'Justice' is a term that takes on a different meaning when it comes to magical girls. Humans rarely take into account emotions, as well as any other baggage that comes alone, when one of their own commits a crime. They are judged by what they did, and why they did, nothing else.

With magical girls, everything is judged. Full examinations of the psyche, using telepathy to examine every square millimeter of the mind, just to ensure that the final verdict is the one that shall not only mete out a sufficient punishment, but also save the most resources. Emotions are more important than the actual actions, for magical girls.

As such, things like assault, theft, maybe even murder, are disregarded based on the emotions of one. If the act was committed with entirely malicious intentions, there shall be a trial, but if not, then not much will occur at all.

Some see this as a terrible practice, something to be condemned. Others see this as the most sensible way to act, given the rapidly changing mental state of any magical girl, as well as the harsh truths the world we live in confronts us with.

-Report on the Justice System in the Inquisition.


Erwine found herself hesitating outside the Psychatus's 'office'. It was just a series of rooms that Juno had set aside for the girls to work in, given the trauma that the witch had to have caused. Magical girls were top priority, but a few humans were waiting as well.

She and Adrianne were to be the first in to see them. They both now stood at the edge of the 'waiting' room, in reality the hallway outside the suites being used. "Good luck," Adrianne said. She paused for a moment, "And thank you, for what you tried to do in there, but…but I don't want to run from my guilt."

"I don't want every part of you to be erased and redone," Erwine said, "Right now, there's a risk of that."

"I don't intend to live past Ishna's death, so there isn't." Adrianne walked ahead, turning a corner into the room she was sent to. Erwine walked straight ahead into the suites, continuing straight before knocking on a door.

It was opened up, a cheerful looking girl on the other side. An unnaturally long, blonde ponytail went down her back, dressed in dark blue and green. "Erwine, correct?" she asked. Erwine nodded, instantly put off by the girl.

"Good, come in." Erwine stepped forwards, the other girl closing the door behind her. The silver-haired girl looked around the room, seeing a reclining chair in the center, with a smaller chair beside it. A small table was right next to the smaller chair, a box atop it. There wasn't anything else in the rather sizable room. It escaped the damage wrought the previous day.

"Have a seat, please," The girl gestured to the chair, and Erwine sat down in it. The girl strode over, standing in front of Erwine, apparently thinking. Erwine shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what was to come. "Your gem, please," Andrea held out her hand. Erwine paused, "In case something happens to sadden you." Erwine removed it from the crown and handed it to the girl.

It was placed inside the box, revealed to contain grief cubes. Erwine's breathing rose, as she started to wonder just what would be happening.

"Scared?" the girl asked. Erwine nodded. "Well, don't worry. All I have to do is ask you some questions, then look into your head to get a full examination of your psyche."

"If you can look into my head, why ask me anything?" Erwine wondered.

The girl sat down, nodding. "Good question. The answer's that while the raw information and emotions inside your head are important, the way your conscious mind is processing those emotions is what matters. That can't exactly be found, not easily at least, from a telepathic examination." She held out her hand, "Just call me Andrea," Erwine shook her hand.

"Are you ready?" Andrea asked. Erwine took a deep breath, then nodded. "Then let's begin." She held nothing in her hands, just sitting there with her palms clasped together in her lap. A bright smile was on her face. "Erwine, at the moment, could you describe the dominant emotion you are feeling. Take as much time as you need."

Erwine didn't reply for what felt like a long time. It was a little over thirty seconds before she spoke. "I'm not quite sad, but I'm not happy, not even content. Somewhere in between, I guess."

"Melancholy," Andrea replied, "That would be the term." She waited a second more, then said. "How do you feel towards Adrianne? Once again, the dominant emotion."

Erwine felt it was easier to answer this one. "I don't hate her, and I don't like her. I respect her determination, I respect what she did for me, and I sympathize with her."

Andrea looked interested. "Well, do you feel that you could properly serve with her?"

"I could," Erwine confirmed, "I don't have any bad intentions towards her."

"Good, good." Andrea took a deep breath. "Do you have any suicidal tendencies, any desire, any at all, to die?" Erwine was struck by the suddenness of the question.

But, she still knew what her answer was. "No, I do not." She said nothing more.

"Then what is your opinion on your wish?" Andrea wondered. "Do you think you made the right choice in making it? Would you change it, had you the option?

Erwine was not prepared for this question. She froze, eyes opening a little wider. She felt her teeth chattering as she shivered. Tears rolled down from her eyes. The little girl had to force herself to speak. Force herself to admit it. "I wouldn't have made it all…" She whispered.

Andrea stiffened. Her eyes instantly went to the soul gem amidst the grief cubes. It was darkening, but not fast enough to be dangerous. "Erwine, are you alright?"

"I haven't been alright since I made my contract," Erwine said, "I didn't even make it because I wanted to. Ishna…Ishna convinced me." Andrea narrowed her eyes.

"Excuse me?" She asked, "What did you say?"

"That's right…" Erwine could barely speak. "I never told anyone but Adrianne, did I?" She took a deep breath, trying to provide an explanation. "The days just before I contracted. Ishna kept appearing before me. I didn't know who she was, but she told me that millions of lives depended on me. She had an Inquisitorial Seal." Erwine bent over, crying out in grief, "I trusted her! She made so much sense, she made me feel better, so I trusted her!"

Andrea gasped. "You…she took that much of an interest in you." Instantly, she sent off to Juno, informing her of that immediately. "Erwine, did she contact you after that point?"

"In my dreams. She gave me the wings I have as well." Erwine wept, "Ishna saved me, she made me into who I am right now." The girl shook her head, "I'm nothing more than her creation."

The therapist looked to the side, eyes staring at Erwine's gem. She struggled to find words as she watched the thing darken even more. "I'm sorry, Erwine. I…do you think there is any quality within you right now that is a result of your own reflection?"

The little girl shook her head. "I'm just a doll, stuffed with what Adrianne and Ishna wanted to put in me. Just a puppet, being pulled by the strings they attached to me." Erwine cried harder, "The worst part is that I let it all happen. I didn't question it at all."

Andrea stood up, pacing around the room as she thought. "What is keeping you alive at the moment?"

"Dying would be running away from this truth. I don't want to run away anymore. And…I want to know why Ishna puts such an interest in me." Erwine took a deep breath, "Maybe…maybe it would be better for everyone if I did just die."

"No!" Andrea snapped, "That's not the way to think. Ishna's plan is not going to succeed. The entire Segmentum is mobilizing to chase her down. You don't have to do anything."

Erwine leaned back in the chair, eyes looking up. "But I do. I have to know. Erwine Braune the magical girl only exists because of Ishna. I need to know what reason validates my existence. I need to know the truth."

"You'll stop at nothing to get it?" Andrea asked.

Erwine nodded. "I will find her. I know this same desire destroyed Adrianne, but she doesn't have what I have. She didn't have what I have now." Erwine grinned, "I'll make it work."

Andrea sighed. "I don't think I can do anything more for you at the moment. You have determination, and if you won't deviate from your goal, then I can't help. Just to be sure, are you absolutely sure that you believe everything you are saying?"

Erwine nodded. "Yes. I believe it all." She was not lying.

"Then please continue to relax like that." Andrea reached into a pocket, retrieving a small case. She placed it beside the box of grief cubes, opening it. Inside was a small vial, filled with a clear blue fluid, and a syringe. Erwine tensed up. "Juno also asked me to give you the full complement of mental and physical enhancements, all magical girls have it. I'm sure you've already had some experience, but with the full set, you'll become far more effective."

She filled the syringe up. "This here is a sedative, to relax your body. I'm going to be putting a lot into your mind, which will change a lot in your body." Andrea approached, ensuring the syringe was good. "The human brain is more complex than any cogitator ever made, and with this, I'll be adding a huge amount of code. Ah, your sleeve please." Erwine rolled her sleeve up to her elbow.

Andrea pressed the syringe to Erwine's arm, injecting the fluid in. Erwine instantly relaxed, feeling her body go weak. "Just calm down. Think of something happy, it should be over quickly."

Erwine was happy to not think about anything for a little while. She closed her eyes.


The experience had brought back some unfortunate memories of pain to Erwine's head. Despite the sedative, and her best attempts at relaxation, she had to be awake, lest the procedure go wrong for some reason. Even now, her head was roaring, and her muscles ached.

