The Bureau Files: Series 3

ooOoo

A/N: So, a few months late, the third series of The Bureau Files is finally beginning! As usual, this'll be updating on a weekly basis, with seven 'cases'/stories spread across fourteen episodes/chapters running over a single story arc. This will run into December and, given my recent progress, there will be no Christmas story this year. (The Dreamers really took it out of me last year.) Hopefully, when this series is finished, I shall be back on track with my other fanfics.

Cat.

EDIT: Cover art was done by the wonderful Angie, on her Tumblr blog: drawerofdoodles. Please check out her lovely art!

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Episode 1: The Komainu Guardian (Part 1)

Haru Yoshioka's arrival into the flat was announced with the clattering of door keys and the audible fumbling for the light switch as her shoes were kicked off against the wall. She sounded like she was in a hurry, but that was nothing new. Hiromi's long-term friend and flatmate seemed to constantly have somewhere to go nowadays.

And she was always running behind schedule.

"You have a morning shift at the pet store in half an hour," Hiromi idly reminded her. She stood in the doorway of the lounge, watching Haru shrug off a couple of jackets and a scarf, and drop them onto the stairway banister. True, it was turning autumn, but only just. Hardly enough to justify so many layers. "Have you been out all night?"

Haru pulled off a thick woollen hat and ran a hand quickly through her short hair. It had been recently cut back and she was relieved to have it out of her eyes once again. "No," she said. Her hand came away wet from her hair and she wiped the remnant water droplets roughly on her discarded scarf. "I was just... you know, out running." Haru gave a hasty grin and started up the stairs. "Got to keep fit after all; it's not like I'm taking those self-defence classes anymore."

"Only because you couldn't continue to afford it," Hiromi muttered. "Hey, where are you going? You only have half an hour before work!"

"Shower!" Haru shouted back. "I need to warm up!"

"Warm up?" her friend echoed. She glanced to the many layers Haru had shed upon entering their flat. Two coats were strewn upon the banister, and the scarf was now carelessly trailing across the steps. Yes, the days were becoming colder now with the arrival of autumn, but even so, Haru's choice of clothing for an early-morning run was still a little... odd. Hiromi retrieved the fallen scarf and draped it beside the coat. Her fingers came away wet and cold... As if the folds of the scarf was crusted with the remains of... snow.

It was all too strange for this time of year.

Upstairs, Haru was revelling in the heat seeping into her body. The goose-bumps had quickly faded away upon her return to this part of the world, but she could still the cold of the north resting in her bones.

"Yetis," she muttered under her breath. She cupped the shower water and washed the warmth into her face. "He could have warned me there would be yetis."

There was another shout from downstairs – Hiromi reminding her that she didn't have enough time to dawdle – and Haru reluctantly withdrew from the shower. She bandaged up a few of her newest scars – a few scratches and grazes gained from the rocky tundra terrain – and dressed. She desperately needed to ignore the fact that she hadn't actually slept last night if she was going to survive her next shift at the pet store.

"It's fine for them," she murmured as her mind was cast over the rest of the Cat Bureau. "They don't have to tackle a morning shift the next day. Baron and Toto don't even need to sleep as much as people do." She pulled a face in the mirror, blinking slowly in the hope it would chase away the bags under her eyes. It didn't. "I bet Muta is sleeping right now though, the lazy cat," she sighed wistfully.

"HARU! You've got fifteen minutes!"

"Alright! I know!" She glanced back to her tired, aching reflection and managed a wiry grin. Her reflection grinned back, and – although she hadn't slept in the last twenty-four hours, and had almost been eaten twice in the same period – there was a lightness in her eyes. Her life had become crazy in the last couple of years, thanks to the Bureau.

"But then again," she murmured, "who doesn't need a little crazy in their life?"

ooOoo

"Alright, I'm here." Haru swung into the Paradise Pet Store with a yawn and a general feeling that today was going to be a blessedly ordinary day. Neither lasted particularly long. Before she had even lowered her bag, Haru was nearly knocked over by a bundle of hysterical white feathers. She caught herself and stared over at the heavy cockatoo now perched happily on her shoulder.

