I'm back! About a month later...

Heh.

Well, in my defense, I was trying to design all the magical girl outfits before I wrote anymore. However, I only have Haku's, Rin's, Miku's, and Miki's. I've started SeeU's but her's is quite difficult to get right. If anyone is willing, I appreciate designs for either Gumi or SeeU. I hope someone out there reading this can draw, because I'm not very good myself. If you do decide to design an outfit, the only thing I ask is that Gumi's include a steampunk-ish quality. That is all.

I'm currently working on chapter six, and chapter five is over 6,000 words, so I've been working on this pretty hard. We're going into the first story arch now, I think! And an important new character is introduced soon!

I suppose that is all. Thank you for all the reviews thus far! The follows and the faves, too!

Things were not easier.

Even though SeeU was slightly more cooperative now and far less rude in general, especially to Miki, things weren't easier. In fact, Miku could argue the point that things were getting increasingly difficult. They still didn't have their last teammate, and Miku's magic was far too advanced to be of much help while training them. But it seemed that, for the time being, Miki had stepped up to the position of leader, even though she never did anything especially leader-like. The other girls just chose to follow her lead in what they did. It was odd. Miku never would have suspected Miki would be the one to take up the job. Gumi seemed more fitting. Then again, the girl was unusually cautious. And following the example of a girl who regularly showed up to training with a broken nose or something equally horrible might not be the best idea.

Miku missed the way things were when she was a magical girl. She didn't necessarily miss the fighting or magic. But she certainly missed her friends. The way they handled things was so easy and straightforward. Luka had… Luka had been the leader. And everyone loved her. Things went smoothly, for the most part.

Miku hated thinking their names. It hurt. But sometimes she couldn't stop herself in time.

Miku also hated the way she was constantly in a state of depression that was getting worse and worse. She'd have to try harder.

She had been trying to solve the new generation's biggest problem before her thoughts had strayed. They just didn't sync up. Unlike her generation, they weren't friends. And that was a big problem that had yet to be solved. So she was going to do something that she hadn't expected to do.

Miku was going to take the girls to dinner. It was a weak attempt at forcing them all to be friends, but she was going to try. It was a desperate, stupid idea, but Miku couldn't think of anything else. As long as Kiyoteru or somebody else showed up, then it would be okay, she supposed. Her foresight had never been reliable, honestly. Any number of things could go wrong.

She had asked them to meet up outside the hotel. It was getting a bit dark on Sunday, and Miku wondered when the sun would finally set. She had been trying to avoid going out in the dark or towards dusk as much as possible. It wasn't that she was scared. But you could never be completely sure nothing dangerous was out there. Especially at night, when portal activity was wild and chaotic.

So it would be a lie to say she wasn't getting a bit nervous, waiting alone outside as the daylight slowly dimmed. Luckily, the girls, accompanied by Len, met up with her quickly, standing inches and sometimes feet away, as though standing near her would put them in harm's way. She didn't really doubt that as a possibility.

Finally, the last of them arrived (the twins, actually, which was a bit surprising to Miku), and they all instantly turned to Miku. She knew that they wanted to know what they would be doing today. Honestly, Miku didn't know if she could tell them with a straight face. She didn't actually want to go out with this group of irritating teens, but it was her best idea. Or her worst. Either could be proved, depending on how this dinner went.

"Why did you ask us to meet you here?" Rin asked.

"By your tone over the phone, I expect we're going to be doing something really horrible today," Miki added.

"Something like that," Miku confirmed. "Follow me."

The group trailed behind her, and Miku knew they were all sharing similar looks of annoyance and dread. Whispers that were just out of reach teased her senses, and she couldn't help feeling the slightest bit annoyed. She wasn't going to pretend she was likable, but the least they would do was complain about her when she wasn't around. She resisted the automatic response her heightened sense of hearing had to the whispers and walked along in front of the girls quietly, hoping they wouldn't try to include her. They didn't.

They arrived at the restaurant that Miku had chosen earlier. Confusion pulsed from the group as Miku glanced up at the sign, in through the front windows, then walked inside. They all followed, the twins being the least reluctant.

"Why are we here?" Miki asked Gumi in a low voice, looking around at the interior. It was rather nice, a bit more expensive than Miku was used to. But, hey, she had the money. With what the Organization was putting into her account these days in payment for her wasted time in this city, she could afford a bit more luxury than the fast food she ate far too often.

