Chapter 1 - Light
The world came to a grinding halt as time stood still, the only movement coming from the Witch of Envy. Her amethyst orbs flicked between the frozen spectators in an unspoken challenge, daring them to defy her will.
Echidna was the first to break the spell.
"Fascinating," she breathed.
"I was certain the stupid girl would let him go without a fuss, but it seems she's decided to be honest with her feelings," she grumbled. "Although, I will be displeased if she destroys my dreamscape because of her incompetence."
"But a contract with the Jealous Witch," she thought, a predatory grin splitting her face. "Perhaps you are the person who can sate my unending curiosity, Natsuki Subaru."
"Tella, come back to us!" Typhon clapped noisily, tearing Satella from the grip of her Envy.
"What?" Satella yelped as she looked around, fixated on locating the source of the disturbance. Upon deducing that it was Typhon, she relaxed, sighing to herself: "Whatever's the matter, Ty?"
"What do you mean?" she asked quizzically. "You went all shadowy when you told Baru to save you, didn't you?"
"What did you say?" she said blankly.
"You asked him to form a contract with you, remember?" the tanned girl reiterated. "Tella, are you feigning ignorance? Are you a sinner?" she questioned innocently.
"Why did I ask him that?" she moaned, burying herface in her hands as her legs shook violently beneath her. "I promised to distance myself from him so I wouldn't add to his suffering, didn't I?"
Minerva flinched upon seeing Satella's self-destructive actions and attempted to console her, but was halted by a sharp command from Echidna.
"Wait," she demanded tersely. "We don't know who it is yet; Satella, or the Witch of Envy."
"What do you mean?" she asked incredulously. "That's Satella!"
"To be frank, it doesn't matter which one it is," Echidna retorted. "The fact of the matter is that it's a very present danger to everyone here."
"She's shown more emotion in the past minute than she has in a century!" she yelled. "There's no way she's the Witch of Envy!"
"That doesn't amount to much if we consider our current predicament," Echidna scoffed.
"Even you with your limited knowledge must be painfully aware that if she were to turn hostile, you would have no chance of defeating her," she added mockingly. "Only united under a single front would we be able to banish her from this space."
Tears welled up Minerva's eyes as she angrily replied: "Obviously, I know that, but you can't stop me from helping my friend!"
"Your friend?" she laughed. "I know you're biased toward elves, but don't let your little fetish interfere with reality. She's the woman who killed you, remember?"
"I forgave her for that a long time ago" the wrathful girl snarled, baring her teeth. "You're the only one here that hates her, and you know it. You're a disgrace to the legacy of the Witches of Sin."
"Says the woman whose greatest achievement in life was her death," she said scathingly. "I wonder how many people you healed in your lifetime? It must be a whisper in a hurricane compared to the innocents you harmed due to your Authority."
"I didn't ask for you to add my soul to your collection," she retaliated. "None of us did."
"Dodging the question, as always," she sighed disappointedly. "I would advise that you come to terms with your sin in the time you have left."
"Because of you, I have an eternity!" she shouted, stamping her foot irritably.
"You wound my maidenly heart," she said dramatically. "If you're not careful, you'll break it clean in two."
"I am a healer," Minerva snapped. "I don't want to break anything."
"Yet you always do," she shrugged. "Such is the curse of Witches. For each act of goodwill, an act of evil always follows."
"Sometimes I doubt you have a heart that I could break," she said blackly, shaking her head.
"That aside, are you sure you're her friend?" she inquired flippantly, her eyes brimming with curiosity as she leaned forward in her chair. "She'll never return your care, nor your concern. Are you certain that your disgusting insistence on helping her isn't a perverted attempt at disguising your fear?"
"Satella is my friend, and I'm determined to help her in any way I can," she said fiercely. "There's not a cause more worthy than assisting a woman in love."
"But your legs are shaking," she commented dryly.
"That's because I'm angry!" she yelled indignantly. "Stop twisting my words, Echidna!"
"Stop trying so hard, Minerva," she said condescendingly. "Violence doesn't suit you."
"It's not like I'm incapable of hurting people!" she protested. "Even I can emotionally abuse people if I'm upset. I can be a bad girl...too…" she trailed off unconvincingly.
"Allow me to correct one mistake you appear to have made," Echidna said coldly. "To emotionally abuse someone, the recipient must first care about the abuser's opinion of them. Do you now recognise why it didn't work?"
"You know, it wouldn't kill you to be nice every so often," she said sadly. "Contrary to what you want to believe, we care about you."
"You don't say," she said disinterestedly, waving away her concern. "Kindly keep those thoughts to yourself and go bother someone else."
"I'm serious about this, Echidna," she said earnestly. "Why won't you let us help you? I know you're afraid of getting hurt, especially after what happened in the Sanctuary all those years ago, but - "
"Don't you dare force your childish ideals onto me," she threatened menacingly. "Do not presume that you can discern my emotions with a single glance from those sickeningly empathetic eyes."
