting her timing right and the kinks out.
Nina was right. Taking some time every few days to come down here to give her powers a workout was doing wonders for her. Ever since she started doing it she’s felt more energetic, and felt more active. She had been sitting on her powers for too long since she got there, and let them simmer as she watched Sakura do all the work, but this (now
that she was giving her powers a working) felt great! She didn’t plan to change her policy and try to outdo Sakura in Cardcaptoring, but she liked the idea of giving her powers a bi-weekly workout. It felt liberating in a sense.

As the music started again, loud and in her face, she thrust both arms back abit (hands clenched) and began to power up, focusing all her energy into her hands charging them. She clenched her teeth as she focused, aiming dead center of the targets. “GATTICA GUN!!” With that she exhaled, jamming her arms forward to unleash a bright roar of energy. The energy shot forward, slashing through the middle target, obliterating the other targets with the energy backlash as it hit the far wall. Suddenly the energy bounced back, not dispersed like the Eviscerator disc as it hit the anti-magic shell wall. Eliza smiled as
it came at her. “REFLECT!” She catches the energy on her shields, adding energy to the shields to bounce the energy back. As it reflects, the shields ripple where the blast hit (like water on a still pond when a rock hit’s the surface). The energy bounces off the
ceiling, into the far wall and back again. “Better blast it before---”

“Eliza!!! Are you blaring that music through your skull ag---” (Nina was walking through the blast doors)

“NINA?!?”
The shot was powerful. Powerful enough to shatter the back barrier and kill her. Quickly Eliza jumped forward bracing herself as she shot out her energy in one shot to catch the “gunshot” in mid-flight. The two colliding energies detonate and throw Eliza backwards, over the barrier, and into Nina knocking both women out into the hallway.

Eliza, weary, sits up shaking her head as she shuts the music off (removing the headset as she does). “Nina? Sorry, I forgot to lock the door again. I know you told me not to do that, and I could have gotten you---” (she stops, face faulting) “---Nina?”

“---” (Nina was in no condition to speak, her eyes were spinning and she was sweat dropping while in a half conscious state, the world spinning as she reeled from being bowled over by Eliza.) “Uh boy. Nina? I’m sorry! I--- wanna go to the Medico Bay?”

“---”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” (Eliza quickly lugs Nina up on her shoulders, crying as she rushes Nina to the Medico Bay) “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll put that Do Not Disturb sign like you asked! I’ll lock the door (I always forget to do that) next time!” (blushes) “I’ll even load that Lesbian Cruise program you always wanted and we’ll spend more time playing! Alright?”

“Mphtpmaptham.”

“I’ll take that as you being happy--- I hope.” (sweat drops). “---hope it‘s a friendly cruise---”

* * * * * *

Meanwhile, back topside (in Sakura’s class)

“I heard Mr. Terada got married during Summer break.”

“Your kidding!” Sakura couldn’t believe her ears (obviously) “To who, Chiharu! Who?”

Chiharu shook her head, “I don’t know. Everyone’s hush-hush about it. But he came back a few days ago so he could be here for the first day back so I guess we’ll find out soon.”

Sakura walks over to Tomoyo as they talk about the latest gossip, “Mr. Terada did seem rather occupied during the past semester.” Tomoyo noted, “I guess the pending wedding was distracting him. But I’d like to know who he got married to.”

“I know, Tomoyo, I know! It must be one of the teachers! Maybe the new math teacher?”

Tomoyo - “I don’t think so. She’s already married.”

Sakura - “Oh. Then who?”

Tomoyo - “Guess we’ll find out--- oh, hi Rika.”

“Hi.” (Rika, smiling from ear to ear, enters the class) “How was summer break for you two?”

“Nice. We saw movies and did shopping and stuff.” Sakura beamed, looking over at Rika’s smiling face. “You seem happy. Did you have fun during break?”

“Is it that obvious? It was heaven. Very beautiful, and it’ll only get better each and every day. I know it will.”

“Phwee? What---” (pointing at ring) “You got a new ring? It’s beautiful! Where’d you get it?”

“This?” (Rika suddenly blushes as she fingers her new ring) “It’s a commitment.”

“?” (Sakura looks confused) “Commitment?” (blinks then facefaults) “Oh by the way, did you hear about Mr. Terada? He got…”

“Morning, everyone! Take your seats please!” (Mr. Terada)

As everyone moves to their seats Sakura catches Mr. Terada & Rika exchanging glances, and smiles at each other. ‘Rika must have been the flower girl at Mr. Terada’s wedding.’ Sakura thinks to herself, turning her attention back to Mr. Terada. ‘Have to ask her who Mr. Terada got married to since she knows all the details.’

“Good morning everyone. Hope you had a good break. I have an announcement to make. Today we have a new Student Teacher, she’ll be teaching you history while Mr. Tetsuo is on leave.”

“Strange timing for a leave of absence.” Tomoyo remarks as everyone’s eyes turns towards the door, and Mr. Terada continues, “So let’s all give her a warm welcome as she joins us for the first time today. You can come in now---”

As the door opens in walks a tall young woman. She has shoulder length black hair, and a strong yet light build denoting both speed and strength. Her eyes slowly pan the room examining everything, eventually falling on Sakura and focusing on her exclusively, gaze locking in on her.

“This is Rebecca Summers. She’s a local Tokyo-ite, she’ll be teaching history.”

“Sakura.” (Tomoyo) “Is it me or is the new history teacher staring at you?”

Sakura - “Y-yeah--- I noticed.”

Mr. Terada - “Be nice to her, OK? We’ll see you later then.”

“Of course.” Rebecca remarks warmly, turning to leave, but not before giving Sakura one last gaze. “I’ll treat them all like family.”

Sakura - “???”

Tomoyo only smiled at the attention, “I think the new teacher has a fixation on you, Sakura.”

If this was meant to comfort Sakura it didn‘t work. “Oh, man.”

* * * * * *

And, as it turns out, Rebecca’s class is the last one of the day.

Sakura didn’t know what was worst, the long lectures or the piercing gazes she got from the teacher at times just because she was who she was (Sakura).

“In 1946 the Goddess of Judgments first assembled what we know today as the Kamikaze Corps. The Corps, made entirely of redemption seeking Japanese soldiers and officers when they were alive in the Waking World, became a policing force against Darklings and rogue dreamers. Over time they eventually found peace with themselves and their new world, and began to make lives for themselves here. Mostly single men, they started pairing off and eventually became fathers themselves.

This of course eventually lead to the 1975 Kamikaze Run incident in which a former Corps. Lieutenant organized an strike team of old Corps members after his daughter was kidnapped by darklings who sought to reestablish the forbidden “Comfort Women” program. The “program” (as it were) which ran during World War II in the waking world, was banned
in the Heavens’ Judgment Decrees of 1947 which forged the rules of conduct that later became part of the basis of the Galactic Assassin Guild‘s “Code“ of conduct wherein---” (bell) “---and that’s it for today.” (closes book) “Tomorrow we’ll touch on the Comfort Women “program“ and it‘s existence in several realities before, during and past WWII, it’s significance to the later Guardian Corps. We’ll also talk about it’s eventual banning, and the subsequent ‘75 Kamikaze Run incident sparked by it’s attempted revival for tomorrow’s class. That’s that so everyone grab their gear and dismissed.” (turns to Sakura) “Can I see you outside? I’d like to chat with you.”

Sakura face faults.

* * * * * *

“Uuhh--- I was paying attention in class. Really--- ask me any---”

Rebecca reaches into her top, pulling it open slightly to reveal a jet black uniform top, “If I didn’t have to wear this annoying skirt I’d have my full uniform on…” (as she brushes her hand across a jewel set into her uniform a spark of energy leaps out, and forms into a
Glock in her hand. As she draws the gun forward she clicks the hammer into place and points it right at Sakura, “Alright let’s make this short and done with.“

With that the gun flashed and cracked twice, the charges stopping midair as Sakura’s water ring sprung to life without warning, blocking the shots with an impenetrable water globe that stopped the slugs short. Just as quickly as it came, the shield dispersed… just leaving enough hints to show that it could just as well reform again if need be.

