The Shore of the Sanzu River

Camp was set, and Mami was ready to sleep. She looked at her Soul Gem, though... the dark mists that swirled within it worried her.

"Kyouko, Can I have some of that medicine? What was it... the Kochoumugan?" Mami asked. "I think I should try it out, and I could use it, I think."

"Sure." Kyouko handed her one of the small pills from a jar before setting it down, and Mami had no trouble downing it.

"Thanks." Mami said to Kyouko and Homura both; they would be keeping the first watch. Homura had suggested it, and Keine had agreed it might be wise. Especially considering that they were in no rush now, sleeping in paired-up shifts seemed a simple way to increase their chances of getting through the night.

Mami turned over, tugging at the blankets. Despite the season, the chill of the ghosts surrounding them made her thankful for the warmth the blankets offered. After such a long day of walking, Mami drifted easily to sleep.


Mami laughed. Mom always spoiled her like this, it seemed. A cake far too large to eat in a single sitting sat on the table in front of her. No special occasion, just a pure expression of a mother's love.

"Thank you, mother." Mami politely thanked her, and lighthearted laughter filled the air.

"Always so respectful... I'm proud of you, Mami. Whatever you choose to do, you'll go far." A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, soon joined by another on her other shoulder as another comforting voice spoke to her.

"Your mother is right, you know. You're a clever girl, and you're so good at making friends."

"Hey, Mami! You aren't going to eat that all by yourself, are you?" Kyouko's eager grin flashed from across the table.

"Yeah, well, don't judge us all based on her, alright?" Sayaka laughed from beside Kyouko. Everyone joined in, and Mami decided to start the celebration. She tasted the first piece of the cake as her friends egged her on, cheering in exuberance as she swallowed the unbelievably delicious cake... and the party began in earnest, carrying her high through its lengthy duration.


The Next Morning

They were gone! Her mother, her father, Kyouko, Sayaka, her classmates. Where had they gone? Mami looked around, worried. She remembered the bottle of Kochoumugan. The bottle that would let her meet them again... that would bring them back. She got up and left the tent.

Sure enough, the bottle was still sitting where Kyouko had left it. Mami snatched it, only for Kyouko to immediately grab her arm.

"Hey now, just the one dose, she-" Kyouko started as she turned to face Mami. Mami shoved Kyouko to the ground tried to open the bottle, but Homura stepped in and grabbed a firm hold of it with one hand.

"We need to conserve it, and I've never heard of a drug it was good to overdose on." Homura stated. Mami sobbed and pleaded in return.

"I only need a bit more. Mom and Dad, they were-"

"Mami, that was a dream. Your parents are dead."

"No! They're just sleeping in here!" Mami insisted, trying to wrest the bottle from Homura's grasp, but Homura's grip remained firm. Her other hand, however, slapped Mami across the face.

"Wake up!" Homura firmly commanded, and Mami blinked her eyes a few times. She saw a ghost drift by... noticed the impossibly wide river. It had been a dream. Sayaka had been there, and Mami now remembered watching Sayaka's end... remembered why she was where she was... and remembering just where that was. Memories of the waking world were already beginning to erase memories of her dream...

But they didn't erase everything: a pleasant glow lingered. She had been happy in the dream. It was just a dream, yet she was inspired at the thought that she could even dream such pleasant dreams... that she could think such joyous thoughts despite the hellish experiences they'd endured. Mami let go of the bottle as she smiled. Taking another dose wouldn't bring Sayaka back... but staying awake just might.

"Thank you Homura, Kyouko. I'll just finish getting ready, then you two can get to sleep." Kyouko stood up and dusted herself off.

"Yeah, sorry. I should have warned you. That stuff works great, but I'd forgotten just how it makes you feel after waking up. I guess it takes a bit longer to really wake up from the dream. It worked, though?" Kyouko asked.

Mami pulled out her Soul Gem, recalling the dark shadows that had haunted it last evening. It showed no trace of them at all, shining with a golden radiance that warmed Mami's heart just to see.