Understandable, given that my entire body was apparently changed by that. I do feel different in many ways. Her mind was sharper than ever, she felt as though her breathing was different, and her stride was a bit faster than before. When Erwine regained full consciousness, the world was still spinning about.

Andrea placed a small piece of concrete in her hand, just a fragment. "Squeeze down," she ordered. Erwine did so, and gasped as the thing cracked under the pressure. It didn't shatter, but it was close to it. "Be careful," Andrea said, "Stay away from people for a few hours, figure out your strength. At least stay away from humans, other magical girls aren't a problem, but a single punch will crack a human skull." Erwine nodded, shaking at the thought of this.

"So…what else has changed?" She asked.

"Your mind is sharper, a lot faster than it was before. We don't have the time to go over splitting your consciousness, but it's not entirely necessary for you. You're more aware than you were before as well. You'll be faster, and your breathing will be one hundred percent efficient at all times. There's a lot, and I could spend a while listing it. For the moment, try to get used to your new state." Erwine stood up.

"Alright," she said. The girl paused, thinking for a few moments. Then she looked at Andrea. "Thank you," Erwine said quietly. She quickly headed for the door. Andrea didn't say a word.

Erwine was walking away from the little section handed over to the Psychatus personnel now. She was tired. Her eyes were heavy. Everything was so much clearer. But at the same time, she wasn't sure how she felt.

"Erwine?" A surprised voice asked. The silver-haired girl didn't recognize the voice. She looked to the side, seeing Wei coming down the hall towards her.

"What?" Erwine asked, her voice showing annoyance.

Wei was stopped in her tracks. "I see…" She whispered, "Sorry for intruding then." I'm not wanted, she thought, no point in speaking to her if she'll just drive me away.

"Wei…" Erwine took a few steps after her. The girl stopped, looking over her shoulder. "Sorry," the girl blushed, "I…I was just thinking."

The dark-haired girl turned around fully, rocking back and forth on her feet. "Do you want to talk?" She asked. Erwine nodded.

"I need someone who I know my feelings towards."

The two had found an empty room. A couple of chairs happened to be there. They sat, across from each other. Erwine bent over, an arm holding up her head. Wei frowned, feeling only pity for her. "So, I…I'm sorry about what happened, Erwine. Did…did she do it because she was angry at you, for what you and I did?" The shame wasn't missed.

"Don't blame yourself," Erwine said. "Adrianne did it for many other reasons." She shuddered, thinking of what happened.

"I know people have asked you this already…" Wei took a deep breath, "But…" She tried, but ultimately couldn't say it.

"What was it like? Did I really fight it?" Erwine chuckled. She sat up, head falling to the side. "Ah, that's right, isn't it? Well," She felt tears in her eyes. Suddenly, she realized she didn't know the answer.

The room fell into silence, Erwine staring right past Wei, at the wall behind her. Wei sat there, unable to take her eyes from the girl. The silence started to dive both of them crazy, until Erwine finally answered. "I didn't fight it, but I didn't embrace it. I let it occur, because I pitied Adrianne."

Wei nodded. "Should she have been found guilty?" Erwine shook her head.

"No." Erwine took a deep breath. She shifted her gaze, head going straight. Wei recoiled as Erwine caught her stare. "Do you still want to be as strong as I am, Wei?"

The girl nodded. "Strenght is what I want."

"Did you wish for it?" Erwine asked. Wei shook her head.

"Then why do you want it?"

"Because my experience so far has taught me that I'm not strong, but that I'll need strength if I'm going to survive. Therefore, I need to be stronger." Wei sighed, "Erwine, you're the best chance I have. You understand how I feel, but I don't understand you."

"You think that makes us friends?" Erwine scoffed.

"You said you know what you feel towards me." Wei shot back, "Is it friendship, or what else?"

Erwine paused, dwelling on it momentarily. "Friendship." She admitted, "That is what I feel." Her face lightened, as though an epiphany had hit her. "You're my friend…" She whispered. "That's what I've even lacking this entire time. Everyone I've spoken to since I entered this wider world has treated me like the novice I am. I'm equals with no one."

"But you," Erwine said, standing up. "You are my equal."

Wei nodded, standing up. "We…we can be friends, if you want."

Erwine blushed, embarrassed. Then, she shook her head. I have to focus. I can't let anything distract me. "Wei…" she said quietly, "I'm sorry, but friends are going to hold me back. Right now, I need to find out who I really am. You might not like the Erwine that I end becoming. So…I don't want to make any connections that I might destroy."

Erwine headed for the door, no intention of stopping. "Wouldn't that make you just like Adrianne?!" Wei cried. Erwine froze. It did make sense.

She opened the door anyways. "Maybe that's what I need to become. If it is, then I'll become it. Just to destroy Ishna." Wei ran after her, but stopped. She knew that tone. Somehow, she knew that Erwine was just lying to herself.


"Alcee," the girl who greeted Adrianne immediately said, extending her hand. Adrianne took it, feeling the strong grip of the black-haired girl. Dressed in yellow, she led Adrianne into the room beyond. It looked much like the room Erwine had encountered.

The former inquisitor couldn't help but get a sense of discomfort from the girl in the room with her. It sounded as though the girl either disliked her, or was afraid of her. Adrianne sat down, knowing how this would work. Alcee was hesitant to begin.

"What's wrong?" Adrianne wondered. "I won't hurt you, don't worry." Alcee chuckled at that.

"Scared is the last of the things I am." The therapist sat in her own chair, a smug look on her face. "Just answer one question for me, Adrianne. Are you capable of fighting?"

"I am," Adrianne answered confidently.

"Certainly? There is absolutely no doubt in your mind?" Adrianne sighed, confirming it again.

"Well, that's why you were sent to me." Alcee laughed, "To be perfectly honest, I don't see the need for any other examination, though I will conduct it just for the record. I happen to despise you, despite this being the first time I've met you. The things you've done are just terrible, but they tell the story of someone who won't give up."

"Do you want to help me or insult me?" Adrianne sounded emotionless.

"Do you want to be helped?" Alcee grinned. Adrianne couldn't help but concede to that.

She really did think before she answered, though. "Maybe. Maybe one day I'll find something worth living for. Until then, I don't want to be helped."

"There are plenty of things worth living for. Shouldn't just serving be something worth it?" Adrianne shook her head.

"I've never acted out of piety. I've just pretended to, to justify my own actions to myself." Adrianne shuddered as she breathed long and slow.

"Do you still believe you were in the right?"

"No. I know for a fact that I wasn't." Adrianne choked on her words a little. "I-I distinctly remember that before, I really did believe that everything I did was absolutely right. Now, I know that what I did was wrong, but…but I wouldn't take it bad had I the chance."

"Before what? What changed everything?"

"Erwine," Adrianne grinned, "Not the girl herself. If it weren't for us running into Ishna two nights ago, nothing would have changed. However, what I did to that girl…"

"Say it," Alcee demanded. Adrianne shook her head, not willing to let that fact settle in. The girl repeated herself, "Say it!"

"I raped her!" Adrianne shouted, "I did. She'll deny it, just to try and save me, but I did it." The girl broke down into tears. "I hurt that girl in a way that I can't take back. The only good thing is that she's still alive, unlike Lilith."

Alcee nodded. "Tell me about Lilith."

"She was a good girl." Adrianne whispered, "Had a lot of hope, wasn't scared at all. Lilith knew that things weren't going to be easy, but she would put up with what she had to. I pushed her too hard, and she pushed back. She was smart enough to see that I was just playing her." Adrianne sighed, "I pushed her so hard I ran her into the ground. She turned."

"You admit to killing her?"

"I did," Adrianne confirmed.

Alcee furrowed her brow. "How are you still alive?"

"Because I desire nothing more than to kill Ishna. She's not dead yet." Adrianne shrugged, "It's about as simple as that."

"You feel no other reason for living?" Adrianne nodded. "Nothing at all. Why, because of your guilt?" The girl nodded again.

"I realized that I've nothing but hurt people. I'm not like Erwine. I want to run away from the things that hurt me. It's why I hid the realization about soul gems and witches away behind all those layers of hatred, hoping that I could just forget." Adrianne's face was spread in a tiny grin, but she didn't look happy. "So when I accomplish my goal, I'll run away from my grief. The only way to do that is to die."

After thinking for a few seconds, Alcee shrugged. "I cannot help you, I'm sorry. The only thing for you to do is get over you guilt. I respect the fact that you refuse to, and that you take responsibility for your actions. I know Juno wants to ensure you'll stay alive, but I think only someone you trust could help you with that."

