Part 19: Paying It Back

Chapter 15: Paying It Back



Ellen shrugs. "I suppose," she says. "You really think so?"

"I do," I tell her, nodding emphatically. "Like they say- don't get mad! Get even! Well, as long as you don't end up killing people. That's bad. Bad plan."

"You really think so?" someone snickers from behind me.

"About the 'killing people' bit? Yeah, and-" I realize it wasn't Ellen speaking, and I quickly spin around, only to face the exiting crowd, some of whom are milling about around me.

"Is something wrong, Mary?" Ellen asks, looking over my shoulder to where I'm staring.

"Nah, nothing," I say, shaking my head. "I guess I overheard someone else talking, and I thought they were talking to me."

When she heard this, Ellen laughs a bit. "Yeah, that happens to me too," she giggles. "Come on, let's go see if Virginia's around; I'm starving, and I heard the cafeteria's serving up strawberry ice cream tonight!"

"Strawberry? Why strawberry?" I ask.

"Because it's bloody!" Ellen replies in a mock spooky voice that's so badly done, I couldn't help but laugh, so point to her, I guess. It isn't until we're all in bed later that night (or rather, early the next morning) that I realize that Ellen didn't hear the voice because it was whispered right into my ear.



I guess Treasurer business is really heating up these days; I hope it doesn't affect Ellen's studies. Sure, she's smarter than me and Virginia, but most of that edge comes from studying harder than either of us combined. I hardly ever see her around on the weekends now, and since Virginia's got something to do with her brother, I'm left all alone. Feeling bored, I decide on a whim to go down to the library.



There's also a surprisingly large selection of fiction, and not just fantasy stuff, either- there's quite a bit of crime and thriller fiction, along with a large selection of science fiction. If anything, the sci-fi section is the largest set of nonfiction books, and well-read, judging by the various signs of wear and tear. There's also a rack of 'popular' teen magazines, all surprisingly recent or up-to-date, and I admit, it boggles the mind a bit to realize that this magical school probably has a lifetine subscription to magazines like 8teen and Stylin' Gurl Powa-



I am stunned by Minnie's sudden appearance, when I remember how she offered to teach me a little magic if I dropped in the library on the weekends. Well, I suppose even I could use a little help, after all, even if it is from her. I extend my hand, a pithy 'let bygones be bygones'-esque cliche on my lips, when I feel my magical senses tingle. I step back, narrowly dodging the thin line of Red Magic that zips past my head. It could not have been thicker than a needle, but a split second after it hits the wall behind me, the masonry explodes, showering me in dust and decorating the back of my neck with shallow cuts as tiny pieces of stone impact upon it.

I realize none of this at first, though, for I am transfixed by the red glow emanating from Minnie's eyes, her reptillian pupils contrasting the red glow by burning a bright yellow. "So," she says, a long, snakelike tongue flitting out from between her fangs, "you managed to avoid my evil magick. Your are truly ill-favoured, Mary, to have not died so quickly. For you have now annoyed me, and being annoyed... makes me angry."

"What the-?!" I ask in fear and horror. "What are you?"

"My name is unpronounceable in the tongues of man, fae and beast," she grins. "But you may address me as Minnie the Destroyer, Pillager of a Thousand-Thousand Realms, She Who Is The Death Of Death, Eater Of The Slain, Slayer Of The Eaten, The Scourge In The Left Hand Of A Hateful God, The-"

She got no further, because I aimed a blast of energy at her unholy chest, sending her flying backwards into the bookshelves. My arm pulses with energy, arcane runes forming and glowing on its surface. I know I should be afear'd, but I am not, for somehow, somewhere deep within me, I know this is meant to be. I know I am meant to be here, as was Minnie. It is my destiny.

It feels right.

But whatever it is, it is not over. Minnie keeps slamming into bookshelves, even though the power of my hastily drawn spell must have worn itself out by now. Only when she's stopped by the opposing wall and the massive amount of bookshelves next to her does she halt- and look at me with a daemonic grin, which is a step above a 'demonic' grin by virtue of the A-class effort put into it.

"So, you thought your pitiful parlour tricks would work against a true Daughter of Darkness?" she said in a mocking snarl. "Allow me to illustrate the True Power of EVIL!"