Suddenly, with a slight hiss, she jumps back gun still at the ready. “SO IT’S TRUE!
YOU ARE THE ONE! THAT RING… That’d be the Water Ring I suppose, from the reports.”

Sakura, shellshocked, could only mutter “W-what?!?” as she stood there shaking.

Rebecca snarled at her as she glared hatefully, “What did you think!? That you were above the law?? That you could run willy nilly and everything would be forgiven because you’re the savior who will protect the world from the cards?!?” (Rebecca’s face darkened as she stares as Sakura viciously, hand thrusted out) “Fly card! Give it to me! NOW!!”

Sakura - “Buw h-how?”

Rebecca - “I know all about you already, you and your cards… including the monster that imprisoned my lover! Tortured her! Molested her when she was suffering the most, and nearly destroyed her!” (Rebecca paced, but not enough to waiver her gun’s lock on Sakura) “They all thought they knew better than me! BETTER THAN ME! I just didn’t have the last bits of info I needed until now. They can’t hide you from me anymore, the 5TH JUDGMENT!! You and your perverted monsters are going to PAY for what you did to her! PAY! Now, once again, give me Fly! Now!”

Sakura shook her head as she tried to back away from Rebecca, “No. I can’t. It’s my responsibility to return them to Star cards.”
PAKT! Rebecca shot again, to insure Sakura didn’t try to run. The bullet went wide, but made her point abundantly clear. “And what makes you think someone else can’t do that?” Rena
challenges, “Your so full of yourself you can’t possibly imagine someone else is capable of doing your job, let alone doing it better! But it‘s not like I care, I want that monster your hiding and I want it NOW!!”

“Fly is NOT a monster!“ Sakura protested, “It was hurt! It didn’t understand! It didn’t mean to hurt her! If you’d only…“
PAKT! (This shot was closer)
“STOP TELLING ME WHAT I SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T DO!!“ she shrieked in rage, “Such self importance! You really believe all that spiel that’s been fed into your head! What arrogance! That thing is a MONSTER and it should be DESTROYED!!“ Rebecca quickly moves, grabbing Sakura’s wrist hard. “You don’t know what your DEALING WITH! I’m the 5th DAMN JUDGEMENT and I want THAT CARD RIGHT NOW!!!”

“NO!!” Sakura cried, struggling as she knew Rebecca had just raised the gun over her head, coming close to aiming it point blank at her, “STOP!! DON’T!! PLEASE LET GO!!”

Suddenly a blur rushes between them, grabbing by the uniform. “STOP!! LET HER GO!!”

Rebecca lashes out, screaming as she knocks her attacker away with her gunhand. As Sakura turns to look, her eyes go wide with shock as she watches Tomoyo hit the ground near her, “TOMO-CHAN!!”

“GIVE ME THAT--”
Rebecca suddenly stops, her muscles seizing up as someone grabs her neck from behind. With little effort, Keiko pulls Rebecca backwards, freeing Sakura from her grasp. As she falls free, Sakura quickly rushes to Tomoyo’s side, crying. “Tomo-chan! Are you hurt? Are
you OK? Tomo-chan!”

Tomoyo, pulling herself to a sitting position, smiles as she gently gathers Sakura into her strong arms hugging the distraught girl, “I’m alright, Sakura-chan, don’t cry…” (pulls the teary-eyed Sakura into her arms) “Just as long as your safe… that’s all that matters… please don’t cry…”

Keiko, however, was angry beyond words as she spun Rebecca around and stared at her only to get the gun shoved into her face in turn.
Keiko - “Never EVER touch Sakura or Tomoyo again! NEVER!!”

Rebecca - “Bitch!”

Rebecca suddenly grabs Keiko’s arm, using Keiko’s strong grip and steady arm to give herself enough leverage to swing her knee up and into Keiko‘s body, who barely manages to deflect the blow knocking both Judgments apart. As they gather their wits Keiko draw her blade as Rebecca aims again with her gun. “Somebody should have told you not to take a butter knife to a gunfight!“ she yelled.

Keiko wasn‘t backing down so easily, “I don’t know what the hell you think your doing, whore, but I’m going to make you regret crossing me!”

Rebecca - “I don’t have time for you. Get out of my way, or do you now coddle and support monsters and woman rapers now?!?“

Keiko frowned, “What the hell are you ramblin--”

“LUNCH!! HEY YOU TWO WE GOT LUNCH!!” (Eve & a strangely familiar elf girl jumps over the fence to meet the two)

Keiko - “---Eve?!?”

Rebecca facefaults, “Trinny?!?”

As both girls step between them the two stare at them oddly.

Rebecca - “Trinny I thought you were spending the day with your cousin!”

She didn‘t stop for a second, quickly the elf advanced right on Rebecca and slapped her hard, her hand then quickly yanks the gun from her hand and pulls Rebecca in close. Shocked, Rebecca could only stare teary eyed into her lover‘s face.
“Don‘t do this.”

Rebecca‘s body trembled, “S-sh-she hurt you… that…“

Trinity shook her head, “I hurt myself. I broke our wedding vows of my own free will.“ (Rebecca shook her head and cried “no” over and over softly as Trinity spoke, “I went out and slutted around with men like a twobit whore because I was weak. I prostituted myself and shamed myself and…“ (shakes Rebecca) “Stop it! Stop making excuses for me! I did that and I can’t let you do this because of my weakness!“

Rebecca - “It’s HER! IT’S HER! SHE DID IT!!” (struggles to break free of Trinity but slowly weakens in her grip) “Stop forgiving her! She did it… she did it…”

“No.” she said again, “I did it. I did it…” (Rebecca & Trinity both hug each other crying) “Why won‘t you stop holding me on such high regards!! I don‘t deserve it!”

For all watching, nothing could be said as they watched silently.

* * * * * *

Back at the Daidouji estates Tomoyo made herself and Sakura dinner up in Sakura’s “lab”.
It took awhile for them to recover from the incident after school, now they were really hungry after all the lying in bed and hugging and comforting.

Sakura - “Did you talk to Nina about the new teacher?” (gulps) “She isn’t going to threaten to kill me everyday is she?”

Tomoyo - “Keiko promises she’ll not do that again, she and her lover had a long talk and they eventually came to an understanding. As for Nina? She didn’t pick up. She must be working late and fell asleep.”

Sakura sighs, “And she has the nerve to call me Snoozer all the time.” (picks up a pocky stick and chews on it) “She’ll probably remember to call when we’re all sleeping.“

Suddenly Nina, stuffing her face with snacks, walks into the kitchen. “Hey.”

Sakura - “Hello, sleepy head. Have a good nap?”

Nina - “I was working so get off my back Snoozer.”

“Your Snoozer, Snoozer. And some work too---” Sakura snipped back, relishing in this one chance she got to get on Nina’s back and have a good reason for doing so. But that quickly faded as she realized what she wanted to talk about. “DO YOU KNOW A WOMAN NAMED REBECCA SUMMERS?!?”

That just about puts Nina on her butt and shaves a few months off her life (from the shock). Nina frowns, dusts herself off, and sits down in a chair (still eating) “What she look like? Describe her.”

* * * * * *

“According to the records she is the 5th Judgement, as stated.” Nina remarks as she chews on dinner, “Elfgirl lover who you met, because she was the one imprisoned in Fly when we caught it. Short fuse temper, has been written up several times by the Judgement Corps for excessive force. Instead of using a blade she employs a pair of custom spell-scribed Glocks (the infamous “plastic guns”) which have the same invincibility runes scrolled into the metal like Keiko’s katana (which makes it unbreakable) while the gun seems to fire an unlimited amount of either normal ArmorBreakers or “SpellAirius” spellbreaker ammo that can harm magical entities (like Fly).” (Nina sighs) “Having her on your enemies list is not a good thing.”

“Why?” (Tomoyo, speaking up for the first time this conversation as she & Sakura ate)

“She’s a horribly disfunctional personality according to records. Once she is hellbent on something she doesn’t let up. She…“ (sighs) “…didn’t try anything crazy with you, did she?“

Tomoyo - “She tried to put a bullet through Sakura’s head. But Keiko said she gotten over that and is going to leave Sakura alone.“

Nina - “Good luck. She might not be trying to kill Sakura anymore but that won’t mean she’ll let the topic of Fly go, not by a long shot. She‘s going to find a way to get Fly even if it kills her, you‘ll see.”