"You did help, though," Adrianne whispered.

"How?"

"You did help me sort something out. Erwine…I really did succeed with her. She's alive because she won't run away anymore. I'm going to die because I want to run away." Adrianne almost laughed, "I wish she'd stop trying to deny my guilt. She does care about me."

A minute passed, Alcee waiting for anything more. "Let me take a look at your mind," she said, "Relax, it'll only be a few minutes."

Adrianne nodded, leaning back.


The former inquisitor wasn't surprised to find Estelle waiting outside for her. "Come on," Estelle said, "Let's not talk here." She led Adrianne back through the ruined building, eventually making it to an empty room. Empty because it was half-destroyed, the room exposed to the air.

It was cold, the witch having brought about a sudden front of freezing air. The heavy storm had rained out all the moisture though, so there wasn't any snow. Just the brutal cold. Adrianne didn't mind it as she stood there, looking at Estelle.

"I suppose I answer to you now," She said neutrally. "How would you prefer to be addressed?"

"I can't tell if that's sarcastic or serious," Estelle said. Given Adrianne's blank look, she knew it to be the latter. "By the Goddess, just call my Estelle." She grabbed onto the girl's shoulders, Adrianne flinching. "What's wrong?"

"I want to destroy Ishna. You don't." Adrianne spat, "Juno knew exactly what she was doing, sticking me with you. She intends to sideline me, giving Erwine the chance. I don't want to deny her, but I want my own revenge."

Estelle dropped her hands, looking away. "I won't deny it, I'd like to do that." Adrianne smirked.

"There you go," She whispered.

"But I won't," Estelle stated. She suddenly stepped in, embracing Adrianne. She pulled the girl tight. "Adrianne, I've always wanted the best for you. Before, you went chasing after a dead girl who never did any of the things you claimed. Even then, I knew that if Ishna was real, from the sound of what she did, I knew that you'd never catch her unless she let you."

"It had been years since you last saw her, and you went chasing her, a person with powers far greater than anyone else's. I went chasing after you to save you from that desire, because I knew it was impossible, and that you would chase after it until you destroyed yourself." Estelle wept. "I now blame myself for not going with you then, I blame myself for not accompanying you. But…I've always wanted the best. And after what I saw of Ishna, now I know she's real, I know what to do.

"I'd like to just run away. Break orders, and flee to some corner of the galaxy with you. I'd force you into staying there with me if I had to. I wish I could just throw away everything else, and do that." Estelle took a deep breath, her eyes tearing up. "But Adrianne, I want the best for you. And if you won't be happy until Ishna is dead, then I'll follow you wherever you go, even if it's the end of the world itself, just so I do whatever I can to help you."

Adrianne fell apart in Estelle's arms. She relaxed into her, just sitting there as she cried. "Thank you…" Adrianne whispered, "Thank you for everything you ever did." She choked on her tears, taking a few seconds to speak again, "Even…even for chasing after me, you did it just because you care so much."

"It wasn't a problem at all." Estelle said, "It made my happy, and if I hadn't, I wouldn't be here for you now." She smiled, "We'll find her, we'll find her together. We'll make her pay."

Adrianne could only smile.


Ayelen found herself confronting an intimidating figure. The girl stared her down, arms crossed, expressionless. Ayelen sat uncomfortably in her chair, looking around the room, wishing for a way out that didn't involve talking.

Eventually, Alcee broke the quiet. "So, Ayelen, what's your opinion on Laelia, at the moment?"

"She was torn between her loyalty to Adrianne, and her compassion for me. She was forced to compromise. I hate her for what she did, but I understand why. That understanding only makes things worse, it makes it hard to hate." Ayelen shrugged.

"Must you hate, though?" Alcee wondered. "Have you tried letting it go, letting something else take its place?"

"I don't know what else would," Ayelen explained, "I…I was happy for so long. Really, I want to be happy again, but I don't really know what happiness is at this point. The happiness I had was just brought about by my mind being manipulated. Perhaps it was genuine…but…I just don't feel like I can trust my own mind anymore."

"Do you want to take a look at it for you?" Alcee wondered, "I can ensure there are no further mental blocks. If there are any, it shouldn't be hard to safely remove them. I don't expect it to be a perfect solution, but I think it will help alleviate some of your fears. You may not realize it, but there's probably underlying stress from that fear alone."

Ayelen nodded. "Please, do."

"So, the issue here is that you don't really know how to feel happy?"

"A rather melodramatic issue," Ayelen agreed, laughing. "I suppose it's more than I don't trust the world as I see it. I feel like there might just be more secrets, hidden about for me to find."

"I feel that only experience can help you there." Alcee said sadly, "However, I'll do what I can on the mental front. Just relax, and I'll take a look." Ayelen nodded, laying back and closing her eyes.


Ayelen had some of her fears assuaged. She strode through the halls of the building, moving slowly. At least there's nothing else left hidden in my mind. She was aware that not much was actually wrong with her. Most of this is just my imagination, forcing this distrust onto me. I should be fine, right now.

Ayelen came to a ruined side of the building, holes running through the walls. She stepped up to one of them, then leapt out. The brown-haired girl landed on a nearby building. She'd seen something there.

A dark-haired girl stood there, staring out at the city. She flinched at the sound of Ayelen landing. "Justini-huh?" Sanae wondered, seeing Ayelen standing there. "Ah, Ayelen, correct." She nodded her head, "Nice to meet you."

Ayelen slowly walked towards her. "Hello," she said.

"Do you want to speak about something?" Sanae asked. Ayelen stopped, a few from the girl.

"Well…" she said, "What are you doing out here, all alone?"

"Just thinking," Sanae politely replied. "Is there a problem? Why did you come out here?"

"I don't know," Ayelen said. Then she shook her ehad. "Well, I suppose I saw you out here. Wanted to talk to you, for some reason."

"Why's that?" Sanae asked.

"You never seem happy. You never really seem to make light of anything in the world. Why's that?" Ayelen wondered.

"You've only seen me a few times," Sanae pointed out, "And not too much, but I'll answer. It's merely because I don't have much happiness to think about."

"Neither do I." Ayelen chuckled. She shrugged, "Maybe we have something in common?" Sanae glared at her. Ayelen nodded. "I get it, I'll go."

"I never said go. Apologies for my impoliteness. But, Ayelen," Sanae narrowed her eyes, "What is your goal?"

"I don't have one." Ayelen sighed, "The therapist I just spoke to told me I should experience the world, to prove to myself that everything will be alright. I figured I should try to listen to her."

"Prove everything will be alright?"

"I don't trust the world, perhaps you've heard of what happened to me." Sanae nodded, Estelle had told her.

"Well, I think I'm a trustworthy person. Talk to me." Sanae practically ordered her.


Staring down from a window in the building Ayelen just left, Justinia watched the two girls speak. She sat in a chair beside the window, head turned to the side. Sechylia sat in her lap, looking to the side as well. "So why'd you set those two up again?" she asked the red-haired girl.

"Nothing big. Just want to make sure those two are happy." Justinia said. "And they will be, I'm sure of it.


Laelia took a deep breath, already tired of the Psychatus girl. She didn't dare directly think too much, lest the girl already be reading her mind. She sat in the chair, hoping to move quickly. She didn't want to be cheered up.

"So, from what your friend Celestine told me," Celestine is talking to them?! "You're suffering from a case of depression. Related to the guilt you feel because of what you did to Ayelen, correct?" Laelia nodded, grudgingly. "Why is it you feel depressed?"

"I wouldn't call it depression. I just don't want to be happy. For years, I took Ayelen's real happiness from her, replacing it with a facsimile. I don't deserve happiness."

"So, depression," Andrea said. "Any reason why you can't just let it go? The girl seems to be doing fine."

"It's the fact that I did it." Laelia said. "And…really, I'm not sure where my loyalties lie. I care about Ayelen, but I also want to help Adrianne. I was faced with the same dilemma years ago, and I choose my loyalty over my compassion."

"But ultimately, what action led to you feeling this way?" the therapist wondered.

"Ayelen. Seeing Ayelen devastated by what I did." Laelia took a deep breath, "It's not a pretty sight."

"But you have things worth living for, right?"

"Yes. I intend to continue helping Ayelen and Adrianne as best I can." Laelia explained, "To help anyone who needs it, hopefully without sacrificing what little morals I have left."