"If you were able to ascertain my true intentions so easily, it would be unbefitting as my title of the Witch of Greed," she stated. "I hold myself up to an impossibly high standard because I have no choice. Every word I speak, every breath I take, every action I perform is toward achieving my dream. So don't speak to me as if you understand," she hissed.
"Gotcha," she grinned, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"The rogue healer strikes again..." she muttered disbelievingly. "Your rhetoric has improved greatly since last we spoke, Minerva."
"What did you call me? The rogue healer? How did that name attach itself to me without my knowledge?" she demanded.
"Who knows?" she snickered. "I certainly have no idea how that epithet became attributed to you."
"Dona, you're not being mean to Nerva and Tella, are you?" Typhon interrupted. "Bullying others is a sin, you know."
"I wouldn't dream of it," she responded sarcastically. "How could I cope if my cute juniors hated me?"
"You're lying, aren't you?" she said dangerously, her eyes narrowing as she was enveloped by a raging tempest. "Dona, are you a sinner?"
Before Echidna could answer, an indescribable pressure slammed into her jaw, preventing her from speaking. She cast a questioning glance to her right, meeting Sekhmet's bored gaze.
"Now now, let's not fight," she interjected drowsily. "Minerva, if you're confident that the girl is Satella, then go and speak with her."
Minerva nodded curtly and raced towards Satella, dropping to her knees and unhesitatingly pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Hey, it's okay," she soothed. "I know you came on a little strong, but you've still got a chance."
"Came on a little strong?" Satella laughed hysterically. "I wasn't in control! Someone could have been hurt if Typhon didn't intervene!"
"I could have killed Subaru…" she choked.
"T-there there," Carmilla called out timidly. "I know that matters of the heart can hurt the most, but you have to stay s-strong, okay?"
"Don't bother, everyone knows you're being insincere," Minerva seethed. "Stop interrupting because you're not the centre of attention. Narcissistic bitch."
"Look around you," she said softly, returning her attention to Satella. "Everyone's alright, aren't they?"
"Hurt goes beyond physical pain," she whispered brokenly. "What if I've damaged Subaru's mind by being selfish?"
"Then you'll have to heal him," she replied evenly. "Time heals all wounds, you know."
"Anyway, it's good that you told him, isn't it?" she prodded. "All you have to do is explain to him what a contract with you would entail. You made some great progress with him earlier, so I'm sure he'll listen to you."
"Really?" she said hopefully. "He won't hate me?"
"Nobody could hate you," she reassured her. "Besides, if he yells at you, I'll destroy him," she muttered darkly, slamming her fist into her palm.
"Don't you dare!" she hissed venomously. "Our relationship is fractious enough without you threatening him!"
"I don't know what you're getting so worked up about," she huffed. "You said it yourself, didn't you? You want him to save you…" she sang teasingly.
"Minerva!" Satella wailed, shoving herself away from her and jumping to her feet.
"She's worried about the people around her," Subaru thought, his initial shock giving way to confusion as he viewed her outburst. "How can a woman this empathetic be the Witch of Envy?"
"I suppose I can hear her out," he decided, clearing his throat noisily.
"Huh?!" she jumped, clearly startled by the sudden noise.
"Satella, you mentioned a contract?" he asked, crossing his arms. "I assume it must be important if you nearly destroyed Echidna's home to tell me about it."
"Y-yes, it is important," she fumbled, tucking a strand of resplendent hair behind a pointed ear as she looked pleadingly at Minerva.
"Go get him!" she whispered encouragingly, flashing her a thumbs up.
"Well?" he demanded.
"I can do this," she resolved, placinga shaking hand over her heart in an attempt to regain her composure. "All I have to do is pitch it to him correctly, like Envy and I practised."
"I would like to form a contract with you, my beloved!" Satella declared, clumsily planting her foot forward and pointing at Subaru.
"Forming a contract with me has numerous benefits! First, power! Have you grown weary of being the weakest in your camp? Are you tired of relying on your death? Then look no further! Contracting with me will imbue you with my abilities, giving you the power to decimate anyone that stands in your way!"
"In addition, you will have me! I'll be there to offer you counsel and provide you with aid. You will never get bored, and you will always have someone to converse with!" she smiled affectionately.
"Furthermore, I also possess a range of delightful conversation topics, such as the weather, crafting, and time management techniques!" she winked, adding:
"I'm also a self-proclaimed expert on all things Natsuki Subaru, so don't hesitate to ask me about how great he is!"
"What just happened?" he thought dumbly, unable to comprehend her transformation from the shy maiden who stood there only moments prior.
"What kind of third-rate sales pitch is that, idiot!" Minerva despaired, raising her hand to her forehead.
"Subaru?" Satella asked confusedly. "What's the matter?"
"This all sounds great, but can you slow down?" he winced, pinching his fingers together in a stifling gesture. "I can only understand half of what you're saying…"
"The audacity!" she exclaimed verbosely. "It's not like I use antiquated language when I feel nervous!"
"Are you sure?" he deadpanned, his eyes dancing with mirth.
"Her pout is reaching critical levels,'' he laughed, watching her cheeks expand dangerously. "I'd better intervene."
"If we're going to make this work, we need to treat this like a job interview," he suggested. "Can you do that for me?"
