~Forward~

Installment three of 'Souls Beyond Time' for all of you!

This time there's almost no sexually charged scenes or drama, which I'm so happy to be out of the hump for in many regards. For one, it makes this story INFINITELY easier to market!

Not to mention, it's going to be a two-shot! I can't, for the life of me, paste the whole 10k words as one chapter just because the pacing doesn't work out quite right. So you'll be getting the second chapter in a little under a week! :D

I hope you all enjoy!

O/o\O

Suggested Listening: "Desiderium", Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST

O/o\O

Tinder

The sun was gorgeous.

Madoka's heels clacked against the interwoven brick path, modest skirt bobbing like a flower around her legs. Mid-Spring had finally set in and the weather couldn't be much better. Perhaps, maybe, it could be a touch warmer, but Madoka felt she had all the warmth she needed for the school day thanks to the sun and to the companions to her sides.

Hitomi paved the way ahead while Sayaka hung just behind Madoka, the two listing to the left and right respectively. It had become their regular formation, with the grunette and the blunette using Madoka as a buffer between them, a role that Madoka was hesitant to fill.

Yet, she resigned herself to it. She could to more while wedged between them than she could being walled off from one (or both) of them completely.

The reasoning behind this schism was somewhat… obscure, at least to Madoka.

One night a few months back Sayaka had called up, crying. The three of them had plans to sleep over at Hitomi's house only for Madoka to fall ill the morning of and have to spend the night at home. When Sayaka had called though, the pinkette had immediately launched into 'best friend mode' and talked her musically inclined friend through what had happened.

The details Sayaka had divulged were scant; Hitomi and her had weaseled away a drink while the grunette's parents were out of the house, leading the two of them getting drunk. After that Sayaka had been unusually… quiet about what happened. They'd had a fight, a big one apparently, the morning after, about something that they'd discussed while drunk. It seemed that whatever it was got so heated that neither of them were willing to talk to each other for weeks.

Madoka, worried that her two best friends in the world were going to tear themselves apart, launched in to play mediator, trying to stage conversation after conversation between the two over a hectically short period of time. She was surprised to find Hitomi the one most resilient to compromise; normally the tea maiden would be the first to opt for the diplomatic route.

Eventually, though, Madoka broke through both their stubborn heads and the two agree to discuss what had happened that night, with the caveat that Madoka wouldn't be in the room. Respecting their wishes, she'd made herself scarce and she was pleasantly surprised half an hour later when the two walked out of her room, laughing at one of her clusters of stuffed animals. Even though she was being teased, it put her heart at ease to see the two laughing and joking with each other.

There was still some tension between them, all these months later, but for the most part it was residual; the positions during their strolls the three had become fond of and the generally quiet walks into school had become pleasant instead of tense.

She never did learn about what the fight had been about, neither of them saw fit to tell her. But ultimately, she didn't care, so long as the two of them remained friends with each other and with her, that's all she really wanted.

A lazy arm looped around her, Sayaka strutting up closer to Madoka and pulling her close.

"What's with these ribbons, Madoka, they're really cute!" Sayaka gasped, pulling at one of Madoka's bushy pigtails. "You look so good in them… Are… Are you trying to catch the attention of a boy Madoka?"

Madoka blushed as a teasing finger was pressed into her cheek.

"N-no!" came the stuttered reply, "M-Mom just thought I'd look good in them, is all! Red ribbons have always looked good in my hair, you know that!"

A callused finger slid along the piece's fabric, giving it a quick pinch at the end before taking off.

"But these new ones are so silky! Sayaka's right; you have to be trying to impress someone!" came Hitomi's reply. The girl had dropped back in order to appraise Madoka's new wares, smiling as the girl squirmed under their combined scrutiny.

"N-no! I just wanted to look nice today, that's all!" the pinkette choked, stumbling forward.

Sayaka's grip faltered enough for her to break through, only for the blunette to give chase.

"Don't lie to me Madoka!" Sayaka laughed, "You're seeing other people, aren't you! But you're only supposed to be mine, you know that!" The blunette launched forward and captured Madoka in a rather aggressive hug, nuzzling her face against her friend's, "Everyone will know that Madoka is my waifu!"

Madoka squealed under a sudden flurry of fingers to her side, causing her to bark with laughter, her voice chorusing with Sayaka's.