Gumi shook her head and watched as the hostess greeted Miku. She was a bright girl, only a bit older than Miku, with a nice smile and glasses.

"Hello! Is this it?" the girl asked.

"Yes," Miku answered simply.

"Great! Would you prefer a booth? Inside?" the girl continued, sliding menus out from under her podium.

"Yes, that sounds good," Miku said. Her students followed in their confused state as the girl led them to their table. They all slid into the booth, which was large and stretched most of the way around the table.

The girl explained the specials and left them with their menus before darting off to help someone else. The menus remained in their pile in the center of the table, as though they were afraid to touch them. Miku suppressed a sigh and took one for her own, sliding the paper across the surface of the table an propping it open so it hid her face.

"I assume you're all hungry?" she asked.

No one said anything for a moment. Then SeeU spoke up.

"Good joke. But seriously, where are we going?"

Miku dropped her menu and gave SeeU a deadpan stare. The girl dropped her eyes to the tabletop and the others did their best to ignore the mental scolding SeeU was being given.

"It's not a joke," Miku said. "We're at dinner. I'm paying. Now try to enjoy yourselves a bit." I don't want to put in the effort for nothing.

They were once again silent. It was no surprise to Miku when Rin passed around the menus to the girls and her brother. She scanned the menu, chose something small, and sat back as the rest of her group exchanged looks they thought she couldn't see. Miki was close to Gumi, doing her best not to touch SeeU, who sat on her other side. Looking around, Miku saw everyone mimicking this behavior. If they couldn't even stand to brush elbows, how could they trust each other?

The waitress, a different girl with braces and cropped blonde hair, came by to take their orders and broke the silence no one else dared to interrupt. Once she left, the silence returned, and Miku knew how awkward they all felt.

"Talk," she instructed at last. The gazes of everyone around the table snapped to her, puzzled.

"Talk," she repeated. "It's not that hard to do."

Miki shot Gumi a look before speaking up. "Talk about what?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Anything," Miku replied. "Just talk to your teammates."

"So that's the catch," Rin said in an equally quiet voice, though the accusing not in her voice could not be ignored. "You want us to like each other."

"'Like' doesn't matter," Miku told the girl. "It matters how much you trust them and respect them. Do you? Do any of you?"

And there was silence again.

"Right. I thought as much," Miku said. "Before we do anything else involving magic, you're going to learn to trust each other." Besides, it's not like you have all your team together, anyway.

There were no protests, though Miku could hear the indignation in their speeding heartbeats and see the irritation in their faces. She hated those pathetic faces. They were so childish. Pety was a good word for it, too. The way Miki avoided SeeU, the way Rin refused to touch any of them, the way they ignored Haku unless she got loud, which rarely happened. It made her so angry.

They were all going to die. And it would be all their fault. Every single one of them. No one could say Miku wasn't trying, because she was. Miku was trying a lot harder than she ever meant to and she really hoped it didn't turn around to bite her in the ass.

It probably would.

"Don't you have anything in common?" Miku asked with a sigh. She didn't want to be doing this any more than they did, but if they were going to be difficult, then she wouldn't have any pity for the girls.

"Haku goes to the same school as us," Gumi offered quietly. Miku was glad to have some reply without attitude, though Gumi was rarely rude. She was generally a very quiet, well-mannered girl, though she seemed a lot more confident than Haku.

"Good start. Don't talk to me, though," Miku gestured with the tilt of her head to the other girls. She sat back in her seat, legs crossing under the table as the girls shot each other uncomfortable looks.

It wasn't any surprise when Miki directed the conversation at Haku first. Miki was the friendliest of them all, even though she didn't seem to like SeeU very much.

"How's your brother?" the red-head asked. Haku started and directed her attention to Miki, who looked at her expectantly.

"He's okay," Haku replied. "I think. I haven't talked to him for about a week, but he's sort of reserved, anyway."

"That's good," Miki replied. "I just saw him at the store last Friday, so I was wondering."

"I'm surprised you saw him there. He usually gets poor Oliver to run all her errands," Haku sympathized with this unknown Oliver boy. He sounded like a foreigner. Not that it mattered to Miku.

"He has a new assistant already?" SeeU asked, and looked surprised that she had spoken at all.

Haku smiled. "Yeah. The last one quit."

"No shock there," Miki said. "He's intense."

"Nice attempt at not being rude," Gumi told the girl.