"I'm here," the bird mimicked. "I'm here."

Haru blinked and slowly leant away. Or, she did her best to, anyway – it was a little difficult when the aforementioned bird was somewhat attached to her shoulder. "What are you doing out of your cage, Tippi?" She glanced across the room and saw the other shop worker – the grandson of the shop owner – attempting to sneak up on the wayward bird.

Haru raised an eyebrow. Neither she – nor the cockatoo – were impressed. Tippi gave a whistling laugh and flew off just as Michael Banner leapt for the creature. Haru sidestepped the young man and, instinctively, caught his arm before he went crashing into the door. It was not a case that she had become graceful, but merely that her reflexes had grown sharper during her time with the Bureau.

She pulled him back to his feet.

"Hello, Michael."

He gave a sheepish grin. "Hello, Haru. You're late."

"And you've got bird problems again," she said.

"Just like old times then."

"And, just like old times, you need me to swoop in and save you."

Michael laughed. "That's fair enough." However, as Haru turned to where Tippi was gleefully flying about the shop, he caught her hand. A couple of minor scratches were visible. "Haru..."

She pulled her sleeve across her palm. "Oh, come on. It's nothing."

"They're fresh," Michael noted.

"I could have easily got them – I don't know – catching myself on the door or something."

"But you didn't." He tugged at the sleeve to reveal the bandages Haru had earlier applied. "What was it this time?"

Haru hesitated a moment before answering. "Yetis," she muttered.

"What?"

"It's not really as bad as it sounds!" she insisted. "I mean, yes, they were rabid when we started out – that was what brought us there in the first place – but Baron did manage to cure them before they ate anyone. Even if we did have to lure them out with bait originally..." Sometimes, being the only human in the Bureau meant she was the prime candidate for bait. It was amazing how popular human flesh was amongst monsters. "Actually, they were pretty good hosts once they were calmed down."

"You have to be more careful in future," Michael scolded.

"I was." She laughed, hoping to lessen the seriousness. She prodded him playfully in the chest. "You know that the Bureau work is dangerous – and, to be honest, a few scratches are the least of my problems. Anyway, I don't do the work alone. I have Baron and the others."

"That's true," he admitted. And then, in a quieter voice, he added, "The Baron wouldn't let any harm come to you."

Tippi, apparently bored with being ignored, flew back down and landed on Michael's shoulder. "Rabid," she echoed gleefully. "Lure them out. Baron and the others."

Michael turned on the bird and attempted to capture it – but she easily flew out of reach before he could stop her.

"Dratted bird," he complained. He started into a run after the hysterical cockatoo, which was now going through the full range of its mimicking. "Get down here before customers start arriving!"

Haru sat back and laughed. She was aware that she really should be helping, but she couldn't stop herself. She watched and laughed, because it was just such a change from her last Bureau case, and it was always nice to no longer be worried that she was about to be eaten.

She was quite fond of ordinary life, after all.

ooOoo

"Hey, I'm home." Haru slouched back into her shared flat at the end of the day and quickly stopped before she toppled over the chair centring the hallway. Atop the chair was Hiromi, perched perilously as she attempted to change the light bulb above.

"Hi Home, I'm Hiromi," her flatmate chirped back.

"Hysterical."

"I always thought so." The chair wobbled dangerously beneath the other woman, and Haru abruptly caught the seat before it toppled over.

"You know, you could have just waited until I came back," Haru reprimanded. "You can barely reach the light."

"Are you making fun of my height?"

"I'm merely making an observation," Haru said. "If I were making fun of your stature, I would have been sure to add 'shortie' the end of that sentence."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She watched her flatmate struggle with the bulb for a few more seconds. "Are you sure you don't want to let me try?"

"Oh, sure; I'll let the klutz do this instead."

"I will let you fall."

