Mami's Apartment

"Mami? Aw geez, I hope that worked. I mean, it sure looked like the right moment..."

"Well, she's waking up... and I can still move, so I suppose it's probably Mami? Hello?"

"Y... yeah. It's me..." Mami said, staring at the ground in shame, tears spilling forth. "I... I couldn't stop her... I... I should have just died back-" Mami was interrupted by a pair of hugs. Their warmth surrounded her...

"It's good to have you back." Kyouko said as she continued to embrace Mami.

"I didn't know Candeloro was like... like that. If I had that talking in my ear instead of Lady Kanako and Suwako, I'd have gone nuts long ago." Sanae said as she, too, hugged Mami tightly.

"But I... failed. Hana, Oriko, Saki... even Yuma! They're all... they're all dead, because of me." Mami sobbed, her tears flowing freely.

"Well, praise Kanako, for I was able to keep them away for long enough!" Sanae released Mami to slide back a bit, then pulled out her clearly functional cell phone and held it aloft in both hands like she was in a video game and had just found some sort of treasure. Mami was sure she heard a brief fanfare play in Sanae's tune as Mami looked on, confused.

"Would'a taken a lot longer if not for me, you know?" Kyouko pointed out.

"What, but... I..." Mami stuttered out.

"Yeah, so, Candeloro's even more naive than you. I'm pretty sure you'd have seen through it so much faster." Kyouko laughed and gave Mami another reassuring hand on her shoulder as she stood up. Yet Mami didn't dare hope her guess about what Kyouko meant was right.

"Yeah, so... what exactly did you do, Kyouko? I definitely heard the sounds of battle going on down out here, but I didn't dare look." Sanae asked.

"Well, I couldn't move... Candeloro had control of my body, for sure. But... ah, well, let's just say that she didn't so much kill anyone as wasted a whole lot of time and energy fighting nothing at all. Your neighbor's are probably gonna file a noise complaint, though."

Mami perked up as Kyouko confirmed her guess. "It... it was an illusion? All of them?"

Kyouko nodded. "Just about everything after that first phone call. But now we gotta have a real frank talk about this. How the hell was Candeloro so powerful this time? I've seen her before, and this was leagues beyond the sort of thing she was doing then."

Mami looked to the ground again. "I... when we all met to train together, remember when I purified your Soul Gems with mine?"

Kyouko nodded, then realized something and slapped her hand against her head. "Guess all that darkness had to go somewhere, huh? Well, no wonder, then... We were basically fighting a youkai with the power of about 3 or 4 Magical Girls, judging from how much flowed into your Soul Gem. I guess she was doing that with me... I used an awful lot of magic, but my Soul Gem's nice and bright."

"Ah... so... can I just say that I already miss Gensokyo? There really need to be spellcard rules here." Sanae piped up.

"What, getting cold feet already?"

"Well no, but Candeloro was really something else. It's a miracle I wasn't hit by any of the blasts I heard, and so I guess it's a good thing I specialize in Miracles or I'd be a dead girl and dead girls don't bring home the faith for the gods and won't be singing any sing-along -" Sanae said, getting increasingly agitated.

Kyouko slapped Sanae, who calmed down slightly.

"Sorry, I lost it a little there. Candeloro, though... Is that what the Greater Wraiths you guys were talking about are like?"

Kyouko shook her head. "Nah, they aren't nearly that bad. This was more like when Rumia attacked me in Gensokyo. Only... well, more terrifying." Kyouko looked to Mami.

"I'm sorry, Kyouko. I... it's too dangerous for her to keep living, isn't it? I... need to die." Mami said.

"Whoa, who said that?" Kyouko grinned as she held up a hand to stop Mami's thought right there. "I said I'd keep her in line, and I did, didn't I?"

"But that won't work again!" Mami insisted. "She'll remember this conversation well enough!"

"Then I'll have to figure out a way to deal with her then. Just don't let her drink up all that dark magic from so many Magical Girls again, alright? Normal Candeloro I can handle. Crazy insane Candeloro is more of a longshot."

"She'll be able to control you, though!" Mami said.

"See, now you're just bragging." Sanae bonked Mami lightly on her head with a gohei.

"No, she's-"

"A powerful youkai, sure. I do think she should probably move to Gensokyo before long, but she's a youkai. It's nothing Kyouko or myself aren't used to dealing with. Even the Candeloro we just faced wasn't much more terrifying than Satori or Yukari could be. Can be. Are. Actually, Satori might still be worse. But then, that might just be because I know she's still around, while this Candeloro's finished. I'm pretty sure. Right?" Sanae asked in a rambling roundabout way.