Sakura - “BUT DOES THAT MEAN SHE’S GOING TO DESTROY FLY?!? WHAT DO I DO?? WHAT IF SHE TRIES TO HURT TOMOYO TO GET TO FLY??”

Nina blinks, “Your full of punch today, guess I can‘t blame you since somebody tried to blow your non-existant brains out of your empty head.” (sighs at the lack of reaction from Sakura) “Tomoyo is safe. Her elfgirl lover will not forgive Rebecca if she murdered in her name so she’s going to keep her violence to Fly alone. Tomoyo won’t be harmed.“

Sakura - “R-r-really?”

Nina - “Sure. She’ll probably just pick your pocket and shove Fly into a paper shredder, or burn it in an incinerator or…“ (sighs) “…and from the sad sad face on you I bet I shouldn’t have said all that.“ Nina opens the fridge (having stood up to pace while Tomoyo calmed Sakura down again) “I guess the only thing you can do is appeal to this elfgirl lover of her’s, and convince her that Fly is harmless. Once you do that she’ll convince Rebecca and problem solved. Rebecca has no desire to alienate her lover, and if her lover is convinced Fly is harmless then Rebecca will be convinced.” (waves hand) “Anyway I heard Keiko mention something about Rebecca ranting that you weren’t the one for the cardcaptoring thing. Don’t listen to her, it’s your destiny to reseal those cards. Only you, the one who originally did the deed in the past, can do this job. Nobody else is up to it, and not even the most powerful amongst the Guardian classes can do this job. This is specifically your task, and the cards already have your name on them (twice) so they know you.” (points at Crème Brulle in her hands) “Just like this piece of food product is a job only I can undertake. Nobody else is up to the task of eating this…” (smiles) “…under penalty of death.”

Sakura - “I put Tomoyo’s name on them too.”

“What?” Nina’s face frowns, “Not on my Crème Bru--“ (looks) “…oh, wait, you mean the cards don’t you…“ (sighs) “Do they listen to her too now?”

Sakura - “Yes.”

Nina thinks for a second, “That’s not surprising. You two are deeply in love. The cards pick up on that depth of affection and simply “adopted” Tomoyo as their surrogate “mistress” along with yourself, and are willing to obey her as well as you because you two are so close.”

Tomoyo looks at Sakura in a bit of confusion, “So your saying I can use the Clow cards?”

Nina - “Once they’re sealed? Yeah. You already helped Sakura use the sealing staff once with Shadow / Fear so it makes sense that you can use the cards. They love Sakura, and she loves you, so it’s natural the cards would transfer that chain into their expressing love to you as Sakura (who they love) loves you in turn. You understand?”

“----” (Sakura looks perplexed by the ramblings of Nina)

“You’re the one who said she could use the cards yet look so “deer in headlights”-ish when I try to explain the specifics of it. Never mind.” (Nina sits down, Crème Brulle in hand) “So how did Rebecca find you anyway?”

Sakura - “?!?“ (blanks out) “She never said.“

“Ogh. That’s bad.” (Nina leans back taking a sip) “It’s bad enough when they brag and show their magical wears, but to completely keep her methods silent like that is troublesome. It’s not like we filed a ton of reports with your physical address or anything making it easy to hunt you down… she must have used her clout as the 5th Judgement to get into Government records to find your whereabouts (and the fact you were connected to the cards).“

Sakura - “But--- the first time the Clow cards were released there was this whole thing about a great disaster. I didn’t like how things almost ended the first time because of the cards---” (looks sad) “---it won’t happen again, will it? Will--- I DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT!!”

Tomoyo - “Sakura-chan---”

Sakura - “I DON’T WANT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH TOMOYO ONLY TO LOSE HER!!”

Tomoyo slides up next to Sakura, gently taking the distraught girl into her arms as she rocks her beloved’s fears away. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here--- I won’t leave you.”

“It’s probably nothing like that.” Nina remarks, “Events like that only happen once. They’re tied directly into situations that happened the first time around, so there won’t be a repeat of those things again. Anyway you found your love with Tomoyo at your darkest hour, right? You won’t lose it no matter what happens.”

“Thank god!” (Sakura hugs Tomoyo as both girls pat each other on the backs)

“Now---” (intercom goes off) “---what’s that?”

“Doorbell. Somebody’s here.” (Tomoyo)

“I’ll go check it out.” Nina stands up and heads out the door. As she walks downstairs to the door Nina’s features turn graven, “On the other hand--- if THEY get involved things could be more complicated than any of us could even imagine---” (sighs) “Alright! Alright! I’m here!!” (clicks on security monitor) “Don’t get your panties in a bunch! Now let’s see---” (looks at image) “Eliza? Sheesh.” (opens door) “Eliza! You have the key, why didn’t you let yourself in? Come here silly---” Nina gives Eliza a hug. “You had me worried! I thought it was a door-to-door salesman or something! I---”

SHRRICCKK!

Nina’s eyes go wide, her limbs stiffen abit. She leans against Eliza as she looks down, and notices the blade sticking through her side. “----”

With a thrust of one hand Eliza throws Nina back, watching the girl slam into the floor, breath escaping as she is knocked senseless.

“Nina? Whose down there? Ni---”
Sakura stops at the foot of the stairs as Eliza turns on her, sword in hand, Nina lying before her holding onto her side as she slowly bleeds on the floor.

To Be Continued

Preview of Trial of Fire and Darkness (Part 1)

Trial of Fire and Darkness Preview
Chapter 9

Mr. Weasley woke up after only a few hours sleep. Wearily he looked about the tent, making sure eveyrone was there and in their place. One quick look however turned up one fact, two of their number were gone. Quickly he stumbled outside only to see the missing two in the distance sitting on top of a small pile of materials stacked into a seating arrangement. From one side an older wizard named Finnigian gently grasped Arthur’s arm, “Leave her be, Arthur, she’s worn out.”

True to word Alicia did look just that. Sitting there staring vacantly at the surroundings, she was being comforted by Hermione (who had wrapped one of the blankets from the tent around them as she cuddled close from behind, keeping them warm). “She’s been at it all night,” Finnigian continued, “Hasn’t slept a wink she has. I don’t know how we could have gotten through sorting together the remains of those bastards she off’d as quickly as we did, and with such an orderly manner!” (Arthur turned back to wake the others) “Who’d have thought the Muggles had that kind of skills. What with them and that there “Forceptics”…”

“Forensics.” Arthur whispered as he entered the tent, “It’s called Forensics.”

* * * * * * *

“Thank you…” Alicia muttered numbly, her gaze barely lifting from it’s straight path.

“For what.” Hermione asked, eyes fluttering open abit realizing she had fallen asleep holding onto Alicia. “You looked as if you needed a hug.”

“Yeah…” (smiles as she turns towards Hermione) “…I guess I did… maybe a bit more…”
Slowly she leans towards her, hesistant, only to feel Hermione respond by pressing herself into her arms, kissing her fully on the lips rousing her into full awakeness.

As she held Hermione close, kissing her, briefly memory of what happened brushed her thoughts.

* * * * * *

Driven out of the tent Alicia quickly looked for the source of the commotion, eyes scanning the area quickly. By the lights of the few fires that were still burning, she could see people fleeing from something by heading into the woods, something that was moving through the field towards them. This threat flashed oddly, weird lights that flickered like the navigational beacons of a starship set for Christmas observance along with the krakt of gunfire that could not possibly be gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting towards them. Then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene and a deathly ill that overcame her almost immediately. Somebody had just died.

A large gathering of dark robed wizards, tightly packed and moving together like a moving target (wands pointed upwards as if surrendering or saluting some monsterous evil) was marching towards them, slowly across the field. Alicia summoned her armor, her riotarmor helmet sliding into place tempoarily blocking her view as her visor clicked on and gave her access to it’s binoculars mode.
Click. 2x magnification. Click. 4x magnification.
Their heads were masked in dark hood and skull masks, befitting their twisted nature. High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes. It was as though the masked wizards on the ground was bending them like clay to their twisted wills. Two of the figures were obviously halflings from the Southern Nations who still had cities in the vast protected forests of South America (in which part of their trade with the other races consisted of the trade of natural resources they had no use for in exchange for protection of their Nations from human expansion), but the other two made Alicia gulp hard.

