#include <stddisclaimer2.h>

				Suika Roberts
				   Presents

				Central Honshu

				      A
			     Dark Kingdom Rising
				  Side Story

	With a smothered sigh Ayukawa Hikaru takes the call, `Dark Kingdom
Child Protective Services, Central Honshu District, Agent Ayukawa, may I help
you?'

	`Yes, please,' the young woman on the other end, who sounds _maybe_
fifteen and a little butch, answers.

	`It's school,' the woman's voice breaks, `It's Dogura-sensei, and
Tomomi, or at least she said Tomomi told him to, but then she said stop, and
he wouldn't, and I didn't want to, but they wouldn't stop, but now I want them,
not Dogura-sensei, to do it again, and . . . '

	`Shh,' Hikaru says, `What's your name?'

	`Yu,' her voice chatches a little.

	`OK, what school?'

	`Shirakawa Koukou.'

	`Where are you?'

	`My house, 1-2-256, Tarazuka.' [for lack of a closer idea --S]

	`Stay there, we'll be there within three hours.'

	`Thank You!' Yu almost cries.

	`See you soon.'

	Yu hangs up, then Hikaru.

	`Magdelene?'

	`Yes?'

	`Have them start prepping the thirteen.'

	The youma clerk shudders, but nods.

	`Come on, it wasn't that bad.'

	`I wasn't strapped out on the troop seat, either.'

	`I rather like riding on the troop seat.'

	`You're the only qualified pilot on that beast in the station, so you
don't have to do it much.'

	`True.'  Hikaru acknowledges, a little smile on her lips.  Magdelene
bustles off, and Hikaru picks up the phone again, dialing a familiar number.

	`Ayukawa resedence,' a woman answers.

	`Hey, where's my husband?'

	`In the latrine.  He might have fallen asleep again.'

	`Wake him up, we've got a live one.'

	`Those are always better.'

	`Maybe not this time, Madoka,' Hikaru says, `The complaintant is
pretty badly shook, and there may be a mage, or more than one, involved.'

	`What's the complaint.'

	`Rape at this point, by a teacher.'

	`Oh,' the familiar rattle of the phone being pressed between shoulder
and ear, and the shhf-snick of an autopistol's slide being pulled back and
dropped again as Madoka checks to make sure she's got a round chambered.'

	`What's up Madoka?' a muffled male voice asks.

	`A case,' Madoka says, `Where is it?'

	`Tarazuka.'

	`In Tarazuka.'

	`Oh joy.  Any indications of anything big?' he asks, then yawns.

	`No,' Hikaru answers, and Madoka relays.

	`Then have them put the shield on the troop seat, and I'll sleep on
the way there.'

	`Gotcha.  I'll pick you up at the LZ,' she doesn't specify which,
since there is only one closer to their house than the office.

	*

	Hikaru finishes her preflight on the H13, checks the mattress and face
shield on the left troop seat, and restarts the already warm motor, listening
for any irregularities.  The six-cylinder horizontally opposed motor makes its
normal burbling roar, almost lost under the trop-throp-throp of the rotors.
`Kansai Control, this is DKCPS-134, radio check, over.'

	`DKCPS-134, we read you loud and clear, over.'

	`Kansai Control, DKCPS-134, bound for Tarazuka, lifting off,' the
little helicopter lifts easily under her hands, swinging around towards `her'
LZ.

	`Roger.  We have you on radar.  Have a safe trip, over.'

	`I'll try.  DKCPS-134 out.'

	A minute later she brings it down again, onto the big white H marking
the helipad in the local park, which seems to serve no greater purpose than to
amuse the local children.  Kyousuke and Madoka rush over, Kyousuke's poncho
fluttering wildly in the downwash, both bent over to reduce the risk of an
accidental blade strike.

	Kyousuke curls up on the troop seat, as much as he could, anyway,
since the seat is very narrow, and Madoka straps him down.  He gives her
fingers a kiss, then closes his eyes, giving every indication of going
straight to sleep.  Madoka climbs into the passenger seat, and straps herself
down, then plugs her helmet into the intercom, `So, is there anything else?'

