Mitakihara Middle School, After School Wednesday

Mami was packing up her bags... Her new friends were gathered around her, as they had been... and as much as she liked their attention, she couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't her friends as much as Candeloro's victims. She could see the threads linking them to her, but she just wasn't sure if they were natural or not.

She looked over to Saki, sitting alone in the corner, and walked over to her. Mami's friends followed her hesitantly.

"Hey, Saki. Would you like to join us today? We were going to go-" Mami asked, and Saki looked daggers at her.

"You must think you're real generous, huh?" Saki asked.

"Come on, Mami. She's been like this-" One of Mami's friends found herself interrupted by Mami.

"Ever since all of her friends disappeared? Not only did she lose her friends... she doesn't even have anyone left to talk to about it, right?" Mami asked her friends.

"You know I do, Mami." Saki looked at her as she fidgeted with her Soul Gem ring.

"And when's the last time you went to a mall with them? Or just... sat around and talked with them."

"Never. You know what they're like." Saki said, and Mami couldn't help but agree. After all, she'd had her fair share of trouble balancing her Magical Girl life with that of a normal person.

"So come with us, and do what you haven't done for so long... relax." Mami suggested.

"Relax? Around you? Are you serious? After what-"

"Then maybe you can consider it escorting me." Mami pointed out, though it seemed to confuse her friends.

"Mami, you've got all of us. What would we need Saki for?"

"The more the merrier, right? Come on, Saki." Mami said, but Saki still seemed hesitant. "Well, fine. But if Candeloro shows up and causes trouble, then it's as much your fault as hers."

Saki glared at Mami. "Fine, I get your point. I'll come along."

One of Mami's friends turned to her and asked... "Who is Candeloro?"

"A real rough, bad girl none of you want to meet. Saki beat her up earlier, though, so now Candeloro's all terrified of her." Mami explained. Am not!

"Yes... don't worry. I'll make sure she doesn't do anything... improper, if she's foolish enough to make an appearance." Saki cracked her knuckles as she looked pointedly at Mami... then stood up and joined the group.


The Mall

Mami took another sip from her smoothie as the crowd around her continued its conversation. It had been a long evening, but an entertaining one full of shopping, music, and now food.

"Come on, Saki, you haven't so much as cracked a joke all day!" one of Mami's friends pleaded. "You're such a sourpuss."

"I didn't come to have fun, remember?" Saki pointed out.

"Right, right... something about that ruffian?"

"Candeloro, yes." Saki said.

"Right, right. But what's she got to do with anything? I mean, come on! We outnumber her so much that she couldn't do anything even if she wanted to! For that matter, why would she? Does she come here often? I don't even-" Mami's friend found herself interrupted.

"Candeloro is my cousin." Mami said the first lie that sprang to mind. "She's kinda rough, but she's not a bad person at heart."

"She's lying." Saki explained. "Candeloro is a true monster, and I want little more than to see her brought to justice." The crowd looked amongst themselves, unsure of who to believe.

"She may be a bit of a monster, but she's also a person, Saki." Mami pointed out.

"Candeloro is more dangerous than you give her credit." Saki said.

"I know exactly how dangerous she is, Saki."

"Oh? Then why don't you tell all our friends here about where all my old friends are?" Saki asked pointedly. Mami bit her lip nervously.

"She has needs, Saki. She's gotten a lot better, lately..." Mami spoke up.

"Yeah... a need to terrorize and kill innocents." Saki spat out. "She's done it before and she will again."

The crowd had been listening to the increasingly heated discussion with interest, and now one of Mami's friends piped up. "She's a murderer?"

"No! She... she just lost control-"

"I don't think she lost control, Mami. I'd say she was very much in control... of everything." Saki glared at Mami, while several of Mami's friends spoke up.

"What happened?" "Did she kill someone?" "Was there an accident?" "What's she got to do with the class president's disappearance?"

"Yeah, Mami. Why don't you tell them everything?" Saki asked pointedly.

"It's her story to tell. I shouldn't speak for her." Tell them! Come oooon. Let them know how awesome I am. Mami's inner voice begged her.

"Then bring her here so she can tell it. I mean, she wouldn't try anything here, right?" One of Mami's friends asked Saki and Mami.

"Oh, she just might." Saki said ominously... but this only intrigued Mami's friends more.