"Oh please, calm down you two," Hitomi pleaded, a good nature smiled plastered to her lips, "You'll get us all in trouble!"

Indeed, Madoka glanced forward and found that they'd almost reached their school, the gates appearing only a couple hundred meters away. However, Madoka glanced to her right and found Sayaka's mischievous grin deepen as they both silently glanced back at the grunette. Wordlessly they made a pact, swopping back and capturing Hitomi between them.

The tea maiden was immediately set upon by the much maligned tickles of doom and began howling under the assault, "H-h-how d-d-did-d y-ou-u-u b-b-oth…?!"

Chastising palms pounced down, Hitomi slapping the duplicitous duet's hands away in a fit of censorship. The grunette scampered forward, catching her breath and looking back at the two, concern clearly etched upon her face.

"Are you two…" she breathed, "really at that point already? To know what the other is thinking only through eye contact?!" She straightened up, hands reaching to her cheeks, "B-but that is… forbidden love!"

And with that, Hitomi scrambled towards the school building, not a hint left behind whether she was being serious or kidding.

"Jeez, she really gets worked up quick, doesn't she?" Sayaka asked, draping her bag across her shoulder and yawning. "Well, she doesn't know what she's missing," the blunette concluded, sending a playful wink Madoka's way. Sayaka began to skip her way towards the school building, "C'mon Madoka, or else you'll be late for homeroom!"

Madoka watched her friend as she laughed all the way into the building, smiling softly as she resumed her normal, relaxed pace.

Both Sayaka and Hitomi had changed after the fight, subtly, but enough. Hitomi was more reserved now, more skittish around uncomfortable subjects, which is probably why it was left up in the air whether or not she'd actually meant anything by 'forbidden love'.

Similarly, Sayaka had become more… feelsy, both emotionally and physically. They'd been plenty affectionate before, but Madoka sometimes felt that the sudden divide between the other two had left Sayaka dumping her excess energy onto the pinkette, meaning she got Hitomi's dose of physical fawning from Sayaka each day.

Emotionally though, Sayaka had become a little more open about some of her worries. They'd talked at length about the blunette's crush on their mutual childhood friend, Kyosuke Kamijou, a violin prodigy who had gotten injured in an accident the year prior. Sayaka had confided that she didn't feel like she'd ever be noticed by him, and had even made the pinkette promise that if she never worked up the gall to talk with him, Madoka would become her wife when they were old and pruney.

Madoka of course agreed, though, like with Hitomi's earlier proclamation, it had been hard to gauge how serious Sayaka had been. The promise became a running gag between them, something they brought up only when boys were mentioned or romance was even vaguely brought up. Often times, Hitomi would quiet down as Madoka and Sayaka play-acted star-crossed lovers. She'd asked about that once, but Hitomi had simply shaken her head and said that there wasn't an issue.

At this point, the pinkette was just happy that normalcy had returned to their little trio, even if it was a new, less comfortable normalcy. The stray thought that the three may never recover completely from the fight filtered through her head, but she immediately squashed it. She clenched her fist, steeled her face and resolved to help everyone involved overcome the problems set before them.

That was when a friendly hand reached out and tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me, but if you stand there all day staring like that, you'll be late for classes."

Madoka turned to find the source of the lilting voice. A gorgeous blonde girl with gorgeously kept twin drills was smiling down at her from her right. Heat immediately sprung up the younger girl's neck.

"Uh… Uh… yeah…" Madoka stuttered, wringing her arms against each other. "S-sorry," she glanced around the school's courtyard, finding it mostly empty, though there was the odd straggler jumping in through the gate, "I hope I didn't get in anyone's way!"

The chirp seemed to amuse the older girl, who's smile deepened as she spoke, "Not a problem. I can't have my juniors depriving themselves of a quality education, after all! Have a nice day!"

The blonde gave a small, friendly wave before passing on through the doors to the building.

Shaking the embarrassment from her face, Madoka scampered after her, fingers pulling at the heels of her shoes. She would make it to class just a minute before the homeroom bell rung.

O/o\O

Suggested Listening: "Amicae carae meae", Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST

O/o\O

"…and that's why you always ask your loved one how they like your eggs before even starting with breakfast. Does everyone understand?!"