	`Not yet.  Megumi has some background info, and a landing site with
refueling capabilities, but other than that, not much.  Our girl's a member of
the gymnastics team, one of the perps is a fellow team-member, and very well
connected in the local bureaucracy, and the other is the coach for the boy's
team, a former gymnast.  Apparently at least one other person is involved.'

	`Oh joy.  What did you mean about a mage?'

	`Here,' Megumi says, and plays back the whole call, from when
Magdelene first picked up.

	`Oh,' Madoka closes her eyes for a little bit, `Yeah, some sort of
mind control seems possible.  We'll see.'

	`Yes, we will.'

*

	A little more than an hour and a half later, Hikaru brings the chopper
back down.  Madoka hops out the passenger side, and wakes Kyousuke, and
together they tie the little machine down while Hikaru finishes her shutdown
checks, then ties the rotor.

	Once that is accomplished she grabs her spice, squashing them together
in her arms, and gives each of them a kiss.

	Both of them smile, Kyousuke tiredly, and touch her face when she lets
them go.

	Hikaru looks around, `OK, now, Megumi said,' a local police car pulls
up, `There it is.'

	All three of them somehow fit in the front seat, with the officer
driving to their left.

	Hikaru makes introductions as they drive, `I'm Agent Ayukawa Hikaru,
and these are my husband Kyousuke, he's our healer, and Special Agent Ayukawa
Madoka, my wife.'

	The officer gives them a distracted smile and nod, `Can you tell me
anything?'

	`Not yet.  Someone called us for help, so we're here to find out what
is happening and what needs to be done.'

	`Minor help, or major help.'

	`We're hoping it's minor, but,' Kyousuke sighs, giving a tired shrug,
`It all too often isn't.'

	`It's been a lot more minor since you started working around here, not
you personally, but since the Dark Kingdom started being active.'

	`Yes, but getting called in at ten in the morning when one got back
from work at eight that morning is,' Kyousuke gives the grey-haired man a
smile, `bad for the perspective.'

	`That is so,' The officer stops the car, and gets out.  Once the
others are out, he turns to Hikaru, `Agent?'

	`Yes?'

	`You take care of those two, OK?'

	`Yes sir!' she tells him, and bows slightly.

	He returns a deeper bow, `Call me when you need to be picked up, or if
you need a body disposed of,' he says, then gets back in his car and drives
off.

	`What a nice old man,' Kyousuke says, then yawns.

	`He's only about as old as your father,' Hikaru tels him.

	`Oh?  He feels a lot calmer, more settled.  Oh well,' he looks around
at the houses nearby, `She's not,' he says, and starts towards a house.

	Madoka and Hikaru move to flank him.

	`This it?' Madoka asks.

	`Yes,' Hikaru answers.

	`Good,' she pauses, `Well, good in that--'

	`It's the person who called us, this time.'

	`Yes,' Kyousuke says, a little distracted.

	Hikaru winces, then straightens and steps forward, ringing the
doorbell.

	A young woman opens the door, and looks relieved to see their
blue uniforms, stepping back, `Please, come up.'

	`Thank you,' Kyousuke says softly, as Madoka and Hikaru shed their
boots and step up into the narrow hallway.  He sheds his shoes and steps up as
well, staying a step behind his wives as they follow their host down the hall.

	She leads them into an open room, TV on one side, bookcase on the
other, low table in the middle of the floor.

	`I'm Yu,' she says, then stops, looking awkward, like she wants to say
something more but can't think of what.

	`I'm Special Agent Ayukawa Madoka, this is my wife Agent Ayukawa
Hikaru, and my husband Kyousuke, who's a healer.  Pleased to meet you.'

	`Likewise, although I wish the circumstances had been different.'

	`That would have been good,' Kyousuke says.

	Yu quirks a tiny smile.

	`At this point I'll open a link to the Director for recording purposes
and pull out the badge.  Is that OK?'

	`Yes.'

	Madoka sets a black device on the table, about the size and shape of a
minicasette recorder, and pushes one of the buttons.  A blue light shines on
its face.  She pulls out her wallet, and sets it on the table, open.

	Yu glances at the badge, then nods, `Yesterday, I noticed that Miku--'

	*

	`They should be at school still?' Kyousuke says, still looking down.

	`Yes,' Yu answers.

	`Let's go,' Hikaru says decisively, and stands.