"I don't think she would, Saki. I might be able to get a hold of her and have her come here tomorrow, if you all really want to meet her."

"Are you insane?" Saki asked.

"No, but she really does need to make some more friends. Whenever I think of the terrible things she's done, it all just seems to be because she's lonely..."

"Well then, if she's going to meet these girls, then maybe I should go ahead and introduce them all to some of our other mutual friends. You wouldn't object to that, would you?" Saki asked, pointedly fidgeting with her Soul Gem, currently a ring on her finger.

"N... no. Why would I?" Mami asked. It's not like I can't handle them anyway.

"Good. I'll tell them to meet up at your place, then. We'll all have a grand old time tomorrow, then. And if Candeloro thinks she can do anything to these girls, I think it's in your best interest to change her mind or tell her to stay holed up in her home." Saki said, continuing to glare at Mami.


After School that Thursday, Mami's Apartment

Mami was a little surprised to see the small crowd gathered in front of her door. Oriko, Hana, Saki, Kyouko, Sanae, and Homura all loitered around outside of it. Lily was probably being watched by Yuma, then.

"What are all of you doing here?"

"Well, I thought if Candeloro was going on a Girl's night out, she'd like some of her friends to come along." Saki gestured around, though there were mixed reactions to that statement.

"I... see. That's probably a good idea."

"Are you really okay with this, Mami?" Kyouko asked.

"She was alright the last time she did something like this. Remember Sado?"

"Yeah, I do. And i suppose she isn't super powered right now, so it should be fine." Sanae said.

"I really think she just needs some positive experiences. I notice she comes out when I'm having a rough time, or I'm in pain or defeated... she only gets to experience the worst parts of being me... and I want to show her more about how pleasant the rest of it can be. Then maybe she'll be willing to start... coming over to our side."

"It's a bit of a stretch, but it could work." Hana shrugged. Oriko nodded in agreement.

"I haven't had any visions of the sort, but it's not like I can control them well. Still, if it were that bad of an idea, I'd probably already have gotten one."

"See? And you know, I just thought of another reason to do this." Mami said. "You can all meet my new friends at school."

"Just don't expect too much of them." Saki rolled her eyes. "Well, go ahead and get changed and we'll meet you out here again in about an hour."

Mami nodded and entered her apartment... She set her alarm, then took a one of the black dream pills, and lay down to sleep.


There she was, studying. Just... studying. She looked at the clock and was a little worried at the late hour, but she had to be ready for the test. She heard the door open... her father enter the room. He offered quiet reassurances that nonetheless left her more anxious then ever.

And then she was late, running desperately out the door to try and make it on time... or at least early enough to get some of the test finished... worry and doubt began to fill her... and once she was thus full, she dropped her bookbag.

The test wasn't really that important, after all. So why not take the chance to play some pranks on some of her classmates. She'd call in sick or something. She left behind her discarded bookbag and walked away...

Candeloro's day was going to be much more fun than she'd thought last night.


Mami's Apartment

Candeloro woke to a loud thumping sound coming from Mami's door.

"You in there? We're ready to go." Kyouko's voice issued from outside... Candeloro looked over herself, a bit confused. She felt too sore and exhausted to have overpowered Mami. it wasn't until Mami explained what was going on that Candeloro understood.

I thought you deserve a night out. Go and see what friendship is like. It's selfish of me to claim all those friends and leave you none. They think you're my suspicious cousin. Go ahead and just be yourself.

"Hah. Yeah, right. And Kyouko's at the door because...?"

Saki insisted that you be escorted. Most of the Magical Girls in the area will be coming along too. They've been isolated themselves, recently.

"And what's to stop me from killing them?" Candeloro grinned. "You know I could... and would." Candeloro started gathering magic to burst out of the door and slam into Kyouko... but something wasn't right. She tried and tried but couldn't grab it. Come to think of it, she could barely even see the threads connecting her remote to her TV.

"What the hell, Mami?"

Well, you're awfully weak right now. I don't think it would be good for you to overexert yourself. So I'll just keep an eye on your magic to make sure you don't use any when you're so exhausted. This is supposed to be a night out with the girls, so be sure to enjoy it! Candeloro couldn't help but think there was a bit of a smug attitude in that line of thinking.

