Ashes to Ashes

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Ashes to Ashes by Cookie Pixie

Chapter One: Learn to Swim by Jumping in the Deep End
Chapter Two: Dodging Bullets is not an Easy Task!
Chapter Three: When in the Library, Do as the Librarians Do
Chapter Four: 21 and Invincible
Chapter Five: First Phase of the Moon
Chapter Six: Shift in the Wind
Chapter Seven: Goddess of the Twisted Paper
Chapter Eight: The Road to my Heart's Home
Chapter Nine: Kami ha Tsuneni Warera to Tomoni
Chapter Ten: Ai wa Sadame. Sadame wa Kami.
SPOILER WARNINGS FOR READ OR DIE AND WITCH HUNTER ROBIN. Okay, not as serious as you think, but I'll end up giving away key parts ofboth series. So there.

Hmm...what to say about this fic...well, it's a bit of an AU/crossover, as it incorporates elements of Witch Hunter Robin in it (namely, the organization). However, I haven't actually seen the anime, so I'm stealing only the idea of STN-J, the organization. None of the characters, except for Michael, are referred to in this story.

The plot? How Yomiko became an agent of the British Library. It's certainly NOT the way she did get in, but I thought that it wouldbe fun to write this. Consider it another 'what if' scenario.

Oh, right, if you don't know what's Read or Die, you're going to be confused, duh. I also keep Yomiko's Japanese-isms because they're part of her character,to me. Normally, though, I wouldn't encourage random 'ano's thrown around if the character's written in English.

More author's notes are at the bottom of the second chapter.

Chapter One: Learn to Swim by Jumping in the Deep End

     "Target located."
     The purple-haired librarian looked very unassuming, especially in the very quiet library. Her hair was done up in a loose bun and on her face were silver half-moon glasses. She wore a black vest under a dark wine-coloured blazer and a dull grey skirt, dark hose and matching shoes. For jewellery she wore elegant green earrings, which matched the green and gold clip holding up her hair.
     Her target was an equally-unassuming man. A long black coat hid his clothes, save for grey slacks and black shoes. He had dull brown hair and eyes. Under his coat she could see the outline of a gun, its make she couldn't discern, and around his neck was a strange pendant. She had only caught a glimpse of it, but it appeared to be a thick vial in the shape of a rough cross, filled with an alien green liquid. The target turned in the woman's direction, but she quickly vanished before he could get a good look at her.
     "Good work, Miss Deep. Try to keep track of him."
     "I'm on it."
     Heavy footsteps sounded at the end of the aisle, and the target appeared. He narrowed his eyes at Miss Deep, then continued down past the shelves of books, into the shadowed corners. The woman checked her own weapon, patting it reassuringly before trailing the man.
     It was like he was leading some dance of the spies. Miss Deep made sure that she wasn't seen, but they both knew what was going on. They waltzed through dusty encyclopaedias, fox-trotted around reserves, stepped in circles around the reading area and skipped through the periodicals.
     The mysterious dance ended when the man entered the storeroom, marked with a clear "EMPLOYEES ONLY" sign, and locked it with a click. A frustrated Miss Deep stood outside, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.
     "He's gone into a storeroom," she reported.
     "Follow him, don't lose sight of him," a man in a British accent answered in her earpiece.
     Miss Deep glanced around, then passed through the wall. She plunged from dim light to musty darkness, and way forced to muffle a sneeze from the dust brought up by her entry.
     The spy checked her surroundings. No lights were on, but the storeroom looked like it hadn't been used for a long time. Boxes of old books lay around haphazardly, likely unsold stock the library had been unable to use or get rid of. The room could have been considered spacious, if it hadn't been cluttered up with all this junk.
     A gunshot sounded, grazing Miss Deep's shoulder and smashing into the far wall. It exploded on impact, and a green fluid splattered around the hole.
     The woman was unfazed. She looked at her shoulder, where a gold sparkle was just vanishing. She calmly removed her own gun and attached a scope and silencer to it as several more bullets passed through her.
     "Michael, they're going right through her!" the man's panicked voice yelled. "The orbo isn't doing anything at all!"
     Miss Deep's gun clicked as she loaded her clip. Swiftly she brought up her weapon to the voice's origin, revealing a terrified man. He bolted when she fired and missed. The woman frowned, then gave chase by passing through a bookshelf.
     She met the wrong end of a gun at the other side.
     "Die," grinned the man, and he fired.
     Miss Deep frowned, then looked down at her chest. Right where her heart was, there were bright gold sparkles instead of blood and a hole.
     She smirked. "You're going to have to do better than that," she said, then brought her elbow into his stomach. The man crumpled with a moan, and with a few more blows he was disarmed and in some serious pain.
     Miss Deep calmly pointed her gun at the man's face. Her scope illuminated his face. He's a decent opponent, she decided, but that's as much credit as I'm willing to give him.
     "Witch," the man gasped. He fumbled for the pendant, but Miss Deep slammed her heel into his shoulder. He yelled in pain; however, he was quickly silence by the scope light in his face and the foot on his chest.
     "Start talking," Miss Deep hissed. Naturally he didn't, so she shot him in the foot. Before he could give a prolonged scream she added, "I am going to put you through a world of pain if you don't say anything."
     "What do you want?" the man gasped.
     "Who do you work for?" she demanded.
     The man grimaced, but all his captor had to do was cock her gun and he was talking. "STN-J. We...catch witches."
     "What's a witch?"
     "YOU! Freaks of nature, people with paranormal activities - " He abruptly cut himself off, listening hard.
     The woman's eyes narrowed, then she shot at his head. Instantly the earpiece he wore was destroyed, and in one smooth motion she flicked it out of his ear.
     "Keep talking. What's this green stuff?" When he didn't answer she calmly shot him in the other foot. "Well?"
     "Orbo," the man gasped, now lamed. "We don't...it stops the Witches' powers...don't know why it doesn't work..."
     Miss Deep swept down and relieved him of his pendant. She examined the object before depositing it into her pocket. "Where do you get it from?"
     "Don't know, the Factory makes it, sends it to us."
     "What's the Factory?"
     "Place where we...send the Witches..."
     Miss Deep pursed her lips. She had enough information to work with, and the man was going to be useless if she didn't do anything.
     "I'll leave you here for your friends to find," she finally said, lifting her gun. She stepped off of his chest and went to retrieve his gun, but the man lunged at her leg, hoping to stop her.
     The woman watched impassively as his hand passed through her leg in a flare of white and gold, then raised her gun at the man.
     "Don't you know it's not proper to touch a lady like that?" she asked before firing.

     "Remus is dead, sir."
     "Damnit. We need another replacement. Send it out to STN headquarters."
     ""Of course sir. But about our target...this 'Miss Deep', we believe that she's employed by another organization."
     "We can't do anything about her. Orbo doesn't affect her, and her ability...if only we could neutralize it...No matter. We'll leave her for now - she isn't causing any damage or disturbances, and no one seems really aware of her.
     "However, this woman...recently revealed an unusual trait. Someone tried to rob her, but she attacked him with a few postcards and fled."
     "She looks pretty stupid, harmless...should we bother?"
     "She could kill the next time. We don't know the extent of her powers, so we take her down. Now."
     "Yes sir. We'll get this Yomiko Readman."

     "Another Paper Master? Are you sure?"
     "She's their next target. She showed a display of her abilities when a man attempted to rob her."
     "How many men are we taking?"
     "We're not going to capture her! We are going to persuade her - out of her own free will - to join the British Library and become a Paper Master."
     "But we already have - "
     There was a brief silence, then a sigh.
     "There is a reason why we must find her. I believe that because of her display of power, her life may now be in danger. Besides, this girl will be quite powerful, I can see it. Untrained and she can manipulate paper so easily! Even our resident one didn't show that potential."
     ""Of course, Mr. Gentleman." We'll send The Paper to speak to her."

Chapter Two: Dodging Bullets is not an Easy Task!

     "Oyasumi, Readman-san!"
     "Oyasumi!"
     Out of the compound gates appeared a young girl in her mid-teens. She had thick black hair that went to her waist and large glasses over her deep blue eyes. She wore a grey uniform blouse; her charcoal-coloured skirt went down to her knees and matched her shoes. A tan-and-cream-coloured coat hung loosely over her shoulders, really unnecessary in the early summer, and her right hand held a leather schoolbag.
     Yomiko Readman smiled, allowing herself to skip happily down the empty street like a young schoolgirl. Her examinations were over, and she was confident that she would pass with flying colours. She became distracted when she tried to pull a small novel out of her bag and manoeuvre down the street at the same time.
     "Gomen!" she yelped, barely missing a man.
     "Actually, do you have a moment, Miss Readman?"

     "Hmm."
     A man stopped at a book stall, intrigued by something. His dark blue suit, rolled-up newspaper and briefcase would have placed him as some office worker, but the suit was too rumpled. Underneath a white dress shirt and dark red tie were visible, and over his blue eyes he wore a pair of oversized black glasses, which went with the messy black hair.
     He smiled, and his right hand placed the newspaper under his left arm. He was reaching for a book, totally intrigued, when his earpiece buzzed.
     "The Paper, we've located Yomiko Readman, but Hunters have already confronted her."
     The man's expression became grim as the locationwas described, then he took off at a run.