"I'll make sure I land on you."

"I'd like to see you try."

Suddenly, the light bulb slotted in and burst into light. There was a shot of electric energy and Hiromi recoiled away as the light bulb fuse went with a bang. The hallway dropped into darkness and Haru heard Hiromi slip straight off the chair. She caught her and both women collapsed onto the carpet.

"Geez, Hiromi; I didn't actually mean it."

"That hurt!"

"Falling off a chair will do that."

"No, I meant the electric shock."

Haru sat up and waited for her eyes to adjust to the semi-gloom. The only light now was that which was overflowing from the lounge. "You must have forgotten to turn the light off," she said. "You're lucky it was only an electric shock and you didn't electrocute yourself instead. Here, let me see your hands..."

Hiromi numbly turned her palms over. There were no signs of burns or any injury, superficially at least, and so Haru reached out for her friend's hand. The moment they made contact, a jolt of energy shot out at Haru.

"Ow!"

"Hey, what–?"

Both women paused to massage their tingling hands.

"What was that?" Haru asked.

"I don't know. Maybe residual electricity?" Hiromi ventured.

Haru wasn't sure. Then again, she wasn't exactly a physics expert. "Here, let's see if it happens again."

"Hey!" Hiromi tried to recoil back, but Haru was too quick; she caught her friend's hands, but to no effect. Whatever had just happened appeared to be a one-off.

"Well, whatever happened, it's over now." Hiromi flexed her fingers, silently reassuring herself that her joints were still working. "Heh. I guess it's just my electric personality."

"And with that, I know you're back to normal," Haru sighed. She shooed Hiromi in the direction of the kitchen. "Go and... I don't know, run your hands under cold water or something."

"Will that do anything?" Hiromi asked doubtfully.

"How should I know? But I'd feel better if you did something."

Haru watched her friend disappear off into the kitchen, and then glanced down to her own hands. She could still feel the residual energy clinging to her skin. She wasn't well-versed in electric shocks, but there had been far too many sparks going. And...

She rubbed at her fingers, still unable to rid herself of the uneasy energy remaining. Whatever had jumped from Hiromi's hand... it wasn't electricity. No, what she was dealing with was raw magic. It wasn't hers though; she would recognise her passive, portal-opening magic with ease – no, this was something... almost wholly unfamiliar. Although she was sure she had sensed it somewhere else, the memory was elusive.

But... Hiromi didn't have magic.

Did she?

ooOoo

As Haru dropped by the Sanctuary, a wholly different sensation of magic ran over her bones. When she passed under the archway, the Creation magic seeped into her and shrunk her down to a mere foot in height. She waved to the stone crow atop the column centring the courtyard and headed straight to the double-doors.

"Good morning, Baron."

The Creation barely glanced up from the paperwork he was filing. "Good morning, Haru." He spared a brief smile. "I see you have recovered from our little excursion with the yetis."

"Little excursion, you call it," Haru echoed. "Right. As I recall it, you weren't the one who was almost eaten raw."

"We had everything completely under control."

"You say that about every case we go on." Haru swept over to the desk and looked over the newly-filled forms. They were useful for keeping tabs on who the Bureau had met, as well as the various dangers they had encountered along the way. Somewhere in Baron's elaborate filling system, there would be a file around a decade old describing her very first encounter with the Bureau. She had often wondered what it would say.

"Is there tea in the pot, or should I start up a new blend?"

"There's a fresh batch ready," Baron said. "Help yourself."

"I know I'm a regular when you allow me to make tea for myself," Haru noted. She scooted over to the kettle and started to amass the necessary ingredients. "Do we have any new cases, or have things calmed down for now?"

"It looks like it's all quiet for now," Baron answered, "but, given our track record, there's no telling how long that will last."

It looked like the filing had got out of control, for a mass of notes had found their way to the kitchen-side cabinet, and Haru had to dig around just to find a clean teacup. Along the way, she nudged some sheets loose and a page with a strange symbol slipped forward.