"Candeloro? I know you're in there. Come on out, already." Kyouko's voice issued again, now within Mami's apartment. Candeloro whispered fiercely under her breath.

"And how am I supposed to enjoy the evening without magic?"

Just follow their lead. Answer their questions... boast if you want. Just be yourself.

"Har, har. Fine. Not like-" Candeloro muttered to herself, stopping as Kyouko opened the door to Mami's room.

"There you are."

"Yeah, yeah. Can't you let a girl get her beauty sleep? Let me guess, you picked the lock?"

"Of course. And you know, right now, I can almost see myself getting along with you." Kyouko grinned.

Candeloro scowled, then reached a thread out towards Kyouko's Soulgem. It failed to reach, and instead snapped back into her, stinging slightly. Now now, none of that. This is a vacation and I won't have you working on it. Candeloro glowered... there was definitely a smug tone in that thinking.

"Now come on. There's a bunch of people who've been waiting to meet you."

"Well, if they're dying to meet me, then maybe I'd better just wait here and save the effort of offing them myself."

"Don't you wish." Kyouko said as she grabbed Candeloro and pulled her out of bed, then the room, then the apartment, closing the door behind her.

Candeloro looked over the crowd assembled before her, and was rather afraid... there were so many Magical Girls, and any one of them could easily destroy her right now.

But they won't.


A Clothing Store at the Mall

Candeloro's escorts weren't especially relaxed, generally staying hidden amongst the crowd apart from Saki, who remained insistently near Candeloro. Mami's new non-Magical Girl friends seemed to be quite enjoying themselves, however. Candeloro had hardly said a word since they'd met up.

"Come oooooon Candeloro. Taaaaaaalk." One of those friends pleaded. Just about the only enjoyment Candeloro had gotten out of the day so far was in her continued frustration of that request. She kept quiet even now, just as they had when they repeatedly asked her about the murders she'd committed. They were far too curious... Candeloro knew they wouldn't believe anything, especially without being able to demonstrate her powers.

"No no, see, if she talks, that'll ruin it."

"Ruin what?"

"Her mysterious, distant attitude. She's clearly got this whole 'thing' about being super-mysterious."

"Oh! That's probably why Saki's all like 'she killed someone!' and Mami's like 'nuh-uh.'"

"See? You get it. Personally, no way she killed someone. She's even shorter than Mami."

"Well, she is younger... right? Hey, Candeloro! How old -are- you?"

"Both older than all of you, and younger than a year." Candeloro cryptically answered. Honestly, she didn't really count the various incarnations of herself that Homura had doubtless met as herself, but if it would help feed this confusion, she was willing to let it go.

"Wait, that's not possible, is it?"

"Not unless you're less than a year old. Of course, with how you act, I can see how she'd be confused."

"Har har har. You're just a barrel of laughs today, aren't you?"

"Well someone has to be. With Saki the silent and Candeloro the quiet over here. Seriously you two, stop being such killjoys. Don't you have any hobbies or something?"

"You could say I work with threads." Candeloro shrugged.

"Oh! You're a seamstress? Or are you a designer? Show us some of your work! There's got to be some in this store somewhere, right?"

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Idiot, she obviously doesn't sell to a main brand. Who would carry her stuff? She's like... uh... not old enough."

"You'd be surprised what people will agree to when their life is on the line." Candeloro grinned.

"So you -have- killed people?" One of Mami's friends asked in a worried tone. There was just a hint of the fear Candeloro sought in that voice... but it was enough to convince her to seek out more.

"Well, I don't like to brag..." Candeloro lied. "But right around a dozen or so people. It gets easier after the first."

Nervous laughter surrounded her... just as she suspected, they didn't believe her... and yet, she had planted a seed of doubt that she could feel growing.

"Wh... why? It must have been... something serious, right? What happened?"

"Well, the first one was really just self defense, I suppose." Candeloro thought back to when she, as a shadow, had slain Amaiko, though she hadn't known that name at the time.

"Oh my gosh! Were you scared?" At least one of Mami's friends seemed to be buying into the story...

"Of course not. I know how to handle myself. I didn't know what killing was like before that... but I guess my other victim's weren't as satisfying, come to think of it."

"Well maybe you should go ahead and give up murder then, huh?" Saki pointed out.

"Maybe if people stopped trying to kill me I could."