She suddenly stamped her foot on the floor, the shockwave knocking me to my feet, and sending the still-stocked bookshelves into the air, shattering through the roof as they did so. Even as they flew up, Minnie executed a near perfect ballerina twirl, which turned a moment later into an angry tornado that caught the bookshelves in its vortex. I realized what she was about to do, and I Pulled a metal table in front of me- just in time too, because no sooner than the table flew in front of me that it was filled with the impact traces of hundreds of books-turned-lethal-tornado-bullets.

But Minnie wasn't done yet. As the table flew past my field of vision, the sight in front of me quickly went from a table full of books, to a roiling, boiling cloud of evil energies, which I Disrupted expertly, and even sent the mana of the spell rebounding back into Minnie, causing eruptions of malevolent energies all across her body, but mainly in her arms, exposing the evil runes upon them, mirror images of the holy symbols on my own body.

Well then, if there ever was a time to power up to my full potential, it's now! I feel my hidden heritages come into play, my Katana Deagle and Golden Deagle appearing in my hands, my half-demon half-angel half-robot half-elf look just have a damn picture



"Curse you, Mary!" she said in a screeching tone like a thousand nails against ten thousand blackboards. "Curse you and double curse you! First you nearly ruin my plans for school domination by running against me in the elections, now you use your secret heritage against me?! No more!" she screamed, a pentagram forming around the place where she stood, the music growing even more ominous when the Latin chanting kicked in.

"Leave her alone!" I heard a voice yell.

I turned to my side, and saw Big Steve rip off his shirt and stand in front of me, well-oiled muscles rippling in the sunlight, a bunny tattoo splayed across his back. "You will never have her as long as I live!"

"So, the Pinball Wizard finally makes his move!" Minnie cackled. "Tell me, why shouldn't I kill your beloved?"

"Because..." Big Steve said, a single tear running down his cheek as the music died down, leaving only the slow piano. "Because if you do, then I will marry you."

"No!" I cried, even above the violins as they kicked in. "You can not! You must not! Not for me, Big Steve!"

"Oh Mary," he said as he turned to me, crying another solitary tear but on the other cheek this time because that's totes touching, "I wish I could stay with you, but I could not. Promise me, Mary..."

"Promise you what?" I asked, but I knew what was coming becau



"You kinda spaced out there," she added.

Sorry for cutting out at the climactic bit. I really did want to expand on Mary's fantasy, but if I'd been allowed to run rampant, the thread title would have gone from ironic into steelic, maybe even carbon nanotubic To be perfectly, I just wanted an excuse to use that picture.

"Uh, I was just... surprised! Yeah, that's it," I said hastily. "I mean, we were rivals and all during the elections."

"Oh, did I give off the wrong impression? I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, genuinely remorseful. Great, now I feel like a total heel. A high heel. On a puppy. "I only wanted to ask if you wanted to study together! I really didn't want to bother you or anything!"

"W-waot, hold on now," I laugh nervously. "I'd... not mind having to study with you. Honestly," I say with some reluctance, "I think I can do with a little practice myself."

"You sure?" Minnie asks uncertainly. "I don't want to force you into anything."

I don't know, I'd consider looking like The Saddest Kitten™ force enough. "Don't sweat it," I lie through teeth as far apart as I could manage, which kind of makes me look like a serial killer. The following tension doesn't do much at all for the resulting study session, though to be honest most of the problem is on my end; nothing bad seems to stick to Minnie.

Hmph. I'll bet she imagines herself as some sort of Paula Smith-like hero all the time. What a loser.



I'm sure I mentioned it before, but that was yonks ago so I'll repeat it here: Studying with Minnie increases your lowest Magic stat (chosen at random if you have several 'lowest') as well as 1 Smart in exchange for 4 Stress. With regular Resting, this increase is trivial and a little extra Magic is always handy. Also, Paula Smith is where the term 'Mary Sue' comes from. Might as well pay that a little tribute, eh?

Early on Monday, all the students are called to a special assembly in the gymnasium. It's nothing much, just an announcement for the Thanksgiving holidays beginning on Tuesday, with Potsdam giving us the usual itinerary- seems like the library will still be open, and the school will be having some activities, I'm sure Ellen would like that.