     "Ano, who are you?" Yomiko asked. She didn't recognize the short man who had stopped her, wearing some ominously-dark clothes. The collar of his coat was up, and he was wearing some dark shades. What caught her eye was a strange charm hanging around his neck, something green that she glimpsed in the folds of his jacket.
     "Would you mind coming with me?" the man asked, ignoring Yomiko's question.
     "Ano..." Yomiko hesitated and stepped back, only to walk into a woman behind her, dressed in the same manner as her partner. It didn't take long for the Japanese to realize that she was surrounded. "What - "
     "Come with us," the man ordered, grabbing her arm.
     Yomiko yelled in fright. She pulled back, trying to break free of the man's grip. There was a click, and she gasped when she saw a gun in her face.
     "Don't make it any more difficult than it's going to be, witch," the woman warned.
     Suddenly there was an index card embedded into the barrel of the gun. Yomiko's captors stepped back, shocked.
     "Another witch?" the man stammered. "But the orbo - "
     "Get away from that woman!"
     Yomiko and her captors spun around, the man renewing his grip on Yomiko's arm. About a block away and rapidly emerging from a cluster of bookstores a man came running. His briefcase and newspaper jostled for attention in his left hand, but the index card in his right clearly had his focus.
     "Run!" he yelled at Yomiko. To the strangers: "In the name of the British Library, I order you to release her!"
     The woman raised her gun and fired twice in response. Yomiko screamed.
     There was a snap as the man threw his newspaper at the bullets. Yomiko cried out - there was no way a newspaper could stop them - but went mute as the papers unfolded and flared out, forming a rounded shield before him. Two green splotches appeared as the bullets smashed against the barrier.
     The pair gaped as the papers floated there for a moment, then fluttered and slowly began to collapse. A breeze suddenly sent the rest of the sheets spiralling to the ground, adding to the litter that had gathered in the lonely alley.
     "Pa...per?" stammered the man, sweating.
     Yomiko's rescuer nodded as he dropped his briefcase on the ground and extended his hand. "The girl."
     The man swallowed, then looked at Yomiko's arm, which he was holding onto. He released it.
     "Not likely."
     In a brief motion the woman had grabbed Yomiko's free arm. Yomiko yelled as pain shot up her shoulder and a gun jammed into her neck.
     "Walk away, right now," the woman ordered, "or she dies." The man didn't move, obviously not liking what would happen, and in response she jammed her gun into Yomiko's flesh harder. "DO IT!"
     Yomiko's eyes went to her would-be rescuer, mentally pleading for him not to leave her alone with these strangers. Yet the man sighed, running his large hand through his hair as he replaced the index card back into his jacket. He raised his arms is surrender as he stepped back and picked up his briefcase, then slowly turned around and walked away.
     No...please...
     The man got three steps before the woman shot him in the back with a sinister grin. He yelled and fell to the ground, losing his briefcase and gasping in pain. Green fluid stained the back of his jacket, right where the bullet had hit him.
     "NO!" Yomiko screamed. She fought the woman who held her, trying to reach the man. "NO! He didn't even do anything!"
     "Shut up, if you know what's good for you!" snarled the woman as she hugged Yomiko tighter.
     The three of them stared for a while at the man on the ground. He groaned softly, then tried to get up, pushing himself off of the ground.
     "Die!" the woman screamed, shooting three times at him. The impact of each shot sent him back on the ground, but even when his jacket was coated in the green fluid that the bullets contained, he kept trying to get up. With each shot loose paper seemed to flow like a river out from under his jacket, as though it was his blood, and swirl around his body.
     Finally the man managed to prop himself on one arm. With his other hand he grabbed a piece of paper.
     "Get down!" he yelled.
     Yomiko stood there, stunned. Instead, her captors threw themselves at the ground -
     - to meet a violent death by paper cuts as they fell onto the bladed edges of his weapons. As they were slashed to death, Yomiko could only blink in shock.
     The man coughed weakly, turning over. His glasses were askew, and he used his finger to correct them. He smiled at Yomiko.
     "I knew you wouldn't," he said, embarrassed. "If you were anything like me, you wouldn't have done it fast enough."
     Yomiko coughed nervously, then approached the man. She offered him a hand. "I'm Yomiko, Yomiko Readman. Who are you?"
     The man blinked at how quickly the woman had offered her name, but then offered her a smile. He used her hand to help pull himself up into a sitting position - he didn't think that the young woman would be able to support his full weight when standing.
     "Donii Nakajima, but you can call me Donii," he said.
     "Excuse me, but how did you do that?" Yomiko asked. "And who were those people?"
     "It will take a bit of explanation," Donii said, "but right now I think that we should get out of here as fast as possible. Someone is eventually going to come and investigate this, and I really don't want to be here."
     Yomiko nodded. "Um, do you need any help?" she asked.
     "No, I'm - " Donii's attempt to stand was abruptly cut short by pain shooting up his spine. He mentally chided himself for allowing himself to get hit, something that hadn't happened for a long time. Although his paper had saved his life, it still hurt and he nearly collapsed.
     Yomiko yelped and caught the man's arm as he fell. "Please let me help you!" she said. It was the least she could do for the person who had just saved her life!
     Donii looked at Yomiko and nodded.
      "First, can you get the necklaces and weapons of those people?" he asked. He bent over slightly to retrieve his briefcase, leaning heavily against the wall. "And is there a place I can stay for now?"
     "Ano, yes." Yomiko said. Her hand shook in horror at the sight of the bodies, and she carefully picked around them. "You can.stay at my apartment for now." Her face went red in embarrassment. Donii was watching her, and he smiled when she came back with the necklaces and guns.
     "You're so cute," he said, pinching her cheek. "Let's go."

Chapter Three: When in the Library, Do as the Librarians Do

     The trek back to Yomiko's apartment was rather uneventful. Yomiko lived in a small apartment building, only a short walk from the school she attended. It was also a rather deserted area, as they passed only one or two other bystanders who gave the pair strange looks, and halfway through the walk they had to hide to avoid a van that raced down the streets. Donii made another comment about STN-J, but Yomiko didn't ask.
     Yomiko's apartment was a dull brown building, seven storeys tall and in need of a good uplift of appearance. They took the elevator to the fifth floor, then Yomiko helped Donii down the hall to her room.
     "Ano, I'm only renting this place," she explained, embarrassed by the state of her living conditions. "It's close to the school where I go."
     "It's fine," Donii said as Yomiko unlocked the door. "It's � "
     He was immediately silenced by the sight of books haphazardly placed everywhere. Not just school books � the majority were random-seeming literature crammed into shelves and boxes, and several more still littered the floor. Donii stared at one title and reached for it.
     "Ano, you should lie down!" Yomiko said.
     Donii winced as pain shot up his back. Right. The bullets.
     "You can rest here for now," the young girl said, leading him to a small, dusty sofa. "Ano, it hasn't been used for a long time�" As Donii sat down a cloud of dust puffed up, enveloping him. Yomiko giggled as the man was thrown into a fit of sneezing.
     "I�see�" Donii finally managed, the dust settling down. He removed his jacket and examined the back; it was coated in green orbo as Yomiko had pointed out. The Library would be picking up the tab on this one. Disgusted, he gently draped it over the briefcase Yomiko had placed next to the sofa and lay down on the sofa.
     Yomiko hesitantly found a perch on the low coffee table in front of him. "Ano...Donii-san..." she began, unsure of where to start asking questions.
     "Mm?" Donii adjusted his glasses and turned his head to look at Yomiko. "Well, I see how you can be the next Paper Master."
     "Ano? Paper...Master?"
     "Someone who manipulates paper�" Donii began. He didn't look sure of where to begin.
     "Like how you...killed...those people?" Yomiko asked. Donii nodded. "But why did they want me? Am I a Witch, like they said?"
     "No, they're mistaken," Donii answered. "Witches have an altered genetic code. Paper Masters like us just have a special love for books." Before Yomiko could ask about those, he forged on. "I'd like you to come to Britain with me so you can train to be the next Paper Master."
     "Ano?" Yomiko blinked. "But I...ano..."
     Donii winced. Maybe charging ahead lacked too much tact. "You have...a power that can be trained," he explained. "The Imperial Library of England is always looking for someone to help serve it, someone with paper manipulation powers."
     Yomiko looked away awkwardly. She could certainly trust this man, after seeing what he had done. But suddenly be swept away halfway around the world with him for an organization that she didn't even know about? It definitely sounded like a plot for a Sumiregawa novel, of course!
     "I should get us something to eat!" Yomiko suddenly chirped, her face full of brightness. "Is there anything you would like for dinner? And you will stay the night, of course?"
     Donii nodded. "That would be wonderful, Yomiko," he said. He could understand that it would be a lot to take in at once � it would be better if she had the night to sleep on it.
     "Okay!" Yomiko said, then bounced off over to (presumably) where the kitchen was. Or attempted to, after tripping over a stray book with a wail. Donii could help but chuckle at the cute girl's antics.
     "Cute," he said, looking back up at the ceiling.