"It did. Homura, you should probably have one. To get used to it if nothing else, but we've been pushing ourselves pretty hard, so you might actually need it anyway." Mami suggested. Homura pulled out her Soul Gem, looked it over, and nodded in agreement. Mami shuddered after seeing Homura's Soul Gem. It was far worse off than her own had been.

"Yeah, I'll take one before bed. Mami, you should probably hold onto the bottle." Homura suggested as she took a pill out and gave the bottle to Mami.

"Make sure Homura doesn't sneak off with it, now. And, uh... sorry about breakfast. It... didn't turn out." Kyouko indicated the leftovers of the 'breakfast' she had tried to prepare. Mami chuckled... Homura's sour mood this morning probably came at least in part from having to eat what must once have been rice, and now resembled a smelly white paste.

"I'll do that, and I'll try to have something for you two in the morning, as well. I'll go wake up Keine so we can take our turn at watch."


Surprisingly, the watch had been rather quiet. Keine simply sat quietly, looking a bit depressed. After a while, Mami broke the silence.

"What are you thinking about?"

"A lot of things. Guiding you three has just gotten me to thinking, I guess. About whether I'm a good teacher... whether such instruction is even necessary or helpful." Minutes passed as the sat in silence, quietly watching the ghosts and spirits go by.

"Keine, it's like you said. Experience is the best teacher..." Mami acknowledged.

"I guess so." Keine sighed. "It's just... I need to teach. If experience is a better teacher, what's the point of education? What's my life good for?"

"Experience taught us a very, very important lesson. One that you couldn't. You know what that lesson was?"

"Of course. Gensokyo is dangerous. Words and warnings alone could never teach that, I suppose."

"Wrong. The lesson we learned was 'Keine knows what she's talking about.' Now that we know that, we'd really rather learn the rest through you. Experience is really good at teaching, but you're a lot more gentle." Mami pointed out.

"Thank you, Mami." Keine said with a smile. "We'll see if I can teach you flight like I promised. That should help me feel better... Let me try to think of a lesson plan." Keine finished. More silence passed, but Mami let this one continue, and the two shared a quiet company.


Hours Later

Mami heard some stirring in the tent and tucked the jar of Kochoumugan away. Homura would doubtless want it, just as Mami had. Less than a minute later, Homura stormed out.

"Give me the Kochoumugan!" Homura begged. Mami had never seen her like this. Instead of her usual distant, cold, eyes-half-closed expression, Homura glared at Mami with bright, wide, eager eyes. Mami nearly caved right there. Homura looked so pitiful, like a puppy begging for scraps, that what Mami did instead felt downright cruel.

"Wake up, Homura." Mami slapped Homura. It... didn't seem to work quite as well as it had on Mami, however. Homura's eyes remained wide open, but no longer was a quiet longing within them; it had been replaced by the desperate look of a maniac. Homura leaped at Mami and tackled her to the ground.

"Where is it! Give it to me! I need it to keep talking with Madoka!" Homura screamed. Keine pulled Homura off, but that didn't seem to stop her, either. Mami got to her feet as Homura transformed.

"Homura! Calm down! It was a dream!"

"Don't you dare tell me Madoka's a dream! I went through too much for her!" Homura threw Keine off and lunged again at Mami, only to be tripped up by a spear; Kyouko had joined the skirmish. Homura caught herself and sprung back into a standing position, readying another charge.

"Holy hell, Homura. Give it a rest! Mami just meant that that meeting was a dream. I'm sure Madoka's real."

Homura shot a poisonous glare towards Kyouko, but as Mami watched, the venom drained, and Homura's eyes settled into the distant, assessing state they were normally in. "You're... yes, you're right, of course." The rest of Homura's face quickly returned to its usual stoic mask. "I wasn't thinking straight. Sorry." Homura's entire stance then returned to normal, and Kyouko followed suit. Homura looked at her Soul Gem, and raised an eyebrow at the brilliant amethyst light.

"Seems it works well enough." Homura admitted as she tucked her Soul Gem away.