More wizards were joining the marching band of evil, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled in size. The screaming grew louder.
It was the sight of the floating couple, however, that caught her attention the most. The Alliance Officer supervising the Quidditch World Cup on behalf of Lazarus, Mr. Anderson, was one of them. The other was his elvin wife who held her voice silent, somehow remaining the calmest of them all despite the things they did to her. She had only eyes for her husband, and did not flinch once from gazing towards him no matter what they did to her. One of the marchers below flipped her upside down with his wand, her nightie falling free of her body revealing her beautiful nude form. She did not flinch, nor did she attempt to cover herself, she simply stared onwards at her mate and whispered “I love you.” even as the crowd screeched and hooted with glee at her nudity.

“That’s bloody sick of them.” Ron muttered, unable to tear his gaze away from her nudity as much as the other males who tormented her. As one of the other wizards began to spin one of the two female halfings about like a top, her head flopping limply from side to side, Ron said “That is really sick…”

One of the other wizards motioned his wand towards Mrs. Anderson and saying out loud, “I want the bitch. Bring her down here so I can take her like the whore she is.”
That, as they say, was that. Before Hermione could grab her she was already in motion, vanishing before her hand could grasp her.

The one who spoke was already pulling her robes apart, reaching for him undergarments. “Come on! I want to see just how well the little slut can suck my…”
And that is all he said.
His body seized, muscles locked, as his head snapped back in a silent agonizing scream. Seconds later his mask fell free and blood flowed out of his mouth, face frozen in shock. As Alicia kicked him forward, hand still clutching his heart that she had jammed her tritanium laced armor gauntlet through his torso to wretch free, she regarded them all with loathing.
Shocked, the others all stared at her confused. That didn’t last long as one of them took a large step back, as if familiar with her, as another stepped forward and screamed. “Who the he--”

With one motion Alicia tossed the slowing heart away as she tossed the dead wizard’s confiscated wand from one hand to the other, snapped her arm forward quickly to throw it through the mask of the approaching wizard bringing a fresh shriek as it sank through his eye. In a quick movement she was upon him, slamming her two hand energy blade (freshly charged) into his body arms crossing as she did, twisting slightly as she pulled her arms outwards to her sides quickly snapping him in a lopsided two parts.

Two more grabbed her, only to be shredded by her familyar cloak (hidden in her armor until needed), their bloodied corpses falling to the wayside as her large energy wings spread fully before the shocked Death Eaters. Her eyes then fell on the one who looked at her and seemingly recognized her, even as the others began to fall away and run for it. Quickly she was upon him fast, holding him in place by twisting one arm, her free hand reaching up to grasp his mask. As it fell away she noticed him right off, a smile crossing her lips as she stared at him. “Lucius… isn’t it?”

Lucius Malfoy glared at her, wincing under the pain of her grip as he struggled, “You don’t know what you’re doing…”

She pulled him towards her and kisses him hard, silencing his words as the kiss lingers for the longest time… as his blood pours into her mouth with the last dying rasps of his body’s life draining away from the energy blade jammed into his chest. Pushing him away she spits out the blood, wiping her mouth clean as she looked about the field as it rapidly emptied of all Death Eaters as they fled. She clenched her fists, worked out the kinks in her neck, and picked the farthest target to kill first.

“AVADA KEDAVRA!!”

From behind her she was struck down by a powerful bolt of green energy, knocking her face first into the ground. Stunned she stumbled trying to regain her feet, her senses suddenly going all to pot as everything in her head seemed to become muddled under the attack. The green flash, however, sparked something dim in her mind… it was the same as the killing blow that killed the person earlier that she felt. Which meant for all intents and purposes she should have been dead right now.
Her familiyar screamed in her mind, furthering her disorientation and confusing her, apparently it was also thrown for a loop by the blast and was reeling from it as she was. Everything spun and spun but as she stumbled about she felt someone draw close to her… right before she felt him kick her in the stomach, landing her into the soft ground as her consciousness fled her.

Part 2 Next Sunday

Azkaban 6

Sunday January 7th 2007
Azkaban 6
(NOTE - Disclaimer time once again ladies and gentlemen! Harry Potter and all related characters are the property of the one and only J.K. Rowlings. One book to completion of her series, three movies to go (with Order of the Phoenix coming in Summer of 2007). By the way, that means she only has until… hmm… I’d say we’ll see Harry Potter Year 7 the Movie by Summer 2010 if things go the way they do, so Rowlings will have to answer whether she’ll do anything with the Potter franchise past the last book of the series by then. Don’t envy her, by the way, when she finally makes her announcement if she hadn’t already.)

A feeling of darkness overshadowed Alicia's thoughts in her sleep.
She was right on the money when she told Snape that every Dementor within a thousand miles was there. Within 10 miles of Hogwarts the entire host of Dementors in this part of the world were gathered. A high number of them to be certain, all here apparently for Black.

They must have numbered in the hundreds, maybe even the thousands, yet for the most part they kept behaved from what she could feel. No large scale psionic screams of pain and panic, no rampages of terror… yet.
Of course, as the saying went, there was a first time for everything.
Still, despite the fact that they were there for a good thing, it was not a good thing to have so many of these dark things gathered so tightly together. The chance of the things running rampant and out of control was just too great to risk such a thing happening. No matter what assurances the Ministry of Magic made on their behalf it was clear that the chances of them slipping "off the wagon", and following their inner demons over their duty was too great. In short things were going to be quite interesting this year.

But then again she didn't need Dementors to make life "interesting" for her. At times the living did more than an adequate job of that. At breakfast in the Great Hall, it seemed that Malfoy was up to his old tricks again. He was entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a "funny" story, accentuated by him doing a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit, obviously "fainting" like Potter. Alicia didn't speak to him. She merely walked pass him, grabbed his arm, and "fed" him what Potter was fed by the Dementor, bringing the entire room to silence as Malfoy began screaming horrifically.
He had to be rushed to Madame Pomfrey, but the point was clear, at least to her in any case.

The rest of the Slytherins avoided her, giving her a wide berth as she walked over and started eating. Finally, after much staring, she stood up and said "He wanted to know why Potter fainted. That's why. At least Potter was a man, and was only subdued by the Dementor's dark aura, Malfoy couldn't even take half of what they did without screaming like a baby. So don't go staring at me like that. He wanted it, after all."
She let her words drift off as the Slytherins turned away from her, fear radiating from them. Good. At least they'll remain behaved for awhile, except she shook up everyone else in the room. Eventually the room returned to normal, but the remembrance of what she did remained. It took a clean sweep mindwipe spell to get the room completely back to normal.

'Not even past day 1 and already I'm mindwiping short term memories.' she lamented, feeling abit uneasy for having to have done such an "easy out" so quickly. But even then it wasn't perfect. Not by a long shot. The only ones who weren't touched by this was Malfoy and his personal "fan club" of goons and supporters, who went with him to Madame Pomfrey. But they won't give her problems now, at least, she hoped they wouldn't. "You're in a mood, and it's only Day 1." George reminded her, passing her schedule as he did. He didn't need a memory of what she did to see that she was not in a good mood.
"Not in the mood." she retorted. "Thinking of the Dementors." she half lied. "I know." George said, the memory of it still sticking in his craw, "They're horrible things, those Dementors."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred. "You didn't show him, what it did to…" Harry stumbled, Alicia's eyebrow going up as she realized he still remembered what she did. Shaking it off quickly she merely replied "Let it go, Harry. He got only what was close to his own "heart", not what is close to yours."