"Maybe," she says, when I ask her about it. "But I wouldn't know; Virginia offered to let me stay at her place, and that's where i'm spending my Thanksgiving."

"You'd have known about it if you stayed behind that Saturday," Virginia interjects.

"Virginia," Ellen says ina voice of gentle, but firm warning, and Virginia relents.

"Sorry," Virginia pouts, and I wave it off.

"It's okay, just a big misunderstanding all around," I tell them, before I hear Potsdam says something important. "Wait, what was that she said about wildseed?"



"You are witches and wizards," she continues, "but those around you- are not. The Choice you made three years ago still stands. You must not reveal your secrets to anyone, nor will you display your magic in front of anyone who is not one of us."

As she says so, her eyes sweep over all the students, and it's only my imagination that they rest over me for a fraction of a second longer.

Surely.

"Not your old friends," she goes on to say, "not your families. No one. If you betray our trust, you will not be allowed to return."





Suddenly, it is as if that moment never happened, and the happy-go-lucky old Potsdam is back. "Now, I'm sure you have a busy two days ahead of you, my buttercups, so I'll let you get on with your schedules!"



"-and that's your whole reason why you're concentrating on your defensive magics?" Grabby asks later on Tuesday in amusement as he looses another bolt of energy at me. "Because, and I quote, 'she's freakin' creepy'? If I didn't know Petunia any better- and believe me, I am in no hurry to- I would give you ten demerits for wasting my time."

"But you're not," I counter. "And considering you're the one who looks like a giant flowerpot now, I'd say my reflection spell worked out just fine."

"Mhm, yes," Grabby says, one rose stalk bending to hold itself to the petals of the topmost bloom. "After- oh, say five tries? I'll be magnanimous and not count the one where I surprised you; after all, you would never be ambushed in real life, oh no."

"What can I say?" I retort, refusing to be defeated on this. "I'm just that good."

"But not good enough to not need to devise such a spell, yes?" Grabby counters, and I have to admit, he got me there. "To be honest," he goes on, "I doubt you have anything to fear- for all that she is, Petunia is as much a stickler for the rules as I am. You will not come to harm outside the school, of that I can be sure."

"And inside the school?" I ask.

My only answer is the ring of the bell, calling us to assembly once more.

"If I may have your attention, please?" Potsdam asks, clapping her hands for emphasis. "Take hold of each others' hands, and close your eyes."

Great. Of all the times for my paranoia to kick in.



"For what we have been given," I hear her say, "and for what we have to give. For those who have taken us in when we were in need. For forgiveness, and the hope for renewal. May our tributes bring joy, and no call go unanswered this Thanksgiving season. So may it be."

Huh, that was anticlimactic. On the upside, I could hang up my cape, find my parent, and be on my way. School will still be there when I get back. On the downside... I'm finding it hard to leave my friends. Sure, it's only been a few months we've known each other, and we'll only be gone a week, but this isn't like holidays back home, when I could still go over to my friends' places and just hang out.

"Look on the bright side," Damien told me after I'd waved Ellen and Virginia off, leaving me to wait for my parents to come. "At least you're not staying back at the school. It's dreadfully boring being here all by myself."

"No," I say slowly. "I think you're all the fun you need by yourself."

"Oooh, risque," he says mischeivously. "Or maybe not, but I'll take it like that anyway. I hope you don't mind."

"Nope, not at all," I shrug breezily, and he laughs.

"You're not making this banter very fun, you know," he mock pouts.

"You're laughing," I point out.

"More thanks to the speaker than what is being spoken," he says in reponse, and I shrug again.

"You see?" I sigh. "I'm a perfect politician, so why am I still not President?"

"Hey, I voted for you," he says, but breaks down when I give him a Look. "All right, all right, I voted for the other woman. And while we're at it, I voted for Manuel too. What? He's cute!"

"Oh great," I tell him, "all the girls are straight and all the cute guys are bi, or maybe-bi. I swear I've walked into someone's fanfiction."

"Oh, so you think I'm cute, do you?" he grins.

"Don't let it go to your heads," I warn him, but I can't help smiling while I do so.

"Damn," he smiles, "I should have went for the 'Byronic rake' persona instead of the 'dashing rogue' when I first hit on you. Is it too late to switch?"

I make a show of considering for a moment, and then shake my head. "No, not really- but if you're Byron, then I want to be Austen."

