A/N: I said I was going to cancel this fic after Magia Record's horrible final season. Then I said that if I did continue it, I'd update Symphony of the Heart first.

Well, my brain kept giving me new ideas on where to take these last few chapters as a sort of response to that final season. The events of this chapter were unplanned in the original outline of this story, but I'm excited with this new idea I have. That said, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 34

They were so happy.

Kuroe felt a pit of jealousy in her stomach and immediately hated herself for it. She should have been happy now that her soul had been returned to her. Yet did that really change her problems? She was still weak, she still had nowhere she belonged.

Why am I even here? I haven't done anything useful, and it's not like I have any reason to fight.

If only she could be more like Flick. The way the older girl had brought them all together, encouraging them to not give up even though their situation had seemed hopeless, was almost unbelievable. Flick was really amazing. In comparison, Kuroe was nothing.

She saw Flick now. The pale skinned, green haired girl was smiling at the sight of the other girls reuniting. Momoko had joined them, and they were talking too quietly for Kuroe to hear. Kuroe could see the pride on Flick's face, the happiness for her friends. Those were feelings Kuroe couldn't have.

Finally, the group reassembled, Mifuyu bowing. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I've caused you so much trouble."

"You kidding?" Felicia asked. "That was all the Rumor! I can't believe the Magius merged you with one!"

"No one here blames you, Azusa," Kanagi assured her. "We know who our enemy is. And we don't have much time."

Mifuyu bliniked. "What do you mean?"

Quickly, the group explained how the Magius were drawing magic from Flick to feed Eve, and were dangerously close to awakening it. Kuroe still couldn't quite understand the situation, with Flick being some type of being granted power from a soul gem that had briefly been a grief seed. It made her head hurt. Then again, it wasn't like she was meant for large and important dealings.

She was only a failure.

"You failed me." Kuroe flinched at the familiar voice. "You let me die."

No, that isn't true! Kuroe didn't mean what had happened. That day, she had helped a Magical Girl even weaker than her escape a labyrinth. But the Witch had escaped, and both girls were low on magic. The unknown girl had been friendly and even wanted to work with Kuroe, but Kuroe had run away, too concerned about preserving her own life.

That girl had to have become a Witch. On her own, Kuroe would have become a Witch by now. She was too weak. She couldn't save anyone.

Pattering footsteps drew her out of her thoughts. Kuroe spun around just in time for a small Kyubey to leap onto her shoulder. She yelped, stumbling back.

"The small Kyubey?" Flick asked.

"Y-You know what this is?" Kuroe asked. "Wait, Iroha, didn't you find it in the labyrinth when we came to Kamihama?"

Iroha nodded. "Ever since then, he's been with me whenever we've gone into a Rumor. I don't know exactly what he is, but… I get the sense he wants to help us somehow."

Yachiyo frowned. "Can you really trust a sense to lead you to the right decision?"

For once, Iroha looked unsure of herself. Yet that only lasted for a moment before she shook herself out of it. "I can. Something in my heart is telling me that we should let the little Kyubey stay with us."

"As long as you have no doubts," Yachiyo said. In response, Iroha simply nodded.

Iroha, you're so… bright. Why can't I be bright like you?

"Because you're selfish. You don't belong here."

Kuroe shuddered. No, she had to leave. She couldn't stay here any longer. The others—

"Hey, is it true?"

Kuroe jolted. She wasn't the only one, as the voice was unfamiliar. A group of Feathers were running up to them. A blonde haired White Feather was leading the group, and she was the one who had spoken.

She continued to speak. "Do you really have a girl here with her soul returned to her?"

Everyone turned to Kuroe, who flushed under the attention. She summoned her soul gem to her hand. "You can sense magic in it, but it isn't my own. That should be coming from my own body."

The girl focused, and one gasped. "She's right! Two different magic signatures!"

"It's true!" another exclaimed. "We don't have to follow the Magius!"

They ran off, eagerly seeking out more Feathers to spread the news to. The encounter had been so brief that Kuroe had to take a step back, blinking as she thought about what had just happened.

Flick smiled at her. "Thank goodness you came with us. At this rate, we won't have any Feathers to keep us from reaching Eve."

Kuroe's flush only deepened from the praise. "You could have fixed the soul of someone here if you had to."

"It's true, then?" Tsukuyo asked. "You can save us?"