"Wait, why am I taking charge here?" he wondered, running his fingers through his hair. "She's supposed to be asking me to contract with her, not the other way around!"
"Job...interview?" she asked, tilting her head to one side in confusion.
"Oh, for the love of - " he groaned, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. "A job interview is where I ask you questions concerning a subject matter, in this case, our contract, and you answer them to the best of your ability," he explained slowly.
"I see..." she nodded, placing her fist into her open palm. "So, it's like a work application!"
"See, you do know what it is!" he cried.
"Hehe…" she grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.
"Wait,"he questioned, arriving at a daunting realisation. "Are you actually really dumb?"
"I'm not stupid!" she berated him, dropping her gaze and mumbling shyly: "Minerva says I'm a bit lacking in the common-sense department, that's all..."
"A bit lacking doesn't even begin to describe it!" he moaned.
"Are you ready?" he asked cautiously, pushing off his rapidly increasing doubts.
"Yep!" she cheered. "Come at me!"
"It looks like she's good to go," he thought, relieved.
"This cute girl asked me to contract with her and mentioned that I might gain some cool new abilities!" he said excitedly, pushing himself into his signature pose. "That sounds amazing! Miss Satella, do you mind expanding on that?"
"Hopefully that should ease her nerves," he smiled to himself.
"Cute...he called me cute…" she squealed, rocking on the balls of her feet in ecstasy.
"Satella, last chance" he warned, his smile disappearing as a dangerous glint entered his eyes.
"Sorry, sorry!" she apologised profusely, hurriedly righting herself. "I'll do it correctly this time!"
"Speak from the heart," she thought, nervously smoothing the hems of her dress. "That's what he'll appreciate most."
"This contract is centred around helping you, my beloved," she said, reaching out to take his hand in her own. "With this contract, you won't be alone anymore. I'll feel your emotions, share your pain, and help shoulder your burdens."
He recoiled as her slender fingers brushed his tracksuit, traces of fear flickering deep within his eyes.
"I'm not her, you know..." she whispered, staring forlornly at his withdrawn hand.
"What do you mean?" he asked fearfully.
"I'm not the Witch of Envy, Subaru," she said sadly.
"Huh?" he blurted out, bewildered. "But you're Satella, right?"
"I am," she sighed heavily. "I assume Echidna told you what Witch Factors are?"
Taking his silence as confirmation, she continued: "Many years ago, I absorbed the Envy Witch Factor, granting me the Authority of Envy. But I wasn't compatible with the sin, and my soul was torn in two."
"The Authority of Envy took control of one half, and developed an alternate personality," she delineated. "The Jealous Witch. She's the one who crushes your heart whenever you speak of Return by Death."
"I despise her because of that," she hissed. "I hate that she hurts you."
"No, that's not it," she corrected. "I hate her because she loves you. Her possessiveness and jealousy taints my love, and twists it into something horrible," she grimaced.
"Wait," Subaru spoke falteringly. "There's two of you?"
"Yep!" she smiled. "Count yourself fortunate that I'm the good girl in the relationship."
"You wanted to repay your friends in other ways than death, correct?" she continued, ignoring his surprised spluttering. "Of course, I believe that they're completely undeserving of your selflessness. They have no idea what you go through to make them happy."
"But it doesn't matter what I want," she conceded. "My onlyconcern is you, Subaru, and it always will be. If that's what will make you happy, I'll help you in any way I can. Hence the new abilities!" she chirped.
"What's the catch?" he asked warily.
"There isn't one!" she said happily. "You will gain all of my abilities, including an increased mana pool, a healed gate, and the ability to cast even greater shadow magic than you were able to before!"
"I don't mean to brag, but I've mastered yin magic!" she proudly stated, pushing her finger toward her ample chest. "I'm even more powerful than Betty!"
"I don't know, Satella…" he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "The last time someone offered to contract with me, it didn't exactly go well…"
Not for the first time today, Satella cursed Echidna and her interference.
"It looks like I'll have to go all out," she thought grimly. "I despise the girl, but if she's what it takes for Subaru to be happy then I'll endure it this once."
"You lost someone, didn't you?" she said tentatively. "Rem, right?"
"Yes," he said bitterly. "I couldn't make it in time, and she fell victim to Gluttony."
"What if I told you that you could save her?" she called out.
"You know a way to save Rem?" he exclaimed excitedly, seizing her hand and pulling it close to his chest. "How? Where? How long will it take?"
"Jeez, I think I got whiplash," Satella thought to herself, raising her hands to protect herself from his verbal onslaught. "To hold another girl in such high regard when I'm offering you a contract, it's the height of disrespect."
"Although, he wouldn't be Natsuki Subaru without that selflessness of his. I just wish some of that enthusiasm could be directed at me…" she lamented, drumming her fingers against her thigh.
"Someone's excited, aren't we?" she commented wryly.
"Please," he said fiercely. "Tell me how I can save her."
"That's not fair," she murmured, her heart fluttering as heat flooded her cheeks. "You know how much I love it when you look at me like that."