Thankfully, Damien was saved the trouble of a response when I saw my parents' car come up the driveway. I waved goodbye to him, and then walked to the car, unsure of how my vacation would go.



Just a small shot of the vacation screen. I honestly think Hanako missed out by not letting us play through our vacation, maybe have the chance for a bad end or two. I would have at least liked to see what kind of parents would have a kid like Mary Sue.

I come back to school feeling slightly disoriented. I have to say, while it was nice meeting my family and old friends again, but... my family felt a bit like strangers, and my friends all seem to have moved on. Honestly, it kind of hurts, and I wonder- did a bunch of White magicians do something to them? Or to me?

I know it sounds terrible... but I hope so.

Because the alternative is that this is what being wild seed is like. Would I have to start up a magical family, just to have a family? Will I ever see my old friends again- would I care whether I did or not ten years from now?

Maybe... maybe it's not so bad. After all, we have to move on from things now and then, don't we? Leaving childish things behind, and all that.

It's just that I don't want my old friends and family to be part of that last bit.

All right, standing in front of my roomn now. No more tears, Mary, you can do this.



And then it all comes out.

"It was... really weird," I begin. Hey, I never said it all came out at once.



"But..." I go on, "but they didn't ask anything. I mean, they asked if I liked my classes here, if I made any new friends, how the students were and all- but nothing about wands or witches or spells, nothing." I look up at Virginia. "They were White Magicked into it, weren't they? Made to forget, like you said?"

Virginia looks at me, and sits down on her bed. I notice she'd been unpacking; she and Ellen can't have been here a few minutes before me, and here I am hitting them with something like this. It makes me feel surprisingly worse about it.



"I know, I know," I say miserably, slumping into my bed. "It's just... it's hard to get used to, you know? It was hard enough hearing you explain it, but to experience it for myself- I'm not sure I can take it."

"Yes you can!"

Me and Virginia look to Ellen, who's sporting a defiant look. "I thought the same way you did, that my parents were forced to forget, but Virginia said that wasn't possible, right, Virginia?"

"Uhm, yeah, but-" Virginia begins, but Ellen will not be stopped.

"Did they forget about you, Mary?" Ellen says hotly. "Your parents came to pick you up, didn't they?"

"They did-"

"Then all they really don't know is that you're doing magic, right?" she huffs. "Then I can't see what the problem is- you still have a family, so stop angsting about it! You can still see them, you just can't tell them things!"

"It's just that- I'm not sure I'm okay with lying," I say, but it sounds hollow, even to myself. "People still ask about school, and everything I say I have to make up or change the details so it doesn't sound magical, and then later, I have to remember what I said..."



Ellen holds up a hand for silence, then turns to me. "Will you do that, Mary? Stay here, and never go back, even though it's hard? Or never come back to Iris for that same reason?"

"What? No!" I say quickly.

"Then that's it then," she says firmly.

This is way different from how the game originally presents it- basically, with the exception of a line or two, it's written as if it's your first time seeing the dialogue, understandable, considering the criteria for seeing Virginia's take on it the first time are so hard to fulfil. That being said, I would have liked to play through Mary's vacation and be shown how awkward it was instead of having it narrated, but considering Hanako is a one-girl writing team, I suppose it can be forgiven. I also made Ellen a bit more active here; I view she'd be the one to speak up in favour of having a close family.

Man, this update is full of fanfiction, innit

"Now let me tell you about my Thanksgiving!" she adds, brooking no dissent. Honestly, I'm grateful for the change in subject, so I guess this is one point for her, then.



"Honestly," Virginia interjected, apparently as grateful for the subject change as I was, "it was like she'd never seen snow before!"

"We get snow back home," Ellen said, "but not anything much. School got canceled if anything larger than a snowflake stuck to the principal's window. We were lucky if we could make a few snowballs. I'd never seen so many sleds before, especially the ones that look like little shovels."

"And she had to try them all," Virginia said with an air long-suffering indulgence.

Ellen giggles. "This one boy brought a garbage bag to lie on, and when he went down the heill, he spun round and round!" She considers a bit, a finger under her lip, before she continues, "Pastel was there; she didn't sled much thanks to her wings, but she helped us make snowmen."