	Yu nods weakly, then stands as well.

	Madoka helps Kyousuke to his feet.

	*

	Silence follows the group down the hall.  The heavyset man in the
sweatsuit turns at it, startling.
 
	`Douga Nikusuke-sensei,' Madoka says.

	He gasps, turns back around, and runs down the hall, throwing students
out of his way.

	Madoka, Hikaru, and Kyousuke follow quickly, Yu a little more slowly.

	Nikusuke makes it out the door into the yard before Kyousuke manages
a burst of speed, appearing in front of him.

	`We want to talk to you, Douga-sensei,' Kyousuke says, softly but
firmly.

	Nikusuke reaches across his body, pulling a gun from the waistband of
his pants, bringing it up.

	`Stop!' Kyousuke tells him, and he does, staring at his hand, which
won't move.

	`What?'

	`Calm down,' Kyousuke says softly, `Or this will be worse for you.'

	`How?' Nikusuke asks, `I'm gonna die today.'

	`Only if you don't think you can stop.'

	`Get,' a shrill female voice yells, `Away,' and the voice's owner
tackles Kyousuke in a swirl of long brown hair, `From Nikusuke!'

	Kyousuke ducks with the blow, helping the girl along her path.

	She lands, dazed, and looks up into the muzzle of Hikaru's pistol.

	Nikusuke tries to take advantage of Kyousuke's distraction, and brings
his pistol up.

	Kyousuke rolls back to his feet, still crouched, and looks up at
Nikusuke, seeing the tension in his face, in his hand.

	*Crunch*  Nikusuke's pistol drops from strenghless fingers as he curls
up, cradling his shattered hand to his chest.

	`Hikaru,' Kyousuke manages to gasp, face white with strain.

	Hikaru takes three quick steps backwards, then blocks Nikusuke's pain
with a few rapid, precise movements of her hand and a gutteral word.

	Kyousuke sighs in relief, Nikusuke's gun slides over to him, and he
steps on it.

	Nikusuke shifts, settling into seiza, and claps his hands, looking
down.  His right hand flops bonelessly, already purple, and swelling.

	Kyousuke winces.

	Madoka hands the brown-haired girl back to Hikaru with a nod, stepping
up to Nikusuke, `I'd prefer if you didn't do that hand any more damage, since
it's already going to be a lot of work for Kyousuke to fix.'

	`He won't need to,' Nikusuke says, `Since I'm ready.'

	`Niku-han!' another girl's voice yells.

	Yu starts a diving tackle at her, slamming into her with a dull
*Thump*, propelled by a flick of Kyousuke's wrist and a moment's focused will.

	`See?' Nikusuke says, `I won't be able to stop myself.  She came over
this morning, and,' a smile flickers over his face, `I'll die happy.  I should
have chosen a different way, but it's so sweet, I feel so strong when one of
them is whimpering for me to stop, to continue, it doesn't matter,' he shakes
his head, looks down, then looks up again, `I'm ready.'

	The girl Yu hit whimpers, `Niku-han.'

	`Miku,' Yu whispers, and hugs her tight.

	`She said you were forced.'

	`Forced?  I wanted to, but I had control until Tomomi said she'd tell
her father I forced her if I didn't do what she told me.  All she did was
enable my own wickedness.  Please, end it.'

	`Who else was involved?'

	`Her bodyguards.  Wakana saw Miku giving me a blow job yesterday
morning while I was watching Tomomi masturbate in the office.'

	`And what did Wakana do?'

	`She looked at me like I was scum and walked off.'

	`Why did you . . . '

	`Kyouko was there.  I had her that morning, that was lovely, she was
so cute in those ears and the tail.  I think I seduced her, or at least she
was a lot more willing than the rest.'

	`Will you stop?'

	`No.  Even with help, I don't think I can.  All it took was a
half-baked threat, and I caved.  I would again, the look on a girl's face as I
shove it into her for the first time, the tight, dry pain of a virgin's cunt,
the blood on my cock.  I should have tried harder, when I was young, and
attractive, but.

	`I could try to stop, but I don't think I could, and even if Kyouko
and Miku liked it, Yu didn't.  I wouldn't have, not like that, not without
some trust,' Nikusuke shifts straighter in his seiza, places his hands on his
knees, `So, please.'