Mami nodded. "I mean... it should be simple to avoid, now that I know what happened..."

"Was she that strong right after she absorbed all that darkness from the Soul Gems? Why did she wait so long to show off? It doesn't seem like her."

"She... she didn't." Mami confessed. "Not entirely. She let me go for a bit, but she... ah... made it very clear to me that she was... well, in control, whether or not she was at the helm. I... simply couldn't act against her."

"Right there? Right then?" Kyouko asked, and Mami nodded.

"I guess that's why you didn't tell us... She wouldn't let you?" Sanae asked.

"N... not exactly. She gave control back, but I thought she'd... well, gone to sleep, so to speak." Mami took a deep breath. "I underestimated her. And she nearly killed all of you! "

"Thankfully, 'nearly' is the important bit, there. So don't underestimate her again, alright?"

"You don't need to worry about that." Mami nodded. "Now that I realize the extent of her power and its reach."

"Then just one more thing..." Kyouko started, and Mami nodded, listening carefully.

"Remember that you two are supposed to be the same. You have that same power, don't you?"

Mami shook her head. "I don't, though! I-" Mami was interrupted by a slap from Kyouko.

"If Candeloro used the Tiro Finale, you can use her crazy stuff, too. Or were you lying about that, before?"

Mami cast her eyes down. "I wasn't, but... I can't."

"Have you tried?" Sanae asked.

"Of course not!" Mami protested.

"Then try it on me." Sanae suggested. "If you're worried about losing control over it, don't worry. Kanako and Suwako are watching over me. I'll be alright."

"But... what she just did... it... it's evil."

"It's magic. And I can tell you right now a lot of people would judge you harshly for using magic to control someone else-" Sanae started.

"Exactly! I can't! It's... it's wrong!" Mami insisted.

"And sometimes it would be more wrong to not use it." Kyouko picked up for Sanae, who nodded in agreement and continued.

"If you use it to stop someone from killing someone else, wouldn't that be good?"

"But I can use other magic for that, Sanae!"

"Oh... yeah."

"Let me put it another way, then. Right now, Candeloro can use your magic, but you can't use hers.

She's got that advantage over you. She's grown, and you need to keep up." Kyouko said.

"But it causes her such pain!"

"Yeah, and using her magic will probably hurt you... but it still might be worth it." Sanae said.

"How?" Mami asked, doubtful.

"Candeloro was so powerful this time because she absorbed a bunch of magic, right?"

"Right."

"So wouldn't it be possible to use her magic to keep her more tolerable? Venting it out, kinda?"

"I see what you're saying, but I don't think it would work. Everytime she's used Tiro Finale, I've been able to get control back."

"So use more restraint than her. It doesn't seem like it would be hard, with how over the top she likes to be." Sanae said, and Kyouko chuckled.

"You seem like the last person who should be giving advice on being subtle, but you're right. Mami, just try something simple, then."

"Like what?"

"She makes connections, right? So... something like that. Connect Kyouko and me." Sanae suggested.

Kyouko shrugged "I mean, I figure we're pretty well-connected, already, no? Still, maybe you can manipulate it somehow?"

Mami nodded with certainty "I can. I-" she stopped herself. She realized now she already had used Candeloro's power, and a sickening feeling washed over her. "I already have. Kyouko... I didn't realize it at the time, but... I think Candeloro used her power through me some time ago. I think... I bound you to me."

"Are you serious?! Why didn't you say that earlier!?" Kyouko shouted, getting more and more worked up. "How long ago?!"

"I did it... several times. I was afraid you'd leave me, and-"

"You- Argh!" Kyouko let out a shout of frustration. "How many times? When? Mami!"

Mami could see the thread unravelling. Could tell that once again, Kyouko was going to leave her... but now she stood uncertain... wondered if perhaps... she should let Kyouko go.

"Calm down, Kyouko. It's not like she was controlling you like Candeloro was."

"Of course it is! That's exactly what she's doing!"

"Obviously it's not or you wouldn't be lashing out at her like this. Besides, why are you getting upset over her doing what you were just trying to convince her to do?" Sanae pointed out. "Turns out she was even more ahead of the curve than you thought. So what's wrong?"

"She was controlling me, Sanae! Probably you, too!" Kyouko shouted.

"Yeah, probably. But I still prefer her control to Candeloro's." Sanae pointed out.

