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Didn't quite manage to finish this before the FFML went down. Oh well,
better
late than never. Enjoy reading.

C&C would be greatly appreciated and should be sent to
st002153@hrz1.hrz.tu-darmstadt.de .

Part 2 should be ready in a week or two.

Temporal Thunder

This is a side story of Jurai Knight's Quantum Destiny fanfic. All
characters
within are owned by their creators. Quantum Destinies was created by Jurai
Knight.

Standard Disclaimers: All characters herein belong to their respective
creators
no matter how much I wish I owned them.

Note: This story is based on the Manga. Certain things happened differently
compared to the TV and OVA series. It takes place almost at the end.
Everything
has been revealed. Madoka has left for the States and Kyousuke has broken up
with Hikaru and is waiting for Madoka to return and tell him her feelings.


Part 1: Waking up to a whole new world.

    Bolting upright, a teenage boy woke up in the middle of the night. *What
a
nightmare* he thought *That demon was so real. And so big.* He shuddered.
*Could it be... No way. Even after all that I've already been through.
Things
like that couldn't possibly exist.* Dismissing the nightmare as just that,
he
lay down back into his bed and went back to sleep. Had he paid more
attention
to his surroundings, however, he would have noticed that the room he was in
was
not his own.


    Early in the morning, the boy slept peacefully in bed, unaware of what
had
transpired. This was, of course, not to last. A female figure had just
entered
the room and would soon bring the illusion of normality to an end.
    "WAKE UP, YOU LAZY BOY!" she screamed. "How long are you going to stay
in
bed? You have to go to school soon!"
    The boy woke up with a start. Noticing the unfamiliar person in uniform
in
front of him, his eyes widened. "What the- who are you? And what are you
doing
in my room?" were the first words out of his mouth.
    A decidedly fatal way to greet one's mother. Especially when you belong
to
a family of Espers where Telekinesis is a common hereditary Power.
    "KYOUSUKE KASUGA!" Akemi Kasuga's eyes narrowed. "Is this any way to
greet
your mother?" Kyousuke quickly ducked a barrage of telekinetically thrown
books.
    *Mother?!* he thought in surprise.
    Being an Esper, Kyousuke Kasuga had gotten used to having strange things
happening around him. And having been to a parallel world before, Kyousuke
learned quickly that he had slipped into another parallel world. Again.
    *Not again..* he groaned inwardly. Recovering quickly, he peeked out
from
under his covers. Seeing no more objects in the air, he quickly stammered,
"I'M
AWAKE! I'M AWAKE!" He waved his arms in front of him to emphasize that fact.
    "Well I hope so," his mother crossed her arms in front of her. "Now get
up.
You must get ready for school. It would not do for you to be late. As an
exchange student at the Imperial Academy, you must not disgrace us." With
that,
she left the room, leaving a confused Kyousuke behind.
    *Mom* he thought wistfully as he recalled the woman in his room. *In
this
world, she is still alive.* Having lost his mother at an age of two, his own
recollections of the woman were sketchy at best. Shaking himself out of his
reverie, he went onto more important things. Namely how he got here, and,
more
importantly, how to get back home.
    *How the hell did I slip into a parallel world THIS time?* he wondered.
*I
don't recall falling from anywhere. Nor did I hit my head, so how did I.. Oh
shit,* he thought as he recalled the dream from last night. *The nightmare.
I
must have unconsciously 'slipped' here because of the fear. Now how am I
supposed to get home?* he felt like tearing his hair out. *I would need to
have
another nightmare like that.* He had no intention of trying to get home by
falling down the stairs or by falling from a motorcycle.
    Falling from the stairs not only had a terrible chance of success and
promised lots of pain when the attempt failed, it could also trigger his
time
travel capability. Somehow, he doubted that travelling through time would
get
him home, and the idea of having to spend more time here than necessary was
also a put off. Not to mention the danger of creating a temporal paradox.
The
idea of falling off a motorcycle he did not even want to consider.
    At that moment, another terrible thought occurred to him. *Could that
nightmare have been a prophetic dream? Impossible. Demons don't exist.*
Shaking
off that idea, he started to get a hold of his surroundings.
    Looking around his room for the first time, he noticed that it was not
his
room at Green Apartments. The room was larger for one. It was also more
opulently furnished. Yet, the room was eerily familiar.
    Getting out of bed, he walked to 'his' desk. *Sun-Tzu's Art of War?
Advanced Metaphysics? What kind of school am I attending? The Esper Military
Academy?* he looked at his books in confusion. A picture of a girl with two
braids, carrying a sword stood on his desk. *Who is this? She is pretty.* he
quickly quashed the thought. The mental image of Ayukawa coming into his
head.
    Walking over to his closet, he opened it to find a set of gray uniforms.
They belonged to no school that he recognized and, after having to move
seven
times in his life, with an accompanying number of schools and cities, he
recognized quite a number. To the side were a few sets of normal clothing. A
collection that was small even compared to the one he owned at home. After
quickly slipping on one of the uniforms, he went to his desk. Having no idea
what classes he had, he started to put all 'his' books into 'his' school
bag.
    While doing so, he sought out some clue as to what school he went to.
Finding a student card, his spirits rose a little. *Finally. A lucky break.*
he
thought as he read the card. *Kyousuke Kasuga. Year 2 Cadet at the Imperial
Academy, Mobius Institute?!* Confused, he continued to read the card. The
next
part almost made his eyes pop out of their sockets. *Esper? They know that
I'm
an ESPER?* His hands started to shake as he read further. *Psychic
Abilities:
Teleportation (Major), Telekinesis (Major), Telepathy (Almost non existent),
Clairsentience (None), Mystic Rank Null.*
    *Damn. WHERE AM I? It seems that the family's secret isn't any secret
here.* Fear crept into his heart, what if- Kyousuke quickly dismissed the
idea
that he could be kidnapped by secret government agencies who may want to use
him. If the family secret was an open fact here and he was not in some sort
of
cell, he probably need not worry about it.
    At the same time, a sense of relief washed over him. Since his powers
were
not a secret, his life would definitely be less stressful.
    Still, his grandfather's warnings about not revealing his powers rang in
his mind. From the list of powers on the card, it did not appear that they
were
aware of his other special powers.
    He would have to be careful not to show that he had other capabilities
than
his counterpart. A tough order, considering that he could probably use most
of
his powers freely. In fact, it would not surprise him if the use of Power
was
encouraged at this Mobius Institute.
    *Kyousuke. Have you gotten out of bed yet?* his mother called to him
telepathically.
    *Yes, Mom.* he replied instinctively.
    *Then hurry up and come down for breakfast. Or you will be late.* his
mother said.