	`Have you made peace with your gods?'

	`Yes,' Nikusuke's voice is husky.

	`Look up.'

	`No,' Miku whimpers.

	Yu hugs her tight.

	*BLAM* *splash*

	Miku cries softly on Yu's shoulder as Nikusuke's corpse stares at the
sky, a little round hole in the center of his forehead, and a tiny smile on
his face.

	`Alright, what was your goal?' Madoka turns to Tomomi.

	Tomomi blinks, staring at Kyousuke, who's knelt by Yu and Miku, and is
talking too softly for her to hear.

	`Shirakawa Tomomi.'

	Tomomi looks up at her.

	`What was your goal in all of this?'

	`I was sick of her.  Sick of the way she'd smile at him, at me, at
everyone, and not really mean it.  I wanted her to hurt, to cry, to hate him,
hate _me_.'

	`Why?' Madoka asks gently, relaxing.  Hikaru glances at her, then
relaxes with a shake, aiming to Tomomi's side.

	`Because she likes everyone.  I can't stand it, the way she shines,
glitters at everyone, equally.  I want her focus, her hatred, all of it.'

	`Her attention?'

	`I want her to look at me.  Only at me.'

	`Why?'

	`Because I'm always looking at her, and she doesn't notice.'

	`I notice,' Miku says.

	Tomomi's attention is suddenly riveted on Miku, standing with Yu's
hand on her shoulder, smiling at Tomomi.

	`I like it.  I like the way you watch me, the soft glances and the
hard, focused glares.'

	`Why?' Tomomi demands, `Why do you ignore me?'

	`I don't,' Miku shakes her head, `but you're so much fun to tease.'

	`Don't you hate me?' Tomomi almost whispers.

	`Why?  I don't like that Yu was hurt, and I'm really upset that
Niku-han's gone, but I don't hate you.'

	`Why don't you hate me?  You're supposed to hate me,' Tomomi whimpers,
crying.

	`Because you're too pretty, and nice, and sweet, and devoted,' Miku
smiles, `Well, in a bitchy kind of way, anyway.'

	A soft rythmic thumping grabs Madoka's attention, and she glances up
to see Kyousuke punching the wall, leaving a growing red spot.  `Hikaru,' she
says, and jerks her chin towards Kyousuke.

	Hikaru nods, and holsters her gun as she walks over to her husband,
wrapping her arms around him from behind and holding him tight.

	`Because you came up with this whole plan for my benefit.  You could
have just taken me, you know,' Miku kneels next to Tomomi.

	`Taken you?' Tomomi asks, voice shakey, eyes red and face puffy from
crying, as Miku captures her hand and presses it to her chest.

	`I wouldn't have protested nearly as much,' Miku leans forward, and
presses her lips to Tomomi's, `And Yu wouldn't be hurting right now.'

	`Why?' Tomomi breaks into tears again, her hand drifting up to touch her
lips, `Why?' 

	Miku wraps her arms around the crying girl, `Because you're lovely,
and wonderful, and I'm stupid.'

	`That's right,' Yu says, kneeling next to Miku, `So I'm not going to
let you do this alone,' and pulls both of them up into her lap, and wraps her
arms about them both, or at least as close as she could manage.

	*KRACK* The concrete pad shatters into hundreds of pieces.

	`You've called off the backup?'

	`They'll do a flyby, but that's it.'

	`Got it.'

	`Madoka,' Hikaru says, `Take Kyousuke back to the helicopter.  I'll go
have a word with her bodyguards.'

	`Have the backup team go with you,' Madoka orders.

	`Right,' Hikaru helps Madoka gather Kyousuke into her arms, and kisses
her quickly, `They'll meet me--' she cuts herself off as the distinctive
*thwop-thwop* of a Blackhawk sounds overhead.

	She looks towards the noise, scanning back and forth a couple times
before she spots the helicopter, the adaptive camoflage set to match the sky,
only the dark lines of the door tracks, silver flash of the rotor mechanism,
black tires, and the faint pattern of dark speckles that mark the windows
showing.  A door opens suddenly, and someone less observent gasps at the
sudden appearance of a room in the sky.