She lowered the kettle and leant towards the unfamiliar design.

"Hey, Baron... What's this?"

"What's what – wait, don't touch it!"

The Creation's warning came too late, and Haru's fingers brushed over the mark in the same moment. Haru's passive magic flared up and the power in the symbol resonated within her. There was a sickening, dizzy sensation and suddenly Haru's head was knocking against the Bureau's chandelier.

She glanced down at Baron, and then at her hands, which were now larger than the kettle she had previously been holding. She carefully lowered herself and took a slow seat on the chest in the corner.

"Well," she said after a long moment. "This situation seems awfully familiar." She raised an eyebrow at Baron, now noticeably smaller than her as she had reverted to her human height. "Considering what happened last time my size started changing, should I be worried?"

'Why does this always happen to me?'

Baron collected up the page – which was now emitting a gentle discharge of blue smoke – while taking care to avoid making contact with the strange symbol, and gingerly moved it to his desk. Haru couldn't help thinking that it was a little too late for that. "You have nothing to fear, Haru. If you remove your necklace and then return it, it should revert you to a much more comfortable size."

"Sounds like the same advice I get whenever my computer crashes," Haru mumbled, but she followed through with his instructions. "You know," she added when Baron gave her a curious look, "turn it off and on again. Reboot the system. That kind of thing." Regardless, when she clicked the magic necklace back about her throat, she was reassured by a familiar shrinking sensation. Now able to walk across the room without taking the chandelier with her, she wandered over to the desk and the guilty page. "So... what is it?"

"It's a spell I am working on. While I have perfected an enchantment that allows me to change height when moving to other worlds, I am very aware that there are times when my size and appearance are a hindrance in this world."

"So?" Haru leant forward, but took care not to repeat her previous mistake. "It's never bothered you before. Anyway, what good would come of you being human-sized in this world? You'd get as many strange looks – if not more – if you worked this out. That, or everyone would think you were selling something."

"You misunderstand me, Haru. I do not wish to merely become human-sized."

Haru froze, still peering down at the desk. The gears in her head where whirring as she rapidly re-adjusted for this new piece of implied information. She abruptly turned to the Creation.

Baron met her gaze steadily, although he had to know what was rushing through her mind.

"You want to become human?"

"Not permanently. But, yes; I believe that temporary humanity would give me an advantage in some cases."

"Does the spell work?"

"Only partly." Baron swept his hand across the desk and crumpled the sheet, scrunching the symbol into a ball. "It can get me as far as human-sized – as you have just demonstrated – but it rather struggles with the human part."

"Oh."

Haru's eyes flickered to the paper as it was discarded into his pocket. Her mind was cast over the few other times – that she knew of – that Baron had been tempted with humanity. The first time had almost cost him his life... as the very humans he had become like turned on him. The second time Baron had held the very concoction that would turn him human – and he had thrown it away. She still remembered the absolute sound it made as it was smashed upon the table.

She looked back to him. "Why now?"

"Why not now?"

"Well, it's just that I..." Haru hesitated, and then gave an uneasy shrug; she had little clue quite how she was going to end that sentence. She tried again. "I'm a little surprised that you want to do this at all." Her gaze turned sympathetic as memories replayed before her eyes. "After all, your last brush with humanity was a far cry from pleasant. I thought that it had turned you away from the idea entirely."

That was putting it mildly. It had almost put him off the idea of humans, period. There had been a short time when he hadn't been able to even look her in the eye. He had recovered – but it hadn't been simple.

"I've reconsidered."

"Oh." Haru blinked. A smile blossomed across her features and she moved back to the kettle, to work on the tea that she still hadn't got around to making. "Well, that's good. Let's just hope it goes better than your last project of this nature." She briefly touched the necklace that allowed her to shrink upon entering the Sanctuary. It hadn't always worked so perfectly, especially upon its initial creation. "We really don't want a repeat of that."