     Dinner was a simple affair: white rice and a side dish of fried vegetables. Yomiko returned to the coffee table to eat with Donii.
     "So what do you do?" Donii asked.
     Yomiko swallowed a vegetable. "Ano, I go to school nearby," Yomiko explained. "I want to be a teacher."
     "Do you have any parents?"
     "They live outside of the city," Yomiko said. "I rent this apartment because it's close to school. What about you, Donii-san?"
     "I was a librarian's assistant until I was hired by the British Library," Donii said. By the tone of his voice he sounded as though he didn't really want to divulge into his past, and Yomiko left it at that.
     "How do you...you know..." Yomiko played with her hands, unsure of how to describe her power.
     "Manipulate paper?" Donii asked. Yomiko nodded. "It's a special ability. When someone has an affinity with a certain thing�you can gain powers from it. You love books, and eventually developed paper manipulation powers."
     "Ah."
     They ate in silence.
     "Do you mind sleeping here for the night?" Yomiko asked when dinner was finished. "Ano, I don't have an extra room�"
     Donii watched as her face went red at the thought of sharing her room with a male stranger. She looked cute, but there was only so much embarrassment Yomiko could endure.
     "I'm fine, I'll stay here," he said. "It's quite soft, and I'm getting better."
     Yomiko nodded with a bright smile. She picked up the dishes and left.

     In the middle of the night Donii stirred, awakened by something. He blinked, then reached out to pick up his glasses off of the coffee table. In a moment Donii's world changed from fuzzy darkness to discernable darkness.
     Donii looked at his watch - 3:07 AM. He frowned, then got up and padded down the hall. From under a door Donii could see light. He knocked gently.
     "Yomiko?" No response.
     "Yomiko? It's three in the morning." Still no response. Donii hesitated for a moment, then opened the door.
     Yomiko's room was a terrible mess of books everywhere. Bookshelves lined the room and books covered the floor. Sprawled over her bed was Yomiko herself, still in her school uniform. She had apparently fallen asleep reading a book; the lamp over her bed was still on and her novel, still open, was lying next to her.
     Donii smiled to himself. She really did love books. He reached over to pull a blanket over her, but whatever had awakened him made a sound down the hall. Donii pursed his lips, then clicked off the light and padded back to the door. He had taken three steps down the hall when he suddenly pressed himself against the wall, an index card sliding into his fingers. A beam of light passed over the spot where he just was.
     Donii poked his head out and nearly hissed, catching himself in silence at the last moment. Three men had broken into the main room, clad in camouflage and holding rifles with scopes attached. They circled in, backs to each other. The Paper Master waited until the next light passed, then snuck backwards to find another exit. But a beam of light made him jump back � they must have found a window, he thought angrily. It looked like he and Yomiko would have to force their way out.
     Donii went back into Yomiko's room and shut the door quietly. He went over to Yomiko, covered her mouth and shook her shoulder.
     "Mmph!" Yomiko's yelp was muffled. Donii lifted a finger to his lips to indicate silence, then lifted his hand away.
     "There're intruders in here," he whispered. "Get a book and run straight out the door when I tell you to." Yomiko nodded and picked up a book, tensing in preparation.
     The door suddenly slammed open and light hit their faces. "The targets � "
     Donii threw an index card at the man's throat, instantly killing him. "Run!" he ordered, darting forward and thrusting two more cards into soldiers alerted by the man's cries. Yomiko ran down the hall, screaming as gunfire tore up the floor around her; it stopped when Donii sent a flurry of cards backwards. He slowed just enough to grab his jacket and briefcase, then followed Yomiko out the door. Out in the hall Yomiko had stopped, waiting for him.
     "Where are the stairs?" he demanded. Yomiko whimpered, then pointed. Donii gave her an irritated look, then grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. They burst into the stairwell and moved to go down, but the sound of booted feet storming upwards made Donii change his mind.
     "Roof!" Donii ordered, pulling Yomiko along.
     "But we'll be trapped!" Yomiko wailed. "There's no way out!"
     "There's always my way!"
     The pair emerged on the rooftop, and Donii sealed the door with the last of his cards. Yomiko looked around, frightened - there was no way they could survive a seven-storey drop!
     "Yomiko, there is something I need to know," Donii said as he knelt and opened his briefcase. White paper whirled out, surrounding and obscuring him from Yomiko's view. "Will you be the next Paper Master for the British Library?"
     "Paper Master, Paper Master, is that all you think about?" Yomiko yelled in frustration. Behind her someone pounded on the door. Donii picked a sheet out of the air, then turned to face Yomiko.
     "Yomiko, I need to know," he said. "If you don't agree, then I will be forced to kill you. Compared to having STN-J capture and use you, this is more preferable."
     "WHAT?" screeched the girl. Tears formed in her eyes. "Fine then, I will!"
     Donii nodded, then returned to the paper milling around them. He waved the hand holding the piece of paper, and the mass shifted in the same direction. Yomiko stared in amazement as Donii built a sleek paper airplane that hovered in the air.
     "It's crazy," Yomiko said to herself.
     "Hurry up!" Donii yelled.

When the soldiers finally managed to enter the roof, all they could find were an empty, open briefcase and loose paper floating everywhere.

Chapter Four: 21 and Invincible

     Yomiko's eyes widened in joy as she stared at the stacks of books in the British Library. Donii was amused to listen to her ramble to herself as she darted back and forth, looking at all the wonderful things the Library had to offer.
     "Yomiko, over here," he said, opening the door to a small room. Upon entrance Yomiko found herself in a small lecture hall; thirty or so desks surrounded a raised dais bearing a lectern.
     "Ano, Donii-san?" Yomiko asked, confused. She turned to see the older man shutting and locking the door. "What's going on?"
     "I'm going to take you to see Gentleman," he said. "Where we're going is a little more private - the general public should stay unaware of this." Donii crooked his finger, signalling to Yomiko to join him at the dais.
     Yomiko approached and peered curiously at the lectern. Embedded in its surface was a switch and a keypad. "Ano?"
     Donii tapped at the keypad, then clicked the switch. Yomiko yelped as the floor beneath them shuddered, then smoothly slid into the ground, transporting them into some underground place. The young girl clutched at Donii's sleeve, clearly terrified, and Donii gave her an affectionate ruffle of the hair.
     When the doors finally opened Yomiko gasped. Books piled to the ceiling of a cavernous underground room, maintained by dozens of uniformed people. Some shelves were so massive that they were driven around on complicated vehicles. Younger aides darted around, picking up discarded teacups.
     "Wow..." Yomiko sighed.
     Donii was about to join her in absent-minded wandering when someone called for him: "The Paper!" He turned around to see a blond man in a light blue suit walking towards him. Under that he wore the standard library uniform, a brown vest over a white shirt.
     Donii acknowledged the other man's presence with a polite smile and nod. "Ah, Joker-san, how have you been?" he asked.
     "Fine, thank you," Joker answered, returning the smile and nod. "I trust that your trip to Japan was successful?"
     "Lots of books," Donii said.
     "I meant the mission."
     Donii blinked. "Mission...oh." He coloured slightly in embarrassment. "Yes, it was a success."
     "Where is the future Paper?" Joker asked.
     "Right..." Donii turned to see an empty spot where Yomiko had been last seen. He turned again, puzzled. "Yomiko?"
     "AAH!"
     There was a wail and the unmistakeable sound of something very heavy toppling over. Donii rushed over to the source of the commotion; a pile of thick and heavy books were piled over someone, and workers were frantically trying to remove books. Poking out of the pile was a slim hand. Donii's eyes widened in shock, and the books split into two piles and flew apart, revealing a very dazed Japanese girl.
     "What the - are you all right, Yomiko?" Donii asked frantically, grabbing the girl's arm and helping her up.
     It took a few moments for Yomiko to regain her senses. When she did, pink spots of colour appeared on her cheeks.
     "Ano...I'm sorry, Donii-san, I saw a book," she mumbled apologetically. Donii picked up a book and examined it with a sigh.
     "These are some very old books, Yomiko," he said. "And you shouldn't just wander off alone, this is a restricted area!"
     "Ano..." Yomiko lowered her head in shame and humiliation. Donii sighed again and tucked the book under his arm while taking Yomiko's hand with the other.
     "Come on, let's go see Gentleman," the Paper said, gently leading Yomiko away. She cast a mournful look at the books on the floor as they moved away. They walked down a small passage and Donii opened the door. This room, like the others, was lined with books, but possessed an air of English elegance. At the end of the room, behind a low desk, sat an old man with a long greay beard and engraved eyepiece. He appeared to have been in conversation with a blond man wearing a blue suit before their entrance.
     The old man looked up and smiled. "Ah, you must be Yomiko Readman," he said, smiling kindly. He nodded to the blond. "We will continue this later, Joker?"
     "Of course," answered Joker with a bow. He nodded to Donii and Yomiko as he left; Yomiko missed the slight cringe Donii gave.
     "So you are the young Paper Master-to-be," Gentleman said when the door shut. He extended a gnarled hand. "Come now, child; I won't bite." Yomiko whimpered a bit when Donii nudged her towards the desk.
     "Ano...nice to meet you!" Yomiko yelped. She turned her head slightly to see Donii retreat into a corner, leaving her to face the scary man all by herself. Gentleman uncharacteristically roared with laughter at seeing Yomiko's pained expression.
     "What's wrong now, do I scare you?" he chuckled.
     "Ano...well, yes," Yomiko yelped. Her response got another laugh from Gentleman.
     "You're so much like Donii when he first came," he smiled again. "Hold out your hands, child, I'd like to see them." For several minutes Gentleman quizzed Yomiko about her life, from her background and family to the make of her school uniform (which she happened to be wearing) and the prescription of her glasses.
     "Mmm," Gentleman grunted at Yomiko's response. "It sounds similar to Donii's, it must be the books." He nodded to the corner and Yomiko turned to see Donii curled in a chair. The man had clearly not heard a word of the exchange; he absently turned a page in the book he was reading as the two of them watched.
     "Tell him that I'd like a word with him, if you don't mind," Gentleman said to Yomiko. The girl knew a dismissal when she heard it, and politely bowed to Gentleman before turning to leave. As she walked by Donii Yomiko noticed that he still hadn't moved.
     "Donii-san?" No response.
     "Donii-san, Gentleman-san would like to speak to you." Still no reponse.
     Yomiko frowned, then leaned forward to life away the novel from Donii's hands. Donii's face crumpled into a confused frown and he leaned forward to retrieve the book, only to meet Yomiko's smiling face.
     Donii blinked. "Uh, hi Yomiko!"
     "Gentleman-san would like to speak to you."
     "...Of course. Would you mind waiting outside?"
     Yomiko's response was a distracted shake of her head as she curiously opened the book. Donii made sure she got out the door before shutting it and approaching Gentleman.
     "The child who reads..." Gentleman mused to himself. He looked up at Donii. "You plan to train her as your successor?"
     Donii nodded. "Yes."
     "Hmm." Gentleman gave Donii a thoughtful look. "You do realize the sacrifice you are making."
     "Yes."
     "And you will continue your duties as the Paper until then?"
     "Of course."
     "Mmm. She is a good girl. I doubt that she will turn out like Kanzeyori. Yomiko will stay with you as you train her. You may go now."
     Donii bowed, then left the room. He was surprised to see Yomiko standing in the middle of the hallway, as thought rooted to the spot. Donii walked around her and found her reading his book and her face flushed with pleasure. Gently he plucked the book from her hands and drew it behind his back. With a cry of dismay Yomiko attempted to follow the book, only to stare up at Donii's chest.
     "Ano, Donii-san!"
     "Hello, Yomiko."
     "So, um, what did Gentleman-san say?"
     "You will be staying with me," Donii said, patting Yomiko's head, "and training to become a Paper Master."
     Yomiko's eyes sparkled with joy. "Really, Donii-san?" Seeing him nod, she leapt up and wrapped her arms around Donii. "Thank you, Donii-san!"
     "It's nothing," Donii said, embarassed. He ruffled her hair as she released him. "Let's go now."
     They walked in silence until Yomiko asked: "Donii, may you please give me back my book?"
     "Yomiko, this is my book."