"Thank you," Miki accepted the compliment as Gumi rolled her eyes. The two had an odd relationship, one Miku wasn't going to bother pondering.

Miku wasn't very interested in what they were talking about, but she was glad that they were having a civil conversation. The arrival of the food helped ease her boredom, and the girls, while they were still a bit apprehensive and fell into a few uncomfortable silences when the conversation dropped, made an effort to talk. They were getting along, even if it was forced.

Well, it was a start.

"Hey, Miku!"

There was Teto, on the phone with her the way she was every night. Piko would either call on his own phone later or Teto would hand her phone over to him. The two were always together. When Miku happened to be in the same tow, the three of them were always together. They were easy friends, the kind you could be with without having to do much of anything. That's why Miku liked them.

"Hello, Teto," Miku greeted. She was in her own hotel room now, her hair loose and her pajamas snug on her frame. Her choker sat on the bedside table, her back facing it as she sat on the opposite side of the bed. Her feet barely touched the ground, and she internally cursed the moron who made the bed so high off the floor.

"What's up?"

"Nothing since you last called has happened," Miku replied, which was a lie. But it was an easy lie. In the end, it wouldn't hurt Teto if she didn't know about Miku's past. So why mention it?

"You are so full of it!" her friend accused, and Miku heard a rush of static as Teto sighed. "Come on, what's your family like? Is the city nice?"

"Same as always, I guess," Miku said, slightly amused by her friend's irritation. In the background, she could hear the rapid pressing of buttons and angry curses directed at the television. No doubt Piko was playing video games.

"You're so stupid."

"I love you, too."

Teto laughed. "Swoon, Hatsune. Keep that up and we'll be married before long."

"I take it back. I hate you."

Teto laughed again, a loud snort covered up by her hand as the phone shook.

"Just so you know, Piko and I are doing great," Teto told her. "Piko's kid sister has been bugging him about visiting sometime this summer, so you'd better get back here in time for her to meet you."

"I'll try," Miku said, though wasn't sure. It had been far longer than she ever intended to be there anyway, and they weren't getting anywhere. She missed her friends, but wouldn't even dream of going back to see them in the middle of this mess. Guilt rose in her throat like bile every time she spoke to one of them over the phone. By talking to them , she felt that they were in danger. She was putting them in danger just by using her phone, and though this was a stupid thing to think, she couldn't get past it. She was a wreck of nerves.

"You'd better," Teto sounded about as threatening as a kitten, though Miku knew she wasn't someone to cross when she was genuinely angry.

"I'll try," Miku repeated as though that would validate the phrase any more than it already had been.

She swore she could hear the eye-roll she received. "You've been there for weeks and you haven't told us anything," Teto said, switching topics as quickly as she always did. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," Miku replied in a steady voice. She was a master liar after evading questions about her past for so long. She knew how to keep her voice and her face, but sometimes emotions could get the best of her. That seemed to be happening more and more lately, unfortunately.

"You sure? Because you know you can talk to me. Probably not Piko since he's useless, but I'll help in any way I can!"

You can help by pretending everything is okay. Maybe if everyone starts doing that, it'll help me do that, too.

"Completely sure. My family is just sort of a big mess. You know, the usual drama," Miku lied.

"That sounds fun!" Teto's sarcasm was evident. "Yo, Miku. Piko's yelling at me to get off the phone, but if he calls later, I'll hijack the call, okay?"

"Perfect," Miku agreed. "Talk to you later."

"Bye bye!"

With that, the line went dead, and Miku's phone automatically switched to the home page. She tossed it aside, wearily combing her fingers through her hair. God, if those two saw the state she was in…

Miku was sure she had already lost weight during her stay in her old city. She didn't dare get near a scale, but she could just feel the difference in her body. Her hair was usually ratty, rarely brushed before she pulled it into her typical pigtails. Her clothes, well… They needed a wash. And when was her last shower?

Sometime last Tuesday sounded about right.

She sighed at her own pathetic appearance. She was a wreck, and she couldn't hold herself together much longer in this city. She missed her apartment with its stupid leaky faucet in the kitchen and the neighbors who didn't understand the meaning of quiet. It might be weird to miss those things, but they were so familiar that living without them felt so incredibly odd now. Her shower had hot water for more than five minutes! What was the world coming to?

Well, at least she was managing to make jokes, albeit internal, very much not funny ones. It was a start.