"Pastel was there?" I ask, genuinely surprised. I'd seen indications that Virginia and Pastel knew each other well, but spending the Thanksgiving holidays together?

"It was a last minute thing," Virginia shrugs, still wearing the martyr's air. "She didn't want to stay at school for the holidays either, and her family was having some big shindig in the Otherworld that she said bored the heck out of her."

"I can only hope you're some heiress or something," I grin. "With a large mansion or hotel to hold all the guests."

Now it's Virginia's turn to laugh. "You might have something there! Our place was, and still is, a place where magical families stay over while they're travelling."

"It was used as a safehouse during the Civil War for mages trying to escape the South!" Ellen adds- strangely hastily. "Isn't that cool?"

"That's Ellen trying to change the subject," Virginia says, over Ellen's increasingly frantic blushing. "See, Pastel tried to flirt with William, but since he's known her since she was in diapers, that didn't work- so guess who else she tried to flirt with?"

"She was being friendly," Ellen pouts. "That's ALL."

"Very friendly!" Virginia laughs. "Look, Ellen, like I said, Pastel flirts with everything!"

"Don't you mean everyone?" I ask.



DAYUM, Pastel

"...wasn't that awkward?" I find myself asking, but Ellen shakes her head.

"No, it's was all kidding around, anyway- I think," Ellen says. "Anyway, William... William fussed over all of us equally," she adds in a quieter tone, but not an uncomfortable one. "He pulled us around on sleds, taught us some games- and he never said anything about... um, you know," she blushes, a wistful smile on her face. "Sorry, Virginia," she says.

"Eh, it's William," Virginia shrugs helplessly. "He can't not stop being a gentleman."

"What about Donald?" I ask.

"He didn't spend a lot of time with us," Virginia says nonchalantly. "Spent practically the entire holiday in his room. Even missed out on Thanksgiving dinner, and that was a pity, let me tell you!" she laughs again, patting her stomach.

"Urgh, don't remind me," Ellen groans. "Just thinking about it makes me hungry- you know, it was the first time I had Indian pudding..."

As we chatter about our holidays- or rather, they chatter and I listen- my mind starts wandering. Ellen's words notwithstanding, I can't help but think about my future, about who will be in it, how often, and just plain how they'll be in it.

Ellen... in some way Ellen is luckier than me, estranged from her family as it is. It's no big deal for her to leave, but I can't just break things off like that, and I don't want to use White Magic every time I visit.

For her part, Virginia has a magical family, and likely always will- but does that include Donald? She just... brushed him off. I don't know how having a sibling is like, but I'm not sure I can just shrug off someone like that, even if they're someone like Donald.

Wha- argh, for some reason, thinking about Donald reminds me of Damien. He does have a family to come back home to, but... it isn't his real family, is it? And who knows what might have been done to them to keep Damien a secret- and it didn't sound like Damien was especially close to them either. Like Ellen, maybe having a family doesn't necessarily mean he has one to go back to.

But I do. I have a family. I want to go home and talk with my parents about how hard things are getting here in school- and I'm not talking about my studies. I want to visit Aunt Stuart, see my cousin Garrison again, try to arm wrestle him again. I want to go out with Paula to the movies, I want to invite Sanae over to see what the States have to offer. I have a life, a non-magical life to lose, and I don't want to lose it- but I also have a life here at Iris, and I don't want to give it up either.

Wish I knew how Batman does it.

Or at least, how he'd deal with what came in for us that Monday morning.



"Well, it's been a while since the last exam," Ellen ventures, "and we've had a lot of time to prepare."

"No, you've had a lot of time to prepare!" I say, hyperventilating slightly. "Potsdam could have at least said something at that final assembly! I could have stayed behind and brushed up! What am I going to do?!"

"The besst you can," Virginia smiles. "You think you're the only one caught by surprise? Odds are that the test's not so much about testing magical knowledge, but how adapatable you are. It's probably one of those 'critical thinking' type-things."



"-and so I thought, 'What would be more critical thinking-y in a critical thinkign test than NOT critically thinking, yeah'?" I babble, waving a finger at the class "And so I decided to read up on this spell and BOOM!"

"A fine example of lateral thinking- which is pronounced 'thinking', and not 'thinkign', if I may," Grabby says flatly from the back. "Absolutely brilliant. I cannot see why you weren't elected President."