"If you contract with me, I can return you to the beginning," she explained simply. "You can save Rem and everyone else that was lost. Think of it as a second chance."
"Not that you've made any mistakes," she thought. "You've done brilliantly, Subaru."
"Why are you going so far, just to help me?" he whispered, hanging his head.
"Because I love you," she responded confidently.
"No" he breathed. "That can't be it."
"Subaru, you know I love you, so why are you doubting me?" she asked, a hint of fear entering her voice as she tenderly reached for Subaru's shoulder.
"No-one loves anyone that much," he forced out. "Granting me new abilities, increasing my mana capacity, even offering to help me save Rem because you love me? Bullshit."
"No, Subaru, you have to believe me!" she said frantically, stumbling backwards as tears filled her eyes. "I love you more than anything! So please -"
"There has to be something else," he sobbed, wringing his hands.
"Are you trying to manipulate me? Is it to do with Return by Death? Are you lying? I don't understand!" he screamed, violently tearing at his sleeves.
"I have to help him," she resolved, carefully lowering his hysterical form onto her lap. "He should never look like that again."
"It's fine," she soothed. "I'm not going anywhere. I want to be with you, every second of every day. I want you to trust and confide in me, and to be the one person you can act naturally around."
"I want to stay with you because I'm jealous of everyone that spends time in your company, and I'm envious of the attention they receive," she elaborated. "I refuse to leave your side for even a single moment, because I love you."
Subaru's breathing slowly evened as his body relaxed in her arms, her words providing him with the stability he desperately needed.
"I hate to say it, but her lap pillows are amazing," he mused. "It's the perfect marriage of soft and cool, and they're the perfect size…. Wait, are her lap pillows better than Emilia-tan's? No, that's impossible!"
"I guess it's a draw," he thought contentedly, sinking further into Satella's thighs.
"Subaru?" she whispered, unwilling to break the tranquillity of the moment.
"Mnh?" he lazily hummed.
"There is another reason why I want to contract with you," she said slowly, laying a placating hand on his head as he went rigid in her embrace.
"This is my way of atoning for my sins" she murmured, teasing her fingers through his hair. "You endured so much because I couldn't imagine a world without you. All of your pain and suffering is a result of my selfish actions, so please, let me help you!" she begged.
"She wants to fix her mistakes, even though it was the Witch of Envy who caused them," he commented. "It's commendable, but I refuse to be a vessel for her happiness."
"I know I don't deserve to say this," she resumed obliviously. "But no matter what you choose, I want you to know I'm proud of you."
"What?"he whispered.
"I won't deny there were some unsavoury attempts," she grimaced, "but you always chose to face the world head-on, and with unwavering resolve," she said proudly, her silver locks ticking his face as she leant down toward his ear.
"I know your parents would be proud of the man you've become," she whispered.
"No they wouldn't!" he cried. "I disappeared one day, and they don't even know why! They're going to spend the rest of their lives waiting for someone that will never come back!"
"I deserve to die for what I did to them!" he wept.
"Then blame me," she said quietly. "If it'll help you heal, shout at me, scream at me, do anything!"
"Just make it quick," she gasped. "I don't know how much my heart will be able to take."
"All I have to do is say that I hate her," he thought, his turbulent emotions dissipating in the face of Satella clutching her chest in agony. "It would be so easy."
Three words, and he would finally be set free from the curse that had plagued him since his arrival in this world.
"But how could I do that to her?" he asked himself.
"She's kind and caring. She actively worries about her friends, and she's extremely loyal," he pondered. "She may go overboard sometimes, but she's earnest, and possesses the drive to achieve her goals."
"Sure, she can be a dumbass," he laughed, "but her heart is in the right place."
"It's fine," he said softly. "I'm not going to yell at you."
"Why not?" she stuttered. "I'm the cause of all of your suffering, you should hate me, you should despise me - "
"Everyone has reasons for their actions," he interrupted. "Why does it matter if yours is to help me? I don't have the right to complain about it."
"You don't hate me?" she asked anxiously.
"Nope," he said gently. "I would be dead ten times over if not for you, Satella. You're in the clear."
"Oh, thank Subaru,"she said thankfully, timidly raising her head.
"Satella, did you refer to me as a deity?" he smirked.
"Wait, I said that out loud?!" she moaned, her face dyed crimson.
"Well, it's because you're my everything…" she mumbled. "I would spend eternity with you if I could."
"You shouldn't say that so easily," he admonished. "Eternity is a long time."
"Of course I know that," she said seriously. "The thing I cherish most is my time with you; why wouldn't I want it to last forever?"
"She really does love me, doesn't she?" he realised. "Maybe forming a contract with her wouldn't be such a bad idea…"
"That's good to hear," he responded, a slight blush appearing on his face. "But for now, let's think more short term, okay?"
"I've already spent more time with you than I thought was possible," she said fondly. "I'm content with being next to you for now."
"I know you think I'm great, but you should value yourself more," he said firmly. "I'm not special."
"Yes, you are," she pouted heavily. "Remember, I'm the one trying to help you, not the other way around."
