Double Entendre

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Chronolith

Ink Burns

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

This is a work of fanfiction, produced according to the principles of transformative fair use as put forward in US copyright law, and abiding by the custom and practice of fan-produced work in Japan, where the source texts were created. No author is in any way affiliated with any of the creators of the source texts, nor with the companies who distribute their products, nor any other rights holder, and these stories were not authorized by either the creators or the producers. Ink Burns is a fan site and the material here is freely provided for the enjoyment of fellow fan-community members; there is no commercial infringement.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 US license at the Ink Burns fanfiction archive (http://alltrees.org/archive/).

Published on 2005-01-05 15:28:34.

Attributions can be made by author's name and a link to the archive.

This ebook edition was published on May 16, 2012 by the Ink Burns fanfiction archive.

Double Entendre

Kurai has a plan. Drama, I-3

Kurai was surprisingly uninterested and unconcerned by the announcement that Heaven and Hell had started competing for souls again. The tennis thing was a little odd, but otherwise it was business as usual. She did rather hope that it didn't lead to another war. She'd be obligated to get involved--on whose side would be a little convoluted, considering--and she was busy right now.

"Here they are," Noise said as she dropped several large volumes onto Kurai's desk. "All the records of the Triumvirate of the Dragons."

Kurai made a purring sound in the back of her throat that could only be described as both appreciative and pleased. Noise watched suspiciously as Kurai dived into the materials with an expression that meant scheming was definitely on her master's mind. And Kurai never schemed. Ever. Not even when that suspicious, smug demon was slinking around Gehenna. Noise did not like it when life got weird. Especially when it was her master who was getting weird.

"No one has done the triumvirate ceremony since before the first wars,"Noise said. Kurai made small sound of agreement. "You don't have to do this," Noise said, rather plaintively. "Besides, you have to be a triumvirate and you're just you."

Kurai looked up, eyes very dark--and for a moment Noise thought she saw eternity flicker queerly within them--and stared at her retainer in away that made Noise feel as if Kurai were lining up all Noise's loyalties and all her little betrayals and weighing them. It was uncomfortable feeling. And not a thing she was used to. Not from her master.

"I am not yet Triumvirate, but I will be."

Noise did not like that statement. She liked the narrow, determined look even less.

And in the darkness of the recessed window that looked over Gehenna's forever twilight realm, Belial frowned in slightly troubled thought.

And in a plain where eternity echoed a young not-yet-woman looked up into the fractured sky and began to smile.