The topic steered quickly to that of Azkaban, giving Alicia a "out" from having to explain further what she did to Malfoy, for now at any rate. But Potter stuck in her craw. Mainly how did he avoid having his memories retooled when she nailed everyone in the room with one shot? For a quick diversion, Alicia grabbed Hermione's schedule to compare notes. That's when she was hit with shock #2 of the day. Well, shock #3.
Shock #1 came when she woke up with her fellow Chasers in her bed looking even more mischievous than usual ever since they became an item. And since that was a length of only hours for Alicia, this didn't bode well for her. "It's way too early for me to even humor this." she grumbled. "Isn't there two lesbian spirits over in the girl's bathroom on the fifth floor? Go bother them, they have all eternity to teach you the lesbian lifestyle, I don't."

They wouldn't take no for an answer. So she finally pushed them out of her bed and crawled out, running a hand through her unkempt hair as she grabbed her robes. "I hate my life." This situation reminded her of the awkwardness of that other situation, only worse. The paper seemed right except for the fact that the schedule seemed rather impossible. "You've got to be kidding me." she rasped, holding the paper up as Hermione tried to grab it back from her, "You're down for TEN subjects a day?!? No way! You crazy or something??"

"I'll manage." she gasped, finally taking her schedule back, "I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

"Then I hope she plans to start cloning you because this is impossible!" Alicia shot back, "You're down for Muggle Studies, Arithmancy AND Divination at 9'o clock alone!! No way you'll be doing all THREE at once, unless you have two evil twins you never told us about." (Alicia's eyebrow raises in a bit of a Vulcan like manner) "Or are you the evil twin you never told us about."

"Don't be silly!" Hermione quickly replied, "Of course I won't be in three classes at once." "Well, then how?" Ron started, only to be shot down when Hermione asked for the marmalade. A minute later Hermione said "Oh, Ron, stop pouting! What's it to you if my schedule's abit full?"

"We care about you dammit!!" Alicia snapped back, causing Hermione to blush from Alicia's sudden surge of emotion. "…Alicia!"

"What! Is it wrong to care about you?!? I…" Hermione puts a finger to Alicia's mouth, bringing her to silence as she looked at her in awe. Alicia simply fell silent at this, and looked at her, face burning as she blushed. Hermione smiles, and whispers "I told you I got this fixed with Professor McGonagall. Trust me."
Alicia didn't know what to do, so she simply leaned forward quickly and kissed the tip of Hermione's finger bringing an deep red blush to Hermione's face. The two stared at each other, unable to speak as they tried to recover from what happened. Hermione blushed, then began to say something… slowly… as if she wanted to say… Just then, as if to break the tension between the two, Hagrid entered the Great Hall absentmindedly swinging a dead polecat from one of his hands.

Alicia turned, looked at him, and said "No thanks, I already ate." "Eh? Oh?" (looks at polecat) "…right. Sorry about that." (puts polecat out of sight as he addresses them) "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everythin' ready?" (blushes) "…hope it's OK… me, a teacher… hones'ly…"

"Just as long as you don't bring a female werewolf to class I think you'll do fine."
Hagrid, grinning broadly at them (the blush still covering his face, no doubt from a memory of his predecessor and his predecessor's new wife) quickly retreated to the Staff Table. "Wonder what he's been getting ready…" Ron mused out loud, abit of anxiety in his voice. "Probably something fun… or dangerous… or both." Alicia remarked, "Take your pick." Everyone was beginning to head out to class, and so they had to head out as well. First class of the day was Divination (and Muggle Studies + Arithimancy if you were Hermione).

* * * * * *

The journey to the North Tower (where Divination was being held) was in itself an adventure. Mostly because they ended up becoming rather lost while looking for class. That's because they've been through a lot of the school, but never been to the North Tower before. Never. "There's --" (Ron gasped as he trudged up stairs #7) "-- got --" (long spiraling stairs #7) "-- to -- be -- a -- shortcut!" he rasped, the four finally emptying out into another unfamiliar landing. "Well sure there is but it could get us killed." Alicia remarked, all eyes turning onto her. "I could teleport us up, but since I don't know where we're teleporting we could end up inside a wall and… yeah… be "Terminated"… as it were."

Nobody took her up on the teleportation offer after that explanation. "I think it's that way." Hermione remarked, pointing off in one direction, bringing out a "Can't be," from Ron. "That's south, look, you can see a bit of the lake out of the window…"

"Behave you two or I'll teleport you both into the lake, I can see that just fi--" (Alicia stops as she notices Harry watching something) "…what are you…"
A strange sight greeted them as something approached them from inside the painting. A strange female in a red riding outfit stumbled onto the picture, looking about left and right for something. "Last time I go through THAT painting! Damn people nearly gave me a fright and…" (she stops as she regards the four staring at her) "Ah! Right. Hi there?" (blinks) "Uh-huh." They watched, in amazement, as the little female rider turned and whistled, waiting in vain for something to show up. "It's never around when I need…" (stops, turns to look at her "guests" watching her from outside the painting) "Oh, bother."

"Are you missing something?" Harry asked, moving closer to the painting only to be stopped by the small female who said "Not so close!" (Harry apologized as he stopped) "Remember my comfort zone, please! Thanks."

Finally a broom flew into the picture and ran the small female over, knocking her to the ground as it passed by, turning to stop just above her hovering. With a sad groan she pulls herself to her feet and grasp the broom, "I wish they drew me with something other than a mischievous broom for a "ride"!"

"Excuse us," Harry said, taking advantage of her presence there, "We're looking for the North Tower. You don't happen to know the way, do you?"

"Oh, sure, I live up there. Come on." she motions, climbing on her broom -- stopping only to ask "Can you see my arse? I didn't rip my riding pants again, did I?" (everyone shakes their head in the negative) "I hate it when that happens."
It didn't take long to find the class, the four of them chasing after the small female on the broom as she led them from painting to painting. One painting in particular she zoomed past a group of females so fast she flipped their long skirts up as she flew by. This caused Herimone to grab Ron to drag him past as he ogled their panties. As they reached the class the female on the broom did an abrupt u-turn and sped off leaving them behind without so much as leaving a name. Just as well since they were almost late. Still, Alicia mused, she had to know who the strange little female was. Maybe a little research?

They quickly climbed the last few steps and came upon most of the class, but there was no doors off of this landing (hence why everyone was still there). Ron nudged Harry and pointing towards the ceiling. There, where a circular trapdoor sat, was a brass plaque that read "Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher". "Right. How are we getting up there?" Ron asked. The trapdoor opening, and a silvery ladder coming down pretty much answered that question. As Alicia entered the "class", she found herself surrounded by the strangest looking classroom she had ever wandered into.

It was abit like a cross between some quaint little fancy tea shop, and somebody's old attic. The room was filled with 20 small circular tables, while seating was provided by odd looking armchairs and little poufs. The entire room was lit by dim crimson lighting, and the room was dark since the curtains around them were drawn tightly closed. There were lamps in the room, but they all were shrouded by red scarves which gave the room a reddish glow to it. It was very warm in the class, and it smelled like the inside of a honeycomb since a strong sickly sweet perfume smell filled the airspace about them. The shelves were stacked to capacity with dusty looking feathers, a ton of candle stubs, packs upon packs of old tattered playing cards and countless crystal balls and a huge array of teacups. "Is she a fortune teller or a packrat." Alicia grumbled, eyes taking in everything about her. "Where is she?" Ron asked. The voice that spoke next answered that question right away, since the voice could only be that of the professor herself. "Welcome. How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Alicia groaned, already sensing a bad experience from this class without even having been in said class for not even one minute. As Professor Trelawney moved into the light, Alicia looked at her with disdain. She was very thin, wearing huge glasses that magnified her eyes several times to an almost comical size, and she was draped in the most unnerving outfit of a spangled shawl, many chains and beads, and a ton of bangles and rings. She must be setting off metal detectors miles away from them even as they looked at her. "Sit, my children, sit." she said with a slight wave of her arms, everyone moving to sit on one of the awkward seating arrangements, Alicia taking one of the armchairs around the same table as Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"Welcome to Divination." she started, eyes already panning about at her class sizing them up. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

"Then you should go see an Inner Eye Doctor." Alicia snipped back without missing a beat. Professor Trelawney, not affected by Alicia's remark, continued. "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts."