"No one's really tried to kill you since then, now have they?" Saki reminded her.

"Hmph. Trying to take away my freedom's nearly as bad."

"Ohhhh! You're like... a social justice warrior, then! A rebel with a cause!" One of Mami's friends started to get fired up.

"Not... quite..." Candeloro wasn't exactly expecting that reaction. "The rest of my victims I killed because they were very helpful." This caused some confusion until Candeloro clarified her statement.

"See, it was either kill them, or torture them and leave them broken, shattered shells of spent humanity." Candeloro grinned... for all that those deaths had weighed on her mind, the torturous attention she'd lavished on them beforehand remained a pleasant, warm, distant memory.

"Why would you torture them?"

"Because I like torturing people, obviously. I really couldn't let them go anyway. They knew too much about me." Candeloro grinned as a few of Mami's friends shot each other nervous looks...

"You know... kind of like how you all want to get to know me real well." Candeloro grinned evilly and was surrounded by silence... only to be thrown off balance by a hearty slap to her back by one of Mami's friends.

"You tell a helluva story, Candeloro! Sent chills down my spine!"

"When we go camping, you've just got to come and tell more stories like that!"

"I'm... not sure I'm going to be able to sleep tonight."

Candeloro was confused... it was all she could do to awkwardly laugh... a gesture that was oddly satisfying... and unusually, it didn't wipe away whatever fear she'd planted in their hearts. The tension was dissolved with her laugh, but not the underlying fear that had formed it.

Her laugh gradually changed into a heartier one, and the others joined in. The warmth in their hearts grew within Candeloro's own, and despite herself, she couldn't help but enjoy it.

"Well, if you won't show us your work, then you'll just have to model someone else's. Here, try on this dress here!" One of Mami's friends pointed to a hideously garish dress.

"I'm not going to let you make a fool of me. Are you blind? That dress is grotesque." Candeloro muttered.

"Ha! At least she has some taste." Another friend mocked the first, agreeing with Candeloro. About half of the group sided with Candeloro, while the other half seemed to be nearly insulted. Saki, of course, merely placed her forehead into her open hand, giving a resigned sigh.

"Well fine, if it looks so bad, what -does- look good?"

"It depends on the person, obviously! There's no way something looks good on everyone, idiot."

"Then pick something for me, hm?"

"If I knew something that could make you look good, I'd buy it for you already. No one in their right mind would buy that dress."

Candeloro watched the argument growing... Sensed the rift forming between the two factions, and decided to step in.

"Alright, so the dress looks grotesque, but it can be made to work." Candeloro said.

"Oh? So the seamstress has a sense of fashion, then? Fine, show us."

Candeloro took a few minutes to walk through the store, and grabbed the dress in question along with several other accessories. She then grabbed the girl that had originally pointed out the dress firmly by the wrist and began to drag her to a dressing room.

"Help you guys! She's gonna kiiiiill me." Candeloro's 'victim' proclaimed sarcastically.

"If you don't come with me and do as I say, you'll suffer a fate far worse than death." Candeloro said in a particularly chilling tone, for she meant what she said. She couldn't see the thread unraveling, but was certain this girl's fashion faux pas would soon spiral out of control and remove her from the group... leaving her alone... and freeing her ever so slightly from Candeloro's presence.

Candeloro's threat hung in the air for a few moments, suspended by a silence filled with a fear that perhaps Candeloro wasn't just talking tough...

"You know I can't let you do that, Candeloro." Saki pointed out.

"Then come with us and bear witness if you insist. Keep your stupid watch over me, and if you think she's at risk, then try to stop me." Candeloro said as she dragged her suddenly much more terrified friend into the dressing room. Candeloro might not have any magic at the moment, but the girl was terrified enough that she offered no real resistance as she was dragged off to her fate...

And Saki followed close behind.


A Few Minutes Later

Candeloro looked over her handiwork and grinned. Her new friend looked stunning... Saki was waiting just outside the changing stall, doubtless ready to rush in as soon as Candeloro did anything untoward. Saki would have no idea what she was about to witness.

"Let's go show you off, shall we?" Candeloro suggested.

"I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you'd let me see."

"It wouldn't do to give up the mystery. But fine, We can take the blindfold off now that everything's assembled." Candeloro did just that, allowing her friend to finally view herself in the mirror.