Madoka giggled at Ms. Kazuko's rant, stifling the sound with an attentive hand. Her childish fit only spurred on when she shared a glance with Sayaka who rolled her eyes and stuck a finger down her throat in mockery. It wasn't exactly polite, she knew, but the teacher was one of her mother's friends, so she felt somewhat comfortable entertaining a few quiet laughs.

"Now, with Nakazawa properly scolded…" the teacher began.

"Hey! I only asked a question!"

Kazuko continued, "I have an exciting announcement for today! We have a new exchange student!" The teacher strutted over to the front door of the class, leaning out to a figure that could only barely be seen beyond the frosted glass wall. Moments latter she returned with a rather mousy figure in tow.

The girl was only a little taller than Madoka, with two, thick pylons of silky black hair tied off into ponytails that sat on her shoulders. Thick, red-framed glasses looped around violet eyes and narrowed near the top, blending in with the girl's pencil-thin eyebrows. All of this was backed by pale, creamy skin that seemed to glow under the classroom bulbs.

The girl was… radiant. At least for Madoka, who couldn't keep her eyes off her.

"Everyone, please meet Ms. Homura Akemi. Akemi, would you like to introduce yourself?"

The girl took a hesitant step forward, her body shaking under the entire room's scrutiny.

"H-hello, everyone… I-I-I l-look fo-f-forward to joining you this year!" the girl sputtered, bowing.

Kazuko rested a comforting hand on the nervous girl's shoulder, smiling down at her before returning her attention to the class, "Miss Akemi here has been in the hospital for quite some time now and this is her first time back in class. So I expect everyone to be nice to her. She's being brave coming back after so long away…! That means you, Miki!"

"One time!" Sayaka groaned, her head falling to the desk.

A chorus of 'Yes ma'am' rose from the students, eliciting a blush from Akemi.

Madoka for her part was silent, lips gently parted, eyes locked on the pale visage in front of her that only seemed to get brighter as time inched forward. At one point, those purple orbs met hers and stayed, pink briefly mingling with violet before the trance was broken.

Kazuko gave the girl a firm, but kind, pat on the back, nudging her towards the only open spot near the front of the room, "Well now, I'm sure everyone will learn all about you around lunch time. Take your seat, we'll be switching to English soon."

Akemi looked up to the teacher and nodded, trotting over to the empty desk and sitting down.

Their eyes met one last time, and Madoka flashed the jittery mess a gentle, friendly smile. The girl managed a smile back, small and demur, but a pure and thankful one.

With only a glance, Madoka realized she had just made a new friend.

O/o\O

"Ah! Kaname, just the woman I wanted to see!"

Madoka looked up just as she finished putting her math papers away, stuffing them into a folder before stuffing that into her bag.

"Ms. Kazuko? What do you need?" she asked, tilting her head towards the teacher.

Kazuko clapped her hands together, the clipboard she held making a 'thunk' rather than a firm 'snap', "Our new transfer student, Ms. Akemi, has a bit of a medical issue that she needs to take pills for every day. She picks them up at the nurse's office, but she's new to the school. Since you're the nurse's aide for the class, I thought you'd be the best person to escort her there."

Madoka's nodded, an airy 'oh' slipping out of her mouth. Her eyes trailed to the exchange student, finding the raven haired girl beset by a mob of girls from their class, all of whom were heckling her for personal information and cooing over the new girl.

"And, between you and me," Kazuko noted, leaning down closer to her student, "Homura looks pretty nervous with all that attention on her. You're the only person I know who's a natural at making friends, so I was hoping you'd help get her some breathing room."

"Ah-Of-of course!" Madoka stuttered, the compliment derailing her train of thought.

Kazuko stood, towering over her seated pupil, "Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to the faculty lounge before they finish ordering food for everyone!"

The teacher turned and rolled out of the classroom, leaving the pinkette in her wake.

Madoka looked over at the congregation of inquisitive students buzzing around Akemi and stood, shouldering her bag so she could easily carry her bento with her.

Taking a deep breath to still the nervous jitters roiling in her gut (a strategy taught to her by her mother), she walked over to the busy desk and popped out in front of all the talking heads.

"Miss Akemi?" Madoka asked, putting on her most relaxed smile.

The shy girl seemed absolutely flustered by all the attention she'd been getting, an uncomfortable smile of her own dominating her face. The minute Madoka spoke up, their eyes met and for a brief moment they were transfixed. Madoka closed her eyes, but kept the smile, doing her best not to get lost in the other girl's violet pools.