	The militia team jumps out, not bothering with ropes.  All six land
easily, marking themselves as youma or high-skill humans.

	The Blackhawk's rotor-noise changes as it leaves, rising then fading.

	`Agent?' a young man's voice asks, his face hidden behind his menpo,
which, like the rest of his segmi, is covered in adaptive cloth that does a
very good job of blending into the background.

	`Just a few questions to ask.  It shouldn't be difficult.'

	`Gotcha,' an older woman says, and rechecks her subgun.

	Hikaru smiles for a moment, `Let's go.'

				      *

	`Why the _fuck_ did you go along with this?'

	`Because I didn't really think she'd do it.'

	`She threatened to get me fired.  She's done that to other people
who've worked here.'

	`She made Maiko sleep with her for six weeks before she decided she
was sick of the way Maiko would cry about it and went to her father with a
story about how Maiko initiated it.  Maiko had to flee to the Dark Kingdom.'

	`What's Maiko's first name?'

	`Arisugawa.'

	A shadow behind Hikaru snorts, then giggles, then goes silent again.

	Hikaru looks down, then pulls a device out of her pocket.  She pokes
at it for a few minutes, then pulls another device out of her cargo pocket.
The second device spits out a piece of paper after a few moments, and she puts
both devices away, holding the paper in either hand as she does.  She inks her
hanko, and presses a gold mark onto the paper.  `Tell Shirakawa-san we've
taken his daughter for corrective training.  When she comes back, if she tries
to make you do anything you feel is inappropriate, tell her, and if she tries
to force it, tell us.  Consider this a verbal warning.'

	All three men look scared, `We understand.  We will,' they bow deeply.

	`Thank you.'  Hikaru turns around, and sweeps out of the room, six
formerly invisible forms bluring into visibility.

				      *	

	`You have an hour to gather anything you want to bring, but I wouldn't
bring much, since you won't have access to any of your personal things for at
least six weeks.'

	`Right,' Tomomi looks scared.

	Miku steps in front of her, `I'm going too.'

	`OK.  Anyone else?'

	`They aren't going to leave me behind.'

	The Blackhawk settles to the cracked concrete behind them, the blades
barely fitting between the buildings, drowning conversation for a few moments
until they spin down.  After a moment, one realizes that it's now the same
pale grey as the concrete it's sitting on.

	Hikaru gathers several sheets from the printer in the Blackhawk's main
compartment, and carries them into the school building.

	She emerges, and blinks to see the three girls still standing beside
the helicopter.

	`Are you going to get anything?'

	`If I won't be able to use it, why should I get it?' Tomomi says.

	`I'm not letting them out of my sight,' Yu says, clutching onto Miku.

	`I'll take charge of them, if you've turned over the paperwork,' and
older man's voice says, as a grey shape shifts into view next to the girls.

	`Please, Tyle,' Hikaru says gratefully, then watches as he herds the
girls into the helicoper, which lifts, fading slowly from grey to blue as it
rises.

				      *

	Hikaru smiles sadly at the sight of her spice, both of them on the
troop seat, Kyousuke huddled against Madoka's slighter form, his knuckles
bandaged, face puffy, sleeping fitfully.  Madoka's hand slowly strokes his
back.

	She trails her fingers through Kyousuke's hair, `I hate this.  I like
helping people, but I hate the way it hurts him.'

	`Stupid little bitch,' Kyousuke says, sadly, `I hate it, the way they
work so hard to hurt the ones they love.'

	`She's going to PDDC, so she should come out better for it.'

	`We should be able to send someone just because they need to go,
whether their parents like it or not, with or without any demonstrated cause.'

	`A lot of them don't _need_ to go, but would benefit from it.'

	`I hate it.  It pisses me off, to feel them lie to themselves, the
tangled knots they carry around, twisted tight.'

	`You can let me shield you, or wear metal again, to dull your senses.'

	`That'd put you at risk,' Kyousuke's hand snakes out, and grabs
Hikaru's, `And I won't do that anymore.'

--
log:
3170/Discord/late:		Made the mistake of d/ling _princess 69_
3170/Discord/later:		Made the mistake of watching it.  Started this
3170/Confusion/4:		Finished draft.
3170/Aftermath/17:		Title Block