"Yeah, but you know, I was thinking we should be careful with it. I can see how an overdose might cause problems." Kyouko shrugged as Keine rejoined the group, dusting herself off as she added her two cents.

"I can tell you I wouldn't be terribly eager to deal with all three of you coming off of it at once."

"Right. Probably best for just one of us per shift to use it. Even with the side effects, though, it's too useful to ignore." Homura said.

"We should have no trouble keeping enough grief seeds now." Mami agreed.

"Good. Then I think we'll begin your flight training after we've all eaten." Keine suggested.


Later that Day

After a hearty meal, the Magical Girls stood ready.

"Alright, first, let's see how much you can do already. Transform, if you would. Good, now close your eyes; I don't want any of you looking at someone else and trying to just copy them. Now, do your best to stay off the ground as long as possible."

Mami had closed her eyes, and thought now about the request. Well, it wasn't really flight, but she was able to anchor her guns in the air slightly. She created several muskets and wrapped ribbons around them to hold her in place off the ground. Keine said a lengthy chant... Mami was certain there was magic in those words, though she had no idea what Keine was doing.

"Interesting. You may now all see what the others have done." Keine prompted them, and Mami took a look.

Kyouko was perched on a spear that impaled the earth. Mami was half surprised Kyouko hadn't just jumped as high as she could. As for Homura, though... well, Mami was entirely surprised.

Homura had feathery wings with at least a 15 meter wingspan. She seemed to be concentrating hard as the wings beat silently, keeping her hovering steadily. She gradually lowered herself to the ground, then the wings dissolved away.

"You... You can fly." Kyouko said in disbelief as she came down from her perch.

"Something like that." Homura nodded.

"Then why... why haven't you? You could have-" Mami started.

"Because what you just saw requires a great deal of concentration and magic. And I can't easily carry someone; if I'd joined Keine when she took Kyouko, You'd have been left alone."

"I suppose it takes so much concentration as you lack practice?" Keine asked.

"Partially. The thing is, I'm trying to keep so many different forces balanced... if it isn't perfect, it's... well, it's dangerous. Mami, imagine trying to keep yourself aloft with a Tiro Finale that you fired into a ribbon barrier."

Mami nodded. She could envision doing just that, but the cost in both magic and focus would be enormous. And one tiny mistake in the barrier or aim would wipe out whatever was beneath...

"I get it. So... why do it?" Mami asked.

"I usually just use it to break falls so I recover faster after landing. The wings give me some small aerial maneuverability which has some use, as well. Also, sometimes letting it fall out of balance to unleash a terrifyingly destructive force on everything in sight isn't bad. With some minor adjustments of the magic I use, I can even control my flight while unleashing terrifying destruction. Honestly, it's how I prefer to fight. You recall I prefer to work alone? Now you know part of the reason why."

"Doesn't that... I mean, wouldn't that cause huge collateral damage?" Mami asked

"It does. That's why I don't use it except when fighting alone. I just told you that."

"Not just to Magical Girls, though. You were fighting in cities still usually, right?"

"Yeah, Mami, in case you've forgotten, Wraiths- sorry, 'youkai' aren't always easy to find if you aren't given all sorts of hints to their nature and what you're looking for the night before. Often by the time I find one, it's made collateral damage a moot point." Homura said.

Mami had to concede that point. She couldn't even remember a time before the Great One had dispensed such advice... the danger presented by the greater wraiths had only been one of the reasons people didn't hunt them, after all.

"Sorry, Homura. I... I guess I've never really fought greater wraiths on my own like you have." Mami was ashamed for having thought Homura so ruthless.

"Well, it does sound like you would be willing to learn how most of us fly around here then still, correct, Homura?" Keine asked. Homura nodded in response. "Good. And how about you, Mami? You could potentially maneuver with the method you used to suspend yourself."

Mami shook her head. "I could, but it would be easily disrupted and make my movements too predictable. I would need to create anchor-muskets where I wanted to travel, and even then a poorly timed cut-ribbon could ruin the whole thing. I'd like to learn as well."