"It's a mandatory class. No actual decision making required." Alicia remarked bluntly, bringing Trelawney's big eyed gaze onto her for a second before she continued, trying not to let Alicia's remarks throw her timing. "I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can only take you so far in this field." Hermione didn't seem too pleased to hear THAT, groaning silently as she clutched her book. "Many witches and wizards, talented though they may be in the art of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future."

'Like you can.' Alicia thought to herself, becoming already annoyed with this teacher. "It is a Gift granted to a few. You, boy," (her attention falling on Neville and his girlfriend May who barely manages to keep Neville from falling off his pouf at the sudden attention) "Is your grandmother well?"

"I think so," said Nevelle tremulously. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear." Trelawney said snidely, bringing an angry protest from May. Alicia merely shrugged and said "Tell her in your next letter to have a little spell on hand for heartburn. Her next experiment with mexican cuisine will not go well. Trust me."
At this Neville nods his head furiously, taking Alicia's words to heart. Trelawney, not thrown by Alicia's counter, turned her attention to the others. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," (she turns suddenly on Parvati Patil) "beware a red-haired man." Alicia quickly peeked ahead, and nodded her head. "Not Ron." she said (noting Patil's odd expression towards Ron) "You're going to be approached by a tall red haired man looking for his puppy during the Christmas holiday in Hogsmeade. Simply point at him and scream "PERVERT" and he'll be caught by Hogsmeade' Police and arrested for several charges of indecent exposure. Of course it could be worse. He could have been looking for Mr. Pus--" (silence) "--never mind."

"In the second term--" Trelawney was back on it again, trying to shake Alicia's so far seemingly good "record" of countering every prediction with one of her own. It didn't help that Alicia was far more informative about her predictions, and far more confident about her predictions to boot. "We shall progress to the crystal ball -- if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu."

"I'll order flu shots for everyone before December." Alicia countered.

"I myself will lose my voice."

Alicia - "Not if I can help it. One good dose of throat medicine for you before Christmas should handle that just fine."

"…and around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."

"Make it two and you got yourself a "deal"."
A tense silence fell on the class as the two "future seers" regarded each other.
Trelawney, it seemed, was not going to have an easy time with one of her new students. In fact it looked like a long drawn out battle was going to take place until Easter at least. Trelawney suddenly derailed the silence by asking for a silvery teapot. Lavender, who was asked, retrieved the item and gave it to her with a bit of relief on her face. That didn't last long. "That you, my dear. Incidentally?" Alicia beat her to the punch. "Keep your rabbit indoors on October 16th, and have someone call Animal Control to pick up a wild animal that'll wander onto your property during the lunch hour."

"Now I want you all to divide into pairs." Trelawney announced, once again ignoring Alicia's counter predictions with a determination to steer the class her way. "I want you all to divide up into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me."
Alicia drowned out the rest. She already knew what to do so she went to doing it, taking Hermione as a partner. She did stop, however, to calm May down after Trelawney went after Neville (again) with her predictions. Once Alicia did what she had to do, she exchanged samples with Hermione and stared into it intensely. "What can you see?" Hermione asked. "I see a very good reason why I never drink tea in the first place. This stuff is majorly disgusting." Alicia remarked sadly. "And people actually set time aside for this? Ewww."

This time it was her turn to be thrown off her "game" as it were, mostly thanks to the thick layer of perfume "air" that was around her. It could have been that, or maybe it was the stomach wrenching stuff sitting before her. One or the other, take your pick, was messing her up. Then again maybe it was the fact that she was disturbed by this future seeing stuff. She could, in fact, see Hermione's future if she wanted to. Hence the problem she faced. She could see her future, but she simply did NOT want to! She didn't want to use her own flawless skill, and end up seeing too much of Hermione's future, especially if it meant they had no future together.

Dammit! She grumbled, slamming her fists down, why did she go with her first compulsion to pair up with Hermione?!? That was such a mistake! Briefly a thought crossed her mind. Her hand pushing aside the teacups, the other grasping Hermione to pull her forward, "I see a very beautiful future in store for us." she whispers as their lips touch, Hermione's eyes fluttering close as they kissed deeply…

"What do you see?" Hermione asked again, bringing a distasteful expression to Alicia's face. "Alright, alright. Hold your broomstick, Hawkins." (examines cup) "According to this disgusting crap in my cup it looks like you'll be majorly stressed from the bigger work schedule, so you'll need to probably grab as much down time here and there as humanly possible." (blinks) "Hello? you're going to have quite abit on your plate, and more to come but the specifics seems to be rather shaky? Time will be your friend and your enemy at the same time…“ (frowns) “What the hell is that supposed to mean. Oh, and you'll also find true love where you least expect it…" (stops and steers the topic elsewhere) "You'll have…" (stops) "What the… here's a sign of trials and hardships, but this -- is that an insect? Looks like there’s a bug connected to these trials and hardships in your future… what the…" (shakes head) "Never mind. Forget I said that. Something about a bug causing hardships but really, a bug. What the hell does THAT mean anyway!" (sighs) "Ok, my future sight sucks. Humor me. What does my tea mish-mash say beside "recycle me"?"

Hermione focuses on Alicia's cup, eyes glancing back and forth from the cup to her book, checking everything over and over again before speaking. "The sign of an enemy nearby. A foe you must deal with."
'No mystery there.' Alicia thought to herself. 'Must mean Black.'
"Signs of trials and tribulations… tasks ahead of you… and a choice that leads to happiness. And then…" Hermione suddenly stops, turning the cup back and forth regarding the next "image". However it was the last "prediction" that caught Alicia's attention the most. 'A choice that leads to?' (Alicia's eyes widen) 'Waitaminute, do I make my choice about…' Suddenly Trelawney bustled past them to grab Ron's cup that he was reading for Harry.

That's when the world flips over and changes. She was now outside on the Quidditch field, and the Dementors were gathering. They were all agitated about something, and it was making them rather fussy. They drifted about in a frustrated state, tension and dark aura spilling all over the place. Before Alicia could ask one thing floated to the top of their "minds", and stuck there for what seemed like forever… before she found herself back in class as it wrapped up with everyone heading out, flustered over something.

She missed the fireworks of Harry's reading, but it seemed worth it from what happened outside. One thing came up in the Dementors' "minds" over and over again, and were still going on even now from what she could feel… one word… "Diggory". Now if she only knew what a Diggory was, let alone why they were all flustered she'd be ahead of the game, as it were. Whatever that "game" was with the Dementors that is.

* * * * * *

It didn't take Alicia long to find out why everyone was jumpier than usual. In fact all she had to do was go to her next class, Transfiguration, for that answer. Usually she was the only was who was completely jaded to Professor McGonagall's animorphic antics, which sort of hinted to Alicia at a whimsical childish side to her ultra serious demeanor. Today, however, she didn't seem to be the only one unimpressed by her shapeshifting and it seemed to stick in her craw as she regarded the entire class.
"Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformations not got applause from this class past Miss Spinnet."

Everyone looked over the Potter, and Alicia instantly knew it had to do with what she missed back in Divinations. However nobody wanted to say what it was, that is until Hermione spoke. "Please, Professsor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and --"
'The urge to bake scones and criticize BBC programming overcame us.' Alicia thought to herself in disdain.
"Ah, of course." Professor McGonagall noted, frowning her usual frown as she did, "There is no need to say anymore, Miss Granger." she sighed, looking as if she's gone this route before. And, in truth, she probably has. "Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Everyone stared right at her, but more from the fear of looking towards the "soon to be deceased" than a desire to stare at her. Potter finally confirmed that he was the "victim".
"I see," McGonagall grumbled, looking as if she was five seconds away from storming over to Divinations just to slap Trelawney upside her head. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class into her field of expertise."

"They do offer therapy for that kind of obsessive compulsive behavior." Alicia noted. At first she thought she made a mistake, and McGonagall would jump down her throat for that comment, but she merely shook her head and said "She thinks it grabs everyone's attention, and it seems to do just that." before falling silent. For a bit she simply stood there, eyes dark, before she finished by saying "If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues -- I would have crossed words to say of her."
Her nostrils flared, and her mood darkened even more. "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not lie to you and proclaim respect for an art that I have no respect for, and less patience in tolerating such "antics" from a fellow teacher. True Seers are extremely rare, and Professor Trelawney is --" She falls silent, and then -- her mood flipped. Suddenly out of nowhere she tried to achieve a very uncharacteristic smile and remarked "You look in excellent health to me, Mr. Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that, if you do die, you need not hand it in."