"I promise," Flick said. "As soon as we destroy Eve, I'll teach as many girls the spell as possible. Does that sound good?"

"Right!" Both Amane twins chorused.

"If we're done here," Kanagi interjected. "We should make our way to the inner sanctum. There's no telling when Eve will hatch."

Everyone agreed with that sentiment, and the group ran that way with Mifuyu leading them. Yachiyo was giving the other girl looks that Kuroe definitely wasn't the only one catching.

Did anyone care about her like they cared for each other? Kuroe didn't think so. These girls were practically strangers to her. Even the Mitakihara girls. They were in their own group, and though Kuroe wasn't far from them, she felt a level of detachment that came from people simply working together. Those 5 had a bond already, and Kuroe wasn't a part of it.

To tell the truth, she suspected she would never have a place where she belonged.


The inner sanctum was just as Reathma had described. A massive chapel, which had been turned into an indoor garden. Looking forward, Flick could see Eve hanging from the far wall.

Just looking at the giant moth creature was nearly enough to bring Flick to her knees. From the reactions of those around her, she could tell they felt the same. Eve was a level of concentrated impurities that none of them had ever witnessed before. Now more than ever, Flick understood how it could be capable of bringing this world's destruction.

Such a terrifying Witch, and it had been created by three girls. Three girls who were sitting at a table in the center of the room, completely unbothered by the monstrosity above them. As they saw Flick and the others enter, the Magius rose.

"Ragazze persistenti!" Alina exclaimed with a dramatic flourish. "How is it that you turned all our Feathers against us?"

"It does not matter." That was Nemu, a calm frown on her face as she spoke. "We no longer need the Wings of the Magius to achieve our goal. Eve will soon awaken."

"That's right!" Touka leveled a glare at the group. "So why don't you all get lost? You're just being a nuisance!"

"Be careful, Flick." Flick heard Ai's reassuring voice in her head. "The Magius are crafty. They surely have some sort of plan."

Thanks, Ai, I'll keep it in mind. Flick prepared herself to speak, only to be beaten to it.

"Touka, Nemu!" Iroha stepped forward, clutching her chest. "You can't do this! If you release Eve, it will kill innocent people!"

Touka groaned. "Who cares about that? Iroha Tamaki, you are such an idiot! Our vision is to create a system that saves every Magical Girl in the world! Only a lesser form of life would get in our way!"

"But this isn't you!" Iroha blurted. "The Touka and Nemu I remember would never approve of this plan!"

"We have already told you," Nemu said, "we have no memories of you. The Ten-Thousand Year Sakura may lend credit to your claims, but even if they're true, why should we care?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Touka stomped her foot down. "Either way, we won't stop the plan now!"

"That's where you're wrong." This time, Flick stepped forward, readying her weapon. All the other girls followed her lead, leaving the Magius facing a small army.

There are so many of us. Me, Reathma, Iroha, Yachiyo, Tsuruno, Sana, Felicia, Mifuyu, Kanagi, Tsukuyo, Tsukasa, Kuroe, Mami, Madoka, Homura, Sayaka, Kyoko… how did we bring this many Magical Girls together?

With them by her side, Flick knew she could succeed. That feeling drove her next words. "Even if you get in our way, we will destroy Eve. "You won't get the chance to awaken it."

Alina laughed. "What an idiota you are!"

Nemu opened the book she was holding. Flick realized what it was. The book filled with stories about Rumors that Nemu, Touka, Ui, and Iroha had come up with. "We will succeed thanks to you, Felicity Chambers. Your presence in Kamihama has let Eve grow spectacularly, and now you will be the final piece of her life."

That was enough to drive Flick forward, firing a shot from her bow. As a reporter, she knew when to ask questions, but also when not to ask questions. Whatever Nemu was doing with that book, Flick had to stop her before she finished.

She didn't get far. The arrow was blocked by Touka's parasol, and Alina released a Witch from one of her cubes that got in Flick's way.

Dammit, what are they up to!? Flick began to fire at the Witch, the others helping her. Such a focused barrage should have destroyed it in an instant. And yet…

'Urk!" Mami grunted. "My magic is weaker!"

"Same here," Kyoko said. "That the giant moth's doing?"

Of course! Eve was leaving them weaker! The Magius were clearly unaffected, though, as Alina and Touka began to attack Flick's friends.

As for Nemu, she was finished. Her book started to glow, and a figure appeared. Green-skinned, wearing a black hood, and with a devilish smile on its face.