Chapter Five: First Phase of the Moon

From the British Library Donii and Yomiko took a bus to a small hotel she had been staying at since her arrival to Britain. After collecting her things, it was another bus ride to the edge of the city, then a ten-minute walk through the countryside. The trip itself was long, but Donii and Yomiko passed the time with conversation. Namely, books.

Donii abruptly pointed down the worn path they were walking. "That's where I live," he said.

What Yomiko saw was a low white house, sprawled over the green grass. It only had one floor and looked a bit squashed - was the roof sagging? The wide front porch had two wrought-iron chairs and a small table. To the casual observer it looked lonely and abandoned, but in Yomiko's eyes it was the perfect place for a bibliophile to hide and read. Donii led the girl up the steps to the front door, a dull but solid and serviceable affair of oak.

"Someone lost the key a long time ago," Donii explained as he drew out a slip of paper from his breast pocket. "The lock's so old that no keymaker can make a working key, but no one's ever bothered to get it changed.

"Not as though we need to." The slip in his hand suddenly shaped itself into a fine, twisted lockpick. Yomiko gaped as Donii jammed the pick into the keyhold, gave it a quick twist, then pushed the door open and walked in. "Coming?"

Yomiko quickly nodded and followed Donii in. Inside, the house was decorated in a light, airy fashion - open rooms, wood floors and simple furniture. But to the young girl, something seemed missing.

"The closet's here," Donii said, tapping a wooden folding door. He took off his shoes; Yomiko did the same. He pointed at each room as they made their way down the narrow hall. "Sitting room, kitchen, pantry..." At the end of the hall he opened a door.

"This is your bedroom," Donii said. Yomiko entered. It was fairly large, compared to her room back in Japan, or maybe it was just the lack ofbooks that normally cluttered up her space. Inside was a bed, dresser, desk and chair, all in plain hardwood and the upholstery in white. The fanciest object was a cute lamp sitting on the bedside table. A folding door nearby was open to show an empty closet.

"Is it all right?" Donii asked, concerned.

"It's fine," Yomiko said, sitting down on the bed. Clutched in her arms was the book she had brought with her and purse; these she placed on the dresser.

Donii frowned. "You look unhappy."

"Ano..." Now she knew what was missing. "Donii-san, where are your books?" Yomiko asked.

"Downstairs," answered Donii. "Would you like to see them?" Yomiko nodded eagerly, and Donii led her to a small door. Opening it, they then descended a small staircase and under a small archway.

Donii turned on the lights and Yomiko gasped. There was an expansive underground library before her, with shelves lined with books spread out on both sides. At the end of the aisle was a fireplace; in front of it was a low round table, surrounded by three plush chairs.

"Aah!" Yomiko wailed. Donii looked shocked, then confused as the girl began to dance around the shelves in ecstasy.

"Uh, Yomiko?"

"Aah..."

Donii continued to watched Yomiko waltz to herself around the library for several minutes. He had never known of anyone who could be so enamoured by books. Well, there was a first for everything.

"I'm going to make something for dinner," Donii said, knowing full well that Yomiko hadn't heard him. He went back upstairs, leaving Yomiko to bury herself in literature.

Dinner consisted, not surprisingly, of rice and a dish of sliced chicken and vegetables. Donii had allowed Yomiko to bring one book from the library, and now she was absorbed in it rather than eating her meal. By the time Donii was finished and had his dishes washed, Yomiko had hardly touched her food.

"Yomiko, your food is getting cold," Donii said, sitting back down in front of the book after putting his dishes in the sink.

"Mm." Yomiko turned a page.

Donii didn't wait with a second warning. He reached over and took away the book. Yomiko gave a cry of dismay and tried to grab it back, but the table prevented her from leaning too far forward.

"Donii-san!" Yomiko wailed.

"We aren't going to get anywhere if you keep this up," Donii said sternly. He got to his feet. "Finish your dinner."

In record time Yomiko had finished her meal, but as she was eating Donii had left with the book and returned with several sheets of paper. Yomiko looked distressed.

"My book!" she wailed. She jumped to her feet and ran out in search of her book.

"My book," Donii corrected after her. "And please sit down - you won't be able to do any training while reading."

"Training for what?" asked Yomiko. She reappeared, and at the sight of Donii's disappointed face she looked embarassed. "Ano...right." She sat down.

"I'm aware that you showed power when your book was stolen in Japan?" Donii asked. When Yomiko nodded, Donii asked, "How did you do it?"

"Ano...I called for help," Yomiko explained haltingly. "I needed help...and they came, so I threw them..."

"Like a friend coming to help you?" prompted Donii.

"Mm-hmm." Yomiko nodded.

Donii smiled. "Good." He took up a piece of paper. "Fold this."

Yomiko, confused, took the paper and folded it in half with her fingers. Seeing Donii give her a look, Yomiko blinked. "What?"

"Using your powers," Donii amended, still dealing the girl the look.

"Ano...how?" Yomiko asked.

Donii fell over, completely winded by Yomiko's ignorance. "It's going to be a long night."

After several hours of paper manipulation Donii allowed Yomiko to return to the basement library, where they passed away the rest of the evening. When a clock in the corner softly chimed midnight, Donii got up and stretched.

"Time to get some sleep, Yomiko," he said; without waiting he took Yomiko's book from her hands.

"Donii-san!" Yomiko wailed. She lunged after the book, only to miscalculate her momentum and instead smash into Donii's chest. They were both sent sprawling onto the carpet, Yomiko landing on top of Donii.

"...Ano?" It took the girl a moment to figure out what had just happened, and she quickly got off of Donii's chest and bowed in apology. "Sorry, Donii-san!"

The Paper, however, was having a harder time recuperating. He sat up, coughing, with his and Yomiko's books in his hands.

"Just...go to bed," he finally instructed, picking himself up.

Yomiko nodded. She was about to leave when she saw Donii return to the shelves. "Ano, shouldn't you be getting some sleep too?" she asked.

"I have to put away these books first," Donii answered patiently. "If I don't, then I won't be able to find them again."

"You mean you can't hear them?"

Donii's head snapped up. "Hear what?" At Yomiko's hesitant look, Donii asked, "Yomiko, please tell me what you hear."

"Ano...I hear books," Yomiko said guiltily. "I call for them, and they answer." From under her blouse she revealed the book Donii had taken from her at dinner. Apparently her plan had been to sneak it back upstairs; Donii had forgotten about it. "I found it in a small hole - it was well-hidden!" she quickly added, as though it would make amends.

Yomiko gave the book back to Donii, who studied it carefully. Finally he said, "Please go to bed, Yomiko."

Yomiko gulped, then scurried upstairs.

Donii ran a long finger down the spine of the book, frowning. He could tell what sort of book it was, but talking to him? The Paper couldn't hear a thing.

"Perhaps she will be the greatest of us all," Donii mused to himself as he shelved the book.