Keine nodded and didn't even let Kyouko speak. "Kyouko of course will be learning anyway. While her display was... a way of accomplishing what I asked, it's a far cry from flight."

Kyouko shrugged, taking the situation in stride. "Yeah. So, how do we do this, then?"

"Alright, we'll try this; we're simply going to play a game of tag; just touch me. Kyouko, you first." Keine said as she floated... only about 5 meters in the air. While it would be an impressive, probably impossible jump for most people, the magical girls found such a vertical jump trivial.

"See, now this I can do!" Kyouko said. She jumped directly at Keine, easily reaching the height, but not before Keine had drifted easily away. Kyouko landed a distance away, and swiftly leapt back towards Keine's new position, only for her attempt to fail again. This pattern repeated itself several times, with Mami wondering where Kyouko was getting all that energy... before remembering not only the redheads tremendous appetite but also the Kouchoumagan pills they'd been given.

Mami wondered if Kyouko might need a dose of that medicine this very night, considering the intensity with which she was moving. She hardly paused between them, even jumping off of nearby trees to save herself from the slowest part of her pattern; waiting to touch the ground.

Suddenly, Keine's laugh brought Mami's attention to the training.

"There you go!"

"What?" Kyouko gasped as she landed and caught her breath. "Still... haven't caught..."

"Look carefully at that tree you just leapt from." Keine indicated Kyouko's most recent launch point, and the red magical girl walked over to it.

"So? It's just a tree." She tilted her head as she noticed something off about it. "Actually, it looks a bit odd. Artificial, like some plastic tree or something. Yeah... it reminds me of something a little kid would make out of paper mache. Is that what you mean?"

"Hmph. Try climbing it." Keine said as she crossed her arms, appearing insulted. Kyouko obliged, giving herself a bit of a head start with a nonmagical jump, reaching for a branch as she kicked her foot against the truck for some extra height.

Only for her feet to pass right through as her arm did likewise, causing her to land unceremoniously on her rear.

"That tree is an illusion I created earlier. You didn't leap off of it." Keine explained.

"What, so I leapt off of thin air or something? So what if I did? It's not that hard, you know." Kyouko stood up and dusted herself off before giving the illusionary tree an ineffectual kick.

"Care to demonstrate what you mean, then?" Keine asked and observed Kyouko.

"Hah, no problem." Kyouko jumped into the air, gathered her magic around her for a second or so, and used it to launch herself towards Keine. While Mami conceded that it was a pretty basic technique, it was very different from a simple jump. Keine saw it coming easily and though Kyouko shot forth like a bullet, Keine had no trouble getting out of the way. Thankfully, Kyouko managed to halt her momentum before she slammed into a tree.

"Ah, right. Let's call that the 'cannon' method. Slow, bulky, difficult to control, easy to predict its heading, and utterly useless for any sort of fine maneuvering." Keine pointed out the many weaknesses of the technique... the same weaknesses that prevented Mami herself from using it much; she preferred using her ribbons to maneuver in midair when needed.. Keine did qualify her statement, though.

"While some beings like the tengu make good use of it, I need to remind you that they don't mind hitting a tree at supersonic speeds, and they also have the ability to manipulate the air around them intuitively. This gives them a degree of control far greater than what any of us would ever be able to manage at that speed. And I don't recommend using it for transport over great distances... running into somebody while flying is a great way to get them angry, and flying by them too fast for them to acknowledge you is nearly as bad. Either way, you're gonna be in a lot of hurt even before they do anything to you. It's reckless and dangerous and you will learn how to fly properly, young ladies." Keine waggled her finger, and Mami wasn't sure whether or not she was being facetious or not. Either way, her point was clear enough.

"Fine. So how, then?" Mami asked, approaching their teacher alongside Homura.

"Earlier, Kyouko used her magic to create a sort of solid 'block' to leap off of. But once you've mastered jumping in midair like that, true flight isn't that far off. Now, knowing this, let's try again, shall we? And don't try and use that silly cannon method again; its a waste of both our times." Keine drifted back into the air and the three girls took turns leaping at her. Mami caught on rather quickly; it wasn't much different than making a musket to jump off of. Indeed, Mami had done exactly that early on, though Keine insisted she kept learning until she did it the 'right way'. By the end of the day, each had managed a midair 'jump' at least once without any other tricks.


