Disclaimer: Witch's House/Majo no Ie is owned by Fummy.

A/N: This story takes place after the game's course of events. Those of you who prefer the prospect of "revenge," please turn away now as this story heads in the opposite direction. Thank you for reading.


Ellen! Please! Let me help you!

I'll stay with you until you're better, alright, Ellen?

Of course we're friends! We always will be!

Eh? Magic?

If it's to make you happy, go ahead, Ellen!

Ellen...please...

Why...

Eh..lehn...I...

Viola.

Viola, we're friends, right?

Viola...

"Viola!"

"Viola. Wake up, Viola. Hey, sleepyhead, wake up."

The blonde girl heard the unfamiliar voice and drifted back into consciousness. She opened her eyes and her vision gradually cleared. Staring back at her were the scarlet eyes of a girl she didn't recognize. The eyes themselves were familiar; remnants of a past she was still gradually forgetting.

"Yo."

Immediately, Viola reached back beneath her pillow and retrieved a small knife, swiftly bringing it around to gouge a massive tear in the girl's neck. She stumbled back, surprised by the action. The torn flesh began to regenerate as blood pooled on the floor of Viola's room. Torn tissues and punctured cartilage were clearly visible in the wound.

"Ich-" The black-haired girl paused to speed up the repair of the vocal cords. Viola quickly rose from the bed and brought the knife to the girl's healing neck.

"Is that any way to treat an old acquaintance?" The girl finally managed to say.

"Why are you here? I have no business with you."

"How cruel. Even after I helped you with your illness?"

"You did nothing but force me to steal a body after your trick."

"You were amused by it back then. Being human's changed you, I see. Shame."

The knife was at the girl's eye.

"It's early enough that I can clean out all the stains before father comes to wake me." Viola seethed.

The girl simply smirked in response. Somehow, the demon could mimic a cat's grin even in this form.

"Our contract's void. So yes, my business with you doesn't involve that. It's another matter however, of concern to…various individuals."

"Not to me. Leave."

"Oh, but I think you will be interested. If you'd just listen? It seems to me that those memories weren't the only thing that girl left you. With those emotions of yours…I think you'd benefit from one last meeting. Properly lay things to rest."

Viola's eyes dilated. She forced her anger down one last time.

"She's dead. You devoured her."

"Which leads me to the matter at hand. I won't go into detail since your patience seems thin, but you understand there's only one plausible reason, rather, one link, for my coming to you when our pact has ended?"

Viola stayed silent. The demon took it as a sign that she'd be able to continue.

"Due to the previous incident, I'll refer to her as Ellen, to avoid confusion." Viola stiffened. "Essentially, the issue is that Ellen is not…cooperating with her fate. She possessed a large amount of magic when she was killed. Her soul also maintained various…connections with this world. Altogether, I was unable to properly remove her. Your body appears to be one of the primary links. Would you do me a favor and allow me to sever the link permanently? I guarantee you'll never see me again once this is dealt with."

"And why should I?"

"It's beneficial for you too. Ellen's been causing me so much trouble lately, it's not entirely impossible for her to force contact with you directly. I certainly wouldn't be surprised. I just want to nip this in the bud before it gets any more troublesome."

Viola paused. She definitely didn't want anything to do with the demon at this point, but the possibility of that girl coming back was a prospect Viola did not want to consider either. Viola was not about to lose her body after everything that had happened.

"…How long will this take?"

"The sooner we leave, the faster it'll be done with."

"Leave?"

"Yes well, I need you at the place where Ellen died. Then I can end this ridiculousness."

Every instinct Viola had screamed at her to reject it. Being involved with the demon was one thing, but returning to that place was outright unthinkable. Viola couldn't ignore Ellen's potential connection either. She lowered the knife and backed up into her bed, collapsing on it.

"What the hell kind of demon can't destroy a little girl?" She muttered irritably.

"A little girl with your magic." The demon corrected. Viola didn't respond.

"It is embarrassing, I'll admit. But typically, we don't consume the souls of witches. They're handled in a different manner, when necessary. My only excuse for this is that Ellen is a special case, and managed to get lucky as well."

The black-haired girl turned to look out the window contemplatively at the night sky outside. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the moon was no longer visible.