"Hey, I'm the one contracting with you because you asked me to save you," he said nonchalantly. "That makes us even."
"What did you say?" she whispered.
"He said he would -! No, I probably misheard him," she amended. "After all, he's already rejected me once. There's no way it could be that easy."
"I want to contract with you, Satella," he repeated.
"Say it again," she said quickly. "Say it one more time."
"Satella, will you please make a contract with me?" he smiled warmly.
"Ah." Hot tears cascaded down her cheeks as she brought a trembling hand to her mouth. "I don't, I can't - "
"Satella-tan, are you alright?" he asked worriedly, sitting upright. "I didn't mean to upset you!"
"No, I'm fine," she sniffed, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision. "It's just, I've dreamed of this moment for so long!" she wailed, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm so happy!"
Subaru visibly flinched at the unexpected contact but leaned into the embrace regardless, rubbing the small of her back in a soothing rhythm.
"There's no need to cry. We're saving each other this time, aren't we?" he said reassuringly.
"Yes," she said, dumbfounded. "We are, aren't we?"
"I'd hate to interrupt you two, but will you hurry up?" Echidna interrupted, tapping her wrist impatiently. "The longer you both remain here, the further my dreamscape deteriorates."
Subaru and Satella yelped in surprise as they both shoved themselves off each other, their faces burning a dark shade of crimson.
"E-echidna…" Subaru spluttered. "It's not what it looks like, I promise!"
"Really?" she asked. "How so?"
"Because what it looks like is that you decided to contract with that thing over there, and you both let your emotions overwhelm you in the heat of the moment," she analysed. "Am I incorrect in my assumption?"
"No, you're not incorrect," he said awkwardly. "As always, you got the correct answer."
"But I must say, you truly are a scoundrel, contracting with another witch after you rejected me so cruelly," she said dramatically, draping her arm over her eyes.
"Sorry about that," he winced. "It wasn't anything personal, I promise."
"You don't have to be so serious!" she giggled. "It's not like I own you. After all, once someone decides to take the first step toward happiness, what right do I have to stop them?"
"I guess she can be a nice person sometimes, huh?" he thought, looking at her in amazement.
"Wait a minute," he pondered. "How did you know that I said that? Am I that predictable?"
"You are indeed," she said, an antagonistic glint entering her eye as she continued: "Furthermore, we overheard your entire conversation."
"We?" Subaru questioned. "Wait, you don't mean - "
"Yep!" Minerva smiled broadly. "We heard the whole thing! I've never seen her get that emotional about something before. I guess you truly are special!"
"Poor Baru," Typhon said sympathetically. "I bet he wants to disappear right now."
"I want to disappear," hewhined. "I want to disappear, I want to disappear, I want to crawl into a hole and die - wait, how do you know what I'm thinking?"
"Stop teasing him, you two," Satella lightly scolded, frowning at Typhon.
"Listen to Satella-tan!" he complained. "What's with all the verbal abuse?"
"What did he call me?" she thought angrily. "Tan? I'm not anything like that whore, how dare he!"
"Satella, congratulations on your contract!" Minerva cheered.
"I'll talk to him about it later," she resolved, momentarily pushing down her anger.
"Thank you, Minerva," she said shyly. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"You and Subarun looked sooo cute together," Daphne said, licking her lips hungrily. "I want to gobble you both up."
"Daphne!" she panicked, waving her arms wildly. "Not in front of Subaru!"
"Look at you, being all shy and reserved," Minerva teased. "You're such a maiden."
"I'm not talking to you," she sulked, turning away with a resounding huff.
"We'll see how long that'll last," Minerva laughed, turning to Subaru. "How long do you think she can keep it up?"
"Two minutes, maximum," he replied amusedly.
"I see," Echidna thought, an almost imperceptible twinge in her chest. "This is Envy, isn't it?"
"Anyway, you two have lingered here far too long," she said loudly, shaking herself from her thoughts. "Now get out, it's already far too crowded in here."
"You're right, Echidna," she nodded sagely, turning to Subaru. "We should get going."
"I'm all set!" Subaru agreed, pumping his fist emphatically. "Where are we going?"
"My home," she responded. "We can formalise our contract there."
"Am I the first boy you've brought home?" he said, wide-eyed.
"What do you think?" she asked, arching her eyebrow.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to assume."
"So long as you've learned your lesson," she haughtily remarked, flipping her hair. "Let's go."
"Of course you are," she pouted to herself. "Dummy."
"Before you go, I've got a message for Subaru," Minerva interjected.
"What's up?" he asked questioningly.
"I'll only say this once," she said, cracking her knuckles. "If you make her cry, I will beat you up, understood?"
"Noted," he said weakly, practically tripping over himself in his haste to return to Satella.
"Okay everyone, we're off!" she waved.
"Get on with it," Echidna disparaged, resuming her seat.
"Now, put your hand on my head," Satella said grandly, drawing herself up to her full height.
"For what reason?" he said sceptically.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked worriedly. "I'm telling the truth, I promise!"
"Why a headpat, though?" he frowned. "Surely there's a better way to get there."