Chapter Six: Shift in the Wind

It was one of the most eventful summers Yomiko had ever spent. It had taken her almost a month to learn the basics of paper manipulation from the Paper - shaping it, forming shields, moving it around - but she had built up abilities fast. Donii had long expressed amusement over watching a clip of her build half of a model of Big Ben, one of her favourite places to sightsee, with only a wave of her hand.

From there, Yomiko had been taught more unconventional things that, as she learned from other Library workers, the past Paper Masters didn't bother to master. There were endless lessons on martial arts, different styles of swordplay, physics, chemistry, art, physical training, history...the topics boggled her mind. Yet whenever she protested and demanded a practical explanation on just why these were important to her becoming a Paper Master, Donii was quick to silence her with a brief demonstration of his own powers. Eventually Yomiko learned that everything was useful, and she held her peace. It wasn't as though she didn't enjoy all her lessons though - one memorable day had been spent learning origami, and that night they had watched paper butterflies in the air.

Yomiko didn't spend the entire summer at Donii's house either. Several times he was called away for a rare book examination or retrieval, and almost every time Yomiko had come along as his 'assistant'. There was even a run-in with STN-J, a particularly epic moment in June when the two Paper Masters had discovered that they had been set up. It hadn't taken long to dispatch their enemies with a few well-placed sheets of paper - Joker had kindly informed them that three were still in hospital because their paper cuts refused to stop bleeding. Yomiko hadn't been involved in many fights after that.

The routine at night was the same every time. After a long day of training and dinner (Yomiko now had a list of dishes that she could prepare quite competently, thank-you-very-much), the two bibliophiles settled down to an evening of reading in the library. At midnight Donii promptly sent her off to bed, without a book. Yomiko noticed that the light from Donii's bedroom stayed on for about half an hour after that and her senses could tell her that there was a book inside. Normally, Yomiko would be offended - Donii was very specific about his no-reading-when-not-in-the-library rule - but the book in his room puzzled her, as she couldn't hear what it was about.

Months passed, lessons and missions continued and suddenly it was late October - specifically, the Library's Hallowe'en party. The British Library didn't throw a childish party with the bobbing of apples and bedsheet ghosts, nor did they believe in the pagan roots the holiday had. In fact, the Hallowe'en party just seemed like an excuse to get the staff together for another one of its standard parties, only with elaborate costumes of historical and/or fictional figures.

"Ano, what are you dressing up as?" Yomiko asked Donii the day of the party. Using paper the girl had made a kimono and tied her hair into a delicate bun; perhaps the only part of her costume that didn't consist of paper was a kanzashi dangling from her hairstyle, a present from Donii when demonstrating how to make one out of paper.

"I don't dress as anything," the Paper answered. Once again, Donii was dressed in a trademark suit - white shirt, black jacket, black pants, black shoes, black tie.

"Do-nii," Yomiko complained, "this is supposed to be fun!"

"Yomiko," Donii answered, "this is probably your first time to one of the Library's parties, so I can tell you what to expect: a lot of tea drinking, parlour tricks from other Agents, a guest appearance by Mr. Gentleman and your paycheque."

"Oh." Well that took the wind out of Yomiko's sails pretty fast. Donii smiled and pinched her cheek.

"You look so cute."

"Ano...!" Yomiko retrieved her cheek and rubbed it, pink with embarassment. "Thank you."

The party, sadly enough, was exactly what Donii had predicted. Yomiko decided that people who spent their lives preserving old books - a noble occupation that she had a lot of respect for - probably weren't the best people to throw parties. She recognized several costumed people from books: Huckleberry Finn, the Velveteen Rabbit, three ancient Greeks (presumably from The Iliad). Many people commented on her adorable costume; Yomiko blushed and said Memoirs of a Geisha whenever asked for the book.

"So, you are the Paper's student?" a man dressed as Abraham Lincoln asked - Yomiko didn't recognize him right away.

"Ano, yes," Yomiko said hesitantly.

"Ah, so you must be able to do something with your powers!" he beamed. "Show me something!"

Yomiko blushed furiously. "Ano...I..."

"Now, Peter," Donii said, inserting himself between the two, "leave the poor girl alone. An excellent costume you are wearing yourself, by the way."

"What about your costume, Donii? Dressing as a Paper Master again?"

"I aim for the record of having the most oft-worn costume to a Hallowe'en party," Donii responded dryly; the man took the hint and left, leaving Yomiko thanking Donii for the rescue.

"Don't mention it," Donii replied. He swirled his tea, looking down into the half-empty cup before looking back up at Yomiko. "You're going home tomorrow."

"Ano? Well, it is midnight - is your house that far away?"

"No, I mean home - to Japan," Donii said haltingly.

Yomiko stared, then realized what Donii had said.

"Oh."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as the two attempted to find something to make the conversation go on and failed. Finally Yomiko came up with a word: "Why?"

"The...situation with STN-J and you has been cleared up, a little," Donii said. "Joker thinks that you are quite capable of living on your own now, and we need as many international contacts as possible." The Paper certainly didn't sound happy about this.

"...Do you want me to leave?"

"Of course not! But I can't overrule Joker!"

"Why don't you want me to leave?"

"Do you want to leave?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Ano...your books?" Yomiko tried a hopeful grin; she met Donii's scowl and knew that he could see through her. She tried again. "Ano...because...you're the only person who I can use my paper abilities around...who doesn't treat me like I'm weird...even the other Library people treat me differently..."

Abruptly Yomiko was pulled into a tight hug by Donii; she squeaked in protest, then relaxed. This is nice.

"I am going to miss you," Donii said into her hair.

Somewhere distant Yomiko heard someone yell, "Give her a kiss, Donii-san!" Donii chuckled as he let Yomiko go.

"Aren't you supposed to treasure your first kiss?" Donii called back. "I doubt that she would be impressed when it's given for the good of this party."

Yomiko was blushing furiously through this, and Donii decided that now would be a good time for their exit.

"So..."

A somewhat-familiar scene now surrounded the two Paper Masters. In London's Heathrow Airport Donii and Yomiko stood there, looking uncomfortably at each other. Yomiko's things were packed in a wheeled suitcase and a bag hanging on her shoulder, and over her clothes she wore a large tan overcoat; Donii was, once again, wearing a suit. Around them people bustled to various terminals, and off to the side a large window opened to a view of the runways.

"Ano...thank you for coming to see me off," Yomiko said.

"Er...you're welcome," Donii said.

"Will we be seeing each other again?" Yomiko asked.

"Of course. You're an official Agent of the British Library - I have no doubt that you'll be summoned again."

There was more silence, then as an announcement for a flight to Tokyo, Japan was played over the P.A. system Yomiko impulsively wrapped her arms around Donii's neck and kissed him. Donii, completely caught off-guard, went red with embarassment as Yomiko closed her eyes, enjoying the kiss. Slowly they broke apart, Yomiko's eyes shining, her arms still wrapped around his neck, and Donii looking mildly shocked.

"Um - " Donii's voice came out as a croak; he tried again. "I think they're calling for you, your flight."

"WHAT?! Oh no!" Yomiko let go of Donii, grabbed her things and disappeared in the cloud of dust, yelling, "See you again, Donii!"

Within half an hour Donii was at Mr. Gentleman's office, Joker standing to the side. After he had seen Yomiko off he had come straight to the British Library, summoned on an important mission - too delicate for Yomiko to even hear about. Joker handed the man a mission file as soon as he had entered, and he flipped through the documents as Joker described the scene.

"We discovered a man in downtown London who exhibited paper manipulation abilities - a street performer," Joker said, pointing at a projected map on the far wall. Donii nodded, recognizing the district in question. "Yet when we went to investigate this morning - "

The slide changed and Donii winced. A man was sprawled on the cobblestone road, blood pooling from his neck.

" - he had been assassinated," Joker continued without pause. "Paper needles, thrown at his throat. The police are investigating, but we removed the murder weapons before they could be taken by the wrong authorities."

"Are you trying to imply something, Joker-san?" Donii asked, voice cool.

"Of course," Joker replied casually. "These needles can only be made by a Paper Master. However," he quickly added, holding up a hand to halt Donii's inevitable protest, "we are well aware that you and your student were on your way to the airport at the time of this murder, so that leaves a Paper Master unaccounted for..."

Donii knew that Joker had the facts down right. Paper Manipulators that hadn't been trained couldn't form complex weapons like these - one had to learn this art from another Paper Master. It eventually dawned on the Paper who it was.

"Megami Kanzeyori-san," he hissed.

"The Seventeenth," Mr. Gentleman said, sipping his tea. "She has made a name for herself recently, causing plenty of trouble with the British Library."

"Megami Kanzeyori is a professional thief, specializing in rare book stealings," Joker said. Donii wondered why he called Megami-san's line of work theft, while theirs was 'retrieval'. "She has been working underground, and we suspect that she may have access to some of the British Library's data so she can get herself in and steal books. We have been upgrading security, but she seems to be able to get around even our most vigilant guards."

Automatically Donii knew that Joker was lying. Had they been all that concerned about upgrading security, the Paper would have been summoned to at least see the precautions. After all, they were trying to keep out the former Paper Master, and who better than to have the current up test it? He didn't say anything, but a frown appeared on his face as Joker said it.

"We've tracked her down to an abandoned house here - " the slide flipped to reveal a ramshackle building. "We have men watching it, but no one has entered to confront Megami. We want you to go in and bring Megami out, preferably alive."

"You must be joking," Donii said. "You remember the last time I tried to talk to her?"

