Splat. Shizuka’s spoon dropped out of her fingers. Her chin plopped onto her other hand. Eyelids drooped as her head nodded forward.

Ayame gave her a nudge in the ribs with her elbow. Shizuka jerked her head back upright, blinking rapidly as she groped for her spoon. “Yo, what’s with you?” She looked to across the table to see Kagami faring only nominally better; she wasn’t falling asleep in her plate, but she was just kind of mindlessly pushing the contents around with her fork. “What’s with both of you?”

“Uh... with us?...” Shizuka blinked blearily. Amianna Brawnvore, the twenty-something daughter of the innkeeper, placed a steaming mug of hot spiced tea in front of her. She sipped it before speaking. “Oh.... I had the- the weirdest dreams last night....” She elected, for the moment, not to mention her sighting in the inn yard.

Kagami consumed some of the same beverage, and looked much the better for it. “Me too,” she said quietly. “But all I can remember about them now is wings. They were full of white shining wings.”

“Mine too, and a man with a wing in place of an arm-” At those words the daughter, who had been collecting used and empty plates from the tables, froze. Dishes slipped, unheeded, from her hands. Reiko threw herself sideways out of her chair, sliding along the floor to snare them in a shoestring catch.

“Looks like you didn’t have any dream problems, spitfire,” Jiro said laconically as she resumed her seat, shaking her bangs out of her eyes.

“Surprising. You’d think I’d have nightmares. After all, you’re here.”

The boy pressed a hand over his heart. “I’m so flattered.”

By this time the young lady had composed herself, fluttering hands smoothing her apron and skirt, pressing a balled fist against her mouth. When she approached again her eyes were wide and face still somewhat pale. “I- I beg your pardon for disturbing you, but I couldn’t help but overhearing- you said-”

“Hey, why don’t you sit down?” Ayame dragged a chair over from the next table. “Drink something. Then talk.”

Amianna sat, spine rigidly held away from the chair back. She accepted the mug Ayame handed her, only drinking a little of the contents before setting it aside. Her hands clasped and unclasped, fingers tightening and loosening and tightening again, knuckles turning white. “It was your- you said you had dreams-” Hurriedly, she grabbed the cup and drank some more.

“Yes, I did- we both did, in fact.” Shizuka indicated herself and Kagami. “The same dreams. We- well, when I was dancing last night I sensed something like that, I always pick things up and when I dance it’s more likely-”

Blue eyes widened under her feathery blonde hair. “Aren’t you a bit young to be able to do that? Or even to dance in public, for that matter?”

Shizuka went stiff. “A bit young? Just how old do you think I am, anyway?” Before the dithering girl could answer, she exclaimed in indignation, “I happen to be sixteen, just like the rest of them!”

Jiro ripped off a hunk of bread, stuffing a hearty chunk in his mouth. “Speak for yourself. I’m seventeen,” he said, voice blurred.

Reiko gave him a sidelong look. “Physically, maybe. But take off the ‘teen’ and you’ll be about right for your mental age.” He shoved another bite in before the second one finished. “And you look it, stuffing your face like that,” she added.

“Mmr?” The tips of Jiro’s ears reddened.

“Anyway, I’m hardly a little girl,” Shizuka huffed.

“But what is it about our dreams that you found so startling?” Kagami asked the young lady, stifling a yawn.

“Well- it’s strange, really, you’ll probably think it’s nothing-”

“Try us,” Reiko said dryly. “Weird is a matter of opinion.”

The young lady drank some more tea. “It all connects to an old family legend. Local legend, really. See, a couple hundred years ago, there was no town here. It was all forest, owned by one family. The head of the family then had seven sons and one daughter. His wife died at the birth of the last son and the daughter, who were twins. He was grief-stricken for many years after that.

“A wicked sorceress, Morchades, used that to get power over him. Then she put a curse on his sons, turning them into seven swans. She didn’t want them in the way, influencing their father. She thought to turn the daughter, Caitriona, into a mold of herself. She sensed power there, and the girl was young enough.

“But Caitriona also knew what had happened to her brothers, something the sorceress didn’t know. So she accepted the magical training, secretly using her newfound powers to see where her brothers were and make sure they were all right. After several years she was able to find the magic to free her brothers from their curse. With this knowledge, she confronted Morchades.

“She defeated her, but not without a price. Large parts of the forest were destroyed in the fight. Morchades was greatly weakened, but still alive, though just barely. She had just enough strength left to disrupt the breaking of the curse. She died as a result, but the youngest of the seven brothers was left with a swan’s wing in place of his right arm.”

Shizuka started at that pronouncement, dropping her spoon again. Hastily she grabbed her cup, taking hurried gulps of tea. “I’m sorry- go on,” she gasped.