"That's right," she thought sadly. "I'm an idiot for expecting physical contact this early on. He only allowed that lap pillow earlier because he wasn't thinking straight."
"I'm not special," she realised. "Anyone could have given him that lap pillow, and it would have achieved the same result."
"Can't you do this for me?" she begged, her thin frame beginning to shake as tears clouded her vision.
"Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to say what I did?" she vociferated. "The trust that I had painstakingly built, the progress I had made, it could have been for nothing! You could have despised me for how selfish I was! But you didn't. You accepted me for who I was, and the selfish reasons behind my request."
"So why are you keeping me at arm's length?" she wept.
"If you don't even trust me enough to touch me, then what hope do we have of making this work?" she asked. "You're fine with touching me when it benefits you and the people you love, but when I ask for one thing that's mine, you refuse? Why?! Why are you being so selfish? I'm doing all this to help you, aren't I?"
"Do you want to contract with me or not?" she cried, her voice steadily rising as she tore at her dress in agony.
"I don't understand!" she yelled, her voice breaking from the intensity of her scream.
"Yes, I want to contract with you, Satella-tan," he said, placing his hand on her head in an attempt to placate her.
"Don't you dare call me that!" she spat, savagely wrenching her body away from Subaru's.
"What?" he stuttered. "Why not?"
"That's what you call her," she hissed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not Emilia, Subaru. I'm not the woman you're in love with."
"I love you, more than life itself, but I refuse to be a replacement for her," she forced out, the fire rapidly fading from her voice as she broke down in tears.
"I want you to look at me and see Satella," she sobbed, her fingers clawing against Subaru's tracksuit.
"The brat couldn't even form the contract without reducing her to a crying mess," Minerva raged, stepping forward to give Subaru the biggest scolding of his life.
"W-wait, Minerva-chan!" Carmilla squeaked, hesitantly pointing to the duo. "Look."
"I'm sorry, Satella. If I'm honest, being fully comfortable around you will take time, because I'm still afraid of you," he confessed. The girl stiffened, her breathing becoming laboured as tears began to fall down her face with renewed vigour.
"But I'm willing to work on that," he said quietly. "No-one that's truly evil would care so intimately for me and get so worked up over a nickname."
"But it's not just a name to you, is it?" he continued. "By adding the same honorific to your name as Emilia's, it must have felt like I was undermining your identity, and ignoring your hard work up until now."
"So what about a pet name?" he suggested.
"What do you mean?" she sniffled.
"A pet name!" he repeated earnestly. "It's a nickname exclusive to you. It can be our thing!"
"That seems acceptable," she said slowly, suppressing her mounting excitement. "What are your suggestions?"
"What about Sat-chan?" he asked hopefully.
"No way," she snorted. "That sounds like you're ridiculing me."
"Okay, let's lengthen it," he said. "How does Satella-chan sound?"
"I won't deny it's cute, but I'm older than you," she reminded him. "Chan won't work."
"What other names fit into Satella?" he panicked. "We've already established that we can't use Satella, and Tella sounds stupid. That only leaves…"
"Ella?" he put forward tentatively.
"Ella…" she repeated slowly, testing how the name sounded as it rolled off her tongue.
"It's perfect," she smiled, leaning into Subaru's hand. "A marked improvement from Satella-tan. You have my sincere compliments."
"We've taken the first step towards improving our relationship," she thought happily. "I would have preferred Natsuki Satella, but Ella's fine for now. After all, I'm not even his girlfriend yet."
"Let's go," he said gently. "You promised me you would show me your home, remember?"
"I will if you say my name again," she teased, her heart soaring at the use of her beloved nickname.
"Let's go, Satella?" he repeated confusedly, before being silenced by a withering glare from Minerva.
"What?" he asked irritably.
"Oh," he realised, taking note of the meaning behind Satella'swords. "So that's what she means."
"Let's go, Ella!" he reiterated confidently.
"You're the boss!" she beamed, as the world went white, and Echidna's Castle of Dreams disappeared from his view.
Subaru opened his eyes to an endless void. Thick clouds of miasma rolled over the floor and blanketed the sky, creating a realm composed entirely of shadow. Sparse flashes of purple and silver illuminated the room, creating a kaleidoscope of gems that danced upon the concerned face of Satella gazing down at him.
"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, reaching to help him up before recoiling, sorrow evident in her expression.
"That's right," she said awkwardly, backing away from him. "You're not comfortable around me yet."
"She's upset about me not touching her, isn't she?" he realised, mentally preparing himself. "Oh well, I'm going to have to learn to trust her eventually," he rationalised, grabbing her arm.
Satella stared incredulously at the hand gripping her arm for a few moments before pulling him up, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth.
"As much as I adore the feeling of your bare skin against mine, why were you on the floor in the first place?" Satella prodded teasingly.
"Probably because someone's headpats have the power to pull me through time and space," he joked. "Are you sure your head doesn't have some sort of legendary power?"
"You may be right," she said seriously. "The static electricity transferred from your hand to my head may have negatively affected you."
"I was only joking," he said amusedly.
"So?" he asked. "Where are we?"