"I'm Madoka Kaname, the nurse's aide for this class. You have medicine to take at the nurse's station, right? I can take you there if you'd like," the pinkette explained, unscrewing her eyes. To her pleasure, she saw relief wash over the timid student.

"Y-yes, if you would…" the new girl requested, hastily grabbing her bags and scrambling to her feet. The girls surrounding her all let out a pitiful 'aww', that Akemi was quick to address. She twisted to them as she scooted closer to Madoka, "I-I'm sorry, I n-need to go take care of this… We c-can talk later, I promise," the girl stuttered.

A few members of the collective seemed appeased, nodding and smiling as they waved Madoka and Akemi off.

The pinkette held the door open as Akemi scurried over to her, the duet exiting out into the hallway. "We'll be going this way," Madoka pointed, turning left and letting the exchange student set the pace of their walk.

Akemi nodded and the two settled into a relaxed stroll through the golden halls of the school. It was one of the more modern buildings in the city, layered with panes of frosted glass set into polished metal frames, with the exceptions of the external walls which were mostly pristinely crystal in their transparency.

It was when they were coming up on the first skywalk of the school that Madoka felt compelled to restart a conversation, having spent the last few minutes of walking in relative silence.

"So…" she started, drawing out her 'o's, "Is your first day back treating you well? I noticed you weren't exactly enjoying all that attention…"

Akemi seemed to squirm as Madoka looked back at her. The action was endearing as it was concerning. The hospital stay must have really been hard on her if it was this difficult to communicate with strangers.

"I-I… Yeah… I know th-they mean well, it's just… a lot to keep track of at o-once…" Akemi mumbled. "A-also, th-thank you for showing me the way, K-Kaname"

The nurse's aide twisted on her heel and grinned, walking backwards, "You're welcome! But please, call me Madoka!"

Akemi blushed, a nervous hand tightening around her collar.

"A-ah… but… I-I mean…" the raven haired girl stuttered. Madoka's smile waned, though it was only to seem less overbearing with the order. Akemi's anxiety seemed to deflate in turn, "M-Madoka it is th-then… It's a l-l-lovely name…"

The pinkette's grin became self-deprecating as she began to fondle the ribbon on her chest, "What? Nah… I like you're name better… It's powerful, strong… It means 'flame', right? That's really cool. It also very pretty to say…"

Akemi swallowed and looked out the windows, "W-well if you're letting me call you by your first name, th-then I should let y-you call me by mine…"

"Really!" Madoka chirped, clapping her hands together, pink pigtails bounding on her head.

Homura seemed startled by the outburst, but quickly composed herself, letting out a very minute smile, "Y-yes… I hope that we can be… friends… Madoka."

Madoka let out a giggle, "I hope we can be friends too, Homura."

The mousy girl blushed, and nodded. A few moments of quiet passed between them before Homura spoke again, "I… I like your ribbons."

Madoka's cheeks warmed, her fingers going to play with the red strands in her hair, "Pfft, what? These old things? No, my mom just told me to wear them today…"

"I think th-they're cute on y-you," the mouse replied, "Your mom had a really good suggestion.

Madoka ducked her head, suddenly finding herself on the defensive emotionally. Hearing compliments was nothing new to her, but the intonation in Homura's voice was so… pure, so earnest; pure admiration, not clouded by jealousy or envy or any hidden agenda like with Sayaka and her mother. She needed to turn the conversation on its head before her head exploded from the surge of blood.

"Sh-she always does, it seems," Madoka chuckled, scratching the back of your head, "But I think your hair is prettier. It looks so silky and those pony tails are really pretty on you!"

Homura looked away, fidgeting in place, her face as red as a tomato.

It took Madoka a moment to register that they'd stopped walking; her feet had automatically halted the minute they'd arrived outside the nurse's office.

"Ah! We're here!" Madoka said, knocking gently on the door. "Hello, we're coming in!" she chimed, pulling the boundary open.

To her surprise, the blonde girl who'd greeted her earlier was sitting next to the nurse's desk, a bento open for her to pick at the contents. The older girl was part way through what seemed to be a piece of futo maki as the two entered.