The tension vanished, and everyone relaxed and laughed. But Alicia seemed abit concerned. Out of nowhere McGonagall's mood did a 360 flip and she became -- cheery. What was with that? Not everyone was convinced though. Ron was still the perfect image of worry as he remarked "But what about Neville's cup?"

"Power of suggestion." Alicia shot, turning her gaze to Ron quickly, "She simply marked him right off the bat as the class' weakest link and worked him like a drum. Nothing too spectacular there." The lunchtime crowd in the Great Hall looked pretty lively, and the food looked good too, but still the specter of Divination class seemed to hang over them, even in a small way. "Cheer up, Ron!" Hermione yawned, shoving beef stew towards him, "You heard Professor McGonagall, now eat your lunch." Ron dished himself the beef stew, but still wasn't entirely convinced. "Harry, you haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have." he admitted honestly, "I saw one the night I felt the Dursleys'."
Ron dropped his fork, but Alicia was on it quickly as her hand scooped it up. "Black dogs are a dime a dozen in London. Walk anywhere and you could fall over the damn things, unless you think the entire city of London is doomed that is." Ron looked at Alicia as if she had grown wings and proclaimed herself the living embodiment of Buffalo Wings. "ALICIA! If Harry's seen a Grim then -- then -- well that's not a good thing!" he sputtered, growing red with each second, "My -- my uncle Bilius? He saw one and -- well he died twenty-four hours later! That's bad!"

"Mere coincidence." Hermione remarked without much interest, waving her head at the topic as if it meant nothing to her. "It's all in their heads. They see a "Grim", and drop dead. Completely psychological without any basis in fact. And Harry's smarter than that!"
Ron wanted to say something, but kept his "thoughts" to himself. Though even if he wanted to say something it seemed Hermione had already drowned out the world and focused on eating and looking at her books. She pulled her new Arithmancy book out, propping it open again a juice jug as she ate. "I think Divinations is very wooly. A lot of guesswork if you ask me on the whole sorry subject."

"That's because Divination by it's very nature IS guesswork." Alicia noted, everyone's attention turning to her as she took her direction and ran with it. "Divination is the foretelling of future events, but the future is always fluidic, and never set in stone. Hence Divination is mostly the forecasting of the future as it might transpire, not as it will transpire since it‘s never stable enough to properly predict. It’s much like forecasting the weather, which is pretty good but not 100% infallible even with the best magicks employed."

Ron stared with "But what about…" only for Alicia to grab Ron's cup and throws the contents onto the ground a distance from her as someone passes her, distracted as they talked to someone. "I predict a fall is about to occur."
Ron, panicked, jumps up and yells "HEY WATCH IT!!" bringing the person to a stop, and bringing their attention to the spilled liquid on the ground, which causes him to bring his arm about which hit another student in the back of the head by accident (but not to any harm to said student). At this she points at Ron, "Unknown variable."

"What are you going on about! That person almost fell and hurt himself!" Ron spat. Alicia merely shrugged and pointed at the glass, which was still full. "Slipped on what?" Sure enough the "liquid" on the ground vanished. "There are a great deal of unknown variables that could change any event seen in the future, changing the dynamics of the event, or even neutralize said event altogether or spawn new "sub-events" of greater danger than the original event." (points back to "spill") "He might have slipped. Then again he might have not. He might have hurt that person he bumped into because Ron caused him to spin, or the person he bumped may have dropped hot food on someone else. Anything could have happened, but the exact order cannot be predicted since the variables of the said event are too great to predict with any accuracy. Got me?"

"Uh? No." Ron answered truthfully. "Yeah. Well I don't get it much either but it's the best answer I got, so there."
And, with that, Alicia went back to eating. Hermione, who seemed to have absorbed the whole spiel with some understanding, merely shrugged at it and said "If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens to get a buzz out of people then I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer!"

"You won't be.” Alicia admitted, “That person leaving in Easter is you. I'll join you, by the way, hence making it two as I predicted."

"Well that's no fun if you spoil the surprise in advance." Ron grumbled, to which Alicia countered "You're a sad, sad human being. At least the rest of the classes are better."

Hermione - "Agreed. That lesson was worthless next to what I learned in Arithmancy today." She snatched her bag up, finished eating, and stalked off. Alicia sighed. "Don't need to be lying just because your cranky. Especially since you didn't even take Arithmancy today."

"So I noticed." Ron said to Harry.

* * * * * *

The next class was outside, which suited Alicia just fine. The sky was clear with a hint of gray, and the grass was rather springy with a hint of moisture remaining from the heavy rain yesterday. This was going to be the Care of Magical Creatures class. Alicia's worst class.
If anything she didn't like the idea of having to raise anything living other than herself or another human being, so she knew she was going to be so terrible at this class. Ron and Hermione wasn't speaking to each other, which suited her fine since she could hang near Hermione and not have Ron interrupt them as they talked. But it seemed she was acting more as the "go between" for them than anything else since they insisted on using her to relay messages to each other.

That, of course, didn't sit well with her. And, of course Slytherin class had to be there. It couldn't have been Ravenclaw, oh no, it simply had to be Slytherin, meaning Malfoy had to be there. 'Wondrous.' Alicia grumbled to herself. Hagrid was waiting for them at the door of his hut, standing in his moleskin overcoat with Fang at his side. He seemed rather impatient to start the class, so something had to have been up. "C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as everyone approached him, "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

The first thought that popped into Alicia's head was that they were going to take a trip right into the forest, which didn't suit her well. She wasn't there when Ron and Harry took the trip into the forest to find Aragon (who turned out to be a rather large mutant spider with a murderous kin that Alicia only had glimpses on while they were fleeing on the as-of-yet still MIA Weasley car after she teleported back to them only to land on said car's roof seconds before the chase), but she figured one brief encounter with them was plenty for her. However, much to everyone's relief, they skirted the outer area of the forest for about five minutes until they came to a rather large paddock, no doubt for containing whatever large beast they were going to be dealing with in class. At the moment, though, the paddock was empty. "Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it -- make sure yeh can see -- now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books --" Which everyone did. Alicia sighs inwardly as she rubs her chest, face flustered and blushing bright red, "I need to find a better way to docilize mad biting books?"

"-- oh, good, you got it right. That's good." Hagrid noted, looking more surprised than anyone else that the books were now completely docile. "Very good, oh-kay, then, movin' on now yeh need the Magical Creatures… yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on a sec." He quickly strolled away, still confused by the turn of events, straight into the forest. "God, this place is going to the d-- ACK!!" Malfoy's book jumped for a second, snapping once and falling silent, promptly silencing Malfoy at the same time. He looked at it as if it was about to come to life again, as Alicia lowered her hand which she just used to briefly animate the book.

Figures. Malfoy bought his book from the stock of pre-dociled books that Alicia calmed, so he didn't know they could do that. Oh, well. She couldn't reverse the spell, that was locked in, but at least she could "play" with him. Lavender Brown looks at her own book, and blinks, "Maybe it's hungry… OOOOoooo!!" she suddenly squealed, her eyes darting up as she pointed towards the opposite end of the paddock. Trotting towards them were a dozen of the strangest creatures Alicia had ever run across, but their identity was clear to her since she had heard of them.