    Stepping warily out of his room, he came into a hallway which led to a
stairway.  Resisting the urge to try to get home by throwing himself down
the
stairs, he headed slowly downstairs. Entering the living room, the feeling
that
he knew the house from somewhere started to grow.
    The living room was large and spacious. Expensive-looking furniture was
placed tastefully around the room. The walls, however, were conspicuously
bare,
none of the pictures that his father took hung there. Despite the opulence
of
the place, the room felt more like a show room than a living room of a home.
Without thinking about how he knew it, he walked past the empty dining room
into the kitchen, where 'his' mother waited.
    "Good, you are finally ready." She said from her seat at the table.
"Come,
sit down and have your breakfast." On the table, only two sets of plates had
been laid out, making it unmistakable where he should sit.
    Quietly wondering why there were only two plates, he seated himself and
proceeded to eat. His breakfast consisted of simple cold cereal and milk.
Thinking back to how his father had said that both Ayukawa and Hikaru
reminded
him of his late wife, he began to examine the woman who was supposedly his
mother as he ate.
    She does bear a resemblance to Ayukawa was Kyousuke's first thought.
They
were both beautiful and had a mysterious look in their eyes. Her dark hair,
though, was tied back into a bun instead of Ayukawa's loose flowing hair.
The
neat paramilitary-style uniform she wore was also a contrast to what Ayukawa
would normally wear. Even in her school uniform, Ayukawa always managed to
appear different from the other girls.
    On the other hand, in spite of close scrutiny, he could not find any
resemblance to Hikaru. Kyousuke seriously asked himself how Hikaru could
remind
his father of his mother.
    A little of the twins features could also be seen in her face. That
thought
made him think about how much they probably would like to be here, to see
her,
even though she was not really their mother.
    "Kyousuke," she spoke up as she finished, "I will be working late again
tonight." Taking out her purse, she took out several bills and laid them in
front of Kyousuke. His eyes grew wide as he picked up the bills and counted
the
amount that he was given. Ten thousand yen. He had never had so much money
at
one time before. "Buy yourself something for dinner, okay?"
    Standing up from the table, she picked up her bag on her way out of the
dining room. "And remember to wash up before you leave." She called out as
she
left. A short moment later, Kyousuke heard the sounds of a car driving away
from the house.
    Sitting now alone in the kitchen, Kyousuke breathed a sigh of relief.
*Whew, she didn't notice anything.* He now turned his thoughts to getting
back
home. He had to get home. Quickly. Before he ran into his counterp-. Uh oh.
He
had appeared in this strange house, in his counterpart's bed. Where his
counterpart SHOULD have been. That could only mean that that nightmare must
have caused them to switch places somehow.
    Well, at least his counterpart had better luck than he did. His family
would take care of him and help him get by without arousing suspicions. He,
on
the other hand, had no such luck. That dark gray, almost black uniform his
'mother' wore looked so forbidding. Not to mention those black gloves. It
gave
him the impression that she was part of some sort of secret police or
something. Little did he know how right he was. For now, he decided that he
would avoid telling her that he was her son from a parallel timeline as long
as
possible.
    Now what was he to do to get home? He doubted that he would be so lucky
as
to have another nightmare that would send him home soon. That meant that he
will have to wait for help, or for his screwed up abilities to send him
home.
With some luck, Grandpa will be able to find him and get him out of this
mess.
In the meantime, he will just have to act as though nothing had happened, he
thought as he cleaned up.
    Walking back out into the living room, he tried to figure out why this
house seemed so familiar. Having no forms of enlightenment, he picked up his
bag and walked out of the house.
    As he locked the door behind him and stepped away from the house, it hit

him. This was Ayukawa's house. That was why it had been so familiar. By some
strange twist of fate, in this timeline, he lived in the house where Ayukawa
lived in his timeline. Shaking his head at the coincidence, he started to
walk
away and headed for school.

    It was after walking four blocks and coming to an unknown intersection
later that he realized that he had no idea where the school was.
    Dejectedly, he started his way back. He could only hope that he could
find
some sort of map back in the house that revealed where the Mobius Institute
was. There was no way he could ask for directions without raising
suspicions.
    For that matter, why on earth was he going to a school he was unfamiliar
with anyway? Kyousuke stopped in his tracks as that thought came to him. He
could pretend to be sick and work on getting back home. That way, he could
avoid lots of trouble. Shaking his head at his own idiocy, he turned to head
back 'home'.