That Night

Mami found herself on watch with Homura. Homura, much to Mami's dismay, was as quiet as usual. Mami sat and stared at her Soul Gem. Rinnosuke had claimed it important beyond compare, and she knew it was. Kyubey had even said as much. 'Never let it out of sight' or something to that effect. It had been some time ago, of course, and the exact words he'd said had long ago slipped her mind. She looked over to Homura, and couldn't help but remember what they'd been through just a few nights ago.

Mami thought back to her time with Alice. She had claimed they weren't humans, but puppets. Mami had even seen the strings Alice used to control them... but where had those strings come from?

Mami looked at her Soul Gem, and knew the answer to her question. She was certain that the similarities to Mami's own ribbons were the only reason she had even seen Alice pulling on them. It didn't hurt to ask if Homura had seen them, though.

"Homura. Did you... when..." Mami began... then realize it might very well hurt to ask anything about what had happened at Alice's. Homura's reaction when she had awakened that morning had shown Mami a side of Homura she had never seen before, and she wasn't eager to make Homura recall whatever trauma she'd faced.

"Nevermind." Mami said, causing Homura to reply with a dismissive shrug, oblivious to the question she'd nearly been asked. Mami returned her gaze to her Soul Gem.

Kyubey had been insistent she not let the Soul Gem out of sight. Homura had been reluctant to tell Mami 'the truth'... and having realized it now, she couldn't blame her. Maybe Homura had simply thought to protect her, but how she could continue living when...

Mami kept staring at her Soul Gem, there was only one explanation for everything that had happened. Kyubey had created a gem to house a soul... a parasite that drained Mami's own life and spirit away. It commanded her existence... kept her from living a normal life. It wouldn't let her die, and it 'gifted' her with the ability to make and control ribbons, ropes, and strings... even as it used those same strings to bind and control her.

It was a sickening thing that had taken over her life, and she wanted her life back. Maybe she was wrong; maybe nothing would happen. She would probably lose magic. She knew she didn't care. Mami picked up a stone from the shore and set her Soul Gem down. She lifted up the rock-

And Homura's firm grip stopped her hand.

"Oh no you don't!" Homura growled. "No way I'm letting you jump ship like that. Kyouko wouldn't be able to take it."

"She would be welcome to join me. I figured out the truth, Homura. But you're wrong. I can take it. And I can deal with it. If you really want to stay enslaved, you can, but-"

"Mami, dying isn't going to help anything. It would just give us more work to do, trying to save you in addition to Sayaka."

"Dying? Who said anything about dying? I was just-"

"Going to smash the Gem that holds your Soul?" Homura finished her sentence.

"What? Where did you get that idea? The Soul Gem holds a parasite's soul, not mine. I mean, it siphons away our life, changes who we are, won't let us die, and despite all of this, we spend almost all of our time just trying to keep it fed! They swallow our lives, Homura."

Homura shook her head. "No, you're wrong, Mami. I know... Kyubey even told me... the Souls in the Gems are our own. I've even seen..."

"And when did this happen? In one of those 'other pasts that don't matter' that you're so reluctant to talk about?"

"Yes. There was more to the Soul Gems than just that detail... really, calling them parasites might not have been far off then, but Madoka fixed that problem. Trust me, the gems hold our own souls."

"If these pasts really don't matter, why do you put so much faith in what you learned there? If this Madoka changed one thing about the Soul Gems, why not another thing? What, exactly, makes you so sure you're right, Homura?" Mami asked.

Homura pursed her lips for a while. "Faith, I suppose. Faith in Madoka. Faith that she exists... and faith that she would have told me of such a change if she made it."

"Oh, well, I'm convinced." Mami rolled her eyes. "Homura, if you're right, then smashing my Soul Gem would probably kill me. If I'm right, I would return to being a normal girl. Yet you believe more in your half remembered irrelevant pasts and a girl who doesn't even exist than you believe in the evidence in front of you."