The girl quickly finished the piece and wiped her lips with a napkin before standing, "Sorry about that! What is it you need? You both look a little red, are you coming down with fevers?"

"Eh?" Madoka asked, feeling her own face. Her blush deepened, though she tried to cover it by scratching the back of her head, "No, no, we were just laughing at something together, that's why!"

Homura seemed grateful for the excuse, shuffling up to just behind Madoka as a form of temporary social shield. Madoka scratched her cheek and gave an embarrassed smile.

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to know where the nurse is, would you? My friend here needs her medication," the pinkette explained, motioning to the timid girl behind her.

"Of course!" the blonde perked, standing. "The nurse is actually out getting lunch with the other faculty. But I'm her designated aide so I can get it for you," the girl explained. She eyed Homura, grinning ear to ear while offering out her hand, "Can I please have your student ID?"

Homura swallowed and nodded, reaching into her bag and producing the laminated card. The nurse's aide whisked the card away and gave it a glance, handing it back before tapping her way back to a desk with a paper and a series of assorted paper cups.

"You have a very nice name, Miss Akemi," the girl commented, handing the fidgeting raven haired girl one of the cups. Homura took the paper container, plopping the contents into her hand before walking over to the nearby sink. She filled the cup and downed the pills and water in one swig. The blonde pulled a clipboard from beside the cups, scratching down a short series of notes. When she was done she looked back up to Madoka, "You're the girl from this morning, aren't you? The little space cadet?"

The teasing chuckle caught the pinkette off guard, "Ah? Eh, n-no! I… I mean…" Madoka sulked, sighing with acceptance, "Ye-yeah, that was me…"

"Oh, don't look so embarrassed, we all get lost in though sometimes," the blonde snickered. "I was just worried. That lost look doesn't suit a cute face like yours. Can't have my juniors making themselves look bad, after all," the girl chided, wagging a playful finger.

"Oh?! W-well in that case…" Madoka balked, bowing seconds later, "Thank you for looking out for me!"

The senior gave a sheepish smile and waved a dismissive hand, "Really, it was no big deal. No need to get so worked up over it." The blonde sat back down in her chair as Homura walked back over to Madoka.

"Thank y-you for escorting me, M-Madoka," Homura mumbled, giving a polite nod of her head.

"No problem, Homura. Would you like to join me for lunch up on the roof? It'll give you some more time around the more badger-y students," she offered in return. The timid girl blushed and wrung her hands before nodding.

"I… think that would be nice," the exchange student relented, letting that small little smile appear once more.

"Aha!" the blonde chirped, clapping her hands together, "Why don't you both eat here instead? I was up on the roof earlier with my physics class and it's actually gotten pretty chill outside for this time of year. And I could always use the company."

Madoka shifted uncomfortably, "We wouldn't want to impose…"

"Oh, it'd be no problem at all. Being the nurse's aide is just a doing a little paperwork and lending a hand when things get busy. That's usually just in the fall and winter though. Spring doesn't lend itself to much other than a few sporadic allergy flare-ups or sports accidents," the aide explained. She held up her bento with a sheepish smile, letting the two see the densely packed (and rather delicious looking) contents, "I also made a little too much for myself today and I could use a few hungry mouths to share it with."

Madoka and Homura looked down at the bento, saliva pooling over the contents almost immediately. They glanced between each other before looking back to the blonde.

"I… If Homura is okay with it, then we'll stay," Madoka answered, looking to her new friend for a response.

Homura nodded, "I think that i-it'd be delightful to j-join you…"

"Excellent!" the girl cheered, pulling up two more seats for her juniors. "Please, sit, sit!"

The duo took the seats, setting their bags against the legs of their chairs. The blonde perked up, pressing a dainty hand to the center of her rather… generous bosom, "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Mami Tomoe. I'm a second year here."

"Madoka Kaname, first year," Madoka chimed, suddenly feeling a little more relaxed. She rooted through her bag and pulled out her own lunch; a small bento that her father had prepared for her. It was usually enough for her, but she wouldn't mind splurging with new friends.

"H-Homura Akemi. I j-just transferred here," Homura explained, pulling out a rather small bento. Actually, an incredibly small bento. Madoka had to hold back a gasp of surprise.

"Homura, your lunch is so small. How do you get by on so little?" the pinkette asked.