    Little did he know that the fates did not intend to let him off that
easily. So deeply was he involved in his thoughts that he had not paid any
attention to where he had been going. He did not realize that he had stopped
in
the middle of a road.
    Just at the moment he reached the decision, a motorcycle suddenly raced
around a corner and rushed towards him.
    In testament to the skill of the rider, the motorcycle swerved around
Kyousuke as he dropped onto the ground, missing him by centimeters, and came
to
a stop right next to him. Heart still pounding from the near collision,
Kyousuke sat there, frozen in shock.
    "YOU IDIOT!" a surprisingly familiar voice screamed at him, freeing him
from the shock. "DO YOU THINK YOU OWN THE ROAD?" Looking up at the biker who
had ripped off her helmet, Kyousuke stared up into a pair of hard green eyes
that glared at him from an angry face framed by long dark hair. A face and
expression he knew all too well.
    *Ayukawa* was the first coherent thought that he managed to form as he
found himself face to face with the girl he loved and had not seen in some
time. Astride her motorcycle, she wore a uniform he did not recognize. The
uniform, no one would have wore anything that ugly otherwise, had been
noticeably altered such that it literally screamed 'BAD GIRL'.
    "DO YOU THINK YOU CADETS FROM THE.. Imperial... Academy... can... do
anything... you like." She continued, the level of animosity and the volume
of
her voice dropping considerably. For a small detail on his uniform had just
come to her attention. A detail that could spell disaster for her. With
difficulty, she reined in her anger to prevent herself from continuing her
tirade.
    "I'm very sorry," he started to apologize as soon as they had moved of
the
road. To emphasize his words, he made a quick bow to her, not wanting to be
subjected to another one of her slaps. "I wasn't paying attention to where I
was going."
    Noting that Ayukawa had gone completely silent, he risked a glance at
her.
Although her anger was still displayed on her face, her expression had
changed
to one that Kyousuke had only seen a few times before. To someone that did
not
know her as long and as well as he did, the change would not have been
obvious.
But he had known Ayukawa for three years now. Six if you counted the fact
that
they had met her when his grandfather had sent him back in time. Together,
they
had seen ups and down in their relationship and experienced a lot together.
HE
knew what that look meant. It was the look that she wore whenever someone
questioned her about her fear of ghosts.
    *What could have caused that reaction?* Kyousuke wondered. Looking
discreetly around, he saw that they were alone. Seeing that she did not show
any signs of recognizing him, he decided that it was safe to speak to her.
    "Err... is something wrong?" he inquired self-consciously, scratching
the
back of his head and making a show of turning around.
    "You... are an Esper." Madoka stated matter of factly after he turned
back
to face her. Her hands clenched unconsciously on her bike handles tightly.
    Surprised by her statement that he was an Esper, Kyousuke looked down at
himself and checked his appearance. Was there something on his person that
showed that he was an Esper? Not being able to find anything, he decided to
ask
her.
    "So, how do you know that I'm an Esper?" he asked with a forced smile.
    Thinking that he was patronizing her, Madoka had to refrain from
answering
with a sharp retort. Raising her hand, she pointed at a pin on his uniform.
"The Esper pin. It marks you as an Esper." She remarked with a bit of
sarcasm.
    Kyousuke reached for the pin and took a good look at it. On his collar
was
a black pin depicting a Mobius strip that was twisted together like an
infinity
symbol. It had been so unremarkable that he had thought it a normal part of
his
uniform as he had put it on that morning. How strange that one small black
pin
could symbolize so much.
    That was when it dawned on him. She was afraid of HIM. Or more
importantly,
she feared him because of his powers. She was afraid that he would use his
powers on her. That thought was very disturbing. After all, back in his own
world, he had decided to tell Ayukawa about the family's secret when she
returned from America. Even if she was not exactly the same person as the
Ayukawa he loved back in his world, he did not want her to feel that way
about
his powers. He had been brought up not to view other people as different
from
himself because of his powers after all.
    Smiling as naturally as he could, he started to reassure her. "I'm not
going to hurt you, you know." He hoped that she would put her fears for him
aside.
    Seeing her stiffen slightly at his words, he felt like knocking his head
against something, preferably hard. *She must think that I'm reading her
mind
or something* he cursed himself inwardly.
    "Look, I'm really sorry about the near accident. It was completely my
fault
for not paying any attention. I'm not going to use my power on you or
anything.
I-" He sputtered and held his hands in front of him.
    "All right. All right. I believe you." She interrupted him, stopping his
apologies. Somehow the clumsy way he acted had washed away the fear and
anger
that she had initially felt. Madoka could not help but begin to relax a
little
in his presence. She began to take a closer look at this Esper she had
nearly
rode into.
    He was pretty plain-looking, but at the same time, had a boyish charm
about
him that put her at ease. He stood relaxed before her bike, smiling
nervously
as he looked at her.
    "My name's Kyousuke Kasuga. I go to the Mobius Institute." Kyousuke
introduced himself to this world's version of Ayukawa. After introductions
were
made, he would be able to speak freely with her without letting anything
accidentally slip. It would not be very tragic if this Ayukawa was very
different from his own, but if they were and he were to make a comment based
on
his knowledge of his Ayukawa...
    "Good morning Lord Kasuga," Madoka replied with a short bow. "I am
Madoka
Ayukawa," Hesitating a bit, she continued in a small voice. "from the
Kouryou
Academy." Somewhere deep inside, she hoped that this information would not
scare him off.
     Kyousuke blinked. That was the same school they attended in his world.
Strange how different the uniforms were. Still, it seemed that military
school
type uniforms were the norm here.
     The way she addressed him made him feel uncomfortable however, it just
did
not seem right to hear her address him so formally.
    "You can drop the title, Ayukawa." He said with a smile, falling into
his
normal mode of speech with her. He had no idea how much of an impression he
had
just made on her with those few simple words.
    Madoka was surprised at his openness. "Thank you Lo-," she caught
herself,
"Kasuga." She was also relieved at the easy way he accepted that piece of
information. Kouryou Academy was one of the most notorious schools in the
entire Empire. It was where only problem students from families belonging to
the lower castes were sent (Teachers tend to overlook bad behavior from
students who belong to the noble houses). It was where playing truant and
getting into fights were the norm and teachers had to have at least a brown
belt in the martial arts.
    At a loss over how to continue, Kyousuke just looked at Madoka and
scratched his head.
    "Don't you have to get to school?" Madoka finally asked after a short
period of silence.
    Reminded of that, Kyousuke laughed nervously. "Err... yes, that's right.
I
have to get to school." He could not very well tell her the fact that he had
no
idea HOW to get there or that he had no intention of going there, could he?
    Acting on a whim, Madoka got off her bike and opened the seat. Inside
the
seat, were some music scores and a spare helmet. Reaching in and pulling out
a
spare helmet, she tossed it to Kyousuke. "Here, put this on. I'll give you a
lift. It wouldn't do for you to be late, would it?" she gave him one of her
enigmatic, catlike smiles.
    Kyousuke could not help but feel his spirits rise at her offer. She was
no
longer mad at him. But how to refuse her politely?
    "What about you? Won't you be late as well if you give me a lift?" he
asked
her as she climbed onto her bike.
    "No, I'll be on time. Come, get on." She replied confidently and lowered
her helmet over her head.
    Not being able to think of any way to get out of it, Kyousuke had no
choice
but to put on the helmet and get onto the bike behind her. Having ridden
with
Ayukawa before, he settled himself with practiced ease behind her as they
rode
off.

    As they sped through the streets, Kyousuke decided to make some small
talk.

    "Err... so you play music? I saw some scores just now under the seat."
Sitting behind her, Kyousuke could not see Madoka's eyes flash when he asked
that question.
    "A little," came the curt reply.
    In any other person, her tone would have discouraged from asking
further.
But this was Kyousuke, so he rambled on, "I bet you're very good. Maybe you
can
become a star someday."
    Under her helmet, Madoka gnashed her teeth in anger. What ever possessed
her to offer him a ride? And to an Esper no less.
    "No, I can't. Commoners like me aren't as talented as the high-born. No
commoner can ever have a future in the music industry." she shot back and
then
pulled the bike into a sharp turn at an uncomfortably high speed.
    Kyousuke might not be the most observant of people, but by now even he
could tell that Ayukawa was pissed and backed off accordingly. The rest of
the
ride passed in silence.

    Pulling up before a nondescript gray building, Madoka waited for
Kyousuke
to alight. After a moment, Kyousuke realized that they had arrived and
hopped
off the bike.
    Pulling the helmet off his head, he chose his words carefully to avoid
provoking Ayukawa any further.
    "Ahh... Thanks for the lift. I'm sorry if I said anything to upset you,"
he
started as he handed the helmet back to her.
    "It's already been forgotten," she replied coolly, not meeting his gaze
as
she placed the helmet back under the seat.
    An idea came to Kyousuke as he remembered the money in his wallet.
"Wait,"
he placed a hand on her arm before she could ride off. "let me make up for
it.
How about I treat you to dinner. As a way of apology for the near accident
and
to thank you for the lift as well."
    Madoka looked sharply at him. "That's not necessary."
    "I insist." Kyousuke sounded determined.
    Madoka stared at him for a short while and realized that he was not
going
to take no for an answer. How could she, a daughter of a working class
family
refuse such a request? "Very well, and where shall we meet?"
    Kyousuke was at a loss. Parallel worlds had this irritating
characteristic:
They can be so similar to one's own world with regards to most things that a
person would not notice any difference and yet there would be differences,
sometimes large ones that simply screamed 'DIFFERENT' or small ones that
would
not be noticed without close inspection. The possibility that his normal
haunts
existed, but on the other hand, there was also the chance that they did not,
or
even worse, the place could exist, but was not like the one he knew. How
could
he suggest a place? Better play it safe.
    "Umm... why don't you choose the place? I'm sure you wouldn't want to
visit
any of an Esper's normal meeting points."
    The suggestion comforted her slightly. At least she could choose a place
she was comfortable with. "I know a caf� nearby where we could meet and have
dinner. It is called ABCB. Shall we meet at, say, seven?"
    Perfect, a place which they were both familiar with. Nodding, Kyousuke
agreed. "Seven it is." Smiling, he turned to leave as a sudden thought
stopped
him.
    "Ayukawa," he called after her.
    "Yes?" Madoka turned to him. *What else does he want?* She thought with
a
tinge of fear.
    "About your music. You shouldn't care about what other people think. If
you
really love music, then you should be more confident in your abilities. And
if
you work really hard, I'm sure you can make it as a star, commoner or not."
    In Madoka's head, a battle raged. Her gut reaction was to punch him for
saying such a stupid thing. That, on the other hand, was mostly balanced by
her
self-preservation instincts. Hitting an Esper would be just plain dumb. In
self
defense, he could break every bone in her body without even touching her, or
destroy her mind, leaving her body a mindless shell. Hitting one just
outside
the Mobius Institute.. well, not even a masochist would be that crazy.
    And somewhere within her heart, in a place buried by the harsh life of
this
world, those words brought forth another emotion. One that she thought she
had
lost. Hope.
    Snapping herself back to reality, Madoka replied in a flat, emotionless
tone. "I'll keep that in mind." With that, she started her motorcycle and
rode
off before he could further mess with her mind.