"Agreed." Baron watched the brunette dance between the kettle and the teacup, smoothly collecting up the milk and setting the kettle boiling. He glanced back down to the filing scattered across the desk, moving some of the sheets aside to find the remains of his research into the possibility of temporary humanity. It was far from a simple request, and part of him doubted whether it was possible at all.

True, he had been human once – a well-meaning kitsune had transformed him for her own purposes, but it hadn't been true humanity. He had been a half-breed; he had bled sap and his eyes had spoken of a non-human heritage. Although he could bleed blood while in his flesh form, the shape the kitsune had given him had been a strange mix of his figurine status and human.

To turn him human – even for a short period – would require more magic than he had to spare.

His thoughts were disturbed by a cup of steaming tea being gently placed into his hands. Haru stared at him as she did so, one eyebrow critically raised.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Baron took the offered drink and attempted a smile. "It's nothing."

Haru's eyebrows did a funny dance that, Baron suspected, meant she wasn't buying his lie. Regardless, she smiled back – although her smile was a little sad – and turned to pick up her own cup of tea. "Right then, I guess it's time we got this filing sorted out. How can you even make such a mess over such a little case?"

Baron chuckled lightly, relieved that Haru's tone indicated she was back to her usual self. "Little case?" he echoed. "As I recall, it was you who were complaining not five minutes ago that you were almost eaten yesterday."

Haru waved it away. "Priorities."

She started to sweep up the papers, skimming over them and slipping them back into their respective files. Her companion began to work on rearranging his notes on the spell, and for a few minutes there was a comfortable silence settled out between them. As Haru finished filing the worst of the mess, she stopped and looked back over to the Creation.

"Baron?"

"Yes, Haru?"

"Can... someone have latent magic? I mean, can they have magic and never realise it?"

"You possessed the ability to open portals for years without knowing of it," Baron replied. "So, yes. There are many cases where people have the potential for magic but never discover it. Why do you ask?"

Haru thought back to the events of earlier that day. "I... I think Hiromi might have some sort of power."

"The friend with whom you share residence?"

"That would be her," Haru said. "She was changing a light bulb when she gave herself an electric shock. Afterwards, I felt something rather like magic... jump from her hand."

"Something like an electric shock could well awaken latent magic," Baron mused. "Electricity, like magic, is a form of energy. Has she shown any changes since then?"

"It was only a few hours ago. She seems pretty normal." As normal as Hiromi got, anyway. "Could...? I mean, is there a way to check this? Because if she does have magic, who knows what kind of trouble she could get into." It had been a year ago, but Haru could still remember how her own magic had been responsible for dropping Hiromi into Oz... which had almost ended with the death of her friend. "What if it's not passive like my magic? What if she hurts someone else – or herself?"

"Magic is not something to be feared, Haru."

"No," Haru admitted, "but it is something that should be kept under control."

Baron paused, thinking over Haru's plea and coming to a decision. He nodded. "The easiest way would be if Toto or I could see this friend of yours."

"And how are we going to do that?" Haru glanced to where he had been working on the enchantment. "I mean, if you could turn into a human, that would be something, but I have a feeling that it's going to be a while before you have this spell sorted out. So what are we going to do? I can hardly just sneak you into the apartment in the middle of the night, can I?"

There was a pregnant pause, and Haru suddenly regretted airing her thoughts at all.

Baron smiled. "Why not?"

ooOoo

"If Hiromi wakes up, I don't know how I'm going to explain any of this," Haru muttered. She waited for the two Creations to step inside, and then brought the window shut with a decisive snap. "So it's just the two of you? What happened to Muta?"

Toto cackled as Baron stepped off him and onto the desk. "Do you really think that puddingbrain would be any use on a stealth mission like this?"

"He's sleeping, isn't he?" Haru translated. "I bet he sleeps like the dead."

"When Muta is sleeping, it is often best to let him lie," Baron admitted. "Talking of sleeping, how is your friend?"