"You're fit for combat?" Laelia nodded. "Certain?" Laelia nodded again.

"Well then, I don't think there's much more for me to do besides give you a telepathic check. If you could wait a moment, and I'll get started." Laelia leaned back.


"More than anything else, find someone who will cheer you up. Or anything, maybe not a person. Just find a reason to feel happy, try smiling." That is what Laelia had been sent out with.

She fully expected Celestine to be waiting there. The blonde glared at the girl with purple hair, "What do you want me to do, now that you're basically in charge of me?" Laelia asked.

"Come with me." Celestine grabbed her hand. Laelia sighed, letting herself get dragged along by the girl. "I'm tired of letting you run away. Estelle was able to handle chasing after Adrianne, but you're just denying your own feelings."

Laelia almost laughed at the idea. "Don't laugh at me." The girl in purple spat. This shut Laelia up. They came to a room, which Celestine opened. She yanked Laelia inside, before locking the door behind them.

It was actually a rather fancy bedroom suite. "Juno considers you to be valuable, so she's given me time and space to handle you." Celestine explained. She walked towards the girl, grabbing her by the collar. They stared each other down.

Celestine tightened her grip, curling her hand slowly. Then she pushed Laelia backwards suddenly, before raising her right leg and planting her foot in the girl's stomach. She flew across the room, landing on the bed hard enough to send her bouncing against the wall, before she tumbled back onto the mattress.

Celestine stormed across the room, leapt on the bed, grabbing Laelia's arm as she tried to raise it. Before the girl could react any further, she suddenly pressed her lips against Laelia's. Slowly, she grabbed the girl's collar again, pulling her close. "What exactly is your intention?" Laelia said, face glowing red.

"Guess," Celestine said, pushing her down, "I told, I'm done with this. It's been years and years of us flirting with each other, both afraid to make a move. Adrianne and Estelle have made up, so there's no point in us opposing each other anymore."

Laelia blushed profusely, squirming uncomfortably. "Don't tell me you don't want this, Laelia." Celestine grinned, holding her down.

It was certainly a good thing that Juno had given her time and space.


The sun was setting. It was dark in the room, only a few lamps on the circular table illuminating the space. Juno sat back in one chair, Arietta and Reitia in others. Two other chairs held Alcee and Andrea. "So," Juno asked, "Are they all capable?"

Andrea nodded. "Erwine and Laelia are. Erwine is worse off, suffering from a large number of issues, but I think she should work through it once Ishna is dead. Laelia is being handled by Celestine, from what I understand." Juno nodded.

"Yes, Celestine did tell me she'd take care of it." Juno chuckled. "Should have put cameras in that room, probably quite the sight." The other girls laughed. "Anyways, Alcee, what about Ayelen and Adrianne?"

"Ayelen will be fine. She just needs a bit of time to overcome her problems, just reconnecting with the world. Adrianne, however, fully intends to die once Ishna is dead. I've gotten word from Estelle that she intends to do everything in her power to change that, and I hope it'll work." Juno nodded once more.

"Thank you for that, you two are dismissed." It would have been easy for them to report telepathically, and the full reports would be in that form, but Juno preferred to hear things through natural mouths. The two girls left the room.

The lord inquisitor took a deep breath. "Good. Tomorrow morning, we'll call them all in. Try to pool our knowledge on Ishna, find out where she's going. If we manage to find out where, then I and the SEO will join them."

"You certain of that?" Arietta asked.

"Certain," Juno confirmed. Then, she looked around, clearly contemplating a difficult topic. "We need to figure out what to do with Hadiens."

The other girls agreed. "Crime rates are already picking up across the planet. The warp is having an influence. The Arbites is also reporting rumors of cults forming, even possible possessions. We might have lost this one."

Juno nodded. She felt a bit strange, hands coming to her eyes. "At the moment, our best option…" She paused, giving herself time to breath, to calm herself. "With this world's population, and the weakened barriers between the warp and the materium, conversion to a grief farm would be the most efficient option."

"From here," She continued, "The population will only keep dropping. The output of the world will only continue to decrease. Eventually, it'll be useless, a detriment. If we kill it now, then it'll be massively beneficial."

There was silence for a few seconds. "Should I send the papers to MSOC?" Arietta wondered. Juno shook her head.

"I already did."

Reitia sighed, "For the best, right?"

Juno confirmed that. "It's the best choice we have. Besides, things are picking up in Cadia once again. I fully expect the Grand Council to put out a call for a few more farms to meet the demand of another Black Crusade. If we sacrifice this world, we should have the output of two for a while, enough to save another planet out there."

The others agreed. "I hate doing this," Juno said, brushing away tears. No one said anything more. They all knew the same pain of having to give up on those one had to protect.

"The Goddess Protects," Juno whispered. She was echoed by the other two.


The sun had risen once again over the city. The windows let in the faint rays, as they fell over those gathered in the room. A large group was present, Estelle and her girls, Adrianne, and those who had once served her. Juno and Arietta were both there as well.

"Immediately after Ishna left, we started scanning as best we could for any warp jumps out of the system. Astroclairvoyants were able to pick something up later in the day. A single ship left the system, against the quarantine orders enforced by Juno." Arietta explained. She was telepathically communicating to them all, given the lack of any other way with the limited resources they had, showing them the coordinates, the exact point of departure.

"They calculated her trajectory, and we've found a set of possible coordinates. Based on the most recent starcharts, there are ten possible systems that she could be headed towards. Three of those systems are inhabited, the rest are not." Arietta began displaying the information for each of the planets in their minds.

She paused for a few moments. "Our current objective is to figure out where Ishna could have gone. In about two weeks, the sector is going to be crawling with Inquisitors, Mage Knights, even Grey Knight detachments. We have to at least get an idea of where Ishna might be going, so that she can be caught."

Estelle nudged Adrianne, a little. The girl flinched, but stepped forwards, taking a deep breath. She sent out the message Ishna had given her. "I received this from Ishna, two days ago. That voice is certainly that of Nadine's."

The other girls all looked surprised. Arietta quickly went over the message. "Fires set now…" Arietta thought. She ran a search for anything related to fire, checking it with the possible coordinates. "Vasillica!" she cried, "Over twenty years ago, the planet suffered a catastrophic series of volcanic eruptions, scorching life from the surface. That's where she's headed!"

The room went silent, Arietta looked around. Her eyes fell on Juno. "But you won't let the others get her, will you?" She asked. The lord inquisitor nodded.

"She doomed this planet, she killed girls under my command. I'm not giving up till she's gone." Juno explained. She looked at the gathered girls, including the four from her own group. "We will set out immediately for Vasillica." Her eyes went to Adrianne. "We can only get one ship at a time out of the system, the warp is still unsteady. We'll take your ship."

"Be ready in thirty minutes," Juno called, "We are leaving as soon as possible. I will take command." She looked at Arietta. "You have command here while I'm gone. Bunker down, try to organize defenses."

She walked for the door. "Adrianne, I understand things must have been hard for you. But you have my help, we won't let her escape."

Most of the group was already in the hangar. And by hangar, the true meaning is that it was a large room with a tall wall, which had been knocked down to allow craft to conveniently land there.

The starscraper had been converted into a sort of command center for the Inquisition, due to the witch teleporting almost on top of the building it had previously occupied. The large room, previously a banquet hall, was filled with girls and ships, as well as humans from the Administratum, Arbites, Ecclesiarchy, Guard, and Navy, and any other major group that felt it needed to be represented.

Little time was given to them, as larger problems were on hand than the housing of all the high-ranking officials. The magical girls were more focused on dealing with the millions displaced down in the city below, despite the overall focus on the problem of Ishna and what might be coming next.

Celestine walked out from the group of eleven, which also contained the Special Elemental Operations squad, as it was so called. Erwine had actually wondered if it was the real name of the four, but apparently it was. Antoinette was walking out of the group with Celestine, and the two approached the four.

Antoinette possibly stood out the most of the SEO, with strangely pale hair tied in two long tails to either side of her head. It was not like Ayelen's twin tails, as the hair was only tied at top, rather than braided throughout the length. It was strange seeing her with such hair, but it could be chalked down to personal modification of her hair coloring via magic. It was not likely that she had pale hair from birth, as she was not albino. Not even close.