Amianna hesitated before continuing. “Caitriona drained herself with the amount of physical and magic energy she used to defeat Morchades and free her brothers. She seems to have just sort of faded away. No one knows what happened to her after all that. Five of the brothers scattered to the four winds. The oldest stayed to tend what was left of the forest. As for youngest, some of the swan stayed with him along with the wing. He was always shy of people after that. One day he wandered into the forest, and no one ever saw him again.

“The house became a stopping place for travelers. This inn was built on the grounds of the original one. It got the name the Seven Swans in honor of the legend. The town grew up around it. As for the forest, it kept disappearing. The only sign of it left now is the cluster of trees out by the inn yard. There are stories of people seeing a glimpse of a man with dark hair and a wing in place of an arm standing at the edge of those trees, but no one has seen him in many years.”

“I- um- I have to admit that as of last night, you’ve got someone who has.” The little dancer’s voice was so soft it was practically a whisper. “I went out for a walk- I felt restless after all the strange things I’d picked up while I was dancing. Then I looked up, and he stood there for a moment, watching me, and before I could ask who he was or what he wanted, he faded away.”

“That sounds about right. It’s just that it’s been so long, I wonder why.” The young lady looked rather troubled at the thought.

“Oh, that’s easy!” Ayame exclaimed. “It’s ‘cause we’re-” Reiko cut her off by grabbing a sausage off Jiro’s fork and stuffing it in her friend’s mouth.

“It must be her empathic sense,” Kagami said smoothly, distracting Amianna from where she had been watching the other two with a surprised interest. “Have there been... any other signs of unusual happenings recently that you’ve noticed?” After all, Miara said our being summoned to this world is a sign of impending change. This is a good segway into finding out more information.

“Unusual happenings? No, I haven’t seen or heard about anything out of the ordinary,” the innkeeper’s daughter responded. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.” Kagami stifled another yawn.

“Oy there! Amianna!” Mr. Brawnvore’s voice echoed from the direction of the kitchens. “What’s keeping you with those plates!?”

“Oh!” The young lady jumped up. “I have to get back to work- whatever came over me, sitting here rambling like this?” She hastily gathered up the armful of plates she had dropped a few minutes before, getting the hasty assurance that they didn’t require anything else before bustling back into the kitchens.

“So?” Ayame asked their whole group. “What does it mean?”

Reiko replied, “I’m more interested in what about that story got that girl so upset in the first place.”

“I’m thinking there’s something under the surface, a fact we still don’t know....” Kagami fiddled with her fork, gazing out the window thoughtfully. “When you just look at the legend in retrospect, I would think that given who we are, the probability of a sighting might have increased -”

“But why just you two?” Ayame interjected. “Me and Reiko didn’t see a thing.”

“I imagine it’s because you’ve never shown signs of psychic abilities,” Shizuka said. “This is connected to the whole magic thing. Though I’d think it would’ve been Kagami who got the full effect, not me. She’s the one with the intuition.”

“We’re digressing from the point here,” Kagami said. “What I was trying to say was that our- peculiar talents- may increase the probability of such an occurrence as that of last night, but it also seems likely there’s some part of the story we don’t know. As Reiko said, a tale such as that has no reason to shock someone so severely. Even a serious lapse of time between sightings shouldn’t cause a reaction such as hers. I wonder if I could find out anything else....” She got to her feet, mind already running off into her research reverie. Leaving her breakfast half-unfinished, the young scholar wandered slowly away from the table.

“Yo, one of us’d better go after her,” Ayame said. “Otherwise she’s likely to walk into a wall or something because she’s so busy thinking.”

Shizuka got to her feet. “I will. I... as I pick up things, too, maybe I’ll catch something she doesn’t....” The little dancer followed her friend.

“Suddenly I feel worse than useless,” Reiko said.

“You could always go practice your act,” Jiro said, smirking.

She humphed. “What act you thinking there? The one where I keep smacking you upside the head until I find something resembling sense?”

He smirked wider. “Nah, the one you mentioned last night. What’d you call it?... Oh, yeah, the hoochie-coo show!”

A flush colored her face, rising from the neck up like a rosy-purple tidal wave. Her spine could’ve been used as a ramrod. A hand twitched; the fingers clenched, opened, and clenched again. “If you want to keep your face the same pattern it is now, you won’t repeat that suggestion,” she ground out. Then she thrust herself away from the table and stalked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Jiro whistled. “Whew, what’s up with her?”

“What d’you mean, what’s up?” Ayame’s expression should have warned anyone who knew her that mischief might well be impending.

“For starters, she’s got a chip on her shoulder the size of a mountain.”

“Oh, that. She doesn’t act like that with us. It’s just you.”

“Man, you know how to make a guy feel good, don’t you?”

“Don’t take it personally. She gets all defensive around guys in general. See, the Karate school she goes to is this real elite super-intense place, and most of the other students are guys. Some of them give her a hard time ‘cause she’s the only girl black belt. So if a guy acts like he might challenge her, she gets like this. And let’s face it- all your teasing ain’t exactly peaceful.”

“Hey, I can’t help it. It’s so easy to get a rise out of her.”

