Liar, Liar, the Mage's Desire Vol. 3 (Return of the Oumeno)

Shuichi Saihara, Where Are Ya? (16)

    Kokichi, Himiko, Shuichi, and Penny watched as the fire began spreading quickly through the bottom floor. In a matter of seconds, the fire spread from the kitchen and into the living room. To their horror, smoke began pouring in from upstairs as well. 

   "Lightning must have struck that entire side of the lighthouse!" Shuichi said, pointing towards the direction of the kitchen and above. 

   "NO!!!" Penny shrieked angrily. "I...urgh...can't...lose the gold...grrghh...after all this...time!" She struggled under Shuichi's weight. 

   "You guys go!" Shuichi said to Kokichi and Himiko. "I'll bring Penny out."

    "Nyeh...are you sure, Shui-" Himiko began.

    "Go!" Shuichi demanded. "Before the fire blocks the front door! You two need to get out!"

   "C'mon, Himiko," Kokichi said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the lighthouse. They met up with the others outside, where Bessie had been unmasked, and was staring forlornly at them. Fred and Shaggy were trying to hold Barty back from running into the burning lighthouse.

   "NOOOO!! Not the lighthouse!! Pleeaaase!!" he yelled. 

   "It's okay, Barty," Fred said. "You can always build another one."

   "He's not going to," Kokichi said in a low voice. 

   "What do you mean?" Daphne asked. 

    "I'll explain when Shuichi comes out with Penny," Kokichi said.

   "Penny? Like, who's she?" Shaggy asked. Kokichi looked over to the front of the lighthouse expecting to see Shuichi and Penny emerge, but they hadn't come out, yet. Himiko grabbed onto Kokichi's shoulders.

  "What's taking them so long?" she asked in a small, fearful voice. Back in the lighthouse, Shuichi was struggling to pull Penny up from the floor because of her constant wiggling. 

   "Stop moving so much! I'm trying to help you up!" Shuichi muttered in annoyance.

   "Never!" Penny snarled. She thrust her head backwards, banging it against Shuichi's head. He was then knocked unconscious. She chuckled evilly as she stood up and loosened the ropes around her wrists. 

  "Heheheheh...now it's time to finish you off," she said as she walked over to her gun. As soon as she touched it, however, she let out a shriek of pain. The gun was burning hot due to the intense heat of the nearby fire. She vigorously shook her hand to cool it before turning back to the unconscious Shuichi with an ominous smirk. "No matter. You can just lie there while you burn until you're nothing but ashes!" She ran outside just before the flames reached the front door, trapping Shuichi inside. She ran up to the others with a panicked expression. 

   "Ivana! What were you doing in the lighthouse?" Fred asked.