"Sleeping like a log and snoring like a chainsaw. And just as long as we keep quiet, that isn't going to change." She nodded towards the door and lowered her hand to the feline Creation. "Come on; I'll take you to her."

Baron stepped onto the proffered palm and was carefully raised to Haru's shoulder. The fact that Haru and agreed to this idea at all was a sign of her worry. But, then again, this wasn't something they could do from afar; if he wanted to know precisely what the magic was, he would have to be reasonably close. Haru softly moved from her room, padding towards Hiromi's as she felt her way along the corridor. Toto flew silently behind.

Haru eased her friend's door open and slipped inside. The moonlight provided just enough of a glow to see by, and so the room was outlined in greyscale shading. As Haru had noted, Hiromi's presence was marked by the unapologetic rumble of snoring. Haru would have complained long ago but – so she had been told – she was almost as bad in the snoring department herself. Haru set Baron down on the bedside table. "So... is there anything?"

Baron held up a hand as he surveyed the room. His brows furrowed and magic shifted in his palm, growing into a gentle glow of one of his light orbs. He looked back to Toto; his whiskers twitching and his gaze troubled. "Toto... Have we encountered this magic before?"

The crow hopped to Baron's side and stared down his beak at the sleeping Hiromi. Haru crossed her fingers that her friend didn't abruptly wake.

"Now you mention it, it is familiar."

"So I wasn't imagining things?" Haru asked. "She really does have magic?" 'And I knew I recognised it... but the question is... why?'

"Yes," Baron said. "And, like I theorised, it has been recently awoken. But..." He glanced to Haru, and this time there was real worry in his green eyes. "This isn't her magic."

"What do you mean it isn't her magic? It's coming from her, right? How can it be anyone else's? After all, she's had practically no contact with other magic, except–" The words died on her tongue as the realisation hit.

"Except from her time in Oz," Baron finished. "Perhaps it had more consequences than we thought."

"There was that enchantress – Princess Lanwidere – who took her head... That has to be it," Haru said, rolling through the realisation as it struck. "She had magic and Hiromi spent a good deal of time there. Perhaps... when Lanwidere did the head-swapping thing..." Just thinking about it was enough to make Haru feel nauseous, "Perhaps some of her magic was left in Hiromi. And it's taken until now – until the electric shock – to reawaken that magic..."

She looked to Baron.

"Please tell me I'm wrong."

"I wish I could, Haru. But it looks to me that the magic signature your friend possesses is uncannily similar to that of Princess Lanwidere. If that is so, then it is highly likely that some residual magic of hers remained in part of your friend."

"And what does that mean?"

Baron took a moment to answer, mulling over his words before he spoke them. "Lanwidere's magic is a foreign power to your friend; while it was dormant it was of no matter, but now it is awakening I fear it could be harmful. Human bodies are rarely compatible with magic in this world – you are only able to possess your magic due to your father's heritage – and I doubt that your friend's body will not be able to cope with this new stress."

"So what do we do?"

"We could remove the magic," Toto suggested. "It should be a relatively simple task."

Baron looked to Haru. "It's your decision."

"I... I don't know." Her gaze flickered to the sleeping form of Hiromi. Her time in Oz had almost cost Hiromi her life. What a bitter realisation it was to discover that Hiromi could still suffer from that lone incident. It seemed cruel to take a newfound power from Hiromi, but if Baron was right then the power would do more harm than good.

And what right did she have to drag her friend into the dangerous world of magic and Creations... again?

She shook her head. "Alright. Do it."

Baron smiled softly, sympathetically, and knelt down to Hiromi's sleeping face. His gloved hands hovered gently above her head, skimming a good inch away from her skin. His fingers twitched as he felt the ebb and flow of awakening magic within the young woman.

"As Toto said, the procedure is simple," he murmured, his face partially turning to Haru but his eyes never leaving Hiromi, "but that doesn't mean this will be an easy task. The magic is comfortable within your friend, although I doubt the magic is in any way comfortable to her. It will not go willingly."

"Does that mean you can't do it?"