"Of course, if you'd prefer to handle this charade personally, well…you were quite an excellent witch. It will be quite a long time before I find someone as skilled as yourself."

Viola sat up and gave the girl the most menacing glare she could manage.

"Push your luck any more and I'll end you and take my chances with Ellen."

"Well, the offer's open. Replacements are difficult to find." The demon turned back on Viola, her eyes glowing a faint red. "When can you leave?"

Viola was about to curse at the demon, but held her tongue.

"Wait outside. I'll be out when I feel like it."

The demon frowned but said nothing more. The demon calmly opened the window and leapt from the edge, the window closing itself behind her. Reaching the ground, she looked at the forest in the distance. She'd have to find an animal host to avoid unnecessary problems while she waited.

Cats were quite elegant, and the bodies of small animals were ideal when working with witches. Few demons indulged in the many risks of using a human vessel when on the Surface, and she had always been one of the few exceptions. There were certain benefits to using such a body at times.

Unfortunately, cats were difficult to find these days, and her current body would have to be stored as well.

"Always so much to do. Honestly, Ellen…"

Viola remained on her bed for a moment after the demon's departure. Assuming the demon wasn't lying, the whole issue would be resolved quickly with minimal trouble. The chances of that were, however, quite unpredictable to Viola.

She sighed and fell back on her bed. The body transfer had left her with that girl's memories, as well as, much to Viola's chagrin, some emotions and personality. Although Viola had easily maintained her own consciousness, it had quickly become apparent to her that those emotions were gradually seeping into her. She had simply thought of it as irritating, but it somewhat assisted her in behaving less like her former self, which, after gaining substantial amounts of empathy, among other things, now seemed to be detrimental to her hopes of living a happy life, in retrospect.

In this case, however, the emotions that had been integrated by Viola were proving to be rather irritating. The demon was correct. Some part of her wanted to go back to that place. Some part of her wanted to see that girl. And Viola could only somewhat understand why. The past was the past, and the past was dead, so there was no sense in dwelling on it.

Standing up, Viola walked over to her mirror. The golden braids and emerald eyes that she was now familiar with appeared distorted.

"That girl…you…" Tears continued falling as the emerald eyes stared back at her blankly.

"Why…?"

Viola walked down the stairs and made her way to the front door, careful to minimize the amount of sound she created. Her father was still asleep, as usual. She had left a note on her bedroom door for when her father did come to wake her, but she was relatively certain that wouldn't be for another three hours.

Viola had picked out an outfit she had rarely worn; a dress of black lace with white trim. It wasn't particularly gaudy but somehow seemed appropriate for her destination. It had only been a little over a year, but the incident was still fresh in her memory, despite her efforts to forget. And now she was returning to that place. The place that protected her, and imprisoned her. The place that had consumed dozens of souls. The place where she met her best friend, made her suffer, and stole her life.

Emotions tore away at her in response to her thoughts, but she brushed them aside as best she could. They weren't hers. And this would be nothing more than a small errand.

Opening the door, she was greeted by the sight of a small black cat yawning.

"Yo. All dressed up?"

Viola closed the door behind her, locking it, and turned to walk past the cat without a single glance.

"The other body made for an easier target." She mentioned nonchalantly.

"Emotions or not, some things never change." The cat hopped down to the ground and rushed to catch up with Viola. "Although I don't recall you being quite so violent."

The girl and the cat calmly walked through the forest. Viola still knew the way to the former site of the house by heart, but she let the cat lead so she could think.

Dawn would arrive soon, but as the forest was now, there was an eerie glow cast on the trees and foliage around the duo. The moon wasn't present, and no other source of light was available to cause such an effect. Viola easily attributed the aura to a closed space the demon had brought the forest into to prevent interference. It was a simple, harmless spell. Viola made a note to remain alert for any tricks the demon might attempt.

The chirps of cicadas and other small insects were the only ambience that penetrated the otherwise perfect silence. The atmosphere was likely to convince any normal individual to turn back, but Viola continued walking into the depths of the woods.

"Almost there." The cat reported from up ahead. Viola said nothing. A moment passed before the cat offered an inquiry.

"Say, have you…ever regretted what you did?"

"No." Viola's response was swift and stern.