"I KNOW RIGHT?" I grin madly, turning my demonstration rock in my hand to dust. I'd probably have got a few merit points had I used magic to do it, but eh, not like I'd have managed it with my left eye twitching and my right one moving in arcs no human eye should manage. "But hey I'm holding no grudges and I think this is a great spell to share with the class 'cos we all want to pass don't we? and we can't pass the test until we do a little critical thinkign and I have the best way to thinking and hit critically-"

"Miss Sue," Grabiner said at last. "Firstly, you plan is, to be honest, rubbish. Secondly, these students have all passed that exam, since they're all seniors-"

"Though we really appreciate the tip, Mary," Damien interrupts. "Retroactively speaking."

"Thank you, Mr. Ramsey," Grabby says in his 'Detention? Don't mind if I do' voice, before turning back to me. "And thirdly, you should really restrain yourself from drinking coff-"

He suddenly finds himself staring into my bloodshot eyes, our noses nearly touching. "NO." I tell him, right before I black out.



"In an unrelated note, all caffeine consumption is to be strictly monitored and rationed for the next month, with the only permissible instances of said consumption being in the cafeteria under the watchful eye of the staff. The faculty also denies any and all rumours that this measure was due to the efforts of Wolf Hall freshman Mar- what do you mean I can't do that? Fine. In any case, you may surrender and recieve demerits and a detention."

Okay, this test is a bit of a doozy, and while I didn't really want to do this, I'm going to pass this for now, the reason being a decision point's coming up soon, and, well- it's a doozy.

See, the test comprises a randomized map each time, and seems to be an enclosed area- but there are ways out. There are several dead ends throughout the maze, and casting Spirit Echoes, Breeze and the like at said dead ends will lead to the way out.

I spend a while walking in the maze, trying to Crush every wall I come across- or at least, that was the plan. Problem is, it takes a lot out of me, and I don't think I can manage a few castings. Resting in a dead end, I try to think up a new plan, and cool myself off with a light Breeze spell.

Suddenly, I notice the air flow- straight to the north, where there's a wall in the way, a wall that I thought and felt as solid. I give it a slight push, but now that I know that it's fake, I push through easily.




"Congratulations, Mary!" Professor Potsdam says, coming up to me. "For passing the test, you get five merits. I'd award you another five for annoying Hieronymous, but that wouldn't be very nice, would it? And I'd have a devil of a time justifying it!" she laughs.

"I suppose so," I say, trying to keep my distance both figuratively and literally, while not being noticed.

And it seems to have worked, as Potsdam waves me off to oversee another student. As I walk back to the halls, though, I feel something strange behind me.



If I'm trying to think of something that isn't my own thought- it stands to reason that it's someone else's. For a moment, I think of resisting, but even as my nerves and guts scream it's a bad idea, their votes are strangely lost, allowing my curiosity to win the election.



"Who are you?" I whisper, but the thought is gone, leaving me with a strange invitation later that night- and so while Ellen is asleep, her hair radiating across her pillow like a halo, and Virginia is talking about rabbits on the moon, I walk out of bed and to the gym. Every step I take in the cavernous expanse echoes, every corner clouded in shadows- but as far as I can see, nobody's here.



"Who's there?" I ask. The figure is too indistinct for me to tell who it is, or even what gender it is, but I do see it shake its head.

"No names," it says in a magically clouded voice. "You have been ordered to join a secret society- the Order of the Rose and Wasp."

"What's that?" I ask.

"A society that doesn't exist," the figure responds.

"...okay, but I'm pretty sure Grabiner's a real person," I tell the figure.



"There are dark forces in the world," the figure adds. "Cruel people who enjoy tormenting the innocent. People who think they can actually get away with it- and why not? People sympathize with the victim, but nobody actually does anything to help. They're content to click their tongues and shake their heads and talk about how society is going down the drain even as someone bleeds out into the street."

Even in the darkness, I see the figure shake its head. "And yet, when the victim strikes back, suddenly disappears all sympathy for the victim, as if it is morally wrong to fight back. So... that is where we come in. When someone needs to be punished, when someone needs untraceable vengeance, there will we be."