    Watching Ayukawa ride off down the road, Kyousuke let out a sigh of
relief.
*Whew, that's over. Now, to get away from here before someone who knows me
turns up,* he thought. A quick look into the compound of the school from the
gate showed that it was empty. Relieved, Kyousuke prepared to leave.
    As he turned away from the gate, he found himself face to face with a
red-haired girl who looked to be a year younger than him. Dressed in a
uniform
of the same shade of gray as his, the 'not exactly amused' look she was
giving
him told him immediately that he was supposed to know her. That and the fact
that she was not happy with him at the moment.
    "So that was the biker girl I heard about," she started.
    *Please don't let her be my girlfriend in this world,* Kyousuke prayed
to
the heavens.
    "REALLY clever of you to have her drop you off here rather than the
Imperial Academy," she said sarcastically as she crossed her arms in
disapproval. "That way Mano-san wouldn't see her dropping you off."
    Kyousuke's mouth opened and shut as he tried to come up with a reply.

    *Why that two timing jerk,* Minami fumed. *He has a perfectly good
girlfriend in Yohko-san and what does he do? He goes after a delinquent
biker.
Well, Yohko-san is going to hear about this,* she promised.
    After walking a few steps down the road toward the main campus of the
Imperial Academy, she turned back to the still stationary Kyousuke.
    "Well," she called back in exasperation, "aren't you coming?"
    Already spinning in circles from trying to cope with her appearance,
Kyousuke's mind was barely able to register the fact that the girl had not
entered the building of the supposed Mobius Institute. As it was, it was
unable
to form any complete sentences. "Ah-" was all he could get out as he pointed
questioningly at the gate and then back to Minami further down the road.
    This, of course, did nothing to improve Minami's current disposition
about
males in general. *HE is supposed to help me adapt to the 'normals'* she
thought to herself incredulously. *I'm amazed that he hasn't ruined the
reputation of the Institute yet.*
    "Hello?" she walked back up to Kyousuke and waved a hand in front of his
face. "I'm attending the Imperial Academy with you and Gosunkugi-kun,
remember?
We're now immersion students at the Imperial Academy. Or has your ride with
that biker girl turned your brain into mush?"
    "Oh, yeah," Kyousuke forced out an embarrassed sounding laugh.
    "Well then come on, or we'll be late," Minami said irritably as she took
the unresisting Kyousuke by the arm.

    *If I ever get back home, I definitely have to get this parallel world
hopping power of mine under control,* Kyousuke thought as he was dragged
away
by the girl. As things were, it was too late to get out of school. All he
could
do was pray and hope that his cover does not get blown.


    Carefully, Madoka parked her bike near the main building of Kouryou
Academy. The grounds were empty. As late as she was, she was not surprised
that
all the other students had already been forced into the classrooms.
    Madoka shrugged. It wasn't as though this was the first time she was
late
to school, and it certainly wouldn't be her last. She was used to the
'disciplinary' techniques of the teachers anyway. Nothing she couldn't
handle.
    Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she made her way lazily to her
classroom.
    "Late again, I see." A voice spoke up as she entered the building.
    Without even turning, Madoka knew who the speaker was from her abrasive
tone. Sayuri Hirose. The resident teacher's pet. Or at least as much of a
teacher's pet one could find in a school full of problem cases such as
Kouryou.
A scheming, conniving snit who enjoyed seeing others in trouble.
    "None of your business," she shot back and continued on her way.
    "Oh but it is." Sayuri replied smugly as she fell in beside her. "I was
asked to wait for your Highnesses arrival. I'm supposed to pass you a
message."
    Madoka stopped and turned to her. "Then give it to me and get lost," she
hissed.
    This was met by a raised eyebrow. "Oh really? We'll see how cocky you
are
AFTER you hear it." She paused for effect. "You don't have to go to class so
soon. The principal wants to see you. He and the board are doing the reviews
again. Now guess who's name is on the list."
    Madoka's eyes narrowed. "I've gotten the message. Now get lost."
    Sayuri grinned in amusement at her hostile tone. Slowly and
deliberately,
she turned away and started down the hall for her own class.
    Madoka eyed her angrily for a few moments. Turning quickly in the
hallway,
she stomped towards the offices.

    The review. An administrative chore for the students and teachers alike
of
the reformatory schools. Whenever a noble got into a humanitarian mood, he
would order reviews to be made for the so-called 'promising' students of the
schools. To supposedly give them the chance to be reintegrated into the
normal
school system and become more 'productive' members of society.
    A major source of frustration for all involved. Students deemed to have
been 'reformed' would be sent to a normal school for a trial period. If the
student performed well during which time, he or she would be allowed to
remain.

    It was supposed be a great source of pride for all involved. Parents
would
no longer have to be shamed by the fact that their child went to a
reformatory
academy. The teachers could pride themselves in their abilities to guide
'unformed minds' and most of all, the students would be able to get out of
the
'bad' influences of their surroundings.
    All this was, of course, a big joke. Everyone knew that this was just
some
half-baked idea thought up by some 'progressive' in the Education Ministry.
    Only one in twenty student made it through the trial period unscathed.
From
the moment they were introduced in the new schools, they would be
immediately
black-marked. This inevitably led to trouble for them. Which, in turn, would
result in their return to the reformatory academy. For the teachers and
students, all this meant a lot of roundabout paperwork for the transfer to
and
from schools.
    Oh, there were a handful of 'successes'. The one in twenty. In those
cases,
the students sought out 'sponsors', students who had power in those schools,
and served them faithfully like a lap dog in exchange for protection. It was
demeaning and whether one really received support from the 'sempai' depended
sometimes on his or her whims.
    Only the most naive students had any hope for the program. Madoka
Ayukawa
definitely did not belong to their ranks. Striding up to the door, she
simply
opened it and headed into the principal's office.