"See? I knew it'd look good." She seemed satisfied that the dress was indeed the central part of the outfit.

"Not without a lot of help. Come along now." Candeloro opened the door lead her friend out while Saki looked on, confused.

"Well... I certainly wasn't expecting you do to go through with it." Saki commented as Candeloro ignored her. Just outside the dressing room was the small crowd of her friends, though it looked like a few of the Magical Girls that had been largely keeping to themselves had met up with them.

"Wow! It's gorgeous!"

"It's so you."

"Yes, yes... the dress itself wasn't much to look at, but after tying it together with a few other things, you can see it has its place." Candeloro said, before going into more depth and explaining the accessories and other clothing that brought the outfit together as her new friend soaked in the praise of her friends, one of whom then turned to Candeloro.

"You really are a clothing designer, aren't you?"

"Like I said, I... work with threads. All kinds of threads." Candeloro said.

"Right... so... like, clothes."

"Ahhh, but there are so many more threads... And I consider my craft to go far beyond mere clothing."

"Well, you've certainly woven your way in among us, eh?"

Candeloro laughed... not at the terrible pun, but at the truth of the girl's words. Yes... despite their fears, they'd find it quite difficult to exclude Candeloro...

"And your lives will be ever so much more interesting now..." Candeloro's expression chilled the hearts of her new friends almost as much as the words that followed.

"Now that you know someone like me."


The Food Court, Hours Later

The group of girls were enjoying whichever food they each preferred. Candeloro noticed the other Magical Girls sitting together not far from Candeloro's own group and glowered at them until one of her friends brought Candeloro up in conversation.

"Candeloro, what do you think about Mami's kidnapping? What was the deal with that?"

"Kidnapping? Oh! Right, that. I'm really not sure. She doesn't exactly have a bunch of enemies or anything." Candeloro replied before taking up another mouthful of noodles.

"Well, she said it was probably a case of mistaken identity." One of her friends pointed out.

"Ohh! Candeloro, you look a lot like her! What if they were going for you?"

Candeloro nearly spit out her food laughing. Not that they could know, but Candeloro didn't even exist when Mami had been 'kidnapped'. There was no way Candeloro could have been the target.

"What's so funny? You've got to have made some enemies, right? I mean, a 'murderer' tends to do that."

"Ohh! Maybe they hired her for something. Like she's yakuza or something!"

"That's not even how yakuza work, idiot!"

Candeloro couldn't help but wonder. For all their random guessing, they weren't any less informed about why Mami had been 'kidnapped' than Candeloro or Mami herself was.

Actually, thinking on it, maybe she was the reason Mami had been brought to Gensokyo. Satori, Keine, and Yukari all seemed to have had some part in that decision, and each had played a key role in Candeloro's birth. Mami and the others certainly would have died before reaching Satori if not for Keine's guidance... Satori herself had broken Mami down enough that Candeloro could be born, and Yukari was how Mami had gotten to meet either of those two to begin with.

As the conversation carried on around her, Candeloro kept wondering. Satori's motivation had been clear enough, of course. That fool couldn't keep a lie to save her life, and she'd flat out told Candeloro that Satori had been seeking a sort of company and had hoped to find it in Mami. Keine, too, had confessed that she had wanted the Magical Girls to see youkai in their home, though Candeloro wasn't certain why she wished that.

Yukari, however, remained inscrutable. Candeloro simply didn't have enough experience with Yukari to know why she'd played a part in bringing them to Gensokyo to begin with... but her actions contributed to not only Candeloro's birth, but Lily's as well. Perhaps one or both of them had been Yukari's real goal... youkai born of Magical Girls. If so... why? And if not... then what else could it be?

Maybe these new friends were actually on to something... maybe Candeloro had been 'hired'... and she felt just a little uncomfortable without knowing just what her 'job' was...


Author's notes: Candeloro's night out! She's doing well! She just needed some supervision.. and a lack of reality-warping powers.

So, with the schedule I have at work for the next few months, stuff might come out at a different time or be missed entirely soon. I'll -try- to keep it going, but my 'buffer' is mostly empty right now, so we might be heading into a time of drought so to speak. Sorry in advance if that happens, but I hope you'll keep this fic in mind, and I look forward to giving you all more to read!