“That’s what they all say. But the girl’s totally out of the loop. About guys, I mean. Take last night- this guy tried to pick her up during the show, and it went- schoom!” Ayame zipped a hand over the top of her head. “Completely clueless. I’ve been her friend long enough I can say that. It’s true.”

“Huh.” Jiro pushed himself away from the table. “I think you’ve told me more’n enough about that spitfire for now. A guy can only take so much, you know? Just got to go wherever she isn’t....” He snared a last piece of bread on the way up.

As he rose, Ayame glimpsed something that looked suspiciously like the tail of Reiko’s still-missing scarf poking out of his pocket. “Yo, if you want nothing to do with her, what’re you doing toting that around? Unless you really do like her, but you don’t want anyone to know....” The mischievous twinkle in her eyes deepened.

Jiro’s fist tightened. The bread crushed into a twisty mess, bits crumbling around his fingers. “It’s just a joke,” he said through gritted teeth. “Got it? A joke.” The remnants of his would-be snack slapped down onto the table.

“Whoa, whoa, cool it, buddy!” Ayame held up her hands in a teasing-placatory gesture. “I was only kidding you....” The smile widened as she saw Reiko coming back in through the side door. Her expression upon seeing that Jiro was still there was priceless, a combination of irritation and vehement animosity. Ooo, I’m glad this place’s all cleared out, if this one’s up to their usual standard....

“You better be.” Another drink of coffee led to the apparent return of his usual rogue’s composure. He pulled the scarf out of his pocket. “I was just having some fun teasing her. That innkeeper gave me an opening I couldn’t resist.” He twirled it in one hand. “Y’think I should let her have it back sometime soon?”

The next thing he knew, the strip of fabric was no longer in his grasp. His hand spun in the air a couple more times before this registered. He blinked. “What the?...”

“I think you’ve kept this long enough.” Reiko glanced back over her shoulder as she strolled away, dangling the scarf in one hand.

“Hey, hold it!” The boy shook a fist. “I stole that, fair and square!”

“Isn’t that a contradiction?”

“Uh- wha- uh-” The boy’s mouth opened and closed, making him resemble a mute crimson frog.

Reiko cocked one hip to the side, giving the scarf a little twirl that unconsciously mirrored his gesture of a moment before. It was obvious that she was thoroughly enjoying his discomposure. “Can’t bring yourself to agree with me. I gotcha. So why don’t I just take this with me so you don’t suffer anymore?” She fluttered the thing over her head, sauntering back the way she came. “Oh, and close your mouth, kiddo. Don’t want a lost fly to find its way in there- it’d never come out again.”

Jiro firmly clamped his mouth shut at her words, color deepening. Then, grumbling, he charged with intent to tackle.

The two of them thumped to the floor. Reiko’s breath came out in a quick rush. “Gah!” She scrabbled madly forward. “Don’t you know when to give it up?” A foot kicked out behind her, catching him in the shoulder. “Barnacle!” The girl clambered to her feet, pausing just long enough to get another kick in before taking off for the door as fast as her feet could carry her.

“Aw, no, you don’t....” Eyes narrowed, it took mere seconds for the red-headed rogue to scramble up and take chase.

She whirled just long enough to tumble an adjacent chair into his path. “There’s a word for people like you! Pain in the butt!”

He cleared the fallen furniture with an agile leap. “That’s four words, doll!” Reiko just grumbled wordlessly, tossing a nearby mug at his head before taking off again, toppling more chairs in her wake.

The chase whirled around the chamber like a dervish, no chair left unfelled, no table not ducked around, shoved, or clambered over and under. Insults and imprecations filled the air. After a few minutes of this, Amianna Brawnvore’s head poked out of the kitchen door. “What’s going on?... Oh, my word!” A hand flew up over her mouth. She made a beeline to where Ayame sat watching the show, howling with laughter. “Aren’t- they’re your friends- aren’t you going to do something?” Ayame was laughing so hard she couldn’t respond. The girl plumped her hands on her hips with a huff. “Fine, then.” She cupped a hand around her mouth. “Father! Fight in the common room!”

Somehow her last words got through. The fighting pair froze in mid-squabble, eyes wide in identical expressions of near-panic. “The innkeeper?!” From the sound of their united voices, the idea of interruption by Mr. Brawnvore was the most frightening concept either had ever heard. Both promptly forgot (and released) the so hotly contested object. Reiko made for the side door, stumbling over one of her own tipped chairs along the way. Jiro sprinted for the opposite portal, spinning Amianna around once before he, too, made his hasty exit.

Mr. Brawnvore entered a mere second later. “What’s this about a fight?” Hooking his thumbs through his apron loops, he surveyed the newly developed chaos of his domain. “Who caused this ruckus?”

“They- ran away-” Amianna waved a hand in the direction of the two doors. “But- they’re her friends.” The same hand indicated Ayame, who had since stopped laughing and was now trying to make herself as unobtrusive as possible, not an easy task for a girl with blue hair wearing a bright red and white uniform.