Really, her hotel room was her only refuge. And now that the girls were able to hold a conversation without snapping at one another at some point, she felt a bit more confident in the fact that she would return back to her breaking apartment before she began to get grey hair.

All the same, they really did need that sixth girl. Just where was the time-user hiding? She couldn't be missing for much longer if the Organization expected Miku to handle these girls' training. Then again, they had never been especially reasonable.

That time girl would have to show up soon. Very soon, or Miku may just have to resort to new measures. And she really, really didn't want to do that.

A week later, Miku resorted to new measures. Despite the amazing advancement of conversation between her students, they weren't getting anywhere magically, especially since they were all terrible at teambuilding games, one of which included each girl being led through the city blind-folded as another girl on her tem did her best to avoid smashing her partner into other people and buildings. SeeU's eye was still black and Miki didn't seem especially sorry.

So Miku was trying something else. Granted, her new idea might be a bit cruel, but it didn't concern her. The girls had to learn, and if Miku was the one teaching them, then they would play by her rules. Maybe she could prove once and for all she was an absolutely useless mentor. Though she doubted it.

On Wednesday the week after the dinner, Miku sent all the girls a text. All the text included was the place to meet, which, as the girls were unaware, could be found in an abandon warehouse right in the middle of a portal hotspot. It was crawling with unseen monsters, low-level ones that fed off magical energy like it was the nectar of the gods. Unfortunately, none of the girls had yet to face a monster, which was exactly what Miku was going for.

Since Haku's first training session, she had avoided leaving the girls alone in dangerous situations. But she was done coddling them. And besides, she would be sitting in the rafters if they needed anything. They would be fine.

Probably.

The girls arrived together, which was a good sign in Miku's book. She stared down around her dangling legs as the girl stepped into the huge warehouse and slid the door behind them. Len was not there today, which she appreciated. He was a distraction, extra baggage she didn't want to worry about. Besides, Rin needed ot learn to depend on her teammates, not on her brother.

"Miku!" Miki called out, glancing around the warehouse. It was mostly empty, save for a few crates and boxes smashed in a corner, their contents spread across the floor like raindrops on a car's windshield.

"Are you here, Miku?" came Haku's gentler voice. She was sticking close to SeeU, who looked annoyed. Couldn't they sense the portal energy around them at all? There were monsters everywhere here, crawling along the rafters only feet away from Miku and scaling the walls. They bulged from the ground, oozing without any real form. Some had odd, shiny eyes, while some had one eye, and others had none. They had reminded Miku of Silly Putty before, the way they moved and oozed. But Miku had discovered the way they struck like vipers not long after her first encounter with them. It was lucky for her that they were such a low level.

Despite being a low level, they were still dangerous. Unless you had magic of your own, you couldn't really see them. Even then, they had to really grab your attention. Despite being fast, these beasts were clumsy and smashed into things carelessly. It didn't often matter, since their chosen prey typically couldn't see them.

Miku knew exactly what the loud shouting from the girls would do. And it didn't take long for it to happen.

With a shriek, Rin jumped back and yanked her ankle from the grip of one of the monster that had crawled out of the earth to pull at her. The thing dissolved back into the ground, leaving a shadow of a puddle in its absence.

Instantly, Rin was next to Miki, who jerked the girl next her and clung to Gumi. They were now well aware that they were in trouble, and that these monsters had them surrounded completely. Miku was far away, but with her superhuman eyes, she could see the fear etched on each girl's face. It was almost refreshing to know that she had managed to show them what true fear meant. Now maybe they'd be less cocky. Maybe now they'd understand how utterly useless they'd be without proper training.

Miku reveled in this feeling of extreme superiority as the girls backed themselves against the door before realizing that more monsters were oozing through that. With a yell of surprise, SeeU yanked Haku away from one as it swiped at the silver-haired teen, who had tears in her eyes. SeeU backed them up to the middle of the floor again, where the least amount of monsters were popping up.

"Stay right where you are!" she ordered, making sure they all scrunched together. Gumi had her arms wrapped tightly around Miki, her usually stoic face showing panic like Miku had never before seen on the girl's features.

"What are these?" SeeU demanded.

Good start. Maybe you'll find out how to beat them, Miku had to allow herself a wry smile. But I doubt it.

"They feed off magic," Rin explained in a rush of air. Her face was pale, and her blue eyes darted around wildly. "We can't do anything about them, though. We can't do any magic!"