She had bright blue eyes, with somewhat tanned skin, which seemed like something of a fashion choice as well. Over this skin, she wore a dark violet scarf, while a single piece dark blue dress went down to her knees. The dress was lined with blue ribbons down the middle, with frills at the edges of the dress as well as the wider sleeves. The sleeves were strangely wide, keeping the make and appearance of the rest of the dress, but taking on a different influence in their width and looseness. The girl's legs were covered by white stockings going up past her knees, while high-heels adorned her feet.

"I'm coming with now," Juno explained, before looking behind herself, "We should have our final member coming soon."

"Final member?" Adrianne had been ready to walk onto the waiting craft and leave.

"Yes," Juno said, "Melody, a navigator. I've called in another one."

"We're going to run double navigators?" Antoinette asked, interested.

"I told you, we have Ishna. We just need to get there before she can get ready for us or leave. So we're taking the risk, and pushing the ships through the warp as fast as possible," Juno explained.

"She should be here any minute," Juno said, still with her head turned.

Antoinette nodded, before she turned around to look at the other members of her own unit. "Get over here," she called, "You all should at least know each other's names,"

The three girls approached. The pyromancer led the way, a tan china dress covering her body while detached sleeves of the same hue covering her forearms. She wore pants under the dress, with a traditional Chinese coat over her torso. Her dark hair went down to the middle of her back, and was not done in any way. "Ming Hwan-Mei," she said, holding out her hand. It was shaken, and she stepped back to allow her comrades to move forwards.

The electromancer was next. Her blonde hair went down to the backs of her knees, while a long navy blue cape went down just as far. She wore dark blue leggings under a short white skirt. A blue coat covered her torso, with golden buttons running up and down it. The high collar of the coat covered much of her neck, while her hands were covered by gloves at the moment, which she seemingly took off while in battle. "Skelia Ingskris," she said, shaking the hands of the two inquisitors. Her accent was somewhat Fenrisian, and Adrianne would not be surprised if the girl was somehow connected to the planet and its inhabitants, possibly related by at least one or two generations.

Then the cryomancer came. Her scarlet fur coat reached down almost to her ankles, while a short red dress, completely unornamented, covered halfway down her thighs. It had a high collar, covering her neck and chest, but there was a small opening in the chest area, which Adrianne truly did wonder about the purpose of. The coat's sleeves covered her arms, and she wore black leggings under a pair of dark boots. "Rozenn Anna," she said, her High Gothic perfect and in the accent of a high noble.

The three then organized themselves behind Antoinette as the navigator walked in, escorted by a pair of other magical girls. They were waved aside as they approached, and they scurried off to complete the other tasks they had to fulfill.

Melody approached. She was short, like Victoria, but had a smile on her face, unlike the astrotelepath's grim demeanor. There was something strange about her eyes, but Adrianne had gotten used to seeing that look in the eyes of people like Melody. Their job was one of the hardest in the Imperium.

"Ready?" Juno asked as the girl approached. The eyes of Melody visibly brightened up as she saw Juno, as if she was meeting an old friend.

"Yes," she said, "I'm ready,"

Juno nodded, before waving towards the shuttle, "Shall we go?" she asked Adrianne.

The inquisitor took a moment to reply, forgetting she was in charge, she said as such, then said, "Yes, let's go,"

The fifteen magical girls then all got into the single shuttle craft, which could accommodate them all, before it took off towards the sky above.

Bolton had been sitting in his command chair, wondering when he would finally get a clear picture of what had occurred on the planet below. He knew that there had been a grand witch, but everything else was quite obscure. No one was telling him anything, despite his continued efforts to contact someone on the surface who knew something.

Then he had received a message from the ground. The message was actually telepathic and directed to Victoria, who relayed its contents to Bolton. The message told the rogue trader to prepare to receive a shuttle craft that would be carrying a force that he would have to convey.

"How many?!" Bolton shouted at the little girl who stood next to his chair.

"Fifteen," Victoria repeated, "but one's a navigator, so you don't need to worry much about her."

"A navigator?!" Bolton shouted, "Are they trying to replace Aria?"

Wait, I'm being replaced?! A voice screamed in Victoria's head, what did I do wrong?! I'm not that old! Don't retire me!

Victoria sighed, "We're going to use two navigators. They've tracked Ishna down, and are bringing along a strong force to finish this. We need to move fast, so two navigators will be used."

"That's highly dangerous," Bolton replied, worry obvious on his face. Navigators stared into the warp. That was dangerous. Despite the protective force of their containment capsules they traveled in while navigating, the danger was there. Have two navigators, and the speed would generally be doubled. Have two navigators, and the chance of a navigator getting possessed was twice as high.

"Ishna killed Airi," Victoria said. She was about to say more, but she held herself back, only sending a message to Aria.

When do we leave?! The navigator cried back.

Bolton's worry disappeared from his face, replaced by anger, "When do we leave?"


Adrianne stepped into the room. The two hadn't seen each other since the girl was an inquisitor. Bolton sat in his usual spot in his room. Estelle waited outside. The two were entirely alone. Adrianne had a melancholy expression, trapped between hope and despair.

Bolton gasped as he saw her. "A-Adrianne…" he said, amazed. "By the Goddess, what happened?!" He stood up from his chair, reaching out for her. She stopped in her tracks, not changing the look on her face.

Her tone perfectly reflected that look. "The truth happened to me, Bolton." Tears trickled down her cheeks, "And…I'm sorry."

Estelle was waiting expectantly for the girl to emerge. She stopped her right as she came out, the door already closed. "Listen, are you going to be alright?" She asked immediately. Adrianne nodded.

"I'll be fine, Estelle. Don't worry about me." Adrianne turned, walking down the hallway. Estelle walked alongside her, not going to let her go. "Are you really going to follow me everywhere?"

"I just…want to be with you. Call it paranoia, call it distrust." The inquisitor sighed, "But Adrianne, all those years ago, you disappeared in the space of a night. While I found you quickly, it scared me enough so that I don't want to let you go again."

Adrianne stopped. Her hands came up to her face, quickly brushing away the moisture she suddenly found there. "You…" She couldn't even complete a sentence. Estelle laid a hand on her shoulder, looking into Adrianne's eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to die when this is all over…but…I keep being shown reasons to live." Adrianne muttered, collapsing into Estelle's grip.

"Sorry for what?" Bolton had asked, as Adrianne fell into her usual chair.

"Sorry for dragging you along on this whole pointless endeavor of mine." Adrianne explained, "Sorry for making you watch as I destroyed myself and those around me, all for the sake of revenge against someone you never really believed in." She looked up at Bolton. "You never did believe me about her, did you?"

The trader opened his mouth, about to speak. "Don't deny it. I won't blame you. I did sound pretty crazy," Adrianne laughed. "But…but you stayed, and that's what matters. Why did you spend so much time, waste so much of the short life of a human being on me?"

The man rocked back and forth on his feet, before he turned around. "I saw a little girl," he said, unable to face Adrianne. "I saw a little girl who was lost and lonely. She have me a helping hand, rescuing me from an unfair fate. I was in your debt, but even then, I wouldn't have kept helping you if it weren't for the fact that…that I just felt bad for you."

He turned around again, standing straight. "I thought I had a hard life, but then I looked at you, and I saw that you'd lost everything, but you were better off than I was. The least I could do was try to help you, do everything I could to make your life as easy as possible."

Adrianne nodded. She didn't like crying. But the past few days, I've cried more than any other time in the past twenty years. She looked around, that same melancholic expression still there. "Bolton…I don't think I can describe how much I thank you."

Shakily, she stood up. "Please, help me this one last time. If you never do anything for me ever again, just help me finish this." She looked the man in the eyes, letting the tears out. "I promise you, I'll end it soon. It'll be all over."

"Even when it's over," Bolton swore, "I won't just pack up and leave." He didn't have time to say anything more before Adrianne had run out the door, wiping the tears from her eyes.


Estelle took a deep breath, placing the girl in her bed. She pulled the sheets up over Adrianne's body, whispering, "Sleep well, I'll be back soon." The girl nodded, mumbling a similar reply.

The inquisitor strode away, waiting for a few moments, before she exited the dark room. Laelia and Celestine were waiting for her, as she had requested. She nodded to both of them. "Is she alright?" Laelia asked.

"She is," Estelle explained, "A bit sad, but she'll sleep well, I imagine."

"You wanted to speak to us?" Celestine asked, eager to steer the conversation away from Adrianne.

"Yes, just walk with me." Estelle said. "We need to talk." Laelia and Celestine followed, one girl to either side of her. "About what to do once this is done."

