CHAPTER TEN: ALCHEMICAL SHIFT

Satoko had fallen soundly asleep, her slumber uninterrupted by the nightmares that would be expected from a little girl who'd seen so much tragedy. Shion envied her unwavering faith that everything would turn out for the best in the end. Though it was really no wonder. Rika, Keiichi, even Shion herself had helped add to Satoko's sunny optimism. She sighed as she stepped out of the room, taking one last look back at her first love's sleeping sister. Though worlds may collapse about her, she never becomes weary of the pain. Why can't I have that strength?

Shion had begun to walk toward her room when she heard a commotion coming from the front of the house. She broke into a run, charging headfirst toward the sound. Satoshi? Have you returned?

She found not Satoshi, but Rena and Mion attempting to force the door to the front room. It was painted with a menacing rune. A circular taint upon the ancient wood of the door, appearing itself even more aged and bleak.

"What's going on?" Shion asked her sister. She stepped back a few feet from the vandalized door, as if she believed it could swallow her up at any moment. Mion turned to her sharply, looking upset.

"Keiichi and Rika-chan were in there while Rena and I went out back to watch the rain, but when we came back up here to get them, we found this and the door was sealed shut!" Mion exclaimed, slapping the door with the palm of her hand for emphasis. She appeared to be on the verge of panic.

Rena, meanwhile, was so lost in thought that she appeared almost comatose. She looked up for just a second at Shion, then silently dropped her gaze back to the floor. Why is this happening again? I thought Oyashiro-sama's curse had been abated by the prevention of his advent. Is someone other than Takano-san acting out the curse? Or is this truly the will of the all-powerful shrine god?

Keiichi faced Beatrice unflinchingly. "What exactly are you offering here? What is this 'Power to achieve happiness'?" He inquired, questioning the wisdom in trusting an immortal witch. His words hung in the air for a moment as Rika clutched his hand. Keiichi realized she was shaking uncontrollably now. I've felt this before… like someone standing right behind me, watching me. I couldn't turn around. Couldn't see the terrible, angry god who clutched at my throat. But now here I am, facing fear head on.

"What I offer is simple. I will grant you the power to achieve whatever you can imagine. In exchange I require you sign this-" A thick book appeared before Keiichi and Rika, floating in the air as if suspended by invisible twine. A quill and ink appeared next to it, and all three dropped to the table, "-the grimoire of the Mariage Sorciere. With this you consign yourself to the Witches Alliance and surrender your soul to eternal joy!" Beatrice explained. The cheery emotion behind her words seemed hollow, as if part of a play that had been performed too many times by a weary actor.

Rika looked expectantly at Keiichi. He stepped forward and touched the quill lightly. It snapped from his fingers and scrawled upon the pages of the grimoire: "Maebara Keiichi, Furude Rika. Granted temporary status as conjurers of the Alliance. Autumn 1983 of the altered timeframe. Overseen by Lady Beatrice of Rokkenjima.

Keiichi felt a warm sensation running up through his legs. It shot upward and intensified, becoming a burning heat. The swarm of golden butterflies flitting about the room shot toward he and Rika, consuming them in the flapping of exotic wings. As the onslaught of gold subsided, the once unassuming pair found themselves garbed in strange attire.

Keiichi wore a complex, violet suit with a ruffled collar and golden cuffs. In place of the coat holder he'd once brandished, Keiichi found a solid gold staff adorned with a one-winged eagle. He looked down in confusion.

Rika found herself in a long black dress with blue and white frills along the bottom. She held a tall blue and white staff with a series of blades protruding from the tip. She frowned. We've made it this far… but are methods such as these justified in the pursuit of breaking fate?

"What happens if we're seen in these outfits? Won't everyone be suspicious?" Keiichi inquired, still seeming nervously antagonistic.

"The Endless Magic is invisible to normals. You'll find only those with greater love and determination are capable of comprehending it in full. Those of lower class may not notice a change in you at all." Virgil explained, pushing his hat off his face, only for it to slide back down again.

Rika's face hardened. An almost physical sense of dread entered the room. Her voice dropped into a menacingly deep tone as she spoke. "This Endless Magic is only one means to our end. Do not convince yourself that you've affected the course of this world, Golden Witch. Your very existence is negligible."

*shatter* "Bern-chan, what do you mean Beatrice doesn't exist?" Meta-Keiichi asked, feeling a little confused at the idea that Bernkastel could choose not to believe something she saw with her own eyes.

"I no longer carry the name Rika Furude, so in no way can I trust the testimony of that piece upon the board. You, meanwhile, have suffered from hallucinations on multiple occasions, so I'd trust your beliefs even less." Bernkastel answered with little vigor. She turned to her other companion, "Hanyuu, can these events be explained away as acts of Oyashiro?"

The Holy Witch regarded Bernkastel stolidly, "I believe the existence of the being I once served as avatar to would fall under this scenario's definition of magic. Though such things can be considered symbolic rather than literal. Of course believing divinity to be defined as such removes the possibility of divine intervention upon the board."

Lambdadelta cackled offensively, "Nihehehehe… You wouldn't want the logical threads that hold your world's existence together to be cut thanks to a little magic, would you Bern? You'll have to interpret this turn of events with human restrictions applied or-" She snapped her fingers echoingly, "The world vanishes in a poof of logic."

Meta-Keiichi turned to Bernkastel, "So we simply have to form an interpretation of what this means symbolically? Like with religious text for example?"

The witch almost smiled at her advisor, "You catch on quickly. We merely have to form a hypothesis that denies the existence of magic in this kakera and state it in blue."

Meta-Keiichi frowned at her esoterically thought out response, "What do you mean 'State it in blue'? Are we writing this out or something?"

Bernkastel shook her head, "No, it's slightly more complex than that. In this realm, you may speak in a multitude of manners. The blue is for stating hypotheses that directly deny the existence of magic and witches. This denial won't affect us because we're separate from the main game. When you've stated your idea in blue, our opponent or her furniture must immediately respond using the red. Red speech is a language of truth, but it can be twisted or used subjectively based on the beliefs of the user. I temporarily grant you the ability to use the blue." She waved her hand nonchalantly.

Meta-Keiichi felt no different than he had before, but suddenly found his tongue shaping words in a way he'd never thought possible. A blue glow emanated from his form as he spoke, "I think strangers from the outside brought Keiichi and Rika weapons with which to defend themselves. This could be interpreted as a form of 'magical aid', but here I'd call it more of a deus ex machina."

Lambdadelta smiled, "Careful, little boy, you can only stretch the plot so far with your contrived coincidences. Now, watch your theories fall apart!" She spread her arms and a red glow shone down upon her, "A witch was present in the room. This is the undeniable red truth. Nihehehe!"

Bernkastel laughed tauntingly, "That's a sore excuse for a move, Lambda. Keiichi, do you see the fabrications poorly hidden in her words?"

"Yeah, this one's really pretty simple." Keiichi answered, a new confidence building up in his voice. He spoke once more in blue, "When the term 'Witch' is used in red, you could mean an unpleasant woman rather than a user of magic."

Lambda's constant smile faltered, "Fine, I concede defeat this turn." In red, "The term 'Witch' can be interpreted in that manner if you like."

Keiichi smiled widely. That witch doesn't know it yet, but her lie may have told me more than she thinks it possibly could.