    Inside, she noticed that there were fewer students waiting than usual.
Not
thinking too much about it, she walked up to the secretary.
    "Madoka Ayukawa," she announced herself. "Can we begin now?"
    With a bored expression, the secretary looked up from her work. "Sit
down.
I will tell them that you have arrived. When your name is called, you can go
in." Then she used the intercom to inform the principal of her arrival.
    Madoka was now a little confused. Normally the students were all sent in
at
the same time. They would then be briefed about their 'new' schools, receive
a
half-hearted speech about how important it is to put their delinquent ways
behind them and sent on their way. She decided to find out what's going on.
    Sitting down next to a junior she knew, she asked him what was going on.
    "Damned if I know." He shrugged. "Some young lady from the Education
Ministry came today. They called us all in here and told us to wait. Then
they
started to call us in individually. Those who came out said the new lady did
some kind of interview. When that was over, they were sent back to class."
    She thanked him. What kind of new idea is being tested out now? She
wondered.

    Some time later, her name was called and she entered the side office.
Other
than the normal staff, was the new officer. She did not seem to differ from
the
others. She wore a smart office suit, albeit with a headband, and was seated
next to the principal. He and the other teachers in the room were showing
bored
disinterest in the proceedings.
    *Is her hair color natural?* Madoka wondered. She had never seen anyone
with teal-colored hair before.
    "Good morning, Ayukawa-san," she greeted her and gestured for her to
take a
seat opposite her. "Please take a seat. This will only take a moment." Her
tone
was both professional and friendly, a real change from the tired old
officers
usually in charge of these proceedings. Madoka found herself wondering who
she
had pissed off to get assigned to this job.
    Despite herself, Madoka found herself answering her greeting as she sat
down.
    "Ayukawa-san, I'm sure you are wondering what this program is about."
She
started. "Well, it has come to our attention that the old programs were not
working. That is why a new system has been thought up. The new program is
designed to help students like you break out from your old ways. I'm sure
you
do not wish to finish your schooling here either, so I'm sure you will
cooperate as best you can, right?"
    Receiving no reply, she continued. "For this program, we have decided to
no
longer just send groups of students to pre-selected schools. Instead, we
will
let the student to help decide where he or she will go. By examining your
abilities and interests, we hope to find schools with environments that are
better suited you. This way, you will be happier with the school. I hope to
find a school suited to you."
    Picking up the file in front of her, she began to read it. "Your records
indicate that you were a good student at your old school. You consistently
managed to make it into the top ranks. Your grades dropped however, after
you
got into a few fights there. After you were transferred here, you got into
some
more fights during your first few months but nothing serious. Since then no
one
has ever caught you in any fights, although you do come to school once in a
while sporting bruises that you claim come from 'accidents'. Your grades
have
improved somewhat although not reaching your previous level. Since coming
here,
your attendance has also dropped and you have a tendency to come late for
school"
    "Hmm. It is also written here that you are part of a biker gang." She
frowned and glanced at the teachers, "although I can find no police records
of
it."
    Turning back to Madoka, she asked, "Do you have anything to say at this
point?"
    "No." Madoka replied.
    "Okay. Then tell me a little about yourself. Likes, dislikes, hobbies
and
interests, maybe a little bit about your dreams."
    "I have nothing to say." She stated.
    "Oh, come on," the lady cajoled, "you must have something to say. No one
has nothing that he or she does not like or dislike. The same holds true for
dreams and aspirations. You must have some. Tell me about them."
    "No." She replied once more, her tone cooler than before.
    This caused the woman to blink. Not discouraged by her lack of success
so
far, she continued. "Then maybe you would like to suggest a school that you
would like to attend? From what I can see, maybe the Furinkan Military
Academy
would be a good school." she suggested.
    Madoka looked at her sharply. Furinkan Military Academy? That was the
best
school for aspiring military officers. She wanted to send her there?
Impossible. She can't possibly arrange THAT.
    "Onraku Academy." She said, deciding to humor her as the words of a
young
man from that morning came to mind.
    Madoka was sure that she would come up with some kind of excuse to
politely
reject it. As a result, what the officer next said came as a surprise for
everyone in the room.
    "Blackhall Academy is one of the premiere schools for the Arts. May I
ask
which arts subject you would like to major in?"
    Caught off guard by her question, Madoka automatically said, "Music."
    "Good, now we're getting somewhere. I will arrange for your transfer."
Kiyone was glad that things were finally progressing.
    "Ozora-san," one of the teachers exploded. "surely you can't be serious.
Sending a delinquent like HER to an institution like Onraku." The other
teachers expressed the same sentiment.
    "Why not?" she asked them. "Ayukawa-san's grades qualify her for that
school. She WILL be tested for her musical aptitude beforehand, of course."
She
remarked to Madoka. "If she passes, I see no reason why she can't go there."
    The teacher sputtered at that. Miss Ozora turned back to Madoka. "You
can
go back to class now. I will inform you later regarding your posting to
Onraku."
    It was a disbelieving Madoka that headed for classes. That officer was
probably just playing with her. She would probably later apologize for
getting
her hopes up and try to put her into another school. SHE was not going to
get
her hopes up.


    Kyousuke Kasuga had never really liked school. This of course, might
have
had something to do with the fact that he had to suffer being in the same
class
as those two perverts, Konatsu and Hatta. Those two had never left him in
peace. If it wasn't trying to get him to do something perverted, then it was
trying to make a move on his sisters.
    This time, he had another reason to dislike school. After being dragged
here by the redhead, whose name he learned was Minami (although not without
getting a kick to the shins). He had found himself in a strange school where
he
did not recognize a single person. He had had to find his own classroom
without
having to resort to asking. That of course, meant peeking into his school
bag
with his X-ray vision to find out what class he belonged to, and then
running
around the school to find said class. And all this before the bell rang.
    Now, he was in hell. His first class had been homeroom, giving him some
time to acclimatize to the foreign world, but the second turned out to be
Phys
Ed.
    Since the beginning of the year, he had started to work out and improve
his
conditioning, with the encouragement of Ayukawa. However, his improved
stamina
was still woefully inadequate when it came to the torture session that the
school here called Phys Ed. Huffing and puffing, he made his circuits while
watching almost everyone else lap him, some of them even three or four
times.
    The only thing going for him thus far was the way the teacher in charge
seemed not to be too irritated by his slowness. He assumed that his
counterpart
was just as weak as he.