"Adrianne's been stripped of her rank, and since you're in charge of her, and everyone she used to command is here, I imagine we just transfer to you." Laelia then asked, "What might be wrong with that?"

"The possibility that Adrianne's entire personality might be stripped away," Celestine answered, "If she's found guilty as Juno said." Estelle shook her head.

"That'll be an uphill battle, so unless the council investigating her has someone who really doesn't like her on there, it should be alright. Erwine will have convinced herself by then that everything that happened was entirely consensual or Ishna's fault, and that she wasn't damaged at all. That drops the biggest charge there." Estelle explained.

"I've already taken responsibility for Ayelen, so all that leaves is Lilith." Laelia said. "We can't lie about her, they can look into our heads. However, it was a long time ago, and if Adrianne can plead insane, then she should get away."

"Indeed," Estelle said, "I won't be able to defend her, due to conflict of interest, but I can act as a witness. I won't let them hurt her."

"So assuming that's good," Celestine said, "Will we just merge together officially once this is done?"

"Yes. Juno will easily approve it, and I'll take command of you," She looked at Laelia, "Ayelen, Erwine, and Adrianne."

"Assuming that girl lives long enough," Laelia said.

"That's the problem." Estelle agreed, "At this point, she's on track to giving up on that idea, but I hope that she does before this ends, or she will let herself die, and if that fails…she'll end herself." The inquisitor sounded sad, stopping in her tracks.

"Well, that's worked out. The two of you are doing fine?" The girls nodded.

"Yes, we resolved things," Celestine chuckled. Laelia blushed at that, but said nothing. Estelle just didn't ask.

"Alright. Keep an eye on Ayelen, make sure she's doing fine. I should get back to Adriane." Estelle began to retrace her steps. "And Celestine, where's Justinia?"

"I'm not sure, I think she was going to talk to Sanae." Celestine replied, watching the inquisitor walk away.

"You ought to just tell her," Justinia shrugged. "Hiding the truth from Ayelen won't make it any easier to talk to her."

"But she's the type to pester people." Sanae muttered, "If I do something, then I might have to shut her up. I don't want us to get into a fight, thus disrupting the entire dynamic of this group, just so that I can get feelings off my back."

The red-haired girl sighed. "You won't open up to anyone. I think you need someone new. Besides, Ayelen seems to have really struck a chord."

Sanae glared at her, but didn't disagree. "Fine, I'll try to do it, but when it fails, you better not be making any excuses."

"Ultimately, you're the one who has the choice on how to react," Justinia explained, as the girl strode away from her, down the hall, "Don't blame anyone but yourself when you get angry."

Ayelen sat alone in the small observation deck. There was a small bench in there, amongst other furnishings. It was barely an entire deck, just a tiny space at the top of the ship. She, like Laelia, liked being alone here. Laelia liked it because she as guaranteed privacy.

Ayelen liked it because she loved the stars. Yet a great metal barrier now sat between her and the vast speckled canvas that she so greatly desired. Of course, that canvas was replaced at the moment by something more sinister, yet somehow more wonderful.

The doors opened, and Ayelen wondered who was coming to see her. The bench faced away from the doors, and the young girl did not feel like turning.

The person who had recently entered came up next to her. She turned her head, almost certain that it was indeed Laelia. Yet it was not. Sanae stood there, a question gently slipping off her lips as Ayelen turned her head. "May I sit here?"

Her voice was strangely soothing. It was enough to make Ayelen shiver, but not in a bad way. It was not disturbing or creepy. It was like a person talking at the tone of a whisper, but loud enough for it to be heard.

Ayelen nodded, moving aside a little to allow the girl to sit. Sanae occupied the area on the bench to the right of Ayelen. She sat with her legs crossed, and her head titled up like Ayelen's was. She had two swords at her belt. She took the scabbards off and placed them on her crossed legs.

"Why do you come here?" she asked.

"I like looking at the stars," Ayelen said, as if the metal covering over the place was not there.

"Then why are you here now?"

"Because I wanted some quiet," Ayelen replied.

"I know you did want to talk more," Sanae said, a neutral expression on her face as her soothing tone enticed Ayelen to answering every question and listening to every word, "I did enjoy our conversation on Hadiens, but why sit here, staring up at the wall that exists only to save you?"

"I like looking up and imagining what it's like out there," Ayelen admitted, "Thinking about what lies beyond that metal wall, what kinds of things can truly drive a mind insane."

"I think that is a question you do not want the answer to." Ayelen had thought the girl would laugh at her, but there was no hint of Sanae taking pleasure from Ayelen's foolish curiosity.

"I just like to wonder what it really looks like, wonder if I could just see it for a single second," Ayelen said, the edges of her lips spreading out as she brightly smiled. "I guess it's just natural human curiosity…"

"Would you call it foolish?" Sanae wondered.

"I don't know," Ayelen replied. She was beginning to be afraid. Her tone had not been a positive one. And for an observant girl like Sanae, that could only indicate the presence of a hidden secret.

"The warp interests me…because it's so different, an entire other universe. One that is traversed thousands of times every day across the galaxy. And yet none ever see what it truly looks like," Ayelen's tone was dropping lower and lower, into more negative territory.

Ayelen looked at the swords on Sanae's lap. "Do you like those swords a lot?" she wondered.

"They're single summon, based off of the ones I still have from my father as a parting gift, so yes, I do take a liking to them." Sanae explained.

"Are you particularly attached to them?"

Sanae hesitated. She did not seem to want to really reply. But she did so anyways, if only out of courtesy, "I think that they do keep me calm, having them with me at all times. But I don't obsess over them. Although…they mean a lot to me."

Ayelen did not pry any further, seeing that she was only disturbing Sanae. That knowledge did not make her any happier, even though the lines of questioning had been only intended to distract her from her other thoughts.

"May I ask you a question?" Ayelen wondered.

Ayelen nodded. She did not think it could be too bad. Sanae knew nothing about the deeper events which had been going on. There was no way she could specifically aim for such things and hit them right on target.

"Is something wrong? If you don't mind me asking, that is? You're always quiet, sometimes I get the feeling you're hiding something." Ayelen said. She was concerned for Sanae.

Sanae froze. Right in front of her eyes, the dagger had been removed from a hidden pocket, and unsheathed slowly. The blade had been made sure to be sharp, before it had been slid so effortlessly and silently in between her ribs.

The dagger was still there, the blade preventing much from flowing out. There was only pain. Pain could be dealt with. Pain could be hidden below layers of well-trained defenses. Yet the blade was about to be removed from her body.

Then the blood would truly flow.

"Yes, you could say that something is wrong with me." No longer did Ayelen look up at the ceiling. She now looked down at the ground desperately wishing that she could just run away. That would not look good. That would not make her happy.

"I'm sorry," Ayelen said. Shame was clear in her voice. She had embarrassed herself. "I didn't mean to intrude." Sanae had hidden the pain, beneath defenses that not even one like Laelia could penetrate. Yet Ayelen had penetrated them like they were simple flesh, cut apart by her blades.

Ayelen looked at the girl, "Do you need me to just listen?"

Sanae shook her head, "I could tell you. In fact, I think I ought to." She thought, mind racing, "Can you keep a secret?"

"I can," Ayelen confirmed.

"Then let me talk about my life first, it'd be better if you knew everything about me."

"My name is Sanae Tanaka, born in M31.027 on the planet of Edoshiro to the noble family Tanaka. My father is a general in the 243rd Edoshiro Swordsman of the Imperial Guard. I was intended to become a magical girl since birth, and even though he was on campaign when I left, he had left me his blades to take with me. I had an older brother who looked down upon and was jealous of me, an older sister who I was good friends with, and a younger brother who was quite a fan. He was only nine when I left, and was quite sad to see me go. My mother was not happy, but she understood that it was my duty, and was proud of me for making my wish so quickly. I am a fan of literature, and have read quite a few plays. Not gotten a chance to see many, but I am a particular fan of operas. I sometimes enjoy writing poetry. Literature is an interesting case. I enjoy older novels more than newer ones, specifically those that have been recovered from older times. I love art, any kind really, but I can be very, incredibly picky. There are many types of music I enjoy, but some do tend to upset me greatly. I see myself as a calm, respectful person who follows orders to the letter and manages to maintain a cool head in almost any situation."

Sanae sighed, "I'm no stranger anymore."

"You don't have to do that," Ayelen said with a shake of her head." But please, tell me everything you wish to tell me," she said, "I swear on my life that I shall tell no one else, ever."