"Grudges can be put aside," Joker said smoothly. "Besides, who else but another Paper Master can challenge her?"

Donii opened his mouth to protest, paused, then closed it.

"I'll be going now," he practically snarled, spinning on his heel to exit the room.

Chapter Seven: Goddess of the Twisted Paper

Donii sighed, rifling a hand through his hair while the other gripped his briefcase. He stood on the doorstep of a very old house, abandoned and condemned. The deathtrap seemed to even sway in the breeze.

The Paper was nervous. It was very likely that Megami-san had set this up as a trap for him, using herself as bait. Either Joker was a total idiot or he knew exactly what was going on - which, as an afterthought, still made him an idiot.

Polite as ever, Donii pushed the doorbell. Inside her heard a tinkling sound, but nothing else. He tried the door, but it was jammed shut. Calmly Donii removed a card from his sleeve and shoved it fiercely into the crack, slicing the lock and sending him sprawling gracelessly inside.

The house was, very bluntly put, very uninviting. Dust hung everywhere - over the wooden furniture, on the floor, from the dulled light fixtures. Donii cautiously stepped around the rooms, a card in hand as he glanced around. It was eerie and gloomy, with the only light coming through mothballed curtains.

At the end of the hallway Donii found an old staircase. From outside he had seen that the house had been two storeys tall, and he had no doubts that Megami-san was hiding somewhere above him. He took an apprehensive step on the first stair, sending up a cloud of dust from the runner lying on the staircase. It creaked ominously, but seemed to hold his weight. The Paper began to climb the stairs.

As soon as his head was visible from the second floor Donii heard a faint whistling sound. Instinctively he bolted straight up, a path of paper needles sticking into the stairs right behind him. At the top of the stairs paper flew out from his sleeves, forming a shield that dozens of needles stuck too. Somewhere above him someone swore; the Paper guessed where the voice came from and fired the needles back, uprooting them from the shield and floor.

A shape appeared from the dusty shadows Donii had fired at. Paper needles hovering within a hair's breadth of its body, surrounding her like some enormous orb. They moved aside and rushed around her, a cylindrical shield of paper that covered her back and sides.

Megami Kanzeyori smiled pleasantly. She was in her mid-forties, but her black hair was already streaked with grey. It was tied up in a thickly-coiled bun, with white paper ties holding it into place. Brown eyes glittered behind gold-framed glasses, which had an attached chain looping around her neck. She was dressed as a Library worker, with the white blouse, red tie, brown vest and black skirt and shoes; a faded blue-and-white identification card was pinned to her left breast. She was very tall, about 5'10", and by the way she looked her personality seemed dangerously catlike.

"They sent you?" Megami asked.

"No one else was going to go, Megami-san," Donii replied, gripping a card tightly in his hand. The paper shield fluttered to the floor, unneeded for the moment. "They want to talk to you."

Megami snorted and held out her hand. Some paper from her own shield spiralled out to form a long thin staff, pointed dangerously at both ends.

"Talk?" Megami asked. She stabbed the javelin into the floor, thumping it to emphasize her point. Her eyes narrowed. "No. Being a common thief is a much better fate than what the British Library has."

"You tried to kill me!" Donii yelled. "Of course it's not going to be good!"

"For good reason," Megami snapped back. She expertly twirled the staff in her fingers, whirling the weapon around her body. Suddenly she stopped and pointed it at Donii. "You took my powers from me, and now I am going to get them back!"

Donii instinctively threw up his shield - lucky he did, for the shield surrounding Megami had turned back to paper needles, raining down around him. Several points stabbed through the shield, but the Paper was otherwise unhurt. He turned his shield into a bar as he dropped his briefcase, and with both hands he used it to block Megami's attack, a swipe from above.

Megami pressed down on Donii's weapon, trying to force her will into it. Donii, however, was studying Megami's weapon.

"Paper money?" he asked. He glanced aside and saw the needles were all made of dollar bills. "What - "

Megami took advantage of the distraction, kicking Donii soundly in the chest. The man was thrown into the wall and sat there coughing for a minute. Megami smirked, pointing her weapon in his face.

"Money. It's what makes the world go round," she said, casually flicking aside Donii's weapon. "Acquiring rare books for Mr. Gentleman? Why bother doing that when you can sell the book for a profit?" Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Why bother doing that when the Library will repay you with an eternity of suffering?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Donii answered. "And what does this have to do with you wanting to kill me?"

"They never told me what would happen when I took on a student," Megami snapped. She brought the weapon across Donii's face, sending his sprawling further into the house. He tried to get up, but Megami leapt and lashed out again with her staff. "'Take on a student in case something happens to you', they said. So I did when I got the opportunity - and look at what happens!"

"What?" Donii coughed.

"THIS!" Megami screamed, striking Donii across the chest. He fell backwards, now totally winded. "YOU - I LOST MY POWER TO YOU! I loved books more than you did, but training another Paper Master means giving your power into another!"

"That's selfish!" Donii retorted when he got back his breath. He backed away from the hysterical woman. "You want to kill me because of power?!"

"Not just that," Megami said. She started to walk towards him, her voice back down to a speaking level. "Because I found what happens to the Paper when he - or she - is no longer useful to the British Library."

"What happens?" Donii asked cautiously. He had been backed out into a large room, where a balcony ran around the edge. It opened up onto a view of the first floor, a cluttered mess below him. Hanging low from the centre of the room was a rusty old chandelier.

"They store you," Megami said. Her eyes glittered not with malice, but with tears now. "They keep you alive. It's not even living - it's so they can use your body, take parts of it, use it in their horrible experiments to keep Mr. Gentleman alive."

"I don't believe you," the Paper said harshly.

"It's true, you stupid boy!" Megami shrieked. "I broke into the Library and saw it myself. Saw my own Master floating half-dead in a tank, with a nice little serial number attached to it. Saw his Master, and the Master before him - ten Papers who had given their lives to help the British Empire, and this is what they get in return?!

"No, when you see something like that, you go crazy," Megami snarled. "You know that death is much better than that. Call it a mercy killing that I tried, the Paper. It wasn't like I could say anything and you'd believe me - you don't believe me now, even. But no, you were already stronger than I was, so I decided to save my own skin. Cowardly act, you might say. But I for one refuse to retire to an existence of THAT!"

At her last word Megami lunged, aiming to spear Donii through the chest. Donii, seeing nowhere else to go, threw himself off the balcony edge and landed painfully on the iron chandelier. It screeched loudly at the added weight and for a moment the two Paper Masters paused, anxious to see if Donii would fall from the swinging contraption. After another creak of protest, the chandelier stopped moving. Donii slowly got to his feet, careful not to upset the delicate balance on the chandelier.

Megami, however, had no qualms about the safety of the chandelier. With a yell she leapt from the balcony, bringing her staff up to strike the Paper down. She landed hard on the edge, but Donii rushed forward, a set of index cards streaking out of his his breast pocket to form a paper sword that deflected Megami's strike. Megami furiously drove her staff at Donii, but again and again he blocked the attacks.

Suddenly Megami lunged, striking the sword directly with the point her her staff. Donii gasped as the sword fell apart, broken pieces of paper fluttering into the air.

Megami smirked. "This is the end."

"No it isn't," Donii said. He plucked a piece of paper out of the air.

The paper in the air stiffened and rushed towards Megami in a tornado of blades. Megami screamed as again and again she was bloodied by Donii's weapons, her own staff getting shredded in the process. She stepped backwards, trying to shield herself with her arms.

"MEGAMI-SAN!"

Another step, and Megami plunged off the edge of the chandelier. She screamed and was cut off by a sickening thud.

"Megami..." Energy flowed up from the floor, catching the bits of paper that still floated around the area and building a thin rope of paper that went from the chandelier to the floor. Climbing down it, Donii could feel a strange vibration humming throught the paper.

Megami's body lay on the floor, her torso pierced in two places by stray pieces of furniture. Blood seeped from dozens of wounds all over her body - there was no way Megami Kanzeyori would be leaving this house alive. She slowly raised her head - her glasses had shattered - and peered curiously at Donii.

"You feel that?" she rasped, blood sliding from a corner of her mouth. She smiled and laid her head back down on the floor. "That's what happens, when a Paper Master kills another..."

Chapter Eight: The Road to my Heart's Home

It had been several months since Yomiko had returned to Tokyo. The British Library had cleared her accounts with STN-J: they they had been aiming to erase her records with the unit, but the best they had been able to accomplish was getting her listed as a Government Craft User. Registered with a government organization, Yomiko was technically untouchable, but from then on she had this eerie feeling that she was always being watched. She was under orders to downplay her ability as much as possible, so STN-J wouldn't have an excuse to capture her, and Yomiko followed them dutifully.

The Library had purchased for her a little apartment building in Jinbouchou and moved all her belongings there. They had gotten into records and given her a certificate saying that she was now a licensed teacher (as a sort of make-up for the interruption in her training). They were even as so kind as to build lots and lots of shelves for her books and give her a nice paycheque to start buying books with.

Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. She got a few side teaching jobs to make ends meet (after one DISASTROUS weekend where she ran out of money to buy food) and she was always on call for the British Library Special Forces. Yomiko did get a few assignments from them, mostly local investigations to retrieve books, but nothing to seriously interfere with her life.