“Your friends, eh? Where’d they get off to?”

“Who knows?” Ayame shrugged, spreading her hands and giving him her sweetest smile. “They didn’t tell me before they ran off....”

Mr. Brawnvore harrumphed. “Someone’s gotta take care of this mess.”

Ayame didn’t let him get any further. She followed the example of her companions and escaped, snatching up Reiko’s dropped scarf along the way.

Kagami and Shizuka passed the morning in a fruitless effort to find out more about the legend of the swans. They tried all number of tactics, ranging from general, seemingly idle questions about local history and folklore to directly questioning anyone they could get to talk to them about the legend. It was to no avail. No one seemed to know anything more than what Amianna Brawnvore had already told them.

“This is ridiculous.” Kagami sighed, sagging onto a bench outside the front door of the Seven Swans. She ran a hand through her lavender bangs. “I’ve tried every research technique I can think of, and none of them have procured any further information. There’s got to be a method I haven’t tried yet....”

Shizuka dropped onto the bench next to her. “I think-” She cut herself off with a squeak. A hand had just snaked out from under the bench, tweaking her ankle. A distinctly recognizable spear of red hair followed. “Oy, the coast clear?” Jiro’s voice hissed. “Just- peek in the window and see who’s in the common room, hey?”

She peered between the window slats. “There’s no one there except some old man eating a pile of what looks like pancakes.”

“Whew. All-clear, finally.” The boy crawled out from under the bench. It was a mystery to them as to how he’d fit himself into the tiny space at all.

“May I be so bold as to ask what caused you to go cramming yourself back there?” Kagami said. “Unless it’s classified under ‘you don’t want to know.’”

“Oh- eh-” The boy ran a finger around the inside of his collar, laughing awkwardly. His grin took on a slightly wan appearance. “Just- a little altercation this morning, nothing I couldn’t handle-” He sidled continually closer to the door as he babbled; the movement, combined with his red hair and shirt, brought to mind a nervous crab. “...but I’ve got m’ opening now, owe you one, suddenly I’m- I’m hungry again, yeah, so I’ll be seeing you....” With a flashed thumbs up, he all but leaped through the door and was gone as suddenly as he’d appeared.

Kagami ruffled her bangs again. “Honestly, that boy is incorrigible. I often wonder why we ever let him come with us in the first place.”

“We really weren’t given a choice. It’s more like he decided to follow us. And I have to admit Ayame was right- we really do need someone who knows this place, and he’s our only option right now. Especially as he knows about us.”

Kagami sighed again. “Oh, yes. Back to business.... You look at things differently than me. Can you think of anything I haven’t tried yet?”

Shizuka shifted on the bench. “I’m thinking we’re going to have to resort to something more- direct.” She lowered her voice. “I’m thinking magic. We might have to- to try something with the place itself.”

“But can you do that?”

“Of course. That’s something we could even do back home, though it’s different here. And delving is bound to be stronger when you do it together.”

“W-what?” Kagami nearly slipped off the end of the bench. “But I haven’t the faintest idea of how to go about doing something like that! You- you’re the one who knows these things, you’d do better-”

“No.” Shizuka shook her head vigorously. “No, I wouldn’t. I- we both have our strange extra senses, and they’re both different. Mine is all about feelings and emotions. Your intuition can do more....” She nibbled her lower lip. “I’m nervous about it too, if that makes you feel any better.”

“Nervous? Who said I was nervous?” Kagami laughed a little, shakily.

“I sort of picked it up. I mean, I know you, you always try to use logic, and our magic isn’t logical.... But you’ve got to start using it sometime. This is a good time, we can use this to get more used to it, so we don’t freeze up like- like back there, in the first village. It’ll be better if we do it together, right?”

Kagami leaned back against the wall. “All right. We’ll do it together.”

Hours passed. The sun wended its way across the sky; the fall of the shadows marked the time as mid-afternoon. Shizuka was settling herself cross-legged on the ground in the center of the little grove of trees. After a moment of hesitation, Kagami followed suit. “Now what do we do?...” Her eyes wandered uncertainly around their surroundings. She would much rather have done this inside the inn, but Shizuka pointed out that as this cluster of woodland was the oldest part of the inn grounds and the only one known to be there since the time of the legend, it was there that they were most likely to get the strongest impressions.

“First, you have to relax.” The smaller girl quirked a little smile. “Nothing can get in when you’re that tense. Take a few deep breaths; that’s it. Now link hands.” She held hers forth. After another moment of hesitation, Kagami accepted them. “That helps us link our thoughts. Now we empty our minds, center ourselves, and wait.”

Kagami closed her eyes, breathing deeply. It was all well and good for Shizuka to say to empty her mind, but she was still unsure exactly how one did that. But I certainly won’t get anywhere sitting here pondering it! She gave herself a mental shake. Just breathe. You can do anything you put your mind to.