"I did not make my contract with the wish I had originally thought of." Sanae started softly. "I made it to bring that older sister back to life." She took a deep breath, obviously remembering some painful things, "You may think that is honorable and just, but…life isn't something a wish should be spent on, especially not another's."

"You're scared of the repercussion?" Ayelen asked. Sanae nodded.

"There's that. The worst part is that she wouldn't have died if…" Sanae sat up straight, turning her head towards Ayelen. "If I hadn't killed her." Ayelen gasped.

The two sat frozen in silence for a few moments, before Sanae forced out more words. "I loved someone back home. Neither of us knew it, but my sister loved that same person. Jealousy has a strong effect on the heart. When I saw them together, I killed her."

"I ran, wishing her back soon afterwards." Sanae cried, "But…but I know that no matter how much I do in this world, ultimately the universe will retaliate for my crime."

"Sanae…" Ayelen whispered, suddenly feeling just as sad as the girl. The dark-haired girl stood up.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore?"

"Why not?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Sanae explained. "I'm afraid that I just might."

"W-what?!" Ayelen cried, leaping up and running after her, the girl halfway to the elevator.

"Don't follow me." Sanae snapped.

"You're going to forget everything we did on Hadiens? You're just going to throw it away?!" The girl in green cried, "Don't be like this!"

"I've already hurt people close to me-"

"You wished her back!"

"I have no more miracles to spare!" Sanae retorted, "In our lives, we've only one miracle. If we waste that, then we've nothing else."

"You didn't get what you wanted?" Ayelen realized, "You wasted the wish on your sister, but you wanted something else, didn't you?" Sanae gritted her teeth.

"It's true," She admitted.

"Then why deny it?! Why run away?"

"You know what would happen if I were to turn back on my wish." Sanae said. "You know full well." Ayelen was forced to admit she did.

"What would you have wished for?"

Sanae didn't know how to reply at first. She took a deep breath, thinking for a few seconds. "I'd have wished for my mother to recover. She was terminally ill, it was devastating all of us." She looked at Ayelen, obviously sad, "I know you want to help me fulfill that wish, but she's already dead. There's nothing we can do. If my selfishness hadn't killed my sister, my mother would be alive right now."

"Don't give up because you feel guilty," Ayelen insisted, "Laelia…Laelia feels so guilty, but she won't stop trying to make the world a better place."

"I'm not Laelia." Sanae said.

"Then be better than her. Overcome that guilt, become better than it." Ayelen didn't know where her words came from. But they were there.

Sanae paused. She thought for a few moments. "I'll try." She finished walking to the elevator. "Just leave me alone right now.' She exited.

Ayelen was left standing alone. I'll make her happy, Ayelen thought, maybe even find out what it means to be happy in the process.


Wei was sitting in the cafeteria of the ship. Specifically, it was the officer's mess. Which meant that she could enter, being a magical girl. The small space was quite fancy, but she paid it little mind. She just ate the food she had, not really thinking about much.

She was still feeling the effects of the humiliation she had received back on Hadiens. She had no clue why Justinia had to be so cruel to her of all people. She had not been treated that way before. She had just been ignored.

Then the door opened, and as she looked up, she knew immediately that she was not being ignored anymore. Justinia was purposefully striding forwards, directly towards Wei's table. Before Wei could stand, Justinia shouted, "Sit down!" Wei did not want to mess with the girl.

The red-haired woman sat down opposite Wei, clasping her hands together as she placed them on the table. She gave Wei something of a death glare, burrowing her eyes into the soft heart across from her.

"What is it?" Wei asked, trembling in fright.

"I just want to talk," Justinia answered.

"Then what do you want to talk about?" Wei asked, body shaking harder and harder.

Justinia looked down, a hint of shame displaying itself on her face for a split second. "I wanted to apologize," she said, lips creasing as they spread out, "I really should not have been so cruel to you, back there on Hadiens. You're only six months old. I guess…I hate to say this, but Erwine just changed my view about what it was like to be so young."

"You compare me to Erwine?" Wei asked, more shocked than pleased by the apology and following words.

"She's younger than you, but she's been through far more. My judgment was clouded, and I would like to apologize for that."

Wei almost lashed out in anger, but she knew that would not get her anywhere with one such as Wei. "I suppose I looked a bit angry when I came in here because I knew I would have to tell the truth, and that I would get this reaction."

Wei had shown little sign of anger. Only her creased eyebrows and slightly shifted posture gave any indication that she cared. "You're angry because I judged you against Erwine. I can at least feel the jealousy, the anger. In a few seconds, you might truly lash out. I was just angry at myself, I knew that I never should have started this whole issue."

"You're referring to me as an issue," Wei pointed out, staring with wide eyes at Justinia, "You apologized, only to insult me again. Do you not care? Should I never have joined?!"

"You should not have," Justinia said with a shake of her head, "You had a dream of getting off the planet you had grown up on. And apparently, the Inquisition was the only way to satisfy that dream. You could have just stayed, joined the mage knights, or left to go to some other place in the galaxy if you stayed in the local guard long enough."

"You had a foolish kind of ambition, not truly understanding what it means to fight," Justinia explained, before she went silent waiting for Wei's angered reply.

"You don't care about me!" Wei shouted, standing up with anger on her face. Her expression was one of pure rage as she leapt across the table swinging with mighty force at the target of her anger.

Justinia was already standing and stepped to the right. She grabbed Wei's right fist, pulling her forwards, right into the solid strike of her curled left fist. Wei was stopped on the table, falling onto the surface of the furnishing as Justinia turned her onto her back. The right hand of the suited girl came round to hit her stomach.

The left hand wrapped around her throat as Justinia put her left leg on the side of the table and moved her right leg across Wei's body, pinning her down. Wei froze as Justinia held her by the throat, straddling her body. "You are a fool," Justinia said, "You were a fool. You are just a typical teenage girl, so incredibly full of herself to care about anyone else."

That's when Justinia leaned down, lips making contact with Wei's. The younger girl screamed, shoving Justinia away with a frantic flurry of blows. "What?!" Wei shouted with fear and astonishment.

"I don't even like you," Justinia said, staring into Wei's eyes, "But you needed to be shocked into listening." Wei had been struggling before the out of the blue move, and now she was indeed listening entirely to Justinia. "You know what?" the redhead asked, tightening her legs around Wei, "I think you have a chance. I do like you, but you need to listen to me if you want to get anywhere in the world."

She sighed softly, "You have potential, as a magic programmer, and as an inquisitor. I can see it, and there is a place for more benevolent people like you in this organization, but you can't do this alone."

Wei nodded softly, "Just…get off of me please?" she asked.

Justinia shook her head, "I need a solid answer before I'm going anywhere," she said. Wei frantically looked around, knowing that anyone might walk in at any second.

She looked up at Justinia. The girl's face was unreadable for one as inexperienced as Wei, but she could at least try to figure things out. Wei knew that Justinia had never really cared much…but this might be different now. She could only wish that Justinia was telling the truth.

"Yes," Wei said, "I'll listen,"

Justinia nodded, before quickly getting off the table. Wei slowly sat up as Justinia stood next to the table. "I feel like this is a bad idea," she said aloud.

"Why?"

"What are you getting out of this?" Wei asked.

Justinia shrugged, "I'm a good person. I've gotten plenty out of many things. I'm not seeking anything from you."

Somehow, as Wei got off the table to stand up fully, she felt that was a lie.

Yet she no way of confirming it. And besides, this was her chance to truly become someone that was worth something.

She smiled, knowing that while the path ahead was still going to be hard, she at least now had a light of hope guiding her.


Erwine lay under the covers of her bed. She was all alone in her room. The lights were off. Absolute darkness obscured everything. But she'd been in the room enough times over the past week to know where everything was.

She used to have a mild fear of the dark. Too many horror stories told to her by friends, or some frightful book she read. That fear had not been in her head for a long time now. Becoming a magical girl instantly destroyed so many fears, yet awakened a whole host of new ones.

Erwine rolled over, restless. A part of herself warned against sleep. She had slept before in the warp, and had not suffered much for it. Her anxiety rose every minute she stayed awake, and that only made it harder for her to sleep.

Maybe it was the memory of recent events that kept her awake at night. She'd barely slept the night before, even though she tried for hours. The last day of reading more books in the library had led to her sporadically napping, even though she was truly interested in what she was reading.