"Welcome to my shadow garden!" she said grandiosely, gesturing behind her. "What do you think?"
"I hope he at least recognises the effort I've put into this," she thought anxiously. "I spent ages removing all of my Subaru dolls before I came to Echidna's tea party."
"Um, ah…" he stammered, desperately scanning the room for anything of merit.
"You hate it, don't you?" she said flatly.
"It's certainly unique," he said slowly. "It needs some work, but there is one design feature that I like, although I'm unsure if it's intentional."
"What is it?" she asked, perking up immediately.
"If you look closely, this cute girl is standing there, see?" he said conspiratorially, pointing at Satella.
"Don't say that, dummy!" she yowled, her face flushed crimson as she beat her fists against him. "Dummy dummy dummy dummy dummy!"
"Even when she's mad, she's still gentle…" he thought, surprised by the unexpectedly soft blows hammering his shoulders.
"Okay, I'm sorry for calling you cute, Ella" he smirked, gently grasping her wrists.
"It's fine, there's no need to apologise," she said haughtily, stepping away from him. "Now, shall we establish the terms of our contract?"
"Sounds good!" he enthused. "What do we do? Is it the same process as with Echidna?"
"Yes, the principle is the same," she said carefully. "The gesture used to solidify a contract can be anything, so long as there is physical contact. All you have to do is place your palm on my own, and we can begin."
"No," he joked.
"Wait, you're misunderstanding!" he shouted, noting the horrified look adorning her features. "I was going to suggest an alternative to touching hands."
"Don't scare me like that," she breathed. "I highly doubt you want something as intimate as a hug, so what do you have in mind?"
"This," he said, extending his arm and curling his hand to form a fist.
"What did I do wrong?" she whispered dramatically, shying away from him. "I thought things were going so well…"
"Ella?" he called out concernedly. "What's wrong?"
"You were trying to punch me!" she shouted, pointing an accusatory finger toward him.
"Huh?" he said confusedly. "No, I wasn't! This is the physical contact I was talking about!"
"Don't deny it!" she laughed shakily. "You're already physically assaulting me, and we haven't even contracted yet!"
"Not that I dislike it," she said, casting her gaze toward the floor. "But if you're going to be rough, you have to give me some warning in the future…"
"Ignoring that last comment," he said sharply, "I wasn't going to hit you."
"Are you telling the truth?" she asked warily. "It's not good to lie, you know."
"This is a fistbump," he said, gesturing to his hand.
"A fistbump?" she parroted. "Is it a different form of handshake?" she asked curiously, her brow creasing in confusion as she hesitantly wrapped her hands around his clenched fist.
"One point for Satella!" he said appreciatively. "You're exactly right."
"Obviously," she boasted, basking in the praise laid upon her.
"I don't why you're acting so smug," he grumbled. "You had no idea what a job interview was, remember?"
"Rude," she pouted, visibly deflating. "I was nervous, there was bound to be some gaps in my knowledge."
"I believe you," he smirked, deftly moving her hands away from his own and pushing her fists together to mirror him.
"Hey, what's with that sarcastic tone?" she complained. "Minerva said to be nice to me, remember?"
"Anyway, a fistbump is a less formal version of a handshake which denotes familiarity, or more accurately, trust" he continued, ignoring her. "That's what you said contracts are based on, right?"
"He's taking my advice…" she thought, nonplussed. "He's trying to make this work."
"Yes, they are," she mused, her amethyst eyes sparking with a newfound appreciation for her beloved.
"So this is a fistbump," she nodded to herself. "I like it."
"Now then, shall we get started on the rules?"
"Rules?" he shouted disbelievingly. "You never said there would be rules!"
"Of course there are, silly!" she giggled. "Without rules, the contract would be hollow and become unable to maintain its link on our Od's. Simply put, you can't form a contract without them."
"I see," he asserted. "Now - "
"Before you say anything, I'm going first," she interrupted, raising her hand.
"I should have seen that coming," he thought, exasperated. "Go ahead."
"One: Less flirting with Emilia," she said sternly. "Non-negotiable."
"That's not fair! You can't tell me to spend less time with the woman I love!" he protested, before clapping a hand over his mouth.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "That was uncalled for."
"It's fine," she winced. "I was forced to come to terms with that reality a long while ago. After all, you've done more than enough to prove your loyalty to her…"
"I never did thank you for that, did I?" Subaru said, removing his hand from his mouth.
"Huh?" she blurted out. "What do you mean?"
"Even if its original purpose was to keep me safe, Return by Death allows me to save Emilia and the people I love," he explained. "It's also something that will help me fulfil my promise to you."
"Thank you, Ella," he said softly. "You did a great job."
"Think nothing of it," she said dismissively, turning away to hide the blush painting her ivory cheeks. "So long as you're aware that I love you too."
"I know," he comforted her. "You've told me often enough."
"I'm serious, Subaru," she said intensely. "I'm going to do my best to ensure that when the time comes, you choose me, and I can make my dream a reality."
"Wait, choose her?" he thought frantically, his eyes widening in disbelief. "She knows I love Emilia! That's never going to happen!"