    Much later, as he walked out the school gates, Kyousuke reflected on his
first day at this foreign school. He decided that things could have been
much
worse.
    Mercifully, the teacher had allowed him some time during the
self-defense
lessons to rest. He had sat quietly at the side while the rest of the class
paired off and fought.
    This gave him some time catch his breath again, which he swore he left
behind him on his tenth round around the track. Besides, he thought to
himself
as he watched the other students inflicting bruises on each other, the
fighting
looked really painful. He had no doubts about his ability at hand to hand
combat. Without his Power, he would be beaten to pulp in mere seconds.
    The rest of the day had gone off without a hitch, much to his relief.
Mathematics and Science weren't any different. Thank God that the laws of
physics don't change in parallel worlds.
    Japanese was Japanese, so no problems turned up there. The class where
he
had broken into cold sweat was the one called Imperial History. He had had
no
idea what the teacher was talking about as he droned on about the early
forties.
    Discreet reading in his history textbooks had, much to his surprise,
revealed that World Wars One and Two never occurred. In fact, much of what
he
had learned as modern history never happened either.
    Since he had no power to read minds and search for answers he did not
know,
Kyousuke was overjoyed that not once did the history teacher, or for that
matter ANY teacher, called him up during class.
    The only thing about classes that had bothered him was the ideological
message that was part of all the classes. Apparently, Japan was the founder
of
a huge Empire in this world, controlling much of Asia and parts of North
America.

    Other than that, he reflected, lunch break had been the only other
worry.
He had feared that some of 'his' friends would come up to him, start a
conversation, and, as a result discover him.
    This proved to be unfounded. He had been left pretty much alone the
whole
time.
    Even the girl whose photo stood on his desk had not paid him any
attention.
He had cringed as she passed him in the hall, but she had taken no notice of
him. *My counterpart must be a secret admirer of her then* Kyousuke guessed,
and paid no further attention to the girl the rest of the day.
    Still, from the reactions of the other students, if he didn't know any
better, he would think that he had no friends at school. That made things
definitely a lot easier for him but he couldn't help but wonder how his
counterpart dealt with it.


    <SLAM> The door to the Mano house threatened to fall from it's frame as
the
sound announced the return of the 109th Devil Hunter.
    *How dare that jerk!* Yohko fumed. *How dare he act as though I didn't
exist!* SHE was the one who was supposed to be ignoring him, not the other
way
round. Did he think she wouldn't notice his absence?
    She had been at her normal spot that morning, but did he ever turn up?
No.
The rest of the day had been similar. The one time she had passed him in the
hall, he had actually skirted around her, then walked past without even a
glance back at her. And when school ended, he had practically run out of
school, leaving her behind. Alone. Who in the Nine Hells did he think he
was,
anyway?
    And then, to add insult to injury, Minami had informed her that he had
come
to school riding with that biker, Madoka. And she was about to forgive him
for
eyeing that biker girl in the disco. *Well, he can forget about getting my
forgiveness any time soon.* Yohko entered the training hall in the Mano home
and changed into her workout outfit.
    With a bokken in hand, she stepped up to the training dummy, an
overgrown
figure meant to represent a demon, and began her daily workout. As she went
from the simple routines to the complex, the blows started to fall harder
and
harder. Yohko had stopped focussing on the routines long ago, letting
instinct
take over. Instead, she pictured the dummy to be Kyousuke and imagined that
she
was beating the stuffing out of him.
    An indeterminate time and numerous angry strikes later, fatigue started
to
win over her anger. With a final swing that would have decapitated the dummy
if
she been using a real sword, Yohko decided to end her practice for the day.
    Turning to leave, she was taken by surprise by the bokken thrust to her
stomach. Before she could recover, or even recognize her attacker, an
uppercut
sent her reeling. This was followed by a kick that sent her bokken out of
her
hand. A short glimpse of her grandmother was all she saw before she received
a
painful blow to the side of her head that dropped her to the ground.

    "And what pray tell was that?" Madoka Mano watched on displeased as her
granddaughter pulled herself off the ground.
    "Is this any way for a Devil Hunter to act? If I were a demon, you would
be
dead right now." Yohko winced at the upcoming lecture.
    "I have been standing in this dojo watching you perform that lousy
excuse
for swordplay for at least ten seconds. I even waited for you to stop before
attacking you. And what happened? You didn't even last ten seconds." The
elder
Mano shouted at her granddaughter and started to pace before her.
    "What did I do wrong in your upbringing?" she began to wail. Yohko on
the
other hand, flushed as she recognized the upcoming speech. "Why when your
mother was your age..."
    Yohko already knew this speech by heart. Whenever her performance was
below
the expectations of the slavemaster before her, her grandmother would always
mention her mother. How she could already perform this maneuver when Yohko
just
started learning it, how she could have taken out this or that demon so much
quicker and more efficiently, or how she could have identified the different
types of demons and been aware of their strengths and weaknesses. No matter
what she did or achieved, her late mother was always much better than her.
Times like these, she wondered why she became a Devil Hunter.
    Wait, the speech was ending. That meant the obligatory guilt trip that
always followed. Her reminder why she had become a Devil Hunter.
    "..how do you expect to take over your mother's duties if you keep
showing
this sort of performance? The demons would eat you alive. How am I to face
your
mother in the heavens then?" the speech came to an end and Madoka Mano came
to
a halt before Yohko.
    "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" she looked her
granddaughter
in the eye.
    Head turned down, Yohko replied steadily. "I'm sorry. I will do better
next
time."
    Madoka's features softened as she regarded her granddaughter. "I know
I'm
not exactly the easiest of taskmasters. I just don't want to lose you the
way I
lost your mother."
    Yohko looked back at her grandmother. "Yes, grandma. I guess I really
was
distracted today. I promise to concentrate better next time."
    "Good," the 107th Devil Hunter of the Mano clan nodded. "then come tell
your grandmother what was bothering you. Let's see if this old fogey can
help."
    Yohko hesitated. She knew how her grandmother thought about Kyousuke.
While
she did not forbid her outright from meeting him, she definitely was less
than
pleased about their relationship. The 'official' reason for it was that she
should not lose her virginity on a casual affair. A Devil Hunter's mystic
powers were stronger when she was a virgin. As the latest Devil Hunter
responsible for the protecting the Empire from the demon realms, it would be
a
dereliction of duty for her to carelessly throw away any advantage she
possessed just for a moments pleasure. Her first time should be only after
marriage, and even then, only when the omens had indicated that it was time
for
the next generation to be born.
    She suspected that the real reason had something to do with the fact
that
Kyousuke was part of the Mobius Institute, and the grandson of the current
Director, no less. She never did find out the reasons behind her
grandmother's
feud with him.
    On the other hand, Kyousuke WAS the first boyfriend she had who had
survived and stayed by her side for more than three months.
    Knowing her granddaughter, Madoka guessed immediately what was on her
mind.
Sighing in defeat, she shook her head. "Fine, fine. I know it's about him. I
won't say anything. We've been through this before."
    Yohko smiled in relief. "Thanks grandma, I promise it won't affect my
performance."
    "Good, good. Then you wouldn't mind repeating that session." Yohko
opened
her mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. Satisfied, Madoka Mano
left the training hall from which the sounds of bokken strikes could be
heard
once more.