Something inside her... shifted. That was really the only way she could describe it. It was as though a door opened somewhere within. And when the door opened, a flood of images followed.

Darkness. A flash of white broke through, eerie in the still black. Another followed, and still another; a flurry of white flashes descended, all wings, flapping and soaring, shining with a ghostly inner light all their own. All confusion, all uncertainty, dominated by an essence of power beyond explaining....

Then things came into focus. Two women, one dark, spare of figure, mature but still handsome, the other young, fair, and resolute. Trees surrounded them; spells flashed in the air. The invisible audience realized they were viewing the legend as it had happened so long ago. They watched the magical duel, the re-transformation of the swans and its disruption, the last son’s lifelong mark all too evident.

Another flurry of events. It felt like some sort of bizarre slide show, flickering from image to image, showing them events from the final facedown forward. They saw the building of the inn, the rise of the town around it, the growth and change of the family around which all centered....

Yet the one little cluster of trees remained steadfast, and within those trees remained the presence of the son with one wing, watching over the family. He was not dead but also not fully present in the world of mortals, bound to the land and forever cursed to stand on the outside, never able to move on. A second presence, one unknown, unseen, stayed beside him; they couldn’t see her but she seemed to be trying to guard against some sort of unknown threat.

Darkness descended again. Images, bleak and dark, hammered into them. There was another presence, one malevolent and forever opposing the other two, ebony, ivory, and ash, another feminine entity continually clashing with the other invisible one.... And doing anything and everything to stay alive. Here was the blackness of the legend. The sinister spirit- the spirit of the sorceress- craved energy, devouring souls, leaving living beings behind as vacant husks of their former selves, taking possession of the family, always one, transforming the unfortunate chosen into some twisted sort of vampire to drain the life force of unknowing travelers who passed through the inn only to disappear. A face, suddenly familiar, emerged out of the gloom-ridden mists.

The two of them jerked out of their trance in shock. Kagami convulsively released Shizuka’s hands. The other girl slipped over sideways, bracing her hands on the ground, fingers curling into the grass. Her breath came in sharp and quick. After a moment her head came up, gray-blue eyes wide, a strange light shining in them. “That,” she gasped, “was Amianna Brawnvore!”

Ayame propped her elbows back against the bar. “So, how d’you wanna try keeping everyone distracted?”

Reiko shrugged. “Dunno. I’ve been too busy wondering what those two are learning with those powers of theirs.”

“Yeah- can’t wait to find out. So, want to have a cat fight?”

“What? Where’d you get that idea?!”

“Hey, people’ll always watch one of those. How about it?”

“Nah. I’m not particularly interested in hitting you. Now, if it was Flame Brain it would be different.... Where’d he get off to, anyway? Shirker.”

“Hey now, spitfire, no name-calling ‘till you’ve got the proof.” Jiro appeared at her side; one arm settled on the bar top as he looked at them with a lazy smile, eyes half-closed. “I’m here and I’ve got everything in hand.”

Something brushed the back of her neck, light as a touch of breeze- except for the fact that she was facing the door. Then next thing she knew, she felt what had to be legs- lots and lots of little legs- skittering down her shirt.

“Gaaaack!” The girl sprang at least a foot straight into the air. She hopped madly from foot to foot, bouncing like a human pogo stick, arms flapping wildly as she tried to smack whatever was crawling down her spine. “Ack ack ack-” Movements so fast they neared the crazy, she jerked out the knot on her belt, then all but ripped off the jacket and heedlessly tossed to aside.

A few seconds of mad hopping later, something tumbled to the floor. It was at least two inches long, black, shiny, and possessing of more legs than could possibly be legal. Her foot slammed towards it; the thing skittered away. Another strike; another escape. On the third try she stomped it flat. A juicy crunch undercut her grunt of satisfied triumph. Irritably tossing her bangs out of her eyes, she lifted her head.

Two things sunk it. One: the whole room was staring at her. Two: Jiro was laughing so hard he doubled over, clutching his stomach with both arms, tears of mirth streaming from his eyes. “Beautiful.... Oh, that was fantastic....”

Reiko stiffened, expression darkening. A growl escaped as her fists bunched up. She launched herself across the room. “Ki-ya!” Jiro reeled backwards into the wall.

One of the patrons spoke up. “Whoa there, isn’t that a bit much?”

Reiko whirled on the speaker, fists still battle-ready. “What did you say?!”

The man prudently backed up a step or two. “I’m just saying you shouldn’t punch someone out like that without a reason-”

“And dropping a bug so big it should be leashed down the back of my neck doesn’t count?!”

“If you’ll excuse me, pal, I’ll finish this m’self.” Jiro was still rubbing his jaw, but the expression above it radiated all the arrogant confidence of one triumphant. “I’ve got plenty more where that came from, Bright Eyes!” With that, he lunged.