They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings and heads of birds (in this case gigantic eagles). Their beaks were large, menacing, and steel colored as if made of metal. Their eyes flashed a bright, sharp orange tint which made them appear that much more menacing (if that was possible for such a beast)! Each of these beasts, in turn, wore thick leather collars which were attached to long chains which Hagrid had a tight grip on. He came jogging in behind them like Siegfred or Roy during a Las Vegas show, bringing the tigers out for everyone to see. "Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains masterfully as he urged the creatures towards the fence where the class stood. Everyone except Alicia drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them, tethering the creatures quickly to the sturdy fence before them.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, to which Alicia shot back "I know we are, but what of it." The class chuckled nervously, unlike McGonagall's quip this didn't have the effect of calming everyone's nerves, and with these huge beasts it's no wonder it failed as it did. "Beau'iful, aren' they!" Alicia nodded her head slowly, as did Harry. Despite their menacing size they were, in fact, quite a sight to behold. With their gleaming shimmering coats of hair/feathers, and the variety of colors that stretched the spectrum of the rainbow, they did indeed embody a wild beastly beauty. "So, if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer--"
Nobody seemed all that willing to take Hagrid up on the offer. Even Alicia, who didn't back away at first, wasn't coming any closer either. The hippogriffs were big, large creatures -- but for a creature so big their "mental" profile was blank. They were like large voids of silence which unnerved Alicia. She couldn't sense their feelings, thoughts, or even what was rattling through their heads at that moment. Something was making them "silent" to her and she didn't know if it was the hippogriffs themselves or…

Suddenly she noticed that Harry, Ron and Hermione were already in motion stepping up next to her, coming closer to the fence. Hagrid, taking this as a good sign, went on. "Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud, easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."
'Yeah, now there's a vote of confidence in my future plans to raise hippogriffs.' Alicia sighed inwardly. However it seemed the "Three Stooges" of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle weren't paying attention. In fact they were talking as if they had no intention of paying enough attention to the class to pick up something that might save their lives. "Yes always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid went on to say, "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh--"

Something off to one side catches Alicia's eye. A quick movement. Something in the trees. It looks like her "stalker" may have made it to Hogwarts after all, despite the large force of Dementors protecting the school. But, then again, they were after Sirius Black, not an unknown Animorph that was only a danger to their new "mistress" and no one else.
"Right -- who wants to go first?"
At the mere mention of someone actually going "first" it seemed as if the rest of the class had taken that chance to put even more distance between themselves and the hippogriffs. Even Ron, Hermione and Harry seemed to have misgivings about the whole thing, with only Alicia standing her ground, but probably less from enthusiasm than a fear that they'd charge at her if she made any quick movements. And, with the hippogriffs making a rather aggressive showing as they tossed their heads back and forth while flexing their powerful wings, it didn't seem that anyone would take the "plunge" into hippogriff bonding anytime soon. Hagrid, almost pleading, asked "No one?"

'Make them stop doing that and I'll maybe risk my life at it.' Alicia thought to herself. Harry steps forward, giving Alicia her excuse not to step forward. "I'll do it." It seemed as if half the class suddenly sucked in air hard, their fears rising as Harry stepped forward. "Oooh, no! Harry! Remember your tea leaves!"

"This isn't the time for a refreshing drink." Alicia snipped, trying not to worry Harry too much. Harry, ignoring the worrywarts behind him, climbed over the paddock fence and into the area with the hippogriffs. Hagrid seemed most pleased with this, his hands already moving to untie one of the smaller hippogriffs. "Good man, Harry! Right then -- let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak." The one in question, Buckbeak, was a gray hippogriff that was abit smaller than the bigger hippogriffs in the paddock. Only the Slytherins seemed uninterested in Harry's fate as he neared the huge beasts. Hagrid, however, was concerned. "Easy now, Harry." Hagrid whispered near silently, he hands tensing as he watched with great interest. "Yeh've got eye contact, so try not to blink too much… Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"

'Words to live (and die) by.' Alicia chided in her mind as she watched Harry slowly draw closer to Buckbeak. "That's it." Hagrid whispered, his eyes focused on the act, "That's it, Harry. now--" And once again the world went upside down.

* * * * * *

The Dementors… shadows… something lurking in the distance, but a clear and present threat. The coming of something powerful. A war. And the truth that would set all free, and bring either the promise of life, or death.

* * * * * *

The class broke into applause, breaking Alicia's concentration as she focused on her thoughts. Harry did it, and Alicia was zoning out when he did it. Considering the events of the day it seemed to have fit all things considered. "Righ' then, Harry. I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"
Sure enough he did, but it was the emotions felt in this moment that touched Alicia. It seemed so intense, and pure… is this what it's like to feel the energy of feelings from the source? The curiosity of it all. Sure, while Buckbeak was no Nimbus 2000, he was still flyable even by Alicia's standards. Watching Harry slowly get the hang of flight with the hippogriff got Alicia's mind to wandering… "Your mind seems busy." The voice called from a great distance. "But aren't you forgetting…?"

"Forgetting?" she muttered. "It's still there, watching you… just over there, moving as it watches… waiting for it's moment."

"?!?" Alicia snaps to it, 'That's right!' she thinks quickly, 'It's still here!!'
"Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid, the flight obviously being over with, as everyone cheered, everyone except Malfoy and his flunkies that is. "Okay, who else wants a go!"
As the class slowly moved forward, emboldened by Harry's success, Alicia continued to scan the treeline, looking for her target only to notice it was indeed in motion, staying one step ahead of her eyes as it scanned for it. Stepping towards the hippogriffs her eyes continued to scan, looking in vain for her one target. "Shouldn't have been distracted…" she grumbled to herself, causing Ron to ask her what she said, "Nothing. Never mind."

Neville at first tried to back away from his since it didn't want to bend down, but May would have none of it. She strode forward despite everyone's protests and began to yell at the hippogriff in elvish! It was a short rant, not enough to get Hagrid over to her to yank her away before she strode away, but the hippogriff apparently knew something of the elvish language and finally bowed to Neville. As he was dragged to the hippogriff by May, Alicia glanced at how Hermione was doing. She seemed to have better luck as she and Ron both were petting a huge chestnut colored one, as Harry watched from nearby.
Malfoy, it seemed, had hit it off with Buckbeak (the one Harry had rode) and Alicia walked over to check it out as he petted the huge hippogriff with a careful touch. Oddly enough it seemed that he did, indeed, have a delicate touch despite his acidic attitude to everyone. 'Maybe the good mood only comes out at home.' she mused, watching him pet the beast. That good mood didn't last long, though, as his face turned disdainful. "This is very easy, I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it." he drawled on like an idiot, not realizing how close he was bringing himself to danger. "I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly br--"

Alicia didn't wait any longer. She grabbed Malfoy and threw him backwards, and was rewarded for her effort with a sharp pain as Buckbeak's claw dug into her shoulder. She clenched her teeth as the pain ripped through her, the world spinning abit as she felt Hagrid rush between them to wrestle Buckbeak back. She felt the hot flow of blood pouring over herself and knew it was a serious wound, but not so that she couldn't heal it -- that's when she saw the flash of light. She could barely cast "Displacer" to push everyone around her out of ground zero before the bioblast ripped into her.

The shot threw her twenty feet slamming her hard into the ground, sending her rolling side over side as she felt her damaged arm wretch up in pain from the impact. Everyone was scattering, and May was already barking orders to the hippogriffs in elvish getting them to move in an orderly manner to shield the students. But for Alicia there was no shield. As long as the "stalker" kept moving, and kept firing off "breath cannon" shots at her she didn't dare take cover behind a student or a hippogriff lest she put them at risk. So she pulled herself to her feet, one hand grabbing her wound as she struggled to get moving.
Another shot fired at her, only to be reflected by a hastily cast "Novashield" spell which protected her. But it wouldn't last forever. With her arm damaged it was nearly impossible to continue to cast defensive spells, and offensive magic was now impossible if she couldn't focus energy into both arms. Added to that the large amount of "non-targets" scattered about the field that could fall prey to a counterattack cast in haste she had pretty much no options open to her as her enemy took advantage of her situation to the fullest.

She saw the next shot fire off, this time at Hermione who was moving with the other students behind the cover of a hippogriff. Her heart seemed to stop at the sight, her voice silenced that she couldn't even scream a warning if she wanted to. Slamming both arms forward out of panic she cast a blaster bolt that reflected the shot, but regretted it immediately. The action worsened the injury to her arm, and brought her to her knees as the spell shot off. Now crumpled onto the ground she was defenseless against further attack.

No longer waiting, it was already in motion, taking the long leap from the trees barreling in from the sky towards her, it's claws extended and it's raptor-jaw wide open for the kill.

To Be Continued