"And what evidence is that? Nothing I've seen contradicts that our Soul Gems are our soul's gems."

"Alice called us puppets and demonstrated in no uncertain terms what she meant." Mami pointed out, annoyed at Homura's easy dismissal of Mami's thoughts. Homura sneered.

"Alice is a madwoman. Even if we take her insane words at face value, whose to say our puppeteer isn't ourself?"

"Then why can we feel pain, Homura? Less, yes, but I felt that blow in my duel against Nazrin, and I've no doubt Kyouko was in pain after meeting Rumia."

"Our Soul Gems are connected to our bodies to control them, so why not to let us feel pain too?"

"Wouldn't a simpler explanation be that we feel pain because we are ourselves? I think it more likely our little parasite here-" Mami held up her Soul Gem. Its bright light quietly glowed. "Is trying to blunt the pain like Alice suggested, but can't fully manage it."

"And just why do you think a parasite would blunt our pain?" Homura shook her head in denial.

"To keep us fighting longer, so we can feed it more. Once we can't, it destroys us and flees. Maybe there is no 'Law of cycles' that claims Magical Girls when they die. Maybe it's just the parasite abandoning a useless host." Mami suggested.

"Don't you dare suggest Madoka isn't real." Homura warned. It was a phrase Mami was getting a little tired of hearing.

"I don't need to, because you do. Isn't that why you're here in the first place? To find out the truth about Madoka? If you already knew, you wouldn't have come, would you?" Mami spat out, frustrated that Homura wasn't even considering that Mami might be right. She regretted it as soon as she said it, though.

Homura closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and took deep breaths. Mami knew she had struck a nerve. Part of her regretted doing so, yes... but part of her was thrilled to have evoked any sort of reaction from Homura. She waited for a reply, and eventually it came.

"Fine. You're welcome to believe whatever lies and nonsense you want. It isn't my job to educate you. But even if you believe what you say, can we agree that the shore of the Sanzu River, with several days worth of journey through youkai-infested territory between us and safety, is just about the very worst place to test your theory?" Homura asked.

Mami considered this, and nodded in agreement. "You make a good point. I'll wait until we're back in our world to destroy my Soul Gem. This is a poor place to return to being a normal girl, that's true enough. I'm sorry if I struck a nerve, I just... well, I feel like I still hardly even know you." Mami looked at her Soul Gem as she spoke.

"Of course you don't. You can't. Only Madoka can, now." Homura shrugged as she returned to her seat. Mami packed her Soul Gem away. Maybe Homura was right, maybe not, but Mami had to concede she'd overlooked the peril in destroying her Soul Gem here and now.

As Mami recalled Keine's warnings, she wondered if perhaps the Sanzu River or some ghost or spirit was tugging at her soul, encouraging her to kill or doom herself. Mami cast her gaze over that eerie expanse of water and felt her spirit quiver at the thought. The very atmosphere here might well be trying to kill them; everything else seemed to be doing its best.


It was several more days before Keine changed her instruction. In those days, each of the girls had managed to become able to change direction of a jump in midair as naturally as they could jump 5 meters high to begin with. Despite Kyouko's impatience, she insisted they absolutely master this step before moving on.

"Now, you've all made a solid to jump off from while in midair... the next goal will be making that a liquid instead."

"Why? I mean we can already run through the air." Kyouko was the only one with that degree of aptitude yet; Mami and Homura still found themselves leapfrogging at best. "I'm pretty sure with just a little more practice I could just fight in the air like I do on the ground.

"A demonstration seems in order. Run at me and strike me." Keine floated up again. As Kyouko had done before while (successfully, after a while) tagging Keine, Kyouko formed a midair step beneath her foot, letting it dissolve as she kicked off it to dart at Keine. She did this several times to keep increasing her speed. Just as Kyouko was about to plant her foot close enough to Keine to strike, a small bolt of magic shot out to land beneath Kyouko's foot, causing her to lose her balance. Kyouko fell forwards, helped in her descent by Keine stepping lightly on her back. Kyouko slammed into the ground and groaned.