"I see." The cat took Viola's tone to mean that there would not be any conversation for the remainder of the trip, and simply returned to his silence.

A few minutes later, the duo exited the dense portion of the forest and cut into a long forest path. The scene was no different from that day. The path had changed little since then. The place where Ellen died was up ahead. Viola's heart began beating faster. She didn't want to see this place again.

"It's just up there, I believe. It won't take long. Would you kindly?"

Viola didn't respond. She walked up the path that used to lead to her former house.

The trees bounded either side of the path, seemingly forcing her to continue. The grass was slightly taller than she remembered. Viola heard the cat behind her, walking at a slower pace.

Viola's eyes widened as she approached the grave of her former friend. A steady line of roses grew from where Ellen had died, stretching further up the path. It was a trail; one that marked Ellen's final movements.

A flash of memories engulfed her. The thick mist covered the forest and the rain fell relentlessly. Ellen's pained demands were barely coherent to Viola. The trail of blood from Ellen's efforts and the desperation in her voice as she realized she'd wouldn't see her father again. All of it was clear at that instant.

Viola subconsciously lowered her head, avoiding the view. That was the day Viola was cured. That was the day she gained love. And yet, something continued to plague her. Viola needed to get away. Everything was over already. It was her body. She was Viola, and Ellen was dead.

"Right then. I'll sever the link now. After we're done here, your body will belong to you, and I'll leave. I'm sure you can get home on your own."

Viola turned to face the cat and stared at it blankly.

"Do it." The cat nodded and placed its right paw in front of it. A small array of luminescent inscriptions burst to life, and then grew and shifted to center on Viola. Nearly immediately, a thick wall of distorted space began to form, bounding the edges of the circle. Viola's eyes widened. She recognized this spell; it was a barrier. The demon had lied, and Viola had been too slow to notice.

She immediately drew out her knife from her right sleeve and rushed the small black figure, intending to dismember it. Before she could reach it, the world around her began moving. The cat became farther and farther away as the forest shifted in position. Viola turned around.

The trees and line of roses rushed towards her. The forest was bringing the former site of her house towards her, and there was nothing she could do. Viola took a few steps back. The world continued moving. The path narrowed to a small opening, and then opened up to a slightly larger area, the entrance of which had formerly been blocked by the impenetrable roses that Ellen had trapped her with.

The path led into another small area, the entrance to Viola's former house. The sign was covered in vines and roses. The tree beneath which Viola had woken up on that day had grown larger. Everything else matched her memories nearly perfectly. Viola took a few more steps back, and made contact with the barrier. The entrance passed her by, and the place she had never wanted to return to finally reached her.

An open area bounded by the forest greeted her. The line of roses led back to the site of the house. And where the house would have been, there was only a twisting network of thorn-covered vines. A sudden sense of anger gripped her. The demon had lied to her, and dragged her back to this place when she had finally acquired her happiness.

Viola turned to the barrier and drew the knife once more. She cut, and stabbed, and tore, but the barrier held. If she had her magic, and if she had her house, the barrier would easily shatter like glass.

Viola tightened her grip on the knife. She didn't know what the demon had planned.

Her pact had ended. The demon had received all the souls she collected, and she had received the spell that cured her. The spell had been executed successfully, she had lost her abilities as a witch, and Ellen had gained majority control of the house. The house had still belonged to Viola, which had allowed her to escape. Ellen had died, and the demon then should have consumed her soul. The magic would have been relinquished, and Viola would have no remaining ties.

That was the course of events. Viola's procedure had worked out properly. It should have worked out properly. And yet, here she was, trapped. Viola knew that the demon had lied. What concerned her was precisely how much of his explanation was a lie. That would determine what he had planned for her.

It angered Viola to no end that she was helpless in her situation.

The only thing that had possessed her to agree was the threat to her life. And now it was at risk. Viola let out an irritated scream and plunged the knife into the barrier with all her strength. The knife reached significantly deeper into the distorted space, but it immediately expelled a repulsive force that pushed Viola to the ground.

Rain began to fall. It was a gentle drizzle. Then a thin mist moved in and enveloped the entire area. Viola's eyes widened. She rubbed her eyes to ensure she wasn't hallucinating. It was exactly like that day.