Reiko neatly sidestepped. The boy careened towards the bar and straight into Ayame. “Yo, watch it, kid!” The girl gave him a sharp shove; he catapulted into a whole table full of early drinkers.

A mass bellow of outrage filled the air. The group rose as one. Jiro scrambled backwards, grin a little faint around the edges as they converged. “Hey, gals, I’m thinking this one might even be beyond me....”

Ayame wore a smirk worthy of their rogue companion. “Aw, yeah. You got it!” She picked up a bar stool, standing back-to-back with Reiko. “Yo, ready for the ultimate distraction?” she whispered, voice thrumming with excitement.

“I’m always ready.” The other girl brought her hands up.

“No time for talking!!” Jiro hollered, rocketing towards them- with half the occupants of the common room in hot pursuit. “Comin’ through!”

In this way did the first bar fight in the recent history of the Seven Swans Tavern and Inn commence.

The fight quickly escalated into a merry free-for-all, a chaos in which all involved cheerfully swung at whoever happened to be nearest, regardless of who it was. Mugs broke over heads, furniture toppled, a few of the fighters went tumbling out the door into the street beyond. Even the barmaids got into the fight, beating anyone who came near them over the head with their trays.

“Oy!” Mr. Brawnvore’s stomach breached the doorway, the rest of him immediately following. Despite the volume of both his speech and his person, no one so much as acknowledged him. Cupping his beefy hands around his mouth, he roared, “STOOOP!”

The direct approach proved effective. The whole room froze; one man’s hand snapped out in an instinctive final punch, he and his opponent promptly falling over. Other than that, the chamber stood paralyzed. “Who- started- this?”

Now-sheepish combatants parted like the Red Sea, making a path to the three young people in the eye of the storm. One of the straps on Reiko’s tank top slipped off her shoulder. Jiro’s collar was half-unlaced, shirt coming partially untucked. Ayame’s jacket bagged around her; she still clutched the bar stool. Jiro’s smile took on a sickly look. “Uh... just a joke, ha ha....” He laughed nervously, tugging the edge of his collar. “Lucky for you, we were just leaving!...”

Mr. Brawnvore shook his head vigorously. “Oh, no, you young rascals, you’re accounting for the trouble you’ve caused-”

Jiro dove headlong, skidding along the floor right between the innkeeper’s sturdy boots. Reiko snatched up a nearby mug, tossing it as she ducked and dashed around one side, grabbing jacket and belt along the way. Ayame threw the stool at the same moment. It struck the bar, stools scattering around the room like bowling pins.

They achieved the staircase within moments. Jiro spun just long enough to give a double thumbs up to the still distracted crowd, shouting “See you in a few hours for our next show!” Then, steps clattering, they raced up the narrow wooden stairs to the safe haven of their rooms.

“But- how can she- I never- she-” Kagami inhaled sharply. Stop babbling! “That’s why she was so shocked to hear about your visions, she knew the truth all along, I never thought someone like her would do something like this-”

“Foolish creatures. How little you know.”

If ice could talk, this was how it would sound. Shizuka gasped in horror, hands flying up over her mouth. Eyes that seemed to fill half her face fixed on some point beyond Kagami’s shoulder. With trepidation, the other girl turned.

A figure hung in the air. She was all ebony and ivory, the stark colors making a disturbing contrast. Gray shadows and mist fluttered in and out; it felt as though her edges were blurred. Black hair drifted around her like Medusa’s snakes. The clearest trait was her face. Features high and gaunt, ebon eyes sunk in above sharply defined cheekbones, she brought to mind the dried face of a mummy. That is, except for the mouth, a crimson slash like a streak of blood slitting the face. Suddenly the bright afternoon felt sinister and frightening.

The frozen voice spoke again. “Foolish, foolish, indeed. You think that pathetic creature knows me? She remembers nothing, for she is only a vessel through which I feed. To her I am just a story and a nightmare. Ridiculous wretch....”

Breath still heaving, Shizuka somehow managed to get to her feet. “You... you’re a vampire!” she gasped. “Ab- abomination! I- I bid you be gone!” Shoulders rising and falling, her shaking hands traced a pattern in the air before her as she began a Shinto chant to banish evil beings.

The thing laughed, a sound that felt like a sharp, chilled claw running down the spine. “You think you can vanquish I, Morchades, with a few simple words?” A noise like the lash of a whip snapped through the trees. Shizuka tumbled to the ground with an inarticulate cry, rolling several feet before lying still. Just for a second, a streak of white flickered among the trees behind her.

Morchades laughed again. “Pathetic child....” Her chilling visage settled on Kagami. “She can wait. Now I must deal with you.”

Kagami scrambled madly backwards. A strangled croak emerged from her throat. All she could think was, How do you fight a ghost!?

Another lash broke the silence. Kagami cried out; it felt as though someone had struck her with a whip. The force sent her tumbling across the grass, not even feeling the sticks and stones biting through her clothes. Another snap; another strike. Again and again, the sorceress’s spirit struck her with those mental blows. The girl instinctively curled herself into a ball, arms up to shield her head, but nothing seemed to stop the relentless fury of blows. It felt like all she could do was whimper in pain, mentally cursing herself for her weakness.