"I don't want to control any of you... I... I shouldn't have. Go ahead, Kyouko. I know you want to leave, so do it." Mami said, sadly watching the thread...

Which started to tie itself back together.

"Mami, just now, did you do something?" Kyouko asked.

"No! I... the connection... I didn't touch it!" Mami swore... at least... she didn't think she had...

"Then why do I feel like Sanae's made some good points?"

"Because I did, obviously." Sanae smiled. "Mami, sorry for underestimating you. But I do think you should let Candeloro get out a bit more. She was kind of a jerk when we went out on the town, but it seemed more like she was a kid who's never been let out to play than... well, a youkai."

"I suppose that's true. It wasn't until we got back that she started... well, getting out of control."

"Or way, way too into it." Sanae joked. Mami chuckled a bit at that, though Kyouko rolled her eyes with a grin.

"Besides, if she's out more, then she's less likely to get all crazy strong like that again, right?"

"I guess. I mean, as long as no one lets her absorb more magic like that..." Mami nodded.

"Right. We'll let the others know. For now, though... welcome back." Sanae said as she hugged Mami.


The Following Monday Lunch, at School

Mami was just sitting down with her new friends with her lunch when her cell phone buzzed.

"Sorry everyone. Someone's trying to reach me." Mami apologized as she pulled her phone out.

"We know what a phone is, Mami." One of her friends laughed.

"Who calls Mami, though?"

"Come on, it's obviously her boyfriend."

"Oh, and who have you convinced yourself she's dating this week?"

Mami left them to their speculation as she simply looked at her phone. It was a text message from Oriko, of all people.

Hey Mami, are you available for dinner, tonight? I've been thinking we should talk and get to know each other better. Mami smiled happily as she responded.

That's a good idea. I haven't really had a chance to talk with you one on one. We can meet at my place. 7 o'clock sound good? I'm looking forward to cooking for two. Anything you want in particular?

Just as Mami sent it...

"Who's Oriko?" One of her friends asked from over Mami's shoulder, but her other friends answered before she could.

"Well, it's probably not her boyfriend with a name like that."

"Maybe I've been looking at it all wrong. Is Oriko your girlfriend?"

"Well, judging from these texts, you might have just gotten it right this time." Mami's friend said from behind her shoulder as Mami desperately tried to cover up her screen, blushing wildly.

"She's just a friend! A good friend!" Mami insisted, but this only seemed to fuel the fires of rampant speculation.

"Told you so!"

"No way, you said it was a boyfriend!"

"Same thing."

"I'd never have thought Mami had a girlfriend."

"I'm telling you, she's just a friend!" Mami repeated.

"Why haven't you introduced her to us, then?"

"She's just... uh. I don't think you'd all get along real well, that's all." Mami said, finding the room was getting uncomfortably warm.

"Uh-huh. Suuuuuure."

Just as Mami felt ready to die from embarrassment, the phone buzzed again.

7 o'clock will do fine. Cook whatever you'd like to; I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about in private. I'm looking forward to it! :)

And just as Mami finished reading it, her phone was fished out of her hands.

"Hey everybody, Mami's got a date!" said the friend who'd taken it, reading the brief conversation with Oriko.

"Give that back!" Mami begged as she reached for her phone, her friend keeping it just out of reach. "It's not a date!"

"Oh, it sure sounds like one, though. A romantic candlelit dinner in the evening? All alone..."

After a few minutes of keepaway, Mami finally snatched her phone back and put it away, though through the rest of her lunch, it was a trial to ignore the rather inventive scenarios her friends were coming up with about how Mami had met her 'true love' Oriko.


Author's notes: Yikes. Super short one this week.

Schoolkids are jerks to each other. Pretty sure most people can agree on that.

And yeah, I feel a bit bad having a copout like 'it was all a dream'. But there were several clues here and there scattered about that hinted at the unreal nature of the illusion. For instance, obviously the reason Candeloro couldn't control 'Oriko' or 'Yuma' the same way she was controlling Kyouko was because They weren't present. Kyouko was trying to make it as believable as possible, while also encouraging Candeloro to expend far more energy than she needed to. Hence Yuma being crazy-regenerative.

Point is, the events of last chapter did have consequences and were caused by actual characters making actual decisions, even though the events themselves were largely fictitious. I still feel bad about having perpetrated such a deception though.

Incidentally, this night happened to be the night Sanae's phone started working again. She just called up the Magical Girls and warned them away while Candeloro was distracted.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading, and very sorry about the brevity of the chapter. I'm still getting into a new rhythm, and probably will be for a while.