Interdimensional Academy

Disguises and Death

That night, while the students at the school were partying and eating snacks in the library, Cozy Glow sat in her fortress, plotting something wicked.

"Hmmmm..." she mused. "What could we do next?"

"We could capture one of them," suggested Jevil.

Cozy Glow facepalmed. "We've already done that a million times, you idiot!"

"But instead of taking the oracle boy, we kidnap Gumi," Jevil continued.

"Why would you kidnap HER?" Cozy Glow asked. "She's absolutely useless!"

"Because Rin will rush to her aid, and then we can put them both under the curse again," Jevil explained.

"But why kidnap Gumi and make Rin rush to her aid instead of the other way around?" Cozy Glow questioned.

"Because Rin is more skilled at magic, and could break out more easily," Jevil replied. "Gumi is weak and helpless. She needs Rin to rescue her."

"This could work..." Cozy Glow said. "But we need to send someone more competent than just Luka. Perhaps Lily?"

"Excellent choice, madam," Jevil agreed.

"LILY!" Cozy Glow snapped, and the girl came rushing into the room.

"What is it, Empress Cozy Glow?" Lily inquired.

"Go to that stupid school, and kidnap Gumi," Cozy Glow commanded.

"But everyone there recognizes me!" Lily cried. "If I try, they'll all notice!"

Cozy Glow handed Lily a small package.

"What's inside?" she asked.

"Open it," Cozy Glow answered.

Lily opened it, and inside was a black wig, a blue outfit, purple contacts, a padded bra, and a fake horn and tail.

"What do I do with this?" she said.

"Chika will distract that Elma girl, then you will go in and take the girl's place," Cozy Glow responded. "If you have a plausible alibi, then you can easily succeed."

Lily went into her room in the fortress, put on the new clothes and wig, and then reentered the throne room. When she did, she was a perfect likeness of Elma.

"Go, go, and do not fail me!" Cozy Glow shouted. "If we get this right, then we shall win! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

At school, about twenty minutes later, Chika walked in, and cast curses of all varieties in the hall Elma was walking down, having just gone out of the library to go to the bathroom and fix her hair.

"STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" she exclaimed, chasing after Chika.

"MWAHAHA!" Chika laughed, and she ran as quickly as she could up the set of spiral stairs that led to one of the classrooms.

Meanwhile, inside the library, everyone was still partying, but Sandbar was nervous.

"Where'd Elma go?" he asked. "She should be back by now."

"Maybe she got lost," suggested Gallus. "This school's practically a maze."

"I guess so," Sandbar sighed, taking a sip of fruit punch. "I'm just worried about her."

Suddenly, the doors opened wide, and Elma strode in.

Sandbar grinned. "Oh, hey! You're back!"

"Uh, yeah!" the girl grinned. "Yeah!"

"Wait, why don't you have your staff?" inquired Megami Raito, referring to the wooden one that Elma usually carried around. "You always seem to carry it with you... did it get lost or something?"

"I, uh, was gonna get it, but I saw Ruby, uh, drawing graffiti in a classroom!" the girl blurted. "I was distracted, but I think she might've stolen it while I was!"

"I'll come with you and investigate," declared Gumi.

The girl smiled. "Of course! Let's go now!"

She and Gumi walked up the stairs that led to the classroom.

"Ruby's not here...where'd she go?" Gumi wondered aloud.

But just at that moment, a spell hit her in the back, and she was paralyzed.

"Heh," Lily smirked, taking off her wig and fake horn. "Easy."

She picked Gumi up, carried her to the portal and teleported away into the fortress.

When the girl arrived at the fortress with Gumi, she cast a spell on her prisoner so she was wrapped in chains made of fire, and then entered the throne room, taking her costume off and conjuring her regular clothes as she did so.

"Lily," Cozy Glow said.

"Yes," the girl nodded.

"Have you captured Gumi?"

Lily nodded again. "Of course."

"Ruby! Bring her to the dungeons," Cozy Glow demanded, clapping her hooves together.

Ruby came in and picked up the end of one of the chains surrounding Gumi, dragging her down the stairs to the dungeon.

"For once I think we'll actually succeed!" Jevil exclaimed evilly.

Cozy Glow smirked in agreement. "Yes! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

"Now all we have to do is wait," Lily cackled.

And they didn't have to wait long, for just at that moment, Rin teleported in through the window.

"RETURN HER NOW, YOU FIENDS!" she cried, but Cozy Glow merely raised her hoof and sent the very same magical chains of fire that had trapped Gumi straight towards Rin.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Gumi sobbed as she saw Rin captured.

"We have a deal for you, Rin," Cozy Glow said evilly. "If you give up the secrets of how that pesky Quetzalcoatl resurrected Miku, then we will let you go home safe. If not...I will KILL GUMI! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

"I would never give up those secrets," Rin spat. "I'd rather die!"

"Oh, but it won't be YOU dying..." Jevil smirked. "Lily, do the honors!"

"Yes, sir!" Lily shouted, and she pointed straight at Gumi. The green-haired girl's eyes widened, but it was too late for her to dodge the attack. The spear hurtled towards her at an impossibly fast speed, piercing her heart in an instant.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Rin wailed as she saw Gumi crumple to the floor. Her eyes were still wide open, as if she was in disbelief at her own death, and the color was drained from her skin completely. She was sprawled out on the floor in an unnatural position, surrounded by her own blood with her head lolling to the side.

Jevil snapped his fingers, an evil grin spreading across his face, and Luka entered the room.

"Well, how lovely it is to see you again, Rin," she laughed. She dragged Rin over to the window and lifted her up so she was on her feet. "I'm so sorry you couldn't stay longer, but...GOODBYE!"

With those words, she pushed Rin out the window, watching the helpless girl plummet.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Rin shrieked as she fell, but just as she was about to hit the ground, someone caught her!

"I've got you," a sweet voice said. It was Megami Raito!

"Gumi just died!" Rin sobbed. "She's gone!"

"I sent Gallus to retrieve her," another voice replied. It was Lucoa, flying alongside them in her dragon form! "I can perform another spell to save her, once we reach school again."

"Then, let's get back," said Rin in a wobbly voice.