"While she recovers, another demonstration. Mami: try to trip me." Keine instructed as she landed.

Mami was hesitant, having just been reminded that Keine favored a 'school of hard knocks' approach to teaching, but convinced herself it would be worth it. She swept a leg at Keine's, which barely seemed to touch the ground. Mami had no trouble taking Keine's feet out from under her, but Keine simply spun in place, coming to a stop after a full rotation.

"Now, Homura. Who's harder to trip up: me or Kyouko?"

"You, obviously. It's pretty hard to trip something that's flying. You're also using a lot less energy to move than we are. We pump our legs to move but you're simply.. moving."

"Excellent observation, Homura. There is one more reason to fly in a fluid rather than on a solid: the landing is far safer should you lose consciousness, and catching yourself in midair won't hurt if done right."

"Ok, ok... point made... swimming it is..." Kyouko groaned, still unwilling to get up.

"It's more like floating, actually. It involves adjusting the density of the fluid to control speed and altitude, while moving laterally involves forming a sort of wave to ride on." Keine demonstrated each movement as she spoke. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, let's get you girls floating."


The trio spent the next several days slowly softening their aerial 'steps', from steel to stone to dirt to mud to gelatin, finally reaching a water-like consistency. Mami managed it first, with Kyouko and Homura getting it soon after. Keine continued instructing them as to the finer points of maneuvering in their newly supporting magical air, and as the full moon approached, they each were swiftly becoming skilled in flight.

While none of them had the aerial agility (let alone speed) that Keine had demonstrated, they continued to grow in skill. Much to their annoyance, however, Keine insisted they only fly for short periods of time, and always at slow speeds; hardly more than a walk.

Even Mami found herself annoyed at this. She felt like an indoor dog suddenly allowed to go outside, but held on a short leash and unable to move freely. Still, there was a difference; she knew the dangers of running free, and knew the purpose of that leash. Mami trusted Keine's advice would keep them out of the way of any more cars.


Author's Notes: So, this chapter ended up inflating quite a bit. There was a lot I had just skimmed over in the initial draft. Then those 2 paragraphs turned into 6 pages, and I had another 2 added from another scene... Maybe it would have been better to skim some details off, but it was breaking up the flow the way I'd written it, so whatever.

So, these were my thoughts on a few ways 'Flight' can happen. It probably goes without saying I don't really know how magical flight works, but... well, this was fun to write.

Also, I thought I had made this clear in the first chapter's preword, but I'll repeat it here: liberties have been taken with the characters and settings. These are quite probably different interpretations of the characters of both series. I am aware that there are other interpretations out there (Indeed, many of them are floating around in my own head; My own opinions on the relative power levels, personalities, and capabilities of these characters are generally different and sometimes in serious ways from what I'm writing here). This is but one way these worlds could be crossed over, but it is the one I've chosen for this story.

So try to do your best to approach this fic with a rather open mind, because things can and probably will be different. Exactly what would be spoilers, of course. I will say that it is very important to remember: Rebellion, if it will happen in this fic's continuity, hasn't happened yet. Also, I've never read Kazumi, so that's unlikely to show up or influence anything at all, unless I decide to get around to it finally, I guess.

I'll issue my thanks for those who continue reading, and a bit of an explanation why, which I can't recall if I've given before. It really is what keeps me going a lot of the time. But ultimately I wrote and am writing this because I enjoy doing so. I originally started posting my fics online because I figured some other people might like these stories I'd been writing, and in doing so, might give me a motivation beyond my own boredom to write them. It worked: A Satori's Tale would never have been finished... never even gotten past chapter 7 or so if I hadn't put it out there. I enjoyed that story (and my others), and I'm happy it finished, and readers reading it made that happen.

What I'm trying to say is that I want to read this story, too. I want to see it finished. And if you do, then keep reading, and it'll give me that motivation to keep writing when I start running out of juice.