    Kyousuke stepped hesitantly into the ABCB. Was it his imagination, or
did
the level of noise drop? Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Shaking such
thoughts from his head, he walked in.
    After school had ended, he had simply walked around. Lady Luck had
spared
him from going to the Mobius Institute that morning. He was not going to
push
it by going home and have someone his counterpart knew call or visit.
    On the streets, he had encountered what had initially appeared to be a
strange reaction by the people around him. Wherever he went, the crowds
would
automatically part, giving him a wide berth. It had confused him for a
while.
Then he remembered Ayukawa's reaction. Wearing his uniform with the Mobius
Institute's insignia pin, he was easily identified as an Esper. And that
fact
inspired a degree of fear in them.
    In fact, now that he thought about it, the other students in school had
reacted the same way, albeit with a greater amount of subtlety. Probably
because they were familiar with his being an Esper. He had missed it because
he
had been too busy worrying about being discovered.
    Spotting Ayukawa sitting at the table in the corner, he made his way to
her. As he walked over, he looked around the ABCB, unconsciously comparing
it
with the one he knew. Here, unlike the other places he had seen, the
differences from his home dimension were less obvious. A missing picture
here,
a replaced drawing there. The furniture was the same and the Master was also
there behind the counter, eyeing him carefully as he dried a glass.
    "Hello." He greeted her with a smile. "Been waiting long?" he asked, as
he
sat down on a stool next to her.
    Madoka shook her head. Unlike him, she had found time to change out of
her
uniform. She now wore a plain blouse with a skirt. "No," she replied coolly,
hiding her nervousness at being together with an Esper. "I just got here
myself."
    "Have you already ordered?"
    "No, not yet."
    Kyousuke picked up the menu from the table. A quick glance showed that
it
was the same as the one he was familiar with. He offered it to Ayukawa, who
accepted it.
    "Don't you want to see the menu?" she asked him, not knowing that he
knew
the menu by heart.
    Recovering quickly, Kyousuke answered. "I'll have whatever you
recommend.
You come here often, right?"
    Madoka nodded slowly, saying, "I work here part-time."
    "You work here part-time?" Kyousuke tried to sound surprised. "Then
you'll
know the dishes here. I'll let you order." Mentally, he kicked himself. He
wasn't supposed to have been here before.
    "Okay." Madoka acknowledged, "you're the one who's paying." Calling the
waiter, she promptly ordered some of the ABCB's best dishes. In the
meantime,
Kyousuke tried to relax after a harrowing day. Not an easy thing to do when
you
saw that the waiter was doing his best not to stare and get away from you at
the same time.
    While waiting for their orders to come, Kyousuke decided to find out
more
about Ayukawa and this world he had come to from a teen's perspective. The
only
students in school who did not shun him as discreetly as they could had been
the Minami girl, who was also from the so-called Mobius Institute.
    "So, how was your day? I hope you weren't late because of me." He
started
on a friendly note, going over some safe ground.
    "It was okay." Madoka shrugged, being her reticent self. "I wasn't any
later than usual." Then, in a rare display of openness, she added. "I
followed
your advice and applied to a music school. I'm having a tryout on Thursday."
How Ozora-san had, with the help of one of her more sympathetic teachers,
managed to pull it off, she did not know, but she would be having an
audition
at the premier Arts school in the land. Even though a delinquent like her
had
no chance of being accepted by such a high-class school, she was grateful
for
the effort Ozora-san and Shimitsu-san, her household managing teacher, had
put
in on her behalf.
    Even though he hoped that he would be home by then, Kyousuke couldn't
help
but say, "I'll be sure to go and listen to you perform." Realizing how
forward
that was, he quickly added, "If you want me to that is." If he had not
returned
back by then, he badly wanted to hear Ayukawa's wonderful voice again. He
had
only heard it once at the Talent Caravan and was already addicted.
    Madoka had no idea what to say. Part of her wanted him to be there to
support her, but another did not want him to see her fail. "Why not? The
more
the merrier. It will be at the Onraku Academy at three in the afternoon."
She
finally said.

    Kyousuke continued to fish for information. With great difficulty, he
managed to get Ayukawa to talk about herself. After some time and much
persistence, Madoka began to open up.
    He learned that, in this world, Ayukawa's parents were not the
world-class
musicians they were in his world. Instead, they belonged to the normal
working-class and normally worked long hours. This resulted in them leaving
her
alone with her sister most of the time. In that much, she was similar to the
Ayukawa he knew.
    He was shocked, however, to learn that she was part of a biker gang. In
fact, now that he had spent more time with her, he could see the differences
more clearly.
    The girl in front of him was a lot cooler. She was more likely to use
violence to solve her problems than to talk. In all the time he had known
his
Ayukawa, she had always avoided the subject of her shady past. From what he
had
heard so far, it seemed to him that fighting was a major source of pride for
the Ayukawa sitting before him.
    For his part, he decided to tell her about the real him, instead of the
Kyousuke from this world. This might be a little risky since there might be
certain facts that would clash with this world, but then he would not have
to
worry about having to make up things based on what little he knew of his
counterpart and to remember those lies. There was only one thing he
carefully
left out. That was the fact that his mother was dead in his world. Since he
knew that she was alive in this world, it would raise too many questions if
they were to later meet. Not that he had any intention of letting THAT
happen.
    Madoka was quite surprised at Kyousuke's description of his own life.
She
had always (and correctly) thought that all Espers lived quasi apart from
normal society. But from her conversation with him, one could almost think
that
they were normal people with only a few extra talents. Well, maybe not
completely normal. Normal people would never have the courage to approach
her,
much less invite her out.

    A short pause came when their food arrived. To his surprise, Master
himself
had come to serve the food. As he did so, he eyed Kyousuke carefully. He did
not say a single word.
    After he had left, they went back to the conversation. They went on to
talk
about some normal subjects such as what teenagers here do and a little about
the news. Kyousuke did his best to contribute, talking about his own
activities, hoping that they would not appear strange. As for news topics,
he
was a totally passive participant. All he knew about the happenings in this
world were what he had learned since that morning. If Ayukawa thought
anything
was strange, she certainly did not show it.