"Oh, I can. But... it isn't going to be pretty... Ah."

Baron's fingers caught an errant curl of magic, unseen to Haru but perfectly tangible to the Creation. He tugged it loose and felt the drag of the magic pull back. Like fingers weaving across an invisible loom or an unseen piano, his gloves played across the air above, and now the latent power was beginning to fight back.

A stray coil of magic struck out, striking the light above; the bulb burst into momentary colour and then, as quickly as it had happened, the fuse went. The room was dropped into seemingly deeper darkness. Baron caught the wayward stream and wove it back between his fingers.

More was coming loose now, like a rug with the seams pulled out. It was losing its streamlined shape and becoming wilder. It didn't want to leave the cosy host it had found; it certainly didn't want to be dragged out and cast away. Another twist of power leapt away, and the cupboards were sent rattling. Haru jumped away, but even as she turned Baron had already swept it back under control.

"Baron...?"

"Nearly... there..."

The magic was struggling with the last of its strength, but that didn't mean it was finished yet. Two streams flashed across the room this time. One hit the mirror, and suddenly the reflection was filled with strange shapes and images until the glass cracked a moment later. The other swept around the confined space like a sharp wind.

Baron pulled the last streams of magic loose from Hiromi, and suddenly it was cut free from its dormant host with only the Creation for a link. It rebounded back into the figurine who dropped away from Hiromi with a snap. The magic ran over his fur, rippling across his face and crackling like raw electricity through him.

To Haru, she could only sense the magic, but she could smell something that smelt like... burning wood. She snapped her gaze to the other Creation. "Toto? What's going on?"

The crow hopped over to his friend. "Baron, you can't hold that magic," he hissed, his words unusually sharp. "You were never made to keep such power. You have to let it go."

"I... know..." Baron's eyes flickered to his fellow Creation and a weak smile managed to grace his lips. "Stand back."

Toto followed the order without hesitation. Haru decided to take a cautious step away as well.

Baron began to tear the foreign magic loose from his own, untangling the two strains with painful force. He should have been taking more care, but he didn't have the time for it; the other magic was agonisingly potent. It flooded his own and threatened to overcome the magic that sustained him.

Suddenly he felt that enough strands of the magic had been separated for him to expel the awakening force. It snapped free and fell away from him like a taut string cut. He dropped down to his knees, breathing hard.

"Baron...?"

He held up a hand to stave off the immediate questions. It took a moment for his breath to return enough to speak. "The magic is gone from your friend, Haru."

"Gone where?"

"I don't know. Perhaps it will dissipate into the environment and that will be the end of it." He tried to push himself to his feet, but his legs almost gave beneath him. Haru's hand caught him, and he looked up with gratitude to the young woman. "Thank you."

Haru picked him up, setting him onto her shoulder. "You're welcome. You don't look great though." She started to tiptoe back into the corridor, retreading her steps back to her room. Toto was quick to follow. "How are you?"

"I've been better," he admitted. "But it's nothing that a good night's rest won't cure." In truth, he had been forced to tear a little of his Creation magic free with Princess Lanwidere's, but he would heal. He rubbed at his right hand; the toll on the magic had reduced his arm to wood, but that would fade with a night's rest.

He had suffered worse.

"We're lucky that Hiromi didn't wake," Haru noted. She pushed her window open and helped Baron off her shoulder. "I don't know how she managed to sleep through all that."

"The process of removing magic tends to tire out both individuals involved," Toto said. "If she's a heavy sleeper ordinarily, I expect nothing will rise her until the morning now."

"Toto is right. Although," Baron added, "it might be wise for you to have some sort of headache remedy ready for when she does finally wake." He smiled sympathetically. "She's going to know about it in the morning."

"Thanks for the warning." Haru watched Baron slip onto Toto's back, keeping the window steady as the crow hopped onto the sill. "And, Baron... are you sure you're okay?"

"Never been better, Haru."

"Well, that's a lie, I hope."