The raven girl shrugged and blushed, nudging some rice with her chopsticks, "I don't normally eat that much… It's hard to pack a variety of things in the morning…"

The nurse's aide frowned, "Kaname is right, growing girls need to eat more than table scraps like that."

Mami immediately reached into her own bento and began pulling out pieces of nigiri, immediately plopping them down onto Homura's lunch.

"Ah, n-no! It-it's fine, I'll b-be fine, I a-always have been!" Homura pleaded. But she was powerless as the sushi kept piling up.

"Nonsense. You have beautiful skin, but you look pretty gaunt. You need to get some meat on those bones. This is an order from the nurse's aide," Mami chided.

Finally, the last piece of food made its way onto her platter, to the point where the box lunch was nearly overflowing.

"Uh… uh… th-thank y-you…" Homura muttered, staring down at the rather daunting plate of food.

Mami stuck another piece of futo maki in her mouth before letting out a pleased sigh. She patted her lips with a handkerchief she'd drawn from her pocket before looking at Madoka.

"And while it's my prerogative as nurse's aide to help students with their health, it's my job as a senior student to help my juniors when they're struggling with other things as well. So, Kaname, if it isn't prying too much, what was on your mind this morning when we first met?" Mami asked, popping another morsel between her teeth.

Madoka hopped in her seat, a nervous giggle bubbling out through her words, "Eh? What do you… uh… mean…?"

"The look on your face was…" the blonde started, sitting on her words for a brief spell, "It was conflicted… concerned. You have a very pretty face, and I feel it's very unbecoming for it to look so lost. I only ask out of my own concern for your wellbeing. If it's something serious, just know there are people around you who are willing to listen."

The pinkette sunk into herself, pulling out a sample of her bento and chewing on it quietly. She felt both Mami and Homura's eyes look at her, curiosity being the most apparent emotion. Swallowing, Madoka finally decided to speak, "Well, it's… it's nothing, really. It's just I was worried about my two friends; they kinda had a fight recently and things have only really started to cool down. My biggest worry is that our little trio won't heal all the way after it…"

"Hmmm… I see…" Mami hummed. "Well as someone who's been in one of those types of fights, I know it isn't easy to overcome heat of the moment animosities," the blonde looked down at her bento, eyes falling sullen. "But," she continued, golden irises firming with confidence, "The important thing is if they both try to be friends again after that. If they put effort back into their friendship, I'm sure things will go back to normal soon enough!"

Madoka smiled, but it was void of genuine feeling, "That's not the problem though… They've done that, but things are different now. Not bad, just… different… I guess I'm just being nostalgic…"

"Ah, okay, that makes sense," Mami sighed. She pulled a water bottle from the table and downed a few generous gulps. "There's no shame in appreciating the past, or wanting it back; that's very human. But sometimes we have to acknowledge what life is now and appreciate it for what it is. The past can only haunt you if you let it, so try and live in the present as much as you can," the blonde smiled.

"Th-that's pretty deep, Tomoe…" Homura observed, having polished off the nigiri while the two spoke.

Mami's cheeks flared up, "Yes, well, with age comes experience and all that, right?"

Madoka remained silent, her mind still partially absorbing the speech. She glanced out the window to see the sky clouded, with bits of golden light streaming through cracks in the formations. The thought bounced around her head; appreciating the life she has now instead of dwelling on what could have been…

She smiled, looking up to her senior, "Thanks Tomoe. I don't think there's much more I can do about the problem, but you're right… I just gotta shift how I look at things…"

In that moment, the bell rung, startling the three.

"Ah! Homura, we're going to be late for class!" Madoka panicked, closing her bento and throwing it in her bag. Homura had just done the same when Madoka grabbed her hand and began pulling her out the door.

"M-Madoka! W-w-wait! S-slow down!" Homura cried, trying not to trip over herself.

"Nice meeting you Mami! We should have lunch on the roof together when it's warm enough!" Madoka called back, waving at their senior.

Mami laughed at their antics and waved after them, following them to the doorframe. "Remember, no running in the halls!" she called after the pair.

The blonde's voice was an echo in the distance as the two reached the skywalk.

Mami was right, though. From this moment forward, Madoka would only worry about what she had now and what she could protect in the present… like her newfound friends and the ones she already held dear.

O/o\O

So there's the first half of this segment of Souls Beyond Time! I hope you stick around long enough to see the next! :D