"Hang on, you have a dream?" he wondered aloud. "What is it?"
"Oh stars," she berated herself. "I can't tell him about it yet, it might scare him off. Maybe one day…"
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," she coughed. "Moving on; Rule number two: No contracting with any spirits, may they be lesser, quasi, or great."
"That seems reasonable," Subaru agreed, before addressing her mockingly: "Why, are you afraid someone else will steal me away from you?"
"You're already surrounded by women like that homewrecker and the blue tatoe," she said reluctantly. "Rivals for your affection are everywhere in this world, so I'm not taking any chances."
"The homewrecker and the blue tatoe?" he thought dubiously. "She doesn't mean Emilia and Rem, does she? Besides, how is Rem a rival? She's in a coma!"
Subaru flinched at the sudden reminder of the comatose girl.
"Don't worry Rem, I'm going to save you!" he promised, determination burning deep within his eyes.
"If he has that look in his eyes while thinking about another girl, I'm going to slap him," Satella grouched. "Actually, that would hurt him, so a kiss would be a far more fitting punishment," she compromised, congratulating herself on her level-headed thinking.
"Third: One act of affection per day," she grinned.
"I can guarantee there's an ulterior motive behind this," he thought. "You're going to have to explain that one, Ella."
"Hang on, I'm not being a pervert or anything!" she yelled. "It's very important to me that you recognise that you're loved."
"Jeez, I'm sounding more and more like Carmilla-chan by the minute!" she groaned.
"I'm not expecting public displays of affection or anything," she reasoned. "All we have to do is show our appreciation for one another once a day. For example, you could praise me if I did a good job, and I can say how much I love you every day."
"That doesn't sound too bad..." he conceded. "I'll admit, I thought you were going to use our contract as an excuse to kiss me."
"Well, the thought did cross my mind," she stated ominously, touching her lip. "But I restrained myself!" she exclaimed proudly.
"Well, thank you for exercising restraint," he retorted sarcastically.
"You're welcome!" she replied energetically, letting loose a dazzling smile.
"She went ahead and took the compliment," he thought wearily. "She's going to be a handful, isn't she?"
"The fourth rule is simple," she resumed. "We confide in each other. If something is bothering you, you tell me. I can't have you trying to face the world alone."
"I can't bother her," he hesitated. "It's my curse to bear, I can do it myself. I - "
"That's enough of that, mister," she said, wagging her finger disapprovingly. "I know what you're thinking. We're partners, remember? You'll never be a burden to me, so you can let your mask down with me."
"That's right," she said patiently. "When you're around me, you don't have to act tough."
"I know it might be hard at first," she said, rubbing her thumb comfortingly along the length of Subaru's fist. "But I'm confident we can get you to love yourself, given enough time."
"What about you?" he said sharply.
"What do you mean?" she asked, genuinely confused. "I said so, didn't I? This contract is centred around helping you."
"Nope," he protested adamantly. "I promised to save you as well, so we're going to do this together."
"Deal…" she said falteringly. "Not that I deserve to be saved by someone as brilliant as you."
"Now, that brings us to the fifth and final rule of our contract," she gulped, locking eyes with Subaru.
"We'll be together forever," she said shyly.
"That sounds like a marriage proposal," he said ruefully. "Are you sure you don't want to rephrase that?"
"Nope!" she said happily, regaining her previous confidence. "After all, we'll be getting married eventually."
"I'm sorry, what?" he sputtered.
"Never mind!" she squeaked. "Do you agree or not?"
"What happens if I refuse?" he asked challengingly.
"I will be very upset," she responded matter-of-factly. "It's common sense not to make your partner upset."
"She's not going to let that one go, is she?" he realised.
"Fine," he acquiesced. "I agree."
"That's a promise!" she hummed joyfully, seemingly on the precipice of squealing with delight.
"Is there anything you want to add to the contract?" she added, attempting to clear the romance induced fog from her mind.
Subaru fell deep into thought as he quietly contemplated what he could add to their contract.
He couldn't offer her power, nor fighting ability. He wasn't a genius, and he wasn't as reliable as Julius or Reinhart. What could he offer her?
"I don't know why I'm thinking so hard about this," he joked. "She's already made it pretty clear what she wants from this contract."
"Let's be nice to each other!" he announced loudly, blissfully unaware of how naive he sounded.
"That falls into rule three of the contract," she thought fondly. "But he's made that rule for my sake, so it would be rude not to indulge him."
"Sounds good!" she approved. "With that, the contract between Natsuki Subaru and Satella is now sealed!"
Her smiling face beaming up at him was the last thing he saw before the world went dark, and he was cast once more into the void.
"Did it work?" he asked nervously, keeping his eyes squeezed tightly shut.
In response, the wind picked up, eliciting a rustle from his waist. His eyes snapped open, locking onto the plastic bag dangling in his hand. Countless voices assaulted his senses as he gazed upward, glancing over the vast array of vendors and demi-humans as a flock of doves scattered across his field of vision, obscuring the bustling marketplace of Lugnica's capital.
He had returned to zero.