Erwine rolled onto her back, staring straight up at the ceiling. She realized that she knew what everything looked like. Just like she had back home. I can't ever really escape from the monotony, can I? She tried to quench this line of thought, wipe it out before it could go any further.

Yet the flame kept burning on, and she found a tear coming to her eye as she started to just think, with nothing else to do. Her body was tired, and she could not sleep. Will my wish ever come true? She wondered, what Adrianne said…I have the ambition, but I don't think what I asked for can ever be made a reality.

Erwine shut her eyes, taking deep breaths in an effort to stem her panic. She knew that she could run on for a long time when alone. Sleep would resolve her doubts and fears. It had to.

And despite the fear in her breast, despite the doubt in her mind, she was able to hold her own, fighting through all that came at her. Her slow and deep breaths led her away, away from the land of reality, and into that of sleep.


The world was hot. Blistering hot winds blew across the flat plains. Rolling hills were not in sight, nor were even the smallest dunes formed from the hot sand. The air was dry, devoid of any life-giving moisture. The burning hot rocks on the ground drove Erwine away as she found herself face first in the mixture.

She got to her knees, taking a deep breath as she looked around. Her hands cried out for release as the hundreds of grains hurt them. She had not the energy to stand. Not yet.

The world was flat. There was only sand, as far as the eye could see. All of it was on the same plane. No variation, despite the wind. The sand was picked up, hurled through the air by the rushing currents only to land right back on the ground, as more sand was picked up. It looked like a complex, yet endless, cycle of give and take.

Erwine shakily got to her feet, gazing up towards the light in the sky. The air was warm, but not humid. She looked above her. She had not seen the sun anywhere else in the sky. It had to be high noon.

There was no sun. Yet there was light. It was in fact high noon. But there was no sun. Erwine took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. The world she found herself on was impossible. An unchanging ball of sand without a star. She took another breath, even as her anxiety surged up, threatening to hit her harder than before.

She looked around desperately, trying to find some clue as to her location. Her feet sunk a bit into the sand as she took a few steps in every direction, having no direction to go in. That was when Erwine realized she was not herself.

She tried to look down, feeling that her body was different. Yet that same body did not reply to her commands. She realized that she was looking out of the eyes of herself, but there was another. It was not even that she was in her body. She was an observer, torn from her own time and taken forwards.

Yet nothing Erwine had ever dreamed had come true as of yet. She knew that she could assure herself that no matter what this dream was of, it would never come true. It would be a warning of something she needed to go, maybe, but not the truth.

"Lost?" A voice asked. It was a motherly voice, sweet and caring. Erwine almost thought it was her own mother until the body she was in turned to face it.

Adrianne stood there, a smile on her face. Her hands were behind her back, as she stood with her feet only a few inches apart. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, her wide hat on her head. "Hello Erwine," she said, "It's been a while. You could say a long time, but long time has such a different meaning for us magical girls."

"What are you doing here?" Erwine, the Erwine that was truly in control here, asked, her voice wary. She sounded suspicious, but also shocked. As if she was seeing a ghost.

"I'm here to help you," Adrianne said. It could not possibly be Adrianne. Even as the dreaming Erwine looked out the eyes of the real Erwine, she could tell that the Adrianne was not really Adrianne. It was her gut telling her this, and she had little reason to doubt it. Of course, she had little reason to doubt Adrianne.

"Who are you really?" Erwine said. She did talk as if she was speaking to a…a dead person. No, she can't be serious…Adrianne can't be dead, can she? Erwine knew that her dreams did not come true, but that did not mean that they could not foreshadow future events.

"I only want to help you," Adrianne said, taking a step forwards. "You do realize that you've come very, very far for such a little girl like yourself?" She did sound like Adrianne. Erwine could hear it.

"I don't want your help," Erwine said, her voice determined. Now she sounded like she was facing down a daemon. "I've made it this far without you, and I will make it to the end without you."

"That's just mean," Adrianne said, turning around, "Not even polite in your declination of my efforts."

"Don't move," Erwine ordered, "You will stay here." Her magic was carried in that command. It did affect the Adrianne. The Adrianne. Erwine knew that she was seeing Adrianne, but it could not be Adrianne. So it was just some version of her, created by a shapeshifter's magic or something of the sort.

"Why should I?" the Adrianne asked, eyebrows raised, a questioning look on her face. "I extended my hand, you turned it down. You don't care for me anymore…I guess times do change, after all."

Erwine was struck hard by this. The voice was so sincerely Adrianne. The dreaming Erwine, still looking out through eyes that did not truly belong to her, changed her mind. This cannot be anything but Adrianne. And the real Erwine thought the same thing, but something held her back.

Something made her hold her ground, and prevent herself from running to Adrianne like a child finding her lost mother. She stood her ground. The dreamer could not tell why. "You are a daemon…or some monster, here to only torment me!" she held her hand out towards Adrianne, "I shall destroy you!" Her voice was frantic, like she didn't trust herself, but went ahead with her course of action anyways.

Adrianne laughed a little. "Erwine, please trust me…it's me, Adrianne. Don't you remember?" She stepped closer, even as Erwine kept her arm outstretched. The inquisitor lowered the girl's arm, coming within a few inches of Erwine. A smile was on her face.

"You've become so obsessed with finishing your journey. You think that it will somehow bring you happiness…" she shook her head solemnly, "It won't. You're close to the end right now, and if you go forwards, you will only find disappointment."

"Disappointment?" Erwine asked.

"The end of a journey is always the worse part, for then you have nothing left in your life." Adrianne explained, "Just go back now. Turn away and you will find that you will have nothing to worry about."

"You are serious?" Erwine asked, looking back into Adrianne's eyes.

"Yes, the end of the journey will come at the end of your life. But moving forwards will only bring pain and suffering to all. You know what Ishna destined you to do, so long ago. No good can come of your actions now. Just turn back, continue doing your duty."

Erwine shook her head, "I swore to you," she whispered, "I swore that I would finish it all, no matter what."

"Sometimes we make promises that we can't keep," Adrianne said. "Just listen to me, please." Her eyes flicked in the bright light, and Erwine could tell that she was telling the truth.

Yet she was not. She was only telling what she knew. What she, as a fake being knew. The dreaming Erwine could not tell if she was no longer isolated, but she felt the thoughts and emotions of the other Erwine rush inwards.

"You're not Adrianne," she said, pushing the false being back. The not-Adrianne shook her head as she regained a solid footing on the flat sand.

She laughed maniacally, head tipping backwards as she cackled, "You're damn right," She said, "I'm not Adrianne,"

She did not show her true form. The not-Adrianne just kept smiling where she stood, lips creased in a sickening grin. "Then who are you?" Erwine demanded. She put her magic into the demand, but it seemed to have little effect.

"I am a thing that you really cannot understand," Adrianne said, "All I request is that you do not move forwards. You and so many others will continue to live peaceful, fulfilling lives if you leave this place this very instant."

The tone the not-Adrianne started to take on…it reminded Erwine of Ishna.

"And if I do not?" Erwine asked.

"Then I shall stop you," the not-Adrianne shrugged, seeming disappointed that her attempt did not work. Erwine trembled. The dreamer within Erwine knew that there were few people who had the slightest chance against Ishna. Erwine may be able to, but she would not be able to do much after winning.

"But first, I think you should wish yourself farewell, it's about time for her to go…" the not-Adrianne waved her hand goodbye. The Erwine frowned, and the dreamer within her felt herself being pulled away.

Then all went black. Erwine was floating in darkness for a few seconds, tumbling through what was an endless void as her mind ran wild with fear and suspicion.

A billion questions were in her mind, all surging towards the top in an attempt to be answered, but answers would not come now. Before she fully lost consciousness, she realized that they would never come.


Erwine shot up in her bed. She breathed hard, looking wildly around the room. It took a few seconds to confirm that it wasn't real. So the girl took a deep breath, lying back down. As she stared at the ceiling, she silently promised to herself, "No matter how long it takes. No matter how far I have to go."

"I'll find an answer."


The operation was completed successfully. I managed to take one of the rogue girls alive, and I am currently attempting to obtain the whereabouts of her comrades. I shall bring her back immediately to the nearest sect for more proper holding and questioning, but if I am able to get something out of her before then, I will most probably act on that information. Unless I am instructed otherwise, I will continue to pursue this investigation. Sincerely, Ishna Kleimar.

Standard weekly report from Ishna Kleimar to Derivel Sect, M40.968