"Have you heard? Has anyone told you? The Rumor of the Alien Girl! A girl was rejected by her reality, and banished into our own! She brought with her foreign magic that could change the world! But she was too weak, unable to cast a single spell. Cursed, she can only wander the land in solitude. Oh, but be careful! If she gets too close to the Witch the Magius are raising, she'll fuse with it! Then, it will awaken and wreak havoc! So scary!"

Shit! Flick had to get away! She had no doubt that Rumor was now active, and if she fulfilled the conditions…

"Flick, watch out!" The shout from Ai came too late. Below Flick's feet was a puddle of black goo, and it quickly expanded. A moment later, Flick fell into it, the shouts of the others being quickly drowned out by the liquid rushing in her ears.

Darkness surrounded her. Flick tried to look up toward where she had fallen in, but there was no more light. She was floating in an endless sea of darkness. What kind of Rumor was this? What was it doing?

Tendrils formed from the liquid. They grabbed Flick's wrists and ankles, their touch making her skin burn. She tried to scream, but that liquid got in her throat, making her cough violently as her lungs felt aflame.

The Rumor's magic continued to invade her. It darkened her soul gem, making her eyes swirl wildly. Her thoughts were nonsensical, leaving her brain spinning in confusion.

As the Rumor forced itself deeper and deeper inside Flick's soul, something had to give.

"Flick!" Ai's voice rang throughout Flick's being, her presence slowly becoming washed away by the new Rumor. That realization was enough to snap Flick back into lucidity.

Ai! Hang in there, I'll help you! Flick reached for her magic, the same magic that had let her save Ai in the past.

It did nothing. There was no one for her to reach. Flick tried again, only to be met with the same result.

Flick felt Ai die. She felt the Uwasa's determination to keep her safe, even at the cost of herself. Ai's final thoughts were those of hope, believing that Flick would find a way to get out of this mess and save everyone. As her life faded, Ai held onto that thought. Then, with a final whisper of encouragement, she faded away.

Tears flooded Flick's eyes, and she sobbed even though it let more of the dark liquid in. Already, she could feel the changes in herself. Her body looked like it had before the fusion, and her mind…

She felt more alone than ever.

Flick screamed, thrashing in the river of despair. Her efforts made the tendrils holding her snap, and she began to sink once more. Further and further to the bottom, until…

Solid ground. There was still blackness on all ends, but Flick could breathe again. Her lungs even felt fine, as if she hadn't been deprived of oxygen just a moment ago.

Where am I? No, what am I?

Focusing, Flick opened a second set of eyes. Once more, she was looking out on the inner sanctum. This time, however, she was watching the battle from above. A battle which the Magius were winning.

As Flick's other eyes opened, a shockwave crashed through the room, making everyone shield their faces. When it was over, they all looked her way—the Magius with delight, and the others with horror.

"Così brillante!" Alina said. "Eve is awake!"

Flick's eyes widened in horror. No! Was she a part of Eve now? Then if the Rumor was true, Eve was going to destroy everything! This universe would be doomed! Heart racing, Flick began to run in the darkness. Meanwhile, Eve escaped from its shackles, and the force of its awakening caused the hotel to collapse. Even the Uwasa died in the destruction, making the building fade away around them and bring them to an empty field. It was the middle of the night, raining as Eve began to move.

"No, no no!" Flick cried, continuing to run. "Please, I have to stop it!" No matter how far she ran, Flick couldn't do anything. There was still only darkness. She was trapped, a spectator to the end of everything. Flick shook her head rapidly, sobbing. She couldn't do it. She couldn't save them. She—

"Who… who are you?"

Flick whirled around at the voice, seeing a small pink figure through her tears. Once she wiped them away, she got a better look. In front of her was a girl who couldn't be older than 11. All of her was pink. Pink hair, pink eyes, even a pink dress. Though there was also black in the outfit, an ensemble that could only belong to a Magical Girl with its flourish. There was even a black cap on the side of her head.

For a moment, Flick could only stare. Then, she snapped herself out of her daze. "I'm Felicity Chambers, but… call me Flick…" What a weird time for introductions. "But who are you?"

The girl looked down. "I'm the one who birthed this Witch. We have to stop it. My sister is fighting down there to save me!"

"Your sister?" Flick echoed. Then, she gasped. "No way…

"You're Ui Tamaki!?"