And then there were times when she got to see Donii. Sometimes when she came back from shopping or teaching she'd find a little paper airplane resting on her window. It was an amazing display of power, especially when he enclosed something from wherever he was - a stamp, a postcard - she couldn't get hers to fly more than a couple of blocks before losing it from sight. Yomiko always meant to ask Donii how he did it, but she kept forgetting whenever she saw him.

Today, apparently, was one of those days.

"Readman-san, is something wrong?" a teacher asked later that day in the staff room. Yomiko was substituting for a sick teacher at an all-girls' school for a few days, a job that she had been hired on for many times in the past; currently she was staring dreamily into a cup of tea. Another teacher shook her head as she added cream and sugar.

"Readman-san is always like that whenever her boyfriend is coming to visit," she teased.

"Nani?" Yomiko jumped, nearly spilling her tea. She set it on her lap as she felt a blush come on. "Ano, he's not really my boyfriend..."

"But you always get this look on your face whenever he's coming to visit!" squealed the first teacher. She plopped herself down right next to Yomiko. "Why didn't you tell us? How does he look? What's he like?"

"No, no, no!" wailed Yomiko, waving her hands frantically. "He - he isn't my boyfriend! We're just good friends!"

"He's tall, wears thick glasses and speaks Japanese with a slight British accent," the second teacher said without turning around. "And if you're just 'good friends' why are you always hanging onto his arm?" She paused for a moment. "And why is he always carrying a briefcase?"

Yomiko thudded loudly onto the ground, stunned by her colleague's knowledge. "When...did you see him?"

"Last month, by the park," she answered, turning around and sipping her tea daintily. "What's his name?"

"Ano..." Yomiko sat back down on the sofa, poking her fingers together nervously and the tea now forgotten. "He..." The bell rung and Yomiko leapt to her feet. "My class starts now!" she yelled. Saved by the bell! With that, she vanished down the hall in a cloud of dust.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Ano..." Yomiko put her arms behind her head, staring up at the sky as her briefcase dangled from one hand. She ignored the calls of, "Oyasumi, Readman-san!" as she exited the school grounds. "Donii never told me where we're meeting..."

From her vest Yomiko pulled out the letter, carefully folded.

Yomiko:

I've been given a short holiday from duty for a few days. I'll be in Tokyo tomorrow.

Donii

Yomiko sighed. The paper fluttered anxiously, then allowed itself to be refolded and placed back into Yomiko's pocket. "Where is he?"

"Yomiko!"

"Donii!"

On the other side of the street Donii, dressed in a black suit and holding a briefcase in his hand. Yomiko's eyes sparkled and she raced across the street, heedless of traffic. Donii's face crumpled and he stared in shock as the woman tore straight through the intersection, ignoring the honks and tire-squealing from outraged drivers.

"Donii!" Yomiko yelled, hugging Donii tight. The Paper just stared at the path of destruction his student had just weaved - stalled cars, smoking engines and a lot of angry drivers.

"Uh, Yomiko?"

"Hai?"

Donii started to point, then thought better of it and took Yomiko's arm. "Let's get out of here - an emergency's come up."

As the two bibliophiles hurriedly walked back to Yomiko's building, Donii filled her in on the details. A book called The Book of Knowledge had been offered for sale to the Library. Written by scholars around the world at the time, the book supposedly gave people power and knowledge in whatever they wanted - naturally, the Library was most interested in this book.

"So who has this book?" Yomiko asked after they left her building, a suitcase of her own trailing behind her on wheels.

"A man who calls himself Taylor," Donii answered. He set a brisk pace down the street again and Yomiko scrambled to keep up. "He wants to appraise it, but I have a feeling that he just wants confirmation that it's the real thing. It's likely stolen - this book would've stayed in someone's private collection indefinitely. In a way, you could say that we got lucky."

Just then a limo stopped at the corner; Donii and Yomiko got in and were driven to their destination, a large dilapidated building. All through the ride Yomiko could see that The Paper was extremely tense. She would be too, she guessed, if she could even begin to understand how powerful a book like this could be. Inside the building they found a large well-lit room, perfect for the book examination, and sat down in a few chairs to wait. Yomiko immediately pulled out a book; Donii settled for sitting still.

Finally, several men arrived. At a glance The Paper could tell that this was definitely a stolen book case - they resembled more of a bike gang than educated men. Stereotypical mohawks, leather, chains... Donii inwardly groaned. One of them, presumably Taylor, was carrying a briefcase - Donii didn't need powers to guess what was in there.

"Yomiko, duty calls," Donii said, nudging Yomiko.

"Mmm."

"Today, dear."

"Oh!" Yomiko's head jerked up and she looked at the men. Her face crumpled. "The book..."

"Yeah, we have it," Taylor said, slamming the briefcase on the table and snapping it open; both bibliophiles winced in unison. "Take a look, but no funny business!"

Donii shrugged, then gestured to Yomiko - he didn't want to admit it, but right now her powers were more accurate than his ever were. The girl got up and dragged her own suitcase over to the table in question and peered into the case.

For a great book containing powerful knowledge, it looked pitiable. The Book of Knowledge was covered in what appeared to be cardboard, bound up with twine. Black ink had long bled off of the cover and the pages were cracking. But by running a gentle finger over the edge, Yomiko's mind was flooded with information - so much that she took a step back and gasped with shock.

"Yomiko, what's wrong?" Donii said, getting to his feet.

"Ano, nothing," Yomiko answered, not taking her eyes from the book.

"Well, is it the book o'knowledge?" Taylor demanded.

"I'm sorry," Yomiko apologized, strangely confident, "but you need to give me a few minutes to make sure that this is the right book. It is a very important discovery."

Taylor snorted. "Continue." Mentally bracing herself, Yomiko touched the book again.

The unmistakeable sound of paper crackling filled her head, blocking everything out again. Wind, a gunshot, then the rapid fire of several guns smashed into her hearing -

Na - nani? What's this?

What do you think, The Paper? This is what you want to know.

Yomiko frowned. She picked up the book and ran her palm around the edges, deaf to the yells of the men. Hearing...sound?

Even more, Yomiko Readman. Do you choose to read or die?

I...

Donii touched her shoulder, bringing Yomiko out of her reverie. She stared at him with shocked eyes. "Donii?" she gasped, quckly putting the book back down. Immediately her hearing returned.

"Is it the book?" Donii asked. Worry filled his eyes.

"Ano, yes!" Yomiko yelped. She stepped away from the book, staring at it in confusion. No books had ever spoken like that to her before! Taylor slammed the suitcase shut, causing Yomiko to jump in shock.

"Well, now that we cleared that up - "

The Paper Masters spun around, now surrounded by several black-clad men aiming guns at them.

" - I'll just be on my way." With that, Taylor walked out the door, carrying the book with him. More gunmen followed him, but the overwhelming majority stayed back in the room. Taylor was determined to have no one else know about this book.

"Yomiko, get the book!" Donii ordered, dropping open his own suitcase. Index cards fluttered into the air noisily.

"Donii - "

"DO IT!" Donii yelled as the first shots were fired. The cards flew around, easily deflecting them. Yomiko gulped, then raced down the doorway. A man tried to follow her, but was met by a card to the throat. Donii smirked as he blocked the path.

"Don't worry about her - you've got me."

- - - - - - - - - -

Yomiko ran down a narrow hallway, closely trailing Taylor and his thugs. She could hear their rapid footsteps, and guessed that she was only a dozen metres behind them, though by the twisting halls it was hard to see.

Finally Yomiko emerged into a tight room, bearing only a small spiral staircase. She could see Taylor running frantically up the twisted steps, and she launched a page at him. He dodged, and the paper lodged deeply into the rail.

"Shoot her!" Taylor ordered the three who were covering him. With that, he vanished up to the roof.

Gunfire erupted around Yomiko, but paper swirled from her suitcase as she rushed the stairs. Yomiko rapidly climbed the stairs, pausing every now and then to block an awkwardly-made shot with a piece of paper. A few deft slashes near the top, and Yomiko was forced to climb over a couple of corpses before emerging onto the roof.

"Please give me back that book!" Yomiko yelled as Taylor fled.

"No way!" Taylor yelled. He spun around and fired a quick shot at Yomiko. Yomiko yelled as she easily deflected it.

"Paper will never forgive you!" Yomiko yelled. Still running towards Taylor, she let the paper fly at his chest, scoring a direct hit as it lodged into his chest. With a gurgle Taylor fell to his knees, shocked at what had just happened. A tentacle of pages streaked out and latched around the handle of the briefcase, then returned it to Yomiko. With trembling hands the girl opened the case. There was The Book of Knowledge, still safe.

"My book," Yomiko sighed, picking it up as she fell to her knees.

Would you rather read or die, Yomiko Readman?

Yomiko blinked in surprise. What?...I would rather read!

Then read, Paper Master.

Curious, Yomiko opened the book. It had a few lines of Japanese written down the centre.

You would rather read books than save the life of the man you cherish so much? I give you the title of The Paper, but at a price...

Yomiko stared. She was now The Paper, but what -

"DONII!"

Chapter Nine: Kami ha Tsuneni Warera to Tomoni

"DONII!"

Yomiko bolted back the way she came, the book clutched in one hand and several sheets of paper in the other. Upon arriving back at the main room the woman stopped and stood in horror.

Blood was everywhere. Yomiko nearly fainted from the sheer smell of it. It was splattered on the walls, the floor, even bits on the ceiling. Bullet holes riddled the entire room, but just as plentiful were shreds of paper that lay silently over the bodies.