Baron chuckled lightly. As Toto turned to leave, Haru spoke once more.

"Baron, you said that the magic will dissipate into the environment and that'll be the end of it, right?"

"Yes."

"... What if it isn't?"

"Then we'll deal with it. It's what we do best."

"I thought that was running."

"Second-best, then."

ooOoo

Along the edges of town, a Shinto shrine lay almost wholly forgotten. Only the occasional curious tourist or nostalgic local kept it from being swept into history entirely, and that was far from enough to keep back the overgrowth of green. In the years gone by, its only neighbour had become a graveyard, forever sweet with the scent of incense to mark the passing of a loved one. The Torii gate had become overrun with moss and the stone steps were barely visible anymore beneath their blanket of green. Even the stone komainu had suffered, with only one lion dog statue remained standing; its partner made unrecognisable by time.

It was the small hours of the morning when, by the light of the full moon, a handful of drunk and rather lost students found themselves at the entrance. The stench of alcohol smothered the scent of the graveyard and their disorientated shouts bounced off the decrepit buildings. A couple drifted towards one of the smaller side buildings, where the door hung off its hinges and the remains of an old well sat crumbled in the middle, while the other two managed as far as the entrance to the inner shrine.

And so they were too far gone to sense the unnatural gust of wind, sweeping through the archway and up the stairs, and eventually soaking into the remaining komainu. They didn't notice the stone creature as its dulled eyes blinked into unexpected life. Or, if they had, they disregarded it as a figment of their inebriated minds.

Perhaps, if they had known they were being watched, they would have turned tail and fled. Perhaps they wouldn't have found it so funny to bin their empty beer cans into the forgotten well. Perhaps they would have thought better than to scrawl obscenities across the walls. And perhaps, had they not been drunk on alcohol and the excitement of the night, they would not have pried their way into the inner shrine.

Perhaps they would have seen the guardian statue slowly turn and stare as they stuttered into the faded room.

The komainu watched as they rampaged throughout the inner shrine, laughing and shrieking as their fuzzy minds fond the whole situation hilarious. Old prayers that had been left, undisturbed in the inner shrine for years, were torn from the walls and ripped apart. The few remnants of furniture were shattered by the students who could barely remain on their feet anymore.

And still the komainu watched.

It had no names for emotions; it had only known life for a few minutes and yet it knew it felt something sharp and unpleasant form within itself. It absorbed the drunken recklessness and reasonless abandon from the students, and knew little else. It only knew that it had no care for the boys who had intruded its home and desecrated its sanctuary.

Despite the newness of life so recently bestowed upon it, it knew that it had once been created to guard the shrine; and even after all these years, a spark of that obligation remained. It flexed its paws. Shards of stone fell away.

It wriggled its other paw and both legs rippled into furry, strong life.

It rose to its feet and now more stone began to fall away. It shook its rocky mane and now its whole body burst into living, breathing flesh. It took the first breath in its life and felt the cold night air rush into its newly-formed lungs. It could feel so much – smell so much – hear so much – but all its senses were solely fixed on the intruders.

It took a heavy step off its post and landed solidly on the steps leading to the shrine's interior.

It had no names for emotions, but that didn't lessen its anger. It didn't have to name the feeling for it to be present. It bared its teeth into a snarl and stepped up into the shrine. While time had dulled its claws, the magic absorbed into it had sharpened them back into wicked curves.

This was the guardian as created by its artisan. Created to guard and protect its home.

And the artisan had created it deadly.

ooOoo

Teaser: "Don't worry. I have no plans on going anywhere near that abandoned shrine. What kind of crazy idiot do you take me for?" / Haru stopped scrabbling for the rope and suddenly became very aware that she was trapped down a well with a very dangerous... something prowling the building above. / 'I don't need to be human. I just need to be able to save her.' / He stalked past Muta and started to approach the creature, regardless of the fact it was twice his size and had paws as big as dinner plates. "Given recent developments, I am finding that I have very little patience for this dog today."