"No…" She said softly. "Stop…stop it…"

A ringing echo drew Viola's attention behind her. Motes of soft violet light gathered to form an amorphous mass. Gradually, the mass took form.

"What…no. No, you…that's…" Viola pushed herself back against the barrier, readying her knife.

The figure materialized into the body of a young girl. It had violet hair, tied back by a blood-red bow. It had a crimson dress with a white outfit beneath. It had golden eyes that nearly matched the color of Viola's hair. It was a sight that Viola hadn't seen in an immensely long time.

Ellen stood before her, appearing exactly as she was before Viola had removed her eyes and legs, all to see her suffer.

Viola calmed down. She let all her unnecessary emotions fade, and drew back her usual composure. She stared into Ellen's eyes indifferently.

"So she wasn't lying entirely. This is all your doing, isn't it?" Ellen did not reply, and instead, approached Viola at a steady pace. Viola gave Ellen a small smile and stood up.

"You really are stubborn. You'd chase me to the depths of hell, wouldn't you?" Ellen stopped a meter in front of Viola. Viola raised her knife.

"I don't know what relationship you have with the demon. I don't know if you learned any new tricks. So I don't know if you want revenge, or you actually plan on taking my body." Viola took two steps forward and glared at Ellen with a smirk.

"But I'm not about to make it easy for you, friend."

Ellen remained quiet.

"Well? Go ahead. You get the first move. I mean, you came back from the dead and have no physical form. You have the advantage. I can't kill you twice." Ellen still stood motionless. Viola was beginning to become irritated.

"Oh wait. My mistake. I didn't kill you." Viola leaned forward.

"Your father did," She whispered, "I mean, my father." Viola stood back, but received no change in expression from Ellen.

"You're wasting both our times now. I can't hurt you. You're dead. So go ahead." Viola kept her knife up in preparation. A moment of silence passed.

"You really have a lot to say, Viola." Ellen said calmly, giving Viola a gentle smile. Viola parted her lips and lowered her knife in surprise. Ellen spoke to her with kindness in her tone. She, who lied to her, betrayed her trust, and made her suffer. She, who took her life from her.

"I'm not here to do anything to you, Viola." Ellen said gently.

Viola was speechless. The girl was certainly kind, but Viola had clearly seen the hatred, pain, and sadness when Ellen had died. Ellen resented her. Viola was sure of it.

"I did hate you after what you did. After I trusted you. For everything." Ellen looked down sadly."There were better ways to get what you wanted."

"But she told me. In detail, about you. About what you went through. And I realized…" Ellen paused, searching for the right words.

"I realized you were lonely for a reason, but not for the one you thought. You were born with your personality. You saw things differently. You felt differently. Your parents' treatment changed you. Your sickness changed you. The demon's manipulation made it worse."

Viola lowered her head. The demon had dared to interfere like this. Now this girl was analyzing her mind. She dared to try and explain her life. She dared to disprove the validity of her thinking. Some part of Viola barely stopped her from interrupting Ellen with a slash to the throat, only with the reminder that it would do nothing.

"When I met you, I only saw some of that. I wanted to help you. Then. You did…everything…and I hated you. But…you haven't hurt father. You haven't done anything else to anyone. You're happy."

That should've been true. But Viola wasn't.

"I…do wish you hadn't done that. But that's not why I'm here. I know you're being affected by my emotions."

Viola's eyes widened.

"And that's a good thing. Because you'll stop hating. You'll stop suspecting. You'll learn to open up more. You'll learn to care. And…you'll be happier."

Viola felt tears running down her face. This wasn't her. It wasn't. Ellen smiled.

"But I'm not sure how long that will take. So, for your sake…" Ellen took another step forward. Viola flinched.

"I never got the chance to tell you. When we were friends. And I doubted myself after you did what you did…but…I'm probably completely insane for being like this…maybe I'm just as different as you are…after everything…I still…" Ellen looked up. Viola was barely holding the knife.

"You wished to be loved, right? That's why…you did…everything…you blamed the illness…you blamed the people around you…and I don't want to see you do that anymore…especially since…"

Ellen took one final step towards Viola and put her arms around her. Viola gasped.

"…I love you."

Viola dropped the knife.