SeeU growled, pulling her scarf off of her neck. "I'm going to do what I can," she declared as she folded it in half. "Just stay behind me if you can! I'm sure Miku will get here soon."

Idiot. Brave, but that doesn't make you any less of an idiot, Miku told the girl in her head. She watched as SeeU smacked aside one of the many hands reaching out for them, her scarf slapping the weird skin of the monster and dissolving it into ooze.

Miku was glad to see that they were actually doing fairly well. In regards to her lesson, that is. They were doing a terrible job of fending off the monsters. In fact, it was likely that they wouldn't last another five minutes. Which wasn't surprising, really.

Miku was in awe of how SeeU was doing, though. Of what she was doing. SeeU did not seem like the type to defend or sacrifice herself for anyone. But there she was, a literal human shield between her teammates, who were all around useless, and the monsters coming at them. They weren't in any while Miku was there, but they certainly thought they were. Maybe she had gotten SeeU entirely wrong. Maybe she wasn't simply an angry, rude girl.

Things seemed to be getting desperate now. At least, from the girls' point of view. They were surrounded, no way out, and Gumi had been pulled from behind SeeU's shield of attacks. The blonde girl thought fast though, and actually stomped on the arm gripping the girl's ankle.

"Damn it!" SeeU hissed, and Miku could see her ears beginning to glow from where she was. None of the girls had transformed yet, but that was always the first sign. Miku watched in attentive silence, curious despite herself. She hadn't expected much to happen. Honestly, the way the girls stuck together and the way SeeU protected them was enough to convince her that they had passed her test for the moment, but if there was more to be seen, Miku wasn't going to jump in.

Perhaps she was cruel. But she was also getting results. Despite the girls' terror and panic, they would appreciate this later when they understood how their relationships with each other had improved. At least, Miku hoped this would be the case.

SeeU's eyes were alight with fire as the scarf she was holding burst into flames. The cloth refused to burn, though, and became a blazing whip as SeeU jumped on the creature that had attempted to drag Gumi away.

It was quite a sight. SeeU was an impressive spectacle, though it was obvious she couldn't handle these monsters for very long, especially not with all the magical energy she was burning. Literally, it seemed. It was her luck that these particular monsters were not fans of light or heat, thus causing them to shrink away from the girl. This was probably why they chose an abandon warehouse to inhabit. Though had SeeU been using another element, it was unlikely that her magic would have had the same effect on them.

Before the creatures could realize that SeeU would soon exhaust her reservoir of magic, Miku jumped from the rafters and let herself fall right between SeeU and the new target she had turned to, seeing as she had easily finished off her first one. She landed neatly, her earth magic allowing her to survive the impact with the stone floor.

"Okay, SeeU. You can calm down now," Miku told the girl, who looked extremely angry and even a bit confused. The other girls, while not cowering in the middle of the floor, had yet to move a single inch.

"I can't."

Miku sighed. This was the obvious outcome, of course. Magical girls who found themselves attracted to the element of fire typically had terrible tempers, and while they were usually quite advanced, they often had difficulty remembering how to cool down. This was what Miku expected from SeeU, who was one of the most angry fire users she had ever encountered.

"You can," Miku told her, feeding her own magic to the creatures. They drank it up, not realizing how drowsy they were becoming. "Unclench your fists."

SeeU lets her fingers unfurl, her scarf falling to the stone floor, the flames instantly snuffing out.

"Good. Now, move back to your team. We'll be leaving soon," Miku instructed, feeling her own magic flow steadily away, her limited supplies becoming smaller and smaller. It would take a few hours or perhaps even days to restore to her full power. Even then, without being connected to a power source like she had been as a true magical girl, the act of gathering energy to create magic would wear her down considerably. But she had thought about all of these things beforehand. It was simply worth it if it meant these girls could learn, and if Miku could learn more about them as a team.

"What were those?" Rin asked, rubbing her arm as though she was cold. In reality, it was a warm summer evening, though the panic she had just felt no doubt sent a chill of fear through every muscle in her body.

"I don't know what they're called. It was never my area, really," Miku replied. "They feed off magic."

"They're absolutely disgusting," Miki squeaked. She had her hand clasped tightly in Gumi's. Haku sat at their feet, completely worn by the last few action-packed moments.

"I suppose," Miku said. "But you all did well, I think. SeeU certainly did. Though we'll have to work on changing that flight response to fight. In future, don't hide behind SeeU."