“Back off.”

The lashings halted. Kagami lifted her head with a sobbing moan that was as much relief as lingering pain. Shizuka stood with her back to a stout tree, feet braced wide apart, visage set with an implacable determination that on her usually sweet countenance was disquieting. Wind kicked up, setting her hair and skirt fluttering around her as a blue glow grew between her upraised hands. “I said back off, witch.” Her voice, usually high and girlish, came out low and dangerous with fury.

The red slash of a mouth spread into a smile akin to that of a tiger just before it pounces. “So you’re still trying to fight back? You’re even more foolish than I thought. Still, this might prove to be a novelty....” Morchades drifted closer.

Shizuka took in a deep breath, drew back her hands, and threw overarm, like hurling a javelin. A rush of luminous blue light exploded from her outstretched palm. The energy burst around the approaching Morchades, splintering and iridescent as the shards of a mirror.

The girl dropped to her knees by Kagami. “Are you- can you move?”

“Yes....” She pulled herself up into a crouch. Gray eyes arose- only to see Morchades floating towards them yet again. The energy blast had hurled her across the clearing; unfortunately, she had not only recovered but now bore the expression of one determined to wreak vengeance. Another flash of white flickered in and out of the green and brown, so fleeting as to seem imagined.

Shizuka gasped. “It didn’t- not even a mark! I don’t- she’s so strong-”

That chilling laugh again. “Giving up so quickly, silly children? Soon my avatar will be here, and then I will be able to feed, and you will worry no longer.... I only wish you had given me a more fulfilling diversion.”

“Diversion?!” Kagami felt an inrush of anger. “We’re just a game to you?!”

A chuckle. “Well, of course. Did you believe you were important enough to be anything else? Self-centered mortals.”

“Self... centered?” She dragged herself up onto one knee. “There’s more to us than first meets the eye, old harridan.”

“Old harridan?...” The words hissed like a poisonous snake. “For that you shall truly pay, insolent wretch!” A chant, foreign words ominous and heavy, filled the air.

Kagami inhaled through her teeth. If I can do anything I put my mind to, then I put my mind to this! She put out a halting hand as Shizuka moved to prepare another spell. “It’s my turn.” The girl drew her arm back across her chest, palm out, fingers spread. She pulled in another fortifying breath. “Hurricane blast!” The arm swung out; wind swirled from her fingertips, a gust so powerful she toppled backwards onto the ground. Morchades whirled into the trees like a leaf in the wind.

“No- please- someone help- me-”

Hand outstretched, hair a wild tangle, eyes wide and staring like one sleepwalking, Amianna Brawnvore staggered into the clearing. The young woman fell against a tree; then, as though drawn by an invisible rope, she continued forward, one reluctant step at a time.

Shizuka started for the girl. Kagami hurriedly pulled her back. “Wait! This might be a trap!”

“How astute of you.” A bony hand, long, curved fingernails like claws dipped in blood, rested on the innkeeper’s daughter’s shoulder. “It seems my prey has a mind after all.... Yet we have played long enough. You bore me.”

The slash of a smile widened, displaying a row of pointed teeth like tiny daggers. “Say farewell.” Talon-like fingers crept around Amianna’s throat, almost in a bizarre parody of a lover’s caress. The girl whimpered, eyes wide and unblinking. One hand made its way along the edge of her face.

The edges around both of them blurred. Then they... merged. For a horrifying moment, the two hung in a state of metamorphosis, bonded but at the same time separate beings. Amianna’s head tipped back as she shrieked with agony at the invasion. The girl slumped.

Seconds later, another laugh emerged. It wasn’t the same frigid echo, but rather a chilling twist of Amianna’s own voice. Her eyes narrowed, the bright blue orbs now shining black as a moonless night. When she spoke the voice was Morchades, low and all the more frightening for her new physical body. “Now, my only question left is: which of you shall be first?”

It felt as though the world had gone petrified. They stood back-to-back, flanked by dark trees, the sun above seeming to mock them. This- this can’t be real.... Kagami’s mind coursed wildly through the spells she had studied, searching for one that could vanquish their enemy without hurting the unwilling host.

Allow us to meld with you! It was as though a shield had dropped down around them, separating them from the rest of the world. Two voices floated, bodiless, clear and bright. One, the tones of a girl in the prime of her life and power. This was the formless entity of the forest, the one that forever fought the darkness they now faced. The other was male, young and strong; the white that had been slipping in and out of the shadows came into focus in their minds. It was the man with the wing. You both have the power, allow us to use it, together we can banish her forever, and be free!

Yes. The two leaned back against each other, closing their eyes, linking hands for support, and braced themselves for an invasion.