The figure shifts slightly, but I get the sensation that it's looking right at me as it continues, "You will be called upon to perform certain tasks. You will not know why you are called upon to do so, nor who you do it for. Your task will be a small part of a much greater puzzle, one no magic will be able to solve. In exchange for your services, we will carry out your vengeance without question, should you need it."

I raise an eyebrow. "So... you're the Illuminati, then?" I quip.

But the figure doesn't rise to the bait. "I suppose you can say that is so, but our remit is vengeance, not information."

I nod slowly. For a moment, I consider my options- all this seems too... serious for a high school secret society, and I wonder, what with all the magic and intrigue that's going about- just how serious can potential acts of vengeance be?

And then I realize- as serious as I want them to, for good or ill.

"I'm in," I say quietly, and the figure nods.



I pause another moment, remembering Grabiner's words on magical promises. Should this- should this turn more serious than I thought, what will happen to my magic should I decide to confess? Am I willing to lose my magic if someone gets seriously hurt... or worse?

"Yes," I say, surprising myself with how hard the steel in my voice sounded. The figure, for its part, thinks that a sign of acceptance.

"Very well, you will undergo an initiation challenge," the figure says. "Tomorrow, you will leave your room door unlocked. That is all."

I nod. "Should I report back here after I'm done?" I ask.

The figure shakes its head. "You may be contacted- or you may not. You need not know anything more."

The figure vanishes in the darkness, and I walk back alone, wondering just what I'd got myself into. In the morning, after Virginia and Ellen go off to class, I am left alone; it was easy to excuse myself as simply waking up late. I place my hand on the doorknob, wondering- what if one of my friends is the target? What if I'm the target?

I think for a bit. As far as I know, Ellen and Virginia's classes end at around the same time mine do, but I'm taking White Magic today (best defence is a good offence after all)- and those classes are closer to our room than theirs. I nod resolutely and leave the door unlocked. This way, if anything's going to happen, it'll happen to me first.

What have I got myself into?



Oh no- is this about sex education?

"Today, I want to talk a little more about Otherworld creatures in general!" Potsdam adds cheerfully, so I guess not. "Because our worlds are connected, they can cross over as easily as we can go to theirs, but neither of us are natives to the others' world!"



"Not the same set of rules, though!" she goes on, eyes twinkling, "that would be too simple! The rules of behaviour they have to follow vary depending on the type of creature they are and the method they used to reach us. If you summoned them yourself, you can set some of these rules too. Understanding how a creature is bound to you allows you to defeat it easily. Have any of you heard of vampires being defeated by crosses?"

Raven raises her hand. "It doesn't work, Professor!" she says, to general mirth.

"Not for all vampires," Potsdam says, "but it will work for some, so you should still be careful! In later years, you will all study various types of Otherworld creatures and learn about their laws- but for now, White Magic!"

I try to keep up with the rest of the class, but I guess I spend a little too much effort to train myself to Communicate telepathically. Well, 'too much' by the standards of the class- the way I see it, if I know about the various roads people can take into others' minds, I'd be able to place a few roadblocks of my own. Stuff controlling Otherworld beings- the way Potsdam explained it, it sounded too much like slavery to me.



After class, I return to my room. The door wide open doesn't surprise me.

The sound of someone inside does.



In my shock and horror, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "Are you leaving?!" Not my best show, but anything to distract Ellen while I look around the room. Nothing seems messed up, save for Ellen's stuff, so what-

"No," Ellen says, too preoccupied with her search to notice my frantically darting eyes. "I'm just checking to see if anything else is missing."

"A-anything else? Missing?" I gulp. What, like a lock of her hair? A shirt? Some spit?

"W-well... it's embarassing," Ellen says, blushing madly. "I guess it doesn't make a difference now, though. You see... one of my- my bras ended up in the cafeteria."

Oh.

"People were throwing it around."

Oh.

"Boys were laughing."

"Oh." Finally, got it on the third try.




Well now, it does seem Ellen (and perhaps Mary) is experiencing a spot of bother. What should Mary do? Should she:

-Make excuses?
-Admit it was her fault, but lie about the real reason?
-Admit it was her fault, but tell the truth?

Voting ends at 1200 hours GMT, Friday, September 14th 2012, and since I'll be enjoying a long weekend, I'll try to get the update out sharpish!