The girls looked alarmed and ashamed.

"You were watching the whole time?" SeeU demanded. "Are you serious?"

Miku shot the blonde girl a look she understood perfectly.

"What if we got hurt?" Miki sounded angry, too, which Miku wasn't used to. Not that she couldn't handle it.

"There was never any danger of that. Those monsters would never kill you, anyway," Miku brushed her worry aside. "The most they would do is drain you of magical energy. It would leave you quite tired for a while. The human equivalent is running a marathon, I suppose."

"How could you do that?" Miki asked, ignoring everything she had just said. "We trusted you!"

"Don't trust everyone of authority. That's a very important rule," Miku replied blandly. "Only trust yourself and your teammates. If you rely on me or the Organization to get you out of trouble, you will be disappointed at best. Dead at worst."

Her students were silent. Apparently the thought that they couldn't trust anyone had never crossed their minds. The thought had never entered Miku's head when she first started, either. To be perfectly honest, it likely never would have if things hadn't gone the way they had back then. Maybe she would still be a magical girl to this day, under the control of the Organization and reporting back to Kiyoteru. She couldn't know for sure.

It might be horrible to say, but she wasn't sure she would trade the lives of her dead friends just to be an ignorant child again.

"We won't make the mistake again," SeeU promised, her tone icy cold, just like her blue eyes. The look she gave Miku was dark and angry, her typical stare intensified past anything Miku had seen from the girl.

"Don't speak for us! You aren't our leader!" Miki shot at the girl, raising herself to her incredibly unimpressive full height.

SeeU hissed back at her as Miku turned to the small red-head. "Unfortunately, you don't have any leader at the moment. You're still short one member. In the meantime, you won't be practicing any more magic until you can all learn to cooperate. Or until your final teammate is brought in."

The collective response was indignation, though Gumi didn't seem to care very much and Haku still looked terrified.

"Fine," SeeU agreed angrily. "Whatever you say."

"Of course," Miku said. "Now come with me. I have a few more lessons planned out."

Miki arrived home tired and hungry. She could say she was angry, too, but in all honesty she was too tired to be properly angry. If anything, it was a dull throb of anger, very unlike the fiery rage she had felt earlier. Miki did not like being angry, but something about Miku and SeeU alike brought out that side of her. They were both so infuriating and Miki didn't know why. Hopefully it would get worked out soon, otherwise Miki might be stuck pretending to be buddy-buddy with her teammates for God knows how long.

The only person Miki didn't mind was Gumi. Gumi had been her friend for years. Her best friend. Through thick and thin, those two girls had stuck together. Miki knew their friendship would last through this mess, even if the other girls never saw eye to eye with her.

She sort of wished Gumi hadn't become a magical girl, though. Don't get her wrong, she loved working with Gumi. Learning magic with her was great! But that girl already had a lot going on in her life. She didn't need the added stress of being a magical girl. Saving the world and such. Well, if they ever got around to that part of it. Miku seemed determined to keep them back as long as possible. Miki had done her research; most magical girls did plenty of stuff out in the field before now. What was that girl's problem? What did she have against being a magical girl, anyway?

Miku was an odd character. At first, Miki had been intrigued by her. She used to be a magical girl, after all! Not only that, but she had been part of Generation 29, the only one that never came up in the news after disbanding. No one knew what happened to them. But after hearing Miku's comment…

It comes with being a murderer.

That's what she had said. Word for word. Now, Miki wasn't one to make a mountain out of a molehill when it came to important things, but what if Miku's fellow magical girls were dead? What if it had been Miku herself who killed them? The idea sent a shiver of fear up Miki's spine. What was the Organization doing, sending a murderer to teach them?

God, now everything was so complicated. Not that long ago, Miki had been worried about getting to volleyball practice on time. Now there was all… this. This giant mess that Miku was supposed to sort out into magical girls. But wait! Miku was a huge mess herself, too! So how was she supposed to do anything?

Miki was tired, and not just because she had spent the past few hours putting up with stupid SeeU. She was tired in a way that made her bones and head ache and her stomach ball up in knots. It wasn't the kind of tired you could solve with a good night's sleep.

Miki doubted she would ever be properly alive again with the strain this stupid, stupid situation was putting on her.

I forgot which chapter this was. I hate this one.

Review if that's your thing. I appreciate even the smallest of response. If you'd rather not review, I'll see you next chapter!