Instead it felt as though they were wrapped in warmth, soft and comforting; perhaps drifting along in a balmy ocean, light and weightless as a bit of flotsam. Everything around them seemed brighter, clearer.

The barrier between them and reality fell away. Morchades-Amianna’s eyes narrowed. “What is this?” she snarled, lip twisted like a feral creature.

Their voices emerged as one, a unified echo from across time. “It is time to finish this, once and for all!”

The inrush of power was blinding. The two found themselves moving as one, casting spells they had never seen or thought of, acting and reacting with an instinct far too finely honed for their narrow experience, the sorceress using her human tool as the enchanted battle raged as it had so long ago.

Suddenly the body of Amianna collapsed. Landing heavily on her knees, she just barely caught herself on her hands. “No...” she croaked. Her voice was her own, not that of Morchades. “No....” This time it was stronger. “NO!” Her cry, fraught with anguished rebellion, echoed through the glade. “I deny you! You will not take over my mind any longer! I am not a tool, I am not a vessel!”

She dragged herself upright, entire body shaking. Her voice trembled, but with strength and bottled anger. “You have used me for the last time! For now and for ever, I deny you!” She threw her head back, a scream of triumph splitting the air. The cry warped into a howl of pain and wrath, twisting as Amianna thrust out the parasite that was Morchades. The girl collapsed, unconscious, as the sorceress’s original form dropped into a defensive crouch, one claw-nailed hand upraised like an animal cornered but still determined to fight.

The twin voices echoed in their minds, bright as a beacon. She is weakened! Now! Voices united, words of the spell rang forth into the ancient glade, phrases of power not used for centuries. “...In thy name and thy light, I vanquish this creature of the darkness! Eternal banishment!”

A flash of luminosity exploded through the clearing, blinding them. It felt like the sun had plummeted down from the heavens. Everything blurred, someone was screaming, the world was spinning....

Kagami’s eyes opened. She sat on the grass, slumped against one of the great trees. “What?... I’m alive?...” Her words were thick and slurred, as though her tongue had swollen. She tested her limbs, movements slow and hampered as someone trying to swim underwater. A few feet away, she saw Shizuka awakening as well.

Thank you. Before them hovered the figure of a girl. Slim and willowy, golden hair floated around her. She shared the haziness of figure Morchades had possessed, but her visage was one of pure serenity and peace.

“You- you’re Caitriona,” Shizuka whispered.

The girl’s voice echoed around them, a sound on the edges of reality. Yes. Thank you for aiding us.

“But... what did we do? What happened?” Kagami asked.

A smile made her face even more radiant. I have guarded this glade, our final battle ground, for more years than I have counted. Bound to it, my brother and I could not leave. Morchades was bound here as well, and here we could oppose her and keep her from growing too strong. Her final spell cursed us all to a half-existence, forever linked together. We needed those with enough strength to withstand the merging of spirit and enough physical power to aid us in vanquishing her forever. Now that she is gone, we are free to pass on as well.

Another figure took shape among the trees; a man with a black tangle of a beard and an iridescent swan’s wing in place of his right arm emerged like concentrating mist. When he spoke his voice cracked, hoarse with long disuse. “I thank you.” He sank down on one knee, head bowed. “Now I finally have peace.”

Caitriona floated gently towards him, her misty fingers resting on his shoulder as he stood. Nathil and I both thank you. We are forever in your debt. You shall always have our heartfelt gratitude. The pair started to fade. As they vanished, one last phrase hung in the air, like the echo of a bell. Thank you....

Amianna Brawnvore sat up. She passed a hand over her face, groaning. “What the...” It took a minute for her surroundings to soak in. “But- how did I get here? I thought I was in the kitchen- but then- I was having one of those horrific nightmares, she was back, oh, gods....” The girl drew her knees up to her chest, curling herself into a protective ball, rocking back and forth, moaning softly.

“I think I’d better talk to her,” Shizuka said quietly before going to kneel at the confused young woman’s side.

Her head came up with a hitching breath, blue eyes watery. “What... how did you get here?... I’m so confused- I- I hadn’t had the nightmare in so long, I thought she would leave me alone forever- And you were there! You-”

Shizuka put an understanding arm around her shoulders. “It’s all right,” she said, voice quiet and soothing. “She’s gone now, and she’ll never come back. You’ll never have that nightmare again.”

Amianna shuddered. “I’m so ashamed, making a scene over dreams.... Though I’ve never walked in my sleep before, and I don’t remember going to sleep.... But- but I made the nightmare go away, I’ve never done that, but I just couldn’t take it anymore, it hurt so much-”

“Ssh, ssh, don’t worry over it. Sometimes dreams can be more real than anything we meet when we’re awake. You won’t ever have to worry about it again. It’s- it’s all taken care of. You got rid of her forever. That nightmare is gone for good.”

“It is?...” Her voice still wobbled a little. “Is that a promise?”

Shizuka smiled gently. “It’s not just a promise- it’s a guarantee.”