    "Do you have a girlfriend, Kasuga-kun?" Madoka asked all of a sudden
after
they had finished their meal, the words leaving her mouth before she could
stop
them. Why had she asked him THAT?
    Kyousuke choked on his coffee as he heard the question, the drink
suddenly
going down the wrong opening. What was it about Ayukawa's, he wondered. They
seem to have this almost magical ability to say things that would shock him
at
the most inappropriate times.
    After getting his coughing under control, he answered her question.
"Yes."
He stated firmly. Although his indecisiveness still plagued him, he HAD
learned, the hard way, from experience to be more decisive in certain areas.
Besides, how was he to explain to Ayukawa that he had led an alternate
version
of her on?
    "Oh." Madoka was a little disappointed, although she would never admit
it,
not even to herself. Instead, she switched to her normal cover tactic -
hostility. With practiced ease, she changed her entire tone and posture. Her
face took on an unfriendly expression that would make a glacier seem warm.
    "And does she know that you invited me out?" Her tone made Kyousuke
cringe,
wondering what he had done wrong.
    "No," he admitted. "She is currently," he thought of a way to tell her
where his love was, "abroad. Far away from here." He finished, thinking to
himself *Both in space and in time.*
    "And you took the opportunity to invite another girl out a date?" Madoka
asked suspiciously.
    "A date?" Kyousuke blinked in surprise as he realized what caused her
sudden mood shift. "Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized hastily, "I thought I just
invited you out to apologize for this morning and to thank you for the
ride."
He clarified quickly to avoid any misunderstandings. "Believe me, I love my
girlfriend very much and would never betray her."
    Seeing how he acted, Madoka was mollified. She had just jumped to
conclusions. She was not, however, about to apologize for it. "Humph. Next
time
don't be so vague about it," she said angrily.
    Kyousuke just smiled self-consciously at that, thinking how much like
his
own Ayukawa that was. He never got to reply as they were interrupted.
    "Madoka-san. Here you are. We've been looking all over for you." A girl
with short blonde hair, wearing biker leathers, stood next to their table.
    "Hik-, Hi" Kyousuke caught himself before he could blurt out her name.
"Um,
Ayukawa. Is this a friend of yours?"
    Hikaru's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she saw who or rather what
Madoka's friend was. Taking a step back from the table and pointedly not
looking at his direction, she quickly said to Madoka. "Koryu wants us to
meet
tonight. Usual place, usual time." With that, she turned around and took off
as
fast as she could.
    A short period of uncomfortable silence followed as both teenagers
recovered from the encounter. "That... was Hikaru." She said finally. "She
is a
good friend of mine." Kyousuke nodded, having already known that.
    "You must leave?" It was more a statement than a question. Madoka nodded
and pushed her chair back. Already halfway out of her seat, she stopped and
looked over at Kyousuke.
    "It's okay. Go ahead," he said. "Like I said. This is my treat."
    For the first time the whole evening, Madoka smiled. "Thanks." As she
turned to leave, she felt Kyousuke grab hold of her hand.
    "Look, I don't want to appear self-righteous, but I have to say this.
You
should not get into fights so much. Get out of the gang. It is for your own
good. And take Hikaru with you. Neither of you belong there."
    Breaking his hold, Madoka looked shortly at him with an unreadable
expression. Then, without a word, she turned and left the cafe.
    After paying the bill, Kyousuke also left ABCB and made his way 'home'.


    Arriving 'home', Kyousuke sighed. He had hoped to have returned home by
some form of accident by now. It looked as though his stay here would be
longer
than his previous ones. After establishing that 'his' mother had not
returned
home yet. Kyousuke decided to explore the house. He might as well
acclimatize
himself to this world if he had to stay for a while.
    As far as he could tell, his counterpart and his mother lived alone. No
signs of his father or his sisters could be found within the large house.
    Well, he reasoned, that meant that his sisters did not exist in this
reality. It was not exactly surprising since he had been in one where HE had
not existed. But what about his father?
    Despite searching the whole house, he could find no photos of his father
or
any of his works. Slowly, he came to the conclusion that his counterpart's
father no longer lived with them. If his mother was anything like his
father,
that would mean that his father in this world was dead. They could be just
divorced, but he doubted it.
    He also discovered that there were a few empty rooms in the house. For
example, Ayukawa's music room stood empty.
    The master bedroom was utilitarian, he decided. A single bed, a closet,
a
desk and a dressing table. No decorations or memorabilia to reveal anything
about the woman who lived here. Deciding against searching further, Kyousuke
left the room quickly without touching anything.

    Finally, he came back to his analog's room, where his adventure had
started
this morning. Here, he hoped to find out more about his counterpart. It
should
prove to be interesting. Not many people had the chance to see how an
alternate
version of themselves would turn out.
    But first, he had to deal with schoolwork. Having checked his time table
in
school, he was aware that he had no classes the next day where special
knowledge of this world was required. That meant he did not have to spend
any
unnecessary time studying. Homework in the other subjects he did without
complaint. No point in getting his counterpart into any undue trouble when
they
returned to their proper places after all.
    After that was done, he searched through his counterpart's belongings.
They
were, technically speaking, his. He told himself he was not intruding on the
privacy of another person.
    Some of it was personal. Like the love notes from a girl called Yohko
and
some photos of his analog together with the girl with twin braids. Kyousuke
guessed that the girl had to be Yohko.
    Yet, she had ignored him that afternoon. From past experience, Kyousuke
knew that that could only mean one thing. His counterpart had done something
wrong recently to make her angry at him. Well, he'd let the two of them deal
with it. He had no intention of suffering from more relationship problems.
For
now, he would just avoid her like the plague.
    The rest was pretty standard stuff. It was when he looked at the
material
dealing with the Mobius Institute that he hit the jackpot. The Institute, as
he
had guessed, taught 'gifted' children how to use their powers. A handbook
among
his counterpart's literature described how students of the Institute were to
carry themselves. Included, as well, were laws dealing with the use of
powers.
    Most of those laws were common sense. No use of powers to harm another
person. No use of powers for personal advancement. What appalled him was the
leeway given 'in the line of duty' as the book put it. Agents of the
Institute,
as representatives of the Security Directorate, were actually given the
legal
power to use whatever means they deemed necessary to carry out their duties.
    Kyousuke prayed fervently at this point that he returned to his world.
The
sooner the better. He was certain they would not be pleased to find out
about
him.
    Putting the handbook aside, he looked further. In the desk, he found a
file. In it was described the immersion program that his analog was
participating in. It was a program aimed at improving relations between the
Espers and the 'normals'. Kyousuke raised an eyebrow as he read this. He
could
not be sure, but from what he had seen so far, the program was a flop. He
was
glad that no one knew about his powers back home. Living so apart from
society
was very lonely.
    The one thing that caught his eye within it was the paragraph detailing
the
practice of his Esper powers. According to it, he had the option of skipping
lessons at the Imperial Academy in favor of practicing his Powers at the
Institute. He could only do it for an allotted number of hours and had to
inform the teachers at the Imperial Academy beforehand.
    Fortunately for him, his counterpart had not exercised that option too
much. Kyousuke smiled to himself as he thought of how many hours he could
use
that to stay away from school.
    The top prize for Kyousuke were the books that his counterpart owned
about
the Power. Teleportation and telekinesis were old hats for him, but he
considered reading them for greater insight anyway. What caught his eye
though,
were the ones about telepathy, and more importantly, mind shielding. These
he
started reading immediately. He could picture Kazuya's expression when,
after
his return home, the brat realized that he could not read his mind anymore.


End part 1

*****************************
Horror is...
    Finding out that the kids whom you did not give candy
    to during Halloween have given Heero the mission of
    playing a trick on you.

True Horror is...
   Finding out that the Perfect Soldier had asked
   Duo Maxwell for help for said mission


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