"Oh...oh..." Yomiko was unable to think coherently, seeing the destruction wreaked in this room. She hesitantly stepped inside, trying to think through the nauseating smell. Right. Find Donii.

As if on cue, someone coughed, and Yomiko spun towards the sound. "Donii?"

"Yomiko?"

Yomiko towards the voice, picking her way through dead bodies with care. In a nearby corner Donii sat, propped up by the walls. Bloodied paper littered the floor around him, and in one hand he held his glasses. Yomiko rushed to his side and collapsed on her knees.

"Donii?" He turned his head at the sound of Yomiko's voice. "Donii, it's me..."

"Oh." Donii blinked blindly. "Sorry - it's gone kind of dark..." He tried to say something else, but a coughing fit seized him and he covered his mouth; Yomiko stared in mute horror when blood showed through his fingers.

"Donii...the book...it..." Yomiko couldn't think of anything to say.

"Lost my powers," Donii said. He leaned to the side and Yomiko let him rest on her shoulder against her. On her white blouse bright red bloodstains appeared - Donii's dark suit hid his wounds. "Not sure how..." He smiled as he curled against Yomiko's body. "Doesn't hurt so much now, now that you're here."

"Everything's going to be fine!" Yomiko said, but her words sounded unconvincing to herself. She wrapped her arms around him, not caring that she was getting covered in blood. "You'll...you can live without paper!" Donii laughed a little at the remark.

"It's nice of you to say that," he answered, "but I'm hurt very badly, The Paper."

"No...no no no no no..." Yomiko murmured, rocking back and forth. She wanted to say something to fill in the silence, but nothing came to mind.

"It's not your fault," Donii said sleepily. He pushed his glasses into her hand. "Paper is a jealous friend...I think I was going to lose it anyway..."

"What do you mean?" Yomiko asked, frantic. She turned to look down at Donii's sleeping face and shook him slightly. "Donii, you can't die! What do you mean?"

"You're awfully warm," Donii commented, snuggling against her. He was silent for a while, and Yomiko was about to force him into wakefulness again when he started talking again. "Oh...I stopped caring about books."

"What?" Yomiko yelped. "Why did you do that?!"

"Because...I fell in love with you..."

Chapter Ten: Ai wa Sadame. Sadame wa Kami.

Yomiko knelt there for a long time, still holding Donii's body against her chest. In one hand she gripped Donii's glasses.

Slowly she became aware of how long she had been sitting there, and she gently slid Donii's body onto the ground, arranging it neatly. He looked like he was still alive, with his suit hiding the blood; Yomiko guessed that she looked in worse shape, with all of the blood so visible.

Abruptly the Book of Knowledge flipped open, turning to a page. Yomiko, with nothing else to lose, leaned over to read the writing.

See the price one must pay for power? Does anyone deserve this?

"No," Yomiko said aloud. Her eyes were as hard as steel, and she glared at the book as if it was responsible for Donii's death.

A page slowly turned; it made a noise akin to a sigh.

Five thousand years, The Paper, have I travelled this world. The wisdom of the world is written here, but even wiser are those who don't turn the pages.

The Paper, I leave the rest to you.

Yomiko swallowed as she picked up the book. "Hai."

- - - - - - - - - -

Half an hour later Joker arrived at the old house and entered. The sound of silence, the smell of blood and the sight of paper and bodies everywhere told him everything. He found Donii lying on the floor, as though as he was asleep. Nearby, a blood-covered Yomiko was sitting and hugging her knees, staring at Donii.

"Yomiko," Joker said hesitantly.

The young girl turned to look up at Joker. "Hello."

"The...the book?" he asked.

Yomiko returned to watching Donii's peaceful face. "Destroyed."

"Oh."

Another awkward silence.

"I am sorry for your loss, The Paper."

"Mmm." Yomiko paused thoughtfully. "I will be right outside, Joker-san, I just need a few more minutes."

"Of course." Joker left.

Yomiko gave a shuddering sigh when she couldn't hear Joker anymore. She picked up a piece of paper and slowly dragged others lying around the room towards her. With a single motion she had them surrounding Donii's body, lifting it into an impromptu coffin.

Staring at the ground, with the paper in one hand and Donii's glasses in the other, Yomiko led the floating coffin out into the sunshine.

- - - - - - - - - -

That night Yomiko found herself sitting in front of the lit fireplace in the basement library, curled in a plush chair. She had attempted to clean her bloodsoaked blouse, but it was now permanently white and pale rust. If it wasn't for the fact that someone had died on that blouse, Yomiko might have found it pretty.

It was hard to think that there was a time when she would be sitting in that same chair, avidly reading a book, and Donii would only be a few feet away. But he was never going to sit there again, never enjoy a book again, never talk to her again.

Abruptly Yomiko burst into tears, crying for the first time ever since Donii had died. She sat there for a long time, wishing that this crying would do something good for her - bring back Donii, even just for a few minutes, or, or - or anything!

A few minutes later Yomiko had calmed down enough to look back at the low table. On it were Donii's glasses and the Book of Knowledge; Yomiko leaned over, picked up the book and opened it to a random page.

Put on Donii's glasses. As if reading Yomiko's mind, the line continued. Your price has been paid in full, and I am positive that you would want to know this.

Yomiko sighed, then reached over and exchanged Donii's glasses with hers. Her eyesight blurred slightly when she tried to read the lines, but cleared quickly when she adjusted. In that space of time, the writing on the page had rewritten itself.

He asks that you read a lot of books for him. Yomiko sniffled, a watery smile spreading over her face.

"Thank you," she whispered back to the book. "But forgive me, there is something I must do."

I assure you, there are no hard feelings. Donii was going to do the same. In a way, you are fulfilling his last wish.

Good luck, The Paper. Paper will always be with you.

Yomiko flipped the book shut, weighing it in one hand. With a flick of her wrist she sent the book spiralling into the fire. Perhaps it was only her imagination, but the flames seemed to leap a little as the book entered the fire, as though welcoming an old friend. Donii's glasses flashed with orange light and Yomiko gave a satisfied smile, knowing that both Donii and the book were at peace.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Yomiko recited to herself as she watched the book burn away into nothingness.

- - - - - - - - - -

Yomiko did not intend to stay at Donii's house. According to his will and tradition of the past Papers, everything had been left to Yomiko. It was overwhelming but also a bit puzzling - didn't he have any family or friends? Or maybe he knew that only she would fully appreciate the library he owned. But she did want to spend a few days here before returning to her parents' house in Saitama. Somehow, it didn't seem right to rejoin her life at Jinbouchou or the British Library, and she wanted to give herself time to grieve over her loss.

As Yomiko went back upstairs she mused over her situation. In reality, she didn't know that much about Donii. He had been quite hesitant to give details about his personal history or family. But surely he must have had a sibling or something to contact when the will was read? He was barely thirty years old - didn't Donii have parents? They would certainly be alive today - wouldn't they be concerned about the fate of their son?

"Unless he was like me," Yomiko said to herself, reaching the top of the stairs. She was an only child; if she died, she wouldn't be able to leave her things to brothers or sisters. Her parents were too old to acquire and use any new wealth; they had already left their home to move into a retirement home, ever since that walk to the store when her father had injured his leg. She had a few friends from Jinbouchou, but no one close enough to spend more time with other than at school or in the store.

In fact, if Donii had still been alive, she would've left everything to him.

Yomiko walked back up the hall, towards the bedrooms. Hers was still as immaculate and empty as ever, ever since the day she had left. She quietly shut the door and entered Donii's, turning on the lights.

She had never been in Donii's room before. He was, Yomiko had decided a long time ago, a very private person. The floor was hardwood, like the rest of the house. The bed had crisp folded sheets, white linen and a fluffy blue comforter. The wardrobe and dresser were filled with a mix of matching suits, socks and plain white shirts; three pairs of black shoes sat at the bottom of the closet, never to be worn again.

On the desk blotter were a few pens and pencils and some papers. Yomiko, after a moment's hesitation, adjusted Donii's glasses and went to sort through the papers. Most were blank, but one that caught her attention was an urgent letter describing the Book of Knowledge. She scanned the anonymous letter, then narrowed her eyes at the last line.

Make sure nobody reads this book, The Paper. We wish to preserve this power for the sake of the British Empire.

Yomiko angrily shredded the letter with her bare hands, furious with how self-centred the Library was. Nobody should have to go through what she did! Nobody deserved power when it needed someone to die! NOBODY NOBODY NOBODY!

When her trembling fingers couldn't tear the pieces anymore, she threw them at the floor, letting them float and scatter away rather than directing them towards the trash bin. Yomiko took a few breaths to steady herself, then looked around again.

Frowning, Yomiko reached and opened the desk drawer. Lying inside was a thick leatherbound tome, with a red ribbon sticking out of it. Yomiko flipped open the pages in her hands, and her eyes widened in surprise when she realized that she was looking at Donii's diary.

Instinctively she flipped to the last page. It was marked with a cute little bookmark - pale pink and yellow flowers on white paper, marked with a red ribbon on top. Pasted in the corner was a photo of Donii and her, from the last time he had visited Tokyo. It had been the sakura season; cherry blossom trees were littering the background with pink blossoms. Written underneath that was a line, dated two days ago.

"I don't know how many times I've admired you..."

Yomiko smiled and shut the book. She had something to read for her stay in Saitama.